Secrets in Ink
Order headquarters was unusually quiet that evening, starkly contrasting the usual tense discussions and hurried planning. The air inside the hidden safe house was thick with unspoken words, but the group had reached a silent agreement—tonight, they would not act. They would wait until morning when their minds were clearer and their emotions less raw. The journal, still burning in their thoughts, would have to wait.
Marlene leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed as she watched James rub his temples. Lily sat beside him, worry flickering in her green eyes, while Remus remained quiet, his sharp mind already calculating what they had read. Sirius paced, restless as ever, but even he understood the necessity of waiting. They were all exhausted, and making impulsive decisions now could be dangerous.
“Tomorrow then,” James finally said, voice firm. “We meet at our place and read through it properly. We’ll figure out what to do from there.”
Lily nodded. “And for now, we pretend nothing has changed.”
No one liked it, but it was the only way forward. The war had already turned them into liars, hiding truths even from those they once trusted without question.
Sirius and Marlene were the first to leave, apparating just outside McVilla, the sprawling McKinnon estate that had been in Marlene’s family for generations. It was one of the few places that still felt safe, untouched by the war, though even that security now felt fragile.
They walked up the stone path together, the house dark and quiet against the crisp September night. The stars shimmered above them, their light steady, oblivious to the chaos unfolding below.
Once inside, Sirius pulled off his cloak and hung it near the door before turning to Marlene. “Are you alright?” His voice was softer now, less guarded. It was a side of him he rarely showed to others.
Marlene let out a slow breath and shook her head. “I don’t know. Seeing her like that, hearing her voice… I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”
Sirius sighed and stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I know. It was—hell, I don’t even know what it was. But I do know that she wasn’t lying. You saw it in her eyes, the same as I did.”
She rested her head against his chest, letting the warmth of his embrace chase away the chill. “I keep wondering… did she want to stay? Did she regret leaving?”
Sirius was quiet for a moment, his chin resting on top of her head. “I think she wanted to, but she knew she couldn’t. That’s what makes it worse, doesn’t it?”
Marlene closed her eyes, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “Yeah. It does.”
For a while, they simply stood there, finding comfort in each other’s presence. Eventually, Marlene pulled away and took his hand, tugging him toward the staircase. “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”
Sirius smirked. “Together?”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t let go of his hand. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Black.”
They settled into bed, the room dimly lit by the moon filtering through the curtains. Marlene turned on her side, studying Sirius’s face in the faint light. “Do you ever think about the future?”
He turned to face her, his expression softer than usual. “All the time.”
She traced a pattern on the sheet between them. “What do you see?”
He hesitated before answering. “I see us. Maybe somewhere far away from all of this. A place where we don’t have to look over our shoulders every second.” He reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “And you?”
Marlene swallowed hard. “I see a little girl with honey-colored wild curls, blue eyes like mine, and your reckless grin.”
Sirius’s breath hitched, but he smiled. “Sounds like a handful.”
“She’d have to be.”
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Someday.”
They fell asleep that night with their fingers intertwined, the weight of the world momentarily lifted.
September 20th, 1978 – Potter’s Cottage (Godric’s Hollow)
The small home was surrounded by a strong network of wards, making it one of the safest places to meet. It was safer here—Lily had woven layers of wards around the property, and James had charmed the perimeter to alert them if anyone suspicious approached. Inside, James had already set up the sitting room, with drinks and food set aside ready for the group.
No one spoke as they took their seats in the sitting room, the five of them—James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, and Marlene—sat in a tense circle.
The weight of the journal in Marlene’s hands felt heavier than it should have been. She had held battle plans, cursed artifacts, and letters from fallen comrades, but nothing had sent her heart racing like the worn leather-bound book left behind by a girl who claimed to be her daughter.
It was Sirius who finally broke the silence.
“Well? Are we going to open it, or are we just going to stare at it all night?”
Marlene let out a breath and reached forward, her fingers hovering over the cover. Her pulse thrummed in her ears. “Once we read this, there’s no going back.”
James leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “I think we already passed the point of no return when a bloody Time-Turner dropped two war-torn teenagers at your feet.”
Lily, ever the voice of reason, nodded. “We need to know what she wanted us to fix.”
Marlene inhaled deeply and flipped the journal open.
The First Entry
The ink was faded, but the handwriting was sharp and deliberate. Marlene’s breath hitched when she recognized her penmanship, though slightly messier—hurried as if the writer hadn’t had the luxury of time to be neat.
If you are reading this, then everything has already begun.
My name is Hermione. I was born in a war, raised in the ruins of what you left behind. You don’t know me, not yet, but I know you. And I need you to listen.
Dumbledore is not your savior.
Marlene stiffened, her fingers tightening on the page. The others leaned in, their expressions grim.
Lily read aloud, her voice soft but steady.
He plays the long game. He always has. He moves people like pieces on a chessboard, sacrificing pawns in favor of the queen. You won’t realize it at first. You’ll believe in his wisdom, his cause. And then you’ll see the bodies pile up.
He won’t save you. He never planned to.
Sirius clenched his jaw. “That’s a hell of a way to start a letter.”
Remus, who had remained quiet until now, tapped the page lightly. “This isn’t a warning—it’s a confession. Whoever wrote this… she’s seen what happens if we don’t act.”
Marlene turned the page. The next few lines were scrawled hastily, the ink smudged in places.
The war doesn’t end the way you think it will. Voldemort falls, but it’s not because of you. Not because of the Order. He dies at the hands of a child.
James’s brow furrowed. “A child?”
Marlene felt a chill creep up her spine as she read on.
Dumbledore knew it would happen. He let it happen. He raised the boy like a lamb to slaughter, never intending to save him. He was always meant to die.
Silence fell over the room.
James thought about the potential prophecy that Dumbledore shared with him and Lily about their firstborn and what was destined for him. Is this what Dumbledore has planned for him? James looked sick and shared a terrified look with Lily, whose hands were shaking.
Sirius swore under his breath and shoved back from the table, pacing the room like a caged animal. “That manipulative, self-righteous—” He cut himself off, running both hands through his hair. “He planned to let a child die.”
Lily’s green eyes burned with emotion, but she straightened her shoulders. “There’s more.”
Marlene turned another page, her heart hammering.
You need to change the plan. You need to fight smarter. Don’t let Dumbledore control your movements. Don’t let him decide who gets to live and who doesn’t.
And for Merlin’s sake, don’t let Peter Pettigrew anywhere near your secrets.
James’s head snapped up. “Peter?”
Sirius froze. “What the hell does she mean?”
He is not your friend. He is your traitor. He gives you up to Voldemort. He is the reason that some of you die, are innocently imprisoned, and disappear forever.
Marlene felt the world tilt.
James went completely still, his face draining of color. “No. No, that’s not possible.”
Sirius looked like someone had punched him in the gut. “Peter—he would never—” But even as he said it, doubt flickered in his stormy gray eyes.
Remus’s expression darkened. “We can’t ignore this.”
Lily reached across the table and took James’s hand, grounding him. “I know this is hard. But if there’s even a chance this is true, we must consider it.”
James swallowed hard, staring at the journal like it might burst into flames. “This is saying that Peter betrays us. That he’s going to betray us.”
Marlene turned another page.
If you want to live, change your Secret-Keeper. Don’t tell anyone who it is. Not even each other. Trust is a very limited thing in war.
Sirius let out a bitter laugh. “Bloody hell.”
James rubbed a hand over his face, exhaling sharply. “If this is true… if we follow this…” He met Sirius’s gaze. “We have to rethink everything”
Sirius nodded slowly. “Then let’s do it.”
Marlene turned the next page, only to find that the ink had begun to blur as though magic had tampered with it. The words shimmered faintly before vanishing entirely.
She cursed under her breath. “It’s warded. We can’t read ahead.”
Lily frowned. “It must be time-locked. We can only access the information as it becomes relevant.”
James slammed the table. “Fine. Then we start with what we can do.” He took a deep breath, meeting each of their gazes. “We cut Dumbledore out of our plans. We change the Secret Keeper. And we don’t trust anyone until we know for sure where their loyalties lie.”
Marlene frowned and flipped back to one of the earlier pages, where something else caught her attention.
Some people you trust will betray you. Some people you least expect will save you. Choose wisely.
Sirius exhaled sharply. “That’s not vague at all.”
Remus crossed his arms. “It means we need to be careful with who we count as an enemy and who we count as an ally.”
The words inside cut deeper than any curse. They spoke of manipulation, of war, of a prophecy that had already determined James and Lily’s fate. But it was the warning about Peter Pettigrew that left them truly shaken.
And so, they made their first decisions. They would say nothing to Peter, would lay low, and fortify their homes. They would pretend nothing had changed, even as they worked behind the scenes to unravel the lie they had been fed.
Sirius sighed and said to the group, “Well, that was a lot for one night. I think we meet up in a few days to go over our strategies.” He reaches for Marlene’s hand and says, “Let’s go home and get some sleep.” Marlene nods and says good night to everyone. Remus does the same and leaves right after Sirius and Marlene.
As the others left, Lily and James lingered in the sitting room. She leaned into him, her head against his shoulder. “Do you think we’ll ever have a normal life?”
James kissed the top of her head. “I hope so. Maybe not right now, but it will get better.”
She placed a hand over her stomach, even though there was no child yet. “I want them to be safe, James.”
“We’ll make sure of it.”
McVilla - (Sirius & Marlene's Home)
Marlene and Sirius wasted no time in reinforcing their wards. They cast spell after spell, ensuring that no one—not even Dumbledore—could step foot on the property without their knowledge.
When they were done, Sirius pulled Marlene into his arms. “Tell me something good.”
She smiled, albeit faintly. “I’m thinking about our little girl again.”
He chuckled. “The one with my reckless grin?”
She smiles. “The very same.”
He kissed her, slow and deep. “Then we better make sure the world is worth bringing her into.”
For a moment, the war didn’t exist. There was only them.
The journal lay closed on the table, its secrets temporarily forgotten, but not for long.
Because destiny had already begun to rewrite itself.