We Apparated abruptly in front of a tiny gate.

Sirius pulled out his wand and I followed suit, tapping the gate with it.

It didn't budge.

Sirius poked it several times with his fingers and I snickered. "It's not gonna open, Sirius."

He shrugged. "Maybe it's one of those doors that you have to pull instead of push."

I glanced at him.

Then I pulled the gate handle towards me.

It swung open very easily.

Sirius grinned at me smugly.

"Oh, shut it," I muttered.

"I didn't say anything," said Sirius with a grin.

In front of us stood a short but narrow cobblestone path leading to a tattered yet very homey looking cottage.

We strode down the pathway briskly and Sirius knocked on the dark wooden door.

It opened with a muffled bang.

Standing there were two red-headed twins who both had an identical and mischievous grin on their faces.

"Hello there," said the one on the right.

"Marlene and Sirius?" asked the one on the left. "We're just checking it's you two, you know, for security reasons."

"Nah," said Sirius. "We're Death Eaters who have come to annihilate you all."

"Cool," said one of the twins. "I'm Gideon and this is my brother Fabian. I'm pretty much guessing that you aren't Death Eaters, seeing as you would have killed blood-traitors like us on the spot."

I grinned. "This IS the Order meet, right?" I said. "We haven't accidentally Apparated here for a potluck or something?"

Gideon chucked. "I wish. Dumbledore hasn't given us any good snacks to eat," he whined. "All we have at home right now is plain whipped cream and a slice of expired bread."

Sirius scrunched up his nose. "Geez."

I snapped my fingers in excitement. "I learnt how to make a whole cake with whipped cream and bread recently."

"I didn't know you knew how to cook," said Sirius in awe, looking at me in admiration.

I scoffed. "I know PLENTY about cooking."

Gideon and Fabian glanced at each other amusedly.

"Come on in," said Fabian with a chuckle.

We walked into the cottage. It had a very rustic feel to it.

The door led straight into the tiny living room with a comfy yellow ochre couch and an unlit fireplace.

It felt like it was a house a bunny would own if it lived underground and everything felt like it was made out of rich soil.

It even had that new dirt smell.

"Sirius? Marlene?" came a muffled and familiar voice from a nearby room.

"Al! Remus!" I said happily, going over to hug the both of them lightly. "How're you two doing?"

"Great," said Alice excitedly. "They're saying I'm doing really well at Auror training so far. I just need to study for my Stealth and Tracking Exam in the fall. I'm not quite stealthy."

"You're PLENTY stealthy," I assure her. "You repeatedly stole my chocolate without me noticing for 7 years."

Alice blushed and looked over at Remus, who was getting strangle-hugged by Sirius, who was overjoyed to see him.

"I was so bored at home!" squealed Sirius. "Now I have my bestie Remu with meeeeeeeeeee-"

Remus grinned weakly, his light brown hair flopping to one side haphazardly. "Sirius- you're kinda strangling me..."

Sirius pulled away from the strangle-hug and giggled loudly.

"That sounds like a pig having diarrhea," noted Fabian, walking into the room with his brother.

I raised an eyebrow. "My grandpa used to own a farm. You have no idea what a pig with diarrhea sounds like."

"What's diarrhea?" asked another slightly familar and whiny voice. "Is it like- liquid?"

I held in my breath, trying not to yell in annoyance. "Hey, James. Where's Lily?"

"She's Apparating here on her own," said James, running a hand through his already messy hair. "She still had to get ready, so she'll be here in a couple of minutes, I guess."

I nodded. "Alright. You think Peter's coming?"

A/n: GO DIE PETER YOU BETERAYER

James and Sirius nodded in sync. 

"We invited him to come," said James. "And he RSVP'd yes."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're making it sound like this is a birthday party invitation."

"Well," said Sirius thoughtfully. "If you think about it, it's not really a birthday. We're celebrating the DEATH-day of You-Know-Who."

"Seriously?" sighed Alice.

Sirius, Remus, and James all glanced at each other.

James seemed to be mouthing the words, "Three, two, one..."

"SIRIUS-LY!" James and Sirius said loudly.

Remus stood there with a smirk.

"You people seem like our kind of people," said Gideon happily. 

I shook my head frantically. "James and Sirius' are no one's kind of people. They are simply idiots."

Sirius gasped. "My poor ego! Now he's sad, Marlene, look what you've done."

Alice pursed her lips. "Egos don't have feelings, Sirius. Egos ARE feelings."

"They do!" insisted Sirius. "And Marlene's gone and hurt my ego's feelings."

I brisk knock came on the door just as James was about to back up Sirius' claim.

Fabian got up from his chair to go get the door.

"Lily Evans," said a muffled voice with a thick Scottish accent. "Yes, I know them. No, of course I'm not a Death Eater."

Fabian came walking back with a grinning woman with long red hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Mar, Al!" Lily squealed, rushing over to hug us.

"How come we don't get any hugs?" whined Sirius.

"You're like children, I swear," I muttered under my breath.

Lily playfully rolled her eyes and hugged Sirius and Remus as well.

"EXCUSE ME?!" said James loudly. "You forgot me!"

Lily blinked. "We saw each other 15 minutes ago."

"It's been decades!" James said in a mockingly reminiscent tone.

"Sirius-ly," added Sirius finally with a wide grin.

A/n: thx for all the reads, everyone! Love you :)

- Jui W.