An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Summary:
The documentary begins with an excerpt from the final show of the Mischief Tour, Sirius Black is singing 'Rebel Rebel', dancing and interacting with the audience and other members of the band. Another video begins, this time the band is gathered in a studio, Sirius, Peter and James playing cards while Lily and Remus play the same verse of “Sorry not Sorry” several times, trying to decide what would come after the repeated verse. Lily smiles at the camera and another video takes its place, this time a home recording of Sirius and Lily dancing to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", eventually Remus, James and Marlene join them. The video slowly disappears; Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, smiling at the camera, appear in their place.
Harry Potter (host): This documentary is our attempt to transparently portray how the renowned rock band The Marauders rose to fame, as well as the reasons that led to their lasting hiatus three months after their unforgettable Heaven on Tour show on March 30, 2019.
Hello!
This is the first fanfic I've written with the intention of publishing and now is completed! I had this idea a long time ago and now that it's finished I decided to share here too :)
Effie had spent two years hearing about Sirius Black. From the moment James had met him on the train ride to Hogwarts she’d heard about his bright grins and clever humour. His easy going personality. His inclination for trouble and tendency to light up the room. He liked sweets and loud music. He laughed easily and loved fiercely. He'd never met someone so bright, James had once written, Sirius was a star in more than just name.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t until the summer before third year that Effie finally met the boy. One week when the sun hung high and an unusual warmth lingered through the air. She greeted him with a gentle smile and an offer of tea, though Sirius’s expression didn’t move- lips lowered and shoulders stiff.
There was no warmth to him; Effie wasn’t sure his small frame could hold any as he looked back at her with eyes too hollow for his face.
He declined. A whispered ‘no thank you’ as he shifted closer to James.
He spent the week there- at James’s side. Never more than an arm's reach away, watching Effie and Monty with a frigid posture and attentive eyes. He made himself small and scarce. He never lingered. He rarely spoke and when he did his sentences were short and formal, more out of necessity than desire for attention.
It was a far cry from anything she’d expected. Though it wasn’t until the third or fourth day, sitting at the dinner table, when she finally understood why.
The bowl Monty had been passing Sirius slipped between his fingers. It clattered across the floor as food splattered across the rug and walls. Nothing that hadn’t happened a hundred times before.
“It’s alright love,” Effie said gently, as Monty brushed it off as his own fault -too lost in his own head- though she wasn’t sure the boy heard. His body stilled. His throat bobbed. He glanced between her and Monty, his eyes seeping with fear.
She felt her own throat tighten at the sight and though she repeated herself, offering a comforting smile and a teasing jab at her husband's clumsiness, Sirius didn't ease.
He spent the rest of the dinner distant; too far for even James to reach.
When the week passed and the boy finally left Effie sat James down. She’d barely finished her question before tears were spilling down her son’s cheeks as he wept for his friend. He explained what he knew in between sobs. Walburga and Orion’s cruelty. Sirius’s nightmares. The bruises he’d seen. The hundreds he hadn’t.
Effie did what she could as James spoke, offering comforting words, holding her son through his pain as she felt her own sorrow settle in.
As time passed she grew used to Sirius’s hesitancy around her and Monty. His distrust for the both of them- evident even after he moved in.
She met him where she could, through gentle smiles and small acts. Cut fruit. Simple compliments. Passing jokes and the space he seemed to desperately want. Still, Sirius would linger at the edge of the room. He’d flinch at loud noises and curl into himself at quick movements. His parents' cruelty always at the tips of his fingers.
You’re safe here, she wanted to scream until her voice grew hoarse and her words found home, I promise.
Please show me the boy my son fell in love with; Let me love him too.
When the winter holidays began to approach Effie spent weeks planning, determined to make Sirius’s first Christmas with them special. She decorated the house from floor to ceiling. Tinsel. Holly. Fake snowflakes charmed to flutter through the air. Four stockings lining their fireplace. All while Monty set up the tree, a large one that glowed warmly in their parlour, surrounded by carefully wrapped gifts.
Most of the boys’ gifts were the same -school supplies, sweets, new robes- though between James, Remus, and Peter, Effie had managed to buy a few things specially for Sirius. She’d spent hours wandering through the muggle shops, feet sore and fingers chilled as she checked off the list of ideas she’d been given.
On Christmas morning Sirius was the last to come downstairs. He lingered in the entrance way with his hair done and dress robes on, his gaze traveling across the room in the attentive way it often did. Effie could almost see his mind turning as he glanced from them, to the tree, to James; a game of chess that only he could understand.
“Pads!” James greeted brightly from his own spot on the couch, “where’s your pajamas?
A flush crept across Sirius’s pale cheeks and Effie quickly waved off her son. “Oh don’t worry dear,” she said, “we’re glad you're up. Come sit, we can open some gifts.”
He gave a small nod and took a seat next to James- always next to James, before looking across the gifts skeptically. He took the one James offered without a word and only began to open it when James began to rip into his own.
It wasn’t until the tree was almost empty and wrapping paper surrounded their feet that Sirius finally spoke.
“Merlin,” he barely whispered, pulling Effie’s attention away from her own gift. She watched for the first time, as a bright grin spread across Sirius's face, his gaze locked on the leather jacket he’d pulled out.
“James!” He cried, twisting to show his friend, “James- mate, look!”
James laughed at the other boy’s excitement.
“You like it?” he asked through his own grin.
“Like it?” Sirius gawked, “it’s brilliant.”
He looked back to the coat, his eyes twinkling as he ran his fingers over the material. “It's mine?” He asked, looking between Effie and Monty. “To keep?”
Monty laughed, “so long as it fits.”
Effie watched fondly as he pulled the jacket on, before letting James drag him to the mirror, both boys laughing as Sirius admired himself. The corners of his eyes crinkled as they talked about muggle artists Effie didn’t know, bouncing off one another in ways she’d only heard James describe.
It was enchanting, the way Sirius could fill the space; A simple smile etched his lips, and it was as if the room's very nature shifted, suddenly caught in his orbit.
Her breath shook as she watched the boys, emotion rising in her throat. With trembling fingers she wiped away a fallen tear as Monty took her other hand. He gave her a comforting smile, his own eyes glistening against the Christmas lights and she smiled back.
That evening Effie found herself in the kitchen, humming quietly while she baked cookies for the next day. There was a certain stillness that lingered through the air. One only Christmas day could bring; when the world found solitude indoors and the day was filled with a simple ease.
As she was mixing the ingredients together, the door creaked open though she didn’t need to look up to know it was Sirius. His footsteps were distinct, barely evident if not for the creaking floor.
He got himself a glass of water as Effie began cutting out the cookie shapes, however It wasn’t until the boy lingered at the sink that she finally looked up.
“Everything alright?” She asked softly, and he gave a small nod.
His gaze flicked nervously from her to the cookies, then back to her, before finally settling on his glass of water. He still wore the leather jacket -he hadn't taken it off since that morning- though his joy hadn’t been as long lasting.
“I- uh-“ he swallowed. “I’m sorry.”
She felt her heart clench as Sirius whispered the word, his fractured voice too small to fill the kitchen.
He’d grown over the past two years. Logically Effie knew this, and yet all she could see in front of her was the fourteen year old she’d first met; with a thin frame and hollow eyes.
He was nothing more than a boy. a child. Too small and frail to carry the pain he’d been given.
“Oh love,” she said softly, hoping he couldn’t hear her own sorrow. “Don’t be ridiculous, there’s nothing to apologize for.”
He gave the smallest shake of his head, eyes not moving from his water. “No- I uh- I know I’m not easy, I-”
Gently, Effie reached out, cupping the boy's cheek in her hand. She rarely touched him, especially suddenly. She knew better, but the act was instinct, something she’d done to James hundreds of times before, and she couldn’t stop herself. His pain was too heavy.
Sirius flinched back, though didn’t pull away as she ran her thumb against his cheek. .
“You’ve been nothing but a pleasure,” she said with a gentle certainty that gave him no room to argue.
Slowly Effie leant in, giving Sirius time to move away before she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I’ve been blessed with two beautiful sons,” she whispered as she pulled away, “there is nothing more I could ask for.”
Tears filled Sirius’s eyes as he stared at her, and when he spoke his voice was breathless, trembling around the words. “Thank you.”
Effie smiled softly before letting her hand fall to his leather jacket, taking a moment to adjust the collar. “I like this,” she said, looking back to the boy as he wiped the palm of his hand across his cheeks. “It suits you.”
He laughed weakly, a wet, choked noise. “Thanks,” he inhaled as a tear rolled down his cheek, “you have good taste.”
“Oh no dear, this was all James- well, almost all,” she added, tapping one of the many pins that now covered the jacket.
Remus had sent a small box full of them after James had suggested the leather jacket as a gift. James had given him the small, poorly wrapped, gift a little after Sirius had opened his jacket, sparking a new wave of light as Sirius sorted through the collection. He’d fondly inspected each one, asking James for his own opinions as he used them to decorate the leather.
“You have lovely mates,” she whispered, “you’re very lucky.”
Sirius nodded, his throat bobbing as he swallowed.
She could almost see his skin fracturing beneath her gaze, as he tried desperately to keep himself together. Eyes hazy with tears. Hands tight around his glass. Throat overflowing with a grief he wouldn’t let spill. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold him through his pain.
Let yourself crumble, she wanted to say, I’ll keep the pieces safe.
But she knew better than to push. Sirius had already given her more than he ever had, and she couldn’t risk him pulling away.
Instead, she turned back to her cookies, giving the boy a moment to gather himself as she organized the dough across the baking sheet.
When the kitchen had once again gone quiet, she spared the boy a glance. His eyes were still hazy, rimmed with red, though his breathing had slowed and his shoulders no longer held the same tension. “Do you have any evening plans?” she asked as Sirius’s gaze flicked to the cookie tray.
“No,” he said quietly.
“And James?”
“He’s writing to Lily.”
“That tends to keep him busy,” Effie said, tugging a small smile across Sirius’s lips. “Well, if you find yourself twindling your thumbs, I would love some help decorating cookies. But don’t let me keep you.”
There was a brief moment where she was certain Sirius would choose to leave. He stilled, glancing from the kitchen door to the cookies, before slowly nodding. “I could-” he swallowed. “I can help.”
“Lovely,” Effie replied with a gentle smile. “Give your hands a wash and we can make the icing.”
The conversation wasn’t easy; Sirius spent most of it silent, quietly covering the cookies in icing and sprinkles while Effie filled the silence with meaningless chatter, though there were brief moments where Sirius’s light would fracture through. A snorted laugh. A short teasing story about James. A fond explanation of the artists that now covered his jacket. ‘Bowie was Remus’s favorite’ he explained, ‘he liked moonage daydream or rock ‘n’ roll suicide best, depending on the day.’
Sirius himself didn’t have a favorite artist, only favorite songs. Heroes. Killer Queen. Ramble On. A dozen others she hadn’t heard of.
The things he shared were trivial and yet Effie listened attentively, nodding along to his stories, asking questions when she could and smiling gently when she couldn’t. She took nothing for granted. Every story was another piece of the boy, another chance for her to meet the star James had described so warmly.
She cradled every word with care. So tenderly Sirius could have placed his own heart between her fingers. And in many ways he had.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
5 times Marlene gave up on love + 1 exception.
Hello again!
This fic was a shelved idea from when I was writing Rebel Rebel, resurrected by my obsession with Hayley Williams’ Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party and my craving to be back in the RRverse. It’s a little ride through Marlene’s life, or what love meant for her along the way. I’ve always loved writing about her and wanted everyone else to see a bit more of her too.
I made Instagram profiles for the main characters of my fanfic Rebel Rebel. They're like screenshots of their profile on City of Angels era.
PS: Remus doesn't have social media.
When I was writing I thought a lot about the fans/general public point of view of the band, specially on City of Angels era. The profiles (and interviews I wrote for Rebel Rebel: extras) are another way of understanding how following only the part of their lives that they showed to the public was not enough to know how troubled everything was behind the scenes.
I posted this Instagram profiles on Wattpad a while ago. I was also going to post on ao3 but I gave up on understanding how to insert images there 😅 so I just decided to post here instead.
Bonus:
Just because I felt like doing hers too (the guy is Harry)
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Summary:
“Why do you think uncle Moony and I are going to get married, Cassie?”
“Because you're boyfriends,” she said simply.
Sirius laughed a little and shook his head.
“We’re not boyfriends, love. We’re just friends.” He said calmly even if his heart was beating a mile a minute.
“But he’s around all the time!” She said indignantly. “And Harry told me he heard aunt Lily tell uncle James she is sure you and Moony are sleeping together again!”
“Sleeping together?” Sirius repeated and looked at his daughter with wide eyes.
“When two people sleep in the same bed, duh.” She explained, as if he was being stupid. “My friend Padma said her mom explained that only couples sleep together!”
Sirius stared at his daughter completely speechless.
A story about what it means to feel at home, first-time parenthood and giving an old love affair another chance.
Hello :)
This is a short story I wrote in the same universe as my band AU Rebel Rebel, but can be read as a standalone.
He hates having trouble sleeping, he hates how school and work demand that he wake up early and perform for people, he hates the rush out of the dream world, and he even hates breakfast food.
Sirius, on the other hand, loves mornings. He’ll sing in the shower, wake up extra early to read or do the crossword, and maybe get some chores or homework out of the way so he can feel carefree the rest of the day.
But once they get together is when Remus thinks he’ll hate mornings even more. He’ll hate the noise that Sirius makes, the insistence that things should be done, the smell of him making god awful eggs.
Instead he loves the way that Sirius tiptoes out of the room so Remus can sleep in as long as he needs. He loves the way Sirius cuddles up next to him, or scratches his head, letting him wake up slowly and surrounded by loving touches. He loves the way he’s awoken from nightmares, and cuddled back to sleep.
Sometimes Sirius will run him a bath, sometimes he’ll bring him a perfect mixed coffee, sometimes, he’ll reach his hand around and down his torso and give Remus the best wake-up and post coital doze that he’s ever dreamed of. And what Remus really discovers is that after awhile, he doesn’t hate mornings, he just hated them without someone so caring to share them with.
