Marlene McKinnon hadn't been scheduled to stop by her parents home, but she ended up there anyway. Her day was already packed meetings, the raiding kind, but her mum had practically begged her to come grab a package for Marlene's superior at the office. A simple task, really, and one she normally wouldn't have minded. But that day was one from hell. She woke up late, typical, spilled her coffee down the front of her robes, even more typical, and to top it off she was out of smokes. That was why when she barreled through the foyer of her childhood home her normal smile was replaced by a dark scowl. "Mum," she called, shrugging out of her cloak. "Ang? Dad?" Walden Macnair stepped out from the threshold. He smirked at her, triumphant. The great Marlene McKinnon was going to be killed because of sentiment.
"They're dead." He said, smiling evilly. He looked at her, standing opposite her. "They're dead, McKinnon and soon... So shall you be." He said and looked up the stairs. "They're up there." He looked back at her "They were stronger than I expected... If you hadn't come back here, I might never have got you." He said, smirking again. "But you couldn't stay away, could you? Love is a weakness... You've demonstrated that." Marlene had enough sense not to show emotion at his words, because that's what they were, right? Empty words. She raised her chin almost defiantly, even if the defiance didn't quite reach her blue eyes.
"Macnair," she spat, and luckily the doubt in her mind didn't reach her voice. She didn't follow his gaze, she wasn't suicidal, not intentionally. "It seems the one who couldn't stay away in this scenario is you." All too vividly, she was aware of her wand in her boot, not in her hand. If Airius knew she hadn't been carrying it on- No, she wouldn't think of him now, couldn't think of him now, not with death staring her in the face. "Was it my wit or charm? I've found those are my shining qualities." Macnair laughed humourlessly.
"Neither. It was the fact you're the enemy." He looked at her, insanity and hatred shining in his eyes. "Your parents are dead, McKinnon. I killed them, under the Dark Lord's orders. Not just them. Every family member you have is either dead or dying. You're next. They're all dead. You are the last McKinnon and soon the name will be... Extinct." He spat the last word. "What a waste. Such talent, such... Purity! We would have accepted you with open arms but no, you had to fight for the losing side. Soon, everyone you love will die. Dorcas Meadowes, she will be taken care of very shortly, James and Lily Potter... They will die... Remus Lupin, the werewolf. He will be killed... Sirius Black. He will die." He said, smirking again. He was playing with her now. "Everyone you love will die." He mocked, in an almost sing-song voice. Marlene McKinnon involuntarily sucked in her breath, meeting his icy glare with one just as, if not more, cold. Her heart seemed to rip in half, over powering the monstrous ball of fear in the out of her stomach for her own safety, at the mention of each name in his threat. Instinct said act, the rage coursing through her veins agreed, and yet in the most critical time something bizarre happened. She felt calm, eerily so, at the thought of dying. It was something she had feared, something she never spoke about, but here, in this moment, she almost welcomed the thought.
"Purity?" she echoed, her voice no higher than if she was talking the weather with a mate. She scoffed, purposefully moving to the base of the stairs. "I'm not afraid of you, Macnair, and if that's what you're trying to accomplish by this drawn out soliloquy, I feel I should give you a tip." She propped her boot up on one of the stairs as if she was planning to ascend them. "I don't respond to idle threats-" Moved her hand to the top of her boot. "Especially from over confident, low talented blokes such as you." She slipped the wand out, turning back to face him. Macnair was already there, wand in hand. He disarmed her quickly and cleanly, sending her wand skidding across the floor.
"Low-talented?" He mocked, smirking at her. He aimed his wand at her face. "I'm going to kill you. Should I do it now or should I... Play a bit? I have plenty to hate you for. You are pure-blood, yet you fight on the side of the muggles, the mudbloods!" He yelled. He moved closer and smiled at her, his yellow teeth showing. "I could make you beg for your death... It would make no difference to the Dark Lord if you die quickly or slowly..." He whispered. He smiled evilly again. "I think I'll enjoy killing you." Marlene McKinnon finally had to admit that the fear in her chest was becoming a very pressing issue, standing face to face with the wand intended on bringing around her death. She stared down the stick, her heart beating rapidly in her throat, and in that moment she thought of Sirius. How she had left him asleep on the couch, kissed his cheek without waking him, and she regretted it. That revelation, along with the dozen thee faces she would never see again fueled her next move. She glanced up to Macnair's eyes, and with more courage (or maybe stupidity) than she should have held, spit directly in his face.
"It would take ten more of you to make me beg, and even then I doubt it seriously." Macnair recoiled, but only for a moment. He growled and yelled
"Crucio!", while aiming directly at her face. Marlene McKinnon felt like someone punched her in the cheek, and judging from how far her body flew, she hadn't discounted the possibility. Gasping for air, the spot on her cheek suddenly erupted in a pain so hot, so intense, she thought surely her body would explode. Pain shot out, all the way to her smallest toe. Against her resolve, her mouth opened and she was sure a blood curdling scream was going to come out. But if didn't, the pain seemed to cut off her airway, and with it her voice. She writhed, gagged, fought back with whatever will she had left, until, what seemed like hours later, it stopped. Her eyes fluttered open, momentarily dazed, but she found her bearings. Then she began to laugh, ironically, as she stared at him sideways from the floor. Macnair towered above her "You enjoy that? You're sick." He spat at her. He growled and said "Would you like another? I'd be only too happy to provide. Of course, I could just kill you now." He said, his voice returning to the sing-song tune. He was ready to kill her and also ready to torture her until she went mental, then kill her. Marlene McKinnon was shaking, every fiber in her body screaming in protest of the curse, and yet she continued to laugh as she looked up at him. They would all be so proud, she thought wryly, of her, and that thought helped.
"I was merely-" she had to draw a ragged breath. "-amazed that Voldermort sent such a pansy to do a man's job." Macnair growled and sent another Cruciatus Curse at her.
"Pansy? I'll show you how much of a 'pansy' I am." He yelled, sending curse after curse at her. Marlene McKinnon felt the pain again, the same excruciating variety, but it didn't matter. She may have been writhing, gasping for release, but on the inside she was already dead. She filled her mind, as best she could, with the moments she held closest. Visions of Remus smiling, Lily and James bickering, lovingly so, over breakfast, Dorcas laughing, on the rare occasions she did, and finally, Sirius, his smile, the way his lips melded against hers, the tickle of his hair against her nose, all filled her, and it was enough to keep her pleas at bay. After the third curse subsided, she was no more than a barely breathing heap sprawled on the same floor she had said her first words on. She had no more snarky words, no more brilliant one liners, she only had peace, and again, it was enough. Her blue eyes stayed on him, as much as she wanted to close them, because now the defiance was there, and she knew it was the one thing he couldn't take from her. Macnair growled and said "I'm going to kill you now." He chuckled and stepped back. He took careful aim at her and screamed the words "Avada Kedavra!" At the top of his voice, the green flash emitting from his wand.

Marlene McKinnon saw the light leave his wand, his mouth utter the words, but she didn't hear any of it, only one word filled her ears.
"Forever." And she knew it was true, no matter the fact that she wouldn't see him again, no matter he wouldn't hear her utter the words, in her last moment, Marlene was sure of one thing. She loved Sirius Black. And she would until the end of time. That was why Macnair saw her smile, instead of cower in fear, because where he thought love had been the deciding factor in her death, it had actually been the one thing that had saved her long ago, and she knew it then.

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