Summary: Sirius Black and Marlene McKinnon have an interesting relationship (how could they not, with two personalities like that?). Yet nothing is more interesting than the way it started. A true fairytale, and a flawed one all the same, their love story is just that – a love story in the midst of a lot of pain.
Author's Note: I apologize in advance for the very bad rhymes.
Written for the HPFC "Disney/Fairytale Competition"
Rules:
Given a pairing and a story, write a fic of any rating.
Pairing: Marlene McKinnon/Sirius Black
Story: Disney's "Tangled"
Chapter 1:
Now reader, there is something you should know before reading this. I guess you could consider this message a warning. The thing about this story is, it's a fairytale. Many of you may be happy about this… therin lies my warning.
Reader, I warn you, back out while you can
Here the princess does not get the man
There is magic and mischief and mayhem galore,
But hear me, please reader, hear me implore:
These words will not rhyme, these characters won't sing
About birds and love and flying without wings.
Instead there is sadness, death, and despair.
Wait please reader come back, I swear!
Like all other stories there's happiness too
And a rhyme perhaps, or perhaps maybe two.
So sit down, relax, and enjoy the show
For this fairytale ventures where none others will go.
Our story begins once upon a time in a land far away. Of course, if you were going for particulars, it really wouldn't be a land that far away really, considering our story starts in Scotland… but really, it's worlds away.
Because reader, this world contains magic.
It's a world, dear reader, that's hidden in our own. There are portals between the two, hidden bars, travel by fireplace, and more reader, so much more. I could go on for days but, in fact, that would be beside the point.
Our story starts in a castle, in Scotland, where children go to learn and thrive. A school of magic, if you will, where children take lessons on Potions and Divination instead of the typical English and Math. The story starts when two very special students, a group of them really, are in their sixth year of seven.
In this particular day, in this particular castle, Marlene McKinnon was putting on her makeup, standing next to her two best friends, Dorcas Meadowes and Lily Evans. Between the three of them, they were the brightest witches in their year, if not in their entire school.
And they knew it too.
Dorcas was a beautiful, slender brown haired girl, brown eyes glittering passionately behind stylish glasses. The sole Quiditch player of the three, she was impulsive and quick to judge, slow to make friends but loyal to the end.
Beside her stood Lily Evans. Representing Gryffindor with her mane of fiery red hair, Lily's green eyes were fierce. She trusted almost no one, hated when people preyed on those weaker than they, and had made it her life's mission to destroy the Death Eaters. Everyone knew why, but no one mentioned it – ever.
Last in the mirror, peering over Lily's shorter frame, was Marlene McKinnon. Pale silver-blond hair more suited towards Slytherin than her own Gryffindor house, Marlene was very blunt with the truth. Often looking for the latest gossip, she was the most materialistic of the three, though she really was good and noble at heart.
The three of them finished up with idle chatter, mostly about the war.
And there, dear reader, is the first discrepancy with most fairytales. In this particular story, the characters aren't happy-go-lucky princesses that have a slight speed bump in their otherwise perfect lives. In this story, the princess (who really shouldn't even be called that, for she rules nothing but her own mind) is in the midst of a terrifying war, the worst to ever grip their world, fighting against the most ruthless dictator to ever live.
There's no hope of a quick and easy victory in a war like this one.
Yet Marlene McKinnon did not fear. While many others at the school and around the entire wizarding community trembled at the name Voldemort, Marlene was eager to face him, to scourge the earth of his vile presence.
Capping her lipstick, Marlene turned with the other girls and descended the stairs towards breakfast.
Waiting in the common room for them, to none of their surprise, were the Marauder boys, fidgeting and eager for breakfast. Yet none of them dared leave without the girls. The boys were troublemakers, but even they knew better than that.
"Morning girls," the Marauders chorused. With the exception of Dorcas' overly friendly hello to Remus Lupin, the group's conscience, the girls continued walking towards the Great Hall.
Now reader, that's not to say that Marlene and Lily didn't have a soft spot for the Marauders. In fact, they both had very soft spots for two very different boys. The problem was, the only thing they liked better than those two boys was their pride. And thus the ignoring game started.
The boys, used to it by now, were less than bothered.
"Good morning McKinnon," Sirius Black said, draping his arm around her slender shoulders. Sirius Black was the stud of Hogwarts and having him say good morning to you like that… well pretty much any girl in the entire castle would swoon, wake up, and then swoon once more. Yet Marlene had years of practice in keeping her face carefully neutral.
"Good mo' Sirius," she said back at him, not able to hide a smile. He was gorgeous, he really was, with his straight black hair falling on his severe features, almost but not quite covering his gorgeous blue eyes.
The problem with Sirius Black wasn't that he was attractive, it was that he knew it.
Still, Marlene was in a great mood that morning as they descended to the Great Hall and, even though she knew she should, she didn't remove his arm from around her shoulders.
It was a very great day indeed.
"Morning ladies," Sirius called to some seventh year Ravenclaw's passing by.
Make that a good day, then.
At breakfast, they sat as they always did, the girls giving their typical complaints, but sitting next to the boys anyways. On one side of the table, you had Lily, James, Sirius, then Marlene, the troublemakers sitting together to occasionally prod each other, trying to get the other to spit out pumpkin juice, as it was. On the other side of the table sat Peter Pettigrew (a short, plump thing, Marlene often felt bad for him, sitting there among the beautiful people), Remus, and Dorcas. Their table was soon joined by Frank Longbottom and Alice Fortescue, two Ravenclaws that the Gryffindors were fiercely fond of.
Laughter and merriment quickly surrounded them, as they all basked in the glory of good food and good company.
That merriment, of course, would come to a quick end.
All at once, the owls of Hogwarts descended, bringing the mail in. The table quickly sobered up in anticipation of the news to come. They took turns paying for the Daily Prophet (two copies, one for each side) and that morning Sirius Black dished out while James Potter quickly grabbed the copy.
Scanning the headlines quickly, looking for the worst news, he quickly came upon it.
"The Howard's are dead," he said, sobering what was left of the joy immediately, faster than a Dementor's kiss
"What?" Marlene asked, shocked. She'd seen Georgina Howard, a friend a few years older, not five days ago.
Besides James, Lily was gasping, "But they weren't even involved in the war! They were peaceful, knew nothing!" she exclaimed.
Reader, you might be confused, so let me explain. In their world, in their war, the opposing side, the Death Eaters, would kill those that opposed them, but, until this day, they had yet to lay a hand on anyone not participating in the war, unless they needed the knowledge that a certain individual had.
Alas, times had changed.
Marlene swallowed, forcing herself not to be visibly altered. This would not bode well with her parents. The only reason Marlene was still attending Hogwarts was because this very thing had yet to happen. Her parents didn't trust the safety of the school, but they trusted their safety in lack of action.
In a small part of her mind, Marlene hoped that, because of this, her parents would change, would grow to fight for the war, now that they were a target one way or another. The magical artifacts and knowledge that her family had could aid their side greatly.
"Lily, do you have parchment and a quill?" Marlene asked, and, ever the bookish school nerd, Lily did not disappoint.
Marlene just wrote a quick note to her parents, hoping they'd trust her, at least this one. She was, after all, almost of age.
Mum, Dad, please let me stay. It's safe here.
Stubbornly,
Marlene
In her heart though, she knew it wouldn't be enough.
