p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"strongFor the Record/strong/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"Side 1/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"1. 00:00/Anklebiters/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"15-year-old Marlene McKinnon didn't know what to think about this day. Or rather, she emcouldn't/em think about this day. She laid on the snow under a tree in the grounds of Hogwarts. It was cold, which she didn't mind, but she had a raging headache and her nose wouldn't stop bleeding. Plus some of the blood got on her clothes, which was mildly annoying, and she couldn't think of the charm that her mum taught her for removing stains. Because of her bloody headache. All she could think to do right now was wait for the other Hogwarts students to arrive for the start of second term and hope that Lily knew the charm./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Man, this day was a nause, right from the start. Her owl, Poppins, made sure of that when she pecked her awake to deliver a letter from—well, she didn't actually know who. It wasn't signed. And she didn't recognize the handwriting. All she knew was that it was sent by someone she hadn't seen in years, according to the letter. But she wouldn't get a confirmation until she sent a letter back. There was also a request to "keep hush about this, yeah?" So there was that./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But she didn't take kindly to her early wake up call, who received a good (however accidental) pillow smacking and subsequently refused to give Marlene the letter until a lengthy apology and extra owl treats were given. The apology was only lengthy however because Marlene couldn't find the owl treats./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"("I really am sorry!" A desk drawer is haphazardly emptied, clothes thrown across the room. "You know I don't regain full consciousness until it's been at least five minutes… or until there's coffee in front of my face." A pair of socks nearly misses Poppins, who squeaks in response. "Shit. Sorry!")/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It took a good ten minutes before she found them underneath her school uniform in her trunk—the only thing she had packed thus far. But it only took another five when her mum, Peggy, came in expressing her hope that she was packed and ready to go because her stepfather needed to go to Hogwarts to see Dumbledore and she'd only be arriving a few hours earlier so what's the difference? By 8:15 she was on an early train to Hogwarts sitting opposite her stepfather, who Marlene referred to by his first name Edward, and her stepsister in her year, Emma Vanity, who Marlene referred to as definitely emnot/em her sister./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene wasn't even aware there was such a thing as an early Hogwarts express train. No other student had ever mentioned it before. But then again, it seemed it wasn't intended for students. For one thing, it was only three cars long. But it was also… expensive. That's all Marlene saw anyway. Expensive cushion on an expensive loveseat next to an expensive pullout decorated with an expensive tea set. Windows draped with expensive curtains. Aisle lay with expensive carpet (Marlene suddenly felt the need to take off her shoes – her very grubby shoes, looking closer…). But she realized as she passed the mostly empty compartments that the only people she saw were professors, all of whom looked upon the three of them with raised eyebrows and hesitant nods of acknowledgement. She returned awkward waves of her hand, feeling just as confused as they looked./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Why do you have to see Dumbledore?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Edward usually disliked being asked, or in Marlene's case, "pestered" about his work in the Investigation Department considering a vital part of his job required invisibility-cloak-and-dagger activity regarding the search of dark wizards. Marlene's inquiries often resulted in a brief lecture about "appropriate" conversation and "professional" conduct. She would just toss a quip or two back ("Ed, I'm hardly a professional, I should think.") and then try another card—she and her mum told each other everything. Shouldn't she and Ed be the same way? How was she going to follow in his footsteps if she didn't know anything about his job? Who else would she try to exploit for her future endeavors? She was a bit cheekier when she was younger, mostly to irritate him. You know, to test his limits. But now she resigned to a more straightforward approach./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She had remained silent for most of the trip, but this intrigued her more than his other cases. Going to see Dumbledore wasn't a casual affair, especially for a member of the Investigation Department./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The lanky man across from her, hunched over emThe Daily Prophet/em, breathed out a response without a glance./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""We need his help with an investigation."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene shrugged her shoulders. "Well, yeah. But why?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A pair of baby blue eyes and the perpetual bags they rested upon merely blinked in her direction. Marlene didn't look, but she knew Emma rolled hers./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm only asking because it must be rather serious if you need Dumbledore, right?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"No response. Emma uncrossed and crossed her legs. Poppins sighed. A chocolate frog fell asleep, probably./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Huh. This was a bit unusual./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Does it have to do with the murder of the muggle you keep reading about in the emProphet/em?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Edward turned to a new page, his eyebrows now furrowed. Good, a reaction. Even Emma turned her head towards him, her eyes jumping between the two in anticipation./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It's just you hadn't changed the page in over an ho—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""emMarlene/em." His head shot up, a scruffy and irritated face now visible. "You emcannot/em try to pry information from me anymore. It is not your place to get involved. You are not a reporter. It is not your job to seek a story. If you want to be the next Rita Skeeter, fine, but don't practice it on me."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She found the limit./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm going to find the food trolley…" As she walked out, she noticed a smirk smeared on Emma's face. Thankfully the food trolley was in the next car over, which meant Marlene could stall in a compartment there for the time being. Her stomach didn't agree with her though. She looked at the Cauldron Cake she had just taken a bite from and noticed a filling inside that was most certainly not pumpkin…/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thank Merlin she made it to the toilet just in time./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Someone opened and shut the door behind her and then sat down on the closed bin next to the toilet, legs crossed and body leaned back as if enjoying a picnic in the sun./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene already knew who it was./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""An invitation to talk works well too."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A honeyed voice replied, "This was an invitation. I just delivered it differently."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I got the message," Marlene grumbled./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yes, it seems it worked well doesn't it? I was hoping to use it on Miles, the slimy git—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene's moan interrupted her. Emma sighed a reluctant apology, handing over a hairband. Marlene put her hair up quickly and extended her hand, mumbling for an antidote./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""… Maybe a formal apology is in order."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What?" Marlene snapped her head up to look at her and her stomach turned unappreciatively. Bad decision. She settled back over the toilet. "Emma, you always have an antidote made."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I didn't even know if this was going to work! In which case making the antidote would've been a waste of time. Besides, your mum tossed the ingredients I needed to make it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene groaned again./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, come off it. If it works as it has been so far it'll go away within a few hours."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I will vomit on you."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Emma waved her hand dismissively. "Please, you're too decent for that."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene looked up to glare at her. Even on a (expensive) bin, Emma sat neatly and with a strange precision, her body appearing to be elongated even though her fresh-out-of-the-box shoes already reached the other side of the bathroom. Marlene used to find her posture unusual for a young teenager and figured it had to do with playing piano. But she played piano too, and she thought her posture held more of a resemblance to Glenn Gould. She realized quickly that Emma actually received more attention this way and often used her body language to her advantage. Which worked well for her because she was already a pretty girl in that she looked older than she was. Butterscotch hair that reached mid-back, pinned at the front with two clips. Droopy blue eyes. A round face with cheekbones that could've belonged to Katharine Hepburn. It worked on Miles Bletchley currently, but it seemed to work on a new bloke too… Marlene's gaze hovered over where the necklace Miles gave her should gave been. Instead Emma donned a new flashy silver piece, something very far from her taste./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Seeing someone new, huh?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""And you're still sad and alone, huh?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Ah, good. She was right./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Couldn't let Miles be the only one to move on so quickly?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Piss off."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"…/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""But if you could convince a Marauder or two to do some damage on him, that'd be great."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Er… what?" Marlene looked up again in confusion, but Emma appeared to not be phased in the slightest by her abnormal request. Emma prowled about with people like Dolores Umbridge. Emma pursed her lips like she ate something rotten every time a Marauder was mentioned. Emma's even attempted to toss a few Puffing Poisons into their drinks./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You're already going to put him through this vomit-induced hell, and you've never needed extra revenge before. Why—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Ohhh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You emfancy /emMiles. Like, a lot."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Emma shifted uncomfortably./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh. Oh, this is brill."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And then she scowled threateningly at Marlene. Marlene just laughed./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""This is—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Marlene! Just do it or I promise I'll make sure next time you won't stop vomiting your insides for a week!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"With that, she stormed off./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"As much as the thought of Emma's heart pounding for a mingin' git amused Marlene, the leftovers of Emma's pastry left her over the toilet for the remaining hours of the travel. She plodded off the train with a few concerned remarks over her paler complexion. Marlene thought about finding a way to get info about Ed's meeting with Dumbledore, but as much as the curiosity lingered, so did the taste of the last few hours. So upon arriving at Hogwarts and washing out her mouth, Marlene quickly became bored. She had a few hours to kill, and no one else was here yet. So logically she decided she should try snooping around Emma's things while she wasn't in her room and the dormitories weren't magically restricted yet. Unfortunately Emma figured this was what Marlene would do, and as she opened the door to the Slytherin girls' room the door flung back sharply, hitting Marlene square in the face and transferring the effects of the charm as an eternally bleeding nose./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A grumble and a stumble outside, and Marlene lay under this barren tree, looking at the stars, wishing she could just take a nap or something./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"About ten minutes later, she began hearing faint noises over on her near left. She raised her arm, glanced at her wristwatch, and then held it near her ear, the noises becoming a more distinct crowd of voices. It was sometime in the middle of last year she thought of this charm. She was bored and disliked the lack of range the Extendable Ear provided for eavesdropping. So she spent an exorbitant amount of time charming the ear of the statue by the entrance to a moveable object (for her, the wristwatch) so that she could listen in on conversations that would happen to be nearby it. It ended up being mostly entertaining and there was little information she could use to her advantage. Except for this./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A distinct snarl emerged above the passing of students./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""… headed up to the Hospital Wing, thanks to my brother…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Somebody already at the Hospital Wing? Well… admittedly this wasn't very interesting information. Students are sent up to the Hospital Wing all the time, but rarely before term even started. And it was the most interesting thing she'd gotten out of this charm in months. She didn't recognize the voice, but maybe this person was still there. Marlene sat up and rushed over to the Great Hall. She stood in the middle of the bustling students, peering through for… well, she didn't know who. She didn't even know if what she heard was actually anything of concern. Actually, she didn't know why she thought she would be able to catch up with whoever it was, and what would she do anyway? Marlene suddenly felt awkward. She tried to make off her pecking through the crowd as searching for a friend when a pair of arms squeezed around her waist and lifted her off her feet. When she was let go, she turned around to a girl with a rosy glow on her cheeks and a great big smile plastered on her round face./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Did I scare you? Ah, never mind."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene was pulled into a hug. She almost forgot how strong she was compared to her own slight stature. Then she heard a hoot from the back of her friend's head./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Olivia, do you have an owl in your hair or something?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh yeah!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia Meadowes pivoted around to reveal a little silver owl sparkling amidst a body of tight black curls clipping two pieces together. It extended its wings as it let out another two hoots./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Hoots on the hour. Got it from my mum over break for Hanukkah. Which is weird, she never gives me gifts, even for a holiday." Olivia turned back around and scrunched up her face thoughtfully. "She's been busier lately, with auror stuff. 'Spose that's why I got this." She cracked a sly smile as she slapped an arm over Marlene's shoulders. "But I also got a little something for us." Olivia pulled out something steel, small, and rectangular, fumbling as she tried to stuff it in Marlene's robes. Marlene laughed and took it from her hands but kept it hidden behind the length of her robe upon Olivia's physical insistence as she peeked./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""A flask?" Marlene tilted it upwards revealing bold lettering on the side that read 'ALCOHOL'. "Cheeky bastard, you're getting riskier. Tell me you didn't take any from Dolores."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Are you mad? I don't have a death wish." Olivia scoffed and returned her arm around Marlene's shoulders, leading them into the great hall. "Also it's, err, just pumpkin juice. But, you know, for future McKinnon-Meadowes escapades…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The two sat down at the Gryffindor table, no one giving a second glance at the Slytherin emblem on Olivia's robes. It wasn't that she hated eating at the Slytherin table. Well, she actually sort of did, but only if her older Slytherin friends weren't there. Her best friends in her year were all in Gryffindor, and after a horrifying couple of meals first year on the other side, she just stuck to "the lion's den"./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene's stomach grumbled at the empty plates. She didn't realize how little she had eaten that day. She glanced over at the Slytherin table, spotting Emma. Her anger only seemed to translate to a bigger headache./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A stocky girl with dull ashy brown hair sat across from the two. She was about to say hello when she stopped, raised an eyebrow in Marlene's direction, and noted with some concern, "Marlene, your nose is bleeding."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene cursed under her breath as Amelia Bones handed over a handkerchief and inquired, with a hint of judgement, as to what happened./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Charmed door. Don't worry about it," Marlene muttered with a wave of her hand./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia knocked Marlene's elbow playfully. "You're practically a Marauder with the amount of trouble you get into."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oi, give her some respect," Amelia leaned towards Marlene. "You're much more like that American Nancy Drew character. But in either case, I'm sure you know how the muggle saying goes. Curiosity killed the cat…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Thank Merlin she's not a cat then." Amelia's seventh year brother, Edgar, slipped in next to her and gave a warm smile to the three of them. Marlene appreciated his presence, particularly when with Amelia—he was the only one she knew who could loosen Amelia up a bit, who returned his smile quickly and almost as warmly. In fact, Marlene always thought of Edgar as someone who would get along well with all the puppies of the world. She looked at his scruffy face and floppy hair. She realized it was maybe because he looked like a handsome puppy./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia flopped her head onto her hand and looked at Marlene with a twitch of a smile. "You know, you do sort of resemble a cat."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Says the girl who's afraid of dogs."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia muttered back, "Says the girl who's afraid of getting wet, eh?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene spit out the pumpkin juice into her glass before she could choke on it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Where's Ruthie?" Amelia interjected. Ruthie was the youngest of the bones, much like a miniature version of Edgar in that she had a similar gracefulness and a quick cynical wit, though that was something all three Bones siblings shared./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Edgar chuckled lightly at Marlene and Olivia before replying, "Safe with Melanie at the Hufflepuff table." Melanie Donoghue, Edgar's girlfriend of three years now. His puppy love recipient, Marlene thought./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Good," Amelia nodded approvingly. "I didn't see her on the train."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Maybe that's because she was with her second year friends," Edgar quipped, lips upturned slightly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, right. Of course." Amelia fidgeted in her seat and glanced over at the Hufflepuffs again. "Looks to be with a good sort."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I dunno. That Helena Hildegard girl's a piece of work." Olivia, who was playing with a fork in one hand and balancing Marlene's head on the opposite shoulder, pointed the utensil towards Amelia's previous view./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Helena Hildegard? There's no Helena Hildegard."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm fucking with you."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Amelia scowled and looked as if she were about to retort, most likely about Olivia's unnecessary use of profanity because "for Merlin's sake Olivia, you're only 15, and spouting word curses isn't going to make you any old – "/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Anyone seen Emmeline?" A gangly fellow sporting thick wavy black hair with freshly dyed blue tips stood over Marlene, curling and uncurling his frenetic fingers against his legs./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia nudged Marlene off and shook his arm. "Ah, Caradoc! Hullo! Been so long. How are you? I'm grand, Marlene's a clumsy idiot, Amelia's unnecessarily protective of her sister, and Edgar's here too."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Caradoc Dearborn only gave a small hello before waving his head around and plopping down next to Marlene./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm sure she's around, mate," Edgar assured. "You saw her on the train, right?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yeah, but… well, she was kinda cooped up and aloof, and then something happened on the train just before we got off? I don't know what, she went to go to the Hospital Wing…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene lifted her head off of Olivia's shoulder and looked at Caradoc./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well then, what are you worrying for?" Amelia questioned. "She must be there."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Maybe, but where's Mulciber and his lot?" He nodded over at the Slytherin table./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Only Mulciber… Black… Avery… and Snape I think? Only emthey're/em gone," Amelia noted. "Not the whole lot."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""That doesn't matter!" Caradoc leaned towards the rest of the group. "You've all seen it. Emmeline's been targeted a lot more this year."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Emmeline had been picked on by the more masculine-insecure boys in Slytherin since around second year. It was never a big deal—at least that's what Em insisted whenever someone asked. Even though they were always trying to embarrass her in class, drop her nasty words as they passed her in the halls, which always included at least one instance of… you know, the emreally /emnasty word. Marlene figured she was consistently a victim of preference because she was a dark-skinned muggleborn girl. On top of the fact that she wasn't by any means an aggressive person. But since the start of the last term, they have become entirely too aggressive and certainly more hex-happy. The more they grow from puberty, the more… violent they get. Hell, they even followed her a couple times just to fill their Hospital Wing quota—/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Oh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""…emheaded up to the Hospital Wing…/em"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Her stomach growled as she gave a look of longing to the gratuitous amount of food in front of her. She could wait./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Carrie and I are going to find Emmeline," Marlene announced, standing up—fuck this bloody headache—grabbing Caradoc's arm, and swiftly leaving the Great Hall./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Do you know where she is?" Caradoc piped, jumping up a few strides to beside Marlene, who was preoccupied with scurrying./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Erm…" What else did she overhear? "Maybe?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well, emwhere/em are you going?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I don't really kn—Black!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"In the middle of the corridor stood Sirius and Regulus Black with clenched fists and threatening stances. They snapped their glares over in the direction of their interruption./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Caradoc followed Marlene who rushed over and gestured to Sirius. "Sorry, not you—emyou/em."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius returned his glare back to Regulus. "Brilliant, what the hell did you do now?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Where's Emmeline?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene felt the discomfort between the two in front of her. Sirius gulped and glanced at Caradoc. Regulus scrunched his face and shifted his eyes until he replied in a breathy anger she assumed carried over from his previous argument with Sirius. "I don't know what you're going on about."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene scoffed. That was definitely the voice she overheard - "em… thanks to my brother…/em" He must have been talking about Sirius./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You were talking to someone by the stairs to the Entrance Hall. You know Emmeline was headed to the Hospital Wing, but Avery, and Mulciber, and Snape are gone, so I'm sure they have plans for her, yeah? And you know?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Carrie snapped his head toward Emmeline and then glared at Regulus, unclenching his jaw to demand answers when Regulus retorted, "Well obviously she's headed up to the Hospital Wing then. How thick can you be?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Come off it, you git," Sirius interjected. "I caught you and your lot harassing a first year Hufflepuff in the passageway behind the second floor bookcase end of last term."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene felt her muscles tense. She turned to Carrie, whose hands clawed into fists. He had helped Healer Derwent treat that girl. She couldn't remember what had happened. The Hufflepuff's eyes were bruised for weeks./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus cleared his throat and awkwardly adjusted his stance. "So?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Carrie advanced towards Regulus with his wand out, his tall stature towering over the Slytherin. "So you know where she is then."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Piss off," Regulus took a step toward Carrie and tried to make himself taller./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A few moments passed. Regulus glanced tentatively at Carrie's wand, a hand over his own pocket. And then his hand moved suddenly. In the same second he pulled out his wand Carrie had cast a disarming charm, sending his wand near Sirius who swiftly picked it up off the ground. Regulus cursed under his breath and glared at Marlene who raised an eyebrow back at him. Then he sighed and his body relaxed. But his fists remained clenched and he kept his gaze on the floor as he muttered, "There's a tunnel behind the charms corridor bat statue. The one missing a wing. She should be there."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene and Sirius exchanged concerned glances before swiftly following Carrie who was already a number of paces ahead of them. She kept aside Sirius, glancing at him on occasion. He looked worried—eyes stuck to the floor, hands tense, and lips—/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You want something?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He didn't bother turning his head./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She really wanted to ask. She really wanted to know what they were fighting about./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius continued to gaze strictly at the floor./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She could figure it out herself. Later./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Nothing. Sorry."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius raised an eyebrow curiously. "How did you hear what Regulus was saying? On the staircase? You weren't even around."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She pretended to consider telling him before shrugging./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""AH!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Shit," Sirius muttered under his breath. They ran ahead to Carrie whose hair was missing its frosty blue tips and appeared to have been soaked though it was now flying about from a gust a wind coming out of the wand he had pointed to his head./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""The statue! It started spitting fire!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It's a Fumos Bat Flamer," Sirius explained. "Sorry mate, should've said something earlier." He went around to the missing wing and knocked on the stub four times./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""How did you figure that out?" Marlene inquired./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius pretended to ponder before just shrugging. And smirking. Marlene smiled back at him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Carrie pulled down the longest pieces of his hair in front of his eyes as the statue moved to the left and grumbled, "I liked that color…" And then he quickly resumed his former pace into the square white tunnel./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Emmeline?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The two caught up to Carrie glaring at a group of pale boys who all lazily turned from a menacing huddle. A great halo of long black curly hair peeked out from behind them. And then the hair spoke./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Carrie?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Cute," the lanky boy with a pointed snout and toothy sneer clicked his tongue. Bertram Avery. "This your boyfriend, Ems?" He let out a loud guffaw as the poised brunette holding two wands to his right chuckled. Finley Mulciber. There was another to the left. His thin black hair hung over his face in the same way his body seemed to hang over itself but it didn't conceal the glare he was directing at Sirius. Severus Snape./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Avery gave Carrie a quick once-over. "'spose it's the best a girl your kind can do."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"This got all three to laugh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oi, what's that supposed to mean?" Carrie retorted quickly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It means sod off and go play with someone else," Mulciber nodded his head. "Severus. As you were."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Snape glanced at Carrie but remained frozen./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What are you waiting for?" snapped Mulciber./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""We should wait. For them to leave." Snape kept returning angry glances at Sirius./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Bloody hell, couldn't even do it the first time!" Avery let out an exasperated gruff. "Hex her or I'll do it myself!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He suddenly extended his arm to reveal a wand pointing directly at Emmeline./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""No you won't!" Carrie now had his wand pointing firmly at Avery./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Avery huffed his nose upwards and eyed Carrie. With a shrug, he replied, "You'll do too," and swiftly rotated his stance to face him. A second of frenzy ensued in a chain of raised wands and threats—Mulciber to Sirius to Avery to Carrie—and then tense silence. Marlene looked over at Snape. His wand was now raised too. At Emmeline./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene turned her head to Sirius and muttered, "What the hell did you do? Did something happen on the Hogwarts Express?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius let out half of a laugh. "Now's not really the best—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""McKinnon!" Avery exclaimed. "You got something to say?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Erm, yeah. Yeah, I do."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene, what are you doing?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She looked at Snape./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene, don't be stupid./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Her fingers twitched./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene—/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A shuffle and an eye roll. "Well?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""emExpelli—"/em/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"emBAM/em/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: Times; font-size: medium;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Healer Derwent had just stepped inside the Hospital Wing when a rhythmic knock sounded at the door. He paused, and then slowly pivoted and creaked open the door./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Hullo, Healer Derwent." Sirius Black. Hands in pockets, rolling lightly back and forth on his heels, gracing a simple smile. Derwent just closed his eyes and let out a light sigh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""How are you doing?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Are you emhurt/em?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius shook his head. "Nope, I'm fine."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A pause. Derwent shifted his weight to the hand resting on the edge of the door./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Then why are you here?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well, you see, a couple of Slytherin blighters seemed to have accidentally hexed themselves. Though honestly Healer Derwent if I were one of them I'm not sure I would've hexed myself emaccidentally/em—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""So why aren't they here?" He shifted more weight./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""They're unconscious."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Derwent lifted his head, eyes wide, and began propping open the doors./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I mean, they're fine!" Sirius waved his hands in front of him. "Perfectly fine! Unconscious is sort of an exaggeration. Actually, not really. Look, they're just not particularly active at the moment." Derwent now stood frozen mid-propping. "Some nasty stupefy hexes, I think, you know how they are. Just thought I'd give you the courtesy of letting you know."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Another pause, another empty but exasperated look./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm serious."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And now an exasperated sigh as he began moving again./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Just getting that joke out of the way at the beginning of the term this time around. I understand how it can be stressful waiting in anticipation—Oh, no, they're this way!"/p
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p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Inside the Hospital Wing, Snape, Mulciber, and Crouch all lay unconscious in cots across the room from Emmeline, now sat on the edge of her own looking down at her Beatle boots, which she gently swung back and forth. Huddled around her were many 5th year Gryffindors (plus Olivia) with a mixture of confused and concerned expressions plastered on their faces, however silent./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Right," Remus entered the mass between the Marauders. "Just finished speaking with Derwent. He's miffed, but he's going to let it go."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What?" Carrie, sat next to Emmeline, straightened up and turned to Remus. "That lot gets lucky again?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""We're lucky Derwent likes me and we're not all getting a week's detention," Remus retorted firmly. "And I've docked them a fair amount of points. They'll probably get a good talking to from Slughorn." He sighed and softened his expression. "Em, you alright?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Everyone's gaze turned to Emmeline./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yeah… I'm fine," Emmeline laughed nervously. More stares. "Merlin, stop looking at me like I'm a lost owl, I'm emfine/em," she muttered./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You wouldn't have been. Snape had it out for you," Carrie leaned towards her and placed a hand on her arm./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Amelia Bones furrowed her brows and crossed her arms. "You ought to start being more aggressive, Em."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia instantly released a terse grunt and rolled her eyes. "'spose she should get a blood transfusion too? Suck some melanin out while they're at it?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""C'mon, they aren't targeting you because of that."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yeah, they are," Emmeline retorted. "You just don't have to see it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Amelia crossed her arms tighter and suddenly became preoccupied with the side table. Olivia gave Emmeline a small satisfied half-smile./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""So, err…" Marlene gazed over at the unconscious boys across the room. "How did that happen?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yeah, how'd you find us anyway?" Sirius inquired at Remus./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well you, actually. Or rather, your brother. I knew you ran off to find him and I followed because I figured you'd have a go at him."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Alright, alright…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Instead I found Regulus, who was just sorta grumbling to himself. He, erm… ended up telling me" (James raised a curious eyebrow) "that you lot were on the third floor and it really wasn't hard to follow Avery's cackling. But then…" Remus solemnly turned to Peter and mumbled. "Sorry, mate. I had to use to it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The scrawny boy next to him with short mousey-brown hair, a pointed nose, and small thin lips grew a face of defeat. "Wha—Oh, c'mon!" He threw up his arms in aggravation. "That took me a month to make!" He leaned over to Sirius. "I blame you."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What?!" Sirius exclaimed./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Remus put a hand between them. "You can make it again. You wrote down what you did, right?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Peter slowly leaned back and held one arm. "N-no. I didn't."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Remus sighed. "Well. Worked once. Rolled it right in the middle of them and the gas made them loopy enough for a few basic hexes to knock them out."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"James clicked his tongue. "Wish I could've seen that."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Peter stood a little straighter and grinned at James./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Wait, Em," Carrie interjected. "Why you were headed to the Hospital Wing in the first place?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius cleared his throat. "Right. I can explain that."/p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: Times; font-size: medium;" noshade="noshade" size="1" /
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius Black wasn't in a great mood. Well, he was in a better mood, because Hogwarts was better than his house. And he was in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express headed towards better than his house. And with people who were even better than Hogwarts. Sirius looked around at his other three quarters as he gnawed on a chocolate frog. James tugged on his messy hair, head tilted, face scrunched in concentration as he looked on the game board in front of him. Peter lay back with his arms behind his head and a satisfied smirk on his face. Remus covered his mouth with his hands, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Sirius smiled and felt a little bit better./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"What was particularly better about these long train rides with his three best friends was that he didn't have to think about his house. And he didn't have anything to remind him of it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Well, never mind. He did. And it passed the compartment yelling "Mudblood!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius jolted up and swiftly opened and closed the compartment door behind him so as to try to keep the rest from following. A tall slim boy with wavy black hair stood right outside the loo hovering over a small girl who, with arms crossed and neck stretched, leaned forward trying to appear as threatening as a small girl who had just gotten out of the loo could./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oi! Regulus!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"His brother turned around. He was a third year, though he tried to make as much use of the little puberty he had gone through. Nobody would mistake Regulus for Sirius, but nobody would doubt they were brothers either. They had similar hair, similar facial features. But he noticed that Regulus seemed fixed in anger, much like their father's. Sirius hoped his face didn't have the same creases./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus opened his mouth, presumably to return some nasty remark, but instead the little girl spoke up./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Hey! I emgot/em this!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus smirked. "Sure you don't need to call your mum?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She rolled her eyes. "She doesn't need me. My mum is doing emjust/em fine actually."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"["This girl is my new best mate!" Olivia exclaimed. "Sorry Marlene."]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Err… what?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius barked out a laugh and asked her name./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Sora. Sora Watanabe. First year."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Alright, Sora. Looks like you got everything under control here," he glimpsed at Regulus who now looked at Sora like she was a particularly annoying toad, "but I need to talk to this git here, if you don't mind."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She relaxed suddenly and smiled at Sirius. "Okay." She stopped next to Sirius as she walked away and said, "Tell him he's an arse for me."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"["She's going to grow up to be just like me. What house is she in?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Olivia, shut up!"]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius fought another laugh and gave her a small salute before she left./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus squinted at the spot where Sora stood before and began muttering, "Filthy little—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Cock it, you arse." Sirius took a step toward him. "Mum and Dad really fucked your head, haven't they? Or was that Mulciber? Wilkes maybe?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It's you who's fucked up in the head. How do you betray a whole family line of blood purity?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius breathed heavily. "You're so far up their arses. At least before you didn't act on their behalf."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I am emnot—"/em/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius took another step closer. "I found your books on the Dark Arts."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Everyone has books on the Dark Arts."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Not ones from the restricted section."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"No response. Just glaring at the ground. "What are you getting yourself into? This is beyond pure-blood supremacy, Reg."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus took a step forward and stuck his face out at Sirius's./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Mum and Dad—they don't call you their son anymore." His voice was strangely menacing for a third year. "I don't call you my brother anymore, because you sure as hell aren't one to me." Sirius refused to budge. He refused to react. "You're only a Black by name. You're hardly a part of our family. So piss off."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"["What did he do?" "What did he say?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""He, err… he was just being a git. You know how brothers… I mean, you know how he is."]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Two minutes later, Sirius is kneeling on the seats of an empty compartment, a lit cigarette in his mouth, his hands attaching a Punching Puff to the compartment door. To say he was irritated with what Regulus left him was an understatement./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He flopped back down and slapped his legs across the other seats. With his arms stretched across the top of the tears of the cushion and his eyes closed, he slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius knew Regulus would come by this compartment soon. Every other Hogwarts student avoided it. It was rumored that it was haunted by the ghost of a 13-year-old boy who had been struck and killed by the Hogwarts Express decades ago when he tried to hop the tracks as a part of an initiation of some sort. Well, actually, that part of the story changed every time someone retold it. Sirius himself has heard countless variations, including one involving the MI6 and a pet chicken. Okay, emhe/em was the one who made up that story to some first years. But it was fun to add to the pot. And the poor blighters believed him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"["Wait, what?" Amelia interjected. "You spread that around? Ruthie still gets weary around chickens, you know!"]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Anyway, the compartment was actually just old and fairly wrecked and no advanced repairing charm worked for whatever reason. And Regulus used it to smoke, among other things./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"No other Black smoked except Sirius. Regulus must've started because of him…/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius inhaled deeply./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And then he saw a figure slow down near the door and begin to nudge it open./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But it wasn't Regulus./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, sorry, Siri—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A cloud of dark smoke. Coughing. emWhack/em./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The smoke cleared. Emmeline stood curled over with her hands covering her left eye./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius quickly ripped the puff from the top of the door, stuffed it into his pocket, stepped outside the compartment and slammed the door shut. He held his arms out to inspect the damage but hesitated and left his hands hovering awkwardly around her face./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Shit, Em. I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean—It wasn't for you, I swear, it was for Regulus, he usually comes here to—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Em shook her head and put a hand on his shoulder. "Sirius, it's okay, really. It happens."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"… "it happens"? Was she really so used to it that getting a punch in the eye indirectly from your friend was just a part of her everyday life? He knew she had been getting harassed, but maybe it was worse than he knew about. Maybe she was coming to the back of the train to get away from them./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Now he felt like absolute shite./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius slowly moved his hand toward her hand covering her eye. "Can I…?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She nodded. He lifted her fingers just enough to reveal a purple bruise forming./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Really brings out the green in your eyes."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Em chuckled and then sighed in defeat. "This isn't going to go away is it?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius shook his head slowly. "You need an antidote."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Alright. I'm going to go to the loo to cover this up."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"As Em walked away, "Do you need help or… something?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Know anything about makeup?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius stared blankly at her./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Em waved a small hand at him. "Don't worry about it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius stared at the spot Em had occupied previously. Another wave of guilt washed over him. After a few moments of standing in the middle of the aisle, Sirius took out another cigarette from his pocket. He was about to light it when the initial target of his failed prank walked in with Snape, Mulciber, and Avery./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius froze with his lighter aflame as Regulus scrunched up his face at the sight of him and whipped his head around a couple time./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Where's Vance?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius blinked and then took his time lighting his cigarette and exhaling. He needed at least one drag for this./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What's it to you?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""None of your business, Black," Snape sneered. Sirius glanced at his hand, which tightly gripped his wand. He recognized the type of grip from last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts. On the offence. Ready to be used at a moment's notice. Probably not for your average jinx./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"[It suddenly clicked for Marlene./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, no…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"James glared at Snape lying in his cot./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Bloody git."]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Looking for duels with innocent girls now, Snivellus? Too scared to pick a fair fight? Expected of a Slytherin like you, 'spose."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Shut up," Snape spit./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius nodded. "Really stepped up your comebacks there."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I thought I told you to piss off," Regulus snapped./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You did." Sirius tossed his cigarette between Regulus's feet and smeared it into the carpet, blowing his last hit in his face./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""And I'm telling you to stay the hell away from Emmeline or you'll end up seeing me way more than you'd ever want."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"With that, he pushed through the group of Slytherins and spent the remainder of the travel in the loo talking with Emmeline and attempting to help her cover up the bruise./p
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p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""They would've done worse," Em explained to Sirius./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius just shrugged./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""How the hell is Lily still friends with Snape anyway?" Amelia asked./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""She isn't really… exactly. Sort of. Not since he called her a…" Remus trailed off./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""The git is just going to make Lily his next target." James remarked./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""But… for what?" Peter questioned. "I mean… what's he gaining out of this?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"There were a couple shrugs and murmurs of indifference. Marlene was too caught up in the discussion to notice the blood dripping from her nose again./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Marlene," Remus looked over at with a concerned expression and tapped his nose. "You're bleeding."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The strangled voice of Healer Derwent popped up suddenly. "What? Bleeding? Who?" He quickly scurried to Marlene, handing her a purple potion and a cloth and shooing the rest away from the cot. "Get away, get away now. Not you, Emmeline. You stay. You. McKinnon. This cot. Lie down, now."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene sat on the cot slowly, holding the cloth to her nose. "I'm fine, really, I just got it from a charmed door, I'm sure—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""A charmed door?" Derwent scampered to a large cabinet, collected a handful of potions, and scampered back to Marlene. "You have to stay the night. Lie down, will you? Go on, drink up that potion. You'll wake up in a couple hours and when you do you must drink the green one. Then you'll wake up again and you'll drink the blue, then again for the pink – in that order, got it? Green, blue, pink. McKinnon. McKinnon, I said lie down."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It wasn't long before Marlene was alone again, lying in the dark of the wing. Just like earlier, she thought, except the dark didn't have the stars and the white blanket beneath her wasn't made of snow. And even though she had these potions beside her and she was relatively comfy, she supposed, and her nose wasn't bleeding, she much rather preferred the last time she was lying down. Because now her thoughts flooded her and she couldn't help but worry about how the boy who almost attacked Emmeline lied only feet away from her, and she couldn't help but wonder if the smirk Sirius gave her was the only time his face didn't look like it was sort of sinking today, and she couldn't help but be curious about Ed and Dumbledore and the murdered muggles, and she couldn't help but doubt she'd ever fall asleep./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She fell asleep a few moments later./p
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p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"thanks for reading!/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"I have a playlist associated with the story... sort of... more like associated with the Marauders story, with a focus on Jily. if you want to check it out, go here - user/1235005513/playlist/7gORrygpYuYAqJaZQ4SBlz/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"maddie xx/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"Side 1/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"1. 00:00/Anklebiters/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"15-year-old Marlene McKinnon didn't know what to think about this day. Or rather, she emcouldn't/em think about this day. She laid on the snow under a tree in the grounds of Hogwarts. It was cold, which she didn't mind, but she had a raging headache and her nose wouldn't stop bleeding. Plus some of the blood got on her clothes, which was mildly annoying, and she couldn't think of the charm that her mum taught her for removing stains. Because of her bloody headache. All she could think to do right now was wait for the other Hogwarts students to arrive for the start of second term and hope that Lily knew the charm./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Man, this day was a nause, right from the start. Her owl, Poppins, made sure of that when she pecked her awake to deliver a letter from—well, she didn't actually know who. It wasn't signed. And she didn't recognize the handwriting. All she knew was that it was sent by someone she hadn't seen in years, according to the letter. But she wouldn't get a confirmation until she sent a letter back. There was also a request to "keep hush about this, yeah?" So there was that./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But she didn't take kindly to her early wake up call, who received a good (however accidental) pillow smacking and subsequently refused to give Marlene the letter until a lengthy apology and extra owl treats were given. The apology was only lengthy however because Marlene couldn't find the owl treats./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"("I really am sorry!" A desk drawer is haphazardly emptied, clothes thrown across the room. "You know I don't regain full consciousness until it's been at least five minutes… or until there's coffee in front of my face." A pair of socks nearly misses Poppins, who squeaks in response. "Shit. Sorry!")/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It took a good ten minutes before she found them underneath her school uniform in her trunk—the only thing she had packed thus far. But it only took another five when her mum, Peggy, came in expressing her hope that she was packed and ready to go because her stepfather needed to go to Hogwarts to see Dumbledore and she'd only be arriving a few hours earlier so what's the difference? By 8:15 she was on an early train to Hogwarts sitting opposite her stepfather, who Marlene referred to by his first name Edward, and her stepsister in her year, Emma Vanity, who Marlene referred to as definitely emnot/em her sister./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene wasn't even aware there was such a thing as an early Hogwarts express train. No other student had ever mentioned it before. But then again, it seemed it wasn't intended for students. For one thing, it was only three cars long. But it was also… expensive. That's all Marlene saw anyway. Expensive cushion on an expensive loveseat next to an expensive pullout decorated with an expensive tea set. Windows draped with expensive curtains. Aisle lay with expensive carpet (Marlene suddenly felt the need to take off her shoes – her very grubby shoes, looking closer…). But she realized as she passed the mostly empty compartments that the only people she saw were professors, all of whom looked upon the three of them with raised eyebrows and hesitant nods of acknowledgement. She returned awkward waves of her hand, feeling just as confused as they looked./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Why do you have to see Dumbledore?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Edward usually disliked being asked, or in Marlene's case, "pestered" about his work in the Investigation Department considering a vital part of his job required invisibility-cloak-and-dagger activity regarding the search of dark wizards. Marlene's inquiries often resulted in a brief lecture about "appropriate" conversation and "professional" conduct. She would just toss a quip or two back ("Ed, I'm hardly a professional, I should think.") and then try another card—she and her mum told each other everything. Shouldn't she and Ed be the same way? How was she going to follow in his footsteps if she didn't know anything about his job? Who else would she try to exploit for her future endeavors? She was a bit cheekier when she was younger, mostly to irritate him. You know, to test his limits. But now she resigned to a more straightforward approach./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She had remained silent for most of the trip, but this intrigued her more than his other cases. Going to see Dumbledore wasn't a casual affair, especially for a member of the Investigation Department./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The lanky man across from her, hunched over emThe Daily Prophet/em, breathed out a response without a glance./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""We need his help with an investigation."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene shrugged her shoulders. "Well, yeah. But why?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A pair of baby blue eyes and the perpetual bags they rested upon merely blinked in her direction. Marlene didn't look, but she knew Emma rolled hers./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm only asking because it must be rather serious if you need Dumbledore, right?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"No response. Emma uncrossed and crossed her legs. Poppins sighed. A chocolate frog fell asleep, probably./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Huh. This was a bit unusual./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Does it have to do with the murder of the muggle you keep reading about in the emProphet/em?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Edward turned to a new page, his eyebrows now furrowed. Good, a reaction. Even Emma turned her head towards him, her eyes jumping between the two in anticipation./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It's just you hadn't changed the page in over an ho—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""emMarlene/em." His head shot up, a scruffy and irritated face now visible. "You emcannot/em try to pry information from me anymore. It is not your place to get involved. You are not a reporter. It is not your job to seek a story. If you want to be the next Rita Skeeter, fine, but don't practice it on me."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She found the limit./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm going to find the food trolley…" As she walked out, she noticed a smirk smeared on Emma's face. Thankfully the food trolley was in the next car over, which meant Marlene could stall in a compartment there for the time being. Her stomach didn't agree with her though. She looked at the Cauldron Cake she had just taken a bite from and noticed a filling inside that was most certainly not pumpkin…/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Thank Merlin she made it to the toilet just in time./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Someone opened and shut the door behind her and then sat down on the closed bin next to the toilet, legs crossed and body leaned back as if enjoying a picnic in the sun./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene already knew who it was./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""An invitation to talk works well too."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A honeyed voice replied, "This was an invitation. I just delivered it differently."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I got the message," Marlene grumbled./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yes, it seems it worked well doesn't it? I was hoping to use it on Miles, the slimy git—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene's moan interrupted her. Emma sighed a reluctant apology, handing over a hairband. Marlene put her hair up quickly and extended her hand, mumbling for an antidote./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""… Maybe a formal apology is in order."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What?" Marlene snapped her head up to look at her and her stomach turned unappreciatively. Bad decision. She settled back over the toilet. "Emma, you always have an antidote made."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I didn't even know if this was going to work! In which case making the antidote would've been a waste of time. Besides, your mum tossed the ingredients I needed to make it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene groaned again./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, come off it. If it works as it has been so far it'll go away within a few hours."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I will vomit on you."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Emma waved her hand dismissively. "Please, you're too decent for that."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene looked up to glare at her. Even on a (expensive) bin, Emma sat neatly and with a strange precision, her body appearing to be elongated even though her fresh-out-of-the-box shoes already reached the other side of the bathroom. Marlene used to find her posture unusual for a young teenager and figured it had to do with playing piano. But she played piano too, and she thought her posture held more of a resemblance to Glenn Gould. She realized quickly that Emma actually received more attention this way and often used her body language to her advantage. Which worked well for her because she was already a pretty girl in that she looked older than she was. Butterscotch hair that reached mid-back, pinned at the front with two clips. Droopy blue eyes. A round face with cheekbones that could've belonged to Katharine Hepburn. It worked on Miles Bletchley currently, but it seemed to work on a new bloke too… Marlene's gaze hovered over where the necklace Miles gave her should gave been. Instead Emma donned a new flashy silver piece, something very far from her taste./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Seeing someone new, huh?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""And you're still sad and alone, huh?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Ah, good. She was right./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Couldn't let Miles be the only one to move on so quickly?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Piss off."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"…/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""But if you could convince a Marauder or two to do some damage on him, that'd be great."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Er… what?" Marlene looked up again in confusion, but Emma appeared to not be phased in the slightest by her abnormal request. Emma prowled about with people like Dolores Umbridge. Emma pursed her lips like she ate something rotten every time a Marauder was mentioned. Emma's even attempted to toss a few Puffing Poisons into their drinks./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You're already going to put him through this vomit-induced hell, and you've never needed extra revenge before. Why—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Ohhh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You emfancy /emMiles. Like, a lot."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Emma shifted uncomfortably./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh. Oh, this is brill."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And then she scowled threateningly at Marlene. Marlene just laughed./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""This is—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Marlene! Just do it or I promise I'll make sure next time you won't stop vomiting your insides for a week!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"With that, she stormed off./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"As much as the thought of Emma's heart pounding for a mingin' git amused Marlene, the leftovers of Emma's pastry left her over the toilet for the remaining hours of the travel. She plodded off the train with a few concerned remarks over her paler complexion. Marlene thought about finding a way to get info about Ed's meeting with Dumbledore, but as much as the curiosity lingered, so did the taste of the last few hours. So upon arriving at Hogwarts and washing out her mouth, Marlene quickly became bored. She had a few hours to kill, and no one else was here yet. So logically she decided she should try snooping around Emma's things while she wasn't in her room and the dormitories weren't magically restricted yet. Unfortunately Emma figured this was what Marlene would do, and as she opened the door to the Slytherin girls' room the door flung back sharply, hitting Marlene square in the face and transferring the effects of the charm as an eternally bleeding nose./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A grumble and a stumble outside, and Marlene lay under this barren tree, looking at the stars, wishing she could just take a nap or something./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"About ten minutes later, she began hearing faint noises over on her near left. She raised her arm, glanced at her wristwatch, and then held it near her ear, the noises becoming a more distinct crowd of voices. It was sometime in the middle of last year she thought of this charm. She was bored and disliked the lack of range the Extendable Ear provided for eavesdropping. So she spent an exorbitant amount of time charming the ear of the statue by the entrance to a moveable object (for her, the wristwatch) so that she could listen in on conversations that would happen to be nearby it. It ended up being mostly entertaining and there was little information she could use to her advantage. Except for this./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A distinct snarl emerged above the passing of students./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""… headed up to the Hospital Wing, thanks to my brother…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Somebody already at the Hospital Wing? Well… admittedly this wasn't very interesting information. Students are sent up to the Hospital Wing all the time, but rarely before term even started. And it was the most interesting thing she'd gotten out of this charm in months. She didn't recognize the voice, but maybe this person was still there. Marlene sat up and rushed over to the Great Hall. She stood in the middle of the bustling students, peering through for… well, she didn't know who. She didn't even know if what she heard was actually anything of concern. Actually, she didn't know why she thought she would be able to catch up with whoever it was, and what would she do anyway? Marlene suddenly felt awkward. She tried to make off her pecking through the crowd as searching for a friend when a pair of arms squeezed around her waist and lifted her off her feet. When she was let go, she turned around to a girl with a rosy glow on her cheeks and a great big smile plastered on her round face./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Did I scare you? Ah, never mind."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene was pulled into a hug. She almost forgot how strong she was compared to her own slight stature. Then she heard a hoot from the back of her friend's head./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Olivia, do you have an owl in your hair or something?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh yeah!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia Meadowes pivoted around to reveal a little silver owl sparkling amidst a body of tight black curls clipping two pieces together. It extended its wings as it let out another two hoots./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Hoots on the hour. Got it from my mum over break for Hanukkah. Which is weird, she never gives me gifts, even for a holiday." Olivia turned back around and scrunched up her face thoughtfully. "She's been busier lately, with auror stuff. 'Spose that's why I got this." She cracked a sly smile as she slapped an arm over Marlene's shoulders. "But I also got a little something for us." Olivia pulled out something steel, small, and rectangular, fumbling as she tried to stuff it in Marlene's robes. Marlene laughed and took it from her hands but kept it hidden behind the length of her robe upon Olivia's physical insistence as she peeked./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""A flask?" Marlene tilted it upwards revealing bold lettering on the side that read 'ALCOHOL'. "Cheeky bastard, you're getting riskier. Tell me you didn't take any from Dolores."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Are you mad? I don't have a death wish." Olivia scoffed and returned her arm around Marlene's shoulders, leading them into the great hall. "Also it's, err, just pumpkin juice. But, you know, for future McKinnon-Meadowes escapades…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The two sat down at the Gryffindor table, no one giving a second glance at the Slytherin emblem on Olivia's robes. It wasn't that she hated eating at the Slytherin table. Well, she actually sort of did, but only if her older Slytherin friends weren't there. Her best friends in her year were all in Gryffindor, and after a horrifying couple of meals first year on the other side, she just stuck to "the lion's den"./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene's stomach grumbled at the empty plates. She didn't realize how little she had eaten that day. She glanced over at the Slytherin table, spotting Emma. Her anger only seemed to translate to a bigger headache./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A stocky girl with dull ashy brown hair sat across from the two. She was about to say hello when she stopped, raised an eyebrow in Marlene's direction, and noted with some concern, "Marlene, your nose is bleeding."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene cursed under her breath as Amelia Bones handed over a handkerchief and inquired, with a hint of judgement, as to what happened./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Charmed door. Don't worry about it," Marlene muttered with a wave of her hand./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia knocked Marlene's elbow playfully. "You're practically a Marauder with the amount of trouble you get into."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oi, give her some respect," Amelia leaned towards Marlene. "You're much more like that American Nancy Drew character. But in either case, I'm sure you know how the muggle saying goes. Curiosity killed the cat…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Thank Merlin she's not a cat then." Amelia's seventh year brother, Edgar, slipped in next to her and gave a warm smile to the three of them. Marlene appreciated his presence, particularly when with Amelia—he was the only one she knew who could loosen Amelia up a bit, who returned his smile quickly and almost as warmly. In fact, Marlene always thought of Edgar as someone who would get along well with all the puppies of the world. She looked at his scruffy face and floppy hair. She realized it was maybe because he looked like a handsome puppy./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia flopped her head onto her hand and looked at Marlene with a twitch of a smile. "You know, you do sort of resemble a cat."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Says the girl who's afraid of dogs."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia muttered back, "Says the girl who's afraid of getting wet, eh?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene spit out the pumpkin juice into her glass before she could choke on it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Where's Ruthie?" Amelia interjected. Ruthie was the youngest of the bones, much like a miniature version of Edgar in that she had a similar gracefulness and a quick cynical wit, though that was something all three Bones siblings shared./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Edgar chuckled lightly at Marlene and Olivia before replying, "Safe with Melanie at the Hufflepuff table." Melanie Donoghue, Edgar's girlfriend of three years now. His puppy love recipient, Marlene thought./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Good," Amelia nodded approvingly. "I didn't see her on the train."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Maybe that's because she was with her second year friends," Edgar quipped, lips upturned slightly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, right. Of course." Amelia fidgeted in her seat and glanced over at the Hufflepuffs again. "Looks to be with a good sort."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I dunno. That Helena Hildegard girl's a piece of work." Olivia, who was playing with a fork in one hand and balancing Marlene's head on the opposite shoulder, pointed the utensil towards Amelia's previous view./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Helena Hildegard? There's no Helena Hildegard."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm fucking with you."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Amelia scowled and looked as if she were about to retort, most likely about Olivia's unnecessary use of profanity because "for Merlin's sake Olivia, you're only 15, and spouting word curses isn't going to make you any old – "/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Anyone seen Emmeline?" A gangly fellow sporting thick wavy black hair with freshly dyed blue tips stood over Marlene, curling and uncurling his frenetic fingers against his legs./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia nudged Marlene off and shook his arm. "Ah, Caradoc! Hullo! Been so long. How are you? I'm grand, Marlene's a clumsy idiot, Amelia's unnecessarily protective of her sister, and Edgar's here too."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Caradoc Dearborn only gave a small hello before waving his head around and plopping down next to Marlene./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm sure she's around, mate," Edgar assured. "You saw her on the train, right?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yeah, but… well, she was kinda cooped up and aloof, and then something happened on the train just before we got off? I don't know what, she went to go to the Hospital Wing…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene lifted her head off of Olivia's shoulder and looked at Caradoc./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well then, what are you worrying for?" Amelia questioned. "She must be there."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Maybe, but where's Mulciber and his lot?" He nodded over at the Slytherin table./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Only Mulciber… Black… Avery… and Snape I think? Only emthey're/em gone," Amelia noted. "Not the whole lot."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""That doesn't matter!" Caradoc leaned towards the rest of the group. "You've all seen it. Emmeline's been targeted a lot more this year."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Emmeline had been picked on by the more masculine-insecure boys in Slytherin since around second year. It was never a big deal—at least that's what Em insisted whenever someone asked. Even though they were always trying to embarrass her in class, drop her nasty words as they passed her in the halls, which always included at least one instance of… you know, the emreally /emnasty word. Marlene figured she was consistently a victim of preference because she was a dark-skinned muggleborn girl. On top of the fact that she wasn't by any means an aggressive person. But since the start of the last term, they have become entirely too aggressive and certainly more hex-happy. The more they grow from puberty, the more… violent they get. Hell, they even followed her a couple times just to fill their Hospital Wing quota—/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Oh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""…emheaded up to the Hospital Wing…/em"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Her stomach growled as she gave a look of longing to the gratuitous amount of food in front of her. She could wait./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Carrie and I are going to find Emmeline," Marlene announced, standing up—fuck this bloody headache—grabbing Caradoc's arm, and swiftly leaving the Great Hall./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Do you know where she is?" Caradoc piped, jumping up a few strides to beside Marlene, who was preoccupied with scurrying./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Erm…" What else did she overhear? "Maybe?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well, emwhere/em are you going?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I don't really kn—Black!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"In the middle of the corridor stood Sirius and Regulus Black with clenched fists and threatening stances. They snapped their glares over in the direction of their interruption./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Caradoc followed Marlene who rushed over and gestured to Sirius. "Sorry, not you—emyou/em."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius returned his glare back to Regulus. "Brilliant, what the hell did you do now?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Where's Emmeline?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene felt the discomfort between the two in front of her. Sirius gulped and glanced at Caradoc. Regulus scrunched his face and shifted his eyes until he replied in a breathy anger she assumed carried over from his previous argument with Sirius. "I don't know what you're going on about."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene scoffed. That was definitely the voice she overheard - "em… thanks to my brother…/em" He must have been talking about Sirius./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You were talking to someone by the stairs to the Entrance Hall. You know Emmeline was headed to the Hospital Wing, but Avery, and Mulciber, and Snape are gone, so I'm sure they have plans for her, yeah? And you know?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Carrie snapped his head toward Emmeline and then glared at Regulus, unclenching his jaw to demand answers when Regulus retorted, "Well obviously she's headed up to the Hospital Wing then. How thick can you be?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Come off it, you git," Sirius interjected. "I caught you and your lot harassing a first year Hufflepuff in the passageway behind the second floor bookcase end of last term."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene felt her muscles tense. She turned to Carrie, whose hands clawed into fists. He had helped Healer Derwent treat that girl. She couldn't remember what had happened. The Hufflepuff's eyes were bruised for weeks./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus cleared his throat and awkwardly adjusted his stance. "So?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Carrie advanced towards Regulus with his wand out, his tall stature towering over the Slytherin. "So you know where she is then."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Piss off," Regulus took a step toward Carrie and tried to make himself taller./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A few moments passed. Regulus glanced tentatively at Carrie's wand, a hand over his own pocket. And then his hand moved suddenly. In the same second he pulled out his wand Carrie had cast a disarming charm, sending his wand near Sirius who swiftly picked it up off the ground. Regulus cursed under his breath and glared at Marlene who raised an eyebrow back at him. Then he sighed and his body relaxed. But his fists remained clenched and he kept his gaze on the floor as he muttered, "There's a tunnel behind the charms corridor bat statue. The one missing a wing. She should be there."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene and Sirius exchanged concerned glances before swiftly following Carrie who was already a number of paces ahead of them. She kept aside Sirius, glancing at him on occasion. He looked worried—eyes stuck to the floor, hands tense, and lips—/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You want something?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He didn't bother turning his head./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She really wanted to ask. She really wanted to know what they were fighting about./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius continued to gaze strictly at the floor./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She could figure it out herself. Later./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Nothing. Sorry."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius raised an eyebrow curiously. "How did you hear what Regulus was saying? On the staircase? You weren't even around."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She pretended to consider telling him before shrugging./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""AH!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Shit," Sirius muttered under his breath. They ran ahead to Carrie whose hair was missing its frosty blue tips and appeared to have been soaked though it was now flying about from a gust a wind coming out of the wand he had pointed to his head./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""The statue! It started spitting fire!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It's a Fumos Bat Flamer," Sirius explained. "Sorry mate, should've said something earlier." He went around to the missing wing and knocked on the stub four times./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""How did you figure that out?" Marlene inquired./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius pretended to ponder before just shrugging. And smirking. Marlene smiled back at him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Carrie pulled down the longest pieces of his hair in front of his eyes as the statue moved to the left and grumbled, "I liked that color…" And then he quickly resumed his former pace into the square white tunnel./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Emmeline?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The two caught up to Carrie glaring at a group of pale boys who all lazily turned from a menacing huddle. A great halo of long black curly hair peeked out from behind them. And then the hair spoke./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Carrie?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Cute," the lanky boy with a pointed snout and toothy sneer clicked his tongue. Bertram Avery. "This your boyfriend, Ems?" He let out a loud guffaw as the poised brunette holding two wands to his right chuckled. Finley Mulciber. There was another to the left. His thin black hair hung over his face in the same way his body seemed to hang over itself but it didn't conceal the glare he was directing at Sirius. Severus Snape./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Avery gave Carrie a quick once-over. "'spose it's the best a girl your kind can do."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"This got all three to laugh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oi, what's that supposed to mean?" Carrie retorted quickly./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It means sod off and go play with someone else," Mulciber nodded his head. "Severus. As you were."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Snape glanced at Carrie but remained frozen./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What are you waiting for?" snapped Mulciber./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""We should wait. For them to leave." Snape kept returning angry glances at Sirius./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Bloody hell, couldn't even do it the first time!" Avery let out an exasperated gruff. "Hex her or I'll do it myself!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He suddenly extended his arm to reveal a wand pointing directly at Emmeline./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""No you won't!" Carrie now had his wand pointing firmly at Avery./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Avery huffed his nose upwards and eyed Carrie. With a shrug, he replied, "You'll do too," and swiftly rotated his stance to face him. A second of frenzy ensued in a chain of raised wands and threats—Mulciber to Sirius to Avery to Carrie—and then tense silence. Marlene looked over at Snape. His wand was now raised too. At Emmeline./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene turned her head to Sirius and muttered, "What the hell did you do? Did something happen on the Hogwarts Express?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius let out half of a laugh. "Now's not really the best—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""McKinnon!" Avery exclaimed. "You got something to say?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Erm, yeah. Yeah, I do."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene, what are you doing?/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She looked at Snape./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene, don't be stupid./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Her fingers twitched./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene—/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A shuffle and an eye roll. "Well?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""emExpelli—"/em/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"emBAM/em/p
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p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Healer Derwent had just stepped inside the Hospital Wing when a rhythmic knock sounded at the door. He paused, and then slowly pivoted and creaked open the door./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Hullo, Healer Derwent." Sirius Black. Hands in pockets, rolling lightly back and forth on his heels, gracing a simple smile. Derwent just closed his eyes and let out a light sigh./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""How are you doing?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Are you emhurt/em?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius shook his head. "Nope, I'm fine."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A pause. Derwent shifted his weight to the hand resting on the edge of the door./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Then why are you here?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well, you see, a couple of Slytherin blighters seemed to have accidentally hexed themselves. Though honestly Healer Derwent if I were one of them I'm not sure I would've hexed myself emaccidentally/em—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""So why aren't they here?" He shifted more weight./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""They're unconscious."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Derwent lifted his head, eyes wide, and began propping open the doors./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I mean, they're fine!" Sirius waved his hands in front of him. "Perfectly fine! Unconscious is sort of an exaggeration. Actually, not really. Look, they're just not particularly active at the moment." Derwent now stood frozen mid-propping. "Some nasty stupefy hexes, I think, you know how they are. Just thought I'd give you the courtesy of letting you know."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Another pause, another empty but exasperated look./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I'm serious."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And now an exasperated sigh as he began moving again./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Just getting that joke out of the way at the beginning of the term this time around. I understand how it can be stressful waiting in anticipation—Oh, no, they're this way!"/p
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p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Inside the Hospital Wing, Snape, Mulciber, and Crouch all lay unconscious in cots across the room from Emmeline, now sat on the edge of her own looking down at her Beatle boots, which she gently swung back and forth. Huddled around her were many 5th year Gryffindors (plus Olivia) with a mixture of confused and concerned expressions plastered on their faces, however silent./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Right," Remus entered the mass between the Marauders. "Just finished speaking with Derwent. He's miffed, but he's going to let it go."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What?" Carrie, sat next to Emmeline, straightened up and turned to Remus. "That lot gets lucky again?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""We're lucky Derwent likes me and we're not all getting a week's detention," Remus retorted firmly. "And I've docked them a fair amount of points. They'll probably get a good talking to from Slughorn." He sighed and softened his expression. "Em, you alright?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Everyone's gaze turned to Emmeline./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yeah… I'm fine," Emmeline laughed nervously. More stares. "Merlin, stop looking at me like I'm a lost owl, I'm emfine/em," she muttered./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You wouldn't have been. Snape had it out for you," Carrie leaned towards her and placed a hand on her arm./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Amelia Bones furrowed her brows and crossed her arms. "You ought to start being more aggressive, Em."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Olivia instantly released a terse grunt and rolled her eyes. "'spose she should get a blood transfusion too? Suck some melanin out while they're at it?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""C'mon, they aren't targeting you because of that."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yeah, they are," Emmeline retorted. "You just don't have to see it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Amelia crossed her arms tighter and suddenly became preoccupied with the side table. Olivia gave Emmeline a small satisfied half-smile./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""So, err…" Marlene gazed over at the unconscious boys across the room. "How did that happen?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Yeah, how'd you find us anyway?" Sirius inquired at Remus./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Well you, actually. Or rather, your brother. I knew you ran off to find him and I followed because I figured you'd have a go at him."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Alright, alright…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Instead I found Regulus, who was just sorta grumbling to himself. He, erm… ended up telling me" (James raised a curious eyebrow) "that you lot were on the third floor and it really wasn't hard to follow Avery's cackling. But then…" Remus solemnly turned to Peter and mumbled. "Sorry, mate. I had to use to it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The scrawny boy next to him with short mousey-brown hair, a pointed nose, and small thin lips grew a face of defeat. "Wha—Oh, c'mon!" He threw up his arms in aggravation. "That took me a month to make!" He leaned over to Sirius. "I blame you."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What?!" Sirius exclaimed./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Remus put a hand between them. "You can make it again. You wrote down what you did, right?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Peter slowly leaned back and held one arm. "N-no. I didn't."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Remus sighed. "Well. Worked once. Rolled it right in the middle of them and the gas made them loopy enough for a few basic hexes to knock them out."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"James clicked his tongue. "Wish I could've seen that."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Peter stood a little straighter and grinned at James./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Wait, Em," Carrie interjected. "Why you were headed to the Hospital Wing in the first place?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius cleared his throat. "Right. I can explain that."/p
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p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius Black wasn't in a great mood. Well, he was in a better mood, because Hogwarts was better than his house. And he was in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express headed towards better than his house. And with people who were even better than Hogwarts. Sirius looked around at his other three quarters as he gnawed on a chocolate frog. James tugged on his messy hair, head tilted, face scrunched in concentration as he looked on the game board in front of him. Peter lay back with his arms behind his head and a satisfied smirk on his face. Remus covered his mouth with his hands, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Sirius smiled and felt a little bit better./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"What was particularly better about these long train rides with his three best friends was that he didn't have to think about his house. And he didn't have anything to remind him of it./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Well, never mind. He did. And it passed the compartment yelling "Mudblood!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius jolted up and swiftly opened and closed the compartment door behind him so as to try to keep the rest from following. A tall slim boy with wavy black hair stood right outside the loo hovering over a small girl who, with arms crossed and neck stretched, leaned forward trying to appear as threatening as a small girl who had just gotten out of the loo could./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oi! Regulus!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"His brother turned around. He was a third year, though he tried to make as much use of the little puberty he had gone through. Nobody would mistake Regulus for Sirius, but nobody would doubt they were brothers either. They had similar hair, similar facial features. But he noticed that Regulus seemed fixed in anger, much like their father's. Sirius hoped his face didn't have the same creases./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus opened his mouth, presumably to return some nasty remark, but instead the little girl spoke up./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Hey! I emgot/em this!"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus smirked. "Sure you don't need to call your mum?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She rolled her eyes. "She doesn't need me. My mum is doing emjust/em fine actually."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"["This girl is my new best mate!" Olivia exclaimed. "Sorry Marlene."]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Err… what?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius barked out a laugh and asked her name./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Sora. Sora Watanabe. First year."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Alright, Sora. Looks like you got everything under control here," he glimpsed at Regulus who now looked at Sora like she was a particularly annoying toad, "but I need to talk to this git here, if you don't mind."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She relaxed suddenly and smiled at Sirius. "Okay." She stopped next to Sirius as she walked away and said, "Tell him he's an arse for me."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"["She's going to grow up to be just like me. What house is she in?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Olivia, shut up!"]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius fought another laugh and gave her a small salute before she left./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus squinted at the spot where Sora stood before and began muttering, "Filthy little—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Cock it, you arse." Sirius took a step toward him. "Mum and Dad really fucked your head, haven't they? Or was that Mulciber? Wilkes maybe?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""It's you who's fucked up in the head. How do you betray a whole family line of blood purity?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius breathed heavily. "You're so far up their arses. At least before you didn't act on their behalf."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I am emnot—"/em/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius took another step closer. "I found your books on the Dark Arts."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Everyone has books on the Dark Arts."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Not ones from the restricted section."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"No response. Just glaring at the ground. "What are you getting yourself into? This is beyond pure-blood supremacy, Reg."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Regulus took a step forward and stuck his face out at Sirius's./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Mum and Dad—they don't call you their son anymore." His voice was strangely menacing for a third year. "I don't call you my brother anymore, because you sure as hell aren't one to me." Sirius refused to budge. He refused to react. "You're only a Black by name. You're hardly a part of our family. So piss off."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"["What did he do?" "What did he say?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""He, err… he was just being a git. You know how brothers… I mean, you know how he is."]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Two minutes later, Sirius is kneeling on the seats of an empty compartment, a lit cigarette in his mouth, his hands attaching a Punching Puff to the compartment door. To say he was irritated with what Regulus left him was an understatement./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"He flopped back down and slapped his legs across the other seats. With his arms stretched across the top of the tears of the cushion and his eyes closed, he slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius knew Regulus would come by this compartment soon. Every other Hogwarts student avoided it. It was rumored that it was haunted by the ghost of a 13-year-old boy who had been struck and killed by the Hogwarts Express decades ago when he tried to hop the tracks as a part of an initiation of some sort. Well, actually, that part of the story changed every time someone retold it. Sirius himself has heard countless variations, including one involving the MI6 and a pet chicken. Okay, emhe/em was the one who made up that story to some first years. But it was fun to add to the pot. And the poor blighters believed him./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"["Wait, what?" Amelia interjected. "You spread that around? Ruthie still gets weary around chickens, you know!"]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Anyway, the compartment was actually just old and fairly wrecked and no advanced repairing charm worked for whatever reason. And Regulus used it to smoke, among other things./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"No other Black smoked except Sirius. Regulus must've started because of him…/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius inhaled deeply./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"And then he saw a figure slow down near the door and begin to nudge it open./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"But it wasn't Regulus./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, sorry, Siri—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"A cloud of dark smoke. Coughing. emWhack/em./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The smoke cleared. Emmeline stood curled over with her hands covering her left eye./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius quickly ripped the puff from the top of the door, stuffed it into his pocket, stepped outside the compartment and slammed the door shut. He held his arms out to inspect the damage but hesitated and left his hands hovering awkwardly around her face./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Shit, Em. I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean—It wasn't for you, I swear, it was for Regulus, he usually comes here to—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Em shook her head and put a hand on his shoulder. "Sirius, it's okay, really. It happens."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"… "it happens"? Was she really so used to it that getting a punch in the eye indirectly from your friend was just a part of her everyday life? He knew she had been getting harassed, but maybe it was worse than he knew about. Maybe she was coming to the back of the train to get away from them./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Now he felt like absolute shite./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius slowly moved his hand toward her hand covering her eye. "Can I…?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She nodded. He lifted her fingers just enough to reveal a purple bruise forming./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Really brings out the green in your eyes."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Em chuckled and then sighed in defeat. "This isn't going to go away is it?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius shook his head slowly. "You need an antidote."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Alright. I'm going to go to the loo to cover this up."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"As Em walked away, "Do you need help or… something?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Know anything about makeup?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius stared blankly at her./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Em waved a small hand at him. "Don't worry about it."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius stared at the spot Em had occupied previously. Another wave of guilt washed over him. After a few moments of standing in the middle of the aisle, Sirius took out another cigarette from his pocket. He was about to light it when the initial target of his failed prank walked in with Snape, Mulciber, and Avery./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius froze with his lighter aflame as Regulus scrunched up his face at the sight of him and whipped his head around a couple time./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Where's Vance?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius blinked and then took his time lighting his cigarette and exhaling. He needed at least one drag for this./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""What's it to you?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""None of your business, Black," Snape sneered. Sirius glanced at his hand, which tightly gripped his wand. He recognized the type of grip from last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts. On the offence. Ready to be used at a moment's notice. Probably not for your average jinx./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"[It suddenly clicked for Marlene./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Oh, no…"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"James glared at Snape lying in his cot./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Bloody git."]/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Looking for duels with innocent girls now, Snivellus? Too scared to pick a fair fight? Expected of a Slytherin like you, 'spose."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Shut up," Snape spit./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius nodded. "Really stepped up your comebacks there."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""I thought I told you to piss off," Regulus snapped./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""You did." Sirius tossed his cigarette between Regulus's feet and smeared it into the carpet, blowing his last hit in his face./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""And I'm telling you to stay the hell away from Emmeline or you'll end up seeing me way more than you'd ever want."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"With that, he pushed through the group of Slytherins and spent the remainder of the travel in the loo talking with Emmeline and attempting to help her cover up the bruise./p
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p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""They would've done worse," Em explained to Sirius./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Sirius just shrugged./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""How the hell is Lily still friends with Snape anyway?" Amelia asked./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""She isn't really… exactly. Sort of. Not since he called her a…" Remus trailed off./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""The git is just going to make Lily his next target." James remarked./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""But… for what?" Peter questioned. "I mean… what's he gaining out of this?"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"There were a couple shrugs and murmurs of indifference. Marlene was too caught up in the discussion to notice the blood dripping from her nose again./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""Marlene," Remus looked over at with a concerned expression and tapped his nose. "You're bleeding."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"The strangled voice of Healer Derwent popped up suddenly. "What? Bleeding? Who?" He quickly scurried to Marlene, handing her a purple potion and a cloth and shooing the rest away from the cot. "Get away, get away now. Not you, Emmeline. You stay. You. McKinnon. This cot. Lie down, now."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"Marlene sat on the cot slowly, holding the cloth to her nose. "I'm fine, really, I just got it from a charmed door, I'm sure—"/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;""A charmed door?" Derwent scampered to a large cabinet, collected a handful of potions, and scampered back to Marlene. "You have to stay the night. Lie down, will you? Go on, drink up that potion. You'll wake up in a couple hours and when you do you must drink the green one. Then you'll wake up again and you'll drink the blue, then again for the pink – in that order, got it? Green, blue, pink. McKinnon. McKinnon, I said lie down."/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"It wasn't long before Marlene was alone again, lying in the dark of the wing. Just like earlier, she thought, except the dark didn't have the stars and the white blanket beneath her wasn't made of snow. And even though she had these potions beside her and she was relatively comfy, she supposed, and her nose wasn't bleeding, she much rather preferred the last time she was lying down. Because now her thoughts flooded her and she couldn't help but worry about how the boy who almost attacked Emmeline lied only feet away from her, and she couldn't help but wonder if the smirk Sirius gave her was the only time his face didn't look like it was sort of sinking today, and she couldn't help but be curious about Ed and Dumbledore and the murdered muggles, and she couldn't help but doubt she'd ever fall asleep./p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"She fell asleep a few moments later./p
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p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"thanks for reading!/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"I have a playlist associated with the story... sort of... more like associated with the Marauders story, with a focus on Jily. if you want to check it out, go here - user/1235005513/playlist/7gORrygpYuYAqJaZQ4SBlz/p
p style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"maddie xx/p