A/N: this is for the July Challenge on the Twin Exchange Forum…
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter….
Gone
The blonde pulled her wand out of her robes, pointing it at a man in the distance. She closed her olive green eyes and waved the wand and a shot of red light soared through the cold October air. The man fell when the red streak struck him in the chest. Seeing what may be her only opportunity to escape the blonde ran from the stone wall she was seated behind, dashing across the field, the rain and wind whipping her hair and striking her face, causing it to tingle.
She ducked behind a tree and inhaled deeply, the cold air caused her lungs to ache. The blonde looked over her shoulder to see a group of cloaked figures perusing her. She shot another curse behind her and heard one of the men fall with a thud to the ground.
"She's over there, seize her and kill her." One of the masked men yelled.
She quickly darted toward the woods, hoping and praying that she could make it to safety. These men had killed her family. They wanted to kill her, or capture her, torture her for information. They had come for her and they had found her family instead.
She kept herself from crying, there would be plenty of time for tears when she was safe. The blonde had just reached the clearing when she heard a deep voice bellow "Stupify," and a higher pitched voice yell "Avada Kedavra."
The blonde stumbled as the curse hit her back and she fell into the darkness.
"That is Marlene McKinnon, she's dead now. Her entire family was murdered by death eaters." Sirius held the picture of the order for Harry to see. He watched as the boy's emerald eyes scanned the picture, but his eyes always fell on the three people in the far right corner. James Potter, his father, Lily Evans – Potter, his mother, and the strikingly beautiful blonde at Lily's side, Marlene.
"Harry!" Molly Weasley called for the boy by Sirius's side. "Harry!" she yelled again.
"You better go see what she needs Harry, you know how worked up she's been lately." Sirius smiled and touched the boy's shoulder. "We'll have more time to talk Harry." He assured him.
Harry nodded and scurried out of the room when Molly called for him again. Sirius fell into a dusty armchair and stared at the tattered picture in his hand.
Marlene McKinnon.
The love of his life, the one woman who could have tamed the wild-at-heart Sirius Black, she was stunning. He stared into the picture as the blonde smiled, sharing a laugh with her close friends. Her cool olive eyes were crystal clear in the aged photo and her golden hair made them shine against her pale skin.
He wasn't sure why he lied.
Maybe because the lie he told Harry was easier to accept than the truth.
Sirius ran his fingers through his tangled raven curls and close his silver-gray eyes.
It was about time he took a little trip.
Sirius pulled the hood of the black jacket over his hair and walked, staring at the white tiled floors, passed the groups of muggles visiting their family members.
He wasn't sure why he was here, there wasn't anything he could do, but he just had to see her.
He slid into the room and took a seat next to the bed. The TV, as the muggles called it, was off and the shades were drawn. The blonde laid, eyes closed, in the bed. Her golden hair fanned out over her pillow like a silky halo. She looked peaceful and he found himself wondering what she might be dreaming of, if anything.
Did she dream of him the way he dreamed of her?
If she ever woke up would she remember him?
Sirius leaned over the quiet figure and ran his finger over the jagged scar across her forehead, which stretched into her hair. He felt the heat of fresh tears in his eyes as he ran his fingers down her cool cheek. She was pale and thin and fragile. He never thought he would see Marlene McKinnon look so weak, so vulnerable.
"Excuse me sir, can I help you." A young nurse entered the room and eyed him suspiciously. "Miss McKinnon never gets visitors."
Sirius smiled weakly at the young red-head. "I used to visit Marlene frequently, we were school friends, but I've been away as of late….working in another country. I thought I should come and see if she has made any progress."
"I'm sorry sir. Miss McKinnon is still unresponsive." The red-head frowned when she saw his grieved expression. "I'll leave you be sir." The red-head turned on her heel and left the room.
Sirius returned to the seat and held Marlene's hand.
They had come to kill her, all of her family had been slaughtered, but she was still alive.
Marlene had fought back, she had struggled and fled. When they caught up to her the death eaters must have hit her with a stunning curse, knocking the blonde onto the ground.
She hit her head on a large rock, cracking her skull. The death eaters had left her for dead but a passing muggle couple found her and brought her to the nearest hospital, where the blonde slipped into a coma.
She remained in that coma. Sirius wondered if she would ever wake up. If she woke up would she still be Marlene? Would she know him, or Remus, or Moody, or Dumbledore?
Sirius wiped the tears away from his eyes.
He had lost hope that the blonde would wake. She's dead now, her entire family was killed my deatheaters.
That statement hadn't been a lie.
Marlene McKinnon was dead; she still lay, lifeless, in the hospital bed she was put into all those years ago. Marlene McKinnon was gone.
A/N. Well, I hope you enjoyed this. Depending on the response this gets I may or may not make this a full length story. Reviews would be appreciated : )