I own nothing but the plot and maybe the occasional character of my own making.
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"This is ridiculous!" Dorcas exclaimed as she walked with her friends towards the entrance hall, pulling her tight brown curls into a small ponytail before putting her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "Does he not like me or something?" she asked looking at her two best friends as they made their way to the courtyard ready to leave for Hogsmede.
"Maybe not," Marlene said, scuffing her half laced up boots on the floor with a shrug.
"I'm sure he does, Doe," Lily said, sending Marlene a glare to which she stuck her tongue out. "He's probably just got a lot going on right now," she said reasonably but it didn't seem to perk Dorcas up at all. Truth was no one had seen Remus for the past two days, not since he'd left the common room with James, Sirius and Peter and Lily was beginning to worry.
She'd had her suspicions of course, his regular absences, his tiredness and the amount of bandages she caught him wearing, it all added up. She'd tried asking James but he'd just made up some bumbled excuse and ran off, crashing into a suit of armour. There was no point trying to talk to Sirius about the matter and Peter, Peter usually got terrified whenever a girl was within two feet of him. There was only one thing to do, talk to Remus directly. But where was he?
"Hey, guys," said a voice and the girls turned around to see Mary MacDonald, the fourth girl in their dorm running towards them, her dark brown plaits flying behind her.
"Hey, Mary, I thought you were going with Amos?" Dorcas asked, looking at the girls flushed face and slightly red eyes.
"He bailed," Mary said breathing heavily, clearly having run a great way, her smile bright and happy despite the strain in her voice. "So I was wondering if you guys minding me coming with you?" she asked shyly, tugging at the loose thread of her cardigan.
"Of course you can," Marlene said brightly, throwing an arm around the shyer girls shoulder, "'Chicks before dicks' as they say" she said brightly and Mary smiled.
"Who on earth says that?" Dorcas said raising and eyebrow but Marlene just shrugged.
"People" she began leading the way with Mary.
It was a strange picture, Mary MacDonald, the sweet, innocent girl who wore flowery dresses and skirts with cardigans, never to be caught dead wearing trousers was walking arm in arm with Gryffindor's wayward princess wearing tattered jeans and a band t-shirt, with a large black jacket that certainly wasn't hers. It sure was a strange friendship.
"Aren't you meeting Severus?" Dorcas asked, looking up at Lily who was currently counting something on her fingers.
"He should be waiting in the Entrance Hall," Lily said craning her neck to see over the sea of head. "There he is!" she called, pointing towards a skinny boy by the large wooden doors, his shoulders slightly hunched over, his slightly hooked nose buried in a book he was scribbling in, his face hidden behind his curtains of oily black hair. "SEV!" she called pushing through the crowd of other students to stop in front of Severus who promptly put his book away, smiling at Lily.
"Hey, Snape," Dorcas said politely and Snape nodded in return, clearly not very comfortable with so much new company. Dorcas didn't even know if he knew her name.
"Hello, Severus," Mary said politely from Marlene's side and Severus smiled at her slightly, clearly getting more and more uncomfortable.
"Are we going then?" Marlene said, barely acknowledging Severus in the same way he didn't acknowledge her.
"Yes, let's go," Lily said excitedly, pulling Severus along behind her as they left through the gates on their way to Hogsmede.
"No Gideon today?" Lily asked Marlene as they sat in the Three Broomsticks with Dorcas and Severus, each of them sipping their own butterbeer.
"Not if we're lucky," she said bored, reaching into her breast pocket and pulling out a cigarette.
"You can't smoke in here, Marlene," Lily said warningly and Marlene rolled her eyes, placing the cigarette back into her pocket and giving Lily the 'happy-now' look she'd long since perfected.
"So, Severus, what hobbies do you have? "Dorcas asked suddenly, causing Marlene and Snape to both choke slightly on their drinks. "What?" she said, looking at everyone's wide eyes, "just thought I'd make some civil conversation," she said and returned to her drink letting them lapse back into silence.
"Look what we have here?" Said a voice and Marlene groaned audibly, letting her head stop theatrically. "That's' not a very nice way to great your dear friend, McKinnon."
"I'd rather curse off my limbs than call you a friend, Black," Marlene replied with a sarcastic smile, but Sirius remained un-phased.
"And Snivellus too! This day just get's better!" he said clapping his hands together. "Prongs! Look what I found!" he called across the room to where his friends were sitting beside a window, Peter retreating in on himself slightly, James shaking his head and Remus looking exhausted, a bandage visible above the collar of his shirt.
"Cant you just leave us alone, Sirius?" Lily asked pleadingly, looking up at Sirius, but he was too busy looking down at Snape, a hungry look on his face as Snape glared back.
"Yeah Sirius," Dorcas mocked, "Bugger off."
"Not likely, Meadowes," Sirius said pulling his wand from his pocket. "Whoops," he said, flourishing his wand slightly, causing Snape's butterbeer to topple over, the warm liquid pouring into his lap. "My mistake," he said with a smirk as Severus tried to mop up the mess with Lily wiping up the table.
Marlene, who was far less tolerant of Sirius than the others were, watched him as he barked with laughter, waiting patiently for a moment to act. It came in the beautiful package of the bar maid walking past holding a tray of butterbeer tankards above her head. Knowing not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Marlene flicked her wand, watching in great amusement as each of the glasses tipped over, pouring the warm liquid straight onto Sirius's head, soaking him with butterbeer and foam.
"Funny, McKinnon," Sirius said harshly, pointing his wand at her now as she laughed at him.
"You started it," she retorted, twirling her wand playfully between her fingers.
"But it didn't concern you, did it?"
"Well I made it concern me," she said, standing up and facing him, her wand pointed back at him. "Now fuck off before I curse you into next Tuesday," she said and Sirius opened his mouth no doubt to reply but the voice of reason had arrived.
"Leave it, Sirius," Remus said tiredly, the bags under his eyes more prominent than Lily had ever seen them. "You've already got detention tonight, don't make it anymore." He said. Maybe it was the pain and exhaustion in his friend's voice, or maybe he didn't want another detention, but after a moment's hesitation, Sirius lowered his wand and smiled charmingly at everyone sitting down at the table.
"It's been a pleasure as always, McKinnon," he said in a false sweet voice and Marlene made a rude hand gesture that made Lily gasp and Dorcas snigger slightly. "I'll be seeing you all," he said looking down at Snape before following Remus and his friends out of the pub.
"Why'd you do that?" Snape asked, saying the first thing since they'd left the castle to anyone that wasn't Lily. "Why'd you stand up for me?" he asked, his black eyes narrowed slightly.
"Because as much as I dislike you, Snape," Marlene said, swishing her wand to deftly clean and dry Snape's previously soaked trousers, "I hate Black far more," she said with a smile and she swore she saw Snape return one, however small.
"Looks like we have some common ground, McKinnon," Snape said, sitting back down and picking up his glass.
"Looks like we do," she said and smiled at Lily who had her eyebrow raised at her friend in confusion. "Now I've got to go, I'm meeting Gideon's sister tomorrow and I was told to buy her something, plus my dad's birthday is coming up soon." She said grabbing her coat from the back of her chair and leaving the pub, wondering if she'd just managed to make a new ally in her war with Sirius Black.
"I thought I'd find you here." Said a voice as Remus sat on a fallen tree in the Forbidden Forest, far enough in that the sounds of the school was drowned out but the castle was still visible through the trees.
"Who told you where I was?" Remus asked, not looking up as Lily stood next to him, still wearing the clothes she'd worn to Hogsmede, a small package in her hand.
"Peter, he's not very good and keeping quiet," she said and laughed slightly. "I got you this from Hogsmede, I thought you could use it," she said, holding out the small brown package. Remus accepted it but he didn't open it, he had far bigger issues on his mind than if Lily had bought him a present he'd enjoy.
"So…You know, huh?" he said, not looking at her, instead watching their feet and how his were planted on the leaf strewn floor, hers dangling slightly.
"Every time I tried to talk to James about it her got all mysterious and annoying and started falling over stuff, and Sirius just swore at me, so I thought I better talk to you." she said and Remus looked up at her and saw her smiling at him kindly. "Why didn't you tell me yourself?" she said looking at him properly. He'd taken his jumper off and had it folded neatly next to him on the tree trunk, his shirt unbuttoned slightly to reveal the bandages on his chest, his sleeves rolled up to reveal the ones on his arms. The sight alone broke Lily's heart in two.
Remus was a wonderful human being, he was sweet and kind and talented, everything that James and Sirius were if not better, yet he hid, locked himself away, locked the doors and never came out. She wanted to know why, why he kept such secrets, why he didn't confide in anyone, why he didn't confide in her. She'd thought they'd grown closer over the past few weeks, between prefects duties and extra study times in the library, Lily found herself feeling more for this particular marauder than she did any of the others, but she couldn't exactly admit that, especially not with Dorcas.
"I was very afraid, Lily," he said clasping his hands in front of him and looking out towards the rest of the forest, how the sun shone bleakly through the canopy of leaves, spotting a rabbit as it darted through the undergrowth. "You know you guys are like family to me. I thought you'd be disgusted if you found out." He said, his voice riddled with shame and exhaustion his face paler than Lily had ever seen it, the scars on his face standing out a lot harsh than they usually did.
"Remus," Lily said, reaching out a hand and placing it on his. "I know you. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met." She said kindly and Remus could feel the lump rise in his throat.
"It's already driving me crazy that James, Sirius and Peter risk everything." He said, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to hurt anyone, Lily," he said and he met her green eyes with his own, surprised to see them not filled with disgust, but with kindness and determination. "I will never forgive myself."
"I know, Remus," Lily said with a kind smile, "But you should stop beating yourself up and let people take care of you." she said, her thumb rubbing soothing patterns on his scarred hand. "I happen to know I great remedy for cuts and other injuries.
"They're cursed wounds, Lily, you can't heal them with magic," he said solemnly, pulling down his sleeves quickly.
"I never said I could heal them, but it'll certainly help them, trust me." She said nudging his shoulder slightly with her own.
"Is that what this is?" he asked holding up the small brown package, shaking it slightly.
"Oh no, that's something much better," she said, her smile widening. "Go on, open it," she pressed, her green eyes bright and excited. And he did.
Pulling the string delicately before unfolding the paper Remus was met with a purple box filled with a small selection of chocolates.
"They're muggle chocolates, my mum sent me some, but I figured your needs were greater then mine." She said proudly, watching as Remus ogled the box, a happy smile on his face as he observed them "Now then, let's go and get you fixed up," she said jumping to her feet and holding out a hand for Remus, one he gratefully took, and the two began walking back up to the castle talking happily and eating chocolates like there wasn't a trouble to be had in the world.
"So how was meeting Gideon's family?" Lily asked after all the girls had retired to their dormitory on Sunday evening.
"Don't even go there," Marlene said, Pulling her black dress off carelessly, clearly glad to be rid of the item before falling back onto her bed in her underwear, the other girls rolling their eyes at her as they pulled out their pyjama's. "They're nice enough people, but they're pretty full on." She said rubbing a hand over her face.
"Where as you're just a little ray of sunshine," Dorcas said as she pulled on her black and white pyjama bottoms. Marlene didn't respond, just made an obscene hand gesture, making Dorcas scoff amusingly.
"They can't be that bad," Lily said reassuringly, buttoning up her pyjama shirt, revelling in the soft freshness of the white striped material.
"Of course they aren't," Mary said already sat on her bed with her legs crossed, her long brown hair braided over her shoulder, reaching her waist. "My mother's friends with Molly. She said that woman's a natural born mother, especially after raising Gideon and Fabian,"
"Raising them?" Dorcas asked, looking at Mary with a cocked eyebrow, "I thought she was their sister?" she asked looking instead at Marlene who had her arms over her face.
"She's nearly ten years older than they are," Mary said reasonably, "Their parents died when Gideon and Fabian were nine, so Molly good enough raised them with the help of some aunts and uncles. They live with her and her husband, don't they, Marlene?" She said to the other girl but Marlene only grumbled a response.
"How did we not know this about them?" Lily said climbing onto her own bed and looking at the others girls. Mary shrugged and Marlene grumbled again, Dorcas giving the blonde girl an amused look.
"You really don't want to be with him, do you Marley?" Dorcas said, undoing her ponytail and letting her tight curls bounce around her shoulders.
"What gave you that idea?" Marlene said incredulously, sitting up so quickly her head swam, but she kept her gaze with Dorcas who laughed slightly at her.
"Puh-lease, you're a mess. You've been together like two months now, and not a days gone by that I haven't heard you complaining about him in some way like a whining child"
"She's got a point, Marlene," Lily said reasoning, receiving a betrayed look from Marlene.
"Shut up, Lily," she said harshly but Lily didn't flinch, she was sued to Marlene when she got offended. "Just because you want to shag Potter."
"I do not!" Lily replied quickly, affronted by the accusation, but Marlene ignored her, addressing instead the rest of the girls.
"Theres a war starting, your relationships are nothing short of petty right now." Dorcas said, her voice not harsh but far from reasoning.
"And you all think this, do you?" she asked looking at both Mary and Alice who'd barely said a word all evening. "Well then fuck you guys," Marlene said jumping off of her bed and grabbing a t-shirt from the floor and pulling it over her head so that it fell to her mid thigh.
"Marlene, we didn't mean it. Don't be like this," Lily said, moving as thought to reach for the girl but Marlene pulled away.
"Like what?" she spat, looking at Lily, her blue eye's narrowed dangerously. "Whiny? A petty child? A mess!" she sneered before storming out of the dormitory, slamming the door behind her.
"That went well," Alice grumbled from under her covers, the three other girls looking at one another guiltily.
"So whose turn is it to go after her?" Mary asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"I think we should leave her alone for a little bit," Lily said climbing under the covers of her bed. "Give her some time to cool off before we try and apologise." She said.
"Why? It's not like what we said wasn't true, we have bigger issues than if she doesn't want to be with Gideon, which she doesn't and we all know it," Dorcas said climbing into her own bed. There was a whisper from Mary's bed as she swished her wand, extinguishing all the lamps in their dormitory before there was a chorus of good nights, each of the girls falling into their slumber. But Lily lay awake, listening to the sounds of the wind outside, wondering where her best friend had wound up and who it was she really wanted to be with.
"Marlene?" Mary called as she tip toed into the common room, her dressing gown tied at the waist. "Marlene? Are you in here?" she asked the empty room. It had been at least three hours since Marlene had stormed off, and though the other girls had managed to fall straight to sleep, Mary was having difficulties. She knew Marlene, maybe not as well as Lily or Dorcas knew her, but she knew well enough that when she was angry she tended to be a little more reckless. Back when they were in third year she'd lost a bet with James and was so angry she'd bet him she could climb the whomping willow, double or nothing. It took Mary and Lily, with some input from Dorcas, three hours to talk her out of it.
The common room was empty, everyone having retreated into their dormitories for the night. Paper's were strewn across the tables, nothing but sizzling embers left of the usually roaring fire, the only significant light to see by coming from the illuminated tip of Mary's wand.
It always seemed to be this way, Dorcas and Marlene, the two girls who were so similar that when they fought it was like crashing two burning branches together, would fall out, Marlene would disappear, Lily would try and calm Dorcas down and Alice stayed away from the firing line, leaving Mary to try and play peace maker. This unfortunately often meant walking through the corridors in the dead of night with nothing but her wands light to guide her as she went in search of her dorm mate. The trouble was, if Marlene didn't want to be found, she often wasn't found, not unless it was sweet, attentive and patient Mary who was looking.
Hearing a creak behind her, Mary spun around, her wand raised as she frantically searched for the cause of the sound.
"Who's there?" she asked, her voice strong but still quiet, the way she always sounded. Sweet little Mary, wouldn't hurt a fly, isn't even noticed until she speaks out. Overlooked and forgotten, that was Mary, and most of the time she didn't want it any other way. She was the middle child with her brother, Ryan, having just graduated and her baby sister Lucy only just able to walk without someobody holding onto her. This meant at most family gatherings Mary would be greeted, maybe asked a few questions on how her education was going but other than that she was left alone. Every one would always be too busy fawning over Lucy or congratulating Ryan and it was exactly the way Mary liked it, her life was hers, nobody paid enough attention to notice if she made a mistake or not.
Nobody apart from her friends. The boys not so much, James was always ogling Lily, Sirius too wrapped up in causing rouble and the others were so quiet most of the time apart from the odd sarcastic comment from Remus, but the girls, they noticed. Lily would always jump at the chance to give Mary the credit for their work and ask if they could do the next project as a team and Dorcas would always high-five her if she made a funny comment. Alice was always there to talk to her about books even when the girl didn't read them herself and Marlene, well Mary hoped she tamed the wild girl a bit, helped her to realise her potential and that there was always someone there who cared, someone who would look out for her. Because as much as she'd deny it, Marlene needed looking after.
But then she would pull stunts like this and Mary would go back to wondering if she'd made any impact on the wayward blonde at all, or if she was just the baby of the group, the one who Marlene could sling her arm around the shoulders off and walk through the grounds, or the one who made Marlene look so rebellious due to her ordinary attire. But she loved her friends, Mary loved everyone, it was who she was. People often said there wasn't a bad bone in her body or that she couldn't hurt a fly, and Mary used to take pride in that, but there was a war brewing outside their door, nearly at the boil, ready to tear their precious world apart, and Mary wasn't sure if it was the world a harmless, innocent girl could survive in.
"Is there somebody there?" Mary asked, squinting slightly into the darkness.
"Mary?" came a reply from the boy's staircase. Wafting the light over slightly, Mary's eyes fell upon the pale blue of Peter Pettigrew, the fourth marauder.
"Peter?" Mary replied, angling her wand so that the light wasn't straight in his eyes. "What on earth are you doing out?" she asked, walking towards the mousy haired boy. He wasn't as tall as the other marauders or as talented in most areas but Mary had always found him sweet, a lot like herself in some ways, overshadowed and glad to be out of the limelight, the safety net for those around her.
"I was studying," he said, standing up and stretching slightly, an ink smudge on his face from where he'd leant on his hand. "I must have dozed off," he said shyly, wringing his wrist. It was then Mary realised he was still in his robes, half of his collar sticking up and the cuffs of his sleeves stained with ink.
"Well you should get to bed," Mary said with a kind smile, "It's late and I've got to go and find Marlene-"
"Marlene's missing?" Peter exclaimed, thinking manically about how his friends would react, she was James's cousin and Sirius's, well, nobody knew what her and Sirius were, but if something had happened to her they'd want to be the first to know.
"No, not missing, she just had a fight with Dorcas and ran off, I'm going to find her now," Mary said encouragingly, not wanting Peter to make a fuss.
"I'll check the boy's dorms," he said pointing up the stairs and was speeding off before Mary could stop him. He returned a few minutes later with a wide eyed James, a disgruntled Sirius and an uncommonly scruffy looking Remus. "They're going to help us look for her," Peter said proudly and the boys all gave grunts or mumbles of assent.
"Mary, why don't you go and get the girls, tell them Marlene isn't here and we'll go and search the grounds outside." James said, his tone business like though only Remus and Mary seemed to be paying attention. Sirius was scratching his bare chest while Peter yawned widely.
"Guys, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, just Marlene being Marlene," Mary said hopefully trying her best to get the boys back into their beds, the last thing Marlene would want in her mood was a search party.
"Well said, MacDonald," Sirius grumbled, turning so as to go back up the stairs, only for James to grab his arm and hoist him back down.
"Pads, we've gotta find her," James said determinedly and Remus sighed, rubbing his face.
"Why not just check the map," Remus said with a wide yawn, his words sounding more like a dull howl.
"Yes! Do that- wait, what map?" Mary asked, eyeing each of the four boys curiously, James was shifting slightly on his feet, Peter was looking away, Sirius didn't look like he was even awake anymore and Remus's eyes were wide, like he knew he'd said something wrong.
But before anyone could act on it the portrait hole swung open and the sounds of muttered profanities echoed behind it. Each of the room's occupants turned apart from Sirius and pointed their lit wands at the new comer, only for a confused, freckled face plastered with soaking blonde hair to look back at them.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Marlene asked, baffled by the presence of some many people in the common at half four in the morning.
"Oh, well, um," Mary said trying to think of a logical explanation that wouldn't be a total lie yet wouldn't set of Marlene's temper.
"You know what," she said holding up a soaked hand to silence them all, "I couldn't give a fuck. I'm tired, I'm going to bed." She said and walked past them, the scent of cigarette smoke and the outdoors following her dripping wet frame.
"There we go, mystery solved, back to bed." Sirius said before dragging his feet back up the stairs, Peter, still yawning, in tow.
"That boy is unbelievable," Mary said, shaking her head as Sirius disappeared up the staircase. "His friend disappears in a war zone and he doesn't seem at all affected." She said, sitting down on the sofa and letting her head fall back against the softness of the material.
"Well she'd hardly care if the same happened to him," James replied, "They hate one another" he said with a laugh "I'm going to head off too, see you in the morning."
"It is the morning," Remus retorted, still not moving from where he stood.
"Alright, smart-arse," James said in a sing-song voice before he too disappeared off up the stairs.
"Aren't you going too?" Mary asked, wrapping her dressing gown closer around herself and looking up at Remus.
"There isn't really much point, I'll only be staring bored at the ceiling," he said with a shrug.
"Well that's all I was going to be doing here," Mary said reasonably and Remus smiled, sitting down on the sofa next to her.
"May as well do it with company, then." He said and the two of them leant their heads back, looking up at the grey stone ceiling draped with banners of red and gold.
"Are you worried, Remus?" Mary asked after a few moments of silence, Sirius's carelessness still in her mind.
"I'm terrified," he said with a laugh, "we haven't even started our exams and there's a war on outside."
"Are you going to fight?" Mary asked, her eyes drooping slightly.
"I honestly don't know," Remus replied guiltily.
"I do," she replied, her head falling onto his shoulder, "I'm going to fight for what I believe in, even if it kills me," she said, her eyes shutting.
"You're a much braver girl than me," Remus said, wrapping an arm around her frail shoulders.
"Of course I am," she replied and Remus gave her an astonished looked, Mary smiling at him despite her eyes being shut. "You're not a girl" she said and Remus laughed quietly.
"I think Marlene and Dorcas are rubbing off on you," Remus said and Mary smiled slightly, her mind having drifted too far to reply.
And that was how they were found the next morning by Lily who was headed down for an early breakfast, her mind still guilt ridden from the fight with Marlene that was yet to be resolved. She looked down at the pair and smiled at the normalcy of the image, just a girl and a boy who'd fallen asleep next to one another.
The rain that day never ceased, adding to the overall melancholy that was a Monday morning in Hogwarts. All the lessons had come and gone, leaving the students free to do their own thing until, for the fifth years, nine o'clock, by which point they had to be back within their common room or dormitory. It was still before dinner, and Lily had spent all of her time since her final lesson searching everywhere she could think of inside of the castle for a certain blonde haired witch.
Apparently, in the time between her last lesson and now, no one had seen Marlene, not even any of the professors, something that was extremely strange since Marlene was the sort of person to always make her presence known. It was only after another hour of searching, fifteen minutes before dinner was served, that Lily finally caught sight of a head of blonde hair sat beneath a tea at the side of the black lake.
"Always got to be bloody awkward," Lily grumbled, looking between the girl's silhouette and the grey sky above her that was currently releasing, fat, cold drops of rain in torrents. "Good thing I love her," she said to herself before pulling her robe over her head and dashing out into the rain, her shoes soaked by the time she'd taken the first step.
By the time she'd reached the girl, whom she now knew to be Marlene, Lily was soaked to the skin. She'd abandoned the use of her robes as a hood for means of keeping herself dry since her robes were now sodden and weighing her down. Her shirt was near enough see-through, showing the vest she was wearing beneath it and her fiery hair was dark and plastered to her face.
"Marlene," she said since the girl didn't seem to have noticed her, "What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" she called, but the blonde girl just continued to look out towards the lake, her blue eye's distant as she watched the rain slash against the waters. "Have you gone completely mad?" she called looking at the girl who was wearing only her school shirt, soaked so her bra was visible, her robes and shoes nowhere in sight.
"I think you were right," Marlene said, her voice deadpan as she looked across the waters. "I don't think I do want to be with him," she said, still not looking up at the girl.
"Then why are you?" Lily asked, but Marlene only shrugged in response. "Marlene, please talk to me," Lily said sitting down beside the girl, their soaked backs propped against the equally wet tree.
"I think my mum's having an affair," Marlene said, her voice breaking through the wind and the rain. "I fire-called home to speak to my dad yesterday when I left, it was his birthday, and I heard voices and giggling, and then I saw a man I didn't recognise walk into the bathroom." She said. "I might be wrong, but I just can't shake the feeling that she's lying to me." She said and Lily slowly, like she was approaching a wild animal, put her arms around Marlene's shoulders. Marlene froze up at first, her entire body tensing, but then she fell back, letting Lily comfort her, knowing there was no point in trying to fight it.
"I'm so sorry, Marlene," Lily said, blinking every time a drop of rain hit her face, making her look like she had a strange twitch, but Marlene didn't seem to notice it was raining at all.
"Don't apologise, it's not your fault," Marlene said matter-of-factly.
"Not just for your mum, but for what I said yesterday too, it wasn't fair on you."
"It's not like you were lying," she said with a shrug, "Anyway, it doesn't matter now." She said monotonously, looking up at the castle for a moment.
"Why? Have you and Gideon broken up?" Lily asked, guiltily hoping that they had.
"No, we're still together, but I can feel it won't be much longer now. I just haven't got the energy to end it." She said casually, like this was an everyday occurrence, and for Marlene it kind of was; only she usually jumped at the chance to break someone's heart.
"Marlene," Lily said, her voice filled with concern as she watched her friend's vacant gaze. "What's the matter with you?" she asked but instead of answering, Marlene turned and looked at her, blue eyes meeting green and she smiled sadly, the biggest display of affection Lily had seen grace the other girls features since third year.
"Is this the part where you convince me to go back to the castle and dry off?" Marlene asked, looking at Lily passively, "Because I'd much rather stay out here and freeze my arse off."
"Then I'm staying too," Lily said stubbornly, removing her arm from Marlene's shoulders to cross it over her chest.
"No you're not," Marlene replied knowingly, but Lily just shook her head.
"Yes I am, you can't stop me." She said.
"I can't, Marlene replied her voice knowing and so distant that it frightened Lily slightly, she'd never seen Marlene like this. "But he's not going to let you stay out here," she said indicating with her head towards the entrance hall where two figures were sloshing through the rain towards them.
"What are you playing at, Evans?"James shouted over the rain as he reached the two girls. "You're going to freeze to death!" he said and pulled Lily, who squealed slightly in shock, to her feet.
"Marlene, you too," Remus shouted and James did a double take, seeming not to have noticed Marlene who gave him a small, half-hearted wave.
"I'm glad to see you're all so concerned, but really, I don't give a fuck," Marlene said with a shrug before turning her gaze back to the lake.
"She won't budge, trust me," Lily whispered to the two boys who looked at one another before nodding in agreement.
"C'mon, Lily," Remus said, indicating towards the castle with his head, "let's get you warmed up in the prefects bathroom," he said with a genuinely kind smile as he began leading the way, Lily only just realising how she was shivering, her teeth chattering slightly.
"But what about Marlene, we can't just leave her." Lily objected, going to turn around and go back, only for Remus's arm to stop her.
"Just let James deal with it," Remus said kindly, droplets of rain falling from the tips of his light brown hair as he looked down at her, his pale green eyes wiser than Lily thought possible for his years. "Now come on, you'll freeze out here," he said carefully putting an arm around her shoulder and leading her back to the castle, neither of them talking to entire way and somehow, Lily couldn't help but think she was the one in better hands.
just so you know, all the canon couples (Lil and James) wil still remain canon, but I'm trying to keep it realistic by having both James and Lily having other love interests, hence why Lily seems interested in Remus, but don't panic, everything works in the end.
Also, my inspiration for Marlene is derived from SKINS's character Effy Stonem, so if you noticed any parallels, that's why.