A/N:
Summary: The daughter of a wizard and a muggle begins her years at Hogwarts, being introduced to different sorts of people she never thought existed. She quickly meets an enemy who might very well become an unlikely friend and who knows, maybe even more could spark between the two. Could Marlene be the salvation one boy needs?
Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or the character Marlene McKinnon. Both are owned by J.K. Rowling and Scholastic. I am just a fan writing about the character of Marlene. Little is known about her, so I'm adding my own little touches to her personality.
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Chapter Seven: The Only Thing I Know
Marlene finally put the finishing touches on her part of the assignment. This was met with mixed feelings. Over the course of the few weeks that Marlene had been working with Regulus, she had started to actually like him as a person. That was hard to believe, even for her, but it was happening. Yes, Regulus was extremely arrogant and a judgmental rich spoiled brat, but she had a feeling that if only she could break through that, she could see another side of Regulus. A side he didn't want to show people. Maybe even a side he didn't know was there. The problem was convincing him she really cared.
It wasn't long after the two started working together that Marlene began to see it, a need for someone to really care. Basically, she believed Regulus' attitude was a cry for help. The need for attention so someone would actually notice him. She couldn't say this for sure, of course. She didn't know how he was raised. She didn't know anything about his family. She could just go by what she saw at school. It didn't really seem like Regulus cared much about anyone, even his supposed friends. Could it be possible he just didn't know how to care because he'd never seen it before?
She sighed and glanced down at her watch. She still had a while before she was to meet with Regulus for the last time. She pushed herself off her bed and gathered her notes, slipping them into her bag. After doing this, she walked over to the mirror and ran her fingers through her blonde curls. After a moment, she decided to pull her hair back into a ponytail and go downstairs. She wasn't sure where Hestia and Janey were but maybe she could find them. She was thinking of just going out by the lake. During her time there she had grown to love the lake. She had always loved lakes. There were a couple of spots by the Black Lake that were just really beautiful.
She grabbed her bag after pulling her hair through the scrunchie and walked out of the common room door and made her way down the stairs to the Ravenclaw Common Room. Seeing no one she really knew, she waved at a couple of older students and walked through the entrance to the common room that led to the rest of the school. Being in the towers, Ravenclaw was one of two dormitories that were all the way at the top of the castle and it meant going outside meant going from top to the bottom. It was a rather lenghty walk, but Hogwarts was an interesting school. Even having settled into her routine long before now, she liked walking through the corridors. There were almost always new sights and discoveries.
She made her way down the long trek toward the Entrance Hall and allowed her mind to wander to Regulus. She had spent a while now trying to convince Regulus he needed a friend. A friend who really cared. He wouldn't hear anything of it though. He was still so set in his own mind that he had the perfect life and since Marlene wasn't pureblood, he didn't want to associate with her. She wasn't sure why that really mattered. Was there a possibility he would explain his family life if she asked? No way. He was far too private a person. Yes he could be loud and boisterous, but talking about himself never seemed to happen.
She gave an outward sigh as she reached the Entrance Hall and crossed it toward the front double doors that would lead her to the grounds. At once when she opened the doors she was met with bright sunlight. She had been aware that the bright sunlight had been streaming in the tower windows, but it was so much more refreshing actually being out there. She stepped out and closed the heavy doors behind her then set off toward the lake.
She felt like today was her last chance at actually befriending Regulus. She had serious doubts that they would be teamed up together for another project anytime soon. She had a feeling this was important. So important that it needed to be done soon. She wasn't sure why she felt this sense of urgency with Regulus. Was there something she could save him from? That was absolutely ludicrous, of course. What would an eleven-year-old boy need to be saved from? She shook her head slightly and sighed.
"Hey Marlene," she heard a voice behind her. "Finding your way around the castle pretty well?"
She turned to see the person behind the voice and she saw three familiar girls. A blonde, a redhead and a brunette. The redhead had been the one who spoke. She gave a slight smile and nodded. It had taken a while to get used to the castle, but she was starting to at least. She wasn't sure she'd ever fully familiarize herself with it though. The staircases liked to change and sometimes she could swear the classrooms were even in different places. She was sure, however, that that was only the staircases and possibly the ghosts. Well, not the ghosts. Most of them were nice. There was a poltergeist who loved to turn the first years in the wrong directions though.
She noticed some boys join the three girls and one looked sort of familiar. They were all second year Gryffindors and she knew she didn't know them. If anything she might have seen them in passing, but one of them looked like he could be a relative of one of her classmates. A specific one of her classmates. She shook the thought and opened her mouth to answer Lily's question. "Well enough," she answered. "I'm not sure I'll ever know my way around entirely."
"Trust me, you won't," one of the boys piped up. She noticed Lily throw the boy a glare. It was one of those glares Marlene used to give Regulus. It was filled with pure annoyance and perhaps a bit of disgust. She bit her lip gently not really knowing whether or not she should answer the boys. She didn't know them and she was sure they weren't entirely welcome.
"That doesn't surprise me," she answered the boy with a shrug. Though whether or not she could figure the castle out fully wasn't really what was on her mind. It was Regulus and how strikingly similar this other boy looked to him. It wasn't the boy who spoke, it was another one. After a moment she realized she had been staring at the other boy for quite a while. She blinked slightly and looked away.
"I guess I should introduce the boys," Lily spoke finally. Marlene was relieved to hear that but it sounded as though Lily would really rather they just go away. She waited for the girl to give the introductions. "This is James Potter," she said with another spiteful glare. She was pointing to the boy who had told Marlene she wouldn't find her way around the castle entirely. "The one next to him is Sirius Black," she added.
Black. The last name stuck out in her mind. He was related to Regulus. She wasn't sure if he was a brother or a cousin or what. They could even be distantly related. She noticed that he didn't have the same glare that Regulus had, though he did carry himself with a bit of arrogance. He was associating with a muggleborn though. She shook the thought and allowed Lily to finish the introductions. "Then Remus Lupin, Frank Longbottom and Peter Pettegrew."
Marlene smiled politely and nodded to each boy as Lily said his name. Her mind was still stuck on Sirius Black though. She didn't realize it, but her eyes trailed back to him as her mind contemplated the relationship of this boy to Regulus. Maybe he would know his relative well enough to give her a little insight on breaking him. Though she wasn't entirely sure that would happen. "And this is Marlene," she heard, jolting herself back to reality.
She heard several different forms of 'it's nice to meet you, Marlene' or ' how are you liking the school?' She gave a slight shrug and returned the greetings. She actually loved the school and her classes, but she wasn't going to say that much. "I suppose I like it well enough," she answered. "I'm definitely meeting new people here."
"She seems to have a bit of interest in Sirius," James said with a smirk.
Marlene didn't get embarassed easily, she never had, but with these new boys she didn't want one of them to get the wrong idea. "No, no," she answered quickly. "I just know someone by that last name and you don't really seem that much like him."
Sirius knew immediately Marlene was talking about his brother. Who else would she be talking about? They were both in first year and Sirius and Regulus were the only boys at the school with that last name. All of their cousins were girls. Sirius merely gave a slight nod. "Yeah, that would be my brother, Regulus," he answered. "And we're not really alike... at all."
Marlene was almost surprised to hear that the two boys were brothers. She knew it made sense, of course. She was beginning to learn that the Black family was legendary and that there was only one. They were all related somehow, even if distantly. She figured for one to act the way he did and the other to act the exact opposite, however, they had to be pretty distantly related. She had a feeling the two boys didn't really get along. Even though Marlene and Brendon were quite different, they got along very well. "You don't like him, do you?" she asked him.
"Do you?" he asked pointedly. "He follows my parents ideals. The same ideals I'm against." His parents ideals. Her father had suggested there were witches and wizards who wouldn't be nice to people like her just because of their upbringing. As soon as she learned of the Black family and later learned that Regulus was a part of that family, she had been sure he was one of those people. Now she was even more sure. She wondered if her urge to save him was to save him from his family. Was that even possible? She didn't really need anyone who needed to be saved from their families.
"No," she answered quickly. "We're not exactly friends," she informed him.
"Bitter rivals is more like it," Marlene heard a voice behind her and saw her best friend behind her. She gave Hestia a small smile, then turned back to Sirius and nodded to confirm Hestia's words. That wasn't really the truth anymore, but since Marlene still wasn't telling anyone of her hunch, no one knew and no one was going to know what was really on Marlene's mind.
Sirius merely chuckled and nodded. He didn't really see his brother getting along with a Ravenclaw girl. He gave the other girl a smile and extended his hand to her. "Sirius," he introduced himself. He never really liked to use his last name if he could help it. A lot of people judged him based solely on that. It was truly awful being a part of a well known wealthy family. He didn't even like his family, but he was unfortunately still a part of it. "I'm not sure we've met."
"We haven't," Hestia confirmed, shaking his hand. "I'm Hestia."
The girls could still tell there was something on Marlene's mind, but they weren't sure how to ask her about it, especially with the boys around. Lily watched as Hestia and the boys introduced themselves to one another wondering if there was a way to pull Marlene off to the side. After a while, she shrugged the thought and allowed herself to return to the conversation where the boys were asking Hestia and Marlene about being in Ravenclaw.
"Do you like it?" James asked. "I mean, you guys are known for studying the most. That has got to be boring."
Lily shot James another glare. She may not be in Ravenclaw, but she loved studying and worked extremely hard to keep up her marks. She knew Cosette did as well. Alice worked hard, but not as hard as the other two. She fit more in with the pranksters that were now standing around them.
"Actually, I do," Marlene confirmed. She loved being smart and studious. She also loved being a part of a legacy since her father had been in Ravenclaw. "I've always loved to read and study...and my father was in Ravenclaw."
Hestia nodded that she, too, shared the same sentiments, then the group of people talked a while longer. Marlene tried to push her thoughts to the back of her mind, but they lingered. Lily could still tell something was on Marlene's mind. Maybe there would be a way to pull her to the side at some point. She pondered this as the group talked. Marlene might not even talk to her, they hadn't talked much since they met on the train. It was usually a wave or a 'hello' in passing. This was the first time in a while that she had had a chance to talk to Marlene.
After the conversation continued on, Marlene glanced down at her watch and blinked. She had a minute to make it up to the library. Since this was, in her mind, her last hope of convincing Regulus, she really hadn't wanted to be late. He had been showing up on time lately and she felt it was only right for her to do the same. Though that had never really been an issue. "I'm sorry to run, but I need to meet with someone," she said, forgetting to sound dejected about it.
Hestia glanced at Marlene quickly. She didn't sound like she was meeting Regulus, but she knew that Marlene had a little bit more to discuss with him before their final presentation the following day. She shrugged slightly and waved to Marlene deciding not to think about it too much. If she thought about Marlene's mind too much, she realized more and more that it was completely confusing.
"It was nice to meet you," some of the boys called. She waved back in agreement and walked off toward the castle to meet with Regulus.
She walked in to see him already sitting at their table. She stepped over to the table and watched as he glanced up at her. "You're late," he pointed out as she had each time before he started arriving on time. She nodded apologetically as she set her bag down and took a seat across from him.
"Sorry about that," she said in a tone to match her expression. "I sort of got sidetracked." She began pulling out her project notes and turned back to look at him. Each day that they met like this, she had expressed her concerns about his attitude. Her belief that he needed a friend. Now she had a little information to back up her belief, but she wasn't sure how he would react to her talking to his brother. If the two didn't get along, that didn't sound like an altogether good thing. She bit her lip gently and didn't realize she had been watching him for a while.
"Is there something you wanted to say?" he asked her after a while. She shook her head quickly then sighed softly and gave a slight nod. How was she ever going to help him if she kept quiet about her concerns? She took a deep breath and glanced back at him.
"I met your brother today," she said quickly, watching his expression. He didn't seem to like this thought, but it seemed mixed with a sort of curiosity about what that might have had to do with him. "He spoke somewhat of your family's ideals. It just got me to wondering... do you act the way you do because you want to? Or because you're forced to."
She almost expected him to say it was none of her business. Instead, to her horror, he began gathering his things and stood up. Instead of walking away immediately, however, he stood behind his now pushed in chair and watched her a moment, then he gestured with his hand for her to follow him. She blinked slightly, then shrugged and stood up not really sure where they were going. She put her project notes back in her bag and pushed her own chair in. "Where are we going?" she asked him.
He didn't answer, he just began walking out of the library. She followed him not really sure what it would look like. The two weren't friends and she was even more sure now than ever before that they never would be. Since he was leading her, it might more look as though she was following him against his will. Then again, several of their classmates knew they were paired together, maybe they would know this was just another of their study sessions. The ones Marlene's friends were still sure she completely hated. The ones Regulus still completely hated.
They walked down the stairs back to the Entrance Hall and he led her into the dungeons. She was really beginning to have her misgivings about this. The dungeons were dark and she was never down there unless it was for Professor Slughorn's Potions class. Still, curiosity got the better of her and she continued following him through the dungeons. They passed the corridor that led to Professor Slughorn's classroom and office and continued on past a few more corridors. Finally they reached another classroom and he stepped in, gesturing for her to hurry. She walked in and he closed the door behind her. The room immediately went pitch black without the illumination from the torches out in the corridor. "Lumos," she heard Regulus say and his wand lit up giving them a little bit of light, but still not what she was used to. She pulled out her own wand and did the same.
She watched as he set his things down on a desk and sat on another. She set her own things down on another desk and moved another desk to sit across from him and sat down. She wasn't really sure what she was going to hear down here. He wouldn't go through all of this to just tell her once again to mind her own business, would he? Then again, she had long ago learned not to question Regulus Black's mind. She had to honestly say she wasn't sure what he would do.
After sitting there in silence staring at one another for a while, Regulus finally began to speak. "First off," he began. "This is still really none of your business." Marlene opened her mouth to speak, but he raised his hand to silence her. She knew it wasn't technically her business, but she wanted to make it her business. She wanted to be his friend. She still couldn't really be sure as to why she wanted that, other than a hunch. "Second off, my brother and I don't get along," he continued. Marlene knew this. Sirius had pointed out just that same thing. Still she remained silent. "Why do I act the way I do?" he finally repeated the question she asked in the library. "Because it's the only thing I know. It's what I was raised around."
Admitting that had been difficult for Regulus. He thought he wanted to act the way he did, but now he wasn't so sure. Basically, the people he was exposed to at Hogwarts had thrown him through a loop. He was confused. He was even more confused as to why Marlene even cared. Of all the people he was mean to, she probably got the worst end of it because she kept getting thrown into his path. Was there a possible reason for that? Were they supposed to meet for some reason? No, that was crazy. He sighed and watched her, waiting for her to respond.
The only thing he knew. Now did that sound familiar or what? Marlene loved her family and she loved the way she was raised, but in all honesty she wasn't prepared for Hogwarts. She had grown up only knowing one thing. Her family was loving. Her family was caring. She assumed all families were like that. Was she now involving herself in the life of someone who knew the exact opposite? She bit her lower lip gently as she turned the thought over and over in her head. After a moment she looked up at him and noticed he seemed to be waiting for her to speak. She pursed her lips together gently not sure what she was supposed to say. "The only thing you know is how to be an arrogant spoiled brat?" she asked him. She wasn't trying to insult him. That was simply the way he acted.
"Basically," Regulus confirmed. Was he really going to get into the details of his family with this mudblood girl? He sighed inwardly. If he was going to be talking to her like this, he needed to stop thinking that about her. Not that it made it any less true. She would never be pureblood. She would always have dirty blood. But, perhaps he was willing to admit that wasn't her fault. That all depended on where this went. If she ended up mocking him or using him, he would see that she really was no better than anyone else in his life. "I'm not about to explain my life story to a girl I hardly know though."
Marlene hadn't really been expecting him to pour out his life story and darkest secrets to her. She just wanted him to open up a little. She wanted a chance to break in and see if maybe, just maybe she could show him there was another way. Show him that he didn't have to follow his parents wills. That he was a human with his own free will. That he could do whatever he wanted and be whatever he wanted to be. "I'm not asking you to," she told him. "As far as hardly knowing me... I'm willing to change that. If you are."
A/N: I thought this was a good place to end this chapter. Here's the big question left here. Will he accept her offer or walk away? What was it that really made him decide to tell her anything when all of her previous efforts had been ignored? Could the two really become friends?
Credits: Brendon McKinnon is credited to my friend Chris.
Cosette Myriel is credited to my friend Lissa
This version of Regulus Black is credited to Karla, the name and character are, of course credited to JK Rowling.
