A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out, guys. I had exams and they took over my life. Anyway, enjoy! Oh, also: strong language from here on out.

April and May 1979

A bright light probed at her eyelids, destroying the painless and peaceful darkness. Marlene squeezed them tighter, but to no avail. With a groan, she opened one eye first, and then the other, allowing time for her sight to adjust. She was lying in a bed, propped up against a wall of pillows. And she was in the Hospital Wing. It was empty for the most part, save a solitary figure who snored softly in the farthest bed. And, of course, for the two girls that lounged at the foot of her own.

"Oh, she's waking up," Dorcas said eagerly, sitting forward on the edge of her chair. A bandage adorned her left cheek.

"What happened?" Marlene croaked.

"You got hit by some nasty curse," Mary said matter-of-factly. "You lost a load of blood. And got a bit of a head injury, too."

"Oh."

Mary laughed. "You should have seen yourself, though," she said. "You looked very badass, all pale and unconscious."

"Mary!" Dorcas gasped, horrified.

"Oh, chill out," Mary said with a grin, waving her hand dismissively. "It was easily fixed." Her unperturbed demeanour made Marlene chuckle. She shifted on the bed, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

"What happened with the Order? Was anyone hurt?"

"Sirius is a bit beat up, but there's no lasting damage. When Moody and the others arrived, the Death Eaters didn't stand a chance. Most of them fled. The others were left unconscious. James and Lily took Mary and me to the safe house, and that's where we saw you." Marlene briefly remembered being hoisted into Caradoc's arms, her head lolling, as he took her carefully into a house and laid her on a sofa.

"When Dumbledore arrived – "

"Dumbledore was there?!"

"Of course," Dorcas said. "He thought it best to bring you here. Today is the last day of the Easter Holidays, and he thought it would raise less questions if it looked like you had had an accident at school, or something."

"So, people don't know what happened?"

"Oh, Merlin, no," Mary said quickly. With a grin, she added: "But the rumour is that some over-exerted fifth year was practicing a spell and it backfired and hit you."

"That's embarrassing," Marlene groaned.

"It's better than a near-death experience with a bunch of psychopathic lunatics," Dorcas said solemnly. Mary nodded in agreement with a chuckle.

Marlene smiled weakly. "And you two? Are you okay?"

Dorcas shrugged and indicated her cheek. "I didn't even feel it happen. Madam Pomfrey was just being cautious."

Mary lifted her sleeve to show a nasty purple bruise. "A war wound," she said with a grin.

"I never thought I would be able to do that, you know," Dorcas said thoughtfully. "Duel. In real life."

Neither had Marlene. Trying to piece together the events of the day before proved futile; it had all happened so quickly that any memories were a blur of confusion. All she remembered was the adrenaline. And it had felt good. Marlene had felt strong. She felt like she was fighting for a purpose. Of course, the pride of surviving her first battle was marred only by the intense fear that had accompanied it. Marlene wasn't sure if she could cope losing anyone else.

"Locomotor mortis!"

Marlene's legs snapped together, immobile. She held her hands up to steady herself, but the bind had eradicated her balance. With almost painful gradualness, the soft grass came up to meet Marlene. She braced her palms in front to soften her fall as she toppled to the ground.

"Oh, crap, Marls!" Leonard said as he rushed to his motionless sister. It was extremely difficult to climb to one's feet when one's knees would not bend, Marlene discovered. Leonard removed the spell and hoisted her to her feet.

"That was pretty good," Marlene said with a grin as she brushed the dirt from her robes. "You're getting better."

Marlene had been out of the Hospital Wing for three weeks, now. It was nearing the end of May and final exams were drawing ever closer. Marlene had always been a relatively studious girl; she had worked hard at her OWLs and managed to obtain the grades she needed to pursue her chosen NEWT subjects. Now, however, she couldn't concentrate on her schoolwork. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on Charms and Transfiguration, all she could think about was how turning vinegar into wine wasn't going to help save the world.

Her siblings had visited her in the Hospital Wing, both aware of the truth of the incident at the Potter wedding. Luella, in particular, was frightened for Marlene's safety and begged her not to get involved anymore. She had done her best to assuage her little sister's fears. Leonard, she had noticed, seemed particularly fidgety, avoiding her eye and shifting from foot to foot. It wasn't until Luella disappeared to the library that Marlene was able to find out why.

"I want in," Leonard had said bluntly.

"Are you kidding me?" Marlene had hissed. "You're still a kid, Leo. I'm supposed to be looking after you, and you want me to let you run off and join an army?"

"You're such a hypocrite!" Leonard said exasperatedly, throwing his hands in the air. "You're not that much older than me, and you're allowed to do it!"

"I don't care, Leo. This isn't a democracy."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"I think you'll find that I can, actually."

"Look, Marlene, I'm not asking for your permission," he retorted angrily. "I've already contacted Sirius, and he said that – "

"What?!" Marlene shrieked. Heads snapped to look at her. Her knuckles were white; arms braced against the sides of her hospital bed.

"Marlene, keep your voice down. Sirius said – "

"I don't care what Sirius sodding Black said. You're not joining the Order. You can wait until you're of age, and then maybe I'll consider it."

Leonard had turned a violent shade of red, and he unleashed his anger in a torrent of shouted objections until Madam Pomfrey ushered him out. Over the next few days, once released from the Wing, Marlene had considered what her brother had asked. If she was honest with herself, it was extremely hypocritical to prevent him from joining. But, then again, he was still just a kid.

Marlene had penned an angry letter to Sirius, chastising him for putting such ideas in Leonard's head. She had received a swift reply, containing phrases like "put his anger to good use" and "the more the merrier". Marlene had thrown the parchment in the fire and watched it curl into ashes, inwardly cursing Sirius under her breath.

And then, she began to reconsider. Marlene tracked Leo down at dinner one day and slid into the bench beside him. He was still angry with her, and didn't hesitate to prove it by moodily stabbing his Yorkshire pudding whilst she spoke in low tones.

"Look, Leo. I'm sorry I was harsh with you earlier. I just couldn't bear it if something happened to you, knowing that I had given you permission to do it." As Leonard opened his mouth to argue, Marlene had silenced him with a quick shake of her head. "But," she continued. "I am willing to consider it. I've spoken to Lily, and worked it out. She joined the Order when she was underage, but she did it…" Marlene paused, wondering how best to phrase it. "… off the record."

Leonard looked confused. "You mean – "

"I mean, you can't go shouting your mouth off to your friends," Marlene said below her breath. "And you won't be doing anything dangerous. Not until we can get you some training. Sirius said he'd help you with duelling. In the meantime, I thought we might be able to practice with each other. Merlin knows I need the help as well." Leonard tried his hardest to keep his face neutral, but Marlene could see that, beneath the surface, it had lit up like child's on Christmas. She sighed inwardly, wondering what she was letting her little brother get involved in.

And that was how they ended up on the outskirts of the castle, still within the boundary wall, but far enough away that you wouldn't be able to spot them if you peered out of the window. The greenhouses shrouded them from view, but they had to be careful not to shatter glass with a misaimed spell. The sun was beginning to set, casting streaks of fiery orange across the lawn and the stone walls.

"I'll be a bit more careful with the leg binds," Leo said with a grin.

"You're a menace with those," Marlene muttered, stretching her legs to regain feeling into her feet. "It's good, though. You've come a long way. But, I think I need to call off the duelling practices for a while. Just until exams are over."

Leo nodded understandingly. "I think that might be a good idea. Otherwise I'm never going to get any OWLs."

"Don't joke about that," Marlene said, horrified.

"Chill out, sis," he said with a lazy grin. Together, they began walking towards the castle. As they approached the vegetable gardens, Leonard stopped and turned to his sister. "Thank you, Marlene," he said soberly. "Thank you for trusting me. With this. Doing this."

Marlene smiled weakly. "I want you to be safe."

"I know. I will be."

Marlene gave her brother a hug, smiling inwardly as he had to stoop down to her height. "Love you, Leo," she said softly.

Leonard pulled a face as he released Marlene, until he buckled under the force of her fiery glare. "Love you too, Marls."

She grinned, waving as he veered off towards the west side of the castle. She wandered across the grass, sticking to the shadows in case someone was to spot her outside after sunset. She had jurisdiction to do as much, given her Headship. But it was just easier to avoid the questions.

The sun had fully set by the time she reached the greenhouses. As she headed towards the opening to the castle, the wooden door burst open, spilling orange torchlight onto the shadowy grass. Two figures strode out, bringing with them their heated, yet hushed, voices. To avoid detection, Marlene slipped between the greenhouses, so that she could see the figures silhouetted in the moonlight, only a few metres away, but she remained concealed by darkness. And she was glad that she hid. There was no mistaking the tall form of Rosier and the shorter yet burly build of Travers. Marlene strained to hear their discussion, which had increased significantly in volume since they left the interior of the castle.

"He's not going to wait forever," Travers hissed. "This isn't a game, Evan. You need to figure out where your loyalties lie."

"And I need you to get out of my face," Rosier retorted angrily. "Stop being melodramatic. No one is questioning my loyalties."

"Your father – "

"And don't talk to me about my father." Rosier's voice was so quiet and so dangerous that the unspoken threat made even Marlene shiver. Rosier sighed loudly. "I know what is required of me. At no point did I say I wasn't willing."

"That's not what Walden said."

"I don't give a rat's ass what Walden says!" Rosier fired back indignantly. "I've said I'll do it, alright?"

"Well, you better get to it, Rosier. There are consequences if we don't. And I'm not going to let you sit around whilst that bitch can get away with shit like this." Marlene watched as Travers snatched up the sleeve of his robe, illuminated by the shaft of moonlight. Marlene squinted, her eyes doing their best to fight the darkness. Adorning his wrist was a faded, albeit angry, welt on his skin. Marlene's gasp was so audible that she had to clamp her fist to her mouth. She shrunk further into the gap between the greenhouses, leaning heavily against the glass, not daring to check whether she had been discovered. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her breath was ragged. Marlene could almost feel the hot breath slipping through a silver mask, caressing her cheek. She could almost feel the wand against her neck and the sensation of a knife in her abdomen. The thought made her feel sick to her stomach.

An inaudible retort from Rosier brought Marlene crashing back to the present. She tiptoed closer to the pair of Slytherins, peering around the glass just in time to see Travers striding back into the castle. She watched as Rosier whirled around in fury and drove his fist into the wall of the castle, a growl of frustration erupting from his throat as he was seemingly left alone. He stood with his back against the wall, eyes closed, breathing heavily, illuminated by a strip of moonlight falling across his face.

Marlene was momentarily frozen by a strange grip of fear. Despite it being a relatively warm evening, she shivered. Before she could second-guess her actions, she stepped from the shadowy confines of the greenhouse. "What is it that you have to do?"

Rosier's eyes snapped open, startled. His face, momentarily exhibiting shock, grew dark as his eyes found Marlene's. "Have you been watching me?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head. "I was here already. You should probably check the area before you have top secret conversations." Rosier's fists were clenched by his side. Marlene could tell he was biting back a retort, causing a muscle in his jaw to pulse with the effort.

"So, what's the big mission?" She was goading him. She wanted him to snap. The fear she had felt earlier had dissipated; she wasn't afraid. Instead, she was gripped by a strange surge of adrenaline. Marlene took a step closer.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rosier said between clenched teeth, his cheeks whitening.

"Yes, you do," she said simply. She took another step closer. Cautiously, he watched her approach. There was a turmoil warring beneath the surface of his composed face. Marlene knew how dangerous this was; she had no idea what this man was capable of. "What do you have to do, Rosier?" Marlene breathed. She didn't care how reckless this was. There was something inside of Marlene that was convinced she was safe. And she had no idea what that something was.

She was in front of him, now. The moonlight splashed across both their faces. Marlene stared defiantly at Rosier, daring him with her eyes. As Rosier raised his hand, she didn't even flinch. She didn't flinch because she was right – Rosier wasn't going to hurt her. He wasn't going to hurt her at all. Instead, he did something altogether unexpected.

Rosier closed the gap between them in one stride, placed a hand at the nape of her neck, and kissed her. Hard. His mouth moved on her own with a sense of urgency that Marlene had never experienced. And, before she knew what she was doing, Marlene was kissing him back. Desire awoke in the pit of her stomach, igniting a fire that spread its embers to her fingertips. Her hands were pressed against his chest, his heartbeat pounding against her fingertips. Rosier span her around and drove her back until she was pressed up against the cold castle wall, his entire body moulded to the shape of her own. His tongue traced her lips, and his hands roamed across her body.

Marlene forgot who he was. She forgot what he had done and what he was capable of. It didn't seem to matter. His tongue explored her mouth; his hands explored her body. Then, he pulled back, breathing heavily. Rosier searched Marlene with an intensity in his eyes that made her shiver. And, like a moth to a flame, Marlene pulled him closer and kissed him once more. Her hands grasped the t-shirt he wore underneath his robes, pushing at it until her fingertips found his skin. Marlene was drowning in the touch, the taste and the scent of Evan Rosier…

Until. Evan Rosier. Suddenly, she pulled back. Their heavy breathing was interrupted by Marlene's gasp of horror. Her fingertips unwittingly jumped to her lips as realisation of what had just happened flooded through her. "I – "

Marlene searched desperately for words, but to no avail. She tried to push past him. "Marlene, wait," Rosier said huskily. His hand encircled her wrist, pulling her back. She turned to face him, imploring him with her eyes, unable to voice what was hovering on her lips. There was something in his eyes – passion, or maybe pain. She couldn't tell. And she couldn't face hanging around to find out. Marlene tore her wrist from Rosier's grasp and rushed inside to the safe confines of the castle. Dazed, she headed for the Common Room, unable to remove her fingertips from her lips, and unable to rid her mind of the touch, the taste, and the scent of Evan Rosier.