Chapter 19: Blackmail

Marlene turned a page in her book, enjoying the silence of being back at home. She always found it hard to really get into a book at school, what with Sirius distracting her every five minutes. She loved Sirius to bits, but she also liked her alone time. She smiled contently as she was lost in the fantasy of dragons, witches and wizards smiling at the irony that it wasn't really fantasy when you could do half the things the wizards in the books could do.

She was brought out of her book by people shouting in the living room. Scowling she marked the page in her book and walked towards her door. Hovering on the landing she debated whether or not to go down the stairs and into the living room.

"They're at it again." Her father sighed coming out of his office and hovering on the landing beside his daughter.

Marlene creased her forehead and gazed up at her father. "Again?"

Michael McKinnon nodded sadly, "Unfortunately your brother has chosen a rather dubious bunch of friends and your mother is trying to persuade him to choose new ones, however she's not doing a very good job at it, every time they try and have a civilised conversation they end up at each others throats." He smiled sadly at his only daughter and pulled her into a tight hug. "Welcome home Marli. Looking forward to Monday?"

Marlene nodded, Monday was her first day at work. She had the whole weekend to relax. She suddenly remember Sirius' letter, it had arrived so suddenly after they departed early that day that he must have wrote it on the train. "Father can I go to Sirius' tomorrow night? He's having a house warming party."

Michael looked down at Marlene and smiled, "ask your mother." he said laughing softly at her frown.

Her mother and brother seemed to have stopped shouting so Marlene braved entering the living room. The fire crackled menacingly as she entered, casting shadows on the sofas. Her mother was sat on a sofa in the corner of the room watching a muggle soap - she had got attached to, on their television. She was clutching a glass of brandy and sobbing quietly. Martyn was nowhere to be seen.

"Mother?" Marlene said, tentatively stepping further into the room. Her mother was still wearing her healers robes, she sniffed and turned to face Marlene and patted the seat on the sofa next to her.

"Welcome home hunny, sorry we couldn't be there to pick you up but we figured you're old enough to walk home yourself."

Marlene shook her head; "It's fine I actually considered getting on the train and then Apparating back home but Martyn met me instead."

Her mother flinched at the sound of her only sons name and turned back to her soap. Marlene tried to watch it as well but the scenes were so short and predictable that she gave up. "What did you and Martyn argue about?"

"He wanted some of his friends over but I just don't trust them not when they're all related in some form to the Blacks."

It was Marlene's turn to flinch. "Speaking of Blacks." Her mouth had suddenly gone very dry. "Sirius is having a house warming party at his new flat tomorrow night. It's a Saturday so it wont interfere with work or anything and well I was hoping I could go?" She was vaguely aware that her father had slid into the room and sat on one of the armchairs near the television. He was listening intently.

Joanne looked at her daughter and frowned, "Who is going to be there?"

Marlene racked her brains, Sirius hadn't actually said who was going to be there so she just presumed the obvious. "James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew."

"Peter's the short one?" Her dad interjected. Marlene nodded her parents had met Remus and Peter at a Christmas party a couple of years back at the Potters. "Well you can't go wrong with James dear."

Joanne just nodded and looked at Marlene as if she expected more guests. "Lily will be there as well as Mary MacDonald and Rebecca Riley. And Frank Longbottom and Alice Tearson." She guessed the other girls but had an inkling they wouldn't actually be there but she didn't want her mother to panic that her and Lily would be the only girls there with four boys.

Her mother nodded and seemed to think about it, all the people her daughter had mentioned she had met and Sirius had proved he wasn't in the same league as the rest of his family, however she didn't know if she ready to willing allow her daughter to spend the night at her boyfriends house even with loads of people there. "As long as you're back by midnight."

"Jo I think that's a bit unfair, that's halfway through the party." Michael turned to Marlene. "Be home by eleven the next morning and I want you and Sirius in separate beds."

Marlene blushed at the thought of sharing a bed with Sirius and nodded she turned round to look back at her mother who had started to speak. "Just remember you may be of age in our world but you have two and a half months until you are of age in the muggle world I don't want to think about how you would explain that we don't have a phone to any policemen that may arrest you for under-age drinking or breach of the peace."

Marlene smiled, she could imagine the looks on the muggle authorities faces when she explained where she lived and how her parents didn't have a phone. "Okay back by eleven on Sunday, separate beds and no illegal under-age drinking." She counted off the rules on her fingers, the majority of which would probably be broken within the first half an hour. She smiled and gave her parents a kiss and hug. "Thank you." She said before hurrying out the room. She needed to reply to Sirius and just clarify that it wasn't just going to be him and her.

She was fairly excited the next morning and sent a quick owl to Lily asking what she was wearing at the party and if she wanted to come round and get ready together. Foregoing the shower and changing out of her pyjamas until Lily had replied, Marlene left her room and went in search of family members. Martyn wasn't in his room and the bathroom they shared wasn't locked so she decided he must be downstairs.

Walking into the kitchen she saw Elenea placing cups on a tray and adding a teapot. "Morning Elenea have we got guests?"

"Oh Miss Marlene you gave Elenea such a fright, Yes Master Martyn has some friends over while Mistress Joanne and Master Michael have gone shopping."

"Did my parents say how long they'd be?" She looked at the clock on the kitchen fireplace. It was just turned eleven and she had enjoyed her long lie in.

"No Miss they just Disapparated early this morning, Elenea thought they were going to work Miss, but they were both dressed in muggle clothes."

Marlene nodded and nicked a muffin of the table, it was still warm having just been baked. Her parents would be out a while and for some reason she wanted to see her brothers guests, maybe she could use the knowledge as blackmail. Smiling she finished off her muffin and took the tea tray off the table.

"What are you doing Miss!" Elenea looked positively horrified that a mistress of her house was doing her job, but cut herself short when she realised how she had spoken to her Miss. "Oh Elenea shouldn't have shouted at Miss." The poor house-elf was at a loss of what to do.

Marlene smiled down at the pillow-case clad house-elf, "I only want to spy on my brother, I'm sure his guests are scary and Martyn is really evil when he's around them right? Then I'll save you the horror of facing them and I'll take this through."

Elenea threw herself down at Marlene's feet. "Miss Marlene has always been kind to Elenea, Master Martyn is kind as well but not when he has friends over." She lowered her voice in fear of being overheard. "Elenea is liking Sirius Black more than his cousins Miss."

Marlene smiled and waltzed out the room, she paused at the door and swore; she had left her wand under her pillow. Deciding it was too late to go for it now she push opened the door and walked in a huge grin on her face. "Morning darling brother!" She exclaimed and saw - to her delight, that he went bright red in embarrassment. She placed the tea-tray on the table in front of the fireplace and grinned around at the stunned and angry faces. They were all older than her, wearing long robes and looked livid. Marlene realised - when some of them raised their wands, that she had been a bit foolhardy in her entrance she hadn't really thought it through. What if Voldemort himself had been in her living room. She gulped at the thought and went over to the television corner and flopped down on one of the sofas. Her brother followed and glared at her.

"What. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" He asking breathing in between words trying to control his temper.

Marlene smiled sweetly, "Getting blackmail on you dear brother, I have a feeling I might need it if I'm to spend two and half months with you."

"I have a job." He hissed trying not to create a scene. "You'll never see me." Marlene had never seen him this angry before.

"So do I." She answered nonchalantly, "at the same place you work."

Martyn growled and was about to retort when a voice carried over from where his friends were. "Is this the sister you were talking so much about Martyn? Let's meet her then."

Martyn dropped his head resigned, he had wished for her to meet his friends but not like this, he wanted to introduce her on his terms, not hers. It seemed she was playing the cards this morning.

Marlene smiled masking her true feelings and glanced at her brothers friends. Martyn pointed to each on in turn as he named them; "Rabastan, Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange." Marlene nodded curtly she had thought Martyn's guests were all male, she hadn't seen the tall female in the shadows. She knew who Bellatrix was however, Sirius had told her to watch out for her and if she ever found herself in the same room as her without a wand then run. Marlene swallowed her fear of the older woman and looked at the other two men in the room. "You remember Lucius?"

"I remember beating him in duel club when I was in second year and him in sixth." She sounded more confident then she felt, she was certainly regretting spying on her brother now.

Lucius Malfoy sneered at her but Marlene eyes went to the smallest figure squashed between Rodolphus and Rabastan, he looked pale and small compared to the older scarier looking ones. It was Regulus Black.

"I can explain." He whispered, his eyes went wide when he saw her.

Marlene just shrugged, "Why should you have to explain to me, we're not friends, we're not in the same year, we're not even in the same house. Plus it's really none of my business what you do in your summer holidays is your business, now if you excuse me I have to get ready, Lily is coming over and we're going shopping for Sirius' party." She couldn't help smiling at Bellatrix' anger and Regulus fear at the mention of her boyfriend.

"There's going to be Mud-blood here?" Rodolphus spoke up licking his lips in anticipation.

Marlene's anger flared but she kept her calm, why didn't she take her own advice and mind her own business for once? She turned to Martyn, "Mother and Father will be home soon, you don't want Mother to know you went against her wishes and invited your friends round, I'm sure father would love to have an excuse to throw your friends in Azkaban." She gestured towards the fire as she spoke and as if on command it flared up as though expecting visitors.

Regulus panicked and Marlene saw a stark contrast to the cool headed sixteen year old he was at Hogwarts to the almost cowardly appearance he had now. He looked at his cousin before turning on the spot and Disapparating. Marlene couldn't help but to be impressed when she saw the sixteen year old Disapparate, it was completely illegal for him to so, but with him being surrounded by fully trained wizards all the time, nobody from the ministry would be able to tell it was him. That was the problem with the trace on a Pure-Blood, nobody could punish you when they couldn't prove it was you doing the magic. Rabastan and Lucius shared a look before following suit. Rodolphus glared at Marytn and held out his hand to his wife. Bellatrix ignored it – almost turning her nose up at the somewhat gentle gesture, Disapparated as well.

"You best be there tonight. McKinnon." Rodolphus growled, he raised his wand at Marlene. "I like your spunk." He added before following his wife.

Martyn stared expectantly at the fireplace waiting for the inevitable but it never came. He turned to see Marlene sneak out the room and he followed her up to her bedroom. "You did that on purpose."

Marlene shrugged and pulled out some clothes from her wardrobe, a letter on her pillow confirmed that Lily would be at hers for twelve thirty, she had half an hour.

"Well at least Rodolphus likes you." He muttered half to himself.

Marlene looked at him curiously. "Why would I want Death Eaters to like me?"

"No reason." Martyn lied and sighed; "Look don't do anything that rash again, you're lucky it was only them."

Marlene raised an eyebrow. "Only them, jeez Mar I was scared witless. Never have I hated myself for not following my own philosophy of minding my own business." She shrugged again, "Least I've got leverage on you now." She smiled her innocent grin. "If I'm not back by tomorrow at eleven you can cover for me. In fact for the next two and a half months you can cover for me. Not only do I know the names of six Death Eaters but I also know they conduct their dirty dealings in the house of the head of the Auror department."

Martyn groaned, she had him wrapped around her little finger.

A/N: Dedicated to my sister who joins the ranks of the teens today (Friday) my little sister is thirteen and taller than me... bah. Please review. They make the world go round :D