A/N: Long awaited chapter 15. There's a good chunk of Blackinnon in here, but the next chapter is one of my favourites so sit tight. This is the last of the chapters I wrote over a year ago, so it's a bit patchy. And I'm too lazy to format this, apologies.

Disclaimer: Anything/anyone you recognise is not mine.

Chapter 15 - Detention

"Dorcas knew where she'd find him. It wasn't like they didn't know what they were doing together, what problems it would cause. They knew exactly what the consequences of their actions would be, that's why it was a secret. But Dorcas was paranoid that Marlene would start to cotton on, and she knew it would make him angry and god she hated it when he was angry.
She met him in the summer after her fifth year.
It was at the annual McKinnon masquerade ball. Obviously, as Marlene's best friend, Dorcas was invited. Apparently his family were invited because his dad worked at the ministry with Mr. McKinnon, and well, it was just common courtesy. Common courtesy quickly turned nasty by the time the next school year was out. But at the time Dorcas was being charmed by a man wearing a mask. And, well, there was nothing really emwrong /emwith that was there? She couldn't be persecuted for dancing with someone at a ball. But, well, maybe she should've walked away when he later took off the mask. Maybe she shouldn't have kissed him and maybe they shouldn't have gone on to do more in the tree house.
But maybe Dorcas was just enamoured by his Slytherin charms, his pure blood looks and his dark aura. Who could blame her? She wasn't blind. There was just something about a bad boy.
So when he started writing to her, she just had reply.
Who would've thought it? One of the school's most eligible bachelors paying attention to her, nerdy Dorcas Meadowes, nicknamed Dorky by her peers because…well, that's what she was. A dork, with a few select friends. Quiet. Studious. Everything he wasn't.
After that, it was out of her control. When he asked to meet with her one Saturday night, she couldn't say no. And then they started meeting every week in the same classroom on the third floor without fail, without correspondence, and completely in secret.
The classroom where she was headed now.
It wasn't their usual meeting time but Dorcas knew that after that encounter he'd be there. Maybe he'd want to apologise, or maybe he would be angry. She was angry. Docile Dorcas was angry. He was the only person who ever made her angry, who ever made her cry. She hated that about him. She didn't love him…did she? She was certainly attracted to him. She certainly had feelings for him. And those feelings had certainly got more intense in the last few months. Maybe she loved him?
"Dorcas?" She hadn't noticed him standing there when she finally entered the classroom. Dorcas paced in front of him, slightly agitated before she finally rested up against a table, directly opposite him. She made the door slam shut with her wand, and the click of the lock ensured they wouldn't be disturbed. He eyed her apprehensively, as if not knowing what to do.
"After a long silence, she finally spoke, "I need to know. Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"Don't play dumb, I'm not in the mood."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Did you, did you…you know…get the mark?" Silence. "Oh my god. Oh my god, you did! You bastard!"
"Dorcas I-"
"Don't you dare touch me!" Dorcas snatched her hand away from his outstretched arm, as if she'd been burned. She stepped back, rubbing her temples, muttering under her breath 'I can't believe it'. He frowned.
"I don't know why you're acting so surprised," Her companion said, finally, his tone calm, "You knew it was coming. It would be like me suddenly acting all shocked if you told me you were a muggle born."
"That is totally different, and you know it," Dorcas spat, "It's disgusting that you even think the two are comparable. For starters, me being a muggle born isn't something I can control…you made a choice. And it is the wrong one."
"Dorcas it doesn't change anything between us. You're overreacting."
"It doesn't change anything between us? Bloody hell, you've just signed my death warrant and you're saying it doesn't change anything?! What the hell are you going to do when we're fighting against each other, hey? Have you thought about that? Maybe you'll kill me! Kill the mudblood."
"Don't talk like that Dorcas. I could never hurt you. And I don't think that…that word about you."
"Oh no, you only think that word about my friends. Silly me, I forgot!"
"I thought you didn't like Evans?"
"I do. I do like her...I'm jealous of her, but I like her. She's on my side," Dorcas glared. She ran a hand through her hair, a sign of her exasperation, "It makes my skin crawl how you can just stand there and laugh along with your petty little mates while you all ridicule me and my friends. And then you have the cheek to stand there and tell me you care. You don't care at all."
"Have you ever thought that I'm doing this for you? I can get on the inside, tip you off and protect you."
"I've thought about that. But then I realised you're way too selfish and cowardly to for that. It would look suspicious if I evaded the death eaters every time they came for me, after all, and it wouldn't be long before people started pointing fingers."
"Oh yeah, because it wouldn't be at all suspicious if I suddenly backed out," The boy fired back, angrily, "You can be such a stubborn bitch sometimes Dorcas."
"So I'm a mudblood and a bitch now? You really are quite the charmer!"
"Why the hell can't you just respect my decision? You don't see me going mental over your choice."
"Because you know as well as I do that my choice is the right one."
"For you Dorcas, yes! But for me? I'd be signing my death warrant if I didn't become a death eater."
"So you're condemning your soul and your human decency to save your own skin? That's not cowardly at all."
"Merlin, cut all the cowardly crap will you?" He hit the desk in frustration, and Dorcas flinched, "If who I am bothers you that much, if you hate me that much, then just clear off. I'm so done with all this shit…you're acting like we're married or something. None of my friends have to deal with this sort of aggravation. The only reason I'm still here is because I…I…it doesn't matter."
"You what? What were you going to say?" Dorcas asked.
"I told you to get lost, didn't I?"
"So this is it then?" Dorcas felt her eyes pricking with tears, "It's all over?" He shrugged.
"Whatever. It's not like I care." She nodded, trying to stop the tears from falling.
"Okay."
"She made for the door. Her hand almost made contact with the handle when she heard him.
"Shit. No Dorcas, wait, please don't go."
"You just said yourself, you don't care. Why should I stay?"
"I lied. I do care," She felt his hand on her wrist, pulling her back.
"Please don't touch me," She pulled her hand away and he looked so hurt she almost wanted to hug him, "You can say such hateful things sometimes, and it just…it makes me wonder why I waste my time and then the next minute you remind me why I keep coming back every week and I just…I'm not sure I can handle it and I hate you, I really do because you wind me up so much you make me cry, and you make me so angry sometimes. You're the only person who can really make me angry you know that? But you're also the only person who can make me smile so much that I think my face is going to break and that really sucks because you also make me cry until I think I'm going to run out of tears, so fuck you. I hate you."
"You don't hate me."
"I do, I do." It wasn't him who she was trying to convince.
"I'm sorry?" He held out his arms, raising his eyebrows questioningly.
She sighed, before letting him pull her closer, "You're a dickhead."
"I know."

If there was one thing Marlene hated, it was being in detention. There were thousands of other things she could be doing at that present moment in time, but instead she was heading to find out her fate, with her friends Lily and Dorcas in tow. She'd taken to questioning Dorcas again to distract herself.
"You're really going to tell us nothing?" Marlene frowned at Dorcas, "Do we not even get a clue?"
"I still can't believe you told Lily!" Dorcas glared, "I confided in you!"
"You hardly confided in me! You haven't told me a single thing!"
Dorcas scowled, "We agreed not to talk about it Marlene."
"Leave it Marls, she'll talk when she's ready."
"'She' is still here," Dorcas snapped.
"Can you two just not go at each other's throats?" Marlene rolled her eyes before taking a thoughtful pause, "You see, that's what else gets me..."
"What?" Dorcas wondered.
"A year ago, you would've never snapped like that…something's changed within you Dor, but you know, I think weirdly it might be a good thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, no offence or anything, but before you were a bit of a pushover. Now? Well, you've got a bit of fight in you that's for sure. So, whoever this guy is, I think he's good for you."
"You wouldn't be saying that if you knew who he was," Dorcas mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Oh, I didn't say anything…look, we're here."
"Impressive, girls, you're on time," Professor McGonagall opened the door before they even had the chance to knock, "We'll just wait for Potter, Pettigrew, Lupin and Black and then we can begin the detention."
"Sorry we're late Professor!" Black and Potter rounded the corner, grinning cheekily and each other, Remus and Peter in tow, "Got a bit caught up."
"Well you're here now. Alright, Potter, Evans, Pettigrew you'll be washing the dirty Quidditch uniforms which haven't been cleaned from last term, Lupin, Meadowes, you're in charge of deweeding the pumpkin patches and McKinnon and Black, you're cleaning the trophy room. Without magic."
"Excuse me Professor," Marlene said horrified, "Is there any way I can swap partners?"
"No," McGonagall shut down her seemingly polite request, "Get on with it and you'll be back before curfew."
Marlene sighed, "Come on then Black." They walked in complete silence down the corridor to the trophy room.
"Don't seem so annoyed McKinnon, I know you're honoured to be working with me. Some might say you're excited."
"Clearly those some would be better suited in St. Mungos mental health ward."
"Ooooh, I'm hurt. No, really," Sirius feigned hurt.
"Let's just get this over with," Marlene tossed a wet rag at him.
"You just got water in my hair."
"Suck it up," Marlene stuck out her tongue, before turning her attention to a trophy. That was, until she felt something hit her square between the shoulder blades, and there was water trickling down her back.
"Black," She said, through gritted teeth, "I am going to kill you."

"I am appalled! Disgusted! Horrified! Never in my many years of teaching have I seen such a foolish display, and from seventh year students too! I am so disappointed in the both of you."
Marlene McKinnon and Sirius Black, both drenched in soapy suds, could not look at each other for fear of giggling. Laughter would surely not be taken lightly by their furious head of house.
"I thought, as pupils who are nearly eighteen, you could be trusted to be left in a room together to carry out a simplistic task. Clearly I was severely mistaken! You have made a mess of the trophy room and a mess of yourselves. I will take twenty points from both of you, and the two of you can serve another week's worth of detentions…separately! And I will expect you to both personally apologise to Mr. Filch for the damage you have caused, and you shall carry out any tasks he requires of you. I have a good mind to revoke your Quidditch privileges for the next month, but I won't, because Potter can't afford to lose two of his strongest players," She glared at them waiting for a response.
"Thank you Professor," Marlene finally said.
"And what else do you have to save for yourselves?"
"We're very sorry for the mess we've caused," Marlene said.
"And you Black?"
"Won't happen again, Professor!"
"You can both go," McGonagall sighed, dismissively, "I will see you at 8pm sharp outside my office on Monday evening. Enjoy your weekend." Marlene had the grace to look a little ashamed, as her and Black left the office, but it took her precisely fifteen steps before she started laughing.
"You alright McKinnon?" Sirius looked at her bemused.
"I just...I'd forgotten how fun detentions were!"
"I think I'm going to call St. Mungo's..."
"Come on, Black, you had fun, admit it."
"Alright sure, we should do it again sometime!" Sirius grinned cheekily, as they walked back to the common room.
"It was fun," Marlene said, again, "McGonagall would have our heads if we did it again. And I think I'm going to catch pneumonia."
"You look pretty fit when you're wet," Sirius winked, suggestively.
"Shut up Black," Marlene punched him on the arm.
"I'm just saying!" Sirius backed up defensively, before throwing his arm round her shoulder, "You're a pretty cool chick McKinnon."
"Are you hitting on me?"
"When am I not? Fancy a date?"
"You made detention amusing Black, but you're still an insufferable prick."
"Still charming, as ever," He grinned.
And all of a sudden Marlene realised she was content with the way things were. Over the summer, she'd been confused. But now she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted this: the playful banter with Sirius Black; the long anticipated unification between the girls and boys of the Gryffindor house; the freedom of feeling safe. It wouldn't last forever. She knew that as soon as they graduated Hogwarts, their illusions and their dreams would be shattered by the harsh reality of a wizarding war. In that moment, however, Marlene was happy.
And she would eventually come to learn that she was not immortal and there would come a time where that one moment was all she would have left.