mind the thorns

marlene mckinnon. 24. gryffindor alumnus.

[fuckthechantry-blog]

xx

[calamityofagirl]

where: somewhere in london when: january 19th, 9:17pm who: open

It was a cold evening in London, but it didn’t seem to bother Cerberus. The large German Shepherd had happily trotted along, excited to be on his first big walk since Marlene had gotten out of St Mungo’s. Normally she’d let him walk untethered - he was well trained enough that he walked by her side without a leash. But given how excited he’d been to leave the house, she thought it would be better to be safe than sorry. And she was glad she had, when Cerberus suddenly ran forward, veering left and barking loudly at an alleyway. All excitement had vanished and she could see the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. “Someone there? You might want to come out unless you want a very angry dog on your hands.” she warned. 

[calamityofagirl]

penelope-rosier​:

____

“Sometimes there’s just nothing better than some good old fashion take out,” she agreed. Home cooked meals were a treasure that much was true, but there was something altogether comforting about take out once in a while, and this was no different. Nellie didn’t doubt that after everything Marlene had been through, she wanted good take out, a bit of booze, and for everyone to shove off with their sympathetic looks. “True enough. You know us Rosiers, we always pull through with the good stuff,” she winked. As a general rule, they pulled through when they were needed, it was something they were particularly good at. “Course he did. He knew you needed that more than anything else they could give you to kick start the healing process,” she grinned. 

Shaking her head, Nellie gave a hum, “Well, there’s that. The political bullshit is truly it’s own special kind of mindfield,” she mumbled. Nellie had never planned on being a politician. As a child, she had hated the very idea of them and everything they stood for, and yet, here she was, playing the role brilliantly. Some days she wondered if she truly escaped her fate or found a different way towards it. Nodding, she gave a sigh, “Yeah, well I signed up for it,” she answered, “It is what it is. At the minute, all I can do is keep putting out fires until we can start to get ahead of all of this,” Nellie mused. Her eyebrows knitted together she gave a thoughtful hum, “Interesting. I’ll keep an ear out and see what I can find out. If someone is on our side, it would be good to know who and how much so,” she agreed. Nodding Nellie gave a soft sigh, “Honestly, that was smart on their part, just because if we could trace so could anyone else. Most likely, or someone that’s good at overhearing?” she offered. Biting her lip, she nodded, “Yeah, there’s that too,” she agreed, a playful smile on her face. 

-

Marlene nodded in agreement as she washed down a mouthful of her burger with some firewhiskey. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, clearly the very picture of dignified grace. “Funnily enough, my healers did not agree. But what would they know?” she quipped sardonically. They’d been most unimpressed when Marlene smelled of ash and whiskey the next morning - not that she even tried to deny it when questioned.

She ate and listened as Penelope spoke, occasionally responding with hums of agreement or thoughtful grunts. After swallowing a mouthful of food she sighed, shaking her head. “Maybe, but Sebastian is clever. He would have kept this close to his chest. Maybe worth finding out who he’s closest to?” she suggested. If they could find out who he was closest to, it could point them in the direction of who might have spilled the beans. Or maybe not, but it was worth a shot. “Do you think Rodolphus knew?”

[calamityofagirl]

evanxrosier​:

.

Evan let out a laugh and shrugged, taking another long drag off of his cigarette and giving Marlene a wink.  "Even prisoners on death row get cigarettes and can make their own toilet hooch, I’m just giving you the benefits that anyone locked up can get.  It’s a service I’m providing so you can cool your heels for at least long enough to keep from popping stitches or whatever,“ he said, amusement dancing in his eyes.  

He was quietly thanking whatever deities were out there for saving Marlene for him, and his worry was leaking away.  Sure she’d been gravely injured but she was here, standing, and still herself, and that was really all Evan felt he could ask for.  One more day to keep fighting and fucking things up along the way.   "I wouldn’t dream of taking anyone out without you there to enjoy it with me,” he promised, and he was actually being honest about that.  If he trusted anyone to be with him at the darkest moments, it would be Marlene.  She had just as much reason to feel murderous as he did, and he’d like to see her get some of her own back.

“Fucking right,” he said and lifted the bottle in a toast, taking a long swig and offering it back to her, grinning so widely that it almost hurt his face.  "I am looking forward to sending the whole lot of them to hell with you.  Of course, I’m sure that means I’ll follow them right  down to hell afterward, but I’m good with that.“  He sighed when Marlene went on and nodded, fiddling with his cigarette for a few moments before responding, taking a few drags and watching the ash burn down.  "I know,” he said.  “I know that there’s someone out there, but I’m not sure who it is yet. We have to be more careful. Things are just going to get shitter and shitter now.  I honestly don’t think I trust anyone other than you and Lily and Nellie right now.”

-

Marlene rolled her eyes, but the corners of her lips turned upwards in a bemused smirk “Gee thanks Ev. How kind of you.” she replied with a heavy sarcastic tone. She was going to protest that she wasn’t some raging bull itching to get out of her bullpen, but she had broken out on the first night being in here, so she supposed that argument wouldn’t hold up very long.

There was a certain kinship she felt with Evan that didn’t come as easily with others, if at all. They both were part of the Order, but neither of them were above playing dirty. And while justice and doing the ‘right thing’ all them time, were all good principles in theory, both of them had seen enough shit and darkness that they knew the world didn’t work that way. The other side didn’t fight fair - so why should they? And sometimes Azkaban or prison wasn’t enough - sometimes you just had to put a bitch in the ground.

She gladly took the bottle back from him, “I’m sure I’ll be right behind you amigo.” she said, matching his grin before taking a swig, washing down the taste of smoke in her mouth. She sighed “I know what you mean. With Rodolphus’s election and Pettigrew and Sebastian unveiled, I would hope we’d be free of traitors, but who knows.” she muttered, taking a drag of her cigarette “Any idea what Lestrange’s next move will be?”

[kieraknightley]

[calamityofagirl]

dominicgreengrass​:

where: outskirts of diagon alley, behind a pub when: january 2nd, 8:07pm who: @calamityofagirl

    When he’d first been tasked to run product for one Frank Longbottom, he’d refused, aggressively and vehemently. Dominic had a few choice words for the other man that he only just barely held back, mindful of his position relative to the others, always recalling his place. It took only a word from Rodolphus - a pull on Dominic’s leash, reining him back in line - and the matter was settled: he, along with a few others, would branch out to deliver the sale of Longbottom’s clandestine operation, all in the name of further lining the pockets of the Death Eaters.

    Still, he’d dragged his feet, taking much longer than was necessary covering someone else’s route, and his last stop tonight called for him to meet a dark-haired woman behind a pub at exactly 8 o’clock. By the time he arrives, it’s seven minutes past, and Dominic hopes she hasn’t already left.

    He spots a lone figure against the brick walls of the pub. The aftermath of the new year festivities renders the streets of Diagon Alley deserted, few daring to brave the cold for a drink when the warmth of a home proved much more appealing. Dominic breathes a sigh of relief, and the air that escapes his nostrils visibly dissipates around them. He pulls a cigarette from the pocket of his coat and lights it with a Muggle lighter before venturing closer to the woman. He leans against the wall for a moment, waiting for any passerby to be far enough away, before he murmurs to her, “Apologies for being late. Got caught up.” Dominic glances at the woman for just a moment, unable to quite make out her features in the dim moonlight. “You know what you’re here for?”

- 

A new year, a new Minister, and Marlene was out of weed. Which arguably was one of the few things going to get her through this year. Or at least the next few months - if she was being hopeful rather than realistic.

With its illegal status in the United Kingdom, Marlene had to seek out unsavoury corners of London to get her fix. Though it was guessed by the Order that the Death Eaters had a heavy hand in the drug trade, and that was enough of a connection for Marlene to consider it a two birds, one stone situation.

She leaned against the brick wall behind the pub, watching a couple drunken passer-by's. The streets were fairly empty - Marlene assumed most who would have been out were still nursing New Years hangovers. Her dealer was late - 8pm was the agreed upon time and it was nearing 10 past when she saw a figure approach. He walked as though he was trying to be discreet, and Marlene hazarded a guess this was her quarry. It took her a few seconds to recognise him in the dim light.

“Dominic Greengrass.” she murmured, a half smirk on her lips “I forgot they let you out of prison early.” Her tone was amused, not taunting - At Hogwarts Dominic had been the 7th year who snuck Marlene and Lily firewhiskey in their 3rd year. “Firewhiskey to weed is quite the upgrade.”

[calamityofagirl]

thefoxevans​:

_____

So far, Lily had avoided thinking too closely about the events that had put Marlene in the hospital. Instead, she was focusing on all the things she could currently control, which included checking in on their people, counting their numbers, and preparing to prevent another attack as well as planning an offensive one. Mostly, she kept herself moving and busy, because she knew the moment she stopped, she would have to process everything. James had nearly died. He had been targeted by an assassin and Marlene, fucking Marlene, had saved his life and ended up in Mungo’s instead. No, Lily couldn’t stop to think about that too closely because that meant dealing with the fact that they’d been betrayed, and by Peter no less. 

“Never. You’re stuck with me always,” she teased, giving her a playful grin, though the sentiment was true. No matter what happened going forward, Marlene could always count on her to be by her side. “I’m good, but I’m not that good. They’ll have to check you over at least. However, barring anything too serious, I would be willing to remind the nurses that you have more than enough people willing to keep an eye on you and it would get our lot out of their hair,” she mused. Marlene would heal better at home, that much Lily knew, and they could better protect each other there. “Heard you saved my damsel in distress. I’m glad you had his back, though I wish to hell it wouldn’t have resulted in this. I know it was Sebastian, but do you think he was acting alone or was this something bigger?” she asked.

-

Marlene shrugged, ignoring the protests of her shoulders. “Worth a shot.” she mused. If anyone could have sweet talked the nurses into letting her out, it would be Lily. “Though I’m warning you, if they try to keep me any longer than a couple days I will fully break out of here. You know I would.” She’d already been eyeing her room window.

“Someone had to save his ass” she responded playfully, though her expression darkened as she shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. It seemed more like a personal vendetta. Sebastian resented James because I chose James over him. I think he was just capitalising on all the chaos.” she paused for a moment, reaching for her phone “However, someone knew about it. And someone wanted to stop him. Enough to send me this.” She pulled up a text as she spoke, from an anonymous number, and handed her phone to Lily.

‘James is in grave danger. Go to 51°31'12.0"N 0°20'03.1"W. Hurry. ‘

[calamityofagirl]

penelope-rosier​:

__

Penelope knew that the last thing Marlene wanted was to be hovered over or coddled. Even if she was worried for her, and now that she’d seen that she was in fact alive she was arguably less so, Nellie wouldn’t suffocate her with concern. If Nellie really wanted to care for Marlene, and she did, the best way to do that was by being subtle about it. Over the years, she had learned how to care for the people she loved in ways that benefitted them - that meant something to them. Besides, Marlene had Sirius, Lily, and James to stop her from doing anything stupid. She was well covered. 

“I really do,” she teased, pulling out the right utensils and handing them to Marlene so that she could dig in. “You don’t, and you could use the extra fuel given, well everything,” she commented. Nellie took the two offered glasses, before setting about pouring them each a drink. She passed one over to Marlene and said in a mock serious tone, “Don’t let Sirius or Lily find out I’ve brought you contraband - I quite like my life.” Nellie gave her an impish grin as she teased, “See, I knew you loved me.” Taking a bite of her food, Nellie shrugged her shoulders. Swallowing, she remarked, “Better than you I reckon,” though her lightened comment faded as she seriously replied, “I think I’ve just become our last line of defense in the Ministry, so there’s that. Otherwise, I’m doing fine. I think between Sebastian and Peter, you and your lot got the brunt of this one.” Nellie wanted to ask how she was, but it felt stupid and pointless, so instead she asked, “Is there anything I can do? Anything you need from me?”

-

Marlene gladly took the utensils and takeout food, digging into her chips and salad. “Definitely. Hospital food is shit, and while I adore Sirius’ cooking, I was keen for some takeout.” she said through half a mouthful of food. She’d burn it off tomorrow at the gym she was sure - she deserved this. She snorted “Lily maybe. Sirius would probably encourage it. Besides, can always count on the Rosiers to bring me bueno mierda. Ev brought me whiskey and cigarettes on my first night in Mungs.” she said with a grin.

“Pfft, I’m fine now. I’d take a beating any day over dealing with all that political bullshit.” she said with a wave of her hand as she took another a few bites of her burger. “Everything’s pretty fucking bleak right about now, and you’re knee deep in their cacas. No thankyou.” she added, shaking her head. “You have enough to worry about. However, I mentioned this to Ev before so it’s probably worth mentioning it to you too. There might be a sympathiser among the DE. The reason I was able to intercept Sebastian before he got to James was because I got a text telling me about it.” She grabbed her phone out of her pocket, swiping through her texts until she found it. She slid it over to Nellie to have a look. “Already tried looking up the number, seems to be a burner phone. Still, it would have to be someone pretty close to know about Sebastian’s plans, right?” she mused, before shrugging “Or maybe someone who just enjoys chaos.”

[calamityofagirl]

MARLENE MCKINNON’S PLAYLIST - listen here;

TOP ARTISTS

Chelsea Wolfe The Killers Bea Miller BANKS K.Flay Nirvana Halsey The Neighbourhood Megan Thee Stallion

TOP SONGS

THAT BITCH - Bea Miller Girls in the Hood - Megan Thee Stallion E-GIRLS ARE RUINING MY LIFE! - CORSPE, Savage Ga$p Run For Your Life - K.Flay Daisy - Ashnikko The New National Anthem - Pierce The Veil Somebody Told Me - The Killers Blood In The Cut - K.Flay Where Did You Sleep Last Night - Nirvana Miss Murder - AFI New Tradition - Saysh, Anderson Rocio When You Were Young - The Killers Beggin For Thread - BANKS Experiment On Me - Halsey Riot - Hollywood Undead Feral Love - Chelsea Wolfe S&M - Rihanna Everybody Rise - Amy Shark Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood The Waves Have Come - Chelsea Wolfe

[calamityofagirl]

evanxrosier​:

.

Evan gave Marlene a significant look. “Hey I know I’m your bad idea friend, and I’m totally 100% on board with that, but you did almost die.  I think you can tolerate house arrest for at least more than what…12 hours?” he said and snorted, rolling his eyes.  “You can put the incredible badass you are away for a tiny bit so the rest of us can breathe knowing you’re not going to throw yourself into danger.  As fun as that is,” he said and took the bottle back with a smirk, taking a long drink himself.

He sighed and cut his eyes down at that.  "Yeah, when it came to our parents, sure.  But we were different.  The four of us, I mean.  I thought we were,“ he said and trailed off.  It was making his throat tight and he hated it, thinking of Rodolphus and how much he considered him a brother, how the four of them were the only family they needed.  It was different. "But shows what I know.  Why its better to not have faith in anything.”  

Evan felt his jaw tightening as Marlene told her story and feeling a different kind of rage building up.  Not just for Rodolphus but for Sebastian too, who had just made himself number 2 on his list of people to personally take out of this world. “Yeah, well that’s the fucking thanks we get for trying to be good people.  Stabbed in the fucking back by the people that are supposed to love us the most.”  He let out an unamused laugh.  "Fuck.  Don’t worry, Marlene, my dearest love, you’ll get him next time.  Or I will.  I’m working up to a murder spree, I don’t mind adding a few more names.“  He gave her a sideways smirk.  "Of course if you get up and running soon, we can do it together, Bonnie and Clyde style.”

.

“He says after giving me alcohol and cigarettes, items which were strictly forbidden by my mediwitches in relation to my healing.” Marlene teased, nudging him slightly in the stomach “But fine, I suppose I can put up for it another 12 hours.” she said begrudgingly, taking another inhale of the cigarette. She hated sitting still. She was too restless for her own good. But, with the promise that she could get back out there after one more day, well, she could probably handle it. Probably.

“You can say that again.” she said after, after exhaling out the cigarette smoke. Marlene had given up on any concept of blood family before she’d even come to Hogwarts. Her parents ignored her and neglected her more than she even let on. Her older brother had stood by and watched, and their mother had made sure to keep the twins away from her, using her only as an example of what not to do. 

Marlene matched his smirk, taking back the whiskey for another swig. “Oh you’re not murdering anyone without me amigo. The lot of them can burn in hell and I am more than happy to personally send them straight there with you.” she said, giving him a wicked grin. “On another note, we may have an informant or someone turning tails on the DE. I got a text about Sebastian’s plans and his exact location. Tried to chase it up but it was a dead end. If I hadn’t got that text...” She didn’t even want to finish the sentence.

[calamityofagirl]

orionsdxg​:

“Wow,” he deadpanned, fighting the amusement he felt to keep it out of his voice.  “That’s hurtful. The last face you see before going into the light and you don’t want it to be me.  I’ll remember that.”  A smirk began to cross his lips and his ability to keep a straight face faded.  He let the smile spread across his features, and while it wasn’t as bright as his typical smile, it was better than the glower that had been omnipresent on his face since the world had gone to shit.  

His arm around her tightened as much as he dared and as her head pillowed on his chest, he pressed a kiss to her hair.  Having her curled up against him was calming his whole system, his heart beat felt more even and his breathing came easier.  The silence between them was easy, easier than the tense silences that had fallen while they were waiting for Marlene to wake up.  It was interrupted when she asked her question but he didn’t have an answer, not a good one.  Not right away.  He didn’t know that he ever would.  He knew that he didn’t share blood or a name with Peter the way that Marlene did with Sebastian but Peter was as much his brother as Sebastian was hers.  And he hadn’t seen that coming either.  “No one did.  Not one of us.  About either of them.” 

.

“Haven’t I seen your face enough?” Marlene teased, putting a finger under his chin lightly “Trust me, you don’t need the ego boost.” For a moment she could pretend that everything was okay. That her brother hadn’t just tried to murder James or her. That Rodolphus hadn’t just won the election and turned their world upside down. For a moment, no one else existed outside this room, and she could laugh and tease her other half.

But all moments had to end eventually.

She held him as tight as her wounds would allow, still holding his hand as they laid there in silence, the weight of the situation settling over them. Every time she closed her eyes she could see Sebastian’s eyes staring back at her. A few more moments passed before she spoke again. “I hesitated.” she murmured, the admission hanging in the air for a few seconds. “I had the chance to kill him and I hesitated instead.”

[calamityofagirl]

thefoxevans​:

When: night of the election Who: @calamityofagirl​ ( Marlene McKinnon )  Where: St. Mungo’s

Sitting in the hospital room was just about the last thing Lily wanted to be doing, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave. It was Marlene laying in that bed, and she felt a blanket of fear at the idea that her own brother had put her there. Sebastian had been in their ranks and he had tried to take out both her best friend and her lover. It made her hands shake with fury, and despite the fact that she had made Sirius promise to stay put and not do anything rash, she was finding it difficult to take her own advice. Mostly, Lily wanted to bash both his and Peter’s skulls in and leave them there to rot. However, she knew that wasn’t currently an option, and the latter might not make her very popular among some of her friends. 

Lily had one hand in Marlene’s and the other looking through her phone as she tried to sort through this mess. However, when she heard a soft groan, Lily looked up immediately and set her phone down. She gave Marlene’s hand a soft squeeze as she said, “Come on Marls, wake up. Rise and shine motherfucker we’ve got shit to do.” Of course Lily wasn’t going to actually make her do anything, she wanted Marlene to focus on resting, but she knew Marlene would respond better to her bitching than she would to her coddling.

.

Marlene kept having the same dream. Or rather, reliving a memory. Her confrontation with Sebastian, her younger brother, played out in her head every time she fell back unconscious. They’d never been allowed to play together as kids, not for long anyway. Their mother said Marlene was too rough with him. Sebastian had been treated like a prince, given everything he ever wanted. No it still hadn’t been enough. Her own rejection of him had set like poison in his veins. Had she made him this way?

She groaned as she awoke from another dream reliving the event that had put her in this hospital bed in the first place. Next time she wouldn’t hesitate, she thought to herself. A half-grin spread across her lips as she heard Lily’s voice “Oh fuck off Evans.” She quipped back teasingly, stretching her arms. “If you can convince them to let me out of here, I’ll gladly get up.”

[calamityofagirl]

evanxrosier​:

Evan held Marlene perhaps a few seconds longer than was necessary, but he didn’t know how to say how much he needed her and it was easier to just tell her like this.  He was sure she understood though, they always seemed to understand each other enough that words became pretty superfluous.

He snorted when Marlene called him a hero, because there were very few things he felt like less.  Evan wasn’t a hero.  He was a spy which made him kind of an asshole, sacrificing ideals and things and people to try and keep dismantling the system from the inside.  He wasn’t a hero he was an undercover monster, hiding behind the fact that he was on the right side. He shrugged though and lit a cigarette for himself before unscrewing the top of the bottle of whiskey and offering it to Marlene.  "I’m pretty sure your doctors and nurses are going to say the opposite given I’m here to pollute your body with the wrong kinds of medicine,“ he said with a smirk and a wink.

Evan sighed a moment later and leaned his head back against the stone wall behind them.  "No fucking kidding,” he said, letting out a small bitter laugh.  "I don’t know.  I don’t fucking…“  He closed his eyes for a moment.  ”I guess I thought that some things were sacred and people wouldn’t try to actively harm their family, but I was shit wrong about that.“  He looked over at Marlene and felt a rush of sympathy.  Both she and Rabastan had been fucked over by the people that were supposed to care for them the most and it was killing him.  "I failed. I should have seen it coming, I just thought that maybe blood would win out, but it’s all gone to shit and you can’t trust anything anymore.”  He leaned closer to Marlene and slipped an arm over her shoulders.  "So what’s the damage?  What exactly did that fucker do to you?  I didn’t want to ask too many questions, because those assholes are partying it up and if I got all serious they would have noticed.“

.

Marlene chuckled as she took another hit of the cigarette, shaking her head. “What do they know?” she joked, the cigarette doing wonders for all her pent up restless energy. “You know how much I hate sitting on my ass, doing nothing. And I’m basically on house arrest.” She gladly took the whiskey he offered, blowing out another puff of smoke before she took a swig from the bottle. Ah yes, much better.

She snorted humourlessly at his answer. “We both know blood means fuck all.” she said “I think maybe you and Nellie are just about the only exception to that.” Sebastian may have pretended to be part of the Order, but Marlene and him were by no means on good terms even when she thought they were on the same side. She made sure to keep her distance. “Someone tipped me off that James was in danger. When I turned up, Sebastian was there and James wasn’t far away. Peter was fucking involved somehow, I’m still murky on those details.” she said with a half-shrug. “Sebastian didn’t expect me to be there that’s for sure. I think the whole point was that James would be alone. Instead, I became the focus of his rage. We went from magic to fists and I nearly fucking had him.” Marlene let out a long huff of a sigh, taking a long swig of the whiskey before offering it back to Evan “I could’ve killed him Ev, I could have fucking done it. But I hesitated and the pendejo had a fucking knife, so here I am.”

[calamityofagirl]

penelope-rosier​:

When: two days after the election Who: @calamityofagirl​ Where: Marlene & Sirius’ apartment

Take out in one hand and a bottle of firewhiskey in the other, Nellie used the floo network to make it to her destination. Putting a secure line between their homes was one of the easiest and safest ways they could travel between the two of them without being followed. Nellie had sent a text before just showing up, knowing that despite the line being there they all tried to keep some semblance of boundaries and privacy between them. Still, she wanted to check in on Marlene, but knew better than to hover. Besides, Nellie knew that there were enough people hovering over her, and Marlene sure as hell didn’t need it. 

Instead, she brought good food and booze, knowing that it would make for better company. Stepping out of the fireplace, Nellie called out, “I come bearing gifts.” She made her way into the kitchen to set stuff down, giving Marlene a small smirk when she saw her, “You look a right sight better than you did the last time I saw you. Did Sirius tell you we held hands?”

.

The staff at St Mungo’s had wanted to keep her longer, but Marlene hadn’t taken no for an answer. In her eyes, she’d already stayed there too long and would much rather heal up in the comfort of her own home. St Mungo’s was too exposed anyway, considering the fallout after Rodolphus’ victory, and Marlene sure as fuck wasn’t going to let her enemies find her licking her wounds.

It also meant people couldn’t hover over her as much, with the exception of Sirius and Lily who she could tolerate. Still, when she saw Nellie’s text she couldn’t say no. Especially with the promise of alcohol. The hospital had told her to avoid alcohol and strenuous activity, rules which Marlene had already broken. She leaned against the counter as Nellie entered, grinning. “You know me. I don’t stay down for long.” She raised an eyebrow before continuing. “He didn’t, but since I was unconscious I’ll allow it this once. How you holding up?” she asked as she grabbed some glasses.

[calamityofagirl]

evanxrosier​:

The whole world was a mess, and everywhere Evan looked it seemed like something else was on fire, and there was nothing he could do but stand there and watch it burn.  Watching Rodolphus win the election was bad enough, but then learning of all of the cogs turning behind the scenes that even he hadn’t seen and hearing that Marlene was in the hospital had almost been too much. Evan could count the people he trusted on one hand, and Marlene was practically the only person in the whole rotten as hell world that actually understood what was going on in his head.  As much as he loved her, he could never tell Nellie some of the thoughts that flew through his head, and he couldn’t bring himself to let Lily in when it came to the darkness rolling inside of him in tsunami waves.  But Marlene was cut from the same cloth that he was.  Fucked up and angry about it.

It was a specials kind of torture to not be able to just walk in and see her.  Not that he really could, he’d been busy preening the feathers of the elite for far too long.  But he’d finally been able to get away and was halfway considering just breaking into the hospital when he got Marlene’s text.  He smiled brightly at it and tapped out a quick reply.

 that’s my girl, knew I could count on you.  Whiskey and Marlboros coming your way. xo

He knew that fell into the ‘bad idea’ column, since he didn’t know the extent of her injuries really, and it would probably fuck up whatever medications she was on, but Evan couldn’t find it in him to care.  She was well enough to be texting and asking for it, so it must be fine.  And he was just eager to see for himself that she was still breathing.  

Evan made a quick stop at the liquor store and then rounded on St. Mungos, the hood of his jacket pulled up high to hide his face as he leaned against a door near the ambulance bay and waited, paper bag clutched in his hand.  He saw her not too long after and a wide smile broke out on his face to see her walking towards him under her own power.  “Thank fuck, Marl,” he said and forgot propriety for a moment and wrapped her up in a tight hug, feeling the emotion come for the first time, momentarily tightening his throat before he pushed it away.  

“I…damnit.  It’s just really fucked up, isn’t it?” he said, not even sure where to start.  So he broke open the pack of cigarettes and handed one to her, pulling out a lighter to light it.  “Thanks for staying among the living, this shit would be unbearable without you.”

.

Marlene smiled as her phone buzzed with Evan’s response, and lifted herself out of bed with a small wince. Her body was probably going to be angry at her tomorrow, but right now she didn’t give a fuck. It was good to stand on her own two feet again. She ditched the hospital gown for actual clothes, but none before she caught sight of her body in the mirror. She had some wicked bruises, and stitches along her stomach - knife wounds she recognised. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree after all: it seemed both Marlene and Sebastian preferred physical fighting over magic.

Shaking it off, she threw a hoodie over her clothes and made short work of the window with an opening spell. She climbed out with ease even with her injuries - this was far from the first window she’d had to break out of. Walking around, she scanned both for signs of staff to avoid and wherever Evan might be. It didn’t take long to find him.

Her bruises weren’t all that impressed with the close contact, but Marlene didn’t care and she hugged him just as tight, her own tough exterior slipping for a moment. “You’re my fucking hero right now.” She said as he offered her a cigarette. She breathed it in as he lit it for her, letting out a puff to the side with a relieved exhale. “Mierda, I needed that.” She said as she shook her “It’s all one big fucking mess. How the fuck did Peter and Sebastian stay under our noses for so long?”

[andruwminyrd]

[calamityofagirl]

orionsdxg​:

A look of mock offense plastered itself on his face and he pressed a hand against his chest, the epitome of hurt and appalled. “Name one person who would be a more appropriate after life guide?  I’ll wait.” The nonsense argument was a good one to focus on, he knew from experience that it was easier to get Marlene to talk when he didn’t make a big deal over the thing that likely needed to be talked about.  She would talk to him when she was ready, he trusted that, and until then he would wait and do his best to make her smile.  

He thought about telling her not to move to much when she started to scoot over on the bed, he could see the pain on her face as she did, but he needed to be up there and holding her hand wasn’t really cutting it as far as physical contact went.  He was careful as he climbed up to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close against his body.  It was the gentlest he’d ever had to be with her and that was not lost on him.  “And I’m assuming that foul smoothie thing from the coffee shop on the corner of our street will not cure this particular hangover.”  He wished it were that simple.  Hold your nose, swallow, and move on to normal life as it was twenty four hours ago.  “He’s fine,” he assured her quickly, knowing that her panic for James would rival his own.  “Angry and murderous, too, but fine. Lily’s tethering him here. Apparently we’re not allowed out of hospital walls without supervision.”

.

“I dunno, I think I’d probably trust your brother to lead me to the afterlife a little more.” Marlene countered with a small chuckle, ignoring the way her chest tightened when she laughed. She could withstand a little pain if it put her mind at ease. “Lily, Penelope, Remus, Kingsley... should I keep going or are you satisfied?” she teased.

She knew her healers would probably disapprove of her moving and having him join her in bed, but she frankly she didn’t give a fuck. And as Sirius climbed into bed, her smile softened as nestled her head in the crook between his chest and his shoulder. She sighed softly against him, hearing his heart beat gently against her ear, reminding he was alive - that they were all alive and that they could survive this. She snorted slightly at his last comment, knowing full well that Lily was being practical and realistic. And as much as she would have wanted to join them on their quest to deliver some vigilante justice, it would probably end up with them in a jail cell. “How the hell did I not see this coming?” she asked after a moment.