marlene

Potion Pairing | Marycus

#marycus #para #potion pairing

amycus-the-carrow:

And it was working. Amycus’ smirk grew as he handed Marlene the jar of castor beans. Deviously noting the light shade of pink crossing her cheeks, he allowed his thumb to brush over her touch.

The Gryffindor was easier to get a rise out of than he had imagined. He studied what little of her he could see, through the curtain of hair she tried so desperately to conceal her expression with. A defensive mechanism, clearly. A few tables away, he could hear Potter and Black yelling across the room at each other.

Morons, he mused silently. “Probably from whipping your hair around like that. Might catch your little boyfriend Black’s attention, but it won’t keep you from setting your head on fire.” He gestured to the flames beneath the cauldron. “ ‘Least Snape knows his way around an alchemy set.”

.-.-.-.-.

Marlene curled her fingers gently around the proffered jar, careful not to touch Amycus. Again. His thumb, however, brushed over the back of her hand as she pulled it back to her side of the table. For the third time, Marlene tilted her head forward so her hair hid her face. The faint blush that graced her cheeks turned into a full blown red stain, and she took three deep breaths to recenter herself.

After carefully dropping seven castor beans into the potion, Marlene turned back to her partner with narrowed eyes. “I don’t whip my hair around,” she replied, slightly scandalized. As if she needed to try to get Sirius’ attention; he should be so lucky! Betraying her thoughts, her gaze darted toward her two best friends before landing back on the Slytherin next to her. “And I’ll have you know that I have never once set any part of myself or my belongings on fire. I’m not sure you could say the same,” she huffed.

Marlene leaned back on her stool and crossed her arms, though she didn’t move to hide behind her hair this time. She simply watched the potion, waiting for it turn brown. Her face revealed nothing of her thoughts, though they swirled through her head like a hurricane. What’s his game, she mused. Why the sudden lack of animosity?

blairsfelicity

#JUDGINGYOU

kassandradevelius

#self #marlene mckinnon

evyisaks

jennifersbod

Define “like.”

confusinglaughs

Potion Pairing | Marycus

amycus-the-carrow:

Amycus could not help but scoff quietly at the slight harrumph, but he did nothing more to provoke Marlene’s temperament. Clearly, the girl had enough wit and sarcasm to match his own. Her instantaneous comebacks only proved that fact that much more. And she was not difficult on the eyes either; in fact, she was very good-looking, but he would never admit it. Especially not now. Still, she intrigued him; perhaps more than he had originally considered. He watched as the concoction bubbled, transforming into a vivid shade of yellow.

“Well said. Did you come up with that by yourself? Poetry to my ears.” His voice continued to tease, but he was unsure of how else to continue. Marlene interested him, no doubt; but sarcasm seemed the Carrow heir’s natural defense and without it, he felt much like a fumbling child. “It was definitely something. Greasy, really, but Severus has his talents.” He offered another shrug, leaning in after the cauldron’s contents had changed to a deep cerulean.

His arm brushed hers without his meaning to, but he merely smirked and moved to stir the potion once more. “Don’t let it settle,” he murmured before clearing his throat in much the same manner.

His eyes lingered upon her for a moment before huffing a small chuckle. “You, uh, you’ve got a quill…” he moved his hand forward, carefully. “Here,” he plucked the sliver of quill from her hair, holding it up for good measure.

*.*.*.*

“Yeah, I’m a regular Shakespeare,” she muttered. Amycus wasn’t the only one who could use sarcasm; two could play that game. “Snape has talents?” she asked, her tone just shy of being incredulous. “Showering clearly isn’t one of them.” To say that Marlene dislike Snape would be a gross understatement. Out of all the Gryffindors, Marlene and Sirius were at the top of the Snape-hating club. She had been instantly suspicious of the future Slytherin the moment they had met on the train.

Marlene’s train of thought was cut off suddenly when Amycus leaned forward to inspect the brewing potion. His arm slid gently along her own where it rested on the table, and her eyes widened briefly. Interesting, she thought, he didn’t cringe and try to Scourgify his arm...

His deep voice interrupted her thoughts again, and she almost blushed. “Then hand me the castor beans,” she replied, attempting to regain control of her suddenly raging hormones.

She glanced at the Slytherin, holding out her hand so he could give her the beans. Instead, his eyes traced over her face. A blush threatened to betray her again, and she commanded her hormones to stand down. His voice sounded once again, though it was somewhat fuzzy as her attention completely focused on the hand that moved toward her.

“A quill?” she repeated somewhat faintly. “How’d that get there?” Marlene hoped she didn’t sound as out of it as she felt. Amycus Carrow had just touched her. Willingly, even. Of its own accord, her right hand rose and brushed through the strands of hair near her face. She could feel her face heating up, and she cursed herself for letting him get to her. He was probably only winding her up.

Shaking her head slightly, Marlene turned back to the cauldron and once again let her hair fall between them, blocking her face from view. She prayed that none of her friends had seen that little exchange. “Beans, please,” she said softly, holding out her hand again.

liamdjoyce85

#self

Potion Pairing | Marycus

amycus-the-carrow:

@gryffindorgirlx

He shot her a smug smirk as he sat the blade aside; having felt her eyes trace over his precise motions with some amusement. Amycus caught Marlene as she looked away, her hand hovering over the cauldron before she moved on to stir the concoction.

“And you, an aptitude for dictatorship,” he replied sharply. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not stupid, McKinnon.” He listened to the cauldron bubbling after a moment, scanning over his book quietly. “Before you, Snape was unlucky enough to get partnered with me.”

The silence between them seemed to simmer as much as the cauldron. Amycus could feel Marlene’s eyes darting around aimlessly. He huffed a quiet laugh. “You squirm during awkward silence.” His tone grew lighter, more amused now.

She harrumphed slightly at his accusation. Marlene knew she could sometimes be a little... controlling, and the presence of one of the more notorious Snakes only exacerbated the problem. But as her mother would say, it wouldn’t do for a Pureblood lady like herself to be overtly rude to a Pureblood male such as Amycus.

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Marlene turned her head, surprised at Amycus’ suddenly different demeanor. He wasn’t nicer per se; less mean would be more accurate. “Awkward silences are... awkward...” She trailed off, cursing her normally quick wit for choosing that moment to flee. Clearing her throat delicately, Marlene turned back to the cauldron in time to see it turn yellow.

She reached out silently to pick up a few of the porcupine quills and started dropping them in one by one until it turned a pretty cerulean blue. She sat back again to let it simmer some more. “So, you were partnered with Snape before?” she inquired politely, though it sounded somewhat forced. “That must’ve been... enlightening.”

Potion Pairing | Marycus

amycus-the-carrow:

Reaching for the blade at the center of their work space, Amycus uncorked the glass jar of shrivelfigs, picking out six decent-sized specimens and laying them out before him. He seemed comfortable holding a knife, pressing the blade across each fig to crush it just enough that it split in half without releasing too much juice. He had been Severus’ paired partner for so long that it felt like second nature; but that was not something he was keen on revealing anytime soon. He listened to the water boiling within the cauldron and shook his head.

“If you drop those sprigs in now, McKinnon, you’re risking too high of a potency. Wait until stirring,” he commented calmly. He knew the girl was going to do as she pleased, regardless; but there remained part of him which desired to prove her wrong. “Toss in the shrivelfig first, then the porcupine quills. The peppermint is used to counter-act the potent effects of the potion.” Amycus was impressed with his own imitation of Snape; reiterating everything the greasy-haired boy had once told him. His voice remained just a stiff and uncaring. If she wanted to listen, that was all fine with him. After all, it wasn’t his grade that either was all-too worried about.

His train of thought was interrupted as he looked over his shoulder and met eyes with his twin sister across the room. The light nod of her head was enough to show that she was pleased to see him in class for once. ‘At least someone is.’ He nodded in return, gesturing to her partner with an arched eyebrow. Poor Alecto had been just as unlucky as he; paired with none other than Mudblood Evans. He watched her expression turn to horror as Slughorn slunk behind the pair of them, obviously pleased with their progress. His hand rest upon her shoulder, causing the Carrow girl’s expression to contort with displeasure. He barely held back the snort of amusement as he turned his attention back toward his own table.

Marlene held the fragrant sprigs in her hand, hovering halfway to the cauldron. Her eyes, however, were riveted on the Slytherin’s motions. She tried to keep her observation of him covert, but he moved with a grace that belied his rough nature and caustic personality. He didn’t seem to realize the care he afforded to each shrivelfig, but he cut them neatly and efficiently, in perfect increments.

At the sound of his voice, Marlene finally tore her eyes from his hands to look him in the face. She narrowed her eyes slightly, instantly suspicious of his calm, slow words. Was he making fun of her? Truthfully, she should have thought of stirring first before adding the peppermint; she knew better. “Right,” she replied mildly, rolling her eyes and turning back to the cauldron.

Carefully, the girl dipped the tip of her wand into the boiling water before stirring counterclockwise three times. Slowly, she then added the two bits of herb into the liquid one by one. As she waited for the water to turn red, she turned back to her unwelcome partner. “You seem to have an aptitude for brewing,” she commented, almost in an accusatory tone.

Shaking her head, Marlene checked on the potion’s progress before scooping up the portioned out shrivelfigs. Instantly, the water turned a brilliant shade of turquoise. She plunged her wand in once more, stirring clockwise this time, as she waited for it to deepen into a royal blue color. When it obliged, Marlene withdrew her wand and settled back for it to simmer for fifteen minutes.

When she looked at the Slytherin beside her, his lips were twisted slightly in a small smirk. The silence between the two grew as the girl’s eyes darted around the classroom restlessly. She could think of literally nothing to talk about, had she even been willing to engage her partner in conversation. What could they possibly have in common? They were each on their respective House Quidditch teams, but bringing up something so mundane was a laughable idea. Instead, Marlene settled for leaning forward and looking at her textbook, letting her long hair form a shield between them.

Potion Pairing | Marycus

#para #potion pairing #ugh she's only serious with dark hair

amycus-the-carrow:

“Then I guess we’re both out of luck.” His voice took on a dangerous level of annoyance. ‘Who the hell does she think she is?’ The tone of her voice was grating his nerves. Part of him was tempted to walk out, but the ever-lingering reminder of weekend detention loomed over his head. Amycus rolled his eyes once more.

“Whatever,” Amycus remarked bitterly as he rose from his seat and made his way toward the supply closet. He dared not look back to where Marlene await his return.

Shrivelfig, porcupine quills, peppermint sprigs, sopophorous beans, and wormwood. Easy enough to remember, as he listed off each item mentally. Grabbing each labeled jar from the shelves, Amycus returned to Marlene’s side after a few moments; eyeing the fire beneath their shared cauldron.

“Here,” he offered as he sat the supplies out in front of them. Amycus spaced each jar apart neatly. If there was one thing he excelled at in terms of class work, it was organization. And with Potions being one of the few classes he did not mind putting effort into, he was sure to show some kind of enthusiasm. Even if it was dulled by the unfortunate circumstance of his partner.

“Have you gauged the temperature?” Amycus returned to perching atop the stool beside Marlene. He turned his attention toward the book in front of him, still doing his best to ignore the foul-tempered Gryffindor at his side.

Marlene’s eyes tightened at the Slytherin’s tone of voice. Sounds like the girl wasn’t the only one needed a dose of the potion. The thought of one Amycus Carrow high on the Elixir to Induce Euphoria caused Marlene to snort in amusement. She cleared her throat quickly to cover the sound before straightening up further.

Someone had to take charge, and if Amycus didn’t want to put forth any effort, then Marlene would have to. She was partly satisfied when he rose to collect the necessary ingredients, though his parting comment smarted slightly.

Deep down, Marlene knew she was intentionally pushing the guy’s buttons. But who could blame her? He was a Snake, one proven to be cruel and uncaring. Sighing, Marlene glanced over her shoulder to observe the rest of the class. James and Sirius, though not partners, still somehow managed to get tables next to each other and were causing their normal ruckus. She rolled her eyes, though a fond smile curved her lips. Remus was studiously prodding the fire under his cauldron, while he explained something to his partner.

Amycus’ return finally brought her back around to face their work station. She was about to reach out for the peppermint when he began arranging the jars. He set each one out in the order they were needed, and spaced evenly apart. The sight was... intriguing. Why would he do such a thing? Marlene shrugged to herself and finally plucked up the jar of peppermint sprigs.

“Yes,” she replied to his question shortly, biting off the sarcastic words that almost followed. If they were to be partners for the foreseeable future, it wouldn’t do to kill each other so early in the lesson. “I’m going to go ahead and drop in the three peppermint sprigs we need, if you want to cut the six shrivelfigs in half,” she added stiffly.

Potion Pairing | Marycus

amycus-the-carrow:

He examined her body language closely. Stiff, mostly. Her composure seemed a practiced trait, which Amycus supposed was necessary given Marlene’s usual company. She slid her book toward her with a prim flick of her wrist. Clearly, McKinnon took herself quite seriously. If his voice had not have shaken her confident exterior, Amycus would have easily mistaken her for stone.

“Salazar’s balls,“ Amycus flipped open his book, placing it in front of him without bothering to cast his gaze toward his partner. “Will you relax?“

Carrying the reputation of a slacker when it came to classroom work had grown tiresome. Of course, it was partially true. The Carrow heir had never been one for effort, let alone group work. But that was not to say that all of his grades were suffering for it.

He took another deep breath, scanning across the opened page before him. After a moment of realization, he huffed a laugh. “Elixir to Induce Euphoria,” he read with some amusement. “Ah, look, McKinnon! Just what you need.” He shot her a smug expression before turning his attention to the necessary ingredients.

A small line appeared between Marlene’s eyebrows for a moment before disappearing. Relax! With him sitting there, all... all smug and superior? Marlene was certainly not as devoted as, say, Lily, in her studies, but Potions was a class that she actually enjoyed. She had maintained O’s on all assignments and quizzes thus far, including an O on her OWLs. She’d be damned before she let his flippant attitude affect her grade.

Regardless, Marlene simply ignored him and scanned the pages in front of her. His voice interrupted her, and she clenched her fists under the table. Taking a deep calming breath, she released it and then turned to the Slytherin.

“No,” she replied casually. “What I need is for you to take this seriously.” The girl frowned slightly again. “How about you go get the ingredients, and I’ll bank the fire and get the water boiling,” she finally said, after Slughorn had indicated that they could begin brewing.

Potion Pairing | Marycus

‘A few more hours, and that 4 o’clock spliff will be singing my name.’’ Amycus coerced himself between classrooms, keeping a brisk pace as he made his way down toward the dungeons. Had it not been for McGonagall pressing his attendance, he would not have bothered. But there was no way that he would be spending another weekend in detention with the miserable, old witch.

His hand slipped into his pocket, keeping at his side as he descended the stairway and found himself surrounded by the familiar stone walls of the dungeon. The dull chatter seemed to hush itself to a soft hum as he grew closer to the Potions classroom. A deep inhale welled in his chest. He never paid much mind to the passing groups of students; his eyes kept forward, path to the classroom clear in the forefront of his mind. During class hours, he found himself on autopilot; weaving through the same hallways, between the same pillars and cramped corridors.

Once he reached the threshold of the classroom entrance, he regained a sense of his surroundings. ‘Double Potions with the Gryffindors,’ he recalled silently. He rolled his eyes. Perhaps it would have been a better idea to have skipped class altogether, but that was a thought too far gone to consider. He approached the assignment board with heavy steps, urging himself forward with the last remaining drops of effort he possessed.

Raising his index finger upward, Amycus scanned over the list of names until he reached his own. Any remaining amusement drained from his face as he crossed the space to his partner’s name: Marlene McKinnon.

“You’re fucking me,” Amycus murmured beneath his breath. He turned on his heel, finding the back of Marlene’s head across the room. He bit his lip, knowing it was unwise to bicker with the Head of Slytherin house over something as petty as Potions partners. ‘Just a few more hours,’ he repeated to himself as he meandered across the classroom. ‘At least it’s not Black.’

“Don’t look so pleased, McKinnon,” Amycus taunted as he claimed the empty seat at Marlene’s side. He dropped his bag beside the table, perching atop the stool with a smirk. “You must really be Slughorn’s favorite.”

Hefting her schoolbag higher on her shoulder, Marlene laughed with Sirius and James as they walked to Potions. It was the last class of the day, and Marlene was looking forward to the end of the long week. The upcoming NEWTs, though still months away, were weighing on the seventh years. Literally, if the weight of her bag was anything to go by.

The blonde dropped her bag by her usual seat next to Remus before going up to inspect the blackboard in the front of the room. Much to her consternation, Marlene suddenly remembered that Professor Slughorn had warned that he was changing up the partnerships next class for the next round of study. Sighing, she ran her finger down the list of names until she found her own.

“Amycus Carrow, are you shitting me?” she thought, her mouth dropping open. What had the professor been thinking? Nothing good could come of this. Marlene and Amycus had never spent any length of time together, and in fact, during the few instances they had spoken, it had been insults and hexes.

The Gryffindor sighed again and turned to collect her bag, moving to an empty table and sitting down heavily. Her back was rigid, her shoulders tight, as she sat up straight and stared straight ahead. “I can do this, I can do this,” she chanted silently to herself.

A deep voice in her ear startled the girl, and to her utter mortification, she jumped in surprise. Quickly regaining her composure, she simply turned her head slightly and raised an eyebrow at her unwanted companion. “Believe me, if I was his favorite, you certainly wouldn’t be here,” she replied dismissively. Primly, she turned back to the desk and slid her book in front of her, opening it to the page number indicated on the board. “You might want to get your book out,” she added, not looking at him. “I don’t want to be saddled doing all the work. I will not have my grade suffer because of you.”