Marlene Mckinnon

Marlene McKinnon, Gryffindor, 5th Year, Half-Blood, and all around bad ass. If you don't have anything useful to say, fuck off. If you do, well, I don't care fuck off anyway.

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Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

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Sirius lit a cigarette and took a long drag, a look of pain on his face. He’d love to talk Marlene’s suggestion and run away from it all, but he couldn’t. And, as far as he knew, she was an only child, so she couldn’t really understand his obligation to Regulus. “I know I could always stay with James,” He replied, eying his bottle of firewhiskey, which was half empty. He took another long gulp, then another drag from his cigarette. Careful not to blow smoke at Marlene, he continued. “But I can’t leave Reg alone, y’know?” He stumbled over the last, word, the effects of the alcohol starting to set in. 

“Reg might be kinda bad, but I care about him. He’s my little brother, and I can’t leave him alone in that hell hole. He’s good on the inside, I’m sure of it.” A heavy silence filled the room, in which Sirius took another drag from his cigarette. He really needed to steady his nerves, Marlene was not the person he wanted to have a drunken break down in front of.

Marlene filled the silence with three simple, but somehow very comforting, words. “Thanks, Mar,” he said softly. “You’re right. I only have three more years, and most of it’ll be spent here. I’ll be fine.” Sirius hoped his words would ring true, but there was doubt. He may be fine, but Regulus might not be. Of course, food could make anyone feel better. “That’d be great, McKinnon. A good treacle tart can solve any problem.” He laughed with her, she had an infectious laugh.

Sirius could tell Marlene was loosening up a bit, as was he. He had drunk a slightly larger amount than her, and they were both drinking on nearly empty stomachs, they were bound to get pretty tipsy. “Getting drunk in the alchemy office is more like it.” Another drag on the cigarette, then he smashed in into his palm with a slight wince. “Can’t ruin Albert’s nice furniture, can I?” He explained. Putting the cigarette into a pocket, he answered her slightly confusing statement. He sometimes had difficultly telling if people meant “Serious” or “Sirius”, primarily when he was drunk. “It’s nice. I always figured you hated me a bit, but I guess not. you don’t hate me, do you?”

Whether or not Marlene hated him or fancied him was a important topic of conversation for the marauders. They even had a bet: James bet she hated him, Peter bet she fancied him, and Remus bet she hated how much she fancied him. Sirius refused to bet, but hoped James would lose. Granted, he usually hoped James lost bets- much more entertaining than when Remus or Peter lost. Sometimes hings ended up on fire.

“James reckons you do, but James also reckons he could get Lily to go out with him. So it’s a bit of a toss up.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

"I don't know Sirius." Marlene admitted, "I mean, Regulus does have Andy too y'know. She's quite good." Marlene didn't want to admit that she thought Regulus was already too far gone. That she thought he was already bad enough, that he already had dangerous thoughts in his head-- that there was no point. Why on earth should Sirius have to stay there in that poisonous place? "I just don't want you to become like them." Marlene said, looking away for a moment. "You're so important to James and everyone else, it'd just be a shame that's all." 

"But lucky for you I make a killer tart, so that should hold you over." She looked back at him and smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. His eyes were always so dark and intimidating, she couldn't help but be taken aback. Those were Black family eyes, that was for sure. Sirius always had more of a warmth to them though. That's how Marlene knew she could trust Sirius. Not fully of course, but more so than the rest of the Black family.

"Don't do that!" Marlene insisted, seeing Sirius take out his cigarette. "Are you daft? Albert doesn't care about his furniture! Episky" Marlene quickly flicked her wand around the wound. "Stupid Sirius Black." She muttered, rolling her eyes. She was still able enough to preform spells it seemed, but if she consumed anymore alcohol she'd be a lost cause. So she set the bottle a bit farther away from her- hoping that would somehow hinder her drinking a bit more.

"I don't hate you." Marlene admitted, furrowing her brows. "I hate the things you do that's for sure. Sleeping with girls, breaking their hearts, making stupid decisions, sneaking out of the dorm at least once a month. Don't get me wrong I'm  not fond of the curfew rule either but really Black that's getting a little overboard." Marlene couldn't help but list off the things that Sirius did that she despised, that she hated. Treating girls like they're nothing, not giving a shit about anyone but himself. Marlene had to stop herself after she realized she was getting a little too carried away. "Hate you? Never, I don't hate anyone. Even those Slytherin bastards." Marlene admitted, "I just strongly dislike them." She laughed a bit.

"Now you opened up a bit about yourself, let me say something about me." Marlene smiled, "Let's see. I live with my mom and our dog, Hemingway. My father was a Muggle, my mother hid magic from him. He was a very nice man, I remember when he would come home from work he would always bring be treats. Chocolates, cotton candy. I was young but I clearly remember him smiling a lot-- he adored my mother he really did. At around 3 my powers came in, I was very young. Early bloomer I guess. My father freaked out, had no idea what was going on, and finally my mother had to tell him the truth. He didn't take it very well and I haven't seen him since." Marlene reached over at the bottle and took a swig before laughing. "That's my sad little story." she smiled. "Don't tell anyone though, I don't want them thinking i'm a softy or anything. I'm definitely not. I don't care about it that much, never really knew the guy."

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Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

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Marlene’s wide smile caused a twist in Sirius’ stomach and a look of “what the fuck?” on his face. It couldn’t be what he thought it meant- And, thank god, she quickly corrected herself. Teacher student relationships were a bit too out there, even for him. Besides, the only female teacher he was close to was McGonagall… He shuddered before the idea could get any further and turned his attention back to Marlene’s platonic relationship with Albert.

Sirius listened intently to Marlene’s story, unexpectedly intrigued by what she had to say. Girls talking about holidays and their parents usually bored him to death, but when Marlene spoke, she could make anything interesting. He followed her to sit, grabbing a few bottles of firewhiskey, and sat on Albert’s desk. Her had to admit, this room was nice to hang out in. The small space and dark woods made it cozy and warm, like the Gryffindor common room, but quieter and more intimate.

Sirius wondered why they went to an old crushes house for what was normally considered family time, but the flash of sadness in her eyes when Marlene mentioned it told him it would be best to leave it alone. If she wanted to tell him, she would, and Sirius knew as well as anyone not to pry about family matters.

As Marlene wandered the room, Sirius watched her. She was more physically fit than most girls in their year, likely because of her long stint as a Gryffindor chaser. And, although he hated himself a bit for thinking so, she had an excellent body. As she took another swing of firewhiskey, Sirius remember what usually happened when girls got drunk around him.That, he was sure, couldn’t happen with Marlene. He respected her too much, she was worth more to him than one night of fun.

At her request, SIrius figured they could stay. The party wouldn’t be til later, and if he was urgently needed, he had his and Prong’s two way mirror back. “I suppose we could stay, even if Albert catches us, I doubt he’d be too mad.” But the next request wasn’t something he was sure he would fulfill. “I dunno, McKinnon. Sure you can take hearing about Black family holidays? They get a bit hardcore. See, the entire family comes down to our house, and you know some of he crazies that I have in my family. Everyone talks about the stupidity of the Muggles they’ve encountered since our last gathering. One of my uncles hinted that he tortured one, but I can’t be sure. He’s gone a bit senile.” Sirius took a long gulp of firewhiskey and got off the desk. “I don’t remember most of what they say, though. If I pay attention, I get so disgusted I can’t stay in the same room as them. I’m dreading having to go back there for Christmas.” He took out a packet of cigarettes and turned to Marlene. “Mind if I smoke? Thinking about them stresses me out, I need to cal my nerves. Maybe we should throw a party at your house over Christmas.. It’d give me an excuse to stay away from home.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Marlene listened intently to Sirius for a while, browsing over his messy hair and his scruff. He seemed effortlessly cool, that's what must bring in all the girls. There was also this 'bad boy' way about him that made him appealing. Even Marlene had to admit that he seemed like a good snog. She wouldn't though, because Marlene wasn't one of those girls. The stupid ones that fall so easily for some dumb boy. Marlene Mckinnon didn't need anyone but herself. It had always been that way and would remain that way.

She wrapped her arms around her knees as she sat in Alberts chair (making sure to kick off her shoes and socks prior to doing so), "I like stories." She told Sirius, "I think they're interesting, story telling-- that's my favourite thing." Marlene laughed. "Believe me, I don't mind, even if it's bad that doesn't mean it's not worth listening to.

She took occasional swigs of fire whiskey. "As for where you're going to stay, you could always stay with Potter-- I don't know if you've thought about that. We also have a spare room at my house, but if you're looking for long term arrangement, Potter is a safer bet. He's you're best friend after all, he knows you better than anyone. It's obvious that you're nothing like those scum you have to live with at home, so why do you still do it? Just go, you've got tons of people here to protect you." Marlene assured him.

For once, she felt somewhat sorry for Sirius. She had never really felt that way before. She had always assumed that he was just some selfish git who couldn't keep his mind out of a girl's pants. She knew he had troubles with his family, but she hadn't really absorbed the severity of it until now. "You'll be alright." she assured him, letting her protectiveness take over. "My mother is writing a magical cookbook right now, I've inherited her cooking skills. Maybe I'll have her send you something. That'll lift your spirits!" Marlene smiled, patting his arm. She took another sip of firewhiskey and laughed a tad. "Look at us, we're sitting in the alchemy office drinking, Lily is probably wondering where I am. Poor girl. Oh well, I'll explain later. I've never really talked to you before serious so this is kind of fun." she let her eyes scan over him and addressed the strange feeling in her stomach as too much firewhiskey. 

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Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

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“See, this is why I needed you. I usually just eat when we come down here.” Sirius turned to the house elf. “Can you get me a couple of chips for the road? Haven’t had dinner yet.” By the time the elf returned with a sack of chips, Marlene was already heading for the door. The marauder hurried after her, casting a look of longing at the fresh treacle tart an elf was placing on the table.

“Y’know, you’re as efficient as James and Remus. If I was left to throw a party by myself, it’d probably end up being me, sitting and eating while pretty girls listen to my stupid marauder stories.” Sirius stuffed a few chips into his mouth, swallowed without chewing and added, “Maybe you can help again.”

He followed her up a flight of stairs, too busy eating to care where they were going. It seemed like they were heading towards the Alchemy corridor, and Sirius knew Professor Morris didn’t shy away from a good drink. He had never considered stealing from him, though, he usually went to the Hog’s Head or bribed a free elf to pick some up from Diagon Alley.

“If you’re wondering where we’re going. We’re going to head over to Albert’s office.”

“Are you sure you can steal enough liquor from him?” Sirius knew that Albert was generally laid back for a professor, but most teachers weren’t too keen on underage drinking, especially if it was a marauder’s party. But when Marlene swung open the cabinet door, Sirius didn’t care. It wasn’t an enormous amount, but he could tell this man had good taste. He took a short gulp from a bottle of Finnish vodka and commented to Marlene, “If you want good vodka, get Finnish or Russian. Those eastern European fuckers know what they’re doing.” He grabbed that bottle and watched Marlene drink the brandy, slightly impressed. Brandy had always disgusted Sirius, he figured it was an acquired taste.

“So, grab all the Odgen’s, that’s a favorite. I’ll get some rum, and gin, look, he even keeps the tonic in here.” Sirius tossed the bottle to Marlene, sure she would catch it due to her talent as a chaser.

“We need music, of course, but I charmed a radio to be loud enough over the party noise last year. Now we’ve just got to get this up to the common room without anyone seeing.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

"Oh so you don't know?" Marlene turned to face him, a wide smile on her face, "About Albert and I-- no it's not like that." Marlene corrected, trying to avoid an innuendo. "Albert and my mother, Paulina, went to Hogwarts together. He was a 5th year when my mother was a first year and just like every other girl at the time she was madly in love with him. Now naturally, her being a first year and him being a fifth year, it didn't work out. She followed him around the school though, became like a little sister to him. She convinced him to marry Mrs. Cindy, he comes over and visits my Mother and I every Christmas." Marlene sat down on one of Albert's plush leather chairs and pulled her knees to her chest. 

"When I was little, My mother and I would go to his house for Easter. We go to his house for a lot of holidays actually. Over the summer we go to his house for a while and he always slips me drinks under the table because he knows I'd rather be out with my friends. Never too much of course." Marlene shrugged, "As for this, well he usually doesn't mind. He knows what it's for. He really has that whole, "Live while you're young" attitude, so it's not too bad. As long as we don't get caught or tell anyone where we got it. He's the Alchemy Professor and it's an optional course. It's only available if enough people request it. Luckily since he's so great he always has a job. Other than that he would go retire in France with Cindy."

Marlene stood up, "I think we should have a Christmas party too, at my house. It's just my mum, the dog, and I. Shouldn't be too bad." Marlene wandered about Albert's office some more before letting out a whine. "Please we can't leave just yet! Why do we have to do everything all at once? Couldn't we just hang out?" She grabbed some firewhiskey and took a swig of that. "I mean, there's really no rush. Albert has to do rounds after dinner so he won't be back until later. Let's drink and live a little before we have to do actual work." Marlene took the bottle with her back to Albert's leather chair. "I've told you about my holidays Mr. Black, tell me about yours." She demanded with a smile.

Of course Marlene left out quite a bit from those Holiday stories. She left out the absent father, she left out Bernard, she left out her crazy neighbours. She left out both good and bad from that story, but she figured a simplified version would be better. Besides, Marlene wasn't one to let down her walls. She was tough, harsh, and stubborn. Marlene Mckinnon didn't get her by anything or anyone. That was who she was. She was the girl you didn't mess with, the girl who you wanted to be friends with because you knew she would protect you no matter what. That's what she did, she protected people and she protected herself. She took care of people, while she remained the girl that no one needed to take care of. 

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Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

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Marlene hand left Sirius’ grasp, and he was thankful for it. At least, that’s what he told himself. Her hand may be warm and her fingers may interlace with his perfectly, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it. It was just because she was a girl, he’d just been on a dry spell because of the summer months. His mind was just exaggerating the feeling.

Sirius pushed away the difficult thoughts and turned his attention to what Marlene had said. “Yeah, I doubt he’ll come now, though. Dessert hasn’t even started. Though I don’t peg Filch as the kinda guy with a big sweet tooth.”

The elves were hurrying around the kitchen, adding delicious assortments of cakes, cookies and puddings to the tables. Sirius spotted a platter of chocolate chip cookies, a rarity at Hogwarts, (Too Muggle) but the best the animagus had ever eaten. Granted, most chocolate chip cookies he had were made by James’ mom, or girls in his house trying to prove they could cook.

Before he could scarf down the entire plate, Marlene was chatting up the elves, getting actual work done. It was a change of pace for Sirius, as when he came down here with the marauders, or alone, he usually spent at least thirty minutes.. sampling the options. But he couldn’t let Marlene do all the deciding, she was an amateur, and this was supposed to be a marauder’s party. After taking a few more cookies for the road, Sirius followed his companion and the house elf she picked up to the endless shelves.

Marlene was speaking to the house elf she had chosen as an assistant, and by the time Sirius reached them, with only one cookie left, it seemed to him she had wrapped up the deal. “Good job, McKinnon. Now, we have to pick up some food… Usually we get some Muggle snacks, pretzels, crisps.” He paused, considering. “But this’ll be an all nighter, so we’ll need something of substance. Fish and chips? Can you guys charm them so they stay warm? And plenty of sweets, candies and cakes and whatever. And we’ll need plenty of water in the morning. Oh, and firewhiskey. Odgen’s, of course. Maybe some butterbeer, if we’re nice and let the little kids come.”

He turned to Marlene and said, “Any ideas? I think I’ve got it all covered, but I usually have Remus to remind me.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Marlene stood with her arms crossed, eyebrows raised at Sirius. "Sirius, the elves can't just give us firewhiskey. I doubt they even have it here." she huffed and rolled her eyes. "We'll just have to get that from Albert." The fiesty girl didn't stop there, "Not to mention fish and chips sounds pretty big for a party, I think a few snacks is just fine, nothing too special. People have to eat that with a fork you know!" Marlene continued, listing off any flaw in Sirius' plan. That was the thing about Marlene, she always had to be right. It was her way or no way at all.

Finally she whipped her head around, "We don't want the little kids coming, or else they won't shut up about it." she continued as she headed towards the door. "I love the younger students here, they can be darling, but if they get invited to a marauders party they will tell all of their little friends and eventually a Professor will find out and stop the party before it starts. "Now, the room of requirement is so overused for parties I believe. So here's an idea, how about we do it at the boat house instead? No one will be using it." Marlene continued down the hall, occasionally looking back to see if Sirius was keeping up. She made her way to one of the many moving staircases and leaned against the rail as it shifted positions towards the East side of Hogwarts. "If you're wondering where we're going. We're going to head over to Albert's office."

When the stairs stopped Marlene made her way down a long corridor, lit with the evening torches, until she reached a door. She pulled a long antique key out of her robes and quietly pushed open the door. Looking around inside for a moment, she finally called back. "Come on Sirius, he's eating, just what I thought." Marlene made her way into the small classroom. There were a few tables there, saved for the 6th and 7th years who would take Alchemy. It was a selective class, Albert himself doing most of the selection. It was a class that everyone wanted to be in, because Professor Morris was a fun teacher. He was incredibly rude in the best possible way, and he was actually a good professor. Writing an Essay in his class was simple because you actually knew the material, you didn't have to bullshit any of it.

Marlene wandered into the classroom, the old wood creaking against her steps, and made her way up the small stairs into Albert's warmly lit office. An old, dark, wooden cabinet filled with different ethers sat against one wall, a messy bookshelf sat against another, and in the last open space Albert had in the tiny office was a liquor cabinet. "Take your pick Sirius Black." Marlene opened the cabinet to reveal all the alcohol Mr. Albert Morris had. "Don't worry about Albert, he'll just send for some more. Here-- have a sample." Marlene pulled a bottle of firewhiskey from the shelf and tossed it over at Sirius. "Party planning is so easy." she smiled, unscrewing the cap off of some brandy and taking a swig. Her eyes scanned over each shelf. Finally she placed the brandy back on the shelf and turned back to Sirius. "Anything else you need?"

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Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

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Sirius rolled his eyes, but a smile crept onto his face. “Of course I date- Putting up with a girl long enough t get her to shag you is a dating.” The horrible thing about Marlene was, when they got along, she was fairly wonderful. Funny, clever, and not always trying to fix her hair or makeup they way other girls did when he was around. Might not be as good as the marauders, but a second. Not a close second, but not a very distant one.

At Marlene’s instance, Sirius decided it would be fine to stay in the office for a few more minutes. Dinner hadn’t started yet, and even Filch needed to eat. Besides, she was having such a good time, and Sirius couldn’t ruin it. He smirked at the hair grease, took it from her and remarked, “Maybe this’d fix Potter’s hair.”

Sirius scanned the shelves, but found little of interest. Most things the marauders had had confiscated, they stole back within the week, and most of the other kids at this school weren’t… creative enough to make the kind of things the marauders did. He decided to sit back, watch the door, and watch Marlene bounce around, examining the office. He was in Filch’s office at least twice a week, so nothing was of interest,  but he supposed Marlene didn’t visit more than a few times a year. She wasn’t always a prime suspect in Filch’s biased man-hunts.

And it was amusing to see her so excited about something that was mundane to him. Normally the brunette was more contained in front of him. Sure, he saw her like this with her friends, but the presence of Sirius usually had her more snarky than energetic, Quidditch aside. And, although Sirius was slightly loath to admit it, he liked her like this. Battles of wit were fun, but so was, well, actual fun.

The Headless Hats Sirius remembered fondly. That was back when they were learning trite vanishing charms, and he and James had wanted to step it up. The Headless Hat was born. He laughed at her half body, he had forgotten how strange someone looked without a head. A slight protest was put up on putting the hat on his own head, but Marlene wasn’t having it. In reply to her wink, he smiled saucily and winked back, before realizing she couldn’t see anything on his face. As he took the hat from his head he replied, “I don’t need first year magic tricks to be terrifying.” and winked again, so she could see.

The all-too familiar meow of Mrs Norris shook them out of their conversation. Sirius paused for a moment, remembering Filch’s most common paths to his office, and any secret passages nearby. When Marlene took his hand to run, he already had a plan.

“We’re going to go opposite the way we came, and down, like we’re heading to the kitchens.” He knew this sounded stupid, but Filch rarely took a simple way up from dinner. No one doing what they shouldn’t be took the easy way through the corridors. “It’ll look like we were going to sneak into the kitchens, which we need to do anyway- And punishment for that is just a swat on the nose.” He pulled Marlene down the corridor, checking around corners they way they had to first and second year. At the first staircase going down, Sirius glanced behind him, checking for Mrs Norris.

As they reached the base of the stairs, Sirius slowed their walk to a leisurely pace, yet he still held onto Marlene’s hand. Noticing this, he remarked, “I think we’re safe, now. And if anyone saw us holding hands they would know we’re up to something- At not the something I do in broom closets.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Marlene obliged as the bow tugged her down the halls. He certainly knew a lot about the castle's layout, more so than most she had met. That fact in itself sparked Marlene's curiosity quite a bit. How strange, it seemed, that Sirius Black knew how to escape anywhere in the castle and knew enough about the groundskeeper's habits to avoid them. He's probably just had a lot of practice, Marlene convinced herself as she was dragged towards the kitchens.

The two raced down the halls at an intense speed. They flew by a first year who's papers immediately scattered about in the air as the two students rounded about a corner. "Slow down Black!" Marlene said, and almost as soon as she said it the boy slowed to a walk. "Wow actually listening to what I say for onc- oh we're here." Marlene exclaimed, staring at the large painting of a pear. As soon as Sirius mentioned the hand comment Marlene swiped her hand away. "Right." she nodded, wiping her hand on her cloak before tickling the pear and sauntering into the kitchen. Holding hands with Sirius Black? No thank you, she'd rather have one of the rotten squashes tossed on her head.

"Now if that cat follows our sent to the portrait," Marlene said as she entered the warm, bustling kitchen, "Filch will find out, and we'll need a hiding space, but I'm sure these guys will help." the brunette smiled as she leaned down towards an elf. "Hello there! What's your name?"

The elf smiled back at her, "Binny, how may I help you, mam?"

"Don't call me mam, call me Marlene!" Marlene smiled warmly at the elf before holding out her hand. The tiny elf shook her hand shyly before smiling at her, "Yes Miss. Marlene."

Marlene stood back up and turned to Sirius, "Alright, Black, let's figure out some food for that party of yours." Marlene turned back around and let her hair flip behind her as she moved towards the cupboard. Vast shelves of different ingredients lined each and every wall. The halls of it never seemed to end, it was a continuous stream of food. "This looks a bit overwhelming." Marlene shut the cupboard and turned back around, moving quickly-- hardly waiting for her comrade. "Hey, Binny?" Marlene re-approached the tiny elf. "May I ask you a favor?"

Binny smiled, "Of course Miss. Marlene!" 

"My friend and I here are going to have a little, back to school party, do you think you could get us some food for it after hours? I've gotten cookies down here before, on the many occasions where my insomnia gets the best of me-- so i'm sure we could do that again. Maybe not with Milk and cookies, but with something else." Marlene smiled at the elf.

"Does Master Dumbledore know?" Binny asked with wide eyes.

"I was thinking this could be between you and I." Marlene winked, "Pretty please?"

Binny stared at the girl for a moment, and Marlene sensed that the little elf wouldn't readily oblige. "How about I make you a deal, Binny, if you help me out with this I'll give you a new accessory to wear."

"Like a glove?! Binny would like a glove Miss. Marlene!" The elf jumped, 

"Of course, how about I get you two gloves? One for each hand."

"Two Gloves?! Miss. Marlene is very nice, very nice indeed."

Marlene stood up and looked at Black, "Tell her what you would like, Black." she crossed her arms in triumph.

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Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

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Shit, Sirius thought. I didn’t think she’d notice. This was a path they regularly visited on midnight outings with Remus, and he couldn’t risk Marlene coming down here one night and getting hurt… Or Moony being caught. Marlene could probably keep that secret, but at what cost?

“Yeah, we use it when we ditch during the day. Hell to navigate at night, though. Even during the full moon,” he explained, trying not to sound too authoritative. If McKinnon thought she wasn’t allowed down here, he was sure she’d go. They walked in silence for most of the way, talking was too difficult with all of the boulder climbing and root tripping that occurred.

They entered the school, still silent, in hope that no one would notice them. After the hallway was found to be clear, (Sirius double checking on the map when Marlene was scanning a corner.) Marlene asked a question that, somehow, left Sirius with nothing to say, if only for a moment. He fumbled through his memory for a moment, the memory hazy. A image of seeing her get sorted into his house floated to the front of his mind, but he was fairly sure they didn’t speak at dinner. Being an eleven year old boy, he didn’t pay much attention to girls yet.

“We meet because of James’ obsession with Evans. He suggested, since you two were so close, and him and I were so close, that we go on a double date. I think Evans slapped him and you said there wasn’t much we could do for a date if we couldn’t even go into Hogsmeade yet.” Sirius smiled at the memory, his best friends many hopeless attempts to get Lily on a date with him had long become novelties to him. “And then you said you’d never go on a date with me, anyway. My hair was too shaggy.”

By that point they had reached Filch’s office, and Marlene was busy rifling through Filch’s things. Sirius levitated the squashes into different places throughout the office, all hidden. For a final touch he smashed one open in the middle of the rug. then put a invisibility charm on it. “He won’t be able to find this for at least a few days,” Sirius gloated, a satisfied grin on his face. He glanced into the drawer, took the enchanted mirror Filch had confiscated the last day of school and pocketed it.

“Hurry up, McKinnon, he’ll be here soon, and I need you to help with the party. You’re in my debt of gratitude for not smashing a squash over your head.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

"Oh yeah that's right! I nearly forgot. It was a silly double date and you had long outrageous hair. Even then all the little girls loved you and thought you were so cute. I thought you looked like a hobo." she stuck her tongue out at him. "James was still mad for Lily though, you're right. He still is. And I still wouldn't date you." Marlene laughed, "But then again, you don't date girls-- unless you consider broom closets a date." she jeered a bit more.

Marlene searched the shelves, letting Sirius hide most of the squash. Filch had collected so many treasures, and the petite girl looked over them with wide, sparkling eyes. How intriguing all of it seemed. There were things on the shelves that were from Albert's day, "C'mon Sirius, we don't have to leave just yet. This is so cool look!" Marlene snatched a can of hair grease from the shelves. "It's from, i dunno, 30 years ago!" She got close to him and brought it up to his face. "See?" she smiled before bouncing back towards the shelves and fiddling through whatever she could find.

It was dawning on her that she should probably head out of there before Filch or Ms. Norris arrived, but she was actually enjoying the time she was having. Finding strange objects on the shelves and showing them to Sirius, making up weird stories about how they got there. "Check this out." She turned to Sirius with a large black top hat in her hands. She placed the hat on her head and suddenly all that was left of Marlene was  a torso and some limbs. When she took the hat off her head reappeared, "A Headless hat! I haven't seen one of these in forever." She smiled before walking over and placing it on his head. "Terrifying." she winked slyly.

It was then that a lengthy "Mrroow" sounded from the doorway, and there stood a red eyed maine coon looking directly at them. "Fuck, time to go." Marlene jumped with a panicked expression on her face, grabbing the hat from Sirius she snatched his hand and pulled him out the door, "Where do we go?! You seem to know these halls better than I do."

[dissentiousdog-blog]

Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

[dissentiousdog-blog]

Sirius saw Marlene shiver, and for a moment felt compelled to offer her his jacket. He had planned to ditch school that day, so he had left his robes behind, wearing a warm leather jacket and jeans in it’s place. The desire surprised him, why should he care if she’s cold? Besides, it’s just an autumn chill, she’ll be fine.

He walked ahead of Marlene with the hope that he would focus more on tormenting Filch and getting fourth years drunk for the first time than how her eyes glinted when she was doing something bad.

“Well, I suppose those’ll have to do,” Sirius hopped the fence after her and transfigured one of the least rotted looking squashes into a crate to carry them. Him and Marlene magic’k the squashes into the crate, doing anything to avoid touching them.

“I think,” Sirius said, floating a particularly smelly squash close to her head, “You’ll promise to help me with the party if you don’t want to meet a worse fate than Filch.” After they had gotten enough squashes into the crate, Sirius cast a simple hovering charm on the box. “Now’s for the hard part. Getting this shit up there without getting caught.”

Normally, he would whip out the map, or James’ cloak, but with Marlene helping, this task would be a bit more difficult. But that would make it all the more fun, Sirius figured. He headed back up to the castle, using the path the marauders took when they ventured into the woods at night.

“I think if we stay away from Great Hall, we’ll be fine. Filch tends to hang around there before mealtimes so he can catch kids trying to get to the dining hall early,” Sirius said, offering Marlene a hand as she climbed back over the fence.

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Marlene helped Sirius gather the squash with little hesitation until he hovered one over her head. "Don't you dare black or I will hex you until you cry!" She threatened, her eyes wide with worry and fury. The idea of that squash landing on her head was extremely unappealing. As adventurous as Marlene was she still considered herself rather feminine and getting dirty was not that appealing to her.  She gladly accepted his help as she leapt back over the fence and made her way back towards the castle. The only issue was that Sirius was leading her in some odd direction. "I've never been this way before." She furrowed her brows before looking back at him. This party didn't actually sound to bad, and the idea of helping a Marauder start a party made Marlene feel well...cool (as silly as that seemed). The fiery Gryffindor always enjoyed the feeling of having someone need her help. It made her feel important.

Someone helping her on the other hand? Never. Marlene Mckinnon needed no ones help. She was perfectly content doing things on her own.

She walked quietly next to Sirius for a while and occasionally took a glance at him. How had she become friends with him again? Well not exactly friends; the two argued far too much and she hated practically everything he stood for. Marlene was friends with Sirius when he wasn't being a total prat.

Marlene sort of recalled it now. Lily was in her first year dorm and the two had instantly become friends. Being friends with Lily resulted in attention from the Marauders. Sirius was probably one of the boys that would tease the girls and put gum in their hair, as boys that age often did. She couldn't quite recall, she'd have to ask.

"Hey Sirius when did we actually meet eachother?" Marlene asked suddenly with a laugh. The two made their way into the school and Marlene crept quietly around the corner and down the hall. Filch was probably getting ready to catch students going to Dinner. As long as the cat didn't show up, the two were in the clear.

Marlene got to Filch's office and slowly pushed open the door. Inside were shelves stacked with artifacts collected from students, "Shit. I think Filch has a problem." Marlene's eyes widened. "Time to get some souvenirs black." she smiled, reaching up to snatch a Remembrall from the shelf.

[dissentiousdog-blog]

Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

[dissentiousdog-blog]

Sirius followed after Marlene, surprised she was so willing to go along with him. He hadn’t even given her a real explanation, but, he supposed, he shouldn’t question too far. As long as he got what he needed done, who cares what was going through McKinnon’s strange mind? 

“I’d never manipulate you, Marlene!” Sirius said, false offense woven into the words. “Besides,” he added, his tone once again facetious. “You don’t need me to get you in trouble. First week back and you’re already skiving off Potions? Tsk tsk.”

They passed the potions class, where Sirius could see Remus and Peter choosing seats next to each other, near the back of the room. The table behind them was unoccupied, reserved for Sirius and James, who would not be showing up for class anyway. Remus caught Sirius’ eye and raised his eyebrows, giving the slightest nod towards Marlene. Sirius quickly mouthed “Later”, not wanting his companion to notice the exchange.

“If you’d prefer to snog, though, McKinnon, I’d be happy to oblige,” Sirius flirted, though joking. “But as you can see, Remus doesn’t want to ditch class- Prefect and all. And James is in some sort of all day detention, since he took the blame for the going away party last year. So I need someone clever to help us with out next party.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow at Marlene’s suggestion. He hadn’t pranked Filch yet this year, and it’s been, what, four days? “Excellent idea. That’ll set up enough of a diversion so Filch doesn’t notice our preparations, and since James is in detention, he might not suspect me. At first.” Sirius laughed shortly, almost a bark, and headed towards the east corridors. “Follow me, McKinnon. This is going to be quite the adventure.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

"Old habits die hard Sirius." the Gryffindor teased as she passed the potions room. Not noticing Sirius. Emmeline or Lily was probably saving her a seat in there. Oh well. "I must say, this request seems like you're looking for a scapegoat." Her hazel eyes glared at the back of Sirius' head as she began to follow him. "I'm not that easy Black." Marlene warned as she followed him out the doors. "And if we're going to Filches office we should collect some souvenirs. He took my fake owl!" Marlene huffed.

There was a bit of a chill outside, so Marlene wrapped her cloak tightly around herself. In the distance Hagrid's hut was emitting some from the chimney. Must be making tea she thought to herself as they slowly got closer and closer to his hut. She scanned over Sirius' back for a moment. His messy brown hair, for some reason she was itching to see his face. Then again, who wouldn't want to see Sirius' face? Even Marlene had to admit that he was quite attractive. Not his personality though-- definitely not. She waved off the thought as they finally made their way to Hagrid's garden.

Unfortunately, most of the pumpkins weren't even ripe yet. Just a bunch of tiny buds. Marlene was about to give up, but she noticed the summer squash. It was covered in flies and was sickely green in color. Perfect. "Hey Sirius, I bet that'll stink up Filches office." Marlene hopped the fence.

"Oh and if you want to help me with your party, it'll take some convincing." She called back to him as she approached the over ripened  squash

[dissentiousdog-blog]

Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

[dissentiousdog-blog]

Rather than being off put by Marlene’s icy response, Sirius grinned. She was fiery, and even though that could get very irritating, it was one of the reasons Sirius didn’t quite hate her as much as she hated him.

“So quick to jump to the dirty stuff, eh? Get your mind out of the gutter, McKinnon.” The marauder winked, amused with the girl’s obvious distaste for him. He knew she didn’t really hate him- their relationship was just complicated.

Although, having it brought up, getting under Marlene’s skirt may not be half bad. She was eye catching, Sirius couldn’t deny. And a lot like him, or so his fellow marauders had been telling him for the past two years. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t tried to get with her before… Oh, now he was remembering. A strange feeling, something Sirius rarely felt, crept up at the thought of manipulating Marlene like that. Guilt.

He brushed the offensive thoughts away. Today, he had a task at hand, and he didn’t need girls to distract him.

“I’m planning an… expedition, let’s say, and I need a bit of help with it. You seemed perfect for the job. And it’s not really a favor, since it’ll benefit you in the long run.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

"Shut up, Black." Marlene couldn't help but laugh a tad at the joke. "You're the one who's mind is in the gutter." She narrowed her eyes playfully at him. "Alright now, what's this little plan you have? Walk with me." Marlene grabbed her book and started heading towards the Dungeons. "Slughorn probably won't mind if I'm a tad late."

As Marlene walked she thought for a moment about what Sirius Black had to ask her. Didn't he usually ask James to do something? And how on earth would it benefit her? Anything the Marauders did usually got her introuble. Not like Marlene hadn't had her fair share of detentions, but she couldn't help but wonder why James and the others weren't with him. What was the point?

"Are you trying to manipulate me, Black?" Marlene turned to face him and walked backwards for a moment watching his black eyes with a calculating gaze. "Trying to get me into trouble?" She snickered before stopping. "Besides, I thought the only thing girls were perfect for was snogging? Change of heart." Marlene raised a brow before turning back to walk towards the Dungeons. 

"Y'know what. Screw Potions for today, it's too lovely to be cooped up inside. What do you say you tell me what you're planning and we go steal some rotten pumpkins from Hagrid's to hide in Filch's office." Marlene stopped and sauntered up to him with a sly smile. "Or I'll just see you on the Quidditch pitch and make sure you get hit by a bludger-- on accident of course." Marlene joked again.

[dissentiousdog-blog]

Party Prep / Marlene and Sirius

Sirius Black, resident trouble maker, was roaming the halls, considering his options. The first week of term was drawing to a close, and Sirius knew it was his duty to throw the coming back party. Last year the marauders had made a reputation for themselves with their Gryffindor Quidditch parties, and their blowout end of the year celebration by the lake.

This year was going to be even better, Sirius would make sure. With everything going on- family troubles, whispers of an anti-Muggle rebellion, Moony’s furry little problem, O.W.L.S- They all needed a way to unwind, and nothing could do that better than a couple of pints of fire whiskey and loud Muggle rock.

Problem was, Sirius couldn’t put this all together by himself. He needed an accomplice, someone to shoulder half the blame when they inevitably got caught, someone who was clever enough to keep up with him but stupid enough to go along with him. James was in detention, and Remus wouldn’t be willing to partake in what Sirius had in mind, and, let’s face it, Peter just wasn’t very clever. Not many people were willing to help the marauders with their antics, although almost everyone was willing to partake in the result.

Like a gift from Merlin, Sirius spotted the perfect victim… um, friend. Marlene McKinnon, fellow fifth year Gryffindor. Sirius sped up and yelled after her, waving an arm in the air. “Hey, Marlene! Marlene, I’ve got the best idea.”

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Marlene made her way down the corridor holding a book at her side. She was heading to Potions with Slughorn. Marlene was good at potions-- it was a lot like cooking-- so she didn't mind taking the long route to class. Potions was just an easy A to her, just read the book and do what it says, simple. She occasionally stopped at a few windows and peered outside at the brisk fall air. The leave's had not started falling yet and were slowly turning a pleasant shade of orange. This was Marlene's favorite time of year, she liked the cold and warm fires and cuddling up and keeping warm and cozy. 

She must have been staring at the window longer than she realized, because when she turned her head she saw that the halls were emptying. "Shit." she swore, she was still by the Gryffindor Tower and it was quite a walk to the Potions room. "Not a good way to start of the year Mckinnon." she growled at herself and started to move towards the direction of the dungeons when suddenly she heard a familiar sly voice.

"Hey, Marlene!" 

Marlene whipped her head around to see the sickeningly charming, handsome faced Sirius Black. "What is it today Black?" She set her book on the window sill and crossed her arms. "If you need to get under some girl's skirt I'm not helping you." She warned, shooting him a look. "And if you're trying to get under my skirt that's not happening either." Marlene didn't quite like Sirius Black. Sure-- he had his moments. He could be fun  and exciting and silly, but Marlene mainly considered that a "Marauder" trait. 

"What is it?" She raised her brows at him.

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Causing Trouble | Marlene Mckinnon and Johnny Boy

[johnbloodydawlish]

Warm air blew through John’s clothes and his hair. It smelled after summer and flowers and, if the Ravenclaw looked close enough he could see the fireflies dancing across the lawn. Clearly he was at home, this was the garden he grew up in. The garden he hid in, when his father was mad, where he had built a treehouse, which was now half rotten and barely used. As John stood up slowly, unwillingly untangling his fingers and the soft grass, they had dug into and looked over the small hedge. There was the lake. Moonbeams made the surface shine. “This is kind of cheezy,” John thought to himself and already wanted to turn around, when he saw somebody standing at the shore. Somebody looking fairly similar to him, without thinking he yelled out the name of a boy, he knew all too well. Before he could move John heard a loud slam.

At once he woke up. Boy, he had fallen asleep over his studies in the library. Embarrassed he looked around and searched for the reason of his rude awakening, close to him a couple second years had dropped a big pile of books. The slam. Groaning quietly he ran a hand through his hair and over his face, clearly he should leave or he risked falling asleep. As he piled up his books and returned them to their shelves he remembered his dream and grimaced subtly. That was something a girl would dream of, a pretty warm summernight, only thing that was odd was the boy at the shore. John figured that it was kind of a nightmare about his brother again and simply shrugged it off. The nightmares kept reappearing frequently in the past time and the boy just really wasn’t in the mood for anything like that in the last days. 

Basically craving some distraction John quickly left the library and headed to the common room. Maybe Em or Marls had left him a note or something, or one of his mates could be up to something. Actually he wasn’t all too convinced of either, but something just drew him towards the tower of the eagles, so he just went for it. 

Soon he had reached the portal to his common room, with joy he waited for the bronze eagle to give him the riddle. The voice was kind of heavy, but sounded so wise, that it always had a kind of calming effect on John. Pleasant really. “The man, who invented it, doesn’t want it. The man, who bought it, doesn’t need it. The man, who needs it, doesn’t know it. What is it?” Immediately the Ravenclaws brows furrowed, he thought for a moment and looked at the tips of his shoes as usual. Quickly though he raised his attention back to the eagle though, smiling kind of bitterly. “It’s a coffin.” Gently the portal swung open, but John didn’t even step halfway into the commonroom, when somebody ran into him. His craved distraction. “Oi, McKinnon, watch your step!” His tone implied seriousness, as if he was actually angry — which of course he wasn’t, but his face was enlightened by a bright smile.

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Marlene blinked for a moment and smiled back, "Johnny Boy!" she grabbed him in a warm hug before tugging at his arm, "I know you just got here, but let's leave-- I'm not really content with being here much longer." Her voice grew low as she shifted her gaze from him to the whispering Ravenclaws. "Prats" she muffled the word with a cough as she pulled John out the door.

Who better to make her day than John Dawlish? Her favourite charming, silly Ravenclaw. Marlene and John have been friends since she could remember. So long in fact that she couldn't actually recall how they became friends. She'd have to ask him that later, John seemed like the type that had a good memory, or at least she liked to believe so. She looked up at the blue eyed boy as soon as the door shut behind them.

"I think we need to cause a bit of trouble." Marlene smiled, "I'm quite bored you see, and Albert has cut me off from any of the 'fun' he keeps in his liquor cabinet so the best option is for you and I to get rowdy." Marlene snickered before turning around and walking down the hall "Come along John." she called back to him.

Marlene strode across the halls of Hogwarts as though they belonged to her, always stopping for no one. She was tough, hardheaded, and stubborn, and she moved with the strength of a dragon. Marlene had noticed this herself; she liked to watch how people walked about Hogwarts. It intrigued her. Florence always moved like she was dancing or floating, Albert always walked with an undeniable swagger and flourish. It matched their personalities.

Marlene was so lost in thought that she hardly noticed that she was nearing the dungeons. She stopped and turned around to face John, her hair whipping with her as she did so. "I think we're nearing the Slytherin common room, what do you say we mess with a few sssslythering ssssslimy sssssnakes." She joked with a smile.

It was no shocker that Marlene didn't like Slytherins. She was a complete half-blood (thanks to her estranged muggle father), a true Gryffindor (the hat shouted it before it was even placed on her head), and bullying by the other house didn't really help with her opinion of them either. The idea of making a Slytherin shriek brought a sense of pleasure to Marlene. It was a taste of their own medicine. She would never actually hurt one of course-- she wasn't that mean. However, they were often the butt of her pranks.

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

I'm bored.

[alicemurphy]

I know you can be. But somehow when you’re bored you…forget. 

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

I can't really argue with that. That's why I need you Alice! You keep me in line. 

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

I'm bored.

[alicemurphy]

You always seem to start trouble with that phrase Marlene. 

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Oh Alice have more faith! I can be good...sometimes.

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

I'm bored.

Anyone up for an adventure?

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Causing Trouble | Marlene Mckinnon and Johnny Boy

Marlene moved quickly down the corridor, cloaked in the warm glow of the torches that signaled another evening at Hogwarts. The sky was growing dark, and most students were in their dorms conversing and finishing essays. Other students were wandering the halls-- mostly the spacey ones. Marlene was not in either of these groups. Marlene was on a mission. She quickly made her way to the West side of Hogwarts and up the spiraling stairs that led to Ravenclaw Tower.

The door with the bronzed Eagle stared menacingly at her. Marlene hated riddles. She was a great student, easily got high marks on her tests without having to do much work. A slacker she was, but stupid she was certainly not. Riddles -- those were not her forte. Hesitating a tad, she finally tapped on the bronze knocker.

"Give me food I will live, give me water, I will die." The bronze eagle spoke.

Marlene groaned, "Ugh that's just great. Who the fuck would know that?!"  She stood there for a moment and looked around. "Fuck this is so pointless. I dunno? Rocks?" Nothing. She looked around some more, "Paintings?" Nothing. "Torches?!" Nothing. "Fucking Fire?! I dunno."

And like that the door opened. Lucky guess Marlene thought to herself with a tiny amount of pride as she strode into the ornate common room. A gathering of Ravenclaws stared quizzically at her as she made her way inside. "Um--" Marlene said suddenly with a sudden form of shyness, "Is John here?" 

The group looked at her until someone, an attractive one (Was it Caradoc?) spoke up, "Not yet, Marlene. He should be on his way back from dinner though." Marlene smiled in thanks, "I'll just wait outside then." She turned for the door before hearing the familiar whispers, "That's Marlene Mckinnon" "Yeah I know, don't get her angry I heard she could rip someone's head off." "Guys stop being nasty." "Oh hush she won't care she's a tough girl."

Marlene swallowed hard before quickening her pace, Ignore them Marlene, ignore the pretentious arses behind you. Suddenly she slammed into someone, "I-I'm so sorry." Marlene said, mentally punishing herself for looking like such a twat.

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Adventure | Remus & Marlene

[thebookishwerewolf]

Remus laughed a bit as Marlene asked about what the Marauders talked about. It was weird thinking about things in those terms, of generic “do you talk about girls?” questions. The topic did come up, particularly with how James hung on Lily so much and Sirius with his many trysts (Marlene was spot on there) but it was always different that that. Or, it felt different. Maybe that was just Remus. He was always a bit awkward around girls when romance and such was involved. “Well I won’t deny that the topic comes up.” He smiled. “Having fun is good. I think we all need it to relax sometimes.”

His smile turned into a smirk. “Oh yes, I do, unashamedly. Chocolate is my favorite, too. Anything chocolate, in fact.” It was well known between the other Marauders that the best way to bribe Remus to do anything was to coax him with chocolate, but it was just dawning on him that it wasn’t as well known within the rest of the school. He nibbled on his cake as he listened to Marlene, smiling when she complimented him. He nearly sputtered when she called the Marauders cool, though. It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard it before, and he knew the things people said about them around the school, but hearing it said to his face by someone he considered a friend was a bit different. He didn’t hate it though, despite what Marlene claimed.

“First of all, you don’t sound like some annoying girl,” he started. “We’re not all that we’re cracked up to be, really. We’re considered ‘cool’ because we break the rules and more often than not get in trouble because of it. Thank you all the same though, I’m not trying to shatter the illusion.” He laughed, hoping his comment wouldn’t create tension. “I don’t think it’s bad that you’re blunt, you know. The world could do with more people who were honest like that, even if most don’t want to hear the truth.” Remus wished he could be more honest with people, as holding his secrets in did take its toll on him and his mental health, but he really didn’t have a choice. But he did admire those who could be that way, say what they think and such. “And I’ll be sure to say hi more often, then,” he smiled before he started laughing at Marlene’s pinky promise.

“Alright, alright.” He looped his pinky through hers and gave their hands a shake. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” And he wouldn’t, he wouldn’t even dream of it. He knew what it was like to have insecurities and was surprised that Marlene seemed to trust him so much, but was happy that she did. He wouldn’t want to hurt her, and he knew that by telling anyone, that’s precisely what he would do. 

Remus let out a small sigh as he thought over her question. Did he want to venture into the Forest with her? He looked over at her and saw that she’d flipped onto her stomach and was watching him. Something told him that he’d regret it if he didn’t, and that he’d probably regret it if he did. Time passed differently in the forest, and he had a sinking suspicion that they would miss their afternoon classes. “Alright, we can go for a little walk,” he said haltingly. “But only for a little bit, we really shouldn’t skive off all our afternoon classes, and we don’t want to get deep enough to get lost or meet some unsavory being.” The likelihood of them getting lost was slim, as Remus knew the Forest very well, but running into something could happen very easily. Werewolves weren’t the only creatures that lurked those woods. Not that it was a full moon so even if they did run across one, it’d be human and wouldn’t harm them. Or, at least they could reason with it. But there were worse things. 

He stuffed the rest of his chocolate cake in his mouth and stood, wiping his hands on his trousers before holding one out to help Marlene up. 

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Marlene smiled warmly at Remus as they locked pinkies, "That's the spirit. Thank you." Marlene smiled before quickly punching him in the shoulder, "Now let's stop with the silly stuff and head into that forest!" she took his hand when he offered it to her and hoisted herself up. The smaller girl bounced forward "Adventure is out there!" She shouted as she made her way towards the forest. "Don't be so silly Remus, there aren't any 'unsavory beings' here. It's broad daylight!" 

For a while the forest seemed to let in a perfect amount of light. The way the beams flickered through the multiple fluttering tree leaves left an ethereal light among the forest floor below. However, soon the forest became darker- whether this was because it was getting later or the two were getting in deeper was unknown- and Marlene slowed down a tad.

The girl was often known for her bravery and spirit, however that didn't mean that she wasn't uneasy in the darker forest. Nevertheless, She forced herself onward. 'Don't be a baby Marls, it's just the forest. No 'unsavory beings' here just forest.' The brunette told herself as she stepped forward.

She looked back at Remus. "You know where we are don't you? I mean-- I do, I'm just making sure you do." That was a lie of course.

For a moment Marlene gazed about the darker forest, flinching slightly at any noise. She felt a strong will to run and hide behind Remus or to grab him and speed back towards the castle-- but that was not the Gryffindor thing to do or the tough girl thing to do. After all, Marlene was a tough girl wasn't she? She had to stay to prove something to herself.

"Oh well, let's see what cool stuff we can find around here Remus!" She said finally and began looking around the forest.

[marlene-mcbadass-blog]

Enjoying a midnight stroll

Of course I'm being as quiet as possible. Can't wake the sleeping dragons-- I mean Professors.