Vesuvio

Nippin' at my heels, but I'm young, so I outrun 'em.

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

lilyevanssx :

Lily had definitely put off going to see Marlene, and that made her feel even more guilty as she stepped into the busy hallway at St. Mungo’s. Her feet tapped against the tile, and she felt herself moving, but mostly she felt her heart pounding in her chest as she walked to Marlene’s room. She counted the numbers, her mind racing, until she finally stood outside the door. 

Normally, Lily would have walked right in, wrapped Marlene in her arms, and told her that she looked like a queen even in a hospital robe. But today was different. Today was different because Lily had let her down, and her chest ached as she realized that Marlene might not have wanted her there. Needless to say, Lily blamed herself for what had happened to Marlene’s father, and she wished she had stayed. Then again, Alice might not have been safe if she hadn’t left, but it was awful to think that she had to trade Marlene’s father for that.

Gathering up all her courage, Lily walked into the door. Hearing Marlene say her name broke her, but, instead of falling to the ground and begging for forgiveness, Lily crossed her arms and stared at the girl. “Hi,” she said, simply, not really sure what else to say. “I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner… I, um…” She trailed off, looking away. “Are you feeling better?”

A compilation of conflicting thoughts began to bubble inside Marlene’s mind as she looked to the redhead standing to the side of her bed.  The more immediate and irrational side of her wanted to blame Lily for leaving early, but the rationalized part of her knew it wasn’t Lily’s fault.  Everything went sideways and while there were two Death Eaters she had to face, Marlene was sure she could take care of everything on her own.  And she was wrong about that.

Blinking a couple of times, the blonde raised a hand as she shook her head.  Fingers bent and refusing to cooperate, she sat it back down atop the hospital bed.  “Don’t worry about it,” she said in the same voice.  And in all honesty, she knew that was the main gist of what she wanted to say.  While not all of her was ready to forgive herself, she knew she needed to say something positive and helpful after everything that happened tonight.

Marlene began to trace along the seam of her blankets as she rattled around in her mind to continue the conversation.  She didn’t want things to be weird or awkward between them.  After all, they were friends weren’t they?  Even if she was engaged to the man she considered her brother, she and Lily were friends right?  “How’s Harry and James?” she asked, turning her head so she could fully look at Lily.

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

the-alicelongbottom :

“I don’t–” she closed her eyes and hesitated for a moment.  Years had passed since her father’s death and still a single word could send her back to that day.  A single word could remind her of the worst time of her life.  “I don’t know if I ever clearly articulated to you what you did for me that day, Marlene.  I know I said thank you before, but… I– I genuinely and truly don’t know that I’d be here today had you not made me see sense.  And– if you need anything at all I’m– I’m here f-for you.”

She squeezed her friend’s hand with as much strength as she could muster.  “I met your dad once– at the Ministry.  He was coming to apply for some license or another.  We chatted in the elevator briefly.  I d-didn’t know him at all, but the entire encounter made me feel happy.  It m-made my day.  I just– I just thought you should know that the rest of this w-world is going to feel his loss.”

For just a moment, Marlene thought back to that moment back in 7th year, speaking with Alice, trying to help her see that icing out her friends after a loss wasn’t healthy.  And while the blonde didn’t want to keep her friends so far away, she knew that this would take her a moment to process.  Even more than her brother’s loss, this was a lethal blow to her family.  But Alice’s words did mean a lot.  They were encouraging and more than anything it was comforting to know someone else knew what this felt like.  “Thank you,” she said, barely able to speak above a whisper.

The story only made her cry more.  Her father was a good man.  He didn’t start trouble, he never rocked the boat in social situations and actually got along with most people despite conflicting beliefs.  Of everyone in her family, he was the least deserving of a fate like this.  And Marlene nodded her head in agreement with Alice’s last statement.  “The rest of the world is going to feel this,” she said, nodding her head as she looked straight ahead.  She was going to make sure of it.

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

rcmvslvpn :

Remus groaned. “If you get me Every Flavoured Beans for Christmas, McKinnon, I’ll throw them away,” he announced dramatically. “Or give them to Sirius. He actually likes those things. Merlin knows why.” He went to grab a few things from the spread of underwhelming hospital food. He found a tray of pudding cups and ended up taking two just in case Marlene turned out to be hungry.

“So,” he said, sitting back down and placing the cups and spoons between them. “Would you rather…” He had to get her back for exploiting his personal hatred of Every Flavoured Beans. “Never be allowed to do magic ever again…” He trailed off, grinning before his next scenario. “Or kiss Severus Snape?” 

“That’ll take care of Sirius’ Christmas gift.  You’re brilliant Remus,” Marlene said facetiously.  She knew getting Remus Every Flavoured Beans as a gift would be like him getting her those gross chocolate frogs.  Watching as he left, Marlene gingerly pressed against her side, happy that it wasn’t hurting nearly as much as it had earlier.  But she knew she still didn’t feel well.

Staring down at the pudding cup, she thought about forcing it down.  Technically, Marlene hadn’t eaten in a day or so.  The thought of food or hunger wasn’t really there in the forefront of her mind, but even in the brief moment that she did think about food, nothing sounded appetizing.  As soon as he asked his scenario, Marlene was brought back out of her thoughts and she snorted out a laugh.  “Merlin,” she breathed out, considering her options.  “Is there a neither option here?  I mean, I don’t want to give up magic forever, but I’m not snogging with Snape--ever.  I guess...giving up magic.”

Once she’d recovered from her answer, giving an over dramatic shimmy to illustrate how hard her decision was, she tilted her head toward Remus.  “Now, would you rather sit through a never-ending potions class with Slughorn or sit and listen to Professor Binns for an equal amount of time--but it isn’t class?”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

rcmvslvpn :

Remus wrinkled his nose and gestured to the walls. “All of them!” he exclaimed. “That one and that one!” he pointed to the walls around them and laughed. He shrugged, knowing no one would want to work at any job for that long, even if they enjoyed it, and Marlene certainly didn’t enjoy hers.

Remus groaned. During his second year he had a contest with Peter to see how many Every Flavoured Beans they could eat. Peter had won because Remus had dumped the entire contents of a package in his mouth and promptly thrown up muti colored vomit all over the common room. Remus couldn’t see a pack of Every Flavoured Beans without feeling even slightly nauseated. But Dung Beetles… “You’re evil, McKinnon!” he said, pushing open the door to the cafeteria. He lead her to a table and helped her sit down. “I suppose the beans…And you know how much I hate them.”

“Dust, mold, whatever--I will stomach that better than working at Hog’s Head for 80 years,” she said with a simple shrug.  Again, Marlene understood that her job there was temporary, only meant to be used for the purposes of gathering intelligence for the Order.  If they won the war, she’d quit her job instantly.

She snickered as she took a seat with Remus’ help, happy that she didn’t have to verbally ask for the help.  “I was never nice when playing this game,” she mused, waiting for his answer.  She was pleasantly surprised by his answer, her eyebrows raising as she stared at him.  “No way.  I’ll have to keep that in mind come Christmas time.”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

Sterile walls and a steady rotation of nurses filtering in and out to clean her bandages easily became Marlene’s own personal prison.  For most of the day, she had nothing to mentally distract her.  She didn’t bother to do anything with her hair, sure it was tangled judging by how restless most of her sleep was over the past couple of days.  Running her fingers through it only confirmed the tangled mess of blonde tendrils.

And with her idle mind came the unrelenting over analysis of the events that took place in her childhood home.  The sight of her father shouting for her to move out of the way.  She was too slow.  She was too distracted and shocked at seeing Regulus Black there.  If her dad hadn’t pushed her out of the way, the curse would’ve hit her and she would’ve been the one dead.

Before her brain could replay the whole scene over again for probably the hundredth time, she heard someone enter the hospital room.  Blue eyes rose to see a familiar face, one that didn’t help take her mind off of the very event she was trying to distract herself from.  “Lily,” she greeted, her voice feeling flat.

@lilyevanssx

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

rcmvslvpn :

Remus nodded and smiled as he made their way towards the cafeteria. He was hoping maybe they’d have something slightly edible and chocolate–like a cup of pudding or a small piece of stale cake. “Would you rather…” he began, racking his mind for a scenario that could stump his friend.

“Would you rather lick every wall in St Mungos or keep your job at Hogs Head until you’re 87?” he asked laughing. He felt young again, like there wasn’t a war waging on around them. It wasn’t good to ignore it all the time, but for a little while, it was good to escape.

“Oh that’s an easy one,” she said, nodding her head almost immediately after Remus finished the question.  Bobbing her eyebrows at him she laughed a bit, feeling like all the heaviness begin to shed even if it momentary.  She’d take any moment where she existed in a world where Hogwarts never fell and everything seemed to be a lot easier.  “Lick every wall in St. Mungos of course.”

Laughing, Marlene sighed as she began to think a scenario up.  “Would you rather eat a hundred dung beetles or would you like to take your chances with a hundred Bertie Bott’s Every Flavoured Beans?”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

rcmvslvpn :

Remus was glad to see some of the spirit still left in his friend. To be honest, he would have been worried if she hadn’t. Marlene was almost always up for an adventure and he would have been worried if she would have rather stayed in bed. “Need help?” he asked, offering his arm to her.

He tried to think of a way he could cheer her up; a way he could cheer them both up. “Wanna play a game?” he asked with a glint in his eyes. “We could play would you rather?” He and Marlene used to stay up til all hours of the night in the common room playing that game. She would come in after everyone else had gone to bed, while he was still there studying by himself. She’d declare that she was saving him from himself, and they’d play a game until he regretted staying up too late and not studying as much as he wanted to. “Just like old times.”

Pushing off the wall, Marlene took Remus’ offered arm, ignoring the dull stab of pain in her side.  The healing potions they gave her earlier in the evening were doing a number and at least she wasn’t feeling the brunt of the pain anymore.  She also knew that staying in her bed meant too much idle time for her brain.  All that really meant was too much time to worry about things she couldn’t change.

A rush of home and security surged through her as she looked back at the brown-haired boy beside her.  Yes.  A game that not only seemed to be their calling card in this friendship, but it was a subtle reminder of a slightly easier time.  Sitting up until the wee morning hours, talking with Remus seemed like such a lifetime ago.  “That sounds lovely,” she said with a nod.  “I don’t know about you, but I could use a little of the old times.  Would you like to start?”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

rcmvslvpn :

Remus felt guilty as soon as he saw Marlene there. She was in worse shape than he was and undoubtedly grieving, and yet she had come to see him. He was in a hidden corridor though, she probably had been wandering around, unable to stay confined to her room anymore, and just ran into him. 

He stood up and hugged her, not saying anything. She looked tired. The usually bubbly blonde was completely expressionless and he didn’t know what to do or say to possibly help her. “I’m more worried about you,” he said, pulling away and looking at her with complete concern. “You should probably be in bed…”

Remus put a hand and smiled at her halfheartedly. “I can get you something from the cafeteria. I’m sure they have to have something slightly edible in there. It would probably do me good to walk around anyway.” He couldn’t remember how long he had been sitting in that same spot, but it had definitely been a while. So many of his friends had actually been hurt, and he was sitting there wallowing instead of visiting them to see if they were okay. “You could come with me if you feel up to it.”

He was right, she thought.  Marlene should be in bed resting.  But laying in bed was something the blonde was never good at, even if walking did cause some discomfort.  The hug was a much needed action.  After all the recent events, she needed to keep up with everyone and check in.  It was in her nature to tighten her friendships and hold them closer.  

“I know, but I got bored,” she explained.  It wasn’t a good excuse to defy the nurses’ and doctors’ orders, but this didn’t feel nearly as bad as they told her it would.  When he invited her to the cafeteria, her eyes brightened up even if just a bit.  Marlene was desperate to keep her mind busy and off of the reason she was laying in a hospital bed in the first place.

“I’m not all that hungry,” Marlene stated, giving a tight-lipped smile as she extended her arm to the wall for support.  Her hair was loose out of the ponytail, messier than usual and her eyes tired.  As she rubbed the side of her face, a more relaxed and genuine smile replaced the former.  “But if it isn’t too much of a bother, I’ll join you on the walk to the cafeteria.”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

jcmespttr :

He leaned against the headboard and looked at the wall instead of at Marlene.  He didn’t want to look at her because he might be the one to cry if he did.  He wasn’t lying to her.  Her dad was as much his dad as his own.  “I did… she may have had to dig it out of a cup of peanuts… but it was there.”

Despite the tears and the urge to break down even further, she couldn’t help laugh, shaking her head as she stared at her best friend in stunned, momentary silence.  “You proposed through a cup of peanuts?” she asked, choked up slightly.  “You’re such an idiot.”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

its-regblck :

His hand was shaking– his hand was shaking so hard he was terrified he’d drop his wand.  He was afraid that his one line of defense would slip between his unsteady fingers.  “I–” his voice sounded weak and pathetic, even to his own ears.

What was he going to do?  Because he was sure this was a make or break moment for him.  Did he follow through with the Death Eaters?  Did he attack Marlene?  Did he try to kill her as he was assigned to do?  Or did he do what he now was sure was the right thing?  Did he let her go?

“No,” he blurted out.  “No, I– but you have to… you have to stun me or s-something.  I can’t get away unscathed or they’ll….”

A look of disbelief washed over her face.  Was he actually asking for her to spare his life after everything that happened tonight?  What right did he have to ask that of her?  As her eyebrows continued to furrow together, mouth set in a tense line, she looked down at her father.  She knew he was dead, but somehow she hoped he was still alive, even if it was just barely.

Humorless and airy, she released a laugh.  Shaking her head Marlene closed her eyes to try and keep her anger at bay.  She knew it was consuming her and clouding her judgment to do the right thing, but it was impossible to do anything but hold Regulus accountable for everything that happened here.

“You’re worried about the wrong people,” she said, her voice low and steady.  “Give me one reason I shouldn’t turn you to stone where you stand.”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

Marlene ignored the taste of metal in her mouth as she watched Rabastan run out of the front door.  The cool autumn draft swept through the living room where she stood, wand pointed and eyes now drifting from the empty doorway to the other strikingly familiar face.  Her chest gave a painful throb at the thought of the body she stood over.

“Are you going to kill me too?” she asked, her blue eyes wild as they challenged Regulus.  She wanted a reason to hurt the enemy that so savagely ripped through her family.  And while she knew she had plenty of reason, she couldn’t help but think of the utterly confused boy in the Muggle coffee shop nearly a month ago, asking for help.  The boy who didn’t believe in the cause he was fighting for and paranoid of someone seeing through the cracking veneer.  What happened here in her childhood home, was it good enough reason to hurt Regulus?

Wand still raised in front of her, her bone-white grip only getting tighter, she felt herself become more frantic and demanding of an answer to her question.  The longer Regulus went without speaking, the more manic Marlene became.  Her chest heaved, her lungs desperate to fill with enough air to keep her going, but no matter how many times she inhaled, it was never enough.

@its-regblck

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

jcmespttr :

He bit down on his lip, thinking of the best way to distract her.  He had known Marlene his entire life– every triumph, every struggle, he had shared with her.  She had been there for it all, and now he didn’t know how to help her.  He didn’t know what to do, and it was killing him.

“I want to get Lil a present for botching my proposal so tremendously.  Any suggestions?”

James was the closest thing that Marlene had to a brother now, and would even make the argument that she’d become a lot closer than Eoghan and she were before he died.  The most immediate proof she had was how he switched the topic from something she very clearly didn’t want to discuss.

“Please tell me you at least had a ring,” she said, looking at him with judgmental eyes.

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

the-alicelongbottom :

It took every ounce of strength she had to reach over and grab Marlene’s hand.  Her fingers were shaking and her grip was weak, but it was as strong a show of support she could manage in the moment.  “Marlene–” she whispered, trailing off.  There was no show of comfort, no show of support, she could give that would matter right now.

“I was lost until you came and r-reminded me of what m-mattered and what was important, and…” She hesitated.  “if there’s a-anything I–” she paused to breath, her lungs feeling like they were on fire, “c-can do just ask.”

Marlene squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying her hardest to remain as calm as possible.  They were both in the hospital with physical injuries and the last thing she wanted was to make things worse.  But the hand gently squeezing her own, Alice’s words of support--everything made it even more emotional than she was prepared for.

“Thank you,” she said.  The gratitude came out in a whisper as pain seized on her vocal chords, pressing them down against her trachea seemingly.  Rubbing her lips together, the McKinnon daughter tried hard to figure out what to say next, something perhaps positive but she couldn’t muster it.  “It’s like I’m underwater, you know?” she mumbled as she opened her eyes and looked at Alice.  “Like everything’s in this weird tint and I’m hearing some things clearly but most of it just a fuzzy mess.”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

daisy-h :

Daisy’s motions were unsteady, rushed and abrupt as she was looking for her wand in order to ease up the work. Hearing Marlene’s voice, though, ceased her attempts, her head tilting rather quickly to the source of the voice.

It was unbelievable, that someone who had never visited this place was able to Apparate here, but it was a fact and she brushed the thought away. The two were in a hangar-like building next to St. Mungo’s, where most of the supplies were kept including herbs, potions, different medical records and some healing books. Most of the experienced healers never visited this place, as whatever was here, they had in their personal cabinets and emergency stashes, so Daisy often found lone time here, researching and trying to get the best out of it.

However, Marlene was injured, and Daisy’s attention was dragged only to helping the girl. She would not let someone be pained more than her at this current her, though what happened to McKinnon - she didn’t know. With fast steps, wand in hand, Hookum soon found herself kneeling next to the blonde, supporting her with her hands. “Close to St. Mungo’s. What happened, Marlene? Are you wounded or is it a bone? I think I can help.“

Wincing, Marlene struggled to hoist herself against the wall adjacent to Daisy.  She asked a question and Marlene was sure she understood it, but at the same time, her mind was preoccupied.  She needed to figure out a way to tell her mother about what happened.  She needed to tell James as soon as she could.  She needed to figure out what the hell happened.  

And with all the thoughts, the blonde became overwhelmed.  Raising a hand, she placed it to the side that was continuously throbbing hot.  She pressed down as blue eyes fixed to Daisy.  Was it a fracture or was it a wound?  Looking down at the blood on her shirt, it might’ve been a wound.

“I’m going with wound,” she said, shrugging off her jacket gingerly.  Once she was able to find a less comfortable way of sitting, she lifted her shirt to see something poking through her skin, both white and strange-looking.  “Daisy, is that bone sticking out of me?  Tell me that’s weird colored wood?”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

truthfuliarx :

Seeing Marlene weak and unable to feel made Rita feel her guts turn upside down. She knew the other blonde was anything, but that. “Well,“ Skeeter started, opening a medium-sized package, that she had brought with herself. “I wouldn’t be a good house-mate if I didn’t bring the ill one’s her greatest desire.” She smirked, pulling her hand out of the bag to reveal a bottle of some old dark-red wine.

At the sight of the wine bottle, Marlene mustered up the strength to sit up, eyes wide and feeling slightly better about the ending to this horrid day.  “Rita, what a rebel,” she said, a small smile ghosting her face.  “The nurses swore up and down I shouldn’t drink during my healing process, but I’m going to need you to pour this into that potion vile over there.”

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

the-alicelongbottom :

She knew where it sounded like this story was going, and she hoped that she was wrong– she hoped she was delirious and seeing destruction where there was none, because the thought of anyone feeling the pain associate with losing a parent caused her stomach to clench.  But the thought of Marlene feeling it caused tears to well up in her eyes.  “Did he–” she didn’t know how to ask, didn’t want to make her confirm… but she also didn’t want to make assumptions.  Maybe Mr. McKinnon was in his own room down the hall.  “Is he…” she trailed off, hoping Marlene knew what she was trying to ask.

She leaned back against the pillows, her eyes closing as she waited for a response.  She wasn’t in a lot of pain so much as every movement, every piece of effort, left her feeling as exhausted as if she had not slept in days upon days.  Her entire body felt heavy, like it was being weighed down.  The only part of her that actually hurt was her head– but that was nothing compared to the memory of the agony she felt when she lost her dad.  If she could help Marlene she would.

The incomplete questions were there.  If only Marlene could find the words to finish them.  She laid there beside her friend, unable to come up with words that accurately described what happened tonight.  After the struggle, the fight and the obvious distraction from the bigger attack on Hogwarts, Marlene was finding it harder to believe what took place tonight at her childhood home.  “They killed him,” she said, pain squeezing ever tighter around her throat as she replayed the image in her head.  

Along with that sadness came the inevitable anger she felt.  No one in her family deserved to die.  While everyone in her family cordially interacted with other Purebloods and found ways to coexist despite ideological differences, of anyone in the McKinnon deserved to die at the wand of another Pureblood, it was herself.  She was the outspoken one, the blood traitor, the sworn deflection to their purist plans for the wizarding world.  But instead of killing her, she was alive in a hospital bed and her father was dead.

[rebellious-marlene-blog]

jcmespttr :

For anyone else he would have rolled his eyes and refused to give them his hand– but this was Marlene, and she wouldn’t take no for an answer.  He let her take his hand and sat next to her on her bed.  “I’m going to talk about it for a second and then I’ll distract you– but Merlin, Mar… I’m going to miss him so much.  My dad, he was old, you know?  Your dad was the one that taught me how to play Quidditch and took me camping.  I– I’m just going to miss him, and I’m… sorry.”

Marlene made it through most of James’ statement.  But somewhere toward the end, Marlene fell apart.  She’d done so well without crying, keeping a sanitized barrier between her and what happened.  She shed a few tears with Alice about it earlier, but the youngest McKinnon thought that would be the end of it.  But clearly it wasn’t.  She wordlessly nodded as a way of silently thanking him for the words, but she refused to voice them.  It wasn’t like much would come out as her vocal chords seized to swallow and stifle the sob.