( ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ·s ᴀ ʟɪɢʜᴛ )

❛There was no in-between for her. It was either all or nothing. She wanted everything but settled for nothing. ❜

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

i’ll get over you : j+m

[messr-james]

                  At the start of the year, James kept a close eye on his surroundings. He made mental notes of everyone inside a room before he stepped into it. He was so careful to avoid her. The tension he felt even stepping out of his own room was palpable. It was Sirius who pointed out that Marlene was probably doing the same thing, so he really shouldn’t worry about it. Not only that, but Marlene had friends who were probably also doing the same thing. His mates weren’t going to be that helpful. They didn’t care that much. Well we care, Sirius had said, but you know. Not chicks. So James decided to give it a shot. He stopped being so cautious. Sirius had been correct up until this point. All she did was clear her throat and he felt his blood run cold. He very carefully set his broomstick against the wall and the wax he had been cleaning it with on the floor before looking up at Marlene. She hadn’t changed much. Maybe her hair had gotten a centimeter longer and she had developed light circles under her eyes from lacking sleep or extensive nerves, but nothing major had changed. Except her smile. It used to be so bright when gifted in his direction. Today it was more uncomfortable than anything else. Her twitching fingers at her side matched, letting James know she was nervous. He was nervous too, but he gave her a half smile anyway and moved over for her to sit.

                                    “Of course I do.”

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

                  “ Right, then. Brilliant. “  A part of her wished that he would have politely dismissed her, or to claim that he was only just leaving ---- to which she would have  understood with equal politeness. It was probably better that he hadn’t, despite her internal protestations. If she didn’t start the dialogue right then, it was quite possible that she never would. Setting her equipment bag down, she moved to sit beside him, making sure to allow a certain amount of distance between them. “ Really nice work with --- well, with practice today. It went really well, I thought. “ Marlene cleared her throat again, wishing she could stuff the words back into her mouth and make herself seem less a fool. Impulse urged her to just blurt out all of the questions she had for him --- get it all over with and that would be that, but Marlene had been trying. She was really trying to think before she spoke, before she acted, or before she reacted. She was trying to do the things that she assumed mature adults would need to do. She was trying to pretend that she had herself together, and hide the fact that she didn’t have a clue. So, instead of probing him with a summer full of questions in one go, she began spouting meaningless small talk instead, very mature.                   “ Maisie’s a Ravenclaw. I don’t know if you noticed --- at the sorting. She’s a bloody Ravenclaw and she loves it, which is good, right? And you’re Head Boy, which is new. Not bad a new or anything --- uh, good on you for that one. Nicely done. “ Once again, she was hoping and praying that the whole earth would have mercy on her, see what a disaster this whole thing was, and swallow her whole. Once again, she was dancing around him. He had to have known that she hadn’t come to talk to him about her unresolved issues with her little sister’s sorting, or to congratulate him for a position that he hadn’t really been searching for. He had to know that she wasn’t being totally honest with him, and that simply wouldn’t do. They didn’t lie to each other, that’s not who they were. She stared straight ahead of her, mouth opening to speak before falling closed when the words wouldn’t come. I’ve really missed you. I think we need to talk about what happened. I was so angry for a long while at you, but I don’t think I am anymore. More than anything, I just wish we could talk to each other without all of this. She couldn’t form any of those thoughts into anything that resembled a sentence or sentiment, but she had to try for something. Eventually, she looked over to him, lips twitching slightly. Looking at him, she realized where she wanted to start. She realized what was most important to her. When it all came down to it, there was really one thing weighing on her. 

                               “ Are you okay? I know I probably should have come and said something sooner, or maybe I shouldn’t have said anything at all. But I’ve just been thinking a lot and I wanted to know if you were okay. And If you weren’t okay, well, maybe I’d want to know that too. So... are you?”

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

i’ll get over you : j+m

              It was beginning to feel like a dance, an intricate web of avoidance. Dorcas served as a scout of sorts, clearing a path to walk safely without encountering one James Potter.  A summer full of space should have been enough to make co-existing in a school --- in a house --- on a team tolerable. She was Marlene McKinnon, the smile-girl who never let a single thing trouble her. Nothing daunted her. She was fearless to most. Only some knew that she was vulnerable. He knew, and perhaps that was what frightened her the most. She was terrified because she still cared. Before she was Marlene, James’ girlfriend --- she was Marlene, James’ friend, and the absence of that was tangible. He had lost something that could never be replaced. He needed the space, she gave it to him. Now? Now she was left with a strand of questions that would only be answered by doing what, a month ago, would have been unthinkable. TALK TO HIM. Marlene needed to know that he was alright. It had taken her nearly all day to muster the courage she required, and to find a time where they wouldn’t be interrupted by their friends --- those who knew but didn’t know how to react. The time after Quidditch practice seemed to be her window, so she forced herself to be FEARLESS. Waiting until the team had dispersed, the brunette made her way to where the Captain was sitting. She cleared her throat to make her presence known, shuffling her weight from one foot to the other. It took a moment of actually looking at him to forge a smile. A little gesture of her head asked for the permission to sit beside him, hands fidgeting at her side.

                    “ Have y’got room for me? “

[yesmalec]

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

 likeawilderland:

    ❝ Nothing like that today. We’re going to go until you say stop. ❞

                                  Words which started off a summer of adventure, a summer of searching for something that seemed to go missing from her friend’s eyes. Or at least had threatened to leave. They found wonder in canyons and strangers on trains. Marlene needed a break from school, from the confusion of trying to figure out who she ought to be - she needed time to simply exist. Pretenses of ideas of how things should work were dropped when it was just the two of them. 

   ❝ Maybe we’ll end up discovering something. That’d leave a legacy. ❞

           ❝ Can I say stop once we’re back in Barcelona?❞

          Dimpled smile suggests that she’s merely joking, but her inflection betrays her. Wanting desperately to return to a time where she was totally and completely herself -- no questions asked and no judgements passed, makes living in a time where she feels like someone else entirely more difficult. Responsibilities loom overhead again, heartache threatens to settle in her chest once more. Digging her heels into the ground below her, she leans her head against her friends. 

              ❝Tell me something that doesn’t make me feel absolutely bonkers. ❞

[messr-james]

Knocked Senseless | J & M.

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

 messr-james:

James could feel every bone in his body protesting as he pushed himself into a sitting position. “Who would I be if I didn’t show off?” A groan escaped him when he stood. He was hunched over, not yet upright. His voice was strained when he said, “Probably Remus. And nobody wants that.” Stretching his arms up above his head and leaning backwards, James could feel what the tree had actually done to him. His body crackled in different places and his face scrunched up in momentary pain. It was gone a moment later though, and he did a few jumps as if to shake himself out.

                    “I’ve never been better,” he told her. “You okay?” He began walking as he waited for her answer. There was a hole in the ground under some twisted up roots and he walked right down into it. It was spacious, didn’t involve any crawling.

His grin was huge, “This is the entrance to the shack.” Excitement bubbled inside of him because he was finally getting to share this with someone who didn’t already know what was at the end of the tunnel. It was a bit of a walk in almost complete darkness. There wasn’t much to see though, just some foreboding claw marks. So he skipped taking his wand out to shed some light and took her hand to guide her towards their destination.

James had memorized this path a long time ago and didn’t need to see where he was going to get them there safely. Besides, he didn’t want her to see the marks. They looked scarier than they actually were. There was nothing there to hurt them in that moment, he knew for sure. He wouldn’t have brought her otherwise. Though that genuinely wasn’t for her protection, but someone else’s.

Bits of light could be seen as they reached the end of the pathway. There was a rickety ladder and a trap door above them that had holes it in from years of decay. James let go of her hand to make the climb first, opening the trap and holding it ajar for her. “Here we are, McKinnon.” They were in a dusty, old parlour. The front door that was boarded up from the outside was actually quite beautiful on their end. Though shrouded in dust, it was preserved and there wasn’t actually any wooden boards at all. It was just a charm to keep curious passersby from peaking inside. “The Shrieking Shack.”

       She blamed the chill in the air for her breathlessness. The wind for her lightheadedness. And perhaps, the alcohol for her giddiness. When he asked if she was alright, she offered up another ‘hmm?’ before attempting to catch up  ❝ I’m okay, ❞ she started, smile in her voice,     ❝ Never better. ❞

       His grin, while infectious, led her to believe that his impressive reveal was just around the corner. While a part of her wanted to immediately call him out as barking mad and intentionally ridiculous, her natural curiosity overruled any ideas of rationality. Taking his hand, she allowed herself to be led through the break in the ground where an almost-passageway took shape. If he was truly making up stories, and if she was capable of remembering that he had led her to a hole in the ground after being tossed around by a tree, she would be sure not to let him live it down. 

       Her footsteps in the dark were uncertain and cautious. Squeezing his hand and holding her free arm out to steady herself as she moved forward onto uneven ground, Marlene noticed how sure of himself he was. ❝ I take it this isn’t the first time you’ve used this route, then. Front door just not your style? ❞ Her tone was without any resentment, but genuine amsement. She had wanted an adventure, and an adventure she had received. 

      Tunnel lead to ladder, which lead to a bright laugh. She had to give him credit, James had the element of surprise down to a science. She watched, mainly for any trick rungs or other surprises as he ascended and opened a door. Then, with a breath, she followed suit. Once she was upright, she brushed herself off before taking a good look around. They were standing in what appeared to be a parlour, dated by old furniture. Particles of dust caught the light, resembling something fairies might leave behind. It was lovely, in its unconventional way. She loved it in hers. 

         The floorboards creaked, just as she imagined they would under her weight. There was something strange about it. She moved to the door, fingertips roaming over the wood. Someone at some point in time had cared for this house a great deal. It was still important for reasons she felt would remain a secret, and maybe it was better that way. Some secret places should remain secret.  

                 ❝ It’s got character, ❞ She mused.        In the corner of the room, brown eyes caught something she had missed in her first glancings ( the dust had really stolen focus ). Its keys were covered in dust, just like everything in the place, but it was familiar. Fingers touching the keys of the piano, she plunked out a few out of tune notes with her right hand. Marlene was in no way musically gifted, at least where this instrument was concerned, but she had always loved it. Her mother had taught her to early on. With a fond smile, she looked over to James.                            ❝ Just in case I forget to tell you later --- thank you for tonight.  ❞

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

1347 ( the game is afoot )| m & l.

       Her hands moved in a frenzy, crushing this herb or that root into some semblance of a remedy. She did not pause to wipe moisture from her brow, or to inquire upon the work of her partner. There was little time for hindrance. Fingers now stained plum from shrivelfig, she exhales a huff of frustration. It is but another on a list of unexplainable things she must create an explanation for should her husband inquire.        It was thankless work, doing what the so called doctor’s could not, adorned like birds with long beaks. They were better. They floated as inconspicuously as they could amongst the sick, dispensing poultices, potions, and charms to provide relief. The Great Mortality, some called it.  Capable of taking the lives of droves in the fell swoop of one day, most regarded it as an act of God -- a signal for penance. Marlene had the sense that only an education ( of a magical degree ) could offer her.       This enterprise was in no way her own. She had matters of family and household to attend to. On days of particular vexation, she’d imagine herself a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Bound to the friendship of days past, when the crimson haired woman had begged her aid -- who was she to refuse? Magical blood had thankfully left her family untouched by the grasps of the epidemic. Life continued for them. She did her part as mistress of her household, watching the suffering of others through rose colored glass. It wasn’t until Lily appeared at her doorstep with her revolutionary idea that Marlene thought about the good she could do. Mothers would not depart from their children if they could help it. Husbands and wives would remain united. So, she stole away in the dead of night, and they worked.        On days of particular vexation, she nearly wished  curse upon curse onto Lily. She wanted to curse the other for reminding her what she used to fight for, for reminding her that she had fallen victim to routine. It was a routine she had become fond of, yes, as mother and wife, but it was a far cry from the wild girl she had once been ( and perhaps still was -- somewhere. ) Pausing her work briefly, she lifted her eyes to her companion, wiping hands in vain with a spare piece of cloth. 

                   ❝ If we’re to continue -- we’re in dire need of Mandrake Root.  ❞

[damagaladriel-deactivated201405]

[tieflesbians-archive]

i think you were made to talk to the stars. (i think the stars were made to listen to you.)

m.v. (via ahmanitas)

[messr-james]

Knocked Senseless | J & M.

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

messr-james:

No one ever went inside the Shrieking Shack. They were either too afraid or they made their way up to the door and saw it was both magically and nonmagically boarded up. Large wooden flats covered every window, hiding whatever was on the other side from prying eyes. However, like most supposedly blocked off things in the castle, James knew of a secret passage to get inside that only few else knew of also. He glanced over at Marlene and shot her a wink before he led them past the house and up towards the castle.

              “It’ll make sense eventually, but you know I have to be impressive before it does.” It wasn’t uncommon for James to keep his venturing partners in the dark until the real magic of the scheme unfolded. As much as he liked to discover and uncover things all on his own, he equally loved to then show those things to other people. He liked to watch what must have been his own reaction displayed on someone else’s face. That was perhaps the best part of every plan.

They made their way into the Hogwarts gates and up around the side of the castle. It was a bit of a trek, but James was in good company. James kept the conversation going with small talk about various different things. So he didn’t even notice they had been walking as long as they had until the Whomping Willow loomed menacingly in front of them. “Ah, here we are.” He stopped walking and surveyed the monster carefully. “Alright, McKinnon. This is where it gets interesting.” He grinned, still feeling the liquor slosh around inside his belly. It would be interesting, yes, but more than that it would be complicated. His slight inebriation could possibly get him killed. But he threw caution to the wind.

                       He was suddenly overwhelmed by the need to impress a pretty girl.

              “Do you remember that game everyone used to play where we would all run at the tree and see if we could touch the trunk before it got us?” He paused and sucked in air through his teeth. “I started that.” James’ cheeks puffed out as he let out a deep breath and then took off directly for the tree. Knowing from experience, if you thought about it too long you were more likely to become the beasts personal rag doll whereas if you just went into it without hesitation or trepidation, you were much more likely to a successful outcome.

Granted, his coordination was off due to the amount he had to drink prior to deciding to visit the shack and so it hit him on the shoulder and sent him flying forward. He hit the ground hard, rolling over himself until something hard stopped him in his tracks. He stayed very still as the world seemed to swirl around him. The was a type of nauseous he had never been before, despite being the kid that would purposefully see how long he could stay upright while spinning.

                                                   His record was three minutes.

Once his vision finally cleared, he realized where he was - smashed up against the trunk of the tree. The branches were swinging wildly above him, but they could not reach him here. Grinning to himself, he moved his hand along the ground until he felt a stump against the root of the tree that was distinctly round. He pushed his palm against it and watched the limbs turn lifeless. He was breathing easy as he pulled himself up right. He was sore, but he was still James. His spirits were instantly lifted. “Well, how’d I do?”

      Of course, waltzing up to the front door and simply walking inside was not a part of the plan. What was another confusing aspect to an already unexpected evening in the grand scheme of things. Still, Marlene was quick to narrow her eyes at the boy as he gave her a wink before plodding along at his side.

           ❝ You’d best be impressive --- otherwise I’ll have to assume that you’re all talk. ❞ It was her turn, then, to shoot a playful wink his way. James had always been one for a big reveal, a big finish, or a grand discovery.  He was impressive. He was impressive, Marlene thought, without even trying too hard to be impressive. He wasn’t one for the easiest path if there was another route with more spectacular scenery. He stood out almost effortlessly. She was fairly sure that she liked that about him quite a lot.

            Conversation between them came easily now. It was as if the uncomfortable beginnings of the evening had been wiped clean, relaxed conversation becoming a welcome exchange. The long haul to wherever James was leading her didn’t register, her thoughts preoccupied with the talking and the laughing that took place.. Before she knew it, the pair stood in front of the Whomping Willow, prompting another narrowing of dark eyes at him. While James surveyed the merciless tree, Marlene was content to maintain her distance. Fearless or not, the Whomping Willow was certainly not something to be trifled with, especially under the influence. She prepared herself for amazement, although a slight hint of apprehension touched her features.

           ❝ Of course you did. Why wouldn’t it have been you? ❞ Just as she was preparing another quippy comment ( hopefully to be followed by another smirk or a wink to indicate that she was joking ), James started head first towards the tree. ❝ Merlin’s beard, James! You’re going to get yourself killed! ❞ Calling after him seemed entirely pointless, but she did it all the same. All Marlene was left to do was to watch, fear mingling with bewilderment as he managed to get himself knocked back --- it looked like it hurt. She gasped, hands clamping over her mouth, eyes wide. 

           Tempted to run after him, Marlene had to force herself to remain firmly planted against the ground in wait. She’d be absolutely no help to him if she, too, was tossed about and left unconscious by the tree. Watching him slumped against the tree, she took tentative steps forward, careful to avoid the snapping limbs of the Willow until suddenly they fell limp. Impressive indeed. With the danger of being attacked by the foliage lessened greatly, Marlene approached. With a breathless smile, she shook her head at him, eyes lifting to meet his gaze.

                  ❝ Top marks for effort, showoff. You okay?  ❞ 

[useryennefer]

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

romerohayden:

“Honesty in art inspires and moves me. I am passionate about creating truthful experiences as much as I love being the spectator to a brilliant body of work.”

[likeawilderland-deactivated2017]

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

likeawilderland:

DORCAS MEADOWES & MARLENE MCKINNON | .001

❝ I want to be the mirror that reminds you to love yourself, I want to be the air in your lungs that reminds you to breathe easy: when the walls come down, when the thunder rumbles, when nobody else is home. ❞ Sarah Kay & Phil Kaye, “An Origin Story”

[messr-james]

Knocked Senseless | J & M.

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

messr-james:

James nodded in agreement with her statement about who he was versus who he could have been. “Can you imagine if I had been born a Malfoy?” He let out a bark of laughter at the concept. Everything would have been different. He would’ve been in Ravenclaw, if he was lucky. If not… he probably would’ve been in Slytherin and enjoyed it. He wanted to be like his dad now, who’s to say it would’ve been any different had he been born to a Malfoy? “Oh god, I probably would’ve been friends with Snape.” This was a side comment. It wasn’t said very loud, but it voiced his dislike for the boy without even trying. Granted, he probably also would be a lot older. Proposed marriages weren’t loving. They had children so they could maybe dote on them. If not, they merely shared a house and a volt at Gringotts.

James’ parents had been forty before they had him. If Dorea had married elsewhere, it may have happened a lot sooner. She wouldn’t have been with someone she was content to just be with like Charlus.

                        “I think I would hate me.” He said quietly. It was almost frightening. He felt like he had dodged a very big hex. Shaking his head to get himself out of his funk, he brought his attention to the game at hand. The shot James had been dreading all night landed in Marlene’s responsibility and - despite the rules of the game - he just couldn’t let her do it. He had been there before, and he knew what it did to a person.

Grinning again, he took her hand. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here.” He slipped out of the booth and accompanied her out the door. Now that he was on his feet, James realized just how much he had drank. He could feel it sloshing around in his stomach as he walked. It was also a bit windy outside and he was nowhere near cold. That was a pretty good sign. He didn’t let it sway him too much though. He immediately began walking, not nearly as aware of his hand still holding hers as he had been earlier. “Have you ever been to the Shrieking Shack, McKik- … McKitten?”

                           If there was a mistake in there, he wasn’t aware of it.

James kept walking up the hill towards a place he knew very well. People liked to say it was haunted, but it wasn’t. It was just old. The screaming they usually heard wasn’t the ghost of an old, murdered woman. It was a werewolf in pain. But that was another story for a different time. And it wasn’t his to tell anyway. “I doubt you’re scared, but if you are you should know that it’s actually just a big old house. It’s run down and nothing works in it anymore but it’s still got all kinds of stuff it in. Whoever lived there once left all their belongings behind.” James’ childhood curiosity never left him, and it probably never would. He loved exploring and discovering things that hadn’t been touched in centuries. It was what made him exciting. His impulses and his reckless abandon made him unable to stop at any roadblocks. He soared over them because he just knew there was something fantastic on the other side. And his feet never touched the ground anyway.

        An audible sigh of relief pushed through her lips as soon as she realized that she would not have to endure something so grotesque as downing tentacles on a first date. With a bubble of a laugh, she nodded in silent agreement and slid out behind him.  If she had her wits about her, she would have immediately blamed standing up too fast for the way she nearly tripped over her feet and toppled face first onto the ground. Thankfully her thoughts were a little too fuzzy to worry herself about a touch of embarrassment.

        The wind whipped strands of dark hair against her face and into her eyes and she attempted to lazily swat them away with her free hand, temporarily tucking them behind her ears and huffing slightly in frustration as they returned right to her eyes. It took a few moments for the question to register in her ears, but as soon as she did, she quickly attempted her futile efforts and looked at him. The Shrieking Shack. Marlene had always been wary of the stories that surrounded the Shack ( growing up with Marcus and Malcom forced you question everything ---- worried that you were the gullible victim to a tall tale that wove itself into truth in your mind ), but hadn’t truly considered visiting it for herself. 

              ❝ Let’s go. ❞

        Walking beside him, she listened as he described what the building really consisted of. Marlene was up for just about anything, particularly if there was the possibility of an adventure or a mystery along the way.The trip to the shack had the possibility for both.  The thought of looking at dusty, decrepit furniture had her interest peaked.  What sort of story --- what sort of life could she piece together from overturned chairs and broken glass? Someone had lived there once. What had they been like? What left the house abandoned one day, left to gather cobwebs and foster frightening stories?

      Now, in front of of the famed structure, Marlene was practically buzzing with excitement ( or perhaps she was merely buzzing in general ). The whole house seemed to creak and sway in the wind, like one large gust  would turn it into kindling. Grin on her lips, she looked over to James

             ❝ Are you going to give me the tour?  You sold me one, non-haunted, abandoned house, and I’m expecting nothing less.   ❞ 

[messr-james]

Knocked Senseless | J & M.

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

messr-james:

Marlene had a great laugh. Like most girls, she had many different laughs, but the version that said she didn’t care who heard, didn’t matter what it sounded like, was his favorite. This was the version of Marlene that had absolutely no worries. If it lasted for a while or for a very short time, he was glad he could at least give her that. The kind of laughter that couldn’t be held in or stopped mid way. Sometimes you would slow down and you would think about it only to start laughing once more a moment later. Even though his throat was now hurting, he’d do it again just to hear her laugh like that.

Not being sappy… because they were friends. He’d do anything to hear any one of them laugh like that. It was only a little different. Sirius laughing like that didn’t make James want to snog him. But it was basically the same thing.

                                                            –– Right?

James rubbed a hand down his face, pulling himself out of his thoughts. The alcohol had him thinking too much, as it typically did. The first time he ever got pissed he had asked Lily Evans out in front of the entire Great Hall. She had (brutally) denied and everyone laughed because he told her that was fine. Next time. Sirius later told him what had happened and James quickly made a game of it. Ask Lily Evans out as extravagantly as possible, see how mean she can get.

He wasn’t proud of it, but he had been a troublesome kid.

                  “Hey, I believe it. Fairies are devious. The McKinnons have always been too nice to be related to you.” He nudged her back when she bumped him. it was an instinct, not meant to be made a game. Not totally smooth with his actions for multiple reasons, James moved his arm around her back and spun the bottle. It landed on an amber liquid James knew very well to be firewhiskey. “Oh, bless.” He picked it up and spun again, happily taking his medicine.

                  “This isn’t really about me, but we’re talking about family so I’ll throw it out there. My mum was actually supposed to marry a Malfoy. She was a Black, you know, and they are in close relationship with the Malfoy’s ––  especially during the war, underwent some massive inbreeding. But she had dated with my dad a bit during school and they met up once they were both working at the ministry. Snagged her within a year, he did. Since he’s pureblood my dear old gran couldn’t really say no. Not that they were on speaking terms anyway.” As he finished, the bottle slowed to a stop. He hadn’t talked any faster than normal, but it had been an easy shot to take so he figured he must have began earlier.

                  “Ther’go,” He slurred, giving her a lopsided smile. “Bit o’ Potter family history for ya’.”

           She was glad that he didn’t immediately jump to give her sympathy for a story from her sulky childhood repository. It wasn’t what she was seeking when she blurted it out, not a cry for attention but a mere statement of fact. She was glad  that he thought she was devious --- not pathetic. James Potter never made her feel pathetic.  Marlene was also wildly aware of the arm around her, and more wildly aware of how it wasn’t as odd as she was expecting. Nothing was as odd as she was expecting it to be. She was expecting uncomfortable laughter and fumbling over words until one of them decided it was better that they never do anything like that again for the sake of their friendship. She hadn’t expected to enjoy herself like she was, or to laugh comfortably and speak plainly. 

             It was probably the influence of the drink. Right? 

           She couldn’t help but bring herself back to revisit the days leading up to what would have been their first date back in third year, and the way she’d blushed whenever she’d pass him in the halls or sneak a glance during class. She had convinced herself in the years since that her excitement was nothing more than the girlish excitement of a thirteen year old who had never been on a date. Letting herself consider that it might have been more was never a possibility. She had shut it down, stepped in her own way --- and it had taken another three years for her to even reconsider those feelings. This time, she decided, it would have to be different. She would need to let herself be open to the idea that something might actually exist. She needed to stop tripping herself up and allow herself the room to feel things without overthinking, regarding James Potter or otherwise. Easier said than done, probably, but the alcohol had filled her with determination.

           Marlene wanted to scowl when the bottle landed on the firewhiskey. That was an easy one, and more importantly, meant that one of them would be left with the tentacled drink. She listened thoughtfully as James gave her a brief look into his family history. It was more complicated than she would have ever thought. After a drawn out ‘hm’, she looked over to him, his grin infectious.                       ❝ I’m glad that your dad snagged your mum, then, ❞ she was slurring slightly too, cheeks warm    ❝ I’m not sure I’d like you as much if you weren’t you.  ❞ It sounded much nicer in her head, but she meant it all the same. She was glad James was James. Another nudge was given to him without word.

         Taking her turn again, she watched with dismay as the bottle landed on the drink she had been eyeing with disgust since the game had started. Tentacles splayed around the rim of the glass, the sight alone turned her stomach --- she was sure it smelled too. Lifting the glass to her lips, she watched as a tentacle wriggled.  Marlene was gutsy, but even she had her limits.  In a bout of disgusted laughter she set the glass back down again quickly, scrunching her nose up. She wasn’t a quitter, certainly not. If she had to do it, she would, but they had not discussed tentacles when going over the rules. Surely there had to be some sort of allowance for undisclosed tentacles. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her evening speaking to her date with tentacle breath --- or speaking to anyone with tentacle breath. Looking over to him with slightly glassy brown eyes, she raised a brow.  

                          ❝ Bloody hell! -----What’s the price for a forfeit?  ❞

[lilydearx-blog]

Trading Grievances||Lily&Marlene

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

lilydearx:

Lily scrunched her nose up at Marlene’s suggestion,                        “I know what I saw, and he did not see me coming,” At the memory of Bertram’s horror-stricken face, she actually laughed. Poor Bertram, indeed. Lily turned again to her toast, hoping some kind of food would replace the unsettled shifting in the pit of her stomach. She wouldn’t let herself admit that she actually missed him, and if he came back to her she’d turn him down flat anyways. It was simply…strange to see Bertram caught in that position and she flushed red to think that at one point she had been that girl, almost angry that it had ever been her in the first place. 

At Marlene’s reaction to what she had hoped to be comforting words, Lily ate her toast. She had clearly not said the right thing and once again she found her face pink with embarrassment. The Mckinnons were a close family but with Maisie being in Ravenclaw, it left Marlene out once again. She scrambled to find the words to make up for her poor wording, but even when she opened her mouth with empty words, Marlene was changing the subject quicker than she could conduct damage control. 

Groaning at the mere mention of it, Lily pushed her plate away in order to thump her head onto the table, remaining there a moment for emphasis.  At one point or another, Lily would have been honored with the position, but now it just seemed like a lot of work she wasn’t prepared for. Peeking up at Marlene she decided not to mention the awkwardness she expected to come with James being Head Boy. 

“When are Quidditch tryouts?” She tried for a new subject, having no intentions of trying out for the team but hoping the subject would be more cheerful. Marlene, Dorcas, and even Mary had all played for the team the past few years and Lily had yet to miss a match. She couldn’t fly a broom or swing a bat to save her life, but she could certainly admire those who could. 

        Pushing thoughts of Maisie as an eleven year old minister of magic, waving to her adoring family ( proud parents ) to the side for now, she decided to focus her attention as solely as she could on her conversation with Lily. She was good at being a friend, that she knew for sure. If only she could fashion a career for herself with the skills she had in friendship, she’d be set for life. Marlene McKinnon : Professional Friend, walking living disaster.

       ❝ Tryouts are in the afternoon on the fourth, but we’ll get to that in a moment. Step back, yeah? ❞  Qudditch tryouts, thankfully were an item on a very small list of things Marlene was not currently worried about. She was fairly confident in her own abilities. Growing up with two older, athletic brothers, had its perks. She was surprisingly strong for someone her size, making her the perfect Beater to both distract and amaze. 

.          ❝ What’s got you down about it? If anyone deserved this post, it’s you, Lil.                                                                          Are you and James butting heads?   ❞

    There was a part of her, a stupid, sentimental little part that wanted to ask Lily how James seemed to her. Marlene hadn’t really spoken to him since they’d returned. She stole a glance or two, attempting to determine his disposition. More than anything, she wanted to know that he was doing fine. If one were to ask her a month ago, she might have wanted something much different --- stupid sentimental anger clouding her judgement. She knew though, that Lily wasn’t the person to ask about that sort of thing. It wasn’t a great secret that James and Lily didn’t get along. Perhaps that was what was gnawing at her the most in that very moment, the thought of going through others to make sure he was all right. It never used to be like this --- she didn’t want it to be like this. 

       She didn’t feel very hungry any more, and quickly pushed her plate of half eaten pastries away from her, eyes darting down to the other end of the table to try and catch the headline of the Prophet a third year was reading. Leaning towards Lily, a half laugh pushed through her scowling. She needed to laugh despite herself --- in spite of it all. 

        ❝ We’re a right mess, we are, Lily Evans. ❞

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

likeawilderland:

     ❝ Nah, I don’t reckon you do. ❞

                                   Her fingers had always just as easily found Marlene’s as they had her own appendages. Wherever her friend was in arm’s reach was a place Dorcas had wanted to be, if that meant exploring restricted territory or navigating her way to the Great Hall, she preferred to keep that particular hand locked between her particular fingers. She smiled, broadly and brightly regarding Marlene’s apathy only for a second of mock-sympathy before she marched into what had long stopped being the great unknown. A trail of her laugh was all she left behind. 

      ❝ You really ought to work on that backbone of yours. ❞

             ❝ I probably should. Too tired for it now, though. Another day. ❞

                                   She was quick to fall into step with the other girl, muscles having memorized this path long ago, after Dorcas stopped having to dare her to go along with her. Now, a walk through the Forest was one of the few things that frightened her. In fact a stroll through the Forbidden ( familiar ) Forest was a welcome diversion from her thoughts. Squeezing the hand attached to hers, brown eyes darted from one piece of foliage to the next, trying her best to name them as Dorcas had taught her instead of focusing on the knots in her stomach. Her free hand moved to secure dark curls over one shoulder, a puff of air escaping pursed lips. 

                    ❝ Am I to be looking for anything particular, this time out, Miss Meadowes?      I wouldn’t want to spot a rare, dancing kelpie, for example --- say nothing.      and learn later that it was what you were seeking the whole time.❞

[nogitsunew]

[messr-james]

Knocked Senseless | J & M.

[sheburnsbrightly-blog]

messr-james:

Marlene was a strange breed. James wasn’t the type to try and get inside anyone’s head. He was open. What anyone saw was typically what they got. For the most part. Everyone had quirks no one knew about, which was essentially the idea of the game. But other than that, James was an open book. He wasn’t secretive or reserved in any way. Marlene, however, was a different story. She wasn’t quiet or conservative, but something about her was mysterious. Maybe it was because he hadn’t tried to get to know those hidden parts of her in the past, but he could tell that despite growing up around her, there was so much he didn’t know. There was so much he found himself anticipating to find out.

                   “Astronomy?” He laughed loudly - though this was no different than how it normally sounded. “Maybe you should be on a date with Remus instead of me.”

James watched, slightly confused, as Marlene picked up a second shot and tossed it back. He was about to accuse her of jumping the gun when he realized that she was just playing the game. The bottle had stopped. He grinned, “You talk a big game, McKinnon.”

He flicked his wand, sending the bottle spinning and waited in anticipation, hoping it didn’t land on the shot with the tentacles spilling out of it. Fortunately, it didn’t. Unfortunately, it landed on one a solid black in color with the consistency of jello. “Shite,” he muttered. Picking it up, he eyed it warily. This was going to be painful. “This is bullshit.” He spun the bottle and poured the shot into his mouth. It began to congeal as soon as it hit his tongue, stopping his breath and making his entire body reel.

Kicking at the bench on the other side of them, James forced the vial liquid down his throat. He coughed, leaning forward. This was the death shot. Really, the drinker was supposed to sip at it over a long period of time, but that wasn’t how to game worked. So throwing the whole thing in his mouth had caused the bottle to slow to a stop before he had even stopped retching. Typically, everyone guffawed wildly whenever someone landed on that shot because they knew what it entailed. Failure. James sighed sadly when he had finally regained his stability.  “Alright. I love flying and all, but I like to wake up before the sun on the weekends so I can watch it rise while I run through the Forbidden Forest. I’ve done that every weekend since third year.” He picked up the shot at the end of the bottle and drank it. It, unlike the previous one, went down rather smoothly.

James frowned at him own irony, “Your turn.” His frown didn’t last long. He drank some butterbeer to get the sour taste out of his mouth and was grinning again only a moment later. This was still rather new, but he was undoubtedly having fun. “You’re alright, McKinnon.” And he meant that earnestly.

       For the most part, she tried to only allow people to see parts of her that she wanted them to. There were the exceptions of course, ( James being one of them ) that through knowing her better, saw the loud and messy bits too. Even then, she had her reservations. She was fairly sure that only Dorcas had witnessed every facet of Marlene McKinnon. Still, an outsider might only know of the vivacious Marlene with crackling wit and dark, shiny curls. Not everyone knew the Marlene who laughed too loudly, spoke too much, and cried too often. 

         Watching James take his turn drew out one of those bouts of too-loud-laughter, the kind that brought tears to her eyes and turned her face red. She almost couldn’t make out his confession once it was given, and found herself needing to gasp for air at the realization that he hadn’t made it in time. If she had any more grace, or a clearer head, she would have been more apologetic for her outburst. She had neither. 

          It took her plenty of time to regain control of her giggles, and a few sips of butterbeer to refuel her, but she smiled back at him.  ❝ Not so complicated, then?    ❞ With a little nudge to his shoulder with her own, she looked straight ahead to the other side of the booth.  ❝ As far as dates go, you’re certainly not the worst.  ❞ It was the closest she could get to an acknowledgement that things were going much better than she had anticipated without revealing just how much she’d thought about it beforehand. 

         Before she could say anything else to incriminate her, she flicked her wand and sent the bottle spinning.  ❝ Prepare to be amazed.  ❞ The key, she thought, was not to think about what she was going to say, and to hope for a manageable liquid. Luckily, half of her job was done for her as the bottle landed on a bubbling pink drink. Dumb luck, sure, but that didn’t stop the waggling of her brows as she threw it back with ease before sending the bottle spinning ‘round again. 

               ❝ Right, then. I have an odd mark near my left shoulder blade. When I was young, and feeling particularly cross or out of place, I liked to tell myself it was proof that I was a changeling and that the faeries were still waiting for me to come back and swap me out for my parents’ real baby.   ❞

          She wasn’t entirely sure where the admission had come from, prompting a strange little shrug from her shoulders and the flashing of dark eyes. It was true, though, and something she hadn’t really told anyone. It was all old, antiquated Muggle lore --- native to a completely different part of the country, but it was what she told herself all the same. The elves ( or at least, what Muggles thought elves were ) had made off with the real McKinnon baby in the night, leaving an odd little thing in its place.  It was a thought she had laughed at when looked at in retrospect, but at the time it gave her a strange sense of peace. It made her feel as if there was a reason for feeling like she had to do extra to be noticed, or her feeling invisible was justified. Perhaps somewhere, there was a wee human bairn living amongst the faeries, feeling just as lost as she had. 

She didn’t realize how quickly she had spoken until the noticed the bottle stop finally at the foreboding looking tentacles, long after she had finished. Giving James a sheepish smile, she took a long swig of butterbeer.  

           ❝ It’s been a while since I’ve told that story...  I was a little dramatic back then.    ❞             She paused, held her finger out and corrected herself.                       ❝ I was more dramatic back then.    ❞