The Dance of the Outcast ||Marlene & Evan || Yule Ball, 1975.
“I’m telling you. Dorian told Ellie who told me that Tad will ask you to the ball eventually. C’mon, Marlene, we all know he will!”
Marlene rolled her eyes, though there was a bit of a smile on her face. It was hard not to smirk when someone told you your crush wanted to ask you to the Yule Ball, and Marlene McKinnon, brazen as she might be, was not immune to said nerves. There was nothing serious between her and Tad Millington, but it was quite explicit that they liked each other very much. Marlene was looking forward to going to the ball with him.
The problem was, she couldn’t wait for him forever. The ball was only a few days away and yet all the blonde had heard was things that someone told another someone that eventually he was going to ask her out. It was an old story by now, and as much as she hated it, Marlene had to start considering other options, because going alone was out of question for someone like her. As much as she liked Tad, she couldn’t risk ending up without a partner. It wasn’t like she could count on the Marauders as a last resource for much longer.
“Eventually isn’t enough, Tam. I’ll end up in my dress at the foot of the stairs waiting for him to ask me at this rate” the blonde tried to make her best friend understand, shrugging “You know how much I like him, but I can’t just…live my life in function of him, waiting for him to come around”.
They were on their way to Arithmancy (unfortunately!) after lunch, neither feeling too eager to attend that class. It was Marlene’s least favorite subject in the world and even as the class was just down the hall, she was still desperately searching for a last minute excuse to miss it.
She was not expecting that excuse to come in the form of one Evan Rosier of all people, but then again, she hardly ever expected Evan at all.
The blonde stopped surprised when he called her from across the hall. A half smile curved her lips as she turned to Tamira, who had been about to say something.
“Tell the teacher I had to go to the bathroom, okay?”
Tamira shut her mouth sharply, her lips forming a thin line as her dark eyes went from Marlene to Evan, disapproval clear in her attitude.
“We’re already late, Marls” she commented nonchalantly, her fingers closing around the blonde’s forearm. Marlene rolled her eyes and yanked her arm free with a gentle tug.
“Just go, I’ll catch up later!” she insisted, already starting to walk away, ignoring her best friend's judging eyes on the back of her head. She was used to that sort of reaction from her part whenever her unusual friendship with Evan was concerned, it was nothing new. She’d learned to ignore the social prejudices others had between members of other Houses, especially Slytherins.
She trotted towards the older boy “I think my best friend is afraid of you” she observed once she was near, a teasing little smirk curving her lips.
