No One Is Alone

Mother cannot guide you. Now you're on your own. Only me beside you. Still, you're not alone. No one is alone. Truly. No one is alone.

[wermtail]

“While I am delighted to hear the Squid’s in a good mood, I don’t see why we’d have to be there,” he said, walking in a quick pace as he tried to keep up with Marlene. “And could we walk a little, you know, slower? Maybe?”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“Well, you’ve got to hurry if you want to be able to see it all in time,” Marlene practically gushed with childish glee, “I can’t explain it, Peter,” she softened her pace, although so eagerly wanted to sprint her way to the lake, “You’ve just gotta see it!”

[therunawaydog-blog]

Sirius smiled at her slowly, letting out a long loud laugh. “Honestly, Mar, when have you ever liked me? I’m pretty sure the moment I said ‘hi, I’m Sirius’ you tried to glare me out of existence.” He cocked a brow at her. “Are my comments hitting just a bit too close to home?”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

Well...he wasn’t wrong -- Marlene’s never exactly been a member of the Sirius Black fanclub. And this was only worsening his cause, “Gee, I don’t know why I would be, Sirius. You just accusing me of having a crush on one of my oldest friends -- gross, by the way, James is like my brother -- and then implying that I’m jealous of his attraction to Lily out of my own insecurities? That I resent her just because I hypothetically think she’s prettier than me? Even though her own appearance in no way cancels out my own,” Credit goes to Doe and Lily, for supplying Marlene with self-esteem, otherwise without them she would have none, “Honestly, Sirius, do you even know how girls work?”

[ludovic-theprotector-bagman]

Come on, There’s honestly no need to fuss. Is it really that bad?

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“Ludo! There is all the need to fuss!” Marlene exclaimed, examining his face in contemplation to bring out the first aid kit or not, “How did this happen?”

[ameliaskeleton-deactivated20160]

“Poppy’s never pleased after aggressive Quidditch matches.” Amelia nudged the girl back with a giggle of her own. “The party was ages ago, I know. Tell me, McKinnon – how well are you doing on the “Find Amelia a Man” challenge? I must admit I haven’t found the perfect one for you just yet.”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“Well, if you must know,” Marlene began, giggling before she could even get the words out, “I’ve compiled a list of the only men I feel worthy of my ‘Melia -- and that’s only by Hogwarts standards. Let’s take this one at a time, shall we?”

[therunawaydog-blog]

“Ah, so it’s insecurity when comparing yourself to the lovely, perfect Evans, that’s got you in such a pickle. You know you’re beautiful in your own right, Mar-Mar. I’m sure James would be honored to know you care so deeply.” He placed his chin on his hand, trying to give her his most innocent look.

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

Offended on several, various levels, the blonde stared at him in silence for a moment. A moment to gain composure. She took a deep breath, cocking an eyebrow as she did so, “I really do not like you right now,”

[stcrdustandroses-blog]

Rosemerta supposed that she was getting what Americans would call ‘senioritis’, but classes just weren’t a priority. It was her last year at Hogwarts, somewhere that had become a home to her, and this place it needed to be relished. So, skipping class, Rosie took her prized Muggle camera around the castle – picture after picture was taken. Soon, she managed to find herself in the infirmary, taking snapshots of the architecture when she spotted a familiar blonde. “Mars Bars,” she sang songed, “whatcha doing here?” Of course she was happy to see Marlene, but she hoped she wasn’t hurt.  

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

After an insanely dull trek of rummaging through box after box to find where the rest of the cotton swabs had run off to, to see another Puff’s face was like a godsend, “Rosie Posy,” Marlene greeted in return, sizing up that her friend wasn’t here for a bloody nose or fractured bone rather quickly, “Inventory for Poppy,” she explained, “What about yourself, hmm? And that thing in your hand?” Marlene knew it was a muggle machine of some kind but, had no idea of its intention or use. Hey -- she’s taking muggle studies this year for a reason, “It’s not one of those water guns, is it?”

[professorcadwallader-blog]

Suppressing a smile, Eirian cocked an eyebrow at her student. The benefit of the doubt could only stretch so far, and something about Marlene seemed … less than honest. “It was indeed, as I’m quite sure was marked very clearly on your schedule. Since it is the first week of classes, I won’t assign detention or take points from your House. I trust this sort of slip won’t happen again?” Now she let the smile through; she liked her students generally, and couldn’t fault them too much for their youthful hijinks. “Are you working with Poppy, Miss McKinnon?”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

Marlene relaxed considerably upon hear there would be no negative repercussions. First week of term and she didn’t want to be the first Hufflepuff to land her house in the hole. Nor would this look good in her position as prefect, “Won’t happen again, I swear it,” well...maybe once or twice around Christmas season... “Yes, I am! I’ve been working with her for a few years, actually,” Marlene informed her professor, an achievement she was greatly proud of, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

[buttonpoetry]

Olivia Gatwood - “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” (WoWPS 2015)

“The convenient thing about being a magical woman is that I can be gone as quickly as I came.”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

Beautiful example of Marls’ favorite phrase, “I am a person, not an idea,”

[therunawaydog-blog]

“And what could I possibly be full of besides charm, Mar?” He raised both brows and gave her a curious look, wondering where she was trying to go with this. “See? I knew you’d have drunk with Jamesy. I swear, if I didn’t know better, I would say you had a crush on the dear lad.”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“Well clearly you don’t know better because I don’t,” she stated briskly. Marlene never liked being so harsh and cold with people -- but she could make an exception, “Even if I did, do you’d think I’d go for it? I mean, you’ve seen the way he looks at Lily,” And talks about her. And sings about her. 

[therunawaydog-blog]

“You’re so full of it, Mar-Mar. I’m getting the impression this is turning into a ‘anything you can do I can do better’ kind of conversation, am I right? He may be James, but you forget that if he’s trying to impress Evans, he’s hardly going to be walking around with booze strapped to his ankles.” Sirius sighed wistfully, remembering the one time they had tried to actually sneak in bottles of alcohol from Hogsmeade that way, it had been a right disaster, but it was dead hilarious when the bottles broke. “So you’re telling me, in all the time you’ve known little Jamesy, you’ve never once drank in his presence?”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“Well...maybe a few times,” she admitted, thinking about all those nights James had come over during the McKinnon Boy’s (plus Marlene) drinking games, her eagerly getting him to join, “But drinking with James is different from drinking with Lils or Doe. And -- I’m not full of it, or anything for that matter. I think it’s the other way around, actually,”

[therunawaydog-blog]

“Well, as prefect perhaps you shouldn’t be implying that I ask the Head Boy for booze, no?” Sirius stretched, amused by the tone she was taking with him. As if that was some kind of deterrent. “Besides, McKitten, I’m sure you’ve been mixed up in far more devious exchanges than booze and foot massages”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“He’s James Potter, first and foremost,” Marlene scoffed, recalling how she’d seen her dear friend practically sloshed at the infamous party of the weekend before. Also momentarily “forgetting” that she had used the same excuse to then get James out of the party. She wasn’t a fan of the idea that her and Sirius thought alike, “Also, please refrain from calling me ‘McKitten’, it makes me sound like some sex thing.” Which if what he was implying was anything to go by, that was probably his intention, “I only drink when I’m with the girls, thank you very much,”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

merverne:

“Madam Pomfrey, I am not,” said Meredith, as she stepped further into the infirmary. Frankly, she would be rather worried if she had spontaneously became the witch- Merlin knows she’d muck something up with all of the potions that were used around the ward. Taking the girl’s statement to mean that Pomfrey wasn’t in, she had no choice but to talk to her. “D’you think I could get a bandage or something?” she raised up her hand, which was sporting a cut on it. “My hand slipped while I was cutting ingredients for a potion, I’m sure you can figure out the rest.”

“Oh, shit, yeah, I can totally --” Alarmed as Marlene was, her “no-no filter” -- as her mother used to call it -- had stopped working momentarily, “I mean, of course yeah,” she corrected herself, “Take a seat, Meredith, while I get the bandages,” The girl advised before looking through the jars on the counter top beside her in search for the most reasonable size, “Slughorn giving you hell already? Should I be scared?”

[minerva-gilmore]

“That would be wonderful, Ms. McKinnon,” Minerva said softly, sitting down in a chair to watch Marlene brew the potion. Putting her elbow on the chair, she leaned her head on her hand, closing her eyes for a moment.

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

Marlene nodded dutifully as she searched through the cupboards for Poppy’s supplies, looking back towards her professor every so often while she rummaged, “Rough day at the office?” She inquired. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind at Hogwarts how much of a hardworker and kind-soul Professor McGonagall truly was -- and it was evident in everything she did, from teaching her classes, from the way that she addressed her students outside of them. 

[therunawaydog-blog]

“Aw, c’mon. Don’t be like that, Mar-Mar. I could always just kiss your arse for the fun of it, if it makes you feel better. What would you like, a foot massage?  I’ll go fifty-fifty with you if you help a man out.”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

Marlene cringed at the sound of that stupid pet name reaching her ears, “I’d rather not get mixed up in the exchange the goods and services that you’re implying, Sirius. Especially ones that could get me in trouble as a prefect,” she added, knowing full well that they shouldn’t be having this conversation. But with Sirius she was dealing with. And Sirius didn’t exactly bugger off when you told him, “Wouldn’t you know if James had a stash?” Marlene offered.

[ameliaskeleton-deactivated20160]

“Absolutely. If we practice hard we could possibly beat Gryffindor. Maybe we should play a two-on-one game: Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw versus the Gryffs.”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“I’d need a lot of bandages and medical tape for that one -- I don’t think Poppy would be too pleased with me,” Marlene chuckled, nudging Amelia, “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages, ‘Melia. I mean, I saw you at the party but...”

[therunawaydog-blog]

“I have arrived, let the party commence! Who’s ass do I have to kiss to get some celebratory booze around here?” 

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“Don’t flatter yourself too much, Sirius. The year’s just started,”

[ameliaskeleton-deactivated20160]

“Damn right, Marls.” She grinned at the other girl. “Rain or shine, Quidditch is my game.”

[thelittlestmckinnon-blog]

“Gonna give the Puffs a run for their money this year?”