forged from flames

My past is littered with the bones of men who were foolish enough to think I was someone they could step on. Mary MacDonald - Nineteen - Order of the Phoenix. I am become death.

[callmegreyback-deactivated20150]

There was something eerie about surviving. She smiled, he smiled, and they talked about what had happened, the hundreds of people who’d gone through hell and back. “It is war,” Fenrir nodded in agreement, looking to the side to call the bartender over. “Hundreds more will die. Thousands, perhaps. You shouldn’t let it get to you. Your loved ones will die, too.” He shrugged, only turning back when she asked about his pack. 

"All fine. It was just me at the Minister’s." He informed her, though his face fell slightly contrary to his words. When he’d told his pack what had happened, they have been confused. Some doubtful. And he didn’t blame them for it. He was the one who had signed them up to be a part of Voldemort’s scheme, after all, and now that it seemed as though Voldemort was turning his back on his own side, some of the older ones in his pack were becoming concerned.

Now wasn’t the time, though. For now, they had to keep up their facade.

"…If you’re looking for other information, I don’t have any. He doesn’t tell me much." That much was true, but there were some things Fenrir could assume, the full moon being one of the many hints. Deadly attacks twice in a row would be devastating, for both sides — but he doubted Voldemort would be that reckless.

[vindicem-mary]

Your loved ones will die too. It was a simple truth, but call it that or fate, Mary wouldn't let them go down easily. "Not if I can do anything about it." She said simply, knowing full well Fenrir understood what it meant to keep those close to you safe. 

"Good to hear." There were people whom Mary had hoped she'd read their name in the paper. That their bodies would have been found ripped to pieces or smashed between a piece of the ceiling, but Fenrir's pack wasn't one of them. They'd had an agreement of sorts, and so far he had been keeping up his end of the deal. 

That was the only information he had, and for now, that was the only information she needed. Digging into her bag, she pulled out a leather fold and placed it on the table before pushing it towards him. "Seven vials. One per day, correct?" She raised a brow. Information for Wolfsbane, that was the deal. "I'll try to get them to you sometime other than right before the full moon next time, but free times been hard to find, as you can imagine"

[mrprxngspxtter-blog]

James turned his head to find Mary standing by the window. He smiled lightly before taking a long drag, letting out the smoke in little rings. “Sounds like I’m dying anyway so…” He shrugged lightly. “Might as well enjoy life, yeah?” Yet, he crushed the remaining cigarette on the roof, ending his smoking session. For now, at least.  

"Actually, yes." He admitted with a chuckle. "We wanted to be mature and look hot." He laughed softly once more. "We ended up choking on smoke but still, we ended up liking it." He shrugged again before letting out a soft sigh. It was always nice to remember those kinds of things. It reminded him why he was fighting in the war.

"Just because it’s you, Mary, dear." He patted the spot next to him. "Go ahead an honour me with your company."

[vindicem-mary]

There was a small frown at his words. When had they all stopped believing they were going to make it out of the war alive? "Well, try and not speed up the process then, yeah?" She observed the spot next to him and slid into it, eyes falling on him for a short time before laughing. 

"Look at all the time that's gone by and you're still not mature, and none of you are hot." She teased, letting her eyes travel up to the sky, and letting out a breath. "Remember at school when the lot of us would take to the grounds for a bond fire and spend the night under the stars?" She paused, remembering how easy things had been then. "How much hope we all had for our futures? Not even twenty yet and look at our lives, James." 

She shook her head, thankful for those who'd made it this far, and fought the thoughts that plagued her mind these days. "Sorry 'bout that. Still working on the whole positivity thing." 

[obumbravit-animus]

After talking to the other Marauders after the fiasco at the Minister’s, Peter had been feeling… out of sorts. His skin itched like it didn’t fit properly and as a result of that he’d taken to wandering around Diagon Alley when he wasn’t at work or doing work for the Order. He couldn’t bear the glances at him like people didn’t know if he could handle this life, anymore. He was growing, that was all that mattered.

As he wandered through the various shops like a shadow he felt irked by the fact that none of them had anything that made him feel even vaguely settled and in place. But as he hipchecked the door to Slug & Jigger’s open, arms already full with books and supplies he’d bought at previous stores he saw a familiar head of dark hair and grinned broadly. Sneaking up behind her he laughed broadly as Mary jumped, “Not that long… just got here. But then I saw you and just had to say hello.”

[vindicem-mary]

"Merlin, Pete!" Her hand connects with his shoulder as his face comes into perspective, an annoyingly wide grin on his face. "Yes, yes, hilarious way to say hey." 

Her eyes fall to his arms, and a brow raises when she notices just how much he's clearly purchased. "You might have not been here long, but clearly you've done some damage around the alley." 

Turning slightly, her fingers traced the objects on the shelf, wondering which things might come in handy down the road. More specifically, which herbs and ingredients would aid her on the battlefield. "So did you come out expecting to spend your fortune, or was this all simply spur of the moment?"

[vindicem-mary]

  God creates dinosaurs.     God destroys dinosaurs.       God creates man.         Man destroys God.           Man creates dinosaurs.             Dinosaurs eat man.               Woman inherits the earth.

[vindicem-mary]

Mary needed to get out. Mad Eye had been keeping close tabs on all the Order members since Weymouth’s, and the fact that every time he found her, she’s been in nearly the exact same spot in her apartment hadn’t sat well with him. “I don’t need my soldiers going stir crazy.” He’d grumbled before slamming the door on his way out; Moody’s suggested method of telling her that if he found her on her couch one more time, he’d drag her out himself. So rather than fight him off, Mary pulled herself from her couch, and headed to Diagon Alley. There was nothing there that she needed, but rumor had it that fresh air did you good, and frankly, Mary could use some good in her life.

Slug & Jigger’s seemed like her best bet, as book stores were never her thing, and she wasn’t in need of robes or an owl. Her fingers traced differed herbs and objects, wondering if anything was necessary, or what might come in handy down the road. Deciding against it Mary turned, slightly jumping when someone was close enough that she almost turned right into them. “Bloody hell, how long have you been standing there?”

[yeahannie]

[faye-chamberlain]

[dailyptonkin]

[vindicem-mary]

Keep an Eye Out | Mary&Andromeda

Maybe this was a terrible idea. At the time, her owl had seemed like a decent one, but now, sitting alone on the outskirts of a deserted town, in a pub that no one frequented anymore, Mary realized that she had had better ideas than this one. 

Mary had never felt the need to befriend or even socialize with Andromeda during their time in Hogwarts together. Sirius had mentioned her from time to time, how she had always been his favorite cousin, and even after the families falling out, the two still kept in touch, but there was something about the way Andromeda carried herself through the halls that told Mary there was no need for trying. 

Now, Andromeda had found her way into Ted’s life, and once again, Mary was forced to deal with the idea that Andromeda might be a constant in her life. If there was a single person on the planet who deserved the world, it was Ted Tonks, and from what things he’s told Mary about his relationship with Andie, Mary couldn’t help but think Ted deserved a hell of a lot better. 

Still, who Ted spent his free time with was out of her hands, and she knew Ted didn’t like hearing about his own relationship any more than Mary had to hear about hers, and for the first time, Mary found she had something in common with Andromeda Black. They were both tangled in relationships that were doomed from the start, and neither seemed to be willing to give them up. 

Hence how Mary ended up alone  on the outskirts of a deserted town, in a pub that no one frequented anymore, a whiskey in front of her, and eye’s locked on the door. There was a sense of relief in the idea that Andromeda wouldn’t show up, but Mary needed this to be done, so when the door creaked and the familiar face stepped inside, Mary took a breath. 

Her eyes trained on her all the way from the door to the table, and she hardly flinched when she took a seat across from her. “Glad you could make it.” 

[mrprxngspxtter-blog]

It was rather late, dinner was probably served a while ago and someone will probably be cross at him for skipping it. Probably Molly since she has made sure to keep everyone well feed while they stay at the Order’s headquarters but, at that moment, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

The cold night brought him comfort or at the very least, an excuse that explains why his hands won’t stop shaking. “Fuck…” He mumbled as he took out a cigarette, trying to light it up with shaky hands was proving to be quite a challenge and he felt glad to be on the roof where no one can see his struggle or ask any questions.

Finally, he managed to light the damn thing, bring it to his lips to take a drag. He can picture his mother telling him that smoking will kill him and the dark part of his mind responds that the war will kill him anyway but he pushed the thought away and took another drag. He then heard someone opening the window, he guessed that whoever it might be, was looking for some time alone.

"Sorry mate" He said, focusing on keeping the hand holding the cigarette as steady as possible. "This sweet spot is already taken."

[vindicem-mary]

Mary climbed the stairs that seemed to never end. She could swear to Merlin that Dumbledore added extra ones in his spare time just to fuck with the few members who still made their way to the roof. 

So when she made it to the top, she was surprised to find someone was already there. When was the last time she’d even seen James? Yet now, they were stuck on a rooftop, both dealing with the shit hand they both got dealt.

Maybe he needed time to himself, but after checking in on Sirius, there was a part of Mary that wanted to make sure James was alright too. “If the war doesn’t kill you, those things will. Mate.” She motioned at his cigarette. 

“When’d you and Sirius pick up such a disgusting habit anyways? Do it so the girls would think you were cool?” She teased, remembering how one never did anything without the other in school. They were inseparable; lucky to have each other, especially in a time like this. 

Pulling her sweater across her chest as she made her way next to him. “Hope you don’t mind if I crash?” 

[deatheatersnape-blog]

Severus flicked away the spider on his shoulder with cold indifference. How it had gotten up that far he wasn’t sure, but he also really didn’t give a damn about it. He had better things to think about rather than some stupid arachnid. Things like how that damn ball had gone six ways from south in a matter of minutes. Minutes. Severus didn’t even have a clue that the Dark Lord had been planning that. How could he? How could he have put his own people in danger like that?

Grunting in frustration he leaned against the lamp post and looked darkly down the street. He’d gotten out with his life, but how may hadn’t? What people had he lost? What enemies? Lily? His heart throbbed but he ignored it. The Minister was dead, Voldemort had practically declared war and Severus was having a hard time swallowing that pill. He wasn’t a kid any more, this was the real world, if only it didn’t move quite so fast. 

The sound of approaching footsteps startled Severus from his thoughts and he jumped, still on edge from everything. Turning to look at the person he adopted a cool and emotionless look. “Can I help you?”

[vindicem-mary]

Mary had made a habit of late night strolls. Every time she returned to Order’s headquarters, Moody had reamed her about the dangers of walking alone, especially at night, especially for someone like her. 

Tonight was no different, even after everything that had happened, Mary couldn’t find it in herself to stay at headquarters. Everyone was still on edge, and if they weren’t avoiding conversation, they were crying. Mary simply couldn’t take it. She needed fresh air, and room to clear her head, so she took to the streets. 

There was a figure ahead, and Mary pulled her coat in, her fingers tightening around the wood in her pocket. “Can I help you?” She could never forget his voice. She’d remembered it from the night he’d waited outside the Gryffindor common room, begging Mary to make Lily come down. She could remember how well ‘mudblood’ had slipped from his lips. 

Severus wasn’t a threat, and the grip on her wand loosened. “Didn’t know I couldn’t take a stroll without needing something.”

[callmegreyback-deactivated20150]

Why was he not surprised to see Mary MacDonald here? If it had been anyone else, he might have asked, but he didn’t feel the need to. Not with her. A girl with a story like hers, or at least from what he’d heard from the other Death Eaters — they frequented the bars. And he didn’t blame her for it.

He appreciated that she dove right into the conversation, no small talk, no bullshit; but he tilted his head at her pointed tone.

“You think I would have shown up if I knew?” Fenrir chuckled, before knocking back the rest of the brandy in his glass. “Do you really think that I’m that stupid and that loyal to a man who couldn’t even show himself?” He asked, though his voice was low. Perhaps he was saying too much, but he would not have anyone think of him a reckless idiot.

It was probably the alcohol. “What, did something bad happen?” His tone was light, but his eyes said otherwise. Something must have, the way she was looking right now. A handful (more than) of Death Eaters had been killed by the giants, so he had no doubt some of the Order members went down that unfortunate path as well.

[vindicem-mary]

“Fair enough.” Her reply was simple, though if she knew anything about Death Eaters, it was they they got off on watching their chaos unfold. But then he reminded her that he wasn’t like the rest, that his intentions lied elsewhere, and he, like her, had the safety of his own people in mind. 

Did something bad happen? His tone highlighted the differences between them. He cared only for the wellbeing of his pack, while Mary’s concern was much more broad. “You mean other than the hundred of people who are now dead, wounded, or missing a loved one?” Her brow rose, and she leaned back in her chair. “But that’s war, right?” She mimicked his light tone, allowing herself to play along. 

“Surprisingly enough, so far we all seem to have made it out in one piece.” Her mind shifted to Sirius, and how he would be putting pieces of himself back together long after the Minister’s estate was rebuilt. Bad was an understatement. 

She shook him, and the image of his father, from her mind. Fenrir would no doubt find out about someone like Orian in a day or too, but it definitely wasn’t Mary’s place to tell. “And your pack?”

[bloodredduke]

Magical grocery shopping

[bloodredduke]

"I do not appreciate rudeness," he seemed not to have acknowledged her attempt at sarcasm, and he clearly did not give a damn if she was upset over him talking to her. In fact he wondered why she bothered doing this, being pesky and what not. Didn’t she know better. "And I don’t think I gave you the permission to walk away from me." William asserted, and as if to prove his point, strode the few meters that kept his hands off of her, and grabbed hers, sliding his leather covered fingers through hers. 

"Such a nice day, isn’t it?" He smiled at her, the kind of smile that encouraged most people to run away from him as fast as they could, as soon as they saw it. Not good. She should have left while she could, but little Mary didn’t learn her lesson, did she? Nuh-uh. Little Mary joined the wrong crowd and something inside her, this little thing called cowardice and servitude, it seemed to have vanished. He did not like that. People should not fight their nature.  For example, he found out a while back that he was born to torture, kill and destroy, and this was what he did. Little Mary was born to be a Muggle. She had nothing to do here, and it was very painful to watch her walk around here, like she belonged. She did not.  "You know, I don’t know why you’re so upset, after all I didn’t leave traces behind." His voice was unreadable, but the look on his face became familiarly amused. Now he was not going to laugh for so little, but even he had to admit that she was lucky. He’d been so soft, not leaving a scar on her skin. "Talking of which you look ravishing today," his logic may be flawed but he felt like his compliments would feel like the worst insult in the world to her. Let’s find out if he was right.

[vindicem-mary]

She should have known that he was going to pursue her. It was stupid to think that someone like him might cut her a break and let her go, and here he was, following her through the streets. “How rich coming from someone like you.” Mary mused, continuing on her way, without even giving him a fraction more of her attention. He did his best to remind her what she could and couldn’t do, and Mary wanted to interject; remind him that he’d lost that power over her when he cornered her in the corridor at Hogwarts. 

Then his hand was in hers and Mary didn’t hesitate to rip it from his. “Don’t you dare touch me.” The last time his skin had been on hers, it was the back of his hand on her cheek. He had lost the right to touch her, to even be near her the night he stole her innocence. Now because of him, it took Mary months before she felt comfortable enough to let them close enough to brush her skin. He didn’t get to touch her, but he was close enough to look her over, to see that even after all the pain he inflicted, he could see he hadn’t left any scars on her skin, but he couldn’t see the scars underneath. 

He was the man who was responsible for what she had become, and he still wasn’t finished with her. He looked at her the way a dog looked at a bowl of meat after it had been deprived of food for days. Wether Mary had been his first taste of blood, she didn’t know, but she was smart enough to know she hadn’t been his last. Regardless, it was clear he still wasn’t done. His compliments were like knives, and she wanted to rip his eyes from their sockets, just so he could never talk about how she looked again, but then she knew he would tell her how he dreamed about how she looked, and she’d rather live in his reality than be some sick fantasy in his head. “What do you want?” Her voice dripped venom, turning to him abruptly. “Clearly you have better errands to run that to stalk someone like me, so what exactly are you looking to get from this?”

[vindicem-mary]

Pick it Up and Start Again | Mary&Sirius

[stellavagus-blog]

He didn’t want her to tell him all the things they knew weren’t true. That had never been what they were about. They were the only two people in the world that saw each other for what they were – beyond the front they put up before other people, beyond the mask they wore for Order meetings. In the shadows and the silver moon starlight of the early mornings and late, late never-ending nights, they saw each other and took comfort in the transparency of it all.

She knew why he drank, knew why he drowned himself in blood and liquor, and yet she didn’t truly know. She never had known. She had fucked the pain away when the final blow fell – right before his father died – but she had never come close enough to the pain that ran through Sirius’ blood like molten lava.

“I know you didn’t.”

He said it quiet, and didn’t look at her. He couldn’t bear to, not right now. Not yet.

“When I was eight my Da took me to the Wayhouse. It’s this little cottage out in the middle of nowhere, in a forest. Looks like it’s been grown out of a tree, honestly. It’s our oldest house, and no one stays there anymore, but we keep all our important artifacts there – weapons, information,” he smiled a bit to himself, “enemies that’ve been transfigured so they can wait out their idiotic deaths as a chair, or a child’s plaything.”

Sirius shrugged, “It was there he told me what it meant to be a Black. Taught me why he hates mu-,“ he choked on the word (even now it came too easy to his tongue) “muggleborns, and muggles. He showed me why Blacks are better than the rest, purer, stronger, and far more archaic and in tune with the old ways than the rest.”

Sirius looked up at her, “I’ve forgotten where it is. Or even what he said to me that day. I’ve lost it all somewhere in the liquor I’ve drank and the days I’ve spent with the Order. It’s just gone. A whole night – lost.”

He sighed, “I never wanted to leave them, you know. They threw me out for asking questions. It wasn’t my choice. I only told Moody that so he’d let me be in the Order, and so you lot would still want to be my friend.”

[vindicem-mary]

For the first time since they’d even been friends, Sirius opened up. When Mary had come to Sirius, she’d laid herself out enough so that he would take her seriously. She’d told him about Mulciber, as much as she could bear to say, she’d told him about how she never wanted to feel as weak as she had ever again, and she had told him that she when the war came, she would be ready. None of that called for him to open up, and she had never wanted him too. He was never meant to be anything more than a mentor, and being that entitled him to his secrecy. She had never asked for him to open up about his family or where he came from, but here he was, laying the pieces of himself on the table for Mary to see him for what he was. 

Black’s definitely didn’t shelter their young, and the idea that Sirius played with his families enemies in the forms of balls or dolls made Mary realize just how different their upbringings had been. How different the two of them had always been. 

He stumbled on the word. Mudblood. It would be etched into his being for the rest of his life, wether he wanted to get rid of the reflex or not. That would always be a part of him, and Mary wondered when he’d stopped seeing her a mudblood and started seeing her as a muggbleborn, or if she’d ever really truly made the transition. If part of Sirius hated himself for allowing himself to care about someone like her. 

And then he dropped a bomb. Since she’d known him, he had been so adamant that he had chose to leave. That it was his choice, and he had disagreed with his family so much so that he couldn’t bear to listen to them one more day, but that was all a lie. He had asked questions are made friends without fear of repercussions, and his family had grown tired of him. They had kicked him out, and suddenly Mary realized how much the step towards his father at the Minister’s had meant. She had kept him from retribution, but his biggest fear was that the Order would have abandoned him too. 

“Friend? You're their brother. You weren’t born to them, they chose you.” Peter, and James, and Remus would lay down their lives for him without a moments hesitation. “Molly plans to take care of you for the rest of our lives. Marlene worries about you the way a sister would. They’re your family now, Sirius.” Mary knew, without a doubt that if he decided to tell everyone the truth, it wouldn’t change a single thing. Sirius had fought beside them, killed for them, and protected them, and what had happened with his family wouldn’t mean shit. “And me? There’s not a damn thing you could do that would change the way I feel about you.” 

[faye-chamberlain]

[professionalcinderellaluv-deact]

[empressofsilence]