Take Courage

Marlene Mckinnon. 20. Order of the Phoenix. Slytherin Alumna. "I've always liked to play with Fire" 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

valentinanottt‌:

“You might see Fabian before I do. He’s on the run with a warrant out for his arrest right now,” Valentina said, rolling her eyes at the mention of their bet because it somehow sounded so normal. The auror department of the Ministry had some of the most ridiculous bets take place and Valentina usually pretended she didn’t know about them even though her inner gossip made sure that she did.

April was a rough month with a lot of deaths and Valentina remembered the obituaries being sent in, the difficulty that came with replacing Marlene because no one could really replace her, the same with Mary. “I can do that.” While Marlene was right and Valentina wasn’t big on displays of emotion, she would do it for Kingsley because she remembered the way he’d looked when he said that he didn’t want to lose more sisters. “He deserves to know.”

Since she wasn’t an Unspeakable, Valentina didn’t know what was contained in the Department of Mysteries and truthfully, she probably shouldn’t be looking around. Even with as amoral as Ari could be, they had never told her a thing about their job, sticking to their vow as devoutly as if it was an unbreakable vow.

“Hopefully they’re not as indestructible as you are,” Valentina muttered as she began to use her wand to clear the door, trying to get it open. “Did you only see the one? I’m not sure how long you’ll be able to stick around, so we need to do this fast.”

“Fuck really? What’s he on the run for? ” Marlene said shocked by the news “Gideon must be really upset. Is he on the run too? I can’t imagine that they just are after one of them.” Not that she should be asking questions like that, but she couldn’t believe just one of the twins was on the run. 

Still she nodded at her saying that she’d tell Kingsley at least. It wasn’t much, and she doubted it would make him feel to better but it seemed important that he knew. It was one of the reasons she could find Mary so easily, and she was grateful for it.  “He does.” 

Marlene shrugged floating towards the door and pointing at the place where it was jammed that she could get in. “I don’t think so they looked human at the very least. Yeah only the one. They seemed really twitchy like they weren’t sure what they were doing. I didn’t see their face, but maybe something down there can help. Hit the door right there on the hinge and it’ll pop open. That’s what they did.” 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

valentinanottt‌:

“You’re a ghost. What do you need hands for, you can pass through solid objects,” Valentina pointed out just for the sake of being argumentative even as she shifted closer behind to Marlene, ready to follow her to wherever it was that Marlene decided she needed to go.

If Valentina was someone with less self control, she might have flinched at the memory of the shape Marlene’s body had been left in because it was certainly accurate to say that she wouldn’t have been able to communicate.

“The typewriter is still his favorite child.” Valentina said instead of responding to Marlene’s explanation, certain that she would know what Valentina meant.

Sighing in exasperation, Valentina rolled her eyes as she started moving things with a flick of her wand, not particularly caring where it went just as long as nothing blew up or got in her way. “You know, I think Kingsley would say otherwise with as many fights as you were in.”

False. Valentina was certain that the sight of Marlene’s ghost would cause Kingsley to blubber and if he said anything, it would likely be something along the lines of I’m sorry and I miss you, things like that.

“Someone broke into the death chamber, we don’t know if that’s the only room in the Department of Mysteries they infiltrated or if there are more.” And what on earth did Marlene mean, the lower levels were weird? What did she mean, iron deficiency?

“I can’t pick anything up, Valentina,” Marlene said sighing slightly. It was like she was back at the desk all over again. She knew that Valentina already knew that, but she was just trying to get under her skin. Marlene almost missed it. 

Although Marlene couldn’t help but snort at the news. “I didn’t think it changed just because I went and got into a fist fight with a wolf,”She said still irreverent to a fault. After all, it was her death. She might as well get to joke about it. “Fab owes me a gallon. He said I’d wouldn’t punch a wolf and he was wrong. Tell the fucker I’m planning on collecting.” She said knowing Valentina wouldn’t care enough to do it. 

She shrugged a hint of sadness crossing her face thinking of Kingsley. It must have been a lot to lose her and then Mary right after. “He didn’t take it well I’m going to guess. Tell’em I appreciate him putting me next to Mary. I know you don’t do sentimentality, but it’s true and it’ll probably calm him down to know he did the right thing. ” 

Marlene frowned walking or gliding towards the door she’d started her assent from. “I don’t think it was in there. Do you know what that room looks like? Blimey I thought death’s got a lot of mysteries but it’s got nothing on this place. I could have sworn I saw brains swimming around. Freaked me out before you know, I remembered I’m dead. Don’t think there’s much that can kill me again. The doors locked but someone ran out and managed to jam it. Might be one of your criminals, but I uh - couldn’t really stop them.” 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

valentinanottt‌:

If it wasn’t bad enough that there were ghosts popping up everywhere as well as people smart enough to break into the Department of Mysteries on the loose somewhere, the ghosts kept bringing up issues that made sure Valentina wasn’t getting her actual job. She should have been tracking down who broke into the Ministry, but instead she was busy trying to tamp out all the chaos caused by the ghosts, which provided the perfect distraction for those that broke in.

As if the fact ghosts were popping up and terrifying muggles (as well as some wix, if she was being honest) wasn’t enough, there was also the fact they were letting secrets slip, airing dirty laundry and revealing things destroying the peace. In this case, apparently a ghost had decided to reveal a double cross and it had resulted in a duel that caught a building on fire.

Was anything going to go right that night? Apparently not.

Apparating, Valentina arrived in the middle of chaos and found herself staring directly at a ghost that she recognized.

“I’m not leaving, it’s my job to deal with this mess.” Valentina snapped, instantly rejecting the idea of doing what Marlene told her to do. “I’m staring because I didn’t expect your ghost to be put back in one piece, you don’t even look mauled.”

that was insensitive and Valentina knew it, but she doubted that Marlene expected any better from her and Valentina pushed aside any questions she had to deal with the problem currently surrounding them. “I haven’t suddenly become incompetent. Fill me in on the situation and let’s get this resolved.”

Marlene sighed at least grateful that not everything seemed to changed. She may have been gone for a few months, but Valentina still was herself. 

Still Marlene shook her head. “ I’m not asking you to leave I’m asking you to come with me. Merlin and I’m the dead one. I told you I don’t have hands I can’t move anything. I saw Peter - but he’s in no state to try and help me.”

Marlene looked down and shrugged a little. “I think it’s because I moved on. I didn’t willingly come back, and I think I shed my earthly worries or whatever. In any case I wouldn’t have been able to talk to you.” 

She couldn’t explicitly remember everything that happened, but she did remember the moment of knowing that she wasn’t getting out of the situation. Sighing again she shook her head. 

“I think it was a ritual. A dark one. It’s a gateway but we were pulled threw. No offense, but I wasn’t exactly trying to come back to my job in the afterlife. It’s on a lower level, and I can get you there but I can’t move anything. I’m not a poltergeist. - By the way the bloody lower levels of this plays is awfully weird. So you might want to prepare yourself for that. You don’t have an iron deficiency right? Because if you pass out on me I don’t think I can find someone else.” 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

Marlene was dead, well she was supposed to be. She’d moved on too, going well she couldn’t really remember now. Something was wrong. She’d died that night - fuck over on this side she couldn’t feel the peace she’d come too. She felt angry and weary. 

 She shouldn’t be here, not anymore. Her time had come and passed and she was supposed to be gone -she was supposed to be with Mary. She needed to get back. 

Even if she as tempted to go find her friends and see them again, she knew that she didn’t have anything for them. She didn’t know who killed her. She didn’t know why. She accepted the fact she might never know. It had been hard for her, and she’d almost stayed, but she had decided to go on and accept everything. She moved over instead of getting stuck. 

It felt wrong to be here, but she saw the others around her and she realized that they were still alive. They were still able to be hurt, and whatever was going on must have been bad enough that she needed to do something. Fuck, she didn’t want to see her friends that soon. It was already bad enough Mary had followed her she didn’t want anyone else too.

“I - not that I’m not excited to be here or anything, but we’ve got to do something and I need you to stop staring at me. Bloody hell. I don’t have another eye do I? Come on we’ve got to get you out of here.” Marlene said sighing at the look. “Get that shocked look off your face and lets go. I don’t have hands anymore, so - well you’ve got to do the work.” 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

Last words mmkay

Lils, 

If you get this, I’ve managed to get myself into a pickle I can’t get out of. I first want to say, that no matter what happened it’s not anyone’s fault but my own. Don’t go blaming yourself or anyone else that’s not one of them. I know you’ve always told me that there was something more than this, that I’d get out of this alive but I’m going to be honest I knew I wouldn’t. I knew when I joined up that the likely chances I’d get out alive were low. I’ve never been as clever as all of you, and I rarely shut my mouth. So don’t blame anyone else for something that I signed up for. I know I would be on the list of blood traitors and I’m not sorry about it. That was my choice and I’m not sorry about it.I’m not sorry for trying. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there though. You’ve got such a live ahead Lily Evans, and you shouldn’t let anyone take that from you. You’re the best of us, and if I could be there to see you flower I would. I’ve just got one selfish request. I know Mary’s going to be devastated. She’s going to try and push you away, but you got to be stronger then her stubborn ass. She’ll give you a helleva time I’m sure. Just remind her that I wouldn’t want her to follow me down the rabbit hole. I know this is hard for you too, but I’m worried for her.I don’t know how to end this, I really don’t but  I want you to know that I don’t regret it. I don’t regret fighting, and whatever happened doesn’t change that.I love you Lily Evans, and don’t you forget it. No matter what happens I love you and Mary with my entire heart.  And for fucks stake don’t let them scare you. They’ve always been cowards, and you aren’t one. Love, 

Marls 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

lilyroar‌:

It wasn’t particularly often that Lily got to see Marlene these days. Between work and the Order, various other adult-like behavior, and the sheer exhaustion brought about by living through an all out war, fun girl time was incredibly scarce. As usual with Marlene, Lily found herself unable to deny her friend. She kept a grin from her face as she threw her hands up, yielding to her friend. “Alright, Birthday Girl, you win.” 

Muggle London for a few hours couldn’t hurt, right? They could find some obscure pub downtown and blend in with the Muggles for a bit. She knew enough about Muggle money to manage it still, and she quite liked the idea of pretending everything wasn’t horrible for a bit. “When do you want to go, Marls?” she asked.

“Yes!” Marlene said her hands going up in a sort of victory pose. She rarely got her way, or at least it seemed lately that was the way. In any case she got up just incase Lily changed her mind before they got out the door. 

“Oh I don’t know. There’s got to be a pub around here somewhere. I just don’t want to be locked up. At some point I think all of these regulations are more about keeping us in then keeping us safe. Besides I’m finally not a teen anymore.” 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

A Bartender Philosophy; Marls & Kingsley Flashback

@kingmeshacklebolt “I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know much about politics, but it’s pretty obvious all of this is - dumb,” Marlene said drinking some of her beer and looking back at her drinking buddy for the night. 

Marlene and Kingsley were always an odd pair when they went out, but it wasn’t particarly a jarring look. After all, out here he wasn’t her boss or boss adjacent and she didn’t particarly treat him like that. Still perhaps having a debate about the ministry was a bit of a taboo. 

“I mean. What are all these lists for? How is a bloody piece of paper going to solve anything. If they can get the bloody death eaters to sign it I think that might be more effective than this.” 

[incorrectmarauders]

James: Alright, give me your hair dryer.

Alice: What?

Lily: What are you talking about?

James: Don’t you carry one in your purse?

Lily: Have you ever met a human woman?

James: *calls Marlene*

James to Marlene: Hey, do you carry a hair dryer in your purse?

Marlene: Of course. I’m not an animal.

[lilyroar-deactivated20200119]

@alicegracefortescue, @xmarlenemckinnonx, @prongslyxpotter

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

ツ

Don't worry Sirius, I checked and he doesn't have the legal authority to arrest you for it. #moodymakesmemoody #hottestwizardoftheyear

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

@lilyroar

“Lily, I feel like as the birthday girl I should be able to decide what we do.” Marlene said her face pulled as seriously as she could but a grin playing on her lips. She wasn’t quite sure what they were going to do, but she didn’t want to sit in her apartment all night. That didn’t seem particarly fitting, but it seemed like everyone else was busy. Besides, it had been at least a bit since her and Lily had done something. 

It felt like they were due for a win. 

Maybe she should act more mature, and realize there was a war on but she didn’t really want too. “Lets go to Muggle London. I promise I won’t pull anything. I just don’t want to be bored on my birthday.” 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

please stay (kingsley)

“Of course, Kingsley. You can sleep. I won’t go anywhere. Get some rest.”

@kingmeshacklebolt 

[rpmemesandpromos]

Send 'Stay.. please.' and my muse will react to yours saying this after they had woken from a terrible nightmare.

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

mauramulciber‌:

rpmemesandpromos‌:

@the-last-moody​, @marcus-bulstrode​, @fabian-the-prewett​, @the-peter-pettigrew​, @sam-mciver​

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

Happy birthday, Marls! I’m taking you out for a drink later. Friday is my day off. I’ve evening plans but I’ll move them. —Kingsley

“I appreciate it, but you don’t have to move your plans for me Kingsley. We’ll get drinks when you aren’t busy. Thank you for the well wishes.” - Marls@kingmeshacklebolt

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

remuslxpns‌:

“Trust me. I would fix anything I break before she saw it. I know she would be forgiving but I’d rather not break anything. At least in your flat.”

This was an emotion he tried not to focus in on, but anger and frustration was the only thing tied to him now. It was strange to let it consume him like this, his heart hammering fiercely in his chest as he stood.

“But that’s exactly it-it’s about winning. This is some sort of game for him. I…he offered me the professor position. I thought he trusted me-to be at the school. I shouldn’t have gone. I think he was more interested in keeping an eye on me so I don’t go rogue again.”

The scene was still fresh in his mind over what happened at Hog’s Head and how he found himself here. He drew a quick and shaky breath, his fingers curling at his sides. It was evident that they were facing hard times and a war was now rippled. Already he had faced Moody and then Dumbledore and it only illuminated the thought that they were digging into him in need of what he couldn't’ stand.

An ironic chuckle left his lips and he nodded quickly. “I won’t be punching anyone tonight. Something, however. Any suggestions?”

Marlene’s face was pulled into a deeper frown, not liking the connotation of what Remus was saying. She knew that he wouldn’t want pity, and if she was honest she wasn’t very much the pitying type, but she was sad. 

“You’d make a bloody good professor,” She said simply. It wasn’t something that she wanted to debate, more like she was stating a fact.  “One day he’s going to realize that, and it’s going to bite him in the arse that the didn’t ask you out right tonight. I don’t think it’s fair to treat people like their pawns. Never really ends up right. ” 

With a bit of a nod, the corner of her mouth twitched up. “Something then. I’ve got a place in mind, but you might want a bat or something.”

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

Have you ever crashed a broom?

“No. But I have been hit to the grown on a broom if that counts.” 

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

Have you ever lost a fight?

“Yes. Loads. You just get back  up afterwards and fight’m again.” 

[megan-hansenn-deactivated201704]

Send me 'Have You Evers' and I will reply with Yes or No

[xmarlenemckinnonx]

@the-last-moody @the-last-moody @fabian-the-prewett @marcus-bulstrode @sam-mciver