Chapter Text
When Marlene awoke that morning, it was to the soft echo of humming, bright and sweet, muffled by the steady gush of the shower. Not to Mary’s ear splitting screech, she pointedly notes, and not to a pillow in the face- which also almost always happens to be Mary’s; Marlene was really starting to notice a pattern here. No, she woke up well-rested, headache-free, and weirdly quite centered. God, she loved the weekend. One more day of classes and Marlene would’ve lost it. She stretched her arms out as far as they would go before relaxing them back down. She rubbed the sleep out her eyes, yawning widely.
“Morning, angel. How’re we feeling today?”
Marlene caught Mary’s eyes in the vanity mirror. “Good actually. Haven’t slept this good in a while. What time is it?”
“Quarter to ten. Now, once Lily hops out of the shower you’re to go in right after her, because once you’re done we can all start getting ready together.”
“Get ready? Get ready for what?”
“Lord have mercy,” Mary muttered, “For Hogsmeade, Marlene. Merlin, it’s like you’re on a different planet,” Mary lamented, although Marlene could see the glitter of excitement in her warm, brown eyes.
“Brilliant.” Marlene smiled lazily, her eyelids still heavy with sleep. Mary snorted, rolling her eyes, a knowing grin slid onto her face.
Marlene was not usually one for morning showers, but she could see the appeal. The gentle pressure on her head allowed Marlene a moment of quiet that her mind couldn’t quite manage on its own most days, the fall of the cascading water somehow more refreshing to her now than it is before bed. She stepped out of the shared bathroom in her towel and fluffy slippers, feeling more awake than ever. Marlene was just about to be done dressing herself for the day when she heard Lily let out a frustrated huff. Marlene immediately knew what was wrong.
“Lils, come here and let me braid your hair,” she called out from behind her curtains. She drew them back and said, “Bring a brush and a couple elastics too, yeah?”
Lily handed Marlene the brush and sat on the bed. “Thank you,” she said as embarrassment colored her cheeks.
“You know there’s no need for that. C’mon, why don’t you tell me what you want in your hair?”
“I’m not sure. Anything really, I’m just so tired of having it in my face all the time.”
“Alright then. But I’m going to need a comb as well. Wait right here.”
Marlene got everything she needed and started gently detangling Lily’s long, auburn locks.
“You know, if it really bothers you that much maybe you should-”
“I’m not cutting it.”
“Don’t cut any of the length off if you don’t want to, but at least get some layers in it or something. As your friend, it’s really hard to see you struggle like this.”
“Maybe.”
“You know I heard when you find a cut or style or whatever that actually suits you, that it can really transform you. I don’t just mean your look either, it can brighten your mood, help you feel more comfortable in your skin, inspire you to explore your style more or to express yourself in different ways. The saving: time, effort, money, pain, and your sanity is a given, I’m sure. ”
“Hmm.” She fiddled with the comforter.
Promise you’ll at least think about it?” Marlene paused the brush’s smooth motions, and peeked at Lily over her shoulder, soft smile on her face. Lily’s hesitant face softened as she caught the sincerity in Marlene’s hazel eyes.
“I Promise.”
After brushing all the knots out of Lily’s hair, she used the comb to split it down the middle and dutch-braided each section. Once all of her hair was tied back, Marlene squeezed Lily’s shoulders.
“All done, pretty girl.”
Lily admired her reflection before she twisted back to Marlene, and hugged the daylights out of her. Seriously. Marlene wasn’t as certain as she’d like to be that none of her ribs were fractured, or at least bruised.
“Thank you so much, Marly, it’s beautiful,” she laughed, her green eyes looking glossier than usual. Marlene’s smile widened.
“Narcisstic much don't you think?”
“Oh shove off,” she giggled.
Hogwart’s vast stairways were packed with students, the walls themselves echoed with the buzz of excited chatter. Even the portraits looked more frenzied today, with the way they were rushing in and out of frame after frame. Everyone, it seems, was very excited for the first village-visit of the year.
Hogsmeade was gorgeous this time of year. Mid-September meant it was still warm- well, as warm as it could get in Scotland at least- and that the ground was much easier to walk around on since it wasn’t blanketed under a thick layer of snow yet. She missed the quaint village and its welcoming people. Marlene’s heart warmed at the sight of two third years running into Zonko’s, clutching each other’s arms, their eyes bright with wonder.
Their first stop was decided by Mary. She claimed that they had to stop by The Three Broomstick, so she could win over Rosemerta’s favor this year before Sirius did. Most people assumed that Hogwarts’ fiercest rivalry lied between James and Snape. Marlene knew better. They entered the Pub, wafts of warm butterscotch and sour liquor engulfed the air. They seated themselves at the first empty table they found, Rosemerta spotted Mary and bee-lined straight to them. They exchanged niceties, and more in Mary’s case, and ordered a butterbeer each.
After which, it was Lily who dragged them through the next pair of wooden doors. She chose a book shop, cozy and candlelit. Marlene swiped her hand over the book shelf and was a bit concerned with the amount of dust that coated her finger. Lily bought two books looking quite satisfied.
Marlene knew which shop she wanted to visit. Beautiful quills of all kinds were displayed on high shelves, writing equipment as well as art supplies of all kinds lined the shelves beneath. She could stock up on some charcoal she needed, or she could pick up the watercolor palette she’s been eyeing since last year, or maybe those new gel-ink ink pots, Marlene was dizzy with the possibilities. She went with the charcoal and a few hand sharpened pencils in hopes of finishing a few pieces she started.
They left Scrivenshaft’s and headed towards Honeydukes. They were about to turn around the corner when she spotted Dorcas walking towards her. Dressed in casual robes and flanked by two blondes on either side of her.
“Hello. I spotted you walking by and thought I’d come say hi. Heading for Honeydukes, are you?”
“Hi.” Marlene said, a dumb grin on her face. Dorcas’ eyes crinkled in affection. “And yes we are.”
“Lovely, so are we. Evan, Pandora, meet Marlene McKinnon and her friends Lily Evans and Mary MacDonald.”
“A pleasure,” they replied in synchrony.
“ Mare, Lils, meet Dorcas Meadowes, Slytherin's most vicious Chaser and also my Charm’s partner, and her friends the Rosier twins.” They responded in kind.
They entered the sweets shop together. Unlike the other shops this one was so brightly lit it was almost bothersome. They spread out across the isle, each person looking for their preferred candy, but Dorcas and Marlene were still shoulder to shoulder.
“What’s in the bag?”
“Excuse you?”
“What’s in your bag, McKinnon? What’d you buy?”
“Bit forward, don’t you think?” Marlene looked her up and down.
“Don’t be coy now, McKinnon. It doesn’t suit you.” She narrowed her eyes, head tilting teasingly as she smirked. And Marlene…Marlene didn’t know what the fuck she was doing with her face. All she could know, all she could see, all she could hear was the wicked funny girl in front of her.
“Rude.”
Meadowes snorted. “I thought you liked me rude?”
“Do I, though?” She did. Lord, knows she really did.
“What the fuck,” muttered Rosier, his brows raised in disbelief. The two girls stopped dead in their tracks. They glanced at each other awkwardly. He seemed fairly disturbed by their display. Actually, now that she looked around, so did Lily and Mary. Their eyes flicking back and forth between them in confusion. Marlene fumbled for something to say. Then she noticed the pack of sweets right in front of her.
“Lily, look. Sugar Quills! Your favorite, right?” She tried to grab them on the shelf above her, but she didn’t quite reach. Dorcas being the taller girl, grabbed them for her, but before she could hand the pack over to Marlene a couple other packs fell off the shelves and onto the floor around them.
“Hey! Careful with the sweets if you won’t buy them, lass,” the shopkeeper reprimanded.
“Sorry, sir! I’ll put them back,” Marlene yelled back.
“Here, Lils.” She handed the pack in her hands to Lily
They took that as a sign to leave the village. Bidding each other farewell, and Marlene and Dorcas promising to meet at the library tomorrow, before they went their separate ways and headed back to their respective houses.
Hours later, only in the safety of Evan, Barty, and Regulus’s dorm, beneath the comfort of her brother’s sheets did Pandora share her thoughts. She told her brother how she didn’t think Dorcas and Marlene were acting strange at all, even for not knowing each other for more than a week. That it was perfectly sensible for souls such as theirs. Souls like theirs, so familiar after a millennia of mingling, a millennia spent bound by the string of fate. And bound forever they shall be. Forever drilling the same song and dance one lifetime after another.
The monster roared through Pandora, it clawed at her chest, and tried to climb through her mouth. It raged in her head. Raged and raged. “Protector & Avenger” it growled. “They are Protector & Avenger. They are Shield & Blade,” the words rang in her mind like the chiming of bells. “They are Peace & Violence. They are Love & Loathing. They are inevitable.” Tears welled in her unseeing eyes. “They are Protector & Avenger and they are dead.” Pandora shook her head. No. No. No, it couldn’t be. “Their fates as certain as the string that binds them. Death is already coming for what is his.” it’s hissing like nails on a chalkboard in Pandora’s ears. “They are Protector & Avenger and they are Death’s.” Pandora screamed, clamping her hands over her ears, still shaking her head in adamant denial. She was cold, so cold, always so cold.
“Pandora?” Tears raced down her face and neck. “Pan?” Evan pleaded.
She collapsed into a wreck of heaving sobs. Terrible cries of grief crashing out of her like the waves of a storming sea. Evan held her in his arms as she quaked and quivered under the weight of the knowledge she now carried. Why couldn’t she forget. She just wanted to forget.
By the time Barty and Regulus returned, only Evan remained awake, stroking his sleeping sister’s hair.