Chapter Text
You taught me the courage of stars before you left
How light carries on endlessly, even after death
With shortness of breath, you explained the infinite
How rare and beautiful it is to even exist
– Saturn, by Sleeping at Last
If someone asked Marlene what she thought of Sirius Black, she'd say she wasn't one of his biggest fans. That, however, didn't mean she wanted anything bad to ever actually happen to him.
It was Friday, in the middle of summer before sixth year, when Marlene noticed the commotion at the Potter's front yard. She wasn't supposed to be awake at three in the morning, but the book on Animal Transfiguration she was reading was just too good. The familiar sound of apparition snapped her out of focus.
Eyeing the nearest window, she waited and listened. Debating with herself if it was worth it to get up from her warm bed. The whispered shouts that followed decided for her. Throwing back her blankets and abandoning her book, the girl went to the window to see what was going on.
Outside, she saw Mrs. Potter hurrying James inside, before looking up and down the street and closing the door behind her. Putting a robe over her camisole and the first pair of shoes she found, Marlene grabbed her wand from the bedside table, tiptoed down the stairs and went out.
Despite being the middle of summer, the night held a chilly and sinister atmosphere. Jogging across the street, she knocked at the Potter's door. A few seconds later, she heard steps and it opened to reveal the end of Fleamont Potter's wand pointing at her face.
''Marlene!'' Exclaimed the older man, putting his wand down. ''What are you doing here?''
''Hey, Mr. P. Sorry to bother you, but I heard shouting...'' As if taking her words as a cue, Marlene heard a pained yell come from somewhere within the house. ''Is everything alright?'' she asked, not being able to keep her curiosity in check any longer.
''Oh, come inside, dear'' Mr. Potter said, opening the door wider for her and closing it again as soon as she was through. ''They are in the living room, you can go ahead. I'll prepare some tea''.
The brunette nodded and followed the pained moans. Turning the corner, nothing could've prepared Marlene for what she saw. Lying on the couch was a shirtless and bleeding Sirius Black. His head was thrown back and his hair was curling with the sweat that clung it to his forehead and neck. With his eyes closed, he writhed and moaned in pain.
James was standing to the side, by Black's feet. His hair looked a complete mess, worse than usual, probably from the many times he must have run his hand through it. His hazel eyes never left his best friend's slumped form.
Mrs. Potter was kneeling by the couch, her wand moving in rapid shapes, forming one healing spell after the other and mumbling the incantations under her breath.
''By Merlin! What happened?'' Marlene asked, walking around the couch and grabbing James's right arm.
''We are not sure'' answered Mr. Potter, coming back with four mugs flying after him and placing them in the coffee table with a flicker of his wand.
''You and I both know what happened, dad!'' growled James, barely containing his anger. His hands were closed into fists, and Marlene slid her grip to lace her fingers through his.
''We still don't know that for sure, son. And we won't until Sirius gets better'' Fleamont tried to placate his boy.
James scoffed.
''Wait, you don't think his family did this to him, do you?'' Marlene's eyes widened with realization, because yes, that is exactly the kind of thing the Blacks would do. Especially with Sirius' knack to piss off his blood purists parents. ''Shit''
''Language'' scolded Euphemia, having finished with the white bandages circling the boy's torso. ''Regardless of what happened or who did it, this boy is not going back to that place'' her tone left no room for discussion and no one was willing to protest.
The moments that followed were filled with silence. No one had anything to say and the only sound in the room were Sirius' heavy breathing and the clinking while Marlene, James and the boy's parents drank their tea. After that, Mr. Potter used his wand to levitate Black's body up the stairs, his wife following close behind.
The youngest McKinnon stayed in the living room, gently guiding her friend to sit at the couch. Suddenly, James turned to her, frowning.
''What are you doing here?''
Marlene took a second to process the question, snorting out a laugh when she did.
''Giving you some moral support?'' It was true, in a way, since there was nothing she could do for Sirius. That got a smile out of James.
''You know what I mean'' he said, leaning back into the couch.
''I heard him apparating'' the girl replied, crossing her legs while turning to him.
''How? You sleep like the dead'' he wasn't wrong. Usually, Marlene wouldn't let anything or anyone disturb her sleep. The first week of school always was the worst, and everyone knew to avoid her like the plague during the morning.
''Who said I was asleep?'' she countered, throwing a defying look his way.
''What were you doing up at 3 am?''
James and Marlene had always been friends. They were causing trouble together from the moment they could walk and where one was, the other wasn't far behind. It was the two of them against the world, until it wasn't.
First year at Hogwarts and James had a new best friend. That's where Marlene's dislike of Sirius Black came from. During the summer, she thought that things would go back to normal, but no such luck.
For the four years that followed, things went by in the same manner. The once best friends drifted apart. They barely talked at school and never spent any time together. Then in fourth year, when Marlene joined the Quidditch team as a chaser alongside James, their friendship slowly flourished again.
''Am I on trial for something? What's with all the questions?'' even after two years, they were still on shaking grounds. Marlene didn't want to tell him that now she was boring and instead of causing trouble, she read in her spare time.
''Sorry, I just need to get my mind off of what happened'' he said, running his hand through his hair.
''I was reading. Transfiguration'' she confessed.
''Why the hell would you be reading that at 3 in the bloody morning?'' It sounded a lot like an accusation, but Marlene knew James enough to recognize that he was just teasing her.
''Because... It was interesting''.
''Wow'' his eyebrows went up and his eyes were filled with surprised, and fake, disappointment.
''What?''
''Nothing'' he shook his head ''Just.... How the mighty have fallen''
Marlene rolled her eyes.
''Shut up'' she snickered, giving him a light punch in the stomach. They both laughed for a moment, before the tension of previous happenings filled the air once more. ''Do you think he's going to be alright?''
''Yeah, he'll be fine!'' Marlene didn't know if he was trying to reassure her or himself. ''Why? Are you worried about him?'' he teased, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips.
''No, it just sounds like the git to leave me to pick up your pieces. You'd be a complete mess if something happened to your wife'' Marlene expressed, snorting at her definition of the boys dramatic friendship.
''Ah, I see... You are so full of it'' he exclaimed, pushing her with his shoulder.
'I'm serious, though!'' she cried, hitting him with one of the cushions.
James stopped laughing suddenly and put one hand at Marlene's forehead.
''Are you okay?'' noticing her confused look, he continued ''You're not Sirius. You're Marlene''
Pushing his hand away, the girl rolled her eyes again. She did that a lot in the boy's company.
''That joke got old in second year, Potter'' she scoffed, getting up from the couch and pulling her robe closer around herself. ''I think I should go'' sobering up, James nodded and led her to the front door. ''You come and get me if something happens, okay? I'll be back tomorrow''
''Thanks for being here'' he pulled her into a hug.
''Tell your parents 'goodnight' for me'' she said, before opening the door and crossing the street in a run.
Note: You can find this work's cover here.