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“So, are you going to give me the speech I’m about how I should pick my battles and learn some responsibility for once?” Marlene glared fiercely into the wall , trying to hide here wincing as Dorcas cleared up the rest of the blood from her face with a gentle wave of her wand. Dorcas pursed her lips, dropped her wand into her lap and reached for Marlene's hand instead. The blonde witch looked up with surprise, a witty remark on her tongue but Dorcas was quicker.
“I’m not angry with you, Marl,” she sighed, loose strands of dark hair falling into her eyes, and Marlene desperately wanted to brush them away but she didn’t want to interrupt her girlfriend so she sat patiently, eyes focused. “If you want to punch Snape or Avery or Mulciber- or, Merlin, the whole Slytherin house- then that’s your choice. I can’t stop you. I just want you to know that I get worried that you’re going to get seriously hurt one day, McKinnon. Just cause your girlfriend is ace at healing charms does not mean you’re invincible, you know. And yeah, I know that in a year or less we're going to be fighting in this messed up war and who knows, maybe neither of us will make it out alive-“
“And you call me the dramatic one,” Marlene rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly at the girl in front of her who was struggling between a laugh and her ever serious expression, her bright eyes alight with love for the Gryffindor in front of her.
“-Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I know I can’t protect you and it’s stupid to think I can so I support your decisions whatever they may be. Although, please try not to be too reckless. There’s a thin line between stupidity and bravery.”
“Did Dumbledore tell you that one?” Marlene asked politely, the corners of her mouth twitching into a grin as she tried not to laugh. Dorcas liked to keep these moments very serious and from the heart.
“Maybe,” She muttered, a pink blush rising to her cheeks, “But it doesn’t mean it’s not true.”
“Aww, that’s so cute, Dorc!” Marlene cupped her face in both hands and kissed her gently on the lips, causing her cheeks to redden even further.
“McKinnon,” Dorcas broke away eventually, eyes wide as she groped for her wand which had fallen to the floor, “You’ve still got a broken hand.”
“Oh, yeah. Ow, that does kinda hurt actually,” Marlene tried to flex her fingers into a fist but ended up yelling in pain and collapsing dramatically onto the bed. “Fix me up, Dorc.”
“Idiot,” Dorcas muttered, a small smile playing on her lips as she uttered a careful ‘episkey' with eyes narrowed in concentration, until all the bones had knitted back together.
Marlene showed her gratitude with a handful of kisses, her lips chapped but soft and sweet against Dorcas’ own. She felt like home and Dorcas didn’t want to leave this place. The two of them in their dormitory surrounded by warm scarlet and gold blankets; the rain tapping a melody on the old glass windows of the tower, which had been slotted together like a jigsaw puzzle. She could hear muffled laughter and chatter from the common room below and a voice which sounded a lot like James Potter bragging about his latest feat on the quidditch field. She didn’t want this to end. But she knew it would. It was inevitable. In a few months, they would be fighting against the darkest, most evil wizards of their time. The next few years were going to be difficult and not all of them were going to make it. But looking at Marlene with her dangerous, rebellious attitude (Although in reality Dorcas knew she was a total softie inside) and a wicked smile, Dorcas knew she wouldn’t want anyone else to be fighting by her side.
“I’m proud of you, Marl,” she murmured, threading her hands through the Gryffindor's hair. “Snape’s a dick, and he was horrid to Mary so I’m glad you punched him.”
“Really?” Marlene studied her girlfriend’s face curiously. “Cause I can-“
But Dorcas shook her head furiously, cutting off the rest of her sentence. “I am not encouraging you to punch anyone, I’m just saying you did a good job. Plus, we can’t exactly afford to lose any more house points. With all the fights you and Sirius and James get into we're running a little short.”
“Well, that’s why we have nerds like you to get the house points back and restore our glory,” Marlene replied with a grin, bumping her nose against Dorcas’ as she went in for another slow, lazy kiss.
“I love you, McKinnon.”
“I love you too, Dork-as.”