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She shouldn’t have, but Marlene descended the steps toward the back alley of Knockturn, the cracked cobblestone glistening after an early evening rain, mirroring her footsteps as she stayed close to the shadows. Borgin and Burkes illuminated against the misty air to her right, the green hues of candles reflecting off the fog and windows in an eerie glow. Marlene strode passed, her eyes focused and her hand clenched tightly in her coat pocket around the hilt of her wand.
She had come to Knockturn many times these past few months, however, her journey through the dark littered streets never got easier. Marlene was considered brave, or stubborn as Dorcas would declare, but here in this side of town - in Knockturn - she rarely showed anything but unease. It wasn’t until she made it to the small back shop at the end, with its broken shingled roof and clouded windows did she feel her inner strength return to her. The small echoing chime above the door glittered as Marlene shook off the remnants of the misty rain from her coat.
“Marlene!” A voice carried across the cluttered space before warm arms wrapped around her middle. “Are you crazy? It’s no longer safe for you to be here!”
Marlene peered up at the pale face clad in shadows. The man’s dark eyes flickered with specs of fire as he took her in, wet and cold.
“I had to see you. I-” Marlene paused, burying her face into the curve of his neck, the leather jacket he wore cold against her cheek. “There is still time for you to-”
“Stop.” Barty's hands were around her arms, pulling her back enough to capture her gaze. “I already told you where my allegiances lie.”
“But-”
“Marlene.” Barty brought a hand to her chin and rubbed his thumb across her skin. “I won’t turn my back on the Dark Lord now. Not with everything he promises. He could give us everything we could ever want!”
“I only want you .” She mimicked his movement, reaching her fingers across the flesh of his cheek. He jerked away from her touch and stepped back.
“We’ve been over this. If you came here to ask me to join you again you’re wasting your breath.” He ran his fingers through his dark muffled hair. “We are just going in circles now.”
“But-” Marlene closed the distance between them once more, sliding her arms around his waist, the warmth of his coat enveloping her as she does. “What if our choice is stolen from us?”
He peered down at her then, his brows furrowed and eyes aflamed. “What do you mean?”
“If we continue this way - you on your path and me on mine, the day will come, Barty, when they force our hands.” Tears burned her eyes and she blinked, releasing them down her cheeks in glistening streams through the low candlelight in the room. He snaked his own arms tightly around her.
“That won’t happen.” He kissed her then, devouring her doubt and brushing it away with his lips. Perhaps she was as stubborn as her friend claimed her to be, refusing to give up on the man she’d grown to care for. She had stayed with him that night, as she did many nights, stowing away in his little hideaway behind the facade of an old forgotten shop. He made love to her in a way they’d always had - soft, tender - and held her in his arms long after their breaths became leveled again. She fell asleep in those arms, but he was gone when she woke the following morning.
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A week later Marlene found herself back on those cracked cobbled streets of Knockturn Alley. She’d krept along the walls amongst the shadows, similar to how she often slipped through unseen, only this time she didn’t bear the journey alone. Sirius was directly in front of her while Alice and Peter trailed her steps. They received word of a gathering taking place in the White Wyvern, the alley’s more renowned pub. Alastor was confident in his information, but it all seemed a bit too easy. The others in her group agreed. The hairs on Marlene’s arms rose as they advanced under the cover of darkness, approaching the side entrance to the pub.
It was quiet as they ascended the stairs, the worn wood creaking beneath their weight. Sirius hesitated in front of her, holding a hand up in a silent command as he peered into the pub. They were vulnerable standing there, and Marlene grew more anxious the longer they waited, but Sirius finally motioned them inside. Once they crossed the threshold of the pub, the smell of old stale ales and smoke invaded her face. It was scarce, patrons scattered across faded wooden tables and standing along the bar. It was obvious from the expressions they weren’t welcome there.
“Stay here. Peter and I will check the back.” Sirius flashed a glance at Peter before advancing forward to the bar. Marlene could see the curtain leading to another hidden section of the pub, no doubt used for storage but also a great place for a gathering.
Alice stood back to back to her and Marlene smiled at the warmth of her there; a comfort. Marlene always felt better when the older witch went out on missions beside her, the small but strong willed woman proving time and again she was more fierce than the lot of them. Marlene sighed, her breath catching at the thought of anything happening to her - to any of them for that matter. This damned war was growing too long, ripping families apart and stealing life from those she cared for most. She peered out through the fogged window, down toward the faint and distant shop held hidden in plain sight and gave a silent hope Barty was not here awaiting the wrath of The Order. Alastor’s contact didn’t claim as much, his name not being amongst the list given, but there was always that chance, that risk , and she couldn’t bear the thought of it.
“You alright?” Alice reached back and gave Marlene’s forearm a light squeeze. “You seem distant tonight.”
Marlene spun and brought her eyes to Alice who only showed concern in hers. Not pity, she knew Marlene too well to reflect that level of solace.
“I’m fine, Alice. I just-”
“Nothing.” Sirius had approached, wand clenched tightly in his hand and a shifting Peter at his back. “There isn’t anyone here.”
“The bartender doesn’t seem to be willing to talk either.” Peter wiped sweat from his brow. “We should go. I don’t particularly like this place.”
“What’s the matter? The delightful stench of death and booze not doing it for you?” Sirius wiggled his eyebrows and elbowed his friend. “Come on then. Let’s move before the smell becomes permanently embedded into our clothes.”
“It would be an improvement to that aftershave you insist on wearing.” Marlene gave Sirius a playful grin, leading the group of them back out onto the street. Sirius stopped dead in his tracks, over-dramatically bringing his hand to his heart as if her comment actually stung.
“Ouch, muffin, you wound me.”
Alice rolled her eyes at him, looping her arm in Marlene’s as they peered out the pub before exiting. Peter was chuckling at their backs, shoving a pouting Sirius behind them.
The stale air was a welcomed breeze on their skin as the four of them reemerged back into the tight alley. The walls seemed to loom on either side and they all held their wands a little tighter. They descended the stairs in a rush, all anxious to get back to the others. They weren’t two steps off the stairs before the shadows shifted.
“Shit.” Sirius growled beside Marlene, wand at the ready. “They knew we were coming.”
Marlene shot him a glance, but didn’t have time for much else as a curse shot past her face, momentarily illuminating her features under a dim red hue. She scowled, spinning to block another. The others fell into a defensive stance around her, all back to back. Marlene scanned the Death Eaters in front of her. Four . There are four of them. Marlene blinked, another curse slicing through the air at rapid speeds. She couldn’t see behind their masks, and the distance was too great to catch their eyes, the shadows dancing across them and emphasizing the glint when their metal masks hit the light. Sirius was shouting beside her, taking one of the cloaked men down with an elegant turn. Alice took another down a moment later, leaving two to four.
Striking with confidence, Marlene stepped forward and sent a curse down the alley, but it was deflected and countered with a curse back. She didn’t move fast enough before it collided with her arm, singing her shirt and burning into her flesh. It was minor, but stung like hell. It was Peter who rushed forward then, knocking both of the remaining two back and slamming them into the walls before making his escape. He yelled for them to follow, and they rushed from the alley before the men on the ground came to.
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Marlene went to Barty the following night, meeting again in that hidden shop along the dark aesthetic of the alley. Her arm was bandaged, but sore, and she winced more often than she could hide. Her eyes caught the mark on his own arm and she wondered if he understood the pain.
He held her in a way she grew accustomed to, swallowing away the fear and enveloping her in comfort. She tried to ignore the fact they were on borrowed time, the two of them fighting to succeed in the war - on opposing sides. Marlene snuggled herself into him further, taking in his scent, remembering the boy he was in school, growing into the man she loved despite the choices they’d both made. Despite how easy it was to turn a blind eye, walking away was harder.
“I refuse to let this come between us.” She heard him whisper into her ear as he stroked the tender part of her arm. Her eyes grew heavy to his touch, burying her head into his chest.
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The war prevented Marlene from making her way back to him those following weeks, finding herself face to face with more masked opponents as the days drew on. Currently, she was engaged in a fight, his hidden shop mere feet away. Another mission, another risk at fate as she blasted curse after curse against those of the Dark Lord. Marlene watched helplessly as fellow Order members fell, refusing to allow it to shake the fire in her fight. They’d been fighting for what felt like hours now, her face bloodied and shoulder burning. She took a Death Eater down, a woman she didn’t recognize as the mask slipped when she hit the ground. Marlene winced. The woman was a mother, a daughter , and she cursed her down as if she were mere game on a hunt.
She pivoted, a curse firing from her wand as she dodged another, her shield weakening with every blow. There were too many of them and she knew it - an ambush. Peter had assured them when he’d heard of the location it would be mostly vacant, but once they’d arrived the Death Eaters swarmed them before their feet hit the ground. Her stomach still in knots from the apparition, Marlene began fighting and pushing back as hard as her strength allowed.
Wand raised she spun, the tip of her wand inches from a Death Eater’s throat as she was met with the tip of his wand on hers. Her chest rising and falling, her breath hitched at the sight of the Death Eater’s eyes, his eyes. He removed his mask, neither lowering their wands as a tear rolled free down her cheek.
“I wish we had more time.”