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Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadowes joined the Order of the Phoenix at the early age of eighteen. Almost right out of Hogwarts.
The Order was overflowing with young members back then since in a time of war many people’s first thought was to join the anti-Voldemort army after having finished school. And having many members was a good thing. Except, them being so young meant that they still had that youthful… foolishness.
Which was why Marlene and Dorcas were rigorously trained for months before they were allowed to go on their first mission. And that mission wasn’t even in the actual field.
“We’ve killed a Death Eater just two days ago, a pretty high-ranking one,” Alastor Moody told them. “We need someone to go through his house, there might be something useful in there. So you two are going with me.”
“Oh, come on !” Marlene reacted.
She wanted a real mission, something that would make her blood run fast and her chest bloom with adrenaline. She wanted to make an actual difference.
But Moody quickly shut her down with a sharp, “You wanna die, McKinnon?” and so she reluctantly agreed to participate.
The Death Eater’s house was huge. And fancy.
“You two look through the second floor, I’ll take the first,” Moody grumbled and disappeared through the doorway.
Marlene sighed, walking in after him.
“He’s gonna like us one day, I’m telling you,” she told Dorcas.
Dorcas grinned. “Maybe if you stopped getting in his way.”
Marlene’s mouth fell open. “I do not—”
“Second floor!” Moody’s voice yelled from somewhere further in the house.
Marlene scowled and stuck her tongue out in the direction where the sound had come from.
Dorcas laughed lightly and pulled Marlene by her arm towards the stairs. “Come on.”
The second floor had two bedrooms and two bathrooms - all seeming more expensive than anything Marlene had ever seen.
“How come all those Death Eaters are so bloody rich?” she said as she went through a drawer full of shiny jewelry. “That doesn’t seem fair.”
Dorcas was in the same room, practically entirely crawled under a bed.
“They’re purebloods,” she said, her voice muffled. “Purebloods are rich.”
Marlene scoffed. “Still doesn’t seem fair. And are all Death Eater purebloods? Are all purebloods rich?”
Dorcas pulled herself out from underneath the bed.
“Maybe leave those philosophical questions for another day,” she said, climbing to her feet. “There’s nothing down there,” she continued, pointing at the bed and then grimaced. “Other than mountains of dust.”
“Mmm,” Marlene murmured. “Maybe he was rich but not rich enough for a maid. And too stupid to know cleaning spells.” She straightened up, moving away from the drawer. “There’s nothing in here either.”
“Do we even know what we’re looking for?” Dorcas asked. “I mean, Moody—”
Suddenly, they both heard heavy and rushed steps in the hall - a moment later someone burst into the room.
Dorcas and Marlene had their wands out in a second. But the person standing before them was simply Alastor Moody.
“What are you—” Marlene began but Moody shushed her, frantically walking up to them and pulling them by their sleeves.
“Someone’s here!” he hissed. “We have to hide.”
“Wha—” Dorcas choked out but she was already being pushed into the disgustingly rich Death Eater’s walk-in closet.
Moody was thrashing around like a madman. He pushed Marlene and Dorcas onto the floor and behind a rack full of hanging clothes.
“Merlin, calm down, ” Marlene grumbled, settling on the floor.
“Fuck’s sake, McKinnon, if they find us we’re dead,” Moody said. “You wanna test a Death Eater?”
She gulped and didn’t say anything more.
They fell silent then, focused on any sounds around them. Dorcas’ hand reached for Marlene’s, clutching it.
For the first couple of minutes, there wasn’t much noise apart from their own breathing. But then, they heard faint steps to their right - in the corridor.
Dorcas sucked in a sharp breath.
“Merlin,” Marlene spluttered in a whisper. “Oh Merlin, oh Merlin—”
“McKinnon!” Moody hissed, glaring at her, an attempt to shut her up.
But Marlene was spiralling.
“Wait, no!” she exclaimed, her voice still hushed. And she went to clutch Dorcas’ hand harder. “Cas, Cas, I need to—”
“McKinnon, shut up ,” Moody spat.
Dorcas was staring at Marlene dumbstruck, fear thick in her throat.
“If we get out of this alive,” Marlene rambled, “will you marry me?”
“Fuck’s sake,” Moody whispered.
Dorcas stared.
The steps from the corridor were suddenly louder, as if they entered the room the closet was connected to.
“Cas, quick!” Marlene hurried.
“Be quiet!” Moody hissed.
The steps were getting dangerously close to the closet.
“Ye—Yes, of course, I will, I—” Dorcas stammered.
“Oh, thank Merlin,” Marlene said, releasing a sigh of relief.
“Shh!” Moody shushed and at that moment, the door to the closet opened.
All three of them froze, Marlene and Dorcas holding onto each other for dear life.
Whoever it was that had opened the door, looked around and then closed it again.
Dorcas released the breath she was holding, slightly loosening her grip on Marlene’s hand. Marlene was just about to let out some sort of victorious sound - but Moody shot her a glare and her voice died in her throat.
Moody pressed his ear to the wall and they waited. They waited for about ten minutes until Moody waved his hand.
“Alright, we should be good,” he said.
“Oh thank Merlin ,” Marlene exclaimed, again, and turned to Dorcas. She cupped her face and pressed their lips together.
“Were you for real?” Dorcas asked when they pulled away.
“Yeah!” Marlene said. “Been wanting to ask you for ages.”
Dorcas chuckled.
“Will you two get a move on?” Moody shouted.