Unlikely Allies

Chapter 19

"YOU SENT THEM TO AUSTRALIA!"

Marlene started at Dumbledore's sudden shout. "Don't yell at me!" That reaction was the last thing she'd expected after all, and he'd nearly caused her to jump right out of her skin.

She shrank into her chair as Rabastan put an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, that is kinda fucked up. She's doing her best," he spoke up.

"Rabastan," Orion Black snapped. "Language for the third time tonight! Behave like a gentleman when you are around ladies."

"Who, Regi and Kreach," Rabastan muttered and Bellatrix tittered. To her...perhaps discredit, Marlene snickered as well. "Besides," Rabastan went on. "Dumbledore yelled at her and shit, which is not cool." As the exchange took place, Albus Dumbledore tossed back the rest of the drink that he'd been nursing as Marlene related the story from Jegulus in Divinations class all the way up to now. As it was nice being defended, Marlene allowed Rabastan's arm to remain where it rested on her shoulders. He was interesting, and he hadn't vexed her thus far, after all.

"I did not intend to shout AT you, Miss McKinnon," Dumbledore said. This time his tone was quiet. He sighed as one hand came up to rub at the side of his head as if it ached.

"Call me Marlene," she decided expansively. "We're on holiday and I think after all I've just shared, we're a bit past the formalities."

Dumbledore gave a strained smile, then chuckled. The brief flash of amusement did not reach his blue eyes and faded quickly from the rest of his face. "With the Potters in Australia, we will not be able to watch the child grow, or monitor his progress, much less lend him the assistance he is certain to require. If he is to kill Voldemort, these things may be necessary if we are to facilitate him in his endeavor."

"I thought we were just here to keep ourselves alive," Rodolphus said, blinking in mild confusion. "It seems I really should pay attention more," he murmured half to himself and Bellatrix chuckled.

"We probably need another drink," she told Dumbledore, holding out her now empty glass in one hand, and Rodolphus's in the other. "Please." With a sigh, Dumbledore poured Firewhiskey liberally into each glass from the bottle that now stood on his desk.

"I shall reiterate that I saw a far better outcome for the Potters in Australia, in which they all survive," Marlene told Dumbledore with a frown. She felt mildly offended that she'd managed to pull this off, at least in theory, and he reacted as if she'd done nothing good at all simply because it didn't mesh with his current thoughts on the matter.

"Perhaps the kid won't even require our help," Rabastan added and Marlene nodded. There was the hope, because she didn't wish to be more entangled in this mess than she already was. Helping via her visions needed to be help enough. Each person used their strengths. This gift of seeing apparently was hers,and she'd used it. Whatever concept Dumbledore planned to use to help the Potters could be applied in another way, she was sure.

"You have people right here who need help," Bellatrix said dryly, gaze on Dumbledore. She pushed up the sleeve of her dress. "These Dark Marks shall allow him to trace and get at us any time. DO you think perhaps we should sort a way to get them off in order to survive?"

"There is no call for sarcasm, Mrs. Lestrange," Albus replied, in a tone as dry as Bellatrix's if not dryer. "How many of you are unfortunate enough to sport one of these," he asked, frowning at her bared arm.

"Just we three," she replied, nodding to Rod then Rabastan.

"Well that's something," Albus said. "They are going to be quite difficult to remove, so with that in mind, the fewer difficult tasks the better." Marlene leaned forward to peer curiously at the faint mark on Bellatrix's arm.

"Hm. I assumed it would look more like an ornate tat."

"A what," Bellatrix asked, shooting her a confused glance followed by an annoyed frown. Apparently Bellatrix didn't like being confused.

"A tatu," Marlene clarified. "I once read in a wizarding music magazine how there are ink wizards who, you know, craft spells into tats. This allows a person to wear a charm or spell permanently which constantly acts. Then the caster doesn't have to do it each time it's required, which is especially helpful if it's something you always want to keep going like a shield or one of those ability enhancing charms." She frowned. "Some singers use it to ensure perfect pitch, which I think diminishes their talent, really. If they're truly good singers who deserve their recording contracts, they wouldn't require magical help via a tat. It isn't fair that such singers have contracts while other good singers go undiscovered."

"Why do you care? Do you sing," Rabastan asked, arching thin, dark brows at her curiously.

Marlene nodded."Yeah, sometimes. Punk rock is my thing. I got a new guitar for Christmas, but of late I haven't found myself in a musical mindset," she admitted with a sigh. "Come to think of it, the required focus hasn't been with me since my discovery of this seeing gift."

"That sucks," Rabastan sympathized and she gave him a brief smile of gratitude, nodding.

"The mark is far more ornate when activated," Bellatrix said.

"Oh," Marlene said. "I get it. So it's like dormant most of the time rather than constantly activated.""

"That's right," Bellatrix agreed.

"How is it activated," Dumbledore asked. "Please do not activate it if you are able, only explain," he added hastily. "Understanding the process of its mechanics may help us to discover a way to unravel its magic so that its link to you is gone."

Bellatrix scowled. "We aren't stupid. We know not to bloody activate it," she said peevishly. In her defense, Marlene agreed. They didn't seem the sorts to risk themselves so carelessly.

"Well you have had a few drinks," Dumbledore defended his point. "Often inebriated people are careless by accident." Another good point, Marlene had to admit, though she did so silently.

"Yeah, but we can hold our whisky," Rabastan said. "We never do dumb shit when we drink."

"Drunken dueling doesn't qualify," Regulus asked, tone calmly curious.

"Hell no," Rabastan said. His fervent tone nearly made Marlene laugh, though she wasn't quite sure why. The concept did raise her brows, though. "What is drunken dueling?"

"It's what it sounds like," Rabastan said. We get drunk and duel one another. It's fun."

"And dangerous," Regulus said.

"No deadly curses are allowed," Rabastan defended.

"There are dangers other than death," Regulus pointed out tartly.

"Not really," Rabastan said, waving away Black's concerns with a careless gesture.

Marlene grinned. "Drunken dueling actually sounds fun."

"Hey, we've always got room for one more," Rabastan invited happily.

Bellatrix described in detail the design of the Dark Mark once it was activated, and that it was activated by either Voldemort summoning them or them touching it to summon him.

Dumbledore listened with a thoughtful frown, nodding when she stopped speaking. "As I suspected. A two way connection likely using blood magic. Almost certainly both yours and his, which makes it more complicated to disable. Were it just yours, it would be far easier, but I have a suspicion he'd want to mark his followers more personally."

"Yea," Marlene crowed sarcastically. "They've got Horcrux tainted blood in their tats. Nasty!" At Marlene's words, Bellatrix gave a small shriek, gazing in horror at her arm.

"We'll get it off, Babe," Rodolphus said, putting a comforting arm around his wife's shoulders.

Bellatrix made a low sound of distress, but it was Walburga who spoke up next. "Will disabling these Marks not pose a danger of alerting him, though," she asked Dumbledore.

He nodded. "Indeed. With that in mind, the lot of you have a few choices to make." The gravity in his tone caused Marlene's stomach to clinch. She had a feeling these choices weren't going to be at all easy or devoid of danger.