'Sir you wanted to talk to me.' Marlene walked into Dumbledoor's office.
'Ah yes Miss McKinnon, I think it would be best for your friends who are outside the door come in.' Sirius and James came in and stood either side of Marlene. 'As you are aware there is a war brewing with the leader, Voldemort amassing followers.'
'Yes sir.'
'As you are also aware he has a distinct dislike for muggleborns and holds purebloods to a high standard.'
'Yes sir.'
'And you of course know spot your family's blood status.'
'Sir..'
'Your parents have pledged their allegiance to Voldemort.' Marlene's legs faltered and she grabbed the hands next to her gripping tightly.
'Was it just them or..'
'Your brothers? Two pledged allegiance, two couldn't be found.'
'But that's only four..'
'Marcel, your second oldest brother was killed two nights ago.' A single tear fell down Marlene's cheek.
'Why?'
'He refused to join Voldemort's army.'
'Who were the two that joined?'
'Marco and Marcus.'
'So Matt and Myles are missing.' Marlene replied in a monotonous voice.
'Miss McKinnon-'
'I don't want to be associated with that name.'
'I can ask your professors to refer to you through you middle name, what is it?'
'Mila.'
'Sir I think-' Dumbledoor interrupted James.
'Miss Mila..' Dumbledoor continued to talk yet the boys weren't listening, they had both noticed Marlene's grip loosen and caught her just in time as she fainted.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Marlene woke up in her bed with everyone around her with solemn looks on their faces.
'Mar..' Lily started.
'Don't.' She turned over so her face was in the pillow and went back to sleep. When she woke up she noticed that everyone had gone ,she looked at her clock and realised that it was almost time for class.
Mar got up, got some clothes from her drawers and went to the bathroom, when she came out she was visibly different to her usual self, her bright blond hair lay flat on her head duller than usual, her under eyes looked darker, her clothes seemed to hang off of her body, it was Marlene but it was like she was there in body not in spirit. She left the room after collecting her school supplies and went down to the Great hall for breakfast.
The others came down a few minutes after, they were delighted to see Marlene at the Gryffindoor table but as they got closer they realised how she looked, Peter gave out an audible gasp at which Marlene looked up and towards the group she quickly looked back down at her food.
The rest of the day Marlene went through all the motions.
'Miss Mc-Mila can you answer number two.'
'Crushed snail shell.'
'Correct, 5 points to Gryffindoor.' Professor Slughorn took everyone's work in and stopped Marlene as she walked out. 'Marlene can we have a little chat. I understand your circumstances and I think it is great that you are still coming to classes but I am not at all for you forcing yourself to come to class when you are not in the right headspace, follow me... As you can see your work is starkly different, you can see how your writing has changed there is no curve to your lettering and it hasn't got the usual Mckinnon-sorry Mila sparkle to. If you have any problems please come to me or any of the staff, we are all with you.'
'Thanks sir, can I go now?'
'Yes of course, really good work today Mila.'
Marlene nodded, as she walked out of the door she was greeted with James leaning against the wall.
'Come on then Mar, I need to eat after double potions.'
'So go and eat.' Marlene's monotone voice had stayed all day and although this was a comment Marlene would of said James could tell it didn't have the same layer of sarcasm as it usually would.
'Come on.' He put his arm around her shoulder and they walked towards the Great hall.
'I'll be in the library.'
'No you won't.'
'What?'
'You didn't eat lunch, so your eating now.'
'I hate what you are doing right now.' They carried on walking.
'Looking after my sist-' James cut himself off when he realised what he was saying.
'I'm not your sister James. You are not my brother. One of my brothers are dead.'
'MAR!' James replied shocked at how Marlene had completely shut off her emotions to what she was saying.
'Go James.'
'You know that isn't going to happen.' They entered the Great hall and sat down, Mar had a bowl of soup in front of her and she sat stirring it until she got bored of it and slammed her spoon down, she stood up and walked off. When she realised she was going towards the Common room she turned towards the room of requirement, she closed her eyes and a door formed when she walked in she saw a big cushy armchair in front of a fireplace, finally it was a place she could be truly alone.
Marlene fell asleep in the armchair yet when she woke up and saw the time on the clock she didn't leave, I stayed she got up and practiced her charms, by the end of the day she was able to grow a plants roots 10 feet long and manipulate them to wrap around an object. Again she slept in the armchair after eating a light supper. The next day she decided she wanted to work on her defensive spells and by the end of the second day she was able to cast an advanced protection spell that could cover a group of five. She had a routine down and repeated it for the next three days, it was on the sixth night when she was sat in the armchair that she remembered she was still at Hogwarts and outside the walls of her haven was a world she wanted to escape from.
Marlene begrudgingly made up her mind to leave the room of requirement and go back to reality, as she opened the door to leave she was met with the familiar face of Severus Snape.
'Oi watch it McKinnon.'
'Mila.'
'Oh yeah I forgot you don't associate with your family name anymore.' Snape snorted. 'What kind of witch are you? Who hangs around mudbloods and blood traitors.'
'Don't say that word Snape.'
'What? Mudblood? Mud..Bloo-' Marlene punched him.
'I said don't say that, you lost Lily over it how do you feel about loosing a limb?'
'SECTUMSEM-'
'MOENIO' A bright flash erupted from Marlene's wand and created a wall between her and Snape. 'It was you! You cursed me. HOW COULD YOU. I nearly died, if James wasn't there I would of died!' An evil grin formed on Snape's face.
'You'll never be able to prove that McKinnon. I was in the common room with my friends.'
'Like you have any Snivellus.' Snape yelled and sent a curse right to Marlene yet her protection spell was still in place, the spell rebounded and hit Snape, boils started to form all over his face and hands, he turned and raced off down the stairs towards the dungeons.
Once Marlene was sure he had gone she undid her spell and massaged her knuckles that were starting to bruise, she got to Gryffindor tower she readied herself for what could be on the other side of the portrait. 'Horntail' the portrait swung open and she climbed through.
'MARLENE!' James ran over to her, he looked around and grabbed her arm 'Come on not here.' He dragged her up the stairs to the boys dorm.
'What?'
'What do you mean "what" you have been missing for nearly a week.'
'I was fine James.' James turned to the bathroom door and nocked.
'SIRIUS IT'S HER.' The door flung open and Sirius stood there with sunken eyes.
'Mar...' he noticed she was rubbing her knuckles 'What happened.'
'Nothing.' James life's up her hand.
'What happened.' The boys closed in on her.
'I said nothing.'
'Marlene your better start talking you have been missing for nearly a week and you turn up with bruises.'
'I don't want or need this double act you two have going on, I don't need protecting or caring for.'
'You do.' Both of them has been edging towards her as she spoke.
'He is dead do you get that,' She looked between the two boys 'He isn't coming back and there is nothing anyone can do about that.' She jolted her arms out to try and created space around her but even as she hit them neither of the boys moved. Sirius hugged her from behind keeping her arms in place. Marlene started to shake and her eyes welled up.
'I just want Marcel back. Why did it have to be Marcel?' She finally broke down and cried into James' shoulder. 'I want Marcel.' She repeated again and again.
Marlene's breathing started to get slower and slower and her head was drooping, James looked at Sirius and they nodded, Sirius picked up Marlene and tucked her into his bed and got in after her while James went and looked for the other 6th years, he came back half and hour later to Marlene quietly snoring with Sirius' arms wrapped around her, Sirius turned his head as he heard multiple footsteps entering the room, the girls came in with blankets and pillows, Lily got into bed with James, and Mary and Em made a bed on the floor, Remus lay in bed with Tilly and Peter got into his bed.
'Goodnight.'
The candles were blown out and everything went silent except for the noised of eight teens sleeping.
During the weekend the eight of them holed up in the boys dorm, although Marlene was pleased with being surrounded by her friends she couldn't stop herself feeling guilty that they were stuck with her, she spent quiet a bit of the weekend convincing people to go out but none of them would. On Sunday night she was in bed with Sirius she was facing him and he could tell something was up.
'You're allowed to be selfish right now you know.'
'It just feels wrong, normally I'm the problem solver not the problem.'
'Hey.' Sirius cupped her cheek 'In no way are you a problem, we would do this for any one of us. You know that.'
'But-'
'No buts.' His thumb stroked her cheek. 'You need time and support and we are all going to give it to you.' Marlene kissed his palm and closed her eyes.
'I love you.'
'I love you too.'
'I am not ready for class.'
'Ugh someone wake Sirius up.'
'Wait not yet look.' Everyone stopped to see what was happening.
'Aw James you were right, he is the little spoon.'
'Where's the camera?'
'Please don't ever let him forget this James.'
'Never.' Peter took the photo of Sirius wrapped in Marlene's arms and hid it where all the others were stored.
'Wake him up Mary.' Mary walked over to the side Sirius was facing.
'Oi Sirius.' She tapped him. 'We have school, wake up.' He stirred and his eyes flickered.
'Right now?' He mumbled.
'You need to get up right now.'
'Fine.' He slid out of Marlene's grip still with his eyes closed and got out of bed.
'So what is our plan?'
'What plan?'
'With Mar. She can't exactly go to her lessons.'
'Nothing-none of us has ever gone through this have we, there isn't anything we can plan.'
'She can't be left alone.'
'Sirius you can't be suggesting that we follow her everywhere.'
'She went missing for a week. We just need to know she is safe.'
'I'm not about to run away again if that's what you think.' Marlene sat up.
'How long have you been awake?'
'Since Si decided he wanted to track me.'
'Are you-I know this is a stupid question but are you okay?' Mary asked.
'No. But I shouldn't be, and I'm okay with that.'
Marlene got up and went with the girls to get changed for school.
'Hold up. Where are you going?' Remus asked Marlene
'To get changed.'
'For what?' Asked Peter.
'For school.'
'No your not.' Said James.
'Sorry what?'
'You shouldn't be going to class right now.' Sirius told her.
'I don't want to stay up here all day.'
'You aren't going to class Mar.' James continued.
'I think that's my decision.'
'Mar it's seven against one, your not going.'
'Can I at least come to breakfast?'
'I think that's a fair deal.' Lily replied from the hallway.
'Fine.'
'Fine.'
Marlene, James and Sirius sat on the floor of Gryffindor common room in front of the fireplace. The boys sat either side of her plaiting her hair, Sirius was doing loads of little plaits while James did one big french plait.
'Your pretty good at this...James.'
'What about me?' Sirius asked offended.
'I never said you were bad, I am just surprised at James' talent. Better than me at any rate.'
'I would of thought you would be able to do hair Mar, as you are amazing at basically everything else.'
'Wow the sarcasm is thick, I would but my mother always wanted my hair in a slick bun. Myles tried to teach me once, he even grew out his hair but I just never understood it.' Marlene went quiet, it was the first time she had mentioned one of her brothers that day.
'Mar, do you want to talk?'
'I would love to hear more about your brothers, they sound so nice.'
'Yeah. I'll tell you about my brothers.
Matt is my oldest brother and then Marcel then was Myles then the twins Marco and Marcus, I wasn't ever that close to the twins even though they were the closest to my age they left Hogwarts before I started. Growing up our parents put a lot of responsibility on Matt and Marcel to look after us all, we would go camping and stargazing. It was like they brought me up, in a weird way it was as if they were my Dad's. I had a father but I never had that loving father figure and they were so much older than me it was them.
I remember one trip, I must of been five or so and they were in their twenties, there was this huge lake and Matt dared Myles and me to race the twins to the other side, but we didn't know there was a lake so we were in our normal clothes, Marcel-he was always amazing at charms and he made it so I could see under water, it was absolutely stunning, and when I got out Myles asked me to explain what we had seen and he painted it, you could tell him anything and he could paint it perfectly. I'm sure it was in the summer, I remember it because our ages are so spread out that we rarely could all be together, so when we were it was special. I was sad because I knew this was the last time I would be with all of my brother's for most likely a year. And Marce' must of realised, I don't think I was as good at hiding my emotions as I am now, and I was looking in the fire and a robin appeared but it was made out of flames, since I was little that's been my favourite animal. I must of fallen asleep after that because I woke up the next morning in my bed. But when I got up I found a painting of a robin, the flame robin in a jar, a robin whittled out of tree bark. Those things were the things from my brother's that I kept closest.' Marlene stopped talking, and started breathing heavily. 'I left them.' Her eyes glistened 'Last Christmas I left them in my room.' Marlene looked towards Sirius and whispered 'That's the only thing I had of Marcel now that he's gone and I don't even have it.'
Marlene rest her head on Sirius' chest and stared into the fireplace.
'I'm sorry Marcel.' She whispered to herself.
The boys started to have a silent conversation with each other, both tying to convince the other of their plan.
'Lets take her up.' Sirius picked up Marlene and took her up to the girls dorm where Lily, Mary and Emmeline were.
'What are you doing?'
'Bringing her to bed.'
'No you guys are planning something, I can tell.'
'Lil it's better if you don't know, I don't want you to worry.'
'That's the easiest way to make anyone worried James.' Mary told him.
'Look it's for Mar. We need to do it.'
'Don't come back hurt James, or I will kill you.' Lily gave him a long hug and a kiss and they left.