❪ 𝘚𝘞𝘌𝘌𝘛 / 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰. ❫

accessing file: marlene mckinnon.

Where: Ministry of Magic When: January 2nd, 1979, 16:30 Who: Sirius Black & @markinnons​

Sirius had just finished his shift in the auror’s headquarters and even though it was tiring, he felt as energized as ever. The last days passed by fairly smoothly. No incidents, no needs of meetings with secret underground groups, no meetings with his father. It had been a long time since he last hung out with Marlene, so he decided to pay her a visit in her office, and see if she’s free to hang.

He made his way to her floor and didn’t have an issue locating her office quickly. The door was wide open so he peeked his head in and saw her sitting at her desk, going over some files. Without hesitation even though she seemed busy, he entered her office and took a seat in a chair across her desk. “I would like a chat with my dear friend Marlene, if she’s not busy” he claimed with a sierious look on his face.

X

The atmosphere felt so serene to Marlene that it could be considered alarming. While work at the Ministry continued on as usual, meetings with the Order had become stagnant. Perhaps the whispers and brewing pandemonium dissipated with the new year. Frankly, the young woman would feel elated by that news, even if the attack on Hogwarts occurred just eight months prior. She yearned for the assault on her former school to be an isolated incident, despite knowing that probably was not the case. If it had been, Professor Dumbledore would not have seen a need to mobilize numerous witches and wizards for classified Order initiatives.

Another fleeting thought about the Order crossed her mind, as someone sank into the seat across from her. While Marlene did not immediately glance up from the file sprawled before her, she quickly recognized the voice of her visitor. “Do you have an appointment, Mr. Black?” She replied with the same tone, finally looking up to meet his gaze. “I don’t remember penciling you into my schedule.” A smile accompanied her jest, as Marlene closed her file. “They’ve finally given you a break in the Auror’s Office?” She inquired.  

Their laughter filled the room, completely changing the atmosphere that surrounded them. It’s not that it felt uncomfortable, it’s that neither of them had ‘chilled’ in what felt like forever. None of them had taken any advances in conversation other than a quick small talk before they both jumped straight for their respective drinks. Thankfully, both fully aware of how ridiculous their situation had been, it gave them something to joke about and ease them into an easy going conversation. 

“He’d probably go on about how we’d slow down business.” Lily nodded in agreement, a relaxed smile playing on her lips. “We really do need to step up our game, Marls. This is a little sad.” She joked, once again picking up her drink and bringing it up to her lips, finishing whatever was left in the cup in a single sip. With that out of the way, Lily placed her hands on the floor behind her, allowing herself to lean back and sit more comfortably. The smile was still present on her lips, though her eyes had shifted from Marlene to stare at the ceiling curiously. It was a few seconds before Lily’s attention returned to her friend, looking slightly amused. “Spending our free days lounging around drinking all afternoon… does this mean we’re officially old?” Her smile grew a little, wider and brighter. Lily had found the thought hilariously fitting to their situation. They were both young girls who’d been working really hard for ages and yet as soon as they got some down time and a chance to have genuine fun and let go, they’d chosen such a safe and controlled choice. “Are we prudes?”

X

Their growing laughter only made times at Hogwarts seem like lifetimes ago. While the two witches were several years apart at school, Marlene could imagine Lily felt similarly. Several obstacles existed at the Scottish castle, but most seemed trivial in comparison to the issues  they faced now. Back then, there had been time for merriment between coursework and Quidditch matches. Now that they had graduated, it seemed additional complications filled the void left by the completed coursework. Consequently, it was no wonder that both of them forgot how to be idle for short periods of time.

“Hmm, I’d say he should be happy we chose to spend our money at his establishment.” She mused, smiling into her cup as she took another sip of her drink. “Step up our game how?” Marlene pondered aloud, unsure how to go about it these days. Their minds both seemed preoccupied with so many other notions that relaxation slipped through the cracks. As a result, neither of them knew how to handle this newfound time wisely. Marlene shook her head and felt amused by the thought, finishing off her cup and raising a brow at Lily’s question. “Old? If you’re feeling old, what would that make me?” Marlene almost shuddered at the notion, as she would prefer not to spend her entire youth fighting in a war. The older Gryffindor often remembered the toll that took on her parents.

“I don’t think we’re old yet. We’ve just aged a little faster than anticipated. Sometimes I feel middle aged with everything we’ve dealt with.” Marlene replied. Time certainly passed while they worked hard, but there still seemed to be an opportunity to make up for it. “Considering this is the most fun I’ve had in months, I’d say we are prudes. I haven’t done anything remotely dangerous or exhilarating that hasn’t been for the Order lately, have you?"

where: Ministry of Magic when: January 10 who: james and @markinnons

James’s day seemed to be going even more slowly than it usually did, which honestly was saying a lot, but after a four and a half hour meeting on trading standards he wasn’t sure he would make it through the rest of the day without simply walking out and never coming back. Which is how he found himself taking a long lunch to ‘confer with another department’ heading downstairs at almost a running pace just to get out of his office. He had found himself on Marlene’s floor, and desperately hoped she wasn’t too busy as he walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. “Wanna get lunch? I’ll buy, I just can’t spend another minute in here.”

X

As much as Marlene relished her work, even she needed a respite from case files every so often. There were only so many mentions of Dark magic and enchanted tea kettles she could tolerate before they blurred together in her mind. Each case required delicate handling, but what Marlene needed at the moment was a break. The young woman had been pacing in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She prompted closed the file in hand and turned around, lips curling into a small upon seeing James. “Yes, absolutely. We can go now.” She responded, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. “Merlin, I feel the same way. I can only investigate so many of these cases before wanting to set one of these files on fire and never looking back.” Marlene offered with an exasperated expression. “They must be keeping you busy upstairs, if you’re this eager to leave.”

𝚆𝙷𝙾: Narcissa & @markinnons. 𝚆𝙷𝙴𝙽: January 10th, 1979. 2:00PM. 𝚆𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴: Ministry of Magic.

𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚂𝚃𝚁𝚈 𝙾𝙵 𝙼𝙰𝙶𝙸𝙲, 𝙿𝙴𝚁 𝚄𝚂𝚄𝙰𝙻, 𝙸𝚂 𝙱𝚄𝚉𝚉𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙽𝙾𝙸𝚂𝙴, and Narcissa is positively lost — she had needed to sort out a faulty Portkey ( how she must look with a dirty old boot in hand! ) with the Department of Magical Transportation, and sorely overwhelmed by the whizzing elevators and general business, she’d gotten mixed up.

Shuffling by a crowd of people, she walks up to the closest person turned, tapping them on the shoulder, a courteous smile already locked onto her face. “Excuse me, would you mind telling me how to get to the Department of —” As soon as the woman faces her, Narcissa’s face falls. Marlene McKinnon. They’d been in the same year, a doe-eyed, peppy sort of girl who’d been in Gryffindor. Pureblood, but blood didn’t matter when one turned against their own kind. “The Department of Magical Transportation.” She finishes, but the amicable tone is all but erased from her voice; in place, a monotonous annoyance for having talked to a blood traitor. 

X

The Ministry of Magic could certainly be compared to a labyrinth, but time helped Marlene learn to navigate it. Each floor held numerous offices with people milling around, but the clamor hardly bothered her. Perhaps her ability to navigate effectively came from working in one of the Ministry’s smallest offices. The Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office frequently felt like the ridicule of the department. Marlene often journeyed to other offices because few knew where her division resided, but she hardly minded. Many scoffed at the regulation of Muggle items, but Marlene believed their work was important to living harmoniously with Muggles.

The young woman had been on an expedition to Muggle Liaison Office when she felt the tap on her shoulder. She turned with a polished smile only for it to falter upon seeing Narcissa Malfoy. Marlene tried to maintain her demeanor, but the expression became far more subdued. The former Gryffindor felt transported back to Hogwarts where numerous Slytherin purebloods called her blood traitor and worse. Having been in the same year, those Slytherins been part of the blonde’s crowd. “Oh, right, of course. Someone must have led you in the wrong direction. You’ll want to go down to Level Six.” She replied. “Having trouble with that?” She asked, eyes flickering toward the boot in Narcissa’s grasp.

where: the leaky cauldron when: january 1979 who: @markinnons​ | peter + marlene

As he did every night before he left work, he mosied out back with a pan full of tidbits of food left over from the shift. It wasn’t something he bragged over, but rather, he kept the routine a bit of a secret. Peter didn’t imagine Tom would take well to the idea of what he was doing, and rather than taking that as a hint to not go through with it, it simply called for secrecy in his plan. He didn’t mind so much. The moment alone at the end of the night was cathartic, the silence, sans the small squeaks from his companions, allowed him to let every bit of fuckery go from the night. On that particular one, he was more focused on his thoughts than normal, so when the sound of footsteps landed behind him, he wheeled about with a look of uncertainty. After a moment, he sighed, shrugging as he laughed. “What? You act as if you’ve never seen a grown man feeding rats before.”

X

Nightly strolls through Diagon Alley almost felt revitalizing to Marlene. These ambles were a chance unwind from the day’s activities before preparing for the next one. Her eyes absorbed the familiar shop windows and evening glow of lanterns illuminating the path. It caused her lips to curl upwards each time, as she reflected on her experiences floating from shop to shop as a young Hogwarts student. On one night, Marlene had finished her routine walk, exiting Diagon Alley using the passage behind the Leaky Cauldron with the intention of going to her London apartment. While she meant to continue her travels, the sight of a familiar face caught her attention. A slow smile spread across her features, and she approached Peter from behind with curiosity. Why was he feeding the rats? “That’s just it. I’ve never seen a grown man feeding rats.” She laughed in response, her gentle smile fixated to her features. “But I suppose they have to eat like the rest of us. It’s better than scavenging.”

where: lily’s apartment

when: january 2nd

who: lily evans + marlene mckinnon

@markinnons​

Tuesdays had never been so boring. Lily lived a pretty busy life (by choice), she felt good running around from one place to the other and helping wherever she could. It helped her feel needed, like she was truly doing her part to making sure everyday was better than the next. So it’s not really a surprise to see the young girl sitting on the floor, lips pouted and arms crossed. Upon figuring out both girls had some free time, it was almost necessary for them to go and spend some down time together and just… relax. Of course, Lily hadn’t been very thrilled about the idea of simply sitting down and doing nothing all day but as long as she got to spend some time with Marlene, she’d live.

As much as Lily wanted to go out there and do something, she wanted to spend time with her friend just as much. With everything going on, it was rare for both of them to get a free moment to actually enjoy themselves and Lily knew better than to just let it pass by. She could find a way to help out later, right now all she wanted was to have a few drinks, eat some shitty food and just breathe for a second. However, it seems she’d gotten a lot more than what she’d bargained for. Lily wanted to chill but this- sitting around and staring at each other’s face- really wasn’t cutting it. The red head sighed, stretching her arm out so that it’d reach the table and getting a hold of her drink. She brought the cup to her lips, taking a sip while her eyes turned to look at Marlene. They were ridiculous, really. So much talk about hanging out and having fun and here they were, both lounging around her apartment drinking in silence. Lily let out a laugh once she’d set her cup down, realizing just how pathetic they probably looked. “We really suck at this, don’t we?”

X

If ever asked, Marlene might disclose how she lived two lives. The first was quite physical, where the young woman occupied a bodily space, worked at the Ministry, and participated in Order meetings. The second life prevailed entirely in her mind and differed from her physical existence rather significantly. Smiles habitually fastened to her exterior features, but these easily dissipated in her mind. The smiles were replaced by assorted agitation and mental weariness instead, as Marlene attempted to navigate both of her existences successfully. Frankly, the strenuous effort of sorting through her own emotions seemed both fruitless and time consuming. Perhaps that fueled her enthusiasm to agree to a night of relaxation with Lily. Marlene yearned for a break from battling herself, and she suspected Lily deserved to unwind after her fierce involvement with their cause.

Marlene had felt the alleviation upon arriving at Lily’s apartment. She missed spending quality time with her friend beyond the Order business that dictated their lives. While many thoughts still occupied the dark-haired woman’s mind, she strived to set them aside for the sake of camaraderie and enjoying a stiff drink. Unfortunately, neither seemed to work, as the silence stretched onward. Marlene sipped from her cup methodically and glanced at Lily, smiling softly when their eyes met silently. She expected that quietness to continue until the redhead’s laughter ripped through the air. Marlene joined her moments later, almost spilling her drink while holding the cup close to her face.

“We completely suck. You’d think we could do this like normal witches.” She responded with amusement. “But we look mental. It’s good we didn’t try for a pub. The owner would have kicked us out for being boring.”