Feelin' Good as Hell

“No, I just put "Gryffindor 1 through 5 down the ‘G’ column. I figured it was the best way to get a win,” Benjy replied quickly. He shot her a wink over the paper before relenting. “Or are you 'Other Rebel’? Really, hard to say. I should’ve done a better job with this." 

While it wasn’t strictly true—he’d been making up code names off the top of his head for the most part—it was clear where he realized that maybe putting real names down of the members of a secret organization, even if he had every intention of getting rid of it, might not be the best idea. So he switched to initials… and then backwards initials… and quit that, too, when he realized Marlene and Mary posed and issue. He wished it could be called code or even a system.

He should’ve gone with his basic shorthand, but considering this was all for his own entertainment and, more importantly, to prove he was right, it really didn’t matter. 

"I’m counting this as my prize,” Benjy took one, gratefully. “What about you?” he asked before biting off the nib first. “Did you have any hunches coming in?” In truth, Marlene hadn’t been near the top of his list. There were enough people he was almost certain of that it pushed uncertainty down. Combined with the fact that their mutual Gryffindor friend wasn’t here—and he thought Mary was a lock—he wasn’t sure if his “likelihood rankings” meant anything. Thank goodness, that wasn’t what he’d come with.

-

Seemingly unsatisfied with his answer, Marlene replied with a brisk, “Well, we know who not to leave in charge of nicknames for everyone.” However, she didn’t linger there too long. To be fair at this point Benjy was a step ahead of her because she could hardly recall the names of everyone in the room with her, even though introductions had been less than ten minutes prior. 

Glancing around the room a good portion of the newest recruits were people Marlene happily called friends. Even some of the veteran members were familiar--- Gretchen and Edgar...though, as much as this seemed fitting for Gretchen, Edgar had thrown her for a loss seeing him there. However, even if she hadn’t completely known for sure about some of her friends, seeing them there hadn’t surprised her in the slightest. In fact, Marlene felt like most would be surprised to see her there.

“Not really. You know, besides other people joining with us. It’s hard to guess who has been part of a secret alliance nobody has known nothing about. Not to mention I’d likely have been wrong anyway,” Marlene admitted, gaze going back to Benjy. “I really hadn’t thought anyone besides the Ministry and a couple of really pissed off people were trying to do much, so this is at least a step up from what I expected.” 

The McKinnon Family Tree

Greer McKinnon --- Mother. 47 years of age, professional dancer back in the day, along with stay at home mom now that all her children officially live elsewhere. That is when they’re not visiting and eating out the entirety of the fridge. Former Gryffindor. Face: Gabrielle Union 

Samuel McKinnon née Ramos --- Father. 50 years of age, Auror for over twenty-five years now. More children than he had initially planned, but honestly father of the year in Marlene’s book. Former Slytherin. Face: Daniel Sunjata

Caleb McKinnon --- Half Brother. 30 years of age, Auror for about five years now--- helps train new recruits fresh into the Academy. Typical oldest sibling syndrome and happily married to his wife--- now he just needs to work on getting her to settle down enough to have a family of his own. Former Gryffindor. Face: Jacob Anderson

Isabella McKinnon née Astrid --- Sister-in-law. 33 years of age, professional dancer and all around clean freak. Has been married to Caleb for about three years now, and was a Ravenclaw back in her time at Hogwarts. Face: Scarlett Johansson

Callum McKinnon --- Half Brother. 28 years of age, current Journalist for the Daily Prophet when he’s not off traveling. Far too much of a know-it-all for a man who was stuck in Africa for a week longer than he planned because he lost his bloody wand. Former Hufflepuff. Face: Lucien Laviscount

Mason McKinnon --- Half Brother. 26 years of age, current Healer at St. Mungo’s, and diehard fan of the Appleby Arrows. Likely the quietest of the bunch and the best to go to for advice--- not that anyone listens to him. Former Ravenclaw. Face: Rome Flynn

Rhys McKinnon --- Half Brother. 20 years of age, lover of Quidditch and Chaser for Pride of Portree. Always down for a good time and has yet to learn to really settle down. Honestly one of Marlene’s best customer’s at the Leaky. Former Gryffindor. Face: Jacob Artist

You know, maybe not shitty enough to get evicted from her flat within the first month, but things after graduation had been going too smoothly for her. She had a job, her own place, and was apart of group which was trying to more or less do good for the world. It was certainly better than where she thought she’d be at the beginning of her school year, but she still couldn’t kick the feeling of disappointment. It’s not that Marlene had nowhere to go when the month ended--- in fact, she had options. Her room back at her parents had yet to be touched, Mason had two spare bedrooms in his flat, and a couple of her friends would likely let Marlene move in if she just asked. The only thing was she hadn’t asked anyone--- hell, she hadn’t told anyone since she found out the news from Garrus the night prior. 

Fuck Garrus and his hatred for the color yellow. Who asked him for his opinion anyway?

The brunette let out a frustrated huff, blowing the straw of her fruity concoction in a cup. It was...maybe just past four in the evening and Marlene was spending her day off at her job. At that point the Leaky was much more entertaining than the flat she’d have to pack up soon. So yes, Marlene was getting drunk off from fruity cocktails as she harassed poor Jaxson--- the bartender working at the moment, for not making her drinks strong enough.

She had managed to somehow (really, she was clueless her horrible singing had managed to keep most patrons at least three stools away from her at all times) have the bar mostly to herself, so Marlene was surprised when someone sat down beside her. Turning, her eyes lit up at the sight of her former classmate, and honestly just someone that would say more than five words to her without wanting to run away. Marlene really wasn’t currently at her best, but then again Sirius was likely used to that after going to school with her for seven years. 

“Jaxson! Jaxson!” Honestly, someone give the man a raise. She was leaning over the bar (spilling her drink in the process), and snapping to get her co-workers attention. “Get Sirius here a Marlene Special...and me another one, pretty please with cherries and sprinkles on top?” She had no idea if Sirius was here alone of if he was meeting someone--- she hadn’t bothered to ask much. “Now tell me, and I’m only asking because I know you’ll be honest with me; could I pass as a troll? Find a nice bridge...I could do it. I’m a little short, but I think I could make it work.” 

“Oh, is it?” Edgar asked, a small smile playing across his face. He could have sworn that he meant to say it in a self-deprecating way, or as a piece of small talk carried easily away by conversation. 

But Marlene had a way, despite being rarely serious and so frequently one to push buttons for fun, about making the people around her feel special. Or maybe seen was a better word. Edgar was aware of Marlene smirking at his single drink, of her studying his face in between questions. Had it been anyone else here, he would have oscillated between feeling self-conscious and put up onto a pedestal. With Marlene, though? It was just a thing. It made all the other things seem a little less important, too. 

“I can’t believe you’re going to corner me into a crisis of faith before I’ve ever finished my first drink,” he laughed, taking a pointed sip but sobering when he caught Marlene’s eye. He considered her carefully before he continued. “I don’t think I could have lived with myself…” he said carefully, feeling almost bad for giving the real, heavy answer here in this room full of laughter and libations. But even though he was trying to let Marlene lighten him but, this was something he took very seriously. He didn’t want to pretend otherwise. 

“If I wasn’t doing everything I possibly could. Trying every route. Trying them all at once. I love the Auror program. I do. And there are things I’d like to change about it too, one day, when I’m certified and when there’s time to focus on those things. But this is…now, you know? The war is now. It’s happening. If I was sitting on the sidelines, all tangled up in red tape and trying to pass my stealth and disguise exams, just waiting for my turn to step up and help? I wouldn’t be able to stomach it, McKinnon.” 

With a laugh he added, only slightly more light-hearted: “And I hope you’d have the good sense to kick my arse about it, too.”  

-

With a look that clearly said ‘don’t push your luck’, Marlene couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Fondly. She admitted it once and that’s all Edgar would get out of her when she had such little alcohol coursing through her system. 

“If I had asked you after you had any more I likely wouldn’t get an actual answer out of you,” the new Order recruit teased. Even as she picked fun at Edgar, Marlene went as far as resting her elbows on the table before her, lacing her fingers together to rest her chin upon them, and lean forward to fully study him as he thought up his answer. Curiosity killed the cat she supposed, but Aurors were likely going to dislike the Order of the Phoenix almost as much as the Death Eaters once they became more popular. At the end of the day a vigilante is still someone taking the law into their own hands. 

Maybe it was Marlene worrying from her very by-the-law family. With a father and a brother in the Auror department she couldn’t imagine either of them even remotely thinking the Order was worth joining. It’s why she didn’t tell them about her new...side job. That, and she was sworn to secrecy, but Marlene likely wouldn’t have told them even if she wasn’t. They’d think it was the most idiotic thing imaginable she could do, and that would be putting it mildly. Just thinking about it managed to somber her mood, but the smile stayed easily on her face. 

“I get it. You’re trying to show all of us up here and save the world by doing it from both angles. Well, when we win the war and you work your way up the ladder and turn that Department into your bitch, we’ll celebrate. Until then---” Marlene lifted her glass, managing a solemn smirk--- “Cheers.” Once her glass clinked against his the youngest McKinnon let out the laugh she had been holding in. 

“And I’m always available to kick your arse. Name the time and place, Bones. I’ll be there.”

Lily felt so much steadier side by side with Marlene. She had been present for so much of Lily’s life by this point, and it felt like she’d been around even longer. Lily had always had the firmest conviction that she could face anything as long as she had her friends by her side, and the only ones missing from the Order were Mary and Amelia. It helped her stand straighter, to remember this, and she was able to survey the room with a leveler head. All of her friends looked like they belonged here, and she was hit all over again by the heady realization that this was it. The war was real, now, and they were all signing up to fight in it. It might have been frightening, if it weren’t so exhilarating. 

Lily smiled, far too delighted at the prospect of someone whipping her into shape. “I can’t wait. We are going to be so—” Lily lowered her voice to a whisper. She wasn’t much of one for swearing, but sometimes the occasion allowed. “Badass.” She was looking forward to it more than she could express, or cared to. She still hadn’t really talked about how weak and scared she’d felt with Asher Nott’s wand to her throat, but she knew she never wanted to feel that way again. She needed to never feel that way again. “But I’m sure they’ll do more than just use us for target practice, we won’t learn much that way.”

Lily’s smile softened into something sweet and nostalgic at Marlene’s last words. “I might not have known we’d be in a war, but I knew I’d want you by my side if I was.” She stood on her toes to plant a light kiss on Marlene’s cheek.

-

At one point Marlene would constantly tease Lily about her need to whisper whenever she was going to swear, but now she merely smiled at her friend fondly. Perhaps she would tease her if she had been drinking more, but it was very endearing on the redhead. Marlene always said people would never expect to get their arse handed to them in a duel by a girl who couldn’t even properly insult them without whispering. 

But, all joking aside, Marlene had to agree with her friend. Even though they hadn’t actually started any of their training or sent on any missions, she did feel particularly badass. Often one to put herself in harms way to help others, the new recruit was excited to put her energy towards something which could actually be of use. Marlene had always wondered what life had in store for her--- at least secretly. She never had any big career idea, and even though she said she liked to live in the moment; the youngest McKinnon thought there had to be something she was meant to do. She was a believer of fate and destiny, but they got there because they wanted to. Well, that and someone must have put in a good word for each of them to have been recruited. 

“And I’d want you,” Marlene said with a chuckle, squeezing Lily’s hands. She wished they had Mary there--- that would have made it exceptionally better. The brunette was already making sure she had her excuses planned out. Not that Mary hounded Marlene about what she was doing when she was away, but if she didn’t plan ahead she’d say one lie and then a completely different one five seconds later. Lying wasn’t Marlene’s best forte unless she planned out her lies. 

“When do you think we’ll actually get to start training and going on missions? And do you think we’re going to be allowed to coordinate stakeout outfits? I honestly have a whole wardrobe picked out for ‘vigilante clothes’.” The sad part was Marlene was only partially joking.

Remus had spent a good amount of time admiring the bright yellow paint - it looked fresh - outside on the porch before he crossed the threshold and into the Marlene McKinnon Zone. It really could only have been her place, with that yellow and those optimistic lines of plants; he’d have to offer to help her out with those, in the nicest way possible. His green thumb - at least when it came to muggle plants, and really muggle plants only - might as well get put to good use.

The stomping toward the door, after a couple healthy knocks, was… slightly alarming, but Remus was used to Marlene; he couldn’t quite keep the baffled, but amused, look off his face once the door opened and his friend was, apparently, in the midst of an argument with someone who was not him.

“I quite like it, actually,” Remus said breezily, slipping steadily into more amused than baffled as the look of realization dawned on his friend’s face. “Someone giving you trouble over the paint, Mars?”

Remus did nothing but frown, mildly, at the news that Marlene had had a bad day. Life was far too weird and wild lately to get upset at the forgetting of a casual hangout, he was quite sure he’d forgotten far worse in the chaos of moving into the flat and joining the Order.

“Don’t apologize,” Remus waved it away, genial and warm as always, stepping inside at the invite. “I’m forgettable, I nearly forgot myself. I brought some wine, though,” at that he held up the bottle, kicking off his shoes at the same time, a respectably cheap red that he knew he’d get away with with friends like, say, Marlene or Lily, but maybe not someone like Emma. “If that helps the shite day at all. What’s happened? I’d offer to kick someone’s arse for you, but, y’know. Probably wouldn’t do a whole lot of good.”

-

Remus always had a way about grounding the person he was talking to, at least he managed wonderfully when it came to Marlene. And that was saying something. For a girl who was constantly chaos--- moving this way and that, lost in her own mind more times than not, and acting without any prior calculations. The youngest McKinnon really was a mess ninety-nine percent of the time. Any test or quiz Marlene managed to ace back in school was entirely thanks to Remus, even if he would insist she was the one who actually studied and did it. It really was a miracle. 

“I’m fighting with my landlord,” she admitted with a huff, which really was rather embarrassing seeing as Marlene had been living in her new flat for...less than a month now. It’s not that she was in the wrong--- rarely was she in the wrong, but this time Marlene firmly believed she wasn’t with the ‘rational’ side of her brain as she liked to call it. “He was supposed to fix the shitty paint before I even moved in. He didn’t so I took matters into my own hands and now he’s complaining about the color, of all things! The git should be thankful the paint isn’t blowing away in the wind and littering the streets around here.”

Once her friend moved by her she closed the door--- rather loudly, and it was all because Garrus lived above her and she hoped to accidentally knock off one of his expensive china glasses sitting on the windowsill. It wouldn’t exactly be hard of a fix with magic, but it was war as far as Marlene was concerned. 

It was then her gaze moved to the bottle he was holding, just noticing now which was another unusual thing. Marlene was always excitable when someone brought over a bottle--- whether it was just cheap wine or expensive brandy, they thought of her and thought to bring a bottle which was a positive in her mind. “Wine! Perfect.” Grinning, she easily took the bottle from him and moved her way into the kitchen. Dressed in sweats and long socks (the flooring in her apartment was wood and she liked to slide from one end of her flat to the other as a form of transportation) for a day that was supposed to be comfort, but she only just started relaxing now. “I also have a joint I hadn’t even started smoking if you want to join.”

She pulled two wine glasses (not matching, but both colorful) from the cabinet and poured some wine into both. Handing one glass to Remus, she leaned back against the counter and took a sip. “I would pick you for a fight. Maybe not like...a physical fight depending on the person because I don’t want you to break, but definitely one with a wand. One of my first choices, really.”

“I hear what you’re saying, but we don’t all have that Gryffindor reckless streak,” Edgar pointed out, as fondly as he could manage while still maintaining some semblance of a poker face. “Personally, I’d rather not test my liver’s limits enthusiastically enough to actually find out where the line is drawn. Aren’t fifty more years of safely sipping beers worth a few nights putting my fate in your hands?” 

Maybe, maybe not; Edgar doubted Marlene would see it the same way he did, but that was strangely one of the reasons he’d always liked talking to the girl. For better or worse, she had a perspective nobody else did and wasn’t afraid to own it. 

Edgar laughed, more loudly than expected, and fixed Marlene with a cheeky point of his finger. 

“Ah, so that’s what this is really about,” he said. “McKinnon, if you want me to return the favor and hold your hair back, all you have to do is ask.” 

He didn’t outright lob a comeback to combat Marlene’s teasing, but Edgar took her point for what it was worth; he tipped his glass. up from the bottom and took a pointedly longer drink, then busied himself by tapping his shoe back against hers; for all she said about dynamics, it was more of a little brother move than he was used to making, but wasn’t he allowed to loosen up sometimes, too? He just did so less dramatically then some people. His loose was still an uptight on the Marlene McKinnon scale of life. 

“Then you’re doing a bad job of it,” he pointed out. “Because, despite your best efforts, it’s very nice to see you.”

-

She smirked, and surprisingly at that very moment Marlene didn’t have a comeback. Sure, she had her party friends. Mary, Sirius, and many other Gryffindor pals who were always willing to agree to just about most of her shenanigans. However, she had to balance it out with people who were opposite and would level out her craziness (most of the time)--- at least that’s how Marlene affectionately referred to it. Edgar happened to be one of those people for all the times she bugged him to loosen up. 

“No, no,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t need the favor of holding my hair back--- I’ve actually gotten pretty good at doing that by myself. But, you can owe me a favor.”

Hazel eyes studied Edgar as he took the drink, and even through all their playful banter she couldn’t help but wonder how someone so seemingly by the books came to be a vigilante in their spare time. Was it crossing a border to ask about how he came to find himself within the ranks of the Order? Rarely did Marlene care about crossing people’s boundaries. “It’s good to see you too, Bones.”

And it was. As much as she tried to deny it, Marlene had a particularly soft spot for Edgar.

“So tell me, what got you to join?” she asked, not bothering to hide her curiosity in the slightest. “I know you have the whole ‘white knight in armor’ persona going on about you, but what has you going against the law when your job during the day is to uphold it? Is the Ministry not doing much to stop the attacks happening?” It wasn’t exactly a secret that Marlene often thought the Ministry of Magic was just a tiny step above useless in most cases.

Gretchen gasped, unbothered about it being over-the-top. When so little offended or embarrassed you, it was deliriously easy to play at. Though Marlene had only just dropped her hand, Gretchen swatted at the younger girl, aiming for the fingers that had just been within her grasp. 

“Of course not,” she said, really leaning into it – and leaning across the drinks table as soon as she rose to her feet as well, ladling her glass full of a big helping of whatever the fuck the spiked punch bowl had become by now. “I would never cross a very important boundary like that. His personal quarters are strictly off-limits.” 

Hand on her chest, jaw dropped in offense; the louder Gretchen Ollivander said no, the more and more it looked like a yes. That had gotten her into trouble many a’time in her life, but she wasn’t worried about it here, when that was the exact look she wanted to spur on. Gretchen looped her arm through Marlene’s elbow and, hardly waiting to be sure she was ready to follow, whisked her out of the meeting room. 

“He either makes it every morning, or has never once slept in it,” said Gretchen as they found privacy in the corridor, dropping the act at once – but not her cup, which she drank from deeply. “Picture the….exact opposite of a hoarder’s nest, which is what I expected from him, honestly. The place is so sparse and clean you’d think he had a house elf just for that portion of the house; I mean, unless you note the dust. Loads of dust bunnies making themselves at home under moody Mr. Mooody’s bed.” 

-

Even though Marlene rarely ever tried to dull herself down for those around her--- she did try to keep the frantic motions of her eyes looking this way and that to a minimum. Frankly, her reaction to seeing just Headquarters was similar to one of a child who just had the pleasure of taking in Hogwarts for the very first time. She wanted to look the part of someone ready to take on...responsibility. Rarely did Marlene go out of her way to make a good impression (and, she really wasn’t going above and beyond now. Has anyone told Marlene their stakeout clothes wouldn’t come in different colors?), but she very much wanted to fit in with the people around her. Even if some were questionable; though they all did something to get themselves where she herself was standing.

That begs the next question: what did Marlene herself do?

Always one to live in the moment, the brunette likely would mull over her millions of questions, thoughts, and concerns once she was home in the silence of her flat. At that moment she was much happier to eagerly follow Gretchen away from the loud group, letting out a chuckle once the act was dropped. 

“I knew it. I knew it! I’m not normally one that’s too good at reading people---” Honestly, just look at anyone and everyone Marlene had ever decided would be a good hook-up, “---but, something about him screamed irritation at an unmade bed.” Smirking, she lifted her cup and did a congratulatory cheers with the blonde at Marlene’s discovery. “When I go to collect my winnings I promise not to reveal how I came by such intel.”