you gotta mckinnon me

He took a shaky breath, steadying himself before continuing. “Don’t get me started on your so-called good side. I was deemed evil the minute I was sorted into Slytherin. The Marauders never let me forget how awful I was, that the reason they bullied me was just because I existed. Do you know how awful that was? How could I walk alone without getting jumped? No one did anything; hell, I was punished for fighting back. I didn’t tick their boxes of what was deemed good, what was deemed worth saving. They would have let me drown or be taken by Death Eaters, only to rejoice when I inevitably joined them for my safety or for my career. I was screwed either way, and if I didn’t join either, I would be suspected and watched all the time. Who wants to live like that, Marlene? Cause I don’t! Why would I leave one abusive situation just to be dragged into another, and I’m not talking about school.”

"but this isn't about them. or lily, or what happened in school. there are people you don't even know who are suffering. they've never done you any harm, so why turn your back on them?" marlene was firm believer in fighting for those who couldn't fight for themselves. if she had the means, she had the will. "i've made my decision," she shoved back at him with her words, refusing to take his excuses, because that's what she felt they were.

" work, " he answers, with as much cheer as he can muster - which, after a long day, isn't as much as he'd like. " mrs. cobb's shop in knockturn - it's an awful strain on the nerves, leaving this late, i tell you! " he shudders theatrically, and then breaks back into his grin, letting her lead the way to wherever she's most inclined. he's prone to trailing after others, he's sure.

He wiped the work station before starting to make her next drink. His movements are steady and precise. It’s almost like watching him in potions all over again, except no one was trying to throw something in his work while he wasn’t looking or messing with his ingredients. It was just him and his work, his eye flickers to the radio, and he hollers to Nate. “ Nate, come on! Lady Gaga? Really? I expected better man. At least throw on something good after, like John Lennon! But if you insist on this, I guess Kelsey and I will start our sing-along.” The male server groaned and cringed while complaining, while Kelsey winked at Severus and started to sing along to the radio. He smirked at that and turned back to Marlene.

Her comment, however, grated on his nerves. He smiled and spoke, his voice clear and more lively than it had been in the past. “Yes, hello to you, too, Marlene. This is the dingy London corner I live in, as you put it. I haven’t exactly been hiding, just no one worth telling where I was going. Not like I wanted anything to do with that place and the politics there. Making friends is one way of putting it. I work here, Marlene. This is one of my jobs here. Now, is there something I can get you? I handle the bar, and Kelsey and Nate are the servers for the tables.” He nods to the man and woman running food and drinks to tables.

"thanks," she nodded once as he slid the drink towards her. she wasn't often one to drink fruity; marlene liked mead and scotch, firewhiskey on a bad day. she eyed the drink curiously. "you were always quite good at mixing," she quirked a knowing brow, bringing one of the berries to her mouth and popping it off between her lips. "top of our class, i'd reckon." it was the first compliment she'd ever paid him.

" hey, marlie! "

peter had never been especially close with anyone but his mates, but one can hardly spend seven years in such close proximity without ending up a bit friendly, and marlene has always been a fun sort. beyond that, though, she's the ambitious sort, the type who jumped feet-first into the sort of dangerous work that gives pete shivers to think about. toe-to-tip gryffindor, this one. great fun, but someone he regards with almost-pity for doing all that dangerous codswallop.

Severus Snape was the one person whom no one truly looked for; he was a half-blood. His family was too poor for most things, yet he stood out for his intelligence and his hard work. It wasn’t often that a child had the understanding of someone far older. He knew things that weren’t taught until later years; people claimed he knew more curses than a seventh-year witch. It wasn’t always true, the claims of him being a Death Eater, that he was a pureblood, that he hated Muggles, that he didn’t like people. Severus wasn’t very social, sure, but he didn’t dislike anyone except for the marauders. Their constant teasing and fights led him to draw away more, and before he knew it, he was alone. He had no one, well, he believed he had no one. 

That knowledge led him to his decision; after graduating, he left his home. He left his father, his mother, and Cokesworth, leaving behind the person they all knew. He moved to London, started working as a server in a small restaurant and worked nights at a bar just to make ends meet. He didn’t care what others thought, but things changed for him. He actually had money to spend, and he took the time to improve his health and take care of himself. He needed to look good to work, respectable, and just different. He needed to be confident, self-assured. That brought him to today, standing behind the bar at his second job at Monroe’s. It was a classy place, one that richer people tend to gravitate towards, even though it was rather affordable.

Severus stood behind the bar, preparing some drinks for a few customers. To say he looked different was an understatement. He looked healthier, his hair was now curly with proper care, pulled back in a ponytail, and his grey, pale skin was lighter, with more colour. It was like he got out more than before, and he did. His uniform was a black button-up with black slacks and a black apron. It was plain but crisp and clean. He smiled at the guests, speaking and laughing with them while he made drinks. He wasn’t awkward, clearly comfortable in his work with a confidence that wasn’t there when he was at Hogwarts. Hearing the door ring signalling a new arrival, Severus turned and smiled, greeting the new customer. 

not that marlene ever joined in, per se. in fact, she'd felt quite bad for the young lad. it didn't seem he had many friends, if any at all. then again, marlene never made any attempt to be his friend. she remembered him to be quite introverted. or at least, he'd never seemed to make any sort of attempt to make his presence a loud one. so when she eventually did recognize his voice to be his own, and his hair caught the sunlight through the windows just right, marlene cocked a curious head.

but a huge smile broke out on the young witches face, despite the hood hiding most of marlene's beauty, mary's soul knew it was her. "it's my way of showing love, what can i say? a little bit of poison, a cure slipped in soon after... bonding." her jokes had grown darker in marlene's absence; mary pats the empty seat next to her, hoping marlene would sit. "The old Marlene wouldn't turn down a free drink now, would she?"

Please, sit. she wouldn't say it, however the hopeful shine in mary's gaze told a story worth a thousand galleons.

like she was amazed mary was still breathing. still standing, still an image of complete courage and strength. but of course she was. mary could survive anything, marlene was sure. "hi, babe." marlene sighed into her friends hair, relishing in the feeling of being held by something that wasn't suffocating her. she pulled back after a few beats, with a smile that very rarely reached her eyes these days. "you look good. are you good?" she asked, almost worried, settling into the offered seat.

it definitely was not mary's plan to be a regular at the leaky cauldron, but here she was for the third night in the row, delicate fingers tracing the rim of her freshly poured cocktail; but brows furrowed so deep in thought, mary couldn't enjoy the silliness of the cocktail umbrella's shooting mini sparklers from the tip.

even still, she gave the bartender a grateful smile -- girls were nice and polite even if they wanted to grit their teeth and snarl -- finally taking a sip of the fruity concoction. Spicy. " Ack - what the fu-" she spluttered out in between coughs, before turning herself to the nearest person, "would you by chance want a free drink? A nice, delicious cocktail. Nothing wrong with it whatsoever."

mary macdonald.

there was no mistaking it; marlene knew the lilt of her voice, the timbre of her tone. a funny, anxious feeling started to sprout in the pit of her stomach, like maybe she should get up and just leave, but she couldn't move her feet. instead she looked up past the shade of her hood at the young woman, leaning her chin in her hand as a faint, ghostly smile traced her lips. "i'm home hardly a few days and you're already trying to poison me?" she offered, the nerves obvious in her voice.

a breath of relief comes spilling — marlene is here, she's back, but most importantly, she's alive. her departure had always been more than her just leaving, at least, for lily. it was weeks then months then more than a year of silence, of not knowing if the dark times had reached marlene, and she's never going to return ever again.

but all of that is forgotten easily, because she's here, and she looks well ❪ * well enough ❫.

something in lily unfurls, eases, relaxes enough that she can laugh, tilting her head to look up at marlene beneath fringe of red. ❛ more or less, ❜ she shrugs, wriggling her fingers in the air to put the book back to the shelf. ❛ manager's just another word for caretaker, the owner doesn't even come around most of the time. ❜

it is with a skip in her step that she reaches for her bag, links an arm with marlene and beams as bright as the sun. ❛ gonna try and beat my record, marls﹖ ❜

marlene couldn't move faster, pulling the hood of her cloak up and over her head; the summer heat was diabolical, but she could deal with a sweat better than being recognized by people she wasn't ready to see, or people she didn't want to see. somewhere within those two possibilities was her family. marlene wasn't the same person she was before she left; she didn't know how to return to her family a stranger. it seemed so trivial from the outside.

her spine stiffens at the sudden contact, brims slightly parted from the surprise. for a moment, she thinks of all the ways to break free, muggle and brutal, way too physical for a witch, actions that are more fitting of petunia's hulking fiance than delicate and lovely lily. but the voice registers, sinks into her very bones, carves into the empty space in the shape of marlene.

OH, THERE SHE IS. the tension eases, practically melting in the embrace — starved of touch as she is. lashes flutter, trying its hardest to cool the heat building in her eyes.

❛ marlene, ❜ a small voice, the little sister with no big sister coming to the forefront. it's okay, she's safe with marlene. all of her harsh edges soften, arms returning the embrace, careful to not hold on too tight, to be too much like she always does. ❛ 'course i am, been handlin' my favourite store for a few months now. ❜

a pause, then the barest of squeeze. ❛ welcome back. ❜ welcome home, i've missed you.

marlene was hesitant at first, as if holding something breakable towards herself. and the embrace became familiar, the touch gentle and inviting, and marlene felt herself releasing a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding since she left hogwarts. she didn't let go for a long time, she could smell the ink and parchment in lily's hair as fresh as the day they'd boarded the hogwarts express together. marlene felt like herself again, even if just for a split second. lily's arms were home.

to bite one's own tongue is a lesson learned early on, even before steps have fallen into the floors of hogwarts, even before the train left the station, even before the admission letter arrived ﹔ she learned it from petunia.

petunia who taught her how to read better than primary schooling ever did, even if just to know the words of their favourite fairytales. petunia who taught her manners and etiquette from the pages of dusty old books, forced her spine to straighten, and to never bow to anyone. people like pretty things, lily, but they only like them if they're pretty and quiet, seen but not heard. not that it's a bad thing, there are so many things that you can know just by watching. with the fraying threads of their relationship, she put all of her sister's teachings in the back of her mind — but some things do not like to be forgotten.

she notices early on how the purebloods walk and talk exactly as described in petunia's old etiquette books, how they look at her like she's some odd creature because she does the same but without their pristine blood running through her veins.

not that she needs the purity of their blood to be powerful when hers is made of pure magic.

❛ pardon me, ❜ lilt sweet and soft, channels in the charm that endeared professor slughorn to poor little lily — oh, if only you weren't a muggleborn .ᐟ she knows how to look small, to be unassuming, the one that nobody ever sees coming. for all that she has learned to hate petunia, a part of her will always be grateful for the teachings that helped her survive. ❛ you might wish to take a few steps back, some of the books there have a biting habit ... literally. ❜

but there she was, making her way through the books of the shop with her head down, trying not to draw attention, trying to be as invisible as the naked eye could let her. but lily's sweet, soft tone snapped through her ears like a cracking broomstick, and marlene couldn't help but look up and meet the warm, green eyes of an old friend.

"lily!" she hadn't realized how much she was aching to see a familiar face, even if she'd told herself the opposite. the book fell from her hands onto the floor and she wrapped arms around the small frame of lily evans. "merlin, are you really here?" she breathed into red hair, though it was marlene who was actually here, after having disappeared for two years.