#mardora

It had been hours of looking and when Marlene found their girlfriend, she looked haunted.

They approached Pandora slowly, like she might spook like a wild animal. She was staring off at the wall, tucked in a stone alcove in the wall of an unused hallway of Hogwarts. Knees tucked to her chest, tears streaming silently down her cheeks as she stares off into nothing. It broke Marlene’s heart to see her this way.

Evan had run up to them hours earlier after dinner and immediately Marlene was worried. Evan doesn’t run, much less towards Marlene. They tolerate each other for Pandora’s sake and that was about it.

He was out of breath, frantic. “Have you seen Dora lately?” Concern laced his words, like he was trying to keep calm but failing. “She never showed up to dinner.”

They take a breath, trying to calm the instant anxiety those words bring. “I saw her right after potions but that was a couple hours ago,” Marlene’s eyes widened. “Evan, are you saying you can’t find her?”

“Well, I’m not her keeper Marlene!” Evan snaps at them. “She’s 18, I shouldn’t need to be worried she’ll disappear for hours!”

One of them needed to keep their head and it obviously wasn’t going to be Evan. “Okay,” they said. “We’ll split up. You and Barty take the East and South wings, I’ll take the West wing, and tell Reg to search the North wing, I’ll get the Gryffindor boys to check the grounds.”

Evan only nods, taking off again. “Thank you Marlene.”

And that’s how at almost 10pm, Marlene finds their girlfriend. They keep their motions obvious, slipping behind Pandora. They tuck her into their lap, chest to her back. Marlene keeps their voice soft, gentle.

“Hey sweetheart, what are you doing all the way over here?” They take her hands in theirs, gently rubbing their thumb over the top of her hand. “Got everyone worried about you.”

Pandora doesn’t respond at first, still lost in whatever trance or vision she is currently seeing. But Marlene stays, talking softly, hoping to coax her out of it. 

After about 15 minutes, Pandora gasps loudly, dissolving into sobs. Marlene turns her around, rocking her gently and tucking her head into their shoulder. “I got you, baby. I got you.”

“I-I saw you,” Pandora stutters out. “And your family, everyone was dead, they were all killed. Just like that, one spell and you were gone! I couldn’t do anything but watch as they killed you over and over.” She breaks down, sobbing again.

Marlene doesn’t say anything. Just holds their girlfriend as they cry, tormented once again by horrible visions of death and pain. They wish they could take it all away, make it so Pandora never had to have another one of those rotten visions again. But they couldn’t so instead, they gently picked her up. They carry her to their room, laying down next to her on the twin bed. Marlene holds her that night, comforting Pandora every time she wakes up from remnants of her vision.