Marlene Mckinnon X Dorcas Meadowes - Tumblr Posts

Orestes

Summary: Marlene McKinnon is very very gay ... but her sister isn’t.

Notes: Harry Potter Universe, pre-Azkaban Sirius, imagine.

Sirius sauntered over to Marlene, who was giggling in the corner of the library with Dorcas, and plunked down in a chair right next to her, swinging his arm around her shoulders.

“Hi there, Mar,” he said, smirking at the blonde girl, who only raised her eyebrows.

“Do you need something, Black?” she asked, obviously irritated, and Sirius shrugged.

“Nothing in particular—”

“Great. If that’s all.” Marlene turned back to Dorcas, who had a smug smirk plastered on her lips.

“—but I was wondering,” Sirius continued, “if you wanted to accompany me to Hogsmeade this weekend?”

“Why would I want to do that, Black?” Marlene and Sirius were decent friends, and there was always some sort of playful banter between the two. However, it was obvious to everyone involved that Marlene was very much a lesbian and held no romantic interest for Sirius in the slightest—well, everyone except Sirius himself, apparently.

“Oh please, Marlene. We’ve been flirting for ages. Why not just go on a date with me?” Sirius reasoned with a casual shrug. 

Marlene’s jaw went slightly slack. “Wait.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “You really don’t know?”

“Know what? Do you have a boyfriend?” Sirius abruptly removed his arm from around her shoulders, and Dorcas furiously bit her lip in an attempt to contain a snort of laughter. 

“Sirius,” Marlene’s face showed nothing if not pity, “if I were to ever go on a date with a man, that man would be you. But—and I’m not sure how you didn’t figure this out—I am a raging homosexual and therefore physically cannot like you like that.” Dorcas couldn’t contain it any longer, and a shriek of laughter escaped her lips as her face met the table, her black curls framing her heaving form. 

Sirius, meanwhile, almost passed out from embarrassment. His eyes widened to the size of tea saucers, and his face practically transfigured itself into a tomato as his jaw fell. He almost immediately pulled away from Marlene and sat a respectful distance away, refusing to meet her eyes as he stammered an apology.

“Don’t be sorry, truly,” Marlene said easily. “I can’t believe you didn’t realize it before. I mean, Dorcas and I have been dating for—what, a year and a half, now?” Dorcas seemed to nod through her convulsions, sitting up and taking a deep breath to compose herself. 

“Shit, really?” Sirius felt terrible, now. “I’m so sorry, Doe, I didn’t realize.”

“No, it’s perfectly fine. That just made my day, my week, and almost my month.” Sirius rolled his eyes at her response, saying a quick goodbye in an effort to escape the embarrassment as quickly as possible. He was only a couple of rows of bookshelves away when Marlene called him back, and he groaned internally.

“You know,” she said, a mischievous look in her eye, “I have a sister.”

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~

“GEORGIA!”

The librarian shushed Marlene aggressively as the girl shouted across the library to Georgia McKinnon, who sighed and looked up from her book, meeting her sister’s gleeful eyes with a glare. 

What? she mouthed, obviously irritated, and Marlene pointed from her sister to the bookshelf next to Dorcas, where a tall figure stood casually.

Georgia had seen Sirius Black around Hogwarts on numerous occasions. She was a bright girl, so she took a lot of advanced classes, quite a few of which she shared with the notorious lady’s-man. She was also quite good friends with Remus Lupin, who happened to be very close with Sirius, and Georgia was Remus’s number-one confidant when it came to his worries about his friends’ safety. She knew about his “furry little problem”, and her presence always seemed to do wonders on Remus’s—and everyone else’s—nerves. 

Georgia made a confused face at Marlene from across the library, who rolled her eyes and beckoned her over. Georgia shook her head, motioning to the book in her hands, and Marlene raised a threatening eyebrow, as if to say “if you don’t come over here, I’ll drag you”. Begrudgingly, Georgia gathered her things and marched over to her sister and Dorcas, who smiled kindly at Georgia.

“Hi Georgie,” she greeted in a whisper. “Sorry she interrupted your book. I couldn’t really stop it.”

“It’s alright, Dee. I know it wasn’t your fault.” She sent a glare at Marlene, who gladly returned it, making Dorcas chuckle. “What did you disrupt my happiness for, anyway?”

“Georgia, this is Sirius Black.” She motioned to the boy that still leant against the bookshelf to the right of Dorcas. “He was asking about you.” Sirius’s eyes widened, and he sent Marlene a bewildered look that she ignored. 

Georgia McKinnon was absolutely stunning, to say the least. Her blonde hair was held out of her face in a gold clip—though it didn’t do a very good job, seeing as there were quite a few curls that fell into her face—and her sharp sage eyes seemed to bore into Sirius’s soul in a way that felt like he was sinking into a sea of honey. When Marlene told her that he was asking about her, he was immediately embarrassed.

“Oh.” Georgia didn’t quite know how to respond. Although she had her fair share of boys who were interested in her, they were never as well-known or good-looking as Sirius was. “Well … nice to officially meet you.” She adjusted her armful of books to rest in the crook of her left elbow as she extended her right hand for him to take. Sirius shook it, maintaining eye contact as if he were in a trance, and Georgia blushed, quickly averting her eyes. “Well, I’d best be off. Professor Sorena asked if I could tutor some third-years over lunch. I’ll see you around, Sirius, Dee. See you later, Miss Medusa.”

“Fuck off, Georgia,” Marlene snapped as the girl strode away, laughing lightly, and Sirius about melted on the spot.

“Awww, look at him.” Dorcas leaned her head on Marlene’s shoulder. “He’s in loooove.” Marlene rolled her eyes, though there was a light smile on her lips.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let’s go get lunch.”

Three Years Later

Three knocks rang through the McKinnon household, and Marlene bounded from the kitchen to the foyer, opening the front door. 

“Hi there Peter,” she said, furrowing her eyebrows. “What are you doing here this early?” It was barely seven in the morning, and the rest of the McKinnons—plus Dorcas, who was staying the night—were still sound asleep. Peter himself looked terrible, if Marlene was honest. His eyes were sunken, and dark purple bags hung under them, but his eyes were fierce and determined. “Peter, are you alright? You look sick.” 

Marlene surveyed Peter for any injuries—a habit she had grown used to, given the war—and that was when she saw it.

Peter’s long-sleeved shirt—too warm for mid-summer—was rolled up to his elbows, exposing his left forearm, where a dark, slithering tattoo caught Marlene’s eye. 

Immediately, she slammed the door shut, forcing the deadbolt into place and taking a step away from it. She was defenseless, now, having left her wand on the bedside table, and her anxiety grew as Peter placed his fist on the door from the other side.

“Mar, just come out. Come with me. Nothing will happen—I promise.”

Marlene was frozen to the spot, terror consuming her to the point of no return.

“Marlene.” Silence. “Marlene, don’t make me come in there.”

“Mar?” Georgia. “Who’s here?”

The sound of her sister’s voice broke Marlene from her stupor. “Georgie, go back upstairs,” Marlene ordered, her voice hushed.

“What? No, Sirius is taking me to the movies in an hour, and I have to walk to—”

“No, Georgia.” Marlene’s voice was firm, but there was something Georgia had scarcely heard before, too—fear.

“Mar, what’s going on?”

“Georgie, please just go up—”

The door flew off of its hinges with a deafening bang. Marlene just barely ducked, but Georgia wasn’t so lucky. She was hit head-on by the solid mahogany door and in an instant, she crumpled to the ground. Marlene cried out to her sister, but her attention was quickly brought to the man walking through her broken doorway. 

“Mar, you should have listened,” Peter said, the pity in his voice almost fooling her for a second. “Nothing would have happened if you just came with me.”

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~

Georgia felt the pain before her eyes were even opened. It felt as if her forehead was struck by lightning, leaving a residual shockwave that wouldn’t stop bouncing her brain back and forth in her skull. Immediately, she groaned, and a handful of muffled voices filtered through the headache, worsening it as they grew louder and louder. After a few moments, her head felt as if it were being split in two. Suddenly, a loud voice cut through the rest, which all slowly quieted, and another spoke gently to her.

“Georgie?”

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~

Lily Potter leaned over her best friend’s younger sister, hoping against hope that she wouldn’t follow Marlene’s path. Sirius had grown worried when Georgia hadn’t shown up at their usual meeting place, eventually making the trek to the McKinnon home. What he found was almost more than he could handle. 

The McKinnons and Dorcas Meadowes were dead—massacred in their own home—and the sole survivor of the attack was the woman laying in the guest bedroom at the Potters’. Everyone was crowded around the bed, hoping that Georgia would survive. The blow she sustained was enough to knock her out and split her forehead open, and by the time Sirius had arrived, there was a startling amount of blood staining the floor, but Lily insisted Georgia would survive—whether for her sake or everyone else’s, Sirius wasn’t sure.

A small groan escaped Georgia’s lips, and the group of friends murmured in excitement. She sounded pained, but at least she was alive. 

“Everyone quiet,” Lily hissed, ushering the group out of the door, but Sirius stayed by Georgia, and Lily let him. 

“Georgie?” Sirius’s voice was as soft as he could manage, and he couldn’t think of a time where he was more glad to see Georgia’s pale green eyes than when her eyelashes fluttered apart and she squinted around the room.

“Where am I?” she asked, her voice hoarse as a hand came up to touch the gauze wrapped around her head. 

“You’re at James’s, darling,” Sirius reassured, holding her free hand and kissing her knuckles as she looked at him.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Sirius’s bloodshot eyes and tear-stained cheeks were obvious, and it ignited a spark of worry in Georgia’s stomach.

Sirius laughed tearfully. “Yes, m’love, I’m fine.” 

His face didn’t match his words.

“Where’s Mar?”

The dreaded question had come sooner than Sirius had hoped. 

Lily quietly excused herself as Sirius sat next to Georgia’s head in the king bed, legs crossed. He stroked her hair gently as her light green eyes peered up at him with such curiosity. His breath caught in his throat. He knew the news he bore would break Georgia’s heart, and if it were up to him, he would never tell her just to keep her as she was just then; innocent and content, even in the middle of a war. 

The pit of worry in Georgia’s stomach only grew as Sirius looked at her, examining every inch of her face as if it were the last time he would see her like that. She knew before he even said what had happened. Her mind couldn’t remember what had occurred, but the tug in her heart told her even before she had opened her eyes that something was wrong.

“Sirius,” Georgia whispered, eyes filling with sorrow as she spoke. Sirius almost wanted to cry out—to tell the unworried look in her eyes to come back, because he could never get enough of it. “Sirius, tell me.”

Georgia felt the spark in her heart fizzle. 

Her ribcage felt hollow as Sirius bit his lip, restraining his own tears for her sake, and a strangled sob left her lips.

“Please, Sirius, please.”

This wasn’t an option.

Marlene had been a part of Georgia’s life from the start. She was a teasing, ever-loving constant in Georgia’s world. She’d never left before. She would never leave.

This couldn’t be an option.

“I’m sorry, Geor—”

“NO!”

Georgia scrambled up, almost passing out as her headache tripled and the world tilted sharply. Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist before she could even get off of the bed, pulling her into his lap, and Georgia let out a dry sob, pounding her weak fists against his chest.

“Georgia, she—”

“NO, NO! STOP!”

“Georgia, she’s gone!”

“NO!”

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~

James, Remus, Lily, Alice, and Frank listened in silence as Georgia screamed for her sister, some with hands over their mouths and others with eyes closed, barely holding back tears. No one knew what to do other than wait. Marlene was friends with everyone, and it was only a twist of the knife to hear Georgia in such pain after her sister’s death. She was always the shoulder for anyone to cry on, no matter the circumstances, and all that anyone could think to do was to provide the same service for her now.

But somehow, it didn’t seem nearly enough.

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~

Lily didn’t let Georgia out of bed for several weeks, and another week and four days passed until she allowed Sirius to take her home with him. Georgia was obviously in mourning, though no one except Sirius ever saw the full extent of her grief. After the first day, she seemed terribly anguished, but she never cried in front of anyone, only allowing the agony to consume her when she was curled in Sirius’s chest at night. 

Sirius was tasked with packing Georgia’s things and bringing them from the now-empty McKinnon house to his flat in London. He returned with glassy eyes and a trunk full of clothes, toiletries, and a mess of photos, gathering Georgia from the Potters’ and apparating to his flat in Isle of Dogs. 

It was late when the young couple arrived at Sirius’s humble apartment, and he led Georgia up two flights of stairs without much event. He fumbled with the keys for a moment before finally unlocking the door and holding it open for Georgia, who stepped in with her luggage. 

Sirius’s flat was one of Georgie’s favorite places. It was cozy and always smelled like Sirius; spearmint gum and the aftershave he used. She left her trunk in Sirius’s room, not bothering to unpack before she walked back into the living room and curled up on the couch. Sirius placed an order for pizza before joining her. He pulled Georgia into his lap, his arms resting naturally around her waist as her head found its usual place in his neck. 

The two sat like that in silence for a while, not bothering to speak until the buzzer rang and the delivery man arrived with one large cheese pizza. They ate over the sink like the twenty-somethings they were, watching the boats float by on the River Thames until they were full. Sirius wrapped his arms around Georgia’s waist as she nibbled the pizza down to the crust, resting his chin on the crown of her head as the two swayed slightly, and still, no words were spoken. 

Suddenly, Sirius swept Georgia up in his arms, making her squeal a little. He smiled. It was the most joyful sound she had made in a while. He carried her into the bedroom and set her down on their bed before looking at the bookshelf in the corner. Quickly, he flicked through his small collection of records before finding the one he wanted and putting it on the record player. The vinyl scratched slightly before Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” played softly through the room. 

Sirius pulled Georgia up, holding her close to his chest as he swayed to the beat, and Georgia met his eyes with the closest thing to happiness he had seen in almost two weeks. The two silently danced through their bedroom, Georgia eventually resorting to standing on Sirius’s feet as he moved since he wouldn’t stop stepping on her toes. The song ended with a small scratch, and Sirius brought a hand up to Georgia’s cheek. He kissed the tip of her nose.

“I’ll take care of you,” he whispered.

“It’s rotten work,” Georgia said back.

Sirius shook his head. “No,” he whispered, watching her eyes very closely. “Not for me. Not if it's you.”

~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~   ~~~

Sirius—

In the unfortunate event that I die, this letter is to be delivered to you via Dorcas. If she’s dead, then I don’t know how this is going to get to you, so I may be wasting my time, which is an annoying thought, but oh well. 

Anyway, I shall make my point perfectly clear. Here it is: 

TAKE CARE OF GEORGIA.

I don’t care if she’s a pain in my ass. She’s my sister, and to fulfill my dying wish, you WILL take care of her. Understood? Good. 

Thanks,

M.M.

P.S. I’m totally haunting you in the afterlife.

P.P.S. Actually, I don’t want to witness you knocking up my sister, so never mind.