I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
“So, what really happened?” Mary asked Marlene, arms crossed over her chest. “I really thought you guys were good!”
Marlene sat on her bed, legs crossed and eyes swollen from crying. Lily closed the door and joined the girls. She hugged the vulnerable girl tightly in an attempt to show that now she was being taken care of, that Lene could feel comfortable to vent about anything that happened between her and that useless bastard. In their middle, Marlene wouldn't be judged. Not that she was unaware of this fact — since they met in first year, the three of them were always good listeners for each other, but at that moment, Lily and Mary's sixth sense assured them that something bigger was going on with Marlene McKinnon.
“We all thought that, despite Potter hating him so much!” Lily mentioned, a ton of worry in her voice.
Marlene sighed resignedly, hands caressing her own arms in a self protectively way. She tried to organize her thoughts before trying to form any sentence. There was no point in flourishing the story to her best friends, so she started from the beginning.
“When we started the relationship, Fabian was a prince. He treated me perfectly well, he'd even, I don't know, throw his coat for me to walk on a puddle! He was literally everything a girl could ever want in a guy…” she stopped talking, her mind wandering through the memories. “But after a couple of months, he started changing.
Mary and Lily were paying close attention, waiting for their best friend's own time to share her deep thoughts that reached the surface of her face.
Marlene's facial expression changed from sadness to disdain. Her mind traveled back to the first time — of countless ones that followed this episode — that he was a jerk to her. Fabian Prewett was training for the Quidditch Tournament of European Wizarding Schools tryouts and asked for her with his performance since her father’s a Quidditch coach so she had some expertise. When he finally finished training, Prewett simply discarded her company as if she meant nothing to him but a source for getting into the Hogwarts’ Quidditch Team. Unfortunately, he got the second beater position, and Marlene was genuinely happy for him but never got a single thank you from the guy. Instead, he fucked her that night after the celebration in Gryffindor's Common Room and immediately after that he sent her back to the girl's dormitory. But during the party everyone thought they were the perfect couple and that was enough for Fabian Prewett's ego.
“First, it was subtle.” Marlene started telling the story. “He wasn't that attentive when we were alone anymore, but stood being a gentleman in person. All for the show, you know? “Then, three months later, he started getting aggressive whenever I said no to him. He'd call me names and talk to me aggressively if things didn't get the way he wanted to and I started getting annoyed but I don't know, somehow I truly believed I was doing something wrong and it was all my fault!”
Marlene reached in the back of her mind the painful memory of her ex-boyfriend twisting her wrist for the first time. It happened on a visit to Hogsmeade. She just wanted to buy some ice cream since it was a burning hot summer but according to him she would get fat and ugly and no one would want her. Lene said it was just ice cream and he thought it would be a nice way to teach her how to be obedient if he twisted her wrist. It got immobilized for a month and she told everyone she got hurt flying.
“Oh my Merlin, Marls! We were here for you, darling!” Mary knelt on the floor, holding her best friend's hands.
“I know, I guess I just didn't want James to be right, you know?” Marlene bit her lower lip in apprehension. “I talked to Fabian and he turned back into a gentleman twenty-four seven for a week and then things got worse than they were before.”
“What did he do?” Lily asked.
“Girls, you gotta swear to me that none of the boys will know about that, ok?” Marlene said exchanging looks with both of her girlfriends.
Both of them nodded their heads in acceptance. Marlene hesitated for a moment, then slowly lifted the hem of her skirt. The bruises on her thighs were unmistakable. Some were fading, but others were still an angry shade of purple. The marks were the result of thousands of pointless lectures about obedience and jealousy and how they were all her own fault - some from months ago, some more recent. It was hard to look at them... harder still to understand how she’d let it get this far. Lily's fingers gently passed over the bruises on her best friend's skin. Mary fell on the floor, her mouth and eyes wide open in shock.
“Fuck, Marlene!” Lily stared at her best friend. “This is definitely not right, Merlin!”
“He did this because he said I was cheating on him with Black! He'd repeatedly say that while squeezing my thighs and arms the harder he could, asking me over and over again if Sirius Black was getting in the middle of our relationship, if I loved him and stuff like that!” tears started forming in Marlene's eyes. “Padfoot is my friend, he got into this relationship knowing that! He knew Sirius has major in being insufferable, that he messes with all his friends and makes stupid jokes around…
“Marlene, what else did this piece of shit do to you?” Mary asked interrupting her monologue.
“I mentioned he cheated on me with Dorcas Meadowes and…” Marlene suddenly stopped talking.
“And?” Lily pressured Marlene to talk.
Marlene inhaled deeply. With less hesitation, the girl unbuttoned her blouse and took it off. Her ribs were as bruised as her thighs - maybe worse. Her left arm and wrist had red marks all over it. Lily and Mary immediately involved Marlene in a tight hug. She allowed herself to cry loudly, sobbing aggressively. She was comfortably sad in that moment, because when she was washed by sadness during her relationship with Fabian Prewett, she didn't cry, but laughed loud, smiled, kissed him, had sex and made plans for the future. She wasn't allowed to cry or feel sad because he was a charming prince and she didn't value that enough, otherwise she wouldn't be in love with someone else. She wasn't allowed to cry because everytime she did, he would remind her it was all for her own good, that the pain was necessary in order to grow together. And he loved her, right? That’s why he did it. He wanted the relationship to work... and she started to believe him.
So Marlene let him do it. She let him because she thought it was the only way to prove to her family she wasn't a problem child, to prove to them she wasn't irresponsible or reckless. Turns out, she was only able to prove that she's weak, naive and a hopeless romantic. Marlene was sure, now, that she was irresponsible.
“I asked for that to happen!” Marlene said, staring at nothing specific as tears dropped soaking the wooden floor.
“It's not your fault, Marls, and it'll never be!” Lily rested her chin on Marlene's blonde hair. “He didn't have the right to hurt you, to disrespect you!
“He was right, Lily.” Marlene glanced at her friends. “Sirius Black got in the middle of our relationship! Unfortunately, I started liking him a long time ago and Fabian was right! Padfoot is my friend but I truly have feelings for him, you know?” a tear rolled through Marlene's face. “But I just can't, not now that all of this happened!”
Marlene got up and started pacing around, her heart pounding hard against her chest. Her face was a mix of anger and desperation.
“He's fucking annoying and insufferable and smart and handsome, but how am I supposed to trust my heart to someone like him? Someone that tried to fuck me in fourth grade and right after he fucked that stupid hufflepuff bitch I don't even remember the name?”
“Marls, you guys were fourteen ! He was just being a stupid fourteen year old boy!” Lily defended Padfoot. “But anyways, you didn't deserve any of this just because you were in love with someone else! Marlene, all you told us just proves Fabian Prewett never truly loved you. He abused you, psychologically, emotionally and physically, and this ain't right!” Lily reached Marlene's arm, pulling her in front of the mirror.
“This ain't right, Marlene!” she said, pointing to the bruises. “You are a strong woman and I'm proud of you getting out of this shitty situation.” Lily gave her a weak but encouraging smile.
“We love you, Lene! And we're here for you, ok?” Mary said, walking to the other side of Marlene in front of the mirror.
“I love you, girls! And please, don't stop me getting revenge on Meadowes!” she smirked, mischievously.
“We wouldn't think of that!” Lily laughed, hugging Marlene.
“That's my girl, actually!” Mary smiled back.
***
Sirius was leaning on the hard cold wall patiently waiting for his red haired friend to show up after Potions class Gryffindor was having. When students started leaving the classroom, he spotted Prewett's big head walking side by side with his twin brother, Gideon. Black stopped the guy with a hit of his hand on his shoulder. Gideon glanced from Sirius to his brother. Anyone could feel the tension flowing through the air.
Fabian smiled sarcastically, arms crossed over his puffed chest. Some people stopped and stared at the sight of an alpha fight in the dark dungeon corridor, but as soon as Fabian dismissed his twin's presence, everyone dispersed when they realised nothing big was going to happen.
“I'm not here to fight, Prewett. But if I were you I'd listen to what I have to say!” Sirius advised, his voice deep and low pitched.
“Aren't you satisfied enough?” Fabian asked, brows furrowed. “Marlene and I finally broke up, you can now have that stupid little…”
Sirius’greyish eyes darkened into storming blue orbs. His neck muscles tensed and his fists clenched. Black just wanted to punch the idiot on the face but he wouldn't do that, not until Fabian gave the first step.
“I'd think twice before saying anything stupid about her.”
“What do you want, Black?” the red haired asked.
“First, you'll leave Hogwarts’ Quidditch Team.”
Fabian's loud laughter cut Sirius mid phrase.
“Do you know how much effort I put in for this position?”
“None, because Marlene had all the tactics to help you out so don't be too proud of yourself for getting into the team! You did good because of her.” Black's voice remained low. “So, you'll leave Hogwarts’ Quidditch Team and you are joining the Fight Club!”
Fabian swallowed hard. It was common knowledge that there was a Fight Club in Hogwarts but no one was allowed to talk about it. Every now and then, some students simply appeared with dark eyes, bruised cheeks, broken arms and limping legs around Hogwarts but there was no major gossip about any fights or disagreements. He was never invited to the club, now he was being summoned to it. By Sirius Black, of all people. No magic, no wands, just hand to hand battle. Prewett flinched a little bit.
“I'm not fighting over that bitch, Black!” Fabian said, trying to sound nonchalant.
It was Sirius’ turn to laugh. Padfoot grabbed Fabian's arm pulling him closer, noses almost touching. Prewett swallowed hard.
“I'm not fighting over her, Prewett! I'll be fighting with you. Just so you can feel how good it is to hit other people, especially women. I'm sure you're gonna love it!” Sirius glanced at him with his most devilish look.
Sirius aggressively let go of Fabian, who lost balance and almost fell to the ground if it wasn't for the wall behind him. Black handed him a piece of parchment with the words “S.B. invites Fabian Prewett” written in black ink and turned his back at him, walking down the corridor. Marlene's ex-boyfriend wasn't going to chicken out, so he tried to sound like he wasn't scared at all.
“When?” Fabian shouted, echoing through the rock walls.
“Next week. Wednesday.”