July 1981
Sometimes I feel I've got to run away
I've got to get away
from the pain you drive into the heart of me
the love we share seems to go nowhere
and I've lost my light
For I toss and turn, I can't sleep at night
Once I ran to you
Now I run from you
this tainted love you've given
I give you all a boy could give
you take my tears and that's not nearly all
-Tainted Love by Soft Cell, released July 1981
She heard the tell-tale crack of apparition outside the wards. Her stomach churned and she felt keenly aware of her skin. They weren't expecting anyone today. That meant bad news. Someone must have died. Marlene's mind reeled. Who could it be this time? Dorcas had just flued to Hogwarts for a meeting with Dumbledore and all the McKinnon clan were here with her, thank Merlin; so it wasn't them. Marlene didn't think she could survive that. She'd already been ripped apart by Mary's death. Sirius, then? Lily? Oh god. If it was Lily it meant that James and Harry were dead too. She finally forced herself to look out the window. Peter Pettigrew was trudging up the garden path. Peter? Wasn't he in charge of looking after the safe house in Wales? Maybe he was here to ask her mum to with help stocking up healing supplies? That must be it. Everyone knew Catherine McKinnon was the best healer in the Order and Peter knew it most of all. She'd taken care of him after a nasty splinching incident last year. She was probably the only reason he even had his left leg anymore. No deaths today then, Marlene decided. It was a good day. And she'd get to talk to Peter, too!
"Oi, wanker!" Marlene opened the window and called. "Cuppa?"
Nearing the kitchen window now, Peter nodded, silent. Odd. Maybe someone *had* died.
A few moments later Peter sat, still eerily silent, at Marlene's kitchen table. It wasn't entirely out of character for the man to sit quietly, anxiously staring into a mug of hot tea. But normally he'd have at least said hello and asked after Dorcas and Marlene's parents and Marlene's brother or even how Marlene's cat, Joan Jett, was doing. None of that today, though. Something must have happened.
"Want to talk about it?" She offered.
That startled him a bit.
"What? Nothing's going on."
"Peter, we both know that I've always been able to see right through you." Marlene scoffed. "Come on. Tell us what's wrong."
"Can't."
"Top secret Order business?"
"Something like that."
"Yeah, Dorcas has been like that lately too. Makes me want to punch Dumbledore sometimes. He's got her going off on wild goose chases looking for something. Normally, she can at least tell me where she's going, but this time it's different, whatever it is."
Peter was gazing absently out the window, again.
"What I mean to say, Pete," Marlene said, offering the biscuit tin, "is that I understand if you can't tell me anything. We can just have tea. Pretend the world isn't falling apart for a few minutes."
His eyes turned back to Marlene. He obviously saw the biscuit tin, but didn't reach for it. Very odd. He always took at least one Jaffa Cake, even when he was on a diet. They were his favorites. Something was very wrong.
Unease trickled up her spine. Was he under the Imperius? Was it even Peter? Was it a Death Eater with Polyjuice? She hadn't tested him when he arrived. Her wand was over by the sink. Too far away to grab without making whoever it was in sitting at her kitchen table suspicious.
Not Peter seemed to sense the adrenaline now pumping through her.
"Oh Marley. I'm so sorry."
An even worse realization hit her along with his stunning spell. It was Peter. And he had betrayed her.