Marlene
Marlene was crying. Sobbing actually. Not pretty crying, true, heart-wrenching weeping. Tears were running down her face in waterfall of grief. She couldn't breathe and her face was tingling and it felt like everything had been sharpened by some invisible camera. Marlene didn't cry very often, she didn't see the reason to, but when she cried, she cried.
she has to believe me,she can't see me like that, Dorcas knows I would never. what if she breaks up with me what if she never talks t- “Marlene?”
She glanced up from the huddled position she was in from the corner of the Gryffindor changing rooms. No one should be here at this time she thought to herself, who could it be?
“Marlene it's James, try breathe with me a second”
Ah, of course it was James. Only the Gryffindor captain himself would be planning to fly this late
“Marls, you with me?”
he asked, his voice was calm, although tinged with concern.
And just like that Marlene was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts and with a jolt realised she was struggling for air. James must've seen the change on her face because he crouched down, moved closer and started singing?
Once she got past her initial confusion, she realised the song was easy to fit her now calming breaths to, her sobs subsiding and eventually petering out.
“Silent night” he said.“ Works every time”.
“Thanks” Marlene managed to push out in a shaking voice.
“Marlene” James started, now sitting against the wall beside her.
“I-I think Dorcas hates me” she choked out, feeling the tears well in her eyes. She glanced over at James, expecting confusion but his expression was more..amused?
“Oh Marls” he sighed, a tired smile creeping on to his face.
“What! I'm not joking James” she bit out in frustration.
“I think I've lost her” she followed with quietly, ready to burst into tears again, but before she could, James turned towards her.
“Marlene, I'm here because Dorcas has been scaring the living daylights out of the fat lady trying to get into our common room to apologize to you and I knew you'd be here”.
Apologize? Why the hell was Dorcas trying to apologize to her?
“Why?” she asked him, confused.
“She said she addressed her notes wrong, and you got one meant for someone else, She's a complete mess, Marls”
Marlene thought she'd felt relief before, but nothing compared to the intense feeling washing over her now. Dorcas didn't think she was a bully, didn't think she was ‘a fucking prick who deserved to be hexed into the next century'.
Dorcas didn't know she knew that though. Oh poor Dorcas is probably thinking Marlene wants nothing to do with her right now. No she wouldn't have it. She had literally just experienced how that felt and she will not let the love of her life feel like that a second longer than necessary.
She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve, turned and grabbed James into a fierce hug beside her, squeezing him so tight she could feel his ribs poking into her.
“James I actually love you, you're a legend, but I have to go console my girlfriend, who is- thank goodness -still in love with me”.
She could hear his quiet laugh echoing in the room behind her as she took off towards the castle and grinned. Problem solved.