Stars over the Meadows

Marlene McKinnon

Earlier that night

“Won't you be with me tonight “ Dorcas asks, tugging on the end of Marlene’s shirt. The two stand outside of the slytherin common room. “I told Mary I’d go to the library with her,” Marlene whispers.

Dorcas curls her lips into a frown. “C’mom don’t give me that look” Marlene sighs. Dorcas flutters her eyes at Marlene . Marlene feels a smile tug on her lips, “fine” . Dorcas grins, pulling Marlene by the tie.

“Pure blood “ she says to the painting, it opens at the words. Marlene furrows her brows at the password. Dorcas drags Marlene along to her dorm . This is the first time she’s been in her dorm.

Marlene looks around , her rooms dark, painted dark green and there’s two beds in her room. “Mathilda isn’t going to be here tonight” Dorcas states, looking through her burrow for something

“Mathilda?” Marlene questions. “Roommate, she’s got a hufflepuff boyfriend usually spending the night there” Dorcas answers

“Oh” Marlene muttered, she didn’t even know Dorcas had a roommate . Being in her dorm makes Marlene feel like she doesn’t even know very well at all.

“Ha, got it” Dorcas laughs, she pulls out a green tank top. Marlene sits on the edge, her gaze on Dorcas.

“I honestly can’t handle this heat” Dorcas starts unbuttoning her top. Marlene feels her face instantly heat up at the sight.. She flickers her gaze away from Dorcas. “It’s like fifty degrees, “ she chokes out, looking down at her shoes

Dorcas starts walking towards Marlene , her green tank top now on . “What’s wrong love?” Dorcas questions, as she stands in front of Marlene. Marlene moves her head up. Dorcas tucks Marlene’s hair behind her hair.

“This is just all too much, I’m used to the owerly” Marlene confesses, fidgeting with her hands on her lap.

“You don’t like the room?” Dorcas questions, dropping her hand, “no! No I like your dorm” Marlene widens her eyes. “I'm just not used to change, “ she admits. Dorcas brings her hands up to Marlene’s face.

“That’s alright” Dorcas whispers. “It is?” Marlene questions, “mhm “ Dorcas hums. “It’s still just us” she whispers Dorcas leans down, meeting her lips with Marlenes. She lays Marlene down on the bed. Dorcas crawls on top of her, her legs on each of Marlene’s sides. Marlene’s lays in between her legs as Dorcas lips move her lips against hers.

“I'm still not ready” Marlene breathes into the kiss. “I know love, we don’t have to do anything you're not ready for” Dorcas mumbles, inching herself away from the kiss, tucking Marlene’s messy hair behind her ears. She traces her fingers over Marlene’s face analyzing every mark on her face. Her index finger comes across a scar on Marlene’s chin.

Marlene had forgotten about it. The deep scars goes down her chin. “What happened here?” Dorcas whispers . Her fingers moving over Marlene’s scar at least a dozen times. Making Marlene’s heart flutter every time

“Quidditch practice “ Marlene huffs a laugh. Dorcas raises her eyebrows “ I got one too, fell right off my broom in second year “ Dorcas sits up and turns her shoulder to face Marlene. A scar going across her shoulder, Marlene lifts her hand to it, her hand grimacing over her scar. Marlene sits herself up, Dorcas still sitting in her lap.

“It’s ugly I know-“ Dorcas wrinkles her nose, “no” Marlene interrupts, Marlene brings her lips to Dorcas’s skin, planting a short kiss on her broken skin. “Nothing about you is ugly, especially this” marlene mumbles onto Dorcas’s skin.

Marlene pulls away from Dorcas shoulder, as Dorcas brings her hands up to Marlene cheeks. Marlene feels Dorcas’s gaze pierce into her soul. Dorcas edges her lips to Marlene’s scar.

“Hey, kissing scars is my thing,” Marlene whispers. “Is it now?” Dorcas teases, planting another kiss on Marlene’s chin “Yes” Marlene answers. Dorcas pulls away from her chin, meeting Marlene’s lips once more.

Marlene wakes up in the morning laying next to Dorcas, she has her arms wrapped around Marlene as Marlene lays on her chest. “I have to go,” she grumbles tiredly. “No,” Dorcas whispers softly , adjusting her arms. Marlene closes her eyes again, as her ear against Dorcas’s chest listens to her heartbeat. She wishes she could be here in her arms forever.

“Ugh” she hears someone groan, as the Dorcas’s dorm door speaks open and slams shut. “Stupid” the person mutters.

“Mathilda” Dorcas whispers softly just for Marlene to hear, Marlene opens her eyes. Looking at the curtain to Dorcas’s bed.

“Dorcas” the girl calls out, “what?” Dorcas questions groggily, “you are not going to believe what happened, Mulcibler got kicked off the team “ the girl sighs, Marlene can hear the lacing of her feet on the floor board.

“Why?” Dorcas asks, sitting up slightly, her arm still around Marlene. “Attacked some mudblood “ the girl hisses, leaving an unsettling feeling in Marlene’s stomach.

“Who?” Dorcas releases her arm from being wrapped around Marlene, to her lap “Macdonald, she’s in gryffindor” Dorcas’s roommate answers, Marlene feels her body go still. Her breath caught in her throat .

She can feel Dorcas’s gaze drag to her, she must’ve felt Marlene’s body tense up against hers .

“It doesn’t make sense, she attacked him worse, she should be kicked off her team” the girl groans , Dorcas doesn’t respond. She sits still, her lips laying flat on her face.

“No way we’re winning the cup at this point “ the girl rambles on. “Dorcas?” The girl questions, “I don’t want to talk about this right now, whatever” Dorcas mumbles, and Marlene feels a twinge in her heart.

‘Whatever?’ Her best friend is hurt and she says ‘whatever’.

The door squeaks open once more and slams just as much.

Marlene sits up, “I have to go” she repeats from earlier, “Marlene-“ Dorcas starts

“No” Marlene grits , she swings open the curtains and starts putting on her shoes.

Mary's hurt and it’s all her fault. She should’ve been there. Marlene rethinks over and over in her head.

“Marlene” Dorcas says softly again, reaching out her hand to Marlene’s back, shivers instantly going down her spine.

“Whatever?” Marlene scoffs, turning her head to face Dorcas , her hand still on her shoe, a slight frown flickers across Dorcas’s face, letting her hand fall down onto the bed. “Whatever” Marlene repeats harsher than before. Pulling her shoe on, she stands up.

“Marlene I just -“ Dorcas blinks at her. “No,  Now let me go check on my best friend who got attacked by one of you slytherins “ Marlene snaps

Dorcas furrows her brows at Marlene’s sudden harshness. Marlene rushes out of the room, she doesn’t care who sees her she only cares about Mary.

Marlene keeps stumbling on her untied shoes as she makes her way to her dorm. She gets to her dorm tripping on her shoe on the last step to her room. “Fuck” she hisses under her breath, grabbing her shoe off her foot and throwing it across the room.

“Marlene?” Lily questions as she closes the curtain to Mary’s bed, started by the loud nois. “is-“ Marlene chokes on her words , her nostrils flaring and chin wobbling. “is she alright?” She feel tears prick her eyes.

“Physically yes, but I don’t know for the rest. She’s sleeping now “ lily answers. Marlene steps forward on her crooked legs, as she takes another step forward and instant sting of pain starts at her foot “fuck” she mutters again, lifting up her foot, her sock bleeding through with blood, and earring sticking out.

“Sorry” Lily mumbles,” I dropped that when I found out, let me get something for it” Lily stumbles to the bathroom grabbing the first aid kit. She pats Marlene’s bed, and Marlene plops herself on her bed.

“What happened?” Marlene whispers, taking the earring out from her foot, gritting her teeth together.

“When Mary was on her way back from the library Mulciber- “ lily swallows before starting again “he attacked her, and tried to use dark magic on her” lily answers her chest heaving up and down.

On her way back from the library. This is all my fault. Marlene repeats in her head .

“I’ve got that '' Marlene takes the healing cream from Lily , dabbing it on her stabbed foot.

“I should’ve been there” Marlene whispers, “Marlene-“ lily starts, her eyes on Marlene.

“No, this is all my fault I told her I’d go” she argues, putting her sock back on . Flinging her legs to hang off the bed.

“Don’t do that Marlene “ lily grits out, “you couldn’t of known”

Marlene stands up, “im going to beat the fuck out of him “ Marlene states, taking the time to put time to put on her shoes this time “Marlene-“ lily starts. “I've got it covered, just let me”

“Okay” Marlene whispers, “let me know when she wakes up” Marlene adds leaving the room before lily can respond.

She doesn’t know where she’s going but she can’t stay there, and she can’t stay at Dorcas’s. Marlene finds herself in the owerly, picking at the dead skin on her hands as she paces back and forth.

“I thought I’d find you here” she hears a soft voice come from behind her. Marlene turns herself around, her eyes coming into frame with Dorcas Meadowes.

She doesn’t say anything, as Dorcas steps closer. “Is she okay?” Dorcas questions.

“What do you care” Marlene dismisses, “ I do care” Dorcas mumbles moving closer to Marlene . Marlene takes a step back, causing Dorcas to stay put “All you slytherins are the same” Marlene scoffs.

“What are you talking about?” Dorcas scrunches her face, piercing her eyes at Marlene’s.

“It’s so normalized “ Marlene scoffs “I mean your password is pure blood for crying out loud “ she huffs a dry laugh. “What was I thinking , to think that you were different” Marlene points “ , you didn’t even seem phased by it!” She argues, her chest heaving at her frustration.

“I was,” Dorcas states, her eyes softening as she blinks at Marlene . “Fuck you Meadowes, fuck you for making me think you were different from the rest of those slytherins” Marlene spits out.

“Fuck you” Dorcas hisses back, her eyebrows causing a crease inbetween.

“I'm done, this. We’re done.” Marlene responds with her voice going into a monotone tone . Dorcas' lips quiver, but quickly turns into a straight line. Marlene scoffs.

“Fine” Dorcas grits out “we’re done”

Marlene leaves the owerly, her chest feeling heavier than when she entered. She doesn’t feel tears pricking in her eyes, she just feels sick.

They’re done.