astronomy • marlene mckinnon

thirteen

Marlene McKinnon entered the Astronomy classroom for the last session of the year, her mind immediately traveling to the time when Professor Sinistra had told them about the partner projects, and she and Astraea Black were assigned together.

And just like every other time she had thought about the Slytherin for the past week, a huge wave of guilt drowned her, and she felt that this wave was stronger than the last.

The day after she had finished with her O.W.L.'s Marlene had woken up with a terrible headache, partly because of the way she had been drinking almost the entire night, but mostly because of what had gone down with her and Astraea.

Sirius hadn't talked to her ever since it had happened, and after Astraea had made Slughorn switch partners and had gone to sit with Isabella Fawley, Sirius had switched as well, and the Gryffindor was stuck with Victoria Malfoy.

But Marlene felt that she deserved it, she deserved every single thing that was going to come her way.

Lily hadn't known about their fight until Marlene had told her.

Two days later when Mary had asked where the redhead was after Snape had called her the unforgivable slur, Lily had told the two girls about how Astraea had comforted her, Marlene had felt the guilt more than ever and had broken down in front of Lily later that night, telling her everything that happened.

Everything that she had said.

The blonde Gryffindor looked around and saw the only two empty seats being next to Dorcas Meadowes and Sirius Black.

Marlene didn't want to be anywhere near Dorcas and Sirius didn't want to be anywhere near Marlene.

The blonde girl had come to the conclusion that Dorcas did not like her back and had decided to move on from the Ravenclaw, so she just took a deep breath and sat next to Sirius.

The raven-haired Gryffindor paused his conversation with James Potter and turned around to see who was sitting with him, scowled slightly, took his stuff, and sat next to James and Lily walked over to her.

"He'll get over it." Lily smiled sympathetically.

"Even if he doesn't, I don't blame him." Marlene rolled her eyes. "It was all my fault anyway."

"From what Mary told me, none of you were at fault. You both were mad at each other, and you just let your anger get the best of you. That's okay."

"It isn't." Marlene shook her head, buried her head in her arms, and closed her eyes as the sound of the only two Slytherins left entering the room came in.

Marlene heard the sound of the pair sitting behind them moving and sitting somewhere else and then the sound of Astraea Black and Isabella Fawley whispering something furiously.

"Fine," Astraea muttered and then said aloud. "Hey, Evans?"

"Yeah?" Lily asked and Marlene could tell that the green-eyed girl had her eyebrows furrowed.

"Do you mind if I sit there?" Astraea asked and Marlene's mind ran with possibilities of why she would want to sit with her.

Marlene wanted to apologize the second she had woken up the next day, of course, she knew she had gone too far and she had touched topics which she shouldn't have touched, but she didn't know how to because Astraea had avoided the blonde the entire week.

And now that she had a chance, Marlene had no idea how she would start, so she kept her head buried in her arms and listened to the conversation.

"Yeah, sure," Lily replied and then Marlene caught James and Sirius whispering in front of them.