Harry Potter Isekai - Marauders Era

Chapter 23: Trust

A/N: Hello world! I'm back!!! I'm so sorry life has been really hectic for the past month or two. But I'm back to my old routines. My updates won't be as frequent as before as the end of the year is also pretty busy with a couple of my friends getting married as well, but I promise you won't have to wait as long as 2 months for an update again. 

Chapter 23

Marlene's POV

Dora, Barty, Reggie and I all huddle on the long couch in the drawing room while the adults stare us down, waiting for us to break.

"So?" My dad raises an eyebrow and asks once more for the nth time. In the corner of my eyes, I can see my friends all glancing at me once in a while in the thick silence.

"I can promise you dad, we're not doing any dark magic. We're not working for anyone on the dark side."

"Oh yes, from the predicament that we all just witnessed not too long ago, I am convinced from just that statement." I gulped from his deadpan sarcasm.

"Dad, I-" I stopped abruptly from a sharp pain at the corner of my head. What the-

Marlene, that old guy is trying to enter our mind. Chaos's voice speaks in anger. I frown and look over at Dumbledore. "Please stop, you're hurting me." I glared.

"MARLENE ELIZABETH MCKINNON!" My dad's voice snaps me out of my glaring contest with the headmaster. I notice a slight red glow from my fists. Did Chaos take over just now?

Sorry, Marlene, I was just irritated. I sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry, she doesn't appreciate the invasion. Professor, I promise, I'm telling the truth, please don't try to read our minds."

"'She'? Whose 'she'?!"

I blinked at my dad, "Chaos. The girl in my subconscious. I met her when I was out cold. She used her magic to save me." I tried to explain.

"Chaos has a conscience?" Dad looked over at me dumbfounded.

I nodded slowly. "Yes, sir."

"My apologies, Miss McKinnon. We are all very worried about you and what has transpired. It's not too often, we come across an underaged witch consumed by dark magic and on the verge of death, only to survive to tell the tale – only she's not speaking. Not really, at least." Dumbledore explained himself.

Tell him to go fuck himself! I don't appreciate anyone trying to read my inner thoughts. It's an invasion of privacy! "Chaos says that she doesn't appreciate you trying to read her thoughts." I purposefully neglect the rest of the message.

"Marlene, we just want to know what's going on. Are you kids in danger? Are you being hunted?" My friends and I look at each other and I feel hands grab both of mine on each side, giving me more confidence.

"We are not in immediate danger – in fact, no one knows what we have been up to. Again, we can promise you all that we are not working for anyone..." I pause and take a deep breath, "I can't say what we're up to just yet. I promise, we'll come to you the moment we feel we are in danger." I look at my dad, "Dad, I don't ask for much from you or mom, but I'm asking you now for your trust."

I can see my dad's eyes soften from my request. Before he can agree, Mr. Potter interjects, "Marlene, it's not in my right to say anything but I feel-" He's cut off by the sound of some ruckus outside the drawing room doors.

"James." I whisper as I faintly hear his voice. Mr. Potter sighs loudly and stands to open the door. I see James and Sirius arguing with Mrs. Potter.

"Dad! How's Marlene?! I want to see her! Please!" Mr. Potter looks back at us and makes eye contact with Dumbledore and my dad. They seem to all have a silent conversation in front of our eyes.

My dad sighs and stands up, "I think we're about done here. Marlene, I will give you my trust and in return, you will give me your word."

I smiled up at him brightly with teary eyes. "Thank you, dad."

James and Sirius file into the room to check on us, with James with me and Sirius with Reggie.

"I'm okay. Honest." I tried to convince James as he engulfed me into his arms.

"You really scared me!"

"Truly. What have you all been up to?!" It was Sirius's turn to interrogate us.

"None of your business. She said she's okay. We're all okay." Reggie rolls his eyes, speaking for the first time in the last half hour.

James sighed, "You're not going to tell us, are you?"

I look at my best mates and look back at my boyfriend, "No." We all answered at once.

"Not yet, at least." I look at the slight hurt in James's eyes. "Are you... angry?"

"Yes!" was his immediate response, making me wince slightly. "I'm angry that you didn't trust me enough to be there to protect you." I soften slightly.

"It's something we have to do ourselves." I look back at my friends. "Will you wait for me? Now isn't the time." The more people know now, the more dangerous it will be. We can't have people from Voldemort's side being suspicious. 4 people is enough.

"Is that what you also told the adults?" Sirius questioned. We didn't answer verbally but it was quite obvious what had transpired in this room. "You do realize they're going to monitor your every move now, don't you?"

I would facepalm myself if I wasn't still in James's tight embrace.