Broken Wings (Marlene McKinnon girlxgirl, Marauder's Era)

Chapter 8 - March '78

Lee's eyes were burning, her skin itched and she felt cold and exhausted. She longed for a cup of tea, her cosy blanket and some rest. But that would have to wait, even though the girl could barely keep her eyes open.
Dumbledore had summoned their little crew for a debrief of what had happened at the Death Eater meeting and in Diagon Alley and now she sat in Emmeline's living room together with Moody, McGonagall and Dumbledore and recounted her night.

*~*~*~*

Lee suppressed a shudder as she landed in Diagon Alley next to Avery and Regulus. She knew that the Muggleborn couple lived above their store because she had actually been in their music shop several times. She enjoyed listening to music, it calmed her and sometimes helped her to get rif of dark thoughts.
But right now music certainly wouldn't help.
"Come on, darling, show us what you got." Avery smirked at Juliette. Diagon Alley was emptier than Lee had ever seen it. As the attacks on muggleborns and their supporters had increased in frequency, fewer and fewer people enjoyed spending their nights outside.
Lee knew from Moody that Aurors and potentially Order members would be patrolling the streets but she hadn't seen any so far. Her main goal would be to alert them as quickly as possible. She had contemplated sending someone a patronus but there was no way that would happen without the boys noticing. At least no lives would be in immediate danger as long as she could keep Avery from blowing up the entire building. Regulus stood next to them impassively but it wasn't him Lee was worried about. Her best shot would be to let Avery cause a lot of noise- that would alert people soon enough.
Avery started by blowing the front door out of it's hinges. Lee added a few half hearted jinxes here and there but she focused on loud noise much more than actual destruction. Avery was way too concentrated on creating havoc to notice that.
After a few moments, they heard the first shouts and people running.
Regulus was the first to react: "come on, let's get out of here!"
"One second, Reg." Lee smiled in a way that almost made herself feel sick as she cast the Dark Mark. "Now we can leave." Together, they apparated back to Selwyn Manor, where the Dark Lord was awaiting them.

*~*~*~*

"You did well. Grayson, one of the aurors, and his team heard the noise and were able to repair the store almost completely." Emmeline smiled softly at Lee. She had taken a liking to the Ravenclaw girl.
"I agree.," McGonagall joined in the conversation. "As for the meeting, it certainly comes as no surprise that they are trying to take over the Prophet. Still, helpful to know details."
Moody spoke up in his gruff voice: "I'll teach you how to cast a Patronus without being noticed soon. That's a useful skill to have."
Lee saw Emmeline and Minerva McGonagall exchange a look that she couldn't quite decipher but she was too tired to think much about it.

*~*~*~*

"Looking good, Evans"
Lee heard James Potter shout at his girlfriend. Even after they had started dating, James continued to flirt shamelessly with his now-girlfriend Lily Evans. Only these days, instead of calling him an arrogant toe-rag or scowling at him, Lily would blush slightly and stifle a laugh.

Juliette Selwyn found herself in rather unlikely circumstances - on a picnic with Issi, Benjy, their Hufflepuff friends Marcus and Katherine, Remus Lupin, Lily and Marlene McKinnon. Issi had persuaded her to join them. It was one of the first warm days of march, a Sunday - and one of Lee's rare free days. The group had spread a few blankets on the sunny grass near the lake. Even Lily, probably the most studious of the group, had left her schoolwork inside and was calmly braiding Katherine's hair.
The rest of the Marauders had just passed the group when James had called out to his girlfriend.
Now him, Sirius and Peter were trying - and failing - to persuade Remus to leave the cosy picnic to join them in some mischief.

"Oi, Moony, you're no fun."
Sirius Black's whiny voice prompted Lee to lift her eyes from the small drawing she was working on.
"I'm not hyperactive, is what you mean." came the retort from Remus.
James dropped dramatically onto the blanket between Remus and Lily, while Sirius sat down next to Marlene, pulling her into his lap after a moment. Of course, Lee had to admit that they were a good-looking couple, but she did not particularly enjoy having them in her line of sight.
"Lee, another butterbeer?"
Marcus and Benjy had enchanted a couple of bottles to keep them cool despite the sun's warming rays. Benjy was now reaching over to Remus to hand her a drink. Or maybe, Lee thought, it was mostly a scheme to touch Remus in a seemingly accidental way.