The Rise And Fall Of The Stag And The Doe

Someday

"COME ON LILY!" Marlene groaned furiously. "We've been in here for an hour and you have yet to hit me."

"I know! I know!" Lily shouted, "I'm trying!"

Lily felt bad, she really was trying, but the problem was she didn't want to hurt Marlene. Every time she aimed a kick or punch at Marlene's head she just couldn't put her heart into it and Marlene would use that to knock her back on her arse every time.

"Lily you have to hit harder than that."

"I don't want to hurt you." Lily muttered childishly.

"Well Death Eater's do want to hurt you Lily," Dorcas pointed out bluntly. "So you either fight Marlene or we might as well give up on teaching you anything."

Marlene gave Lily a look. "She's right Lily. You either embrace this or give into-"

"-the fact that you can't defend yourself and will always have to depend on a man to defend you." Dorcas finished ruthlessly.

That sent Lily over the edge. She lifted her leg and attempted to do the leg sweeping thing Marlene taught her, and she almost had it. Right before her leg connected with Marlene's, Marlene jumped and turned it around on Lily, throwing her onto the ground instead.

"Good try." Marlene told her, "You just have to want it more."

Lily stayed on the ground, her face red from frustration. "I do want it!"

"Well why don't we pick this up again after break?" Marlene suggested, swatting down next to her. "You've learned all the basic technique's, why don't we pick this up after break? You can practice with Dora."

"Yeah if we have enough time." Dorcas scoffed, "You know in between all of our snow ball fights."

"You coming Lil?" Marlene asked as she and Dorcas paused in the doorway.

Lily nodded, wiping the sweat of her forehead exhaustedly. "You guys go ahead I'm going to stay here and… study."

Dorcas ruffled Lily's hair roughly, making a face. "We'll see you at dinner!"

As soon as Marlene and Dorcas left, Lily sighed, and rubbed her arse with a sour look on her face. In Lily's opinion this was worse than Wizard's chess. At least with that she didn't understand the game at all so it made sense that she wasn't skilled at it, but with this she did everything Marlene said and still there was nothing gained from it. So Lily, and her broken ego sulked on the floor wondering why she couldn't get this. Eventually she knew she'd have to rise from the floor, shower and throw herself back into studying, but for a few minutes it felt very nice to just embrace herself pity. And so she did.

Marlene cuddled into the seat next to James and Remus in the library while Dorcas dragged Peter across the room to tutor him in Charms.

"Hey Mar, how's the training going?" Remus asked kindly.

"Torture." Marlene groaned dropping back in her chair.

James furrowed his eyebrows, pushing away his potions textbook with a great deal of disgust. "What are you training for? We don't have any games till February."

"Lily is trying to learn self defense." Marlene yawned taking a book out of her bag.

Remus gave her a look. "Mar, that isn't your Potion's book."

"If I look at another word of academics, I'm gonna kill someone," She informed him through gritted teeth. "We have three exams tomorrow and I need to relax before I snap and kill one or both of you."

James raised his hands in pure innocence. "Alright Marls. Understood! Are you excited for break?"

"Yeah," Marlene cuddled into her chair. "Two weeks with the twins and Rick…yay."