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Tweak says, "Bad As New."

Marlene Mckinnon (marlymckinnon) wrote in hogwarts_dawn,
@ 2021-05-18 14:35:00

Entry tags:

character: marlene mckinnon, character: peter pettigrew

RP: Marlene and Open
Who: Marlene Mckinnon and Open
When: May 18th, 6pm
Where: The courtyard
What: Hanging around

If luck held out the infirmary would be up and running in a matter of days, or so she hoped. Things were shaping up and starting to fall into order. The interior was spotless the beds made and ready and the shelves would soon be stocked. Marlene doubted they would have much need for an infirmary but that didn't make it any less necessary. It was better to be prepared for the worst than scrambling around after the fact. With all the days work done and out of the way she locked up and made her way down to the kitchens to grab a bite to eat.

The weather wasn't exactly perfect but hanging around in the castle didn't feel like much fun after being cooped up all day. So instead she grabbed a few sandwiches and a few other odds and ends and headed back to her room to grab the rest of what she needed. A few pillows and a blanket to sit on, some paper to write on and her journal if she thought to look at it.

Not wanting to venture out too far she found a old tree in the far end of the courtyard and set up there. She cast a shielding charm over where she spreading out her blanket, it hung overheard like a shimmering blue canopy. Everything else she tossed inside her little fort and sat inside. Picking up her bag with her dinner she opened it up and peered inside.

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p__pettigrew
2021-05-18 07:35 pm UTC (link)

They had weeks and weeks of rain. It seemed to stop only for a few hours, usually around work hours, because the weather was crazy like that, but today the rain seemed to stop before dinner time, so he decided that it was much better to go outside. Besides, everyone seems to have plans with friends and relatives and he- well, he was still feeling his way into these new friendships.

He didn't plan to go far and had his dinner with him, thanks to a basket provided by the house-elves. He wasn't sure where he'd end up until he saw a makeshift fort. He peeked inside freezing when he saw who it was. "Hey, I was just checking who was here," he said, trying not to fidget. "I guess we had the same idea, with all the rain that we've had."

He wasn't sure if he should stay or go, and decided that his new policy of being upfront would work best. "Do you want my company? I can go otherwise."

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marlymckinnon
2021-05-18 09:10 pm UTC (link)

Not having heard anyone coming closer to where she was camped out, Marlene looked up with surprise to see Peter when he spoke. "It's just me," she said with a half smile. "Great minds think a like they say," she added a little awkwardly, looking down at her hands and shuffling over to the side.

She had been meaning to but hadn't spoken to Peter since she first arrived. Things were out of sorts and all jumbled up and she didn't really know how to go about starting to talk. As luck would have it, she didn't need to find a reason to write or seek him out, the opportunity presented itself.

"Yes," she answered softly. "You can stay if you want to." She offered, moving a bit more to give him room to come in and sit down. "It's not a lot of room but we can share."

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p__pettigrew
2021-05-18 09:30 pm UTC (link)

"It's okay, we don't need that much space." He went inside and sat beside her and put the basket in front of him, opening it and getting the food out. He could have waited, but he was still a little uncomfortable around her.

"I haven't seen around. How bad was the infirmary?" None of them had really checked, and he imagined that it was a right mess. Or maybe not, considering how clean Hogwarts was and how they had put things away.

"I'm... not sure what to say," he said with a sigh. "I'm sure you were told about what happened. It's how I knew your age. I knew it couldn't be later." He bit his lip. "They knew your name, they knew you were involved. I didn't tell them. I know you have no reason to believe me, but I'm telling you the truth."

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marlymckinnon
2021-05-18 10:18 pm UTC (link)

Marlene peered over at Peter's basket. He had come more prepared than she had and her sandwich seemed a little boring in comparison. "What do you have in there anyway?" She asked. "You can have half of my roast beef sandwich if you want," She offered, "in the interest of sharing."

She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt and curled her legs to the side. "Well it was a bit dusty and that needed correcting. Plus things were very disorganized. I want to be able to just run and grab things in an instance, not have to think about where it might be. Organization is key in an infirmary. So I've set it up like Mungo's."

When she heard his sigh she looked up to meet his gaze for a moment, watching as he worried his lip and spoke his truth. She was quiet for a moment, letting his words sink in and settle before she spoke a single word.

"I believe you," she said to start. "I read a lot about it. A lot of what was said at trials and the reports and all of it. It just took me a while to get through it. It was an awful lot and a lot of less than great details." She explained briefly.

"I'd like to know one thing though. I'd rather hear it from you," she said thoughtfully. "I could ask Lily or James or Sirius or Remus. I'm sure they know. But I want to know why. Why you did what you did. Is that okay to ask?"

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p__pettigrew
2021-05-18 10:41 pm UTC (link)

He shrugged. "It's a surprise. The house-elves prepared it for me, and I'm sure there's more than enough for two. You know how they are." He started opening containers. "Okay, so it looks like we have shepherd's pie, with glazed carrots and baked beans...this has to be condensed milk bread. I think we have enough for four people," he said chuckling.

Peter nodded. "I guess there wasn't much left in its place anyway. The house-elves might have been putting things back now that we have a healer, but I doubt that they know how to get it down right. And I don't know what you have in terms of potions and there are plenty of competent people, but if you need anything, I can make it for you."

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I've become convinced that they had someone else feeding information, someone that they never caught, because they knew things, things that I never said." He nodded. "Of course it's okay. They almost killed my grandmother. They used the Imperius to make her walk in front of a bus. They said that any of my Muggle family could die at any moment if I didn't help them. The thing is- I didn't even tell them much, so I don't know why they wanted me so badly. Well maybe they were expecting that Lily and James would hide, but that seems too well planned."

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marlymckinnon
2021-05-21 01:23 pm UTC (link)

There definitely was more than enough for two and Marlene smiled at Peter, thankful for some feeling of normalcy between them. "A very good surprise," she commented lightly. "They pack a fantastic meal, but running a infirmary, on that they are a bit lacking. But they are always so sweet and eager to help. I just like to do things my way," she admitted. "I know what works best for me."

With a little look of shock she nodded as Peter spoke. She listened, tried to really listen to what he was saying and it was possible, but she felt it only right to point out one other possibility.

"They could have been pulling the thoughts out of your head," she said looking down at her hands in her lap. "That could also be why. And it could have been someone else too, and maybe we will never know for sure. Thank you, Pete. For telling me why. It helps." She said with a weak smile.

It did help in a way. She could imagine how he felt, and how at risk his family really truly was. Her own was wiped out in single night. It pained her to admit that she could understand and to a degree relate. Knowing what she did now, and how powerless the Order was to protect her own family from their ends, she could almost taste the fear he must have felt. It was palatable.

"I understand. I really do. I don't know what I would have done in your shoes, but I do know the way I feel now. And what I would give to keep my family all safe. I don't know what I would have chose, but I.." she said trailing off. "I understand."

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p__pettigrew
2021-05-21 04:18 pm UTC (link)

"I'm sure they are used to putting it together in which ever way the last mediwitch wanted it. You'll just have to show them how it's done and then they'll do it better than you. They are amazing beings, aren't they?" Peter had always felt a sense of kinship with beings who were incredibly smart and powerful, but were barely seen by the people for whom they worked.

Peter frowned. "What do you mean they pulled my thoughts out of my head? I wasn't under the Imperius, I know that much, because I remember the meetings. There were no blackouts. I never told them, Marly; you have to believe me." He wasn't sure what she was suggesting, but he didn't like the idea that it was all his fault.

He looked at her and he could feel the sting in his eyes. He had never expected her to understand, not without a lot of talking and convincing, but she was giving him something that was priceless. Without thinking, he hugged her. "Thank you," he said very softly. "You don't know what it means to me."

He pulled back. "I wish none of us had to make those choices, but maybe now we can leave happier lives. It's not the same, I know, but this is what we have."

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marlymckinnon
2021-05-22 03:09 am UTC (link)

"Maybe I like doing the hard work myself," she said with a small laugh. "I don't doubt they could whip it into shape faster than I could, probably better too, but there is something about doing it for yourself that makes it work better."

"Legilimency is what I mean. Someone might have poked around a bit in your mind and found the answers to the things they wanted," she said trying to explain as gently as she could because it wasn't about placing blame it was about trying to understand the whole picture. "If so you had very little control over what they could know."

She could imagine quite well what it meant to Peter to be understood, and still she was a little surprised to be pulled into a hug but she didn't pull away until Peter did. Giving Peter's arm a slight squeeze she smiled sympathetically. He deserved a second chance like everyone else here did. She wanted better for him here and herself and everyone else. It was still hard to feel completely at peace with, but in time she knew she could if she wanted to because it felt worth it.

"We have a second chance. How many people really get to say that and mean it?" She said happily. "Are you happy with your work?" She asked, wanting to hear about his life so far. Work seemed a good place to start and the mysteries were interesting, even if not her field.

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p__pettigrew
2021-05-22 03:33 am UTC (link)

"Your infirmary, your decision," he said, believing that she should do whatever made her comfortable when working. Speed was important in her field.

Peter looked at her, a little shocked. "Legilimency? I don't even know what that is." He was going to research it as soon as he went back inside. "Bellatrix... you mean she could have read my mind? Is that why she always knew everything? That's- That would mean I told them everything without knowing it, that she could have gotten the information without even threatening my grandmother. Fuck, did she do it just to fuck with me?" He wouldn't put it past the woman. She was a true sadist.

"We do, don't we? We know what happened and we can make things better." He was glad that she was changing the subject, because he didn't know what he'd do if he kept thinking about Bellatrix. "I do. I always wanted to work at the DoM, but never had enough connections to get there, and now- It's sort of brilliant. They actually want to know what I think, they want my help."

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marlymckinnon
2021-05-22 01:49 pm UTC (link)

It was easy to forget sometimes that Peter came from a non-magical family. Marlene simply nodded and could imagine Bellatrix doing just that. She was so far as Marlene was concerned one of the biggest bints that ever walked the earth. She made a little face at the name, she couldn't really help it. "It's not like she wouldn't. You should look into it. It's a specialized skill, that allows you to dig deep into the minds of others. I haven't much experience with it, but I know enough to know that it could be the case." She said leaving it at that.

Marlene smiled and looked upon Peter with an expression of encouragement. "I'm glad to hear that. And it makes perfect sense for you. You always did like experimenting with magic, and the people there seem to value the same sort of work."

She could imagine that Peter had a lot to offer when it came to this work the DoM was investing its time into. She hoped he realized just how much he had to give. "Of course they want your help. They'd be a bit daft otherwise."

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p__pettigrew
2021-05-22 02:29 pm UTC (link)

Peter nodded. "I will. I wonder if there's some way for me to check if she looked into my mind. It's... I don't know it's insane to think that she could just get information, but also it's not, because it's her and she was a bitch and I hope she rots in hell. Putting an old woman in danger for no bloody reason." Then again, Bella never had any reasons to kill a Muggle. "She probably got off knowing that she could have killed them at any moment, for no reason other than to torment me."

Her encouragement was appreciated. "They do, and I like Padma. She's very methodical. I can't say I'm used to that, but I'll get used to it."

He chuckled. "Thank you, Marly. It really means a lot coming from you." She was the one who had the least reason to support him. "I want to do a lot more than before and not just at work. I want to get to know people other than my friends, I want to go out and get to know this future and the Muggle world. I'm not letting anything go to waste."

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marlymckinnon
2021-05-22 10:27 pm UTC (link)

"You might need to find another Legilimens to know for sure," she suggested. Although she thought it just as likely he could learn from his new DoM acquaintances for sure, if not in entirety they could at least point him in the right direction. "If there is any justice at all she's rotting there, just as she deserves to be."

It seemed now was a good time to start sorting out their meal, and Marlene set about to portioning out their food, and setting up. It was good to hear Peter had found something he could be passionate about and work he could excel in. "Sounds to me like she can keep you on task," she teased.

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "We have a colorful assortment of people here so I think you got a good place to start," she suggested. "I plan on going out to look around the Muggle world too. I don't know where to start really, but I want to see what's out there."

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p__pettigrew
2021-05-23 12:17 am UTC (link)

"I might, but I want to do some research first." There might not even be a Legilimens in here and if there was, Peter wanted to know what he did, considering that until a few minutes ago he didn't know that Legilimens existed. Instead of saying that, he poured the wine that had come with the dinner into a glass and then trasfigured a napkin into a glass and filled that as well. "Here, let's celebrate Bellatrix' stay in hell."

He raised his glass in a toast and took a sip, before taking the food she had divided. Thank Merlin for magic, since it would have been uncomfortable if they had to eat from the same plate.

He hesitated for a moment, before deciding that if he really wanted to change, he had to take risk. "Would you like to join me on Sunday? I was going to explore around London and see some of the changes, maybe buy some books that can tell us about recent events. I'd love the company."

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	marlymckinnon 2021-05-23 01:32 am UTC (link)
	Taking the glass offered, Marlene lifted her glass to make their toast, it was as good as any other. She could drink to that. "Forever more." Marlene put down her glass and picked up her plate, everything smelt delicious and she couldn't wait to dig in. She took a few bites, and happy for the invitation smiled warmly. "Absolutely. I'd love to go." (Reply to this) (Parent)