urmckidding - Tumblr blog

[urmckidding]

     MARLENE  HATED  MEETINGS  ,  hated  the  bickering  and  inaction  of  it  all  —  though  she  was  fairly  skilled  in  the  former.  it  was  RELIEF  that  met  her  when  the  meeting  came  to  a  quick  end  rather  than  the  normal  dragging  on  with  at  least  five  separate  conversations  going  on  at  once  —  marlene  would  have  snitched  on  the  order’s  headquarters  herself  if  it  came  to  that.  

     she  swept  out  of  the  building  ,  narrowly  avoiding  a  conversation  with  mcgonagall  who  was  wearing  her  too  familiar  look  of  extreme  disappointment.  her  gaze  was  glued  to  her  watch  ,  tapping  the  antique  when  it  decided  to  stop  properly  showing  the  time.  luckily  her  late  night  show  didn’t  start  for  at  least  another  hour  ...  her  frustration  with  the  time  piece  was  interrupted  by  gretchen’s  greeting  —  someone  she  had  not  been  expecting  to  see  outside  of  the  order’s  headquarters.  

     “  fecking  hell  ,  bletchley.  ”  marlene  exhaled  ,  surprised  ,  and  came  to  a  stop  next  to  her.  once  she  had  a  chance  to  take  in  the  other’s  words  ,  she  gave  gretchen  an  inquisitive  look ,  “  i  could  say  the  same  to  you  ...  but  my  excuse  is  i  like  to  keep  to  the  back  ,  less  of  a  chance  of  moody  yelling  at  me.  ”  her  smirk  was  fleeting  ,  memories  of  moody’s  gruff  demeanor  aimed  at  her  just  as  so  ,  “  i  can’t  say  i  pegged  you  as  an  order  type.  not  that  i’m  not  relieved  to  have  you  on  our  side  ...  ”  

Where: The Order Headquarters Who: @urmckidding

     She hadn’t noticed her prior to now, now that she had properly encountered the fiery girl at work. In retrospect, Gretchen didn’t know how she had been able to avoid meeting Marlene until then. It was true that most voices in the Order were loud and often drowned out by even louder voices (this was the issue with having too many Gryffindors in one room), and this was the reason Gretchen sat back quietly and watched the chaos ensue instead of entering the fray; but imagine her surprise when she saw Marlene sitting at the same table she’d been attending (when the time allowed) for a few months. Was it possible that she’d been quiet enough to go unnoticed? Or had they continued to miss each other over time, attending all different meetings?

     Regardless, as the meeting drew to an end, Gretchen promptly slipped out of her chair and through the door before anyone else had the chance to. The air outside was brisk, the atmosphere dreary with the cool weather. She leaned against the wall next to the entrance, paying no mind to the exiting members until Marlene came through. “McKinnon,” was the only brusque greeting she offered, “Did you get lost? I’ve never seen you at one of these meetings.”

[urmckidding]

molly weasley

“the twins like looking at the pictures, so that’s probably the best,” molly said as she laughed and took the daily prophet from marlene. “thank you, love.” she put the paper into the nappy bag draped around her shoulder. “i think the biggest form of birth control is having to carry all of your kids things while pregnant,” she said as she laughed again.

     MARLENE  ADMIRED  MOLLY  ;  the  girl  thought  herself  courageous  but  in  truth  ,  nothing  made  her  want  to  run  off  with  her  tail  between  her  legs  more  than  children.  and  here  molly  was  raising  a  whole  brood  of  them  whilst  fighting  for  the  order.  

     marlene  laughed  along  with  molly.  then  she  paused  ,  suddenly  realizing  that  she  was  letting  molly  carry  all  of  her  things  without  offering  a  hand  —  her  mum  would  kill  her  if  she  knew.  “  shit  ,  let  me  help  you.  ”  marlene  opened  her  hands  to  take  some  things  ,  looking  for  any  way  to  lessen  molly’s  load.   

[urmckidding]

john rosier

   His family’s beliefs. John was about to roll his eyes when he noticed her tightening fist - would she really punch him? If her tone and expression were anything to go by, John hardly doubted she would. 

   He tore his gaze away from her hands and up to her face, where he confronted her with a quizzical if not challenging furrow of his brows. “The pureblood circle is small, and if I’m not very much mistaken, the McKinnons are part of it.” If there was anything true about John, it was that the facts never upset him. Both of their families had married only witches or wizards going back generations.

   John’s eyes narrowed slightly, but there was an undeniable willingness to humor her in the friendly upturn at the corners of his mouth. His family - his cousin in particularly recent memory - had a well-earned reputation that John wasn’t about to deny, whether he strictly agreed with it or not. “I’ve never seen a McKinnon at any of the usual parties, so I wouldn’t figure you for a gossip like all the other purebloods. Tell me what a Rosier is like, then, since you know us so well. “

     AT  THE  MENTION  OF  HER  FAMILY  ,  her  anger  was  only  further  ignited.  “  the  mckinnons  ,  ”  she  began  ,  eyebrows  knitted  together  and  lips  curled  into  a  scowl  ,  “  don’t  run  in  that  circle  anymore.  we  have  the  sense  of  not  rubbing  elbows  with  blood  purists.  can’t  say  the  same  for  the  rosiers.  ”  she  would  defend  her  family  until  her  dying  breath  —  as  her  family  before  her  had  done.  

     “  you  don’t  need  to  be  a  gossip  to  know  about  your  family.  ”  her  fingers  moved  to  grip  the  edge  of  the  bar  ,  better  break  the  wood  than  start  a  fight  and  get  kicked  out  of  one  of  her  favorite  pubs.  “  pompous  ,  selfish  ,  cruel.  ”  she  let  her  gaze  drift  over  john  ,  judgement  lit  in  her  dark  eyes  as  she  concluded  with  “  cowardly.  ”   

     to  marlene  ,  she  didn’t  need  to  know  any  of  the  rosiers  intimately  to  define  them.  she  wielded  a  righteous  fury  that  named  her  judge  ,  jury  ,  and  executioner  all  because  she  saw  the  world  divided  into  black  and  white  ,  good  and  evil  —  god  forbid  someone  blur  the  edges  between  them.

[urmckidding]

@fulminations

humanitysxsins:

                                             SIBLING CODE

Im allowed to pick on my sibling, but if you so much as look at them                                  wrong I will unscrew your freaking head. 

                                                fight me bitch

[urmckidding]

fiona finnigan

fiona nearly dropped the container of flowers she was taking back to the fridge, the familiar, yet unexpected voice of her friend causing her a friend. she cursed quietly under her breath, face quick to turn red as she caught herself and managed to straighten back up. no spills, nothing dropped, a relief. she took a breath, exhaling slowly before placing the container down and turning to marlene with a smile. “ ya really managed to catch me off my guard, ya nearly scared me half to death. “ shaking her head she managed to brush it off, a laugh escaping her.  “ — i haven’t seen ya in how long? and now ya come in here asking me to piss off of work? i mean i suppose i can do that, i do make my own hours after all. “ her lips pursed, foot tapping slightly as she thought it over. “ what else ya have planned up in that ol’ noggin of yours for us to get up to? besides eating that is. “

     HEAD  COCKED  TO  THE  SIDE  ,  a  smirk  playing  on  her  lips  —  marlene  was  the  image  of  danger  in  the  making.  “  glad  i  didn’t  ,  would  have  defeated  the  whole  purpose  of  coming  down  here.  ”  

     fiona’s  line  of  questions  only  encouraged  her  smirk  to  grow.  “  plenty.  ”  no  she  didn’t.  the  idea  of  stopping  in  to  see  fiona  had  barely  been  planned  out.  never  one  for  preparing  ,  marlene  had  only  been  struck  by  the  idea  of  visiting  her  old  housemate  and  her  feet  took  her  the  rest  of  the  way.  though  ,  it  couldn’t  be  said  that  marlene  didn’t  think  on  her  feet.  “  we  could  ...  oh!  we  could  test  out  the  new  brooms  they  have  at  quality  quidditch?  up  for  a  race?  ”   

[urmckidding]

bram mckinnon

‘ ME ? ’he can’t help but exclaim , entirely flabbergasted . ‘ why would you think i had something to do with this ? ’ truth be told , it could be either of them . or just , both of them in general . bram feels a headache splitting across his head , and he mirrors marlene’s massaging with a free hand . he sighs , eyeing the red envelope with a suspicion and maybe a touch of fear . ‘ do you think it’s gonna be bad ? ’

     “  I’VE  BEEN  AN  ANGEL.  ”  a  lie.  there  was  ,  in  fact  ,  a  long  list  of  things  their  parents  could  be  pissed  at  her  for  ;  hell  ,  there  was  a  list  for  the  things  she  did  just  last  weekend.  she  exhaled  sharply  ,  an  attempt  to  relieve  the  tension  building  in  her  upper  body  but  no  luck.  “  isn’t  it  always  bad?  ”  marlene  replied  ,  “  ripping  it  up  won’t  work  will  it?  ”

[urmckidding]

bram mckinnon

he nearly falls off his bed , body starting awake at his sister’s violent awakening . bram lays still for a moment , gathering his breath . but he doesn’t like his sister’s tone , nor the mention of a problem . he pulls on a shirt as he trudges out of his room and into the parlor , expression torn between annoyance and apprehension . ‘ what , in merlin’s great shaggy beard , did you have to yell ? ’

     marlene  shoved  the  howler  at  her  brother  ,  massaging  her  temples  with  her  free  hand.  “  what  could  either  of  them  be  mad  at?  ”  worry  turned  into  suspicion  ,  “  better  question  ,  what  have  YOU  done?  ”  it  was  not  the  first  time  marlene  had  shifted  blame  onto  her  brother  and  it  would  not  be  the  last.        

[urmckidding]

     “  LILY.  ”  her  friend’s  name  fell  in  an  exasperated  tone  ,  though  there  was  no  mistaking  the  hint  of  a  smile  playing  at  the  edges  of  marlene’s  lips.  “  brooms  like  these  require  careful  examination  ,  they’re  absolute  stunners.  ”           

where: any shop you wish who: anyone

                         “ — are you nearly done or are we going to spend all day here? “

[urmckidding]

will zhao

          the autumn was so very long   ,  this winter has been fruitless. the summer  ,  drenched in drought   &.  nothing more. the spring this year was plague             the year itself was endless. the doubt crept in   &.  stained the wooden floors like the wine stains his lips.    ❝  if you want the bottle so bad   ,  why dont you just take it from me?   ❞           &.     he is fallow in this park    ,  bare in the dawn lighting like lucifer falling from the heavens. there is white wine in his veins rather than blood now. the years to come are going to cut him open  &.  his blood will fill bottle after bottle. as he takes his final drink   ,   the wine slips past his lips   &.   down his chin     ,   catching the coat that he is wearing. most of his clothes smell of wine   &.   the after    -    scent of vomit      ,   his sanity nearly gone.    ❝  come on   ,   get it.    ❞   clumsily he lifts the bottle above his head   ,  as if that were to stop her from her conquest. his mind was far past restless before the honey    -   suckle soothing of the wine. last week he had lost his voice shouting in the half   -   war with fate. 

     EVEN  IN  HER  DRUNKEN  STUPOR  ,  marlene  could  not  resist  a  challenge.  clumsily  she  lifted  her  body  ,  limbs  heavy  and  aching  from  whatever  the  pair  of  them  had  gotten  up  to  that  night.  personal  space  between  will  and  marlene  had  been  lost  the  moment  they  first  hooked  up.  now  marlene  felt  no  qualms  draping  herself  over  will  —  arm  reaching  out  for  the  bottle  hanging  over  his  head.  “  give  it.  ”  teeth  gritted  ,  scowl  heavy  ,  marlene  leaned  up  and  grasped  the  bottle  —  pulling  it  and  will’s  hand  down.  she  shook  off  his  grip  and  let  the  wine  spill  over  her  lips  ,  the  determined  set  to  her  lips  fading  after  a  gulp.  “  i  win.  ”  the  declaration  of  a  child  ;  to  her  the  world  was  split  into  wins  and  losses  ,  good  and  evil  ,  black  and  white.  she  tipped  the  bottle  once  more  and  smiled  cheekily  at  will  ,  “  say  i  won  ,  william.  ”                  

[urmckidding]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄  :  bram  &  marlene’s  flat 

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔��  :  for  BRAM  MCKINNON  /  @fulminations

     “  OH  ,  SHIT.  ”  a  red  envelope  dropped  into  marlene’s  outstretched  hand.  she  had  opened  the  window  to  collect  the  mail  from  the  mckinnon  owl.  a  distinguished  old  bird  ,  he  gave  marlene  a  pretentious  hoot  before  shooting  back  into  the  sky.  there  was  no  DOUBT  what  the  envelope  enclosed  :  a  howler.  it  was  certainly  from  her  mum  or  dad  ,  but  she  couldn’t  quite  place  what  they  could  be  mad  about.  “  BRAM  !!  we  have  a  problem!  ” 

[urmckidding]

john rosier

   Her shift sparked obvious surprise in John. He didn’t expect her to know who he was - had they even spoken in school? - let alone sound so disappointed about it. But that was just it, wasn’t it? Rosier. John’s grin faltered, trading up pleasant happiness for a cautious expression that had his lips pressing into a flat line.

   He nodded, “Yeah… John. John Rosier.” McKinnon, McKinnon… his brow furrowed slightly as he searched her face for something else he might recognize, some memory or other that might explain her sudden frigidity. Coming up empty, John grew more certain as the seconds ticked by that they’d never so much as had a conversation before.

   If anybody in the Rosier family had a reputation that might warrant this, it was his cousin Evan. He was…well, John preferred not to think about it. Perhaps, for some, the last name alone could explain it. But he was so unused to being met with such obvious iciness that he couldn’t stop it from bothering him, and rather than choosing to give up on a new acquaintance, John chose to plow on. “I’m sorry.” He paused as mild annoyance flickered across his face, not quite sure what he was apologizing for, not quite sure he meant to apologize at all- “I mean, did I do something to offend you? I don’t think that we’ve ever…spoken….right?”

     HER  ANGER  WAS  QUICK  TO  SURFACE  ,  or  perhaps  it  was  her  distaste  for  those  like  rosier.  these  days  it  was  hard  for  marlene  to  separate  the  two  ,  one  always  feeding  into  the  other.  more  often  than  not  it  was  easy  to  summon  either  ,  especially  when  she  had  been  at  school  where  the  scions  of  pureblood  elitists  ran  amuck.  marlene  had  done  plenty  of  damage  to  her  reputation  and  the  faces  of  death  eater  sympathizers.  in  the  years  since  graduation  ,  her  temper  only  worsened  (  the  alcohol  she  had  consumed  did  not  help  it  either  ).  

     “  your  family  has  spoken  on  their  beliefs  enough  for  me  to  know  what  you’re  like  ,  conversation  or  not.  ”  her  hand  resting  on  the  bar  tightened  into  a  fist  ,  knuckles  whitening.  no  ,  they  hadn’t  spoken  before  but  marlene  had  never  cared  to  mingle  with  the  likes  of  a  rosier  ...  the  mckinnons  drew  a  deep  and  wide  line  between  themselves  and  the  other  pureblood  families.  for  that  reason  ,  she  didn’t  care  about  his  confusion  or  whatever  he  was  feeling  for  that  matter.  marlene  had  caught  aflame  in  the  spark  of  recognition.  

     “  the  pureblood  circle  is  small.  you  have  to  know  how  people  talk.  and  i  know  what  rosiers  are  like.  ”      

[urmckidding]

kingsley shacklebolt  

“i didn’t think you would drag me out to a bar and even worse, have me socialize.” kingsley says defensively he has been out of the loop recently about so many things he felt like. he barely has time to keep up with work, how would he keep up with quidditch? “i know what a snitch is, i’ve had to read an extensive book about bowman wright unfortunately…” kingsley says arching his brows at the ‘fond’ memory that had nearly made him fall asleep– possibly the only book that binns had him read on the side that made kingsley have such a boring response to when he was still at hogwarts. although he himself was a good flyer, he never did quite understand quidditch and never got into the whole fangirl side of it like marlene appeared to be. ‘okay, okay, i’m a magpies fan tonight, is that convincing enough?” he asks raising his hands up in the air defensively. 

     “  YOU’D  REALLY  RATHER  STAY  SHUT  UP  IN  THAT  OFFICE  OF  YOURS  THAN  COME  OUT  WITH  ME?  where  did  i  go  wrong  with  you?  a  friend  of  mine  shouldn’t  be  so  boring.  ”  what  began  with  a  serious  twist  to  her  lips  faded  into  old  familiar  teasing.  she  meant  it  in  all  good  fun  ,  though  sometimes  marlene  had  a  tough  time  softening  her  bluntness  around  her  friends  ,  even  those  she  had  known  as  long  as  kingsley.  

     she  shrugged  at  kingsley’s  attempt  to  prove  his  allegiance  to  the  magpies  ,  “  it’ll  do  i  guess.  ”  she  relented  ,  a  crooked  smile  gracing  her  features.  “  you  might  as  well  tell  me  what’s  happening  at  work  that  you  has  you  so  distracted  from  the  most  important  match  of  the  season.  ”  

[urmckidding]

tommy vanderbilt

The worst part about working somewhere like this was that he was CONSTANTLY coming face-to-face with familiar faces from school which was usually the very last thing Tommy ever wanted when he made it his life mission to avoid pretty much everybody. A little sigh erupted from his lips then he nodded, knowing he had to remain somewhat polite considering he was working and couldn’t afford to lose this job. “No, I don’t work here, I just wear a uniform and name badge for fun,” he responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He’d like to say he TRIED being nice but really there was absolutely no effort made whatsoever. “Do you NEED anything or have you come here to glare at me instead?” 

     ROLLING  HER  EYES  WAS  INSTINCT  AT  THIS  POINT  ,  whenever  she  crossed  paths  with  a  vanderbilt  her  annoyance  was  bound  to  flare  up.  she  crossed  the  rest  of  foyer  ,  making  the  final  decision  to  stay.  a  step  away  from  the  counter  ,  marlene  stopped  ,  emitting  a  humorless  snort.   

     “  i  am  a  master  at  multitasking  ,  vanderbilt.  i  can  easily  ask  for  your  help  while  glaring.  ”  marlene  stated  matter  -  of  -  factly  ,  a  brow  raised  in  challenge  ,  “  do  you  have  anything  on  a  —  ”  marlene  paused  ,  reaching  into  her  pocket  for  the  note  she  wrote  herself.  “  cyprian youdle?  old  quidditch  ref  ,  someone  offed  him  in  the  middle  of  a  match?  that  shouldn’t  be  too  hard  for  you  ,  yeah?  ”     

[urmckidding]

     “  NO  NEED  ,  ”  marlene  interrupted  ,  scooping  up  the  fallen  daily  prophet  that  landed  at  her  feet  ,  “  i  have  it  right  here  ,  molly.  ”  she  handed  off  the  paper  ,  catching  only  a  glimpse  of  the  moving  photographs  and  rippling  text.  “  nothing  too  dire  in  there  ,  i  hope.  ”   

“bill, honey, i just dropped something. can you pick it up for me, love?” she asked her oldest son. she couldn’t bend down as easily anymore with her bump.

@urmckidding​

[urmckidding]

“I can be feminine in all my rage. I can be girl and woman, and claws with teeth. Watch me burn.”

— Venetta Octavia, from “Sekhmet, Not Pin-Up Girl,” Prelude to Light  (via brckkers)

[urmckidding]

florence abbott

“i had history of magic lessons less boring than that,” florence admitted, happy for a moment to stop and chat with marlene. they hadn’t had much time to talk recently, not now with… well, everything that was happening. in the early days of the order, they’d often been assigned to missions together, but now that florence was pregnant, albus and alastor had decided that it was better for her to stick a bit closer to home. not that she’d minded, at first. but it was starting to get frustrating, watching her friends go out and risk their lives when she was stuck at home. 

“you’d think it would be impossible to make war briefings boring, and yet somehow albus manages.” it was still a bit weird to call him albus, and not professor dumbledore, but she refused to call him professor like she was still back at hogwarts. that just felt odd.

     MARLENE  SNORTED  ,  wondering  if  binns  would  have  taken  that  as  a  compliment.  their  ghostly  professor  had  a  way  with  putting  them  to  sleep  —  marlene  got  the  best  sleep  of  her  life  in  his  classroom  ...  but  still  ,  florence’s  statement  rang  true.  these  days  marlene  had  a  tough  time  keeping  her  focus  ,  even  in  order  meetings.  ever  antsy  and  on  the  move  ,  the  only  time  when  marlene  felt  herself  relax  was  out  on  missions.  she  would  hate  to  give  that  up  ,  like  florence  had  —  though  ,  it  was  hard  to  stay  in  the  field  in  her  situation.  

     “  if  the  man  didn’t  speak  in  riddles  ,  i  reckon  the  meetings  wouldn’t  take  as  half  as  long.  ”  out  of  habit  ,  marlene  cast  a  look  down  the  corridor  ,  thinking  her  old  headmaster  would  appear  to  scold  her  —  him  or  mcgonagall  ;  the  latter  far  more  terrifying.  

     “  how  are  you  holding  up  these  days?  i  sure  miss  having  you  out  on  missions  with  me  ...  ”

[urmckidding]

john rosier

   She’d earned herself an eyeroll, although it was seriously lacking in severity. “Don’t worry, the way the Magpies are playing this season, Wimbourne hasn’t got a chance. I’ll support them win or lose, but I’m not delusional.” It was half nostalgia anyway, a favorite team inherited at Quidditch matches he’d attended with his father. “Like I said, the priority tonight is Puddlemere losing.”

   He accepted the new glass and tapped it against hers. Her excitement was infectious, and John was absolutely beaming as a reflection of her energy. Still, he met her comment with a playfully arched brow and incredulity. “I’m pretty sure I’d get disowned for that.” And what a way to get disowned that would be - “Maybe just for tonight. But only-” He held up a finger. “Only tonight.”

   And it was really her accent that did it, but John suddenly realized who she was - probably just a tad behind his own brain thanks to the alcohol. It hadn’t been bothering him until the knowledge popped into life, and he lit up with recognition, shoulders straightening and eyebrows popping up. “McKinnon! That’s who you are! I really like your radio show!” He grinned wide, realizing how stupid he was about to sound and leaning into it anyway. “You sound just like yourself.”

     THE  SUDDEN  REALIZATION  ON  HIS  PART  TOOK  MARLENE  BY  SURPRISE  —  it  was  like  she  had  heard  his  voice  say  her  name  before  ...  she  brushed  the  nagging  thought  away  ,  focusing  on  the  compliment.  her  grin  widened  ,  pride  swelling  in  her  chest.  there  was  nothing  about  marlene  mckinnon  that  was  humble  ,  she  could  barely  fake  it.  why  should  she?  she  had  worked  like  hell  to  earn  herself  her  own  show  (  the  other  ,  late  night  one  didn’t  count  since  her  boss  didn’t  have  a  clue  it  existed  ).     

     “  that’s  the  highest  compliment  you  can  pay  me.  ”  marlene  chuckled  ,  “  thank  you  ,  it  really  means  a  lot  —  ”  ...  and  then  her  glee  faltered  as  she  finally  placed  his  voice  just  as  he  did  hers.  he  was  an  old  classmate  ,  marlene  realized  ,  a  couple  years  above  her  though.  

     “  i  know  you  too  ...  ”  gone  was  the  easy  charm  and  smile.  in  their  place  was  a  flat  tone  ,  not  even  brightening  with  curiosity  or  happy  recognition.  “  rosier  ,  yeah?  ” 

     marlene  had  hung  onto  her  memories  from  hogwarts  like  they  were  her  life  support  ;  anything  to  keep  her  afloat  as  she  left  the  corridors  behind.  and  while  she  could  sort  through  all  the  good  things  she  found  in  her  home  away  from  home  ,  marlene  had  found  plenty  of  bad  there  too  ...  mainly  in  some  of  her  classmates.  she  had  stirred  up  enough  trouble  with  them  ,  but  others  she  had  disliked  from  afar  ;  descendants  of  old  pureblood  families  and  snotty  kids  void  of  any  of  the  values  marlene’s  family  had  instilled  in  her.  she  remembered  rosier  as  one  of  them.