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WARNING: feels ahead. but really, what else should you expect from me? I mean really. Come on now. Come on.



Marlene McKinnon lay on her bed, staring somewhat blankly up at the ceiling. It was July and though the heat was slowly becoming more evident, even during the nighttime, it didn’t seem to bother her all too much. Nothing seemed to truly bother her anymore, there was so much pain inside of her. It was the year 1981 and she was nineteen years old. She was young in terms of years, but much wiser than most her age. She had seen great tragedy.

“Mummy, going to Mammy and Pop-Pops?” A child’s voice interrupted her numbing train of thought. Marlene took in a deep breath, sitting up tiredly and looking down at her two year old child. She had been very young when she got pregnant - an accidental pregnancy, to say the least, but a welcome one nonetheless. Marlene smiled slightly, holding her hands out for her daughter.

Lyra Mira McKinnon was two and a half years old, to be precise. She was a beauty of a child, to say the least. She had big, bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle against her pale complexion. She had beautiful, silky black hair that fell in ringlets that were currently pulled into two pigtails. She looked like her father, is what Marlene thought most of the time, which happened to kill her inside just a little bit.

Her father died two years ago. Marlene never truly got over it. A small sigh escaped her lips as she cradled her young daughter in her arms. “Yes, we’re leaving in a moment. Just let Mummy get ready, okay? Then we’ll pop right over, okay?” Marlene smiled at her. Lyra grinned back, nodding enthusiastically.

When Marlene and Lyra arrived at the McKinnon home in London, all was normal. Today was her mother’s birthday, and in a few days would be her parent’s anniversary. When she rang the doorbell, she was greeted by her older brother, Mark, who donned one of those silly party hats.

“Marley!” He grinned, taking his younger sister into his arms before kneeling down and placing a similar party hat onto his niece’s head. He ushered them in, where his darling wife and his three year old daughter, Madison, were stationed around the table. Their mother, Eleanor McKinnon, walked into the room, twirling in her new dress while their father, Jack McKinnon, got the cake ready.

It was a lovely site, there was no doubt about it. The exchange of the gifts. The love, joy, and happiness that engulfed the room. Marlene felt at home here with her family. They were the exact pick me up that she needed.

“Hey, Marls, can I speak to you?” Mark questioned after cake. Lyra and Maddie were distracted by a muggle magic trick that Eleanor was showing them and Marley found it in her to break away from the group. She cocked her head to the side, her pale blonde hair falling over her shoulder.

“What is it Mark?” She questioned softly. She figured he didn’t want this conversation to be overheard. Actually, she was pretty sure that she knew what he was going to say next. He was going to talk about the Order. She was a part of it, as was he, but it was increasingly becoming more dangerous. He would probably try and convince her to get out while she can, though he’d hypocritically stay in it himself.

“It’s about the Order.” Boy, had she hit that nail on the head. Marley rolled her eyes. It’s not that she didn’t find it dangerous; she did, but she wasn’t going to quit just because of that. She was going to defeat Voldemort - beat his sorry ass into the ground. He was the reason for his death and she would never, ever let that go.

“There’s no way in hell, Mark. I am going to fight, with all of my heart. My daughter is growing up without a father because of that... that asshole. Other people are dying; I will not quit now and risk any other’s deaths. He needs stopped, and I can help,” Marley whispered harshly at him. Mark’s mouth formed a defiant thin line.

“And your daughter will grow up without a mother if you pursue,” Mark whispered back. Marlene simply folded her arms over her chest. Was he really going to pull that card? What about his own daughter? And his wife?

“Do not even try that, Mark, it won’t work. You are in a similar predicament. Now can we please go back to the party?” She questioned, her face indifferent from this. She did not want to get into this argument, again. Just two weeks earlier, as they were getting their picture taken, he brought it up. She did not want to hear it then and did not want to hear it now.

“Reggie wouldn’t want this.” The was a pause and Marlene took in a sharp, pained breath as her blue eyes locked on the family scene before her. He did not just say that. He didn’t. He couldn’t have. Because he knew that that would hurt her more than anything else. Her icy eyes turned to stare at her brother.

“And you’re an ass,” she told him. She didn’t truly mean it, she was just hurt by what he had said. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she moved past him to go up the stairs - she needed some alone time. She’d find her way to her old room, denying access to her brother. Telling him to go back to the party.

Mark McKinnon went back to his family, his hand pressed lovingly on his wife’s shoulder as he watched the children play and his parents dance to some muggle music from the sixties. In short, it wasn’t too bad of a night, despite him upsetting his sister - which he regretted ever having mentioned Reg’s name. Everything wasn’t too bad until he noticed an odd light coming from the front room. He furrowed his eyebrows.

“Honey, take the children and get everyone out of here,” he told her sternly, never taking his eyes off of the front room just as a group of Death Eaters made their way in. His hand slid into his pocket, and he gripped onto his wand. He would protect his family until the very end. One of the Death Eaters, a tall scrawny thing about his age, smirked wickedly at him.

“Oh, look boys, scruffy McKinnon here is trying to save his wittle family. Shall we force him to watch?” Mark knew that voice, and the face suddenly became recognizable. His stare hardened as he pulled his wand out, pointing it daringly at the Death Eaters.

“Travers, I should have known,” he stated disdainfully. Travers was one of the most prejudiced people Mark had ever met. It hadn’t been much of a surprise when he was rumored to be a Death Eater. Now he stood before him, a pack of Death Eaters behind him with all wands at the ready. “Piss off.”

“Now, now, McKinnon, such language in front of the children. They’re quite lovely, aren’t they boys? Oh, is that the bastard Black child? I’m sure the Dark Lord would love her,” Travers’ smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at the ex-Gryffindor. Mark’s grip tightened on his wand, his knuckles turning white. He would not allow anything to happen to his family. He was about to wave his wand, an incantation on his lips as Travers expelled his wand from him. The others did the same for Eleanor, Jack, and Mark’s wife. They moved faster than what they had been expecting, traveling in a black smoke. When the smoke dissipated, Mark was being held by the biggest Death Eater. He glanced around to notice one Death Eater holding his mum, wand pressed to her throat, his wife and daughter huddled in the corner surrounded by two Death Eaters, and Lyra being held in a similar fashion as Eleanor.

Mark looked around for his father, and was horrified to find him already lying on the ground, his head turned to look up at him - his blue eyes glossed over and lifeless. He felt like he was going to throw up. Mark struggled, but it seemed like no good. His hands balled up into fists. “Let them go, Travers!”

“Come now, you should have known I wouldn’t do that. Your precious mummy here, I think will be first. Mudbloods are the worst scum, along with blood traitors, but your father’s already dead,” he smirked. He moved closer to Eleanor, running his fingers along her jaw. Eleanor made to bite him, and he backhanded her. A muttered word and a flash of green was all it took before she crumpled to the ground, dead like her husband.

“Stop this!” Mark struggled desperately as Travers made his way over to his wife and daughter. No, he had to protect them. This couldn’t be happening. He had to stop them. Where the hell was his wand?

“Avada Kedavra,” Travers muttered. His wife had tried to block the blow from their daughter, but it was unavoidable. Mark’s eyes widened and the word ‘no’ was screaming off of his lips. He broke free, running over to his lifeless wife and daughter. No, no, no, no, no! This was just a bad dream; this couldn’t be happening.

Marlene had been upstairs, collapsed on her bed trying to hold back her tears when she heard the commotion. The second she heard her brother yell no, her wand was in her hand and her feet were moving under her. “Mark?” She questioned as she made her way down the stairs. There wasn’t a response and when she reached the bottom of the stairs she froze.

“Mummy!” Lyra cried out, struggling in the Death Eaters arms. Marlene’s heart raced. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her parents, sister-in-law, niece, all dead. Mark was crouched over his wife and daughter and Lyra was held captive.

“Expelliarmus!” She yelled, disarming the man who had her daughter. She started to run for her, blasting spells at the other Death Eaters, but in the end nothing seemed to matter as another killing curse found its way to Lyra.

“NO!” Marlene yelled as her daughter collapsed onto the ground. She was the only thing Marley had left of her beloved and they just took that away from her. How could they do that? How could they be so cruel? She whirled around, aiming a curse at Travers when she was disarmed.

Everything seemed to move in a blur as Marley and Mark were put next to each other, as if they were in a firing squad. “It’s going to be okay, Marley,” Mark whispered, neither looking at each other. “Just close your eyes. It’ll be over soon... and Marley?”

“Yes?” Her voice was quiet, but strong.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need brother.”

“I love you.”

“I love you t-”

A flash of green interrupted her. There was pain for a moment, but then it felt almost freeing. Her body had collapsed, her blue eyes staring up at the ceiling. Mark and crumpled into a head beside her, his lifeless eyes staring at his young family.

Why they had chosen the McKinnon house that hot July day was beyond anyone. All they knew was that all the McKinnons had been wiped out - each and every one of them. They had been a mixture of Blood Traitors, Mudbloods, and Half-Bloods. All of which was despised by Voldemort and his cult.

No one would find the bodies for a few days, when an Order member came by the house to drop something off for them. Seeing that the door was slightly ajar, she wandered in. She didn’t stop screaming until days later.

The death of the McKinnons were a blow to all of the Order. Lily cried all night after hearing about their deaths. If the McKinnons were wiped out, what would happen next? Anyone could be targeted. This took the danger of being in the Order to a whole new level, and gave more reason that Voldemort needed to be defeated.

When Marlene died, she saw white all around her. She felt at peace and found herself in an odd, glowing white place. Her smile widened when she saw Lyra, safe. She went to gather her lovely daughter into her arms when Lyra ran right past her. “Daddy!” She cried. Marlene’s heart stopped, turning around. She couldn’t help but freeze as tears welled up in her eyes, her hands pressing against her mouth at the person in front of her.

“Marley, I’ve missed you. Welcome home.”

[so, I’m not going to lie, I have a small headcanon of Marlene and Regulus. Because what would be more tragic than a Death Eater and Order Member falling in love? And both of them dying much too young? But yeah, subject to change. Totally just wanted to write the McKinnon death scene, though. C’mon, I am the feels whore, let me exert my feels upon you. My rate is very low, I promise. It’s real shit, though, the fic. I wanted it to be longer... but then it just didn’t end up that way. May edit it later, make it better and stuff, but yeah. //psssst. someone should be Regulus. ehem.]