Astrophile [J.P]

Chapter 60

~ It's hard to bear. With no one to love you, you're goin' nowhere.

Tragedy, when you lose control and you got no soul. ~

***

Felicity was surprised to enter her bedroom and see Marlene packing up her stuff in a bag. The girl looked visibly troubled and she couldn't fathom what had happened, aside from the ongoing war, that had caused her to worry as such.

"Marls, are you leaving?" Her voice shook slightly as she asked, she was frozen at the doorway, a mixture of surprise and concern flickering in her blue eyes.

She couldn't even recall a fight or anything she could have done to cause Marlene to pack up and yet it somehow felt her fault.

"Felicity... I didn't see you there," Marlene straightened, giving her a soft smile but it didn't reach her tired olive eyes.

"What happened?"

"I am going to stay with my parents for a few days," she explained, "Mum has been very sick so Dad called last night asking me to come back. I couldn't tell you because you were already worried after Regulus... You know..."

"Yeah. But are you sure it's just because of your Mum? You're not leaving because of me, are you?" She spoke the words that were troubling her at last though it was in an anxious rush, in a barely audible tone, "I know I can be a terrible person at times and I don't know how or when but I... I never wanted to do anything to make you leave, Mar-"

However, the rest of her words that were pouring out in an incoherent rush were drowned when Marlene stepped closer, her hands grabbing her jacket as she pulled her close to herself and connected their lips together.

"I'm not leaving because of you," she breathed against her lips, voice reduced to a faint whisper before she captured her lips again, kissing her softly.

She felt Felicity relax as her hands reached up to hold on to her arms, softening in her embrace while her blue eyes fluttered shut.

Marlene kissed her repeatedly, pulling apart only for a few seconds to catch her breath and the girl let her do so, dissolving in the warmth and comfort of her touch. She had said she was leaving for a few days but even thinking about those days apart from her was nothing short of painful.

Felicity must have felt the same as she didn't object at all when Marlene dropped her bag off the bed, pulling herself and Fel on it instead. 

Her hands were entangled in her jet black hair, olive eyes looking into clear blue as she spoke, "I'm going to miss you so so much."

"Me too," she replied, leaning closer to place a gentle kiss on her cheek.

The two laid together in each other's arms and time seemed to have stopped for them as they took in the sense of being close to each other after which they would have to be apart for a few days.

"I hope your Mum gets better soon," Felicity spoke up at last, her fingers gently running through Marlene's thick blonde tresses that she had loosened out from her braid.

"I hope so too. Hey, let me go there first and if Mum gets better I will call you over too," she suggested, the familiar spark back in her olive irises, "I'm sure they would all love to meet you."

Felicity grew slightly nervous at the thought because she had never been good at socializing and the thought of meeting her girlfriend's family seemed quite overwhelming just then, "what if they don't like me?"

"Oh come on, you're perfect. Why won't they like you? Besides, it doesn't matter at all whether they like you or not. I am the one who's stuck with you forever and I like you a lot so that's all that counts."

A smile tugged up on Fel's face at last, "how can you always make me smile?"

"Top secret, not gonna tell you even," she winked mischievously causing the two to laugh together.

Marlene McKinnon was no doubt like gigglewater to Felicity, she made her laugh and smile without even trying and instantly lifted up her mood. That was a quality of hers that Fel adored the most.

After a really long time, Marlene finally heaved herself off the bed, despite the fact that Fel's arms reached out to pull her back down again.

"As much as I would love to stay, Fel, I have to leave in a few minutes."

Her blue eyes dimmed slightly, "that's... Sad..."

A smile broke out on her face as she stooped down and pecked her on the lips again, "but not for long. I will call you over as soon as I can. And who knows maybe Mum would get better the instant I go there and I would be able to come back myself in just a week? Just seven days, Fel, I promise."

"Okay," she let go of her at last and stood up as well, "so, do you need any help in packing?"

"Of course not sweetheart, I'm all done," she smiled, "and don't be too sad when I'm gone, okay? I will be back very, very soon."

"I hope so."

"I promise so," she chuckled lightly, zipping up her bag at last, "also don't let the boys explode the kitchen or the house in my absence. I can't trust them to behave well if I am not here to threaten them into it."

"Look who's talking."

She laughed, the light sound of it making Fel smile as well, "I get it, I am no better than those two when it comes to kitchen work. In fact I'm probably worse. But at least I haven't exploded anything yet."

Fel nodded, "sure but neither has Sirius. Nor Remus."

"They will if they aren't kept in check, mark my words."

With Marlene leaving for her family home at last and Sirius and Remus also being on an Order mission, the house felt very lonely to Felicity. It was probably the first time she had been there all alone after her father's death and though a long time had passed since then, she still felt as if Alphard would step out of any room at any moment.

Deciding it would be better to distract herself so that the sadness wouldn't eat her up alive, she went to the study where Alphard had gifted her an entire book shelf on the Christmas of 1975.

She took out a few books and sat down on the floor, resting her back against the wall as she started reading. A while later, she felt herself come back to normal and as she read more, she considerably relaxed since it had been a favorite pastime of hers since childhood.

She didn't realize when she fell asleep and didn't even stir when Sirius and Remus came back. The two searched for her and finding her in the study, Sirius suggested it would be better to let her sleep while Rem fetched a blanket that the two carefully dropped on her.

Night had deepened when Felicity woke up at last, heartbeat racing and breathing erratic as if she had just envisioned a nightmare. She couldn't recall it but the fear digging into her heart felt terribly real.

She was surprised to see the blanket draped over her but stood up, gathering the soft material from the floor as she walked out.

The lights were switched off but an ethereal silver glow was emanating from the living room so she followed the silvery gleam until she reached there. Sirius and Remus were present in the living room already and the silver glow was emitting from a falcon Patronus swirling in the air.

The words that came out of the Patronus sent her world into utter darkness.

"You-Know-Who and his followers attacked the McKinnons, killing all of them. Report to the Order headquarters immediately."

***