Who: Vinny Gudgeon and Marlie McKinnon
What: He's getting suspicious of her late nights
Where: Their bedroom
Marlie had come home late
again. Vinny was starting to feel like
he was the worried housewife, you know? He knew she had rehearsals, he knew she was busy, and sure---he knew he didn't have much to do in the off season, but
every day? Every day of the two past weeks when her show wasn't opening for at least a month? No, that didn't make much sense to Vinny, and as she came into their bedroom to get changed for bed (he'd stayed up reading---hey, he'd been a prefect and head boy, he
liked reading), he sat up and slung his legs over the edge of the bed.
"Babe," he started, not exactly looking at her, but---Vinny knew that if he and Marlie were going to get married, they needed more than that shiny ring on her finger to make it work, "were you really at rehearsal?"
It was better to be honest and get it out right then and there than to drag it on any longer, right?
It had been a very long week. Order meetings had increased in frequency; what with Sirius missing and everything else that was going on. She suppressed a yawn as she opened the front door and slipped inside, dropping her bag on the foyer before walking up the stairs. Honest to Merlin, Marlie hated lying and making up excuses to Vinny; although she was a marvelous actress and thus quite good at it, it was just... ugh. They were going to be a married couple, and how many more late nights can she attribute to her "rehearsals"?
She blew a small kiss at Vinny as she started to change for bed, but he seemed quite preoccupied, more quiet than usual. She was in the process of pulling off her top when Vinny spoke for the first time, and she paused, unsure of how to answer. Of course he was going to ask, he wasn't stupid. Biting her lip slightly, she made her way to the bed, settling next Vinny, placing her head on his shoulder. The thought of telling Vinny the truth had been on her mind for awhile, she was just unsure of how to bring it up.
"I..." she began, running her tongue over her lips. "I actually wasn't at rehearsal tonight, bee. And not for all the other nights as well."
He tried not to flinch, he tried not to stiffen at her words, but Vinny knew it was only natural for---he pulled back slightly, tongue held between his molars as he stared down at Marlie. He was an honest bloke, he was a Hufflepuff through and through, but he'd been hurt in relationships before, and the only thing that was coming to mind was that fucking
pretty boy that was also in Marlie's show, the one Vinny had
sworn was giving her eyes during that one time he visited. But--but Marlie wouldn't do that to him, there was...there was no other
reason for her to be out late, though. He got it, she was young, maybe--maybe she thought they were rushing, but they'd both promised to not just jump into a marriage and just...let it--let it happen.
"Where were you?" he asked, feeling terrible for the thoughts running through his head and for the way he was looking at Marlie; Vinny couldn't help it, so he turned away to look down at his feet. They were---engaged, supposed to be married by the end of the year, why was this---maybe it wasn't what he thought it was.
There was so much to tell, but how to start? Marlie searched for his hand, noticing how he had turned his gaze away from her and she looked up at him, dark eyes beseeching. "I was in Wales. I can't tell you the exact location because..." Oh, she might as well say it, she couldn't think of a better way at the moment. "I'm part of a secret society called the Order of the Phoenix that was founded by Professor Dumbledore. We're an underground movement that fights You-Know-Who and his followers."
She paused, squeezing his hand slightly. She wondered briefly what Vinny had thought before she spoke; she was sure that he certainly didn't think of a secret society that fought against the attempts of a crazy yet insanely powerful wizard that was currently trying to take over the Wizarding world.
He gaped. She was...serious? Vinny knew Marlie, he
knew her. They'd been friends long before they started dating, they'd been dating for almost a year and a half, they'd been living with each other for going on a year, they'd been engaged since Halloween---so---so he
knew her, and he knew how she liked to get to the point, to not pussyfoot around things, and he
knew that she wouldn't joke around with something--something--something that made
sense.
But it only made sense because Dorcas Meadows had approached him, almost two years ago come this winter---about the same thing. That week or so she had to hide Caradoc Dearborn in his house, she'd told him about the whispering that was going on, that Dumbledore was going to start to fight, and that she thought he could help. Vinny had dismissed the idea, not taking her too seriously as---as it was Dorcas, and she was radical in every way, but...but. Now Marlie was speaking about the same thing.
"So..." he paused, looking away for a moment before looking back, "You're...a...superhero."
Vinny grinned, but it was obvious he was confused, and he shook his head lightly, "How long have you been doing this? What--what's been keeping you...this...Order, busy? Oh----" His eyes widened, and he frowned deeply, "Sirius?"
Marlie laughed, deeply relieved that Vinny seemed to be so accepting.
"A superhero?" she said lightly. "I
suppose, but without the tights and costume." Although it was clear that he was a bit confused - and who could blame him? If roles had been reversed and
he had come home and told her that he was part of a secret society that dedicated itself to stamping out the evildoings of a power crazy wizard, sure, she'd be confused as well. She took his hand again, lacing her fingers tightly around his. She would try her best to answer whatever questions he had. "I've been in the Order since my last year of Hogwarts. We do many things... patrol, go on missions, whatever. We all contribute and do different things - even though I'm in the public eye, there's still loads of things I can do."
She bit her lip when Vinny mentioned her friend's name, and winced slightly. Though the Order had been doing their best, not even their most concentrated efforts seemed to be working. It was literally as if he had walked off the face of the planet and vanished; although they had some clues, nothing seemed to be working.
"Yes," she sighed. "We've been trying to find him, but nothing so far. I know this has been especially hard for Melinda." She thought back on Melinda's latest journal entry and her comment - the one that had so pointedly asked Marlie about her and her "friends." "I think she suspects something, but nothing on the scale of the Order."
His head was swirling, but not in the utterly confused way; sure, he
was confused, but it was all very clear at the same time. Marlie's sister was a huge activist, why wouldn't it carry on in the family? Marlie was just---doing it the dangerous way. That was what was starting to hit him, the fact that his fiancee was fighting
death eaters and...and doing other dangerous things like...like--Vinny couldn't even imagine. What, spying? Investigating? Tracking death eaters and...just. He couldn't fully grasp it, but he wasn't confused by it.
It was war, they were in the middle of a war; of course there were going to be people fighting against it, of course the people weren't just going to sit around and watch. Suddenly he felt very guilty, and as he listened to her lightly lament about Sirius (Vinny had never even dreamed that something
bad had happened to him, and now a new sense of worry was engulfing him), his heart pounded hard in his chest. His arm slowly slid around Marlie's back, and without realizing it Vinny pulled her to his side, cheek pressing hard against the top of her head.
"I want to help, I want---I don't...I don't want to intrude, with..with the Order, or whoever else is involved but," he pulled back only slightly, "But I could help. I have---the money, to help. And...and I talk to a lot of people, and...I...I'm not going to...to force you to tell me things, but--but don't be scared to. Whenever...whenever you might need me, I'll be here to help."
And he hugged her tightly, letting out a long breath. This was much more serious than he could have imagined, and Vinny was forcing himself to push away the true dangers of her revelations. It would work out, it had to.
