Marlene felt her insides freeze as the sharp edge of the blade pressed against her skin. Travers had her left arm gripped tightly, his fingers like steel bands and his breath was hot against her cheek as he taunted Sirius. She could feel Travers' excitement for this moment vibrating through his body as he restrained her. He was after the manuscript, she was certain of it.
Sirius' eyes darted between Marlene and Travers and she could tell he was struggling with what to do. His posture was tense as he continued to stare Travers down as if sizing him up. He seemed to be challenging him in some sort of masculine pride showdown that Marlene couldn't begin to understand. Travers appeared to rise to the challenge, slackening his grip on Marlene and shifting his focus more towards Sirius.
"So, you think you can best me, whelp? I would love to see you try," Travers sneered. He had turned more defensively towards Sirius, holding Marlene more off to the side. "How the Dark Lord would reward me for not only retrieving the manuscript, but managing to rid the Order of the Phoenix of two of its members - a Mud-blood and Blood-traitor, to boot! Tell me, Black, do you think your friends would avenge you? I could have so much fun picking them off - one - by - one." Travers voice oozed with repulsive pleasure as he seemed to imagine the scene unfolding before him.
Marlene watched Sirius and Travers mentally engage, their eyes locked, both waiting for a moment of distraction, the slightest weakness in the other and the prime opportunity to strike. She was waiting too; she was waiting for Sirius to move just a bit more to his left which would force Travers to mirror his stance and further loosen his dagger against her throat. Just a moment. It was all any of them needed, but it proved to be a moment too long for Sirius and Marlene.
She looked over to Sirius and caught his eye and that was all Travers needed. In that instant Marlene's golden gaze caught his and those stormy grey eyes clouded over with worry and cracked with such intensity Marlene took a sharp breath. Suddenly Travers strengthened his grip on the dagger, pulling Marlene closer to him as he swung her body around to face Sirius.
"Ahh! Isn't this a happy coincidence? You know, I had not really believed such a mouse could actually be of any interest to you, Black. Now I see I was wrong." Travers smiled grotesquely. He buried his nose in Marlene's hair, inhaling deeply, and Marlene felt her stomach roll. She felt his hand let go of her arm and snake around her waist, his fingers splayed and pressing against her abdomen suggestively. "I may just keep your mouse; she is so very soft. I wonder what it takes to make her squeak."
Marlene watched as Sirius' eyes burned with fury. Every muscle in his body tensed and curled to lunge at Travers. Her stomach clenched again and she knew she was going to be sick. She couldn't let anything happen to him because of her. If she'd only been paying attention instead of basking in Sirius' praise, caught up in the daydream that he was actually flirting with her, they wouldn't be in this situation now.
"Are you really that stupid, Black? If you make one move I will end her life with one swift stroke." To make his point clear, Marlene felt a quick sting followed by intense burning as Travers slid the cool blade lightly over her throat. A fine, bright red line marred her alabaster skin and she did everything she could to hold in the scream building in her throat.
Sirius backed off immediately, desperation sweeping his face. "All right!" he roared at the Death Eater. "I will give you what you want if you let her go." Travers laughed at this. "Let her go and I will give you the manuscript and surrender completely to you."
Sirius slowly took out his wand and carefully laid it on the ground in front of him and backed away.
"No!" Marlene heard herself cry. She struggled against Travers, almost pulling him off balance. He dug the point of the dagger into her neck. She stopped fighting only when she felt a trickle run down her skin. What were they going to do? What were their options, since letting Sirius hand himself over to be murdered wasn't one she could consider.
Suddenly, everything seemed to be happening at once.
Sirius pulled a stack of parchments from his jacket and held them up for Travers to see. In his triumph, Travers momentarily forgot about Marlene, dropping the dagger from her neck. Marlene sucked up every ounce of energy she could, her arm arced forward and then came slamming into Travers body, hitting him squarely in the diaphragm. Out of nowhere, a large black dog came bounding to her rescue, leaping into the air to barrel into Travers, knocking him backwards. Marlene felt her body go sailing forward from the force of the impact and she landed roughly on her hands and knees, smacking her forehead on the ground. There was an explosion of stars behind her eyes and this time when her stomach turned, she felt the hot bile climb to the top of her throat. She gulped for air as she tried to fend off the darkness trying to close in on her. She heard spells being shouted and then someone was pulling her up off the ground. Instinctively, she lashed out, digging her nails into anything they came in contact with.
"McKinnon! It's me!" Marlene made out Sirius' voice and allowed the blackness to take her as she sunk into his cradling arms.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Marlene... Marlene! You need to open your eyes for me, love." There were mutterings about having paid more attention to Moony after transformations and then Marlene heard bottles clinking together and felt a cool dampness on her neck. Slowly her eyes opened and Sirius' face came into blurry focus, concern etched in every line.
"There you are!" he soothed. "Back from dreamland. How's your head?" A relieved smile played on his lips.
Marlene reached up and regretted it immediately. She winced as her fingers brushed a raw scrape on her forehead. Sirius' brow pulled together but the corners of his mouth tugged up. She watched him turn away and come back with a damp flannel. He tenderly patted as he leaned in very close and gently blew on her cut. Marlene's eyes fluttered closed again as the warmth of his body and the cool, sweetness of his breath threatened to completely overwhelm her. She realised he had stopped blowing and peeked out. Sirius was still very close, so close that their noses brushed each other. His eyes crackled with electricity and it was then that Marlene realised that Sirius was about to kiss her.
"What are you doing?" her voice came in a whispered squeak. Sirius' head snapped back, a look of utter confusion crossing his face.
"I, er, I..." he stammered. Suddenly Sirius chuckled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, McKinnon. I don't know what I was doing! It's only that you closed your eyes and I thought that you wanted..." Marlene watched him laugh lightly again as he got up and crossed the tent. When he turned, he wore the most deliciously mischievous grin. "It's your own fault, you know. You have wonderfully hypnotic eyes... golden. It's hard to notice them when you hide them behind your glasses."
Marlene felt the blush climb up her face. She supposed it was her own fault for letting herself fall for him. Anyone would get caught up in the moment and she was certainly happy to still be alive. Marlene sighed as she watched him tidy up the first aid kit. The moment was gone and things would go back to normal now. Or would they? Marlene couldn't help feeling that something between them had shifted. It wasn't something she could see or anything overtly obvious, but a different sort of charge was in the air. There was something between her and Sirius now. Her head swam and her body warmed with delicious tingles as she wondered just what it may be.
