Mischief Managed | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 34

The weather was cold and it was snowing outside, but nobody seemed to mind. They were all excited to go back home for Christmas, so they could spend some time with their families after being apart for so long. Hugging their cloaks tighter to themselves, the four girls made their toward where the horseless carriages awaited them.

    "Okay, I double-checked everything. I really don't think I've forgotten anything," said Lily as the coaches hurtled forward, though she didn't seem too reassured. "Do you think I should've taken my Hogwarts: a History book with me? I mean, I know we don't need it for our homework, but still —"

    "Lily, relax!" Jenna laughed. "I'm sure it would be fine. You don't need to take every book home. It's Christmas! You should be enjoying yourself! Not to study!" Jenna shuddered at the mention of the last word.

    "She's right, you know," Alice said dreamily. "I really love Christmas!"

    "I do too, but Professor McGonagall said —"

     "Oh, who cares!" Marlene groaned loudly. "You know what? From now on, I shall set a rule! No more talk about homework or school until the end of holidays!"

"Deal!" Jenna grinned.

     "But —"

     "NO!" Marlene yelled as Lily was talking, holding her ears childishly as the others laughed.

    Soon, the horseless carriages came to a stop in the Hogsmeade station, where the Hogwarts Express awaited them. James had asked Jenna to join him and the other boys in their compartment, but Jenna had grown too close to her own friends that she turned him down.

     As it turned out, Lily was facing a similar dilemma. At first, Lily had planned to go back and forth between the girls' compartment and where Snape was sitting throughout the train ride, because she wanted to spend time with her old friend too. But now, she didn't seem too sure about the matter.

    "I promised him long ago that I would sit with Severus on our way back," said Lily as the four girls carried their trunks through the train, trying to find an empty compartment.

     "Well, maybe you can ask him to join us," Alice suggested kindly.

    "No, it's all right. I'm not sure if he would accept it anyway," said Lily, sighing.

    Jenna was secretly glad, because she wasn't sure if she liked Snape's company that much. He hated her brother for obvious reasons, but it was as though he kept a grudge so badly that he actually hated Jenna too.

     "Then what's the matter?" Jenna asked Lily.

     "Severus is also sitting with his friends..." she started to explain, looking a little worried. "And his Slytherin friends... well... they don't really like me."

      Jenna, Marlene, and Alice shared a look in silence, but said nothing. Saying that Snape's friends didn't like Lily was an understatement. They hated Lily's whole existence, just because of who she was and the Muggle family she was born into. They hated her only because she was a Muggle-born.

    "Look, Lily," Jenna started as they finally reached an empty compartment, "if you don't want to sit with him and his friends, you don't have to."

    "But he might get sad," said Lily, frowning lightly.

    "Ugh, who cares!" Jenna rolled her eyes. "Sometimes, you have to put yourself first. Hanging out with his friends clearly bothers you. That should be a good enough reason not to go."

    "Yeah..." Lily mumbled, sighing once more. "I suppose you're right."

    "Of course! I always am." Jenna winked at her jokingly, making her chuckle.

   Lily ended up staying the whole train ride with Alice, Marlene, and Jenna, and she had the time of her life. They bought as many sweets as they could — which was a matter of joy to Marlene — and played Exploding Snaps several times.

    As the night arrived, the Hogwarts Express slowly neared King's Cross Station. They could see the snow falling gracefully from behind their compartment's window, feeling the Christmas spirit all around them. The houses they passed on their way were all decorated for Christmas, and yellow lamps lightened the whole city.

    By the time the train finally came to a stop, the girls had long ago finished their sweets and couldn't wait to go home and have dinner with their families.

    "I hope when I get home, my brother would be asleep," Marlene mumbled miserably as they left their compartment once the train had stopped, walking down the narrow corridor.

    "I didn't even know you had a brother," said Lily, dragging her trunk. "How old is he?"

    "Five." Marlene rolled her eyes bitterly. "He's the devil, I'm telling you."

    "Oh, I highly doubt that," said Alice, giggling. "Five is the cutest age!"

    "There's nothing cute about Marvin!" Marlene retorted. "All he does is to ruin everything! His magic is growing stronger and so he keeps accidentally breaking stuff!"

    "Accidentally," Lily tried to stress the word, smiling lightly.

   "The point is that he's evil! He has everybody fooled, making them believe that he's this — this angel!" Marlene said bitterly. "Oh, but Marlene knows what he really is..."

    "A cute little five-year-old boy who has a jealous sister?" Jenna said with a grin, receiving a deadly glare from Marlene.

    "You don't know him like I do!" Marlene said defensively. "You know what? Forget it. You'll see it for yourself later."

    Jenna tried to suppress her smirk as they got off the train, being faced with the coldness of the station.

     "James still hasn't come out of the train yet," said Jenna, looking around the crowded platform 9 3/4. "You guys go on. I'll wait for him."

     "You sure you don't want us to wait with you?" Lily asked kindly.

    "Yeah, yeah. It's all right." Jenna nodded.

    "Well, merry Christmas, Jen," said Lily, moving forward to bring Jenna into a hug.

    One by one, Jenna said goodbye to her friends and watched as they ran toward the red brick wall, disappearing out of sight.

    Jenna waited a few minutes in the platform, until she finally saw James walk out of the train along with Sirius, Remus, and Peter. The only one of them who didn't seem happy to be back home was Sirius.

    "Ready to go?" James asked his sister with a grin as they reached her.

    "Yup!" Jenna said cheerfully, before turning to face the other three boys. "Merry Christmas, you guys. Have a good time."

    "Thanks! You too, Jenna," said Remus, smiling brightly, and Peter waved them goodbye. Although Sirius didn't even glance at her direction.

    "Yeah, whatever," Sirius mumbled bitterly, leaving them to go and meet his mother on the other side of the platform.