MALLIE LAY DEEP IN DREAM hidden by her yellow and white comforter and snored softly into the stuffed toys occupying her bed.
The Weird Sisters had just come onto stage when Mallie was bumped abruptly from her hazy dream by a loud thudding noise leading up the stairs, trailed by a softer patter of feet behind.
Mallie's foggily grabbed at her sheets and pulled them over her head, she knew what was coming.
And, earlier than she might have wanted, Mallie's door swung open to amplify her mother's voice:
"Mal, sweetheart, it's time to get up."
She glanced over at her daughter's attempt to flee the responsibility of getting up and pulled open the curtains.
The covers weren't enough.
Katherine wasted no time in yanking the blankets from her daughter's bed;
"Mallie, we're going to Diagon Alley."
"Why?" A muffled whine came from beneath a large stuffed dragon.
"I'm meeting for breakfast with Liz, she's bringing Charlie."
Mallie's peeked up from her bed at her mother, "Charlie?"
"Yes, now go get ready. We're leaving in an hour."
Her mother then made her way out Mallie's room, but not before shouting a reminder to feed Shark.
The bird snapped his beak from the corner indignantly. Mallie laughed.
Pearl, who had been standing quietly and obediently behind her mother, came pattering up beside Mallie's bed, having to stand slightly on her toes to see Mallie.
"Would Miss Mallie like anything for breakfast before she leaves? Some eggs? A cup of coffee? Maybe a slice of toast?"
Mallie smiled at Pearl, the elf's eyes shining brightly.
"A piece of toast will be fine, thanks Pearl."
She nodded enthusiastically and exited Mallie's room humming a tune.
She sighed loudly and looked towards the large cage placed beside her window.
Shark's black eyes followed her and he squawked loudly at Mal, his brown and grey feathers ruffling.
It seems she wasn't the only one rudely awoken.
"Not even the damn bird can get a couple hours sleep."
××××
"Mallie! Go passed Ashton's room and tell him we're going if he wants anything."
Mallie sighed stopping in her tracks halfway down the stairs and made her way back up a few steps towards her brother's room.
The door squeaked as she opened it, the room was dark and hid curtains were drawn.
But even in the darkness, Mallie could make out the red and yellow Gryffindor flags pinned on his wall and a small picture in a frame of a younger seventh year Ash.
It was him and his two best mates, Zack and Todd, grinning proudly- they'd just won their last game, leaning against their broomsticks smugly.
Mallie could faintly make out her brothers outline from the overflow of blankets and pillows,
"Ash?"
A grumbled "yeah" came back out the darkness.
"Me and mum are doing to Diagon Alley, anything you want?"
"Back to sleep." He mumbled vaguely.
Mallie rolled her eyes, "Bye Ash."
"Bye Mal."
And she was bounding down the stairs again, "Let's go!"
Mallie chewed thickly on her piece of toast as she watched her mom disappear into the green flames of their fireplace.
Mallie stepped in behind her with ease, waving Pearl goodbye, shoving the last of her toast in her mouth and roughly throwing a handful of Floo Powder to the floor:
"Diagon Alley!"
She reveled in the tingling sensation, watching as living room after living room rolled past.
Mallie blinked again and was faced with the inside of The Leaky Cauldron. Her mother and another white haired woman were embracing warmly.
Beside them, standing rather awkwardly, was Charlie. Light shon off his blonde hair in the dim bar, it was only ten am.
She stepped from the fireplace and was pulled into an immediate hug, Charlie seemed very happy to have an excuse to leave the conversation with the two women.
"Charlie!" and she squeezed him in return.
Mallie turned to Charlie's mother, Liz, and greeted her kindly.
Liz handed them some money for ice cream and the two women walked off to breakfast.
××××
Mallie smiled at Charlie over her Famous Florean Fortesques Fudge Sundae,
"I can barely believe it." She said.
"Believe what?" he chuckled lightly,
"That we're in fifth year tomorrow!"
He shrugged and dug his spoon deeper into his caramel dessert, "It's a wonder we made it, but I guess so."
Mallie waved his pessimistic attitude aside, "Seen anyone this Summer?"
Charlie shifted uncomfortably in the garden chair outside the ice cream parlour, and Mallie frowned.
"What?" She asked.
"Well.. yeah, West, Ced and I went to the World Cup.."
Mallie jolted in her seat, almost choking on a walnut, "What! You guys were there?"
Charlie nodded, "Yeah, Ced's dad demanded we caught one of the Ministry port keys as soon as the trouble started, we left before ... before his mark went up."
"And you didn't bother to tell me any of this in the letters?" Mallie asked, exasperated.
Charlie shrugged, "What, how was I supposed to tell you that in a letter?"
"Fair enough," Mallie mumbled,
"I know it's not quite as interesting, but Scar and I went to the muggle movie theatre."
Charlie's eyebrow arched, "You mean Scarlette was able to take a long enough breath from sucking face to stare at a movie screen?"
Mallie laughed and rolled her eyes,
"Barely, she's found a new boy toy, name's Seamus.. Wouldn't shut up about him."
Charlie laughed, "Gryffindor?"
Mal nodded, "Not even a question about it."
They sat in silence a moment longer to laugh and then Charlie peaked up;
"Oh yeah! I've got news."
"Well let's hear it then." Mallie sat straighter in her chair to listen.
"Guess who's a new Ravenclaw prefect?"
"You're kidding! That's great Char!" She smiled widely at the grinning boy.
"And West," he added.
Mallie's leaned forward shocked,
"And he didn't even mention it to me!"
She leaned back in her chair again, smiling at the blue sky,
"Looks like this year's going to be something good."
××××
goodday beautiful beings,
I hope you enjoyed the first of many chapters I have soo much planned for this book.
Loads of love,
Carmella.