7 | Merry Christmas
Marley Macmillan's just got off Hogwarts Express on platform 9¾. The Christmas break had just started and she was travelling with Fred and George all the way to London. The girl took only the things she'll need while she was spending her holidays with her mother and godmother.
The platform was busy as always and while Marley was leaving the train, she felt like it was the end of the school year. Parents with their young children were impatiently waiting for their older kids to get off the train, to greet and hug them. And start asking questions. A lot of questions. It was really noisy and loudly. Marley could hardly hear what people were saying and while she was drawing in the compartment when she was staying with Fred, George and Angelina, she almost overslept the stop. But thank God, they woke her up.
Marley had just said goodbye with Angelina and now she was carrying her suitcase with clothes and the little amount of homework she had for the break. Fred and George were beside her, searching for their family with their brown eyes. It wouldn't be hard to find the Weasleys - they had bright red hair and cute freckles. Marley wished she had the charming freckles the twins had.
"We wished you could stay with us for Christmas." said sadly Fred Weasley. They were going far away from the train and the bustle there - screams of kids and exclamations of happy parents. "Mum would be really happy to have you with us."
"Me too," nodded Marley. "But we still have so many years to spend Christmas together."
"I've always adored your positivity, Mar." stated George Weasley and the girl's cheeks flushed. She learnt to recognize when George was speaking and when Fred. George was the only one to call her 'Mar' and if she had to be honest, she liked that nickname. After their toast on this sunny Saturday when the twins passed the tryouts, the normal school days at Hogwarts were back to normal and nothing interesting was happening. Marley and her friends were attending their classes and doing their homework. The school celebrated Hallowe'en Feast and everyone had such a great time, there was a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin and Gryffindor won. Another celebration.
"Oh, Fred! George!" a voice exclaimed and it seemed the twins knew it, because their smiles shone even brighter. A woman with really bright red hair to the shoulders was walking towards them. She was holding the hand of a shy redhead girl with her. That should be Molly Weasley, their mother. "How was the first term? You look so grown up!"
Fred and George were just smilling, but Mrs. Weasley pulled them in a tight hug and the little girl, who looked around nine years old just stayed awkwardly next to her mother, so did Marley. When the ginger mother withdrew from her sons, she smiled again and her gaze fell on Marley. "Oh my God, you must be Marley, right? Fred and George are always sending me owls about you!"
For Marley's surprise, she pulled the girl in that tight hug, that she could hardly breathe. She was a strong woman. But the thing that most surprised Marley was that the twins were always talking about her to their mother. "I heard only good things for you. Look how cute you are. Oh, meet my daughter Ginny."
"Hi," shyly waved Marley and Ginny Weasley smiled back, but she was too shy so Marley decided not to bother her anymore.
"Isn't it happy that Christmas is coming?" asked Mrs. Weasley a rhetorical question. She was really chatty and outgoing. "It would be amazing if you spend Christmas with us sometime? Invite your family too. I'd like to meet them."
"Sure," Marley nodded and in that time she saw her godmother Noelle Black to wait her, away from the crowd. Noelle hadn't noticed her yet (or the girl thought so) but Marley should go, so she politely excused and said a goodbye with the Weasleys. The twins said bye at the same time and she smiled again, befoe turning her head back and going straight to her godmother. While her mother was pretending to be dead for unknown to Marley's reasons, everyone knew Noelle Black was still alive. It was safer if Brielle Macmillan wasn't showing up at the platform and public places outside Aberaeron in general.
"Hi, godmother." greeted her Marley and Noelle Black's face changed into a smile, then she pulled the girl into a tight hug. Her black hair was like a halo from darkness and shadows around her and she looked gorgeous even she wasn't in her 20s anymore.
"I saw you with the Weasleys." Noelle smirked and winked to the girl, then took her suitcase. "Are you friends with them? If you are, you're lucky because all of their race are amazing. Personally, Brielle and I love all of them."
"They're pretty nice." shrugged her arms Marley and smiled faintly. Noelle and the girl Apparated back to Aberaeron, Wales, in the house where Brielle and Marley were living. Noelle Black and her son Noen Black were going to have a sleepover at their house for Christmas. Marley had no patient for the holidays but deep inside her, she wished to spend the magical day with the twins. But she couldn't invite her family. Only Noelle and Noen. And she couldn't leave her mother alone at Christmas.
The two were now in the living room but it was empty. Noelle told Marley she'll leave her suitcase in her room upstairs and Marley went to the kitchen, seeing her mother making tea on the hot plate. Steam was rising from the kettle and bubbles were bubbling, and her mother was tuning in.
"Hi, Mum." said quietly Marley and Brielle Macmillan turned her face, seeing her daughter at the threshold of the room. The mother smiled as she approached her daughter and hugged her. Marley wrapped her arms around her shoulders, happy to be home again.
"How was the first term, honey?" she asked. "Sorry I didn't pick you from the station. You know why. Anyway, did you make some friends? How are the classes?"
"Everything's fine, Mom." giggled Marley, her cheeks red. In that time she heard footsteps behind her and saw Noen Black with messy black hair and wearing a gray warm knitted sweater. Marley went and hugged him. She hadn't realized how much she had missed her family until she came back home. Today was Christmas Eve and the kitchen was filled with ingredients about the special dinner tonight. Marley was so impetient and she realized she had no presents for her family.
"We should go and buy presents for Mom and Noelle." whispered Marley in Noen's ear but the boy just grinned. She knew exactly what this smile means. While the girl was studying at Hogwarts she didn't have much time to think about presents and it was the very last moment, but due to Noen's smirk, he had taken care of the presents.
"Don't worry, Marls. I bought more in case you've forgotten."
"You're gold, Noen." Marley let out a sigh of relief and hugged her best friend again - the boy she was spending her whole life with and they were doing everything together. Marley had no patience with Noen coming to Hogwarts next year and introducing him to Fred and George. The three would love each other very much and she was convinced.
"Actually, I'm Black." the boy smirked and Brielle Macmillan was back to the hot plate, letting out a bitter laughter. Marley followed her mother's example. Later, Noen joined too.
***
Marley couldn't eat more food than that. The plate was emptied to the bottom and there was absolutely nothing left on the table. They were all overeating and couldn't even think of food. Brielle and Noelle had overdone their Christmas dinner. Otherwise, the dinner was well over. Brielle was very curious about Hogwarts, and Marley told them how the classes were going, the Sorting ceremony, and even a little about her friends - how they befriended and how the twins and Angelina joined the Quidditch team in October.
"I'm glad you're having a good time in Hogwarts." said Brielle, relaxed in her chair. "When with your godmother were attending it, nothing had changed. It's always the same, except the people and the adventures."
"We were studying there during the First Wizarding War." added Noelle Black with a sad smile. Marley was too happy that they were sharing something from their childhood and teenage years, that she couldn't dare to interrupt them. The girl knew that her godmother had a twin brother who also died in the war, but she didn't know his name. "The situation got tensioned in '75 or '76, can't say for sure. But the friendships we created in these years, lasts forever."
"Be happy with the people you're with." weak smile was touching the lips of Marley's mother. She had dark circles under her eyes and still looked gorgeous. Marley was asking herself so many times how much her father loved her mother. Probably more than himself, because she could see even if he was dead, Brielle Macmillan had this kind of sparkle when she was talking about him or her years at Hogwarts. "You won't find better people than the Weasleys."
Noelle nodded with her head. Noen was just silently listening to the conversation, rankling the leftovers in his plate with his fork. Suddenly, the clock struck midnight and by tradition Marley's family was making a wish in the first minute of the holly Christian holiday.
After Marley was done, she whispered, "Merry Christmas."