61 | The anniversary
Marley Macmillan woke up the day before Christmas with a sudden strange feeling in her heart. She felt vibrant, motivated and strangely happy. She just couldn't wait to get into the day and try to be happy all day long. She felt the adrenaline in herself, and while with Ginny were getting ready for breakfast, Marley would break the old vase several times, which Kreacher liked a lot.
Their luggage from Hogwarts had arrived yesterday morning, and they were about to spend Christmas holidays at Grimmauld Place. And when Marley and Ginny left their room, they immediately came across Hermione, who was supposed to be skiing with her parents.
"Hey, Mione." greeted Marley. "You were supposed to go skiing, alright?"
"Yes, I was." she said. "Well, to tell the truth, skiing's not really my thing. So, I've come here for Christmas." There was snow in her hair and her face was pink with cold. "But don't tell Ron. I told him skiing's really good because he kept laughing so much. Anyway, I need to talk to Harry. Any idea where he might be?"
The two girls just shook their heads. Hermione just smiled. "By the way, happy anniversary!"
And she continued down the stairs, as Marley's smile grew on her face. That day was special for Marley, and she was glad, but she also wondered how exactly Hermione had remembered that date. Ginny looked at Marley in astonishment.
"Anniversary?" she said. "Oh, my God! Has it been a year already?"
"Yes, I cannot believe this." smiled Marley, her face flushed. "It's totally crazy. I still--"
Something hit Marley's head, hard enough to lose her balance, and as the two girls were next to the staircase, Marley began to fall down. Apparently, karma was back when Ginny had fallen earlier in the start of the school year. Sirius's mother began to scream again, and when Marley finally stopped falling, she lay on her back on the landing and just sat up. She saw there was a pretty big ball next to her.
"It was Fred." said George, looking at Marley.
"He's fucking lying. It was George." exclaimed Fred. Marley just stood up from the landing and for a moment her mood was ruined. But George came to her with the biggest smirk on his face and just hugged her. For a moment she was surprised.
"I'm not mad, if that's why you slaver." she said.
"No, don't tell me you forgot." he pulled back at glared at her.
"No! Of course I didn't." she said and now her voice was as quiet as whisper. "Happy anniversary."
"Happy anniversary." he grinned again and she kissed him quickly. George seemed quite sad and unsatisfied from the quickest kiss in their dating history. But Marly chuckled and saw Ginny and Fred staring at them.
"You have--- have-- anniversary?!" shouted amazed Fred. "Dude, are you fucking kidding me?! A whole year passed. Oh my God... Marley, congratulations for managing to tolerate this shit for a whole year."
"But I do that for almost six so far." she said. "And to be honest, you're both hard to deal with. But I'm the best at this job and I can deal with you. Now, shut up."
Fred and George just exchanged a grin and Ginny was greeting Marley for the second time, when they saw how Tonks went to pull the curtains, hiding Walburga and the screams stopped.
"What is going on? You all seemed so happy." she said brightly.
"My brother and his girlfriend celebrates one year." immediately said Fred, grinning at Tonks, whose hair was again short and purple. On Tonks' face shone a big smile and she hugged Marley.
"I'm so happy for you. In the summer, you were the cutest thing that had ever happened to this hole."
"And I was the hotest." said another voice and Marley saw Sirius, standing in the beginning of the staircase with a big smirk. His face wasn't shaved and his hair had grew longer than in the summer. "But still, congratulations!" He hugged Marley and shook hands with George, than patted him on the shoulder. "Tell your mother about this, man. She'd be very happy."
He was right. Mrs. Weasley was in a state of happiness when she realised it and couldn't stop hugging Marley and then George. She even gave him a lecture not to do any more stupid things like the one when they had been mad at each other for a month. So the day went by very well and Marley was really happy all day. Like Sirius. They helped him decorate for Christmas, and on Christmas Day it was time for everyone to get their presents.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gifted her a hand-knit sweater, from Fred a photo of him, her and George in Marley's first year and one more, from her sixth. Marley liked the gift a lot, and was surprised how much the three of them had changed since 1990. George gifted her a necklace that she had no idea where he'd bought it from. Hermione gave her a box of pastels and a new collection of erasers, Ron had bought her a new Quidditch gloves, and Harry had given his sister a skirt that the girl had been talking about for months.
At the end of the vacation, Marley, Fred, George, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny returned to Hogwarts with the Knight Bus. And they all went back to their usual routine again - entering the classes of this damn frog Umbridge, Harry, Ron and Hermione had been preparing for their OWL exams in June. Angelina had forced the Gryffindor Quidditch team to train very firmly with the start of the new term. They soon had a visit to Hogsmeade on February 14, but Marley had to be in training. The last time the new Beaters Kirke and Sloper were scandalous. Sloper fell from the broom of his own blow, and Kirke nearly sent the Bludger to Katie Bell.
"I'm sorry." said Marley to George at breakfast in the day of the visit to Hogsmeade. "I know we were supposed to go there and for once try to stay away from Fred but Lina decided to ruin this too."
"Marley, stop complaining about your relationship." murmured sourly Angelina. "Kirke and Sloper are--- I swear, the are the worst Beaters in my entire Hogwarts career. Ron is also a bad Keeper. You, Ginny, Katie and I are the good players in this team. If we want to win the Inner-House Cup, we must train hard."
"But can't we at least postpone it for tomorrow?" said Marley in despair. "I really want to go to Hogsmeade."
"No." snapped Angelina and drank from her coffee. "I cannot let you kiss with George the whole day and having fun. It's my last year here, M. You know that. I want to graduate from this school like a winner. And this won't happen if Kirke and Sloper don't try their asses to work. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay." smiled Marley. "I know this is important for you. And George will come too. He'll watch the practise, right?"
"W-w-w-what?" asked George who was totally absorbed by his conversation with Fred. Lee, who was sitting next to them, just burst out laughing. "What did you say, Mar? I wasn't listening."
"Will you and Fred watch the practise?" she asked with pressed teeth.
"Actually, we have some work to Zonko's shop--" mumbled Fred, but George hit him with his elbow.
"We'll do." he said. "Lee will buy our stuff. It's simple, Freddie."
Fred just snorted and finished his breakfast. Angelina and Marley just exchanged grins as they were making their way to the Quidditch pitch. The training was exhausting and really desperate. After Sloper almost hit Marley with a Bludger for the third time today, she couldn't help but yelled at him:
"Jack, right?" she said and he nodded, fear appearing on his face. The game had stopped and everyone was silent. Fred and George were sitting on the stands and quietly observing the unexpected twist. "Listen to me, I think you don't know exactly how to hold a bat. And it's obvious because the idea of a Beater is to protect the Chasers and Seeker from the Bludgers. And you're trying the exact opposite. You're trying to hit me."
"I'm sorry, I just--"
"You're very clumsy? Is that what you were trying to say? Well, you better stop be clumsy. Because this is a team of winners. And you don't act like a winner. Tell this to your friend Kirke. He would also need this advice."
Marley was boiling with anger by the end of the training, and at the very end Lee appeared to bring the twins a shopping bag from Zonko's shop. After Marley put on her normal clothes again, she went to the boys. Fred immediately approached her, congratulating her on how good she was, shouting at Sloper.
"He could never play Quidditch. Don't take it personally, but without us you are lost." he said.
"Don't remind us, Fred." mumbled Angelina, joining the boys and Marley. The dark-skinned girl was tired and sighed deeply. "They're terrible but I hope Marley gave them a good lesson today. I still can't believe they were our best choice."
"Me too." said Marley. "But at least Ginny is a very good Seeker. Unlike the new Beaters. Yuck!"
"Don't worry about them, Mar." joined George with a big smirk on his face. "Or the Quidditch. By the end of the school year, everyone will talk about us."
"What are you up to this time?And what does this have to do with you?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "Don't tell me you're going to put Umbridge's office on fire. You're not doing this, George."
"Of course we're not." he said, shaking his head. "That's ridiculous. But I want it to be a surprise." and he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'm telling you this, love, Fred and George will stay in the Hogwarts history."
Marley didn't know if she was happy or scared of what was coming. She didn't want Fred and George to drag them in more trouble but she'd like to see what her boyfriend was talking about. And maybe she really wanted to see what they'd do to stay in the history of the school.
But she knew one thing for sure, it was going to be epic. Because if Fred and George were doing something, they were doing it with style...