𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑾𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒚

chapter one - marnie selwyn

TW: mention of abuse
SEATED ON THE ledge of her window, Marnie Selwyn focused her eyes at the constellations above the townhouse, refusing to let the tears slip out. She would never refer to the roof she lived under as home - for her, home was where laughter, kindness and love are shared, all foreign to where she stayed.

Lennard and Jane Jones had fostered Marnie from the age of eight and they were the worst type of muggles. They had taken in the young girl purely for the financial benefit, sharing the same hatred for her as she did for them. Marnie would rather stay alone in the Leaky Cauldron if it were up to her, however, the Ministry placed her with the muggle social services which meant that this escape was merely impossible.

The trace, that all young Witches and Wizards had until the age of seventeen, meant that if she did leave, the Ministry would find her instantly. Handing her back to hell.

If she told them what she was enduring who would care? She was, after all, a child of a death eater.

Being under the care of the Jones had distorted her already broken perception of love and family - it was a topic she preferred to steer away from, her two best friends being the only people to voluntarily know of her past. Marnie wasn't naive, she was well aware that most pureblood and half-blood parents knew what had happened all those years ago. She only prayed that this was not told to the children and her classmates of those families, and luckily, no one had bothered her about it for the last five years at Hogwarts. 

Her worry had soon settled by third-year as Salem and Cedric made her well aware, that if anyone did eventually try and cross her they would have their necks.

Marnie and Cedric met during the train ride to Hogwarts in their first year. The tall brunette saw the young girl struggling with her trunk as she tried to lift it onto the rack above the compartment, offering to help. She replied with a bright smile thanking him, and when they caught each other's eyes they instantly connected. Not in a romantic way, but almost as if they were siblings, and since then have been stuck at the hip - despite herself being sorted into Slytherin and Cedric in Hufflepuff.

The duo became a trio on their second day at Hogwarts, a blonde-haired boy sprinted through the corridors as the scratching voice of Filch chased him. Turns out that Salem had dyed the caretaker's cat, Mrs Norris, a deep purple colour causing a massive uproar. When turning a corner he ran straight into Marnie and Cedric, knocking all three of them to the floor in a heap of crimson red, dark green and yellow robes. Fortunately, this meant that Filch jogged straight pass them in search for the blonde boy and inevitably, as Salem announced it, meant that the three were soulmates.

"Dunno 'bout you two but that was not a coincidence. You're now my best friends and I'm yours, m'kay?"

The Hufflepuff and Slytherin exchanged a glance before turning back to the Gryffindor, smiles plastered on their faces.

"Cedric Diggory, you can call me Ced." Cedric said, handing Salem his hand as they stood up.

"Salem, Salem Oxwood." The blonde replied sending a grin to them both "And you Madame?" He asked in a posh accent, bowing down with his hand out to the girl who still sat on the floor.

"Marnie Selwyn." She replied, taking his outstretched hand.

"Well, I couldn't ask for better best friends." Salem exclaimed stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Fancy going to the Kitchens, heard the elves make a mean Red Velvet cake."

"You bet." Marnie exclaimed, her mouth already watering "Race you there?" She proposed, cocking an eyebrow as the other two nodded.

"Ok, on the count of three." Salem announced "One...Two...anddd-" a brush of wind flew past him as a black ponytail could be seen swinging from side to side down the hall.