astronomy • marlene mckinnon

thirty two

Her blue eyes scanned the platform trying to find someone she knew as Marlene McKinnon weaved her way through the crowd of parents hugging their children and wishing them goodbye.

She had ten minutes to spare, and she was dropped off at the platform by Mitchell McKinnon, who seemed in quite a hurry to get to work right after. She didn't blame him of course, he was an Auror, and Aurors were needed in times like these.

The last attack she had heard about was around a week ago, in Diagon Alley. She had overheard a conversation between her father and two of her brothers, saying that the attack was originally planned to be on Gringotts but an inside source had given them this information much before, and they were able to fight the death eaters.

But the death eaters were death eaters, and they had to go away with something destroyed, and the closest target they could see was Quality Quidditch Supplies. James was devastated, and honestly, so was Marlene.

Her eyes jumped from person to person as she tried to spot a familiar face. Her eyes brightened ever so slightly as she caught sight of Emmeline Vance and was about to make her way towards her but then stopped as her mother pulled her daughter into a hug. Her father was nowhere to be seen, and suddenly Marlene did not wish to intrude on that family moment.

He just had to go to work early, she repeated to herself, just like Mitchell.

She checked her watch, she still had more than five minutes till the gates started to close, and she started to move closer to one of the train gates, not wanting to take any chances.

She halted in her steps as she spotted a familiar head, with ice-blue eyes making his way to another boy on the train. Regulus Black shook hands with Barty Crouch Jr, both of them showing slight hints of a smile.

She had no idea they were friends, and she couldn't possibly understand how the two of them did become friends. Barty's father was a ministry official, fighting devotedly against Lord Voldemort, and the Blacks, well, they were the Blacks.

They were one of the families she was told to stay away from, yet she couldn't help herself as her eyes moved away from her brother, and in search of her.

She was standing near the train, dressed in all black, the only other color being the emerald green and silver of the Slytherin robe she was wearing.

She turned around, starting to make her way to the train, when she suddenly stopped, and turned around again, just enough for her eyes to catch Marlene's.

Her grey eyes were hard, devoid of emotion before they softened slightly. Marlene stood where she was, her eyes still fixed on hers, and she caught the slightest flash of a smirk playing on her lips as she tightened her jaw.

Her eyes flickered to the train door she was standing right in front of, Marlene supposed the raven-haired girl wanted her to follow her through that door.

'Why,' The blonde thought as she raised an eyebrow.

Her grey eyes flashed with an emotion she couldn't understand before she rolled her eyes and gave somewhat of a shrug.

Marlene supposed it meant that it was up to her.

Astraea Black didn't wait for a response and boarded the train just as a loud whistle echoed throughout the platform, and other children started boarding the train as well.

Marlene rolled her eyes, a variety of emotions filling her up at the very thought of the girl, the main one being anger. She didn't want to talk to her, Godric, she didn't even want to see her, and not even think about her.

But she still pushed her way through the sobbing parents and boarded the Hogwarts Express through the same gate the raven-haired Slytherin had.

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