What If? Year 1

Chapter 57

"Aunt Mari?" I ask, staring at the young woman in front of me. She stares back at me.
"You.. you know who I am?" She kneels down to my level. I stare at her for a few more moments, trying to get my bearings
"I've heard so much about you," I answer, "I'm right, aren't I?"
"Yeah," she answers, staring at my hand, "t-that's my n-necklace..." I look at the floor.
"Umm.. yeah, my mum gave it to me. Is that alright?" She nods and touches it softly.
"Yes.. keep it on," she tells me, "all of the time, never take it off." I look up to her.
"I disappear when you take it off..." she explains, horror leaking into her tone, "please, don't take it off. It's scary when I disappear." I clip my necklace back around my neck.
"I won't take it off.."
"Promise?"
"Umm.. yeah," I answer, "Aunt Mari? How.. umm, how long have you been.. around?"
"I've been following you since Christmas, I just was not able to be seen, I was just kind of there." She rubs my arm and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.
"So you were in the..." She nods slowly and presses her hands to my shoulders.
"You were so brave," she replies, "I tried to slow him down some, but I don't think it helped any." I think about my nights roaming around the castle and Regulus.
"How come Regulus never said anything about seeing you."
"When ever you were around him, you had your necklace off because you take it off while you slept." I nod.
"He's going to be so excited to see you again."
"Yeah, but that won't be til September... umm, Marigold, how old are you exactly?"
"I'll be twelve in August... the thirtieth to be exact." She smiles.
"I've been gone for that long," she whispers.
"Are you alright?"
"Um... yeah, sorry." I study her features, trying to commit them to memory. Her porcelain skin match mine, and overall looking like an older version of me. Her eye though, they were a soft blue-green. Almost a white blue-green. They track my own face.
"You look much like Lily." I catch her eyes, and feel my face heat up.
"Am I creeping you out, Marigold?"
"No, it's just odd, that's all. I've never met you before, and well... most people cannot see the dead. So, you know, it's just a little odd." She nods.
"I understand the feeling," Mari replies, "I reappear one day and all of a sudden my sister has three kids, two of which are in school at Hogwarts."
"This must be really difficult then.. I can answer any questions about us if you need me to. And umm, Aunt Mair? I like being called Goldie over Marigold." Mari nods.
"Sorry, Goldie.. I'll use that from now on. I do have a few questions... how old are your other two siblings?"
"Harry'll be thirteen in July and Everlyn turned nine in May."
"And Ara.. she's a Malfoy?"
"Yeah, but her parent's disowned her after she was sorted into Gryffindor. She's living with us now."
"She.. she kind of reminds me of Regulus.. if he had been sorted a little differently."
"Yeah, she's a great friend."
"You should get to bed," Mari says, suddenly, "but please leave the necklace on... I'll leave you be." She sits down by the head board and I climb back into my bed.

"Good morning!" Dad sings as he opens my door to wake me up. I roll over to face him and he smiles.
"Morning, Dad," I groan, "why are you waking me up right now? It's summer!"
"We were going to go shopping for summer and thought you'd like to come. You slept the longest out of the rest of us." I sit up and nod.
"I'll be down in a moment." I dig through some of the boxes and find some jean shorts and a golden yellow shirt. I throw my hair up into a high ponytail before tying up a pair of converses. I walk down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Morning, Goldie," Ara says, "excited for the first day of summer?"
"Sure," I reply, "do you know where we're going shopping?"
"I think the mall, but I'm not sure. We'll probably go where every we need to." I grab some bread and put it into the toaster. Evie comes into the kitchen with a hair brush.
"Can one of you do my hair? Please?"
"Here, I'll do it. Goldie still has to eat," Ara offers, and Evie sits besides her at the table. I grab some jam and butter as my toast pops up out of the toaster. I flip them onto my plate and start to put butter on them. Mum walks down with a very tired looking Harry.
"How'd you sleep, Harry?" I ask, throwing him one of my pieces of toast. He catches it and nods.
"Not great, it felt like someone was watching me all night," he answers, sliding into the seat next to Ara.
I'll have to ask Aunt Mari to not watch Harry sleep, I guess.
"Ugh, do you want milk or juice?"
"Milk please, Goldie."
"How about you, Mum? Want something?"
"Already ate, dear, thank you though."
"Can you get me some apple juice, Goldie?" Evie asks, as I take out two glasses for Harry and I. I nod and grab another glass. I pour two glasses of milk and one of apple juice. I hand Evie hers and slide Harry's to him. I sit across from Evie and start into my toast.
"Where do we need to go for you, Goldie?" Mum asks, sitting down besides me, "I presume you'll need some more parchment and some quills, but what else?"
"Maybe some comfy slippers?" I ask, trying not to giggle, "I realize that these floors get really cold at night."
"We can do that," she answers, "What else, the chair in the office is alright?"
"Yep, it's very comfy. Maybe I could get some muggle pencils and notebooks? I've heard it's easier to take notes with those.. I'll do everything in those and assignments on parchment, but maybe I could try something else too?"
"I do remember Tunia using notebooks for notes. We can get some of those too."
"I think that's all for me."
"No new clothes?"
"Just slippers. I'm just going to stay in the house for the most of the summer anyways, so why get new clothes?"
"You'll get something new, won't you? Please, everyone else is.. you might as well."
"Okay, fine. I'll look for a new summer dress or something." Mum smiles and gives me a quick side hug.
"Where do you want to go, Ara?" Ara's face turns pink just as she finished braiding Evie's hair.
"You don't have to go anywhere extra for me, Mrs. Potter," she answers, "And I've got money.. I'll find some stuff where ever we go."
"Nonsense," Mum brushes off her comment, "you're family now, deary. We've more than enough to share. Do you need anything?" Ara looks at me and I nod.
"Maybe some sandals? And some jean shorts, like Goldie's?"
"Those are easy things to find, all of us girls can go look for clothes, while the boys go looking for some outdoor activities, right Harry?" Harry nods and finally looks a little more excited.
"Mum, can we go to find me some new Birkenstocks? Mine are literally falling apart!" Mum chuckles and nods.
"We'll get you and Ara some sandals... and Goldie some slippers."