Broken Wings (Marlene McKinnon girlxgirl, Marauder's Era)

Chapter 5: January '78

The platform buzzed with activity as Lee returned to Hogwarts after the holidays. Melli, the house-elf who had come with her, had already returned home, so Lee was on her own. She hopped onto the Hogwarts Express pretty early, and since most students were still outside saying goodbye to their families, she quickly found an empty compartment.
Lee sank into the plush seat, taking in the cosy atmosphere of the train. It was a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the platform. Of course, she was looking forward to seeing her friends, but she would enjoy their company even more in a few minutes.

The girl's eyes slowly shut, the strain of the past few days catching up with her. The days following Christmas Eve hadn't been exactly pleasant for Juliette. Her mother had asked her countless times what she had spoken to Voldemort about. Lee suspected that her father knew about her deal with the Dark Lord. He was a lot closer to Tom Riddle than her mother and was let into more of his secrets than most of his followers. If he knew, it didn't keep him from observing Juliette endure her mother's punishments and adding some of his own for good measure. Lee had made sure to hide all her marks and scars as usual, paying close attention to her left arm. The mark hadn't fully stopped burning, the pain intensifying and easing up in unpredictable waves.

When Isabella Morton opened the door to the compartment she had finally found her best friend in, the other girl shot up from her relaxed position with a start. Issi could have sworn that Lee was asleep only a moment before but knew that the girl tended to be more jumpy whenever she had been staying with her parents. Juliette also was a rather light sleeper, if there was any noise or commotion in the common room, she always was the first one to be up.
"Issi, hey!"
"Lee, Happy New Year! It's so good to see you."
"We have been apart for what, two weeks? Glad you missed me!" Lee grinned at her best friend.
"Oh come on, you could at least pretend to like me from time to time, Juliette"
"Who likes whom?" a third voice joined the conversation
"You like Remus," Issi smirked. She had been waiting to drop this assumption for quite some time and saw her moment right when Benjy entered the compartment.
"I don't like him. He sure is hot but I don't even know him enough for any feelings. Besides, I don't do feelings."
"But you would do Remus, wouldn't you?" Lee joined right in the teasing.

Surprisingly, the three friends had the compartment for themselves for the whole journey. Issi and Benjy hadn't discussed it beforehand, but both of them knew how much Lee enjoyed some quiet company and had thus decided not to bring any friends. With being in different houses and choosing different subjects the three of them didn't usually get too much time in their little group while navigating their respective everyday lives.
Back in Hogwarts, the pupils were greeted with an opulent feast. Lee didn't feel like eating, all she longed for was to sit somewhere under the wide and starry sky, preferably one of the towers but she knew she had to eat to be able to stay on her feet.
The talk of the evening was that Lily Evans and James Potter had finally made their relationship official. Issi had predicted it years ago and even Lee, who wasn't exactly close with either of them didn't pretend to be surprised. Ever since James had been appointed head boy, Lily could be observed warming up to him.

Juliette liked the slight pain accompanying the sharp and clear winter air as it kissed the parts of her skin that were exposed as she sat on top of the Ravenclaw Tower a few nights later. Some unreasonable part of her enjoyed feeling the icy temperature which was why she didn't cast a warming spell. It almost felt like the cold air was calming her thoughts, clearing her mind, freeing her from the emotional stress weighing her down after spending the holidays imprisoned in Selwyn Manor.
Issi had forced her to grab a coat, gloves, and scarf before climbing outside. Their other dormmates, Dorcas Meadowes and Stella Aniomi had stopped questioning Lee's sleeping habits after spending years in the same dorm - which was something she was grateful for.

Lee was briefly wondering if Remus would be waiting for her on the top of North Tower but she knew she couldn't handle more social interaction after a day that hadn't seemed to end. The girl pulled out a pack of muggle cigarettes. She hardly ever smoked but the stress and anxiety she felt that night were calling for it.
Juliette slowly blew out some smoke willing herself to get her shit together. She still absolutely despised herself for feeling so weak in front of the Dark Lord and her parents. And Merlin, did she feel tired. She normally got by with little sleep but her parent's punishments had left her drained, both physically and mentally. Voldemort's followers were attacking muggleborns and their families more and more frequently and the ambiance in the castle Lee called her home seemed to grow more tense every day. And despite everything that was happening and contrasting the carefree attitude she usually displayed, Juliette still cared about her grades. She wanted to do well in her NEWTs, she craved the affirmation she got at least from her teachers with every brilliant essay she handed in and spell she performed seemingly effortlessly.