𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐀 | 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

✧ chapter 6 ✧

1976

During the train ride through the British Aisle countryside the four Gryffindor girls all set about catching each other up on things they missed over the summer. At one of her parents many prestigious work dinner parties Marlene met a young wizard who worked in her father's department at the Ministry and had a brief summer fling. She was now adamant about only dating older men.

"What, like a seventh year?" Mary asked, scratching her head.

"No dearest Mary, I mean real men!" Marlene replied, staring dreamily out the compartment window. All the other girls exchanged looks and struggled to bite back their laughter. Marlene just shot them all a dirty look and returned to her fantasy.

"Does this mean the whole 'will they/won't they' with Sirius is finally over?" Aurora sighed, obviously exasperated by the on again off again relationship the two shared. "Honestly Marls, you two give me whiplash."

Marlene just rolled her eyes and made a point of not breaking eye contact with the window. Aurora widened her eyes and pulled at face at the other two as if to signal that she regretted bringing up such a touchy subject.

"I heard Slughorn is available." Lily spoke up in an attempt to break the building tension, not making eye contact with Marlene in order to avoid the death glare aimed her way.

"You know I've always thought Filch was quite a catch." Mary played along, plaiting and unplaiting her hair as something to do.

"Girls, girls, you're forgetting the holy grail; Dumbledore is single and ready to mingle." Aurora jibed, sticking her tongue out at Marlene and attempting to tickle her sides.

"You're all utterly ridiculous!" Marlene huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and frowning.

"Utterly ridiculous? Why, James, I do believe we have been summoned." The voice of Sirius Black interrupted the girlish laughter that had previously filled the compartment.

"What do you want, Black?" Lily asked, boredom and exasperation dripping from each syllable.

"Now Lilypad, is that any way to treat the future godfather of our children?" James gasped, clutching his chest with both hands while Sirius feigned being hurt behind him.

Lily didn't even gratify this statement with an answer and simply glared at the two prats in front of her.

After a pregnant pause and no response from either of the boys, Lily sighed.

"Can't you go and bother someone else?"

"An excellent idea, Lily Flower! Padfoot, to the Slytherin cart!" And with that James and Sirius swept out of the compartment in a flurry of limbs and vigorous jazz hands.

"Alright, where were we? Mocking Marlene?" Aurora broke the silence, eager to tell her friends about her summer.

"Ugh, please no! Can we move on? I don't know why I tell you lot anything, it's like talking to children, honestly." Marlene rolled her eyes, but there was the unmistakable ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Well, my summer was quite boring," Mary sighed, "we went up north to the highlands to visit mams relatives. Thistles and kilts as far as the eye could see and not one single fit lad."

Once again the girls all burst out laughing, this time at Mary's expense.

"Well, I managed to finally animate my tattoo! I think I've finally got down the right technique to make it permanent safely." Aurora stated, bursting with excitement, "I've already got requests! Sirius has asked me to tatt him." It was common knowledge that at fifteen Aurora had taken up the art of homemade muggle tattoos. She started out using a traditional stick and poke method, drawing a few small alchemy symbols and ancient runes on her fingers. She made her own ink using a combination of plants thought to contain magical properties by muggles and potions she had brewed herself. Aurora had a natural gift for potions and alchemy, which she chose to squander concocting magical tattoos and recreational drugs (which she sold to fellow students) in true child-of-Woodstock fashion. The idea behind her homemade ink was that it contained properties which she believed would strengthen her magic if placed in the right position on her body, for example physical magic on her hands. After a while she decided stick and poke took too long and she made herself a tattoo gun, which she used to tattoo a medium sized lioness on her left hip. The lioness began as a simple sketch in black ink with minimal shading, but eventually evolved into a more detailed portrait as Aurora's skills improved. The black and white still life was positioned as if she was about to pounce on her prey from her perch on Aurora's protruding hip bone.

Aurora stood and lifted the hem of her tee shirt, revealing the lioness, who was currently lazing on her side and licking her paws. Upon realising she was being watched, the lioness stood up and roared inaudibly. All the girls gazed at the lioness, captivated by the complex piece of magic they were witnessing. The lioness was practically sentient, as shown by her reaction to being exposed to three pairs of prying eyes.

"I've named her CleoCATra."

All the girls were yanked from their states of awe and adoration at this statement.

"You didn't." Lily stated, her tone suggesting she really hoped it was a joke.

"I sure did, Lily!" Aurora replied cheerfully, pulling her shirt back down and slumping into her seat, a smug look of pride on her face.

Lily smacked herself in the forehead, obviously exasperated by Aurora's antics, while Mary and Marlene looked confused.

"Who's Cleocatra?"

"I don't get it?"

The two girl's words overlapped, and Lily exchanged a look with Aurora.

"Do you want Tweedle-Dee or Tweedle-Dumb?" Aurora murmured out of the corner of her mouth, leaning in closer to Lily and eyeballing the other two girls.

"I'll take Tweedle-Dee." Lily replied, turning to Marlene in an attempt to explain the muggle history of Egyptian rulers in under five minutes.

Aurora nodded curtly and turned to Mary, trying for what felt like the millionth time to explain the mechanics of a pun and what makes them the best modicum of humour on earth, despite what 'No-Fun-Evans over here' claims on the contrary.