Marlene

1- The Clumsy McKinnons

"Marlene!" The young girl's mother called up the stairs on the 2nd September, "Marlene, it's time to get up!"

"I don't want to!" Marlene yelled back with a groan.

Sarah McKinnon exchanged an exasperated look with her husband David. "This is your fault you know," the woman complained, "if you hadn't started that game of exploding snap, then she would have gone to bed on time."

David chocked on his coffee, "me?" He demanded, "that was you."

"Oh well," Sarah laughed, "Marlene, Erica!"

Erica McKinnon came tumbling down the stairs. Literally tumbling. She fell all the way into the living room, landing on her butt.

"Ow!" The nine year old complained.

"You'll be fine," David told her, "get some breakfast, your mother is going crazy."

"I'm not going crazy!" Sarah scoffed, "but if Marlene doesn't get up soon, we're going to be late for the train!"

"I'm here!" Marlene also came tumbling down the stairs into the room, "I'm awake!"

"You two girls are going to be the death of me!" David complained, shaking his head at his eldest daughter who was now sat where her sister had been on the floor, "I have no idea where you got this clumsiness from."

"Breakfast is on the table," Sarah told her family, "come eat it now, or I'll hex you"

Marlene scrambled to her feet and followed Erica into the kitchen. David stood up from the armchair he had been sat in and promptly tripped, falling on his face.

"Yeah, I wonder why we're so clumsy," Marlene laughed at her father.

"Go eat your breakfast Lenie." David grumbled.

********

"Oh I haven't been here for years," Sarah smiled as the McKinnons arrived on Platform 9 3/4. "Dave, do you remember when we were last here?"

"When my brother tried to load me into the luggage rack and send me back to Hogwarts?" David raised an eyebrow, "yes, I think I remember that."

"Oh Lenie, you're going to have so much fun at Hogwarts!" Sarah exclaimed, "you can join the Quidditch team, and-"

"She's not joining the Quidditch team." David said sternly, "you know how dangerous that sport is."

"Yes of course I know how dangerous it is!" Sarah shook her head, "I played it for years!"

"And every game that you played in I was on hand to heal you up and stop you from dying."

Marlene and Erica exchanged a glance. Quidditch was a common argument among their parents. Sarah had played professionally for years. She had been good enough to play for England in the World Cup years before either of the girls were born. She was a Keeper, and tended to get hit in the face by Bludgers. This tendency to get injured had been a cause of much stress for David. He was an accomplished healer at St Mungos. His interest in healing had been how he had met Sarah at Hogwarts. He was a Ravenclaw and she a Gryffindor. David had helped in the hospital wing, which had led to him meeting Sarah (suffering from a cracked skull at the time), and they had been together ever since.

"I can't even join the Quidditch team until second year!" Marlene reminded her father.

"No you can't join it ever." David said stubbornly, "EVER!"

"Whatever you say Dad." Marlene laughed, "I mean, I'm going to- Watch it!" A boy had barrelled into her. He was nervous looking and pale.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," the boy said.

"Don't worry about it," Marlene grinned and shrugged. The boy hurried away.

"Oh Lenie, we're going to miss you so much!" Both of her parents had pulled Marlene into a tight hug.

"I'll miss you too," said Marlene, "but I'll write loads."

"We know you will," grinned David, "now go get on the train, before we change our minds and decide to home school you."

Marlene bid her family goodbye and pulled her trunk onto the train.

Hey guys! Here's the first chapter of Marlene.
This book will probably be shorter than Venus, and will most likely be 35-45 chapters long.
Remember to vote, comment and be amazing!
~Em xx