𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 ☼ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

↘︎ chapter seven

7 | Merry Christmas

Marley Macmillan's just got off Hogwarts Express on platform 9¾. The Christmas break had just started and she was travelling with Fred and George all the way to London. The girl took only the things she'll need while she was spending her holidays with her mother and godmother.

The platform was busy as always and while Marley was leaving the train, she felt like it was the end of the school year. Parents with their young children were impatiently waiting for their older kids to get off the train, to greet and hug them. And start asking questions. A lot of questions. It was really noisy and loudly. Marley could hardly hear what people were saying and while she was drawing in the compartment when she was staying with Fred, George and Angelina, she almost overslept the stop. But thank God, they woke her up.

Marley had just said goodbye with Angelina and now she was carrying her suitcase with clothes and the little amount of homework she had for the break. Fred and George were beside her, searching for their family with their brown eyes. It wouldn't be hard to find the Weasleys - they had bright red hair and cute freckles. Marley wished she had the charming freckles the twins had.

"We wished you could stay with us for Christmas." said sadly Fred Weasley. They were going far away from the train and the bustle there - screams of kids and exclamations of happy parents. "Mum would be really happy to have you with us."

"Me too," nodded Marley. "But we still have so many years to spend Christmas together."

"I've always adored your positivity, Mar." stated George Weasley and the girl's cheeks flushed. She learnt to recognize when George was speaking and when Fred. George was the only one to call her 'Mar' and if she had to be honest, she liked that nickname. After their toast on this sunny Saturday when the twins passed the tryouts, the normal school days at Hogwarts were back to normal and nothing interesting was happening. Marley and her friends were attending their classes and doing their homework. The school celebrated Hallowe'en Feast and everyone had such a great time, there was a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin and Gryffindor won. Another celebration.

"Oh, Fred! George!" a voice exclaimed and it seemed the twins knew it, because their smiles shone even brighter. A woman with really bright red hair to the shoulders was walking towards them. She was holding the hand of a shy redhead girl with her. That should be Molly Weasley, their mother. "How was the first term? You look so grown up!"

Fred and George were just smilling, but Mrs. Weasley pulled them in a tight hug and the little girl, who looked around nine years old just stayed awkwardly next to her mother, so did Marley. When the ginger mother withdrew from her sons, she smiled again and her gaze fell on Marley. "Oh my God, you must be Marley, right? Fred and George are always sending me owls about you!"

For Marley's surprise, she pulled the girl in that tight hug, that she could hardly breathe. She was a strong woman. But the thing that most surprised Marley was that the twins were always talking about her to their mother. "I heard only good things for you. Look how cute you are. Oh, meet my daughter Ginny."

"Hi," shyly waved Marley and Ginny Weasley smiled back, but she was too shy so Marley decided not to bother her anymore.

"Isn't it happy that Christmas is coming?" asked Mrs. Weasley a rhetorical question. She was really chatty and outgoing. "It would be amazing if you spend Christmas with us sometime? Invite your family too. I'd like to meet them."

"Sure," Marley nodded and in that time she saw her godmother Noelle Black to wait her, away from the crowd. Noelle hadn't noticed her yet (or the girl thought so) but Marley should go, so she politely excused and said a goodbye with the Weasleys. The twins said bye at the same time and she smiled again, befoe turning her head back and going straight to her godmother. While her mother was pretending to be dead for unknown to Marley's reasons, everyone knew Noelle Black was still alive. It was safer if Brielle Macmillan wasn't showing up at the platform and public places outside Aberaeron in general.