𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 ☼ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

↘︎ chapter twenty-eight

28 | The truth about Marley Macmillan's father

After Brielle Mаcmillan removed the Invisible cloak, she wore a large black hooded cloak that also waved from her head, revealing her brown wavy hair and white face with sad green eyes. For a few long moments everyone was staring at Marley's mother as if she was a ghost from beyond. Her mother pretended to be dead, but no one knew it, and suddenly she appeared out of nowhere.

No one dared to talk, Marley stared at her mother with large and full of anger eyes. Lately, her anger has been gathering in her, and part of it is already bumping into Sirius Black. And it was he who broke the silence. He laughed bitterly, looking at Brielle.

"Ah, my little Brie, our old friend. You know, I don't think anyone believes Elle's story about what happened to you. But you still maintain your dead status. Well, at least so far."

Brielle looked at Sirius with an icy calm in her eyes, under which there was certainly a lot of anger stirred up. But she showed him nothing. "We may have been friends, Sirius, but that doesn't stop me from uprooting you for what you did to Elle. And this time I won't care how innocent you are."

"Mom, what are you doing here?" questioned Marley, trying to take control over her trembling voice. She had hammered nails in her palms so hard that blood would soon flow. Brielle just looked at her daughter, her eyes softened a lot, and she opened her mouth to say something. Marley noticed that Sirius Black was also looking at her, right in her eyes. In her hazel eyes.

"Look, honey, I'll explain everything to you, but first we need to do something very important. Black, where is he?" Brielle turned her head to Sirius and Professor Lupin. These were two of the people in the picture of her mother in her room that Marley had discovered so long ago. Only two were missing.

"Hoofy, calm down." Sirius opened his arms quietly, grinning. But he didn't hold the wand in his hand. For a moment, Marley wondered what her mother's friendship with Sirius and Lupin was. How many pranks did they make and how many troubles did they get into? And yet they seemed so unhappy now. Black pointed at Ron, lying on the floor. "It's there. The stupid rat."

"What? No!" exclaimed immediately Ron, holding Scabbers in his hands, trying to protect the animal from the crazy adults. "Scabbers is just a rat! He's not what you think it is. He's just a rat! Leave him alone!"

"Ron, right?" questioned Brielle with raised eyebrows. The Weasley boy just nodded with his head. "Look now, your rat is not what he pretends to be. And believe me, you won't be fascinated by his secret. But if he is indeed a rat, as you say, when we apply the revealing spell to him, nothing will befall him."

"What about your secret, Hoofy?" suddenly asked Sirius in a careful tone, which made Brielle look at him sharply, her eyes burning like fire. "I suppose you have your secrets as well, huh? But I'm almost convinced what yours is. Why don't you share it with us?"

"Black, this really isn't the time--"  Professor Snape interrupted, gritting his teeth. However, Sirius raised his hand, silencing him. Snape just stared at him fiercely, and Professor Lupin finally intervened.

"Sirius, what are you talking about?" Lupin cleared his throat, coughing. "Don't talk like you're out of your mind."

Both Brielle and Snape opened their mouths to object, but Sirius took the word again. Marley was just watching in silence (the other children too), her back lit up by the moonlight, coming in through the broken window of the Shrieking Shack.

"Let's not lie, Remus. I spent twelve years in that miserable and horrifying prison. I must have lost my mind, but there is enough wit to know the eyes of my best friend!" shouted Sirius and he sounded extremely serious. Marley furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her mother confused.