𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 ☼ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

↘︎ chapter forty-nine

49 | The cousin

When Marley Macmillan closed the door behind her, for a moment her mother seemed like the teenage girl who was in love with James Potter. Her green eyes glowed slightly and her hair was still beautiful. And while Brielle Macmillan was looking at her daughter, she didn't care that she had her hair, which, by little, Marley was beginning to bleach her with blond strands, but that she could see James in her eyes, just like it was him standing in front of her. Except the fact James was taller than Marley.

"Is everything okay, mum?" questioned Marley, pulling Brielle out of her daydreaming. Both Macmillan women had the habbit to daydream a lot, distracted by their thoughts. "Everything's okay with the Order? Is godmom Noelle happy to see Sirius here?"

"Oh, yeah. She really is." said Brielle, nodding along. "I've never seen her happier. I mean, since '81 when she ran away to Wales with Noen. When Sirius was sent to Azkaban. But you already know he's innocent."

"Yes, but the Ministry isn't on that opinion." Marley angrily crossed her hands over her chest and made a snout. "I was wondering something... it's about Harry. You know that he's my brother and uhm, he is right now on Privet Drive. Will he come to Grimmauld Place?"

"I can't tell you for sure." Brielle shook her head negatively, biting the inside of her cheek nervously. "Dumbledore wants Harry to be safe and for now it'll be better not to know anything. Uhm, that's not why I came to talk to you. I just wanted to know - are you happy with George?"

"Yes. He makes me happy." replied quietly Marley, smiling at her mother. That was a strange question. Why was she asking about her relationship now? One month after she understood it and two weeks since the Weasley family was here. "Why?"

"I don't know. Just asking." shrugged Brielle. "Molly told me how you react when you saw George two weeks ago. I wanted to ask you about it, but the whole month I was in a hurry with all that Order stuff. All I want from you, is to find a man, who'll make you laugh and happy."

"How dad made you, right?"

"Definitely like your dad." said Brielle with nostalgia in her voice. "Just be careful with arrogance. Your dad used to have a lot of it, but it seems you're modest. Like my sister and me, in some point."

"You were never telling me much about Nova. What was she?" questioned Marley curious. Brielle just let out a sigh. She looked tired and probably wanted to have some sleep, but didn't say anything and just cleared her throat.

"She was a smart girl, sorted in Ravenclaw. As you know, our family is usually sorted in Hufflepuff or Gryffindor." began to speak Brielle with a distant voice, as if she was already transmitted in her time. "My mother used to be in Hufflepuff and dad was in Gryffindor. But Nova - she was smart and responsible like Noen, she was witty and yes, sometimes she was doing stupid things but she loved me. I didn't know she was pregnant until '81 when Noelle came in. She died while giving birth to her son, Ernie Macmillan."

And suddenly something lit up in Marley's mind. Ernie Macmillan was one year below her, sorted in Hufflepuff and when she heard his name in the Sorting ceremony she thought there was a mistake and he couldn't be also Macmillan because if she had any relatives, she should have known about it. "I've spoken to him severel times but I didn't know he was my cousin. I was wondering for years why he was also Macmillan."

"Now you know. Well, in a nutshell, that's about my sister Nova. She also died so young like James and Lily. It's a miracle her son sirvived but he doesn't even know I'm his aunt."

"Don't be sad, mom." smiled sadly Marley, taking her mother's hands. Contrasting to the hot house, Brielle's hands were cold. "You have me, Noen, Noelle, Sirius, Lupin. We love you and support you. Fred and George too. You have no idea how much they admire you and the Marauders. We even used to have the Map."