𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹, draco malfoy

˗ˋ 46

CHAPTER FORTY SIX
✧
-: fourth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY PREPARE
TO LEAVE

. . .

The following weeks passed in a relaxed blur. Neither Mr Weasley or Percy were at home at all very much, they left so early in the morning that nobody else was up, and returned hours after dinner, whilst Ron, Harry, Marlie and sometimes Hermione (she was in Ginny's room, making it harder for her to sneak up and down) were up in Ron's room muffling their laughter with pillows, Fred and George talking in hushed tones in a corner. 

The days consisted of sunshine and Quidditch matches. Marlie and Charlie got on like a house on fire and were often caught with the Firebolts and marvelling over certain tactics. With Bill it was a little different; even if there was only a two year gap between the pair of oldest brothers, he seemed just that bit more mature, and although Marlie didn't get the same loud conversation she did with Charlie, Bill managed to do what Ron had failed in; he had taught her chess.

Harry had picked it up ages ago in their first year, where Marlie had much preferred to watch as the rather destructive game took place. She was much too loud and competitive for it then - letting out the pent up emotions that she hadn't been able to display whilst living with the Dursleys - but even though she was just as competitve now, she had Quidditch and understood patience. 

So, several afternoons were spent with Marlie sat in front of the oldest brother, listening as he taught her the rules and everything else she needed to know. He went easy on her at first, but soon realised that she was actually pretty good at it, and played her like normal, each move of a piecee accompanied by questions from Marlie about absolutely anything to do with his job or his abundance of dragon-tooth earrings, whilst he asked her about the various things that had happened at school - neither of the Potter twins tended to have the most peaceful school lives.

Then, when Ron got wind of it, the two friends ended up spending hours playing against each other, both muggle and wizards chess. Bill often stood nearby, overseeing and giving Marlie a couple of pointers - Ron was a seasoned player and it made it rather unfair.

Eventually, she managed to win a couple of matches, much to her joy. It was a different sort of smile to when she won, different to the smile she sent Ron and Hermione's way whenever she caught them mumbling to each other and glancing at her and Harry. 

They hadn't been that different with them since the twins told them about their strange joint dream and shared pain in the hideous scars on their faces, but there had been the odd moments where it seemed like they were walking on eggshells around them, like they were really truly worried about something.

It had been like this a couple of times before; when they found out that the both of them could speak Parseltongue, and after they found out about Sirius' involvement in their parents dead. Of course they didn't want to avenge them now, but when they first found out - well of course they wanted to do something about it. 

However it seemed like the mood was affected by Mrs Weasley's upset at her husband and third oldest son being away at work almost always - but as they soon found out, there would be no chance at all of the pair returning home for their holiday any time soon.

"It's been an absolute uproar," Percy told them all on the Sunday evening before they were due to return to Hogwarts. "I've been putting out fires all week. People keep sending Howlers, and of course, if you don't open a Howler straight away, it explodes - there are scorch marks all over my desk and my best quill reduced to cinders."