epiphanies - sirius black

chapter 7

Maggie paced down the halls of the train, attempting to find an empty carriage.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about her conversation with Sirius the night before.

Did Lily really think she hated her?

It made her feel sick, the thought that she had caused their upset, but with Avery and Mulicber lurking at every corner, she felt like it was her only option, the only way to escape the punishment of her father.

She continued to walk down the hall, until she heard a pang of familiar laughter.

She stopped beside the door of the carriage, and peered in to see them. And sure as sure, there they were, laughing and chatting. Her friends.

Even Sirius was laughing.

It made Maggies stomach twist a little, to see them all so happy without her. She was being selfish to feel this way. Besides, it's not as if they didn't laugh before her, perhaps things had already gone back to normal without her.

That was a good thing, right? As much as she wanted to be glad that they had forgotten about her and returned to their usual selves, she selfishly wished they held more remorse. Perhaps Sirius had over exaggerated their concern. Clearly.

She continued to stare subtly at the 4 boys. All she wanted was to step into the carriage and explain everything. How her father was actually horrible, and how he was forcing her to stay away from them, and that they had done nothing wrong, and how she definitely didn't hate Lily, or any of them for that matter, and that they were actually her best friends, her only friends and-

"Missing our little blood-traitors are we?" A voice whispered eerily into her ear, causing her to flinch as her head shot around.

It was Avery.

Maggie didn't say anything, she simply stood there as he proceeded to tower over her.

Suddenly a swirl of anger and rage shot through her, one she had never had before.

"Leave me alone Avery!" She shouted, shoving the boy off of her and escaping down the corridor, but before she could get very far he yanked her wrist, and pulled her back.

"You better watch it, or else" he practically spat.

Everyone in the residing carriages was now staring at them, after hearing Maggie's shouts.

Maggie's anxiety began to rise as she turned around to see people looking at her from almost every direction.

Avery was still standing there, his face squashed up in his rage, his eyebrows furrowed.

Maggie wanted to shout back, she did, but she could feel everyone's eyes on her, it felt like tiny little daggers, piercing her skin, she knew shouting would only draw more attention, and so instead she simply spun around and ran down the corridor, seating herself in the nearest empty carriage she could find.

She didn't read at all on the ride home. Not one single word. Which was bizarre, considering this would be one of her last opportunities to do so.

She simply gazed out of the window, observing the countryside as she resided to her thoughts.

The anticipation of what her father would do at her return was slowly, and sufferably eating her up inside.

She knew he would be angry. That was a given. But how angry?

Would it be his regular angry? His drunken, unconscious, unintentional angry?

Or would it be his hair ribbon angry? Purposely inflicted pain, followed by a sea of rage and tourment.

God she hoped for the latter.

Maggie wondered if Lizzie would be home this Christmas.

She hadn't seen her sister in a while. Her parents had vaguely explained that Elizabeth was completing missions over the summer, as part of her knew job. Maggie wasn't really sure what Lizzie's knew job was, but considering her sister followed her parents beliefs, she didn't think it would be anything of the good sort.

Her and Lizzie used to be close, but ever since Maggie had been sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin, the sisters seemed to have drifted. In fact, Maggie couldn't remember the last time she had had a proper conversation with her sister.

She could pretend though. Sometimes she would imagine that her and Liz were like her book characters. That they shared inside jokes, and would stay up all night laughing and giggling, and that they would get up to all sorts of mischief together.

But Elizabeth would never really do that, not now. As she had aged, she had practically cloned her mother, not only in her looks, or upright posture, but also in her views on society.

Like her parents, Elizabeth too believed in the superiority of pure blood wizards, and unfortunately too, the oppression of any muggle borns.

Maggie had promised herself that she would never turn out like them, ever. She would not let her parents ways be afflicted onto her, whether it was the last thing she did.

Suddenly the train came to a hault as they pulled into Kings Cross Station, and Maggie's stomach seemed to twist within her.

She pulled her bags onto her back with shaking hands, and took a apprehensive breath in, before making her way to one of the trains exits.

Here goes nothing.