A Marauder's Guide to Falling in Love

Chapter Eleven

"What?" Lily was blinking at her with an emotionless face.

Marlene sighed. She had known that this was going to be an interesting conversation. The girls had met up with one another on the Hogwarts platform and Marlene had been quick to suggest to Lily that she was in desperate need to account for her holidays.

"I was surprised when I didn't hear back from you," she said almost dismissively before Marlene had even had a chance to speak, "and then I remembered that you probably wouldn't have the chance to reply to me while your family was around. I didn't even think that you wouldn't have the ability to send me a letter later."

"I'm really sorry about that," Marlene offered sincerely. "I really wanted to reply to you, believe me!"

And then she delved into her story of Christmas, watching Lily's face slowly pale and her smile falter.

"He's your cousin!?" she asked incredulously. Marlene nodded solemnly.

"Well then I suppose they deserve each other don't they?" Lily replied bitterly. The tone in her voice compared to that of the positive letter she had written to Marlene over the holidays regarding embracing family crossed Marlene's mind. It seemed apparent that something further had happened with Petunia since she had written it.

"What now?" Marlene pried, hopeful that Lily was feeling generous.

"It seems that they've moved up the wedding," Lily sighed. "Conveniently to a time when I am unable to attend because of school."

"Oh Lily," Marlene gave her friend a reassuring hug, "I'm so sorry."

"I guess it means that we can miserably miss it together," Lily laughed lightly once they had pulled away.

"It's a date," Marlene smiled. The girls gathered their belongings and began the search on the train for the compartment they assumed Mary had been saving for them. Once they found her they wasted no time filling her in on the events over the holidays.

It seems that she had also had an eventful Christmas as yet another inevitable breakup with Davey had transpired. She surprisingly didn't feel like discussing the matter and seemed rather indifferent about the subject.

"We broke up," she had said simply when the time came around for her to share. "Not much else to say about it."

Lily and Marlene took the hint and didn't pry any further.

The train ride was unusually long and uneventful. It seemed that a good portion of Hogwarts students had stayed at the school for their holidays as there were hardly any passengers on board.

"I would have thought everyone would want to be around their loved ones at a time like this," Mary had mused once the conversation had come around.

"I suppose that people just feel safer at Hogwarts," Marlene added but she couldn't help but agree with Mary that she would much rather spend as much time as possible with her family in such trying times.

Reading comprised the majority of the three girl's time on their ride home and not much conversation was offered until they had arrived safely at the Hogsmeade platform. Hagrid was greeting students in his usual fashion on the platform, guiding the students to the carriages that would take them to the castle. The chatter of the great hall was eminent as they entered in through the entrance, the anticipation of the feast quite possibly the most important thing on everyone's mind. Marlene felt her stomach growl and realized that chocolate frogs were probably not the most sensible meal she could have filled up on during the day.

The Gryffindor table was nearly filled by the time they entered and a quick scan of the table revealed that there were empty seats next to the Marauders. Marlene felt Lily tense up slightly at her side but never the less moved forwards to claim the chairs.