A Marauder's Guide to Falling Together

Chapter Twenty Four

Marlene didn't recognize the barn owl that deposited the letter into her bowl of cereal a few weeks into the new term. "Oh," she exclaimed as the milk splashed into her. She quickly regained her composure and snatched the envelope from the bowl before the contents could get destroyed. "Stupid owl."

"Who is it from?" Lily peered over at it but Marlene only shrugged; she wasn't familiar with the handwriting. She ripped open the corner and pulled out the parchment as James' owl swooped over the table and dropped a letter neatly into his lap.

"At least your owl knows how to deliver mail," she muttered but James didn't acknowledge her.

"What's wrong?" Sirius sounded concerned and Marlene became distracted from unfolding the parchment in her hands to glance up at the boys across the table.

"It's from my mum," he said tonelessly. "Probably an update about my dad."

All of the boys and Lily looked sympathetic which only confused Marlene more. She opened her mouth to inquire about it but James, noticing her confusion, cut her off before she could speak. "My dad's been sick for a little while now. Got really bad after you landed yourself in St. Mungo's."

Marlene recalled how much thinner and paler Mr. Potter had looked over the Christmas holidays, but he still seemed to be much like the man she had met back in the summer. She wasn't quite sure if it was appropriate to ask questions about his health but decided against it. Instead she mustered up her own sympathetic smile and said "I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully the letter is good news then."

James shrugged and proceeded to open it. His face remained blank as his eyes shifted left and right across the page. "Nothing new," he said after a moment. "They're heading to St. Mungo's tomorrow for some testing."

Marlene immersed herself with her own letter again, getting the distinct impression from James that he wasn't open to discussing it further. She unfolded the neat parchment in her hands and was greeted with more of the unfamiliar handwriting. However, only one person called her Marly, and it didn't take her long to figure out who the mystery correspondent was.

Hey Marly!

What gives with the lack of communication over the last month? Imagine my surprise when Patrick – yes, Patrick!– cornered me in the cafeteria to ask if I had heard from you recently. I couldn't believe my ears when he told me that he ran into you in Godric's Hollow (are you really just that lucky to run into him like that? And can you please tell me your secrets because he seems absolutely far too fond of you for my own liking). Anyways, he seemed surprised that we haven't talked since you left – I'm not really sure what he was fishing for; I was hopeful that he had seen the light or some other inspirational phrase like that and had decided to finally ask me out. But when he told me that he ran into you over the holidays it confirmed that you hadn't drowned yourself in the Great Lake from the stress of N.E.W.T.s like I thought you might have when you never wrote me.

Try not to be a stranger or I'll just sic Moaning Myrtle on you anytime you need to use the loo, okay? Don't think I won't; we go way back, her and I.

(Just kidding – sort of).

Love, Em

PS: I didn't really think you'd drown yourself in the Great Lake.

Marlene snorted and shook her head. Her friends were giving inquisitive looks when she looked up from the page and she sighed before stuffing the letter into her book bag. "Sorry, just Emmeline being Emmeline."

"Is that the girl you were talking about from St. Mungo's?" Lily asked curiously.

"Yeah," she grabbed her spoon and shoved another mouthful of cereal in her mouth. She hadn't meant to forget about writing to her friend but with the stress of her academics consuming most of her time, the idea of writing letters had taken a lower priority. Even her letters to Mary were becoming fewer and further between.