No Body No Crime □■ Hermione Granger

Chapter 24

Even though Sage wanted to discuss the matter of Sirius Black further, Arlene had already spent the entire term fretting over it, the last thing she wanted to do was add it to her friend's shelf of worries.

And so they used the remaining three hours to catch up on news, aka gossiping.

Whether it was about how Arlene's third cousin twice removed got disowned, how Janet Everglow from Gryffindor broke up with her third boyfriend, or how what's-his-face from Ravenclaw is totally secretly dating that Hufflepuff prefect.

The moment they disembarked the train, Arlene spotted Sage's mother, Paloma had told her that she was coming home for Christmas but she had completely forgotten.

Sage's mother looked exactly like Sage, the same untamable curls but hers were much longer, tied and twisted into perfect dreadlocks and put up in a high bun, her eyes were the same dark brown but hers were sharper and more focused, she was still in her military uniform and was standing with two other people, Paloma and Sage's dad.

Sage's dad who, as part of the British Army, is supposed to still be in Africa offering Humanitarian Aid.

It was clear that Arlene was not the only one who was surprised as she let out a high pitched squeal and ran at her dad.

Unlike her mother, Sage looked nothing like her dad, he had fair skin, short fawn hair, hazel eyes, was well built and, like Sage's mom, wearing his military uniform.

While the little family of three reunited, Paloma, wearing a pencil skirt and a blazer over a white blouse, threw her arms around her daughter and squeezed the life out of her.

Arlene protested and tried to get out of the hug, but there was no use as her mother continued to hold on while the other family reunited as well.

Finally, Paloma let go, but not before running her hand through her daughter's hair and ruffled it, then chuckled when Arlene yelled in horror.

"Mom! Do you know how long this took to make?" Arlene groaned as she grabbed her mother's bag and started to dig for a mirror.

Paloma shook her head "Blacks and their obsession with their hair."

She wasn't wrong, after all, Blacks were overly dramatic as well, seeing as Arlene was too upset in the morning and had just pulled it into a ponytail without looking in the mirror, but still.

Her mother rolled her eyes at her daughter "Oh come on, I missed you."

"I don't think my hair could say the same."

Paloma, her eyes bright, black hair falling softly on her shoulders and her pale skin showing a hint of pink, burst out laughing at her melodramatic daughter.

Arlene, who had the enchanted mirror floating in front of her as she redid her hair, glared at her mother, which only made her laugh even harder. "Here, let me do it."

The train station was still full, some people hadn't even gotten off the train yet and Arlene really just wanted to leave and collapse on her bed, but she let her mother do it nevertheless.

Just as Paloma finished the braid, Sage crashed into Arlene and hugged her tight, "See you on Christmas."

Arlene nodded as Paloma gave one last smile the family, and with a CRACK, they were gone.

The house pretty much looked the same, the door was on the right wall, on its left was the tiny kitchen and in front of it was the table, on the left on the door was Paloma's room, In front of it on the left wall was Arlene's room, beside it was a fireplace and beside that was the bathroom and a closet.