chapter two
That night in bed Marigold tossed and turned, her thoughts completely enraptured with the thoughts and memories of her time at Hogwarts with Remus and Sirius. She let these lovely memories drift back to her as dreams.
Marigold Noble was a half-blood wizard, born to a muggle father, Oslo Noble, and a full-blood mother, Cressida Apostolos. She had a younger brother, Alexander, who was the exact male version of her.
Both of the Noble siblings were Gryffindors, charming, and mischievous at heart. They had dark brown wavy hair, olive skin with freckled cheekbones, and eyes of pale green.
Alexander was two years behind his sister, but they managed to play on their house quidditch teams at the same time. Alexander was a great keeper, while Marigold was a much smoother beater.
Marigold shared a dorm with three other girls as a teenager, Lily, Marlene and Dorcas. The four found themselves extremely close, but archetypes were evident. Lily was the perfectly put-together grade-A student who also happened to look like a supermodel, and Marlene was a more outgoing spin on the good girl. She was a people person with peppy, refined manners. A true girl next-door type.
Dorcas was slightly shy but kind and gentle as a flower and with the help of some fire whisky or weed, a great creative. Marigold was the resident tomboy. She had a grungier image, played quidditch, and smoked lots of grass.
She hadn’t always been attractive, and in fact, one might even have declared her as an ugly duckling. She looked like a boy right up until she was fifteen, chest flat as a board and teeth too big for her smile.
Marigold had gone to stay with her grandparents for the summer break before that fifth year. She spent it on their boat, swimming during the day and reading spell books or studying the stars with her grandparents at night. They drank strong espresso and ate lots of fruit.
Something about that bohemian summer had transformed her into something of a goddess herself. At least, this is what Remus and Sirius had always believed.
When she stepped off the train to Hogwarts, clad in ripped-at-the-knee bell bottoms and a striped sweater she blew the boys away.
“Whoa, Mooney, hottie at four o clock,” Padfoot shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand so he could take a longer look at his familiar classmate.
“When did that happen?” Remus swallowed thickly, his gaze set on the same subject.
“Who are we checking out?” Peter looked around the crowd.
“Marigold Noble, man,” Remus sighed.
“She definitely…developed,” Sirius noted.
“You nerds, go talk to her,” James quaffed. “It’s still the same bird that we’ve been seeing since we were eleven,”
“Easy for you to talk, how’s wooing Evans?” Sirius rolled his eyes, and the boys' attentions were thrown back on teasing James.
Marigold suddenly became a woman in their teenage boy minds, and the two long-haired marauders began shamelessly staring at her in class. She had become so fascinating for some reason, and no one else seemed to realize it.
“She’s so dreamy, you’re just delusional,” Remus sighed at Peter one night in the great hall for supper.
“No, be happy you don’t have to compete with me for her,” Peter shook his head of blonde hair.
“Yeah you’ve only got to deal with me, easy,” Sirius boasted generously.
“You two cannot compete for the attention of one girl,” James for once was the sound reason.
“No, it’s not competition,” Sirius agreed.
“Yet!” Remus grinned.
Down the table, Marigold was hearing Dorcas gush about a crush on their quiet Slytherin classmate Romeo Kasson. Marigold sat between Dorcas and Lily, and across from them sat Marlene, Alexander, and his suspiciously close friend, William Berkley.
“I just feel like we’d actually get each other, you know?” She craned her neck to glimpse at the blue-eyed boy a couple of tables away.
“Yeah but he’s friends with Malfoy,” Marlene wrinkled her nose.
“He seems sensitive and smart,” Dorcas sighed dreamily. “He’s my dream boy.”
“I bet Kasson’s a hopeless romantic, just like you,” Marigold hummed.
“What’s your ideal man then, Mar?” Lily tested.
“Hm, simple, a man who worships and adores me from the get-go,” Marlene swung her feet under the table as she gossiped. “Someone so head over heels for me it’s embarrassing for them, like James for you Lils!”
“Shut up,” Lily rolled her eyes but blushed nonetheless.
“Is James secretly your dream man?” Marigold pressed, an insinuating eyebrow raised.
“No! I mean, he’s gotten less…insufferable…but he’s still much too arrogant! I’d prefer a guy with some heroism, someone humble and brave!”
“Ooh, good choice, dear,” Marigold nodded.
“How about yours?” Dorcas knocked her knee with her long-haired friend next to her.
“Any dude that can make me laugh, honestly,” Marigold smiled, bashful now that she was in the spotlight. “Maybe someone I was friends with before it gets romantic, so there’s trust.”
“Any specific ladies for you lot?” Dorcas smiled at her best friend's little brother and classmate on her right.
Alexander’s eyes shot wide and he glanced nervously back at William quickly. William coughed awkwardly and shook his head slowly. Before any of the older girls could push further another male’s voice interrupted the conversation.
“Evans! Find me after dinner?” James suddenly shouted over the bustle.
The group of four girls cringed and giggled.
“Eat your heart out, Potter!” Marigold called back and threw an arm around the ginger next to her to push his buttons and take away from her friend’s embarrassment.