Break Starts
Friday December 17, 1971
The Hogwarts Express was emitting a great amount of steam, and Marlene blinked her eyes repeatedly to prevent the gas from entering her eyes. She turned to the side to glance at Mary, who was also staring up at the train. Her coily hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her teeth were completely shown as she was grinning.
It was Christmas break for the Hogwarts students, and they were returning home for the holidays. Marlene was glad to be taking a break from classes, but she dreaded returning to her previous life void of magic and excitement.
She knew this year's Christmas would just be spent around the tree opening the small amount of presents they gifted one another. Then they’d eat a homemade meal, tell each other Happy Christmas, and Marlene would go up to her room to sleep. She also would spend her break without Mary, which made it even worse.
They heard the train let out a hoot, and knew it was time for them to board. The two girls entered the train and searched the aisles for an empty compartment. Eventually, at the back of the train, they found Emmeline sitting alone.
Marlene shot Mary an odd look. Mary shrugged, seemingly just as confused. Emmeline was friends with many people, and Marlene knew she was closer to one of her Ravenclaw dorm mates than both Marlene and Mary. This didn’t bother Marlene, because she knew she was closer to Mary, too. But then why was Emmeline sitting alone?
Mary knocked on the window of the door, and Emmeline jerked her head to the side. Once she spotted her friends, she beamed, gesturing them inside. Mary slid the door open and Marlene followed as she entered, sitting across from the curly haired girl.
“Why are you sitting alone?” Mary asked Emmeline, her brows furrowed. “Did you not have anyone to sit by?”
“I knew you two would be looking everywhere for a compartment, so I saved one for us,” Emmeline told them, shrugging. Marlene felt honored that someone held a compartment for her. “Besides, I have a proposition to make.”
“And what’s that?” Marlene questioned. She felt her stomach rumble. She hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning. She was in too much of a rush packing last minute and getting ready for her to worry about food. Now, she regretted her decision of procrastination, and hoped the trolley would come around.
“We should make it a tradition to sit by one another every train ride,” Emmeline offered timidly, a smile on her face. “We sat by each other on the way to Hogwarts our first time, so I think we should sit by each other every time, just for good luck.”
“I like that,” Mary said slowly, nodding. Emmeline breathed out, a relieved smile on her face. Marlene nodded in agreement with Mary. “We can always meet up in this one, since no one wants to sit in the back. That’s so good, Em!”
Emmeline smiled at her graciously, and the girl turned to look at Marlene. “What do you think, Marls?”
“I love it.” Marlene said, grinning. She looked over at Mary, her mouth wide and teeth flashing them all, dimples poking at her cheeks. Marlene felt herself unable to look away until Mary’s grin faded.
“So, Marls, I have a question,” Emmeline started, and she bit her lip, a mannerism of hers that signalled she was thinking deeply. “How come wizards celebrate Christmas? I mean, they don’t believe in God or practice any branch of Christianity. Like, I don’t celebrate Christmas. I thought they were going to keep me at Hogwarts because of it, but then Flitwick told me wizards don’t practice religion.”
“I was wondering that too, actually,” Mary admitted, nodding her head. “My family is a bit religious, we believe in God and stuff, but what’s up with wizards and celebrating Christmas? I just chose not to say anything.”
“Oh, well, I don’t know,” Marlene shrugged. Truthfully, she’d never thought about it like that. She’d been way too old when she found out Christmas was meant to celebrate Jesus. “I guess it kind of just became… a thing. I'm sure many non religious muggles celebrate Christmas, right?”
“Well, yeah.” Emmeline nodded.
“So, it’s like that,” Marlene assumed, attempting to sound well informed to impress them. “Not really any reason, we just want to be festive.”
The two girls nodded as though Marlene had just taught them something very important; as though Marlene were their teacher, and she just educated them and warned it would be on their exams. Marlene shifted awkwardly in her seat, and Mary brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. It was silent for a few moments, before they slowly made shallow conversation.
The train ride was a long one; the trolley did come eventually, and Marlene had bought way more than her mother would’ve approved of, but she ignored the feeling of rue as she feasted with her friends. They talked a little more, before Mary fell asleep, Emmeline following soon after.
Marlene stared out the window as her friends occupied themselves with rest. Snow was coating each thing they passed, a frosting over the usual glowing green grass, a glaze on the rooftops of buildings. Winter was beautiful to Marlene, but summer was just too blissful for any other season to compare.
Summer was filled with blooming flowers, waking up early to the smell of the dew on the grass, practicing Quidditch with Danny, and Marlene’s birthday. There was ice cream, shorts and tank tops, riding bikes (Marlene had just learned how last year and she absolutely loved it), and taking long walks daily to escape her dull, tense house. It was a season blessed with freedom, and Marlene felt just as womanly as the plants whenever summer rolled around.
Marlene felt nothing but pure joy when the season arrived; however, she supposed this summer would be different, for she would be separated from Mary and would have to deal with living a life without magic for two months.
Truthfully, Marlene was irritated that her mum forbade her from going to Mary’s for the holiday. Apparently, Mary had been writing to her mother about her new friends at Hogwarts- specifically Marlene, since they spent nearly all day together- and Mrs. MacDonald had told her daughter to invite Marlene over for the holiday; at least for only a few days.
The two girls were thrilled at Mary’s mother’s news, and had immediately gone to write to Marlene’s mother, asking for permission to attend Mary. Her mum wrote back a day later.
Marlene,
I would prefer you to not go to your friend’s house for the holidays. I understand you’re excited about meeting new people, but Christmas is a family event, and you shall spend it with family. I think this is only fair. Besides, I haven’t met Mary or her parents yet, and I do not know if they can be trusted. And no, not even for a few days. Danny finally got time off of work and he missed you dearly, as did me and Robert.
Please write to Mary’s mother and thank her for inviting you, but apologize for declining her request. Then thank Mary. Maybe you two can meet up over the summer?
From, Mum
Marlene knew her mother was trying to learn more and bigger words to start sounding as though she were more of an intellect, hoping to get a new job as a secretary. She had been practicing on Marlene since the school year started, and it began to sound more like she was her business partner and less like she was her mother.
She also knew Robert didn’t miss her one bit, but that didn’t bother her whatsoever. He loathed Marlene’s presence, and she wasn’t sure why he married her mother if he despised Marlene so much. He was always yelling at her, always lecturing her for something, always ignoring her or making her feel stupid when she questioned something or did something wrong at dinner.
He was always telling her to stop being so sensitive, and hated when she sat with him and watched television. When Marlene had first gotten Whiskey, the cat misbehaved constantly. Robert usually ignored it, occasionally making the comment “like owner, like pet,” and death staring the animal down. But once, when Marlene was home alone with Robert, Whiskey had jumped up on the counter and knocked over Robert’s favorite mug, and he’d gripped the cat so tightly Marlene was sure it was suffocating. Marlene kept pleading for him to release, and he did, chucking it across the floor and the cat sliding fearfully.
Whiskey avoided Robert from that day forward.
Mary knew Marlene’s stepdad was a sensitive topic for her, and she knew the mention of her biological father was even worse. Marlene had consulted her best friend multiple times about the situation. Mary never judged or made any comments; she just listened, and Marlene couldn’t be more grateful for that.
Marlene would sneak into Mary’s bed late at night, especially after she’d gotten a letter from home, and cast a silencing spell so Lily wouldn’t wake up from their chatter.
Then Marlene would start ranting, and Mary would sit there, listening intently as she nodded her head and held onto Marlene’s hands so tightly that it brought coldness when she let go. At the end, Marlene would usually be crying, and Mary would be holding her gently, reassuring words whispered into the night air. Marlene would devour these phrases as though it were her last meal; they were her only motivation.
Mary tended to have this effect on people. She could make them feel so good about themselves, so smart or beautiful or just worth it. And she listened so well, and she always knew the right thing to say. Marlene always sat there, begging for Mary to share vulnerable words of her own. Because Marlene felt guilty venting constantly, and Mary just listened every time. But she just guaranteed that she was feeling good, that she had nothing negative to share. Marlene hoped deeply that was true.
Her thoughts were cut off as the train slowed down and approached the Platform. She looked out the train and could see the parents of students, all lined up to witness their arrival.
Marlene turned to her two friends, shaking them awake. Emmeline woke up easily, grabbing her luggage, eager to see her family. Mary swatted her off, as she did whenever Marlene disrupted her sleep. Marlene shook harder, and eventually pushed her off the bench. With a glare, Mary leisurely stood up and grabbed her trunks. The girls escorted the train behind the rest of the Hogwarts students.
Emmeline instantly spotted her parents in the crowd and waved enthusiastically. She turned to her two friends, hugged them both, bid her goodbyes, and left.
Marlene turned to look at Mary, who had just spotted her family. She grabbed Marlene’s hand and turned to her excitedly.
“I want you to meet them,” Mary said, an earnest look in her eyes. “They’ve heard so much about you, and I’m sure they’d like to meet you if you’re visiting next summer.”
“Alright,” Marlene nodded, no hesitation occurring. “Where are they?”
Mary tightened her grip on Marlene’s hand and started to run, dragging Marlene behind her.
Mary’s family was a large one; her dad was a tall man, bald, and a beard growing on his face. His skin was dark, his eyes were round and brown, and he had an easy look on him.
His wife, Mrs. MacDonald, was a tall and thin woman. Her skin was more of a brown color than her husband’s, silky, loose curls reaching right below her ears. She had a long, green dress on, and white heels that made her at least two inches taller.
Mary’s siblings were all there, too; her older sister had long, black coily curls that reached down to her lower back, a bandana holding them back from her face. Her skin was lighter than Mary’s, her lips bigger, her hips wider, but their eyes were identical. She was wearing a tight orange skirt that reached her mid thigh and a cropped pink and orange turtleneck that matched.
She was just as beautiful as Mary, but there was a way about Mary that no one could really replicate. It made her special amongst all others, and Marlene couldn’t explain it. Although, she was still gorgeous, and her youth was evident in her looks; it was her final year of school before she headed off to university. Mary was constantly anxious about her sister moving away, consulting Marlene on occasion, but then again, hadn’t she done the same herself?
Her brother was shorter than their dad, but his pants made him look seven feet tall. They were red slacks and a grey and white polo, dark brown boots on his feet, his face in a wide grin. His teeth were a blinding white, and passing teenage girls stared and giggled with their friends as they passed him. His hair was buzzed, and he kept sliding his hand across his head as he stood waiting. He was gorgeous, too. How was Mary so blessed with such a stunning family?
And then there was a little girl, Mary’s sister. Her hand held tightly onto her brother’s, and she looked as though she were ready to take a nap right there. Her hair was pulled back into two small pigtails, and she was wearing a heavy striped jumper with tight black trousers. She looked just like Mr. MacDonald.
“Mary, dear!” Mrs. MacDonald exclaimed, running up to her daughter and trapping her in a bone crushing hug. Mary was laughing, her grip on her mother tight, the material of her dress crinkled in Mary’s hands.
It was a long time as Mary and her mother embraced, and then Mary slowly let go, moving onto her father, who grinned and wrapped an arm around her. He whispered a private message to his daughter, and Mary’s lips spread greatly, and he released her with a pat on her back.
“Come here, Mary! I can’t wait any longer!” Her sister then shouted, ushering Mary into her arms. They all laughed, and then Mary’s brother dragged their little sister with him as he hugged Mary. The little girl joined, too, and it was such a loving embrace as they all giggled, Marlene nearly forgot she wasn’t watching a reunion on the television.
The MacDonalds’ love for each other was something that Marlene had never witnessed before, something she watched in awe as they expressed themselves openly to one another. Their love was fresh and clean; it was new, like the children were just born, and the parents smothered them immeasurably. They held each other so dearly, looked at each other so passionately. It was a love that seemed just born, but had been living for decades.
Marlene knew her mother and Danny loved her; there was no doubt in her mind about it. The McKinnons’ love for each other was worn down and rusty. They supported each other, carrying their love through tough times, but this affection has been through so much, it wasn’t as perceptible as it should’ve been. They have carried each other through such difficult periods, their backs were aching and their knees were ready to give out. They proceeded to put up with the pain, still put on their glasses for detection. It was always a challenge, but they always managed. Marlene just didn’t want her love to be something to have to manage anymore.
While the MacDonald family’s love was a rosey pink, vehement and powerful, crisp and zealous, the McKinnon family’s love was a deep brown; dependable and secure, real and resilient, but it was also lonely and vast.
Whenever Marlene was back at her house, it was similar to walking through hills. Healthy, green grass, beautiful landscaping scoping the area, miles and miles of clean air emitting from all the blossoming trees, miles of green hills and land, of blue sky and a bright sun. But it was a vacant landscape, void of humans or insects or animals. She was isolated from all interactions, any adoration she might receive from her mother or brother. Mary didn’t seem to have this feeling of emptiness.
But Marlene wasn’t jealous of Mary; the girl deserved every ounce of love and affection she received from her family. She was so good to Marlene, so understanding, so forgiving. Mary was the most important person in Marlene’s life. She wouldn’t be able to stand it if Mary felt she was lacking a love she so clearly merited.
“Hello, you must be Marlene,” Marlene was snapped out of her thoughts, looking up to see Mrs. MacDonald speaking to her, the rest of the family watching her. “I’m Mary’s mother, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“And you,” Marlene smiled sweetly, offering her hand to the woman, who shook it gratefully. “Mary only ever talks highly of you.”
“Oh, I hope so!” Mrs. MacDonald exclaimed teasingly, sneaking a look back at Mary, who laughed. Mrs. MacDonald blushed, though, and a satisfied grin set itself on her face. “Mary talks like you’re the best person in the world-“
“Mum!” Mary cut her off, grabbing her hand. Mrs. MacDonald laughed.
“And this is my husband, Keith.” Mrs. MacDonald stated. He stuck out his hand, gripping Marlene’s tightly, his hold warm and fatherly. He smiled happily at her.
“I’m Mary’s sister, Tiana,” the older girl said, repeating her parents’ actions. “I wish you could’ve stayed by us, we would’ve loved to get to know you.”
“I wish so, too,” Marlene admitted. “Christmas at my house is so boring.”
“That’s a bummer, the holidays are always fun for us,” Mary’s brother grinned, his white teeth nearly making Marlene wince. “I’m Michael, but you can just call me Mikey.”
“And this is Andrea, but she’s a little shy,” Tiana said, gesturing to the little girl. At the mention of her name, Andrea tightened her hold on Mikey’s hand and hid behind his legs. “Come out, Dre. No reason to hide.”
“Leave her be, she’s tired,” Mrs. MacDonald scolded, clicking her tongue as Tiana let out a low chuckle. The mother then turned to Marlene. “Where are you parents? Maybe we can talk them into letting you visit over break.”
“Oh, yeah!” Marlene agreed, glancing at Mary excitedly. Her best friend’s face matched her own, and Marlene immediately began scanning the crowd for her mum.
She saw Emmeline with her family; she’d seen many pictures of them, especially Marwa, Emmeline’s little sister. They looked exactly alike.
She saw Lily, who’s sister refused to look at her, and Lily looked incredibly disheartened as her parents smothered her in kisses and hugs.
Then there was Sirius Black, his family all displaying scowls upon their faces. They all looked very similar, especially Sirius and his younger brother. The boy had shorter but incredibly curly black hair. They all held a certain complexion on them, their olive skin as pale as possible, similar to a vampire’s. Their chins were held high with superiority, but Sirius Black looked frightened instead of his usual arrogance. His mother was speaking to him quickly, before she grabbed him by the end of his sleeve and dragged him behind her as the Black family stormed off.
Then Marlene spotted who awaited her arrival.
It was Danny, his tall frame coming into view, his head of messy dirty blonde hair visible above all the others. He was alone. Neither her mother nor her stepfather had shown up for her. They hadn’t seen her in four and a half months, yet they couldn’t have been bothered to show up. Marlene was discontented with the circumstance she was in frequently. She was sure they had a good reason for their absence.
She grabbed Mary’s hand and pointed to Danny over the crowd, and the two girls rushed over to him, the MacDonald family following close behind. Once Danny spotted her, he smiled largely, and his shoulders dropped from the tense position they were in.
“Marlene!” He greeted, his calloused hand clutching her shoulder in a tight grip. The McKinnons weren’t really the hugging type. “Oh, I missed you!”
“I’ve missed you, too,” Marlene said, a smile on her face. It barely reached her eyes. She thought her mother would’ve been there to greet her, but at least they didn’t completely forget about her. They sent Danny. Mary squeezed Marlene’s hand a bit, and she turned to face her, then looked back at her brother. “Danny, this is my best friend, Mary.”
Danny grinned. “Hello, Mary. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Really?” Mary smirked, sending a glance to Marlene. She felt herself blushing. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too. It’s very nice to meet you. My mum was wondering-“
“No way!” A boyish voice shouted from across the platform. Marlene sent an alarmed look at Mary, who matched her expression, and they both faced the way the voice boomed from. There, staring at the three of them with an amazed face, was James Potter. He grinned, running up to them. “Your brother is Danny McKinnon?! How come you never told me?!”
Marlene laughed sheepishly. “It never came up, I guess.”
“You knew this whole time how much I loved Quidditch and it never crossed your mind to tell me your brother was a famous Quidditch player?” James asked rhetorically, although he didn’t look or sound mad. Instead, he was beaming from ear to ear, and he was staring up at Danny in awe. Her brother was staring at Marlene suspiciously.
“James, what are you doing?” A woman asked, walking up behind James and placing both of her hands on his shoulders. A man appeared next to her, his smile wide. “Are you bothering these poor girls?”
“No, Mum!” James denied, heaving a sigh, and the woman chuckled, kissing his cheek sweetly. “This is-“
“Danny McKinnon!” The man bellowed, an impressed look forming upon his face. Danny raised his brows and grinned. The man extended his hand forward, and Danny accepted it greatly, shaking his hand. “I’m Fleamont Potter. Very nice to meet you, young man. You’re an excellent player.”
“I appreciate it so much, Mr. Potter, thank you,” Danny said sincerely. Mary was giggling at Marlene’s side, and she realized they were still holding hands. Marlene didn’t let go; Mary’s hand was nice and warm, and it was comforting. “Pleasure to meet you, as well.”
“I’m Euphemia, nice to meet you” the woman said kindly, shaking Danny’s hand as well. “Will your daughter be playing Quidditch, too?”
“Oh, he’s not my dad,” Marlene replied quickly, shaking her head. “He’s my brother.”
“Yes, she will,” Danny confirmed. “This is Marlene.”
“Nice to meet you, Marlene,” Mr. and Mrs. Potter said. Euphemia turned to Mary and looked her in the eyes. “And what’s your name?”
“I’m Mary,” she said, her tone strong and confident. “I’m Marlene’s friend.”
James started making eager conversation with Danny about Quidditch, Fleamont quickly joining in. The MacDonald family came over, introducing themselves to the Potters, and soon it was a large gathering of families speaking about Quidditch and school.
Fleamont and Euphemia looked fairly old to be parents of someone so young. Euphemia had brown skin with dark freckles coating her body all over. Her hair was long and black, tied back into a bun, and it was clear it was graying at the roots a bit. She was offering everyone within a mile of her a warm, bright smile. She was clearly the comforting mother figure Marlene didn’t really know.
James seemed to be the exact replica of his father; Fleamont was an average sized man, with skin darker than his wife’s, and instead of freckles, slight wrinkles appeared on the edges of his body. He wore black framed glasses on his arched nose and his eyes were round and brown. His hair was black and tousled on his head, just like James, but instead was graying, too. He had a mustache under his nose and above his lip, which matched his hair, a black with gray.
“Well, Danny,” Mrs. MacDonald started, turning to the boy, pulling her husband with her, “we were thinking that Marlene could stay with us for a bit of the holiday? Unfortunately, your mother isn’t here to discuss this decision with us, but it would be fine if she could stay any time at all. We would be more than glad to have her.”
Marlene turned to Mary excitedly, their grip on one another’s hand tightening. Please, Marlene silently begged, eyes watching Danny nervously.
“You guys are very nice,” Danny said, smiling at them. They let out small, flattered laughs. “But my mum said she preferred if Marlene stayed home this year. My apologies, Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald, but we appreciate the invite.”
Marlene felt herself deflate, and Mary loosened her hand in Marlene’s.
“Oh,” Mrs. MacDonald said with a sigh, disappointment evident. “Well, hopefully next time.”
“We should get going, though.” Mr. MacDonald chimes in from beside her, and she nodded her head in agreement.
“Yes, but it was a pleasure to meet you all!” The parents and Danny were all bidding goodbyes and shaking hands, laughs and jokes ringing in the air as they prepared for departure. James said his goodbyes to Marlene and Mary, and the Potters were off. The MacDonalds were still speaking to Danny, and Marlene turned to Mary and tackled her in a devastating hug. From an outsider’s point of view, it must look like they wouldn’t see each other for years.
“I’m gonna miss you,” Marlene whispered in Mary’s ear. “Write to me, please?”
“Obviously,” Mary agreed instantly, burying her head into Marlene’s blonde hair. Marlene gripped the girl’s tight shirt. “I’m gonna miss you, too.”