One thing you should know about me before we start this story is that I'm extraordinarily unextraordinary. My brother and I live in an unextraordinary white house in Dover. I have an unextraordinary owl named Dharma. My hair is an unextraordinary shade of shit brown. My father is extremely unextraordinary. Yeah, so I feel like you're getting the point. Really the only thing remotely extraordinary thing about me is my twin brother, Mason. Mason is the epitome of everything I'm not. He's good looking, smart, funny, kind, and athletic. It's ridiculous, but now back to the story.
This dreary September morning was one of the few days I looked forward to. Even though I had been looking forward to today for months, I still loathed getting out of bed. As soon as I had gotten myself out of bed, pulled on my shorts, sneakers, and my favorite navy sweater, and yanked my trunks downstairs, it was already 9:45 and it took an hour to drive into london. Damn.
"MASON GET YOUR LAZY ARSE DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND OR I'LL LEAVE YOU. I SWEAR I WILL." The next thing I heard was Mason's trunks tumbling down the stairs with Mason and his owl, Karma, in hot pursuit.
"Hurry up, you arsehole. I'm not risking my education on your inability to be punctual." I yelled back at my older sibling while I dragged my luggage out to the family car. I was so excited to get to Kings Cross I could hardly bear it. I had been waiting to come home for months.
Mason and I have been coming to Kings Cross for the past five years and I firmly believe that no matter how much time passes, the train station will always smell the same. The mixture of gasoline, asphalt, and burning rubber was repulsive at first, but after coming here so often the smell became friendly. I grabbed trolleys for Mason and myself and started to leave before I was reeled into a family hug. You forgot your own father you complete and utter toerag.
"Alright mes cheris," Although my Papa has lived in England for years now, his french often leaks through. He quickly tightened his arms around us and then let us turn to face him, "I want you both to study extra hard this year, bien? Mason, you stay out of trouble!" Mason rolls his eyes and Papa quickly smacks him upside the head "I am serious! If I hear of another incident at school I will make sure you never see a quidditch field again!" His threat must've terrified Mase, because he quickly straightened himself up and obediently nodded at our Papa. Before I could comment on how much of a pussy my brother was Papa turned to me with a sad smile on his face. "Margot, will you promise me that you will find your people?"
"My people? Papa, you and Mase are my people. Who else do I need?" I figured these words would make my dear father, happy but he didn't seem to like them.
"Mon Cherie, we all have two families: the one we are born into and the one that we find ourselves. Promise me that you will find your people? I can't bear seeing you so lonely." I have plenty of friends! Well I don't have that many friends but I sure as hell am NOT lonely! But before I could protest his last comment, Papa put a finger on my lips. "Margot, do not talk back to me. Just nod your head to promise me that you will at least try to find your people." I silently nodded. Papa flashed me a bright, white, toothy smile "Ah, you are wonderful!" He quickly kisses me and Mason on our foreheads. "Hurry along, mes amores, I would hate for you to miss your train! I love you both dearly!" I followed Mason as we ran towards the train. I lose Mason to the crowd, but before I can follow him to the luggage car I turn around to see my Papa. Though only forty, his salt and pepper hair and smile wrinkles make him seem so much older. He was a handsome man when he smiled, but he mostly looked sad and forlorn. I felt bad for leaving Papa sometimes. With Mason and I gone most of the year Papa must get so lonely. All of his friends live in Marseilles and Mama died a long time ago. I frowned. Maybe Papa should get a cat.
WOOT WOOT
The loud noise of the train whistle, signifying that I had little time left to board the Hogwarts Express, caught me completely off guard. I turned away from Papa and shoved my things into the luggage compartment: trolley and all. I sprinted to board the train. I luckily hopped on right as the the train really started to pick up speed. Oh thank Godric. If I had missed the train I would have killed myself. As much as I love my Papa, spending any more time with him than I had to would be detrimental to my health.
"Em!" I quickly spun around to see my brother motioning for me to join him. I pushed through the small crowd of young witches and wizards waving to their families. Once I reached him Mason pulled me into a compartment. "Sit with me, lil sis." Mase flashed me a smile almost perfectly mirroring our father's.
"Do not call me 'lil sis' and for your information I am barely four minutes younger than you!" I'm not even all that little either. I'm 5 foot 3. I may be a bit on the short side but I am NOT little. Mason put his hands up in an I-surrender sort of fashion. I quickly pushed past him and plopped down in a window seat. So far Mason and I were the only ones in the compartment, which was surprising if you think about how late we were to get on the train. I knew that even though the compartment seemed empty now, it wouldn't be very soon. Now because Mason is smart, funny, handsome, kind, and athletic of course he had to be popular. It honestly just wasn't any fair. And because MY twin had to be popular, he couldn't have just been slightly popular, oh noooo, he had to be a part of the marauders! Of fucking course. I began to rub my temples. All this bitterness was giving me a headache.
Just as my headache crept away and the low rumbling of the moving train began to soothe me to sleep -
"YOU INSOLENT TOSSER" -Mason's friends had arrived. Two handsome, well built, dark haired boys who I know as James Potter and Sirius Black push their way into our compartment.
"I may be a tosser, my dear friend, but at least I'm not a FILTHY MANGY MU-" James' insult was cut off by a stealthy slap on the head by Remus. Sirius began to laugh but was also cut off by a slap.
"You are both insolent tossers and I have a headache. Now that thats all sorted can we sit down? Great. Thanks." Remus Lupin sighs at them and I can't help but to let out a giggle. Apparently no one had realized that they had an audience. Luckily Mason broke the ice.
"MATES!" Mason jumped out of the seat across from me and pretty much jumps straight on top of the marauders. All five of the boys collapse onto the floor in fits of laughter. I smiled. These were Mason's people. Even though they were bloody annoying they were a good fit for Mason. Remus began to weasle his way out from under the pile of testosterone and finds a seat beside me.
"Hi" He smiled at me and I immediately felt warm. His voice was smooth and soft. He made me feel safe. Although Remus wasn't as attractive as James, Sirius, or Mason, he was handsome. His light brown hair was ruffled and hung low a bit in his eyes. His eyes were clear and bright green. He was a very attractive boy.
"Hello" I smiled back at him, trying to go for a friendly and cute look which probably came out as a hideous grimace. Remus motioned towards the seat beside mine asking if I minded if he joined me. "Oh! Yes of course!" As soon as he sat beside me he flashed another smile and I felt calm. I wondered if he had this effect over everyone. Maybe I was just weak and helpless to the attention of the opposite sex. We both sat in a comfortable silence for a while as we watched the remaining marauders laugh and roll about on the floor.
"Moony! Tell me all about your summer! I want to know every last one of the gory details." Mason quickly turned his attention to the missing marauder. Remus shrugs and sighs. "I'm afraid there isn't much to tell really. I read some new books but thats all." All the marauders groan towards Remus.
"Ugh you sound like her!" Mason points at me with a look of disappointment. There really wasn't much to do in Dover. I didn't have any muggle friends and there were very few wizarding families there, so I read. I turned a bright shade of pink and looked to Remus. Damn now I was a complete nerd. This is wonderful. Just Peachy. I'll have to remind myself to thank Mason for continually reminding me that I was a loser. Remus just smiles at me.
"What do you read?" Relief flowed through my bones.
"Um well this Summer I read lots of Jane Austen.. nothing special." I gave him a shy smile. I hate being fucking shy. Damn it. Damn it straight to Hell.
"Really? Because I'm reading Pride and Prejudice but I'm completely lost. Would you mind explaining a bit to me?" I began to carefully explain the storyline of the book and the other boys became engrossed in a conversation filled with the amount of sex that Sirius and James got. Peter and Mason just laughed. One strange thing about Mason is that, despite all of is absolutely dazzling qualities, he can never hold onto a girl. I've heard theories that its because he's too intimidating for some girls, but to me it seems like he doesn't really try hard to hold on to any one girl. On the other hand, Peter's reasons for celibacy were obvious: his celibacy was not by his choice. I'm sure Peter had some sort of appealing quality but the Peter that I know is altogether distasteful.
He wasn't particularly unattractive he just wasn't in the least bit good-looking. In our five (almost six) years of schooling, I have never known Peter to be charming or clever. He is a short stubby little thing. Peter does no sports or any other activities other than somehow being a marauder. Maybe it is the fact that Peter has to compete with Sirius The Devilishly Handsome, Mason The Altogether Extraordinary, James The Incredibly Charming, and Remus The Spectacularly Clever. If that was the case then I could definitely sympathise. I fully understood what it was like to try and compete with Mason, to be the other twin, to be unextraordinary and live in the shadow of the extraordinary. I sighed. Poor Peter.