'Dad we're too late!', she groaned.

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked down at her. 'Everything will be fine and if we're really too late I'll send Dumbledore an owl.'

Marilyn sighed, of course if they're too late her dad will just send an owl to Dumbledore and everything will be fine. It was sometimes really unnerving, that her father was an Auror. She rarely found friends, cause everyone feared that she'd tell her father if they'd do something wrong.

It was her 6th year at Hogwarts and she still has no friends. Well of course the girls in her dormitory were all very nice, but still not her friends.
But now started a new year and maybe it'll be better than the last. Maybe she'll finally find friends and maybe she'll get an award for her good marks or play in the Hufflepuff quidditch team as her brothers did for their house.

But her brothers were the good boys of the family, they're always the one who got the most attention from her parents and they were the great Gryffindor boys...
She was the youngest of three and just had two brothers who were both in Gryffindor, only she has broken the family tradition.

'As I said, we're right on time.', said her father.

She rolled her eyes. 'Okay Dad. You're right. Well I'll get onto the train. See you at Christmas or next summer holidays.'

Her father nodded and gave her a kiss on her cheeks. 'See you then and send us an owl now and then.' She nodded and searched for an empty spot on the train.

She stared out of the window, the door opened after a while and a girl entered.

'Um would you mind if I sit down here?', she asked.

Marilyn shook her head.

'I'm Lily. Lily Evans' said the girl.

'I know.' Marilyn smiled 'I'm Marilyn Shacklebolt.'

'Your father is an Auror right?'

Marilyn sighed and nodded.

Lily looked thoughtfully out of the window.

'No offence, but why aren't you with your friends? I normally see you with James, Remus, Sirius and Peter.'

Lily smiled. 'That's why I'm not with them. I'm always with them, but I think I need some girl friends. But sadly my roommates don't want to be friends with me, cause to be honest they're all jealous.'

Marilyn laughed. 'Better they're jealous than they're afraid of what your father could do.'

Lily frowned. 'Really? That's cruel.'

Marilyn shrugged. 'Oh well I got used to it now. It's like that over the last five years.'

'Oh you're in the 6th year too?' Lily asked, surprised

'Really? Don't you ever notice someone else than James and so? We have Herbology together.' Marilyn laughed.

Lily looked apologetically at her. 'Now you see why I don't have any girl friends. Honestly I need a bit of a change, being together with boys the whole time, can be sometimes really boring.'

'Well I think it's much more interesting than being in the library the whole time.', said Marilyn dully.

Marilyn put out her book and started reading.

'Oh look there's the castle!', said Lily finally.

'It's like coming home, isn't it?'

'Yes indeed. I'm nowhere else as happy as I'm at Hogwarts.', she said.

It was a real scramble when they all got out of the train. Lily and Marilyn went to the carriages and when they passed the enormous gameskeeper, Hagrid he waved at Lily.

'Nice holiday Lil?'

'Yes really nice thanks Hagrid! I'll tell you later.'

'You know him?', Marilyn asked curious.

'Yes I often help him with his 'pets' you know.'

Marilyn nodded.

'Ah I love these carriages, which are pulled by nothing.', sighed Lily when they sat down.

They aren't pulled by nothing, but no one knows that, thought Mari. She was one of the rare people who really know what pulled the carriages. That Thestrals were pulling them and that in order to see them, one would have to witness death.
They parted company now and Marilyn once again was alone with her Hufflepuff roommates.

'Welcome at Hogwarts my dear students.' Dumbledore greeted them all. 'Now the sorting is done, I have to make some announcements: As always the Forbidden Forest is still forbidden for all of you students, but we're also having to reduce your time for being outside. You have to be back in the castle by 10o'clock as opposed to the former time of midnight. Hard times are upon us, and we all have your safety in mind!'

The whole year 3-7 groaned loudly. It was not a problem for the younger students to be back at ten, but especially the students of year 6 and 7 liked it to be at the Three Broomsticks until midnight. 'I know I know it's not what you like to hear, but it's just for your own good. But now let us enjoy the feast!'

I wonder what happened', said a familiar voice, Marilyn turned around.

'Are you asking me, Lily?', she said.

'Um yes.' said Lily. 'So what do you think, why the sudden 10 o'clock curfew.'

'Oh well I think it's obvious. Voldemort is getting more and more powerful. His Death Eaters are so dangerous and they're everywhere. I think Dumbledore did right to reduce the time.' said Marilyn.

'Seems logical. You really are a clever girl Marilyn, I'm wondering why you are a Puff and not a Ravenclaw.', Lily winked at her.

'Actually I had a hatstall, cause the Sorting Head couldn't decide whether to put me into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Oh and please call me Mari, I don't like my full name.'

'Okay Mari, see you in Herbology then!', Lily waved at her and went up the stairs to her common room.

Mari went to her own common room, she tapped the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff', which made the lid swing open and entered the common room.

'Hi Mari, nice holiday?', asked Hayley one of Mari's roommates, when she entered the dormitory.

'Yeah thanks, we went to France and had a really nice time.' she smiled.

'Sounds good.', said Hayley shyly.

The hours passed by and Mari was still wide awake. She rolled around in her bed, trying to get comfortable. Finally, she sighed and got out of her bed. She put on her dressing gown and left the dormitory.

Even though it was forbidden, she left the common room and snuck out of the castle.

She took a deep breath of the fresh air. She felt much better now, since she was outside. Mari went across the ground right into the Forbidden Forest. She never feared the forest, she knew of most of the creatures who lived in here and she learned if she left them alone, they'd leave her alone too.

She went deeper and deeper into the forest until she came to a clearing.

More than reading a good book, she loved it to lay down on the ground and to look into the stars at night. That was one of the rare moments when she was happy.

Suddenly the clouds darkened and it became colder. Mari stood up and looked around her. 'Hello? Is somebody there?' She had the horrible feeling that someone was watching her.

Suddenly, a branch snapped in nearby bushes as someone stepped through the trees onto the clearing.

A/N: Everything belongs to JK Rowling except Marilyn and the storyline.

I'd love to hear what you think about the story, so please review. :) If you like it and want to keep up with the story, follow. :)