Disclaimer: the world of Harry Potter is rightfully owned by J.K. Rowling
The McKinnons were one of the wealthiest and most well-known families in the wizarding world. First, there was Alec McKinnon- owner of the Puddlemere United Quidditch team. Years ago, he played Chaser for the team until a knee injury forced him to quit. He was married to Castula McKinnon, a famous fashion designer, whose expensive and tasteful dress robes were always given the highest reviews by Witch Weekly. The iconic duo had two children: Marlene and Maxwell. To see the entire McKinnon family in such a common place like King's Cross station was often seen and treated as a big deal.
Typically, the first day of school is adored by the students of Hogwarts. For Marlene McKinnon, however, it was dreaded. So when she woke up on the first of September, she heaved a heavy sigh and stared at the cornflower blue walls of her bedroom, thinking. She wondered if she should be excited or sad, being that she was about to enter her final year at Hogwarts. She thought about the people who would stare at her when she boarded the train, the flashes of the cameras that her family would encounter. Anxiety bit at her stomach.
Reluctantly, Marlene threw back her bedsheets and trudged towards the French doors that led to the rest of the McKinnons' estate. She didn't bother to put on a robe or slippers, although she was sure her mother would prefer her fully dressed for the family breakfast.
She continued down the long hallway and the great staircase. Reaching the doors to the dining room, she was pleasantly surprised to find both of her parents at the table. Normally, only one of her parents was able to take time off of work to see her off to Hogwarts.
Mr. McKinnon was wearing a crisp business suit and had his greying brown hair neatly combed. His fading freckles, strong jaw, and broad shoulders were all clues that he was once extremely handsome. Marlene had an athletic build, like his. Her father had his face buried in the sports section of the Daily Prophet.
Her mother was chiding Maxwell for spilling jam down the front of his shirt. Mrs. McKinnon wore a simple yet striking black dress, which was as dark as her sleek hair, currently being worn in a low bun. She actually dyed her hair this color in order to have "a dramatic aesthetic", as she called it. Her real hair color was the same honeyed blonde as Marlene's. She was very skinny and had intimidatingly sharp features. As usual, her face was accented with perfectly-applied makeup. Although Marlene had Castula's natural hair color and gunmetal blue eyes, they didn't have many other physical traits in common.
Marlene stood in the doorway for a moment, then realized that neither her father nor her mother knew of her presence. She cleared her throat and watched both of her parents look at her with surprise.
Her mother was the first to get up. She glided over to Marlene and embraced her. "Oh, sweetheart, it's your last year of school!" Mrs. McKinnon exclaimed, kissing the top of her head. Mrs. McKinnon was a full head taller than her daughter. She let go, leaving her hands on Marlene's shoulders. The fashion designer gave Marlene the one-over, obviously disappointed that her daughter was wearing pajamas for the family breakfast. She quickly smiled, "You're practically a young woman."
Marlene mumbled something in response, but the smell of buttered toast drew her to the table.
"There's our Seventh year!" Mr. McKinnon beamed at Marlene when sat down. He ruffled her already-messy hair. "Cassie, look at her. Doesn't it feel like just yesterday we were watching her ride a broomstick for the first time?"
Mrs. McKinnon dabbed at the insides of her eyes with her serviette. "Stop it, Al, I don't want to have to redo my makeup," she scolded.
Mr. McKinnon chuckled and returned to his newspaper.
Marlene grabbed a piece of toast. A server asked her if she would care for a cup of tea and she gave a half-hearted nod. She wasn't feeling especially hungry. Maxwell, however, was stuffing his face with oatmeal. Mrs. McKinnon was looking at him distastefully and asked him if he would please taste his food before swallowing it.
"Honestly, Max," she scorned. "You're ten years old and I'm not yet sure if you're able to use a fork and a knife at the same time."
"Leave him be, Cas," Mr. McKinnon. "I was messy at his age, too."
Mrs. McKinnon huffed and waved a server over. She mumbled something in his ear, her eyes flicking to Marlene for a split second. He nodded and gave a soft, "Yes, ma'am," then left the dining room. Mrs. McKinnon went back to sipping her tea as if nothing had occurred.
"Hey, Marlene, can I have your room after you leave Hogwarts?" Maxwell pestered.
"No, quit asking me," Marlene grumbled. "You've been after it all summer."
"Well, I just thought since it's your last year and all-"
"I said no, you overgrown garden gnome!"
"I'll have none of that bickering at my table, thank you!" Mrs. McKinnon said firmly.
The server who had spoken to Mrs. McKinnon earlier had returned with a small, wrapped box on a silver platter. He presented it to Mrs. McKinnon, who thanked him. She looked at Mr. McKinnon expectantly, who had his face hidden behind the newspaper. "Alec," she said, nodding to the parcel in her palm.
"Ah! Right," he said, laying the Daily Prophet on the table. "Marlene, your mother and I have gotten you a… um…"
"A gift for your final year at Hogwarts," Mrs. McKinnon cut in. "It's just to show you how proud we are of you." She handed her daughter the box.
"Wow. Um, thanks," Marlene said, tugging on the ribbon. She tore off the paper and found that it was from a jeweler. She carefully opened it to reveal-
"A necklace?" Maxwell snorted. "That's lame."
"It's lovely," Marlene whispered. It was. Marlene had received plenty of jewelry in the past, but nothing like this. A small, light blue, teardrop-shaped gemstone hung from a delicate silver chain. Obviously top-of-the-line; Mrs. McKinnon wouldn't settle for anything else. Simple, yet beautiful. Marlene found it captivating.
"Aquamarine," her mother said with a small smile. "Your birthstone."
Marlene closed the lid of the box and set it in her lap. She smiled at her parents. "I love it. Thank you."
"Where's my present? Huh, Mum?" Maxwell asked, frowning.
"Maybe you'll get something when you learn how to not spill food on yourself during mealtimes," Mrs. McKinnon said smoothly. Mr. McKinnon stifled his laughter.
Marlene was still smiling and she looked at each one of her family members' faces. Her last first day of term breakfast. Her last time starting Hogwarts. She would miss them. Marlene realized that after this year, nothing would stay the same for the McKinnons.
Just an hour later, the family was fully dressed and departing. House staff carried Marlene's trunk down the stairs while the McKinnons exited the mansion and loaded themselves into a shiny, black Rolls-Royce with facing back seats. Marlene's belongings were loaded into the trunk and the family's chauffeur, Clyde, congratulated Marlene on her reaching her final year of school. Then, they were off.
There wasn't much conversation during the ride. Mr. McKinnon wrote some business letters, Mrs. McKinnon sketched in a notepad, Maxwell rifled through Quidditch Illustrated, and Marlene stared out the window. She watched the scenic countryside slowly turn more and more urban.
"Abraxas sent me a letter the other day, Dear," Mr. McKinnon said absentmindedly. "He mentioned that Lucius was promoted to Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic."
"Good for him," Mrs. McKinnon remarked, not looking up from her sketch. "He seems like such a respectable young man."
"I agree. That Lucius Malfoy is going places."
Marlene could have sworn that she saw her father glance at her out of the corner of her eye.
They finally arrived at the station. Clyde pulled up next to it and got out of the car. He loaded Marlene's belongings onto a luggage trolley and opened the door for the family. Mr. McKinnon told Clyde that they wouldn't be long and to please remain in the same spot for their return.
Mrs. McKinnon took Marlene's hand and gave it a quick squeeze. Her father took ahold of he trolley and the family walked into the station, straight toward Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. When they reached the barrier, Marlene took the trolley from her father- here came the worst part. Without looking at her parents, who were prepared to follow her lead, she took a deep breath and began to run.
When Marlene appeared on the other side of the barrier, she only had to wait a couple of seconds until her family appeared by her side. They began walking to the Hogwarts Express just as soon as the cameras started to flash. Reporters and photographers asked the family to pose for them and answer their questions, but the McKinnons fought their way to the train. Marlene wondered how her parents would survive another seven years of this with Maxwell. She could barely handle her own seven years.
Because there were so many people around, Marlene's farewell to her family was limited. A brief kiss from each parent, a quick wave, and she was hurriedly forced onto the train.
She found an empty compartment for herself and her friends, knowing that she was the first of them to arrive. Marlene put away her luggage and collapsed on the seat, releasing a long sigh. Like every year before, she found herself sad that her family was not able to stay long enough to see the Hogwarts Express pull out of the station. She peered out the window and spotted her parents and Maxwell pushing through the crowd of photographers. Then, they were gone.
And Marlene was alone.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Character POV will alternate every chapter, so Sirius will be next. This is my first ever published fic, so any and all respectful comments/reviews are greatly appreciated!