Soooo here's the next chapter, hope you all enjoy... This chapter is focused more on the characters that aren't so main (so not James, Lily, Sirius or Marlene) but don't worry, you'll get them back next chapter :)
Disclaimer - THIS IS NOT MINE! EXCEPT MAYBE PARTS OF THE PLOT... AND THE ODD CHARACTER...BUT APART FROM THAT IT'S ALL JO'S Xx
Song Lyrics: Heal Over by KT Tunstall
Broken Glass
Chapter Two: 1st September 1976
"It isn't very difficult to see why
You are the way you are."
Much to Nathan's annoyance, Marlene disappeared into the crowds almost as soon as they hit Platform 9 ¾, barely even saying goodbye to their mother before she'd vanished. Nathan frowned after her retreating back but his mother's hand on his arm stopped him going after her.
"Leave her, Nath – she's dealing with everything in her own way."
Nathan refrained from snorting. He didn't think that going off the rails and having a secret affair with Sirius Black could specifically count as 'dealing with it' but he didn't tell his mother that. Marlene thought that nobody knew about her little midnight flings with the disowned Black boy but she must have thought he was stupid not to notice that there was someone sneaking in and out of the house at night. He would've assumed it was Fabian but he knew that the Prewett's were away on holiday. That and the fact he'd rigged up secret cameras at all the ground floor entrances, just in case their asshole of a father tried to sneak back in and do something stupid like rob the house. Sometimes Nathan wondered at the technology the Muggles could think up.
"Make sure you write," Annie McKinnon said gently, "and keep an eye on your sister, you know what she's like." Her tone wasn't exasperated, nor was it unkind, it just sounded tired.
Nathan nodded and pulled her close for a tight hug, just like he'd done since he was eleven. "Bye mum, make sure you look after yourself."
She squeezed him and kissed his cheek. "I will, good luck Nath, I love you."
Nathan hesitated as he drew back to look at her and was shocked at how drained she appeared. Their father's absence had affected her more than she'd let on and it showed in that instant. He was about to open his mouth to speak some word of comfort but before he could, the whistle on the train blew and the moment was lost and Nathan had no more opportunity as he was ushered towards the train and his mother's face was obscured in the steam from the train.
He sighed as the train began to move and turned away, he did not want to see his mother disappear. He walked along the corridor, peering into compartments, trying to find his friends. He spotted Marlene and her girlfriends sitting in a compartment and he passed the marauders in the corridor. He nodded to James but didn't say anything. Nathan didn't have much to do with Marlene's friends in school and they both liked to keep it that way.
Finally, he located his friends at the end of the carriage. He let himself in and greeted them all while he stored his luggage in the rack.
Nathan had three friends in his year and they were all in Ravenclaw with him. They had all discovered early on that people from other house, while they were friendly enough; found it difficult to be around Ravenclaws all the time. That was excluding the Hufflepuffs and their intellect just wasn't up to the same standard as Nathan and his friends.
"Is it just me or are there an unusual amount of first years this year?" Daniel Jenkins, a mousy haired boy with a round face and glasses, was saying as he frowned into the corridor, which indeed, Nathan noticed, was bustling with scared-looking first years.
Isabelle Seaworth who was tall with brown hair and eyes that matched flicked the page of her newspaper idly and said, "I heard there's more muggleborns in this year's lot than in recorded history at Hogwarts."
Daniel scoffed, "since when do you listen to rumour?"
"It's not rumour!" Issy shot back. "Slughorn is a friend of my mum's and he told her."
"Poor buggers," Nathan said quietly. "Imagine finding out about our world then that some fanatics are waging war on their kind."
That brought about a solemn silence. Issy looked disapprovingly at him and Daniel bit his lip. His other companion, Zoey Thompson, shook her head, her curly ginger hair shaking out. "I hoped we could refrain from talking about the war."
"But surely you can see that it's important, its current affairs, Zo," Nathan insisted, wondering in hindsight whether it was a wise decision to be arguing about this.
"My parents are having little to do with it," Issy said, disappearing behind her newspaper again. "The whole idea of a war is ridiculous to them."
Zoey was staring at Nathan with a very strange expression. "You aren't thinking of getting involved in this are you Nath?" she asked slowly. "Because it sounds as though you are."
Slightly shocked at the direction the conversation had taken, Nathan looked around at all his friends who were staring at him, waiting for him to answer. Issy had lowered her newspaper and Daniel was looking at him with anxious eyes behind his glasses.
"I – no," he said, stumbling for words a little. "I don't want to get into their affairs."
"Good," Issy was still looking at him over the top of her paper. "Because you're smarter than that Nath, let them squabble amongst themselves."
Nathan didn't say anything to that. The McKinnons were a family of purebloods that dated back to a similar time as the Potters and were fairly respected within the wizarding community. Nathan did often wonder how long that status would last; the Potters were becoming less and less part of the inner circles and the Blacks had just recently disowned their most rebellious son, naming him a blood-traitor. Not that Nathan's family wanted anything to do with the darker pureblood families such as the Blacks but it was constantly made complicated by Marlene. Nathan knew the longer his little sister surrounded herself with people like that, the quicker it would be for their family to go the same way as the Potters were going; shunned by high wizarding classes. Not that he could do anything to stop her, she was wilful and dangerous when it came to protecting those she loved so Nathan knew when it was time, she would become as much a part of this war as anyone, especially now her new and sudden friendship with muggleborn Lily Evans had become public. He often wondered if Marlene wanted to drag their name through the dirt. She was spending far too much time with Sirius Black...
"I'll try and stay out of it," Nathan said out loud to his friends. "I don't want to get involved if I can help it."
At the end of the day, Marlene was the Gryffindor in their family and it was Gryffindors, not Ravenclaws that were renowned for their bravery.
"Doesn't take a genius to realise
That sometimes life is hard."
The funny thing about a reflection is that it shows you your image but it's flipped, so you're actually looking at the opposite to what's really there and yet, it looks right, like what's in front of you has to be the real thing. That is of course, until you hold something of sense up to it – like numbers or letters, then everything is backwards and you know you're looking at a reflection. Just a reflection.
Remus Lupin traced the scars across his face as he stared at himself looking calmly back at him from the window, blackened out by the night and heavy rain and he sat, lost in thought.
"What are you looking so thoughtful about Moony? I sincerely hope it's about our next prank and not Dorcas Meadowes."
Remus turned to stare at Sirius incredulously. "Will you please just drop that?"
"No," Sirius said stubbornly. "I will not drop it until you talk to her."
Remus scowled and turned away to glare at the door instead, "I still don't see why you're all interested in my relationships suddenly."
"Because it's Dorcas fucking Meadowes!" Sirius looked ready to tear his hair out in exasperation. "You will not get a better chance at a girl this good looking for the rest of your life; you aren't allowed to mess this up."
Remus turned back to him, "You're such a hypocrite Padfoot, why don't you stop complaining at get yourself a girlfriend."
"Second that," James said from where he'd been keeping a low profile. "You do over-exaggerate things a little bit Pads, Remus could easily get someone else if Meadowes isn't his type."
Sirius spluttered for a moment and Remus shrugged, "I'm not saying she's not my type," he informed them.
"I don't need a girlfriend," Sirius insisted, dragging them back to before, as if Remus hadn't said anything. "I'm a lone free ranger; I'm a single pringle and ready to min –"
"If you finish that sentence, I'll chunder," Peter warned him quickly.
"Fine," Sirius said. "But my point still stands; girls require emotional attachments and commitments and all that bollocks. I don't want to limit myself."
"And my point still stand; you're a hypocrite," Remus snapped. "Why should I have to 'limit myself', as you say?"
"Because Dorcas Meadowes is one of the most sought after girls in Hogwarts, and she likes you Moons, she really does." Sirius voice grew quieter and he frowned. For a moment, Remus wondered if he was going to say something important but he just shrugged, "Merlin knows why," and Remus sighed.
He wondered how much Sirius had changed over the summer, he had a feeling it was much more than he could see on the outside. It was buried deep and Remus would have to wait to find out.
"We should go and find the girls," James said. "Lily will be with them and I need to talk to Marlene about something."
"What do you need to talk to her about?" Sirius's tone was only slightly layered with curiosity. The rest appeared horrified at the prospect of going on a Lily hunt.
James shrugged, "not a lot," he said casually. "I just want to observe her and Fabian, she's been weird about him recently and I want to see if they're alright."
Remus frowned at that. Marlene and Fabian were like two sides of the same coin. They were the sort of couple that you couldn't see having problems, but, he supposed every relationship must have problems under the surface.
Sirius had leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, "well they looked fine to me the other day, I really want to go and watch them sucking face, it's on my bucket list, just below spending a weekend with Snivellus."
James snorted and sat back down again, "fine. I guess we'll see them at dinner."
"We've got food here anyway," Peter added. "I don't want to leave it unguarded."
James sighed in defeat and Remus relaxed, confident that they were staying in their safe place. That didn't last long though.
"What were you saying before Moons, about Dorcas?" James asked, looking at him curiously.
Remus sighed and shook his head. "I dunno mate, it's complicated."
Sirius snorted and Peter shushed him by throwing a pumpkin pasty at his head, which seemed to work nicely.
"How complicated are we talking here?" James frowned. "Does she know about...y'know?"
"No," Remus hastened to say. He wasn't that stupid. "It's just that I...I don't know if I'm ready yet."
He had thought that one of them would laugh at him, but he should've known them better than to think that.
James was nodding wisely, Peter chewing thoughtfully as he processed Remus's words and Sirius was sitting up straight in his seat and frowning.
"I think that's understandable," James said slowly.
"But have you told her that?" Peter asked.
Remus shrugged, "sort of, I guess. How do you tell someone that though?"
"Like you've just told us," Sirius said. "It's difficult, I know."
Remus was about to ask how Sirius claimed to know something like that when he'd never been put in any situation even remotely similar, and maybe to comment a bit more on his hypocrisy when the door crashed open and Mary McDonald was revealed in the doorway, hair ruffled and breathing fast like she'd just run a mile.
James jumped up at the sight of her. "What is it?"
"Have you seen Puddles?" Mary gasped between deep breaths, trying to get the air back into her lungs.
"Who?" Peter asked, bewildered.
"Marlene's new cat, she's already gone and lost him!" Mary scowled like she already hated this cat for making her search the train.
"Haven't seen him," James said.
"What sort of name is 'Puddles'? Sirius asked.
Mary shook her head, still slightly out of breath. "Don't ask Black, you don't want to know."
Remus laughed at the expression on Sirius's face. It was torn between disgust and amusement.
"It's gonna take time
But you just have to wait."
Mary returned to the carriage with a struggling, yowling black and white tomcat in her outstretched arms, twenty minutes before the train was supposed to reach Hogsmead. Marlene instantly stood up, her arms open and Mary gladly dunked the mental cat onto her friend, meanwhile turning her attention to the state of her robes.
"I'm a mess!" she wailed sadly, staring at her torn sleeves and tie. The cat had been on top of a rack in the compartment of a group of second years who hadn't really helped her in trying to coax the cat down.
"That's alright," Lily said, flicking her wand towards Mary and fixing her robes so they looked brand new.
Mary offered the redhead one of her genuine smiles. "Cheers Red, maybe we will keep you around for a bit."
Lily smiled and returned to her book. She was still a bit shy but Mary could see her slowly getting more confident that they wanted to be friends with her, and they weren't just putting up with her because Marlene had asked them to.
Gideon was still out looking for the damn cat so Mary settled herself down next to Alice and grabbed a magazine.
She stayed absorbed in an article about shield charms for the rest of the journey to the station. When the train slowed to a halt, she looked up and saw that Fabian had joined them. He was getting the luggage down from the rack and passing it to Dorcas because Marlene was busy trying to put her cat into the cat cage to help.
"Where's Gid?" Mary asked as she located her own things and separated them from the rest. Her owl cage containing her tawny owl Gerrick was balanced on top of her trunk and she cursed slightly as she spotted the rain, still plummeting across the sky in sheets.
"He's here somewhere," Fabian said, passing Marlene her trunk. Marlene left then, saying she needed to get Puddles under cover as soon as possible but Mary knew she wanted to go up to the castle with James. They had done so ever since they were eleven and even though Marlene would never admit it, it was a tradition they both kept.
Mary sighed but followed the rest of them out of the compartment and towards the nearest exit. Fabian led the way through crowds of people bustling about trying to get coats on before they were shoved outside by the ones behind them. Mary strained to look over the heads for Gideon but she didn't see him until he came out of nowhere to fall into step beside her. "You caught that cat then?" he said, grabbing her hand so he wouldn't lose her in the crowds.
"Thank Merlin we did or we'd still be looking for it now," Mary said, shaking her head and moving towards her boyfriend to shelter from some of the wind and rain.
Gideon laughed, "McKinnon's certainly got some fierceness in her, you better watch out mate," he warned Fabian jokingly.
Fabian turned around and grinned, "yeah, yeah, mind your own business you wanker."
"Don't want any competition now," Gideon teased.
Fabian turned so he was walking backwards. "I think I can handle some heathy competition from Puddles," he laughed as he said it.
Mary bit her lip, wincing at his words but managing to keep a smile on her face. He had no idea what she knew, of course he didn't. For the second time in her life, Mary felt ashamed at Marlene for leading him on, Fabian was just such a decent person and Sirius...well, Sirius was Sirius and not good for her best friend. The sooner Marlene's little wobble with her relationship was over, the better. The secret was safe with her.
"You alright Mare?" Alice asked as they all piled into a carriage headed up to the school. "You look a bit pale."
"I'm fine," Mary insisted as Gideon turned to look at her, having heard Alice's words. "I'm just exhausted; I'll be alright in the morning."
"Where did Marlene go?" Lily asked the space at large. "Wasn't she supposed to wait for us?"
"She always goes up to the castle with James and the other marauders," Dorcas said. "It's what she does every year." She peered out of the door, squinting through the rain. "There they are, getting into the carriage over there."
Mary peered through the rain and distantly saw Marlene's blonde hair disappearing into a carriage. She turned back just in time to see Lily frowning at Fabian thoughtfully. Mary knew what she was thinking, she'd thought it herself before; 'why doesn't Marlene want to go up to the school with her boyfriend?' the answer was as unclear as pretty much everything concerning Marlene.
"You're gonna be fine
But in the meantime"
"Mate, I almost forgot to mention to you, I got you an early birthday present," James was saying quietly as they made their way into the Great Hall.
"What?" Sirius frowned.
Peter turned to look at James in confusion. They were supposed to go shopping together for birthdays; James, it appeared had seen something different.
"Prongs, his birthday isn't until Novem...what on earth?" Remus trailed off in fascinated horror as he stared up at the teacher's table.
Peter didn't have to strain to see what they were talking about and he instantly let out a wave of laughter at the sight. Sitting in the headmaster's chair at the top table was someone who surely couldn't be their professor. The impostor was wearing flowers, from head to foot. His green robes were covered in them and he had a purple hat that was also decorated with the same patterns. Underneath the hat was the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore.
"Oh Merlin," Sirius breathed, "how did you...?" his face cleared and he spun around, searching the hall, an expression of pure triumph on his face. "Meadowes! You owe me five galleons!"
"How on earth did you pull that off?" Peter hissed to James in awe as Sirius ran off towards the group of girls who had just entered the Great Hall.
James tapped the side of his nose mysteriously, "Ah Wormtail, if I told you, I'd have to kill you."
"Jay, I thought you said that the marauders told each other everything," Marlene commented. She had come in with them like she did every year, this time clutching a cat basket that was making loud angry noises. Peter kept well clear of that basket, he didn't like cats at all and Remus seemed of the same mind as he eyed it warily.
"Alright, I bumped into him when he was over at my house meeting with dad and told him it would be a laugh," James chuckled at his own wit and Peter laughed along with him.
"I would've have expected him to do it all though," James added, staring up at their professor who looked down at them and winked behind his half-moon spectacles.
Peter had to applaud James's humour; it really was very funny seeing the look on Dorcas's face.
"That was cheating," Marlene murmured as she sat down next to Lily.
"It wasn't!" James protested. "It was taking initiative."
Peter was starting to laugh when Marlene said loudly, "what's this we hear about a girlfriend, Pete? I want to hear all the details."
To her credit, it did stop Sirius and Dorcas's bickering and prevented James from continuing his argument with her but on the down side, it meant everyone was now staring at him and Peter could feel the hotness of his face in embarrassment. But then, why should he be embarrassed? He had a girlfriend and James was still pining after Lily and getting nowhere; Remus apparently wasn't ready to ask Dorcas out and Sirius was chasing girls around the castle yet unable to keep one down. Having a girlfriend was an achievement and he was proud, even if she did live halfway around the world.
"Yes," he cleared his throat. "She's coming to visit over Christmas; you can all meet her then."
"Well I think that's brilliant," Dorcas said. "I'm glad you've found someone Pete." She shot a dagger look at Remus as she said it and Remus just looked sad.
"Good on you, mate," Fabian spoke up from next to Marlene. Peter smiled gratefully at his genuine expression. He'd always liked Fabian, he was always so sincere.
"Remus, you need to talk to her," Peter said, turning towards his friend and speaking so only he would hear. "Just tell her or she'll carry on like this."
Remus didn't reply, he just sighed but Peter knew that his friend knew he was right. He quite often was.
Peter never really said much when they were sitting in a large group like this. He knew that many people wondered what he was doing with the rest of the marauders – he was short, mousey and didn't say much, he wasn't particularly clever and to an outsider, he supposed he stuck out like a sore thumb. But none of that mattered when he knew his friends appreciated him. Peter didn't need anyone else to understand. Instead of contributing, Peter listened, and learned more about everyone in doing so.
Dorcas and Alice were talking in hushed tones together and no one else seemed to want to intrude on their conversation but that was usually the way with those two. Marlene was leaning against Fabian with her eyes half closed, and Mary, Gideon and Lily were all talking about NEWTs – it was Fab and Gid's last year at Hogwarts and they would be taking their final exams this year. Sirius was talking loudly about how he was going to spend his five galleons on next Hogsmead trip and receiving the odd glare from Dorcas. Basically it was just a normal evening and continued to be such until the walk up to the common room. Peter didn't hear it at first; he was only made aware of it because James, who was walking next to him, sighed in exasperation "here we go again."
Up ahead, Marlene and Fabian were walking along and it looked like they were having some sort of argument with each other, Marlene was frowning and Fabian was talking in a hushed voice that grew louder with annoyance. By now, everyone else seemed to have realised that things weren't as peaceful as they thought. Sirius's head was cocked to one side as he strained to listen and Remus – who's hearing was much better than anyone else's – had pursed his lips in disapproval.
"Oh God, they're at it again," Dorcas grumbled and she exchanged a glance with Alice that showed Peter that they definitely knew more than they were letting on.
"Just leave them alone," James was saying. "Marlene won't thank you." Peter saw that he was talking mostly to Sirius who raised his hands, his face a picture of innocence.
"I wasn't going to do anything!"
"Let's just go to bed, everyone's tired –"
"You don't have to like it Fabian, nobody actually asked your opinion!" Marlene's voice cut Lily off in her sensible suggestion and made sure nobody had to pretend they weren't listening.
"So you're saying there's nothing to it, are you?" Fabian folded his arms across his chest. "Can you honestly say that?"
Marlene stared at him, her mouth gaping open, the expression on her face one of shock and Peter thought a tiny bit of hurt. "I can't believe you actually have to ask that," she said angrily, "because if you do, I don't see the point."
Fabian's face left Peter in no doubt of what she meant and he suddenly felt very uncomfortable listening to this. James was frowning and Sirius looking anywhere but at the arguing couple. The girls on the other hand looked like they were on the verge of going and breaking up the fight and Gideon was watching his twin brother apprehensively and almost like he had no idea what they were fighting about.
Peter was also at a loss to explain but he decided he didn't want to know as he caught sight of Marlene's bitter expression.
"You know that's not what I'm saying," Fabian said in a quieter voice that still carried enough for them to hear.
Marlene was shaking her head, "I know." She looked around at them all as if suddenly realising that they were all there listening. She exchanged a long look with James, or maybe Sirius – they were in a particular line of sight, Peter supposed it could've been either of them.
"I'm going for a walk," Marlene grumbled, turning away from them all towards the portrait hole.
She'd taken one step towards it before Fabian grabbed her wrist to stop her and several things happened at once. Marlene twisted and shot him such a look that it made Peter's spine tingle, both Gideon and Sirius stepped forward but while Sirius jerked to a halt, Gideon placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. Fabian let go of Marlene's wrist and she left without a word to anyone.
Peter sighed, "oh dear," he muttered. "I think we should all just go to bed."
"Second that," Remus said quietly. He was looking at the girls who all appeared to have made a similar decision.
"I think I might go and see if Mars is alright," James said out loud.
"Don't worry about her," Dorcas said quickly, "I think she needs space Potter, don't worry about it." she cast a sideways glance at Fabian who looked angrier than Peter had ever seen him. "I'm going to bed and I think everyone else should do the same."
Nobody said anything but everyone knew she was right. Things always looked better in the morning.
hope you enjoyed and if you review, the next chapter will be up faster - that's the deal guys