(A/N: Please enjoy the next chapter in the Marigold Rosenberg summer story. Everything you recognize belongs to J.K. Rowling.)
Marigold absolutely adored Sophie. The two of them were immediately inseparable. Marigold had never had a pet before, not even a goldfish. She supposed there was that one time a ladybug got in the house and she kept it in her room for a few days… until it died.
Sophie could go with her as long as she stayed in Huna Wahunak, but when Marigold and the Weasleys ventured into Muggle Egypt, Sophie had to stay in the hotel room. At first, Marigold was worried that Sophie would be gone when they got back wanting to explore or something, but funny enough, Sophie seemed to not have moved from the spot on Marigold's pillow where she had curled up hours before.
Mr. Weasley kept getting the Daily Prophet, and every morning he could be found pouring over it with a look of deep concern on his face. The Ministry was saying they were doing everything they could to get Sirius Black back in custody, but Mr. Weasley didn't seem too impressed.
Mrs. Weasley did her best to make sure that the younger kids, Marigold included, didn't get the chance to look at the paper. She told them that they didn't need to be concerning themselves about it and that things would be fine.
Marigold and the others finally got their Hogwarts supply lists. She and Ron got a Hogsmeade acceptance form, which Mrs. Weasley happily signed. Marigold was excited about being able to leave Hogwarts some weekends. She had never been to an entirely wizard town before and the stories she had heard from everyone made it sound super fun.
After getting the permission form signed, Marigold took a look at all the books on her list to try and get a sense of what classes she had been assigned. She and Hermione had signed up for every elective, after all, so Marigold had been looking forward to finding out what classes had been decided for her.
Turns out she was going to be taking Divination and Care of Magical Creatures, exactly like Harry and Neville were. They weren't the most particularly interesting classes, but she was taking them so that she could be in the same classes as Harry.
Thinking of Harry, Marigold also had a letter from him sitting on the table next to the school lists. She grabbed it and went into the living room and sat down, tearing into the envelope with her nail.
Marigold,
I did something really stupid. Remember how I was telling you my Aunt Marge was coming to visit? Well, I accidently blew her up. Not like exploded, more like a blimp I guess? And after a heated moment with Uncle Vernon, I kind of ran away.
Marigold looked up from the letter and just took a minute to breathe before turning back to the letter and reading the rest.
I found myself in Diagon Alley and I met the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. I somehow didn't get in trouble for using magic, but for a moment there I thought I was going to have to make a run for it. Imagine me trying to live on the run.
I'll be staying here in Diagon Alley until school starts. You should come visit me when you get back from Egypt. Neville offered to let me stay with him, but I really like it here. I have a room to myself, and I can go anywhere I want as long as I stay in Diagon Alley.
I hope to see you soon, and hear from you even sooner. I have the best ice cream place to take you to when you get back.
- Harry
Marigold covered her face in her hands and pressed her eyes in until she saw stars. How would she have kept him safe if he had been expelled? Rubbing her hands down her face making her eyes stretch, Marigold figured that Dumbledore would have probably expelled her for no reason so she could go be with Harry. Honestly, she thought, the both of them were lucky he wasn't expelled.
Marigold looked down at Sophie who was kneading at her legs affectionately. "How would you like to deliver a letter, Sophie?"
Sophie answered with a happy chirp.
Harry,
You are so lucky you didn't get expelled. I think if it was anyone other than you, you probably would have been. What did she even do that made you lose control like that?I know she's awful like the rest of your family, and she probably deserved it, but you could have really gotten in trouble. I'm glad you didn't.
We should be back in about two weeks. I'm sure the time will fly by for the both of us. I don't know when we will get to Diagon Alley, but when we do we will make sure to meet up with you.
By the way, this is Sophie, she's a Nizul. Charlie got her for me for my birthday. She'll stay with you until you write me back, so don't keep her too long!
Love,
Marigold
When Marigold was done writing her letter she gently picked Sophie up off her shoulder, strands of hair going with her, and placed her on the table. The envelope was as big as she was, but Marigold handed it to her and she took it in her mouth and with a puff of bronze smoke she was gone.
Marigold supposed she knew where to go kind of like an owl did, but didn't look too much into it. It wasn't until after Sophie had poofed off that Marigold wondered if London was too far away.
It was about four hours later while Marigold was out to lunch with the Weasleys that another puff of bronze smoke appeared out of nowhere and Sophie was back. She had toppled over Marigold's glass of water, but she looked so proud of herself, sitting all pretty with a letter in her mouth, that Marigold didn't even mind.
Marigold grabbed the letter and Sophie crawled up her arm and curled up on her shoulder and nibbled on her hair.
Marigold,
Sophie is the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. Though I have to admit, she scared me half to death when she popped up out of nowhere.
I wasn't doing anything with Marge. I was doing my best not to exist because Uncle Vernon said he would sign my Hogsmeade permission form if I was on my best behavior. But then she started insulting my parents, and I didn't mean to, but suddenly she was inflating like a balloon! Her memory has been wiped of course, but I don't think my aunt, uncle, or cousin will forget anytime soon… but she insulted my mum and dad so I don't really care.
I've already gotten all my books, but when you and Neville get here we should spend the day together. As fun as it is, I don't think I've actually talked to anyone, other than to say good morning or order an ice cream, since I got here.
Harry
After lunch, while the others split up and went about their day exploring, Marigold went back to the hotel, picking up a coffee on her way. She spent most of her day curled up on the couch exchanging letters with Harry. She also sent a letter to Neville so she could introduce him to Sophie and bring him into the conversation. He, like everyone else, thought Sophie was absolutely adorable. According to him, Sophie and Trevor got along really well when Sophie wasn't trying to lick the poor toad. With Sophie's help, the three of them were able to communicate like never before. Best of all, Sophie didn't seem to mind or get tired at all. After a few hours of writing back and forth, they worked out a plan to meet Harry in Diagon Alley and go shopping together. Mrs. Weasley sent a letter to Neville's gran just to confirm the date, and things were settled.
After an uneventful dinner, everyone just muttered goodnight and went off to their rooms to promptly fall asleep. Even Marigold, who had stayed in the hotel room all day, was tired enough to fall asleep almost immediately.
Marigold woke up to the busy streets of Egypt right outside her window. Sophie got up from the foot of her bed, and came and snuggled up under the covers. Marigold could hear Ginny's soft snores behind her. Outside her window, the large glass buildings were glittering with the rising sun.
Not wanting to wake Ginny, Marigold got up as quietly as she could and got dressed. She tied her hair up in a bun so she wouldn't get too hot under all of it. The bun was messy, but she didn't care enough to redo it.
Sophie squeaked at her as she tried to leave the room. Marigold shushed her and she just blinked then jumped over to Ginny's bed and curled up with her. As Marigold walked by the closed doors, it was obvious that she was the only one awake. Door to door, each of the Weasleys was snoring at one octave or another. Marigold walked past Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room and heard the loudest snoring of all. Marigold giggled at the idea of Mrs. Weasley snoring so loud. She could hardly hear Mr. Weasleys snores… hardly.
It wasn't until she was downstairs staring into the fridge that she started feeling kinda gross. Her stomach was rolling at every glance at the food. She was hungry, but every time she reached into the fridge her stomach would lurch into her chest and she would feel like throwing up.
Alright then, nothing from the fridge… The pantry yielded similar results. With a huff, Marigold just gave up. She grabbed a glass of water, but even sipping on that made her feel disgusting.
Marigold sat down at the table with her glass of water wondering why she felt so disgusting. She was sat there with her head rested on her propped up hand when Charlie walked in.
"What's wrong?" he asked, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Not feeling too good," she said, taking another sip of water.
"Anything I can do?"
"I think I just need to get out. Maybe walking around will help."
"Do you want to walk around Muggle Egypt today?" Charlie asked.
"Sounds good to me," she said.
"Go and get your new hat and I'll leave a note for mum about where we're going."
Marigold put her glass in the sink and went upstairs for her hat. It was a beautiful woven sun hat with a little ribbon that had little black, orange, and yellow flowers on it. When she went back down the hall the smell of sunscreen met her before she even entered the kitchen. Charlie was covered head to toe and fought Marigold about having to put it on. Marigold had always hated putting on sunscreen. It always felt gross on her skin and the smell has always made her nauseated. Now, it was just enhancing her already queasy stomach, but Charlie was refusing to leave until she put it on, so she ultimately gave up and put it on.
Feeling sticky from the sunscreen, they left Huna Wahunack behind and found themselves amongst the busy side streets of Muggle Egypt. She was already starting to feel better. Charlie talked to her as they walked, pointing out buildings and people he found fascinating. It was still morning, but the heat was already coming out. It felt good but she knew it would be overwhelming in an hour or so.
A lot of walking and two overcrowded busses later, they took a break and sat down a little ways from the Nile River on a small bench and just watched as people walked by. Charlie had bought them ice tea and it was sweating down their cups. Marigold didn't think about the fact that they were going to be leaving in only a short amount of time. She didn't think about how she probably wasn't going to see him for a long time.
Instead she just sat there, her hand wet with condensation, and simply enjoyed his presence and the beautiful scene before her. The water looked like it was glittering in the sunlight. There were people all around them, but it felt like they were all alone.
"Can you believe how fast this vacation has flown by?" Charlie asked, reading her thoughts. "Pretty soon I'll be heading back to work, and you'll be off to Hogwarts."
"You excited to go back to work?" Marigold asked, sipping her tea.
"Not even a little bit," he laughed, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. "Don't get me wrong, I love working with Dragons, but I'm beginning to think the Egyptian sun agrees with me."
Marigold laughed, "I think you're just enjoying sleeping in."
"It could be that," he admitted.
They were quiet for a moment and watched as a group of Muggle tourists passed by, talking loudly and laughing together about something. A little ways away, a little girl kicked a rock and her brother stole it and began kicking it himself. The parents were walking ahead holding each other close and watching the water as they went.
Her vision suddenly got a lot brighter and her head a lot lighter. Marigold turned to Charlie just as he was plopping her hat down on his head. It was way too small for him and he tried to push it down before giving up.
He took a sip of his tea and looked over to her, the brim of the hat shading his eyes. "Do you like anyone?" he asked, poking her with his sweaty cup.
"Charlie!" she exclaimed, swatting his cup away.
"Hey, I'm your brother, I gotta know these things," he said shrugging, though he had a mischievous smile on his face.
"No, I don't like anyone," she said flatly, though her red cheeks seemed to make him think she was lying.
"What about that dragon kid?" he said, scratching his chin in thought. "Colin Creevey, right?"
"He spent most of the year petrified," Marigold said, aghast. "Besides, he's a first year!"
"He'll be a second year soon," Charlie said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"Nope, I don't like anyone, and no one likes me."
"Ohhh!" he said, poking her arm with the cup again, "I think you're wrong!"
"What do you mean?" she asked, taking a sip of tea and desperately trying to act casual.
"Ginny told me you got a love letter on Valentines Day."
"SHE TOLD YOU WHAT!?" Marigold screeched, coughing on her tea.
Charlie threw his head back laughing, his hand on her hat to keep it from tumbling off. Marigold crossed her arms, scowling even as she was blushing madly.
"Do you know who it was from?" he asked.
"No," she mumbled, looking away and wiping tea from her chin.
"Did you keep it?"
"… Yes."
He laughed loudly and she blushed even more. "Who do you think it was? Could it have been Harry? Ooohhhhh what if it was Nevi-"
"I didn't recognize the handwriting!" she said, quickly cutting him off. "Besides, Harry's like my brother!"
"Is there anyone you want it to be?" he asked, poking her with his cup once again.
Marigold made a mad grab for the cup but he pulled it away last second. "Come on Charlie, I have way too much going on to worry about nonsense like that." She crossed her arms and gave up on the cup.
"Nonsense, huh? I felt the same way when I was your age," he said, plopping her hat back down on her head. "I spent all my time researching dragons and trying to sneak into the forbidden forest."
Marigold looked up at him from under the brim. "Are you going to tell me you regret it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Regret it?" he laughed. "Not a chance."
"Then why are you teasing me over a little valentine?" she said, gently smacking him on the shoulder.
"Ginny wanted to know more about it and thought maybe I could get an answer," he said shrugging.
Marigold's jaw dropped. "Traitor!" she laughed, taking off her hat and smacking him with it over and over.
"Come on, she's desperate to know!" Charlie said trying to keep her from hitting him.
"Well in that case," Marigold said, putting her hat back on her head after one more swat, "let's make up some juicy gossip."
Charlie's eyes twinkled and a smile more mischievous than even that of the twins appeared on his face. "Let's do it!"
Marigold's stomach rumbled loudly in response and they laughed. "Let's figure it out over lunch then," she said.
They found a restaurant after walking down a street and and sat down under a blue and white striped umbrella. While they waited for their food they pondered what the best story could be. They toyed with the idea of it being one of hers and Ginny's mutual friends, but figured that if it had been from a secret admirer that would be better.
"Oh my god, Charlie. What if it was sent anonymously but context clues made it so that I could tell it was from Crabbe," she said excitedly as the waiter put their plates in front of them.
"Thank you," Charlie said before turning back to Marigold. "Isn't that one of Malfoy's friends?"
Marigold laughed. "He is! Malfoy actually also sent a valentine, but it was really gross and the boys tore it up and set it on fire."
"Sounds like something those two would do," Charlie said fondly. "Alright, so the valentine was anonymously sent from Crabbe, what else should I tell Ginny?"
"Tell her…" Marigold thought for a moment, looking hard at her food. "Tell her that it was incredibly poorly written, but that the sentiment was there and now I have a secret crush on Crabbe."
Charlie choked on his drink. "Oh my god, what if I tell her that you got all blushy and even teary eyed because the two of you can never be together!"
"Yes! Tell her that I got all whimsical before making you promise not to tell a soul."
"She's not going to believe me," Charlie said, wiping his eyes on his towel.
"Yeah, well she shouldn't have tried to get the information through you in the first place," Marigold said with a shrug. "She could have just asked."
"Like you would have told her," Charlie teased. "I saw how red you got talking about the real note."
"Drop it," Marigold warned, but she could feel her cheeks burning.
"Alright, alright," he said grinning.
Charlie insisted on getting dessert when the waiter came back by, but Marigold only agreed if he promised he would let her pay for it since he was buying lunch. He was reluctant to do so, but the waiter brought out the dessert menu and Charlie agreed.
"So," Marigold said after the waiter placed their dessert in front of them, "you said before that you didn't have time for crushes when you were in school, but what about now at work?" Marigold asked, taking a sip of water.
"My dear sweet sister," Charlie said taking the spoon out of his mouth. "I work with Dragons. Living, breathing, dragons."
"That is fair," Marigold said nodding.
After eating, the two of them meandered about the busy streets with no real goal or plan. It was a blast and hands down the best day of the trip so far. They were out and about doing nothing but walking and laughing.
They happened upon a small museum and walked around looking at all the artifacts. Marigold and the Weasleys had been to another museum earlier in the trip, but this one was different. It was small and dimly lit, and unlike the magical museum, this one was full of Muggle artifacts. It was incredible. The museum they had gone to as a family had artifacts that radiated magic. But at this museum, the artifacts radiated a different kind of magic. Not the tangible kind, but the artistic, beautiful kind.
Eventually, after being in the museum for what felt like only ten minutes, they realized if they didn't head back they were going to run the risk of facing the wrath of Mr. Weasley. They had to make a mad dash to catch a bus all the while yelling about how they had managed to spend the whole day in such a small museum.
Huna Wahunak was still busy, but had cleared out significantly from when they had left. Up in the hotel room, Mrs. Weasley was starting on dinner. After washing up, the two of them offered to help her out. Cooking with Charlie was much more difficult than cooking with just Mrs. Weasley. He kept trying to get her to drop vegetables and nearly succeeded before Mrs. Weasley caught on.
At one point she and Marigold left the kitchen to set the table, and when Marigold got back to finish washing the dishes, she didn't notice until too late that the sink had been tampered with. Soaked all down her front, Marigold filled a glass of water and splashed Charlie, who had been too doubled over laughing to realize what she had been up to. Mrs. Weasley quickly shooed the both of them out of the kitchen with only mild chastising.
Dinner was delicious and lively. Everyone talked about their days like always. Bill, who had managed to get off a little early, was able to tell them that McCarthy was finally able to reverse the curse and could see again. When Marigold went down the hall to bed she was full and feeling better than she had in a long time.
Ginny went right to bed after saying goodnight, but Marigold was still wide awake after having such a wonderful day. She headed into the bathroom and turned on the shower letting the room get steamy before stepping in.
It had been one of the best days and she was incredibly happy. She wished she could stay here in Huna Wahunack forever. She closed her eyes and leaned back into the water, letting it pour over her face. She wished she could stay with Charlie forever. He was one of her closest friends… her brother really, truly.
When was the last time she had laughed that much? She couldn't wait to hear how Ginny reacted to everything. That was sure to be another laugh. She was truly happy.
Lockhart's face appeared in her mind, except he didn't have a face. No eyes, no nose, just his hair.
Marigold opened her eyes and the hot water burned them. She covered her eyes with her hands, blinking to try to get the water out. Even as she tried to relieve the pain, a part of her wondered if she deserved she really deserve to be this happy?
The steam was suddenly making it hard to breathe and the water that had just been so warm and comforting was now stinging and painful. She could feel her hair getting tangled from the water pressure.
It had been the perfect day! Why did she have to ruin it? Because it was her fault and she couldn't forget that, no matter how good of a day she had.
Marigold sat down on the shower tiles and just let the water hit her back. Things had been going great, so of course she had to be reminded of the bad again. That's how these things worked right? Marigold pulled her knees close to her chest and buried her face.
Robin egg blue robes and a crooked grin crossed her mind, and she pressed her hands into her eyes until the stars disappeared and the pressure hurt. Curled up in the shower she felt incredibly alone. The vastness of Huna Wahunack just outside the bathroom and the world outside all that got to her… she didn't have a single person to talk to about all this. To talk about Lockhart, the duel, the pain… the promise.
Feeling empty, Marigold got up and turned off the shower. She dried herself off and brushed her hair. Back at her bed, she just sat on top of the covers and looked out the window. Her bare feet barely touched the floor.
The faint sound of cars and busses made its way into their silent bedroom. Sophie appeared from Ginny's bed and curled up on her lap. Marigold mindlessly braided her damp hair while she looked out at the tall buildings and all the people living their lives. Everything was quiet and peaceful… but she wasn't a part of it.
Marigold dropped her hair mid-braid and the buildings grew blurry. Angry at herself for wallowing in her own pity, she wiped her eyes and placed Sophie on her pillow. She tiptoed past Ginny's bed and closed the door softly behind her.
She knew she wasn't thinking clearly and she was only vaguely aware that she had even left her room. She could be happy here in Huna Wahunack. She could disappear into the side streets and cease to exist. Before she knew it, her hand was resting on the doorknob in the living room and the latch was open. She wasn't wearing any shoes and she was in her pajamas. She didn't even have her wand.
Her fingers curled around the doorknob and she was crying again. She pressed her forehead on the cool door. She could make do here. Harry would die. Why was that her problem? Why was it up to her to make sure he didn't die? Surely Dumbledore could figure something out! The Weasleys have been good to you. They would be fine without her. What about Charlie? Neville? What about when Voldemort comes back?
The world wasn't her problem.
Marigold ripped the door open and stared into the empty hallway. It was empty and even in the heat of Egypt it felt cold. Marigold's shoulders relaxed and she closed the door. She loved everyone and if she disappeared nothing would matter anymore. She locked the door again and, with a heavy sigh, let go of the doorknob.
Feeling worse than ever before, she turned around to go to bed only to find herself face to face with a shadow.
"Ginny?" she whimpered, taking a step back.
"Were you going to leave?" Ginny asked, her voice full of sleepy confusion. "I heard you crying, and then you left." Marigold watched as Ginny's shadow rubbed its eyes.
"I-"
"You don't have to leave, you know. You can always talk to me."
Marigold's face crumpled and she buried her face in her hands. Ginny silently padded over and Marigold felt herself being pulled in a hug. Ginny had grown at some point… she wasn't taller than Marigold, but she was taller than before. Marigold dropped her hands and just held on tight.
"Do you want me to get mum and dad?" Ginny asked softly, patting her back. Marigold violently shook her head. "How about Charlie?" Marigold shook her head again.
Ginny let go of her and gently grabbed her tear soaked hand. "Let's go back to the room," she whispered. "We don't have to talk or anything, but I think a blanket and Sophie will help."
"Okay," she said, her voice cracking.
Marigold let Ginny lead her back to their room, their bare feet making barely any noise on the hardwood floor. Ginny sat her down, wrapped her in a blanket like a burrito, plopped Sophie in her lap, and sat down next to her.
"Ginny, it's all my fault," she sniffled. "I never should have-"
"Marigold, if you keep up with that attitude it's going to kill you," Ginny said sternly. Marigold gulped in surprise. "If you keep going over all the things you could have done differently, you are going to go mad."
"But I-"
"Marigold, I could have done so much differently," Ginny whispered. "I could have tossed the diary earlier and nobody would have gotten hurt. I could have listened to dad's advice and nobody would have died. There are so many things we could have done differently, but we didn't and we have to live with that."
"Ginny," Marigold protested. "You were-"
"Possessed?" she said. "Yeah, I was… and people got hurt. But you know what, that wasn't me, it was Tom."
"T-Tom didn't get Professor Lockhart killed," Marigold said miserably. "I did."
"Marigold, all of this is his fault."
"I kidnapped him," Marigold argued. "I could have left him in his office. I didn't have to take him with us."
"Marigold, I was unconscious and dying. I don't know what happened, but I know it's not your fault. You saved me. You saved Harry. If anyone gets to pull the it's all my fault card, it would be me. And as the person who actually gets to say it's all their fault, I am telling you it's not your fault."
"I don't think that's how it works."
"Maybe not," Ginny admitted, "but then again, I don't really know how these things work. I need to hold on to the fact that I was possessed and not at fault for any of this, or I'm going to lose it. I don't know what you can hold on to, but it's not your fault any of this happened."
"I thought you just said you got to say it's all your fault?"
"Marigold, it both is and it isn't," she said, running her hands through her hair. "I think it can be both."
"None of this is making sense," Marigold said.
"So? I don't think it should make sense yet. Barely any time has passed. It would be incredible if we had figured it out by now. I don't know what I'm doing and I am in no position to be giving advice. I just know you are a good person and I care about you and I really don't want you to go nuts over this."
"I wish this was the only thing on my mind," Marigold sighed. "But it's everything. I don't have anyone to talk to about it because it's so much and I'm the only one who knows about a lot of it."
"It's funny," Ginny said.
"What is?"
"I don't have anyone to talk to about my things… I talked to him all last year. And the sick, twisted thing is that… sometimes I miss him."
"That's not very funny."
Ginny laughed. "It isn't, is it." She turned to look out the window, the reflections of the buildings making her eyes sparkle. "I don't know what your everything is, but I'm always here. You can always talk to me."
It was Marigold's turn to laugh. She shrugged off the blanket and wiped her eyes. "Now I feel like an asshole."
"Why?" Ginny asked, looking away from the window, a puzzled look on her face.
"Because Charlie and I were going to pull a prank on you," Marigold said with a crooked half-smile.
"Oh my god," Ginny said after Marigold had explained what she and Charlie had planned. "I absolutely would not have believed him!" she giggled. "I don't know if you know this yet, but Charlie can't lie. He's worse than Ron. His nose does this twitchy thing and it's a dead giveaway. Not to mention, Crabbe? Really?"
Marigold smiled. "Do you want to see the actual valentine?"
"You have it with you?" she asked. "Yes!" she said, her hands slapping her knees in anticipation.
Marigold handed Sophie to Ginny and went over to the closet where she had been keeping her pouch. She rummaged around for her planner then brought it back to the bed and tossed it to Ginny. By window light, Marigold could see Ginny's eyes as she read and reread the note.
"This is super sweet," she said, handing Marigold the planner which she placed on her end table. "It makes the one I wrote for Harry look stupid."
"Oh come on now," Marigold said turning back to her. "If it hadn't been sung by the silly cupid in front of everyone, I'm pretty sure he would have cherished it forever. He's like that."
"He is, isn't he… You know, I don't just like him because he's famous. I think he's a really great guy. I know he's a good friend to you and Neville."
"This is the first time you told me you like him," Marigold said.
"Yeah, well, you knew anyway…" she said with a shrug.
"I did," Marigold said.
They were quiet for a minute. Ginny was absentmindedly petting Sophie whose eyes were all squinty while her ears were happily twitching. Marigold messed with the blanket. She noticed Ginny shivver, and while she wasn't sure if she was cold or if it was something else, she tossed some of the blanket to her, covering Sophie a little in the process. Sophie made an angry chirp from under the blanket and Ginny smiled. Sophie popped up from under the blanket and Marigold could feel her annoyed glare.
"You know," Ginny whispered, pulling the blanket close. "I wasn't sure what to make of you when you first came to live with us. It all happened very suddenly, and none of us really knew what was going on. I don't think mum and dad even really knew.
"I was home that first year you were at Hogwarts. I overheard them talking about you sometimes…" Ginny smiled. "They really love you. And I, personally, am really happy to finally have a sister."
Marigold beamed.
(A/N: I just wanted you to know that you are never alone. Seek help if you find yourself in trouble. Love you all and thank you for reading. Marigold's summer will conclude in the next chapter.)
