Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the continued interest! I very much appreciate it, especially considering how far into OC Land this story is.
Maggie was so excited for Christmas holidays, she found herself bouncing with excitement before they'd even reached the Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire.
During the first week, Maggie spent most of her time shopping, getting her hair and nails done, and eating out at restaurants with her friends. She and Gretchen met up with other young, affluent witches and went to lavish boutiques and restaurants, enjoying their free time.
Many of Maggie's friends asked her about Edwin, curious to know what it was like spending so much time with such an enigmatic person.
"He's very nice, actually," Maggie told her friends over brunch. Gretchen, who knew her better than anyone else at Hogwarts, watched her with a curious smile. "Really, I mean – yes, he's odd, but in a good way. And he's brilliant, truly. You have no idea."
"You don't have a thing for him, do you?" asked her friend Helen, clearly teasing.
"Oh, Merlin. Can you imagine?" chimed in Tara. "Edwin Prince dating anyone, much less Maggie? In his wildest dreams!" The other girls burst out laughing.
Maggie didn't laugh with the others, and neither did Gretchen, who simply observed her friend as she became more and more irritated.
"It's really not that crazy," Maggie told her giggling friends, doing her best to stay patient. "He's a perfectly normal bloke. I'm sure he'll date when he's ready."
"You mean when he finally meets another vampire?" asked Tara with a snort.
Wendy snickered. "Looks more like an inferi to me!"
Bang. All the other witches jumped when Maggie's fist hit the table. Eyes wide, Helen, Tara, and Wendy all looked to Maggie, who slowly pulled her hand back from the table and forced herself to give them all a tight smile.
"Edwin is my friend," she told them all quite firmly. She didn't need to say anything more. The other girls quickly nodded and turned back to their food, and it took a few minutes for the conversation to return to normal.
After that, Maggie and Gretchen left the others and strolled the streets of Diagon Alley together, arm in arm. "They're going to gossip about me," Maggie said after a few minutes of silence.
Gretchen shrugged. "So let them gossip," she said, reaching over and squeezing her friend's arm. "But as one of your all-time best friends, I feel obligated to remind you that you never had anything nice to say about Edwin Prince before this year either."
Maggie sighed heavily. "Damn you and your perfectly reasonable observations," she said to her friend, who smiled at her and tugged at their joined arms.
"So what changed?" asked Gretchen gently.
Maggie thought about it as they strolled. "I don't know," she said, turning her face up against the light snowflakes as they fell down on the busy wizarding street. "I just got to know him, I guess." She bit back a smile and looked over at Gretchen. "And he's really … I don't know. He's different, Gretchen."
"Different from others?" asked Gretchen. "Or different than you expected him to be?"
Maggie's lips quirked. "Both."
After that, she and Gretchen left Diagon Alley, still strolling at a leisurely pace.
The Christmas holidays continued, with visits from Maggie's grandparents and other family members in Sweden, as well as the Weasleys popping in and out now that everyone was home from school. Maggie wrapped up her gifts for her family and put them under the large Christmas tree in the parlor. After that, she spent most of her spare time catching up on sleep, doing more shopping, spending quality time with her parents and siblings, and doing her best not to lose her bloody mind.
Initially, this struggle was based in trying not to think about Edwin, who she sincerely missed. After a while, though, her slipping self-control centered more around her little sister and those two obnoxious friends of hers.
"Da'!" Maggie exclaimed, marching into the parlor a week before Christmas. "That pack of heathens was in my room again! Make them leave my stuff alone!"
Draco sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Maggie. Lock your door."
"I did! Athena bloody picked the lock!" she informed him heatedly. She put her hands on her hips. "And where is Mum?"
"She's at George's house with Atticus," Draco told her, exasperated. "Just – " There was a thud somewhere else in the house and blood-curdling scream. "Argghghh," Draco groaned, dragging his hands down his face.
Maggie scowled and stomped off, determined to figure out the strongest locking charm she could.
As she left, three little blurs sped right past her, shrieking non-stop. They came to a halt in the center of the parlor and suddenly became a pile of struggling bodies, thin limbs flailing all over as they seemingly did their best to beat each other into a pulp. Scowling, Draco stomped over and lifted Marseille and Parvartus off Athena.
"I told you two trolls to stop playing with her like that!" Draco admonished them as the boys backed off. "You are getting too big to wrestle with Athena that way. She's small."
Parvartus and Marseille, aged eleven and ten, made faces and nodded. "Yes, Mister Malfoy," they chorused.
Athena jumped up from her spot, hair a mess, and then she ran over and kicked Parvartus in the shin.
"OW!" he shouted, and just like that, the three were off again, wrestling and fighting once more. Draco tossed up his arms just as a house-elf appeared and announced the arrival of "Misters Zabini."
Into the parlor walked Blaise and Jean. Distantly, something crashed and broke. "Thank Merlin," said Draco as the two wizards came up to them. "Please tell me you're here to take all of them."
"Oh no," said Blaise quickly. "Just the one."
"What's the matter, Draco?" asked Jean with a smirk. "Can't keep up anymore?"
Draco narrowed his eyes at the other two just as Athena, Marseille, and Parvartus all came racing through the parlor at full-speed, shrieking like banshees and knocking over everything in their paths. They cut circles around the adults and then sped off again, and Draco gestured wildly.
"Do you see that? They haven't slept in three bloody days!" Draco told them. "Please, just take them."
"Sorry," said Jean, not looking sorry at all. "We have two sick seven-year-olds at home."
"And," continued Blaise airily, "a three-year-old who I am becoming increasingly convinced is the Dark Lord reincarnated. So we're just here for – " Parvartus raced by, " – not that one – " Athena came next " – definitely not that one – " and last was Marseille, " – this one," finished Blaise, grabbing Marseille's collar and jerking the other boy to a stop like a dog on the end of a leash. Marseille shrieked and then fell over.
"Blaise!" admonished Jean, helping Marseille off the ground. "I told you to stop doing that! You're going to crush his windpipe!"
"I'm okay, Papa," said Marseille, glaring at Blaise who rolled his eyes.
"He's fine," said Blaise mildly.
Marseille stuck out his tongue, and Blaise cocked a brow at him. Jean kept a hand on Marseille's shoulder to keep him in one spot.
Draco sighed. "Will you at least take Parvartus to his mother in Diagon Alley, then? Because I can't get Athena to sleep if he's here."
"I suppose," said Jean, looking at Blaise. "You know, I feel like there's something we're supposed to do in Diagon Alley today anyway."
"Is there?" asked Blaise, brows furrowed. "I think you might be right, but I can't recall what it was."
"Me either," said Jean, looking thoughtful. Both wizards mused over this for a moment.
Marseille leaned over to Draco. "It's Mother's birthday tomorrow," he whispered deviously.
Draco glanced at the two confused wizards and smirked. "Are you going to tell them?"
Marseille sent a wicked look at his oblivious parents. "No."
Draco chuckled.
"Ah, well," said Blaise, apparently giving up. "I'm sure we'll figure it out eventually. Anyway, I guess we'll take Parvartus to Lavender." He looked up to see Parvartus and Athena still running around. "Parvartus!" he said sharply, and the boy froze. Athena ran right into him and they both collapsed to the floor. Blaise held up a hand and gestured him over with a single finger. Parvartus got up and shuffled over. "Come on, we're taking you to your mother."
"Noooo!" whined Athena, looking like an absolute maniac with her hair standing on end and her eyes wide and red from a lack of sleep.
"Yes," said Draco firmly as Jean and Blaise bade them good-bye and led the two boys off. "You need to take a nap."
"I'm not tired," groaned Athena as Draco scooped her up in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder and was asleep before they'd even left the room.
Maggie, meanwhile, was in her main bedroom once more, trying to figure out how to best barricade her room against three little gremlins who always wanted to touch her stuff and jump on her bed. A knock came at her window, and she looked up to see an owl with a large package.
Excited and easily distracted, Maggie jumped up and accepted the parcel.
Her heart leaped instantly. It was from Edwin.
Smiling brightly, Maggie moved over to her bed and unwrapped the package with painstaking care. What she saw took her breath away.
I could paint you a far better version.
And so he had. Maggie pulled her legs up on her bed and laid down the large painted canvas to look over it, her eyes glistening. The portrait was the same as the sketch, but so much more. This one was in full color, with a stunning early morning sky painted in brilliant detail. The image of Maggie walking onto the Quidditch pitch with her broom in one hand and the Beater's bat in the other was perfect, and he had even painted in worn, rugged elements to her Quidditch uniform, the notches in her bat, her initials carved into the end.
He had noticed all that about her? Merlin.
Maggie's eyes poured over the painting. It was so well-done, and she would have paid so much gold for it. And not even just because it was from Edwin, but because it really was that good. In the corner of the painting in small curled script was Edwin's initials and the year.
Maggie turned the picture over to see a note taped to the back.
I hope you like it. Happy Christmas.
Edwin
Smiling, Maggie took the note off carefully and studied it, looking over Edwin's now familiar handwriting. Pleased, she stood up from her bed and tenderly placed the note on the side of her mirror, next to many pictures of herself with her friends. When she was satisfied, she took up the painting and found the perfect spot for it on her wall, right above her bed.
A knock came at her door, and her mum entered behind her. "Oh wow," said Ginny, looking up at the portrait. "That's amazing! Where'd you get that done?"
"Edwin made it for me," Maggie told her with a broad smile. "He's a brilliant painter."
"Bloody hell," said Ginny. "I kind of want one now."
Maggie laughed. "I hope he likes what I got him. I sent it yesterday, but I think he'll be getting it today."
Ginny pulled an arm around Maggie's shoulders. "See? I told you you'd become friends."
Maggie's eyes turned back up to the portrait. "Yeah," she said softly. "Friends."
Meanwhile, far away in a small wizarding village in northern England, the Prince family settled into their usual evening in a small crooked house at the end of a cobblestone street. The neighborhood was called Gebur's Pointe, and it was very old – even by wizarding standards.
"It's your turn," Edwin told his brother Charles, who reached over a round kitchen table and picked up some dice. The three boys were settled in worn chairs playing a board game called Dungeons & Dragons, which – funnily enough – some Muggle claimed to have invented. The wizarding version had been around for centuries, though.
Charles rolled his dice and cheered. During little Henry's turn, Edwin whispered advice to him, and Charles made a face. "Why do you always help him?" complained Charles. "You never help me!"
"Because he's six, Charles," said Edwin, rolling his eyes. "Just play your turn."
Mrs. Prince bustled in, carrying a plate of cookies. Both of the little boys jumped up excitedly in their chairs, but Mrs. Prince waved them away with her oven mitt. "No, you don't! These are for after dinner." She wiggled a finger at them. "You'd better not touch!" Then she put the cookies high up on the fridge where the little ones couldn't reach.
Charles and Henry groaned. "Okayyyy," said Henry, but as soon as Mrs. Prince left the kitchen again, the two boys looked excitedly to Edwin. "Will you get us one, Edwin? Please!"
"Please, please! Just one!"
Edwin glanced quickly at the window to see what their mother was doing. When he spotted her waving her wand at some laundry, he huffed. "Oh, fine," he said, before jumping up and pulling down the cookies from the fridge. He quickly doled out one to each little boy, pushing one into his own mouth just as their mother started back. Edwin shoved the cookies back to the top of the fridge and hurried back into his chair, quickly chewing and swallowing his own cookie. Charles did the same, but little Henry was having trouble crunching through his whole treat.
Mrs. Prince entered, and Henry squeaked before he stopped chewing, eyes wide and cheeks full of cookie. All three of the boys waited in frozen silence as Mrs. Prince happily bustled around her kitchen. "I love you!" she told them, kissing the top of Edwin's head and missing Henry's puffed cheeks.
She left, and Edwin exhaled. Then Henry made another squeaky noise and sneezed, spraying cookie all over the table.
"AGH!" yelled Charles while Edwin groaned in disgust.
"Gross," said Edwin, wiping off his sleeve.
"Oh no! My cookie!" exclaimed Henry in despair, and all three boys lapsed into laughter.
The door opened at the front of the small house, and their father called out a greeting. Cookies forgotten, both of the little boys dashed to the front door from the table, and Edwin made a face as he cleaned up the crumbs.
Leonard Prince greeted both of the little boys with a big hug, hanging his hat on the hook as his wife appeared and kissed his cheek. "Look boys," said Mr. Prince, holding up two small bags. He handed one each to Charles and Henry, and they gasped with delight when they pulled out small toys.
"Wicked!" said Charles, and the two ran off to play with their new trinkets.
"Where did you get the gold for that?" asked Mrs. Prince curiously as Edwin came into their living room. Mr. Prince's face lit up.
"My new job at the Ministry," he told the two of them while the boys were distracted. "They gave the whole department a holiday bonus! Eighty galleons!"
Mrs. Prince gasped, clapping her hands over her cheeks. "Oh, that is so wonderful!" she said, hugging her husband tight. Edwin smiled, too, feeling incredibly relieved. Mr. Prince nodded heartily and took out a small bag of gold, which he handed to Mrs. Prince.
"I want you to take this, darling, and go buy a nice big Christmas dinner for us to prepare," he told her happily, and Mrs. Prince accepted it with a kiss.
"I'll get us the very best," she told him before beaming at Edwin and pulling him into a hug. Edwin looked up as his father approached him and deposited some gold in his hand.
"And Edwin, this is for you. It's not much," said Mr. Prince, gripping Edwin's hand. "But I know you've been saving all your gold for after graduation, and I want you to have it."
Edwin quickly shook his head. "No, Dad. You keep it, do something nice for you and Mum – or spend it on Charles and Henry – "
"No, no," said Mr. Prince, closing Edwin's hand around the twenty galleons. "You deserve this, son. You've made us so proud, and I know you're going to do so well in law school. You need everything you can get. Keep it."
Edwin bit his lip and nodded, giving his smiling parents a grateful look. "Thank you," he murmured. He pocketed the gold just as a tap came at their kitchen window. Mr. Prince went over to the window and let in an owl with a package just as Charles and Henry came racing back into the kitchen, making loud noises as they played with their new toys.
"It's for you, Edwin," said Mr. Prince, looking surprised.
Edwin came back into the kitchen, brows furrowed. When he took the package, which was nice and heavy, he looked at the label and turned it over so he could see the writing on the other side. His entire family looked on as his cheeks flushed red, and he shifted a little in his spot.
"It's from Maggie," he admitted, and Henry clambered up a kitchen chair to peek.
"Oooh," said Charles with a grin. "Look Henry! It's from Edwin's girlfriend!"
"Be quiet, she's not my girlfriend," said Edwin, annoyed.
"Open it, open it!" called out Henry. "I want to see!"
"Now now, boys, leave your brother alone," said Mrs. Prince as she ushered them out of the kitchen. Still, both of Edwin's parents lingered, obviously curious to see what he'd been sent. Edwin sighed internally and opened up the package, first finding a note.
Edwin,
One day you're going to change the world! I hope this helps you along the way. Happy Christmas!
Love,
Maggie
Cheeks scarlet, Edwin slowly opened up the rest of the package and pulled out a dark leather briefcase of stunning quality, with his initials – E.P. - emblazed on the corner. Mrs. Prince gasped from her spot, and both of Edwin's parents moved over to look at it.
"Merlin's beard," said his father. "That's from that shop in Diagon Alley, the same one the Minister uses!"
"Oh, look at our boy!" said Mrs. Prince, tears filling her eyes. "Having such fine things!"
Edwin looked up at his parents, unable to say anything. At last, he gave them a small smile and put the briefcase back in the package. "I'll take this up to my room. Do you need anything before dinner?" he asked, and his parents quickly shook their heads, letting him go even as they continued to watch. Edwin took the package up the narrow stairs to his bedroom, and once he was inside, he set the box aside and held the briefcase in his hands.
Edwin's small room contained a twin-size bed crammed into one corner, and nearly every other available space was dedicated to books and other sparse furniture. His bedroom window overlooked a yard with a clothing line and the doors to a cellar, and beyond that was a pasture that marked the edge of town. There was also a large old tree he had played on when he was very young, and it now had several broken pieces of wood around it from various projects started and abandoned by Charles and Henry.
At the moment, there was a fresh layer of powdery snow covering the grass, and everything outside was a hazy blue under the wintery night sky. Edwin looked out at it for a little while, and then he laid down on his bed and held the briefcase in his hands.
As he looked over it, he spotted a switch he hadn't noticed before. It was currently set to Muggle Worthy. Curious, Edwin flipped the switch and re-opened his briefcase. To his surprise, there now appeared to be no bottom to the briefcase, but instead a ladder. Lips quirked, Edwin set the suitcase down on the ground and climbed down the steps.
When he reached the bottom, he found himself in a small cozy office, complete with an elegant desk with a hutch and empty shelves on all sides of the circular room. On the desk was another note. Edwin walked over and picked it up.
For when you need to get away.
Love,
Maggie
Edwin sank into the rolling chair, gaze never leaving the paper. When he blinked, he felt tears sticking to the corners of his eyes. Turning in the rolling chair, he looked all around his new office – lovely, hidden, and perfect.
It wasn't until dinner that he finally made himself leave – but not before taking both of the notes from Maggie and sticking them to his desk so he could see them always.
Christmas day came and went, and the holiday was just as lovely and fun as always. Maggie waited until her parents were distracted to give Athena the gift she'd bought her in Hogsmeade with Edwin. When Athena opened it, she gasped with delight.
"This is wonderful!" she exclaimed happily, and Maggie grinned.
"You better not get that book taken away by Mum and Da'. It cost way too much!"
"Oh, don't worry," said Athena. "I know right here to put it." She turned and walked to her room, and Maggie followed, curious. Athena stepped through her door, but instead of going to her many visible bookshelves, she walked to a small table lined with stuffed animals. After a pause, she selected a stuffed bunny – and then she twisted its head. A rumbling stirred in the house.
Maggie balked as part of the wall directly in front of them slid away, pulling in on itself and revealing a small dark doorway. Athena stepped through quite calmly, and Maggie followed her. Inside was a medium-sized room lined with old dusty books and other strange trinkets, many of which looked quite disturbing. Athena marched over to one shelf and pulled aside a sliding ladder, which she climbed onto. After pausing thoughtfully, she took the new book Maggie had given her and carefully slid it into place between two others. Then she hopped back down and observed her shelf of forbidden tomes with great appreciation.
"Perfect," she said, beaming.
"Uh," said Maggie, eyes darting around. "How did you do this?"
"Mind your business," said Athena sweetly, with a slightly manic head tilt. Maggie flashed her a thumb's up and then got the hell out before she saw something she wasn't supposed to see.
Afterwards, the family gathered in Draco and Ginny's room, all piled onto the very large bed their parents shared. Draco sat at the head of the bed in his pajamas, playing with baby Atticus. He had the baby's hands in his, and each time he bounced the bed and clapped Atticus's hands, the baby went wild with laughter. Ginny was also against the headboard, and Athena was at the end of the bed, stretched out on her stomach with one of her stuffed animals.
Maggie was the last to join them. There was a lot of space on the large bed, but she chose to climb into Ginny's lap – which she was far too large to do – and curl up there, trying to make herself as tiny as possible. Ginny laughed and held her in her arms, tucking her cheek against the top of Maggie's curly hair.
"Want to play with my bunny?" asked Athena to Maggie, holding up the stuffed animal.
"No thanks."
"Are you sure?" asked Athena, blinking owlishly. "It's made of real bunny." She shook the stuffed animal, and something that sounded suspiciously like bones rattled inside. Maggie used her toe to push away Athena's other stuffed animals.
"I'm good," she said cautiously.
Draco released Atticus and the baby bounced on his butt before crawling over to Athena and plopping onto her back, giggling. Draco shifted to look at Maggie.
"So where is your term report? We haven't seen your marks yet."
"It's in my room somewhere," she said vaguely, distracted by her thoughts of Edwin again.
"I hope you're not still struggling with Herbology," remarked Draco. "Longbottom said you were having some issues."
Maggie scowled. "Would you stop checking up on me at school please?!"
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are! Stop writing to my teachers! Bloody hell, I'm seventeen!"
"Oh, what's the matter? Too old to have your parents asking about you?" asked Draco with an eyeroll.
"Yes I bloody well am!"
Draco gave her a mocking look. "Well then maybe you shouldn't be curled up in your mummy's lap like the little bitty baby you are – "
Maggie kicked at him, and Draco kicked back. This quickly devolved into a furious squabble that nearly sent Atticus rolling right off the large bed.
"Hey!" scolded Ginny. "Watch the actual baby, would you?" She re-situated Atticus. "And for the record, you're both babies." She smirked.
"Do babies bounce?" asked Athena curiously.
"No," all three of the others answered quickly. Athena twisted her lips in a pout. Ginny turned her attention back to Draco and Maggie.
"So what should we do with the rest of our holiday?"
Maggie settled back against the headboard between her parents. Her eyes lowered as she grew thoughtful, and she wondered if now was the time to bring up something she had been thinking about for a while.
As she looked at Ginny and Draco, she knew that it was.
"Actually," said Maggie slowly, "there was something I wanted to do. If it was okay with you two."
Draco and Ginny looked to her attentively.
Maggie bit her lip and gave them both a small smile. "I know this is going to seem … sort of odd, but – I wanted to know if you two could help me find where my birth father is buried."
Draco's eyes widened, as did Ginny's.
"It's just," said Maggie, shrugging a bit uneasily, "I feel like that's something I should know. And I don't." She paused. "Would that be … okay?"
Draco and Ginny glanced at each other, and after a moment, Draco's lips quirked and he nodded. "Of course, darling. I'll find where he's at as soon as I can."
Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks," she said, hooking them both with her arms and pulling them close for a hug. "I love you."
Draco and Ginny wrapped their arms around Maggie's shoulders. "We love you too, dear," murmured Ginny, squeezing her tight for a moment.
Just four days later, Maggie, Draco, and Ginny departed from the house in Wiltshire and traveled to a distant Scottish country town called Melrose. After leaving their magical carriage, they crossed through the town wearing fine robes disguised by coats. Maggie's eyes moved all around the colorful buildings, drinking in the details and trying to remember her life there.
A few things seemed familiar; the barber shop on the corner of the cobblestone street, the ice cream parlor beyond it. There was a three story building Maggie remembered distinctly, as it had been the primary school she had attended for only two years before she'd been adopted by Draco and Ginny. Other places looked different than she remembered, but she still felt a strong pull to them.
After a while, the threesome came to the edge of the town and turned to walk up a grassy knoll to the top of a hill. As soon as they rounded the crest of the green hill, they found themselves at a very large and old graveyard. Maggie halted, her eyes looking over the hundreds and hundreds of gravestones.
Draco shifted at her side and handed her a piece of parchment. "It's on the fifteenth row," he told her quietly.
Maggie nodded and walked forward, with Ginny and Draco trailing behind her. It took several minutes, but at last, Maggie found the row she was looking for and walked down the many markers, looking for the name she knew.
Finally, she found it. Maggie came to a stop and looked at the name.
William Grady Dunn
1972 – 2000
Dunn. She had almost forgotten her original name. Maggie's eyes drifted to the grass around the headstone, which was tall and uncared for. In fact, the whole cemetery seemed to be in rather poor shape. Maggie pulled out her wand and stooped low, waving it around the edges of the grave marker. The grass pulled away, seeping back into the ground and straightening neatly. Small colorful flowers sprang up in its place, creating a soft halo around the stone.
When the foliage was cleared away, Maggie spotted something she hadn't been expecting. Her lips parted in disbelief as she reached forward and picked up an aged photograph in a cracked frame. It had obviously been placed there many years before; she hadn't even seen it with all the overgrown grass in the way.
Maggie straightened slowly, eyes locked on the Muggle photograph. The photo was of Maggie when she was very young – four years old, perhaps – with her father and mother, both of whom had been quite young when she was born. Maggie didn't remember her mother at all. She had died not long after this picture was taken, Maggie suspected.
But now that she saw her Muggle father's face again, she recalled everything about him in a rush: his voice, his laugh, his thick Scottish lilt when he called her name. She remembered the Snatchers breaking into their house – how had she attracted their attention? It had been an incident at school, she remembered suddenly, a fluke of magic that hadn't escaped their notice – and her father pushing her out of the back door as he fought off men in cloaks doing extraordinary things. Maggie had fled into the woods to hide.
By the time she'd come back to the house, her father was lifeless on the floor of their shabby living room, eyes open and unseeing.
Maggie felt a hand on her shoulder. She hadn't even realized she was crying. The tears were quiet as they slipped down her cheeks. She had the photograph clutched in her hand. When she looked over the other headstones nearby, she saw that the one next to her father's belonged to her mum. They had visited it once, she recalledin a flash.
"Look Maggie," murmured Ginny, pointing. Maggie walked over to look at yet another grave marker.
It had her name on it.
Magdalena "Maggie" Frances Dunn
1994 – 2000
"They think I died," Maggie whispered. She wiped at her eyes with her shoulder. "I bet my Nan did this. She would've – been the one to take care of it all, I think." Maggie wondered if her grandmother was still alive.
Some far-off laughter drew her attention, and Maggie looked up. She walked away from the gravestones and up yet another hill, only to see – in the distance, rather far away – a couple of children playing in an open field. Just beyond them was a tiny house painted in seafoam green.
Maggie felt the air leave her lungs. "That was it," she told Ginny and Draco. "That was my home."
Draco and Ginny followed her gaze to the small country home. Maggie watched for several seconds. As she did, a woman came out of the house and waved at the two children playing outside. When she did, the pair of little girls ran their mother and went back inside, probably for lunch.
Maggie smiled tearfully. "It has people in it," she said to Draco and Ginny. "Tha's good. It should be someone's home."
Sniffling, Maggie turned around, away from her childhood home. Ginny and Draco wrapped her up in their arms, and they all embraced for a long moment as Maggie cried for just a little while more. Then she pulled back, heaved in a deep breath, and smiled.
"Let's go," she said, still holding her picture.
The rest of the Christmas holidays flew by for Maggie. She had a good time with her family, but by the last few days, she was more than ready to return to Hogwarts.
For one, she missed Edwin.
And for two, she hated having to baby-sit.
"It's just for a little while," Draco told her as he and Ginny prepared to leave the house with Atticus. "And her friends are here, so she's occupied. Just make sure they don't kill each other." And then they left.
Maggie huffed and marched down the hallway. When she opened her sister's bedroom door, she found Athena jumping on her large bed with Marseille and Parvartus.
Athena was singing. "Three little nifflers jumping on the –" and then she shoved Marseille straight off the bed, cackling when he shrieked and hit the floor. Marseille popped back up with a furious howl and Athena and Parvartus screamed at the top of their lungs before running off, with Marseille in pursuit.
Maggie sighed heavily. Yes, she was definitely ready to return to Hogwarts.