CHAPTER ELEVEN: Madame Marjorie

"Madame Marjorie! How good it is to see you again!" The rather ancient woman turned and looked around for the source of the noise. "Up here! I'm in the tree!" Jaclyn waved as Madame Marjorie Crouch looked up. The old lady's face broke into a wrinkled smile, revealing chipped yellow teeth, but the expression was a happy and kind one.

"Well, come down 'ere, girl! Lemme get a good look atcha!"

Jaclyn hopped out of the large oak tree and landed catlike in front of Madame Marjorie and her black toy poodle Rufus. Rufus leaped onto Jaclyn and she picked him up, petting him as he tried to devour her face. The dog's incessant licking was something Jaclyn was quite used to, however, for she had two Shih Tzus and a large mutt that did the same.

"My, 'ow yah've grown, Jacleen! 'Ow's 'Ogwarts, deary? Git inoo any trouble dis year?"

Jaclyn grinned. She loved this neighbor. Muggleborn witches and wizards were always sent a representative with their letters, so they could be shown that it was true and not a joke. Since Madame Marjorie had lived so close (only two houses down), she had been sent that fateful evening five years ago.

"No, ma'am. Well, except," she lowered her voice conspiratorially, "except our horrible Potions teacher gave me detention once, all because I'm Muggleborn."

This appeared to upset Madame Marjorie. Madame Marjorie was a relative of the pureblood Crouch family, but she had no prejudices at all against Muggleborns, something Jaclyn enjoyed immensely as she was a wonderful person to talk to about the Wizarding world during the summer or when she came home on holiday. Also, whenever her parents needed to send her something at Hogwarts during the year, Madame Marjorie assisted them to make sure it actually got there. "Oh my, not Slughorn! 'E was a'ways fair ter all de studenz at 'Ogwarts no matter what dey're back'roun'!"

"No, no, not Professor Slughorn! He fell ill a month before O.W.L.s. It was a horrible substitute, Madam Sareh Scythe. She got real chummy with the Slytherins and was very wrapped up in all that pure-blood nonsense."

Jaclyn and Madame Marjorie had moved onto the Carter's front porch. Rufus and Randi, one of Jaclyn's Shih Tzu's, were now playing in the yard together. "So, wad ezakly happened?"

"Well, Potter and Katie were whispering together, and apparently Black made a rude comment to Bellatrix and Scythe heard and gave the whole table detention – that is, Potter, Black, Pettigrew, and Katie. Not Lupin, he was sick. And then Potter complained about missing Quidditch practice, so she told him a fellow player could join him and picked me, all the way across the room! I was so angry…"

Madame Marjorie looked thoughtful. "Black is still up tah his same ol' tricks, den?"

"Yeah…" Jaclyn shrugged, but her cheeks turned the tiniest bit pinker.

Madame Marjorie caught this. "An' 'ow 'as 'e been treatin', you, deary?"

"Same as before. Nothing's changed in his behavior, except…" she trailed off.

"Yes?" Madame Marjorie pressed.

"Well, one night I was reading a letter from my mom and dad…" She flushed a little more. "Well, he came down and we were talking and looking at my pictures in that album you sent for my birthday – thank you, by the way – and we…we kissed. A lot." Her face was now a bright red, the same shade as the lipstick her elder companion was wearing.

"So? What den?" the old woman urged.

"Lily caught us."

"Oh." Madame Marjorie knew a lot about their personal relationships because of what Jaclyn told her or wrote her in letters. She knew what that meant. "An' 'ow are yah two now?"

"Well, it's the weirdest thing. Black seemed to have some sort of row with the other three really soon after and they stopped talking to him. It had something to do with Snape, I think, because on the last day of term, he went up to Snape and apologized! In front of people!" If Jaclyn had expected Madame Marjorie to be shocked or surprised at this news, she was bitterly disappointed. Instead, the old woman had a sort of smug grin on her face. "What?"

The grin became an all-out smile. "Dat boy is very in love witcha, Jacleen."

"Yeah, I figured that much out on my own, thanks, what with the obsessive stalking. He's almost as bad as Potter is with Lily."

She continued to smile, which was rather annoying Jaclyn. "Dat boy did not just apologize tah Snape for 'is friends' ben'fit. 'E 'as changed, Jacleen, an' you would do well tah take notice."

She looked for a moment as if about to argue with the elder witch, but then decided against it. She sank back into the chair, a tired and defeated look on her face. "I know. But…" She told her about what he and Potter had done to Snape on the day of their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. "I mean, I really hoped he would change, but…he didn't. I don't think he ever really will."

"Methinks apologizin' tah Snape musta bin a very big ting for 'im. You 'ave told me 'ow severe deir hate is for each udder." She raised her eyebrows, the annoying smile gone.

"I know, but…" She sighed. "You're right… I just don't know how I can trust him. He's the school playboy. He'll snog anything with a chest bigger than his. How do I know that his 'devotion' isn't mere lust? What if he just runs around on me the moment I give in." She was on the verge of tears.

"Do yah honesty tink 'e will do dat, Jacleen?" Madame Marjorie asked softly. "On'y you can answer dat, but really tink befar yah do. Tink abou' de look in 'is eyes. Tink about 'is kiss. An' use yer instinct, yer heart."

"I don't know! I don't know what to think any more! I fancy him so much, but I'm scared! He's a Black, toujours pur. It wouldn't take a genius to translate that, especially if they'd grown up learning Spanish and French. It means 'always pure,' Madame Marjorie, and I'm not pure. He can't love me, and I can't love him!"

"Even doe yah do…" she said, in almost a whisper.

Jaclyn said nothing, as silent tears were now rolling down her cheeks. She just nodded slowly.

"Jacleen, I am old. I know what I am talkin' abou'. Don' let udders dictate who yah love an' how you love 'em. Yah need ter be 'appy. I know dis Sirius Black loves you an' I know you love 'im too. Don' let Lily, or Scythe, or anyone's fanatic ways rule yer life, deary. Iz yer life, for you to run. Understand meh?"

Slowly, Jaclyn nodded, then heard a voice calling to her from inside the house. They both stood up. Madame Marjorie gathered her into a tight embrace before kissing her cheek. Then she and Rufus continued their evening walk as Randi returned to her owner, wagging her long, white tail and panting happily. Jaclyn's mother, Cindy Carter, came to the door and stepped out onto the porch.

"Who was that, honey?"

"Oh, Madame Marjorie stopped by to talk and ask how school was going."

"Oh, that nice old lady, the one that can do magic, right?" Jaclyn nodded. "Did she bring Rufus along? I know Randi loves her little playmate." Jaclyn nodded again, smiling. Randi barked her annoyance and hunger at them and Cindy said, "It's dinnertime. Help me set up." Jaclyn and her dog followed her mom into the house.

xoxox

Jackie-

Mom and I will be coming to get you this Saturday at 7 PM. We'll be coming by Floo, so be sure to warn your parents this time, instead of giving them a heart attack when someone suddenly appears in their fireplace during the six-o-clock news.

-Kit

xoxox

Kit-

Okay. See you then. And don't worry, I've already told them right after I got your letter. They'll be prepared this time. See you then!

-Jac

xoxox

Author's Note: This one took a bit longer than the last. I was going to just edit the old one, but I realized I absolutely hated the eleventh chapter. Of course, the way I did this means I'll pretty much have to redo chapter 12, too, so these are all going to be slower coming. Anyway, I really like how this turned out, although in my head, Madame Marjorie's accent seems kinda Jamaican. -shrug- Oh well. I like her character. She's a nice old lady. Review this, PLEASE, if you read it, because this chapter is brand new and it makes me worry.

Okay, I'm majorly PMSing, and as all the reviews basically say, "That was cute, update soon," can you guys just accept a collective thanks? I'm really not feeling good at all. Nothing against ya'll, I'm just…bleh… you know? You girls should know what I mean, or you will soon.

-Carp