(1993-1994)
Tacenda:
n. things better left unsaid; matters to be passed over in silence.
Magnolia's POV:
My tired feet carried me into the first empty compartment I found. Roxy and I had been up early this morning to finish up the last of our packing. Then got Juniper wrangled up with her trunk bright and early along with us soon after. She was dragging behind all morning, exhausted from staying up the night before packing and getting distracted as she went per usual. I laid my cheek against the window shortly after sitting down comfortably. The cold glass against my skin was the only thing keeping my eyes open at this point.
Roxy and Juniper sat across from me stretched across the seats. It wasn't long after we'd got comfortable that the Twins and Lee joined us on the train. The three burst through the door chatting loudly. Much more awake than any of us had been. Lee plopped at the edge of the bench I sat on, taking the spot across from Juniper. The two played footsie awkwardly as Fred stepped over them.
Fred squeezed into the seat beside me and Lee before George could take it, leaving him on the floor or the open seat beside Roxy. George turned to Fred with a pointed look before sitting beside Roxy. The younger twin always wound up on the floor instead of settling for a seat beside the girls. Though, today it seemed he was greatly considering it.
From what I collected, during my Great Nap, as Juniper had liked to call it, Roxy had pulled George aside and told him about Felicity. George did his best to understand her brief explanation about Felicity but he wanted to move past it all since he'd kind of struck up interest for someone else as he had told her. But to say the least, there was still some residual awkward tension between them.
"Hey Rox," George mumbled awkwardly beside her,
"Hello George, got any plans for your Holiday?" She asked politely, doing her best to alleviate the tension.
"Mum says we're likely going to Egypt. Bill, our oldest brother, works there right now," George answered, his shoulders dropped and he got more comfortable in the seat.
"That's pretty wicked," Roxy smiled, "What kind of work?"
"Cursebreaker," Fred interjected, "He's pretty badass," He added nonchalantly with a shrug.
"So how long will you be gone?" I questioned, sitting up in my seat. I was silently banking on those two being my escape plan when I couldn't face James anymore.
"All summer, which means you're stuck with the muggles all summer," Fred teased, pinching at my cheeks.
I swat his hand away, my face scrunching in annoyance, "She's not going to complain, she's got her little artsy boy to keep her busy," Juniper grinned, puckering her lips at me teasingly.
I shook my head, I shot her a warning look before she could open her mouth again, "I've got a wedding to help plan, for your information," I huffed in my reminder.
June and Roxy knew I wasn't that interested in James. They always teased me about Fred and George, specifically Fred. They said there was a strong pull when we were together. It was their stupid overthinking, I thought. Mum always told me about her best friend growing up, Grant, and he was a boy. They'd never go for the other and a kiss on the cheek was normal practice for the two. I could be friends with a boy without romantic attachment. It wasn't like I had the urge to kiss Fred as I did with Cedric or James, and that was the biggest difference.
Quite frankly, I didn't know how I was feeling about James, not completely at least. I had planned to use my final months of the term, figuring out what the mistletoe kiss meant, yet here I went and got petrified. I was more confused than ever now.
"What about the two of you?" George smirked, glancing between Juniper and Lee. Both now fighting blushes on their cheeks.
They fought with their own excuses before Roxy joined in with George's teasing, "That's actually much more interesting than fuddy-duddy James," Roxy agreed.
Juniper and Lee looked at one another searching for an answer. As they stared between each other George and Roxy came in hot with the questions, occasionally looking to Fred for his input. I couldn't pay attention. My mind reminded me that I was running out of time, and with my luck first thing tomorrow morning he'd be at the door, awaiting the answer to our kiss. An answer I didn't have, at least not the one he wanted.
The entire situation was quickly feeling like I was being punished for kissing James in the first place. If I'd kept the urge in, maybe I'd never been caught after curfew alone after everything in this screwed-up chain of events. Though I understood it wasn't that simple of a connection, I couldn't help but feel the domino effect coming down. I kissed a boy I barely liked, then, to move past my mistake I quickly filled my free time split between studying for exams and fulfilling pranks with Lee and the Twins. All so I didn't have to gather my feelings, then I had to stupidly get caught alone. The one time I'm without one of the many bodyguards that had come into my life, like an idiot.
I leaned my head back into the seat, I could feel myself growing more and more anxious as we pulled from Hogsmeade station. My knee bounced with each thud of the tracks beneath our feet. Juniper and Roxy laughed with Lee and The Twins as they continued to tease each other. They never bat an eye when I withdrew, falling into their own conversations easily. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath as best as I could ignoring the beating of my heart picking up pace.
I felt a nudge against my knee, bringing my attention away from my heartbeat. I opened my eyes to see Fred searching for mine with slight concern. His knee brushed mine as he nudged me.
"You okay?" He asked quietly.
"Just tired," I replied dismissively, half nodding.
"You're welcome to use my lap for some extra legroom if you need it, so you can nap if you want," Fred offered, "Not like you'll need that much room anyway," He added quickly, with a grin.
Maybe if I just slept I'd be able to silence the anxiety building in my head. I did what I could to curl up on the seat comfortably, stretching my legs across Fred's lap to take up a little more room. His hands rested above my knees, leaning his own head back tiredly. It was pretty easy to fall asleep on the train, the bumps along the tracks didn't even bother me anymore.
While I tried to sleep, I could feel Fred using his finger to draw over shapes on my leg. It was like he was drawing the map back to London, grazing over my bare knee from the tear in my jeans as we passed the familiar hills in the distance. The repetitive motion was enough to focus on so I could silence my concerns.
••••••
"I swear she's always asleep on this bloody train," Juniper groaned, watching as Magnolia dozed across from her.
Fred shot his foot out, kicking at her shin, "Shush, it's not like you can't take a nap, too." He argued.
Juniper scoffed with a sneer, "Okay loverboy, whatever you say,"
"I've got no clue what you're talking about," Fred played dumb, he knew what she was talking about.
Juniper had paid more attention to detail than anyone realized. She had always heard her sister remind her that people will reveal quite a bit about themselves with the smallest details. Juniper watched when Fred would hook his arm around Magnolia's, he'd grin just a little brighter when the dark-haired girl was around. She noticed the way he was always fiddling with some part of Magnolia's hand or glancing at it like he was waiting for a chance to reach out. Stealing glances at Magnolia whenever he could.
While Juniper and Roxy had only seen Maggie once while she was petrified beside Hermione, the same as Fred and George had been allowed. Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let anyone visit, it was pointless. Magnolia wasn't conscious enough to even know, it was exactly like Juniper had described, it was like a long nap. However, that didn't stop Fred from making every attempt he could, trying to slip behind anyone's back or faking a cough to get sent to the infirmary, even if just to check for any progress. Juniper caught the older twin making every attempt he could at catching just a glimpse of Magnolia.
"I'm sure, whatever you say, dear Freddie," Juniper smirked knowingly, turning back to face Lee, "I didn't wait by the infirmary every day," She muttered.
Lee snorted, Fred shifted his gaze across the cart looking to George and Roxy, who hid their chuckles. He could feel his cheeks warming up as the cart giggled around his demise.
Fred shook his head, glancing down at his hand. He pulled it back into his lap, removing it from Magnolia's knee. He remembered the last time they rode the train together, as Magnolia played with his hair as he fell asleep. It was comforting and he tried to do the same. But it was nothing more than that, he thought.
"Shut up," Fred pouted, sitting up defensively, "Maggie might hear you," He warned Juniper.
Their cart went silent, the only sound was the click from the tracks as the train pulled along. Roxy cleared her throat, peering her head out the window as the Trolley lady passed with her cart of sweets. Her eyes grew and she rested her hand on her grumbling stomach.
"Juniper, let's get some sweets," Roxy tugged on Juniper's arm before she could protest. Roxy turned to Fred, giving him a quick wink.
Roxy shoved Juniper through the door, the boys were left alone, with a sleeping Magnolia, quietly snoring beside Fred. His cheeks had grown pink and he was attempting to hide his frustration from the teasing. It was annoying he had enough nagging from their mum in her last letter about his marks, and how important O.W.L.S were for them. Fred wasn't used to getting back what he dished out when it came to teasing, Juniper knocked him down a few pegs.
George watched Roxy and Juniper escape from the growing tension before turning to his brother, kicking him in the same spot Juniper just had.
"I hate to admit it but she's right," George whispered. "You've kind of got it bad and everyone can see it. Even Cami noticed the way you got after the thing with the Nott kid,"
Fred remembered standing from the table ready to defend Magnolia when Sam had stepped up to her. The way it felt when he called her that nasty word, just the memory alone made his blood boil all over again. He was impressed when she'd stood up to him, actually striking someone was the last thing Fred had expected from Magnolia. He cheered her on as Roxy and Juniper had dragged her from the room. That didn't stop him and George from pulling him aside before he could leave, giving the Nott boy a warning of their own.
Fred glanced at Magnolia sleeping beside him, "I know…" He finally admitted, "But she's got James to go back to and it's not like we'll be here at all this summer so what's the point of telling her now."
Lee patted his knee, "I can assure you that James isn't a threat," He confirmed.
George and Fred shared a look before looking to Lee for more detail, he shrugged sitting back more comfortably kicking his feet up to the seat where Juniper had sat.
"My source says she's not that interested in him, but I haven't got a clue where she stands with you," Lee smirked, it was obvious who his source was, Juniper was notorious for slipping up with secrets.
"Guess you'll have to turn on the charm then, Freddie," George added teasingly, "Because if you won't do something you're going to have to just wait for her to do it first, and she'll play hard to get or something,"
The girls returned to the cart with arms full of sweets, silencing their boys' whispering. Fred closed his eyes in an attempt to quiet the running of his thoughts. Maybe a summer apart would do them both some good, he thought, even if it made him miss Magnolia more. He couldn't ruin their friendship for some potentially fleeting feelings. Fred needed the time to figure it out himself, what if she had liked James and Lee was just screwing with him. He still couldn't admit to her that hoped she might kiss him all those nights ago when they'd watched the stars.
Fred knew she'd be on his mind the entire time they were apart, but he could be the last thing on her mind for all he knew. Just like Magnolia, Fred was stubborn as hell. He had to play it cool and pretend she didn't affect him. Even if the butterflies in his own stomach wouldn't give it a rest, Fred was going to ignore them for her. So he wouldn't lose her.
••••••
Magnolia's POV:
I woke up with an hour or two left on the trip home. My back had a kink forming towards the base from the awkward position I sat in. I liked to watch as the lush green hills melted into brick and concrete. Cityscapes were coming into sight once again. The pieces making up London filled back in.
This part was always bittersweet, although I would get to see everyone in a matter of months it still made goodbyes hard. Roxy always said her goodbyes quickly, like she didn't want to burden her parents with waiting for her. Her older siblings were joined with her parents, greeting their baby sister with open arms. Roxy didn't talk much about her siblings, they were supportive and polite but the age difference had been such a gap it was hard to relate to each other.
While June wanted to cram as much in her departure, making plans for the first day of term, and mapping out a schedule for writing to one another all summer long. Mrs. Haywood was a tall, slender woman with similar features to Demi, with tighter curls and a deeper complexion. Demi hugged against her mum before they were dragging Juniper away as she continued spitting off her plans.
The Twins usually made sure I at least made it to Mum before they'd run off to find the rest of their family. George gave me a brief hug, pressing a sloppy kiss on my cheek, I shoved him away laughing.
"Godric, no wonder girls don't wanna snog you," I teased.
He scoffed, shoving my shoulder in return, "I'll have you know that plenty of girls want to snog me,"
"I'm sure you've got an entire army behind you," I rolled my eyes, turning to Fred.
I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him down to my height. The feeling of his arms winching around my waist filled my stomach with waves. Saying goodbye to them seemed to get harder every time. Saying goodbye to Fred, got harder every time. Maybe I'd been kidding myself, the butterflies in my stomach continued to evolve.
I felt Fred press his lips to my cheek as I'd done at our last goodbye, they were soft and gentle. There was a tiny part of me wishing I'd turned my head to catch them against mine. While every other ounce of my body was telling me to squash it all down. I still hadn't figured out what was going on with James. It was another example of young hormones and my body's way of being shitty with goodbyes.
I pulled myself from Fred, trying to extinguish the thoughts I had growing in my head. I noticed Ginny and Ron joining Molly's side with Percy in tow behind the younger pair.
I'd manage to ask Molly, just as we were splitting up to have Arthur send me advice on what I was supposed to do about Elliot before they left. I wanted to stop hiding this part of my life. Mum and Elliot had been looking high and low for the perfect place to get married. They didn't want anything crazy and large, just them and a few other people.
Mum and Elliot had waited near the opening of the station, Mum holding a messy bouquet of bright daisies and purple wildflowers from the garden at the Cottage, while Elliot held a sign reading,
Welcome, Home Maggie!
Something tells me they were told about my accidental petrifaction. This was a much bigger homecoming than I'd had before. Mum's smile grew ten sizes as she noticed I passed through the platform. She tossed the homemade bouquet into Elliot's hands before rushing to meet me halfway. I abandoned my cart clutching Mum into a hug as soon as I could.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Mum cried into my neck, "Your headmaster said there wasn't much information about your illness he could give. But I'm just so glad you're home now!" Mum pressed a wet kiss to my cheek, wrapping her arm tightly around me.
"I'm glad to be home too," I agreed.
Mum took my cart, taking over in guiding it back to the car. As Elliot joined us again, he rested the bouquet and the sign on the cart pulling me into a warm hug. It felt so good to be home again. I wasn't going to waste my summer worrying about boys or feelings, I wanted to use my summer for good. I'd be here all summer, Fred and George weren't going to be an available escape plan.
I had to make a promise to myself to use this summer to get back as much time as I lost in those three months. I didn't need to stress about anything other than enjoying most of my summer and helping Mum plan as much of the wedding as she needed me to.
••••••
June:
The month of June settled in alongside Magnolia, unpacking her trunks as the summer days fell into place. Elizabeth and Elliot were still in a newly engaged blissful haze, there hadn't been much wedding planning while Magnolia was gone. Though they'd both grown a hyper fixation on visiting all around Europe. The couple had settled on a wedding date in late July, to make the most of the wildflowers surrounding the Cottage.
Magnolia stood beside Willow watching as she restocked the best seller's books on the shelves beside the register. Elliot was in the back office working on the same type of paperwork he was typically found with, while Elizabeth stood at the counter greeting customers as they came in. It was odd to Magnolia, the bookstore had always been the safe place or meeting point for Magnolia and her Mum and time hadn't changed that but made it more so. She'd gone from longing to look through each window to own the windows. Willow restocked the books closest to the shop window staring off as she blindly stocked shelves.
"James is on his way up the street," Willow warned lazily, Magnolia was quick to run from the counter and slip into the office with Elliot, "No flowers this time though," Willow added, calling out.
The older girl quickly admitted after Magnolia's return that the mistletoe was an overstep, and wasn't her best victim this time. Magnolia closed the door quickly shutting them out from the store. Elliot didn't even twitch at her scrambling, focusing on how he filled out the order forms in front of him. Magnolia had been home for about a week before James made his first attempt at visiting, she could have just told him the kiss was a mistake and should have never happened. However, she didn't and went into hiding every time the boy came by.
"James coming by?" Elliot asked with a half-grin as he scribbled at order forms.
"Yes, but I thought I'd learn about the book business," Magnolia lied, sliding a chair from the other side of the office beside him. "What's got you busy today?"
Elliot looked at the girl without turning his head, watching her fidget in the chair awkwardly, as she peeked over at his order forms. He wondered what advice he could give that would be warranted and not come off as an overstep. He had watched this girl the past few years go through so many different changes, the young girl beside him growing into an identical image of her mother. All the things adding together made it easier for him to catch her in a lie.
"Well I'm working on ordering some new novels from an author from the States, F.T Blackwell, she writes stuff about magic." Elliot explained, reading through the brief blurb on the author, "Sounded like magic could be fun,"
Magnolia nodded, hiding a small grin, "What kind of magic?"
"Witches, Wizards that kind of thing," He shrugged, "She's got a whole series she's working on, the sequel just came out,"
The bell on the front door of the store rang as it opened, James's voice filled the room, "Is Maggie here today?"
Magnolia fazed out of listening to Elliot explain this woman's skewed idea of magic. Far more interested in what James had to ask.
"No, sorry baby brother. Have you ever heard of playing hard to get?" Willow's voice could be heard over the quiet music that played in the store.
"What's that got to do with Maggie?" He asked with a groan.
"She's obviously avoiding you. This is the hard-to-get part, now run along. I've got a job to get back to and I don't need pesky brothers hanging around," Willow argued.
"That's what I need to talk to her about-" He attempted.
"Well not today," Willow cut off.
The bell above the door rang again, cutting him off as he went to speak again. The door shut behind him. Magnolia heard her mother chuckle as she opened the office door.
Elizabeth gave her daughter a knowing smirk, "Care to explain why the boy keeps coming by?"
Magnolia laughed awkwardly, fighting a blush, "You see, there may have been some mistletoe…" She trailed off mumbling out the final words, looking back at the order forms as a distraction, "You know what? I think this book series seems great, better get me a copy as soon as they come in," Magnolia looked to Elliot in an attempt to further her previous conversation as if her mother hadn't just questioned her.
"Magnolia," Her mum warned, "Did something happen?"
"Operation Mistletoe never fails, Liz," Willow called from the other side of the counter as she stacked the final books to go back, with a snicker under her breath.
"What is going on?" Elizabeth questioned in absolute confusion.
Elliot clapped his hands together, "I think this might be best if Willow and I stay out here for this," He awkwardly stood up from the desk abandoning the order forms.
Magnolia searched the man's eyes looking for an out of this awkward conversation she was going to have with her mother. Her Mum stepped into the office leaning against the desk. But Elliot skipped out as fast as he could, grasping the door behind him. Magnolia avoided her mum's eyes. She was hoping this mistake would just go away or something, it was stupid but it was what she was hoping for.
"I kissed James on Christmas Eve," Magnolia mumbled out her confession, it was easier without looking at her mum.
"What does Mission Mistletoe have to do with it?" Her mum asked, arching a brow.
"Operation Mistletoe; It's Willow's stupid thing," Magnolia rolled her eyes with a shrug, "I shouldn't have ever kissed him, it was dumb," She admitted.
Magnolia finally looked up from the tabletop, looking up at her mother. There was no disappointment in her eye, just a sympathetic smile, as she moved to sit beside her in the empty spot Elliot left.
"A little kiss on the holidays doesn't have to mean anything but you've got to at least talk to James about whether or not it does to him though. I can't have him knocking down our doors every day trying to find you because you've been hiding," Elizabeth took Magnolia's hand, stroking her thumb across the back as she'd always done.
"I just thought… I didn't think at all," Magnolia felt defeated, she knew her mum was right but it was easier to hide.
"I was young too once," Elizabeth chuckled, "Trust me when you're ready I'll tell you all the stories of my careless mistakes from when I was your age,"
"I also stole the Weasley car with the twins last summer to rescue Harry," Magnolia added to her confession, "And we broke into a candy store after hours, but we paid for the stuff we took, they just weren't open," Her confessions began spilling out, "And it wasn't an illness last term, I was petrified by a beast hidden underneath the school."
Magnolia looked to her mother awaiting her response nervously. Elizabeth stared off before she broke into laughter, bringing her young daughter into her side, hugging onto her lovingly. She pressed a kiss against her hair muffling her laughter.
"You're going to keep making mistakes in your life, one kiss, or some questionable choices aren't going to ruin your life though," Elizabeth reminded Magnolia, "But I might need to ask more about this petrifaction I'm just now found out about,"
"I feel really guilty for keeping it all from you. You don't seem mad but I'm mad with myself, but I guess if you'd like to tell me one of your bad stories, it might make me feel better," Magnolia suggested.
Her mother grinned nodding her head, "How about I tell you about the first time I snuck out with Grant?" Elizabeth questioned.
Magnolia nodded hoping her mother's own confession would make her feel better. Although Magnolia wanted to avoid talking to James even longer, she knew it wasn't the right thing to do.
Within the month, Magnolia had heard several new stories of her mother's youthful adventures from when she was fourteen going on fifteen. It was no wonder that she wasn't close with the family she had still alive in London. Magnolia's grandmother, from what she'd gathered, was hateful towards the unusual and shamed those who found any interest. Magnolia tried to piece together a complete image of her grandmother based on the vague description, silently hoping a story or two of her father may slip in. Though it didn't matter who he was, she just wanted a name at least, but nothing ever came for now.
Magnolia was able to picture her mother very differently than how she was now. Her mum had kept up with the latest rock releases and fled to the city every chance she got with Grant. He was like the older brother she always wanted, guiding her through her primitive years. The few years of adolescence Elizabeth had got before Magnolia was born were filled with laughter and mischief.
July:
Wedding planning wasn't anything like Magnolia had expected, her mum wanted to just have a small ceremony with a few friends from her previous jobs and Elliot's little bit of family remaining. even received an invitation, to which she answered with a witty response about being far too old to hop the pond again, but that they'd be welcome in her home the next time they find themselves in New York.
Elliot and Elizabeth liked simple things, the ceremony as of now was only an empty archway waiting for a floral arrangement to add color and a vintage wedding gown, Elizabeth fell in love while thrift shopping with Willow and Magnolia.
"What kind of flowers are you thinking, Mum?" Magnolia asked as she walked behind her mum and Willow.
"The wildflowers will be purple and white, so probably something to complement those," Get mother responded with a mumble as she looked through the many arrangements.
"I think these sunflowers would be really nice with your dress," Willow suggested pulling one of the long-stemmed flowers out, "Adds a nice pop with the purple wildflowers too,"
Magnolia still hadn't talked to James about their kiss. This time unintentionally, he'd taken his sister's advice and was allowing Magnolia to find him to talk when she was ready. She started thinking that might never happen but with the wedding approaching quicker and quicker, she was running out of time unless she'd be up for an awkward evening.
"What do you think, Mags?" Her mother asked her, bringing her back into reality.
"I think they're great, whatever you want for your big day," Magnolia smiled, she'd been echoing those words every time her mum asked what she thought.
A wedding was the last thing on Magnolia's mind. It was common for girls to picture their perfect wedding day but Magnolia was a common girl. She always pictured finding that perfect person but never got to the point of picturing her wedding day. It was a big fuss to gather together just to tell the person you love that you love them. The thought of being crammed in a white dress that was meant to symbolize purity when you've likely never been pure. She tried to push the negativity away, writing it off as her anxiety picking at her.
"Can't believe you two are getting married next week!" Willow squealed, pinching at Elizabeth, giddy.
This was a different side of Willow that Magnolia hadn't seen before. The older girl always waved off the importance of marriage, there were too many flavors to try to just want to have one for the rest of your life, was how she phrased it to Magnolia in the past.
"Have you told Maggie the plan yet?" Willow added flashing a grin between the two Lancaster women.
Elizabeth swat Willow's hands away, "I was planning to this evening actually but I guess we can tell her now,"
"What plan?" Magnolia questioned in complete confusion.
Her mother sighed, "Elliot and I may be going to Europe for our honeymoon, and since we don't want to rush to be home in time for your school, we figured you'd like to stay here with Willow at the Cottage for the rest of the summer?"
Magnolia had spent a sliver of her summer away without saying goodbye before leaving for Hogwarts last year. This time she'd get to enjoy the comfort of her own bed, without worry for the twins to bombard Ginny's bedroom door at the crack of dawn. Besides, Willow was an adult, barely, but adult enough to watch over her for over a month. It was like having little to no adult supervision as it was, something Magnolia was already used to from growing up with a working single mother.
"Sounds incredible," Magnolia mused.
Her mother gave her a pointed look and scoffed, "At least pretend to miss your dear, old mum!" She teased.
"You know I love you but I'm used to being alone, the Willow part is an improvement," Magnolia winked to the older girl, who returned the gesture behind Elizabeth's back.
Magnolia hugged her mum, before pulling away to look her in the eyes, "I've got this handled perfectly, you've got nothing to worry about. Fred and George are all hundreds of kilometers away so there's no chance of them crashing in, the worst that can happen is a few light bulbs going out," She reassured her.
Willow nudged Elizabeth, "Let's get back to picking flowers, we can discuss the honeymoon more later," Willow linked her arm with Elizabeth and turned around the corner giving Magnolia a moment alone.
A/N: Maggie is avoiding this boy like the plague… How's everyone feeling about that train confession tho ;) What could James possibly have to say? Anywho! Enjoy and I will see y'all next week with our next update! I will be adding playlists to each part soon, so keep an eye out for that! Also a new edit thing for this next part over on my tik Tok if you'd like to check it out, strawberrycake98._
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