WC: 1,110


It was now time to board the train back to Hogwarts. She looked around the platform for Atticus.

"Hey Marnie!" He yelled.

She turned to smile at her best male friend. The families quickly greeted each other before the train whistled and their kids said goodbye and boarded the train.

"I think I already miss Max, he was probably most likely to be Prefect next year. I don't think Roger will get the honour." Atticus said.

"You're a shoo in then, I wonder who will be the female prefect."

"As much as I love Jaq and Clara, it's obviously going to be you."

Marnie nodded.

"How was your Christmas?"

"It was fun, how about yours?"

Atticus nodded. "It was normal."

"I was introduced to my dad's old captain, Clancy O'Donovan and reunited with his nephew Derek."

"Isn't Derek the guy you had a crush on during the summer of third year."

Marnie nodded as there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Lee walked in.

"Hey Lee. How was your Christmas?" Marnie asked as he walked in.

The dreadlocked boy said. "It was good, how was yours?"

"Good."

The group of fourth years continued talking until the sweet trolley pulled up outside the compartment.

"Where's your other friend, Max. I just realized he's not here." Lee said.

Marnie answered. "He was transferred to a school in America due to the petrifications at Hogwarts."

Lee nodded. They reached Hogwarts around 6pm and the three of them shared a carriage.

"Marnie! Atticus!" Jaq yelled running towards her friends in greeting as they walked through the Entrance Hall.

"Hey Jaq." Marnie greeted her best female friend.

"Did Max not come back?" Clara asked joining her friends.

Marnie said. "Yes, he transferred to a school in America."

"That sucks."

Atticus said. "How do you think I feel, now it's only me and Roger in the dorm."

"Oh, poor baby." Jaq teased.

Atticus stuck his tongue out at him. They walked to the Great Hall.

"Did anything interesting happen here?" Marnie asked.

"Not really."

Marnie nodded. "You guys remember me telling you about the boy I met the summer of our third year?"

"Yes, Derek isn't it?"

Marnie blushed. "Yeah, it is."

"What about him?"

"I was reunited with him over Christmas, it turns out he's a wizard. He goes to Beauxbatons where he's a fourth year."

"At least one of is lucky that our love interest is magical." Clara sighed as she sat down at the Ravenclaw table.

Marnie said. "That sucks, Clara."

"But at least you're happy." the Spanish girl smiled at her.

Atticus complained. "This is what I get when my three best friends are girls."

"Let's change the subject for Atticus," Marnie said sympathetically.

Jaq nodded. They changed the subject to something that Atticus could take part in.

After dinner, the four of them walked to Ravenclaw Tower. Clara recited the answer to the riddle and they walked in.

"See you later, Atticus." Jaq said pushing Marnie towards their dorm with Clara trailing behind them.

Marnie waved to her male best friend.

"So, how did you reunite with Derek?" Jaq asked as they reached their dorm.

Marnie wiggled from her best female friend's grasp and flopped on her bed happily.

"What is it?"

Marnie smiled up at her. "Derek is the nephew of my dad's old teammate Clancy O'Donovan. So, Clancy came over to visit a few days before Christmas and then my dad invited them to Christmas. We were reunited a few days later. We almost kissed before they left but my dad and his uncle interrupted. But when we went over for New Year's Eve we kissed in his library after he introduced me to his friends Césaire, Bartholomeu and Clemente."

"He has his own library in his house. You know how to pick them." Clara teased.

Marnie blushed. "It was my first kiss but I didn't feel any sparks. Maybe if I kiss him again it will change."

"That could happen."

Marnie nodded.

-/-/

It was the next morning, Marnie has to get used to getting up earlier now. She's always been more of a night owl than early bird which is one difference between her and Atticus. He's an early bird, part of her felt sorry for Roger. She got out of bed and shuffled towards the bathroom to get dressed. She hasn't given Nixie the anxiety potion quite yet so the tortoiseshell cat was still her shadow. She finished her bathroom routine and walked down the stairs to see Atticus sitting on the couch.

"Morning, Marnie." Atticus greeted.

She smiled. "Morning."

"So, I'm going to guess that you, Jaq and Carla had some girl talk last night."

"Yeah, we did. I told them I got my first kiss from Derek on New Year's Eve."

"That's sweet, I haven't gotten my first kiss yet."

Before Marnie could respond Jaq walked down the stairs. The three of them walked down to the Great Hall and sat down at the Ravenclaw table. McGonagall handed out the new timetables. The Ravenclaws had Transfiguration first with the Hufflepuffs. Transfiguration was one of Marnie's worst subjects compared to Charms and Potions anyway. It was the opposite case to Potions. She got along with McGonagall but wasn't good at her subject.

After Transfiguration, it was time for Marnie to go to Muggle Studies and Atticus went to Ancient Runes. Marnie enjoyed Muggle Studies very much.

"Morning Miss Jacobs," said Professor Burbage.

She smiled. "Morning Professor."

"Did you have a nice holiday, Miss Jacobs?"

"I did, how about you?" She asked as she sat down in a middle row.

The professor smiled. "Yeah, I did have a good holiday. Thanks for asking."

The rest of the students filed in that included Lee who sat next to Marnie.

"Hey Marnie," he greeted grinning at her.

She smiled back. "Hey Lee."

The class started. After class, it was time for lunch. Marnie was starving as she walked to to the Great Hall. She sat at the Ravenclaw table and waited for her other friends. The first one to arrive was Atticus he sat down right next to Marnie.

"How was Ancient Runes?" She asked looking up at him.

"Good, How about Muggle Studies?"

"Same."

Next to join them was Jaq she had been in Divination. Though, Marnie didn't choose to take the subject she even thought it was interesting. She's been obsessed with Astrology since she was younger which is a form of Divination, she knew it wasn't very accurate it was a hobby of hers.

Lastly, Carla joined them and the food appeared in front of them. They ate and chatted for all the meal.