WC: 821


It was a couple mornings later, Marnie received her Hogwarts letter. A prefect badge fell out of the envelope when she opened it.

"Congratulations, sweetie." Martin congratulated his oldest.

Madison said. "Of course, you'd get prefect."

"Congratulations, honey. I was Slytherin prefect in my fifth year. I can't remember who the Head Boy was."

Marnie looked at the letter to see who was Head Boy this year. It didn't say.

Suddenly, Atticus appeared in the floo. "Did you get Prefect?" He asked.

"I sure did."

"We can be prefects together."

Martin said. "At least one set of Prefects end up together or at least I thought."

"That won't be us." Atticus and Marnie denied.

"Whatever you say."

Marnie dragged Atticus to her room urgently.

"What's up?" He asked.

Marnie asked. "You remember I went to my half brother's birthday a few days ago?"

"Yes, I remember."

"My mum also explained why she suddenly abandoned me when I was three."

"What was her excuse?" He asked almost bitterly.

He knew Marnie was rather forgiving most of the time and he was really protective of her because of it.

"She didn't want to give me up but it was her sister's fault."

Atticus nodded. "So, your aunt is the reason why she gave you up?"

"Yes, she was scared I would abandon them once I discovered the magical world."

"Why would they think that you're one of the most loyal people I know?"

Marnie shrugged. "My grandmum and uncle abandoned them when my uncle got his Hogwarts letter."

"Just because they abandoned them doesn't mean that you would."

"I know. She showed me a picture of her when she was younger. I looked almost exactly like her except the darker hair and the slightly darker skin tone. She also had a little brother named Gilderoy, their last name was Lockhart."

Atticus nodded. "So, one of the smartest girls in our year is related to a foppish idiot."

Marnie threw herself on her bed. "I know, can you keep the secret?"

"I sure can."

"Thank you, Dill."

"Anytime, Rosie." Atticus said.

Marnie sat up next to him.

"So, what's your stepfather like?"

"He's really cool, he was a Gryffindor at Hogwarts. He graduated a few years before my dad. He makes my mum happy."

"Your mum must have a thing for wizards."

Marnie chuckled.

"Do you think I should lose some weight?"

Marnie glanced at her best friend. He had always been rather insecure about his weight.

"What do you think?" he asked again.

"If that's what will make you happy, I'll support it."

Atticus smiled at her. He stayed over for a few more hours before he left.

-/-/

It was a few days later, Marnie was asked to babysit her two half brothers along with Kyle. There was a knock on the door. Marnie answered it to face a copper haired girl.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Marnie, Kyle's stepsister. Who are you?"

The girl smiled. "I'm Sasha, Kyle's girlfriend."

Kyle walked over to the girls and greeted Sasha with a kiss.

"We're supposed to be babysitting our brothers not having our significant others over."

"Be a good younger sister and cover for me," Kyle said taking Sasha's hand and leading her to his room.

Marnie sighed. "Okay."

"Thanks sis."

Marnie walked over to her younger half brothers.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Brett asked his older sister.

Marnie shook her head. In a way Derek was her first boyfriend but other ways he wasn't.

"You're really pretty, like our mummy."

Marnie smiled and ruffled Scott's hair. She quickly made some mac and cheese for her half brothers and herself.

"Isn't Kyle going to eat?" Brett asked.

"Probably later."

Brett nodded. Kyle is too busy eating his girlfriend's face off not literally but figuratively. She ate with her half brothers and then got them ready for bed.

As she got them to sleep, Malcolm and her mum arrived home.

"Hey how was your date?" she asked.

"It was romantic, where's Kyle?"

Marnie rubbed her neck nervously. "He has to study."

Malcolm chuckled. "I know you're trying to cover for him and he know he's with Sasha in his room."

"Well, it was worth a shot."

Gillian said. "It's pretty late, would you like to stay over?"

"I don't have any clothes and my dad will worry if I'm not home."

Gillian said. "I can rustle up something for you to wear and you can floo your dad."

"Alright."

Malcolm led her over to the fire and she floo called her dad.

"Hey sweetie." Martin greeted.

"Hey dad, can I stay over here for the night. It's pretty late."

Martin answered. "Sure."

"I'll see you tomorrow, love you."

"Love you too."

She pulled her head out of the fire and walked to the spare room. Her mum had set out a pair of shorts and an old Beatles shirt. She changed and crawled into bed. It felt weird to sleep in a bed besides the one at her dad's house.