WC: 1,436


It was New Year's Eve again, the group was going over to Clancy's again for the party. The three girls wore similar dresses to last year. They left to Clancy's house.

"Hey mate," Clancy greeted Martin.

"Hey mate."

Clancy invited them in.

"Marnie, it's nice to see you again." Derek smiled at her.

She smiled at him. "It's nice to see you too."

"You look really nice tonight." He complimented.

She smiled. "Thanks. You look nice too."

Derek smiled at her and led her towards his friends. They all greeted her warmly.

"So, are you two going to lose your virginity to each other?" Bartholomeu asked boldly.

Derek smiled shyly at Marnie.

"I wanted to talk about that, Derek," Marnie said turning to him.

Derek nodded. "Let us talk about it in my room."

"Alright."

Derek took her hand and lead her to his room. They sat down on his bed and Derek leaned into kiss her. She let the kiss go a bit further but then pulled away.

"Did I get better at kissing?" he smirked.

"You were always a good kisser, although I've never kissed anyone besides you."

"Same here."

"Really?"

Derek nodded. "I've been questioning these feelings or rather the lack of feelings I have for you."

"Have you had feelings for any other girls?"

"Maybe just a precocious crush on my babysitter when I was five but that's it."

"What are you trying to say?"

Derek said. "I can't bring myself to go further, no matter how much my friends want me to."

"So, this is peer pressure?"

"Yes but also to prove that I can."

Marnie asked. "What do you mean?"

"I think I'm gay," He said dropping his head into his hands.

Marnie rubbed his back in comfort.

"Merlin, I'm pathetic, I have dead parents and I'm gay."

"Derek, you're not pathetic. When did you figure it out?"

He answered. "Maybe right before our talk this summer, are you upset?"

"Not at all."

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Clemente walked in and immediately noticed his distraught friend.

"Hey Clemente," Marnie greeted the black haired boy.

He replied. "Hey, did something happen?"

Before one of them could reply Césaire and Bartholomeu barged in.

"I don't see any clothes strewn on the floor or anything. Did Derek chicken out?" Césaire asked not even noticing his distraught friend.

Marnie jumped up and stormed towards the blond boy. "So, you're the one who pressured him into something he's not ready for."

"He needs to man up and sleep with someone."

"We're bloody fifteen, we shouldn't be thinking about that. You're lucky I can't use magic outside of Hogwarts if I was you'd be the victim of my 'Bat Bogey Hex'"

"Like you can do that, you wouldn't have the nerve."

"You arrogant arsehole!" she exclaimed.

Césaire smirked. "You know you want me, Marnie."

"Not even if you were the last man on earth."

The blonde boy just strolled over to her and forcefully kissed her. She pushed hilm away and punched him.

"What's going on here?" a woman almost identical to Césaire rushed in.

Césaire turned on the crocodile tears. He's fifteen.

"Who did this to my poor baby?" she said eyeing her son's friends.

Marnie said. "I did, Mrs. Champlain."

"How dare you!"

Clemente said. "He had it coming."

Mrs. Champlain glared at Marnie and dragged her down the stairs.

"Get your hands off my daughter!" Martin exclaimed.

Mrs. Champlain said. "You're the father of this delinquent."

"My daughter is not a delinquent."

"She punched my son."

Martin glanced at his daughter. "I'm sure there's a reason you did that."

"Yes, this is something Madison would do."

"Why did you punch him?"

"He kissed me without my permission." Marnie said.

Martin said. "You should teach your son boundaries, Mrs. Champlain."

"Your daughter is a liar!"

"Don't you dare call my daughter a liar!" Martin shouted.

Clemente said. "Yes, she's telling the truth."

"You're supposed to be his friend, not side with her."

Clemente said. "He's not much of a friend. He bullies Derek and he pressured him into sleeping with Marnie."

"Nothing but a kiss happened." Marnie said quickly reassuring her dad.

Martin nodded. He trusted his daughter and her decisions. Before the argument could continue it was time to count down. After the countdown, the family left.

"I would ground you but what's the purpose since you go back to Hogwarts in one day."

"I'll ground myself for the day." Marnie chuckled.

Martin chuckled at his daughter.

WC:679

Chapter 28

It was now the next day, Marnie rushed through the barrier. She glanced around the platform for any sign of her best friend. She found him talking with Ailín.

"Hey you two." She greeted the two brothers.

The oldest brother smirked at her.

"Oh, you didn't tell him that I had a crush on him in my first year." Marnie said dragging her hand down her face.

"Of course I did." He said placing the 'Quigley' smirk on his face.

"Merlin, you're insufferable, Quigley."

"But you love me anyway."

Marnie smiled fondly. "Of course."

Before Atticus could respond the train whistled and they said goodbye to their families and boarded the train. After their short Prefect rounds, they went to their usual compartment.

"How were your holidays?" Marnie asked.

Atticus smiled. "Good, I finally got my first kiss."

"That's good. Who was it?"

"It was a neighbor girl who was over for New Year's Eve."

Marnie smiled. "So, both of us got our first kiss on New Year's Eve."

"Yes, how were your holidays?"

"One word, dramatic. what story do you want to hear first? My Christmas dinner or my New Year's Eve?"

Atticus thought for a moment. "Which one is more dramatic?"

"They're both dramatic in their own way."

"How about New Year's Eve." Atticus said.

Marnie said. "We went over to Clancy's again. I talked with Derek and his friends for a bit, until his friend Césaire asked if we are going to lose our virginities to each other."

"This is awkward."

"Nothing happened but a kiss."

Atticus nodded.

"Then we discussed his lack of feelings for me and he told me he thinks he's gay."

"Alright."

"I sat there comforting him until his friend Clemente walked in. Then his two other friends barged in his friend Césaire went on and I accused him of pressuring Derek into losing his virginity to me and he claimed that I wanted to date him not even if he was the last man on earth."

Before Atticus could respond there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Lee walked in.

"Hey Marnie." He smiled at her.

"Hi Lee."

"You looks like you were in the middle of a story, you want me to leave?"

Marnie shook her head. "Go ahead sit down."

Lee sat down next to Marnie.

"So, let's see I left off during the argument with Césaire."

"Just fill me in whose Césaire?"

"An arrogant arsehole who thinks I should have slept with his friend who was my first kiss last year."

Lee nodded.

"I threatened him with a 'Bat Bogey Hex.' If I could use magic out of Hogwarts. He thought I wouldn't have the nerve."

"You would if it wasn't against the law." Atticus smirked.

"He then strolled over to me and kissed me. I pushed him away and punched him square in the nose."

Lee said. "Wow, remind me not make you make you mad."

"Noted, Lee," Marnie smiled innocently at him.

Before anyone could respond the trolley pulled up to their compartment. They bought their sweets and continued talking.

"So, what was so dramatic about your Christmas?" Atticus asked.

Marnie shuddered. "My step grandmother wished that Sirius Black would make an acception and murder me."

"That bitch!" Atticus exclaimed.

"My dad and step grandma got into an argument. That ended in my step grandma and step grandpa being banned from our house by my stepmum."

They reached Hogsmeade around 6pm, took their usual carriage and rode to Hogwarts. Once in the Entrance Hall, Marnie and Atticus were greeted by an excited Jaq. They walked to the Great Hall and sat at the Ravenclaw table. They ate and chatted.

"That's a pretty necklace," Jaq complimented when they had reached their dorms.

Marnie said. "I got it for my Christmas gift from my mum."

"I think I've seen that crest before."

"Where have you seen this before?"

Jaq said. "My dad's really into heraldry. He's talked about a few crests."

Marnie nodded.

"It's the Lockhart family crest." she informed her best friend.

"It is?"

Jaq nodded.