Disclaimer: Wishing on every star in the sky does not make it real... In other words, I do do not own Harry Potter or any related characters. Only the girl with chestnut hair is mine.
Words: 1,101 words before author's notes.
A/N: This will probably be my only quick update. I've only got three paragraphs of the next chapter written out but should be remedied in under a month.

Promises Made and Promises Broken

Spring 1968

Maia Maclaurin sat in one of the Hogwarts Express cabin watching the families and students on the platform saying good-bye. The train wouldn't be leaving for another half hour, so the platform wasn't very busy yet.

Near the front of the cart that Maia's cabin was in was a family saying the stiffest good-byes she had seen since her own mother and father had sent her off in her first year. All three of the girls in the obviously pure blooded family kissed their mother and father on the cheek before boarding the magical train. As soon as the sisters were out of sight, the parents disapparated. Maia went back to watching the families, noticing two red-headed seventh years boarding the train hand in hand. The talk of the school was that Author Weasley would be proposing to Molly Prewitt over the Easter holiday. Anyone who knew the two Gryffindors at all knew they were perfect for each other. Maia was pulled from her thoughts by the nearing voices of two of the sisters that had just boarded the train.

"Why do we have to sit in this compartment?" complained the youngest Black sister, Narcissa. The door to the compartment slid open to reveal the middle Black sister, Andromeda, and her pouting second year sister. Maia kept her face to the window to see if either of them would recognize her.

"Excuse me, but I believe you're in the wrong cabin, muggle born," Narcissa pointedly told the muggle dressed Maia with obvious disdain. The third year turned to look at the sisters, drawing a gasp and startled look from the younger girl. "Why are you wearing those?" Narcissa squeaked.

Mai glanced down at the muggle clothes her aunt had given her for Christmas. Her ankle length skirt was as black as a moonless midnight and her sweater was a dark amethyst.

"They're comfortable," Maia answered simply, turning to look out the window once again. Already there were more students and parents as the departure time neared, including one insolent blond boy in Maia's year and his younger sister. Lucius and Theresa Malfoy sauntered onto the train as if they owned it. Maia was momentarily relieved when they stepped onto a different cart.

"Find a cabin, the train will be leaving soon," the final Black sister told a few unseen students in the corridor before standing behind her younger sisters. "That means you too girls. Hello Maia," she greeted before leaving to help another student with their trunk. Maia let a small smile cross her lips when Bellatrix recognized her.

Narcissa pushed her trunk under the seats across from Maia. "I'm going to find Theresa," she tossed over her shoulder as she left the cabin.

Andromeda let out a quiet sigh as she stored her trunk above the seats her sister had stowed hers under. Sitting down, she gave the third year across from her a careful once over. Maia seemed more guarded than she had been before leaving early in October but at the same time more relaxed. The fourth year was interrupted from her thoughts by the opening of the compartment door and the train setting off on its course for Hogwarts.

"Where did Cissy go?" Bellatrix asked her sister as she took the seat next to Maia.

"Theresa," Andromeda answered simply. "They'll be inseparable this year."

"I'm sure mother will be pleases," Bella replied with an indifferent look. "The Malfoys no doubt will be too." She scowled as she mentioned the other pureblooded family.

"Is your mother still trying to arrange a marriage between Lucius and Cissa?" Maia asked quietly, still looking out the window.

"Sadly, yes. Ever since the Malfoys turned down myself because I was older than Lucius, Mother and Father have been subtly pushing for a marriage contract between them. I'm surprised you hadn't heard about the arrangement from your own mother," Andromeda answered.

"Mother... hasn't been able to tell me anything lately," the younger Slytherin replied softly as she pulled her legs up into the seat and wrapped her arms around them. "You both know mother has been sick for years now." Maia looked to her closest friends and continued at their nods. "She and Father had me come home early in October because her health had steadily been worsening. She died at the start of November." Maia ended in almost a whisper with her gaze returning to the passing countryside outside the window.

Behind the silent third year, Andromeda and Bellatrix exchanged surprised looks. It had been well known throughout the upper pureblooded community that Arachne Maclaurin, Maia's mother, had been ill but never too seriously. To hear that she had finally succumbed to what had been haunting her since Maia was young was a definite shock but also a relief. The witch had been short tempered and harshly judgmental on her best days and practically the definition of evil on her worst days. More than once she had used dark hexes and dark curses on house elves and her daughter and not always away from prying eyes.

"Maia, are you alright?" Bellatrix finally asked the girl beside her.

Maia slowly looked towards Bellatrix with unshed tears in her eyes. "I don't know," she whispered as she closed her eyes and clenched her hands to keep the tears at bay. "I feel... relieved that she can't hurt anyone anymore but I feel guilty because she was my mother," she continued in a shaky voice.

It had been more than two months since Maia's mother had died and she had only cried once since then, at the private funeral on the family property in the Scottish countryside. She had spent the time between the funeral and the start of second term catching up to her peers in course work and helping her father handle all the affairs that came with her mother's passing. She hadn't given herself a free moment to think about her mother's death on an emotional level. Maia slowly opened her eyes as Bellatrix placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright," she whispered to the shaking third year. Bellatrix wrapped her arm around Maia's shoulder and pulled her close. "You have nothing to feel guilty about, even if she was your mother," she finished as Maia finally broke down in silent tears on her shoulder. Bellatrix wrapped both her arms around her crying friend. "I promise it will be alright."

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A/N: I wanna take this A/N to thank Funny Cat and HPforeverlovelies123 for favoriting this story and GabyS.99, Snorbie, Teukros, and Funny Cat again for watching this story. You guys are great!