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CHAPTER TWENTY SIX - 🍂 ୧ marlene, dorcas. . .
& mary ও🦌

IN THE VAST HALLS OF HOGWARTS, Mary MacDonald was a well-known figure. She was endearingly sweet and sincere, sometimes almost to a fault. Her innocent nature seemed to play a pivotal role in her forgiving disposition.

It was Mary MacDonald who had also shared with Lily Evans that Snape had waited outside the Gryffindor Tower, hoping to offer a sincere apology for the insult he had hurled at her in the past, for calling her a Mudblood.

In the aftermath of the altercation with the Slytherin students, Marlene McKinnon and Dorcas Meadowes refused to leave Mary's side, keeping a protective watch over her. They were acutely aware of their friend's physical and emotional pain.

Belonging to Gryffindor house, along with her friends, Mary MacDonald shared a similar age group with the Marauders and their friends, Autumn, Raven, Elliot, and Lily.

Mary herself harbored no grudges against the other students at Hogwarts, but her friends, Dorcas and Marlene, felt differently. Their dormmate, Lily Evans, had experienced several disagreements with them, often due to Lily's former relationship with Severus Snape, who had started to associate himself with Avery and Mulciber's unsavory group.

Once Lily finally severed ties with Snape, a lingering tension still remained within their friend circle. Unlike Mary, Marlene and Dorcas found it more difficult to forgive Lily for her past friendship with Severus. However, they maintained a veneer of civility and politeness, if not warmth, in their interactions.

As Lily's circle of friends grew, her dorm mates, Marlene and Dorcas, remained intrigued by the nature of these blossoming friendships. One particular person piqued their curiosity—James Potter, who had previously been relentlessly pursing Lily. Additionally, she was now close pals with Autumn Rivers, who, much to their surprise, had become the object of James Potter's affection.

"What in the world is happening here?" Marlene muttered under her breath.

Dorcas, maintaining her focus on the Gryffindor table, which was graced with her, Marlene, and Mary, closely observed Lily and the newer set of friends that she had made.

Although it was generally known that Lily had grown close to this group, it wasn't until their sixth year that their friendship truly solidified. The first week saw them scattered and not as closely linked as they would become later on. Nevertheless, time had its way, and the group had firmly come together. They were now a cohesive unit, complete with the addition of a single Slytherin—Elliot.

Elliot's return to the Gryffindor table once again drew attention, though it wasn't a novel occurrence after his previous year's appearances. Nevertheless, the trust in him hadn't fully returned following the events over the summer break. The increasing number of dark wizards and the casualty count had heightened the suspicion towards Slytherin students.

Mary stood out from her two friends when it came to her approach to the situation. She continued to be open and welcoming, not questioning any of the developments. Consistent with her nature, she stayed true to her kind and accepting disposition. Despite experiencing harm from certain Slytherin individuals, Mary had maintained a neutral stance in their presence.

Mary was the only one of her two friends who didn't raise an eyebrow at the new friend group or Elliot himself.

Mary's natural inclination made her the most kind-hearted, forgiving, and innocent of the three. Consequently, she was the sole friend who didn't harbor hatred for Snape, despite his past associations with those who had troubled her the previous year. She retained the power of forgiveness even in the direst of circumstances.

Mary turned to Marlene, reassuring her, "Oh Mars, don't fret about them," and shrugged off her concerns, while Marlene sighed and rolled her eyes in response.

Marlene remarked, "She used to be our friend," referring to Lily.

Mary chuckled at her comment, replying, "She still is. I guess she might find it challenging to approach us."

Dorcas then interjected, "Right after that incident?"

Mary clarified, "I told Lily that I was okay with her remaining friends with him, and that I wasn't concerned with the topics she discussed after...." She was alluding to Snape.

Marlene let out an irritated sigh and pushed her food around. She continued, "She talks to Rivers, though, and I'm quite certain Rivers has been tormented by those arseholes, including Snape. And yet, Lily still talks to her."

"Hm," said Dorcas, and they both gave a slight shrug. "One of us should ask her then," the two agreed, "as it's becoming uncomfortably awkward in the dorms."

Their conversations had come to an end as they pondered their next steps. The situation had undeniably become uncomfortable due to the prolonged silence between friends. Still, someone had to initiate communication to break the ice.

From the far end of the table, Raven observed intently, her eyes narrowing as she leaned forward.

She questioned, "Am I overthinking it, or are they staring at us?"

Lily, sitting nearest to the others, turned her head to see who was being referred to. However, she immediately looked away when she noticed the three girls directing their gaze toward them.

James winced as Autumn repeatedly swatted his hands away from her pumpkin tarts. Looking up to see whom they were referring to, he tilting his head before confirming.

"Oh, McKinnon, Meadowes, and MacDonald?" he queried.

"My dorm mates," Lily clarified, explaining to her friends who were unaware of her dorm mates. All the Marauder's knew them, but James and Sirius were most familiar with Marlene and Dorcas, due to their shared time together on the Quidditch team.

Sirius, joining the conversation, questioned loudly, "Did you guys have a fallout?"

Autumn and Raven kicked him under the table, causing him to wince, but he managed to suppress a laugh when realizing how his question almost touched on a sensitive topic.

"No, we didn't," Lily asserted, promptly clarifying her prior statements.

"Last year, Mary mentioned that Snape was waiting outside the Gryffindor tower to apologize," Lily elaborated, referring to the incident. "After that, I ended up talking to him, pouring my frustrations out onto her for no reason. She was the one who had been hurt by his friends. As a result, I ended up avoiding her altogether."

"So you just never spoke to them since?" Sirius queried, bemused.

"Yeah...and I really should talk with them," Lily responded.

Lily sighed as she glanced downwards, her hand finding comfort and support under the table. The hand belonged to Elliot, who gently squeezed hers in response. As she looked up, a smile spread across her face, and she nodded in acknowledgement.

Autumn was heading to the room of requirement, where James, Peter, and Sirius would be since none of them had classes at that time.

The weather was sadly quite gloomy and drizzling, prompting her to seek shelter in the room of requirement, where the friends had already arranged a warm and quiet space—a more comfortable alternative to the damp outdoors or the bustling corridors.

"Hey Rivers," a voice called out behind Autumn, prompting her to stop.

As she prepared to ascend the stairs, they abruptly began to shift, leaving her immobilized, unable to proceed.

Autumn quickly turned to locate the source of the voice and found Marlene and Dorcas standing there. She had only recently come acquainted with the two girls after the incident a few days before when their gazes had fixated on her group.

Autumn stood there, feeling awkward, uncertain about what the girls wanted from her.

"Did you two need something?" she responded.

As she waited for an answer, Dorcas suddenly wore a smirk, teasing, "Straight to the point, huh?"

Marlene stepped in, elbowing her friend to stop the teasing. She explained, "We just wanted to talk. Are you busy right now?"

Autumn looked over her shoulder for a few moments before replying, "Well, I was on my way to meet my friends, but a short chat won't be a problem."

Dorcas then nodded in agreement, suggesting, "We should chat in the hallway, so we don't block anyone's path."

The girls arrived in the hallway, and Marlene and Dorcas exchanged glances, uncertain about who should start the conversation.

As the two hesitated, Autumn waited patiently.

Marlene finally broke the silence and nervously coughed before asking directly, "So, has Lily mentioned us at all lately?"

Autumn blinked momentarily, somewhat startled by the abrupt query, but then nodded slightly in response.

"Are you wondering if Lily shared anything about you two?" she asked.

"Yes, that," Dorcas confirmed.

"Regardless of whether she did or didn't," Autumn continued, "I believe it would be best for you to speak with her directly."

Dorcas exhaled as she added, referring to Lily's aloof demeanor, "We've been trying to approach her, but she's avoiding us."

Autumn queried, "Even in the dorms?" The duo affirmed, revealing that Lily had been evading them even within the confines of the dormitories.

Autumn paused to consider the situation before offering a potential solution, though uncertainty was evident in her expression.

Autumn offered a suggestion, "Perhaps you're both not realizing that you actually want to talk."

Marlene interjected, sighing heavily, "She dashed out of the dorm so quickly, and I'm on the Quidditch team, for crying out loud."

Autumn spoke with caution, "You two do want to reconcile, don't you?"

The girls nodded eagerly, indicating their desire to reconcile and return to their normal relationship.

Autumn crossed her arms and instructed, "Approach her when she's with us. Oh, and wait until she's surrounded by friends. That way, she'll be less likely to be nervous, so she won't run off."

A smile spread across the girls' faces as they shared a look filled with satisfaction. They were pleased that their mission was a success, and they expressed their gratitude to Autumn.

The girls expressed their thanks as they prepared to leave.

Marlene halted her steps momentarily, realizing something important.

"It makes sense now," she confessed.

Intrigued, Autumn raised an eyebrow and queried, "What do you mean?"

Dorcas chimed in, smirking, "Now I understand why Potter is fond of you. It all becomes clear. Just from this brief interaction, your loyalty and thoughtfulness for your friends are obvious. And since he has known you for longer, he likely has an even lengthier list of reasons why he admires you."

The girls grinned and bid their farewells, leaving Autumn there, utterly flabbergasted.

The girls had both complimented her and dropped a bombshell: James' affection for her. It was a pretty upfront revelation for Autumn, and she needed a moment to absorb the information.

She had previously caught bits of conversations between Lily and Raven, which now seemed to confirm the notion that the talk about James' feelings for her held truth.

Initially, she brushed it off, but as the realization settled in, it became harder to disregard.

Now, two more individuals, unrelated to her close circle, had also vouched for the rumors. The gravity of the situation grew as the reality sank in, making it increasingly difficult to dismiss.

Autumn found herself grappling with her own thoughts and emotions regarding James.

On one hand, she sensed a stirring within her, but she couldn't pinpoint the exact nature of it. On the other hand, she might be unconsciously avoiding facing the truth because of fear.