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three  grow up, weasley

♡

"SO, APPARENTLY, a dementor got on the train?" Taylor informs the group of girls as they venture off the train.

"Just the normal, then," says Amber.

"Why's a dementor on our train?" Talia frowns.

"Uh - I'm gonna take a wild guess and say it's looking for a mass-murderer," Kiera replies sardonically.

Rain is beginning to fall quite heavily now, and so the girls speed up a little, using their robes for coverage and lifting them over their heads to protect them from the water.

"Well yeah, but why would Black be on our train?" Taylor's voice echoes in between the clashes of thunder. Kiera's keeping her head down to shield from the rain, so she can't exactly see any of her friends - still, their raised voices are enough for her to detect where they are.

"Probably looking for Potter," says Amber. "You know what they all say about Black snitching on his parents. He's probably trying to finish the job, or something,"

"Told you that, did he?" Talia teases. Amber playfully rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, he's my best mate,"

"And I thought all the weird shit usually happened at the end of the year," Becca exclaims.

"Something probably will, don't hold your breath," Kiera says.

The girls split upon entering the Great Hall in order to get to their house tables - Kiera, Taylor and Becca heading to Ravenclaw, Amber and Talia both heading to Slytherin. Kiera feels a strong sense of deja vu that often overcame her every year when she returned to the Great Hall. The enchanted ceiling is black and cloudy tonight. Thousands of candles float in mid air over the tables, as they do, and Kiera almost feels as though she hadn't even left.

The sorting ceremony drags — mainly because Kiera doesn't know any of the first years, so she's really not interested in who ends up in which house (well, except her own, she supposes). So, whilst thats's happening, she fills Taylor and Becca in on all the Muggle football news that has occurred over the summer, stopping whenever a first year is sorted into Ravenclaw to applaud.

Another thing with Kiera — she's not just a Quidditch fan, oh no. She, as well as her brothers, all ended up following their father in his obsession with Muggle football, and all three of the Marley siblings join him in supporting his favourite team in each tournament.

Anyone who was to walk into Kiera's room would immediately recognise the fact that she's half blood. The evidence is all there, right in front of them. She's got the Quidditch team Puddlemere United's merchandise scattered around, and then on top of that, the muggle football team Manchester United's posters plastered up on her bedroom wall. She owns a Manchester United shirt that says 'MARLEY' in huge letters on the back, and below it is the number 8 (that's the day she was born — June 8th). Her brothers have the same, the numbers differentiating based on their date of birth. They also have England football shirts, and Kiera also has Puddlemere United merch – and an England Quidditch Team top. Call her obsessed, her friends do (and to be fair, she'd probably just agree with you.)

The Marley siblings know all the chants for both football and quidditch, and they yell them with such passion they've never had and will never have for anything else.

Kiera loves talking about either sports to her friends, who really don't understand them (especially the football) but they try and take as much interest in it as possible. Of course, Taylor somewhat understands when Kiera's talking about Quidditch to an extent — she is a Chaser on the Ravenclaw team, so she knows a bit about it. However, she doesn't keep up with the British and Irish League like Kiera does, so that topic of conversation is entirely foreign to her.

Becca doesn't have a clue about either. But it's definitely the football that confuses her the most.

"We played West Ham today, but I'll have to wait until Dad's weekly letter to know the scores. I reckon we would've won, though. Last game was against Southampton, and we ended up on top of the League," Kiera says, her friends nodding as a response because they don't really know what to say.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Kiera stops speaking to applaud a first year boy, walking over to their table with a relieved look on his face.

"Bless him," says Taylor.

Another thing was the fact that, because she's at Hogwarts, Kiera's unable to watch the Premier League with her Dad, which she finds very annoying. She writes to and receives letters from her parents weekly, so Maximilian usually sends the scores to her then. Still, it's not the same as watching the game itself or hearing it on the radio. That's why usually in the summer, the Marley siblings try and get tickets to watch as many games as possible alongside their Dad before term time.

Of course, it's different for Kiera's brothers, now. Travis is away studying Dragons, so for his birthday he was given a Muggle radio to listen to the game live, whenever he couldn't watch it. For a while it was just Kiera and Tate at Hogwarts, receiving the football scores weekly by owl. Kiera spent a lot of time entering the Gryffindor Common Room just to find her brother so they could celebrate Man Utd's wins or sulk over their losses. The best was when Maximilian would add a little note at the bottom, stating 'We're on top of the League!' and the siblings would loudly chant it only for the rest of the common room to give them strange looks — well, minus the Muggleborns, who understood. Sometimes there would be another United supporter around that would join in.

Kiera'll never admit it, but she'll miss having Tate around during the school year, just to chant 'We're on top of the League!' with. She supposes he's only in Hogsmeade — after all, he is the shop assistant in Zonko's. Kiera'll have to visit him a few times.

It'll also be strange for her since she has no reason to visit the Gryffindor Common Room anymore. She knows she's technically not supposed to, as she's Ravenclaw, but people break these rules all the time. Kiera's not sure what the teachers expected — like nobody is just gonna stay friends with or just talk to the people in their own house.

But there had been times where she needed to talk to Tate about something (mainly football or quidditch) and she wasn't just going to wait to find him at meal times — and Talia always wanted to come because she (for some reason) has a fat crush on him — so Kiera and her friends would just find out the password for Gryffindor's Common Room and enter there. Nobody actually cared. Plus, they had some Gryffindor friends, anyway. In fact, the young Marley's not entirely sure if she spent more time in the Gryffindor Common Room last year than her own.

But still, Tate's now gone. So Kiera has no reason to go there anymore. That'll be strange.

Dumbledore begins his speech, as per, and so Kiera sits up a little more straight to try and seem as interested as possible. It lasts for like a minute, though, before she goes back to slouching and resting her chin on her palm which is propped up on the table by her elbow.

"Welcome!" the Headmaster says, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

This catches Kiera's attention.

"Is he trying to make a pun?" Taylor whispers. Becca almost snorts, before saying,

"Shush, I wanna know what's so serious,"

"Sirius Black, obviously. It's in the name," Kiera mutters, causing the girls to exchange amused glances.

"Nah, stop laughing, he's literally a murderer," Becca says, though her lips are curved slightly upwards.

"You're right," Kiera whispers. "It is a very serious situation. My bad,"

Taylor and Becca snigger, earning looks from other Ravenclaws sitting around them, before they try and focus their attention back on Dumbledore.

"As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

Oh yeah. Kiera wonders how she managed to forget so quickly about (what she assumed was one) on the train.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continues. "And while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises — or even Invisibility Cloaks," he adds.

"Oh, yeah, because we all have Invisibility Cloaks lying around," Taylor whispers sarcastically. Kiera grins at her.

"It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he says.

Dumbledore pauses again, looking very seriously around the hall. Nobody moves, or talks. Kiera starts to take into account how miserable it's going to be having Dementors surrounding the place. What is this, Azkaban? She knows people sometimes compare school to prison, but that's just when Snape gives them, like, sixty essays due the next day. Come on.

"On a happier note," Dumbledore continues. "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There's a scattered, unenthusiastic applause, which makes Kiera feel a bit bad for Lupin, so she puts in more of an effort with her own claps.

"That's the man I saw on the train," she says to her friends, nodding to the new Professor. They both lean forward to get a better look, before chorusing 'Ohhh'.

"No wonder he got rid of that Dementor so easily," says Taylor. "Hopefully that means we'll have a good teacher, this time,"

"Touch wood," Becca adds, and so the three girls quickly tap the table with the tips of their fingers.
(Kiera's taking no chances — if she ends up with a shit teacher for the third year in a row, she's actually going to fail her Defence O.W.L).

Taylor let's out a snort, causing Kiera to frown at her. She nods towards the staff table.

"Look at Snape!"

Kiera's head turns to see the Potions Master staring along the staff table at Lupin with a sour expression — sour was an understatement, actually — it seemed to be beyond anger, even loathing.

She and Becca join Taylor in letting out a laugh.

"Christ," says Kiera. "Did Lupin kill his family, or what?"

"Worse," says Taylor, with a smirk. "He stole his dream job,"

"Still don't understand how a Defence teacher can be his dream job. How can it be when he hates kids?"

"Fuck knows,"

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continues as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin dies away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs,"

"Finally," Kiera mutters.

"Ki!"

"However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

All three girls exchange surprised glances.

Kiera's slightly confused, but she doesn't really care, that much. Anything'll be better than Kettleburn's shite lessons. She could barely hear the man when he taught, he muttered so quietly. Hagrid's practically the opposite — which, hopefully, is a good thing.

Not everyone is convinced, though.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," says Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

The food comes and goes, and the evening goes on, and soon enough, it's time for everyone to head back to their common rooms. Kiera can't wait — she does love the start and end of term feasts but sometimes they really do drag.

"All I'm saying is, we won the last League so hopefully the same will go for this one," Kiera says to her friends as they push and shove the huge crowd of students around them. "I mean, we've got Cantona, and he's fucking brill."

"He's French, isn't he?" Taylor asks, and Kiera nods. Taylor cheers. "I know something!" she grins.

The three girls spot Amber and Talia amongst the Slytherins on the other side of the doorway, and give them a wave before they head off to their own common room. It takes a few moments for them to spot the Ravenclaw girls, but they eventually do, and wave back.

It's at this moment Kiera receives a huge blow to the back and is launched forward, stumbling on her feet. She holds onto Becca for support, before turning around with a frown on her face, searching for the culprit.

George Weasley turns his head to see who he's just hit. It's quite obvious it was accidental, but Kiera doesn't care. Or perhaps, because it's George, she refuses to see it that way.

"Are you trying to start a fight, or what?" she says to him, stopping and giving him a nasty look. He rolls his eyes.

"Honestly, Marley, everyone's pushing and shoving — none of it's on purpose. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one you've decided to have a go at? Bit obsessive, no?"

"Here we go," Taylor mutters to Becca.

"You prodded me in the back with your fucking elbow?" Kiera responds. "Not quite sure how it could be an accident. Grow up, Weasley,"

It's at this point his twin shows up alongside Lee Jordan. Brilliant.

"The start of term just wouldn't be the same without  you and your bullshit, now, would it?" George says, the corners of his lips curving upwards.

Kiera doesn't say anything and instead flips him off, before turning her back to the Gryffindors and following her friends through the doorway, quickly pushing through to get away from the Weasley twins and to get themselves out of the huge crowd — now splitting off into a group made up purely of Ravenclaws all heading towards their tower.

"He's such a dick," Kiera says. "Did you see what he did?"

"Not gonna lie, it did look accidental Ki," Becca says. Taylor nods in agreement.

"Yeah, looked it," Kiera says. "I can guarantee it wasn't though. He's so fucking childish,"

Taylor and Becca exchange smirks. Kiera sighs.

"Oh, well," she says. "I can't wait to see his face when we beat him this year. That'll make up for it,"

The only thing now is training the team in order to win the Quidditch Cup. And Kiera cannot wait to take on the challenge.

♡

A/N: Hiya! Very very sorry for the lack of updates, I had a lot of exams and I left school a few months ago, so it was all going on, really. But now I have a lot more time on my hands and a lot more inspiration to continue writing this book, so fingers crossed I'll be able to get a lot more updates out to you guys!

Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought <33