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USUALLY, SERENA MALLARD got along fairly well with her younger sister, Iyla. Save for the daily petty arguments between the two, Serena and Iyla Mallard always had each other's back.

However, on an early Saturday morning in the middle of August, Serena swore she would curse the grin off her sister's face if that was the last thing she would do.

The sixteen-year-old had been peacefully sleeping, in the middle of an amazing dream: she was the captain of her very own Quidditch team, flying around the pitch while the stadium cheered for her. Serena had just scored yet another ten points to the team's already hundred-point lead when someone had slammed the door to her bedroom wide open. As if Iyla couldn't make her presence known more than she already did, she announced in an obnoxiously loud voice, "Magnolia sent you a letter! Better respond while her owl is still here!"

Serena shot up from her bed, glaring daggers at the fourteen-year-old girl standing in the doorway of her room. "Are you kidding me? You burst into my room to give me a letter? Can you not see me sleeping?" Serena screeched, arms swinging around to emphasize her point.

Iyla innocently shrugged. "I'm getting the feeling you don't want the letter so... you won't mind if I read it, right? Great, thanks!"

Serena let out a high-pitched shriek as she grabbed the closest pillow to her, chucking it at her sister as hard as she could. The pillow only managed to graze Iyla's shoulder as she hurriedly ran out of the way, dashing down the stairs. Throwing off her covers, Serena grabbed her wand on her nightstand and sped down the stairs, in hot pursuit of her sister. "You little- that seal better be closed if you know what's good for you! Don't make me curse you so bad you won't even remember what day it is!"

"Oh, please. You didn't even want the letter! No harm done if I take a small peak!"

Maisie Mallard had been peacefully singing along to "Magic Works," by the Weird Sisters on the radio, preparing breakfast for her daughters when they burst in. She nearly dropped the pan of scrambled eggs she was holding in shock when two figures ran around in circles, identical mops of curly hair flying behind them.

"Every morning," Maisie sighed as she put the pan back on the stove.  "Alright, you two- Serena! Iyla! Oh my- GIRLS! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Maisie finally managed to separate her daughters, a laughing Iyla hiding behind her while Serena stood in front, steam practically coming out of her ears. "What on earth is wrong with you two? Running around the house like that so early in the morning?"

"Tell that to her!" Serena pointed her wand at Iyla, who only laughed harder. "I was sleeping when the git burst into my room, shouting at the top of her lungs!"

Iyla peeked out from behind her mother with a grin. "I was only trying to give you a letter from Magnolia. Besides, you sleep past noon every day, you have got to wake early for once!"

"Trying to give me the letter?!" Serena scoffed. "You little liar! You were trying to read it! And summer, Iyla, is for sleeping late and waking up late. I'm not weird like you, waking up when the sun rises!"

"Only because you got mad at me for wanting to give you the letter! So why not read it myself? And that's normal compared to you! Who in their right mind sleeps when the sun rises?"

Before Serena could retort, Maisie quickly cut in. "Okay, quiet! Serena, put your wand away! Why do you even have it?"

Serena took a threatening step forward toward her sister. "Because I'm going to jinx her."

Normally, Iyla never took Serena's threats seriously. However, the glare fixated on her made her gulp. "You can't use magic outside of the school yet."

Serena laughed. "I'm only two months off seventeen. Besides, a warning from the Ministry would be worth it, seeing you running in a panic when I turn your head into a pumpkin!"

Before she could use the Melofors Jinx on Iyla, Maisie quickly plucked Serena's wand from her hand. "There will be no use of magic in this household besides from myself, lest I end up having to deal with the consequences of underage magic at the Ministry, understood?" Maisie narrowed her eyes at both girls, who begrudgingly nodded.

"I didn't even have my wand," muttered Iyla, luckily going unheard by Maisie.

"Now that that's settled, give Serena her letter. Now, Iyla." The youngest Mallard reluctantly returned the small parchment to the rightful owner. "Alright, go set the table. Serena, since you're now awake, freshen up, and make sure to wash the dishes after breakfast."

Serena huffed out a breath, mumbling all the way upstairs about how she would never have to deal with dishes ever again once she turned seventeen. Walking back into her room, the girl picked up the lone pillow off the floor, dusting it off before throwing it back onto her bed.

Serena's room was fairly large, well organized and kept clean, mostly because she was much too lazy to deal with a messy room if she left things laying about. Posters of her favourite Muggle and Magical artists covered all four walls, all seeming to follow a common theme of ruby red in the room. Along one wall, a queen-sized bed was positioned beside a white nightstand, with Serena's large school truck sitting at the foot of the bed. On the right of the bed stood a medium-sized desk beside the bathroom, along with a closet and dresser across the room. 

Personally, the best part of Serena's room was the bay window. Overlooking the Mallard's spacious backyard, the window was complete with a bench, several throw pillows, and a built-in mini-bookshelf, along with a few LED lights strung across it. Though Serena wasn't an avid reader like her best friend Ramona Harris, she loved to curl up with a good book on her bay window, or play a few chords on her much cherished acoustic guitar, a gift from her other best friend, Magnolia Mulberry.

Placing the unopened letter on her nightstand, Serena opened all her curtains to let the sunlight flow in. Quickly making her bed, the girl brushed her teeth and changed out of her pyjamas. Not bothering to touch her hair, Serena made her way back downstairs.

"You sure took your time," Iyla said as Serena settled across her mother and sister at the kitchen table.

The oldest Mallard merely ignored the statement, helping herself to some toast and eggs. "You know, I was looking in the mirror-"

"You seem to do that a lot."

Serena kicked her sister under the table, who let out a quiet swear, before continuing. "Anyways, I realised just how many freckles I have. Yet you haven't got any, Iyla."

The youngest shrugged. "Mum doesn't either. I think Dad did though. Right, Mum?" 

At the mention of their father, Maisie placed down her fork, a fond smile spreading across her face. "Oh, yes. Elliot had freckles all over his face. Completely covered, it was quite adorable, actually." The girls laughed as Maisie continued. "He was on the lighter side, with brown hair and green eyes. Tall, too. You two must have gotten your height from him. He was certainly a looker, he was."

Serena chuckled. "If I remember correctly, you said he had girls falling left and right for him, huh?"

"Oh, most definitely! I'm still surprised I managed to snatch him up before anyone else could." Maisie took a sip of her orange juice before facing her daughters with a look of nostalgia. "Come to think of it, your aunt Esmae was, too! Had guy after guy trailing after those blue eyes and freckles. Esmae always used to say she looked like a highlighter, and she wasn't wrong. Her blonde hair seemed to glow in the dark. She was.... something else for sure."

Much like their parents and aunt, Serena and Iyla Mallard seemed to attract attention without even trying. Both girls were a mix of Maisie's darker skin tone and Elliot Mallard's lighter colour. Serena's doll-like face seemed to be littered with freckles like her father, while Iyla took on her mother's bright and pretty smile. However, the sisters both had Maisie's dark brown eyes and curly hair. While Serena's mass of brown curls, that often appeared to be highlighted gold in the sun, reached down her back, Iyla's was darker and much more wild, coming to a stop at her shoulders.

"They sound so cool. I wish I could have gotten to know them," Iyla frowned as she played with her scrambled eggs.

Maisie rubbing her daughter's back, smiling sadly. "I wish you could have, too. They'd have loved you both." Maisie then glanced at her watch before letting out a small gasp. Chugging the rest of her glass of orange juice, she hurriedly stood up from the table. "Goodness me, I'm late for the Ministry! Serena, make sure to clean up all the dishes. Oh, and I fed your friend Magnolia's owl. Don't forget to return her letter! Iyla, I know you've got a load of laundry to wash, so get to it."

Serena put down her cup of apple juice. "Er... Mum? It's Saturday, you know. I thought you had those days off."

Maisie was rushing around, trying to throw on a blazer over her work clothes as she vaguely answered. "We've been really busy down at the Auror department. They need a few of us to sacrifice our weekend break to make sure it all runs smoothly."

"They can't spare anyone else? It seems as if you've been going nearly every day." Iyla said.

Maisie was now rummaging through the kitchen drawers, looking for her wand and an old compass she always carried around but always seemed to lose. "Well, the Quidditch World Cup is in a few short days. They need every employee they can get."

Serena frowned deeply. "Which you still haven't managed to get tickets for, like you promised if I were to get at least five OWL's, which I did."

"I cannot believe we aren't going to the World Cup. I knew I should have told Ginny to get me an extra ticket when she offered." Iyla mumbled, putting her head in her arms.

When she finally found her wand, Maisie placed a quick kiss on her daughters' foreheads, hiding her original smirk with a sympathetic frown. "I'm so sorry, sweethearts. All extra tickets were gone when I tried to get some. I wanted to go, but I'll be working Monday night and you two can't go alone." Serena crossed her arms in response. "Alright, I'll be back shortly before dinner. Do try not to kill each other and tear my house apart while I'm gone, okay?"

The sisters snorted, only to quickly nod after receiving a sharp glance from their mother. "We won't, no worries," they said together.

Serena spotted a golden object laying on the breakfast table, shimmering in the sunlight despite the rusted corners. "Wait, Mum," said Serena as she picked up the enchanted compass, "wasn't this what you were looking for?"

Iyla glanced at the broken contraption. "Why do you carry that compass, anyways? I'd hope you knew your way around the Ministry by now." 

Maisie chuckled as she pocketed the old device. "Because, Iyla, Esmae would have had a fit if I'd forgotten it." 

"Because you forget everything." 

"Precisely, Serena," their mother chuckled. After final goodbyes, Maisie walked out of the house, and when they heard a quiet popping sound, they knew she had disapparated. The two looked at each other, identical grins spreading on their faces.

"Time blast some Muggle music?"

"You bet!"

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Author's note:

And the first chapter is out! It's rather lengthy, but I hope you liked it so far!

Vote, comment, tell me what you think!

Until the next update, love,

~Lena