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After what had been quite a stressful morning, Marin was finally making his way to the prefect's compartment at the front of the train. He felt nervous. The teenager didn't know who else was going to be a prefect this year, aside from Wini of course, whose owl had arrived basically moments after he'd received his badge. The lack of knowledge made him unsure. Marin hovered a few steps away from the glass doors, steeling himself before actually opening them. he took a moment to himself before he stepped into sight of those inside. Everything was going to be okay, he though, telling himself similar reaffirming things repeatedly until he hopefully actually believed them.

When he opened the door, of course things weren't as scary as he'd first thought. "Hey Wini," he said, a little guilty that he hadn't met her at the platform like they'd originally planned. He'd arrived quite late after his mother had forgotten the key to his Gringotts vault, so after trying to reason with the goblins there, she'd eventually just apparated them straight to the station with only moments to spare. His blue eyes flicked to the empty space beside her that she'd obviously made just for him. He felt a surge of relief. "How was your summer?" he asked breathlessly, one hand self consciously going to his badge to make sure it was straight.

New year, new badge, same old Lionel, with a few extra inches. No one was more surprised than he was when the badge had slipped out of his Hogwarts letter. Even Mark hadn't been a prefect, and the oldest of the Slytherin Sterling brothers was much more talented (and interested) in the politics of student leadership. Lionel had no interest in taking points away or enforcing discipline on people, and much less interest in having younger students look up to him. It was recognition, which the Slytherin boy craved and appreciated, but it was still inconvenient. He'd reluctantly pinned the badge on his robes before packing them into his trunk for the journey.

Years of companionable rides with Peter were at an end, he supposed, but at least he would see him as soon as they arrived. He idly wondered who else would await him in the compartment as he strode the long length of the train. Jacqueline, maybe. He hadn't asked, but she seemed a logical choice for the administration. Pushing open the door, he sat down, nodding somewhat stiffly to Winifred Gwartney. Lionel and Marin had gotten closer the previous year as a result of his falling out with the overbearing Hufflepuff girl. They seemed to have made up again, but Lionel still thought the way she treated Marin was bad for his friend. He needed to learn to stand up for himself instead of getting walked over.

After some time as people came in, some inconsequential smalltalk, and changing into his robes, Marin himself emerged through the door to Lionel's pleasant surprise. Being a prefect might just help him with that problem, although probably not with regards to her. "Hello, Marin," he said, permitting himself a small smile as he sat down next to Winifred. His voice was starting to finish up deepening. "Not sure who decided this," he pointed to his badge, "was a good idea, but it's good to see you."

Marin turned from Wini to Lionel. When he and Wini had fought, the he had spent a lot of time with his Slytherin friends. While there were plenty of scary Slytherins, Marin knew that the drawing of house lines didn't always mean so much. Sure, he was less ambitious than Peter and Lionel and perhaps a little more tolerant of certain things, but when it came down to it, their house allocations only impacted their friendship in as much as they didn't have nights by the common room fire or every class together. Marin adored Winifred, of course, but it was nice to spend time with people who were interested in spell theory and not interested in Rupert Hartwood or the next Teen Witch personality quiz. He didn't hate those things, but taking breaks from them was refreshing.

"I don't know who decided this either," Marin said, tapping his own badge self-consciously. The teenager was sure there would be people in his year - people who'd spent the last four years in and out of classes with him - who didn't even know his name. He was certain of it. Marin didn't know how he was supposed to call people out when they broke rules when they probably only knew him as the wallflower who followed queen-of-Hufflepuff-Winifred-Gwartney around. He didn't know how he was supposed to call people out for anything. Besides, Marin might have been a model student but he certainly wasn't a model all-round person. He was nice, but scared of a lot of things. People, mostly. He was polite to teachers but totally lacking in things like confidence and self-esteem. A lot of the other prefects seemed to be pretty confident people.

Marin wet his dry lips with a flick of his tongue. "How was your summer?" he asked, shifting his long legs as Wini moved past him to exit the compartment.

"Yeah, they seem to have prized intelligence over suitability for the role. Normally I would be gratified that it was rising in the administration's values, but..." he trailed off, as if the qualification he was about to give was an obvious fact. "Is that your default line of questioning now?" Lionel raised an eyebrow. His sarcastic tendencies were always somewhat repressed during the summer and came out in force the moment he stepped back onto the train. It was a fact that with less people around who frustrated him--his communications over the summer were almost exclusively with friends--he simply had less opportunity for it. Marin, though, should know that it was mostly in jest, and he let the curl of his lips reserved for friends show for emphasis.

He shrugged, also retracting his legs to let Winifred out to wherever she was going. Both he and Marin were growing at prodigious rates, though they were starting to slow. "I worked all summer. Finally managed to buy back some of the things we lost in the fire." His tone was somewhat resentful, but it had actually been strangely gratifying. Lionel had three older brothers; he'd never owned clothes that came to him first before now, but it had been necessary now. Gaheris's wardrobe was only so big and couldn't replenish all three of his Slytherin brothers' things. It was only a few shirts and a few trousers and one pair of shoes, but he'd gotten to choose them for once in his life, and as expected, Lionel quite liked it.

Mindful of the other people in the compartment--they were strangers, but Lionel was not interested in having rumors spread--he met Marin's eyes, a meaningful look in his caramel ones. "I had an unexpected visitor last month wanting to discuss a point of conflict from several months ago. Remind me to tell you about it sometime." He readjusted his position, trying to find a comfortable seat. "How was the island?" Lionel's eyes touched on the sunburn peeking out around Marin's neck and the extra freckles on his face. His own skin twinged in sympathy and he rubbed his neck. They had similar complexions, and he had no doubt he would have suffered similarly.

Marin half-smiled at the half-compliment. He certainly didn't think he was suitable for the role of prefect. His mother had been so proud though, and Wini had been - predictably - absolutely ecstatic. He'd written her back immediately, of course, though his own letter was far shorter than the essay she'd written him. The subsequent letter he'd gotten in return was double the length of the first; judging from her excited scrawl, Marin was mildly surprised that she hadn't just shown up on his doorstep.

Two years ago, the Hufflepuff might have cringed under a comment like that. He still might, really, if someone else had said it to him. Lionel delivered his lines with coolness and clarity that Marin doubted he'd be able to pull off in front of anyone except, strangely, Lionel himself. Perhaps he found it easier to mirror those he was with, or perhaps he just felt comfortable around Lionel. A lot of Marin's quiet sarcasm slipped by undetected with Winifred. Regardless, he nodded, conceding truth in whatever point Lionel was making, his gaze flicking momentarily to the door as he half-smiled.

He returned his attention to Lionel as he spoke again. The smile faded as he was reminded of their previous year. Last winter had done a number on all of them, he thought bitterly. He was quiet as Lionel continued. Clementine had visited him? At his house? "Oh?" Marin said simply, raising his eyebrows slightly. He didn't need to guess why Lionel was speaking in coded language, and he certainly didn't need to guess at what his slytherin friend was trying to say. "I will," he said.

Marin felt his friend's gaze on the redder parts of his face and he resisted the urge to mirror Lionel's action, touching the redness at his neck. "It was sunny," he said flatly, a smile following his words as if he'd just told his friend some good news. His thoughts turned to the days he'd spent with Wini - and with Vyn. He remembered vividly the hike the three of them had gone on, when he'd been two steps behind the whole time, puffed from the physical exhaustion. Mervyn had barely broken a sweat, and he'd been polite and charming as ever, of course. "And crowded," he added, a sardonic element to his smile now.