Mary Potter
Eight hours later, Mary was finally back to the flat in Diagon Alley, leaning against the kitchen counter while Sirius and Dobby worked together on dinner.
"I'll just set the table." Mary stated, reaching for the cabinet door.
Sirius waved his wand, sending plates, glasses and cutlery flying out of the cabinets and drawers, making her duck to avoid decapitation or skewering. "Table is set."
Mary quirked an eyebrow at him. "Come on, why can't I help?"
Sirius grinned brightly. "You've been gone for months and I wont have you working on your first night back."
"You're up to something." Mary narrowed her eyes at the Marauder. "I can sense it."
Sirius' mouth twitched, before transforming into a scowl. "I've just missed out on so much of your life. You shouldn't be paranoid about a person's motivations when they're trying to do something nice for you."
Mary sighed and shook her head. "I'm going to go unpack my trunk. Call me when dinner is ready? Or are you planning on spoon feeding me?"
Sirius chuckled. "Oh no, I fed you plenty of times when you were a little pup. There's no need for us to make that big of a mess again."
After searching through her belongings for a few moments, Mary finally dug out the stack of owl order forms and sat down on her desk. With all of her friends and instructors in mind, she began checking boxes and giving the correct information so that the totals would add themselves up. Since she was already in the Alley, she would just drop the forms off at their respective stores and pay in person.
"Dinner!" Sirius voice broke her from her planning.
Mary walked back out where a simple, but mouthwatering dinner waited for her. But the part that shocked her was the way the entire living space had transformed into something that looked like Winter Wonderland had thrown up in. Fake snow covered the floors. Tinsel was strewn over every surface like a multicolored spiderweb. A fir tree twice as tall as Hagrid stood in the middle of the room, it's top almost touching the peak of the vaulted ceiling. Piles of gifts surrounded the tree, all covered in fluorescent colored paper that bore dancing images. And the haphazard pile of presents looked like it would topple over at any given moment.
"Holy smokes!" Mary choked out. "I was hoping to go to the shops later, but it looks like you've wiped them out."
"It's my first Christmas in over twelve years." Sirius shrugged, digging his hands into his pockets. "I'm well within my right to go overboard. Now let's eat, I'm starved."
Mary tried to eat her food, but her eyes kept darting to the presents and decorations. Christmas had always been a solitary affair for her, she'd sit in her cupboard after washing the dishes, and listen to the soft Christmas carols that played on Aunt Petunia's antique radio. After years of wishing for a family of her own, she'd finally given up and realized that it would never happen for her. At least not in the way she'd imagined it. Even her first Christmas at Hogwarts had been dwarfed by the devastating loneliness she felt when she looked into the Mirror of Erised and knew that that was the closest she'd ever come to spending time with her family. But it was her friends that pulled her through those times. They always tried to keep her busy and distracted from the fact that she had no one else.
"You okay?" Sirius put down his fork.
"Yeah," Mary waved a hand, as though to brush away the morose thoughts. "Woolgathering, I suppose."
Sirius' eyes scanned her face once more before he went back to his meal. Dobby patted Mary's hand gently and scooped more potatoes onto her plate. Dinner was over before she knew it and Sirius finally relented and allowed her to help with cleanup. He flicked his wand at the Wizarding Wireless and loud rock music echoed through the kitchen as they cleaned. Mary danced around the kitchen with Dobby, laughing as the little elf shuffled his feet and whistled happily. Yes, this was far better than anything she could've imagined.
The rest of the holiday was spent in glorious relaxation and fun. On the 23rd, just two days before Christmas, Remus knocked on the door and was quickly dragged in by a giddy Sirius. It was like watching brothers that hadn't spoken in years, suddenly realizing that life wasn't quite so grand when the other wasn't around. Mary found that her professor's presence was calming and balanced out the normally boisterous and loud Sirius. They always included her in their conversations, and not once did she feel bored or left out.
"As I won't be available for Yule," Remus started, handing a present to each Sirius and Mary. "I thought you might like to open these now."
"Early presents!" Sirius rubbed his hands together in glee, holding the neatly wrapped box up to his ear and shaking it. "Clothes?"
Mary bit her lip at Sirius's dismayed look while she took great care in not ripping the beautiful red and gold striped paper while opening her gift. Underneath another layer of white wrapping, Mary revealed a small cedar box with the engraving of a stag and doe on the lid with a pattern of lilies wrapping around the outer edge. Her fingers traced the lines in reverence.
"Thank you." She whispered to Remus. "It's beautiful."
"Open it." He urged her with a soft smile. "The real gift is inside."
Mary opened the latch and the lid popped open slowly, revealing stacks of both Wizarding and Muggle pictures. Pictures of her parents from babies to adulthood. Pictures of their times at home and at Hogwarts with their friends. Pictures of her and her parents together. There was a whole stack of pictures with Sirius, Remus and herself when she was a baby.
Seeing that she was far too lost to speak, Remus patted her hand. "Hagrid told me that he made you an album after your first year, but he also said that not many people responded with pictures. I figured you'd like these to add to it."
"It's wonderful." Mary smiled brightly at him, brushing the stray tears out of her eyes. "I don't know how to thank you."
"You need not thank me at all." Remus assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "These pictures should have been yours from the beginning."
She carefully put the pictures back in the box, not wanting to damage the precious memories. Her heart clenched as she tried to find a way to put her thoughts into words. With Ron and Hermione it was so much easier. Hermione was always the one to give her a simple hug. Ron was content with a pat on the back. Sirius was the second adult, after Hagrid, to actually give her a hug. It wasn't something she was used to, but in that moment, she really wanted to give Remus a hug. He was family, or at least he used to be, and now they had a second chance to make it real.
"Moony," Sirius interrupted with a low whine. "You and your sentimental gifts. Now my own is going to seem shallow."
"You'll be staying for the rest of break, won't you?" Mary asked her professor hopefully.
He gave her a pained smile. "I have to get back to the school, I'm afraid. There is a stack of paperwork to fill out and a mountain of homework to grade waiting for me."
"Saturday?" Sirius asked Remus with a grimace.
"Yeah." Remus sighed, but turned to Mary with a small smile. "I'll be heading back after dinner."
"The full moon is Saturday night." She stated calmly, ignoring the alarmed look in Remus' eyes. "You can at least stay here until that morning. Hell, Floo over and bring the homework, I'll help you grade it. I'm not that bad with spelling and such."
"What does that have to do with the full moon?" Sirius asked her with a hard gleam in his eyes.
"It's a good time to pick flowers for potions." She responded weakly, then when they both sighed in relief, Mary added. "I'm not a complete idiot, you know."
"What do you mean?" Professor Lupin asked with resignation.
"You've been mysteriously sick or absent for the past few full moons." Mary did the only thing she could and grabbed his hand tightly. "I may not be Hermione, but I did read through my textbook, and page 394 clearly describes werewolves. So please, just stay here and enjoy Christmas with us, you really shouldn't be alone around this time of month anyway."
Sirius Black
Sirius looked at his best friend with pleading eyes, hoping that Mary's revelation hadn't bothered the reclusive man. "Mary's right, you're family and we should be together for the holidays."
Mary quirked an eyebrow at him in response. "Hell, we've got his room all ready and furnished. Why not make it permanent?"
Remus looked back and forth between them with furrowed brows, then focused on Mary. "My condition doesn't bother you?"
Mary picked up the cedar chest and pulled a picture from the top of the stack. Sirius could see baby Mary laughing as Remus bounced her on his knee.
Mary pointed at the picture, her hand shaking slightly. "I don't ever remember being this happy. My entire life was flipped upside down and I never knew what the upside was until just a few months ago when Sirius asked me to move in. Family is something that's always seemed out of my reach. You and Sirius both were part of my life and I didn't even know I had lost you. I can't go back to existing that way now that I have you back. I need my family."
Remus rubbed his hands across his face and then turned to pull Mary into a tight hug. Despite his efforts, tears still pooled in Sirius' eyes. They were all jaded and broken in some way, but together, they would get through it. They had to.
"I'm sorry." Remus held her tightly. "I wanted to be there for you, but it wasn't allowed."
"You're here now," Mary mumbled from Remus's shoulder, "since you're staying, we might as well open presents."
Sirius chuckled and wiped his eyes. "I agree."
Mary pulled free from Remus's grip and darted to her room, closing the door behind her.
"Did you tell her?" Remus whispered.
Sirius sighed and shook his head. "You know I wouldn't without talking to you first. She's a smart kid. She probably figured it out from reading books just like she said."
"Do you really think she's okay with it?" Remus asked quickly. "She must have concerns."
Sirius gave his friend a searching look. "You're too hard on yourself, Moony. Mary always loved you. Even now I don't think that's changed."
Mary walked back in and the two went back to acting as though they hadn't said a word since her quick departure. "I bring gifts."
She waved her wand and a stack of presents wrapped in shiny golden paper floated in front of each of them. Mary took her seat once more and then Sirius first picked up his gift from Remus and opened it quickly. A plush red cloak sat in the cardboard box. Sirius smiled widely at his friend, knowing that Remus remembered his love of Gryffindor colors. He stood proudly and shook out the cloak and put it on.
"You dropped this." Mary reached down and picked up a small rectangular object off of the floor. "Looks like a shrunken trunk."
Sirius stared at the familiar object and carefully held it in his hand. "Is it?"
"Everything from your flat before the Ministry confiscated it." Remus told him. "Dumbledore brought it to me before the start of term, hoping that I'd find some clue as to where you were hiding."
Sirius unshrunk the trunk and opened it. There on the top of the neatly packed clothing and nicknacks was a small shiny key. "It can't be."
"She's waiting outside for you." Remus replied, but Sirius was already halfway to the door.
"It's a Christmas miracle!" Sirius cried, running to the door and staring down into the alley. "She's out there!"
"What is it?" Mary jumped up, walking over in curiosity and gasped when she saw it. "I remember that bike! It can fly!"
"Damn right she can." Sirius said proudly, going to step out the door when Remus caught his arm.
"Mary wants to open presents." Remus whispered, sending him a pointed look that meant that Sirius was clearly being inconsiderate.
"What a nice motorbike!" Mary whistled in appreciation. "I call dibs on shotgun!"
Sirius looked over and smirked at Remus' resigned look, then finally gave in. "If the weather's nice, we can take her out tomorrow. Otherwise, I'm going back to my gifts."
He opened his gifts from Mary with a flourish, but his surprise wasn't something that could be faked. The large box contained a sleek black dragon-hide coat that fit perfectly, the hem barely touching the back of his knees. The inside was lined with velvet and he could feel the magic weaved into the fibers and scales.
"You look like a rock star!" Mary exclaimed with a beaming smile. "I'll be beating the witches away from you! I need a picture of this. Lavender has a bit of a crush on you, she'll die when she sees you in that."
The coat was wonderful, but he felt positively horrified that one of his goddaughter's friends had a 'crush' on him. He shuddered in revulsion. Somehow he had become a very old man.
"Mary," Remus stood, holding a warm brown cloak in his hands, "this is too much, really."
"Put it on." Mary pleaded with him. "It has temperature sensitivity charms on it. It should keep you as warm or cold as you want it to. You can't hurt it either." Mary pulled a pen knife from the table and slashed at the fabric that didn't even snag. "It's also charmed it to fit whatever form you're in. Moony will always be comfortable."
Remus slipped the cloak onto his shoulders carefully. "This is a wonderful gift, Mary. The closer it gets to the full moon, it seems like I can't get warm for anything. Feel this, Padfoot."
Sirius felt the hem of the cloak that Remus held out to him and pulled his hand back quickly. "Isn't it a little too warm, Moony? You're cooking yourself."
"It feels perfect to me." The werewolf shrugged, pulling the cloak tighter around himself and picked up another gift.
"You might want to keep that one away from the cloak." Mary smirked. "It's packed full of Honeyduke's finest and might melt."
"Chocolate?" Remus' eyes sparkled in anticipation. "I love chocolate."
"We know." Sirius stated in a dry tone.
They spent the rest of the night exchanging both gifts and memories. Remus and Sirius regaled Mary with stories of her parents and their Hogwarts years. But much to Sirius' irritation, Mary was very vague on her previous years at the school. He knew a little, of course, from Dumbledore and Remus, but otherwise the events were shrouded in mystery and Mary did nothing to unveil it.
Mary Potter
Mary carried her boon of gifts to her room much later that night. Remus and Sirius saw her tired yawns and sent her to bed once, while Sirius pulled a bottle of Firewhiskey from the cabinet. While she was tired, Mary felt no need for sleep. Instead she used her time alone to put away her new things.
The Firebolt sat on her bed, taunting her with the temptation of it's speed and accuracy and she longed to take it out for a spin, but that would have to wait until she back at Hogwarts. It seemed that Quidditch was the theme for Christmas that year, as Hermione had sent her a book – The Best Seeker Strategies, by; Josef Wronski -, from Ron a Chudley Cannons poster, the twins sent a pair of nice leather finger-less gloves. And Mrs. Weasley had sent her yearly jumper, only this one was scarlet with a large golden lion on the front an a pattern of Snitches around the collar.
Hedwig gazed at her in interest as Mary pulled the Marauder's Map from her pocket and set in inside her trunk. It was a tradition for Mary to talk to her about both her gifts and letters during the long summer holidays, and it wasn't something she could ever think of giving up.
"If Sirius saw this I'd have a lot of explaining to do." Mary told her feathered friend. "It was smart of Fred and George to send it with a box of stationary. They're both very clever. I can't wait to see what they come up with next. And Mrs. Weasley sent me another warm jumper. She's so nice it hurts sometimes, because I wonder if my mum would have been so kind to my friends. I like to imagine that she would have, but I barely remember her."
Hedwig clicked her beak quietly in response while Mary put away the rest of her gifts. Hours later, she stepped out of her room to go to the toilet, only to hear sounds of loud snoring coming from the drawing room. It was quite a sight to behold, Professor Lupin stretched out on one couch while Sirius took up the other. Both were uncovered and the fire was almost out.
Dobby stepped into the dim light and smiled at Mary. "Do you want Dobby to get a fire going?"
"Is the extra room ready?" Mary whispered and when Dobby nodded his head, looked to Remus' sleeping form. "Can you levitate him into bed? I'll get Sirius. They're both going to be out for awhile."
Dobby lifted his hands, lifting her professor into the air and into his room. Mary waved her wand and floated Sirius to his own bed and covered him up, then cast a warming charm on his blanket. Dobby was walking out of Remus's room when she shut Sirius's door.
"Would young Miss like some cocoa?" Dobby looked up at her with wide eyes.
"I'd love some." Mary patted his shoulder. "I'll get the fire started back up then come to help you."
"Dobby will get the cocoa." Dobby lifted his nose into the air. "Mary Potter will tend the fire."
Mary did as requested and had the room nice and toasty by the time Dobby walked in with a tray. He set it down on the table but stopped when Mary grasped his arm.
"There's only one cup." Mary looked up at him with pained eyes. "Will you please sit with me for a bit?"
"You want Dobby's company?" The little elf asked carefully, snapping his fingers and summoning another mug. "Dobby would be delighted."
The two talked for a little while longer, drinking cocoa and watching the fire crackle. By the time Mary went back to her room, she finally felt ready to sleep. She fell heavily onto her bed and pulled the covers over herself just before exhaustion won out, dragging her into a deep and restful sleep.
The rest of the holiday went smoothly. Sirius and Remus left the afternoon before the full moon and spent the night in the Shrieking Shack while Mary stayed at home with Dobby. The little elf kept her busy, teaching her tricks of cooking faster and the way elf magic worked. It was enthralling to be taught something few had a chance to learn.
Neville Longbottom
Neville was nervous and couldn't quite understand why. Gran had grudgingly allowed him to invite Mary and her godfather over for tea, but for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that it had all been some elaborate joke.
"The girl's schedule must be quite full, Neville." Gran told him, some twenty minutes before Mary was supposed to arrive. "She has many friends and a new guardian. You can't expect her to take time away for a mere acquaintance."
Neville felt his spirit drop even more. Mary wasn't just an acquaintance, she was a friend. A good friend. Sure she'd been distant lately, but it wasn't just with him, even Ron seemed worried about her, and Ron was rarely worried about anything beyond the next meal or Quidditch match.
The Floo flared and Neville stood so quickly that he spilled his drink onto the rug. Gran waved her wand to clear the mess and stood while shaking her head in disappointment.
Mary stumbled into the living room and fell to her knees. "Floo still hates me."
Neville stepped forward and helped her up. "You're here."
"You're a right saint, Nev." Mary patted him on the back. "Sirius should be through in a moment."
Gran cleared her throat and Mary turned to face her. "Madam Longbottom, it's an honor to meet you."
"And you." Gran nodded stiffly.
The Floo flared again and Neville looked up to see a sharply dressed man gracefully step into the room. He looked at Gran with a wide smile and bent his head down. "Madam Longbottom."
"Black." Gran's scowl twisted into an almost smile. "I thought I told you to call me Augusta."
Mr. Black's lips quirked into a smirk. "And I asked you to call me Sirius."
"Come sit." Gran gestured to the settee across from her chair, then turned to him. "Neville, get the elves to start lunch."
"I'll go with you." Mary smiled at him. "How's your holiday been, Nev?"
They left the adults in the drawing room and made their way to the kitchen. "Not bad. It's just Gran and I, so it's been quiet. Thank you for the seeds, I've always wanted a Isolla tree, but really it's too much for a gift."
Mary turned and gave him a knowing look. "You're a great friend, Nev. When I saw those seeds I knew that there was no one more capable of getting them to grow than you. Plus, you sent me those awesome prank books. I've already put them to good use against Sirius."
Neville stared at her in shock. "You liked them? I only bought them because you seemed to appreciate the Twins sense of humor."
"My godfather is their idol." Mary shook her head and chuckled. "Those books have saved my bacon this holiday. I owe you."
Neville nodded mutely as they walked into the kitchen. "Milly, Gran is wanting lunch served in the drawing room."
The small happy elf smiled brightly at him and nodded deeply to Mary. "Milly will be sending it up at once, Master."
Mary was looking around the kitchen with a look of awe on her face. "This is a really cool house."
Neville blushed as he stared at the walls that seemed more like a padded cell. "It's been in the family for years. I...I can show you around if you'd like."
"Of course." Mary grinned.
It started out quite awkward, actually having a guest wasn't new to him, but it was never someone his own age. Mary made things easier by keeping the conversation going with questions about the portraits or grounds. While Gran and Mr. Black talked, Mary and Neville walked around the grounds and he was finally able to show off some of his favorite plants. Mary actually seemed interested in what he had to say and he found himself falling into easy conversation with her.
"Neville!" Gran's voice echoed from across the lawn.
Mary followed him at a quick jog as they ran back into the mansion.
"Luncheon was served almost half an hour ago." Gran said sternly. "It's quite rude of you to keep your guest waiting."
"I apologize, Madam." Mary stepped forward. "I was curious about the Herbology work that Neville does and wanted to see the greenhouse. It was my fault."
"Why would you be interested in the greenhouse?" Gran asked skeptically.
Mary's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Nev is the best in Herbology. I don't think I'd make it through a class without his expertise. He's been tutoring me at school."
"You're tutoring other students?" Gran asked him with a furrowed brow.
"Not really." Neville stuttered. "Mary is quite good."
"He's being modest." Mary patted his arm. "Professor Sprout thinks of him as a model student."
"It's good to hear that your time at school is not completely wasted." Gran turned away, leaving them to follow her back to the drawing room where the platters of sandwiches were laid out.
While Neville knew that it was one of the better compliments she'd ever given him, it still stung a bit. She'd always compared him to his parents, and those were awfully big shoes to fill. Both his Mum and Dad had been Aurors and brave people that deserved to belong to Gryffindor house. Neville had always felt like an outcast, an afterthought, always left behind to struggle alone.
Over the past year, Mary, Ron, Hermione, and others in their group had gladly accepted him. He finally belonged and felt as though he was part of something. It made him feel proud to be included in the group. They stood up for and respected each other. No matter what house they were in.
Mary grabbed a sandwich and ate it quickly, only picking up her manners when she thought Gran was looking, and that was something that Neville found very amusing. He picked up a sandwich and mimicked her, but was ultimately caught with a mouthful of food and Gran staring at him like he'd just pissed in her teapot.
"Don't over stuff yourself, Neville." Gran scolded him hitting his knuckles with the tip of her wand. "Madam Marchbanks' dinner is at seven and I need not have your appetite ruined."
"Augusta," Sirius butted in quickly. "Would you mind terribly if we steal Neville from you for a few days? I've been teaching Mary dueling and I think it'd be more beneficial if there was someone her own age there to help her."
Neville swallowed heavily at the thought of going against Mary in a duel.
"Will you behave, Neville?" Gran pierced him with a fierce glare.
"Yes ma'am." Neville bowed his head, his heart racing.
"The train leaves on the second." Sirius shrugged. "I'd be glad to take him to the station if you'd like to join Madam Marchbanks on that retreat in Majorca."
Gran seemed to consider the offer and nodded once. "That would be very kind of you, Sirius. Neville, go pack your trunk. And do try not to forget anything."
"I'll help." Mary stood and followed him to the hallway.
When they were out of earshot, Neville turned to Mary with wide eyes. "I'm rubbish at dueling!"
"Don't worry about it." Mary patted his arm. "Sirius was just bluffing. We'll probably spend the rest of break wandering the Alley."
Neville breathed a sigh of relief and his heart soared at the thought of getting out and having fun instead of being cooped up in the stuffy old house. And he wasn't disappointed. Ron and Ginny joined them for dinner that night and they all stayed up late, talking around the fireplace and playing exploding snap with Sirius. It was the best holiday he'd ever had.
Mary Potter
Mary could feel the cloud of depression hovering over her godfather. Remus had left the night before to return to Hogwarts and Sirius was clearly dreading being alone again. He spent most of his time sitting at the table and reading through old copies of the Prophet or going over his papers from Gringotts. Not even the Twins antics seemed to pull him out of his morose state for more than a few minutes.
"Visit more often." Mary pleaded with him as they walked towards Platform 9 ¾ the next morning. "Maybe you can talk to Dumbledore about assisting Moony in classes. He always looks dreadful around that time of month and could use the rest. Not to mention it'd be nice not to have Snape substituting. He's not very friendly teaching potions, let alone DADA."
A gleam shone in her godfather's eyes and Mary wondered if she'd made a mistake. It was too late to take it back though. The Express looked a deep dark red under the cloudy sky. The weather had alternated back and forth between dark clouds and snow showers or dark clouds and gusty winds. That morning had been a mixture of both, sending snowflakes flying in through the gaps of the station, creating a frigid and tense atmosphere.
"Call me on your mirror as soon as the conductor announces you're in Hogsmeade." Sirius instructed for the hundredth time. "I'll be Floo calling Dumbledore tomorrow and I don't want to hear of any adventures or injuries."
"I'll be fine." Mary sighed, patting him on the arm. "But I've got to go before I'm left behind."
"I love you, kid." Sirius pulled her into a quick hug and lightly kissed the top of her head. "Keep an eye on Moony for me."
"Love you too." Mary extracted herself from his grasp.
Winter faded into spring and before long it was close to the end of term. Sirius had taken her advice and was now substituting for Remus during the days around the full moon. And although he was only there part time, he had easily taken up the position as second most loved teacher in Hogwarts. Even the more reluctant Slytherins had very few bad things to say of the Head of the Black family.
Mary spent a few evenings a week, sometimes joined by her friends, and they'd sit in the small cozy Professors quarters hearing stories of the Marauder's days in the ancient school. But the best part was when Sirius and Remus showed up at the Quidditch matches, loudly and clearly supporting Gryffindor. They hadn't lost a match all season and Mary wasn't willing to see the winning streak end.
"Good luck today, Potter." Diggory shook her hand.
"Thanks." Mary smiled at him and moved with the rest of her team to the doors of the Entrance Hall. "Slytherin doesn't stand a chance."
"Right you are, sis." George patted her shoulder. "Just look at the weather."
"Perfect for playing." Fred grinned widely at the partly cloudy sky. "Not too warm either."
"There here." Wood hissed, pointing at the stands, as they walked onto the pitch.
Two young men and a woman sat in the guest stands. Mary could only identify them by their drastically vivid clothing. All three wore bright blue robes that signified Puddlemere United. Beyond them, the stadium was slowly filling, as almost the entire castle's population decided to enjoy the lovely weather and last match of the year.
"Good turn out." Katie whispered to the others, pulling her fingerless brown gloves onto her hands.
"The Slytherins look nastier than ever." Angelina gazed out of the tiny window from the changing rooms. "Montague looks as though he's grown a foot since the last match."
"Stay out of their way." Wood advised them, his voice shaking as he stood by the door. "They know we're the stronger team and they're aiming to injure. Don't take chances."
"We could use Scorpio tactics." Katie butted in. "The same ones you made us learn after the rogue Bludger attacked Mary."
Fred and George looked at each other then at the rest of the team. "We'll keep them busy."
"Good." Oliver sighed, rubbing his face.
"Wait!" Alicia blocked the door. "Same stance we used before the first Hufflepuff match. We're not scared, nervous, or intimidated. We're going to win!"
"Or die trying." Oliver nodded his head proudly. "Let's go."
"I've brought our advantage." Mary pulled the package out of her locker and quickly unwrapped it. "Sirius got it for me for Christmas."
Her teammates spluttered and coughed as they looked down at the gleaming broomstick. There in all her glory was the new Firebolt, kept hidden away until the last moment, giving them the advantage against certain sneaky Slytherins that would try and one up them.
Mary slung her new broom onto her shoulder and ran out of the door behind Katie, turning around and slapping the older girl lightly on the shoulder. "You're it!"
Katie laughed and turned around to quickly tag Angelina. And so forth it went, right up until Madam Hooch called Oliver and Flint to the center of the pitch.
"I'm not even going to suggest you shake hands." Hooch looked from one furious team captain to the other. "Mount your brooms...Three – Two – One!"
Mary watched as the wooden trunk opened and the different sized spheres flew into the air, but by that time, she was already high above the pitch, watching her teammates play with an intensity that she'd never seen before. All the while, she slowly circled the stadium searching for the elusive Snitch.
"Gryffindor scores!" Lee Jordan exclaimed!" "Nice work, Alicia! TEN-ZERO TO GYRYFFINDOR! Oh, and a nice dodge by a Weasley, I can't tell which is which. WATCH IT! A near collision between Johnson and Flint! Clearly foul play!"
Mary angled her broom towards the green robed players and smirked. Her moves were fast as lightening as she ducked and dove through the melee, keeping the Slytherin Beaters and Chasers distracted while Gryffindor scored again and again.
"Go for the Snitch, Mary!" Wood screamed at her, close to an hour after the match began. "We're up a hundred and twenty points!"
Mary angled her broom up and began searching again.
As though it knew she was looking for it, the Snitch appeared hovering just to Malfoy's left while the blonde was distracted by the other players.
Mary gripped her right leg with her right hand, determined not to screw up the Feint. With her left hand held tightly to the Firebolt, Mary dove straight down.
"And Potter has the Snitch in her sights!" Lee yelled at the crowd. "And have my eyes gone wonky or is that a Firebolt she's flying!? Merlin's tits! LOOK AT IT GO!"
"JORDAN!" McGonagall growled over the magical micrphone. "Language!"
Mary blocked out the rest of the commantary as she focused on her goal. The Snitch flew in a lazy figure eight pattern just above the green grass, taunting her, but with Malfoy so close to it, she had no time to waste. The vast expanse of green engulfed her vision as the pitched raced closer and closer to her at a near freefall pace.
"Come on!" Mary whispered, leaning closer to the handle to gain a more aerodynamical advantage.
She passed Malfoy as though he was sitting still and almost laughed at his sputter of rage as he urged his broom after her. She was so close now, so close she could taste the victory. There was no way she would mess up the move again.
She too a deep breath in and slowly exhaled through her nose, keeping her pulse and breathing calm. With her knees gripping the broom Mary raised her good hand and plucked the Snitch from the air, then quickly grabbed the handle and pulled it into a smooth landing.
"POTTER HAS THE SNITCH!" Lee Jordan crowed. "GRYFFINDOR WINS 300-NIL!"
Mary knelt down on the grass, breathing hard and trying to keep from passing out from shock. She couldn't believe it! They'd done it! They'd won the Cup!
Heavy footsteps pulled her from her revelry and she looked up in time to see Oliver skidding across the grass on his knees, just before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. Mary laughed and patted his back, then looked up in confusion when he pulled away long enough to plant his lips on hers.
"Well if he congratulates all his teammates that way this might get interesting!" Lee Jordan laughed despite McGonagall's outraged sputtering in the background.
"Oh look," Lee pointed out. "It seems the Weasley twins have taken offense to the public snogging of their honorary sister."
Oliver turned around at Lee's words and walked toward Fred and George, whose eyes widened, and stopped them in their tracks. They began backing away from their insanely ecstatic captain and held up their hands in surrender as he started to run toward them. Mary stood and wiped her mouth on her sleeve, watching her teammates in amusement.
Angelina and Alicia landed their brooms and ran forward, pulling Fred and George to safety while Katie tried to pull Oliver back. He grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her, but to everyone's shock she didn't pull away.
Mary chuckled loudly at the tirade Professor McGonagall was spewing as she marched across the field with the Headmaster following just behind her holding the Quidditch Cup.
"Mr. Wood!" McGonagall yelled out once more. "Unhand Miss Bell right now!"
Katie pulled away and took a look around to where her teammate's were still gaping at her and shrugged. "Sorry. Couldn't pass up the opportunity."
Mary let out a laugh as Fred and George both slung their arms around her shoulders and guided her to where McGonagall was accepting the Quidditch Cup from Professor Dumbledore.
The party in the Common room that night was a loud affair. Oliver was on cloud nine, going over his interview with the Puddlemere scouts, to anyone that would listen. From what Mary could garner from his fast paced speech, they thought he was brilliant and signed him straight away.
.·ˆ¯)...(¯ˆ·.
¸.·ˆˆˆ(ºvº)ˆˆˆ·.¸
m m