December 18th

The third years were milling about Hogsmeade, darting from shop to shop, enjoying their freedom away from the castle. Ron, Hermione, and Mary were inside Honeydukes stocking up on their sweet supplies, trying to agree on where to go next. Each shop they walked into, Mary would covertly pocket an owl order catalog and make mental notes of things that her friends would like.

They spent the day talking about anything and everything from Quidditch to potions class. But all the while Mary felt horrible about the massive secret that she was keeping from her friends. She felt trapped under the weight of it, knowing that to tell them would risk either putting them in danger or making them think she was crazy. Half of the time she questioned her own sanity.

Later that night, Mary was pulled away from the stack of catalogs by Lavender. "Come on, there's something that you need to see!"

Parvati sat next to the wood stove, unrolling a scroll. "Bought it at Madam Puddifoots."

"Is that a Scrying Scroll?" Hermione gaped at them, sitting down next to Mary.

"Yup." Lavender giggled and rubbed her hands together. "It's time to find out our fates."

Mary could see the muscle working in Hermione's jaw, like the girl wanted to say something to disprove the scroll, but ultimately kept quiet about it.

"So how does this thing work?" Mary asked, waving her hand at the innocent looking scroll.

"Tap your wand to the parchment and say your name." Lavender instructed her. "Then Parvati will ask you a series of questions that you need to answer honestly."

Mary did as she was told and lightly tapped her wand against the pink parchment, causing filigree hearts to appear down the sides of the page.

"Favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Favorite sweet?"

"Altoids."

"Yuck." Parvati grimaced.

"Don't judge me." Mary stuck her tongue out at the other girls.

"Ideal place to live?" Hermione asked.

"What are the boundaries?" Mary clarified. "Like within the country?"

"Anywhere in the world." Lavender spread her arms wide.

"Fiji."

"Oh nice!" Parvati clapped her hands together.

"Qualities you look for in a perspective match personality wise?"

"They've never heard of my name and don't stare at my scar when we first meet."

"That's a little too far out for the parchment." Lavender poked it with her wand.

"Fine." Mary grumbled. "Good sense of humor then. They can't be arrogant or snooty."

"Physical attributes that will attract you?"

"They have to be taller than me. And older."

"Hair color preference?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Looks like it's finished." Parvati gasped.

Mary looked down at the parchment, curious if a name or drawing would pop up. Instead, there was a list of names of students and staff.

"Look, Professor Snape is my type!" Mary pointed out his name. "You bought a defective scroll."

The other three girls burst out into loud laughter, before leaning forward to scan the names. "Oh, Diggory is too."

Mary shook her head. "He has the hots for Cho Chang. No dice."

Parvati looked thoughtful at the revelation. "They would be quite cute together."

"Draco Malfoy?" Lavender waggled her eyebrows.

Mary narrowed her eyes at them. "I thought arrogance and snootiness were banned?"

Parvati tapped the parchment. "Corrected."

"Wow." Lavender gushed. "There's a slew of Weasleys on here."

"Oh no." Mary shook her head vehemently. "They're family. I don't date family."

"Even Ron?" Hermione asked quietly.

"He's like a brother to me." Mary told her sincerely. "Especially not Ron."

"How sweet." Lavender cooed. "My turn, now that we know what's required to get a good reading."

"But we didn't find out who Mary ends up with." Hermione argued.

Parvati handed her a Divination book. "Read her palm and tell us. It's all on chapter eighteen."

Lavender plopped a red pillow onto the floor, grabbed Mary's hand and placed it the velvet cover while the three of them went from staring at her palm to reading the chapter.

"That's ominous." Parvati winced, looking up at Mary with wide eyes.

"How so?" Mary lifted an eyebrow.

"Your love line just stops," Lavender whispered, bringing her hand up to cover her gaping mouth. "It stops right next to your life line!"

"Romeo and Juliet style?" Mary asked curiously. "Or is it more of an angst riddled unrequited love before I kick it?"

"It's not an exact practice." Hermione shut the book with a snap. "These things are all subject to interpretation bias."

"Maybe Professor Snape poisons me when I admit my feelings." Mary intoned in mock horror, causing the other girls to snicker.

They spent the rest of the night playing with the parchment and chatting lightheartedly about their goals for the future. Mary learned more and more about each of her dorm mates, far more than she wanted to know in some instances.

Hermione was supposedly destined to marry a famous author and live in a tiny loft above a library, while working as a lawyer for the rich and famous.

Lavender was to become a newscaster for the Wizarding Wireless Network and marry a famous Quidditch player.

Parvati was least happy with her prospects as the parchment claimed she would marry a politician and become a spokesperson for St. Mungo's.

Mary was still trying to drown out the fact that she would die before she really got to live. It wasn't the fact that the Scrying Scroll's or Hermione's palm reading were news, but more of the fact that it solidified that there was a clock ticking and each tolling bell made one less day that she would live.

"Now that we're all speaking again," Hermione said suddenly. "I have a confession to make. At the start of the year Professor McGonagall gave me a time-turner to help me get to all of my classes. That's why I always seemed a little frazzled."

"Wow." Lavender's eyes widened in awe. "Those are highly controlled by the Ministry. You're grades must have been exceptional if you were offered one."

Hermione shook her head in disappointment. "It doesn't matter now. Professor McGonagall took it away after my outburst."

"We're sorry," Parvati said genuinely. "We really didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Hermione smiled at the three of them. "I'm glad you did. It's actually a bit of relief to not worry about it anymore."

"Don't count yourself out on the classes." Mary encouraged her. "McGonagall told me that independent study counts for a lot. You can still take the exams at the end of term even without attending the classes. That's what I'm going to do in Arithmancy."

Hermione looked thoughtful and stayed quiet while Parvati and Lavender began discussing the different boys that showed up on the Scroll. Mary leaned against the side of her bed and closed her eyes, letting sleep finally drag her under.


The next morning, the four girls woke early and readied themselves for the day. They exchanged Floo addresses and phone numbers before heading down to breakfast with their luggage, talking animatedly about their plans for the holidays.

"We'll be in Athens for most of the holiday," Hermione said excitedly. "I'm hoping the Grecian libraries are as fantastic as I've read about. McGonagall has written me a note for a pass into the Magical library near the Acropolis museum. I'll write to you all as much as possible."

"I'll be in Dubai with my extended family until the new year." Parvati added. "I'll be glad to feel the sun on my skin again. The cold here is brutal."

"I'll be at home relaxing." Lavender sighed contentedly. "Ethan, the Muggle boy that lives across the street from my house, is always inviting me to parties. I might take him up on it this year."

"I'll be with Sirius, so feel free to Floo anytime," Mary said proudly, glad that she was no longer trapped at the Dursleys.

Ron sat at the Gryffindor table with Neville when the girls walked in. He waved them over, his cheeks puffed out with a mouthful of potatoes. Mary sat next to Neville and scooped some eggs and bacon onto her plate.

"Big plans for the holiday?" Neville asked her in a quiet tone.

"Just relaxing at home." Mary shrugged. "Why don't you see if your Gran will let you stop by?"

Seeing Neville's nervousness, Mary added; "Only if you want to, of course."

"Your godfather won't mind?" Neville asked with wide eyes.

"Not at all." Mary assured him, then turned to Ron. "You'll be over, won't you?"

"Yeah." Ron took a gulp of pumpkin juice. "Over two weeks with Big Head Boy and I'll be ready to drown myself in the toilet."

Mary chuckled lightly. "Well, I'm going to go find myself a seat on the train."

It turned out that the only free spot was in the cabin with Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. Everyone else looked in the window and saw the open seats, but passed by as though there was a Boggart in the compartment. Ginny looked up to see Mary knocking on the door with a pleading gaze and laughed loudly, opening the door for her.

"You mind if I sit here?" Mary asked the two girls. "It's flat out swamped everywhere else."

"The Dementors like you," Luna said without looking up from her upside down magazine.

"It's not mutual." Mary shook her head quickly. "I mean I've told them I'm not interested but they don't know when to take no for an answer."

Luna threw her head back and laughed uproariously, slapping the seat beside her in her mirth, then sat back up as cool as a cucumber. "They're attracted to you. Your memories are very dark."

Mary leaned toward Luna. "Do you really think they can sense that?"

Luna tilted her head to the side and pulled off the odd looking glasses, her pale blue eyes staring at Mary in deep thought. "I don't see why they wouldn't. You are quite odd. Even I didn't know what to think of you, and everyone thinks I'm weird."

Mary's brows furrowed in anger. "You're unique. Don't let them tell you any different."

Luna smiled serenely. "You're unique too."

"I'm a walking hazard." Mary laughed humorlessly. "Gin can tell you that."

"Don't doubt it." Ginny stared at her year-mate with wide eyes. "If something bad can happen, it'll happen to Mary here."

Luna tilted her head to the other side and placed a pair of radish earrings in Mary's hand. "It won't be easy. But you'll get there. Just don't let the journey get you down. The Wrackspurts will always try to deter you from your task, so it's good to keep them away."

"I'll do my best." Mary replied honestly, knowing that Luna was exactly right.

All she had to do now was get her ears pierced.


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 him. "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 at 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. 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, its 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.

"Bloody hell!" 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 weathers 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.

Remus stood, holding a warm brown cloak in his hands. "Mary, 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 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 Honeydukes 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 at 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 its speed and accuracy. She longed to take it out for a spin, but that would have to wait until she was 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 fingerless gloves. And Mrs. Weasley had sent her yearly jumper, only this one was scarlet with a large golden lion on the front and 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 it 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 a while."

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' room when she shut Sirius' 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 will tend to 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. When Mary finally went back to her room, 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 lifted 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 be in 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, Gran." 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 to 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 the 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.

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