From Childhood - The Secret Place By PhoenixRose

Disclaimer: I don't own any thing that you recognise. I own the plot (I think) and the rest. Most belongs to J.K.Rowling. (Did you hear about her reading an unfinished Harry Potter book to that girl in the US who died of cancer? Sweet ah?)

"Your mother and I were best friends at Hogwarts, James," Jamie Lee Emerald told her friends son.

"Yes. That's where your name came form, dear," Elizabeth Mary Potter smiled at her 5-year-old son.

"You mean my name came form a girl!" James scrunched up his face.

"Yes!"

"Where did my name come from?" piped Jamie's daughter.

"Your name came from my middle name, Mary," replied Elizabeth.

"Wow! You are bestest of friends!" breathed Mary.

"Just like you and me, Mary!" exclaimed James, "Come on I wanna show you the new puppy my daddy got me. I named it Josh, after your dad."

"Cool"

Jamie and Elizabeth watched their children trot off to play and started to reminisce about their Hogwarts days.

Mary walked into "The Forbidden Hut". James had sent an owl asking her to meet her there. It was their hide out. They would come here to get away form their parents. But his parents knew about it so it wasn't much of a hide out. Mary had her own secret place and no body knew where it was not even James, much to his annoyance.

James wasn't there yet so Mary sat down on the beanbag in the corner. She was beginning to wonder where he was when he burst in. He had been crying.

"James! What's wrong?" Mary rushed over to him.

"Josh! He's gone!" James said beginning to cry again.

"What do you mean he's gone? Has he run away? We will find him," she said putting a reassuring arm around her best friend.

"No," James sobbed, "he's… he's dead," he sniffed.

"WHAT!? No… How? What happened?" Mary began to cry. Josh was James beloved dog for 4 years. But Mary had loved him too. They never did any thing with out Josh.

"I don't know. I just found him… and he had … no head," James cried.

Mary clung to him and they mourned for their lost friend together.

"James!" They heard Sean Potter call.

"I don't wanna go home yet," James sniffed.

"O.K. Follow me," Mary said pulling James out through the back of the hut.

"Where are we going?" James whispered.

"To my secret place," Mary whispered back.

"But … you swore you would never take anyone there."

"Yeah but this is an emergency!" whispered Mary.

"Thanks." James wiped his nose on his sleave.

And from that day on Mary's Secret Place became Mary's AND James secret place.