So I'm slightly changing the style of writing I have going on. It's still third person but this way you can see everyones POV, or POV's of the people relevant to the story at the moment.

I own nothing. Everything, belongs solely to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 31: Ducks

"Someone's coming!" James whispered turning to the other Marauders who were still finishing their spell work on the corridor. What they were doing at three in the morning on that particular corridor that connected the Great Hall to the outside hall was one of greater importance, that everyone would see the next day. Once Remus had returned back from his last transformation of the year James had decided that they would need an elaborate prank to commemorate the moment. And Remus who usually tried to find a way out of pranks had miraculously agreed surprising the rest of the Marauders. At first Remus had been reluctant to accept that they had accepted him for who he was, a werewolf. So when he agreed to do the prank without any stalling James had assumed it was because he thought that they would desert him if he said no. He had made up his mind to talk to Remus about this matter, yet when he woke up early to get ready he noticed Remus planning the mechanics of the prank and James knew it wasn't because he wanted to fit in, it was because Remus was truly the definition of a Marauder.

Back in the corridor, an alarmed Remus tapped Sirius who nudged Peter instinctively. Peter gasped loudly as Sirius pulled him back, and James flung the invisibility cloak over the four of them, waiting as the new comer made his way towards them.

It was the distinct tapping of a cane on the stone floor that let the Marauders know who had arrived- or more specifically Remus, who looked positively frightened.

James wasn't overly concerned by this, since usually the people Remus were scared of were authority figures and prefects.

"Pringle." Remus said stepping back, breathing heavily. "We have to get out of here..."

Pringle? The caretaker? James almost wanted to laugh. Pringle could barely walk without around the school without his walking stick- if they wanted they could could outrun him without breaking a sweat.

"Is it because of your furry little problem?" Peter asked looking up at Remus curiously. Furry little problem was the small phrase James had coined to talk about Remus's werewolf problem. So far it had worked pretty well, most people had assumed nothing dangerous about the word and never questioned it. Truth be told James let people believe, on purpose, that Remus had a rabbit named 'poppy who behaved rather badly.

"Peter," Remus sighed, remembering all this and sending a glare towards James. "Not everything is because of my furry little problem."

"So you do want us to call it a furry little problem after all?" Sirius grinned in triumph towards James. "I knew he liked it."

Remus rolled his eyes and turned to the rest of the Marauders. "You've never really met Pringle have you?"

"He's the caretaker, isn't he?" Sirius asked Remus with a look of confusion on his face. "And he's got that limp too. Why do you look so scared?"

Remus beckoned them closer. "He's the caretaker yes, but I heard from Mary that he's allowed to use corporal punishments on misbehaving students..."

James and Sirius looked at each other, while Peter looked confused. "Corporal punishment?"

"He can hit us." James explained.

Sirius blinked. "They do that here?" Sirius didn't like the sound of that. The Black heir had seen many beatings starting from a young age, and the memory of each was still burnt onto his skin.

"Apparently." Remus breathed. "Some third year girl was caned the other day for sneaking out after hours. I heard from the prefects she was excused from classes all week. Even the prefects avoid him..."

Sirius nodded. "I think we need to go. We can't let him find us here-," the Black heir noticed the dark wand peeking on the floor across them. "James, your wand!"

James had a half a mind to throw the cloak up and grab his wand- he was quick. His feet had already started moving when-

"It's Pringle!" Peter pulled James back alarmed and Remus pointed out to where the caretaker was sporting navy robes and lurking in the hall with his signature ivory cane. "You can't hide from me nowww. Come out come out wherever you areeee."

"We're safe under here." Peter told James bravely. "He can't see us under the cloak."

Sirius nodded. "I hope you're right. He doesn't have a magical eye or something does he, Remus?"

"I don't recall." Remus said as Peter whimpered next to him. "Hush Peter, he'll hear us."

"He's - got a c-cane." the short boy whimpered the realization of corporal punishment and Pringle dawning on him.

"Peter we won't let him hurt you." James told the boy gently. "But we need you to stay quiet okay?"

Apollyon Pringle neared them, his cane pointed out in front of him. "None of you tricksters can hide from me today. Show yourself now or I'll make you regret it."

"Don't breathe." Sirius instructed as the Marauders held their breath. Pringle neared their hiding spot, but didn't linger long and walked away quickly. James's wand was still laying on the ground and he closed his eyes praying that Pringle wouldn't turn around and see it.

"I think he's go-" Sirius started when they could no longer see Pringle.

"PEEVES!" Pringle yelled suddenly and the four Marauders flinched and stepped back. From their right James could see a pale blue thing float past them. It was a ghost and somehow it also wasn't. The ghosts that floated around the Great hall were translucent that you could see past them, yet this ghost was neither- it shifted between being solid and translucent all at once. On top of that it wore the oddest assortment of clothes James had ever seen, yet he admired it all the same. All the way from it's striped red and orange pants, the star polka dotted bright orange sweater, to it's striped jingle bell hat. This Peeves was the definition of prankster and he was quite proud of the fact too. Peeves stopped in the middle of the hall, and from the left the Marauders could see Pringle huff and reluctantly walk all the way towards Peeves, his cane cluttering scraping along the floor. And then to the four boys utter shock, he picked dropped the cane and walked. Actually walked- without his cane. The limping caretaker was no longer limping. He was walking up right on both legs, perfectly fine.

"He's not limping!" Sirius breathed. "He's been faking it this whole time."

"That's his whipping cane then." Remus realized. "Merlins beard! That's his cane guys! That's his cane!"

Peter whimpered. Sirius sent Remus a glance. "Quiet down will you? You're scaring Peter."

"I'm scaring Peter?" Remus repeated. "Sirius- I'm scared!"

"Peeves," Pringle spoke, his voice channeling the authority of Professor McGonagall . "Tell me, have you you seen any students lingering around here tonight?"

Peeves giggled and swung around, but did not answer. He cackled gleefully twisting around in the air, jumping from wall to wall, a spectacle worthy of the Marauders.

"I'm asking you under the authority of Albus Dumbl-" Pringle continued, his face set.

"Dumbly Dooor!" Peeves cackled. "Pringly Butt. Mean-"

"Peeves-" Pringle sighed, covering his face like he couldn't wait to get out of the corridor or with Peeves for that matter. "Just tell me have you seen any students here tonight?"

Peeves continued laughing and in one swoop grabbed James's wand and threw it in the air. "Ooooh a wand."

"Peeves!" Pringle's eyes widened, as he looked at James's wand in Peeves's hand. "Give that here! That's a students! It could be a clue-"

"Hmmm..." Peeves laughed louder throwing the wand around like it was a baton. "NOOOOOOO."

And with that he threw the wand to where the Marauders were hiding before swooping away. It rolled near James who kicked it underneath the cloak before Pringle could wonder where it had gone. Pringle screamed as Peeves cackled, but instantly remembered the wand and turned to their hiding spot.

"He's coming!" Peter whispered, "What do we do? What do we do?"

"Relax Peter." Sirius whispered. He turned to Remus. "What do we do?"

Remus rolled his eyes. The three boys looked up at him hopefully and Remus sighed. It was up to him. These were his friends, who had accepted him when everyone else had rejected him. He wouldn't fail them, not today, not ever.

"Okay," Remus steadied his voice, looking like he knew what he was doing. It worked because James, Sirius and Peter turned to him and nodded. "On my count, One. Two. Three!"

In sync the four boys moved away as Pringle approached their hiding spot. "Bloody hell where is that wand?" he muttered looking desperately around the area while the Marauders giggled silently making another great escape.

"We did it!" James said like he couldn't quite believe it. "We escaped!"

"I know." Remus nodded. He blinked. He had done it. He had saved them.

"We're out- and Pringle didn't see us!" Peter cried out gleefully.

"I got to admit it Remus- I almost didn't think you could-you could sleepwalk." Sirius finished, uncertainly.

"Sleepwalk?" James looked towards his friend, confused. It was when Peter gasped and froze that James noticed their tall headmaster standing right in front of them. His first thought before they were totally screwed was that they had hidden the invisibility cloak in Peter's bag. One of the rules James had remembered was that any dark objects were to go through the head of house and to be in possession without their knowledge was good enough to get you expelled.

Peter caught on quickly and the short boy immediately rummaged through the bag, pretending to look for something- finally pulling out a chocolate bar. "I thought this would work."

Remus continued walking in a trance, like he was sleepwalking. He bravely walked right into the headmaster who looked down at steadied him.

"Chocolate." Sirius put the chocolate near Remus's nose. "Chocolate, Remus. Chocolate!"

And then Remus blinked and looked up. "He-ad m-master."

"No need to explain." The headmaster nodded, chuckling. His blue eyes twinkled down at Remus. "I know exactly what was going down here."

Remus sighed. The headmaster knew they were sneaking around, and now they were all going to get detention. It wold cost Gryffindor another 50 points and Liam Carter would never stop gloating about it.

"Young Mr. Lupin here was sleepwalking, probably walked out and you three," the headmaster turned to James, Peter and Sirius. "followed him here. Am I right?"

James was the first to nod, followed by Peter, Sirius and finally Remus who remembered he was 'the sleepwalker' in this scenario.

"I was sleepwalking?" He tried his best to look surprised. "That's why this place looks so weird. I was dreaming we were playing Gob-stones in the common room. This- this isn't the common room is it?'

"Gobstones Remus, really?" Sirius laughed, "Are you finally winning in this dream?"

"We're near the Great Hall." Peter interjected ignoring Sirius's comment. "James saw you leave and woke us up. Sirius took a while to get up but we couldn't let you get in trouble by yourself."

"No," the headmaster agreed, "We wouldn't want that, would we?"

"So," Sirius started awkwardly, "We'll just go back to our common room then." He started to turn around when the headmaster spoke again. "Wait, I have something to ask of you four."

"He knows." Remus whispered closing his eyes.

"Remus you're a sleepwalker," James told him urgently. "You know nothing."

"What do we say?" Peter asked, looking worried.

"Just turn." Sirius commanded and the four of them simultaneously turned to the Headmaster who was smiling. "Shall we walk then?"

The four boys exchanged looks with each other before joining the Headmasters stride. "Now I'm not going to make this long as we have very little time before the day becomes day again."

"We've got a situation regarding a student and we- as in the faculty are not sure how to handle it." The headmaster looked down at them. "We know how we're going to address it, of course we just need some help regarding the aftermath."

"The aftermath,sir?" James asked, confused. Here he thought he was about to get a detention, but it was turning into a midnight stroll with the headmaster. James had done a lot of weird things in his life, but a moonlight stroll with the headmaster definitely topped them all. In the moonlight his friends faces were illuminated ten fold. Sirius was whispering to Remus, who was bickering back in a very annoyed tone while Peter stared up at the headmaster wordlessly.

"Yes, James, the aftermath." The headmaster stopped in front of a very familiar portrait of a pink lady who nodded towards them. "It requires a distraction."

Remus nudged Sirius. "He knows. He knows."

"Hush Remus." Sirius whispered back, all whilst smiling at the headmaster.

"And you believe we could assist you with that?" James asked beckoning Sirius, Remus and Peter.

The headmaster shrugged. "It's not every day I find the Marauders lurking in the middle of the night."

James looked up. "We-"

The headmaster continued, not pausing. "It's not as if you're the trolls that prank the teachers room at night. One day I'll meet them too."

Sirius laughed nervously. "I'm sure you will Headmaster."

The headmaster chuckled. "I will wait for the day they find a way into my chambers."

Now, it was Remus's turn to laugh.

"Marauders." The headmaster told the pink lady who bowed.

"That's not the passsw-" Peter started when suddenly the portrait swung open, inviting them to walk in.

The headmaster shrugged. "It isn't? Well it is now." He turned to walk away. "I'll leave the responsibility of letting everyone else know up to the four of you."

James turned to Remus who blinked rapidly trying to take in what the headmaster had just said. Peter opened his mouth to say something but was spared when the headmaster, only a few feet when he turned to them. "Make it a good one, boys."

"-and the loss of Valert Bones has taken a toll on the Wizarding community. He was not only a hero but also a beloved Headmaster of Hogwarts..." The headmaster continued on his speech while the Gryffindor Prefect Amelia Bones sniffled on the sidelines. James didn't know much about the girl, except that she was part of the important Bones family. James's dad had only mention them once saying that the Bones had a lot of influence in the Wizarding community and they had been around for a very long time.

When Sirius reminded them about the 'distraction' they had planned to take everyone's mind off the depressing news, Remus nodded and scanned to make sure Peter had finished rigging up the hall. Now when the speech ended and everyone exited the halls they would find themselves in a very bright prank- James and Sirius had decided that orange was the color to commemorate Remus and thus operation 'Orange Butterbeer' had begun. It would be absolutely hilarious and James couldn't wait. After all Sirius and James had added a very 'special' touch to it.

Maybe it was this exact reason that the headmaster had asked them to distract the student body. The majority of the Hufflepuffs were looking solemn as they listened to the headmaster. The Slytherins too wore odd expressions, talking amongst themselves like the Ravenclaws. Even older Gryffindor students were looking alarmed at the news and pointing towards Amelia when they thought she wasn't looking.

"-For he will always be remembered." the headmaster finished. "Join me as we pray for Valert Bones..."

There was silence that hung in the air in that moment when everyone joined hands and prayed silently. Amelia Bones closed her eyes and led the prayer while everyone else chanted after her. Wands were hung in the air and then the headmaster clapped his hand starting the feast. Immediately the tense mood in the Great Hall lightened up. Smiles returned, followed closely by laughs and whispers of light conversation.

"That wasn't so hard." Sirius told them pulling a loaded plate towards him.

"Hard?" Remus turned to Sirius. "He was murdered. Along with his wife, son and daughter-in-law."

"Wife?" Peter asked. "But the headmaster didn't say anything about them-"

"That's because it would scare everyone." Remus shoved a 'Daily Prophet' and pointed to the headline. 'BONES FAMILY MURDERED-CAUSE UNKNOWN.' "See? All of them murdered and earlier,' he pointed to another, ridiculously tiny headline that James would have usually skipped over, "a family of Goblins were murdered the same way."

"Are you comparing the Bones family to a family of goblins?" James asked, trying the lighten the mood. Remus didn't appreciate the effort. "James this isn't funny. This is real. People are dying. More and more every day, there's something going on here that-"

"Alright, alright Remus," Sirius sighed licking his plate. "No need to get too excited now. We get it. Now can we just hurry up and get to the prank-"

"It's a distraction!" Remus hissed. "How many times have I told you this, even Peter's got it at this point."

"Leave me out of this." Peter sighed looking down at the 'Daily Prophet' and then towards Amelia Bones. She was talking to Fabian Prewett now, who was attempting to make her smile. "Do you think she ever got to say goodbye?"

"What?"

"Do you think she got to say goodbye to them before they-they died?"

"I think it's sad that these things happen and you never get to say goodbye." Peter continued not noticing that a certain Gryffindor was listening the entire time.

Mary had been listening to every word Peter Pettigrew had been uttering for the past five minutes and she had come to terms to the fact that eavesdropping into that particular conversation may not have been the wisest choice. She turned to Amelia Bones who had been crying minutes ago until Gideon Prewett had started making jokes about Fabian's rather large nose and how he could fit a house in it, but Mary hadn't laughed.

Her dad was fighting in a war where he could die. Any minute now she would get a letter from her mother explaining that her dad was never coming back. She didn't want to be like Amelia- she wanted a chance to say goodbye, she wanted to be with him, now more than ever.

"Mary look!" Lily pointed out the assortment of desserts that had magically appeared after the food had disappeared. Heaps of cakes, trays of muffins, bowls of pudding and jeweled tarts littered the table as everyone made a grab for them.

Lily grabbed a muffin and set it on Mary's plate. "I thought you would be the first to get one, are you okay?"

"Yeah." Mary grinned. "Just stuffed. I think I'll save this for later. Oh could you get me one of those chocolate tarts too? Please Lily?"

The red head sighed but left to grab the tarts that were all the way at the end of the table where Mary knew they were. She had sent Lily there on purpose because if anyone could see past Mary's pretense- it would be Lily. Sighing, Mary turned back to her muffin and stared it fondly remembering a memory not so long ago. When she was little, her dad would wake her up on Friday mornings with the smell of blueberry cranberry muffins he had baked himself. They would sit in front of the telly watching some old cartoon she couldn't remember now, eating muffins, and laughing the whole time until her mother woke up and yelled at them for not brushing their teeth beforehand. Mary didn't a remember a Friday where she woken up to the smell of their house being coated in the smell for a while now.

"Here." Lily slid a giant plate in front of Mary that teetered with treats. "Turns out the older boys were hoarding all the food up there."

Mary smiled. "You know me too well."

"Is that a danish?" Marlene asked narrowing her eyes and looking down the table where the older boys were indeed hoarding the food. "James better save me one."

"Why would James save you one?" Lily asked curiously.

"Because I told him too." Marlene replied, and that was the end of that conversation.

"Well anyways," Dorcas was digging into a vanilla pudding as she spoke. "Annie and I are going to sing tonight for the memorial. You're all invited. Of course since you all go here, you don't really need an invitation."

"That's amazing!" Mary smiled. "Is it just you two or the entire chorus?"

"All of us." Dorcas replied. "Annie and I have been practicing for weeks now and I just can't wait! Even Flitwick's impressed with us!"

"And you're still taking the tonic, I assume." Marlene grinned at Mary who laughed. "Oh right, the one with liver wart and pixie wings-"

"Stop stop stop!" Dorcas covered her ears, laughing. "I can't hear you!"

"Stop it," Lily smiled nudging Mary. "You're going to scare her into never singing."

"That will never happen." Annie Clearwater added in a stern voice, taking Marlene's seat. Marlene had left to secure herself a danish and to find out if James really had saved her one. "I would personally make sure of it."

Dorcas smiled. "How's Amelia? I saw you talking to her."

Annie's smile faltered. "She's fine, I guess but it's not something you can get over in a day. I mean she never even got to say goodbye..."

Once again Mary's heart sank. There it was agin. The goodbye. First Peter, and now Annie. If she never got to say goodbye to her dad would she be the same way? Crying and broken all at once?

"Mary?" Annie blinked up at her. "What do you think?"

Think? Think about what? What had they been talking about?

"I'm not sure." Mary replied, taking the safe route.

"Me neither." Lily agreed. "I would go with the blue since it brings out your eyes, but Dorcas your favorite color is green-"

"Meadow green." Dorcas corrected. "That's why I'm Dorcas Meadowes."

"Right, right." Marlene laughed returning to the table to find her vacant seat taken by Annie, who scooted over, "Merlin those boys are crazy. By the time I got there there was almost nothing. Luckily they were all talking about the next match so I managed to nick these."

"You mean you stole." Lily corrected.

"Whatever you want to call it, Lily." Marlene grinned. Lily rolled her eyes and suddenly pointed up. "What's that owl doing there?"

Mary looked up to see the tawny brown barn owl flying around aimlessly, a letter tied to its leg. Could it be?

She stood up and started waving, trying to get it's attention. It must have seen her because it suddenly swooped down onto the table and towards-Amelia Bones. Feeling stupid Mary sat back down, her friends looked at her curiously. She didn't want to tell them she was still worried about her dad. She had just convinced them with smiles and grins so far and they had believed she was okay- she couldn't lose that now.

"I thought it was my favorite sweater I told my mom to send me ages ago." She told them looking sadly at the owl in Amelia's hand. "It's this red fuzzy one with a heart on it- bugger. She probably forgot like everything else." Mary rolled her eyes, for dramatic effect. Marlene seemed to understand as she began talking about her blue dress she had worn since forever while Dorcas chimed in continuing their conversation about what to wear at the performance.

Lily however tilted her head, looking unconvinced. "Mary that's clearly a barn owl- how could it carry a sweater?"

"My mums a witch," Mary smiled easily. "Who knows what she could have done."

Lily didn't seem satisfied. Annie nodded. "That's true. When my aunt sends me gifts she shrinks it down to the size of a toy and writes a little poem with the incantation to enlarge it. Those were the days." She sighed. "Of course now my uncle does the honors. For some reason he can't seem to to get the spell right so I end up with deformed presents on Christmas and Easter."

"Is that what that was?" Dorcas grinned. "I thought you had brought an elephant into the common room."

"It was an elephant." Annie grinned. "My uncle loves to travel. But it doesn't matter Professor McGonagall took it away when it sat on the sword of Gryffindor and refused to get up."

"Where was I when this was happening?" Marlene asked. "I miss all the good stuff."

"And you're going to miss this too if you don't hurry!" James told her, running past them. All the students were slowly gravitating towards the hall outside the Great Hall. Mary looked at Marlene who shrugged and stood up. Dorcas and Annie not wanting to be left out followed her.

Lily gasped when she stepped in the hall, Mary by her side. The entire hall was a bright orange from the ceiling all the way to floor. Giant orange lights hung down from the pillars and all walls were plastered with Remus Lupin's face. Mary turned to see the real Remus turning a bright red while he took everything in. Something told her he was as surprised as the rest of them. The students in the hall suddenly burst into laughter, the memory of the dead Bones fading away into nothing. Even Amelia Bones was enjoying herself as she blinked at the bright orange decor. And then the first student, Liam Carter, coughed out a feather, and another, and another. His nose elongated into an orange beak his voice no longer the pompous one he paraded around school Liam Carter was no longer Liam but a duck. Another burst of laughter until the next student, a fifth year Hufflepuff girl transformed coughing up a fit of feathers.

"IF YOU DRANK THE BUTTERBEER YOU'RE NEXT!" Sirius yelled loudly, pointing gleefully at Liam who was quacking indignantly. "HAVE A HAPPY REMUS LUPIN DAY!"

Remus covered his face while a jolly Peter laughed next to him. Lily's eyes widened with realization. "I drank some! Mary, I drank some!"

Mary's mouth opened. "Oh my god! Lily you're going to be a bird!"

Lily obviously did not want to her this, because she scowled as Mary fought hard to hide her laughter- for her friends sake.

"Me too!" Dorcas turned to Marlene clutching her throat. "I don't want to turn into a duck!"

Lily coughed suddenly and the girls watched wordlessly as a single feather fall to the ground.

"Oh no oh no!" Lily cried, before making a run for the stairs. Mary did not ignore the trail of feathers she left behind her.

"Me too!" Dorcas said quietly running after her, Marlene sighed. "I better got after her! Dorcas!"

Annie laughed. "You know I thought about drinking it but I'm not really a butterbeer fan-oh no Amelia you didn't!" Annie cried laughing as Amelia Bones slowly transformed into her duck form.

Mary laughed, looking around the Great Hall where beaks replaced the students mouths as the walked around, quacking and clucking...it reminded Mary of lazy afternoons spent fishing with her dad. The ducks had been practically annoying that summer too and her dad- her dad was so happy-

"You're not laughing."

Mary turned to the raven haired boy who spoke to her. James Potter.

"I was." Mary grinned showing him her teeth. "See. I am. Why Remus's face?" Mary wondered looking around at the Remus propaganda around the walls.

"It's a Marauder's thing." James winked like he had a secret she didn't know. "You don't want to know."

"Maybe." Mary looked at the transformed students wishing she could say something more, something other than the obvious to take her mind off anything that had to do with him. "The ducks, they're interesting."

"We were going for an orange theme," James explained, happy to talk to someone about his prank. "and then Sirius mentioned ducks and then something just clicked, you know?" James explained pointing out the parts as he explained.

"I'm surprised McGonagall hasn't come out and yelled at you." Mary said realizing that the Head of House wasn't here shrieking out 'Potter' "She usually makes her grand entrance at this time."

James laughed. "Like I said, todays a special day."

"It sure is." Mary nodded looking away. In that moment everything came crashing down. She was still holding onto her muffin and then the duck sounds were around her and suddenly she just couldn't hold it in. She shook her head and ran out the orange hall until she was far away from everything. From the noise, from the orange, from the lights, from everything that could possibly remind her of her dad. In a fit of anger she took the muffin, she was still holding on too, and threw it as far as she could into the Black Lake. It dropped with the smallest splash, bobbing before finally sinking down the dark abyss.

"I wouldn't want to be that muffin."

"Go away, James." Mary said wiping away the tears she hadn't realized she had shed. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. She didn't let Lily or the others see it, and she certainly wasn't going to let James Potter see it either "I'm not really in a talking mood."

"But what did the muffin do to you?" James asked ignoring her last words and taking a stand next to her.

"It did nothing. But if you don't leave you'll be the next thing I throw."

"Tempting." James grinned. "But I think I'll pass."

Mary whipped her head, turned to him and finally asked. "What do you want James? If this is about Lily I'm sorry it's been a long time I don't she really care-"

"I'm not here for Lily." James said. "I'm here because of you. Somethings wrong. Nobody just doesn't laugh at a James Potter prank and walks out without explaining why."

Mary rolled her eyes. "It was hilarious. I was laughing so hard you just couldn't see it."

James obviously didn't miss her hint of sarcasm. "What's wrong, Mary?"

"The ducks." Mary said, finally when James had made it clear he wasn't leaving. His eyes widened. "Really? That was the best part! It should wear off in an hour or two at the most-"

"No, the ducks didn't bother me because I don't like them-" Mary stumbled trying to figure a combination of words she could use to explain it to James. "They just remind me of my dad."

"Your dad?" James asked, looking at Mary. "What's wrong with your dad?"

Mary realized James had no idea what was going on. The only people that knew were Lily, Marlene, Dorcas, Gideon and Fabian who Mary had made promise that they wouldn't tell anyone. At some point she had mentioned it to Remus who had kept his word and not told a word to James. She debated for a second on wether to tell James or not, but maybe it was the look of innocent concern on his face, that Mary let it all out.

"He's fighting in the war." Mary said finally, the words stumbling out of her as she told James the whole story. He nodded, clarifying some American terms(sometimes she forgot that not everyone else at Hogwarts was familiar with American terms), and adding his own view as she recounted the entire tale to him. Somehow telling someone that she didn't really talk to much was so easy and she could feel her heart lightening as the burden was lifted. "-And with this whole Vel-what's his name thing I guess I'm just worried-"

"If he'll be back." James finished looking at her. "I was listening, you know."

"I know you were." Mary sighed. "It's stupid, I know. My dads tough, he'll get through this and be back sooner than I know it but I can't help but feel scared."

"I don't think it's stupid," James told her. "If it was my dad, I think I would be the same way. He's my old man, and he'll always be."

"Yeah." Mary nodded looking at the Potter boy in awe. He had listened and convinced her it was alright in once conversation. "You're right."

"My dad's not in war but as an Auror he is always going to dangerous places." James explained. "My mom's always worrying about him like you are right now. What about your dad? What's he like?"

Mary blinked. No one had asked her abut her dad before. It was always about her and her feelings. "He's the best dad I could ever ask for. We do almost everything together, cooking breakfast, fishing, driving- my dad's a muggle so no magic of course, but even doing normal things, he made them special in a way that magic can't."

Mary blinked and stood up suddenly. "No way!"

She broke into a run, stepping over rocks and broken tree branches until she reached the small puddle left over from the heavy rain last night. There in the middle was a small bubble that shimmered quietly in the sun, reflecting the colors of a rainbow. James was panting when he reached her. "Wow you run- fast. What are we looking at?"

Mary got to her knees and smiled at the rainbow bubble that was floating around. "Vilia."

James scrunched his nose. "A what?"

"Vilia!" Mary cried excitedly, rambling words that she was sure James wouldn't understand. "My dad was always into Arthurian stories and legends and he would always tell me about these amazing creatures. One of them that he would talk about often were Vilia and I can't believe it's really here."

Jams knelt down and stared at the bubble, confused "What are they exactly? It's a bubble, Mary."

Mary smiled. "Water spirits. Sometimes if you're in trouble they'll speak to you- I can't believe it's really here. Dad would love it!"

"Maybe you can get it as a pet?" James scratched his head looking at the bubble. "Pretty boring pet though."

The bubble quivered and Mary looked up at James. "They're water spirits, you can't keep them on a leash. They're meant to open and free and-

"And I'm a broomstick." James smiled.

"What?" Mary laughed, thrown off by the offhanded comment James had made. "That has nothing to do with this."

James smirked "Maybe, but it made you smile again. See you around, Mary."

And Mary who usually prided herself on her quick clever responses was for the first time too stunned to say anything. As James Potter messed up his hair and walked away Mary realized he was right. She was laughing, not as a pretense to show everyone she was alright, but for real this time. And somehow it had only taken one conversation with James Potter to make it happen.