Sixth Year, January
Saturday January 1st 1977
`Ooh, I`ve missed you,` Lily sighed as she pulled both Mary and Marlene into a tight embrace. `It feels like it has been ages since I last saw you.`
`It`s only been two weeks.` Marlene protested in a muffled voice, trying to squirm loose from Lily`s iron grip; she had never much been one for physical affection.
`I agree with Lil,` Mary said, holding Marlene back from breaking free from their huddle. `It feels like much longer.`
`Aye, alright.` Marlene stopped struggling and gave in to the embrace, relaxing her long limbs.
Eventually, Lily decided that she`d held on for long enough and let go, stepping back and wiping a stray curl from her eyes. She sighed again, looking at her friends as they busied themselves with their luggage. It was true: two weeks wasn`t that long of a time. Nevertheless, it had felt like an eternity - especially with those horrid attacks on boxing day. This winter holiday had felt oddly surreal.
The gleaming red express train was patiently waiting for them to board – billowing plumes of steam onto the platform, swamping the passengers in dense white clouds. Craning her neck, Lily watched as the other students scurried inside, pushing one another to get out of the way; she caught a glimpse of James and Peter who were hauling their bags onto the train. Briskly she scanned the perimeter, trying to locate Remus and Sirius; only to remember that they`d stayed at Hogwarts over the break - probably the safest place they could have been.
`Can we go in?` Mary pleaded, rubbing her arms. `Freezing my tits off here.`
Lily nodded curtly. It was far too cold to stay outside for an extended period of time; the warm interior of the train was a welcome refuge from the dire wind that haunted the platform. The three of them hurried to find an empty compartment. They were in luck that Lily had the authority of a prefect; finding a carriage was not always a cordial affair.
With a ghoulish howl of the steam engine, they unmoored and set off towards the North. Lily nestled into the leather bench, settling in for the long journey. During the ride they skilfully avoided bringing up the attacks; nobody seemed to be in the mood to talk about them.
Mary was cheerful and boisterous as ever, but Lily could not ignore the way she nervously jiggled her foot. When asked about her own Christmas, Lily royally complained about her sister`s new boyfriend.
`Even his name is dull,` Lily said, rolling her eyes so far back that she could almost see her own forehead. `Who calls their kid Vernon - for goodness sake. Can you imagine? Seeing a baby and saying: `Ah yes, he`s certainly a Vernon.``
Marlene sniggered and put her legs up on the opposite bench, pointing and flexing her stockinged feet.
It had been difficult to leave her parents and Petunia back home; it had been hard before, though, now even more so. The muggle attacks had made it rather clear that nobody was safe anymore. How utterly frightening it was that her family was in danger purely because they were related to her. Lily was certain that Mary felt the same way about hers - even if she wasn`t going to express this sentiment out loud.
Lily hadn`t talked to Petunia since Christmas dinner. Not wanting to repose in her parental home longer than absolutely necessary, Petunia had hitched a ride back to London with Vernon. After reading about the attacks, Lily had tried to ring her flat; one of her roommates had picked up the phone and told her that Petunia had just left. Lily suspected that her sister just hadn`t wanted to speak to her. At least she was unhurt.
Planning the attacks on boxing day must have been a deliberate move. How couldn`t it have been? Christmas was supposed to be the merriest time of year. It was extremely calculated to plan an attack to disrupt all of that. If there had been anybody who`d still had doubts about whether or not there was a conniving mind behind all of it, they certainly had been rid of those.
When they disembarked the train and stepped onto the platform, they were instantly engulfed in a thin coat of mist – stretching as far as the eye could see. Not wanting to lose her in the throng of students, Mary held on to Lily`s sleeve as they set off towards the invisibly drawn carriages. The marooned bodies of their transportation looked even more ghostly in the veil of fog.
`Sorry,` Peter mumbled as he was the last to clamber into their carriage. `The other one was full.` He gestured vaguely at the stark outlines of another car – undoubtedly carrying James.
`No need to apologize,` Lily smiled warmly, scooting towards Marlene. `You`re more than welcome here, Pete.`
It was a rather bumpy ride towards the castle. Mary complained about feeling like she might be getting seasick. At which Lily remarked that they weren`t on a boat - earning her an eyeroll. Peter also looked rather green around the gills and firmly clutched the sides of the carriage.
Finally, they saw the castle loom up out of the mist, along with a couple of hunched figures who were awaiting their arrival. A big smile appeared on Lily`s face as she recognised Remus standing amongst them. She was the first the climb out of their carriage, planting her feet rather wobbly on the ground – as a sailor setting foot on shore. Perhaps Mary had been right about feeling seasick.
`Good Christmas?` Lily inquired as she hugged Remus – standing on her tippytoes. `Thanks for the chocolates!`
Remus pulled back. `Thanks for the gloves,` he said and swivelled his fingers to show that he was wearing them. `Really warm.`
Lily smiled contently.
`Yeah, cheers for the gloves, Evans.` James called over, waving his own wool-clad hands – a huge grin plastered on his face.
`Oh, yeah,` Lily stammered, feeling caught off-guard. `Didn`t want to leave anyone out,` she babbled, not really looking at him.
Trotting towards the castle in a neat queue, Mary linked her arm in Lily`s. `What was that about?`
`What was what about?` Lily asked confused.
`With Potter.` Mary furrowed her brow bemused. `You blushed.`
`I didn`t blush.` Lily replied, keeping a straight face.
`Alright.` Mary cocked an eyebrow, yet didn`t say anything else.
Had she blushed? Lily resisted the urge to put her hands to her cheeks and check; as if that would tell her anything. Obviously she hadn`t blushed; that was preposterous. Maybe she`d gotten a little bit red; she`d been embarrassed. It was embarrassing to give James Potter – of all people - a pair of gloves. What had she thought: giving him a pair of gloves? Besides, why did it have to be such a big deal? She`d only given him a pair of gloves. Lily kept scolding herself inwardly all the way into the castle, feeling annoyed at the situation.
As soon as they were situated at their usual spot in the Great Hall, everything settled back into its usual rhythm. Before the main course had even appeared on their plates, Peter and Desdemona started an explosive row, making Desdemona abandon them for her friends at the Ravenclaw table. Mary had apparently snogged a boy named Ly at some point during the holidays, and was more than eager to tell everyone in their vicinity about it. As if on cue, Marlene was rolling her eyes at Mary`s tales as she shuffled her peas around on her plate – sometimes making a begrudging huffing noise.
Since their rekindling at the carriages – which had more so resembled a sailor returning from sea to his wife, James and Sirius hadn`t stopped slapping eachother rather forcefully on the back as they caught up on their holidays. At some point, James started levitating one of the gravy tureens, ostensibly trying to demonstrate something to Sirius. The delicately crafted piece of crockery teetered precariously above the table, almost spilling its contents. When James threatened to start levitating a bowl of mashed potatoes as well, Lily confiscated his wand and jinxed both his arms behind his back.
`Stop behaving like a child, Potter,` she said sternly as James looked at her pleadingly, struggling against his bind. `You`ll get your wand back after dinner.`
James didn`t stop resisting against the jinx and eventually fell backwards off the bench – to great hilarity of Sirius. Gosh, she couldn`t believe she`d actually given him a pair of gloves.
***
Thursday January 6th 1977
On weekdays – or weekends too for that matter, Marlene was usually one of the first people down in the Great Hall. She liked the solitude - the quiet mornings. Especially in the wintertime, when everything was still dark outside and she could imagine the world to be smaller than it actually was – as if the darkness outside the castle walls cloaked her in a velvet blanket. In the spring and summertime, she would use these early hours to get an hour of flying in before classes would start, or run a lap around the grounds. Yet in the colder months, she let herself mellow.
This first week of classes, she`d established a comfortable routine of getting herself a cup of milky tea and a large bowl of comforting porridge, which she decorated royally with honey and caramelized apple chunks. The owls were usually yet to bring in the post at this hour, and she`d let herself sit in silence, contemplating her own thoughts. She`d stare out of the cathedrallike windows, at the pale moon still decorating the sky - a full one this time around.
Having been home at Hollyhock had given her a lot to think about. Finding out about the real circumstances behind her mother`s marriage to their stepfather had somehow put everything into a different light – a new perspective. Prior, Marlene had felt somewhat begrudging towards her mother for unrooting them. At times she`d hated her; she hadn`t understood how she could have picked Andrew over what they`d already had. Now, it suddenly made a lot more sense – as much sense as it could make, anyway. In a way it felt as if she was in on the joke. Not that anything about it was a joke; it was deadly serious.
Marlene stirred her porridge, watching the gloopy substance mould itself around her spoon. Suddenly, she was jerked out of her trancelike state by a lot of noise and footsteps; the Great Hall started to fill itself almost instantaneously with students and Professors. A myriad of owls swooped in, adding to the cacophony. She had to resist the urge to clasp her hands over her ears.
`What`s going on?` Marlene said alarmed as their entire party arrived, plonking themselves down next to her.
`An attack,` Mary said, slamming the Daily Prophet down on the table.
Marlene swallowed forcedly and scooted closer to Mary, reading along over her shoulder. Lily had slipped in next to Remus; both were looking really pale and worried. The Great Hall was in complete uproar. There had been another werewolf attack; in Hogsmeade this time. Her heart began to hammer anxiously when she realised how close by it had been.
`It`s horrible,` she let out, feeling her throat close up and her eyes start to sting as she kept on reading. `That poor woman, murdered in her bed…` The young woman in the photograph smiled at her and blinked, swaying slightly back and forth as she clung onto her husband`s arm. Marlene felt her stomach lurch.
The couple that had been attacked had only just moved to Hogsmeade - newlyweds. Both had been magical, only she had been muggle born. The man was currently residing at St Mungo`s after having been bitten. Marlene knew that there was no cure to a werewolf bite.
`Is it still on the loose?` Remus asked in a pinched voice.
`Looks like,` Mary replied, not looking up from the newspaper. `No one could catch it. Tonight`s not a full moon, so we`re all safe for at least another month, I suppose…that`s the trouble with werewolves, if you don`t catch them on the moon, then how are you supposed to catch them at all?` she continued, a deep frown knitting itself between her brows.
`There must be some test or something,` Marlene contemplated, still feeling the lump in her throat. `A revealing charm.` There were charms to reveal all sorts of things; there had to be a way to know whether or not someone was a werewolf - or if there were any prowling in the vicinity.
`Yeah,` Mary said slowly, mulling it over in her mouth. `Maybe…but you might end up finding the wrong one…`
`Well,` Marlene frowned, shifting her weight from one hip to the other on the hard wooden bench. `It looks like they`re all on you-know-who`s side anyway, so I don`t think it matters---`
`Let`s talk about something else.` Lily said rather loudly, cutting her off midsentence.
`Yeah,` James nodded eagerly. `Defence Against the Dark Arts next – anyone had any luck with their Patronus yet?`
Marlene surveyed Lily, feeling a wee bit annoyed. Usually she was all for discussing political problems; and wasn`t this too, political?
Soon, they left the ruckus of the Great Hall to join their classmates in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. After their essay about the subject, they had been greatly encouraged by their Professor to dive into the practical work, and try to summon a Patronus themselves.
Marlene had yet to make something appear. Though, if she was being honest, she hadn`t been trying that hard. Somehow she felt less guilty about not succeeding when she wasn`t putting her all into it. She figured that it would be worse if she did really try and still nothing would happen – which she was afraid of. It would make her feel rubbish about herself.
Fortunately, she had been far from the only one who was yet to produce a Patronus. It came as no surprise that the sole person in their class who had achieved to procure a Patronus was James; the classroom stared with envious eyes and open mouths at the iridescently silver stag as it dashed through the air. The corporal Patronus was met with utmost admiration by their Professor, who showered James in affection, and stimulated everyone else to try as well.
`God, this is so frustrating.` Mary groaned, flicking her wand, urging for something to happen. `Expecto Patronum!` Usually, Mary was one of the best students in Defence Against the Dark Arts, yet even she was having trouble with this spell.
`You have to relax,` Lily said – her eyes closed as she breathed slowly in and out through her nose. `It won`t work if you get all worked up about it.`
Mary glared at Lily, but did visibly try to relax her shoulders and slow her breathing.
It appeared that the other students were also having great difficulty – with varying levels of despair. Marlene joined in half-heartedly – repeatedly muttering the incantation and swishing her wand. Even though she had promised herself that she would really try this time, she seemed unable to access her happy memories. Every time she tried to think of them, or she closed her eyes to envision an occasion during which she had been truly happy, her mind was swarmed with horrible images of mangled bodies, bloodied sheets, or vicious bite marks. The picture of the attacked couple kept popping up unannounced behind her eyelids – the smile of the woman broadening into a malicious grin. She couldn`t shake it, and she couldn`t understand how everybody else had seemingly been able to leave it behind them at the blink of an eye. Was nobody else utterly shaken?
`I did it,` Lily yelped suddenly. `Well, not really – but something happened.`
In her periphery, Marlene saw a small silver whisp undulating out of the tip of Lily`s wand; it was gone as soon as she properly turned to look at it. Lily was beaming broadly, gawking at her wand.
`Way to go, Evans!` James hollered across the room.
Lily smiled pleased and tucked a wandering curl behind her ear.
Marlene continued, with fruitless efforts, feeling relieved when they were finally dismissed.
`Can`t wait to see what animal my Patronus will be,` Lily sighed as they packed their bookbags. `I hope it is something nice.`
`Can you imagine getting a slug or something?` Mary scrunched up her nose. `Rather not have a Patronus at all if it`s going to be something vile.`
`Aye,` Marlene yet out a forced little laugh. `That`d be pretty shite.`
How could everybody just go about their day with the knowledge that at that very moment a man was lying in St Mungo`s with the prospect of having to be a werewolf for the rest of his life? It was beyond words, and it made Marlene feel squeamish with injustice. She made a mental note to inquire about cures for lycanthropy the next time she encountered Madam Pomfrey; surely she would know more about it.
***
Friday January 14th 1977
Pensively Mary chewed on the tip of her quill, neglecting her Divination essay. The fire in the hearth crackled loudly, mollifying her into a lulled state.
`What do you think about Remus?`
`Remus?` Marlene barely looked up from her text.
`Yeah,` Mary nodded slowly, coiling one of her curls around her finger, staring absentmindedly across the common room.
`Erm,` Marlene threw a glance over her shoulder at the boy in question. `He`s nice…?`
Mary rolled her eyes. `Obviously I know he`s nice; he`s our friend. Everybody knows that Remus is nice.` She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. `That`s not what I`m asking.`
`Than what are you asking?` Marlene grunted. `And make it quick because I want to have this chapter finished by tonight – am already behind om my assignment.`
Mary wriggled in her seat, grinning impishly. `I had a dream about him the other night.`
`A dream?` Marlene narrowed her eyes.
`A dream.` Mary widened her eyes suggestively.
`Och.` Now Marlene`s eyes widened too; the cartilage in her throat bobbed up and down as she swallowed.
`Hm-hm,` Mary confirmed, nodding. `I don`t know what it is – because I have dreams like that all the time, but now I can`t seem to get it – or rather him - out of my head.`
`Fer feck`s sake.` Marlene whispered.
`It`s as if…I see him completely different know, y`know? I mean…you can see his appeal, right?`
`Sure.` Marlene nodded.
It was obvious that Marlene was rather disinterested in the topic and wanted to return to her revision, thus Mary stopped bothering her. Nonetheless, she kept staring at Remus, wondering what it was about him that made her suddenly feel so drawn to him. It couldn`t just have been the dream; dreams weren`t that powerful.
Maybe it was his complete lack of interest in girls that made him so appealing. Mary could have any boy she wanted; getting Roman Rotherhide to go out with her had certainly proved that. It was incredibly easy to convince a boy to fancy her; all she had to do was touch their arm, laugh at their jokes, bat her eyelashes, or wriggle her tights, and she had them wrapped around her finger. It was almost comical how easily they fawned over her.
In a way it had become a game; it was fun. Hooking up with Ly over the Christmas break had been exciting; just another distraction from the crumbling mess of the world around her. Roman was a pleasant pastime; same went for a couple of other boys she had casually been seeing. Yet, as the weeks passed, Mary was getting bored. It was all getting a little bit too repetitive – too easy. She enjoyed a little bit of a chase.
Still chewing on the end of her quill, she watched as Remus rubbed the back of his neck; his hands were slim, with long knuckled fingers. He was definitely handsome. For one thing: he was incredibly tall - that counted as something, in Mary`s opinion. One thing was sure: Remus would not be easy. He had a certain mystique about him – a reservedness. He wouldn`t be an easy egg to crack.
*
Mary barely had to open the gossip section of Witch Weekly anymore; there seemed to be plenty of it roaming the castle itself these days. Desdemona and Peter had broken up only a couple of days prior, on account of the fact that Desdemona wanted to spread her wings a little bit.
`We started dating when we were fourteen,` Desdemona explained when Mary had sought her out to get the full scoop of the situation. `I guess we just…grew apart. I`m not the same person as I was back then anymore – and Peter is sweet and all that, but I suppose I just want to broaden my horizons. I`m sure it was the same for you and Black.`
Mary nodded – a bit hesitantly. `Yeah…something like that.`
Sirius had just started seeing Emmeline Vance - a very pretty Ravenclaw girl in their year. She was the umpteenth girl in a bandwagon of conquests. Mary rather pitied the girls flocking around Sirius, and hoped that he would treat them with more respectful than he`d treated her – she was doubtful about it. Although, Mary supposed this was slightly different since Emmeline was regarded by a lot of boys as being rather desirable. Not too long ago, Emmeline had also gone out with Roman. At least Emmeline seemed like the sort of girl who would be able to stand up for herself and not take his bollocks.
*
Monday January 17th 1977
It was almost six when Mary left the common room to descent towards the Great Hall. She`d been working on a Charms essay and felt utterly winded and drained. Marlene was prepping for quidditch practice that evening; Lily still needed to finish up in the library.
Plodding down the stone staircase, Mary yawned widely and stretched her arms. Rather taken by surprise, she stopped halfway down when she noticed a familiar figure flanking the doorway of the hall. Quickly she straightened up, hoping that he hadn`t seen her yawn; that would have been especially unflattering.
`Professor Ferox!` she called out, hurrying down the last few steps, trying to remain as graceful as possible.
`Miss Macdonald, what a pleasant surprise to see you!` Ferox boomed back in his gruff Liverpudlian accent.
His sandy hair had grown out even longer, and he had gained a couple of extra scars. Furthermore, he look more or less the same as he had when he had taught them Care of Magical Creatures. Mary felt the tingly girlish crush she`d had on him instantly wash over her again.
`Are you coming back to teach us, Professor?` Mary asked innocently as she traversed towards him.
`I`m afraid not,` he shook his head, grinning in a lopsided way.
`Ooh, that`s a shame,` Mary sighed, pouting. `You were such a good teacher to us. Professor Kettleburn is such a bore.` She scrunched up her nose.
`Now, Miss Macdonald, though I certainly appreciate the compliment,` Ferox laughed heartily. `I`m sure he can`t be that bad. Professor Kettleburn is very established and well-regarded in his field of teaching.`
`We really miss you, Professor - Care of Magical Creatures isn`t half as fun as when you were here,` Mary continued, ignoring his remark about Professor Kettleburn; she couldn`t care less about that barking old man.
Then she noticed him looking at something over her shoulder and spun around to see Remus coming down the stairs. He couldn`t have come at a better time; Mary knew that Remus had been a favourite of Ferox. Besides, this could be a perfect opportunity to get closer to him.
`Remus!` She smiled broadly. `Look who`s here!`
`It`s Mr Lupin I`m here to see,` Ferox smiled and shook Remus` extended hand.
`I`m trying to convince him to come back and teach us again.` Mary addressed Remus readily. `We miss him, don`t we, Remus?` She blinked at Remus and reached out a hand to touch his arm, leaning in closer.
`Er…yeah, of course.` Remus nodded, looking a bit nonplussed.
`Can you wait here?` She turned to Ferox again, still touching Remus` arm. `Marlene`ll be down in a minute, she`d love to see you…`
Ferox cut her off at that moment. `I`m afraid we need to be getting on. Maybe another time, Miss Macdonald,` he said, directing his attention away from her. `Remus, shall we?`
They both disappeared, trotting up the stairs as they left Mary behind in the hall. She couldn`t help but feel somewhat neglected, and she wondered what it was that Remus and Professor Ferox had to discuss so urgently. Still, she had made her first move in the pursuit of Remus; that was something at least.
///