Mary loves winter at Hogwarts. It’s unlike anything she ever had the chance to witness when she lived as a muggle, her mum never really celebrating any of the new Christmas traditions that Mary had been introduced to since her first year at the school.
There’s the trees and the decorations, all the lights and the snow. The gifts everyone loves to exchange, and the joy she feels when she picks out all the perfect present for her friends. The dinners, where she could pile her plate high with all kinds of dishes from everywhere without having to worry about how much she had, or how much her mum and sister also need. But most of all, her favourite thing about the winter months is just how much time she gets to spend with her friends. Whether they’re cuddled up in the sofas beside the fire to keep warm or huddling behind candles in the library trying to study together before the late January exams, they’re always together. And she’s slowly coming to realise, that as the years grow darker, there’s nothing else she would ask for more of than this time together.
“You really do love Christmas huh?” Marlene pokes her gently in the ribs, the two of them walking from the library, needing snacks for one of those study sessions, as she talks about the festivities.
Mary just shoots her a look, rubbing gently at the area that Marlene had just jabbed her fingers at, “It’s fun. There are so many weird traditions here.” She’s rambling and she knows it, but she can’t bring herself to care, just enjoying talking about something that isn’t transfiguration. “So much to learn, to watch. I just love it.”
There is however, one thing Mary hasn’t been taught about yet. A tradition she hasn’t learnt, or even had the pleasure of watching.
“Mary!” Marlene spots the mistletoe before her counterpart, shooting back into the middle of the corridor. Though Mary isn’t quite so quick, and, as she’d already been walking ahead of Marlene, it’s too late for her.
A lesson she’s about to learn first-hand, in possibly one of the least pleasurable ways in her eyes.
Initially, it feels like a hook has been pierced through her navel, uncomfortably tight as it pulls her into a now visible circle on the cobble floors, but when it’s gone, all it leaves is an uncomfortable weight in her stomach, something to remind her that somethings wrong. “Shit.”
“Shit? What do you mean shit? Marls what’s going on?” Immediately, the muggleborn begins to panic, not enjoying the look of horror on her best friend’s face, and she shoots forward, only to be forced right back into the middle of the circle, the exact hook in the navel feeling as before.
For a split-second Marlene has the audacity to be confused, but a few indignant noises from Mary has her quickly explaining. “It’s cursed mistletoe Mary. You’re gonna be stuck there a while. Mary listen to me-,” She tries when Mary makes another break for the invisible barrier, acting as though brute force could actually work. “Mary! Stop. Just listen-.”
Mary’s head shoots up at that. “Listen? Fucking Listen?! You aren’t the one behind a magical fucking forcefield that keeps throwing you around!” Mary is scared, Marlene can hear it in her voice, but she can’t think of anything to actually say to help her best friend feel any better. Nothing could get Mary out the curse. Not that she knew Mary would be comfortable with anyway-.
“Mary please. You’re making it harder for yourself. Just stay still, and-.”
“Stay still? Fucking stay still! You try getting in here and-.”
“Mary! I would be in there if I could. But you don’t like me like that. It won’t let me in.” Marlene tried explaining it without really explaining it, but that only seems to rile Mary up more.
Marlene knows she’s in shit when Mary finally stands still, the look on her face screaming murder. “What? The fuck does that mean Marlene?!”
“It means, cursed mistletoe is used to get people to reveal their crush. It’s stupid, but people use it as a prank around here, no doubt Sirius and James are behind it this year after what Gideon and Fabian did with it their last year-.”
“James and Sirius did this? Gods I’m going to fucking murder them.” She growls the last few words as she bangs her fists against the barrier, apparently not quite done with attempting to fight her way out. “Go get them right now and tell them to let me out.”
“They can’t Mary. Only you can get yourself out.”
“Oh yeah?” Mary laughs, sounding utterly insane as she continues her pounding against the charm. “Can’t you see that I’m fucking trying?”
Marlene just watches sympathetically, knowing exactly how Mary has to get out, but not at all wanting to tell her. “I can, but I don’t mean like that Mary.”
“Then how? How the fuck am I supposed to get out of this thing?”
“You need-.” But before Marlene can finish, a particular red head catches her eye, and within seconds, Mary is snapping back to normal. She wipes the tears of frustration from her eyes just as quickly, and turns around to watch Lily come towards the two of them with a look of false passivity on her face.
Lily smiles happily as soon as her eyes land on the two, “Oh, that’s where the two of you got to. We were waiting for the snacks!” She quickly rushes towards the two, stepping too close for comfort until-.
“Lily!” But the girl doesn’t catch Marlene’s shout before she’s stepping into the perimeter of the charm, and she too, is being pulled into the circle. “Oh Merlin’s saggy bollocks.” She mumbles, shaking her head angrily. Now she has two firery tempered friends stuck under one curse together. Merlin she’s never going to make it out of this alive.
Lily doesn’t freak out as much as Mary thankfully, already knowing exactly what curse she's stuck in. “Ugh, whoever put this mistletoe here is getting detention for the rest of the term!” She doesn’t, however, seem to register anything aside from the mistletoe for a split second, but as soon as she realises that Mary is also stuck, Lily spins around to face Marlene. “Oh.” Her eyes are wide, cheeks bright red, and Marlene probably would have laughed at just how far her jaw dropped if they were under any other circumstances.
“Yeah.” Marlene just about manages, trying her hardest not to grimace. But Mary is just stuck. Not quite understanding, but somewhat getting the gist of it by the other two’s reactions. “I should, uh, I should go get someone.”
“No! Marlene-!” Mary tries to call after the blonde, but it’s too late, Marlene has already sprinted down the furthest corner, and is out of sight. “Fuck you and your stupid fast quidditch-running!” It sounds stupid as the cursing leaves her mouth, but Mary doesn’t care. Actually, it makes Lily laugh, so she does too, just enjoying the way the laughter rings through the corridor. It’s beautiful. Perfect. Lily. Mary could go on about the ginger haired girl for hours. But she probably shouldn’t-. “Sorry.” She quickly blurts out, shaking away those thoughts as she turns to properly face Lily for the first time since the other had stepped into the curse.
Lily turns to her, smile dropping as she cocks her head in confusion, “Sorry?”
“You’re stuck in here. Because of me I think-.”
But Lily only becomes more confused at Marys response. “I don’t think you understand how this thing works Mary.” She states with a different look on her face. Mary doesn’t exactly understand the look, it’s weird, something she’s never seen before on Lily’s face, but she’d been sure she had known every look that had ever crossed the other girls face-. “For two people to get stuck in the same curse, they have to both reciprocate the feelings that got them stuck in the first place.”
“No-.” Mary begins, but Lily doesn't allow for it.
The ginger rolls her eyes. “Mary come on. You have to listen to me. Did Marlene offer to join you?” She asks, and when Mary just nods, she continues. “Did she join you?” Mary shakes her head. “Exactly. The curse doesn’t work like that. So-.”
But Mary just shakes her head again, lip wobbling as she finally gets out a short, “We’re friends Lily. You’re my best friend.”
“I know. You’re my best friend too. But I love you Mary-.”
“But I-I love you too.” Mary tries again, shaking the tears from her eyes as she grabs Lily’s hands. “I do. I-.”
“Mary, listen-.”
Lily’s hands are on Mary’s face, halting the head shaking, but she still completes her protests. “No. I can’t. We’d ruin it. I can’t lose you. You’re-.”
“You aren’t going to lose me Mary.”
She's scared. Not of rejection, Lily's already proven that wrong. But of messing up. She's done it with every boyfriend she's had since, well, ever. There's always something she does wrong. Like whatever it was she'd done with Sirius on their last date. A-and that one Ravenclaw boy at the party. And even with the girls, like the thing with Emmeline-. “I will. You’re too good for me. It’s why I’ve never tried. I couldn’t-.”
“Well you should’ve Mary.” Lily interrupts again, softening her eyes as she wipes away the tears streaming down Mary’s face, sniffling a few times herself before she can continue. “I’m in here aren’t I. That has to mean something for you no? I’m here Mary. Here.” She squeezes Mary’s face as she says it, as though she’s confirming that she really is there.
“You’re actually here? You mean it? Truly?”
Lily nods, but the action isn’t enough, Mary needs the verbal confirmation. “I do.” And as soon as she hears it, Mary feels as though she might collapse. This, the confession, Lily, it’s all she’s ever wanted. And she almost can’t believe it’s actually happening. “Hey, I’ve got you.” Lily understands it. Because of course she does, and in seconds, she’s pulling Mary close. “Can I kiss you?”
Mary doesn’t respond, but leans in, Lily meeting her halfway, and when their lips finally touch, and Mary can finally feel that smile she’s watched for years against her own, she knows she’s done for. It’s so much more than she’s ever expected, and she feels her legs grow weak just thinking about it, but Lilys words still ring true. She has got her.
One of Lily’s hands move to rest on Mary’s cheek when she pulls away for a breath, and the other slips from where Lily had been supporting her shoulder, down to her waist, a thumb slipping between the hem of her shirt and the waistband of Mary’s skirt, rubbing circles until Mary’s knees really do buckle. “Oh!”
“I’ve got you.” Lily repeats, and in seconds, they’re both collapsing against the wall behind where the curse had once held them stuck. Mary giggles, and Lily breaks the kiss again to laugh herself, “Oh Merlin!”
“We’re free!” Mary manages, but she doesn’t really care as she pushes back against Lily, holding both of them up against the wall so she can catch Lily’s lips again, realising she finally has the ability to do just that whenever she wants.
“We are!” Lily lets out a few giggles of her own, before she’s returning the kisses, and it isn’t long until they’re both a mess, “Let’s take this elsewhere yeah?”
“Yeah. Gods. I love Christmas.”