Chapter 2
Mary sat in the common room, sitting with the girls as she pored over the essay she’d written, scanning for errors. She couldn’t focus, still confused by Remus’s words. What had he meant, she was oblivious? To what? She knew all the Marauders secrets, at least to her knowledge. She’d always been good at figuring people out, ever since she was young.
She knew Remus was a werewolf, if that’s what he was implying. She’d put it together very quickly. He just got mysteriously moody and sickly around full moons? Of course, she’d never told anyone. She’d never do that to him.
“I cannot do this!” Groaned Marlene, flopping backwards into her chair, dropping her parchment on her lap.
Lily looked up from her essay to shake her head. “Don’t overthink it, Marls. Just write, we did The Goblin Rebellion last year, remember?”
“Besides, this new sub marks you 100% for spelling your bloody name right,” Mary added.
“Do you think he’ll notice if I don’t turn it in?” Marlene sighed.
“I think he will, Marls,” Lily frowned, ever the prefect. “And you need this revision. The exams at the end of the year are so important!”
“I know. My mum is always berating me, saying I have to do well. But I’m going to be a quidditch player, so what do I need the stupid exams for anyway?” Marlene demanded, frustrated.
Lily put her arm around Marlene and exchanged a look with Mary. “Don’t worry about it, Marls, the exams aren’t that bad I promise.”
“And like you said,” Mary added, “You don’t need high marks to become a Quidditch player if you do do badly, which you won’t, so either way you’re sorted.”
“What if I don’t get in?” She pointed out. “My mum says-“
“You’ll get on a team, Marls, you’re the best player here!” Lily said.
Marlene laughed and swallowed. “Better then James?”
“Much better than James,” Mary said.
“Telling him you said that at tonight’s match,” Marlene grinned, perking up. “We’re playing Slytherin, you know.”
“You’ll face your mortal enemy!” Mary said in a fake dramatic voice, pressing her hand to her forehead.
“Dorcas Meadowes!” Lily copied her. “The scourge of Slytherin!”
“Who you are not obsessed, and not in love with,” added Mary with a wink.
Marlene shoved both of them in the arm as they burst into laughter.
“She’s my enemy!”
Mary raised her eyebrows. “Sure, Marlene. I’m sure most people talk about their “enemies” constantly and obsessively. In fact, I doubt most people have enemies.”
Lily nodded in agreement. “And why is she your enemy anyway? Because she hit you in the face once with a bludger in fourth year?”
“In my first match ever!” Marlene fumed. “I was humiliated!”
“That was three years ago, marls,” Mary pointed out, “Most people would’ve just- moved on!”
Lily nodded in agreement, tucking her red hair behind her ears. She always looked nice when she did that, but Mary thought she looked prettiest when her hair was loose and free.
That wasn’t something she was meant to notice, was it?
Marlene groaned. “Look, Dorcas Meadowes is my enemy, okay?” She got up grumpily. “Now I’m going to get ready!”
“For a match?” Mary grinned. “But you never get ready for matches, Marls? Anyone you’re trying to impress?”
“I HAVE TO LOOK MY BEST FOR WHEN I BEAT HER!” Marlene shrieked as Lily dissolved into laughter.
Marlene turned and stormed off. Mary snorted, knowing she wasn’t really mad. Marlene could never stay mad at them. She just wasn’t the type to be angry with her friends.
Lily laid her head on Mary’s shoulder and sighed, still giggling. Mary’s heart skipped a beat and she did her best to act normal. This was her best friend. Best friends were close to each other all the time. Why was she so nervous?
Lily looked up at her. Her eyes were a funny shade of green. Green like ferns and the stems of flowers in bloom, a bit like grass but deeper, softer. There was flecks of brown in there too. Mary’s eyes were mud brown. She would love to have eyes as beautiful as Lilys.
“This is her final year, is she really going to waste this chance to get to know Dorcas before school ends?” Lily said, shaking Mary out of whatever trance she’d been in.
“Probably. Marls has always been surprisingly stubborn about hating her,” Mary admitted with a shrug. “Like you and James.”
“I don’t like James!” Said Lily.
“Sure you don’t,” Mary teased but there was a lump in her throat. Everyone knew it. They were perfect together, everyone said it. The princess and her prince, right? “But you’re right about the Marlene thing
“We should just get them together. It’s been three years,” Lily said with a chuckle (she was always laughing, Mary liked that about her).
“We should!” Mary agreed, eyes lighting up. “Wait, we actually should!”
Lily blinked in surprise. “Really? Yeah, actually you’re fucking right.”
“How about we bring her down to the pitch early? Dorcas always arrives early to train,” Mary said. “Marlene brought me to spy on her once, in fifth year, remember? To learn her training moves or whatever.”
Lily laughed. “I forgot about that. Yeah, okay, let’s do it. She’ll probably realise if we leave early why we’re doing though?”
Mary grinned. “We’ll just have to distract her.”
*
“No but heavy metal is good!” Insisted Marlene furiously, waving her broom around. “You just don’t-“
“It’s just people screaming, I don’t get it,” Mary shrugged, side-eyeing Lily, who was struggling not to laugh.
“THATS BECAUSE- that’s because you never listen past the first part of the song, if you just kept listening, you’d understand!” Marlene fumed.
She was dressed in her red quidditch gear with her broom stick in her right hand. Her bleach blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her face was red with frustration and indignation.
Mary always knew just how to rile her up, as this was a passionate topic for Marlene. Just the thing to distract her.
“But the whole song is screaming!” Mary insisted, as they walked out of the changing rooms on to the pitch.
“Not all of the-“ Marlene suddenly paused as she took in the empty stadium and realised she’d been duped. “Hey, what the-“
“And what are you doing around here?” Said a smooth voice from behind them.
Marlene’s eyes widened in horror and she turned around slowly, shooting Mary and Lily a look of betrayal.
Dorcas Meadowes was the type of girl who was every queer girls hallway crush. She was just naturally gorgeous and she was an amazing Quidditch player. One of Slytherins best, even Marlene had to admit.
She stood next to Pandora Lovegood and Regulus Black, Sirius’ grouchy little brother, who had ran away with him when he was 15. Sirius’ parents were real dicks, as far as Mary knew, and she knew they’d both suffered a lot because of them. She didn’t like Baby Black so much though. He seemed like he bit.
Dorcas’ hair was pulled into braids with green beads in them, and she was wearing her Slytherin uniform. She looked unimpressed.
“What are you doing here, McKinnon?” She pressed her lips in a thin line.
Marlene went bright red (she would later tell them because she was “so mad”). “Coming for early training before the match, obviously. You’re not the only one who does it!”
Mary resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Could she not just talk to the girl normally?
Dorcas frowned. “Well, we do this ever match, so the pitch is ours.”
“The pitch is everyone’s, actually,” Lily pointed out. “I mean, last time I checked, it didn’t belong to you?”
Pandora raised her eyebrows and Regulus scowled. “Can’t you just piss off? Only one of you is actually a Quidditch player anyway! Can’t you practice another time?”
Mary shook her head. “Oh just train together, what harm will it do? All you are doing is flying around anyway, right?”
Marlene wrinkled her nose and grimaced. “What if they learn my moves?”
“I already know your moves,” Dorcas laughed, eyes sparkling. “I know all about you, Marlene McKinnon.”
“There is loads you don’t know about me!” Marlene protested, spluttering.
Dorcas grinned, leaning in slightly. “We’ll see, McKinnon.” She nodded at Mary. “I like that idea.”
“Only because you get to show off to McKinnon,” Regulus said dryly and she elbowed him.
“There’s nothing for her to show off about!” Marlene spluttered. “I- I know everything about you too, Meadowes, just- just watch me!” She grabbed her broom and flew off into the sky.
Dorcas quickly followed close behind.
Regulus rolled his eyes. “I’m actually going to jump off a bridge if they keep flirting.” With that, he zoomed off too.
Mary blinked, suddenly feeling slightly awkward. What was she meant to do now? Just watch them?
Pandora spoke, surprising her. She’d forgotten she was there. “Those two really need to shag.”
Mary laughed. “Tell me about it. It’s becoming painful.”
“Between them, Barty and Evan and Reg an-“ she cut herself off suddenly. “Between them and Barth and Evan, I’m at my wits end.”
“Please you don’t have to tell me about that when you don’t have to deal with Remus and Sirius,” Mary sighed.
Pandora smiled. She was a pretty girl, alright, with long silver-blonde hair and a nice smile.
“Well-“ began Pandora, but she was suddenly cut off by Lily.
“Can we sit down and not stand here in this freezing pitch?” She said crossly, wrapping her scarf around her neck.
Mary winced. She hadn’t realised Lily was cold. “Sorry Lils.”
Lily turned and began to walk towards the edge of the field, Mary and Pandora following. Mary looked up at the sky and saw the three of them swooping and flying around, yelling at each other at the top of their lungs. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“How is that training?” She said with a smile.
“When has anything about quidditch made sense?” Lily said, smiling slightly, despite her previous bad mood, and she turned to her. Their eyes met and Mary’s breath caught in her chest.
Lily Evans was the most difficult girl in the world. She was the worlds hardest and most beautiful puzzle. Mary had always loved puzzles.
Marlene’s screams jolted her violently from her gaze and she looked up to see her best friend falling through the sky.
She screamed and lurched forward, horrified.
Oh no, oh no, oh-
Dorcas swooped through the sky like some sort of angel and grabbed her arm. Marlene shrieked and Mary’s eyes widened as her arm was pulled out of its socket.
Dorcas flew down, dropping her gently on the ground before crashing her broomstick hastily. Mary was already running.
Dorcas was standing over Marlene, eyes wide.
Mary rushed past her, falling to her knees and looking at her arm. Her mother was a nurse, she knew a bit about healing and from what she could see, her arm had been pulled clean out of its socket. But it would heal with magic. Who knows what could have happened if Dorcas hadn’t grabbed her.
She could’ve died.
Mary sat back on her heels, suddenly feeling like the world was entirely too small. Marlene could’ve died. She could’ve died. She could’ve died. Mary would have never seen her again. Never teased her, never helped her, never spoken to her again. Her heart was pounding. She felt sick.
Marlene had stopped screaming, just grimacing now.
Pandora was running to get Madame Pomfrey.
Lily was beside Mary, hand on her shoulder.
She didn’t need comforting, Marlene was the one who needed comforting!
“I’ll be fine guys,” Marlen said through gritted teeth, “Minor setback.”
Despite the pain she was in, she had the audacity to wink.