Chapter 4
Mary woke up with dread settled into the bottom of her stomach. Two days had passed since the incident and she had tried her hardest to avoid Lily, something she never did.
Ever since they’d ended up in a dorm together in 1st year and Mary had stopped desperately trying to impress the Pureblood who hated her, they’d been best friends.
Lily had always been there for her, through break ups and fights and all the awful things people said about her. And she missed her best friend. Mary missed talking and teasing her, and passing notes in class and laughing till she ached. It had only been two days, but Mary realised she couldn’t bear to spend even two minutes without her.
She woke up and looked over at Lilys empty bed. She had left early for breakfast, and Marlene had probably joined her. Mary tended to sleep in. She was tired of being angry.
Mary walked out of their dorm after a hurried few moments putting on her uniform, before heading down the staircase and into the common room. Sirius was walking towards the portrait and Mary smiled, hurrying over.
Sirius had clearly just woken up, sleepy eyes and hair stuck to the side of his face. He looked bedraggled and exhausted, despite the fact he’d slept in. Honestly, even his appearance was dramatic. Every emotion he conveyed was drastic. She’d always liked that about Sirius. He was one of those people who could understand her better then anyone.
She’d honestly enjoyed the car crash that was their brief relationship.
“Sirius, you know the whole Lily situation-“ she began and she watched as Sirius threw his head back and grimaced, shutting his eyes for a moment before answering.
“How could I miss it?” He snorted, running a hand through his hair, “It’s all you’ve talked about for two days.”
Mary rolled her eyes. “Be careful there, Black, or I might just push you down the stairs. As if I don’t regularly hear about your woes regarding Remus.”
Sirius sighed, waving a hand at her dismissively. She considered smacking him.
“Alright, fine,” he said, “What’s going on now?”
“I’m going to forgive her. I was hurt by the way she reacted but..” she hesitated. “She’s sorry, she says she is, anyway, and I miss her.”
“Honestly, the way she reacted sounded like how I would’ve reacted a year ago,” Sirius admitted after a second.
“Yes but that was because it was internalised homophobia, because you were scared of your big fat gay crush on Remus,” Mary said, “Lily is straight.”
She’d made it very clear.
Sirius scowled. “Well, yes I know that now. And on the Lily issue, you have a right to be mad, but at some point you’ve got to forgive her.”
Mary sighed. “I don’t “ have” to do anything. But you’re right. It was a jarring reaction, but she’s sorry and maybe I was overreacting.”
Sirius blinked for a moment, before walking down the corridor and into the hallways. Mary followed him, still thinking.
“Should we go down to Hogsmeade today? I can recement my friendship with Lily more solidly there,” Mary suggested. “I think we could also set up a Dorcas and Marlene date.”
“You have okay ideas sometimes MacDonald,” Sirius smirked.
“Well, you never do,” she retorted, “One of us has to do the thinking. Maybe I could set up you and Remus too-“
“Nope!” Sirius shook his head. “Do that and I will kill you.”
“I’d like to see you try,” she scoffed, heading down the stairs as they shifted beneath her feet.
“You don’t think I could?” He said, eyes wide, affronted. He was gesturing wildly as he spoke, as he often did, and a passing student ducked under his arm as she walked down the stairs.
“That’s exactly what I think. You could charm the pants off a snake, but murder? Not your thing,” Mary laughed.
“Like it’s your thing!” Sirius exclaimed before adding, “And I certainly charmed the pants off of you.”
Mary rolled her eyes. “Not off of Remus though,have you?”
“Oh shut up,” he jutted out his bottom lip sullenly.
*
Lily and Mary walked down together side by side to Hogeade.
Lily turned to her and Mary knew what she was going to say before she said it. “I really am sorry.”
“I know, and if you say that to me one more time I will hex you,” Mary warned.
James laughed from behind her. He was shoulder to shoulder with Sirius, who was bickering with Remus beside him. Mary did not know what they were bickering about and she doubted they knew either. Peter was talking to Marlene, who had been walking with a little more pep on her step since the incident.
Lily had loved her idea of setting up Dorcas and Marlene on a surprise date at the hogs head. She’d been so pleased they were friends again. To fully cement their friendship as well, Mary he also planned to set up a surprise date with her and James! They’d been getting on so well lately, it was a good opportunity.
Mary’s stomach was churning inside of her.
She was a good friend. That’s all she’d ever be. That’s what she needed to be.
For her.
“I’d like to see you try that, Mary. Lilys in the Slug Club, isn’t she?” James teased lightly. “For the brightest students in the school. So sad I miss out on those meetings.”
“I know,” Mary said, trying to ignore her feelings of irritation. They having a conversation, not him. “I can’t believe I’ll never experienceone.”
“Careful, I’ll force you to attend one yet,” Lily snorted.
They approached the village, up to their ankles in piles of brown and orange leaves. Mary tutted inside her mind. These wizards had magic, did they never think to clean their streets.
Sirius was moving them up in the air, because of course he was.
“Not bloody likely,” Mary responded, moving closer towards the hogsheads before stopping at the entrance.
James hurried over to pull open the door, ever the gentleman. She rolled her eyes at him, but fondly.
“You never open doors for me!” protested Peter with a grumble.
“Sorry,” James responded, “I’ll do it the next time.”
Lily laughed, stepping into the bar, her shoulder nudging Mary’s as they entered.
Marlene followed them, still chatting with Peter. She was wearing her Quidditch uniform and her weekend eyeliner (there was more of it at the weekend) and her bleach blonde hair was loose and free, pulled out of its usual ponytail. Mary hoped she wouldn’t be mad at them for the surprise date.
It took Marlene a second to spot Dorcas, who was sitting in a booth. Mary didn’t miss the way she was fiddling with her locs. She’d been furious with them at the little warning they’d given her for the date when they approached her this morning. She’d clearly put a lot of thought into her makeup, outfit and hair though.
Marlene’s eyes widened and then darted to Mary and Lily. Lily gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. Marlene looked like she wanted to strangle her.
Dorcas raised her eyebrows, all faux confidence. Mary didn’t believe it for a second. “So,happy to see me, then?” She said dryly.
Marlene spluttered for a few moments. “Just didn’t expect to meet you here, that’s all!”
“Well, I’m here all right. Your friends convinced me to,” Dorcas said.
Marlene stood there.
“Go on Marls,” Mary nudged her gently.
Marlene jerked forward, suddenly into motion, walking towards the table and sitting woodenly down across from her. She walked like she had never taken more then a couple of steps in her life. She looked panicked and had turned bright red. Dorcas was grinning.
The two started talking and as they all turned away to go shopping when Sirius grabbed James’s sleeve, tugging him back.
“Actually,” he said proudly, “Mary and I have another surprise.”
Mary’s stomach dropped. She’d forgotten about this part of her plan. How had she forgotten her own idea?
“We’ve also set you and Lily up on a date!” She said cheerily.
James looked completely bewildered and Lilys expression was unreadable. Mary didn’t like being unable to read her expression. She’d always been great at it.
Peter groaned. “Finally! It’s been a long seven years, no offence.”
James rubbed the back of his neck. “None taken.” He looked nervous and awkward. Mary was surprised. Was the great James potter anxious about his first date?
Remus shared a look with Lily Mary also didn’t understand. They’d always had this weird bond, like her and Sirius.
“Right then,” said Lily, walking over to a table quickly. “Shall we, Potter?”
Mary was taken aback. Well, so everyone had been right. Lily really had liked James, then. She knew it of course but some part of her was still.. surprised? Which made no sense. Everyone had always known they’d end up together. She’d hated him for a bit but once she started to laugh at his jokes and smile at him everyone knew it was over. They were your story book couple. The prince and his beautiful princess. It was a perfect love story. Mary was part of it, but only as a side character. Someone who was mentioned briefly. Who you passed over. Someone unimportant, who stood by as the guy got the girl. Who watched as Lily fell in love, knowing that could never be her.
Mary felt sick. Was she jealous of their relationship?
James headed over slowly, sitting across from her.
Mary turned and left as the others did. But she couldn’t help but walk a little quicker then them. She was eager to get out of that stuffy pub. Sirius laughed and called after her.
“What’s the hurry, MacDonald? We’re going to Honeydukes next, the sweets won’t run out,” he said.
“I don’t remember agreeing to go there, actually, and I wanted to get a new scarf,” Remus grumbled. He kept glancing back at the pub.
“We can do that after Moony but sweets come first,” Sirius said, his tone softening slightly. “I’ll get you chocolate to make up for it, eh, moons?”
Peter rolled his eyes. “Stop making me feel so single.”
“Agreed,” Mary said.
Remus shot both of them a glare. “We’re not dating anyone, remember? We’re single too.”
Peter threw his eyes up to heaven. “Only because you’re too stubborn to- never mind. Let’s get the bloody sweets.”
“That’s the spirit!” Siruis said brightly, throwing the door to Honeydukes open.
*
As Mary was inspecting the jars of sweets(what? She had as much a sweet tooth as the next person) she felt someone bump into her. She turned her head to see Pandora, who was looking down at her watch distractedly.
Mary smiled. “Hey!”
Pandora looked up, surprised. “Oh merlin, hi. I’m guessing you’re down here because of the Dorcas and Marlene date?”
Mary nodded. “The very same.”
“Thanks for organising that, by the way. Dorcas was both excited and terrified. I knew she liked her. There’s something so homoerotic about having a nemesis,” Pandora said thoughtfully.
“Marlene didn’t know about the date. It was a last minute surprise,” Mary admitted. “But shes so nervous around her. Now all I need is for Sirius and Remus to fuck each other.”
“You didn’t have to live with him for years,” Regulus said from behind her.
Mary startled slightly. That guy had to be some sort of vampire. She quickly collected herself. “Does he talk about him as obsessively there?”
Regulus nodded grimly. “And god forbid you say something bad about him, too.”
Pandora laughed. “Oh don’t be so bitter, Reggie, it’s sweet.”
“Sweet until it’s you having to hear it,” he retorted.
“Once they get together though, it’ll only be me and Peter left as the singles,” Mary sighed.
Pandoras smile fell. “What about James and Lily though?”
“Oh, we just set them up on a surprise date as well,” Mary said, forcing a smile.
Pandora stared at her for a second and then she looked at Regulus, before looking back. “That’s great!” She said.
Mary nodded. “Yeah, everyone was tired of the build up.”
“Mary!” Called Peter, waving a bag of berty botts at her from the other end of the shop. “We’re paying!”
Mary grabbed some cauldron cakes quickly off the shelf. “Sorry, I’ve got to go! See you around, maybe?”
Pandora shrugged. “Sure.”
Mary walked away, only vaguely registering the look of horror on regulus’s face.
*
After Remus bought a slightly ugly scarf (he spent ages deciding on what scarf to choose, asked Sirius for his opinion and then argued with him about it) they headed back down to the Three Broomsticks.
“If they’re snogging when we walk in so I have full permission to vomit?” Peter asked.
“I’d be joining you,” Remus snorted. “But since our teachers go to that pub, I doubt they will.”
“I’d love to see McGonagalls face if she saw Marlene with her tongue down Dorcas’s throat,” Mary said, shaking her head.
“I think they’d both have to move schools,” Remus said. “I would, anyway.”
Sirius paused. “It’d be worse if it was James though. She’d be even more horrified.”
Mary pushed open the door to the pub, a chilly breeze whipping some leaves in behind her. She stepped in, immediately spotting Marlene and Dorcas. They were deep in conversation, and Marlene was looking at her like she was made of cake, gold and rainbows.
Lily and James seemed to be having a more calm, quiet conversation. James was staring at the table. Mary frowned slightly. That’s not how she’d been expecting it to go.
Lily looked over and spotted them. Sirius grinned at her and her expression changed. To Mary’s horror, she reached across the table and tried to hold James’s hand. He snatched it back and hopped up from his seat quickly, hurrying over to Sirius and them.
“Oh hey lads!” he said brightly.
Lily looked very confused, as did Peter and Sirius. Mary herself couldn’t fathom why he’d just rejected the girl he’d been in love with for seven years? It didn’t make any sense.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
Mary tried to ignore how relieved she felt.
Tried to.