special girl
10th February 1978
These rumours were getting ridiculous.
Mary was never one to care much for the words of others.
She’d heard it all:
‘Oh, Mary got a pity pass because she’s Muggleborn.’
‘Mary slept with Remus to get him to tutor her in Magical Creatures.’
‘She’s only friends with James Potter so she can leech off his money.’
Etcetera, etcetera.
However, what no one seemed to realise was that she had been raised on the idea that she had to prove her worth. It was taught to her in primary school, it was whispered to her in the halls of her family's apartment. It was the same reason as to why she pushed and she pushed until she got some form of respect from people.
Her grades were above average, she knew enough about everybody that they didn’t wish to get on her bad side, and she knew how to cast some nasty hexes if people spoke of the rumours that followed her, loud enough for her to hear.
She was unsure when she decided to ignore them, but she knew it felt easier when she viewed everything in her life as a consequence of her choices. There were no strange circumstances, no coincidences, everything was as it was because she didn't let others affect her choices.
This isn't to say she views herself as a God, or that her choices are linked to fate, it just means her life is her own, and only her own.
Every heartache, every new friend, it was all a consequence of what she chose to do and who she chose to be.
It's neither a good, nor a bad thing.
Mary wanted to love deeply and that usually meant heartache was deeper. Maybe this was why she was seen as one who cared about the opinions of others, but she thought all the gossip was hilarious.
Lily used to chide her on her bluntness, on the way she would chatter on until she saw something she wanted to know more about, and she would prise it from their fingers until her hands were rubbed red and raw.
This was until she saw how Mary could also use what she saw to comfort people, to build them up when they had a problem - people often believed compliments from Mary because she wasn't the type to lie.
As she walked down the corridor, she heard a small group of students whispering as she passed. They were Gryffindors - no surprise there - and it took every ounce of strength Mary had to not burst into a fit of giggles when she heard what they were saying.
When she rounded the corner, she ran into the one person that would make her laugh after what she heard. Unable to help herself, she began to laugh, spluttering a hello to Remus.
“You alright there McDonald?” he asked, raising an eyebrow with an amused smile.
Mary raised her hand, gesturing for Remus to give her a minute. She took deep breaths, calming herself down, but everytime she opened her mouth to tell him the rumour she just heard, she fell into another fit of giggles. “Okay, okay, so you’ll never guess what I just heard.”
Remus rolled his eyes. “You know I don’t care about rumours Mary.”
“But this one's funny Lupin,” she insisted, giggling as Remus sighed, gesturing for her to tell him what it was. “Apparently, you and Sirius are fighting for my affections and that’s why you’re suddenly so distant from each other,” she said, biting back a laugh as Remus when a light shade of pink, covering his face with his hands.
Remus groaned. “I told Sirius, distance was going to look more weird,” he muttered to himself. “Why do they think we’re fighting for you?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
Mary shrugged. “Probably because the two of you come to me for your relationship advice, and advice on how to confess to each other, and advice on how to come out as a couple - which you should go to Marlene for. I’m straight, I’ve no idea,” she listed.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Remus offered her a small smile. “Thanks for that by the way,” he grinned.
“Happy to help,” Mary replied. “Besides, you two were insufferable,” she drawled, throwing her head back for effect. “Making puppy dog eyes at each other, and secret looks of love that - let me tell you - were not secret.”
Remus rolled his eyes again. “Thanks,” he deadpanned.
Mary chuckled. “So…” she began, swaying on the balls of her feet. “Distance huh?”
“It’s not really ‘distance’; neither of us want to come out as a couple yet,” Remus clarified, kicking the floor with the sole of his shoe.
“And you both agreed to this?” she asked. Mary had seen a lot of relationships crumble in the early stages because of assumptions on what makes each other comfortable.
“Yes, Mary, both of us,” Remus assured, smiling fondly at her.
“Good,” she nodded. “Anyway, just thought you ought to know, as I ran into you,” she grinned, waving as she continued down the corridor.
“I’ll tell Sirius,” he called out, waving at her too.