Too Honest ~ James Potter

Chapter 5

*2nd Year*

The friendship between Mariya and Regulus blossomed throughout the year, though they tried to stop the other Slytherins from seeing how close they really were. Remus knew of their friendship but not how close they actually were. They sat together at some mealtimes but Regulus had managed to make a few friends in his own year and so Mariya encouraged him to join them as often as possible. She knew that it was important that he at least appeared to agree with the Pureblood ideas and so being friends with as many people who supported the pureblood supremacists as possible would be important for Regulus in the future, especially if he wanted his family to continue to treat him well.

Sirius saw the friendship between them and, despite not really liking Mariya, was glad that Regulus had become friends with someone who did not follow his family's ideals. He knew that - as much as Regulus was a total mummy's boy - he also didn't really agree with the hatred that almost all of their family showed towards other people, especially muggle-borns. He approached Mariya regarding his brother one day late in the year.

"How is he doing, my brother I mean?" He asked and the girl jumped as she had been reading quietly in the library. She frowned up at him before gesturing for him to sit down.

"What do you mean, Sirius?"

"How is Regulus? Is he coping alright?" Sirius looked genuinely interested and worried regarding the welfare of his brother, something Mariya was quite surprised about.

"Why can't you just ask him yourself?" Mariya asked shaking her head at the boy.

"I don't think he really wants to talk to me and I don't want him to be at odds with his Slytherin friends because I don't leave him alone."

Mariya nodded though she still didn't really understand, "He is fine. He has friends in his own year and he and I have become far better friends than I had originally expected. He seems happy enough and is worrying less about disappointing your parents. He loves you Sirius, even if he can't always show it." The boy looked relieved by this report of his brother and so Mariya asked, "May I return to my book now? I only have two chapters left and I would like to finish it so I can check out a different one before the library closes."

Sirius nodded and stood to leave throwing a "Дякую (Thank you)" over his shoulder and, at her confused look, explained, "I asked Remus."

Then he exited the library, leaving Mariya sitting and shaking her head in bemusement. That Sirius Black would be one to watch, she knew. He might try to appear heartless but he would do anything for the family and friends that he cared for and that was a trait that Mariya could not fault him for for a single second.

She returned to her book and ran a hand through her black hair. She didn't know that James Potter had seen the entire encounter standing under his invisibility cloak. She didn't see the furrow between his eyebrows and she didn't see the grateful look that it changed to as he appreciated what she had done for his friend. Most of all, she didn't see him persuade Madam Pince to keep the library open for an extra five minutes so that she could check out a new book.

She would never understand that he did this not because he liked or respected her, but because he now counted them as even and no longer felt obliged to be pleasant to her, whatever his friends thought.

Sirius however, gained a new respect for the girl who had reassured him regarding his brother, he tried not to join in when James was being unpleasant to her and let her sit with them at meals on the rare occasions when James wasn't around. Though he was not openly nice to her he tried to avoid antagonising her, knowing that one day she may be the only person keeping his brother sane in a world of Pureblood supremacists.