Too Honest ~ James Potter

Chapter 13

*7th Year*

As Mariya walked through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4 at the beginning of her final year at Hogwarts, she was flanked by her parents. Her was standing on her right hand side, her curly brown hair blowing around in the gentle breeze, and one hand tucked into her coat pocket, where Mariya knew she was holding her wand at the ready. Jacinta Seratova was an Auror and knew the importance of always staying alert. Her on the other hand, was gesturing avidly as he spoke in Ukrainian. He worked as an ambassador for Ukraine and a translator between the two countries, so he loved to talk to people and had inspired Mariya's love of languages. Like her, he spoke five languages other than his mother-tongue; they were both most fluent in Spanish, English and German but knew the basics of French and Urdu as well. Mariya was not only more like her father personality wise, but she looked like him too. They had the same straight black hair and piercing blue eyes though he didn't need to wear glasses. In fact, he always joked that he must not spend enough time reading, as his vision had always been perfect whereas both her and her mother wore glasses.

Mariya heard her mother's intake of breath as they stepped onto the platform, and grinned. Her father had had a similar reaction when he had seen the train for the first time the previous year.

"¡Es hermoso! (It's beautiful!) Jacinta exclaimed, slipping into her native language as she spoke to her daughter, not caring about the strange looks they were receiving from the people around them.

"Necesitamos movernos, madre. (We need to move, mother.)" Mariya said, shocking the woman out of her reverie. "We are in the way here."

Her mother nodded, still seemingly unable to formulate a sentence, and they moved forwards onto the platform and away from the barrier.

They stood in the same sort of circle they saw other families in and her father began to speak, "The most important thing to do this year, Маша, is to have fun. This may be one of your last opportunities to enjoy your freedom from the war so you must take advantage of and it and enjoy yourself. Do not worry about us, we will send you weekly letters and we will hope that you will reply whenever you can." His train of thought seemed to peter out somewhat as he spotted something over her shoulder. "Oh, there are the Potters. We should go and say hello." When Mariya turned she saw that Fleamont was indeed waving for her family to approach and could only feel glad that her father had not suggested it on a whim.

She panicked slightly as her parents began to walk towards the other family and tried to calm herself as she followed them. She didn't have any excuse to escape this year but she was worried that she was going to have to talk to James. Somehow, she had managed to avoid him almost entirely the previous year but if they were talking to his parents it was almost certain that he would be there too.

When they greeted the couple she was glad to see that James was not standing there and - remembering what her father had told her the previous summer - presumed that he and Sirius had already boarded the train. That was good, she wouldn't have to converse with him as though nothing was wrong then. His parents were both very kind and welcoming and Mariya found herself swept into Euphemia's arms in a warm hug. Fleamont was talking animatedly with her father and Mariya was glad to see how well they seemed to be getting on. Then the peaceful moment was broken as Mariya heard a voice behind her.

"Mum? What are you doing?" Mariya tensed automatically as she recognised the voice. That was the voice of the boy who had magically washed her mouth out and almost made her faint at the end of their fifth year. Admittedly his voice had been angrier then, but she still felt as though she was back in that moment. Breaking free of the woman's arms she turned to face him and watched as James Potter's face lit up in surprise before his features dropped into a frown.