Too Honest ~ James Potter

Chapter 26

*7th Year*

Mariya woke up on Monday the 31st of October with a smile on her face. Sure, she had to go to school that day but the evening would come soon enough and then she would have hours to relax and forget about school, and the war, and all the worries that seem prevalent in the life of a teenage girl. She jumped out of bed with more enthusiasm than usual and showered quickly, brushing through her hair and drying with magic before pulling it back into a plait. Mariya carefully pushed hanging earrings through her piercings and pulled on her school uniform, wearing comfortable black boots.

She brushed her fingers over the material of her dress, which was hanging on her wardrobe, as she walked towards the door - only a couple of hours to go. Mariya fell into a seat at the Slytherin table and piled her plate high with toast and croissants, not many people were already at breakfast and so no-one bothered her as she ate her food and glanced over her timetable for the day. Picking her satchel up off the floor, she slung it over her shoulder and strode out of the door with a sense of purpose - she had spent weeks preparing for this day and now it was actually here she could sit back and enjoy the festivities.

None of her classes were particularly stimulating and, by the end of the day, Mariya could see every other student just itching to leave. James and Sirius had already given up and were writing notes to each other on a spare piece of parchment. Mariya grinned, looking up to check that Professor McGonagall wasn't paying attention, before focusing all of her energy on vanishing the piece of parchment, before studiously looking back at the blackboard and taking notes as the boys looked around in amazement. James had stopped paying proper attention to his quill, so it was now dripping black ink on to the wooden desk. This was the first thing Professor McGonagall noticed when she turned around.

"Mr Potter!" She exclaimed and the boy in question, along with his accomplice, jumped, "What in the wide world are you doing?"

"Ehhh... Well..." He stuttered, seemingly trying to come up with an explanation for his strange actions.

McGonagall sighed, "I don't actually want a reason, Mr Potter. I have no doubt it was against the school rules and so I would really rather not know. Just clean it up."

James cast a confused scowl around the classroom as he directed his wand towards the ink. Mariya smiled inwardly - he had no idea who had done it and she was hardly going to tell him it had been her.

Turning her bright blue eyes back to the front, Mariya began to actually take notes. After all, this was a NEWT class and she could hardly afford to not pay attention.

She didn't see Remus cast her an amused look, having seen that she was the culprit of James's misfortune. He didn't say anything to the other Marauders but he enjoyed the smug look that flashed across her face for a moment as she went back to the lesson - that girl really was something else.

After all of her classes were finished, Mariya headed outside for a quick sit by the lake before she had to get ready. The air was cool as she scaled the beech tree she had sat in before the incident in her fifth year, and collapsed back against the trunk of the tree. She could see the giant squid lounging in the depths of the water and could hear the ghostly echo of the merpeople.

After a few minutes she could see the lake rippling slightly, and was confused for a moment before she realised that it had started to rain. Promptly dropping from her tree, she began to sprint back towards the castle, thankful for the years of quidditch training which had built up her leg muscles. Despite her haste, by the time she had reached the castle doors, her hair was plastered to her head and her school uniform had begun to adhere to her skin. She pushed open the heavy doors and tried to wipe the water off her face as she shut them behind her. This was a less than successful venture as her hands and sleeves were just as soaked and she really only managed to spread the liquid further. She was about to pull out her wand to dry herself off but stopped as she felt the water disappear from her skin. Confused for a moment, she glanced up before her face twisted into a half-smile half-frown as she spotted Regulus standing behind one of the marble pillars, pointing his wand at her. Though grateful for his help, she was worried about what would happen to him if anyone had seen him helping a blood traitor. She sent a slight nod in his direction before beginning to descend the steps, knowing that that was all the acknowledgement she could afford to give him.