Too Honest ~ James Potter

Chapter 30

*7th Year*

Mariya almost regretted her decision as she felt the train come to a halt in the station. She wasn't ready to meet James's parents, though she also wasn't sure why she was being so dramatic about it. She sounded like a teenage girl who was scared to meet her boyfriend's family for the first time, and yet that was completely unreasonable. She and James weren't dating and so she had no reason to feel as though she might collapse from embarrassment at properly meeting his parents. Sure she had been introduced to them at the beginning of the year, but this would be the first time they had a proper chance to learn what she was like and compare her to the way her parents had always described her.

"Are you alright there, Mariya?" James asked, watching her with a confused expression taking over his face, as the rest of them stood to pick up their luggage and leave, but she stayed stuck in her seat.

"I am strongly considering just staying here and waiting for the train to return to Hogwarts." Mariya said, her voice sounding completely emotionless but fear shining in her bright blue eyes.

James sat back down next to her, "Well then I guess I'll have to stay here too. We can't have you spending Christmas by yourself after all."

Mariya shook her head vehemently, "No, you have to spend the holidays with your family. I can't take that away from you."

James grinned brightly, "So, you'll come with me?"

Mariya observed how excited he looked for a second before nodding hesitantly, "It doesn't seem as though I have any choice really."

Offering her a hand, James stood up and took his trunk from Sirius, "I can virtually guarantee that they will love you, they have no reason not to."

Looking at him doubtfully, Mariya accepted his hand and he pulled her up. Taking her own luggage, she walked out of the door behind Remus who had already spotted his own parents and had said goodbye to the Marauders before leaving.

Standing slightly behind James and Sirius, Mariya walked towards the former's parents. She smiled as Euphemia pulled James into a tight hug - clearly nothing had changed with the woman - before releasing him and doing the same to Sirius. She was however, surprised that when the woman let go of the second black haired boy, she immediately pulled her into a warm embrace without question. The hug was comforting and the older woman smelled incredible; like baking and a warm hearth and all of the good things that a mother should smell like. As much as Mariya loved her mother, the woman was always scented by sharp suits and formal robes and fancy perfumes that made Mariya sneeze, as such she had never had a hug that smelled like home in the way most people had.

Pulling away, Euphemia looked down at the girl and smiled warmly, "We weren't expecting to see you here Mariya. What a lovely surprise."

Mariya was shocked by how sincere the woman sounded; most people wouldn't be happy about having another guest suddenly sprung on them at the last minute but she sounded truly happy that she was there.

"James said you wouldn't mind. I had planned to stay at the castle but he insisted." Mariya spoke hesitantly, still not sure what they thought of her.

"Well of course he did, it would be such a shame for you to stay there alone when you are perfectly welcome home with us. I would have been thoroughly disappointed to find out that he hadn't invited you." Euphemia pulled her into another hug before offering her an arm to disapparate. Though Mariya had her licence, she had never seen the Potter house and so would struggle to apparate there without assistance.

James and Sirius latched onto Fleamont and the five of them disappeared from the train station with a small pop.

When she recovered from her dizzy spell after apparating, Mariya immediately lost her breath again, though this time it was because of how in awe of her surroundings she was. She had known that the Potters were rich and that they - like all the ancient families - would have an ancestral home, but she wasn't prepared for the sight of the grounds the house belonged to. Large grassy fields surrounded the house and she could see a miniature quidditch pitch tucked behind the house, a gravel drive swooped up to the front doors, despite the Potters not needing a car, and flower gardens sprawled across each side of the track. The flowers that bloomed in them were definitely assisted by magic as Mariya had never seen bluebells and roses open at the same time and no snow or frost lay across the beds despite the chilly weather.

Adjusting her hold on her trunk, Mariya suppressed the desire to go exploring and followed James's parents, who had already started walking towards the house. James and Sirius were standing beside her, grinning at her wonderment.

"You were right Prongs." Sirius said, his grin not faltering, "It is funny to watch someone when they are seeing it for the first time."

"It is a sight that never gets old." James agreed, waving a hand in front of Mariya's eyes and making her blink. "May I say that it might be best to head into the house before we all die from frostbite, Seratova."

Mariya nodded, but she felt as though she was in a really lovely dream as she followed the two up the drive; the house was beautiful and she couldn't believe that she was going to be staying in it for the following two weeks, it seemed almost too good to be true. Pulling her hair down from its ponytail, she ran her fingers through in an attempt to distract herself.

There were three steps leading up to the double doors that welcomed them to the house, the steps were made of marble and the doors were a rich dark wood which seemed imposing when combined with the height of the doors. A brass knocked sat on the left door and Fleamont rapped it three times before letting it hang, only a few seconds passed before the door opened and Mariya was surprised to see a house elf standing on the other side of the wood, she was small and everything one would expect of a house elf, except for one thing - she was wearing clothes. Though it was not impossible for a house elf to wear clothes, it was very rare and it was even more uncommon that they would still be working for a family.

"Hello, Ceely." Euphemia smiled kindly at the little creature in front of her. "How are you this afternoon?"

The elf curtsied deeply before answering, "Ceely is just happy that Master James and Master Sirius are home. Ceely missed them very much. But who is the young Miss? I is not believing I has been meeting her before."

Mariya crouched down so she was at eye level with the house elf, "I am Mariya Seratova but you are welcome to call me Mari, Ceely." She offered the house elf in question a hand, which Ceely shook with great fervour before curtsying once again.

"Ceely is happy to meet you, Miss Mari. Ceely looks forward to serving you." The house elf looked genuinely thrilled to have another mistress and Mariya was glad that she was happy, even if some people would not think it right that these creatures lived a life of servitude.

"Would you like my help with dinner tonight, Ceely?" Euphemia asked as she ushered the teenagers through the door and into the Entrance Hall

"No Mistress, Ceely will be fine." The house elf disappeared down a set of steps, presumably into the kitchen, bowing before she went.

"She seems lovely." Mariya commented and Fleamont nodded.

"Yes, she has work for the family for generations but she isn't bound here. We want her to work for us because she wants to, rather than because she has no choice."

Smiling brightly Euphemia said, "I think it best that you all get settled and wash up before dinner, James will take you to your room Mariya dear."

James began to walk up the stairs, turning around to beckon Mariya to follow him. She followed his lead, waving her wand to levitate her trunk up the staircase.

"This is you." James said, pushing open a white painted door.

Mariya entered the room and grinned, the walls were painted lilac and the ceiling was a deep navy with planets sprawling across the paint, the carpet was dark blue too and rugs covered it.

"I hope you like it," James said nervously, scratching the back of his neck, "My mother asked what sort of colours you tend to wear and this was all I could think of. If it isn't right I'm sure she wouldn't mind changing it."

"It's perfect James. You couldn't have chosen better if you'd tried."

"Oh, good then." He looked behind him towards the door, "I guess I'll leave you to it then."

"Yeah, see you later. Oh and, James?" The aforementioned boy, who had been closing the door behind him, stuck his head back into the room, "Thank you."

James grinned at her and shut the door. Mariya paused for a moment before turning to face the bed and launching herself across the room to land on it on the way she had been wanting to do since entering the room. This was going to be a good holiday after all.