Too Honest ~ James Potter

Chapter 41

*7th Year*

By the time Mariya found herself on the platform later that week, she was in a very good mood. She had received owl post from the Ministry the previous day and she couldn't have been happier with the result. Her parents had told her she was safe to go the the station herself, having passed her Apparating test over a year ago and given that she was to be meeting people on the platform.

"If anyone tries anything funny," Her father had told her, "You have permission to hex them in all the ways your mother has discouraged."

This comment had earned him a slap on the arm from her mother, though the woman couldn't really say much in her defence, seeing as she had always attempted to prevent Mariya from attacking anyone except when necessary.

As she emerged from the barrier, Mariya was immediately assaulted by the wall of sound created by all of her classmates and their parents as they gave teary goodbyes and students begged their parents to keep them at home so they didn't have to go to their exams. Making her way towards the Potter family, Mariya was surprised to see the broad grin which both James and Fleamont were wearing as they looked at her.

"What are you grinning at?" Mariya asked as she reached Euphemia's shoulder but was surprised as the older woman - who had apparently not noticed her presence - turned and pulled her into a tight hug. "Hello Mrs Potter."

"Euphemia, darling, Euphemia." The woman in question told her as she squeezed so hard that Mariya was sure she would end up with cracked ribs.

"She was just talking about you." Fleamont explained as Mariya shot him a quizzical look over his wife's shoulder. "She was beginning to worry that you weren't coming."

"Thanks Euphemia, I missed you too." Mariya assured her, embracing the other woman before pulling back. "James."

The aforementioned boy reached forward and pulled her into a hug that felt rather gentle after the one given by his mother. Euphemia's grin was practically audible but the teens were quickly distracted as they saw a flash of ginger off to their left and pulled back to see what was going on.

They were very surprised to see the normally reserved Lily Evans running after Jasper before jumping on to the boy's back in an impromptu piggy-back. Jasper stumbled a bit but quickly adjusted to the extra weight and everyone around them continued to watch in confusion for a moment before returning to their own conversations.

"What happened to her?" Mariya asked, having never seen the girl act so exuberantly in her life.

James grinned, "I don't think she knew about the weird tradition Jasper has of giving his best friends presents on his birthday. I think he was getting her some sort of first edition muggle book about a wizard and these strange small people with fluffy feet. He said it was called something like 'The Comradeship of the Bracelet'."

Mariya frowned in confusion for a moment before getting it, "You mean 'The Fellowship of the Ring' by J.R.R. Tolkien. How on Earth could you get 'The Comradeship of the Bracelet' from that?"

"Sounds about right." James shrugged, "I'll be honest, I lost interest once he said it was a book."

Mariya snorted before her face twisted to a faux offended look, "He didn't give me anything, and I thought we were friends." She clasped a hand over her heart in the sort of dramatic way she knew James and Sirius did all of the time.

"Just wait for it, he probably won't take long. I would bet proper money that he will have given you something by the time we reach the castle, if not the carriages."

"Speaking of money," Mariya remembered, "Are you really interning under my mother?"

James nodded, "Yeah, all summer. I will be going on one of the exchange trips in July which is why I was so enthusiastic about you signing up. Speaking of which, did you get it."