Autumn Leaves- marylily

A one-off

"Hey, what time is it?" Mary asked.

"Uhh, 6:44. You've got time." Dorcas responded.

Mary had told her friends about the new arrangement earlier that day, and now, with roughly 30 minutes until she has to leave for the library, she's sat with her friends, absolutely dreading it.

"I still can't believe Flitwick's forcing you to do this." Emmeline stated.

"It's gonna be hell Mary I hope you know that, she's a big headed bitch."

"Oh thanks Marls, very supportive of you!" Mary chirped sarcastically.

"No, seriously though, it was really unfair of him to do that." Emmeline added.

"I know. I mean it's not exactly a secret that we don't get on. And now I have to sit and listen to her for like an hour. It's the dictionary definition of unfair! Silly, silly man."

The girls started chuckling at this, Mary instead resorted to banging her head on the table.

"Really though, Mary. It'll be fine. She can't do more than piss you off." Dorcas had always been slightly more empathetic than the other two girls.

"I know 'Cas, but she always pisses me off as it is. It's ten times worse that it's at the end of the day. I'm usually in bed by now!"

"We know. You lazy arse!"

"Oh be quiet Marlene! You aren't any better than me!"

Marlene quietened down at that. The girls did love their sleep, there was no arguing that.

"Uh- Mary..." Marls started in a confused tone.

"Yeah?"

"Why is Avery staring at you like that?"

Mary turned her head towards the Slytherin table. Her best friend was right, the boy was staring her down with an unsettling intensity.

"Oh. I don't know." She rushed out quickly.

She stared back. He didn't look away. Mary watched as his knuckles turned white from his grip on his knife. Really, he did look quite stupid, but after yesterdays events. She was on his radar, and that was never a good thing.

Not only was he a rumored death eater, but so were all his friends. She had heard all sorts about that group. She'd like to believe they were just rumors. But they were particularly terrifying. She knew she couldn't be naïve about this. Rumors or not, they were a nasty bunch.

"Mary...?" Marlene always knew when she was lying. It was awfully irritating.

"Uhh- well i may have had small run in with him yesterday."

This caught the boys attention as well.

"You what Mars?" James asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Yeah he was pretty grim."

"What do you mean?" Sirius probed.

"Well he started on all this shit about how he'd 'give me a chance' it wasn't exactly pleasant." Mary rushed out.

"What a prick!" Remus responded.

Christ.

Right, keep them calm Mary.

Ha! Easier said than done.

She'd have better luck trying to calm a Hungarian Horntail.

"Did he do anything else. Are you okay?!"

Peter was by far the sweetest of the boys. Not that he could be considered weak, you'd be insane to get on his bad side. But his kindness towards his friends was unmatched. He was a marauder through and through.