Here We Go Again

Chapter 11: Mary

You are not like the regulars

The masquerade revelers

Drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten

Saturday, August 31st 1989

They had all sat there in utter silence until each one of their cups was emptied. No one dared look at each other, so they busied themselves with whatever they had: Remus played with his plate, Sirius with his glass and Mary with her nails. Thankfully, the music kept on playing, so they sat and listened to The Weird Sisters until the vinyl stopped turning.

"Let's clean this up, shall we?" Mary said, getting up, when the final song ended.

Everyone jumped up immediately. They gathered the plates and dishes and took them all back to the kitchen, where they got to washing them. No one wanted to use magic: not only was there the risk of getting caught by Mrs. Moore or one of the guests, but they also welcomed the labour as a distraction. They took their time until the entire room sparkled.

It was only when they were done that Mary checked the clock. At least an hour must have passed since Lily and Harry had disappeared upstairs, so perhaps they would have settled down. She notified Marlene and went to Harry's room.

Mary rested her head on the door before knocking. She could hear their voices, and thankfully they sounded amicable enough.

"Come in", Lily responded.

Mary opened the door to find the two of them running around an open trunk, tossing things inside it. The whole room was a mess — all of Harry's belongings were spread on the floor, not a single surface intact. She sighed in relief. Whatever had happened, they had made up.

"Can I ask what's going on?"

"Mum's trying to convince me to take Mr. Snuffles to Hogwarts", Harry said, rolling his eyes.

Lily hugged the old faded teddy bear. "He'll miss you!" she protested.

"It's a toy, mum."

"He has feelings!"

"No, it doesn't. Not unless it's been possessed by the soul of some dark, evil wizard."

"In which case", Mary intervened, "it's probably best not to take him along."

"Or, it's best not to upset him", Lily replied, kissing the plush's face. "Don't worry, Mr. Snuffles, I'll take care of you."

Harry ignored her, organising a pile of books instead. Lily smiled and came to Mary's side as they watched him.

"Everything okay?" Mary asked quietly.

Lily nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Do you need anything?"

Lily only shook her head slowly, still watching Harry. She smiled faintly. "No", she muttered. "I think all there's left is to finish packing and rest. It's been a long weekend and... tomorrow's a big day."

Mary put an arm around Lily and rested her head on her shoulder. "Okay."

"Thank the boys for coming, but..." Lily sighed. "I think it's time for them to go."

She squeezed her arm. "I'll tell them."

"Thank you, Mary."

"Of course. Love you, babe."

Lily chuckled. "I love you."

"Good night, Harry", Mary said before leaving. She met the rest of the group back outside, where they sat and listened to the sea in the distance. James and Marlene both stared at their shoes, though at least Sirius and Remus looked cosy enough in each other's arms.