Faded Away ↠H. Potter Twin [Dean Thomas]

THIRTEEN: Spinner's Beginning

Twilight had faded away into the early hours of the night when Snape nudged her awake. Realising that her head was pressed against his shoulder, she quickly shot up straight. The previously crowded train was almost empty now. So, her face burning scarlet, Mary shuffled over to another seat. She fished out her handkerchief from the pocket of her frock, and rubbed the drool off the corner of her mouth.

"How far are we?" Mary asked to diffuse the awkwardness.

"Five more minutes," was the curt reply.

As if she weren't already mortified, her stomach decided that was the perfect time to growl loudly. She clutched her tummy and pushed it in to prevent it from growling again. The last time she had eaten was on the train with Hermione, which had been hours ago. She needed a quick fix if she wanted to save herself from further embarrassment. Luckily, she had some leftovers from the train.

Chewing the cauldron cake slowly, she gazed outside. The sky was clouded by thick pollution, obscuring the stars and dimming the moonlight. It was too dark to make out anything except the rough outline of trees, which were gradually thinning as they approached the industrial town.

She caught Snape watching her with a blank expression. It was so hard to know what went on in that head of his. Mary wasn't even sure she wanted to know. All the same, it would help if he showed some emotion, if only so she could know how to tread around him.

"Do you want one?" she asked, holding out a box of the cake. Puff, who was dozing comfortably on an empty seat, cracked open an eye. Seeing that it was only human food, she went back to sleep.

"That won't be necessary."

"Okay, whatever," she muttered, scooting next to Puff. She ran her hand along the cat's spine. "Hey, mate. You hungry? Your food's in my trunk, but I have a handful of treats if you're too hungry."

Puff purred softly without opening her eyes.

"You sure? I know you don't like chicken-flavoured treats, but they're all I have at the moment."

Puff purred again.

"Alright, then." Mary leaned in to give her a peck on the head. "Be a good girl until we reach the house, and maybe I'll let you nibble on some catnip."

The train screeched to a halt at a derelict station lit by fuzzy electric lamps. That was what her mother had returned to every time she came back home from Hogwarts.

Home. Strange word. Godric's Hollow was the only home Mary had known since she was born, but now she was expected to adopt a new home. House, she clarified. There was a great difference between a house and a home.

"Please, tell me we do not have to walk," Mary said, staring at the badly lit path ahead of them. Most of the streetlamps were fused, and the few that remained were struggling to do their job.

Now, Mary wasn't afraid of the dark per se. She had enough experience wandering out in the dead of night. However, said experience had been in a safe environment that she was completely comfortable in, a place she knew like the back of her hand. Traipsing through dark, unfamiliar streets did not feel very safe.

"Come along, Potter," Snape said, lighting his wand silently and heading straight into the darkness.

Mary laughed nervously and followed suit. She stuck close to him, glancing over her shoulder at the line of dead trees every so often to make sure that nothing was going to creep up on them. She resisted the temptation to cling to his arm for dear life. How did her mother survive in such a spooky place? Lily Evans must have been one tough sport.

"Why can't you magick a horseless carriage?" Mary whined. The wind was rustling through fallen leaves and invisible bushes – or someone – maybe something was following them. Puff hissed at the shadows from her open basket. Were werewolves real? She was sure she had heard some rumours about the Forbidden Forest being infested with werewolves.