Faded Away ↠H. Potter Twin [Dean Thomas]

FOURTEEN: Stay With Me Always

Light flooded in and attacked Mary's eyelids through the thin, white curtains, which served so little purpose that they might as well have been absent. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and peered ahead to check the time on her dark green clock only to realise it wasn't there. Sighing, she stretched out her muscles, then proceeded to curl up again and reflect on her first day at Snape's. It wasn't that bad, was it? She actually –

Mary shot up straight, the previous night's events suddenly rushing into her head. Her eyes grew wide with shock. Did she actually...? Snape...? She slapped her forehead and, groaning, pulled up the bed covers to hide her face. How could she face him after that humiliating scene? She hadn't been in her right senses.

In the Campbell household, it wasn't uncommon for Mary and Mr Campbell to stay up late reading (Mrs Campbell always went to bed early because she liked to start her day by watching the sunrise). Between the two of them, Mary was usually the first to head to bed, and she always kissed Mr Campbell goodnight before she left. Her tired mind had probably failed to remember that she was not in Godric's Hollow, that this was not the Campbell house, that this was not her Da sitting with her.

"Meow," Puff said from the foot of the bed, which meant I already explained that to him last night.

"I'm sure you did," Mary said. "But I'm also sure he doesn't speak cat."

But you speak cat, Puff pointed out.

Mary threw away the covers and looked straight at her cat. "That's because I know you. I've had you since I was a baby. You're my best friend, Puff. So, basically, I speak Puff - not cat."

Puff rolled her eyes. Humans. So stupid.

Mary stuck her tongue out. "Cats. So entitled."

She got up and pulled back the curtains to see that the sun was barely up. Something had to be done about the curtains or they would invade her sleep every morning. Holidays were for sleeping in.

After brushing her teeth, Mary quickly slipped into some winter clothes: a hand-knit sweater and matching hat courtesy of her grandmother, Mr Campbell's mother; thick stockings under her favourite green skirt; her Gryffindor scarf and gloves. All that was left was her coat and trusty wellies, which she had taken off in the hallway.

"Puff, you coming?" she called, slinging her satchel across her shoulders.

Why is that even a question?

They paused at Snape's door, pricking their ears for a sound of movement, but Snape was fast asleep. Smirking, Mary slid down the bannister - the steps creaked, and the bannister was much more fun. She pulled the lever to unlock the sitting room and sneaked out of the house. She still had the Muggle money she had saved up at hand. She was a little reluctant to spend it, but she reminded herself that she could always convert a stack of Galleons into the pound sterling if necessary.

They turned left at the street and followed a sign that led to the marketplace where a few greengrocers and fish vendors were setting up their stalls. Mary asked one of them for the directions to a furniture shop. It was a couple of streets away, the woman said.

"Come on, Puff," Mary urged her cat. Puff was too busy eyeing the fish to hear her – or she was pretending that she couldn't hear. "I don't have money to spare."

You didn't give me catnip last night.

Mary sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry. I'll give you some as soon as we get back. Now, come on!" Mary smiled at the woman to prove that she was sane before quickly walking away.

The shop was called Felix's Furniture Furnace. A pretty cheesy name, but one should never judge a book by its cover or a shop by its name. As she pushed open the door, the shop bell chimed, announcing her arrival. An old man sat behind the counter while a young boy in school uniform emptied the till and stashed the money in a huge jar. He disappeared upstairs with it.