𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲.

bio

                    they’d   been   keeping   away   from   the   crowds   as   best   they   could   even   if   that   put   them   closer   to   danger   ,      mary   just   had   a   feeling   she’d   be   more   like   to   find   malcolm   out   here   than   inside   .      and   a   hint   of   one   too   that   maybe   ted   would   assume   they’d   be   sticking   to   the   outside   and   might   come   look   for   them   here   ,   now   that   mary   was   back   on   their   feet   that   was   their   very   first   concern   .      finding   those   she’d   come   here   with   .      selfish   in   her   focus   and   in   her   worries   ,   mary   was   stalking   the   base   of   the   stands   ,      skirting   round   the   grass   ,      wand   lit   and   brandished   .         ❝      where’s   the   bloody   polis   ?      or   aurors   or   whatever   shite      ❞

                    ❝      naw   ,      am   only   seein’   one   a   you   .      but   mebbe   to   the   second   ?      ‘s   a   bit   messy   .      one   sec   fine   ,      the   next   on   the   flair      ❞         and   the   entire   time   they   spoke   mary   continued   trying   to   get   themself   into   a   sitting   position   .      they   weren’t   going   to   be   weak   again   ,      weren’t   going   to   lie   sprawled   on   the   floor   again   .         ❝      dinnae   try   and   blind   me   ,      awright   ?      ❞

                    malcolm   had   sent   them   off   for   something   ,      in   that   moment   mary   couldn’t   exactly   mind   what   but   they’d   been   halfway   down   the   stands   to   the   concessions   before   it   all   became   a   blur   .   had   they   tripped   ?   been   thrown   by   something   ?      that   also   wasn’t   clear   but   mary   was   no   stranger   to   injuries   she   couldn’t   quite   place   the   how   of   .      still   struggling   to   pick   themself   off   the   floor   when   someone   came   across   them   .         ❝      aye   ,      a   think   am   are      ❞         she   obviously   wasn’t   .         ❝      heids   fuckin   loupin’   but      ❞

                    it   took   the   slightest   of   laughs   from   isaiah   to   set   mary   off   into   fits   of   giggles   now   too   ;      poor   malcolm   ,   unable   to   defend   himself   at   all   .         ❝      naw   a   don’t   think   so   ?   like   the   laws   come   ‘fore   school   like   ,      an’   am   auld   ‘nuff   now   for   that      ❞         mary   was   pretty   sure   in   what   she’d   just   said   ,      a   little   sure   ,      rather   sure   …         maybe   about   sixty   percent   sure   ?      but   on   a   crowded   platform   full   of   wix   that   worry   mattered   nothing   ,   tapping   izzy’s   luggage   and   then   their   own   and   muttering   the   incantation   each   time   .         ❝      izzy   if   am   bein’   honest   ?      a   think   malcolm’s   spoke   to   some   bird   of   his   that   works   in   the   improper   use   of   magic   office   and   got   her   to   lift   the   watch   on   oor   place   three   year   back      ❞

              ❝      aye   well   mebbe   no   riddles   then   but   yer   beatin’   around   the   bush   summat   awful   :      have   you   dragon   eggs   or   no   ?      cause   a   can   tell   one   thing   and   that’s   ye’ve   no   gien   me   an   actual   riddle   yet   ❞

                    ❝      aye   ,      but   only   if   is   cause   a   the   hair   or   if   yer   thinkin   about   the   mad   wee   gryffindor   lion   in   terms   a   like   the   lion   rampant   .      ye   can   stick   yer   three   lions   up   yer   arse      ❞         entirely   sure   ned   wouldn’t   have   a   clue   what   she   was   on   about   …      unless   the   three   lions   had   been   kept   for   quidditch   too   ?      but   mary   was   entirely   too   new   to   the   sport   to   know   that   ,   they’d   need   to   ask   james   sometime   .         ❝      can   ye   no   just   buy   one   ?      am   sure   you   can   pass   as   muggle   enough   to   walk   in   someplace   and   leave   wi   a   bike   ,      an’   like   if   ye   need   a   haund   in   all   that   am   sure   you’ve   folk   that’ll   help   ❞     hell   mary   themselves   didn’t   even   have   that   much   on   this   week   and   this   all   seemed   much   more   entertaining   than   thinking   about   school   .

                    ❝      i   get   plausible   deniability   an   aw   that   like   ,   but   am   no   a   grass      .      riddles   are   just   gonn   gie   me   a   headache      ❞

                 ❝      oh   near   the   top   of   the   scale   on   the   danger   side   but   since   when   should   a   wee   thing   like   that   stop   someone   ?      ‘sides   ,      if   ye   look   good   doin’   it   the   danger   don’t   matter      ❞         mary   says   with   a   shrug   ,      eyes   falling   to   the   magazine   on   the   table   .         ❝      should   get   a   red   one   ,   seems   yer   colour      ❞

                    ❝      aye   !   a   knaw   like   !      yous   lot   are   aw   so   laissez   faire   about   so   much   health   an’   safety   shite   a   dinnae   think   yous   would   buy   into   licensing   laws      ❞

                    ❝      if   you   like   popped   it   down   to   england   ?      like   pushin’   or   shovin’   it   doon   or   summat   ?      ❞         and   then   it   was   marys   turn   to   be   utterly   bewildered   ,      how   the   tables   had   turned   .         ❝      oh   yer   playin’   cheeky   now   ,   are   ye   ?      an   that’s   german   am   guessin   ?      ❞

                    ❝      we’re   making   a   right   wee   funny   pair   then   ,      ain’t   we   ?      dragged   here   by   bloody   weans   so   we   are   ,      but   aye   s’good   to   see   friendly   faces      ❞      made   the   entire   room   full   of   a   crowd   feel   a   lot   less   lonely   to   spy   someone   she   knew   in   it   all   ,      and   the   addition   of   alcohol   made   them   pick   up   all   the   more   .         ❝   bringing   yer   own   stash   was   smart   ,   they’ve   all   sorts   in   the   water   down   here   ,      who   knows   what’s   in   the   booze      ❞         grinning   as   she   took   the   flask   from   peter   .

                    ❝      oh   aye   ,      twenty   three   is   much   tae   auld   to   be   going   about   in   public   ,      let   alone   be   at   a   party   .      and   is   that   a   wrinkle   am   seein’   ?      hana   hen   ,      yer   showin’   yer   age      ❞         reaching   out   into   the   gap   between   then   just   enough   for   a   few   playful   nudges   with   their   gentle   ribbing   .         accepting   the   bottle   and   taking   a   deep   drink   ,      wiping   their   mouth   with   the   back   of   their   hand   before   passing   it   back   .         ❝   am   holdin’   ma   tongue   the   night   ,      for   izzy’s   sake   but   christ   its   hard   ❞

                       mary   couldn’t   help   but   roll   her   eyes   at   how   cel   latched   onto   the   most   minor   of   her   complaints   ,      the   last   words   they’d   spoken   .      what   she’d   called   semantics   but   that   mary   would   call   symptomatic   of   much   wider   issues   .         ❝      aye   ,      ye   don’t   have   ta   tell   me   twice   .      a   fuckin’   listed   the   bigger   issues   but   a   can   go   bigger   if   ye   like   ?      but   just   cause   those   exist   disnae   mean   a   can’t   raise   shit   over   the   wee   issues   ❞

                    their   friendship   with   jamie   was   a   newfound   one   but   just   like   the   sudden   camaraderie   that   came   from   hearing   another   scot   in   a   crowd   and   immediately   calling   them   your   mate      (   much   like   how   the   two   had   met   )   it   was   already   proving   to   be   a   close   one   .      he   was   already   becoming   someone   who’s   judgement   they   trusted   .         ❝      am   no   too   sure   ,      no   sure   whit   a’ll   do   if   a   do   get   them   mind   .      my   whole   life’s   just   one   question   mark   after   another      ❞

                    ❝      yer   sources   need   to   fuckin   wheesht   then   ,      am   no   a   bloody   story      ❞         they’d   got   enough   of   this   at   school   ,      the   looks   and   the   chatter   and   not   being   anything   more   than   what   happened   to   them   .         ❝      aye   ,      well   .      am   no   a   twat   but   ,      no   gonna   catch   me   whingin      ❞