There's a Secret, Can You Keep It...
Title: There's a Secret, Can you Keep it
Rating: PG 13
Word Count: 4,000
Warning: Suggestions of violence (mild), Original Characters
Author's notes: Starting 2016 with a brand new fic! Written for January's JMDC Challenge: Do you believe in magic?
Summary: “One day, you’re going to get a letter. It won’t be today and it won’t be tomorrow but I promise you, it’s coming."
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
“And lo and behold,” Mrs Smythe cried, pausing for effect as she turned the page. “It was just as Peter Pan said. Wendy’s feet lifted off the ground and then...then she was flying.”
She glanced up and smiled at Mary’s enraptured expression. “Wow,” the six year old murmured, eyes wide with wonder and enchantment. “And then what happened, Mommy?”
Mrs Smythe smiled and reached out to tuck a brown curl behind Mary’s ear. “I think that’s all for tonight, sweetheart,” she said. “You need to get up early for school tomorrow. We can’t be late again, can we?”
Her heart clenched painfully when Mary’s face fell. “I didn’t mean to wander off,” she mumbled. “I really did see a gnome, Mommy. I swear I did!”
Mrs Smythe sighed and pressed a slim hand to her forehead. Things had been...difficult since Michael had gone away. She was doing the best she could but this new habit was distressing. All the books and pamphlets reassured her that it was just a phase, that Mary would grow out of telling tall tales eventually. But if anything, her stories were only becoming wilder and more incomprehensible.
“Mary,” she said sternly, “we’ve talked about this, haven’t we?”
Mary ducked her head but she was still pouting defiantly. “I did see him,” she mumbled.
“Mm,” Mrs Smythe agreed, with a soft sigh, “just like the unicorn you saw trotting through the woods the other day? Or the...what was it again? The dog with three tails?”
“Two tails,” Mary corrected immediately. “The doggie had two tails. And then the lady with that weird stick thing picked him up and went through the wall!”
Oh dear.
Mrs Smythe took a deep, calming breath and sat down on the edge of Mary’s bed. “Sweetheart,” she said softly. “Do you miss Daddy? Is that why you’re making up stories?”
Mary just looked defiant and put upon. “I do miss Daddy, but you said he’d come home soon. Right, Mommy?”
Mrs Smythe nodded briskly, even though she knew better. It would be at least two years before Michael returned from his deployment in Afghanistan. She missed him every day. Even their brief phone calls were enough to bring her to tears, but she fought to keep her spirits up. Mary needed stability and normalcy in her life right now. With the new school and moving to a new house out in the country...no wonder the child was letting her imagination run wild!
“Mary,” Mrs Smythe said firmly, “Daddy will be back very soon. He loves you and misses you. So, can you please promise me that you’ll try?”
“Try what, Mommy?”
“To...fit in,” Mrs Smythe explained evasively. “To make friends and do well in school. Promise me it won’t be like last time? Remember when Mrs Johnson called me to preschool because you wouldn’t play with the other kids?”
“I was going to,” Mary explained patiently. “But I had to help the kitty first.”
“The kitty?” Mrs Smythe raised an eyebrow. This was the first she’d heard of a cat.
“Uh huh. It jumped out of the tree an’ then it turned into an ol’ lady and then it disappeared!”
Mrs Smythe swallowed down a lump of fear in her throat. She stilled the trembling of her shoulders and affected the sternest expression she could manage. “Mary, you know that’s not true.”
“But, Mommy...”
“Mary, that will do!”
Mary flinched at her tone and fell silent. A wave of guilt surged up inside Mrs Smythe. She sighed and gathered up her daughter. “It’s alright, sweetheart,” she whispered. “We’ll just have to try harder, that’s all. I’m sorry I yelled. Please just be a good girl for Mommy, hm?”
Mary nodded and scrubbed a hand over her eyes. She sniffled and Mrs Smythe duly pretended not to notice. Instead, she just pressed a kiss to Mary’s brown curls and rose to turn out the light.
“Good night, poppet,” she murmured.
“Night, Mommy,” Mary mumbled.
Mrs Smythe tucked her in, turned out the lights and left. All children tell tales, she told herself firmly. It’s just a phase.
Still, a small part of her wondered...
Mrs Smythe shook her head firmly.
She needed to stop reading that Peter Pan book. It was certainly doing Mary no favours.
Starting tomorrow, things would be different.
****
“Mary! Mary, come back here! Mary!”
Mary sobbed and ignored her mother’s panicked shouts as she ran. She was tired and her feet hurt but she just couldn’t go back! So she ran further and further into the woods.
A branch snagged her foot and she tripped. Mary screamed as she fell. She braced her fall with her hand and ended up grazing it. Suddenly, it was all too much. Mary curled up in a small ball and wailed.
Everything had gone wrong today. Just everything! She’s tried to do what Mommy said. She didn’t even talk to the little gnome today, even though he waved at her from the bushes. She’d kept her head down and did her sums like a good girl.
But then she saw the men. They were two of them and they were flying, high up in the sky. Just like Peter Pan! Well, maybe not just like him...they were on brooms and Peter Pan didn’t need brooms. But they were flying! They circled her school twice, like they were looking for something...and then they headed for the woods.
Her classmates didn’t believe her when she told them. They just laughed and made fun of her. Then Bobby Jones pulled her hair and called her a freak. Mary didn’t really know what happened next, really. One minute she was so angry she wanted to rip Bobby’s hair out and the next minute, he was bald and crying and yelling at her.
Mrs Green was so angry, even though Mary swore she didn’t have any scissors. She made her stand in a corner all day and then she called Mommy...and Mommy didn’t believe her either and...and it was so unfair!
So Mary ran and now she was in the woods and Mommy was looking for her and she couldn’t stop crying and...
There was a low growl from the bushes.
Mary stilled and raised her tear stained face. The full moon was out but there wasn’t much light out here.
“H-hello?” she called.
Silence.
Mary gulped and wrapped her arms around herself. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. Something was wrong here...she didn’t know how she knew, but she could feel it.
“Is someone there?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
It was so quiet now. Quiet and still...
She took a cautious step forward. The bushes rustled again. Mary froze as the leaves parted and...
...Mary screamed.
****
The wolf was so large. It towered over the small girl, snarling and showing off its sharp teeth. Its giant paws thumped against the ground and its tail swished menacingly as it growled at her, stalking her with a hungry gleam in its eyes.
Mary watched the creature in horror- too big for a wolf, too small for a bear- gnashing its jaws and growling at her. Its tongue rolled out of its mouth, its teeth were points of light in the dark night. Its amber eyes fixed on her with a malevolent glitter...
The wolf howled and Mary broke into a run. She ran as fast as she could, back to Mommy and out of the woods. It snarled in agitation and chased after her.
She could feel it loping behind her, catching up to her with every passing second. Mary’s heart hammered and her lungs strained as she ran. Her foot caught on a root and she fell again.
Mary screamed a shrill, piercing scream as she went tumbling down. Her eyes shut and she held her breath, preparing for the animal to tear her to pieces...
“Stupefy!”
The flash of light nearly blinded her. Mary shielded her eyes, but not before she saw the light hit the wolf straight in its chest. The wolf snarled and retreated, its fur singed and smoking. Its eyes darted frantically, searching for the new threat.
The men burst from the bushes. Mary gasped as the first one- the tall, blond one- raised a stick and said that funny word again.
The wolf howled in pain and lurched back, jaws snapping menacingly. It let loose a deafening howl. The man just raised his head and wielded the stick again.
“I have him!” he yelled. “Potter, I don’t need backup, you twit! Protect the civilian!”
Mary screamed again as strong arms picked her up. The man- the second man, not the first one fighting the wolf- clapped a hand to her mouth and ran with her. He banked a left and hid behind a tree. Mary shrieked and flailed until he put her down.
The next moment, she was looking into bright green eyes.
“Are you hurt, sweetheart?” the man asked.
Mary blinked. He didn’t...look like a grown up. Not like Daddy, at least. Daddy always looked so smart and neat in his uniform. This man had messy hair and his glasses were all crooked. But he did have a uniform...even if it looked a bit like a dress. And he had nice, kind eyes too.
“F-fine,” Mary managed shakily. She was still scared, but Daddy always said she had to be brave...
“Did it bite you?” the man demanded. He sounded scared for her and Mary decided that she did trust him, after all.
She shook her head. “I ran,” she explained. “Really fast.”
The man nodded grimly. “Always a good idea,” he commented.
“Stupefy!”
Another flash of light. Another howl of pain. The man cursed and shielded her as the light flew around them. Then he said a word- the kind that Mommy would have washed her mouth out with soap if she’d said it- and pulled out his own stick.
“Protego!” he shouted. Mary gasped as a golden circle grew around them, shimmering in the light. The man didn’t seem to care much for it. He turned to her again, and grasped her chin with gentle fingers. “Listen to me now,” he said firmly. “This is the Safety Circle. You do not step out of the circle. Not until I say it’s okay. Understand?”
Mary nodded and he gave her a quick smile.
“I have to go help Draco. You stay here, yeah? And remember...”
“Don’t leave the circle,” Mary finished.
“Good girl,” he said, and then he was gone, jumping back in the fray to help his friend. Mary crawled to the tree and peeked from behind it, heart still racing like she’d run a mile.
“Took you long enough!” the blond- Draco, probably - snapped. He fired at the wolf again. Red light flew from his stick with an angry hiss.
“I thought you didn’t need back up,” the other one replied. His tone was light but his eyes were centred on the threat. He shouted something and an electric blue light lit up the woods. The wolf howled in pain and staggered, its legs giving way.
“Finish it, Potter!” Draco yelled. “Disarm, Stun, Secure! Just like field practice!”
“I’m going in!” Potter shouted back. “Cover me!”
Mary tried to watch them but the light was flying all around now. She covered her ears as the howls grew louder and louder. There was a blinding flash of white light...
...and then there was silence.
Mary blinked as the circle vanished around her. Slowly, very carefully, she crawled out from behind the tree.
Draco was up now, brushing his robes off purposefully. He pocketed his stick. “You’re alright?” he asked his friend, pulling him up as well. “Any bites? Lacerations? Do I need to take you to St. Mungo’s?”
Mary’s eyes swivelled around the clearing. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed the wolf. It was slumped over on one side, a mountain of black fur. Its eyes were closed and it was completely still.
“Aww, Draco!” Potter commented, elbowing his friend teasingly. “You do care!”
“Shut up and give me the Portkey,” Draco grumbled, shoving at him. Mary giggled and clapped a hand to her mouth. She couldn’t help herself. It was funny when grown-ups acted like the little kids at the playground...
Potter tossed him a hairclip and Draco caught it. Then he strode over to the wolf and- Mary wouldn’t believe it if she hadn’t seen it herself- stuck the clip to the wolf’s ear. Draco waved his stick and spoke, loud and clear.
“Auror Malfoy reporting to HQ. Target acquired. No back up needed. Transfer to Holding Cell immediately. Request Wolfsbane from Hermione Granger at the Potions Research Facility. Potter and Malfoy will be back at HQ for debriefing in twenty minutes. Auror Malfoy, signing off.”
Mary watched in rapt fascination as the wolf shimmered and disappeared with a faint pop. Draco huffed and rolled his shoulders. Potter raised an eyebrow and picked up his stick, waving it around.
“I don’t need a Healing Charm,” Draco grumbled.
“Yeah, you’re a big, tough Auror, aren’t you?” Potter teased.
Draco rolled his eyes and mumbled something about overbearing, unhelpful gits. Then he froze. “Did you get the girl?” he asked suddenly.
They both turned around and Mary gulped. Draco raised an eyebrow and Potter smiled kindly. Mary decided that she liked Potter better- even if Draco had saved her life.
“Alright there, princess?” he asked softly.
Mary nodded shakily. Potter’s smile widened and he held out his arms. Mary gulped and flew towards him, letting him hold her. She didn’t protest when Potter picked her up and held her gently, murmuring comforting words. He was so strong and he was holding her so carefully. It reminded her of Daddy...
Mary’s throat prickled and she wrapped her arms around the man’s neck, sniffling into his shoulder.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Potter whispered, patting her back. “The werewolf’s gone. It won’t hurt you.”
“Sap,” Draco muttered.
“Shut up, Draco,” Potter replied easily. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. I promise. We took care of it. What’s your name?”
“M-mary Louise Smythe,” Mary mumbled.
Draco raised an eyebrow at that. “Smythe? Is she the Muggle-born Minerva’s been watching?”
Potter shrugged and hefted Mary with one arm. “Probably,” he agreed. “I’ll ask later. As you can see, I’m a little busy right now.”
Mary whimpered and hid in his shoulder. Draco huffed impatiently. “Fine,” he told Potter. “You stay here and play nanny, and I’ll go do something useful. Like find the child’s mother.”
“See if you can find out where she lives,” Potter called over his shoulder. “We need to ward their house before we leave.”
“We’re late for debriefing, Potter!”
“Then you better hurry up!”
Draco muttered under his breath and stomped off, leaving Mary in Potter’s arms. “Don’t mind Draco,” Potter said, still patting her back. “He likes to talk tough but he’s a real softy. He hates it when people get hurt, so it makes him cranky.”
Mary managed a little giggle. Then a thought struck her and she raised her head. “I saw you. Before. On the brooms. You flew over my school.”
Potter looked surprised, but then he offered a slow nod. “That’s how we get around,” he said finally.
“You can fly?”
Potter grinned. “It sounds a lot better than it really is,” he said, “but yeah, I can fly.”
Mary bit her lip. “I thought...I thought only Peter Pan could fly. And he’s just make believe.”
Potter cocked his head. “I can fly,” he told her. “Am I make believe?”
Just to be sure, Mary patted his face. He looked real. He seemed real. “I guess you’re real,” she mumbled, “but nobody would believe me if I told ‘em.”
“Why not?”
“Because nobody ever believes me!” Mary cried. “I told them about the gnome and the cat lady and the doggie with two tails and everything! They just tell me to...to stop making up stories but I’m not!”
“Oh. I get it,” Potter said softly. He sighed and put her down. Mary rubbed her tears away angrily. Potter clucked in sympathy and offered her a handkerchief.
“You know,” he said, “when I was your age, people used to pick on me too. They used to call me a freak and a liar. They said I was making up stories to get attention. But I wasn’t. See, it took me a while to realise that there were things- strange things- that only I could see. That’s why nobody believed me. They just couldn't see what I saw.”
Mary hiccupped fretfully. “So...so, I can see things other people can’t?” That made sense. It made so much sense. Potter nodded, and that confirmed her worst fears. “So, I’m a freak? Like you?”
Potter laughed. “There’s another word for people like us,” he admonished gently. “A much nicer one.”
Mary nodded, feeling ashamed of herself. Mommy always said it wasn’t nice to call people names.
“I know it's hard being different,” Potter went on, “but I promise you, it’s going to get so much better.”
“How do you know?” Mary asked.
Potter smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Do you believe in magic, Mary?”
Mary frowned and thought about it. Did she? Mommy always said she needed to stop making up tales, Mrs Green had punished her for accidentally shaving Bobby’s head and everyone else laughed at her or made fun of her. Even Daddy just chortled and said she had a ‘wild imagination’.
But she knew. She wasn’t making things up. She knew, she just knew, they were real. It was all real and she could feel it.
“I believe in magic,” she whispered.
Potter knelt beside her. His eyes were soft and kind and very serious. “One day,” he said softly, “you’re going to get a letter. It won’t be today and it won’t be tomorrow but I promise you, it’s coming. And when it does, everyone will know you were telling the truth. Everything will be okay, I promise.”
“Really?”
It sounded much too good to be true.
“Really,” Potter said. “But until then, this has to be our little secret. You need to be a good girl for your Mum and Dad. And no more running into the woods alone, okay?”
“But what if...what if something happens?” Mary asked anxiously. “What if the wolf or...or other bad things come back?”
Potter’s eyes flashed and for a moment, she thought he looked different. Grown up and...in charge. Like someone who could save the world. Just like Daddy.
“Well, Miss Smythe,” he said, with a sharp nod and a smart salute, “that’s why I’m here.”
And although she didn’t know why, Mary felt safer than she’d ever felt. On a whim, she gave the man another hug, wrapping her small arms around his middle. “I won’t tell anyone,” she mumbled into his stomach, “I’ll keep the secret. Until...until I get my letter.”
Potter grinned and ruffled her hair. “That’s how we do it,” he said. “Remember, mum’s the word, yeah?”
She nodded and gave him another squeeze. Somehow, she had a feeling it would all be okay now. She just had to be patient, that was all...
“Mary!”
Mary squeaked in surprise and let go of Potter as Mommy ran into the clearing, eyes wide and frightened. She took one look at Mary, and burst into tears. Before, Mary could blink, Mommy had scooped her up and was holding her like she never wanted to let go.
“Oh, my baby!” Mommy sobbed, squeezing her tight. “Are you hurt? What happened? Where...why...how did you...”
“She’s fine, Ma’am,” Potter said, stepping away respectfully. “We got here in time.”
Mommy blinked at him, as if noticing him for the first time. “Who...what happened?” she asked frantically. “Mary ran off and then I heard howling and I couldn’t find her and...”
“Wild dog.”
Mommy turned around as Draco strolled in. He was wearing a shirt and trousers now, Mary noticed. Or he looked like he was. If she looked really hard, she could still see his uniform but she didn’t think Mommy could. She stole a look at Potter and noticed that his clothes had changed too.
Magic, Mary thought and wrapped her arms tight around herself. It was such a thrill, having a secret of her very own. And such a wonderful secret too!
Potter winked at her and hastened to soothe Mommy.
“They’re common around these parts,” he explained, patting Mommy’s shoulder and pulling her up. “Fortunately, we’re with the...Forestry Department and we were conducting a...a survey when we heard Mary screaming. We got here in time and frightened it off. Nobody got hurt.”
“Except the dog,” Draco put in. He smirked and Potter gave him a stern look.
Mommy didn’t look like she cared too much about the details. She was still holding Mary close. “Thank you,” she whispered fervently. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done if...”
“It’s no trouble,” Draco replied. “We have it all under control. By the way, I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of inspecting your residence. The little house about half a kilometre from here?”
Mommy stiffened. “How did you know where we live?” she demanded.
“Government registration,” Draco explained. Mary was awestruck by how easily he lied. Mommy always knew when she was telling a fib. “The Forestry Department keeps a close watch on residences in these parts...in case of incidents like this.”
Mommy nodded slowly. “That’s understandable,” she conceded.
Draco shrugged, like it didn’t bother him if she believed him or not. “Anyway, I installed a...security system on your grounds. Inconspicuous really, you won’t even know it’s there. You shouldn’t have any more trouble with creatures in the woods.”
Mommy frowned and she looked like she was going to ask more questions. Potter and Draco exchanged a glance. Mary decided to rescue them. “Mommy,” she mumbled, tugging her mother’s sleeve insistently. “I’m tired. Can we go home now?”
Mommy turned to her and her eyes softened. “Of course,” she said, picking Mary up. “Let’s go home. Gentlemen, I can’t thank you enough. You...”
“We’re just doing our job, Ma’am,” Potter said. “You should get home now. Have a good night.” He paused and turned to Mary. “You too, little lady.”
Mary waved goodbye as Mommy marched off, still holding her tight. Potter watched them until they were out of sight.
But just before she lost sight of him, Mary saw him bring a finger to his lips and give her another wink.
She smiled and returned the gesture. Mommy didn’t notice.
Mary’s secret was safe.
****
“Did you Obliviate her?” Draco asked as they made their way to the nearest Apparition Point.
“No,” Harry replied with a shrug.
Draco cursed under his breath. “Why not?” he demanded. “What are we supposed to do when she starts spreading stories about monsters lurking in the woods?”
“Children make up stuff all the time,” Harry replied cheerfully. “Besides, she promised not to.”
“Oh, that’s alright then!” Draco snapped. “Did you even consider that Memory Modification might be the kinder thing to do? No six-year-old deserves nightmares about werewolves. This might traumatise her for life, Potter!”
Harry laughed and swung an easy arm around his shoulders. “She’s tougher than she looks, believe me. And look at you, all worried about a little girl! Auror Malfoy, I do believe you’re getting soft.”
“Sod off,” Draco grumbled, shoving him off again. “I’m requesting a transfer the second I get back to the DMLE.”
“You will not,” Harry chided. “We make a great team. We nabbed the werewolf, didn’t we? And we saved Mary.”
Draco scoffed. “I still say we should go back and Obliv...”
“No.”
Harry’s voice was sharper than before, and it made Draco start in surprise. “She needs to believe in magic,” Harry explained softly. “She needs that. It’s not hurting anyone, is it?”
Draco was silent for a moment. He looked like he was debating with himself, so Harry waited . Then finally, Draco huffed and stalked off again.
“...some nerve talking about me getting soft,” he muttered under his breath. “Pot cauldron black, that's what I say...”
Harry chuckled and followed his sullen partner to the Apparition Point.
Before he left, he raised his wand and cast a quick spell- checking the Protection Charms and Security Wards cast around a small cottage not too far away.
Everything was in order. His work here was done.
“Goodbye, little witch,” Harry whispered. “Until we meet again.”
And then, with another wave of his wand, he followed Draco back to the magical world.
Rating: PG 13
Word Count: 4,000
Warning: Suggestions of violence (mild), Original Characters
Author's notes: Starting 2016 with a brand new fic! Written for January's JMDC Challenge: Do you believe in magic?
Summary: “One day, you’re going to get a letter. It won’t be today and it won’t be tomorrow but I promise you, it’s coming."
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
“And lo and behold,” Mrs Smythe cried, pausing for effect as she turned the page. “It was just as Peter Pan said. Wendy’s feet lifted off the ground and then...then she was flying.”
She glanced up and smiled at Mary’s enraptured expression. “Wow,” the six year old murmured, eyes wide with wonder and enchantment. “And then what happened, Mommy?”
Mrs Smythe smiled and reached out to tuck a brown curl behind Mary’s ear. “I think that’s all for tonight, sweetheart,” she said. “You need to get up early for school tomorrow. We can’t be late again, can we?”
Her heart clenched painfully when Mary’s face fell. “I didn’t mean to wander off,” she mumbled. “I really did see a gnome, Mommy. I swear I did!”
Mrs Smythe sighed and pressed a slim hand to her forehead. Things had been...difficult since Michael had gone away. She was doing the best she could but this new habit was distressing. All the books and pamphlets reassured her that it was just a phase, that Mary would grow out of telling tall tales eventually. But if anything, her stories were only becoming wilder and more incomprehensible.
“Mary,” she said sternly, “we’ve talked about this, haven’t we?”
Mary ducked her head but she was still pouting defiantly. “I did see him,” she mumbled.
“Mm,” Mrs Smythe agreed, with a soft sigh, “just like the unicorn you saw trotting through the woods the other day? Or the...what was it again? The dog with three tails?”
“Two tails,” Mary corrected immediately. “The doggie had two tails. And then the lady with that weird stick thing picked him up and went through the wall!”
Oh dear.
Mrs Smythe took a deep, calming breath and sat down on the edge of Mary’s bed. “Sweetheart,” she said softly. “Do you miss Daddy? Is that why you’re making up stories?”
Mary just looked defiant and put upon. “I do miss Daddy, but you said he’d come home soon. Right, Mommy?”
Mrs Smythe nodded briskly, even though she knew better. It would be at least two years before Michael returned from his deployment in Afghanistan. She missed him every day. Even their brief phone calls were enough to bring her to tears, but she fought to keep her spirits up. Mary needed stability and normalcy in her life right now. With the new school and moving to a new house out in the country...no wonder the child was letting her imagination run wild!
“Mary,” Mrs Smythe said firmly, “Daddy will be back very soon. He loves you and misses you. So, can you please promise me that you’ll try?”
“Try what, Mommy?”
“To...fit in,” Mrs Smythe explained evasively. “To make friends and do well in school. Promise me it won’t be like last time? Remember when Mrs Johnson called me to preschool because you wouldn’t play with the other kids?”
“I was going to,” Mary explained patiently. “But I had to help the kitty first.”
“The kitty?” Mrs Smythe raised an eyebrow. This was the first she’d heard of a cat.
“Uh huh. It jumped out of the tree an’ then it turned into an ol’ lady and then it disappeared!”
Mrs Smythe swallowed down a lump of fear in her throat. She stilled the trembling of her shoulders and affected the sternest expression she could manage. “Mary, you know that’s not true.”
“But, Mommy...”
“Mary, that will do!”
Mary flinched at her tone and fell silent. A wave of guilt surged up inside Mrs Smythe. She sighed and gathered up her daughter. “It’s alright, sweetheart,” she whispered. “We’ll just have to try harder, that’s all. I’m sorry I yelled. Please just be a good girl for Mommy, hm?”
Mary nodded and scrubbed a hand over her eyes. She sniffled and Mrs Smythe duly pretended not to notice. Instead, she just pressed a kiss to Mary’s brown curls and rose to turn out the light.
“Good night, poppet,” she murmured.
“Night, Mommy,” Mary mumbled.
Mrs Smythe tucked her in, turned out the lights and left. All children tell tales, she told herself firmly. It’s just a phase.
Still, a small part of her wondered...
Mrs Smythe shook her head firmly.
She needed to stop reading that Peter Pan book. It was certainly doing Mary no favours.
Starting tomorrow, things would be different.
****
“Mary! Mary, come back here! Mary!”
Mary sobbed and ignored her mother’s panicked shouts as she ran. She was tired and her feet hurt but she just couldn’t go back! So she ran further and further into the woods.
A branch snagged her foot and she tripped. Mary screamed as she fell. She braced her fall with her hand and ended up grazing it. Suddenly, it was all too much. Mary curled up in a small ball and wailed.
Everything had gone wrong today. Just everything! She’s tried to do what Mommy said. She didn’t even talk to the little gnome today, even though he waved at her from the bushes. She’d kept her head down and did her sums like a good girl.
But then she saw the men. They were two of them and they were flying, high up in the sky. Just like Peter Pan! Well, maybe not just like him...they were on brooms and Peter Pan didn’t need brooms. But they were flying! They circled her school twice, like they were looking for something...and then they headed for the woods.
Her classmates didn’t believe her when she told them. They just laughed and made fun of her. Then Bobby Jones pulled her hair and called her a freak. Mary didn’t really know what happened next, really. One minute she was so angry she wanted to rip Bobby’s hair out and the next minute, he was bald and crying and yelling at her.
Mrs Green was so angry, even though Mary swore she didn’t have any scissors. She made her stand in a corner all day and then she called Mommy...and Mommy didn’t believe her either and...and it was so unfair!
So Mary ran and now she was in the woods and Mommy was looking for her and she couldn’t stop crying and...
There was a low growl from the bushes.
Mary stilled and raised her tear stained face. The full moon was out but there wasn’t much light out here.
“H-hello?” she called.
Silence.
Mary gulped and wrapped her arms around herself. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. Something was wrong here...she didn’t know how she knew, but she could feel it.
“Is someone there?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.
It was so quiet now. Quiet and still...
She took a cautious step forward. The bushes rustled again. Mary froze as the leaves parted and...
...Mary screamed.
****
The wolf was so large. It towered over the small girl, snarling and showing off its sharp teeth. Its giant paws thumped against the ground and its tail swished menacingly as it growled at her, stalking her with a hungry gleam in its eyes.
Mary watched the creature in horror- too big for a wolf, too small for a bear- gnashing its jaws and growling at her. Its tongue rolled out of its mouth, its teeth were points of light in the dark night. Its amber eyes fixed on her with a malevolent glitter...
The wolf howled and Mary broke into a run. She ran as fast as she could, back to Mommy and out of the woods. It snarled in agitation and chased after her.
She could feel it loping behind her, catching up to her with every passing second. Mary’s heart hammered and her lungs strained as she ran. Her foot caught on a root and she fell again.
Mary screamed a shrill, piercing scream as she went tumbling down. Her eyes shut and she held her breath, preparing for the animal to tear her to pieces...
“Stupefy!”
The flash of light nearly blinded her. Mary shielded her eyes, but not before she saw the light hit the wolf straight in its chest. The wolf snarled and retreated, its fur singed and smoking. Its eyes darted frantically, searching for the new threat.
The men burst from the bushes. Mary gasped as the first one- the tall, blond one- raised a stick and said that funny word again.
The wolf howled in pain and lurched back, jaws snapping menacingly. It let loose a deafening howl. The man just raised his head and wielded the stick again.
“I have him!” he yelled. “Potter, I don’t need backup, you twit! Protect the civilian!”
Mary screamed again as strong arms picked her up. The man- the second man, not the first one fighting the wolf- clapped a hand to her mouth and ran with her. He banked a left and hid behind a tree. Mary shrieked and flailed until he put her down.
The next moment, she was looking into bright green eyes.
“Are you hurt, sweetheart?” the man asked.
Mary blinked. He didn’t...look like a grown up. Not like Daddy, at least. Daddy always looked so smart and neat in his uniform. This man had messy hair and his glasses were all crooked. But he did have a uniform...even if it looked a bit like a dress. And he had nice, kind eyes too.
“F-fine,” Mary managed shakily. She was still scared, but Daddy always said she had to be brave...
“Did it bite you?” the man demanded. He sounded scared for her and Mary decided that she did trust him, after all.
She shook her head. “I ran,” she explained. “Really fast.”
The man nodded grimly. “Always a good idea,” he commented.
“Stupefy!”
Another flash of light. Another howl of pain. The man cursed and shielded her as the light flew around them. Then he said a word- the kind that Mommy would have washed her mouth out with soap if she’d said it- and pulled out his own stick.
“Protego!” he shouted. Mary gasped as a golden circle grew around them, shimmering in the light. The man didn’t seem to care much for it. He turned to her again, and grasped her chin with gentle fingers. “Listen to me now,” he said firmly. “This is the Safety Circle. You do not step out of the circle. Not until I say it’s okay. Understand?”
Mary nodded and he gave her a quick smile.
“I have to go help Draco. You stay here, yeah? And remember...”
“Don’t leave the circle,” Mary finished.
“Good girl,” he said, and then he was gone, jumping back in the fray to help his friend. Mary crawled to the tree and peeked from behind it, heart still racing like she’d run a mile.
“Took you long enough!” the blond- Draco, probably - snapped. He fired at the wolf again. Red light flew from his stick with an angry hiss.
“I thought you didn’t need back up,” the other one replied. His tone was light but his eyes were centred on the threat. He shouted something and an electric blue light lit up the woods. The wolf howled in pain and staggered, its legs giving way.
“Finish it, Potter!” Draco yelled. “Disarm, Stun, Secure! Just like field practice!”
“I’m going in!” Potter shouted back. “Cover me!”
Mary tried to watch them but the light was flying all around now. She covered her ears as the howls grew louder and louder. There was a blinding flash of white light...
...and then there was silence.
Mary blinked as the circle vanished around her. Slowly, very carefully, she crawled out from behind the tree.
Draco was up now, brushing his robes off purposefully. He pocketed his stick. “You’re alright?” he asked his friend, pulling him up as well. “Any bites? Lacerations? Do I need to take you to St. Mungo’s?”
Mary’s eyes swivelled around the clearing. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed the wolf. It was slumped over on one side, a mountain of black fur. Its eyes were closed and it was completely still.
“Aww, Draco!” Potter commented, elbowing his friend teasingly. “You do care!”
“Shut up and give me the Portkey,” Draco grumbled, shoving at him. Mary giggled and clapped a hand to her mouth. She couldn’t help herself. It was funny when grown-ups acted like the little kids at the playground...
Potter tossed him a hairclip and Draco caught it. Then he strode over to the wolf and- Mary wouldn’t believe it if she hadn’t seen it herself- stuck the clip to the wolf’s ear. Draco waved his stick and spoke, loud and clear.
“Auror Malfoy reporting to HQ. Target acquired. No back up needed. Transfer to Holding Cell immediately. Request Wolfsbane from Hermione Granger at the Potions Research Facility. Potter and Malfoy will be back at HQ for debriefing in twenty minutes. Auror Malfoy, signing off.”
Mary watched in rapt fascination as the wolf shimmered and disappeared with a faint pop. Draco huffed and rolled his shoulders. Potter raised an eyebrow and picked up his stick, waving it around.
“I don’t need a Healing Charm,” Draco grumbled.
“Yeah, you’re a big, tough Auror, aren’t you?” Potter teased.
Draco rolled his eyes and mumbled something about overbearing, unhelpful gits. Then he froze. “Did you get the girl?” he asked suddenly.
They both turned around and Mary gulped. Draco raised an eyebrow and Potter smiled kindly. Mary decided that she liked Potter better- even if Draco had saved her life.
“Alright there, princess?” he asked softly.
Mary nodded shakily. Potter’s smile widened and he held out his arms. Mary gulped and flew towards him, letting him hold her. She didn’t protest when Potter picked her up and held her gently, murmuring comforting words. He was so strong and he was holding her so carefully. It reminded her of Daddy...
Mary’s throat prickled and she wrapped her arms around the man’s neck, sniffling into his shoulder.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Potter whispered, patting her back. “The werewolf’s gone. It won’t hurt you.”
“Sap,” Draco muttered.
“Shut up, Draco,” Potter replied easily. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. I promise. We took care of it. What’s your name?”
“M-mary Louise Smythe,” Mary mumbled.
Draco raised an eyebrow at that. “Smythe? Is she the Muggle-born Minerva’s been watching?”
Potter shrugged and hefted Mary with one arm. “Probably,” he agreed. “I’ll ask later. As you can see, I’m a little busy right now.”
Mary whimpered and hid in his shoulder. Draco huffed impatiently. “Fine,” he told Potter. “You stay here and play nanny, and I’ll go do something useful. Like find the child’s mother.”
“See if you can find out where she lives,” Potter called over his shoulder. “We need to ward their house before we leave.”
“We’re late for debriefing, Potter!”
“Then you better hurry up!”
Draco muttered under his breath and stomped off, leaving Mary in Potter’s arms. “Don’t mind Draco,” Potter said, still patting her back. “He likes to talk tough but he’s a real softy. He hates it when people get hurt, so it makes him cranky.”
Mary managed a little giggle. Then a thought struck her and she raised her head. “I saw you. Before. On the brooms. You flew over my school.”
Potter looked surprised, but then he offered a slow nod. “That’s how we get around,” he said finally.
“You can fly?”
Potter grinned. “It sounds a lot better than it really is,” he said, “but yeah, I can fly.”
Mary bit her lip. “I thought...I thought only Peter Pan could fly. And he’s just make believe.”
Potter cocked his head. “I can fly,” he told her. “Am I make believe?”
Just to be sure, Mary patted his face. He looked real. He seemed real. “I guess you’re real,” she mumbled, “but nobody would believe me if I told ‘em.”
“Why not?”
“Because nobody ever believes me!” Mary cried. “I told them about the gnome and the cat lady and the doggie with two tails and everything! They just tell me to...to stop making up stories but I’m not!”
“Oh. I get it,” Potter said softly. He sighed and put her down. Mary rubbed her tears away angrily. Potter clucked in sympathy and offered her a handkerchief.
“You know,” he said, “when I was your age, people used to pick on me too. They used to call me a freak and a liar. They said I was making up stories to get attention. But I wasn’t. See, it took me a while to realise that there were things- strange things- that only I could see. That’s why nobody believed me. They just couldn't see what I saw.”
Mary hiccupped fretfully. “So...so, I can see things other people can’t?” That made sense. It made so much sense. Potter nodded, and that confirmed her worst fears. “So, I’m a freak? Like you?”
Potter laughed. “There’s another word for people like us,” he admonished gently. “A much nicer one.”
Mary nodded, feeling ashamed of herself. Mommy always said it wasn’t nice to call people names.
“I know it's hard being different,” Potter went on, “but I promise you, it’s going to get so much better.”
“How do you know?” Mary asked.
Potter smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Do you believe in magic, Mary?”
Mary frowned and thought about it. Did she? Mommy always said she needed to stop making up tales, Mrs Green had punished her for accidentally shaving Bobby’s head and everyone else laughed at her or made fun of her. Even Daddy just chortled and said she had a ‘wild imagination’.
But she knew. She wasn’t making things up. She knew, she just knew, they were real. It was all real and she could feel it.
“I believe in magic,” she whispered.
Potter knelt beside her. His eyes were soft and kind and very serious. “One day,” he said softly, “you’re going to get a letter. It won’t be today and it won’t be tomorrow but I promise you, it’s coming. And when it does, everyone will know you were telling the truth. Everything will be okay, I promise.”
“Really?”
It sounded much too good to be true.
“Really,” Potter said. “But until then, this has to be our little secret. You need to be a good girl for your Mum and Dad. And no more running into the woods alone, okay?”
“But what if...what if something happens?” Mary asked anxiously. “What if the wolf or...or other bad things come back?”
Potter’s eyes flashed and for a moment, she thought he looked different. Grown up and...in charge. Like someone who could save the world. Just like Daddy.
“Well, Miss Smythe,” he said, with a sharp nod and a smart salute, “that’s why I’m here.”
And although she didn’t know why, Mary felt safer than she’d ever felt. On a whim, she gave the man another hug, wrapping her small arms around his middle. “I won’t tell anyone,” she mumbled into his stomach, “I’ll keep the secret. Until...until I get my letter.”
Potter grinned and ruffled her hair. “That’s how we do it,” he said. “Remember, mum’s the word, yeah?”
She nodded and gave him another squeeze. Somehow, she had a feeling it would all be okay now. She just had to be patient, that was all...
“Mary!”
Mary squeaked in surprise and let go of Potter as Mommy ran into the clearing, eyes wide and frightened. She took one look at Mary, and burst into tears. Before, Mary could blink, Mommy had scooped her up and was holding her like she never wanted to let go.
“Oh, my baby!” Mommy sobbed, squeezing her tight. “Are you hurt? What happened? Where...why...how did you...”
“She’s fine, Ma’am,” Potter said, stepping away respectfully. “We got here in time.”
Mommy blinked at him, as if noticing him for the first time. “Who...what happened?” she asked frantically. “Mary ran off and then I heard howling and I couldn’t find her and...”
“Wild dog.”
Mommy turned around as Draco strolled in. He was wearing a shirt and trousers now, Mary noticed. Or he looked like he was. If she looked really hard, she could still see his uniform but she didn’t think Mommy could. She stole a look at Potter and noticed that his clothes had changed too.
Magic, Mary thought and wrapped her arms tight around herself. It was such a thrill, having a secret of her very own. And such a wonderful secret too!
Potter winked at her and hastened to soothe Mommy.
“They’re common around these parts,” he explained, patting Mommy’s shoulder and pulling her up. “Fortunately, we’re with the...Forestry Department and we were conducting a...a survey when we heard Mary screaming. We got here in time and frightened it off. Nobody got hurt.”
“Except the dog,” Draco put in. He smirked and Potter gave him a stern look.
Mommy didn’t look like she cared too much about the details. She was still holding Mary close. “Thank you,” she whispered fervently. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would have done if...”
“It’s no trouble,” Draco replied. “We have it all under control. By the way, I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of inspecting your residence. The little house about half a kilometre from here?”
Mommy stiffened. “How did you know where we live?” she demanded.
“Government registration,” Draco explained. Mary was awestruck by how easily he lied. Mommy always knew when she was telling a fib. “The Forestry Department keeps a close watch on residences in these parts...in case of incidents like this.”
Mommy nodded slowly. “That’s understandable,” she conceded.
Draco shrugged, like it didn’t bother him if she believed him or not. “Anyway, I installed a...security system on your grounds. Inconspicuous really, you won’t even know it’s there. You shouldn’t have any more trouble with creatures in the woods.”
Mommy frowned and she looked like she was going to ask more questions. Potter and Draco exchanged a glance. Mary decided to rescue them. “Mommy,” she mumbled, tugging her mother’s sleeve insistently. “I’m tired. Can we go home now?”
Mommy turned to her and her eyes softened. “Of course,” she said, picking Mary up. “Let’s go home. Gentlemen, I can’t thank you enough. You...”
“We’re just doing our job, Ma’am,” Potter said. “You should get home now. Have a good night.” He paused and turned to Mary. “You too, little lady.”
Mary waved goodbye as Mommy marched off, still holding her tight. Potter watched them until they were out of sight.
But just before she lost sight of him, Mary saw him bring a finger to his lips and give her another wink.
She smiled and returned the gesture. Mommy didn’t notice.
Mary’s secret was safe.
****
“Did you Obliviate her?” Draco asked as they made their way to the nearest Apparition Point.
“No,” Harry replied with a shrug.
Draco cursed under his breath. “Why not?” he demanded. “What are we supposed to do when she starts spreading stories about monsters lurking in the woods?”
“Children make up stuff all the time,” Harry replied cheerfully. “Besides, she promised not to.”
“Oh, that’s alright then!” Draco snapped. “Did you even consider that Memory Modification might be the kinder thing to do? No six-year-old deserves nightmares about werewolves. This might traumatise her for life, Potter!”
Harry laughed and swung an easy arm around his shoulders. “She’s tougher than she looks, believe me. And look at you, all worried about a little girl! Auror Malfoy, I do believe you’re getting soft.”
“Sod off,” Draco grumbled, shoving him off again. “I’m requesting a transfer the second I get back to the DMLE.”
“You will not,” Harry chided. “We make a great team. We nabbed the werewolf, didn’t we? And we saved Mary.”
Draco scoffed. “I still say we should go back and Obliv...”
“No.”
Harry’s voice was sharper than before, and it made Draco start in surprise. “She needs to believe in magic,” Harry explained softly. “She needs that. It’s not hurting anyone, is it?”
Draco was silent for a moment. He looked like he was debating with himself, so Harry waited . Then finally, Draco huffed and stalked off again.
“...some nerve talking about me getting soft,” he muttered under his breath. “Pot cauldron black, that's what I say...”
Harry chuckled and followed his sullen partner to the Apparition Point.
Before he left, he raised his wand and cast a quick spell- checking the Protection Charms and Security Wards cast around a small cottage not too far away.
Everything was in order. His work here was done.
“Goodbye, little witch,” Harry whispered. “Until we meet again.”
And then, with another wave of his wand, he followed Draco back to the magical world.