Bedknobs and Broomsticks [HP fanfic; BNB Book 1]

Evening

"Where were you today?" muttered Kurt, glancing at Mariah as she stirred her Desensitivity Elixer counterclockwise. "You missed Transfiguration."

"Oh, uh..." Mariah hesitated. "I went to see Professor Dumbledore. Someone ransacked our dormitory last night."

"What?" Kurt leaned in. "Did they take anything?"

"Yeah... well, no." She shrugged. "Just a book I'd found."

"Was it an important book?" asked Kurt, frowning.

"No, just a spellbook," said Mariah. "Could I have a Shrivelfig?" She was not sure it would be a wise decision to tell Kurt about the meeting with Dumbledore. He had chosen them from his own judgement, and she wanted to live up to that. It irked her a little that James and Sirius had known, but not asked her. No doubt Lily, Remus and Peter were involved. Then again, Geoff had not been asked to join, either, and that made her feel a little better.

She looked around as Kurt handed her the ingredient, looking back across the classroom to where the Marauders sat. Peter was busy skinning his own Shrivelfig, wincing every time the knife nicked his fingers. Next to him was Remus, who had shown up around lunch looking tired, but happy. On Remus's other side, Sirius was chopping up a hollybush root with intense concentration.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Mariah turned back to him, smiling and taking the Shrivelfig. "Just a bit shaken, but it'll wear off."

"You sure?"

"Yessss, stop worrying," chided Mariah carelessly, quickly skinning the Shrivelfig and tossing it into her cauldron. She stirred it rapidly, pouring in a cup of murtlap essence and setting the stirrer aside.

"Wha... are you done?" asked Kurt, staring from her midnight blue-purple potion to his own murky green and frowning. Just then, as if summoned, Slughorn appeared before them, staring down his nose at the two cauldrons.

"Coming along nicely, are we? Let's have a looksee... oh, very nice, Miss Jaeger, very well done indeed. And Mr. Lovell..." Slughorn paused, his smile sinking into disapproval. "Er... might read the instructions around step three a bit more carefully." Kurt immediately looked down at his book, frowning. Mariah smiled and glanced back again. James and Lily were whispering to each other, and Lily caught Mariah's eye, giving her a thumbs up. On her other side, Sirius was still working on his potion without looking up.

"Miss Jaeger--"

"Oh, right." Mariah looked back around, spooning a sample of her potion into a bottle and handing it to Slughorn without another word.

Class ended and Mariah and Kurt left together, passing the Marauders on their left as they walked out of the classroom. Remus caught Mariah's eye and she nodded slowly, making a mental note to talk with him later. They walked out onto the grounds, and after a while, Mariah looked up.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Kurt grinned down at her.

"Well I thought that since we leave soon for the holidays, we should part on a more memorable note..."

He leaned his head over and nipped at her ear playfully. Mariah smiled, but something nagged at her heart even as Kurt's lips met hers in the shadow of the Forbidden Forest and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes and shook off the feeling, pressing herself closer to him in order to drive out the misgivings.

Kurt left her in the Entrance Hall closer to dinner, and Mariah made her way up to Gryffindor Tower alone. She found Remus waiting for her when she entered the common room. He immediately walked over to her as the portrait hole closed behind her and pulled her aside.