*7th Year*
Mariya woke up on Monday the 31st of October with a smile on her face. Sure, she had to go to school that day but the evening would come soon enough and then she would have hours to relax and forget about school, and the war, and all the worries that seem prevalent in the life of a teenage girl. She jumped out of bed with more enthusiasm than usual and showered quickly, brushing through her hair and drying with magic before pulling it back into a plait. Mariya carefully pushed hanging earrings through her piercings and pulled on her school uniform, wearing comfortable black boots.
She brushed her fingers over the material of her dress, which was hanging on her wardrobe, as she walked towards the door - only a couple of hours to go. Mariya fell into a seat at the Slytherin table and piled her plate high with toast and croissants, not many people were already at breakfast and so no-one bothered her as she ate her food and glanced over her timetable for the day. Picking her satchel up off the floor, she slung it over her shoulder and strode out of the door with a sense of purpose - she had spent weeks preparing for this day and now it was actually here she could sit back and enjoy the festivities.
None of her classes were particularly stimulating and, by the end of the day, Mariya could see every other student just itching to leave. James and Sirius had already given up and were writing notes to each other on a spare piece of parchment. Mariya grinned, looking up to check that Professor McGonagall wasn't paying attention, before focusing all of her energy on vanishing the piece of parchment, before studiously looking back at the blackboard and taking notes as the boys looked around in amazement. James had stopped paying proper attention to his quill, so it was now dripping black ink on to the wooden desk. This was the first thing Professor McGonagall noticed when she turned around.
"Mr Potter!" She exclaimed and the boy in question, along with his accomplice, jumped, "What in the wide world are you doing?"
"Ehhh... Well..." He stuttered, seemingly trying to come up with an explanation for his strange actions.
McGonagall sighed, "I don't actually want a reason, Mr Potter. I have no doubt it was against the school rules and so I would really rather not know. Just clean it up."
James cast a confused scowl around the classroom as he directed his wand towards the ink. Mariya smiled inwardly - he had no idea who had done it and she was hardly going to tell him it had been her.
Turning her bright blue eyes back to the front, Mariya began to actually take notes. After all, this was a NEWT class and she could hardly afford to not pay attention.
She didn't see Remus cast her an amused look, having seen that she was the culprit of James's misfortune. He didn't say anything to the other Marauders but he enjoyed the smug look that flashed across her face for a moment as she went back to the lesson - that girl really was something else.
After all of her classes were finished, Mariya headed outside for a quick sit by the lake before she had to get ready. The air was cool as she scaled the beech tree she had sat in before the incident in her fifth year, and collapsed back against the trunk of the tree. She could see the giant squid lounging in the depths of the water and could hear the ghostly echo of the merpeople.
After a few minutes she could see the lake rippling slightly, and was confused for a moment before she realised that it had started to rain. Promptly dropping from her tree, she began to sprint back towards the castle, thankful for the years of quidditch training which had built up her leg muscles. Despite her haste, by the time she had reached the castle doors, her hair was plastered to her head and her school uniform had begun to adhere to her skin. She pushed open the heavy doors and tried to wipe the water off her face as she shut them behind her. This was a less than successful venture as her hands and sleeves were just as soaked and she really only managed to spread the liquid further. She was about to pull out her wand to dry herself off but stopped as she felt the water disappear from her skin. Confused for a moment, she glanced up before her face twisted into a half-smile half-frown as she spotted Regulus standing behind one of the marble pillars, pointing his wand at her. Though grateful for his help, she was worried about what would happen to him if anyone had seen him helping a blood traitor. She sent a slight nod in his direction before beginning to descend the steps, knowing that that was all the acknowledgement she could afford to give him.
Closing herself in her bedroom, she sunk to the floor, her head in her hands. Mariya looked up when a flash of blue light entered her peripheral vision, it was a slim glowing fox.
"I will be wearing navy dress robes with a gold mask, I hope to see you tonight." Mariya was unsurprised to hear the fox speak with Regulus voice, having received similar messages from him before when he was unable to make it to one of their meetings or had something amusing to tell her.
Filing away the information, Mariya stood and cast another drying spell on her hair to make sure there were no traces of water before picking up her brush and a couple of hair-grips. It was time to get ready and she couldn't afford to worry about Regulus if she wanted to look her best.
When Mariya looked in the mirror half an hour later she was surprised by how old she looked, she may have experienced seven years schooling at Hogwarts but it had never seemed so real to her as it did in that moment. She glanced down at the gold masquerade in her hands, it was the final piece of her outfit for the evening and would be held to her face by magic alone. Her hair was pulled back into a beautiful braided which left a few strands hanging around her face, though Mariya was sure she would be regretting that in an hour or two when she had tucked them behind her ears for the hundredth time. The she had spent forever looking for just a few days prior was brushing the floor slightly at the back though the front only fell to her knees. It had a sweetheart neckline and short lace sleeves that put the red of the dress in stark contrast with her pale skin. Her were painted the same shade of red as the dress as gold glitter crept diagonally along one side. Her feet were slipped into gold Latin ballroom that didn't have high enough heels to make her feet hurt but helped keep her dress from trailing on the floor. They had been a gift from her mother for her birthday the previous year, and were charmed to be comfortable even when worn for hours on end.
Gently placing the mask she held in her hands onto her face, Mariya took one last look at the view of her in the mirror before turning to walk out of the room. As she entered the Common Room, Mariya was surprised to see how many people were still there - they stood in clusters and were clearly waiting for their dates to appear from the dorms. Most people were holding their masks as they waited, clearly trying to make sure they knew who everyone else was before they lost their identities for the evening. Glancing around quickly, Mariya didn't see Regulus anywhere and presumed that he was already at the dance. Knowing that she too should be there, she ducked out of the door and turners around to watch as it faded back into the stone wall only seconds after her departure. Unlike the other houses, the Slytherins had no desire for anyone to know where their Common Room was and first years often struggled for the first few months before they properly remembered where the hidden door was located. After all, the dark corridors in the dungeons often looked the same and one really had to remember where the portraits were placed, though even that was easier said than done as the inhabitants had a nasty habit of moving around just to confuse people.
Wending her way through the gloomy corridors, Mariya made her way up to the entrance hall. Her dress swished behind her as she walked and a smile fell naturally onto her lips - she hoped it would be as good an evening as she had intended, especially after all her hard work. As she reached the doors leading into the hall that was being used for the dance, she paused to make sure her mask was staying on her face and that her shoes were strapped up correctly. Having done this she walked around the corner and began to descend the steps into the hall, being careful not to step on her dress as she did so.
The Marauders had arrived for the ball in good time and had collected drinks from a table off to the side. None of them had come with dates, deciding that they should enjoy what was to be one of their last school parties together as friends. Remus and Sirius were both wearing blue robes though - whilst Remus had favoured a sensible shade of midnight blue - Sirius had gone with a strange shade of turquoise which clashed horribly with his grey eyes. James knew that he had done so to annoy the Slytherins, who would almost certainly be complaining about how he was bringing further shame on the House of Black. Peter had decided to wear yellow, this had been a mistake as the bright shade made his blonde hair look washed out and his skin appeared even paler than normal. On top of this, his black mask and black shoes made him appear rather like a bumblebee when he was viewed from a distance.
James was wearing a silver and black which did not really do much to hide his identity as his dark hair was as wild as ever. He was just draining his glass of butterbeer when he noticed Remus and Sirius both looking at something over his shoulder.
"What are you looking-" He trailed off as he turned to see her walking down the stairs and moving in their direction. Mariya Seratova was dressed in Gryffindor colours and her black hair was pinned behind her head elegantly. Her dress swooped behind her, trailing across the steps as she walked and her blue eyes sparkled behind her lacy gold mask.
Her face broke into a smile as she reached them, "Good Evening, boys."
"Доброго вечора, Маша." Remus greeting, seeing that the other boys were still recovering from their shocked states.
They stood in silence for a few awkward moments before Mariya spoke again, "May I suggest that we move over to the drinks table and forget about how uncomfortable this is."
James and Sirius nodded mutely, Peter gave a squeak of agreement, and Remus began to walk towards the table, not able to understand how strangely his friends were acting.
Mariya felt much better once she had a glass of Butterbeer in hand. Sirius had quickly gotten over his initial state at her appearance and was now flirting with a girl dressed in emerald tones. Peter had scurried off to somewhere or other and Remus was trying to stop James downing more than one glass of firewhisky. The beverage had been charmed so that only students who were of age could drink it, therefore clearing the teachers of any responsibility for underage drinking.
Once most people had entered the hall, Professor McGonagall raised her hands into the air and the students crowded against the walls as one hundred or so tables appeared around the room. The three sat down at one and were quickly joined by Sirius and Peter, who gave an unintelligible explanation as to his whereabouts. Mariya ordered a paella and quickly speared a piece of chicken whilst Remus ate sushi and James and Sirius argued over whether it was acceptable to eat pizza with pineapple, which had been James's choice.
"Oh give it up would you. Neither of you are going to yield to the others point of view so there is no point getting het up over it." James smiled and victoriously took another bite of the pizza whilst Sirius sulked, if nothing else allowing Mariya to finish her meal in peace.
When everyone was done, McGonagall vanished the tables once more and a band began to play music. Everyone partnered up and began to dance, Mariya took Remus's hand and they began a waltz around the room, chatting as they did so.
Mariya changed partners more times than she could count over the next hour but eventually the hand that grasped hers belonged to a boy with deep blue dress robes and a glittering gold mask similar to her own. His grey eyes and straight black hair gave him away as Regulus Black and they grinned at each other, glad to be together in public even if no-one knew who they were.
"I've missed you, hermano." Mariya smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners and her voice soft.
"It has been too long." He replied, "Am I to take it that you have received all of my letters?"
"Yes!" Mariya laughed, "They are about the only thing that has been keeping me sane this year."
"Along with the Marauders." Though Regulus's words were casual, Mariya could see the smirk that was beginning to edge its way onto his face and the slight hint of laugher that coated his voice.
"I don't know what you're trying to imply Regulus but I feel I would not like it."
Regulus gave a proper laugh at that, "Nothing at all, my dear Mariya. Simply that you seem to be getting awfully close with them, especially Potter."
"You're one to talk. I have seen the way you look at that Ravenclaw girl, Elara I believe it is." A light blush painted Regulus's pale cheeks and Mariya grinned, "I like her, she's good for you and your parents could hardly object seeing as she comes from a perfectly respectable Pureblood family."
Regulus shrugged slightly, "I don't want her to get hurt," His voice hardened slightly and his tone was bitter, "And that is all that could come from her liking me."
Mariya's smile fell at the reminder of the war, "You are the sweetest person she could ask for, Regulus. Believe me, she would give everything up for you." At his doubtful look she added, "She has been watching us the whole time we have been dancing. Trust me, she is jealous and there is no better time for you to enjoy a moment with her. She is standing at the side of the room wearing dark green and silver, Slytherin colours. Go get her and - however it goes - you are welcome to come back to me later."
Regulus dropped her hands and turned to see the girl she had been describing - her light brown hair was cascading in loose waves around her shoulders and her bright green eyes were fixated on the Black boy as he crossed the room to her. Mariya grinned as she took his hand and the two walked back onto the dance floor, Regulus giving her a happy smile over her shoulder. He deserved so much better than he got, his parents had no idea what they were blessed with and they almost certainly never would. He had no business being part of the war, especially at his age.
Mariya was pulled out of her darkening thoughts by a tap on the shoulder, she turned to see James Potter offering her his hand and took it as he guided her back into the middle of the room. Just like when they had been ice-skating, they seemed to read each others minds as they moved, following no certain set of steps but always able to react to each other's movements.
Mariya looked at his robes and grinned, "Clearly we had the same idea with our colour choices."
James smiled, "Well, I thought you might be hoping this would happen when you told everyone they couldn't wear their own house colours. Besides, green does wonders for my eyes."
He tossed his head theatrically in a way Mariya had seen Sirius do when he got dramatic, before breaking into genuine laughter that Mariya couldn't help but join.
"You are absolutely ridiculous, James Potter."
"It is one of my greatest character traits, I'm told."
Mariya snorted slightly, "I don't know who by."
In response to that, James clutched his chest a bit over-zealously. Which - of course - only made Mariya laugh harder. Resting her head against his chest lightly - being unable to reach his shoulder - Mariya tried to compose herself as they continued to dance.
Finally managing to regain her composure, Mariya asked, "Do you know how to tango?"
She was surprised when James nodded his head enthusiastically, "I think it is time to surprise everyone here."
"So long as you promise not to stand on my dress because, if you do, I will have no qualms about strangling you."
James nodded his head before breaking into a grin, "I solemnly swear." He said, clearly not expecting her to get the reference. Knowing that he thought she was unaware of the map, Mariya gave a slightly baffled frown before gesturing for them to move further towards the centre of the room.
From that moment onwards, people stopped to stare at the duo as they moved. They ducked and twirled, moving in perfect synchronisation despite not having choreographed any series of movements before that moment, and their legs becoming blurred with the speed they were moving at. The band changed to a significantly faster song and people began to clap for the couple, not really knowing who they were but enjoying the display nonetheless.
Feeling that the song was about to come to an end, Mariya nodded once at James - who was clearly thinking the same thing - and grabbed each of his hands in hers, crossing her arms slightly as she bent her led as he lowered her into a deep dip, letting her hang there for a moment before pulling her to her feet again and bowing for the crowd of students who were watching them.
"You had a good teacher." Mariya said to James, slightly breathless from the up tempo dance.
He grinned back at her, "You too, that was incredible."
"Well, my mother started teaching me as soon as I could walk." They went back to a slow waltz, and continued to move around the room.
"If I ever meet her, you must remind me to thank her."
"You have met her," Mariya laughed, "At the station at the start of the year."
"That doesn't count. After all, you did tell her that we weren't friends." Mariya tensed slightly at his words, she had forgotten about that.
Then she frowned, "How did you know that's what I said? I spoke in Ukrainian to make sure none of your family would understand."
James shrugged, "I asked Remus. He said it was no wonder you told them that after what I did to you and that I was being completely unreasonable. I don't blame you, what I did wasn't right and I see that now. Even if it did take me a year and a half to get over being told I was a show off."
Mariya scoffed, "I refuse to believe that was the first time someone had told you that."
"Maybe not, but it was the first time I listened."
At that moment, James felt a tap on his shoulder as another boy asked to cut in. His less than well timed interruption, left both Mariya and James thinking about that day for the rest of the night. Both regretting what had happened that day, and that they hadn't had a chance to properly talk it out. Mariya did however decide that she was going to work as hard as she could to make a friendship with James work, even if he didn't always make the best decisions. After all, he wasn't really that bad, was he?