Chapter Text
On May 6th, 1998, Mary wakes up to the tapping of an owl at her window for the first time in nearly a decade.
She turns over on her pillow, expecting a macaw, the bird that wizards in Brazil use to send letters, even though she hasn't been in contact with them much either in the last few years—she has a Muggle job and lives in a Muggle part of the city.
She squints in the sunlight shining through the window, and when she sees the larger silhouette of a tawny owl, her heart skips a beat. Has Remus sent her a letter? They kept in touch for a few years after everyone died and Sirius went to Azkaban, when Mary moved to Brazil for her extended family, but the letters slowly became more sparse, both of them a reminder to each other of the pain they went through.
Walking to the window, her heart aching with the reminder, she wonders what the letter could possibly be about. Her first thought is that it must have something to do with Sirius. Has he been found innocent? Is he out of Azkaban? She can't think of any other reason Remus would write her, unless it has do with Harry.
She opens the window and the owl drops a small parcel with a letter tied to it wth twine. The owl tilts its head up at her expectantly.
“Sorry,” Mary says, ruffling the feathers on the bird’s head. “I don’t have any knuts.”
The owl makes a disappointed sound and pecks at her hand, before turning around and flying off.
As Mary watches it fly away, memories of sitting in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, owls delivering the post while they laugh over breakfast.
Shaking the thoughts from her head, she sits down on her bed and unties the letter from the parcel. It only says her name, writing in an elegant script that could only be obtained from a quill.
Using the end of her nail, she tears the envelope open. She unfolds the letter, and at the top of the page sits the Hogwarts crest, with Office of Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.
She frowns. Is it some sort of job offer?
Mary begins to read the letter.
Mary,
I don’t know of your current involvement in the wizarding world, the most recent information that the Ministry has at this moment is that you moved to Brazil spring of 1982. I assume you must know of the turmoil that has occurred in Britain these last five years. However, on the chance you don’t, I will tell you here, and I implore you to read this letter in its entirety before opening the parcel if that it the case.
Sirius Black escaped from prison in 1994, and Peter Pettigrew was found to be alive. He was the one who betrayed your friends and the Order. Sirius was innocent.
Mary pauses, drawing in a shaky breath.
The following year, 1995, Harry Potter, James' son, encountered Voldemort, who had been slowly returning to power since the boy's first year in 1991.
The Order of the Phoenix reformed, with Sirus Black and Remus Lupin as strong members. Sadly Sirius passed June 18, 1996 at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange.
Mary stares at the words. Two years. Sirius has been dead two years and she hadn't known. Two years. Sirius and Remus only had two years together after Sirius had been in prison for twelve. A sob rips through her chest and she sits there for a moment, crying. Sirius, her first boyfriend. Sirius, godfather to the son of her best friend. Sirius, one of her best friends who she hasn't seen in nearly seventeen years, and who she will never see again.
After a moment, she wipes the tears from her eyes and continues read.
Four days ago, on May 2nd, after many fights, Voldemort was killed, truly this time, by Harry Potter in the Battle of Hogwarts. I am so sorry to have to tell you, Remus Lupin and his wife, Nymphadora Tonks were sadly killed in the fight.
"NO!" Mary cries out, a guttural sound that tears from her throat. She doesn't even blink at the words 'his wife,' only those that follow.
"No, no, no, no!" Mary looks up at the ceiling, sobs racking her body. She reads the last of the letter, the words blurring before her.
The parcel contains letters found amongst in Mr. Lupin's possessions, all addressed to you, but seemingly never sent. They have not been opened.
I know they were your close friends, and I am so very sorry. I know this letter was brief, so please don't hesitate to write if you need anything at all.
Minerva McGonagall
Mary doesn't open the letters. She spends the whole day in her bed, rotating between crying hysterically and sitting in silence, not even leaving her bed to eat.
It's not just the pain of losing Sirius and Remus. It's the pain of everyone, all of their losses that she's refused to let herself feel. When Marlene and Dorcas died, there wasn't room to mourn, the war still happening. When James and Lily and, as she had believed at the time, Peter's death and Sirius' betrayal, it was too much to bear at once, and she moved away to her family, trying to forget.
Now, she bears all the pain she didn't before, and it destroys her.
Eventually she falls into a fitful sleep.
***
Mary wakes up and for a moment feels peaceful before the memories of the day before fill her mind.
She forces herself out of bed and into the kitchen, putting on a kettle.
After crying more, she takes the parcel from her room and sets it on the table next to her tea.
Slowly, she unties the twine and peels back the brown paper, revealing three letters, all only addressed with her first name.
At the sight of her name on a letter in Remus' scrawl, something she hasn't seen since she hid the last of his letters with the rest in a box she refuses to open, she breaks down again.
Eventually she steels herself and opens the first of the letters.
Mary,
I know we haven't written in a while, but I have something important to tell you. Sirius is innocent, he escaped and he's innocent and I saw him and I don't know where he is but he's safe and he's innocent and it was Peter who betrayed us and he's alive but Sirius is innocent and I just wanted you to know.
-Remus
Deciding she won't let herself break down until she's read all of them, Mary sets down the letter and takes a sip of her tea, before opening the next.
Mary,
I left Hogwarts after only teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts for one year. Voldemort is back. But Sirius and I are together again, as difficult as it is during this war. I hope you are doing well Mary, we miss you.
-Remus
On the corner of a page is a small drawing, faded over the years, but it looks like a dog.
Mary draws in a breath. The doodle was no doubt done by Sirius. Next to the word we. Remus and Sirius. Mary starts sobbing again, her head in her hands.
Finally, taking another drink of her tea, she opens the last letter. This one isn't even addressed, just contains three words in hastily drawn letters.
Sirius is dead.
Mary wails. The third letter didn't tell her what she didn't already know, but seeing those words in Remus' handwriting, seeing his own sorrow etched on the page, hurts Mary in a new way.
Suddenly, Mary stands up and walks to her room. She opens the top drawer of her nightstand and pulls out her seldom-used wand.
She returns to the kitchen table and sits down, looking at the three letters and the half-empty mug of tea.
Mary closes her eyes and brings the tip of her wand to her temple.
She whispers one word.
"Obliviate."