Maribelle stumbled a bit when arriving at her family's mansion, long range apparation is rather taxing on her but she can do it if needed. She shook her head with a sigh. She did not want to be here... She steels herself and enters the home.
She was very jealous of Lissa. Whenever she entered her home, she was always greeted warmly by a member of her family. When she entered hers, however, she was greeted with utter silence. 'As if they would care about me in the first place.' Maribelle thought darkly.
"Mother. Father." Maribelle called out. Silence greeted the heiress as expected there were no servants or house elves seeing them as trash and to avoid possible assassination from rival families. She sighed. It was so lonely in this household...She was so lucky to have Lissa as a friend...
She could still remember the day they met...
[Begin flashback]
A young Maribelle was sitting in the park on a swing by herself crying after a group of bullies harassed her about having no friends and being a freak. She hated her life...It wasn't fair. Her parents were awful...
"Hey!" a girl's voice spoke catching Maribelle's attention, she looked up to see a girl her age looking at her concerned.
"What do you want?!" She snapped bitterly. "Leave me alone!"
"Do you want some help?" she asked Maribelle much to her surprise.
"Wh-What...?" Maribelle sniffled. "What are you trying to do? I won't fall for any tricks!"
"What are you talking about? You looked lonely so I thought you could use a friend." the girl answered.
"A...A...A..." Maribelle didn't even know what to say. What was happening right now?
"A friend." the girl said, she extended her hand "Name's Lissa." she introduced herself.
Maribelle stared at her hand for a few moments before taking it. "M-Maribelle..."
Lissa smiled "Nice to meet you! Are you hungry? Because I could go for a hot dog right now." Lissa asked her new friend.
Maribelle grimaced. "Have you no idea what those horrid things are made of?"
"They're cheap and filling Mari!" Lissa explained.
"But...they're made from such..."
"You've never had a hot dog before haven't you?" Lissa asks her.
"...My parents won't allow it..."
"What they don't know won't kill them." Lissa said mischievously.
Maribelle sighed. "You're not going to drop it until I have one, I presume?"
"Yep!" Lissa chirped.
"Very well...Let us go have some...hot dogs..."
[End Flashback]
'Who would have thought our friendship was made that day over a hot dog?' Maribelle chuckled to herself 'But still I'm grateful towards her and her family for being there.' she thought as she made her way towards her bedroom. It didn't look like her parents were about to respond to her... She reached underneath her bed and pulled out a disillusioned suitcase filled with muggle clothing that she replaces regularly as to avoid looking out of place. She scowled over in the direction of her parents' room. 'No doubt they're trying to suck up to Fudge for another of their anti-muggle born bill.' Maribelle thought bitterly, after the failed introduction of her boyfriend to her parents they used this as fuel for various bills that would make it impossible for muggle borns to even obtain a job in the wizarding world.
Maribelle felt a pang in her chest at the thought of her boyfriend. He was a nice enough guy, charming, smart and he was practically perfect for her, it was during the summer of her 5th year and Lissa was on a family vacation so Maribelle was left alone to fill in the void of her friend's absence. She had been out at a cafe, enjoying a bite to eat. She got up to leave when she accidentally bumped into Richard spilling his drink all over her. At first, she was miffed, and she had snapped at him for ruining her clothes. Richard quickly apologized and offered to buy her another drink so she could splash it on him as a way of retribution. Maribelle had been unable to help herself. That response had been so ludicrous, she just giggled. Richard did buy her another drink and introduced himself, his family had just moved to London from Oxford, his father was getting a job transfer so they moved as a result. He was a very charming boy. Very polite, calm, charmingly eccentric...
At first they hung out at the cafe where they met but that quickly changed to going out on dates, nothing too serious but there was something that drew the two together. The time she had spent with him was the happiest she had ever been. Sadly, that time came to a abrupt and painful end. Seeing as there was no avoiding the topic of meeting one's parents Maribelle suggested that they would visit hers.
What she had told Lissa about her boyfriend being disgusted by her wizard heritage was a lie. She simply wished to keep her family issues to herself. Richard had actually grown to fully accept her being a witch, and had been excited to meet her parents...But, alas, they were less than pleased that she was dating a muggle. And so, they had wiped all memory of her from Richard's mind, put him to sleep, and sent him home via portkey. She wished that she could do something about it but at the time Voldemort was starting his campaign, so her complaints were ignored. And so, she had lost one of the greatest things that had ever happened to her because her parents disapproved. She managed to spot him once but he was happily chatting with another woman. Maribelle sighed, at least he was happy.
She pulled herself out of memory lane, and felt bitter resentment towards her parents. 'I can't be thinking about them now, Harry needs me.' she thought hurrying to leave before her parents returned. She gathered up everything she was going to need. She wouldn't need to leave a letter. Her parents never cared when she wasn't around. She leaves the mansion and apparates to Lissa's home.
Meanwhile...
Lissa blinked and shaded her eyes from the glare of the sun as the quartet exited the hospital. "Wow, we were in there WAY longer than I thought..." She said.
Emmeryn looked at Lissa with a teasing smile "Well you and Maribelle were in a hospital. Time is relatively meaningless there." she pointed out much to Chrom's amusement.
Lissa pouted. "I hate hospitals..."
"Many do. I secretly suspect that the nurses there are vampires wanting blood in the most legal way possible." Chrom said shuddering.
Emmeryn giggled. "You children and your wild imaginations."
"Anyway, where should we go to first?" Lissa asks her older sister. Emmeryn opened her mouth to respond... "Ooh! I know the perfect place to pick out his new clothes!" Lissa exclaimed.
"Lead the way sis." Chrom said.
"Aye aye, captain!" Lissa replied with a mock salute.
Soon they were in one of the busiest shopping centers in London, Lissa led them to a clothing store that was specifically tailored to children. Harry looked around at the crowded area nervously and clutched tightly to Lissa's shirt. Lissa bent down and picked Harry up, comforting him "Hey, don't worry I'll make sure nothing happens to you." she whispered into Harry's ear. Harry smiled and rested his head on her shoulder, nestling closer into her.
Soon they gathered enough clothing for Harry and decided to see if there was any toy stores for Harry. After a bit of wandering they soon stumbled upon a store with a singular name "Anna's." curious they entered the shop.
"Somehow this seems familiar..." Chrom mused.
"Welcome!" a woman's voice spoke startling the group, they turned around to see a woman around Chrom's age wearing a red business suit "I am Anna, the owner of this store. How may I help you today?" she asks them.
"...Have...we met before...?" Emmeryn asked. "Something is...familiar about you."
"You might have met one of my sisters or cousins. We're identical and all named Anna." Anna said.
Emmeryn frowned. "How confusing..."
"It must make family reunions very difficult." Chrom said with Lissa nodding.
"Oh, it does, believe me..." Anna said, grimacing slightly. "And don't get us started when we drink." she finished.
"Okay, moving on!" Lissa interrupted.
"We're looking for a stuffed animal for Harry here." Emmeryn said pointing to him.
"Let me see what I have." she heads further into the store and returns with a lion plush animal "Here you go. Will this suffice?" she asks them. Lissa looked at the cuddly toy with a contemplative expression.
She turned to Harry "Harry, what do you think?" she asked him. Harry was staring at the small plush toy.
He nodded "I like it." he said softly.
"Well then we'll take it!" Lissa exclaimed cheerfully.
"That'll be ten dollars please." Anna said handing them the lion.
Chrom blinked. "...That thing looks like it would cost five dollars at the very most..."
"Hey, a girls gotta eat right?" she said.
Lissa sighed. "Whatever, it's only ten..." She muttered as she pulled out the money. "Here..."
Anna smiled "Thank you, come back anytime." she said and they left the shop, Anna smiles "Well I guess it's time to visit another potential customer." she said as both her and her shop fades away.
"Uh...where'd the shop go?" Lissa asked, confused.
"What do you mean Lissa?" Chrom asks her in a confused manner.
"The shop's gone...Look."
"What shop?" Emmeryn replies in a similar manner.
Lissa blinked. "Huh? What are you talking about? We just bought a lion from a shop!"
"Lissa, we just came from that shop across the street where we bought this lion." Chrom said pointing to a nearby toy store.
"...Harry, you remember right?"
"Yes Miss Lissa." he said remembering the shop that was no longer there.
"See? Harry knows I'm not insane!"
"Lis, I'm surprised that you haven't gone insane before now living with this family." Chrom joked "But we seriously need to head back to the mansion, Maribelle should be there by now." he finished.
Lissa grinned excitedly. "Yeah!"
Meanwhile...
Maribelle stood by the gate to the Ylisse Manor. She mentally recounts the situation at hand and what she should do next. She had to tell Chrom and Emmeryn of her wizard heritage... She might also have to tell them about her parents, but she should try to avoid that topic unless there is no other alternative. She shuddered at the thought of finally telling her best friend and her family how hard her life was... But for now she should focus on Harry's well being. She sighed deeply. Things were getting complicated...All because of one little boy. Then again what would she had done? She could not in good judgement allow something like this to go unpunished, maybe Lissa had a bigger influence on her than she thought. She smiled at the thought. 'Lissa dear, thank you for being my friend on that day.' she thought to herself. 'I don't know what I would do without you...'
She focuses her attention to the approaching forms of Lissa, Chrom Emmeryn and Harry. She smiled warmly at the approaching group and waved.
"Hey Mari, did you wait long?" Lissa asked her.
"Not at all, my dear." Maribelle replied.
"Well then we should get dinner started." Emmeryn said and they entered the mansion.
"Yes, before Fredrick does." Chrom agreed. They laughed as Lissa and Emmeryn discuss what to make for dinner.
