It was as peaceful a slumber someone could get after being held hostage to a semi sentient lake and Marilyn funnily enough didn't want to wake up. Not that it mattered to Draco; despite how serene she looked curled up into a ball he had to tell her. He strode over to her bedside, almost beaming and sat on the hospital bed. The dip in the mattress disturbed her and she finally opened her eyes.

"Oh! It's you… Good morning Draconis…" She yawned as she sat up slowly. Something clicked and she frowned but then shook it off.

"Good morning Marie." He chuckled as he watched her, "Did you sleep alright?"

"I slept perfectly well thank you… You kept me nice and toasty." Marilyn grinned with a yawn.

"Well I should think so since it was my bed." Draco smirked coyly.

Marilyn rolled her eyes; "You're not one for sharing are you? I didn't get to wake up with you."

"Well, y'know, I'm an only child – speaking of sharing, I've some good news to share with you!" He said finally sitting on the bed fully and closer to her.

"You have? What is it?" She asked excitedly. She jumped out from under the covers and sat into his lap in one eager bound. He kissed her forehead in an effort to calm her down but she grew impatient; "What is it Malfoy?"

"Oh Gray if only I could tell you!" He began in joking way, "I hear – and this is just a rumour – that a certain someone asked a certain grumpy git for a certain favour pertaining to a particular Slytherin-"

"And what did Snape say? Have you done it? Have-"

He silenced her with a platonic kiss to the cheek, "He said he'll talk about it to Dumbledore over today's match and maybe by tomorrow my favourite person will have her own room in the dungeons."

Before he could utter anything else he was swept up in a tight hug which could have felt vice like if he thought about it. She squealed happily and left kiss after kiss on his face; "You're brilliant and you're magnificent and-"

"And I won't be able to go into it. I'm sorry to break your bubble but Snape said I won't have access and I can't tell anyone the location of it either." He said sourly with a weak apologetic smile. He squeezed her hands in a comforting way as she said: "Oh…Oh…ok… I just thought…."

"That it would be ours, instead of just yours, I know… But we've broken rules – there's no point stopping now."

"You are such a villain." Marilyn giggled whilst partaking in an Eskimo kiss.

"And who made you the good guy?" He chortled.

"Why it was me of course!" She cried as she over powered him until he lay sprawled underneath her. They spent a moment looking at each other in that dynamic, understanding something had just shifted. He just looked so gorgeous vulnerable, as if she could eat him up like a delicious pudding. She then noticed his attire; a green jersey, cream trousers and an emerald sports robe adorned with a new silver crown shaped badge.

"Don't you have a match to go to?" She asked him with an upward eyebrow. His stomach answered before he could and soon Marilyn transfigured her night gown into casual robes and underwear so they set off for breakfast. It was still early, only around 8am but both teams were busy eating and planning. The Slytherins were huddled at one side of the hall and the Gryffindors at the other. Marie sighed; she didn't really like it when the school became a battleground like this.

"Does it have to be so tribal?" She asked him whispering as they passed by the Gryffindors to get to their own table.

"I guess so Marie." He said distractedly before nodding at Potter who was reading the Daily Prophet, "Scarhead"

"Gitface" Harry chimed with a smile and shot Marilyn a jovial look from over the top of his glasses, "Good to see you again Marie."

"Stop flirting Potter, she's taken." Malfoy warned him with a glare.

"Then why are you hanging around her like a bad smell?" Harry sniggered sharply.

"Pot-"

"Boys! Save it for the pitch for when it matters! Come on Draco, good day Harry." Marilyn piped in courteously whilst dragging her boyfriend away before he got into his old habits. She sat him down next to Montague and then sat adjacent to her lover promptly.

"What was that all about?" She hissed.

"It was just pregame banter – I usually like to get him riled up before every match, just to keep him on his toes." Draco said almost nostalgically whilst procuring himself a plate of scrambled eggs and then heartily dressing it with smoked salmon and dill.

"Honestly Draco, I can't take you anywhere can I? You know, I've been wondering, are you feeling alright?" Marilyn asked nervously as she watched him whilst she grabbed a bowl of rice crispies.

"Yes, I'm fine Marilyn, what makes you ask that?" he asked in return getting himself a large chalice of water.

"I'm just curious, you seem to be eating a lot of…seafood lately…and drinking a lot of fluids…and" She crept closer to his ear, "Your kisses are quite salty, not that I mind."

"I'm – I'm fine Marie. I'm probably just changing taste buds; there's no harm in what I'm doing, is there?" He probed.

"No, no, I just want to make sure you're ok." She said softly with a hand on his shoulder.

"Marilyn Gray, I'm perfectly fine, in fact, I could not feel any better." He said with a triumphant smile, "Now eat up; I want you cheering as loud as you can!"

After eating he joined fully into he's team's tactic talk and he sent her off so she could change. Her dorm room was empty much to her relief and her bed had been made by one of the house elves and her stuff was untouched. She took her time undressing, calmly putting away her night gown after transfiguring it back. It felt therapeutic to do this; to finally undress after days of delay. She wore her nicest lingerie, not his gift as she was saving it, and enjoyed putting it on after the extensive shower she had in the honour of surviving. She put on her favourite black jeans and turtleneck and hid her wand in her midnight hoodie. She then took her Slytherin scarf, never worn until now and proudly wrapped it around her neck. If she was going to support anything, she might as well wear their colours and on this occasion her hair thought it fit to turn emerald and her lover's silver. She met up eventually with Hermione in the Entrance Hall who was passing through and she gave her a hug in respect to her re-entry into reality.

"We've missed you! Well, when I say we..." Hermione said as they started to make their way towards the pitch.

"It's just you, Harry and Ron. I guess everyone else thinks I don't exist." Marie said a little grumpily.

"No no, Luna says hi and so does Neville." Hermione charmed with a smile.

"Oh I like those two!" Marie said brightening up, "I'd like to meet them one day."

"You really are a social butterfly! We might as well put you in your own house."

"The Ambroiux House! And my emblem would be a unicorn!" Marie giggled enthusiastically. Hermione joined in at the notion; "And at a guess your colours would be pink and black?"

"Possibly, you never know it might happen."

"Then again..." Hermione said with a pondering look.

"Nah, not really…Hey… why are people looking at us funny?" Marilyn asked as she noticed the stunned and scared first years and the staring eyes from all houses and years. Hermione looked around and then at Marilyn; "You are famous; you did explode and reappeared the next day in a wedding gown."

Marilyn frowned and growled through her gritted teeth, "It wasn't a wedding dress," She said then brightly added, "All I had was snowflakes and magic smoke so give me a break."

"Alright Miss Dior." Her friend sniggered.

"I could have emerged naked – I chose not to but I could have." Marilyn said with a warning tone. Hermione laughed and she asked, "Weren't you wearing clothes when you exploded?"

"No and I didn't explode; I just turned into water with a bright bang."


When they arrived at the Quidditch pitch Marilyn had a slight dilemma; should she stand with her friends in her rival team's stand or stand with her enemies in her own house? She looked pleadingly at Hermione and the girl came over to ask her what was wrong.

"I don't know where I should sit. Should I be with you or go stand with those bitches in green."

"Oh – Oh dear… That is a pickle. I guess you could stand with us but you will get heckled and possibly booed at." Hermione reasoned, "Not every Gryffindor is as open as I but then again… if you stand in Slytherin you'll…"

"I might get attacked again when my guard's down – yeah, I know… I'm going to have to face them sooner rather than later aren't I?" Marie asked her with a fretting tone.

"Yeah, but preferably not now, it can get quite hostile on match day, even when you're wearing green." Hermione warned her.

"Shall I not watch? That'll make it easier." The green blond said withdrawing from her friend's space and stepping a little out of the shadow of the pitch. She felt so conflicted and scared; 'they'll hit me again I know it.' Hermione wasn't having any of it; "No Marie! Draco wanted to see you cheer, he wouldn't want you to miss out."

"Well maybe I should just… watch from here… or on a broom… or from the sub bench." Marie whined going further back. Her friend stuck a hand out in a careful gesture; "Marilyn, you really are terrified aren't you? But it doesn't have to be like this; you're stronger and more precious than they are and they're not worth your time or your enjoyment. Com'on, I'll stand with you."

"'Mione what are you doing?" Marie asked with a very confused expression.

"I'm going green for the day." She said defiantly.

"You don't have to do this." Marie said in a pleading way.

"You're scared and in need of a friend, so let me help." She said taking her wand out of her pocket, "If you don't go they'll think they've won and then they'll do it again."


From high up above the pitch he could still hear the roar of the crowd and it felt wonderful. His heart was racing, his broom felt thunder fast as it always did and the breeze was perfect for snitch catching. Weasley was far below him and he could hear the chant he had invented rise into the sky.

"Weasley cannot save a thing,

He cannot block a single ring,

That's why Slytherins all sing:

Weasley is our King."

He smirked and wondered if it was driving the ginger nuts. Being friends with the Golden Trio was one new weird thing but that didn't mean he couldn't be evil to them during play. He grinned as he zoomed past Harry trying to keep his mind focused. Or was it his eyes that needed refocusing? They felt sharper than normal, especially as he scanned and dove about the arena. He could even pick out his cronies from half a mile off with his new natural eyesight. He then spotted Marilyn in the Slytherin stands cheering and so he flew past her triumphantly, slowing down to wink. He saw for a moment her blushing like a tomato and then spotted something he thought he'd never see; Granger the Muggleborn in his house's colours! He nearly flew into Montague from the shock.

"Aye up Malfoy! Keep your head straight!" His captain bellowed.

"Sorry Captain!" He yelled as he nosedived to avoid a whizzing bludger.

"I didn't know the Bolshoi was in town auditioning." A familiar voice cackled from beside him.

"Reusing my insults Potter? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Draco growled. He spotted something shiny but dismissed it.

"Not a chance. Any time you want to give up that's fine by me." Harry replied.

"Not in your life time. Say, did you know that Granger's betrayed you? Oh, shiny, bye!" And with that Draco shot off and away with a very confused Harry in his wake. But he hadn't actually seen the darn Snitch either; the grey weather made it sparkle less thus making it harder to find. His eyes darted about the ground and found nothing and looking around the hoops was fruitless too. He watched as Harry took up his usual technique of taking high up into the sky and he decided to follow suit. His mind felt funny now with all the visuals streaming through his consciousness; everything looked too sharp and crystal clear. Everything around felt too bright even in the dark weather and it was giving him a headache. He pulled on his goggles, risking looking like a fool and dared to wish for rain. He felt itchy and dry and too thirsty for his own good. 'This isn't helping!' He grunted inwardly. Someone scored below him - a Slytherin - and he snarled at the roar and boos of the crowd and then whimpered as his stormy headache intensified. He felt like giving up but then he heard a single cheer in the form of a mental song.

'Malfoy is my king, he can do anything, he'll catch it and we'll all sing; Malfoy is OUR king.'

He looked to the Slytherin stands and found Marilyn's spot, seeing her look up at him waving.

'Thanks sexy!' He called out to her in his mind, 'I'll kiss you when I win!'

And then he saw it, gleaming amongst the grass blades lazily flitting in the centre circle. He knew if he suddenly dived Harry would catch on and fly faster than he could but if he didn't act the Snitch would vanish. He decided to cunningly and half-heartedly drop half his height from the ground, keeping a close eye on his prey. He looked up to Harry who was on a still lookout so he daren't do anything suspicious. The Snitch had moved closer to the hoops but it was still close to the ground. Draco swerved over to the Gryffindor hoops casually till he was 6 metres off the ground and when he was happy that Harry was as far as he could get Draco went for it. He leaned in hard, executing his best nose dive and plunged head first to the ground. He heard thunder from the crowds and gasps and as his hand leapt forward to grab it a billowing swoosh of scarlet interfered with him. They both grabbed the Snitch. Draco clipped the end of his broom into the grass and his whole body flung forward violently. He sprawled onto the grass shell shocked and when he looked to his left, his opponent was the same. Draco's broom lay battered by his feet, a few twigs had escaped. The silence around the arena was deafening or was it because his brain rang and burned with pain? He looked into his hands and swore.

He had only caught the right wing of the bloody golden Snitch.

Harry managed to kneel up, shaking and laughing. He held in his hand the other two thirds of the enchanted object. Harry looked at Draco, frowning when he saw his new friend's position and quickly got up on his feet to help. Potter flung his arms around Malfoy's shoulders and dragged him up and the boy in green nearly toppled him over. By now the rest of the team had swarmed around them both and an argument had sprung up.

"Harry caught most of it! The points are ours!"

"Sod off Weasel bee!" Montague hollered, "Half the Snitch, half the points!"

"Just fuck off would ya?!" George and Fred chorused angrily.

"Com'on then! Lemme have it!" Crabbe roared in return, blind with anger. The big biffer grabbed one of the twins by the throat and soon Draco and Harry were in the middle of a rugby tackle gone terribly wrong. Whilst fighting through the pain Harry shoved Draco through the legs of Katie Bell to get him out of the violence. On their hands and knees in the mud they tried feebly to escape out of the inter-house skirmish and when they were free they looked up and saw something much much worse.

Dolores Umbridge was never a pleasant woman and that was most certainly true as she looked down at the two Seekers with fire and gall in her eyes.

"Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy you two are banned!"

The argument above them stopped dead. All eyes turned to the woman in horrible pink.

"But we caught the Snitch!" Harry protested as he got up. Draco followed suit, showing in between his thumb and finger the wing which was still trying to fly away.

"Inexcusable behaviour will never be tolerated whether in the halls or on the pitch - I have never seen so much violence from reckless reprobates; since you two young men started this you will be both stripped of your brooms and your team colours. And as for the rest of you, you'll all receive detention every night this week for such horrible violence and language."

It was then that Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall had rushed into the fray, wide eyed and bewildered.

"Dolores what are you doing?" McGonagall asked fumingly.

"I'm restoring peace to this abominable game. As High Inquisitor I should have never have allowed this league to continue." Umbridge squawked.

"But you allowed Slytherin right off the bat - why'd you do that?" Draco hissed indignantly.

"Well it seems I made a mistake Mr. Malfoy, especially in you; now leave before you're punished any further." Umbridge said huffily.

"But what about the points?" Ron yelled out desperately. Crabbe and Goyle eyed him up, cracking their knuckles.

"None shall-"

"Excuse me High Inquisitor but you are not the referee of this match and it is not in your job description to act as such." Dumbledore butted in standing in front of her. Dolores carried on squawking like an undignified vulture behind him as he asked both Draco and Harry to show him what was left of the Snitch. Draco's wing had by now given up on flying away whilst the main body kept rolling around in a panic in Harry's gloved palm.

"Hmmm…This is most amusing… since the score is easily dividable by three and because there are three parts…" He said softly before turning to the stadium with his booming voice, "50 points to Slytherin and 100 to Gryffindor!"

The red and gold side of the pitch threw up their arms in joy and victory and there was a single whoop from the green side. Both Harry and Draco threw a glance at the whoop and instantly knew where it had come from.

"Can I keep the wing?" Draco asked before he turned to leave dejectedly.

Dumbledore nodded and then Draco pocketed it; "We'll get a new one, Harry keep your half as well." The Headmaster advised. It was then that Draco was about to head off the pitch like a lone ranger but Harry walked alongside him, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks for the game Draco." He said politely even though in his right mind he should have been bitter.

"My pleasure," Draco drawled, "you flew well." He spat.

"Aw com'on Draco, you caught the Snitch!" Harry whined trying to brighten the mood.

"Don't pity me Potter! We both lost, now shut up!" Draco hollered at his face. He wrenched his goggles off and threw them to the ground and as he mumbled sinisterly he tore off his gloves and the crown badge. He left them in the dirt and stormed off the pitch, angry at nearly everything. Quidditch was his life; like a caged animal he refused to acknowledge the fact he had lost it so stupidly. His eyes hurt both with the tears he denied in having and the glimmer and odd colours that swirled in his ill vision. The tempest in his mind was now at its thunder-peak and he felt like a broiling biting ocean. He wanted to take down all the ships and cast aside all who saw him. The rage inside him was too much and as he exited the stands he was blind with inconceivable anger. It had gone further now than a point's dispute or soured game; he was now furious for the sake of it. He ran and ran towards the castle, throat burning from crying and –

"DRACONIS!"

He stopped dead in his tracks as the sound of his name enveloped him. It wasn't how he usually heard it because it was an echoing, angelic and alien sound. He knew it wasn't English because he didn't hear it with his mind but with his heart. As he turned around to face her his vision dimmed and the cacophony in his mind of thunder and lightning gave way to a peaceful dawn.

Marilyn stood there terrified, arms out in a calm manner the same is which one would use on an injured cowering animal. She approached him gently, amazed at the transformation before her eyes. She knew who it was; he was still in his ever faithful emerald but his face – such rapid monstrous change! His once grey eyes were now a million times bluer and colder than the sky and his teeth had become that of a shark's. His hands which now trembled had grown long claw like nails in a matter of moments as his blood had boiled. His skin had taken on a light green grey tinge and the result was horrific.

"Draco… please, calm down… It's me." She cooed nervously as a hand reached out to touch his chest. His expression softened when he felt her hand against his heart and looked down at the girl before him. Recognition kicked in; 'This is Marilyn – wake up you bloody fucking fool!' his human mind hissed at him. A hand then brushed his cheek, thumb pressed against cheekbones that were far too present and sharp. He leaned into it, giving into compassion and accepting his fate. As his tears fell his features finally softened with teeth regressing back until he could manage a defeated human smile. When she hugged him fiercely and then let go, his skin was back to pale peach and with eyes of liquid silver.

"Never let me go like that again!" He cried as he finally broke down.

"I won't, I promise…please… shh shh shhh… there there…" Marilyn soothed into his hair as the weight of him fell onto her shoulders.

"What even happened to me?" He bawled; all dignity at this point was lost.

"I don't know and it doesn't matter, com'on, let's get you out of here." She said gently, pushing him slightly to stand. He regained balance and wobbled forward; soon they were walking quickly away from the eyes of all the school.