Settled comfortably in their sitting room, the four girls relaxed the night away. Rose was snug on the couch, her little snake Princess loosely wrapped around her shoulders, enjoying her owner's warm and relaxing, unbothered and at peace. Juleka leaning against the couch, playing with her bright pink chameleon, Reflectka. Alya sat at a desk working on homework, muttering to herself as she work. Every now and then, she lifted up her book, just in time to avoid Trixx as the little fox races by, cackling with energetic glee.
At the window, out of Trixx's eager path, Marinette sat on the sill with Tikki on her shoulders, her gaze set on her sketchbook. On the page where her roommates, loose sketches of them and dresses she was envisioning for them. Every now and then she turned to glance out the window, to one of the many gardens that were decorated this school. An inspiration Marinette was happy to take advantage of. A pleasant distraction to enjoy when she was stuck.
It was a nice day.
A perfect day off.
A good day to relax or stay on top of everything.
Or help two classmates that had just burst into their room
They all jumped when Alix Kubdel practically kicked the door in and stopped in, muttering to herself angrily as she prowled in, her racing pigeon Breaker flapping her wings. Mylene hung back at the door, giving them an awkward wave.
"Um?" Alya voiced, grabbing Trixx before the kit to jump at them.
Rounding on her, Alix stated, "We're staying here the night!"
All four blinked at her.
Mylene slowly crept in, offering quietly, "Chloe."
An understanding passed over them all.
Alya reassured, "Stay as long as you want."
"Juleka and I can share a bed!" Rose offered. Juleka nodded, echoing this.
"Oh," Mylene uttered, fiddling with her hands. "I wouldn't want to impose... We can take the couch, right Alix?"
"Don't care," Alix huffed as she plopped down, bouncing the couch. "So long as it's away from Chloe."
"I'm open to sharing a bed with either of you," Alya reassured. "I would not suggest sharing a bunk with Marinette, she's a fighter."
"I'm not that bad," Marinette grumbled.
"Not only did you kick me off the bed, you practically kicked me across the room."
"...In my defense, you were on the edge of the bed, of course I'd kick you a bit far."
Alya simply rolled her eyes.
Marinette just huffed and scratched Tikki's chin, making the kitten purr.
Leaning up, and making sure Princess was settled, Rose voiced, "Don't you have a play date with Adrien today?"
Marinette paused, staring down at her sketchbook. She released a big gasp. "I do!" Tikki mewed in surprise as Marinette scrambled up, nearly tripping over her own feet. Rushing around, grabbing her transfiguration book, making sure Tikki was secure, she raced out, shouting, "Thanks Rose!"
A few minutes after she left, Juleka commented, "She's not going to make it."
Pursing her lips, Rose argued, "She may!"
They all heard a faint squawk echo in the hall, and a faint, distant thud.
"She won't," Alix stated.
With deep concentration, Adrien stared down at the little kitten.
Plagg met his stare challengingly, tail swishing back and forth.
For the past few minutes they sat staring at each other, Adrien's charming magic pouring off of him, coming onto the cat.
But Adrien was quickly learning that his charming doesn't work on animals. But... maybe...
"You will behave," he whispered, Adrien's pupils thinning as the magic sparked and flared.
Plagg's ear twitched, pupils going huge.
Yes, yes, yes...
Plagg yawned, then flopped over and rolling about.
Adrien purses his lips, slouching.
"Were you guys having a staring contest?"
Adrien blinked, the charm turning off and turning to the other his charm didn't seem to work on. Marinette gave him a small smile, setting Tikki down. Returning her smile, Adrien said, "Yes, it's a great bonding game."
She raised a brow, pausing from where she was setting her book in her lap. "Really? Staring contests?"
"Well, I forgot to bring a ball," he admitted.
Humming thoughtfully, she offered, "Well, I may have something you can use."
Adrien perked. She did? What? What did she have? He watched as she reached up, tugged her hair out of a bun and leaving dark strands to fall free over her, and with a present beam, she turned and offered her red ribbon to him.
Adrien started, eyes wide at her free hair, and the ribbon she was offering. He emitted a small sound.
With Adrien not taking it and kinda sitting there frozen, she turned to the kittens to wave it about, drawing their attention. Tikki slowly reached for it, pupils going huge, only to jump high in the air when Plagg dove at wildly with a gleeful yowl, swiping the ribbon out of Marinette's hand. He rolled about, kicking at the red ribbon and chewing at it. With a displeased noise, Tikki pursued Plagg, set on getting that ribbon. Plagg scrambled up and fled, playing keep away.
Adrien and Marinette watched, one amused, one kind of torn and bothered with how they were playing. "I don't think you're going to get that back," Adrien warned.
Marinette shrugged. "It's fine. I can always make another, or get a hold of another. I could ask Aunt Nadja for another."
Adrien blinked. "Your aunt is here?"
Marinette faltered a little, tilting her head and considering this. She admitted, "Uh, she's not really my aunt... My Maman's friend. She's the astrology teacher here."
Astrology.
That won't be till year three.
With a smile, Adrien reassured, "That's pretty cool."
She cracked a smile back. Then opening the book in her lap and pushing some hair behind her ear, drawing Adrien's gaze to the motion. He shook his head and scooted closer, leaning over to see what she needed help this time, breathing in a delightful scent.
He felt like just leaning over and snuggling up to her.
Focus, Adrien, he gotta focus.
Their first official play date.
Had to be done right.
While the two worked on transfiguration, preparing and making sense of these upcoming formulas, Tikki and Plagg played, balls of squirming fur tangling around each other and what was Marinette's ribbon.
By the end of it, with Marinette and Tikki departing back to their dorm, Adrien tugged the toy from Plagg's claws, the blond pursed his lips to find it a mangled mess, threads hanging out from all sides.
Plagg jumped up, swatting at it, his claws getting stuck and sort of ripping it as his weight dragged him down.
Adrien just stared down at him, unimpressed.
Plagg met his stare, green eyes coy and bright.
Well, at least he seemed a bit friendlier...
"Lady Jeanne Richelieu," Professor Kubdel bid, "was forced to play role of Duchess' daughter most of her life, and was pressured by her parents to hide away her magic for the first fifteen years of her life. Years long spent wishfully watching her half brother Sebastian act out his magic as he wished, expressing himself as the Crown desired him too. Just to add to her frustration, when her dear brother willing helped her learn and shape her magic; she could not ever use it less she reveal her magical heritage to the muggle noble society, a time when we wizards did care of what muggles thought and did. To counter her frustration, she delved into sparring, tactics, ettitque; besting her older brothers, to a point the Duke wished that she was another, for she was more worthy to be his heir than any other son of his. At sixteen, where her parents intended to marry her to a prince, Lady Jeanne... I'm sorry Miss Bourgoeis, does this bore you?"
All eyes turned to the Diamond from where she sat with a bored pout before the professor, meeting his easy smile with a slight scowl. "Seeing how I already know this, yes."
"Ah, I apologize, but Beauxbatons takes great pride in our history, and it's mandatory to know the school founders as well as you can. The creation of Beauxbatons is an iconic point in the French wizarding history. And not all students here would know it as well as you do." Flashing her a patient smile, he bid, "And it never hurts to refresh over facts."
Chloe made an unimpressed sound.
"Perhaps you could share about the lovely Lady Aveline?" a familiar voiced called out, drawing curious eyes to him. Fu smiled at the doorway, coming down, a book slung under his arm. "So sorry for the interruption, Professor Kubdel."
"Ah it's no trouble Professor Fu, thank you for your delivery." He accepted the book Fu gave him, the old man turning and meeting Adrien curious stare, a sure smile on the old wizard's lips. "But would you Kubdel? I'm also sad to see that Lady Aveline seems so ignored historically."
"A grim truth," Professor Kubdel agreed. "Lady Aveline Le Seur is sadly very looked over historically. Lady Jeanne Richelieu is known as her renown leaderships, and being the first headmaster of Beauxbatons. Sebastian Courtet for creating and shaping Beauxbatons. And Clovis Heroux for being one of the best teachers Beauxbatons ever had, and being the second headmaster of Beauxbatons. It is a sad truth that Lady Aveline Se Leur does seem to dwiddle into dust, with Beauxbatons history. She had prime in her medical skills, her charms, and potions; but sadly disappeared, wishing to reunite with her pureblood family. Her last sighting in history was her marrying another pureblood, a boy she knew in her childhood."
"Boring," Chloe called out. "She just the first Heart to be walked all over."
Fu chuckled, coming near with an amused smile, eyes still on Adrien. "There are many interesting secrets around Lady Aveline Le Seur. Many things many people didn't know. With a sad story I'm sure a good few can relate too."
Adrien peered after him, head tilting curiously.
Why stare at him the whole time?
Fu left, and Professor Kubdel called attention.
"So Miss Bourgeois, since it seems you know history so well, would you like to help me teach about Lord Clovis Horoux?"
Chloe pursed her lips in displeasure.
Near her, Alix snickered at her father's jab.
Adrien's head snapped up, watching Alix dart by on her broom, eyes alive and wild. His hand snapped over at another whoosh that went by him, watching Kim dart along with a loud whoop.
Steady on his broom, he carefully moved it about, mindful to stay out of the way of the bold and eager racers.
He looked out, watching his classmates drift and fly about.
Majority lingered and drifted near the ground, taking the chance to get used to being in the air, sitting on a thin broom.
Rose and Juleka hung close, gigging and grinning. Nathanael sat close, drawing the two a bit out of sight of the Head Diamond.
Ivan was slowly drifting higher, a small smile on his lips, enjoying the broom that seemed suited for him.
Mylene hovered next to Max, watching with wide eyes as he refereed the wild race going on between Kim and Alix.
Lips quirking up, pleased, he looked about, quickly and easily spotting Marinette gliding along, boldly tracing the heights, testing her limits and comforts. Her hair was wrapped up once more, a new ribbon holding her hair.
Beaming, he zipped up alongside her, skimming the air with her.
"Ever think of touching the clouds?" he asked, making her jump a little.
Turning to him, she turned to look up, eyeing the clouds above. "Maybe one day," she bid. "But right now?" She leaned over, eyeing the open air that separated her from the ground. "I'm at my limit right now."
"I've flown a little higher," Adrien couldn't help but share, thinking back to the day he received his acceptance letter.
The delivery pigeon was much, much higher than this.
And he had flown out without thinking.
He had flown so high that day.
"You got in trouble?" Marinette asked.
"Nope," he said, "just did a wild right flight up, and came back down." He glanced up, considering the sky. It felt familiar. It felt like home. An element he belonged to be in. With a growing smile, he bragged, "I bet I could go higher."
"I don't need to see that," she returned with shake of her head. "It's impressive enough how natural you are."
They both looked up with they heard a faint cry above.
There was one of Beauxbatons' winged horses soaring above them, it's large form easily shadowing over them.
Marinette's smile grew, eyes brightening as she watched the beautiful beast fly by.
"Can't wait to ride one of those," she told him.
That'd be cool. Adrien would've liked too as well, but sadly he was-
"Achoo!" Adrien blew out, rattling beside Marinette and making her jump, turning to him in surprise. The blond gave a groan, blinking when he saw large feathers drift close up behind him, swerving back to the ground. Darn sneaky feathers.
Marinette giggled next to him, turning her broom down when D'Argencourt called for them to come back down.
Snorting and trying to get his nose cleared, he gave a quick look around, then snorted out smoke, clearing out his sinuses.
Ugh, feathers...
At another call, Adrien pursued, offering the Head Diamond a sheepish grin.
Sorry it's a bit slow this chapter. Things should pick up as years go on. Next chapter I'll probably end year 1 since I can't think of anything else to really focus on for the rest of this first year, outside a bit of Adrien's first summer as a Heart, going back home.
We'll see though. You can never really know with writing.
