Maria met with Harry, Ron and Hermione outside the Great Hall. Draco had passed them full of his usual sarcasm. Crabbe and Goyle laughed and they entered. Harry, Maria and Ron cursed Malfoy while Hermione tried to calm them down.
When Maria and the others went inside McGonagall intercepted her on the way to the Griffindor table. She also spotted Malfoy and summoned them to her office immediately.
************************
Maria stood perfectly still, her hair brushed over her shoulder. Draco stood next to her equally immaculate.
"This'll be about our detention," he said quietly.
"No, it can't be. We don't have do that since you were knocked out," she didn't look at him, but focused on the window.
"Then what? You haven't fought with me recently," she turned to him and saw him gazing at her with a wry smile. She smiled back shaking her head slightly. With that McGonagall entered the room and stood predominantly behind the desk.
"Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?" she asked.
"Erm, how about what have we actually done?" he replied cockily.
"That's enough off that Mr Malfoy. As to what you have done, it is that colouring. It is simply not acceptable."
"But..." Maria interjected.
"Miss Bristol, unless you wish to be expelled from this establishment," she sharply drew in breath. "Then may I suggest that you behave and act in accordance to the set rules." McGonagall withdrew her wand. "Finite incantum" she said pointing the instrument at Maria. The colour slowly drained from her hair, leaving it a sparkling white. She then dashed from the room. McGonagall repeated the process on Draco and allowed him to leave.
He exited the room and looked around for Maria. He heard a slight gentle sob in front of himself.
"Maria?" he asked gently. She picked up her ears, he had heard her secret and now her knew she was weak. The warrior in her sensed she was about to fall. He glanced around at the armours; he knew where she was now. Behind the large suit of armour that was replica of Goderic Gryffindor's. He knelt down by its side and whispered, "Maria, are you all right?"
She stood and took off down the corridor; he was hot on her heels and chased her. As she ran through the entrance hall she crashed into Hermione she stumbled but continued.
"Maria?" the other girl asked stunned. Draco was shortly behind and ran into Harry, he equally didn't stop.
"Malfoy? What the Hell have you done?" Harry shouted after him joining the chase.
Maria collapsed under the sink in the girl's bathroom and her sobs became slightly worse. Draco suddenly burst inside and jammed the door shut with mop.
"Hey!" she exclaimed trying, successfully, to sound strong. "This is the girls bathroom."
"So," he looked down at her and ruffled his hair to allow it to frame his face. "I'm a big girl, there does that make it any better?"
"No," she stifled a smile.
"Tough 'cos I'm not leaving. Potter and his potty little pals are after me now," this time Maria's front slipped and she smiled and sobbed simultaneously.
"Sorry," her eyes shone brightly at him and her hair had clung to where her tears had slipped down her cheeks.
"What's wrong?" he asked sitting next to her.
Maria was slightly taken aback by his apparent concern." I'm fine, sorry for getting you into trouble."
"It's nothing new, but what about you?" she gazed into his eyes and saw them reflect his tone. She remained silent. "Fine, is it anything to do with, expulsion?" he sneered. This set off a fresh onslaught of tears. Draco tenderly brushed her hair away and smiled apologetically.
"I'm a failure," she said in a small voice. She couldn't believe it was Draco Malfoy she was about to pour her heart out too.
"So am I, I just deal with it," he repressed the urge to hold and comfort her.
"But I'm meant to be a warrior, I just mess with my hair, pull pranks, have fun and get expelled," she cried.
"Hey, I like your hair. It's...." her eyes were wide and miserable. "Why'd you get expelled?"
"Madame Maxime was taking us for a potions lesson and I decided to have mine explode, but I put too much of the reactant in and destroyed the classroom and produced a noxious gas" she replied grinning wickedly. "Plus I enchanted my hair so it changed to a different colour every few seconds."
"Woah, and that did it?"
"Yep, without Dumbledore allowing me to attend Hogwarts I would've been a squib."
"I'm beginning to like you," she had regained her composure and dried her eyes which now appeared a faint purple colour.
"Maybe just maybe I could like you too." Draco grinned and heard the door rattle.
"The doors jammed," Hermione said plainly.
"I bet Malfoy's got her in there right now," Ron replied banging at the door. "Maria?"
"Look little miss perfect got expelled. I guess your not so tough now I know that." Draco said getting to his feet. Maria began to cry more solidly this time. "What? Can't you defend yourself with out Potty?" she sniffed loudly. "Ooh, the sorceress is defenceless and virtually a squib." Ron suddenly came bursting through the door and landed a punch on Draco's jaw. Harry joined in as Hermione comforted Maria.
"You okay?" she asked, the other girl was concentrating on the fight but nodded weakly. The two girls left the boys fighting and went up to their dorm.
AN much longer chapter this time.
When Maria and the others went inside McGonagall intercepted her on the way to the Griffindor table. She also spotted Malfoy and summoned them to her office immediately.
************************
Maria stood perfectly still, her hair brushed over her shoulder. Draco stood next to her equally immaculate.
"This'll be about our detention," he said quietly.
"No, it can't be. We don't have do that since you were knocked out," she didn't look at him, but focused on the window.
"Then what? You haven't fought with me recently," she turned to him and saw him gazing at her with a wry smile. She smiled back shaking her head slightly. With that McGonagall entered the room and stood predominantly behind the desk.
"Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?" she asked.
"Erm, how about what have we actually done?" he replied cockily.
"That's enough off that Mr Malfoy. As to what you have done, it is that colouring. It is simply not acceptable."
"But..." Maria interjected.
"Miss Bristol, unless you wish to be expelled from this establishment," she sharply drew in breath. "Then may I suggest that you behave and act in accordance to the set rules." McGonagall withdrew her wand. "Finite incantum" she said pointing the instrument at Maria. The colour slowly drained from her hair, leaving it a sparkling white. She then dashed from the room. McGonagall repeated the process on Draco and allowed him to leave.
He exited the room and looked around for Maria. He heard a slight gentle sob in front of himself.
"Maria?" he asked gently. She picked up her ears, he had heard her secret and now her knew she was weak. The warrior in her sensed she was about to fall. He glanced around at the armours; he knew where she was now. Behind the large suit of armour that was replica of Goderic Gryffindor's. He knelt down by its side and whispered, "Maria, are you all right?"
She stood and took off down the corridor; he was hot on her heels and chased her. As she ran through the entrance hall she crashed into Hermione she stumbled but continued.
"Maria?" the other girl asked stunned. Draco was shortly behind and ran into Harry, he equally didn't stop.
"Malfoy? What the Hell have you done?" Harry shouted after him joining the chase.
Maria collapsed under the sink in the girl's bathroom and her sobs became slightly worse. Draco suddenly burst inside and jammed the door shut with mop.
"Hey!" she exclaimed trying, successfully, to sound strong. "This is the girls bathroom."
"So," he looked down at her and ruffled his hair to allow it to frame his face. "I'm a big girl, there does that make it any better?"
"No," she stifled a smile.
"Tough 'cos I'm not leaving. Potter and his potty little pals are after me now," this time Maria's front slipped and she smiled and sobbed simultaneously.
"Sorry," her eyes shone brightly at him and her hair had clung to where her tears had slipped down her cheeks.
"What's wrong?" he asked sitting next to her.
Maria was slightly taken aback by his apparent concern." I'm fine, sorry for getting you into trouble."
"It's nothing new, but what about you?" she gazed into his eyes and saw them reflect his tone. She remained silent. "Fine, is it anything to do with, expulsion?" he sneered. This set off a fresh onslaught of tears. Draco tenderly brushed her hair away and smiled apologetically.
"I'm a failure," she said in a small voice. She couldn't believe it was Draco Malfoy she was about to pour her heart out too.
"So am I, I just deal with it," he repressed the urge to hold and comfort her.
"But I'm meant to be a warrior, I just mess with my hair, pull pranks, have fun and get expelled," she cried.
"Hey, I like your hair. It's...." her eyes were wide and miserable. "Why'd you get expelled?"
"Madame Maxime was taking us for a potions lesson and I decided to have mine explode, but I put too much of the reactant in and destroyed the classroom and produced a noxious gas" she replied grinning wickedly. "Plus I enchanted my hair so it changed to a different colour every few seconds."
"Woah, and that did it?"
"Yep, without Dumbledore allowing me to attend Hogwarts I would've been a squib."
"I'm beginning to like you," she had regained her composure and dried her eyes which now appeared a faint purple colour.
"Maybe just maybe I could like you too." Draco grinned and heard the door rattle.
"The doors jammed," Hermione said plainly.
"I bet Malfoy's got her in there right now," Ron replied banging at the door. "Maria?"
"Look little miss perfect got expelled. I guess your not so tough now I know that." Draco said getting to his feet. Maria began to cry more solidly this time. "What? Can't you defend yourself with out Potty?" she sniffed loudly. "Ooh, the sorceress is defenceless and virtually a squib." Ron suddenly came bursting through the door and landed a punch on Draco's jaw. Harry joined in as Hermione comforted Maria.
"You okay?" she asked, the other girl was concentrating on the fight but nodded weakly. The two girls left the boys fighting and went up to their dorm.
AN much longer chapter this time.
