Fiction Title: Two Worlds Collide
Author: Marionie Hearts and xXNaughty-By-NatureXx
E-mail: marionie_k_hearts@yahoo.com and dragonslayer_25@msn.com
Summary: Marionie Hearts is not your average new kid. She is a French
transfer student from Westminster School for Underage Witches and Wizards
with plenty of secrets and ties to England. Following a chance meeting with
Mikaila Avalon, she meets the Hogwarts gang and has her own adventures with
her new best friend.
Disclaimer: This story is based on the characters and situations created by
J.K. Rowling. I only stake claim to the following character(s): Marionie
Hearts. The following characters belong to my friend(s): Mikaila Avalon
Chapter 16:
Shades of Grey
Later on in the afternoon, Mika headed up to the owlry to see if she had gotten any letters. There, she found Scott Barringer, a friend of hers, with his grey owl Star Shooter.
"Hey, better late than never, huh, Scotty?" she said teasingly, "Why didn't you make it onto the Express this year?"
"If you don't know, I'm not telling!" the dirty blond replied with a grin.
Mika rolled her eyes as she found that there were no letters for her. "How have you been?" she asked him as the pair hugged.
"Good." Scott replied, then he paused. "Uh oh." He watched Mika, noticing the air of mischief in her purple eyes.
"What?!" Mika exclaimed, feigning an innocent look, "What's the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You have that look.the look that means trouble," her friend explained.
"Listen, Barringer, Trouble's my middle name.I can handle it."
"I thought your middle was Starr."
"It's my other middle name.don't get cute with me." Mika let out a stifled giggle.
"Seriously, ever since you.made Malfoy 'well-developed' in the chest area last Halloween.I'm afraid you might just manage to outdo yourself this year. That's a pretty scary thought."
"Hey, you never know! The one mistake you could make that could cost you big time is underestimating me. Anyway, I always thought he was such a woman, so I figured he might as well look the part," she justified with another soft giggle.
"All right, all right," Scott gave it up and grinned childishly.
~*~
Marionie had been waiting in the secret conference room for Mika. She tried to get Harry, Ron and Hermione into the excursion but somehow, each of them managed to create some excuse not to go. Harry said he was tired, Ron mumbled something about Wizard's Chess and Hermione made a point of deciding that doing some research before picking her electives would help her in the long run.
She decided to look in the bloodline book once more. The words 'Starlight Prophecy' stuck out in her head and she was curious about it.
Mari, open up! I'm here! Mika's mental voice interrupted her reading.
Without even looking up, she pointed her wand at the door, mumbled the spell and let Mika in.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," Mika said out of breath, "Scott just came in and I had to catch up with him.so what ya reading?"
"Hmmmm.nothing you haven't read already," Mari mumbled.
"So are we ready to go? I wanna see where this secret room with that portrait." Mika blurted out, swiftly deciding not to talk about the book and its subject matter.
Marionie shut the book and left it on the table. "I think Uncle Albus said it was near the Ravenclaw entrance," she said quietly.
"Right, then!" Mika said brightly, "Ain't nothing to it but to do it!"
The pair left, locked up the room and headed off.
~*~
Ron was playing Wizard's Chess with Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room. The game was the only thing Hermione hadn't taken the time to master but Ron was the undisputed House champion. Hermione didn't really challenge him but she decided to 'butter him up' as the Muggles would say, and calm him down before she was to bring up the subject of Marionie Hearts.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Ron said as he moved his knight.
Hermione carefully moved a pawn and replied softly, "I forget.why do you want to keep your infatuation with Marionie a secret from Mika and Harry? They're our best friends!"
Lowering his voice, Ron replied, "Because Mika.well.and Harry.he's her cousin.it would just be weird! Would you just drop it, already!?"
Hermione nodded, then went on, "Would you at least talk to Mari? You seem to avoid every possible one-on-one situation with her. Is it that scary?"
Ron only shrugged. As the Common Room filled up with people, his and Hermione's conversation died down.
~*~
Marionie nodded her head and walked away from the conference room door as it disappeared. "Do you know where that is?" she asked, turning slightly pink.
Mika thought for a moment and replied, "Sixth floor, east hall."
Marionie smiled and headed in the direction. "I haven't had much time explore the castle. My uncle is always asking for meetings with me to see how everything is going," she said shrugging.
Mika sighed and replied, "Yeah, okay." She seemed uneasy and edgy.
Marionie shut up as they got to the stairs. "Do you think they'll change on us?" She asked before stepping on the set before her.
"What do you mean?" Mika asked distractedly.
"The stairs.they change?" she said turning to look at her friend, "Are you alright?"
"Riiight!" she replied brightly as they walked on, "Yeah, well...they change, but only on the first years. You technically are a third year so even if you're new, you should be okay."
"Oh, alright!" Marionie said brightly as they ascended the stairs.
Mika continued walking, caught up in her thoughts.
"I thought you said they wouldn't change!" Mari said suddenly gripping the edge of the stairs as the motion started.
Mika shrugged as they expected to be on the third floor but ended up in the dungeons.
Mari stepped off the stairs in the dungeons and looked around. "Potions?" she asked gesturing to the corridor they were in.
Flustered, Mika quickly blurted out, "Let's get out of here...Slytherin Dungeon's around here somewhere..."
"Oh," Marionie said, following Mika, "what is it with Gryffindor and Slytherin?"
"Let me see, how can I put this in simple terms? Out of a hundred Slytherins, I could bet any amount of money that only one turns out decent. More times than not, they're really good at Dark Arts and they worship...You-Know-Who," Mika explained, "Gryffindors stand for everything they're against."
"Oh." Marionie said, sighing inwardly, Does that mean Draco will turn out bad? she asked through their mind link.
My guess is...probably, Mika replied, despite the fact that she had always secretly hoped that Draco would turn out to be one of the good guys.
Marionie nodded her head absently. "So, how can we get back?"
Mika led Mari to a statue, opened the front panel and smiled. This way.
Mari followed Mika through the statue. "It's rather dark in here." She mumbled.
"Lumos," Mika whispered, lighting up her wand as she walked through.
"That wand doesn't make much light." Mari said pulling out her own wand. "Lumitos." She whispered as the corridor filled with light.
Mika frowned. She hated feeling inferior. "Well...this is just fine, thank you very much," she replied pointedly as she reached the end of the hall and found herself on the fourth floor.
"What?" Mari said stopping as she put her want back in her pocket.
Mika stuffed her own wand in her pocket as they crossed the hall towards the staircase leading up to the fifth floor. She hadn't gotten the knack of controlling which of her thoughts and emotions got transmitted to Mari so when her thoughts began to float towards a private subject, Marionie had a sense about it.
I don't know what to do! I can't keep lying to everyone.but if I tell people the truth and Draco gets in trouble, all hell will break loose and I'll be in trouble too.things right now are simple. I have to choose the lesser of two evils.simplicity vs. honesty.
Marionie listened saying nothing. If Mika weren't going to tell her personally she'd have to listen privately. She continued following her looking around the corridor walls.
"Okay, so we're here, up in the fifth floor...hmmmmm, Hufflepuff central straight ahead...one more flight of stairs and we're off..."
"Sounds good to me!" Marionie said brightly.
Mika kept a straight face as Mari spoke and they went up another flight of stairs. Thank god this adventure's distracting Mari. She would probably hate me for lying to her. So would everyone else, really...but she's been lying...or not telling me things.so does it matter?
Marionie frowned slightly at that thought. She hadn't meant to keep anything from Mika...
Mika sighed as they finally reached the sixth floor. She led Marionie to a portrait and announced, "Here's Ravenclaw's Portrait Hole."
Mari looked at the portrait then around the corridor. "There, that door." She said walking across to the other side. She tried the handle. "It's locked!" she stated perplexed. "I've never really had to unlock anything, I don't know if my alohamora will work."
If they knew I was fraternizing with the enemy, I wonder what would change? Would Harry treat me differently? Heh, Ron would totally hate me...Hermione would be disgusted.Mika's thoughts were interrupted when Mari spoke. "I don't know."
Mari blinked at the thought and took her wand out again. "Alohamora." She said and tried the door again. "I can't. I don't like unlocking things that are supposed to be locked."
Mika gave her a confused look. Things that were supposed to be locked were the best things to unlock. "Alohamora!" she exclaimed, opening the door. She explained, "When you're friends with Harry Potter, you get to go places...and unlock doors and stuff. It's an acquired talent."
"Oh." Marionie said walking into the room seeing all the portraits with different scenes. "Wow!" she breathed appreciatively.
Mika walked over to a portrait with a familiar scene on it. "The Gryffindor Common Room..." she read on the plaque below it. She looked at the other plaque on the wall, which explained how to use the portraits.
"So which do you want to try first Mika?" Mari asked looking at a snowy scene. This one seems much too cold, She thought privately to herself.
"To activate these portraits, use the All Seeing Eye spell?" she read with a puzzled tone of voice, "Each portrait leads you to a room where you may see things you never thought possible..."
Marionie looked over at Mika, "What's wrong?"
"The All Seeing Eye.do you know how to use that?" she asked quietly.
Marionie thought it over for a second then pulled the small backpack off her back opening it and pulling out a very large book with the title 'Spells for the Overachiever'. "It may be in here."
"Whoa...and I thought Hermione was the only one who owned that book!" Mika exclaimed.
Mari shrugged and opened the book finding the spell. "Hmm." she muttered flipping to the page.
".see things you never thought possible.what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mika said quietly to herself.
"To Use the All Seeing Eye spell, stare straight at the object without blinking and recite the following: Truth be told, eystintos." Marionie read, blinking. "That's so odd!"
"Why is that?" Mika asked, heading towards a portrait of a candlelit room, drawn to it.
"Truth be told?" Mari said, looking up. "Doesn't that sound odd to you?"
"Yeah, not to mention the part about seeing things you never thought possible." Mika agreed.
Marionie continued to watch her friend. "What are you doing?"
"There's something about this portrait." she replied, semi-dazed.
Marionie watched with interest. "Want to try it out?"
"Truth be told, eystintos." With that being said, Mika walked through the portrait and found herself in the candlelit room with a floating mirror in front of her.
~*~
"Your Muggle art phase is ridiculous!" Draco commented as he looked over his choices for electives.
"Oh really?" Blaise replied as she put the finishing touches on her sketch of her best friend, "Well, for your information, this not just another phase. At least, I've gotten my choices out of the way for electives."
Draco rolled his eyes at her. He still had no idea what to choose. "What are you drawing now?" he asked with a hint of irritation.
"Something a little abstract." Blaise replied vaguely, "It's good to see your fall in the mud earlier didn't affect your attitude."
"About earlier.mud wresting?" Draco asked, disgusted, "What the hell were you thinking???"
"Hey, if you weren't going to tell me anything, I had to find my own way of getting the truth. The way you're treating me, I seem to be insignificant in your life right now.what hap."
Draco interrupted her, "You know that's not true. Okay, so I've been distracted. Hello! My two enemies are in love.of course I'm going to plot to destroy their happiness. It's my nature! It doesn't mean you're less important to me."
"You're just wasting your time with Potter and Avalon." Blaise commented, "Two worthless Gryffindors who make me sick! Th."
Again, Draco interrupted her, "But Harry Potter isn't just some worthless Gryffindor and." he stopped abruptly, remembering what he had asked Mika to promise earlier and why.
"And what???" Blaise prodded him, "What else?"
".and I don't want some foolish Mudblood like Mika Avalon to think she can pull one up on me. I had a plan, Blaise! Why do you underestimate me all the time?"
"Because I can, Draco! Besides, you didn't have a plan this time, otherwise, you would have told me already!"
Draco scoffed. "Listen, just because we're best mates, doesn't mean you need to know every detail." he told her.
"News flash, Draco: I am your best friend and I know how you think. We go way back, practically since birth. We share a birthday among other things.or did you forget that? You don't have to tell me every detail because I can figure it out on my own! Why the hell can't you just be upfront with me?" As she spoke, she grew more and more frustrated.
"All right, all right.you're right, for the first time, I didn't have a plan, okay? I acted on my emotions instead of planning something. Deal with it, okay? There's a first time for everything! You expect everything to be the way it was when we were five, picking on the other children in the sandbox.here's some advice: why don't you just GROW UP, Zabini!?"
"Ever since your cousin Marionie's showed her face around here, you've turned into a.a spineless jellyfish! You have never acted on your emotions before.what's happened to you? I don't recognize you anymore." Blaise's hazel eyes were angry, cold and distant and filled with tears she was keeping from falling.
Draco sighed heavily as he turned away from the pitiful sight that his best friend had become right in front of his eyes and thought, If only you knew how hard I've tried not to change.
~*~
Marionie sat on the floor of the room and watched the portrait version of her friend.
Wow...this is strange...oh! Guess what I'm seein'! Mika transmitted to Marionie as she peered at the mirror, watching events unfold in the Slytherin Common Room.
What? Marionie asked, though she could see her friend she could see what was going on.
Well.I can see the Slytherin Common Room.she replied.
What's going on? Marionie would have joined her friend, but she felt that the moment was better off for Mika to be alone.
Well, I see Draco talking to Blaise.and they sound like they're arguing. Something about not having a plan.Blaise said something about losing her best friend.I think I understand now.she went on, Seeing things I never thought I'd see.like Slytherins being somewhat human. I guess they're not all that bad.
Well, maybe they aren't. Mari thought back quickly.
I don't know...things are expected, promises are made...those things, you have to learn to understand here, Mari.
Understand what? It's not like a person is evil when he or she starts out, and a person can change.
Mika stepped out of the portrait and said, "Survival of the fittest...you have to adapt to survive the fight. You're either a good guy or a bad guy. That's just the way it is."
"Oh," Marionie said as she stood up, Hermione's words from the previous night replaying themselves in her head. Essentially, she knows to be what people expect her to be and keeps everything else in check. "Did you enjoy that viewpoint?"
"No, but when you're a Muggle born having to prove yourself all the time, it's the only viewpoint I know."
"Did you ever consider that things are not as simple as black and white, that there are also shades of grey?" Marionie pointed out, "There's always a middle ground. All you have to do is find it." She knew that Mika didn't really believe in the perspective she described. She could just feel that Mika had a big heart and she desperately wanted to believe that a person, even a Slytherin like Draco Malfoy, could change.
Chapter 16:
Shades of Grey
Later on in the afternoon, Mika headed up to the owlry to see if she had gotten any letters. There, she found Scott Barringer, a friend of hers, with his grey owl Star Shooter.
"Hey, better late than never, huh, Scotty?" she said teasingly, "Why didn't you make it onto the Express this year?"
"If you don't know, I'm not telling!" the dirty blond replied with a grin.
Mika rolled her eyes as she found that there were no letters for her. "How have you been?" she asked him as the pair hugged.
"Good." Scott replied, then he paused. "Uh oh." He watched Mika, noticing the air of mischief in her purple eyes.
"What?!" Mika exclaimed, feigning an innocent look, "What's the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You have that look.the look that means trouble," her friend explained.
"Listen, Barringer, Trouble's my middle name.I can handle it."
"I thought your middle was Starr."
"It's my other middle name.don't get cute with me." Mika let out a stifled giggle.
"Seriously, ever since you.made Malfoy 'well-developed' in the chest area last Halloween.I'm afraid you might just manage to outdo yourself this year. That's a pretty scary thought."
"Hey, you never know! The one mistake you could make that could cost you big time is underestimating me. Anyway, I always thought he was such a woman, so I figured he might as well look the part," she justified with another soft giggle.
"All right, all right," Scott gave it up and grinned childishly.
~*~
Marionie had been waiting in the secret conference room for Mika. She tried to get Harry, Ron and Hermione into the excursion but somehow, each of them managed to create some excuse not to go. Harry said he was tired, Ron mumbled something about Wizard's Chess and Hermione made a point of deciding that doing some research before picking her electives would help her in the long run.
She decided to look in the bloodline book once more. The words 'Starlight Prophecy' stuck out in her head and she was curious about it.
Mari, open up! I'm here! Mika's mental voice interrupted her reading.
Without even looking up, she pointed her wand at the door, mumbled the spell and let Mika in.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," Mika said out of breath, "Scott just came in and I had to catch up with him.so what ya reading?"
"Hmmmm.nothing you haven't read already," Mari mumbled.
"So are we ready to go? I wanna see where this secret room with that portrait." Mika blurted out, swiftly deciding not to talk about the book and its subject matter.
Marionie shut the book and left it on the table. "I think Uncle Albus said it was near the Ravenclaw entrance," she said quietly.
"Right, then!" Mika said brightly, "Ain't nothing to it but to do it!"
The pair left, locked up the room and headed off.
~*~
Ron was playing Wizard's Chess with Hermione in the Gryffindor Common Room. The game was the only thing Hermione hadn't taken the time to master but Ron was the undisputed House champion. Hermione didn't really challenge him but she decided to 'butter him up' as the Muggles would say, and calm him down before she was to bring up the subject of Marionie Hearts.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Ron said as he moved his knight.
Hermione carefully moved a pawn and replied softly, "I forget.why do you want to keep your infatuation with Marionie a secret from Mika and Harry? They're our best friends!"
Lowering his voice, Ron replied, "Because Mika.well.and Harry.he's her cousin.it would just be weird! Would you just drop it, already!?"
Hermione nodded, then went on, "Would you at least talk to Mari? You seem to avoid every possible one-on-one situation with her. Is it that scary?"
Ron only shrugged. As the Common Room filled up with people, his and Hermione's conversation died down.
~*~
Marionie nodded her head and walked away from the conference room door as it disappeared. "Do you know where that is?" she asked, turning slightly pink.
Mika thought for a moment and replied, "Sixth floor, east hall."
Marionie smiled and headed in the direction. "I haven't had much time explore the castle. My uncle is always asking for meetings with me to see how everything is going," she said shrugging.
Mika sighed and replied, "Yeah, okay." She seemed uneasy and edgy.
Marionie shut up as they got to the stairs. "Do you think they'll change on us?" She asked before stepping on the set before her.
"What do you mean?" Mika asked distractedly.
"The stairs.they change?" she said turning to look at her friend, "Are you alright?"
"Riiight!" she replied brightly as they walked on, "Yeah, well...they change, but only on the first years. You technically are a third year so even if you're new, you should be okay."
"Oh, alright!" Marionie said brightly as they ascended the stairs.
Mika continued walking, caught up in her thoughts.
"I thought you said they wouldn't change!" Mari said suddenly gripping the edge of the stairs as the motion started.
Mika shrugged as they expected to be on the third floor but ended up in the dungeons.
Mari stepped off the stairs in the dungeons and looked around. "Potions?" she asked gesturing to the corridor they were in.
Flustered, Mika quickly blurted out, "Let's get out of here...Slytherin Dungeon's around here somewhere..."
"Oh," Marionie said, following Mika, "what is it with Gryffindor and Slytherin?"
"Let me see, how can I put this in simple terms? Out of a hundred Slytherins, I could bet any amount of money that only one turns out decent. More times than not, they're really good at Dark Arts and they worship...You-Know-Who," Mika explained, "Gryffindors stand for everything they're against."
"Oh." Marionie said, sighing inwardly, Does that mean Draco will turn out bad? she asked through their mind link.
My guess is...probably, Mika replied, despite the fact that she had always secretly hoped that Draco would turn out to be one of the good guys.
Marionie nodded her head absently. "So, how can we get back?"
Mika led Mari to a statue, opened the front panel and smiled. This way.
Mari followed Mika through the statue. "It's rather dark in here." She mumbled.
"Lumos," Mika whispered, lighting up her wand as she walked through.
"That wand doesn't make much light." Mari said pulling out her own wand. "Lumitos." She whispered as the corridor filled with light.
Mika frowned. She hated feeling inferior. "Well...this is just fine, thank you very much," she replied pointedly as she reached the end of the hall and found herself on the fourth floor.
"What?" Mari said stopping as she put her want back in her pocket.
Mika stuffed her own wand in her pocket as they crossed the hall towards the staircase leading up to the fifth floor. She hadn't gotten the knack of controlling which of her thoughts and emotions got transmitted to Mari so when her thoughts began to float towards a private subject, Marionie had a sense about it.
I don't know what to do! I can't keep lying to everyone.but if I tell people the truth and Draco gets in trouble, all hell will break loose and I'll be in trouble too.things right now are simple. I have to choose the lesser of two evils.simplicity vs. honesty.
Marionie listened saying nothing. If Mika weren't going to tell her personally she'd have to listen privately. She continued following her looking around the corridor walls.
"Okay, so we're here, up in the fifth floor...hmmmmm, Hufflepuff central straight ahead...one more flight of stairs and we're off..."
"Sounds good to me!" Marionie said brightly.
Mika kept a straight face as Mari spoke and they went up another flight of stairs. Thank god this adventure's distracting Mari. She would probably hate me for lying to her. So would everyone else, really...but she's been lying...or not telling me things.so does it matter?
Marionie frowned slightly at that thought. She hadn't meant to keep anything from Mika...
Mika sighed as they finally reached the sixth floor. She led Marionie to a portrait and announced, "Here's Ravenclaw's Portrait Hole."
Mari looked at the portrait then around the corridor. "There, that door." She said walking across to the other side. She tried the handle. "It's locked!" she stated perplexed. "I've never really had to unlock anything, I don't know if my alohamora will work."
If they knew I was fraternizing with the enemy, I wonder what would change? Would Harry treat me differently? Heh, Ron would totally hate me...Hermione would be disgusted.Mika's thoughts were interrupted when Mari spoke. "I don't know."
Mari blinked at the thought and took her wand out again. "Alohamora." She said and tried the door again. "I can't. I don't like unlocking things that are supposed to be locked."
Mika gave her a confused look. Things that were supposed to be locked were the best things to unlock. "Alohamora!" she exclaimed, opening the door. She explained, "When you're friends with Harry Potter, you get to go places...and unlock doors and stuff. It's an acquired talent."
"Oh." Marionie said walking into the room seeing all the portraits with different scenes. "Wow!" she breathed appreciatively.
Mika walked over to a portrait with a familiar scene on it. "The Gryffindor Common Room..." she read on the plaque below it. She looked at the other plaque on the wall, which explained how to use the portraits.
"So which do you want to try first Mika?" Mari asked looking at a snowy scene. This one seems much too cold, She thought privately to herself.
"To activate these portraits, use the All Seeing Eye spell?" she read with a puzzled tone of voice, "Each portrait leads you to a room where you may see things you never thought possible..."
Marionie looked over at Mika, "What's wrong?"
"The All Seeing Eye.do you know how to use that?" she asked quietly.
Marionie thought it over for a second then pulled the small backpack off her back opening it and pulling out a very large book with the title 'Spells for the Overachiever'. "It may be in here."
"Whoa...and I thought Hermione was the only one who owned that book!" Mika exclaimed.
Mari shrugged and opened the book finding the spell. "Hmm." she muttered flipping to the page.
".see things you never thought possible.what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mika said quietly to herself.
"To Use the All Seeing Eye spell, stare straight at the object without blinking and recite the following: Truth be told, eystintos." Marionie read, blinking. "That's so odd!"
"Why is that?" Mika asked, heading towards a portrait of a candlelit room, drawn to it.
"Truth be told?" Mari said, looking up. "Doesn't that sound odd to you?"
"Yeah, not to mention the part about seeing things you never thought possible." Mika agreed.
Marionie continued to watch her friend. "What are you doing?"
"There's something about this portrait." she replied, semi-dazed.
Marionie watched with interest. "Want to try it out?"
"Truth be told, eystintos." With that being said, Mika walked through the portrait and found herself in the candlelit room with a floating mirror in front of her.
~*~
"Your Muggle art phase is ridiculous!" Draco commented as he looked over his choices for electives.
"Oh really?" Blaise replied as she put the finishing touches on her sketch of her best friend, "Well, for your information, this not just another phase. At least, I've gotten my choices out of the way for electives."
Draco rolled his eyes at her. He still had no idea what to choose. "What are you drawing now?" he asked with a hint of irritation.
"Something a little abstract." Blaise replied vaguely, "It's good to see your fall in the mud earlier didn't affect your attitude."
"About earlier.mud wresting?" Draco asked, disgusted, "What the hell were you thinking???"
"Hey, if you weren't going to tell me anything, I had to find my own way of getting the truth. The way you're treating me, I seem to be insignificant in your life right now.what hap."
Draco interrupted her, "You know that's not true. Okay, so I've been distracted. Hello! My two enemies are in love.of course I'm going to plot to destroy their happiness. It's my nature! It doesn't mean you're less important to me."
"You're just wasting your time with Potter and Avalon." Blaise commented, "Two worthless Gryffindors who make me sick! Th."
Again, Draco interrupted her, "But Harry Potter isn't just some worthless Gryffindor and." he stopped abruptly, remembering what he had asked Mika to promise earlier and why.
"And what???" Blaise prodded him, "What else?"
".and I don't want some foolish Mudblood like Mika Avalon to think she can pull one up on me. I had a plan, Blaise! Why do you underestimate me all the time?"
"Because I can, Draco! Besides, you didn't have a plan this time, otherwise, you would have told me already!"
Draco scoffed. "Listen, just because we're best mates, doesn't mean you need to know every detail." he told her.
"News flash, Draco: I am your best friend and I know how you think. We go way back, practically since birth. We share a birthday among other things.or did you forget that? You don't have to tell me every detail because I can figure it out on my own! Why the hell can't you just be upfront with me?" As she spoke, she grew more and more frustrated.
"All right, all right.you're right, for the first time, I didn't have a plan, okay? I acted on my emotions instead of planning something. Deal with it, okay? There's a first time for everything! You expect everything to be the way it was when we were five, picking on the other children in the sandbox.here's some advice: why don't you just GROW UP, Zabini!?"
"Ever since your cousin Marionie's showed her face around here, you've turned into a.a spineless jellyfish! You have never acted on your emotions before.what's happened to you? I don't recognize you anymore." Blaise's hazel eyes were angry, cold and distant and filled with tears she was keeping from falling.
Draco sighed heavily as he turned away from the pitiful sight that his best friend had become right in front of his eyes and thought, If only you knew how hard I've tried not to change.
~*~
Marionie sat on the floor of the room and watched the portrait version of her friend.
Wow...this is strange...oh! Guess what I'm seein'! Mika transmitted to Marionie as she peered at the mirror, watching events unfold in the Slytherin Common Room.
What? Marionie asked, though she could see her friend she could see what was going on.
Well.I can see the Slytherin Common Room.she replied.
What's going on? Marionie would have joined her friend, but she felt that the moment was better off for Mika to be alone.
Well, I see Draco talking to Blaise.and they sound like they're arguing. Something about not having a plan.Blaise said something about losing her best friend.I think I understand now.she went on, Seeing things I never thought I'd see.like Slytherins being somewhat human. I guess they're not all that bad.
Well, maybe they aren't. Mari thought back quickly.
I don't know...things are expected, promises are made...those things, you have to learn to understand here, Mari.
Understand what? It's not like a person is evil when he or she starts out, and a person can change.
Mika stepped out of the portrait and said, "Survival of the fittest...you have to adapt to survive the fight. You're either a good guy or a bad guy. That's just the way it is."
"Oh," Marionie said as she stood up, Hermione's words from the previous night replaying themselves in her head. Essentially, she knows to be what people expect her to be and keeps everything else in check. "Did you enjoy that viewpoint?"
"No, but when you're a Muggle born having to prove yourself all the time, it's the only viewpoint I know."
"Did you ever consider that things are not as simple as black and white, that there are also shades of grey?" Marionie pointed out, "There's always a middle ground. All you have to do is find it." She knew that Mika didn't really believe in the perspective she described. She could just feel that Mika had a big heart and she desperately wanted to believe that a person, even a Slytherin like Draco Malfoy, could change.