"Ugh." I buried myself in a pillow in the Gryfindor common room. They sorted me separately so not to make me to apparent to the school. Everyone else was down at the feast but I was so sad. I decided not to go.

"Hey," Ginny came up. "How are you feeling? I brought you some food."

"I'm not hungry."

"Please come down to the feast."

"I'm a weapon. No wonder he wanted me to stay, didn't want me used against him."

"It's not like that I'm sure. Look you're a student here. Evil people as well as good attend here. They don't discriminate like that." She looked at me desperately. "Please come and meet everybody."

I smiled as she pouted. "Okay." I ran downstairs with her and sat next to Harry.

"Feeling better?" He smiled.

"No," I laughed, "Ginny started pouting. That's dangerous."

"Hey Harry!"

"Hey Seamus."

"Who's the cutie on your arm?" He smiled. Ginny laughed as she pulled on his arm. "You're of course cuter." He reassured her. She giggled and I laughed. That must be her boyfriend. I just looked at Harry and we smiled at each other.

"Sing for us?"

"What?" I looked at Seamus.

"We Irish lads have a knack for knowing who has an exceptionally beautiful voice even before we hear it, so will you sing for us?"

"Not here." I laughed.

"So, where did they find you?" He laughed.

"Um."

Harry just laughed and said, "what don't think I can get her on my own Seamus?"

"I'm an orphan. When they found me and told me I could come here, gods you better believe I took it. A normal life's boring and overrated anyway." They all just stared. "I don't know what would have happened to me without them finding me." I started to cry. I couldn't take it I as so, so grateful.

"Wow," Seamus looked amazed.

"I was given the opportunity to do something with my life. You damn better believe I took it." I suddenly felt my body being encased in warmth. I sighed and fell backwards into a long, deep sleep.

"Malfoy!" was the last thing I heard before I fell into my dream.

"Ah," I grabbed at my ears, the music was earsplitting, "What?" I looked around trying to figure out where I was. Wasn't I just with Harry and the others? This place, why does it seem so familiar?

"Because it's your home."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Persephone."

"My…" My eyes went wide as I stared at the beautiful woman before me.

"That's right, I'm your mother." She was so gentle. And beautiful, I thought she was queen of the underworld. My breath caught in my throat, why was my life becoming so odd? "I hope that you will choose a mate soon."

"Mate!" I snapped back to reality at that remark.

"Yes, you are a young Youkai, normally it's only right for you to mate soon."

"I'm a…"

"I'm sorry," she truly looked it. "When I ate of the underworld food I became not only a goddess, but also a demon, and that demonic blood resides in you. You've always known it."

"The tigress?"

"Yes."

"Where are you?"

"I now live permanently in the underworld with your step-father. Someday my immortality will return. I now wait for that day patiently in spirit form. Good bye my love."

I woke up to find that I was in the hospital wing. "Marina!" Harry shouted at me. My sensitive ears shuddered at the shock wave his voice sent through the air. I wasn't even used to loud noises so it was ever worse.

"Harry." I said softly.

"Nice to see you awake." He looked embarrassed as his certain outburst.

"I saw my mother."

"Your mother?"

"Yes, she told me that I was of demonic blood as well as a goddesses blood. And…" I paused not knowing how to tell him the last part.

"And…" he prompted.

"And that she hoped I was looking for a mate."

"A… mate?" He looked like he was choking on some invisible water.

"Well yes. I suppose by the way she said it hopefully before the school year is through."

"What kind of demon are you?" I flashed him a fang filled smile as he searched my face, when he saw my fangs he recoiled in fear. My tail came comfortably I haven't felt it in so long it felt so good. I would have never thought to mention it to them without that dream. It was white with black strips running down it.

"Guess." I purred at him, I didn't know it at the time but it was seductively. When my youkai form took over my body did feel the desire to mate more than just my mother wanting too. I wanted to. I couldn't help it, I kissed him and to my amazement he kissed back. I deepened it as my eyes turned amber. I growled as my back arched. I threw my head backwards as we heard the nurse talking to Dumbledore. I changed back before they saw me like that and Harry took a pillow and held it over his jeans. "Let's get out of here." I purred in his ear. With that we up and left so quickly that neither adult had time to stop us. We walked back to the common room and I had finally calmed down. "I'm sorry." I told Harry.

"For what?"

"For allowing my demonic side to get the better of me."

"I don't mind, please allow it more often." I laughed as I hit him. We walked in silence for a bit.

"So about this mate bit? Planning on choosing me?"

"You wouldn't be able to handle mating with me." I told him.

He smirked as he replied, "Want to bet?" I could feel my fangs growing. "Could you handle that no matter what I'd be pregnant with your child." I began to caress his chest.

"I almost lost you once. Some how after that being bound to you in such a way doesn't bother me."

"When I mate it will be for life and you are young."

"Take me for life." He whispered. Just then Dumbledore walked in.

"Marina." I looked to him my eyes glowing. "Please come with me."

"Be back later," I growled in Harry's ear as I got up to speak with Dumbledore. We walked out of the room and my senses cooled. He spoke softly to me.

"You are a demon are you not?" Blunt huh?

"Yes."

"And you are around the age where you are hunting for a mate, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"And you are to choose one in this school."

"Yes."

"Very well. I must give you this advice though, don't give into your instincts, choose wisely, someone both your demonic and human side could live with." My eyes opened wide. I had been giving into my instincts.

"Yes sir."

"Back to your common room then." I nodded and left, but I didn't go back to the common room. I walked to the lake to think about what he said. I knew my demon side was thrown into fits around Harry, but my human side. That was just confused.

"Hey." Harry's voice called from behind me. It looked as though he cooled down as well. "What did Dumbledore want?"

"To warn me. To tell me not to give into my instincts till I was sure my human half could live with that decision."

"I see."

"Yes, I was going purely on instinct."

"So then. What do you say going upon a date with me?"

"A date?"

"Yes, get to know each other a little better."

"I like that idea."

"Good," He smiled at me, "We're already on one." I laughed. I wonder will there ever be a time when I stop learning new things about myself. I'm sure that day will come, and when it does the final battle will begin… I roughly pushed those thoughts aside as I spent the day learning and laughing with Harry at my side.

"So," sun set came all to soon, I learned so much about Harry, his life has been almost as hard as mine only he's mortal. We are running from the same person. My damn father! I hate him. He will not hurt or take Harry from me. I gasped, does this mean that I actually am beginning, why did I think that? "Marina?" Harry was waving his hand in front of my face smiling. I would not let that beautiful smile go out. I promise myself right here and now.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. When I spoke to Dumbledore he decided to try to send us home to well, you know where, over the weekends if he can. He doesn't know how dangerous it will be, but after what happened with Malfoy he has to try. He says it's too dangerous for me to stay here."

"It probably is Dumbledore told me that they think Voldemort might be hiding in the forest."

"Then is it safe for us to be sitting here and talking this whole time?"

"Do you think he'd just jump out and attack us with everyone else around?"

"Possibly."

"Hum." He stared at me contemplating what to say to put me back at ease. "What do you have to fear from him?"

"Your life."

"Oh," formed on his lips as he stared at me.

"Well he can't very well take mine!"

"Okay, okay." He laughed. "Sit and calm down, you look like you're ready to pounce." I showed him my fangs.

"Who says I wasn't." I growled softly as I threw myself back onto the ground next to Harry. "Harry, don't you like your fame?"

"Huh?"

"You're famous, but you try to spend your whole life acting normal. All my life I've been to odd to be normal, but all I've ever dreamed of is being famous. Of having people accept me worldwide the way they accept you."

"I don't know. When you mate, how will you care for your children so young?"

"Oh, I work at a pub in Hogsmeade."

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah I'm a singer there. I make more than enough to support my kids and myself when it comes to it. I even make enough to hire a baby sitter."

"But don't you want to finish school?"

"Well when Dumbledore spoke to me about looking for mate in this school he didn't seem to mind me looking." Harry just nodded. "So for your mating you've got everything figured out."

"Well yeah, plus I know it's not just theory because I've supported young kids on my wages. I adopted a baby kitsune. He's my little baby. He left though. I haven't seen him for a while."

"Oh." Harry stared at his hands finding them suddenly fascinating. "Wouldn't you rather mate with a demon?"

"I'd rather mate with who I love, human or demon." The bushes began to move. I growled as I grabbed what ever or who ever were in them. It turned out to be two very frightened spies.

"Please." Hermione stuttered. "We're sorry."

"Yeah, yeah." Ron agreed. I dropped them at Harry's feet. My demon instincts were taking over again as Harry stood. His scent was floating along the breeze to my sensitive nostrils. I purred as I latched onto Harry. His hand instantly found it's way to my waist as he spoke to Ron and Hermione.

"So," he looked at them. "What were you doing any way?"

"Well, we wanted to know what was going on between you two." Hermione looked on the verge of tears as she said it.

"And you couldn't ask?" Harry snapped. I began to purr louder as his anger peaked making his heat grow. I knew my purring was having an effect on him. How did I manage to keep this under lock and key all this time? This part of me that made it so I could never be normal. The part of me I despised, the part that frightened me for so long, I was now embracing it. What is happening to me? Some how I know I know the answer to that question I just can't find it and I don't care about it either.

"W-We w-would have mate," Ron stuttered. "B-but we didn't want to seem to nosy."

"Oh, and getting caught spying on us isn't going to make us think you're even more nosy?"

"We weren't planning on getting caught." Hermione yelled suddenly. "It's her fault, she's a demon!"

"Yeah, so?" I looked at her; my fangs were becoming longer and sharper as I stood there facing her. I ran my tongue over them and watched her cringe. I leaned my head into Harry my hair falling over my eye; I stared through it as I watched Hermione gasp when Harry's other hand came up to stroke me.

"Harry!" She began to scream louder, "She's a demon."

"Yes," he answered, "and she's looking for a mate."

"Do you not get the meaning of demon?"

"I do, I think you don't."

"We come mostly during the time of wars." I told her, "The irony smell of the fresh, rustic blood calls to us." She suddenly looked to Ron. I knew I was speaking seductively and not even he could resist anymore. Hermione instantly slapped him. "Harry may soon be a demon." I whispered in her ear, so low that only she could hear. "Could be worse, I could go for Malfoy," with that I spoke to them in my normal voice. "I'm heading back to the common room." With a wave I left them all there, I heard Hermione collapse. I was still feeling pretty demonic as I began to look up the staircase. I knew I couldn't go back to the common room looking like this.

"Well, well, well. Hello again beautiful, nice to see you've finally," I turned around in time to see Malfoy pin me to a wall that spun into a secret chamber, "awakened."

I growled, "What do you want Malfoy."

"I know who you are, your father gave you to me."

"Bull sh…" But before I could utter the last word he lips crashed with mine. I instantly pushed him from me. "Get away from me Malfoy." I bared my teeth and growled.

"That sounds so good. Growl for me."

"It's not a good growl."

"Malfoy!" Hermione, Harry, and Ron were coming up the hall and they had heard me growling. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Jealous Potter?" He sneered. Harry was growing angrier at every word.

"Get your filthy hands off of her Malfoy!" He looked ready to pounce.

Malfoy looked completely taken a back. "As you wish Potter, her father promised her to me any way. Don't worry, she will be mine." Giving one last smirk he walked into the dark hallway and disappeared. I licked my fangs as I thought.

"You okay?" Hermione looked as though she was ready to sprint from me with any quick movements as she asked.

"Yeah," I sighed and became human again. "My instincts have calmed for right now. I think I'm alright."

"So umm…" she still seemed uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I've only read bad things about demons."

"They come about during times of war and bloodshed, naturally people wouldn't be to thrilled about them." Hermione sighed.

"Oh, it's nightfall." She commented.

"Really?" Suddenly I realized something. "Hermione, do you know what the moon is tonight?"

"I believe it's a new moon tonight, why?" But I was already gone by time she asked. I had disappeared into the shadows. I had to get back to my common room fast. I doubt my father would know about my weak period, but just in case he did I wasn't going to take any chances. I could see my long black hair shortening from knee length to mid back length. The color was also changing it was turning blond. Suddenly my whole body began to pulsate. I ran up the stairs as my fangs and nails began to shorten. "Mimbulus Mimbletonia." I whispered to the portrait as I ran inside. Good, I made it just as I became completely human.

I knew I looked truly different as a human; I couldn't let anyone see me like this. I began to slink through the shadows upstairs to my dorm. I ran behind the curtain only to find Hermione already on the bed. "Slinking through the shadows takes longer than straight walking." She commented. Then she looked up at me and gasped. "Marina?"

"Yes?" I asked meekly.

"Oh my god. Come with me." She pulled me as easily as she would have any girl who was made of paper. In my human form I was small and frail. I had little muscle tone to my body any more.

"Harry!" She shouted as she ran into the boy's dorm. "Ron!"

"Yes? Did you find her?" Harry replied.

"Uh huh." She nodded as she pushed me in front of them.

"Harry," I greeted them softly and gently, "Ron."

"Marina?" Ron's eyes instantly skimmed the length of my body. "Is that really you?"

"Yes." I didn't know what to tell them.

Harry hadn't said a word yet; he seemed to just be coming out of shock. He got up and walked to me placing his hand on my cheek, "What happened to you."

I walked to the window where the night's rays were shining in. "Tonight is the night of the new moon." I began to explain.