A simpler world where Charles and Erik got along and Wanda, Pietro, and Lorna all went to study at the institute for a year.

Part One: The Institute

KURT

The first day of classes on a new term didn't usually mean new students-at least not at the Xavier institute. Students always arrived sporadically throughout the year, as the Professor found young mutants who needed the opportunities available exclusively at his school for gifted youngsters.

This year was different.

When Kurt walked into the first period orientation (late) he found Professor Xavier introducing three new students.

"Ah, Mister Wager, good of you to join us," said the Professor, "I was just introducing our newest students: Pietro, Wanda, and Lorna."

The new students were obviously siblings, though they all looked different. The boy had silvery hair, an athletic, muscular build, and a perfect, shit-eating grin. He looked like trouble. The youngest and smallest had messy waves of green hair, her limbs drawn in and her head ducked shyly. Kurt offered her a small smile and a wink, but she would barely look at him.

Then there was the other one. The twin of the boy.

She was tall for a girl, willowy, with thick, wavy brown hair and blue eyes too big for her slender face. Stunningly pretty, though there was a fierce spark in her eyes and a sullen set to her lush mouth. She did not seem thrilled to be there.

"I want everyone to make our newest students feel welcome," continued the Professor as Kurt found his seat, "and to set good examples for them." He directed that comment to Kurt. "Please treat them the way you would treat any of your peers, and help them get settled in."

After orientation the new students were quickly swarmed by their curious classmates, who wanted to know where they were from and what their powers were. Kurt hung back a little. Not every new student was comfortable with his peculiar appearance, and he didn't want to scare them, especially little Lorna. Though he did get close enough to listen in on the conversations, which were mostly Pietro bragging, and he learned that their father was none other than Magneto, the Professor's oldest friend and one of the world's most powerful mutants. He also learned that they were from somewhere called Genosha, and were only going to be at the institute for one term, sort of like exchange students.

Kurt was heading out the door to go to his next period when he felt someone watching him. He turned to find the brunette girl-Wanda-staring at him with her intense blue eyes. He couldn't fault her for staring, though it made him want to shrink into his oversized jacket, but she quickly looked away, pretending that she'd never even seen him.

Later in the day, as Kurt got his lunch with Jean, Scott, and Warren, the new students were all everyone could talk about.

"Can you believe the kids of Magneto himself are going to the institute?" Scott asked, opening a bag of chips and crunching a couple.

"Yeah, I thought the institute was for underprivileged mutants," added Warren, "they're practically mutant royalty."

Scott rolled his eyes. "Says the rich kid."

Warren sulked; he didn't like to talk about his family. Kurt could relate.

"You two should be nicer," scolded Jean, "if the Professor thinks they belong here then we have to welcome them. Don't you think, Kurt?"

"Ja."

"The fast guy seems like a dick to me," Warren said, "but his sister, the brunette? Hot as hell."

WANDA

Wanda made it through her morning classes by letting Pietro take the brunt of their classmates' curiosity. She still couldn't believe that their father had shipped them off to boarding school. He didn't spend much quality time with them under normal circumstances, but this was too much. It felt like he didn't even want them. She'd thought that she was special. That her father would teach her how to be a leader, how to make a difference in the world. She'd been wrong.

At lunch she didn't feel like sitting with Pietro and the gaggle of fawning girls he'd already attracted, so she and Lorna sat by themselves at a picnic table outside on the back lawn. The sky stretched infinitely blue overhead, and she could smell the tang of the nearby sea, but it only made her miss home even more.

"I like it here," Lorna said quietly, bent over her lunch, a curtain of green hair hiding her face. It was as if she'd read Wanda's mind and knew the worst thing she could say. "Everyone is nice."

Wanda stabbed a piece of apple with her fork and pushed it around her plate. "Don't let them fool you. No one is as nice as these X-Men" she made quotation marks with her fingers, "pretend to be. I don't even know why we're here. What's the point?"

"Father said-" Lorna started, but Wanda cut her off.

"Father is wrong. We don't need to be here, we need to be on Genosha, where we belong."

They were interrupted by what Wanda would soon dub the institute's welcoming committee; a pretty red-haired girl in a green halter top, a tall all-American type with red sunglasses and a football jersey (did the institute have a football team?), a handsome blonde boy with cheekbones that could cut butter and enormous white angel wings-and lurking behind them was the boy who'd arrived late to orientation.

"Hi," said the redhead, flashing perfect white teeth, "can we sit with you guys?"

Wanda locked eyes with her. "No."

"Oh," the redhead looked taken aback, but there was a stubborn light in her eyes. She plowed forward. "Well, we just thought we'd introduce ourselves," she was now mostly addressing Lorna, who peeked out from her curtain of hair. "I'm Jean Gray, this is my boyfriend Scott Summers, our friend Warren Worthington, though everyone calls him Angel, and Kurt Wagner."

Everyone said hi except for the boy from orientation, who lingered uncertainly behind the redhead until she dragged him forward.

"Say hi, Kurt."

"Guten Morgen," he said in a fairly strong German accent, then flustered, "I mean, guten Tag, that's afternoon...and it's after lunch."

Wanda almost smiled at his adorable fumbling, then stopped herself.

She was not about to be won over by Xavier's well-behaved little students, even if he was cute, slim and lanky in an oversized denim jacket, with dark hair that hung down over his yellow eyes and blue fur that looked impossibly soft. When he awkwardly offered her his hand to shake she noticed he only had three fingers on each hand, and a whiplike tail that curled around his ankles.

Too bad he was one of Xavier's pets.

She ignored his hand, instead lifting her head and gazing at them all with silent disdain until they finally excused themselves and left. She didn't need to make friends because she didn't intend to stick around here long.

I said the last fic was gonna be the last one for a while but I was so! depressed! so here! I am! again!