(Disclaimer: I own or claim none of J.K. Rowling's work or characters, the only character that I claim is Marie.)
Wishes
Chapter 6
The first few weeks back from Winter break went by in a blur for Marie and her friends. Her roommates, as well as Lily and Marlene had joined her in her training. Some of the Slytherins had also started running with the group in the mornings despite the cold. Soon members of each of the Houses had gotten curious enough and began joining them. Marie smiled to herself when she heard a group of Purebloods gasping out of breath because they weren't used to such rigorous physical activity.
When she was asked why she was training one Saturday morning, she explained that she wanted to stay fit and planned to look into playing Quidditch, possibly professionally. Some of the people assembled laughed because they had never seen her even fly. The conversation led to James and her friends egging her on and someone running to grab her new broom for her. She grinned at the envious looks when some of the Quidditch players saw her brand new Nimbus 1500. Its sleek design gleamed in the sun, as she carried it slung over her shoulder.
Marie accepted the gloves that James handed her with a smile and laughed as the twins bundled a scarf tightly around her. As the group made their way towards the Quidditch pitch she saw four figures strolling around the pitch talking. Upon closer inspection she recognized Alphard, Nikolai, and three unfamiliar gentlemen. Judging from the gasps of some of the guys present, she knew that they were clearly important.
"Ah, just the girl we were speaking about!" Alphard called out, beckoning Marie over. "Marie, I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Michael Quintin, manager of the Appleby Arrows, Mr. Igor Volker, manager of the Vratsa Vultures, and Mr. Brice Stretton, manager of Puddlemere United. I've been telling them all about how well you fly and they were curious to see for themselves."
Marie grinned at them and shook their hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you gentlemen. How fortuitous of you to be here today, I've just been hounded into showing some of the naysayers that I can indeed fly," she told them with a laugh.
Nikolai stepped forward and gave a hearty laugh. "Marie had never before flown until this past break," he said in a thick Bulgarian accent. "She was soon flying like she'd been born on a broom."
"Well why don't we see what you've got Marie?" Mr. Quintin asked skeptically.
Marie shrugged, "sure why not?"
Swinging her broom around in front of her, she threw her leg over and launched up in the air. James hauled the box of Quidditch training balls towards the center of the field. He released the snitch and called out to Marie, who was flying laps overhead. She tilted the broom handle down and went into a steep dive before evening out and slowing to skim her toes over the grass. James pointed to the box and then up and she set off in search of the Snitch. They had practiced this for weeks; each time without fail she would find the Snitch with little trouble.
Marie circled overhead as her surroundings fell away around her. Her sole focus was catching sight of a flash of gold. Ten minutes later she caught sight of it and urged her broom forward after it. With a laugh, she raced around the pitch, diving and circling until her gloved hand closed over the small gold ball. She raised her hand high and there was a cheer below. Her broom touched down and she was picked up and spun around by her friends.
Marie disengaged from her group of friends and approached the older gentlemen who watched in amusement. Her face was windswept and her cheeks were flush with excitement. With a grin, she held out the Snitch to Mr. Quintin and Mr. Stretton.
The two managers were looking at the small girl with looks of shock on their faces. The girl flew like she was born in the air. Her petite stature and speed was clearly an advantage for her. There was a grace to her movements and a fluidity that many did not even come close to possessing.
"How old did you say you were?" Mr. Stretton asked.
Marie laughed prettily, "I was under the impression it was impolite to ask a lady her age. But, if you must know I've just turned fifteen in December. I've another year of schooling to finish after this one. Who knows that my future will hold?"
"Fifteen," Mr. Quintin said weakly. "You're only fifteen?"
Alphard coughed to hide his amusement. "Come gentlemen, you wanted a meeting with my ward and you've had it. Besides her ownership and stockholding in some of the team's limits her options for whom she can play for."
"What teams?" Stretton demanded, eager to know if he could pick her up once she had graduated.
"It is my understanding that Marie hold partial ownership to the Falcons, and stocks in both the Magpies and Harpies." Alphard told the managers, who were now eager to have her on their teams. "Marie of course will finish her schooling and decide her options for her future at a later date. She had many options available to her, why even the Ministry is courting her!"
Marie blushed, but sent a glare at Alphard. He was obviously trying to get the Quidditch managers thinking and competing for her on their rosters. She smiled and ducked her head a bit. Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at her friends and the others that had been on the field watching. Catching James's eye, she winked at him before carefully schooling her features.
"To be honest gentlemen, I don't even play for my House team here at school," she told them with a rueful shrug.
"Why the Hell not!" demanded the manager of the Vultures.
Marie giggled, "Well sir, until recently I wasn't even sure if I could fly, much less play. I have a lot to learn still. With my Family obligations and school, I wasn't sure that I would have time to play, but I think that if it's something that I really wanted a compromise could be reached."
"Of course," Alphard exclaimed. "Marie has a fairly large group of Guardians that will be looking out for her best interests. If she wants to play and it makes her happy, then so be it."
"Ideally, we would want for her to wait until she is seventeen before playing professionally, if that is indeed what you're hinting at gentlemen," Nikolai added.
"But of course!" Quintin interjected. "She's far too young to consider signing now, but I think that we can expect great things from her in the future!"
It was decided that they all wanted to play a game of Quidditch while the weather still held. Marie grinned when she saw that the teams were a mix of all of the Houses. She obviously stayed on James's team out of loyalty. It was a fun game that all of the students enjoyed. Everyone was trying their best and playing their hardest. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that the managers where writing down some notes watching the game. She caught the eye of a couple of Seventh years and grinned at them. Alphard and Nikolai led the three gentlemen towards the castle after they watched the pick-up game of Quidditch.
When they all touched touch Marie was picked up by a Seventh year Slytherin who spun her around with a whoop! She was passed to the waiting arms of others who had been given a spontaneous opportunity to meet and play in front of some of the well-known names of the game. They all essentially had a show case and impromptu and informal try-out in front of the managers.
"I don't know how you did it, but thank you!" one of the Seventh years said.
"Why are you thanking me?" Marie asked in confusion.
"While some of us may have had the chance to try-out for professional teams, they're often very selective. What happened here today is something that none of us could have ever hoped or dreamed of happening!" a thick Scottish brogue answered.
Marie shrugged. "Well it's not like I know they were going to be here. We were just running our morning work outs and having fun. I just wanted to shut some of you up and show you that I can in fact fly."
"Blood Hell Marie!" one of the Hufflepuffs exclaimed. "You don't just fly lass! Why don't you play on the House team?"
"Well like I said, it's not like I knew that I could even fly, much less play the game." She explained. "I don't want to take away from our current teammates. I'd love to play, but we'll see what happens."
"Marie," Kyle, the Gryffindor Seeker approached, "If you want to play you've got the spot. I'll stay on as reserve or we can swap off during the games. I've got another three years of school, you leave after next year."
"I can't ask you to do that Kyle!" she said in concern. "You earned your spot on the team!"
"Let's be honest here Marie, had you tried out back in September I wouldn't even be on the team right now." Kyle told her.
Gideon and Fabian stood nearby grinning at her. The rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were nodding at her and smiling. The players of the other Quidditch teams knew that they now had some serious competition. Whereas the Gryffindor team was on par before, it was now a serious threat with her stepping in at the Seeker position.
Marie and the mixed group of students walked towards the castle laughing. She had her broom slung over her shoulders as the grouped walking and talking excitedly with one another. At the steps of the entrance they were met by Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall. The two witches greeted Marie and the group with suspicion, it was a rather large group of sweaty, windswept Quidditch players all walking and talking together.
"Miss Stone, we've just had Lord Black, Lord Krum and three guests stop by to speak to us," Professor McGonagall prompted.
Marie laughed, "I'm sure that you did Professor. Lords Black and Krum as you know are two of my Guardians. They thought that Mr. Quintin, Mr. Stretton, and Mr. Volker should come meet me. What they weren't expecting was a Quidditch exhibition with members of each House playing."
Madam Hooch gave her a piercing look. "All four Houses?"
"Yes Madam, all four Houses. We had a pick-up game with members from each House on both teams. There were substitutions half way through to give everyone a chance to play," Marie told her with a sly look. "It would seem that they managers were impressed with the talent here in the school."
"They were indeed." Madam Hooch said. "I wouldn't be surprised if this set the precedence for the future trials."
There was a burst of excited murmuring in the group. The two professors allowed the group to enter the castle. They all went to their separate Common Rooms to change and get ready for lunch which would be ready in just a short while. Marie was practically skipping along humming as she went, much to the amusement of her friends.
If it was one thing that Marie missed it was the music of her own time. She currently had a Janet Jackson song from the nineties stuck in her head. It took everything that she had not to start dancing the way that she would have had she been at home with her old family and friends. 'Escapade' always put her in a good mood and this time just thinking about it was no different. Her eyes danced merrily as she hummed the tune, which none of them had heard before.
"What song is that Marie?" Gideon asked curiously.
"Oh, well I'm not sure that I should talk about it. It's music from home," she said while looking at him pointedly.
"Right," he answered.
They reached the tower shortly after. Marie was now going through a mental playlist of songs and realized that she really missed home. Humming to herself she skipped up the stairs to her dorm and put her broom away before heading to the shower. Once there she shed her workout gear and stood under the hot spray. Lathering the soap, she began singing another Janet song. Rinsing she set about washing her long black hair. Once done she danced into the dorm in a towel still singing quietly. Digging in her wardrobe she pulled out a pair of soft, light washed flare jeans. She settled on a navy collared blouse with three quarter length sleeve. She quickly dressed and braided her hair back. Tugging on socks, she searched for her boots. Once she was satisfied with the way she looked, she left the dorm still humming.
Entering the Common Room she found her roommates waiting for her. They were all grinning at her. "So Marie, what were you singing?" Dorcas asked teasingly.
Marie blushed deeply, "Ah nothing. Ready for lunch?"
"Cute outfit by the way," Sophia said. "That's more of a Muggle outfit right?"
"Yes, this is more Muggle," Marie said.
"Alright ladies," Melody said, "let's head to lunch."
The group looped arms together and made their way to the Great Hall walking and laughing. Many hadn't seen Marie dressed quite that way before. She usually wore trousers or skirts that were often selected from Wizarding clothing. To see her in a snug pair of jeans was a bit of a change that they would have to get used to, especially the males. Her outfit, though more Muggle, was still stylish and tasteful, even by Wizarding standards.
"So Marie, what was that song again?" Prudence asked.
"What song?" Gideon asked.
"No idea, she was singing in the shower," Dorcas said with a grin.
"She was humming on the way back from the Pitch," Fabian offered.
"It was a song from home. I'd rather not get into it too much." Marie said quietly. "I miss music and dancing," she said with a sigh.
"Dancing?" Sophia asked in interest.
Marie blushed. "Yes I miss dancing, but I won't do it here."
"Why ever not?" Dorcas asked.
Marie looked around at their curious faces with wide eyes. "Dancing at home was a bit different," she said pointedly looking at her boys, who nodded in understanding.
Lily chimed in, "True dancing in the Muggle world is surely more relaxed than it is here. It's probably seen as being a bit too provocative." The redheaded girl said while blushing.
Marie nodded and grinned, "Exactly!"
The Prewett twins eyed her critically. "Well then, no dancing for you," Fabian stated seriously.
Marie snorted, "I just said I wouldn't be dancing here with present company."
The girls laughed merrily at the sputtering of the males. "If you think we're going to let you go dancing without us there, you've gone daft Marie," Gideon told her.
With a teasing smile she looked directly at them. "I'll have an entire summer in Italy, not to mention I have a number of other properties that I can escape to."
"Absolutely not!" Fabian said scandalized.
"Too right, you're not dancing with our Snaky friends," Gideon added.
Marie's friend snorted in amusement, knowing that it was the wrong thing to tell the younger girl. The Marauders looked at her in horror as she stood. The Gryffindor table went silent seeing her step over the bench and into the center aisle with a smirk on her face. She turned and walked towards the Slytherin table and glanced over her shoulder with a challenging smirk. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she approached the Slytherin table with a grin.
To make things even worse, many of the Purebloods hadn't seen her in jeans. The snug fabric clung to her hips and backside, displaying her curvy little body as she sauntered over to the green side of the Hall. The medallion that hung down her chest bounced with each step and she smirked seeing the reaction of some of the guys as she walked past. Plopping down beside Antonio, she greeted the Slytherins at the table with a smile and laughed when she heard the strangled cry from the Gryffindor table.
She chuckled throatily and turned to Antonio who watched her with his eyebrow raised. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence my dear," he purred playfully.
Marie giggled a bit, "Tormenting and teasing my Housemates a bit."
The laughter at the Slytherin table in response surprised many in the Hall. Marie was clearly making history. She leaned over to him while the others nearby strained to hear the conversation. Antonio snorted in response and then laughed deeply. He threw an arm around her shoulder and quietly told the others.
He grinned at her before stating loudly, "Of course we can go dancing when you come to Italy."
The answering gasps and twittering gossip in response around the Hall made her laugh. "Wonderful!" Marie said playfully. "You see my Housemates are afraid that you'll corrupt me and that I'll get into mischief. They told me that I couldn't dance with you, so here I am."
Narcissus grinned wickedly, "Oh I do like you!"
"Where are we going to go dancing piccola?" Antonio asked.
"I'm not sure. I don't know where one would go dancing in Italy, but I've heard of three up and coming clubs," Marie said dropping a hint. Alphard had owled her last week telling her that the three clubs had been purchased, copy-righted and were under construction. She would be the silent owner, while the others were handle the business end of it, enabling her to frequent the establishments unhindered.
"Oh, do tell." Narcissus urged.
"Trinity is supposed to be opening in London in the next few months. I've also heard of Sapphire opening in Paris and Onyx somewhere in eastern Europe, Bulgaria I believe." Marie said with a thoughtful look on her face.
"And how would you know of them?" Bellatrix asked.
Marie smirked, "No one thinks the sweet innocent little Gryff would be listening to their conversations. Let's just say that I overheard a few conversations and these clubs are going to be very selective and exclusive." The answering laughs and snorts around her caused her to grin.
Eyes glinting, "How exclusive?" Rodolphus asked, clearly intrigued.
"Exclusive enough that some of the professional Quidditch teams are slated to be there for their opening," Marie said.
"How would you know?" he asked.
"Oh did I forget to mention?" she teased, "I'm partial owner of the Falcons and I hold shares in both the Harpies and Magpies."
"Really?" Lucius purred, playing along. "You've been holding out on us my dear."
Marie shrugged as she stole a roll off of Antonio's plate. "There's a lot that people don't know about me or assume they know."
Antonio and the other caught on to what she was leading up to. "Oh do tell Marie," Antonio teased.
"Can you keep a secret?" she asked in a whisper them with wide innocent eyes. She had caught the attention of most of the Slytherin House now, and knew that she had them right where she wanted them.
"Of course Marie," Antonio said in exasperation.
"Well, when I went to Gringott's they performed an Inheritance test," she said in a dramatic whisper. "I'm not quite a Muggleborn as we thought. I have magical ancestors on both sides of my family," she told them quietly.
"Really?" Narcissus asked.
Marie nodded shyly. "Yes, there were a few names on there I haven't heard before. They mentioned the name Perevell, which seemed important, but I intend to research more. I want to learn more about my family and the people that I come from."
"Perevell?" Bellatrix asked snidely. "That family died out long ago. Surely you hold no claim to that family's holdings."
"Claim to holdings?" Marie asked. "I don't plan on claiming anything. There are probably others who have more of a claim than I. My family is so distantly related to things that I'm sure I don't have claim, or they would have informed me right?"
Bellatrix snorted at her disdainfully. "Such ignorance will get you in trouble in our world Marie," she chided.
"Well I guess that I'll have to learn," Marie said quietly. "It's just relieving to know where I got my powers from. It certainly explains a lot of things. It's a shame that my family didn't know about this before now. We didn't have our family tree traced back quite as far as the Goblins were able to get it."
"Family is important," Bellatrix muttered with a clouded look in her eyes.
"Family is everything," Marie stated sharply, causing many at the table to look at her. "Mine was hunted down and slaughtered for no reason. I didn't even live here before the incident that left me orphaned, and yet they were still targeted for no apparent reason. It's inexcusable and intolerable."
"You'll make no friends talking like that here," Rodolphus warned.
"So you think that it's right to round people up and kill and rape them? You think that it's right to torture them?" Marie asked hotly. "I find it hard to believe the noble and honorable Pureblood families would tolerate such animalistic behavior."
"Marie," Rabastan tried to warn her as the tension along the table grew.
"Unarmed men, women, and children who didn't even know about magic all killed and for what? Where is the honor in that? I'm ready and willing to fight for what I believe in, but I'll leave the innocents out of it," Marie told them.
Marie stood and looked at her friends a bit sadly. "I don't expect everyone to agree or even accept me. I would hope, however, that people would be willing to consider and think about the things that other people say to them. Knowledge and information gathered before making any decisions is the key to success. Why make a decision blindly, ill-informed of the situation when you can easily weigh all of the options?"
"You talk as if you know our ways," Bellatrix said harshly. "You know nothing about us and our ways. You may be cultured and come from money, but you're still a Mudblood upstart! Look at you dressed like exactly what you are. You'll never be one of us."
"Bellatrix!" Narcissus scolded her sister while flushing in embarrassment.
Marie snorted and gave the other girl a nasty look. "Better to be a Mudblood than to be so inbred that I'll be sterile," she said causing silence around her. "You look down your snobby nose at me because my parents didn't have magic, and that's fine. What you and yours don't quite understand yet is that if you don't branch outside your family trees you will breed yourselves out."
"How dare you!" Bellatrix said while pulling her wand.
"I dare because it's the truth. The Muggles that you view as nothing more as inferior, dirty animals figured out that breeding with one's own family will eventually lead to sterility. There are known birth defects and diseases that will eventually crop up, if the child even survives childbirth. Did you know that where I'm from it's illegal to marry your cousin?" Marie retorted.
Antonio stood and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. Her magic had begun swirling around her as she began to get angrier. "Come along Marie, I think we should take a walk and cool off a bit."
Marie allowed him to lead her away from the Slytherin table. She had given them all a lot to think about. Her words had angered many of them, but for the vast majority it had given them pause. They would have to research what she was telling them. Her friends, except for Antonio, in Slytherin remained with the rest of their House to keep an eye on the situation and to do damage control if need be.
"I need to get out of here for a bit," Marie told him. "I need to get away from this and clear my head."
Antonio nodded to her friends in Gryffindor as he led the young woman out of the hall. He escorted her to get her cloak from the Gryffindor Common Room before they would head outside. He grinned when he saw her wrap her cloak snugly around her. Guiding her with a hand protectively on the small of her back, they made their way back down to the Entrance Hall. The two made their way out of the castle and headed towards the Black Lake.
Antonio transfigured a rock into a bench and led Marie to sit. They sat in companionable silence for a while. Marie's group of friends had joined them outside. Sophia brought her sister Serene along with them. Marie noticed that the pretty Ravenclaw was eyeing Antonio in interest.
"Is everything alright Marie?" Dorcas asked in concern.
"What did Bella say to you Marie?" Sirius asked. "The argument seemed to escalate a bit, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I shouldn't have let her get under my skin like I did." Marie said quietly.
Narcissus sat next to her friend and took her hand. "I'm sorry for what she said to you Marie. Our family has certain expectations of us," Narcissus said.
Sirius snorted, "You mean the whole lot of them are crazy."
"Sirius!" Narcissus chided. "Really now cousin, that's quite enough."
"Ah, but cousin you know it's true. With the exception of a few of us, the whole family is barking mad," Sirius told her twisting his face in disgust.
Marie stood and walked towards the lake. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself as the wind blew around her. Reaching out with her magic, she raised her hands in front of her, swirling the wind around her hands. Laughing softly to herself, she pushed out with the wind over the lake. Looking down at her hands speculatively, she snapped her fingers causing a spark. Snapping a few more times, a flame ignited and hovered over her hand. Holding her palm up, the flame grew and swirled in a ball of fire above her hand. With a triumphant smirk she turned to the astounded group.
"Blimey Marie!" James said faintly.
"I've been practicing," Marie said with a smile tugging at her lips as she looked down at the fire.
Closing her eyes she pictured the flames growing smaller and smaller until it had been extinguished. Gasps around her sounded as she felt her hand warm briefly. Opening her eyes she saw that the flames had gone. She put her hands together locking her fingers and pushed out, cracking her knuckles in the process.
"How?" Regulus asked inarticulately.
Marie looked at the rest of the group that was present. She realized that not everyone there knew about her or her powers. If they weren't sworn to secrecy it could pose as a problem. They others quickly realized the problem and the group circled around talking with the outsiders. Once they all agreed to swear oaths and vows, Marie explained as much as she felt that they would need for the time being to understand.
"So is there anything else you can do?" Remus asked.
Marie looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm sure there's quite a bit I can do Remus. I'm Elemental, a Sorceress at fifteen, so there's probably plenty I'll be able to do."
"Which Element?" Serene asked in interest.
Marie glanced at the group and smiled, "All of them."
"What?" "How is that possible?" and numerous other exclamations rang out among those that didn't know already.
"I don't have all of the answers. I'm still learning as I go with things. There's still a lot that I have to do before I graduate," Marie told them.
The groups sat talking by the lake for a while longer, but by then the sun had started going down in the sky. They started trailing off back towards the castle as it grew colder and darker outside. Marie walked with her arms looped through the Prewetts and winked at Antonio who was talking with Serene de Luca as she walked past them. The group broke up and went to their separate Common Rooms until dinner that night.
Marie went up the stairs to her dorm room and stored her cloak in her wardrobe. She grabbed her homework materials and went down to the Common Room to work on it together with the rest of the Sixth years in her class. They piled around the windows at the tables and desks working quietly while finishing their essays. She was just finishing the last paragraph when everyone was getting ready to head down to the Great Hall for dinner. With the last few scratched of her quill she finished her essay and packed her things. Once she had put her things away she met everyone back down in the Common Room and they left as a group to grab dinner.
Her friends noticed that Marie was relatively quiet that evening. She gave the right responses and joined in their conversations when prompted, but she didn't really seem like she had her heart in it. Gideon nudged his brother and nodded towards where the young girl was pushing her food around her plate. Fabian watched her as she took a few bites and seemed to drift off into her own world.
Marie sat back from the table and watched the happenings around the Hall. She couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was coming. Her hands began to shake as she thought about what had happened last time she got the feeling. It was like she couldn't get a clear breath and the sound around her was muffled. Gideon put a hand on her and Dorcas who was sitting on her other side tried to get her attention. They helped her to stand and led her out of the Hall. She moved mindlessly, allowing them to lead her towards the hospital wing.
Marie couldn't shake the feeling and her breaths started to come out in gasps. Fabian noticed that she had gone pale and moved forward as her knees gave out. He scooped her up and carried Marie the rest of the way with the others trailing behind them in concern. She clung to him and trembled, her fear was palpable.
Madam Pomfrey came hustling towards them as they burst through the door. She led Fabian to where she wanted Marie lain on one of the far beds in the wing. Her wand ran over the girl running a series of scans as she asked the others what had happened.
"We have no idea. One moment we were eating dinner and everything was fine. The next thing we knew Marie was shaking and pale, so we brought her here," Gideon explained.
"Marie, child can you tell me what's wrong?" Madam Pomfrey asked gently.
"Something is going to happen. Something bad is going to happen, like last time," Marie whispered hoarsely.
"What do you mean Marie?" the Mediwitch asked. "If we know what's going to happen then we can fix it."
"That's just it. I don't know what it is hat is going to happen." Marie told them emotionally. "The last time I felt like this my family was slaughtered. Evil is coming, something bad is going to happen."
Madam Pomfrey straightened and handed Marie a Calming Draught. "I'll make some floo calls to your Guardians. Stay there and relax, I'll be back in a few moments."
With her friends sitting by her side, Marie forced herself to relax. The Calming Draught was beginning to set in, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Dorcas sat holding her hand with Fabian sitting on her other side. Gideon had stepped out to discretely speak with Marie's other friends about what was happening. They were now on high alert and on their guard for anything that may be coming their way.
The mixed group of wizards that had been assembling to train and work with Marie entered the Hospital Wing with looks of concern on their faces. This group of wizards was brought together quietly by her Guardians to train her. They would also be the group that would be fighting with her. They would be an elite group of fighters that would have the Ministry's backing and blessings. Marie was already proving herself to these men and endearing herself to them.
The group of men wore black combat boots and black tactical pants. They had on dark gray shirts and had black and gray cloaks. On each of their wrists was a similar looking watch. These watches were charmed to be linked to Marie's medallion, so that if she needed aid back-up could be assembled and ready at a moment's notice. The underside of the watch had runes carved into it that once Marie called for aid, would warm against their skin. To others they looked like normal time pieces, but in fact were a complex blend of magic and Muggle technology.
"Is she alright?" one of the men asked quietly.
"I'm fine Miles," Marie told the sandy haired young man.
"If you're certain Marie," Miles said uncertainly.
"I really am alright," Marie told them. Her trembling appearance and pale complexion did little to allay their fears and concerns.
"We went looking for you when you didn't show up for our training session," Mile explained. "When we heard from Gideon that you were here we came as soon as we could, though the Headmaster tried to keep us out."
As if on cue the Headmaster entered the Hospital Wing. He walked towards the group, his displeasure clearly showing on his face. However, he was stopped when Dorea Potter and Elena Zabini stepped through Madam Pomfrey's floo and went to Marie's side. Any protests he may have had were silences with a warning look from the two witches.
"I'm fine really," told them with a shaky smile.
As she finished speaking, Professor McGonagall burst through the doors of the Hospital Wing looking frazzled. "Albus! There's an urgent message from the Ministry. There's been an attack on a large scale in London," she told him with her brogue becoming thicker with each word.
Marie closed her eyes tightly and fought tears. "How many?" she asked quietly.
"That's nothing to worry yourself about," Dumbledore tried to say, but McGonagall interrupted him.
"Too many Marie," she began. "An entire neighborhood in Muggle London has been decimated."
Marie stood and carefully schooled her features. Her eyes had gone cold and flat. "If you'll excuse me I need to go train and blow off some steam," she told them.
"Marie," Dorea said in concern, "if you need anything do not hesitate to contact us. It's what we're here for."
"I'll need a meeting with my Guardians as well as a representative from the Ministry set up." Marie told her tiredly. "This moves up my time table on things. I can't stand by and let this happen if I can somehow prevent it."
"Perhaps I might be of some assistance," Dumbledore said, trying to interject himself into the conversation.
"I neither want, nor need your assistance," Marie told him coldly. "It was at your insistence that I work with the Minister, or was that not what you were trying to manipulate me into doing when you called him here back in September?"
"I only meant to guide you Marie," the old man said in a placating tone.
"No, you had me backed into a corner," she retorted. "What other course of action did you see me taking when pushed?"
Dumbledore went to say something else but Professor McGonagall interrupted, reminding him that the Ministry was awaiting his appearance and aid. He quickly left the Hospital Wing and set off towards his office. The rest of the people in the wing observed Marie trying to get a hold on her thoughts and emotions.
"What do you need us to do Marie?" Gideon asked.
"Tell the others and let them know that I'll be a bit busy over the next few days," Marie said quietly. Turning towards Dorea and Elena she said, "I'll most likely need to come to London and the Ministry in the next few days to sign the agreement and set things into motion. The sooner I start helping hunt the bastards down, the sooner we start taking out their numbers."
"Child, surely you don't mean to fight?" McGonagall asked in shock.
Marie laughed derisively, "That's what they've planned all along Professor. I'll be right in the middle of it. On one side I've got Dumbledore trying to control me, on the other I've got the Ministry trying to pull the strings. What neither of them realize is that once the agreement is signed I'll be the one in control and calling the shots."
Dorea and Elena stopped her from saying anymore and led Marie to a corner to speak to her quietly. They assured her that they would contact the others and that they would come to collect her after breakfast the following morning. The two women informed Professor McGonagall that Marie would be absent from school over the next three or four days for Family and House business. When the older woman tried to protest, Marie flashed both of her Head of House rings, effectively ending the conversation.
Marie told her friends that she would meet them in the Common Room later. The nurse told the girl to not over exert herself and to take care of herself. Marie gave her a sad smile and nodded before following her comrades to the unused classroom set aside for her private training. Her group of trainers followed her into the room. With a wave of her hand she warded and sealed the door. The wizards took off their cloaks and the group began stretching out. Marie turned and faced off against them and began the hand-to-hand combat that they had been drilling into her. Her sole focus was on her opponent. She was sparring with her partner for a good ten minutes before she was knocked on her butt.
Miles stepped forward to give her a hand up. He handed her a drink of water before giving her a practice blade. She was breathing hard even as he came at her. With a ferocity that they hadn't seen she fought back, despite her fatigue. Even though he was clearly more experienced, she seemed to hold her own well enough for the first few minutes. Her age and lack of experience quickly caught up to her though and he disarmed her.
"Well done," he told her while handing her the weapon that he knocked from her hand.
The next round consisted of a mock battle of spell fire. Marie grinned at them wickedly. Even though she was tired and out-numbered, this was her advantage. She held her own against them even though some of them were almost ten years older than her. The fact that she could overpower them and continue fighting without a wand gave her an edge. They pushed her harder and harder with each round. Her muscles were trembling with the exertion that she was forcing her body through. By now it was nearly curfew and she had been fighting for hours. Miles finally called a stop to the fighting as he watched Marie overtaken by her opponent.
Miles and the others shared a look as the watched the young woman lean back against the wall behind her and close her eyes. They were concerned for the young girl, but weren't sure how to help. It was their job to make sure that she was ready for what was to come and they took that job very seriously. Her Guardians had specifically selected them to work as a tactical team with Marie. They trained as a group in various scenarios and spent time getting Marie ready as best they could. The fact that she was only fifteen didn't sit well with them, but now having seen first-hand that Dumbledore was indeed trying to influence her, they weren't ready to leave her on her own to face the future. They'd be right there beside her, loyal to the end. They had each Swore Vows and Oaths of secrecy, loyalty, and friendship, thus enabling them to be able to wear the watches that she had given them. It was like a two way connection between Marie and those that would fight with her when the time came.
Marie picked herself up off of the floor, leaning heavily on the wall of the classroom. With a groan she stretched the strained and sore muscles. One of the men announced that there was only ten minutes before curfew and that she needed to get going. Marie nodded in thanks and dropped the spells sealing the room. Miles and a couple of the others escorted Marie quickly through the halls and to the Common Room. They left her at the portrait and told her that they'd meet up with her at Trinity in two days.
Marie murmured the password and entered the Common Room. Her thoughts were lost as she stumbled a bit to the couch in front of the fire place. The groundwork had been laid for the three clubs and they would be opening officially in a couple of months, just in time for summer. Closing her eyes she leaned back with her had resting on the couch. Taking a deep breath and stretching, she groaned in pain.
Cracking her eye she saw that Dorcas had sat next to her on the couch. "Are you alright Marie?" she asked in concern.
Marie whimpered a bit. "I'm fine, a bit sore but otherwise well," Marie tried assuring her friend.
Gideon turned her face towards him and swore. "Who hit you?"
"Huh?" she asked in confusion.
He poked her right cheekbone causing her to hiss in pain and wince. "I'll ask again, who hit you?" he bit out angrily.
Marie waved him off. "It's not a big deal. They got in a lucky shot when I wasn't paying attention during training."
"They actually hit you?" James asked, joining the conversation. "Does my father know about this arrangement?"
Marie assured them that yes she was indeed fine. She had to explain to the overprotective males that it was part of her training and that they were teaching her to fight. It wasn't their intent to harm her, but they needed to prepare her. Their discussion was heated and took a lot of convincing, but she was finally able to get her friends to understand.
Fabian returned to the Common Room and handed her a tube of Bruise Paste. She smiled in thanks and headed up to her dorm to shower and get ready for bed. Once clean she rubbed the Bruise Paste where it was needed and crawled into bed for the night.
Groaning in pain, Marie awoke to her roommate getting ready for breakfast. She stretched and got up to get dressed. Pulling on her black tactical pants and a gray tank top, she laced up her combat boots quickly. Looking in the mirror, she noticed that the bruises had faded overnight. Sighing in relief she grabbed a bag and quickly through in a few changes of clothes, both formal and informal as well as her tactical gear. She strapped on her wand holster to her right wrist and made sure that her medallion was secure. Tossing her cloak over her arm and grabbing her black leather corset vest and threw her bag over her shoulder and made her way down the stairs.
Her friends were in the Common Room waiting as she had expected. She tossed Fabian the Bruise Paste and thanked him. Tossing her bag on a nearby chair she tugged her vest on, she laced it up and turned to the group who was now staring at her.
"What are you wearing?" Gideon asked.
"My combat gear," she answered. "My Guardians are going to be picking me up this morning after breakfast and I'll be gone a few days to take care of some things. My timeline has been moved up. You'll understand more when you read the paper today."
"How bad is it Marie?" Sirius asked.
"Bad enough that I can't wait until I turn sixteen here before I act," she replied. "The barristers and my Guardians have finalized the agreement and my team is ready, so there's no point in waiting."
"I thought you needed more time Marie?" Lily asked in confusion.
"As I said you'll have to see the paper to understand," she said with her complexion paling. "I can't sit by any longer. No more innocents will die if I can help prevent it."
"What do you mean?" Peter asked frightened.
"Come on, I want to eat something before I need to leave." Marie said, changing the subject.
Turning to Gideon and Fabian she nodded to them in thanks, knowing that they hadn't said anything. Marie looped her arm through Dorcas' and gave her arm an affectionate squeeze. She too had kept quiet about the night before. The group chatted about different topics on their way to the Great Hall. There was a buzz in the air as they sat at the table.
On cue the post came, delivering the sickening news. There were gasps throughout the Hall. The noise generated grew as more and more people read about the attack in Muggle London. Lily and the others looked at Marie after reading the articles. Marie nodded to them grimly and noticed the curious stares that she was receiving.
She tried to ignore the attention that she was garnering. Normally she wouldn't be dressed in such a revealing outfit, but the combat gear allowed for better movement. Dorcas poked her on the left shoulder with a raised eyebrow and a grin.
"Tattoos Marie?" her friend asked.
Marie forgot that people didn't know about her tattoos. She blushed brightly and shrugged. On her left shoulder blade she had stars swirling and sparkling, disappeared down beneath her shirt on her back. "Um, yeah. I've got a few," she said with a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Oh do tell," Melody teased from the other side of Dorcas.
"I've got the one on my left shoulder. I have one on my right rib cage of a Celtic Tree of Life. On my left hip going down onto my thigh I've got a red phoenix," she told them, blushing brightly when she saw some of the expressions on the faces of her peers.
"Miss Stone, you know that you're required to dress appropriately in the Great Hall," Dumbledore scolded her as he passed.
Marie quirked an eyebrow at him. "You're going to scold me about how I'm dress when there are a good portion of the girls in this Hall that have their skirts hiked so high that they're nearly flashing everyone? Gasp, you can see my shoulders and arms," she said completely deadpan.
"Be that as it may, your attire is not part of the acceptable dress code," he tried to chide.
Professor McGonagall intervened. "Now really Albus! What she's wearing, though different is perfectly acceptable. It's no worse than what others are wearing."
As the two colleagues began to argue in the middle of breakfast, the doors to the Great Hall opened to reveal Marie's combat team. The similarities in attire were not lost on the occupants of the Hall. Behind them were Charlus Potter and Augusta Longbottom. Marie pushed back from the table and shouldered her pack.
Charlus stepped forward and handed an official writ to Dumbledore explaining Marie's absence. When the man tried to argue with them, but Marie very vocally and publicly reminded him that she attended Hogwarts as a formality. She told him in front of the entire Hall that if he pushed her, she would withdraw from the school and hire private tutors. He back pedaled and accepted the writ, asking when she would be returning.
"I'll return when my Family and House business is taken care of," she told him tersely. "I've already made arrangements to have my friends collect my work and assignments for me in my absence. I'll get class notes from them and keep up with the pace of the work."
Charlus took her pack from her and raised an eyebrow at her attire. She grinned at him and pulled on her cloak, drawing the hood she followed as the group left the Great Hall towards the nearest floo. She took a deep breath as they floo'd Potter Manor.
Once everyone had arrived she took her cloak off and paced the room. The adults were talking quietly. She paused and turned towards them with an unreadable expression on her face.
"We need to make our way to Gringott's to meet with the Minister and then the books store. From there I'll need to stop in at Trinity to start setting up the wards and protections," she told them. "I'd welcome any advice along the way. I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of our troubles."
They agreed and set out for Gringott's. Marie requested that Ripfang escort her to her family vaults. In the vaults she selected a dagger, which she slipped into her left boot and another knife that she strapped to her right outer thigh with a leather boot. Nodding to Ripfang in thanks she requested that he bring her to her personal vault. She accepted the money bag from her account manager with a smile and proceeded to withdraw one thousand galleons. Stepping back into the cart she grinned when the goblin had them launching towards the surface. Marie laughed along the way and thanked him as she left the cart.
Greeting her Guardians, they looked at the knife with curious expressions. Alphard stepped forward and checked for any curses or enchantments on the blade. She had him check the one in her boot as well. Once they were all satisfied that the blades were safe, they left the bank and headed towards the conference room that the Goblins were providing. Marie bowed and thanked the Goblins for their assistance and hospitality. The Director and Ripfang nodded to her in acknowledgement. Marie noticed that her barristers were present and watched as they placed the contract in the center of the table.
Minister Blishwick and his entourage entered the conference room and seated themselves opposite Marie. He and his team of advisers read the contract top to bottom a few times. Their eyes scanned the document and their faces fell into frowns in certain areas.
"What do you mean with this clause here," the Minister asked, pointing to a section near the bottom.
"That would offer Miss Stone and her associates protection," one of her lawyers answered. "You certainly cannot expect her to follow through with what you're asking without some sort of agreement that she and those working for her wouldn't be prosecuted while carrying out your orders."
"What is it that she's asking for?" one of the ministry workers asked.
"Miss Stone and her associates would essentially be given carte blanche," her lawyer stated.
The Minster and his adviser blustered at the thought. "You cannot seriously think that we would give her a free pass to do whatever she wanted?" the Minister asked.
"And you cannot seriously think that a fifteen year old girl would enter into the service of the military, much less on a combative, tactical team working to take out the enemy," Alphard stated coolly.
Minister Blishwick and his team knew that the teenager had them backed into a corner. Either they agreed to her terms, which would give her free reign if he read the contract correctly, or she would walk away. For the sake of his people he couldn't let that happen. Scanning the document his brow furrowed as he was pretty sure that the wording in the last clause would allow her to declare martial law, should the need arise. He dreaded thinking that such an action would ever be necessary.
There was a clear outline of what her team, both known and those working behind the scenes would pass along information through a drop box in Gringott's and the box would be checked daily by someone the Ministry sworn to secrecy. The contract was iron tight and left no wiggle room. There would be a self-updating book listing the members of Marie's group kept safe in Gringott's along with the drop box. A specific budget was to be set aside for Marie's group to better equip them. It went so far as to adding a clause in the oaths sworn when the Minister and other officials took office, requiring them to sign the document in order to take their posts. He didn't like it, but with the Muggle government now breathing down his neck demanding answers, he didn't think he had any choice.
With a sigh he reached for the Bloodquill provided by Gringott's. He waved off the protests of his entourage and signed the document. Magic flashed and he passed the document to his Deputies, who reluctantly signed the document. Marie accepted the quill and added her name with a grim smile. Magic flared around the room when the necessary three witnesses signed.
Minister Blishwick stood and held his hand out to Marie, who shook his hand. "I look forward to working with you Marie," he told her sincerely. "For now we will keep your involvement private until such a time that you're of age. The public will have my head on a pike if they knew that I just commissioned a fifteen year old girl to fight their battles."
Snorting derisively, "That's the problem though isn't it?" Marie asked. "They expect others to fight their battles for them, while they sit back and allow it to happen."
The Minister regarded her carefully. "You're angry at the general public?"
"Of course I'm angry that they won't stand up and fight for themselves and their families. The information that I've been gathering states that if we all teamed up and fought back would overwhelm the Dark Lord's forces by two or three to one." Marie told him quietly.
"What?" one of his advisers asked in shock.
"They use fear as a tactic," Charlus stated. "They're vicious and not to be trifled with, but with information like that, how can we not be angered that it's now left to a teenager to take care of?"
The group parted ways as the tension in the room had skyrocketed. Marie and hers may have just agreed to help the Ministry by any means necessary, but lines were clearly drawn. She reluctantly had agreed to aid them. She couldn't in good conscience leave people, innocents, to fight on their own if they couldn't.
The group headed towards Flourish and Blotts as Marie had asked. With her money bag she began searching the aisles, scouring the shelves for books on defense and anything that she could find on Ancient Rituals. One particular memory from Hogwarts showed Marie Ancient Rituals and covens. She wanted as much information on the topics as she could. Stopping in one of the aisles she also grabbed a few texts on Elementals. Arms loaded with all of her purchases, she headed to the counter and paid for her purchases.
Charlus shrunk her books and stored them in a pouch for her. The group exited the shop and headed towards the public floo. They called out the destination "Trinity" and whirled away in a flash of green flames. Landing and stepping out into a large foyer, Marie could hear the sound of hammers and saw. They were in a private room in the back and had to walk out towards the noise to see the club and Muggle entrance of the facility. She could smell the fresh paint and lacquer on the deep wood of the bar of the club. Alphard led them around the premises and took them a tour of the club.
She grinned as she stood in the center of the dance floor. Turning around she noticed VIP sections in the balcony areas. The disco ball above caused her to laugh, though it would fit right in with the popular thriving genre of music. However, she was set on only having one or two nights a week set aside for solely disco. She wanted this to be an all-inclusive club that represented and welcomed all forms of music; from rock bands, to pop shows, she wanted a wide range of live music to draw crowds. It was a plan to make money, but also give her a bit of a buffer to get lost in the crowds and hold meetings when necessary.
"Perfect," she said while smiling at Alphard. He had been instrumental in making this and many of her other plans happen.
They left this club and headed to the other two, Sapphire and Onyx to check their progress and layouts. Once again Marie was thrilled with the facilities. She thanked the workers and her Guardians. At Onyx Nikolai introduced her to his wife Ivana and his extended family that had arrived to meet the group. He led them out to the streets of Sofia, where he showed them around the sites of the city before inviting them to his home for dinner. It was a great time for everyone, though Marie was feeling slightly out of place because she was so much younger than everyone present.
Later that night when she and the Potters arrived back in Potter Manor, she went upstairs to her room to change. There was an owl waiting on her desk from Antonio asking her where she was and what was going on. She scribbled a reply telling him that she had some business to attend to at Gringott's and Family business to attend to. She let him know that she would speak to him when she returned to Hogwarts and that his parents sent their regards.
Sighing she climbed in bed and closed her eyes. It had been a long exhausting day and there were still a few more days that she would be busy before she returned to school. There were plans to set up safe houses and a private base of operations. Her Guardians had arranged for her to meet with a real estate agent to search for and procure a Manor of her own, the additional space would allow for more training and privacy as things began to progress. Speaking of training, the next few days would be rigorous, as Marie and her team prepared for what was to come. So much to do and so little time, she thought as she started falling asleep.
Three days later, she walked through the Main Entrance of Hogwarts with her bag slung casually over her shoulder. Her clothes were neatly packed and she was dressed in a new outfit that Dorea had urged her to buy while in Paris. Entering the castle she took off her cloak and headed towards the Gryffindor Tower. Making her way quickly up the stairs she said the password and made her way up to her dorm room. She quickly unpacked her bag and looked at the watch on her wrist. If she hurried she could meet everyone in the Great Hall in time for the start of dinner.
Smoothing down the soft material of the high-waisted, flared legged body suit, she checked her appearance in the mirror. Her medallion hung down, a perfect accessory for the look. The wide shouldered outfit was snug without being distasteful. It hugged her curves, but didn't make her look cheap or tacky. She made her way down the stairs and waved to her Housemates as they made their way downstairs.
Walking down the hall she heard her name called out and turned to see Antonio approaching her from the direction of the dungeons. He raised an eyebrow at her outfit, but she just grinned. With an arm thrown over her shoulder the two talked and walked towards the Great Hall. He escorted her to the Gryffindor table before venturing to his own table.
Marie could feel the stares of her peers and classmates as she took a seat on the bench next to Dorcas. Her roommates asked her about her outfit and gushed about the thought of shopping in Parish. The guys just sat around and rolled their eyes at the girls' antics. Down the table Priscilla was making snide comments, but Marie and her group just ignored the girl. She chatted happily with her friends and followed them back to the Common Room to talk about everything that had happened while she was away. It was only Wednesday, so she still had two days of class.
The remainder of the Semester flew by for Marie and her classmates. She spent her time learning as much as she could as quickly as she could. Her hard work was paying off as she was excelling in her classes. She could do spells both with her wand and without it. Her Elemental powers were progressing and growing to a point where her mentors were now only able to give her advice. Her Quidditch game improved with the more experience that she gained. It became a norm now to see representatives from the different Quidditch organizations in the stands for the games.
As the last class of the year ended there was a cheer from the students and staff alike. Summer was now upon them and none of them could wait for the much needed and well deserved break that they had earned. Marie brushed off Dumbledore's urging to remain at the castle for her own safety and had her Guardians step in to divert his meddling. Her things were backed and she was ready to head to Italy. She would miss her friends, but was so excited to spend time with the Zabini family.
Straightening her light blouse over her camisole, she checked in the mirror to make sure that her outfit would blend in appropriately. The snug, dark flared jeans hugged her thighs and curves. She wore a strappy pair of wedge sandals and had her hair braided back. Satisfied that she looked alright, she waved her hand and her things finished packing and her trunk snapped shut with a click. Flicking her hand, the trunk levitated down to the Common Room behind her. Seeing that the others were getting ready to leave she followed the group down to the awaiting carriages.
With a smile, she greeted Antonio warmly and allowed him to lead her to his carriage. She would be sitting with him and his brothers on the ride home and talking to her about what to expect on their journey home to Italy. Waving goodbye to her Gryffindor friends she followed the tall Slytherin to the carriage that he had Marco and Lucius hold for them. They quickly reached the train station and went in search of an empty carriage. Antonio lifted her trunk overhead and she went to find the carts that her other friends were in for the ride. She made her rounds before returning to the cart that Antonio was in. The group waved her in and she took a seat next to Antonio, who had Serene de Luca sitting and talking with him.
It was a pleasant ride, with lively conversations and fun. Once the others left the cart, the door was sealed and Marie was handing out watches for her friends that she felt would need them. They each said the necessary Vows and fastened the watches to their wrists. It gave them a sense of comfort and a lifeline to know that they wouldn't be alone in what was to come. They wore them on their right wrist, knowing that the Dark Mark was on the left forearm. She briefed them on her plans for the summer and what they could expect. They were told of the drop box at Gringott's and told that all they had to do was flash their wrist watch and they would be led to the necessary location. The group knew and understood that this summer many of them would have to take the Mark. Marie reminded each of them, that if they needed her, she would be there.
The scarlet train pulled into the station and the students exited the train. Marie thanked Theo for grabbing her trunk and followed the taller Slytherin off of the train. Marco hopped down and turned to help her off the train. She smiled and thanked both of them and walked to where her Guardians were waiting. She hugged and said goodbye to many of her friends from each of the Houses. Her Guardians watched in great interest as they saw that she had indeed reached out to all of the Houses successfully.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that many of her team where standing casually around the platform. Her back instantly went up, but Silvano hugged her and whispered for her to relax, that it was a just a precautionary measure. Sighing she pulled back and called goodbye to her Gryffindor friends, promising to write and meet up with them over the summer. Elena shrunk their trunks and led the group to the public floo, where they went through to their townhouse in London. From there the group used the floo to their family villa in Italy. She exited the floo and drew a deep cleansing breath, taking in the clean, warm Mediterranean air and couldn't help but think that this would be an amazing summer.