𝗗𝗜𝗘 𝗔 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 ☼ 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆

↘︎ chapter four

Professor Chris Martin was teaching DADA. Marley was sitting at the back and had this class with Finn Hudson and Quinn Fabray. They were sitting together and Marley was behind them. The teacher was behind its desk and looking at the students.

"Hello, class. I'm really happy to see you here at Hogwarts. As you know, Defense Against the Dark Arts is a class where you'll learn how to defend yourselves against all aspects of the Dark Arts, including dark creatures, curses, hexes and jinxes (dark charms) and duelling. In class you'll do usually practical exercise and theoretical assignments for homework. You'll have this class until you are fifth year, when you will have Ordinary Wizarding Level - O.W.L."

The class went pretty interesting. Most of the time he was explaining about the most common and used Dark Arts by villains and wizards. This class was introductory for the students and all the time Marley was taking notes. When her classes for today ended the girl headed for the Study Hall, where she'd do her homework and had two hours to do it. She knew the direction but not the exact door for it and thought she might ask someone, when suddenly Angelina Johnson popped in behind her.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked nicely and Marley made an effort to smile. She was really tired and it was only her first day. She didn't want to think what would have been if she was older - like fourth year or something.

"I'm good, and you? Are you going to the Study Hall?" Marley asked and Angelina nodded. She had dark skin and hair, but she was really nice and Marley was sure she'll be friends with her. She reminded herself next year Noen Black will most likely come to study at Hogwarts and the girl will introduce him to her friends. If she was still with friends with them, but hoped to.

"I had Transfiguration with McGonagall and the twins the last two periods." she said. "What have you done, Marley? The twins were so upset and when I asked them what was happening, they told me you said you weren't mad at them but they didn't believe you. I saw you how you left the Great Hall at lunch but didn't think it was about the conversation for Snape. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Angelina." assured her Marley with soft voice. The two girls entered the Study Hall. It wasn't full yet, but Fred and George were already there and were taking out their textbooks and notebooks. Fred (Marley thought it was him) first raised his head and when he saw the two girls, surprise ran through his face, while they were walking towards their table.

"Oh my Gosh, Marley you're here!" exclaimed Fred with undisguised joy in his voice. "George and I are so so sorry. We know we acted like assholes but we are sorry."

"Calm down, Freddie. I'm not mad. I told you before the last two periods." smiled Marley at him and sat down next to George. She was happy she somehow managed to recognize who is who this time. "But can I ask you both a question?"

"Sure," said Fred and took out his quill and inkwell.

"How can I recognize you?"

The twin just burst into laughter and big grins shone on their faces. Angelina had sat beside Fred and a shy smile was on her face. The girls was holding her quill between her fingertips and ready to start her homework.

"It's easy," retorted George, who was next to her. "I'm the more attractive twin."

He winked at her and Marley just let out a laugh, this time she quite didn't understand how George could be more attractive when both the twins were sharing the same funny face. But only God knows how the twins were joking with stuff like that.

"I'm more clever." Fred smirked and Marley just rolled eyes desperately. That gesture made Angelina giggle.

"I still don't know sometimes who is who, but it's easy." the black girl said. "If you have noticed, George is a little taller. Not much, but he's taller and that's how I manage to recognize them most of the time."

Marley nodded in a sign of understanding and decided that it was time to start her homework. She had no idea how many times she had thought today of Angelina's words, but she was now almost convinced for that short period of time, the twins got really attached to her. She could feel it in their behaviour and how they were with her the whole day, while Angelina wasn't. Becuase she had other job to do, but the twins wanted to 'bully' the poor eleven-year-old girl.

Later, Lee Jordan and Alicia Spinnet joined the club and soon the Study Hall was full of students writing their homework and silence. Silence Marley felt kind of strange, because Fred and George were talking the whole day and even now they were quiet.

***

Later that night, the typical group of people were in the Gryffindor common room. Marley took the opportunity to finish her drawing she started yesterday at Hogwarts Express. She was sitting on the red couch, while the ginger twins, Angelina Johnson and Lee Jordan were talking. Other Gryffindors were also in the common room and chatting.

Her friends had left her alone and they were talking, but that didn't mean Marley wasn't listening to them. Thei conversations were about the Quidditch matches or about their classes. But the girl was relaxing, drawing with her black pencil the weak outlines of one of the trees.

"What are you drawing?" suddenly asked Angelina, her voice and eyes filled with curiosity. The twin switched their gazes from the black girl to Marley, who was peacefully sitting on the couch. She raised her head, looking at them. She turned her sketchbook around, so Angelina could see her drawing. The girl's jaw dropped and Lee Jordan gasped from surprise. Fred and George just smiled.

"What?" she furrowed her brows. "Is it that bad?"

"No, no, no..." Angelina was in a hurry to deny. "It's actually really cool. How did you learn to draw so well?"

Marley hesitated for a while. Was it a good idea to share with people she had just met that she was attending muggle school until she got the letter from Hogwarts. Maybe it wasn't a really good idea, but where else she could learn that from. There wasn't a logical explanation. "I was going to a muggle school. It's not a big deal."

Angelina shared a look with the twins, but didn't say anything. Marley realized she was too different from the others - she was a pure-blood who had attended muggle school, she liked drawing and for now she didn't mind Severus Snape. All the wizards looked completely different from her and for a moment she felt strange, useless.

"It's not, Mar." confirmed George Weasley, standing beside her back and a smile appeared on his face. That made the girl to feel better, because now one of the twins showed that he didn't mind how different could she be from them. She was still a witch with approximately normal life. "I think you should give Freddie a drawing lesson. If he wants one day to impress girls as much as I do, a bunch of lessons will be very useful."

Marley couldn't help but burst into laughter, the others joining her. She had to admit the twins' humour was something precious and they surely knew how to lighten the situation.

"Don't listen to him. I know exactly what to do." joined Fred with a grin. George just rolled his eyes jokingly. The little plays the twins were playing seemed to be very funny to watch and Marley was having such a great time with them. The five of them talked until it was bedtime. Marley fell asleep with the promise to try to keep her friendship with the twins.