I woke up at 4:30, got dressed, and started doing my warmups before I started dancing.
Once it was 7, I started to head down to breakfast after waking Natasha. On the way down to the Great Hall, I realized I hadn't changed out of my dance outfit, but I didn't bother heading back to change until after I ate as I was too hungry to care at that moment.
(Her outfit)
When I entered the Great Hall, I noticed that there weren't many people here, only a few for each house. I spotted Draco and Blaise, so I went over and sat down next to Draco.
"Hey there, fellas. How are you doing on this fine morning?" I asked as I sat down
"Hey, Mara. Can't speak for Blaise here, but I'm doing fabulous." Draco replied
"I'm doing quite well right now as well. What is this outfit you are wearing, Amara?" Blaise questioned
"It's one of the outfits I wear while doing ballet, duh," I answered.
"Can you show us some moves?" Draco pleaded
"Not right now; I am far too hungry to do anymore dance at this moment. I might show you after classes. Maybe even Tasha will show her moves too, or dance with me." I replied
"Okay."
At that moment, Snape walked over.
"Here is your timetable Ms. Shadow," Snape said as he handed me a piece of parchment.
"Thank you, Professor. Also, if you want to, you can call me Barnes, so we don't confuse my sister and me."
"I will let the other Professors know of your wish as well, Ms. Shadow," Snape replied with a minuscule smile, "I will see you three later in Potions, try to stay out of trouble until then."
"No promises, Professor, trouble always follows me wherever I am. Still surprised I am actually still breathing at this point." I noted, mumbling the last part
"Try your best, at least," Snape stated
"Fine, I will try, but if someone does start something with me, I am sure as hell gonna finish it." I said firmly, "Wait before you go, Professor. If I were to hypothetically have a couple of daggers or knives on me for protection, what would you or other professors have to say about that?"
"I would be fine with it as long as it is strictly for self-defense, but I do not know how the other professors would feel about it. Why do you ask a hypothetical question like that?"
"Because I wanted to see how you would feel about such a thing before I did so. We were taught to always have a weapon on us besides our own hands and brain, to help protect us from the people who wish us harm." I explained
"Well, thanks for letting me know about this. Am I correct in assuming Ms. Romanoff will do the same thing?"
"Yes, sir. Might be something different from a dagger, might be a gun as she is much more comfortable using those than knives."
"Thank you again for letting me know. I will see you later." Snape said before walking back to the staff table
"You seriously carry weapons on you at all times?" Draco questioned shocked
"Yeah, I mean not right at this moment, but typically you will never catch us without at least one weapon on us."
"Hey, Nat. Glad you could finally join us." I chirped
"Thanks for waiting for me." Nat sarcastically said
"What. I was starving and couldn't wait any longer."
"Let me guess, dance?"
"Yup"
"Why didn't you wake me up so we could practice together?"
"Tried, you didn't even move."
"Whatever. What is there to eat today?" Nat asked, looking over the table.
"Food," I answered
"Thanks a lot, that was very helpful." Nat rolled her eyes
"I don't know what there is for food. I am just grabbing stuff that looks edible and not poisoned."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once I finished eating, I ran back to my dorm to change before sprinting to the first class of the day. The whole day was a drag until potions, which we, unfortunately, had with the loud Gryffindors.
"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few who possess the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death." Snape started before glaring at Harry, who wasn't paying attention, "Then again, maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not pay attention!"
Snape stalked towards Harry.
"Mister Potter. Our new celebrity." Snape stated, "Tell me, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Harry just stared at him.
"You don't know? Well, let's try again. Where, Mr. Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?"
"I don't know, sir."
"And what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"I don't know, sir."
"Pity. Clearly, fame isn't everything, is it, Mr. Potter?" Snape questioned, "Now, Ms. Shadow, could you answer the questions?"
"Yup. Add asphodel to the wormwood infusion, and you got yourself the fraught of the living dead, a powerful sleeping potion. A bezoar is taken from the stomach of a goat, plus it would save you from most poisons. Monkshood and wolfsbane come from the same plant, which is also known as Aconite." I answered while sketching a dagger on the piece of parchment in front of me.
"Thank you, Ms. Shadow. Why are the rest of you guys not writing this down?" Professor snapped before everyone started scribbling everything I just said
"Today, you will be making a simple boils cure. The instructions are on the board. You have until the end of class. You may begin."
I went and got all the supplies for Nat and me before starting in on my potion. It was coming along just well before I noticed someone aiming my cauldron.
" I wouldn't throw whatever you are about to throw," I stated without looking at the person.
"Yeah, why is that Potter?" The Weasel asked
"First of all, my name is Romanov or Shadow, not Potter," I spat, "Second of all, you will end up with an angry professor, an exploded cauldron YOU will have to clean up, as well as having a dagger sticking out of your body."
"Like you have a dagger or be allowed to even have it here in school."
"Yes, I do. Three actually on me right now and at least twenty others in my room. I also have permission from the professors and headmaster himself." I said, looking up at Weasely
"What is going on here?" Snape demanded
"Nothing much, Professor. Just trying to keep Weasely from throwing an object into my cauldron to sabotage my potion and make me look bad." I replied, "also trying to get him to call me by the correct last name."
"That is not true! She was threatening me when I did nothing wrong!" Weasely shouted
"If you are going to lie, Weasley, at least try to make it believable or make sure there are not any witnesses besides you and the person you are framing. There are several people here who saw what you were going to do." Nat noted, "Quite honestly, I have heard babies lie better than you, Weasely."
I just started laughing at Nat's comment.
"What are you laughing at, Potter?" Weasely questioned
"You, Nat's comment. Also, my last name is Romanov, not Potter. The Potter family lost the right to claim me as their child when they fucking abandoned me at the decrepit orphanage." I snarled, "you will call me by the correct last name unless you want to end up on the bad side of the Academy."
"What is the Academy?" Someone asked
"It is a place that took in me and my sister and raised us, taught us how to survive, to fight, how to be ladies at the same time as we are fighting in a bloody battle."
"What type of school is that?"
"One that is necessary and absolutely amazing. It is not just some school or academy. It is a family; one full of trust, care, love, security." Nat answered, "no more questions about Amara or me, as we will not answer any of them."
~~~~~
"I might just end up killing that weasely boy soon if he doesn't learn to shut his mouth," I stated as I flopped onto the couch.
"I'll help hide the body," Nat replied
"I'll help as well as being an alibi," Blaise noted
"I'll be an alibi." Draco piped up
"Thanks, guys."
"No problem Mara." They chorused
"Now, how about we finish our homework before dinner." Draco pointed out
"Fine!" I exclaimed while flopping onto the couch
A few minutes into completing the homework, I started singing softly.
Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere
A singer in a Smokey room
The smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on, and on, and on
Strangers waitin'
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows
Searchin' in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin' somewhere in the night
Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on, and on, and on
Strangers waitin'
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows
Searchin' in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
"You've been holding out on us, Mara!" Blaise exclaimed
Nat and I just raised our eyebrows.
"You can sing! I didn't know that!"
"Of course, you didn't... I don't sing around those I don't trust unless necessary."
"Or if you are extremely bored, or if you want to try and annoy the instructors," Nat noted
"It really isn't that hard to annoy them, though, all I gotta do is look at them, and they are annoyed... except for Madame B, she doesn't get annoyed easily, which makes it more fun," I smirked.
"What is the name of that song? Also, why do you like to annoy the instructors" Draco questioned
"Don't stop believing by Journey. It's a muggle band." I answered
"Because she is ahead of the rest of our group at the academy, I mean she could honestly graduate right now, but she is staying behind so we can graduate at the same time. So she gets bored and decides that annoying the ones teaching us is an acceptable way to pass the time."
"How can you graduate early if you are only 11?" Blaise asked
"There have been people younger than me graduating from the highest form of schooling in the muggle world."
"Really!" The boys exclaimed
"Yeah. The schooling system is based on skill as well as age. The base of it is age, but the more skill and knowledge you have, the more you can advance through the grades." Tasha explained
"Wow." The boys said