"So, Rita's banned from the castle, thanks to Dumbledore," Pansy huffed.

"Too bad. She was fun," Marin answered, closing her book.

"She called me pretty!" the brunette witch burst out while changing into her uniform.

Rolling off her bed, Marina mumbled, "lucky you" very quietly. Would she get bonus points if she acted as she cared? She rolled her eyes as soon as Pansy turned away, but a great shiver made it less dramatic.

It was mid-December, and the cold temperature in the Slytherin Dorm Room made it hard for everyone to stay there. Dozing off in more than one jumper had become normal. The only thing that motivated Marina to continue was that Christmas was arriving. Soon, she'd see the woman who raised her again.

"Anyway, have you found a date yet?" Pansy asked, now desperately trying to tie her tie with her short fingers.

"For the Yule Ball? No." Marina needed to pick up the courage to ask Harry out before it was late. She reached out to help Pansy with her tie, shaking her head in hopes to clear it. "Have you?"

"I have someone in mind." She pouted her pink lips. "Think I'll ask him today."

"Yeah, let's eat first, shall we?"

The Great Hall was incredibly beautiful in the holiday season. Flitwick and the Ravenclaw house had spent hours decorating the gigantic tree that could be found in the middle of the room, and Dumbledore had put a charm over it, making sure that snow always fell from the ceiling.

The Slytherin table had been decorated with medieval ornaments, and the usual golden plates had Latin words on them. However, the students at the table were awfully quiet, either uncomfortable in the Durmstrang students' presence or pondering whether to go home or stay at Hogwarts for the holidays.

Marina happily marched to her usual spot on the table, throwing her arm around Blaise's shoulder. "Found a date yet?"

"Er," he began, not even meeting her eyes. "This girl from Beauxbatons asked me." Draco sarcastically began applauding Blaise from across the table, chanting the boy's name with a straight face. Blaise only shrugged it off. "Yeah, what about you, Marina? Found yourself a man?"

"Not yet," she smiled, reaching for the bowl of scrambled eggs. She could feel the lot of Durmstrang students look her way. People cared about the champions' private lives. Was Isak one of them? "Someone asked me, but... I don't know..."

Blaise smiled carefully, muttering something about how she needed to find someone kind and gentle who could treat her right.

"Actually," Pansy spoke loud, stealing the attention of half the table, including some Durmstrang boys. "I want to say something!" She went on to stand on her bench, folding her hands. "Draco-poo! One can simply not deny our love! We were made for each other. And so, I wonder if you wanted- I mean- would you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Marina had to bit her lip to not laugh aloud as Draco dropped his spoon into his cereal, his face going tomato red. "Uhm..." He sighed loudly. "I guess."

Pansy Parkinson began jumping up and down at once, and the Slytherin table fell silent once again. Though, Marina could swear that she spotted Millicent Bulstrode passing Daphne Greengrass five galleons under the table.

Potions class later that day was surely a journey. The whole class, Draco was cursing himself for saying yes to Pansy, and Marina was the lucky one to hear all of it, as she sat next to him in every class.

Draco's anger had grown throughout the day, so when he saw Potter sneak in line to exit the door to the classroom before him, he could not contain his anger.

"Hey, Scarhead," the blond shouted, running after Harry into the hallway. "Enjoying yourself lately? Seeing how Marina kicked your arse in the last champion task, I guess you'll have to accept it."

"Accept what, exactly?" Harry snapped, dropping his bag to the floor.

"That we truly are your superiors!"

Marina ran out of the classroom when she heard her name, and was shocked to see Draco and Potter across from one another, both with their wands out.

"Moody's not here to look after you now – do it, if you've got the guts," Draco dared.

 For a split second, the boys looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, they both acted.

 "Furnunculus," Potter yelled.

 "Densaugeo," screamed Draco.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in mid-air, and ricocheted off at angles – Harry's hit Goyle in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Both of them had left the classroom at the wrong time. Marina supposed she was lucky neither of the lights had reached her.

Goyle bellowed and put his hands to his nose, where great ugly boils were springing up. Hermione, whimpering in panic, was clutching her mouth.

 "'Mione!" Ron hurried out of the classroom, running to his friend to see what was wrong with her. It wasn't a pretty sight: Hermione's front teeth – already larger than average – were now growing at an alarming rate; she was looking more and more like a beaver as her teeth elongated, past her bottom lip, towards her chin.

Marina felt anger take over her body as she shoved past Malfoy, hurting his shoulder in the act. She had told him to keep a low profile. But when. she was to speak to him - curse him - a dark voice spoke.

"And what is all this noise about?" Snape had arrived, watching the scene through the curtain of his greasy hair. He pointed a long, yellow finger at Draco. "Explain."

 "Potter attacked me, sir –"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted. "And he hit Goyle – look!"

Snape examined Goyle, whose face was now uglier than ever before. Marina looked between them, not saying a word.

"Hospital Wing, Goyle," the professor said calmly.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron cried. He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth – she was doing her best to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now grown down past her collar.

Pansy Parkinson, standing behind Snape, was doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione.
 
Snape looked coldly at the Gryffindor, then said, with a steady voice: "I see no difference."

Hermione let out a whimper; her eyes filled with tears. Marina stood motionless. Harry was right there, and the Head of her House had just humiliated his best friend. If there was a time to make him believe that she was good, it was now. And Snape would understand if she snapped at him; he knew about her mission.

"How dare you?" she suddenly hissed. All heads turned her way at once. "How dare you pick on your students? Who gave you the right to do that? You think you're special?"

She almost impressed herself with how good of an actress she was. Snape looked at her with empty eyes, not even lifting his lip. He was gifted a look that screamed play along from her.

"Defending a mudblood, Marina?" Pansy asked cheekily. She ignored her.

"You're nothing, Professor - nothing, if you bully your own students, who are supposed to trust you!"

Marina could spot Neville Longbottom, who had unfortunately revealed that his boggart was Snape himself in their third year, looking at her with his jaw dropped, and she dared to glance Harry's way before she turned to Hermione.

"Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey."

Being the excellent matron she was, Pomfrey shrunk the Gryffindor's teeth in a few minutes. Marina was standing at the corner of the great room, biting her nails; Pansy's voice echoed in her head.

Defending a mudblood, Marina?

Goyle had been treated quickly and left without even looking at Marina. She knew the other Slytherins would hate her after this. It was a girl from a different house than hers she had defended.

"Marina?" Harry spoke softly, approaching her. She put aside her thoughts for a second to fake a smile. "Do you want to sit with us?"

"I think I have to get back to my Common Room," she hurried and looked down at the floor.

"Are you sure?" he asked, to which she nodded. But just as he was about to turn, she opened her mouth again.

"Well, there was one thing I've been meaning to ask you."

Harry smiled a shy smile. "Yeah?"

"Would you maybe-"

"Watch yourself, Scarhead!" The voice of Draco echoed in the room as he came bursting in the door, "This is all your fault!"

Marina snapped her mouth shut and watched him pull up the sleeves of his uniform. He was marching toward Harry, who was taking a step back. Quickly, she found her wand inside her pocket, holding it between her fingers without ever drawing it. She would only need it is Draco's anger got the best of him.

"Watch yourself, Malfoy!" Harry answered quickly. "Make sure Moody's not here before you start something."

The many walls built of adrenaline and confidence were smashed inside her. She had been preparing to ask Harry to the Yule Ball for days, and Draco had ruined it all in a few seconds. Reaching for her cousin's arm, she turned toward the door.

Marina wasn't used to feeling like this, embarrassed and anxious, so when she felt her face go all red and warm. She had almost asked Harry to the ball.

Dragging Draco out of the Hospital Wing with her, she tried to get rid of the unpleasant feeling created inside her. Pushing him up against the wall in the hall, she gritted her teeth together, "What did you do that for? I almost had him, you idiot!"

He did an attempt at pushing her away. "You're mad! Running around and defending mudbloods! I hope your father saw that! I hope he heard everything you said to Snape!"

"It was an act!" she whispered.

"Oh, was it? It didn't seem like it!" Draco answered louder.

Marina rolled her eyes. "You're so stupid. And now you've ruined everything. I was supposed to ask him to the ball before you came in."

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Well, you'd get rejected, anyway. He's going with Cho Chang, haven't you heard?"

"What?"

"That would have been embarrassing for you. You should be glad I stopped you," he huffed.

Why hadn't anyone told her that Harry was taken?