𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎

𝟶𝟸𝟸-𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎

┌────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────┐

On Monday, Marilyn was delighted to read the interview Rita Skeeter had published in the Quibbler. She was very pleased that Harry had finally done something of the sort and found it endlessly amusing that Umbridge had soon after had another decree passed, banning students from owning copies of The Quibbler. Marilyn had taught several students in her house spells that would make the pages of the article look like excerpts from their schoolbooks or things of the sort and by the end of the day Umbridge had banned it, practically the whole school had read it and was buzzing about it.

Several weeks after that, Marilyn was in the forbidden forest acting upon the orders of Dumbledore. She darted through the trees to find Firenze, who had previously agreed to teach Divination. She had a bad feeling in her gut that said that wouldn't go over well with the other centaurs, causing her steps to hasten as she moved silently through the trees.

She suddenly heard shouting and the unmistakable sound of a hoof hitting flesh.

"YOU DARE BETRAY OUR KIND TO TEACH HUMANS! HUMANS OF ALL THINGS!" She heard and quickened her footsteps, coming across a clearing in which Firenze stood with a hoof-shaped bruise forming on his chest, and Bane, looking furious.

"YOU SHALL, BUT YOU SHALL NEVER RETURN TO THIS FOREST AGAIN! YOU ARE HEREBY BANISHED FROM THE FOREST, FIRENZE."

Marilyn appeared beside Firenze, her expression coldly expressionless. The centaurs' eyes flicked to her at once and widened, sensing her dark aura that happened to be pulsing with fury at the way they were treating Firenze. 

"I wouldn't lay a hand—or hoof—him again. The results won't be pretty," she said darkly, glaring at them with stormy eyes.

Bane shot Firenze one last venomous glare before turning and cantering out of the clearing, the rest of the herd following after. Firenze stared after them for a moment before turning to Marilyn.

"Thank you." He said.

Marilyn nodded, offering him a small smile as they began walking up to the castle. They reached the open doors of the entrance hall and Marilyn heard Dumbledore's voice booming out through the night mist.

"— the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if —and only if — the headmaster is unable to find one," said Dumbledore. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded.May I introduce you?" 

Firenze offered Marilyn a small smile before trotting inside, with her following a few paces after with a smirk on her face.

"This is Firenze," said Dumbledore happily to a thunderstruckUmbridge. "I think you'll find him suitable."

✮✮✮

Marilyn had dropped Divination when she got to choose after he fifth year, so she wouldn't be participating in Firenze's lessons, but she did hear many great things about them from the people who did.

On the last weekend of March, Marilyn was dreadfully nervous when she woke up. It was the day of her date with Sebastion. She technically wasn't allowed to go the Hogsmeade or anywhere seeing as it wasn't a Hogsmeade weekend, but she had her ways of getting there. She dressed in a black skater skirt with a dark blue shirt that the locket was tucked into. She had left her hair down in its natural waves framing her face. 

With a last glance in her mirror and a deep breath, she turned on her heel and disapparated from her dormitory feeling very glad there was no one else in the room.

She reappeared in a clearing just outside of Hogsmeade and walked into the village, glancing around. She was pleased the air had finally warmed up so she didn't have to wear a jacket everywhere.