𝙈𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙤𝙪𝙨 ✍︎︎ 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙋𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧

|𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄|

Mariana Rosewood was hurt.

She knew Cassius's reputation, but she never expected him to go as far as getting involved with her father. She should have been angry at Cassius. No, she should have been furious with him, spewing venom and insulting his unruly reputation.

But she was not. Of course, she was terribly upset that he had lied and manipulated her, but that was something she understood. He was a Kane. He was a Slytherin. He lived and breathed trickery and slyness. It was to be expected.

But her father? Her father who she thought trusted and respected her. Her father who she thought knew that she would never brashly act out and ruin the Rosewood name. Her father. Her father. Her father. Mariana clenched her fists. Her father.

-

"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak. It's just too horrible." The Granger girl said as she walked alongside her three best friend's. Hermione had noticed Mariana's unusual silence that had remained for those past few days. Of course, Mariana never said too much, only ever speaking when she needed to. But, the quietness that had surrounded her then, was much different than her usual thinking cap. Mariana was clearly troubled. "Mariana? Are you okay?"

Mariana's head shot up and whipped around to face Hermione. She feigned a smile, "Always."

Then, her brunette hair fell over her shoulders as she looked back down at the ground. This did nothing to ease Hermione's nerves. She was clearly not okay. However, the Gryffindor chose not to pry any further. She had known her long enough to know that if Mariana did not want to open up, then she simply would not.

"Things just got worse." Ron muttered as the four students stopped at the opening to the grounds.

Crouching at the top of the hill, surrounded by stones, sat Draco Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle were with him, encouraging him as he boasted and bragged.

Suddenly, his head whipped around and at the sight of his favorite crew to patronize, he smirked callously. "Ah, come to see the show?"

Hermione started down the hill in a rage. "You foul, loathsome, evil, little cockroach!"

In a flash, Draco was pinned to a stone by Hermione's wand, his lips trembling in fear. His eyes met Mariana's pleadingly in a desperate call for help. Mariana almost laughed at his audacity. Slowly and with much malice, Mariana shook her head at him.

"Hermione, no! He's not worth it!" Ron shouted.

Silence filled the air for agonizingly long moments. Hermione's face was troubled, seeming as she was balancing the thin tightrope between right and wrong. Hesitantly, she lowered her wand.

Arrogant laughs filled the air but quickly faded when Hermione swung around and punched Draco in the face. Harry snickered, Ron was terrified, and Mariana's eyes remained stony.

As Draco made his retreat, he paused at Mariana. His eyes were ablaze with panic, humiliation, and...confusion. Confused as to why Mariana, the girl he'd grown up with, would not help him during a distressing time.

"Why...why-" Draco started, still gasping for air.

"You used to tell me how you didn't want to be like your father. But when I look at you...all I see is Lucius." Mariana's words were cruel, possibly the cruelest she'd ever spoken. But they were meant to hurt and hopefully, scar.

Draco's eyes filled to the brim with hurt and without any hesitation, scurried off in absolute embarrassment.

"That felt good." Hermione said, smiling.

"Not good. Brilliant!" Ron responded.

Harry's mouth was turned up in a smile but his eyes kept drifting to Mariana's vacant, faraway look. Something was terribly off with her. She had been avoiding him ever since school had started back after winter break. He didn't know what it was, but he knew one thing with surety. He was going to get to the bottom of it.
-
The fantastic four were lounging in Hagrid's hut, but relaxation found none of them. The looming execution of Buckbeak weighed heavy on their minds and the calm ocean known as peace had never seemed so far away.

Harry and Hagrid leaned over the window seal, discussing matters about Buckbeak, Hermione and Ron listening in closely. Mariana, however, had taken to the outdoors and sat quietly on a large pumpkin.

She watched Buckbeak intently, tilting her head back and forth, attempting to understand him. She wondered if he knew what fate awaited him. She wondered if he knew anything at all.

Abruptly, a stone hit Mariana on her shoulder, knocking her out of her thoughts. "Blimey!"

She looked over in the direction of the woods but saw nothing. Then, she shifted her gaze upon- "Guys, they're coming!"

Mariana hopped up and rushed around to the crowd of pumpkins at the end of the patch, concealing her from view. Soon after, she joined by her friends.

Harry stood beside her and couldn't help but glance over at her as her brunette hair was blown back by the late winters breeze. She was truly beautiful. However, there was no time to add upon his silly infatuation. He averted his eyes and moments later, the four made their hasty retreat up the hill.

Once they made it to the top, the four stopped and looked on as the large axe was raised in the air and then, brought down upon Buckbeak's head.

Instinctively, Mariana reached out and grabbed Harry's hand. He didn't hesitate to interlock his fingers with hers. As their hands laced together, they both looked down upon it.

The picture of James Potter flashed through Mariana's mind when she saw Harry's hand wrapped around hers. James Potter and the murder of her aunt.

She quickly jerked her hand away, her eyes filling with tears. "No."

Harry's cheeks went red in embarrassment and hurt. It wasn't so much her rejection that stung, but the unknown reasoning behind it. It couldn't stand any longer. Mariana's awful mood had interfered on multiple occasions and Harry wished she would just go back normal.

However, before Harry could interrogate his friend (as much as it hurt for him to admit that was all she was), Ron let out a shriek. "He bit me!"

Mariana jumped out of the way as Scabbers scurried along the grass and away from the four. Without hesitation, Ron hurried after his rat.

"Ron! No!" Hermione shouted and soon takes off after him. Harry and Mariana are quick to follow.

The three stop when Ron is in their line of sight. The three stop because that is all there is to do. Because Ron Weasley, in all his recklessness, was kneeled right under the Whomping Willow. Close enough to grab, close enough to be in the willow's dangerous clutches, close enough to kill.

"You guys do realize what tree this is..." Hermione was breathless and afraid.

"That's not good," Harry said, "Ron! Run!" Ron spun around and seemed to snap back to his senses. His mouth opened in a silent scream.

From the woods a jet-black dog came bounding right towards Harry. Yet, it jumped right over his head and directed it's interest to Ron in the form of grabbing his ankle and dragging him off into the darkness of a cave in the tree.

Mariana's panic picked up at this. One of her best friend's had been taken off into a foreign cave. A cave she absolutely couldn't get to. Not without being harshly slung around and violently slashed by the embrace of the Whomping Willow.

A warm glow filled Mariana's chest and she looked down at the strange sensation. Her necklace, the gift from her father, was glowing, the same green hue from the day at the lake. A sudden realization flooded her.

The Whomping Willow would not hurt her. In fact, the Whomping Willow could not her.

Amidst the rigorous swaying of the tree and the cries of her name from Harry and Hermione, Mariana walked right through the slashing of the tree and slid down into the cave.

All the while, The Whomping Willows branches parted for her, as if she was it's queen.

As if she was it's master.