Magical Miracles

Chapter 2: The Last Painting of 1901

The next few weeks passed quickly, and now it was the 23rd of October. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students would be joining us today, and Alya would NOT shut up about it. But the person who was annoying me to no end was Chloe.

"ADRIKINS!" She sighed. "He'll be coming today and show you all losers your place! His father—"

Blah blah blah, on she went. Would she ever shut up?

"—he's the richest, sweetest, handsomest—"

Apparently not. Was handsomest even a word? It felt like it shouldn't exist for some reason. Well, like word, like speaker, I guess.

"Mari!" A redhead called me over, and I sighed in relief. Nino and Alya were sitting together, closer than usual, and I resisted the urge to smirk. 

I had been right before, about Nino having a maybe crush on me, but thankfully my best friend made him turn his head. Hopefully it stays that way: they would make a cute couple.

Not that they had any clue what was going on though. I've been trying pry and drop hints, but all I get is bewildered slash blank looks and it's clear they don't know how close they've become. It's all thanks to Chloe, unbelievably.

Actually, I'm right, it's too unbelievable. That's why it wasn't her, it was me, a couple weeks ago, I had maybe accidentally none-too gently shoved them into the Potions room and 'accidentally' locked them in there. In my defense, it was because someone had panicked and pushed me. The locking the door part was all me though. And I very conveniently had forgotten about them until an hour later. 

Of course, it was the last period, so they didn't miss any classes. Their smiling faces didn't exactly ooze discontent either, though they did try and pretend to be mad at me.

How nice it must be to find love so easily, I mused, as I watched Nino and Alya pour over some scroll they had found in the library. Most probably History of Magic.

I could never understand why they liked History of Magic, especially with a ghost as our teacher who hardly cared about his students, but be you I guess.

Alya and Nino waved to me, almost in sync, and I bit my lip thoughtfully. All my other friends, even my not-friend Chloe, had a crush or liked someone, if her ramblings about Adrien were anything to go by. I grimaced. If he was anything like Chloe, I'm glad he would only be staying for a year.

"MARINETTE!" Alya's voice jolted me, and I realised they had been waving to me to get my attention. 

Oops.

I hurried over to them before Alya could drag me herself, and she shot me a playful glare. "What's got your head in the clouds?"

"Nothing," I replied. "Just...yeah, nothing."

She rolled her eyes to convey that she didn't believe me, but carried forward with her thing anyway. 

"Look what Nino and I found?" She said excitedly, and I leaned closer to take a look.

I blinked at the picture for three seconds.

"A purple brooch?"

Alya shoved me slightly. "Look closer," she said impatiently.

I did.

"...it has four wing thingies?" At her look, I tried again. "It has a dark purple gem in the middle?"

"Look at the text," Nino finally said helpfully, and I grumbled as I started reading from where his finger pointed.

The Butterfly Miraculous