Red Strings And Markers

f i f t e e n

"You have got to be kidding me. I can't believe it."

"I'm not kitten around. I'm dead serious, Marinette Dupain-Cheng." The two of them sat next to each other, looking at each other with straight faces.

"Really?" Marinette asked after a moment of silence and he smiled.

"Really. So what do you say? A Harry Potter Marathon when we get back to the hotel?"

"Adrien, that's practically less than a whole day, if we do it non-stop." Marinette said after thinking, his smile widening.

"That's a challenge I'm willing to take." Adrien put his closed fist in his open palm, looking determined. "Besides, even if we pull an all-nighter, we can just sleep on the train ride home tomorrow."

Marinette giggled, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable."

The two were on the train ride back to the hotel, the last bit of twilight disappearing into the night. It wasn't too late and Marinette thought that maybe, they could fit in two or three movies before it got really late. She wasn't necessarily planning on spending the whole night with Adrien – she would probably lose it by the end of The Sorcerer's Stone.

Adrien jumped giddily in the seat. "So, what house are you sorted in? I would be sorted in Hufflepuff! Big traits are loyalty, dedication and patience."

Marinette chuckled. "I'm a Slytherin."

Adrien gasped. "A Slytherin?" He exclaimed.

"Now, before you start assuming the 'nothing good comes out of Slytherin' talk, I'll have you know that one of the top, greatest wizard, Merlin, came out of Slytherin." Marinette stated as a matter-of-factly. "Not all Slytherins are bad."

"Wait until my father hears about this." Adrien crossed his arms in a posh manner and turned his head, Marinette bursting into laughter.

"Please, stop it! Draco Malfoy does not suit you at all!"

"He was an incessant douche, but all he wanted was to make his father proud. So I wouldn't say that we are that different from each other." Adrien's playful manner ceased, a frown settling on his lips.

Marinette noticed and settled down herself, nudging Adrien's shoulder with her own. "Hey. We're proud of you."

He looked over at her. "We?"

"Alya and Nino. And me, I'm proud of you."

His eyes glazed over with an emotion that Marinette wasn't able to detect, but Adrien looked away, letting out a sound that was like a chuckle of disbelief. Disbelief that he was letting himself go weak before Marinette and disbelief that someone, someone, was proud of him.

"Thank you, Marinette." He spoke quietly as he brought his hand up to his eyes.

Marinette simply nodded and considered her next action.

"Well, today has been a hell of a Rollercoaster ride, so... what's there to lose?" She shook her screaming thoughts out of her head and leaned towards Adrien, placing the most chaste of kisses on his cheek.

Adrien's face flushed at the feel of her cool breath on his cheek, surprised.

"You're welcome." She spoke quietly. They remained silent for the rest of the train ride back to the Corinthia.

As the two made it back to the hotel, the two of them grabbed some dinner and some bags of popcorn to start their marathon. They ran into Professor Bustier and Principal Damocles at the bar, relaxing. It seems that they were the first two back, which meant that everyone was still out.