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Chapter Text

When Damian Wayne first step foot onto Hogwarts, he absolutely, positively, 100% did not feel any pressure to live up to the public’s expectations for him. After all, it wasn’t as if all three of his older brothers were Head Boys and members of their respective house’s Quidditch team — or, in Jason’s case, the captain of it for nearly three years.

Of course, Damian was also aware of their stellar academic records and popularity with their peers: Jason was always getting himself into places he shouldn’t have been (Madame Pomfrey never forgave him for replacing all of her Pepperup Potion supply with Sleakeazy Hair Potion); Dick was known to be infallibly charming and kind to everyone; and Tim was nothing if not intelligent, often dubbed “the brightest wizard of his age”.

But all of these were non-issues. Minor tidbits of information that were no way relevant to him. So, no. Damian had no reason to feel pressured. None whatsoever.

(As much as Bruce and his older three sons praised each other on their achievements, and as hard as they tried reassure Damian that he shouldn’t compare himself, none of that stopped the insecurities from worming their way inside his mind.)

Instead of tackling those problems and insecurities head-on though, Damian threw himself into studying — into proving that he earned his place at Hogwarts, and was not just following in his family’s footsteps.

And if along the way he happened to step on a few toes or remind his peers of his family name too many times for comfort? Well, that was merely the means to an end.

Every high mark on his exams, every award and distinction given by his professors was his, and his alone.

That all changed the moment that Marinette came to Hogwarts.

—

“Excuse me?”

Damian tensed at the stranger’s touch and bit back the instinct to glare at whoever broke his concentration.

“What do you want?” he asked without bothering to turn around.

“Oh, um…well, I’m new here, and I was wondering if you could help me find one of my classrooms?” Her voice was soft and gentle, like the fibers of his childhood blanket. It didn’t completely stop Damian from rolling his eyes, but it did ease the blow of his irritation. “I tried asking some other Slytherins, but they said to go find a boy named ‘Damian’ in the library.”

Sigh. Of course. Over the past few years, he’d built a reputation of being cold towards most of his housemates, so naturally some of them thought it’d be funny to send new students his way when they needed help.

Well, no matter. He’d deal with her swiftly (perhaps he’d be a little less curt with her) and then return his attention to his Ancient Runes assignment.

Damian’s jaw fell slack when he was met with the most vibrant, sparkling blue eyes. She tilted her head curiously, her forest green scarf falling askew around her neck.

“I’m sorry, should I let you get back to your work?”

“N-no! I mean, no, it’s no trouble at all.” Damian cleared his throat as he focused on her emerald tie and silver wrist bands. “I’m sorry for being so short earlier, I didn’t know that our house would be getting a new student.”

She smiled nervously, her (very dainty, very cute) button nose crinkling with embarrassment. “Oh, well…I-I just transferred here from Beauxbatons. It…it wasn’t the right school for me anymore, so my parents were able to make arrangements for me to attend Hogwarts. I just spoke with the Headmaster and was sorted during our meeting.”

Well that explained a lot. Judging by her curled shoulders and dipped head, she didn’t seem to be too comfortable speaking about why she suddenly had to change schools. For some reason, anger rose in his throat at the thought of her bad experiences at the French school.

As a fellow Slytherin, he’d have to change that immediately; their house stuck together, after all.

She startled when he stuck his hand out suddenly.

“I’m Damian. Damian Wayne,” he started with a half grin.

She paused as if to consider her next move, and gently stuck out hers as well with a bright smile. “My name’s Marinette. Marientte Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette - what an angelic name.

Something told him that they would get along just fine.

Chapter Text

Bruce Wayne had been sipping his morning cup of coffee and filing through his correspondence when Damian’s owl flew through the kitchen window.

He affectionately rubbed Titus’ head in thanks, and set aside his own work to read his son’s letter. In it was Damian’s usual formal correspondence, talking about how many hours he studied that week, which students had been particularly bothersome, and any awards applications he was working on.

Bruce sighed.

He longed for his son to understand that he didn’t need to push himself in order for their family to be proud of him; that he had every right to actually enjoy his childhood instead of work himself into the ground. Bruce was beginning to accept the possibility that perhaps this was just how his son was when a small line near the bottom of the letter made him nearly do a spit-take.

“….be waiting for a reply from the committee after I submit my application.

Sincerely,

Damian

P.S. Could you send a few more Galleons in addition to my monthly allowance? A new student just transferred into Slytherin, and I’d like to show her around Hogsmeade next weekend. Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng — and she’s very nice.”

Bruce rushed to send his reply with double the amount of Damian’s normal monthly allowance, with his only stipulation being that Damian “keep our family updated about Ms. Dupain-Cheng’s adjustment into Hogwarts.”

—

Things had grown significantly lighter in the Slytherin house within the first two weeks of Marinette’s transfer. As soon as she walked into the common room, their housemates found that they no longer had to walk around as many eggshells when talking to Damian.

He seemed…calmer now. More restrained. Where before he would completely ignore their questions about assignments, he would now scoff and answer them in a flat tone. When they used to vacate a table so that Damian had space to study or eat, they could now grab a seat next to him without him even batting an eyelash.

He’d still barely talk to them, of course, but that was better than having to deal with his scathing remarks.

Though no one would acknowledge it out loud, whispers began to grow about their resident Ice King showing signs of melting.

These changes were much more apparent the following week at Quidditch practice when Damian stomped his foot impatiently during their team huddle.

“Are we quite finished here?” he droned as his boots dug into the pitch.

Their captain, who was in the middle of giving a speech, did not change his deadpan expression other than cocking his eyebrow in Damian’s direction. He snapped, “I didn’t realize that our planned practice was cutting into your schedule, Your Highness.”

“I have somewhere else to be right after this,” Damian said as he bit back his scowl (another recent habit that his housemates noticed).

“We all do, Wayne. Your circumstances do not make you special,” the captain replied, unimpressed. Damian didn’t like the way that his eyes glinted mischievously all of a sudden. “Unless, of course, those circumstances have to do with a certain Ms. Dupain-Cheng.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Agreste?” he growled. Damian tried (and failed) to fight the blush that creeped around his neck and ears, especially when his teammates all looked at him with a mixture of knowing and barely-contained laughter fits.

Normally, he and Felix Agreste had a healthy amount of respect for one another. The blonde Fifth Year Slytherin was studious, ambitious, and straightforward with his intolerance to ignorance — truly one of the few in all of Hogwarts that he considered worthy of his time. Until now, that is.

Felix’s default stoic expression returned, and he waved off the team with a simple sweep of his hand. “Interpret that as you will. You’re all dismissed. Practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Do not disappoint me by getting here late, especially you Wayne.”

Damian jammed his elbow as he pushed past Felix, his teammates’ snickering echoing in his ears.

Whatever. Their implications didn’t matter now. He’d take Marinette out - er, around Hogsmeade and forget about that entire interaction.

—

Damian stifled a smile as Marinette enthusiastically finished her second tankard of Butterbeer; the toffee cream lined her upper lip like a frothy mustache, and she licked it up with a satisfied sigh. They’d been sitting in a cozy corner of The Three Broomsticks for nearly an hour, their table bordered with various parcels including sweets from Honeydukes and custom stationery from Scrivenshafts’ Quill Shop.

All of her parcels and Butterbeers were bought using Damian’s extra Galleons. Marinette freaked and stumbled over her words when he first pulled out his coins to pay for her, but she relented after Damian explained the extra allowance from his father.

And secretly, Damian found that he liked seeing her eyes light up with every new shop they entered.

Sitting here, talking with her and getting to know her more…it was nice. Really, really nice in fact.

“So you really don’t have any of this over in France, do you?” Damian asked as he unwrapped a Chocolate Frog from the Honeydukes package.

He grimaced. Damn, another Merlin card.

She shook her head, her hair falling loose from her pigtails. “Sadly no, or else I’d be buying this everyday!

“I could change that.” The words left his mouth before he realized it. Where did that come from? “I-I mean, I always order a crate for my room. I’m sure I could get one for you too.”

At seeing her eyes grow wide with shock, Damian felt his insides jumble like a cage of Pygmy Puffs. Oh no, oh no oh no he screwed up -

The corners of Marinette’s lips slanted upward in sadness. Her voice barely above a whisper, she admitted, “No one’s ever been this nice to me before.”

Something deep inside of him broke when she said that.

—

Marinette carefully opened the door to her dormitory - or, as carefully as she could given the packages stuffed beneath her arm and the orhers at her feet. Damian, as hard as he tried, couldn’t get past the magical barrier towards the girl’s dormitory, so Marinette was tasked to carry her items by herself.

She huffed and tripped through the various boxes blocking her way, cursing beneath her breath all the while.

“Looks like someone got a little carried away today.” Kagami, one of the girls in her year, commented. She eyed the messy piles on the floor with mild disdain.

Chloe, another one of her roommates, rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Oh please, ‘Gami. You and I both know that I’ve brought back much more before through my owls alone; this is nothing in comparison.”

Marinette, unsure if she was being defended or not, didn’t know how to respond.

“O-oh, I’m sorry for the clutter. I’ll get it cleaned up right away as soon as I -“

“You’re fine.” Kagami‘s answers were as blunt as her hair, it seemed. “I was only making an observation. Allow me to organize this for you: Wingardium Leviosa.”

The packages levitated around her in a single file and marched towards an empty carbinet shelf nearby Marinette’s fourposter bed. The last package to lay itself down was tied in a silky silver ribbon, which saluted at them before resting on the shelf as well.

Kagami nodded in approval at her work before eyeing Marinette once more.

“We haven’t seen much of you ever since you moved in - we must rectify that.”

“Agreed,” Chloe said while flipping through the newest issue of Witch Weekly. The hidden smile on her face betrayed her otherwise bored expression. “Us Slytherins stick together, whether we like it or not.”

In a way that reminded Marinette of how she met Damian several weeks prior, Kagami stood up from her bed to extend her hand out to her. “Kagami Tsurugi.”

This time, Marinette was quick to return the handshake with as much enthusiasm as she was given.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“I look forward to being your housemate, Marinette.” To the untrained ear, Kagami’s tone was about as welcoming as a danger sign; to Marinette, it sounded like safety.

“And me as well to you, Kagami.”

The two of them craned their neck to look at Chloe, who was still mindlessly thumbing through the magazine. Feeling their eyes boring into her, she groaned and rolled her eyes at the disturbance.

“Ugh, fine. Chloe Bourgeois. I’m so happy you’re here, Minette.”

“Um, my name’s not - “

“Well, you’re Minette to me now.” Chloe smirked playfully and inspected her perfectly manicured nails. “You should be honored I’m giving you a nickname, by the way. I don’t give it to just anyone.”

Catching on to her tone, Marinette gasped and pretended to fall at her feet. “My deepest apologies, Your Grace! It shan’t happen again!”

The three of them fell into a mess of giggles at her theatrics. In the span of five minutes, Marinette felt something here that she never did back in Beauxbatons - she felt safe.

—

Sabine and Tom teared up when they received their daughter’s latest owl. It read:

Dearest Maman and Papa,

I have to keep this short because Chloe and Kagami (did I tell you about them? Oh no, I don’t think I did, I’ll send another one soon with all the details!) and I are heading towards the Black Lake for a picnic! The weather’s been nice and warm, and Chloe’s father was kind enough to send us a basket full of pumpkin pasties and cauldron cakes!

Damian might try to come along too, but he didn’t promise (did I mention him either? Ahhh I’ll tell you more in my next letter!).

Anyways, gotta go!

Bisous,

Marinette xoxo

Chapter Text

Felix Agreste was never one to butt his nose into others’ business — and why would he? He was far too busy with studying, organizing Quidditch practices, and completing prefect duties to focus on other people. Plus, what little drivel he heard spewing from his peers’ mouths often left him bored anyways.

Still, he would occasionally come across tidbits of information that would peak his interest.

Felix made his way through the boys’ dormitory corridors when he heard some…unusual noises coming from Wayne’s room.

He paused. Was…was that laughter? Actual human laughter? Damian Wayne, as far as he knew, did not laugh. What alternate universe were they living in where the Ice King finally had the ability to -

Oh. Upon closer inspection, Felix heard a girl giggling in there too; it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together.

“Silencio.”

Felix concealed his wand after casting the charm, which muted the sounds coming from room. Now, this small act was not done out of kindness (or so Felix would say if anyone had asked). If anyone else caught wind of Wayne laughing, let alone with that new Slytherin girl, Felix would never hear the end of his grumbling during practice — and the last thing he needed was his lead Chaser to be distracted when they had to train for their next match with Gryffindor.

Felix sighed. Honestly, he must have been the only student in Hogwarts who had some sense in his head.

“There you go! That’s it, get the whole frog in!”

Damian playfully glared as his cheeks bulged with two Chocolate Frogs, the outer corners of his mouth smeared with candy and crumbs. “ ‘ow do I ‘ook?”

“Like a million Galleons!” Marinette exclaimed while handing him a handkerchief.

Over the last month, she and Damian fell into a comfortable routine. About two times each week, they would took refuge in his dorm with every intention to do their homework together…which, of course, always lasted about ten minutes until they spent the rest of the night just talking about anything and everything. How he had the benefit of obtaining a whole dorm room all to himself, Marinette would never know (though he did allude to his father “pulling some strings” with the administration).

From favorite snacks and childhood memories to pet peeves and phobias, nothing was kept a secret between them…including the reason why Marinette made the sudden move to Hogwarts.

Marinette shuddered as she thought back to how badly he took it when she told him why she transferred from Beauxbatons — if she thought Chloe or Kagami’s reactions were bad, Damian’s was a thousand times worse.

*

Damian was eerily silent as he shoved the books from his desk and sat down to write; his grip on his quill was so tight that Marinette could see the tip cracking under the pressure.

“D-Dami…what are you doing?”

“Writing a letter to my father,” he replied without looking up. “Asking him for permission to Floo over to Beauxbatons and run our family’s sword through anyone who thinks they can put their hands on you and -“

“Damian, NO!” She wished he was joking. She really, really wished he was joking.

The manic look in his eyes said otherwise, 

“Yes, Marinette.” They way he spat those words left her chilled to the bone. With his shoulders squared in determination, Damian folded up the letter. “They hurt you. Physically and mentally. I can’t rest knowing that they weren’t punished. And trust me Angel, I will make sure that they are.”

Luckily, his father had the good sense to not grant permission for his son’s bloodthirsty request. Hearing that Marinette was severely bullied did leave him disturbed though, so Damian’s father promised to launch his own investigation instead.

After all, as an American ambassador to the Ministry, he had plenty of resources at his disposal.

Marinette felt…conflicted about the situation. On the one hand, she wanted to move on and not cause any more trouble in the water. On the other, she finally could have vindication after years of being wronged by her so-called peers…which made her feel even more guilty than before.

If there was anything good that came from it, it was this: Damian called her ‘Angel’.

And even if he didn’t fully notice that slip-up, Marinette did.

*

Those thoughts left her confused and slightly embittered, so Marinette washed out the taste with another request. “Tell me again about your family.”

Damian scarfed down the rest of the candy, saying, “I have older three brothers, and thank Merlin that’s all: Dick, Jason, and Tim. Dick’s been the Head of the Auror Office in the Ministry for a few years now. Jason works at Gringotts as their top Curse-Breaker. And Tim, he graduated Hogwarts about two years ago…and he’s already a lead researcher at St. Mungo’s.”

A stranger would have thought that Damian reached for another Chocolate Frog because he was hungry. To Marinette, she knew that it was so he could stall for time and put out the doubt that flickered at his peripheries.

“My father adopted them years before I was born, but the age gap didn’t stop them from spending time at home. They taught me how to duel, how to ride a broomstick.” His eyes, now clear of his earlier self-doubt, flashed mischievously. “How to tie my house’s tie without it looking like a crumpled mess.”

Marinette burst out laughing, shoving him at his insult. “Hey! In my defense, I did my best for someone without siblings! Unlike you, all I had for company growing up were the stray kittens that would linger around our bakery.”

From the way that her tone dropped off, Damian could tell that her joking had a semblance of truth in it. Damian had grown up with his brothers his entire life — he could only imagine how lonely it would’ve been to not have anyone who shared the same abilities as him.

Unsure of how else to comfort her, he merely placed his hand on top of hers.

“Siblings aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. When I was five, Jason slipped something into my Butterbeer and convinced me that it was an Irreversable Invisibility Potion. I cried for an hour and threw a tantrum in front of everyone before he told me it was just a plain sugar syrup.”

The light was coming back into her eyes. She tilted her head curiously, horrified at his story. “That’s horrible! What did you do afterwards?”

“I stole his wand and jinxed his broom to throw him off the next time he rode it.”

He relished the way that her laughter chimed and tinkled like a ringing church bell, and the incredibly cute ways that her nose wrinkled and her eyebrows furrowed in semi-disbelief.

Damian wished he could live in that moment forever. If he could see her smile like that for the rest of his life, he’d be the happiest wizard in the world.

—

“Damian,

Firstly, there haven’t been updates on the investigation as of yet. Secondly, please extend our family’s well-wishes for Marinette’s birthday. If Marinette has other friends, try asking them for gift ideas. Here are some extra Galleons in case you need it.

-Love, Father”

Damian crumpled up his father’s letter and chucked it at the wastebasket. The extra money was appreciated, but the advice? Not so much. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was to speak with Marinette’s roommates: sure, he and Tsurugi tolerated each other, but he couldn’t stand Bourgeois and her whining.

No, he wouldn’t go to them unless he absolutely had to. There had to be another person who could give him some practical advice…

A light bulb flashed over him. Damian knew exactly who could tell it to him straight. 

Another owl flew towards him and dropped off a scarlet envelope with all three of his brothers’ unmistakable wax seals on it. Damian recoiled from the letter as if it were a Mandrake - he hated getting Howlers, let alone a conjoined one. Merlin only knew what could possibly have made them send him one.

Damian gingerly peeled the tab open and ducked behind his Potions textbook as he heard his brothers screaming.

“DAMIAN WAYNE. WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL US THAT YOU MADE A FRIEND A FEW MONTHS AGO? I THOUGHT YOU TRUSTED US WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION LIKE THAT! IN ALL MY YEARS - LET GO OF ME, TIM - I NEVER FELT SO DISRESPECTED. I HAD TO FIND OUT FROM BRUCE OF ALL PEOPLE! BRUCE!!

“YEAH BRAT, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO COMMUNICATION?! DIDN’T WE TEACH YOU MANNERS?

“Jason, pipe down. Dick, go take a walk. Hey D, it’s Tim. We just want to be kept in the loop, that’s all. We’d love to - RICHARD I TOLD YOU TO GO AWAY - hear more about this Marinette girl when you get the chance.”

The letter curtsied and promptly tore itself apart, leaving behind only a small pile of torn red paper. Damian peeked from behind his Potions book and shivered. One thing was for certain: he’d do everything in his power to make sure that Marinette wouldn’t meet his family for a long, long time.

—

“…which is why the three of us go to Hogwarts instead of Beauxbatons. It’s also why Wayne chose not to go to Ilvermorny.”

“Thanks ‘Gami, I’ve been meaning to ask you!” Marinette adjusted her hair ribbons to no avail, and sighed. Her pigtails were beginning to feel much more cumbersome ever since her hair grew past her shoulders. “I don’t know very much about the political side, but it must be nice getting to travel to back home during the holidays.” 

“It depends. Having a Ministry Ambassador as a parent isn’t always the best,” Kagami admitted as she sketched on a portion of the paper in front of her. “Even on holidays, my mother won’t stop working until past midnight -“

Chloe interrupted by huffing and scowling. “I’m sorry, but can we please get back to doing something fun instead working on this project for the Ice King?! I don’t even like him!”

“Neither do I, but Marinette does.” Kagami glanced at her sideways, her lips pursing to conceal her snickers. “She seems to like him very much, from what I could see.”

Marinette giggled much more loudly than she needed to. As the tips of her ears and neck heated, she sputtered, “D-Damian? Why would I like him? I mean, he’s…he’s just a friend. A friendly friend. A friendly friend who I like to do friendly things with — wait, that came out wrong I - “

Chloe hushed her, but shared a smirk with Kagami. “We’re only joking, Minette. Unless you do like him in a different way- “

“Oh, would you look at the time!” Marinette snatched the poster paper from their hands and grabbed as many quills and brushes as she could carry. “I think I’m just gonna go work on this over by the Black Lake! By myself! I’ll see you girls at dinner okaylaterbye!”

The door slam rattled the remaining art supplies left on the floor.

There was a pause.

“Do you think she has it bad for him?”

“Definitely.”

—

Marinette wiped the sweat from her brow as she lifted her brush from the paper. The sun was beginning to set behind her, which set her poster aglow in the most perfect shades of pink and purple.

She smiled. It was perfect.

She only hoped that Damian would love it as much as she did.

—

Damian’s visits to Hagrid’s cottage weren’t as frequent as he’d like them to be, but he tried his best to go whenever he had a gap in his schedule. Despite his initial misgivings about the Care for Magical Creatures class last year, Damian fell in love with subject as quickly as he fell for Mari-

Nope. No, he ended that thought right on the spot.

Going to Hagrid’s cottage was like going on a mini-holiday. The biscuits were a little tough, but the tea was phenomenal, and Hagrid always welcome him with a listening ear and a candid smile. Damian sunk into the deep, overstuffed chair next to the fireplace and inhaled. It smelled just how he liked it: fallen autumn leaves, cinnamon sticks, and warm tree bark wrapped into one scent.

“Don’ worry abou’ gettin’ her a perfect present,” Hagrid said while he poured them both a fresh cup of tea. “Jus’ get her somethin’ tha’ shows it’s from you.”

Damian cupped his hands around the giant mug, but didn’t sip from it just yet. “I don’t even know where to start. There’s so many great things about her that one measly gift can’t match.”

Hagrid stroked his beard in thought; the cogs whirred in his mind as an idea began to take shape. “Well, how does she make yer insides feel? Yer thoughts, feelins?”

“I…I just,” Damian took a large whiff - chamomile, soil, and bitter wood - and gathered his thoughts. “She makes me feel at home. Like I want to be around her as much as I can.”

“And ye said tha’ she cannae visit ye durin’ the summer holiday?”

Damian shrugged. “Probably not. She hasn’t seen her parents in months, so it’d be unfair if I asked her to come to America with me.”

Hagrid’s countenance suddenly twinkled. He nodded to himself, saying, “I think I migh’ have an idea then. Here’s wha’ ye can do…”

—

“Father,

I have an idea for Marinette’s birthday gift, but I need your help. Attached are some instructions..." 

—

Marinette gathered her art supplies - careful to roll up the paper - and made her way back to the castle just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Before she could round the corner back to the Slytherin dorms, a muffled sniffling noise made her pause. She spotted a small pair of shoes and the ends of a dark maroon scarf peeking from behind a pillar.

Her footsteps softened as she approached them, and her heart ached when she saw a pitiful little sight. A Gryffindor boy (a First Year most likely, considering how small he was) clutched some broken quills and a bent pair of eyeglasses. He furiously wiped at his eyes when he saw Marinette peer down at him, his gaze a mixture of embarrassment and apprehension.

“It’s alright, I’m not here to hurt you,” she hushed. Marinette bent down to his eye-level and offered him a smile. “Can I fix this for you?”

The boy peered at her green scarf and emerald tie suspiciously, but gave her his broken possessions anyways.

“I’ll make this quick: Reparo.” A slight breeze spun around them, leaving behind a fresh set of quills and perfectly aligned glasses. Marinette wiped the lenses using the ends of her sweater and prodded him for answers. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m only trying to help. Who did this?”

“S-some…some Ravenclaws,” the boy said. A fresh set of tears spilled across his cheek as he recalled the story. “They’d been bothering me all week after one of their dads got in trouble at his work because of mine, so they’ve been taking it out on me. Th-they cornered me after dinner a-and…and pushed me down. Called me names…said how they’re gonna get me one day.”

Marinette nearly dropped the boy’s glasses. She was furious.

Her tone deathly quiet, she remarked, “For a house that values intelligence, they were incredibly stupid for bullying a defenseless student. And for what? To try and feel powerful?”

She shook her head in disgust, her frown deeply etched on her face. Inside of her stomach, pure anger boiled because of the injustice and the thought of her own experience being bullied. Marinette cupped the back of the boy’s shoulder and looked deeply into his eyes. “The next time anyone acts like that to you, I want you to come find me - I’ll show them what real anger looks like.”

As Marinette brought him to his feet, he looked at her with an equal balance of awe and amazement. A Slytherin of all people was protecting him. And she was so nice about it too, and -

“My name is Marinette, by the way. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“I’m Jonathan. Jonathan Kent.”  He returned her smile and fell into step beside her.

After they disappeared into an adjacent corridor, a tiny man - even smaller than Jonathan - stepped out from the shadows. He sighed, disappointed in a select few students from Ravenclaw; he had his suspicions as to who had caused young Jonathan to become so distraught, and would be having words with them later.

Miss Dupain-Cheng’s actions, on the other hand, were certainly a pleasant surprise.

And it wasn’t as if this was a one-time occurrence either. He noticed the way that she explained new Charms spells to students who were struggling while never boasting  how she excelled in the subject. She picked up fallen papers in the hallway, returned lost items to students, cleaned up messes that were not her own, among many, many other positive things.

Slytherin students, as bright as they are, were not known to go out of their way to help anyone outside of their ranks. Self-preservation, and all that. That she had consistently taken the time to help others and offer them a line of friendship despite being a student for only a few short months…well, she should certainly be recognized for her character.

Headmaster Fu smiled the entire way towards his office. He had a letter of recommendation to write. 

—

What little patience Felix had was wearing extremely thin. While he had wanted to read by the fireplace that night, he instead had been listening to Tsurugi and Bourgeois argue with Wayne for Twenty. Whole. Minutes.

The subject of said argument? A banner. A huge green banner that they couldn’t figure out where to hang. The two girls apparently wanted it above the fireplace, but Wayne was adamant that it should go above the entrance to the girls’ dorms. Their squabble roared louder and louder in his ears, until he slammed his book shut.

“ENOUGH.” Felix grabbed a corner of the banner and sent it flying through the air until it floated right above their heads. “There, now you don’t have to worry about its visibility. If you three imbeciles don’t mind, I’m going to continue with my book and I better not hear a peep from any of you.“

They flinched at his harsh tone and, in lieu of getting in their last jabs, exchanged heavy glares. Once the tension had cleared from the air, their housemates trickled in one by one. Earlier on, they had the good sense to leave to avoid being caught in the crossfire, but came back in time to surprise Marinette - who could say no to her, after all?

And surprised she was.

The gold and silver sparks spinning towards her face made Marinette rear back. She shielded her eyes from the glowing lights and cheers from her housemates, and froze when she saw the banner hovering above their heads. In a tidy golden script, it read: “Joyeux Anniversaire, Marinette!”

Marinette wanted to cry — she did cry, if her wet cheeks were any evidence to that. Her housemates crowded around her to give their best wishes (and some heavy-duty handkerchiefs), but parted for Chloe and Kagami to give their gifts: a jeweled hair comb and hand mirror from Chloe; a pink robe from Kagami with  prints of birds that glided along the length of her arms. Both of them were absolutely stunning, and she could only give them tight hugs to express her thanks.

Nothing could have prepared her, though, for the gentle tap on her shoulders. The whole room fell silent, save for Marinette’s sharp gasp.

Damian stood there, looking every bit nervous as he felt on the inside. He thrust a golden cage towards her that held the most delicately beautiful owl she had ever seen. Its chest was a bright scarlet red, which contrasted with the rich, velvety maroon shade of its wings. Across its head were scatterings of circular brown markings that accentuated its curious blue eyes, and tied around one of its talons was a skinny red ribbon.

"Tikki,” he blurted suddenly. The longer the silence was sustained, the more that he wanted to bury himself in his sweater and never see a human face ever again. “Her name is Tikki…I had my father use my allowance to buy her from a specialty breeder and to transport her in time for today. She’s…she’s yours, so that we can write to each other over the holidays.”

Damian wiped his palm on the side of his pants, cringing when he realized how chaffed he felt all of a sudden. Why was he feeling so stuffy?

Before he could get another word in, Marinette lunged forward and held him in an incredibly tight hug. Her face was buried so deeply in his neck that he barely caught her words.

“Thank you, Dami.”

He was momentarily blinded by his shock, but returned her strong embrace. Her hair smelled like his favorite type of tea, a dizzying mix of chamomile and orange flower blossoms.

Lowly, so that only she could hear him, he murmured, “Happy birthday, Marinette.”

Damian caught her eye — and…and was she biting her lip? — as she pulled back. With pink-tinged cheeks, she said, “I actually have something for you too.”

—

The Slytherin stands erupted in stomping screams as Damian and Felix simultaneously shot the winning Quaffle into the goal and caught the Golden Snitch. Gryffindor had put up a good fight, which made their narrow win that much more satisfying. But Damian didn’t pay attention to any of the fanfare.

No, his gaze was focused solely on a banner - which read “Go Damian!” and had an enchanted image of him flying across the page - and the blushing girl who made it for him.

—

In the last half hour of their journey home, Marinette keenly surveyed their train compartment. Chloe had fallen asleep on Kagami’s shoulder, who gave an uncharacteristically unrefined snore every few minutes; even in their unconscious states, their hands edged closer and closer to each other. Interesting, Marinette noted. Very interesting.

She toyed with Damian’s hair as he slept in her lap, shifting between scratches and pets based on his responses. Tikki hooted softly in her cage, and Marinette fished for another biscuit within her satchel when Felix held up a hand to stop her.

He held a small, golden brown biscuit and nodded once. “Please. Allow me.”

Tikki gobbled the treat quickly, ruffling her feathers in satisfaction. Marinette blinked slowly. It was one thing for Felix to choose to sit with their group instead of retreating to the prefects’ cart; he hadn’t really talked to them during the train ride either, just tucked himself into the corner with a thick book in his hands. And now…now he voluntarily fed her owl? Felix flipped through his book once more but continued to speak over the pages, just loud enough so that she could hear his admission.

“I do apologize for my idiot cousin’s involvement with your transfer from Beauxbatons,” he said seemingly casually. Marinette saw that his grip grew more tense on his book, his frown turning into a scowl  at the mention of said cousin. “I’ve happened to overhear some of his transgressions through others  — information that incriminating doesn’t stay a secret for too long in Hogwarts, you see — and have always known him to be a fool, but that behavior was inexcusable. He didn’t need to make it easier for me to detest him more than I already do. And for that, I’m truly sorry.”

Frankly, Marinette didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t as if she disliked Felix, not at all. He’d been nothing but cordial to her since her transfer several months ago, and she returned his politeness in return. But after finding out his last name, Marinette hadn’t exactly…been as willing to extend her friendship to him. Not after what had happened with the last Agreste she encountered. But perhaps she had misjudged him…

Felix closed his book and turned to look at her straight-on. This was the first time she’d ever seen him with a soft expression.

“I can’t say that your enrollment in Hogwarts was in vain, however. Ever since you came here, everything has been much more tolerable. With Wayne, I mean. He’s been more cooperative and focused during practice with you around…and I have to thank you.”

“…Thank you as well, Felix.” And she meant it with her entire heart.

“You’re welcome.”

—

Marinette expected her parents to embrace her when their group departed from the Hogwarts Express. What she didn’t expect was to be greeted by Bruce Wayne himself while Damian fended off his brothers’ attempts to introduce themselves. Marinette had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing at the sight. It wasn’t every day that she saw a teenage boy hold his own in an argument against three fully-grown men almost twice his size.

“It was lovely to finally meet you and your parents, Marinette.” Damian’s father shook her hand as if she were an adult - she quite liked the respect he gave her. “I’m sorry that you had the misfortune of tending to my son this last semester. I hope he was on his best behavior.”

”FATHER.“

The three older Waynes snickered behind him as Damian’s reddening face matched Tikki’s feathers. He groaned. First his brothers, and now his father?! Was no one on his side anymore?

Marinette and her parents said their goodbyes, saying something about “finding Chloe and ‘Gami and their families” before they left for France. An inexplicable ache throbbed his in chest when Damian looked over his shoulder and saw that Marinette had already disappeared into the crowd.

—

“Why don’t we just - ”

“No.”

“Oh come on, Dames. Just give it a shot! It’s not a bad idea - ”

“I said no.”

Damian fiercely clutched the letter he had just received behind his back, his lips pulled back into a deep scowl. The letter contained his prefect badge, and as pleased as he was to gloat to his family, more than anything else he wanted to share the news with Marinette. Despite being only a month into their summer holidays, Damian had turned surly and snappish at even the slightest provocation, joking or not. This, along with the newly-acquired prefect letter, made Dick, Jason, and Tim brainstorm their newest, greatest scheme yet.

Tim sighed in defeat. “We didn’t want to have to do this Baby Bird, but you leave us no choice. I guess we’ll just have to - Petrificus Totalus!”

Dick and Jason caught Damian’s frozen body before he hit the floor. If looks could kill, Damian’s seething glare and muffled yelling would have slaughtered them by now.

Jason tapped Damian’s back gently to soothe him and cooed, “There there Demon Spawn, you’ll see your girlfriend - ” Damian’s muffled yelling nearly turned to screeching “ - soon enough. Shall we boys?”

The four of them crowded by the fireplace while Tim gathered Floo Powder in his fist.

“Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie!”

—

”…pleased to inform you that you have been selected to serve as Prefect for Slytherin House. Your school record shows that you have exhibited high academic achievement, outstanding kindness towards your peers, and the ambition that Slytherins have long been lauded for. Most significantly, your recommendation was submitted by the Headmaster himself. 

“We are certain that you will continue to be a model for your peers and will take your new responsibilities seriously. Enclosed please find your Prefects Badge, which should be worn on your school robes at all times. Congratulations!“

A prefect. They had chosen her to be a prefect.

Marinette ran her thumb across the shiny silver badge, which was engraved with her full name on it. Oh, how she wanted to let Damian know all about it! But with Tikki falling ill with fatigue recently, Marinette refused to make her condition worse than it already was. If only there was a way to tell him…

"MON DIEU.”

Her father’s scream, along with a series of crashes and strange voices rocking the bakery, sent Marinette flying down the stairs, her wand already drawn and her mind running through a list of offensive spells.

“Papa, what’s wrong?! I heard a noise from upstairs and - ”

She paused in the doorway and surveyed the scene. Her father clutched his chest with flour-stained hands, trembling at the mess by his feet. Said mess was groaning, grumbling, and rubbing their sore joints. She recognized their faces…but was confused as to why they were there.

“Desolee, Monsieur,” said the tallest man of the bunch.“Note to self: we’re Flooing separately from now on.”

“No shit Todd, your wand stabbed my ribs on the way over here!” said a boy with longer, floppy black hair. He shifted off of another body that was previously hidden from sight, dusted off their shoulders, and muttered, “Finite Incantatem.”

When the figure shot upright, Marinette forgot how to breathe. Damian was there with them.

“I swear, I’m going to murder all three of you in your sleep without using magic. What the hell were you thinking bringing us here unannounced - “

"Dami?”

The wild look he had as he craned his neck towards her left Marinette speechless. After one slow step, then two, and then a full on sprint, they grasped each other in a silent embrace. The kitchen stayed quiet for a full minute as Tom, Dick, Jason, and Tim gawked at the fervent display.

They knew that the two cared for each other of course, but none of them had known their reunion would be this desperate.

“I missed you, Dove,” Marinette whispered when her voice returned to her.

Damian pressed his lips to her ear and smiled. “I missed you too, Angel. I missed you too.”

Maybe (just maybe) his brothers’ plans worked well for once.

—

Their time as Fifth Years had come and gone as quickly as the wind. It wasn’t that nothing notable had happened during that year. Far from it, actually. Marinette had kept her schedule full to the brim between studying, completing her prefect duties, starting new clubs, and spending time with her circle of friends, which grew evermore as the months passed.

But no matter how many study dates she had made with her housemates or led inter-house social events with her various clubs, her five core group of friends remained the same: little Jonathan Kent, Felix, Chloe, Kagami, and Damian. Even during times when her packed schedule left her exhausted, Marinette found herself falling asleep with a fond smile gracing her lips.

She was happy. Truly, utterly happy.

—

At the beginning of their Sixth Year (and Felix’s Seventh), Headmaster Fu announced some earth-shattering news: their school would be hosting the newly-reinstated Triwizard Tournament that year.

Only two students in the entire Great Hall refrained from cheering and clapping. Damian paled at the weight of expectations that fell onto his shoulders. Marinette felt bile rise towards her throat.

The Durmstrang students marched towards the head of the room with all of the silent, brute stoicism they were known for.

Following them was a sea of soft blue capes of robes  — Beauxbatons had arrived.

And Lila Rossi stood squarely at the front.

Chapter Text

It was almost comical how one look from Lila made Marinette feel fourteen again, alone and friendless and terrified of waking up with her stuff broken or missing. 

Because Lila was here. In her school. And she was walking directly to her with razor sharp teeth in her smile. Marinette’s vision blackened at the edges. The inside of her mouth went raw with an acidic copper taste from biting her tongue too hard. Shit shit shit shit - 

“Breathe with me, Angel. Slowly now, in and out.” Damian…She vaguely recognized that it was his voice. Damian was always safe. Damian was her friend. So she followed his instructions. In, out. In…out. 

He grimaced when his fingertips pressed against her wrist; her pulse was thudding nearly a mile a minute. “Let’s get you back to my room.”

He steadily guided her to her feet and whisked her away from the Great Hall, but not before exchanging a terse nod with Chloe and Kagami, a silent look that they immediately knew meant “hold down the fort while I’m gone”. 

When they reached his room, Damian immediately draped her favorite blanket over her shoulders and placed an unwrapped Chocolate Frog in her hands. It pained him to think about how this wasn’t the first - and certainly not the last - time that he helped bring her senses back into awareness. Throughout the last few years, Marinette would fall into a daze from time to time, the memories of Beauxbatons too great to shoulder by herself. Sometimes they sat together in silence until she felt comfortable to speak, and other times they laid side-by-side together until they fell asleep. 

It seemed like this occurrence would be the latter. It never occurred to them how romantic that act could be seen. They only saw it for what it was: two friends trying to damnedest to comfort each other through their traumas.

A short while later, she curled into him and whispered into the darkness, her voice wavering. “What if I lose all of you because of this tournament?”

“We won’t let that happen, Angel,” Damian said. “I promise.”

Marinetted shifted her hips until she could face him. Her face was unreadable as she asked, “And you? What if I lose you? I know you’re planning on putting your name into that goblet.” 

Damian shied his gaze away. Merlin, she always knew how to read his emotions. Still looking away, he stroked the sides of her jaw with the coarse pads of his fingers. “You know I have to at least try, Angel. Everyone in my family has done something exceptional. Now, it’s my turn. I need to prove that I’m not falling behind.” 

Marinette snuggled into his chest as he continued. “I’m scared of what will happen if my name is drawn. But I’m terrified of what will happen if it isn’t. I’ve dreamed my whole life for a chance like this to come around…and if it doesn’t come true, I don’t know what I’ll do.” 

“Well, that’s the good part I guess,” Marinette said as her hands hovered over his sweater. She yawned and pulled the blanket over them, knowing that they were on the brink of falling asleep. “You’ll get to go find a new dream.” 

— 

“Oh, it’s a shame that Marinette ran off before we could talk to her.” Lila’s well-practiced pout made Chloe want to vomit. “I can’t say that her behavior surprises me, though. I mean, just look at the house she was sorted into.”

The only other student from Beauxbatons that laughed was the girl who stood next to her, whose thick auburn hair swished around her shoulders; the rest of them looked mildly uncomfortable at best, but none made any moves to contradict her. 

The Slytherin table remained silent, some of them unable to hide their scowls at the newcomer and her posse. Violent whispers rose among themselves. How dare she make that comment against Marinette? How dare she make those insinuations about our house? 

Kagami was quick to strut towards the group, her fingers itching to grab her wand, and her housemates were more than eager to let her confront them. 

“Care to repeat yourself?” Her tone of voice was enticing and poisonous as hemlock - Chloe couldn’t wait to hear what else she had to say. 

Lila was unfazed by her presence and immediately deepened her trembling pout. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to cause any trouble -”

“Yes you did. Even before that inane drivel spilled out of your mouth, we knew what your intentions were.” Kagami cocked her chin back in defiance. “We know all about you and your little schemes, Lila Rossi.” 

Lila faltered for a moment before gaining her composure; this wasn’t going to be as easy as she expected. She looked back towards her classmates for sympathy and raised her hand near Kagami’s shoulder. She cooed, “Oh Alya, look at these poor misguided souls. Marinette’s manipulations are so much worse than I thought.”

“Keep your filthy, lying hands off of her!” Chloe smacked Lila’s hand before it came into contact with Kagami. 

Alya gaped and pushed herself against Chloe, furious that anyone would dare talk to her friend that way. She squared her chest, demanding, “Do you know who her mother is?! She’s an ambassador to the Ministry, and she can get you into so much trouble if you even think about hurting her daughter!”

“And?” Chloe cocked her hip and rolled her eyes in Alya’s direction, saying, “My daddy’s an ambassador too, and from what I’ve heard, Ambassador Rossi has been in some hot water with her superiors. Besides, unlike some people -” She glanced in Lila’s direction. “I would never abuse my parent’s job for my personal gain.”

Neither Alya nor Lila could fit in another sentence, for a newer, colder voice shook them to their core. 

“I would suggest that you go back to your quarters, lest you want to start a riot with our school. And you should know now that out of all the houses, Slytherins especially don’t take kindly to strangers preying on one of their own.”

Felix’s rough timbre left no room for argument. Everyone, aside from a vaguely familiar blonde boy who lingered for a brief second, scurried out of the Great Hall. Perhaps as Head Boy, Felix could have been more cordial to their foreign guests…Nah, who was he kidding. They deserved what they had coming to them.

—

Several days later, Marinette went into Damian’s room without even knocking; they were far past the point of caring if she did. Her heart ached at seeing him lie so despondently on his bed, tossing a Quaffle into the air and catching it listlessly. 

“How are you feeling, Dove?” She took a few steps towards him, but stopped a foot short. Not knowing what to do with her jittery hands, Marinette tucked them underneath her arms. 

Damian stopped his game, but said nothing. What could he say even if he tried? He wasn’t picked for the Triwizard Tournament –  Felix was. And to rub more salt into the wound, Marinette’s insufferable old crush Adrien Agreste was chosen as well (But if it was any consolation, Rossi was too busy hanging off of his arm to try bothering Marinette that night.) 

“Felix deserves it,” he said truthfully. The older boy really did. He was cunning, intelligent, and agile: the ingredients for the perfect representative in the games. 

When Felix’s name was called, Damian didn’t know if the feeling that burst in his chest was relief or disappointment. It’s a hard truth, but ultimately it’s something that I’ll come to accept, he mused. I still have my family. I still have my health. And I have Marinette by my side. The sudden jerk of his head and half-grin surprised her. 

“I guess it’s like you said, Angel. Now I get to find a new dream.”

—

Naturally, Marinette’s housemates refused to speak to any of the Beauxbatons unless they cut their ties with Lila (which, of course, none of them did). Damian, Chloe, Kagami, and Felix did even better by walking with Marinette between classes and fending off any would-be interactions between her and Lila. This eased Marinette’s nerves for a solid couple of weeks, until one day she found herself cornered in an empty bathroom on the far side side of the castle. How Lila managed to track her down, Marinette wasn’t sure.

To her credit, Lila kept the interaction brief. She merely laughed at how Marinette believed that she was free from her, and promised to make her life a living hell by turning Hogwarts against her too. 

Which would have been an incredibly threatening statement…except for the fact that it didn’t work - and Marinette didn’t even have to lift a finger to see it come undone. 

Lila first tried her sob story on a curious crowd of Gryffindors, and cried about how Marinette lied about her to all of Slytherin. When she finished regaling her stories, Jonathan Kent had to be restrained from lunging at her (“Let me go, LET ME GO! If she thinks she can say that about my friend, I’m gonna -”). 

The rest of them looked at her in pure disgust. After all, even though Slytherin was their default rival, Gryffindors couldn’t stand hearing her talk about Marinette behind her backs. It was the ultimate sign of cowardice. 

They shunned her almost as quickly as Slytherin did. 

Ravenclaw was next, and they tore every one of her lies to shreds using their extensive knowledge. In fact, most of them were even insulted that she thought they’d be stupid enough to buy into any of her nonsense. If any of Lila’s classmates happened to be around, a few Ravenclaws challenged her to discussions about magical theory and history since she claimed to be so well-connected to those famous wizards and witches.

Needless to say, it didn’t take Lila very long to walk away with her ego brought down a few levels.

Last, but certainly not least, was Hufflepuff who, despite their generous reputation, didn’t even humor her for a second. Many of them were part of Marinette’s knitting, baking, or sewing clubs, and she’d been nothing but kind to them since the beginning- and Hufflepuffs were nothing if not loyal to their friends.

The Hogwarts professors weren’t any help either. Normally, Lila was able to sweet-talk her teachers into giving her extensions or overlooking her frequent absences. 

Not here though. One sharp glare from that Potions Master (Mendeliev, was it?) sent Lila dragging her feet back to her seat. 

Even the moving stairs and portraits had it out for her, as they constantly guided Lila in the wrong direction or changed her route midway up the stairs. Peeves had a bit of fun dropping kitchen scraps onto her head, and more often than not, Lila would return to the Beauxbatons carriage smelling like day-old sausage stuffing or rotten cabbage. 

That particular evening, she trudged through the cabin smelling of chicken bones and old banana peels. She passed a few of her classmates, who weakly nodded in acknowledgement but didn’t offer any help. With the mountain of evidence rising against her, very few of her classmates entertained her stories anymore.

She screamed into her pillow with unfiltered rage. This whole mess was all Marinette’s fault. 

Lila was going to make her pay.

—

With Quidditch being suspended for the school year due to the tournament, Damian found himself with much more free time - i.e. more free time with Marinette - on his hands. The two of them spent several weeks quizzing Felix on different defensive charms, offensive spells, hexes, jinxes, curses, and antidotes to poisonous concoctions until late into the night. Chloe and Kagami were self-appointed to snack duty, and would sneak food out of the kitchen to fuel their studying. 

Now, if Marinette was in her usual frame of mind, she would take points from the two of them for sneaking out past curfew. But, with the constant all-nighters helping Felix prepare, well…she was not in her usual frame of mind. (Plus, they bought her silence with extra chocolate croissants.)

With their nearly 24/7 preparations, it was no surprise then that by the time the First Task was revealed to be an endurance course (“Do not worry,” Headmaster Fu announced. “We have modified the tasks to prevent the least amount of damage possible. The challenges you will face will not cause long-term internal injuries.”), Felix dodged, deflected, and attacked his obstacles with the grace of a stallion. 

He stood proudly at the finishing platform while Adrien and the purple-haired girl from Durmstrang struggled through their last several obstacles.

And Damian…he genuinely whooped and hollered for Felix without any trace of jealousy. 

—

That lack of jealousy ended when he caught sight of an aqua-haired boy from Durmstrang talk to Marinette. Damian raced towards the Great Hall to meet Marinette for lunch and saw the pair closely sitting beneath the shade of a tree. The boy said something that made Marinette laugh and playfully shove his arm.

Damian lost his appetite.

He faintly recognized the guy as the Durmstrang contestant’s older brother, not that it mattered to him in that moment. All Damian cared about was the fact that the boy mouthed “Yule Ball” at Marinette. 

And she nodded her head enthusiastically. 

—

Chloe, Kagami, and Felix didn’t even need to press their ears against the door to hear them argue. Their voices rang clear like a song. They’d been arguing for two hours at that point, and Damian still refused to budge on his stance.

“I just don’t see why you don’t want to even talk about it, Damian!” 

“I already said that I don’t want to go Marinette, can we please leave it at that?” 

“But why? Why - ?” 

“BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO GO SINCE YOU ALREADY HAVE A DATE.” 

There was a pause and a shuffle; Marinette was most likely shifting her feet as she thought of a response. 

“I don’t have a date…I-I thought…I was hoping that you would ask me.”

“Oh….” They could hear a pin drop at his sudden silence. “B-but what about that boy who talked to you the other day?”

Marinette’s incredulous giggling turned to mirthful laughter. “Luka? Luka was asking if Felix would consider being his date, not me. That’s all. Luka saw that we were friends, and he only wanted to get my opinion about it.”

Chloe and Kagami glanced at Felix, who dutifully stared down the corridors and turned red in the face. 

“So…would you reconsider your stance and take me to the Yule Ball?”

“Only if you can forgive me for being such an idiot.”

“It’s a deal, Dove.”

—

Chloe smirked and adjusted Marinette’s bronze hair pins. “He’s going to lose it when he sees you, Minette.”

“You think so?” Marinette twirled in front of their mirror and admired the way that her cap-sleeve jade gown hugged her waist while also flaring at her hips. Her movement caught the light, making the faint golden applique on her bodice glimmer like candlelight. In truth, despite the slightly uneven stitches near the hem, it was her best work yet.

“Oh, I know so.” Kagami emerged from behind the privacy shutter, looking like a dream in a cream-colored power suit.  “He can barely string two sentences around you when you’re just in your uniform. I promise you that he’ll be speechless tonight.” 

—

On the other side of the Slytherin dorms, the suit that Marinette made for Damian electrified his entire being until he was the sun personified. 

A thick gold band ran down the length of both arms, with delicate white blossom prints scattered from his shoulder to his wrists. The lapels of his jacket had a rustic, golden splatter pattern that reminded him of a Phoenix opening up its wings to take flight. With the gleaming bronze cufflinks and shimmery champagne dress shirt gifted by his father and older brothers, Damian felt absolutely invincible.

—

That is, of course, until his legs went to jelly at seeing Marinette in her dress. She was stunning. Incredibly, unquestionably stunning. And the way that she looked at him nervously - and how her lips were coated in a delicious layer of berry gloss - drove him mad. 

For hours, he spun her around the dance floor even though he had terrible coordination. And yet, in her own Marinette way, she accepted him wholeheartedly.

Every time she laughed at him stepping on her foot, every time she caressed his tie, every time she rested her head upon his chest - Damian felt himself fall deeper and deeper into an unknown abyss. Her eyes glittered up at him and oh shit everything made sense now. 

He had to tell her how he felt. He had to tell her now. 

—

When their professors weren’t looking, they snuck off to the castle’s garden and strolled beneath the white winter fairy lights; although students weren’t technically allowed to be wandering during the ball, they still kept up the festive decorations as if they anticipated some rule-breaking to occur. Between the distant sound of the water fountain and the occasional chime of a fairy’s harp, the crisp air was silent. 

They walked deeper and deeper into the garden’s maze until they reached the center, which was decorated in thick vines and silky roses. Marinette felt her heart jump into her throat when Damian brushed his fingertips across her bare shoulders.

She realized just how alone they were in that private space.

“Angel…I didn’t bring you here just to go on a walk. I have something to tell you.” 

His hands glided down her curves until they rested around her waist, switching between tapping a nonsensical rhythm and rubbing small circles into her hips. Her breath hitched; Damian was only a breath away. She could see the flecks of forest green in his eyes, the freckles that dusted his cheeks. 

“I think I might have an idea what it is.” 

Damian cupped the back of her head with both hands. The movement made the intoxicating scent in her hair waft around him. Chamomile and orange flower blossoms. His absolute favorite.

“Let me show you then.” 

The night sky stilled as Damian brought his lips to hers in a soft, loving kiss.

Chapter Text

——

It took almost five songs for Chloe to pluck up the courage to dance with Kagami instead of just next to her. Her flaxen gossamer gown flared around her ankles as they danced beneath the chandelier’s brilliant light. Chloe’s heart had never felt more full than when Kagami caught her gaze and smiled.

In those fleeting drum beats and two-steps, it wasn’t two girls on a dance floor. It was the promise of springtime. The advent of a new beginning. The burning of lungs after holding one’s breath — It was love. 

“I’m thirsty,” Kagami said, her voice slightly raised because of the music but just as collected as ever. “Let’s get some drinks. We can join Felix and his date at their table.” 

Chloe nodded and followed Kamagi off of the dance floor, vaguely aware of what they were doing. Most of her focus was on the warmth Kagami’s hand in her own. 

——

Never was Felix more grateful for his ability to keep his emotions in check than in that moment, because otherwise he would have long-since melted into a puddle at Luka’s feet. Luka (bless his heart) politely ignored Felix’s reddened cheeks and continued weaving through stories about his school years, his mother’s eccentric nautical habits, and his plan for a music career once he graduated Durmstrang.

“I’ll need to save up some money, so I’ll be working in a local wandmaker’s shop until I can travel. It’s funny how similar music and wand-making are: both of them read people’s heartsongs.” A flash of purple in his periphery caught their attention. Luka’s smile crinkled wryly at the sight and commented, “Well, it looks like my sister’s finally going to ask her to dance.”

Luka dipped his head towards the opposite end of the hall, where a girl with lavender-tipped hair shyly prodded the shoulder of a blonde clad in a bubblegum pink gown. The blonde looked at her curiously before dragging her to the dance floor in quick, short hops. 

Luka shook his head, his smile turned bittersweet. “Juleka was a mess after her name was chosen from the goblet; our Headmaster ordered all eligible students to submit their names. She ran off that night, and I was terrified she might get lost or hurt...I spent hours trying to find her until...until…”

Felix covered Luka’s hand with his own, asking him, “Until what?”

Luka returned the gesture with a squeeze and a small grin. “Until I saw her sitting on a staircase with your friend Marinette. I don’t know what they were talking about, but Marinette seemed to calm her down until she was able to stand up by herself - I have to thank her for that.” 

Felix hid his grin as he took a sip from his cup. Typical Marinette, helping out complete strangers at the tip of a hat. “I’ll send her your regards.”

“And so will we!”

Felix wanted to bang his head on the table at the sound of the intruding voices. Chloe and Kagami (or, as he liked to call them, Thing 1 and Thing 2) were rolling up to their table with drinks in hand. Oh joy , just what he wanted. Knowing that there was no way he could stop them, he scooted closer to Luka while they introduced themselves. 

“Chloe Bourgeois, the pleasure’s all yours - OW.” Chloe rubbed her arm where Kagami pinched her for being rude and stuck her tongue out. “And this is Kagami, who’s usually much nicer to me. ”

Failing to hide her growing smirk, Kagami lightly bumped her hip against Chloe’s and remarked, “That’s because you usually deserve it. Anyways, it’s nice to meet you Luka. I’m sure you’ve already met her, but this is Marinette and Dami -”

Huh. That was weird. For the first time in nearly two hours, they realized that Marinette and Damian were nowhere to be seen in the Great Hall. 

“I wonder where they went,” Luka mused, his glance shifting between his search for them and the unmistakable glow emanating from his sister and her partner.

For all that Luka felt concerned, Chloe, Kagami, and Felix shared one shit-eating grin. “I think we might have an idea.”

——

Marinette’s knees burned red from kneeling on the concrete bench for so long. She sat in his lap, one leg on either side of his hips, and kissed him with every ounce of her being.

His hands ground into her backside as she left a trail of kisses along the hollow of his neck, her lip gloss smearing when she sucked the sensitive underside of his jaw. Mine , she thought. Her tongue traced the delicate splatter of purple bruises left in her wake. Mine . 

Damian groaned as Marinette shifted her weight to ease the pain in her knees; she innocently brushed against his tense frame, making the strain in his trousers unbearable . He tore her lips away from his neck and glanced down at her handiwork: he looked like an absolute mess. The suit jacket that she made him was rumpled, his dress shirt was partially unbuttoned, and his collar was now stained with deep, rich red markings. He gasped when Marinette touched his neck — it ached from her ravenous attention. 

He’d have to return the favor.

——

Alya Cesaire was not having a fun night. How could she when everything she had known turned out to be a lie?

Because Marinette was a bully. Because Marinette was just jealous of Lila getting closer to Adrien. Because Marinette hadn’t even given Lila a chance. Because if Alya didn’t hold onto those ideas, then she would be left with nothing.

The last few months had been taxing on her nerves as it became increasingly clear that her (soon-to-be? former?) best friend faked everything about herself. Even as the rest of their class - who hadn’t entertained Lila’s stories for a while - drifted further and further away, Alya held on to her hope. Held on to the diminishing belief that Lila was as amazing as her stories led her to think. Held on to the notion that they had every right to antagonize Marinette all those years ago. 

Tonight was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. They had all been amazed to see Marinette and Damian walk arm-in-arm so naturally, as if that was how the universe intended it. And Alya had to admit...Marinette looked happy. 

Not everyone was happy, apparently. Adrien and Lila stormed off, and even though all of their friendships were straining from the increasing tension, they were still friends...right? So with their hearts puffed with good intentions, their group followed them to try and calm them down from whatever was bothering them. 

And that’s when they heard them arguing around the corner.

“...won’t do your bidding anymore Lila. I promised you that I’d be your friend if your lies didn’t hurt anyone, but I just realized something today: your lies are hurting me. They’re hurting people who only wanted to be your friend. And you know what? They hurt Marinette the most.”

“Oh please, don’t try acting like a hero now Agreste. You’re only saying this now because you saw the little brat cozying up with her new boy toy.”

“Maybe I am...but I mean what I said. And I learned my lesson. I won’t protect you anymore Lila.”

“Listen, and listen to me closely: if you so much as think about exposing me, I’m going to ruin your life more than I ruined hers. You think I’m above making up stories that are worse than just bullying? I’ve got our entire school wrapped around my fucking finger.”

Alya ran blindly out of there, ignoring their calls for her to come back.

Now here she was, sitting alone in the Beauxbatons carriage on what was supposed to be the highlight of her Sixth Year. If Alya hadn’t felt so drained, she might have cried as she accepted the truth. The humiliatingly cold truth that she willingly ignored out of loyalty to Lila.

Because Marinette was not a bully. Because Marinette was only trying to protect them. Because Lila was never a real friend - Marinette was. And while Lila was the catalyst that caused their friendship to break, every cruel thing Alya had done since then was of her own doing.

——

Five minutes had passed, and Marinette’s intricate curls fell wildly and loose around her bare shoulders. Distantly, she heard her bronze pins tumble on the gravel below. Tap. Tap. Tap . 

The cap sleeves on her dress slipped further down her arms not because of gravity — because Damian dragged it down between his teeth. (Marinette choked when he lifted his eyes upward as he did so). He left a trail of feather-light kisses up the length of her arm, glided past her shoulder, and paused before biting at the junction of her neck. Hard . Damian smothered his laugh at the way she gasped and whined his name, which made him press himself closer to her languid body. In between his fierce bites and soothing kisses, Damian whispered words that made blood rush into her ears. Words about her. Words about how he felt...what he wanted to try with her. 

What brought Marinette out of her haze, though, wasn’t the way his head dipped toward her collarbone, nor how his hands caressed the backside of her knees. No. It was the four words that she longed for years to hear him say.

“I love you, Angel,” he groaned into her mouth. 

At once, she felt the entire universe implode into clarity. She tilted her head to deepen their kiss, sighing when she felt his hand tangle itself in her hair. “I love you too, Dove. I love you too.”

——

Adrien Agreste was not having a fun night. He hadn’t had a fun school year, if he were to be completely honest. Adrien didn’t respond when Nino, who had dutifully sat by his side at their lonely table, muttered that he was going to grab them something to eat. The silence surrounding him was nothing compared to the whirlwind of thoughts that brewed inside of his mind recently.

The utter disdain he felt from his cousin, now turned rival in the tournament. The pressure from his father to win said tournament despite not wanting to participate in the first place. The looks of betrayal and revelation his friends gave him when they overheard his earlier argument with Lila. 

The guilt that Lila had been lying to his friends this entire time...and yet Adrien did nothing to prevent it. And most importantly, the knowledge that he lost Marinette because of his own naivete. 

An explosion of laughter at his left broke his self-pitying concentration long enough for Adrien to see Marinette re-enter the hall, looking as beautiful as ever despite her unkempt appearance. Her date followed closely behind her with an appearance equally as disheveled as hers. It didn’t take a genius to piece together what had happened between those two. 

Adrien trembled. What little was left of his heart collapsed into dust. 

——

By some miracle, the Yule Ball was still in full swing when they returned. Although they were able to readjust their clothes and Scourgify the makeup stains away, there was no way they could hide the quickly darkening bruises or explain why their hairstyles changed. 

Marinette caught sight of herself in a mirror just before they entered the hall and could summarize their appearance in one word: yikes .

“What do we do now, Dove?” she asked, only slightly put-off by the overt signs of their tryst. 

He looped his hands around her waist and wore a dangerous smirk. “I have a few ideas in mind.” 

“You know what I mean!” Marinette playfully smacked his hands away, but captured his lips in another kiss. “Well I guess there’s nothing much we can do now, and we have to face our friends eventually. Are you ready?”

“For you, Angel? Always.”

——

Lila Rossi was not having a fun night. In fact, one might say that she was livid. 

Her last card was played that night, her last lie unraveled. She sat alone in a corner with her arms folded as she thought over her demise. 

Lila had humble bragged about her dress the entire week to anyone who was willing to listen. Adrien’s father had produced it just for her, a one of a kind dress that they made from a specialized spider silk found in the forests of Japan (or so she said). Just one look at her and Adrien dancing together with the other champions, and they would be begging to be back in her good graces.

Except, of course, until her grand entrance was stolen from her by the Bakery Brat and her posse. Lila dug her heels into the ground when Marinette and her date first sauntered into the room, her hair in perfectly-curled waterfalls down her back. Her classmates’ amazed gasps and wide-eyed expressions were all Lila needed to hear to know that they weren’t paying a lick of attention to her anymore. 

Adrien fell silent at Marinette’s arrival. Since the champions’ dance concluded, Adrien dropped Lila’s hand and turned towards the exit.

“Adrien,” Lila said between clenched teeth as she caught up to him. “Dance with me again or else I’m going to humiliate her. ”

He looked at her strangely before scoffing (he never scoffed at her before). “No. I won’t do your bidding anymore Lila. I promised you that I’d be your friend if your lies didn’t hurt anyone, but I just realized something today: your lies are hurting me .” He yanked his arm away, his eyes filling with disgust. “They’re hurting people who only wanted to be your friend. And you know what? They hurt Marinette the most . ” 

Something about the way that he said her name with a tinge of affection snapped the last fiber of self-control Lila had. It was always about Marinette, wasn’t it? It could never be about Lila. Even after she rounded the corner and saw the other Beauxbatons students standing there in shock, Lila knew that their rage was directed towards her because of Marinette.

And that hurt. It hurt it hurt it hurt so goddamn much that ...Lila  wanted to hurt someone. She wanted someone to suffer like she suffered. An explosion of laughter at her right broke her white-hot fury long enough for Lila to see Marinette re-enter the hall, hanging off of her date’s arm with a candid smile on her face.

It was perfect timing. 

——

Felix appraised Marinette and Damian’s appearances with a mischievous grin. “Look at what the cat decided to drag in.”

“Oh Minette, I must be confused but didn’t you have your hair in an updo?” Chloe bit her knuckles in mock confusion, asking her, “What could have caused it to come down?”

“Did you get into a fight with someone? Those bruises on your neck look -”

——

The next thing that Marinette registered was that her cheek stung and she had fallen back in Damian’s arms. What happened? She blinked her eyes open to see chaos unfold before her. 

Chloe restrained Kagami, who looked like she was about two seconds away from using an Unforgivable Curse. Felix and Luka shoved Lila into a chair, while Jonathan had his wand pointed dangerously at her throat. And Damian - her sweet Damian - knelt by her side while casting healing charms around her body.

Lila thrashed against her restraints when she saw Marinette slowly get up from the floor. She screeched, “I should’ve done more than just hit her because it’s her fault IT’S ALL HER FAULT.”

Her group of friends parted the way as Marinette approached Lila’s chair. If Marinette didn’t have a painful throbbing in her cheek, she might have felt empathy for the pitiful girl who wailed at her feet. Instead, she felt nothing. No anger, no animosity, nor any vengeance towards her tormentor of so many years.

It truly was a sad sight to behold, and it gave her no pleasure to see someone look as defeated as Lila did in that moment.

She flinched when Marinette kissed her firmly on both cheeks and rested her cool palms against her shoulder. Marinette searched her eyes for guilt or apology, and sighed when she found nothing. 

“I forgive you. You may not care, but I do.” 

Her former classmates had surrounded them in a crescent arch and gaped at her. Marinette wanted to feel anger at their lack of action and lost opportunities but...just couldn’t. After all, didn’t their betrayal ultimately give her even better friendships than the ones she had lost? 

“And for what it’s worth, I forgive you all too.” 

—

An hour later, their group lounged in the lower decks of the Durmstrang ship as they played their third round of Exploding Snap. Luka and Juleka were more than happy to offer their space to their new friends, and generously divvied their extra blankets and pillows to the lot. Marinette tucked herself into Damian’s side and watched the scene carefully.

Kagami’s arms were wound around Chloe’s torso as she whispered game strategies into the blonde’s ear. Felix and Luka had their heads together, silently forming their next move. Rose, who had awkwardly met Marinette’s gentle stare while she tagged along with Juleka, was beginning to finally relax in their company. Even Jonathan and his partner looked mighty cozy under their pile of woolen blankets by the fireplace.

“Everything alright, love?” Damian murmured. His touch graced the top of her wound, which had already had begun to decrease in redness. Soon enough, it would disappear completely. 

Marinette contemplated on the turn of events that evening. From dancing the night away with Damian and kissing him senseless to forgiving her worst enemy and seeing her silently escorted off the premises by faculty…it was a strange sequence of events alright. But as a whole, Marinette wouldn’t change anything about that night since it got her what she had secretly wanted for years: Damian.

She nodded and snuggled into him further. “Everything’s perfect, actually.”

 —

The week afterwards, Damian sent his family an owl that, while short, sent them into a frenzy.

To Grayson, Todd, Drake, and Father,

I asked her to be my girlfriend...and she said yes. Can she join us for Christmas this year?

—

Chapter Text

Adrien found himself eating his meals alone nowadays. 

With Lila exposed and unable to cling to his arm indefinitely; their classmates breaking off into their own bouts of self-loathing; and the Hogwarts students largely giving him space, Adrien was left to his own devices during mealtimes. Occasionally he would be approached by some Durmstrang students for an autograph, and he would steel his mouth into a passable smile and thank them for their continued support. As soon as they were out of ear-shot though, his smile dropped and he fell back into his quiet, monotonous routine. 

Wake up. Get dressed. Eat. Attend morning classes. Eat again. Attend afternoon classes. Eat once more. Find a way to pass the evening. Go to bed. Lather, rinse, and repeat the next day.

So much for being a “champion” , he thought as he listlessly picked at his lunch. The gravy-coated meat pie turned to mush under his constant mashing, and for a moment his heart rang with guilt at the wasted food. 

Adrien’s reverie broke when a tinkling, bell-like laughter rang into the hall; he didn’t need to look up to know who it was, or even to see the one who had made her laugh.

What matters is that she’s happy , he reasoned. At least one of us is.

-

Marinette awoke in a delicious blanket of warmth. She and Damian had spent the previous night playing countless rounds of Wizard’s Chess in his room until they collapsed from exhaustion. The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was calling checkmate, and Damian’s king piece slouching its shoulders in shame. At some point during the night, Damian curled around her like a question mark, his limbs tucked between hers as if he were her anchor. 

In many ways, he was. 

“Dami,” she said, her voice trudging out of slumber. “Dami, we need to get ready for class.”

He groaned and flipped to face the wall. “Five more minutes.” 

Marinette picked at the hem of a sweater that Damian gave her last night (and which she had no intention to give back). Well...maybe they could spare five minutes. 

Forty-five minutes later, they scrambled out of bed, laughing like crazy as they tossed on their uniforms. One look at the clock confirmed their suspicions - they were going to be very late to Potions. Articles of clothing flew across the room as they ducked around each other to put together cohesive outfits. Between their hurried search and stolen kisses were tidbits of questions that the other instinctively knew how to answer:

“Dami, can you pass me my -?” 

“Got it here, Angel. Where did my other shoe -?”

“Look under your desk. Here’s your sweater, think fast! Do you have my-?” 

“Satchel? Next to the bed, near the right post.”

Once they finished dressing, Marinette raced down the hall and tugged Damian behind her; unbeknownst to them, the paintings peered at their racing with curious fondness. 

Young love was always a strange sight to behold.

-

Marinette smiled at Tikki ruffling her feathers and gave her another treat. Aside from the soft hooting from other owls and the occasional reverberation of footsteps in different parts of the West Tower, the Owlery was wonderfully quiet that morning. The wintry breeze chilled Marinette to her core, but did wonders at freshening the stale, lingering smells of owl droppings and mice skeletons. 

Marinette leaned her head against the only clean post in the room and sighed. Tranquil moments like these were few and far between given her crazy schedule, especially with her and Damian’s budding relationship. Who would have thought that after years of isolation in her early school days, being completely undisturbed was now one of her favorite things? 

Marinette stifled a laugh at the irony. Perhaps she’d have to send Lila a thank you letter for the discovery. 

“Oh, hey Marinette!”

Well, there went her peace and quiet. 

Adrien stood at the Owlery’s entrance, looking as awkwardly polite as ever. He fiddled with the ends of his sweater under her even, silent gaze, and marched to one of the school owls at her left. His black cat Plagg followed him into the room, nudging his foot with an indignant “ meow ”. At seeing his dulled golden hair and gaunt hood over his eyes, a part of Marinette - a small part of her heart that would always carry her past hurt - broke into jagged edges.

Adrien cleared his throat and remarked, “I’m surprised you’re here by yourself. You have so many friends now, and I always see them keeping you company.” 

“That tends to happen when friends are actually there for each other.” 

Adrien winced. “Y-yeah, that’s true...so, how’ve you been?” 

“Fine.”

“That’s...really good to hear.”

Marinette fought the urge to shuffle her feet. No matter how much her pulse raced in her rising anger (and, if she was willing to admit it, nervousness), she refused to revert back to her fourteen-year-old self. 

She’d come too far to buckle now. 

Marinette smoothed out the wrinkles in her voice and straightened her spine, her stare never wavering from his. “Look Adrien, if you have something to say to me, then I’d rather you just get it over with.” 

“I-I do have something to say. A lot of things, actually.” 

Despite Plagg’s constant pawing and Tikki fluttering her wings, nothing could break the concentrated look that he gave her in that moment. Adrien’s eyes glistened with words he’d left unsaid, words that he regretted not sharing earlier. 

“Things got really bad after you left Beauxbatons, you know. Everyone was affected by Lila in one way or another...and no one really trusts each other anymore. You remember Ivan and Mylene, right? They almost broke up because of her. Everyone except for Alya started suspecting her stories a while ago, but no one felt strong enough to stop her. No one other than you...and we drove you away.”

He gulped and admitted, “Marinette...I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything I put you through, and for everything that I allowed to happen. I stood by while you were hurt, and I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

Adrien’s grip on the wooden post tightened just as Marinette’s throat went dry. His voice cracked, which made her heartbeat quicken like a hare running from a predator. “I know this is a terrible time to bring this up, and I don’t have any right to say this to you now. But Marinette, I’ve always lov-!”

“Angel, there you are!”

Damian swooped into the room and planted his lips firmly onto hers in a heated kiss. He knitted his hands through her hair until he could envelope her in a deeper hug, and he smirked at the choked sound coming from their onlooker. 

Damian’s lips drifted towards her neck as he said, “Sorry to interrupt. I happened to see your friend following you through the West Tower, and he reminded me that I needed to check on Titus. It’s a shame that some owners just don’t take good care of their pets.” He shook his head in faux astonishment. “That poor cat pawed at me because it was hungry, so I couldn’t help but give it a treat.”

Plagg meowed in agreement and gently purred at Damian’s feet. The dark-haired boy pecked her cheek and waved a letter in his free hand. “Plus, I couldn’t wait to let my father know that you’ll be joining us for the holidays. He seemed very ecstatic at the possibility in his last correspondence.”

A tch caught the lovers’ attention. Adrien absently looked at the floor and turned his body towards the exit. He muttered, “I’m sorry I caught you at a bad time, Marinette. Excuse me.”

Adrien was almost out of sight when Marinette called out to him and tugged Damian along. Damn this sensitive heart , she thought. In spite of how righteously angry she felt about him...she still saw him as the young boy who had once used a Shielding Charm to protect her from the rain. The same wide-eyed, golden-haired boy who was full of so much possibility and hope.

Marinette knew that she didn’t have to like him or forgive him...but she could at least be decent. 

Ironically, his inaction taught her what it really meant to be the bigger person. 

Adrien clung to the railing at the sound of her sudden shouting. He whipped around to look at her, as if expecting her to break free from Damian’s embrace and run to him.

But Marinette stayed comfortably in Damian’s arms. The only thing that changed was her eyebrows furrowing in sympathy with the poor, misguided boy in front of her. 

“Have a good holiday break, Adrien. And good luck with the rest of the tournament.”

Adrien’s shoulders fell once again, but the fissure in his heart didn’t feel as torn. “You too Marinette...and thank you.”

-

In the two weeks between the Yule Ball and the start of the winter holidays, a fire burned under Marinette’s old classmates to try to talk with her. About what, you might ask? Even they weren’t sure. 

Nino would sometimes wave at her from across the hallway, too busy accompanying a recluse Adrien to try anything more elaborate. Alix and Kim snaked through crowds to grab her attention. Nathaniel, Sabrina, and Max scoured the library for tables she might have been studying at. Mylene and Ivan hung near the Great Hall to catch glimpses of her at mealtimes. Alya was the most persistent of the bunch, and she often got into heated arguments with Chloe or Kagami about her “unwanted presence”. 

The only one who could come close enough was Rose, and that was only because she and Juleka tagged along with Marinette in-between some classes. Marinette would give Rose a polite nod in acknowledgement, and she would squeak and wave in return. Despite their collective efforts, everyone’s attempts were squandered. 

Maybe Marinette really didn’t want anything to do with them, and they would have to respect that. It wasn’t as if they could blame her, either.

They settled for sitting at the back half of the classroom during their joint lessons with Slytherin in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, resigned to watch as Marinette and her group commanded the front. Adrien slouched further in his seat as Damian toyed with the ends of her pigtails. One day, their professor opened up a discussion about Patronuses and their connection to human emotions.

“As powerful as they seem, Dementors are no match to a person’s happiest thoughts and memories,” their professor explained. “Some even swear that matching Patronuses shows that the two weilders are soulmates.”  

The class partnered off to practice casting the charm with varying levels of success. Most of them couldn’t produce more than a silvery puff of smoke that dissolved after a second, and Kagami’s best attempt was a thick mist that wrapped around herself and Chloe.

But then the unthinkable happened. 

The classroom fell deathly silent as Marinette and Damian shouted the charm in perfect unison. And two identical doves circled around their heads. 

—

Marinette paced towards her door, paused, and threw up her hands in anguish. It had been three days since the Patronus incident and she still didn’t understand what it meant. 

“I mean, of course I love Damian with all of my heart and I don’t need a spell to tell me that. But the thought of us being potential soulmates is...so much to think about all at once,” Marinette  reasoned. “Like, we’ve been friends for a long time but we just started dating you know? A-and it’s true that matching Patronuses don’t necessarily mean that the users are ‘soulmates’, but -“

Kagami clamped a pillow over her face and groaned. “Marinette, you’ve been at this for hours - no, days . It’s nearly 2 a.m., can we please talk about this later and go to bed?” 

Marinette pursed her lips in agreement and padded towards her bed; internally, Chloe and Kagami breathed sighs of relief. The three of them snuggled into their pillows, content and peacefully quiet for a few minutes. 

And then Marinette sat up in her bed. 

“Okay, but what if -“ 

“Minette, I swear to god -“ 

—

Felix asked no questions when Damian knocked on his door past midnight. He merely took one look at his befuddled friend, sighed, and stepped aside with a “come-in” wave. Immediately, Damian went into a tyrannical rant about magical theory on Patronus production to justify why it was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous (Felix envisioned Chloe  smirking at the use of her patented catchphrase) why he and Marinette could be considered soulmates.

This caught Felix by surprise.

“Oh,” he interjected. “Would you not want her to be?”

Damian fiddled with the crumpled parchment in his hand; it had scribbles and scratches of a love letter he wanted to write to Marinette.

“Of course I want her to be, but that’s where the problem lies: no matter how much I want it to be true, the magical theory just doesn’t fully support it.”

Felix hummed in thought, thinking of the best way to respond. Felix wasn’t...the best with verbal communication - or communication at all for that matter, but Luka was helping him - and he wanted to tread this topic lightly. He slowly began, “Well, you know that emotions aren’t clean-cut like textbook rules and technicalities. The magic they possess is mysterious and complicated, and we can never fully understand their powers. In any case, isn’t there an inherent beauty in having some mystery?”

Damian rocked in Felix’s desk chair, silent but for the tapping of his foot. When he launched into another half-hour rhetorical counterargument, Felix only nodded with interspersed “mmm’s”. 

Despite his exhaustion, he really didn’t have the heart to kick Damian out at a time like this.

—

The Hogwarts Express rattled to a halt as it pulled into the station. Marinette, who was entirely too full with cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties, rose unstably from her seat. Her face reddened as she felt Damian’s hands steady her back and his warm breath brush over her neck.

They still hadn’t talked about the whole “Patronus” incident from a few days ago; there was an unspoken rule between them that anything too embarrassing to talk about would be brushed aside until they felt ready (which, generally, was never).

Marinette waved goodbye to their friends in the other passenger carts, and was immediately shadowed by a large, menacing man. 

“Pixie Pop!” 

Marinette gasped and ran straight into his open hug. “Jason!”

Jason spun her easily around the platform, not caring about how close they bumped into other patrons. Marinette swatted his hand away after he knuckled the top of her head. “Is our favorite little witch ready to be spoiled and paraded for two weeks?”

Tim and Dick joined his greeting, listing off dozens of things that they had planned while she was a guest in their home, while Damian was stuck unhappily in the back next to their baggage. Marinette’s vision started to spin at the countless things on their itinerary: apparently the wizarding community in America did not understand the word “small” when it came to major holidays.

Still, in the sea of happiness she felt, Marinette fought down an unusual bubbling of anxiety in her stomach. Marinette had spent much of her summer vacations with them before.

What could be different now?

-

Apparently, everything was different now. 

One morning, Tim voiced her concerns into existence. He smirked and tapped on his freshly-brewed mug of coffee, explaining, “You’ve always been family to us, Mari. But since you’re officially dating a Wayne, you get to experience all of the ‘perks’ that come with the title.”

By ‘perks’ he meant teasing. A lot of it. Marinette was mostly spared ( “She’s so sweet, how could we ever think about making jokes like that around her?” Dick admonished ), so Damian received the brunt of it.

If Damian was asked to cast a Patronus again, he wouldn’t be able to since his brothers were irritating the everliving fuck out of him.

But as demure as Marinette appeared to Damian’s family, there was one thing that kept blaring at the back of her mind: she couldn’t stop thinking about their kiss during the Yule Ball. 

As it turned out, Damian couldn’t stop thinking about it either. 

-

‘Twas two nights before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring - actually, that was a lie. Two creatures were stirring very much as they snuck off to an unused guest bedroom in the Manor.

Since Tim’s arrangements on their itinerary were so thorough, Marinette and Damian hardly had time to spend alone with each other, and what little alone time they did have ended up being interrupted by someone in the family. 

Their game of Exploding Snap? Dick popped into the parlor and sat right in-between them despite the ample legroom.

Their private broom riding tour around the Manor’s sprawling gardens? Tim joined them on his own broomstick just as they reached the rose bushes.

Their flour-dusted kisses in the kitchen as they tried a new recipe for treacle tart? Jason came in to snag the desserts on his way to his room.

This night proved differently. 

The Manor was unusually quiet that evening since each family member had their own agenda. Alfred was asked to take the night off for once; Bruce left with Selina to attend a holiday charity gala; Dick apparated to Kori’s flat for a mini-reunion with their Hogwarts friends; Tim went out with Stephanie to a Weird Sisters concert playing nearby; and Jason was...somewhere.

Which left two teenagers with a lot of time and a lot of space to expend their pent-up energy.

As Damian pushed Marinette against the bedroom wall and pressed his lips firmly against hers, she thanked the universe that the Silencing Charm existed; her cries alone would have woken up the entire city of Gotham. She locked her legs around his waist and her mouth around his neck, and found that he was responding to her attention.

Good. She was far from finished with him.

Marinette dragged her teeth across his neck until she found his rapid pulse, and she traced her lips downwards until they fell below his collarbone. He groaned, pulled their bodies towards the bed, and laid her head down onto the pillow. He gasped at the electric feeling of pressing himself onto her, and she whined for him to kiss her again.

Everywhere, all around him, was Marinette. Her scent, her sighs, her warmth, her heels digging into his spine, and the tantalizingly soft skin under her night shirt teased him to his core. Delicate as a peach, rosy as a blossom, and fiery as embers: his Angel was a work of art that he wanted to spend hours studying. 

When Marinette’s shirt rode above her waist, Damian traced hearts into her ribcage and melted when she bit her lower lip. His hands cupped the smooth edges of her curves, but dared not go any further. There were some lines that they weren’t ready to cross just yet and, truth be told, they were perfectly happy with the pace they had set. All they really needed to be satisfied was feeling the other’s presence; everything else could happen in due time. 

Still, that didn’t stop them from exploring this foreign territory and all of the sensation that came with it. Marinette shuddered as he nibbled on her earlobe, and she dug her nails down his flushed back. In a lot of ways, the way they kissed and explored mirrored how they felt about each other and -

A realization hit her. 

“Damian, I-” she panted through her haze. “I need to tell you something.”

He froze in his ministrations, afraid that he’d hurt her somehow. Damian stroked her cheeks softly; in the moonlight, they glowed like dusty roses. “What is it, Angel?”

“It’s about our Patronuses. I just wanted to say that…” Marinette trailed into silence until Damian rested his forehead upon hers, silently asking her to continue despite his erratic, nervous breaths. “No matter what those theories or legends say about them matching, I don’t want us to feel pressured to commit to something we’re not ready for - I like what we have. And I’m pretty in love with you right now, if that’s okay.”

Pure, cold relief flooded his veins at her admission. Damian kissed her all over her face and nodded in agreement. “And I’m pretty in love with you too. Soulmate or not, none of that matters to me. All I care about is you.”

Their kisses slowed down in concert with each other, the fire behind them cooling down into low, yet intense flames. It felt like the world had fallen into place just for them...

Until they realized they forgot to place a Locking Charm over the room.

The door creaked open - and their parents chatted casually on the other side. 

Unbeknownst to them, Bruce and Selina had left the gala early to meet with Tom and Sabine, who had Floo’d in that evening to the Manor as part of an impromptu surprise. Since Marinette appeared rather gloomy without her parents - of course, none of that being attributed to the constant interruptions with her boyfriend - the two couples secretly planned to have her parents come to the Manor a few days before Christmas and spend the holiday all together. 

And since the guest bedroom was typically vacant, there would be no way that they would run into Marinette before their surprise entrance the next morning.

Bruce chuckled at something Tom said and fumbled for the lights; even as a son of magical folk, he held a soft spot for the practical No-Maj household amenities. 

“I’ve definitely been there before myself, Tom. Teenagers can be a lot to handle sometimes, so I’m glad that Damian has never been the type to - MERLIN’S BEARD .”

The two teens gaped at their shell-shocked parents. Selina dipped her head to stop giggling. Sabine pursed her lips in concern, rather than disappointment. Bruce looked like he wanted to shrivel up like a wilted Mandrake for unintentionally causing all of this turmoil. Tom’s wand sparked dangerously through a list of hexes that Damian didn’t want to be caught at the wrong end of.

Damian ripped his hand out from under Marinette’s shirt, and she smoothed out the wrinkles in her sleeping shorts. 

This was not going to end well for them.

“Uhh...Bonsoir, Papa?”

-

It took five minutes, all of Sabine’s persistence, and Bruce’s profuse apologies to get Tom out of the door without harming anyone (namely Damian for feeling up his daughter, long-term friendship be damned).

“Marinette nngh we’ll be talking about this later. Tom, I told you to go to the hallway! ” Sabine huffed against her husband. “Damian, nice to see you again dear. Your father would like to talk to you later as well.”

The door closed, leaving them alone once more. Damian took a deep breath to slow his racing heart. He sighed and turned to ask Marinette, “So, is it safe to say that the mood is ruined?”

She chucked a pillow at his face.

-

“Maman, this is so embarrassing -”

“If you’re ready to do those actions, then you should be able to talk about it. Whatever you do, I just want you to be safe...”

-

“Son, I’m not sure what you planned on doing, but I hope you realize how it made me and Marinette’s parents feel seeing you two -”

“Father, please .”

“I’m not finished yet, Damian. As I was saying, I’m not punishing you for kissing, but I am punishing you for sneaking around behind my back…”

-

Aside from a very awkward talk between Marinette and Sabine, a ban on unsupervised time for the rest of the vacation, and an intimidating handshake from Tom, Damian and Marinette felt like they got off easily. 

As Christmas approached, Damian concluded that he could deal with his brothers’ gleeful smirks (Jason bought him a copy of The Wizard’s Guide to Girls ). He could take the several-day supervision streak that his father imposed. He could even handle the constant routine of watchful eyes in their presence.

With Marinette tucked into his side, the Christmas tree ablaze with a sparkling rainbow of decorations, and the fireplace roaring before them, Damian couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the year.

-

The rest of the school year had come and gone as if the Triwizard Tournament hadn’t occurred. Adrien and Juleka battled for second place, but Felix stood before them as the obvious winner.

The crowd roared as Felix exited the third maze with the Triwizard Cup glowing in his outstretched hands. Luka, who wore black and green in solidarity for both Jules and Felix, whooped as Juleka stumbled out as a close second. Adrien stumbled out several minutes later, looking worse for wear but otherwise unharmed.

Felix offered a hand to help Juleka up and shot a smile over in Luka’s direction; anyone important to Luka’s life mattered to him too.

A reporter from the Daily Prophet swarmed him and asked what he planned to do with his winnings.

Felix spared a glance at the front row where Marinette, Damian, Chloe, Kagami, and Jonathan cheered and sent massive silver and emerald sparks in the air. 

“Easy. All 1,000 Galleons will be donated into a new Ministry-led anti-bullying initiative in honor of a good friend of mine. We will be calling it ‘ The Marinette Project’ .”

-

The last day of the school year was filled with sorrowful goodbyes, both with old friendships and new ones forged from the tournament.

Marinette tightly hugged Luka and Juleka, promising to write to them soon, and openly cried when it was time for Felix to board the enchanted boats with the other Seventh Years. She buried her face into his robes, hot tears streaming down her cheeks as she realized that he would be moving onto the next phase of his life without them. 

Kagami swiped at her eyes and joined their hug for a brief moment. Chloe staunchly refused to show emotion for him, though her lower lip wobbled until she forced herself to march away. Damian smacked him on his back and chided him for his “old age”.

“I don’t care if you have a job at the Ministry now, you will make up for all of the lost Quidditch games we should have had if you weren’t in that stupid competition,” Damian scolded.

Felix lightly shoved him and smirked. “Get ready for a year’s worth of losses on your part, Wayne.” 

Even as Luka’s housemates were crying for him to get back to the Beauxbatons carriage, he stole away to Felix’s side and kissed him for all he was worth; Felix almost didn’t notice the subtle wink and note Luka had shoved into his hand. 

Write to me soon , it said. For Luka, he would.

Felix boarded his boat and gave Marinette one of his rare smiles. She watched the enchanted boats grow smaller in the distance, but felt a certain red-haired Beauxbaton in her periphery. 

Alya froze and opened her mouth as if to say something profound, but took a step back as a second thought. She exchanged three words with her former best friend.

“Take care, Marinette.”

“You too, Alya.”

-

For old times’ sake, Felix, Marinette, and Damian joined Chloe, Kagami, and Jonathan in a trolley compartment instead of the prefects’ section. The train flew through the golden rolling hills and rushing aqua rivers in the countryside, and the sunlight danced between the corners of their cart. Between Jonathan’s puns, Kagami’s dry humor, Chloe’s sneers, Felix’s scoffs, and - most importantly - Damian’s hand wedged in hers, Marinette felt like she was in heaven. 

Regardless of what the next year brought them, this was a moment she would treasure forever.

-

Chapter Text

—

“And you wouldn’t believe how massive the grounds are at this school. Seriously Minette, I -”

Damian chucked a napkin at her head. “Could you maybe not read it in Chloe’s voice? Because 1) you sound eerily like her, and 2) I hear her voice enough during the school year.”

Marinette peeled the napkin from her forehead, nonplussed by the interruption. “Oh, don’t even start. I know for a fact that deep down, you actually like Chloe a little bit!” 

“Emphasis on the ‘little bit’ part.” 

“Rude.”

“You know you love me, Angel.”

“...still rude.” 

Marinette scooted across the counter and motioned to the empty space beside her. They were taking a small break from all the baking they had done earlier that morning, and the light pat of her hands sent billowy clouds of flour in the air.

Damian slid next to her with the small copper container where Titus and Tikki deposited their letters. They opened one from Felix about his weekend excursion to Luka’s place, another from Juleka with her upcoming trip to visit Rose, an invitation to speak at the induction ceremony for The Marinette Project, and...a thick, anonymous manila envelope. 

Marinette didn’t need to open it to know what was inside. She’d already received countless others like that, all of them stuffed with apology letters or thank you notes from her former classmates. 

Damian slowly wrapped an arm around her back. “Wanna put this one aside like the others?”

Because despite everything, Marinette could never bring herself to actually read the letters or toss them out, even the ones that looked like they would hurt the most. 

She plucked the package from his hands and placed it in a hidden basket below the countertop. Out of sight, out of mind.

Marinette molded herself against Damian’s side like sea foam trickling on the shore, and they stayed like that until the oven’s ding brought them out of their stupor. 

As soon as the rested the croissants on a cooling rack, a spotted grey owl pecked at the glass window. In its beak was a crisp parchment envelope that was sealed with royal green wax.

Marinette furrowed her eyes at the bird, then at her boyfriend. “Are you expecting something?” 

“No...I thought you were,” Damian replied with equal confusion. 

After letting the owl inside and paying it with a Knut, they carefully pried open the letter and saw matching gold and olive badges glinting back at them. How odd. Their prefects badges usually looked diff- 

The realization hit them hard. 

“Does this mean -?!”

“I think-“ 

They read the letter a total of five times, twice aloud and three times in silent awe. And by some miracle, it wasn’t a trick. The message never changed. 

“Read that last part again,” she told Damian. “I need to hear it one more time.” 

He cleared his throat and repeated the closing statement. 

“ We are certain that you will continue to be a model for your fellow students and will take your new responsibilities seriously. Enclosed with this letter are your Head Boy and Head Girl badges, which should be worn on your school robes at all times. Congratulations! 

Sincerely, 

Headmaster Fu ”

—

The massive four-tier chocolate cake looked even larger as the sparklers burned high and bright above their heads. Along the cake’s exposed edges were fresh berries, delicate swirls of vanilla cream, and enchanted white chocolate doves that glided around the frosting. At the top of the cake, surrounded by eighteen golden candles, was a simple message:

Joyeux Anniversaire Damian!  

“Make a wish, love,” Marinette whispered as she rested her tired head on his shoulder. She stayed up until the wee hours of the morning and burned her pinky finger to bake that cake for him, but it was all worth it to see him smile when she brought it out of the kitchen.

He leaned forward, but paused to take in the scene around him. His family, friends, and Marinette’s parents poked their heads in front of the mountain of gifts at his feet. The string of fairy lights hovered around the garden, chiming the tune to ‘Happy Birthday’ every so often. Not one for theatrics, Damian hadn’t asked for a party or anything big to celebrate his coming of age. Only an intimate gathering of those who meant the most to him. 

He snuck a kiss on her neck before blowing out the candles, saying, “It’s hard to think of something to wish for when I already have you, Angel.” 

—

“...and then I’m going to march up to her and say ‘Madam, I’d be honored to have a job on your ship’ - NO wait, I meant ‘in your shop ’ I - !” 

Marinette groaned and buried her face in her hands, but took care to not drop her portfolio. Kagami patted her back as she wallowed. 

“She’s not going to want me to work for her!” Marinette cried. “I’m not going to be employed after graduation and I’m never going to get into the fashion industry and you guys won’t wanna be my friends anymore and it’s allbecauseIcan’tgetmyvowelsrightand -!” 

“Breathe, Marinette!” Jon grasped her shoulders and gently shook her. “Breathe with me.” 

Marinette took in some shaky breaths, but couldn’t stop the trembling in her arms. She looked towards her friends (a slight ache went through her heart since Felix was absent because of work) and sighed. “It’s now or never...I’ll meet you guys at Fortescue’s in a bit.” 

As they watched Marinette round the corner out of their sight, Damian nodded to his friends, who nodded in return. 

“Minette’s not going to be at Madam Malkin’s for very long,” said Chloe. “Take your time, but don’t be late. 

Jon added, “We’ll see you at Fortescue’s in twenty minutes. Watch out for our signal in case she comes back early.” 

They disappeared into the crowd, and Damian quickly shuffled to the South Side of Diagon Alley - the complete opposite direction of the ice cream parlor. 

Today was the only day he could complete his secret task, and knowing Marinette’s punctuality, he’d have to work quickly to get it done. 

After ducking through a few side streets, the quaint little store came into view, and Damian felt his insides twist with anxiety as he crept closer. The facade was plain, distinguishable only by a simple wooden sign that read Septima Cresswell’s Jewelry Shop . 

Below the sign stood his brothers, who looked at him while fondness and teasing danced in their eyes. Tim extended his hand and said, “Well, we’re here like you asked. Are you ready?” 

Damian gulped and fidgeted his fingers in his robes. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s make this quick.” 

The doorway jingled as they entered the shop. It was a sound that Damian knew he’d never forget.

—

Marinette wanted to throw up as Madam Malkin thumbed through the pages in her portfolio. For the past ten minutes, the old woman said nothing aside from the occasional grunt or inaudible murmur. 

Finally, she shut the portfolio and peered at Marinette’s outfit curiously. “And you make all of your own clothes as well?” 

Marinette replied,“Y-yes, I do ma’am. I have been since I was fourteen.” 

The grey-haired witch broke out into a bright smile. “That settles it then. I don’t want you working in here-“ 

Marinette felt her stomach drop. 

“ - because you’re too talented to squander your skills in a tiny robe shop like mine,” Madam Malkin finished. 

She handed the folder back to Marinette and continued, “My dear, you have a keen eye for style and craftsmanship, and I would be honored if you were to work with me. But you’re too gifted and too young to start your life’s work in someplace so small. Try to find work in bigger, more reputable labels first - they would be lucky to have you. And if all else fails, only then will I have a job for you.” 

Madam Malkin sent Marinette on her way with a free (if a little stale) drop biscuit to take for the road. Marinette didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh in relief. She didn’t have a secured job after graduation but...at least she had reassurance of her talents.

Well, it was back to square one. 

—

Several weeks later, Damian and Marinette huddled all of the prefects in their private cart on the Hogwarts Express after the train rolled out of the station. They kept the meeting straightforward and timely as they passed around FAQs, chain of command flowcharts, and crisis management tools. As Head Boy and Head Girl, they explained, it wasn’t their job to have fun - it was their job to keep things safe . 

The cart fell into a somber rhythm of head nods and murmurs of agreement. To anyone who didn’t know them, they would have thought that Damian and Marinette’s relationship was strictly professional.

What they couldn’t see were the little touches and subtle glances they gave each other. Or the fact that Damian’s hand was absolutely itching to dig the ring out of his robe’s hidden pocket.

—

Despite having thunderstorms the day prior and wind chills flowing down from the mountains, nothing would stop the Hogwarts students from watching the first Quidditch match of the year, especially one between Slytherin and Gryffindor. 

The Slytherin section exploded when Damian spun the tail of his broom and hit the Quaffle straight through the goal. 

Through the crowd’s roars (and one pigtailed girl’s screams), the Quidditch Commentator yelled, “A new school record has just been made! Damian Wayne is the first student in nearly a decade to successfully do a Finbourgh Flick, and the first ever to use it three times in a row!”   

“Did you see that kid, Marj?!” Tomsin Mosswell scrambled to grab the Omnioculars from his partner, who yelped and shoved him back. “He did that Flick like it was nothing to him, and oh my god what is he going to do now?? ” 

Even without Omnioculars, the next ten seconds felt like hours.

Damian’s sharp nosedive through a field of Bludgers made the arena freeze with bated breath. He tugged the tip of his broom with one hand to level it with the goal post, the other hand tucked firmly around the Quaffle. Margaery’s grip on the spying glass tightened as she saw the kid steadily rise to his feet. 

In one graceful swoop, Damian flipped into the air and dove past the Gryffindor Keeper.

Gravity pulled him into a free-fall, he slammed the Quaffle through the goal and landed upright on his broom on the other side. 

Margaery’s low whistles were the only thing to bring Tomsin out of his daze. “I told you I heard a lot of good things about this kid, didn’t I? We need to have him on our team, Marj.”

Her lips pursed in hesitation. “With skills like that, it’s not a question if we’ll have him - it’s if he’ll have us .” 

—

The hills above the Forbidden Forest darkened as the sunset lowered in the distance. The Quidditch pitch had long-since emptied from that afternoon’s game, save for a trio of individuals who stood squarely in the center of the field. 

“So…” Margaery finished. “What do you think, Damian? Since we’re based in New York, you’ll be a lot closer to home. Gotham’s, what, just a quick Apparition spell away from Manhattan, isn’t it?” 

Tomsin, who was trying hard not to combust in front of their guest, nodded so quickly that Damian feared his neck would snap. “It’s true! Plus, you would. Be making. History. What do you think about that?” 

“That...does sound tempting.” 

What an understatement that was. 

Damian Wayne: the American National Team’s youngest player. He couldn’t lie, it did have a ring to it. To think, despite the promises of fame and riches, the one thing that really caught his attention was the chance of setting a national record. Damian felt like he was being sucked back to a year ago, when he worried himself sick to be in the Triwizard Tournament just to step out of his brothers’ shadows. 

And now here he was being offered a chance of a lifetime to do - to be - something different, something that people wouldn’t mistakenly attribute to his family. 

 Except the ring box in his pocket weighed heavily, as if daring him to continue. He curled his fingers back into the safety of his Quidditch robes. After Hogwarts, it wasn’t just going to be his life to consider - it was going to be Marinette’s also. Together. 

“I don’t know,” Damian replied. “I need some time to think about it.” 

Margaery stopped her shoulders from sagging. Instead, she squared them back and stuck out a thick stack of business cards. “You know how to find us if you finalize your response. Don’t be a stranger, Damian. We’ll be in touch with you soon.” 

—

Marinette’s bedroom was mercifully quiet that wintry afternoon.  She opened her bay window to air out the room and was met with a brisk gust of air that reminded her that Christmas was in just a few days. To avoid any potential situations like last year (Marinette sputtered into her teacup when her father gave her a knowing look), the Waynes were coming over to their bakery to celebrate the holiday. 

Though her family home was much more humble than Damian’s, what they lacked in space was more than compensated by the painstaking details her parents took to decorate their abode. No surface was left barren, no countertop left empty. Every single inch of living space was covered by sprigs of holly, golden ribbons, crimson cloths, and a deep scent of pinewood. 

As her mother readied their kitchen table with an army of gingerbread cookies and cinnamon icing, Marinette stole away to her room for a much needed break and the chance to reply to Jon’s letter. After she shared the news with him, he immediately sent her back a Howler shouting out his excitement for her opportunity. 

“Dear Jon, 

Thanks again for almost blasting my ear drums with your Howler! (kidding). But don’t get your hopes up too much though...I don’t know if I’ll be accepting the position. How am I going to tell Damian that -”

Marinette crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the waste bin. She did not want to have to think about that just yet. 

How was one supposed to break it to their significant other that they’d have to move to New York City to work under Audrey Bourgeois as soon as graduation passed?

Sending in the portfolio was easy enough because the ball was out of her court. Receiving the news was another thing entirely.

Her parents understood, of course. Chloe and Kagami were ecstatic to hear the news (Chloe especially, since she’d see her mother more often). But Damian...she didn’t know how to break it to him. Sure, Gotham would only be a quick Apparition away from Manhattan, but that was under the assumption he would even be in Gotham. This opportunity meant the entire world to Marinette and her future - but Damian’s future mattered to her too. 

“Marinette!” her mother called from the floor below. “Damian and his family just arrived, dear.”

“C-coming, Maman,” Marinette weakly called back. 

This could wait. Right now, she had her family waiting downstairs and at least 100 gingerbread cookies to frost and damn it she was going to enjoy it while she still could. 

—

Kagami stroked Chloe’s hair as they settled into bed for the evening. On nights where Marinette slept in Damian’s bedroom (which were increasingly frequent nowadays), Chloe and Kagami took the opportunity to snuggle together, wrapped around each other’s arms like ivy leaves in the sun. 

Kagami suddenly blurted, “I was thinking about going back to Japan after graduation.” 

Chloe stiffened beneath her touch.

“Not for a very long time. I-it’s just that...the wizarding culture is so different there. After being here for so many years, I’m starting to feel ‘comfortable’. But I don’t want to be just ‘comfortable’...I want to go somewhere where I - where we - could challenge ourselves to grow.”

The addition of the ‘we’ made Chloe melt back into a puddle at Kagami’s side. Without missing a beat, she remarked, “I’ll need some time to research the style trends there, but I needed a reason to go shopping anyways. If I’m moving across the globe with my girlfriend, I refuse to make her look foolish because of a fashion faux pas.” 

Kagami hid her smile as she kissed the top of Chloe’s head.Chloe called her ‘girlfriend’ with so much reverence and love, and Kagami wanted nothing more than to hear her say that for the rest of her life. 

—

Marinette wordlessly slid into bed beside Damian, who’d long-since collapsed into a heap next to his NEWT Potions textbook. With their club meetings, team practices, Head Boy and Girl duties, and exam dates looming in the near future, they barely had time to spend with their friends during the past month, let alone each other. 

Having a busy Seventh Year schedule wasn’t as fun as they imagined. Staying up past midnight to study for their NEWTs was even worse.

The light of the quarter moon illuminated their entangled limbs, their nests of hair, and their rumpled bed sheets until everything was cast in a pale blue glow. Marinette traced the outer corner of his mouth and noticed that his steady breathing had a strong, purposeful rhythm. It was rare moments like that that reminded her of the sharp-tongued, prideful boy he was when they first met. No matter how much he changed throughout the years, her impression of him remained unchanged: Her Dami was so, so beautiful. 

If there was any opportunity to break the news to him, now was the time.

Marinette nudged his arm and whispered, “Dove...I have to talk to you about something.” 

Without even opening his eyes, he replied, “Me too, Angel.”

—

Felix peeked over one side of his cubicle, then the other, and (when it became abundantly clear that no one was looking or caring about his presence) promptly slumped over his desk.

It was another long, long day of work at the Ministry. 

Though he always held respect for the lower-tiered departments, he couldn’t imagine spending one more day sorting through files for the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Felix knew that one word to his father would get him an instant promotion to the Auror programme.

But Felix was better than that. He would prove his merit the honest way. All he needed to do now was wait for the results of his entrance exams...

A flash of black hair and a smile caught his attention. There, at the head of his desk, was a picture of Marinette while he gave her a piggyback ride. Her image silently reared back with laughter as they zoomed back and forth across the picture. It reminded him of simpler times, when all of his biggest worries were of upcoming exams or thinking of the right words to say to Luka. 

And it also reminded him of why he chose this career path - why he decided to keep going. 

A solid pat on his back made Felix straighten his spine. 

Morsan Stonetree - the Head of the Auror Office - cleared his throat and clasped his hands back together. “Follow me to my office, Agreste. I have some news that might please you.” 

—

“Well, that was a lot easier to share than I thought it would be.”

The force of her giggles sent her face planting into his chest. “I know, I was so worried that I...we were being really dumb about this, weren’t we?”

Damian brushed his lips across her temple. “We definitely were, love. But it’s nice to know that I’ll have a familiar face around in Manhattan.” 

“New York’s not gonna know what’ll hit ‘em,” Marinette said as she relaxed in his arms, feeling much lighter than she had for months. 

—

Margaery Keddle nearly fell over herself when Tomsin burst into her office, frantically waving a note into her face. After snatching it and threatening to kick him out unless he calmed down, Margaery adjusted her half-moon glasses and read the message aloud. 

Dear Ms. Keddle, 

When does our training season begin? I want to make sure that I’m early.

-D. Wayne. 

—

On the last week of school between exam periods, Damian and Marinette found themselves strolling through the empty halls of the castle; most students were either holed up in their rooms or trapped in testing halls, which left the bustling castle unusually barren. 

Even though he had deep bags under his eyes and an ill-fitting Second Year Slytherin tie and she hadn’t taken her hair out of her pigtails for nearly two days...this “date” was nice. Frankly, it was the nicest - scratch that, the only - one they’d had all semester. 

Two weeks ago, his heart had wracked with guilt when he realized that neither of them had the time to celebrate her 18th birthday, but Marinette lazily waved him off (though her slow movements just might have been a side effect of her sleep deprivation). 

Neither of us has the time. Besides, I’ll choose holding your hand and going on a quiet walk over any afternoon tea at Madam Pudifoots , she had said. 

I’ll make it up to you, Angel, he promised. She didn’t catch his eyes flickering towards the corner of the room. 

Marinette finally broke their silence when they reached the entrance of the library. She traced her fingers on the worn stone pillars, and tilted her head as she reached for a faraway memory. “This is where we first met, Damian. Do you remember that? It was my first day at Hogwarts and I had no idea where to go...and then I found you.” 

“I remember that.” His voice oddly came from behind her, and she thought she heard a hint of uncertainty.

Marinette patted the pillar thoughtfully, and continued. “I can’t believe how so much has changed in the past few years. I never thought I’d see the day where I actually felt sad to leave a school. Isn’t that crazy?”

She frowns at his silence and starts to turn around. “Damian?”

And that’s when Marinette Dupain-Cheng finds Damian Wayne down on one knee with a ring. 

—

Tom and Sabine rushed to open Marinette’s most recent letter, which was hastily written given the end of the school year. Damian was such a nervous wreck when he came to ask them for their blessing all those months ago, and they hoped that it worked out well for them. 

True, they were a very young couple...but what they had was real, honest love. Even Tom and Sabine couldn’t refute that. 

Maman and Papa, 

The craziest thing happened today. Damian proposed to me and…

—

Dick, Jason, Tim, and Father,

She said yes . 

—

Knowing that an occasion like this wouldn’t be a secret for very long, the Waynes and Dupain-Chengs jointly decided to release the announcement on their own terms.

First and foremost was the process of Floo’ing to their friends who were scattered across the globe. 

Jon embraced them as soon as they stepped foot into Smallville. Chloe and Kagami, who were patiently waiting by their apartment’s fireplace, shrieked when the couple raised their matching engagement rings. Luka and Juleka celebrated the news by welcoming them into their houseboat for dinner. 

Felix’s reaction was the most unique. He merely glanced up from his book, raised an eyebrow at the sparkling rings, and muttered under his breath, “Fucking finally .”

After that, the news spread like wildfire. Lois Lane was the only one they trusted to handle the story at the Daily Prophet, and she didn’t disappoint:. 

“It’s Official! Rising Fashion Designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng Announces Engagement to Quidditch Star Damian Wayne”

As the news reached farther east, a ripple of bittersweet emotion swept through one recently-graduated class, none more so than in four particular individuals. 

A musician paused his in-progress demo reel to reflect on the last time he’d spoken to Marinette.

A tanned, green-eyed girl crumpled the newspaper and tossed it out of her window. 

A journalist folded her copy of the newspaper and bit her cheek to stop herself from shaking. 

And lastly, a young model excused himself from his fitting session to sit alone in his dressing room. He ran his thumb over the picture as Marinette and her fiance waved their rings to the camera. A lone tear fell right on the glimmering gemstones. 

“Congratulations, Princess.”

—

The public was rather disappointed when the rumored “Wedding of the Century” turned out to be an intimate affair of less than fifty people. 

Where were the dancing monkeys? The celebrity invitations? The grand staircase and snowy white wedding dress with a twenty-four foot-long train? They didn’t even have a full orchestra for crying out loud! Wasn’t Damian Wayne’s father supposedly a billionaire?!

But for those who truly understood, it was the wedding of the century. Because all they needed were their loved ones, friends from work, and some tables and chairs set up in the Manor’s rose gardens to have the wedding of their dreams.

Marinette’s made herself a simple cap-sleeve gown that was cinched at the waist by a satin green ribbon, and Damian couldn’t take his eyes off her - his wife, he finally got to call her his wife - the entire night.

They danced and celebrated until sunrise, and everyone’s cups overflowed with spirits and wine. Damian swished her around the dancefloor like he did at the Yule Ball, only this time they felt more sure of themselves than ever. 

Both of them knew that this honeymoon bliss wouldn’t last forever, that they’d eventually experience some hiccups and fumbles like all married couples did. But as Marinette looked up into her husband’s soulful gaze, none of that seemed to matter. 

They had each other. And that’s all they really needed.

—

[Epilogue]

A small boy with unruly black hair and sharp green eyes grew quieter as his family reached the King’s Cross Station. The boy’s hand closed around the owl cage that his Uncle Jason and Uncle Tim bought for him back in Diagon Alley, and the owl hooted back at him in sympathy. His pocket jingled heavily with Galleons and an encouraging note from his Grandpa Bruce, and his knapsack felt warm with Grandpa Tom and Grandma Sabine’s special pastries.

Still, none of that could deter the aching pit that grew in Tommy Wayne’s stomach.  

On his left, his dad kept Angelica entertained by showing her different light tricks with his wand; she whined the whole trip that being eight years old wasn’t too little to go to Hogwarts, and eventually started crying into Tommy’s shoulder that she’d miss him too much. 

It didn’t take too long afterwards for his dad to be wrapped around her little finger, and he’d been distracting Angelica ever since.

“Are you feeling alright, mon minou ?” his maman asked as she rocked his baby brother to sleep. “You have that look in your eyes again. Do you want to talk?” 

Tommy opened his mouth to say ‘no’, but thought better of it. His maman could read him better than anyone else in the world, after all. He silently nodded and looked up at her through his wild bangs. “Did you feel nervous when you started Hogwarts?”

Tommy didn’t expect her to toss her head back and laugh, as if the thought of not feeling nervous was impossible. 

“More than you could ever imagine . But I’ll tell you a secret.” She warmly gripped his shoulders and smiled as she recalled, “Your father was my first friend at Hogwarts, and he made sure that I never felt alone. Find your friends mon trésor, and you’ll never feel as nervous again.”

“Yoohoo, Tommy! Your bestest ever friend in the whole wide world is here!” 

Just like his father taught him, Tommy bit his tongue and steeled his lips into a smile. He sent his maman a silent look of “I don’t know why you made me play with her when we were little but I’m doing this for you” before being tackled to the ground by a little Japanese girl whose braids were tied up in bright pink ribbons. 

“Asami, how many times do we have to tell you that - you know what, nevermind,” Kagami sighed, but grinned at Marinette. “Hello, you. I was wondering when we’d run into your bunch at the station. We would have gotten here earlier, but Asami insisted that she needed to pack extra pink sticker books inside of her luggage.”

“ More sticker books? Didn’t she already have five of them?”

“Yup,” Chloe responded, popping the ‘p’. 

“I couldn’t possibly imagine why.” Marinette tapped her chin and thought back to a few weeks ago, when Tommy pleaded for her to buy extra pink stickers at Scribbulus’ Writing Implements...

As Tommy and Asami ran onto the train to compare their wands, Felix and Luka arrived with Dick and little Mar’i in tow.

Damian came up from behind her as well and fiddled with her wedding rings, murmuring, “Feeling alright, Angel?”

Marinette stood back as Tommy took Asami’s hand and waved goodbye through the thick steam that fogged up their windows. At once, her anxious heart settled with peace. 

She caressed the side of her husband’s face and remarked, “I’m feeling perfect, actually.”

They watched as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, its scarlet engine fading off into the distance until it vanished from sight.

[End]