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rarepair_shortsTitle: Of Fractured Memories and Faces
Character Pairing: Zacharias/Marietta
Prompt: wheel in the sky
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1122
Summary: Her memory is a tangled mess of disoriented snippets, but she knows Zacharias when she sees him.
Author's Notes: The eleventh of the series.
Link to Prompt Table: http://briony-tallis.livejournal.com/77461.html
The room is far too bright, and her vision is blurry. Marietta sees a flash of blonde hair and what looks like an arrogant smirk, and she groans. Her memory is a tangled mess of disoriented snippets, but she knows Zacharias when she sees him. "Go away," she moans, turning away from him. Her face itches.
"Sleeping Beauty awakens," he responds, and she can hear his mirth. He is reveling in her misery, and it makes her angry. She refuses to acknowledge him, pressing her lips together and holding her breath. There is a long silence. "Marietta," he says, and she has to clench her muscles to keep herself from moving. "Hey," says Zacharias, and he pokes her back gently. "Look at me." She still does nothing. "It's all right, you know," he says. "It's not nearly as disgusting now as it was before."
It takes her a minute to understand; her brain feels thick and fuzzy. She walked into Umbridge's office for something, and then, somehow, she woke up in the Hospital Wing. She thinks, and thinks, and then it comes back to her. Her face. "Oh, Merlin," she cries, shooting up. One hand slaps to her cheek, and her fears are realized. Her face is ruined.
"Thought that would get you," says Zacharias. Marietta glowers at him, hating him for smirking at her. She glares at him, and then she remembers her face again, and dives under the blankets. "For Merlin's sake," says Zacharias, and she can practically hear his eyes rolling. "You can look at me. I'm not going to vomit." He snorts out a laugh. "No, no, I'm joking. I'm sorry. Look at me, will you? I am not going to sit here talking to a blanket."
Marietta slowly peeks out at him. "I can't remember everything," she says. "Why is my face like this?"
"Apparently," Zacharias replies, leaning back, "Granger is a devious witch with a cruel streak. That parchment we signed, back in the Hog's Head? It was cursed. You broke the code when you opened your fat mouth to tattle on us."
"What?" Marietta demands, shaking her head. "What parchment? What fat mouth?"
Zacharias stares at her. "You don't remember?"
She rubs the top of her head. "I feel like I've been hit by a Bludger."
"You told Umbridge about the DA and it cursed your face," Zacharias explains. "You've got 'Sneak' written across your cheeks. It's almost adorable, if it weren't so hideous. Ah, sorry, I've done it again. Not going to win you back saying things like that, am I?"
"Win me back? Did we split up?" Marietta asks. "Wait, were we ever together in the first place?" She has vague visions of secret snogging sessions, but she can't be sure what's really happened.
"But of course," he says. "You couldn't resist me. I had to accept your undying love, after you'd thrown yourself at me so many times."
She rolls her eyes. "I know that's not true."
Zacharias turns serious, leaning forward and clasping his hands together. "All right, look. I may not necessarily agree with what you did, but I understand. No matter what Cho may say, I understand."
"Has, er, Cho come to see me at all?" Marietta asks, worried about Zacharias's reaction to the question.
As expected, he narrows his eyes. "Yes," he spits out. "Briefly, last night. She took off once I arrived, of course. She loathes me, you know." He grins. "I rather love that."
Marietta sighs. "I've ruined everything, haven't I? Cho will hate me now. Everyone will hate me."
"They weren't entirely fond of you in the first place, though, were they?" Zacharias winks at her. "That's how we got on so well, our mutual propensity for attracting hatred from those wonderful Gryffindors. But Cho won't hate you. She's got to be decent enough to forgive you eventually. I mean, if she's managed to attract two of the greatest people I ever knew, she can't be all that bad, right?"
"That's something I always wanted to ask you," Marietta says carefully. She's already lost everything else, she may as well throw the question out there now. "Were you in love with him?" She can't bring herself to say the name.
He stares at her, very seriously, and she feels a twisting in her stomach. And then Zacharias starts laughing. "Yes, because every friendship is secretly hiding unrequited love," he says, holding his stomach. "I couldn't possibly admire a bloke without wanting to snog him."
"I'm sorry," Marietta replies grumpily, hiking the blanket up further, hiding everything but the top of her head. Her curls pop out like a frizzy halo.
"Just because you're obsessed with Chang doesn't mean I thought of Cedric like that," says Zacharias, as his laughter dies down. "No," he adds, and he is serious again. "I just admired him, that's all. I just don't think he deserved what he got."
Marietta peeks out again and nods her understanding. "I wish I could keep my feelings for Cho so innocent," she says ruefully. "I'm sorry. I have been trying to stay faithful to you."
He smirks at her. "I suppose I'm not likable enough. So they say."
"No," she says, feeling her face heat up, which only increases the itching feeling. "You're very likable, Zacharias."
His smile softens. "Glad to hear it."
She smiles, and suddenly there is a loud series of popping noises outside the window. Marietta jolts up, causing her blanket to slip off her face. Turning away from Zacharias, Marietta pushes the curtain aside to see several fireworks going off outside, including a gigantic spinning Catherine Wheel. She looks back at Zacharias in shock. "What in the world is going on?"
"Ah," says Zacharias. "Quite a bit happened last night, actually. You managed to get Dumbledore kicked out of Hogwarts. Umbridge is the Headmistress now, and people aren't too pleased about it. This is their little rebellion, as it were."
Marietta's mouth hangs open. She's even forgotten to hide her monstrosity of a face from him. "I ousted Dumbledore?"
"Congratulations," Zacharias replies.
Marietta looks out at the wheel in the sky, the current symbol of her failure. She never wanted this. She only wanted to be happy. Why is it so hard for her to be happy? She's ruined so much more than her face. "Merlin," she whispers, sliding back into bed, her face itching, her stomach sinking into an endless pit.
"Hey," says Zacharias, leaning over to touch her hand. "I know we're not the most optimistic people on earth, but we're together, right? That's got to count for something."
Marietta smiles weakly. "I suppose that's true." And so they sit in silence, listening to the fireworks explode.
Character Pairing: Zacharias/Marietta
Prompt: wheel in the sky
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1122
Summary: Her memory is a tangled mess of disoriented snippets, but she knows Zacharias when she sees him.
Author's Notes: The eleventh of the series.
Link to Prompt Table: http://briony-tallis.livejournal.com/77461.html
The room is far too bright, and her vision is blurry. Marietta sees a flash of blonde hair and what looks like an arrogant smirk, and she groans. Her memory is a tangled mess of disoriented snippets, but she knows Zacharias when she sees him. "Go away," she moans, turning away from him. Her face itches.
"Sleeping Beauty awakens," he responds, and she can hear his mirth. He is reveling in her misery, and it makes her angry. She refuses to acknowledge him, pressing her lips together and holding her breath. There is a long silence. "Marietta," he says, and she has to clench her muscles to keep herself from moving. "Hey," says Zacharias, and he pokes her back gently. "Look at me." She still does nothing. "It's all right, you know," he says. "It's not nearly as disgusting now as it was before."
It takes her a minute to understand; her brain feels thick and fuzzy. She walked into Umbridge's office for something, and then, somehow, she woke up in the Hospital Wing. She thinks, and thinks, and then it comes back to her. Her face. "Oh, Merlin," she cries, shooting up. One hand slaps to her cheek, and her fears are realized. Her face is ruined.
"Thought that would get you," says Zacharias. Marietta glowers at him, hating him for smirking at her. She glares at him, and then she remembers her face again, and dives under the blankets. "For Merlin's sake," says Zacharias, and she can practically hear his eyes rolling. "You can look at me. I'm not going to vomit." He snorts out a laugh. "No, no, I'm joking. I'm sorry. Look at me, will you? I am not going to sit here talking to a blanket."
Marietta slowly peeks out at him. "I can't remember everything," she says. "Why is my face like this?"
"Apparently," Zacharias replies, leaning back, "Granger is a devious witch with a cruel streak. That parchment we signed, back in the Hog's Head? It was cursed. You broke the code when you opened your fat mouth to tattle on us."
"What?" Marietta demands, shaking her head. "What parchment? What fat mouth?"
Zacharias stares at her. "You don't remember?"
She rubs the top of her head. "I feel like I've been hit by a Bludger."
"You told Umbridge about the DA and it cursed your face," Zacharias explains. "You've got 'Sneak' written across your cheeks. It's almost adorable, if it weren't so hideous. Ah, sorry, I've done it again. Not going to win you back saying things like that, am I?"
"Win me back? Did we split up?" Marietta asks. "Wait, were we ever together in the first place?" She has vague visions of secret snogging sessions, but she can't be sure what's really happened.
"But of course," he says. "You couldn't resist me. I had to accept your undying love, after you'd thrown yourself at me so many times."
She rolls her eyes. "I know that's not true."
Zacharias turns serious, leaning forward and clasping his hands together. "All right, look. I may not necessarily agree with what you did, but I understand. No matter what Cho may say, I understand."
"Has, er, Cho come to see me at all?" Marietta asks, worried about Zacharias's reaction to the question.
As expected, he narrows his eyes. "Yes," he spits out. "Briefly, last night. She took off once I arrived, of course. She loathes me, you know." He grins. "I rather love that."
Marietta sighs. "I've ruined everything, haven't I? Cho will hate me now. Everyone will hate me."
"They weren't entirely fond of you in the first place, though, were they?" Zacharias winks at her. "That's how we got on so well, our mutual propensity for attracting hatred from those wonderful Gryffindors. But Cho won't hate you. She's got to be decent enough to forgive you eventually. I mean, if she's managed to attract two of the greatest people I ever knew, she can't be all that bad, right?"
"That's something I always wanted to ask you," Marietta says carefully. She's already lost everything else, she may as well throw the question out there now. "Were you in love with him?" She can't bring herself to say the name.
He stares at her, very seriously, and she feels a twisting in her stomach. And then Zacharias starts laughing. "Yes, because every friendship is secretly hiding unrequited love," he says, holding his stomach. "I couldn't possibly admire a bloke without wanting to snog him."
"I'm sorry," Marietta replies grumpily, hiking the blanket up further, hiding everything but the top of her head. Her curls pop out like a frizzy halo.
"Just because you're obsessed with Chang doesn't mean I thought of Cedric like that," says Zacharias, as his laughter dies down. "No," he adds, and he is serious again. "I just admired him, that's all. I just don't think he deserved what he got."
Marietta peeks out again and nods her understanding. "I wish I could keep my feelings for Cho so innocent," she says ruefully. "I'm sorry. I have been trying to stay faithful to you."
He smirks at her. "I suppose I'm not likable enough. So they say."
"No," she says, feeling her face heat up, which only increases the itching feeling. "You're very likable, Zacharias."
His smile softens. "Glad to hear it."
She smiles, and suddenly there is a loud series of popping noises outside the window. Marietta jolts up, causing her blanket to slip off her face. Turning away from Zacharias, Marietta pushes the curtain aside to see several fireworks going off outside, including a gigantic spinning Catherine Wheel. She looks back at Zacharias in shock. "What in the world is going on?"
"Ah," says Zacharias. "Quite a bit happened last night, actually. You managed to get Dumbledore kicked out of Hogwarts. Umbridge is the Headmistress now, and people aren't too pleased about it. This is their little rebellion, as it were."
Marietta's mouth hangs open. She's even forgotten to hide her monstrosity of a face from him. "I ousted Dumbledore?"
"Congratulations," Zacharias replies.
Marietta looks out at the wheel in the sky, the current symbol of her failure. She never wanted this. She only wanted to be happy. Why is it so hard for her to be happy? She's ruined so much more than her face. "Merlin," she whispers, sliding back into bed, her face itching, her stomach sinking into an endless pit.
"Hey," says Zacharias, leaning over to touch her hand. "I know we're not the most optimistic people on earth, but we're together, right? That's got to count for something."
Marietta smiles weakly. "I suppose that's true." And so they sit in silence, listening to the fireworks explode.
