We are One (Hold Me, Please)

I hope it doesnt sound awkward.
Sometiems I think what I write does.
I hope you like it though. =]
Enjoy!
-Who


This story is set starting at the begining of OotP.
___________________________________________________________

The Great Hall at Hogwarts was bustling with noises as the students filed in, all going to their house tables for the start of the Sorting feast.
As the house tables filled, and the teachers took their places, the doors to the great hall opened and Proffesor McGonagall strode confidently into the hall and up to the raised dais where the stood holding the Sorting Hat was placed.
A group of youngsters following behind her seemed slightly shaken and awed, following in her footsteps tremblingly.
But what was out of place was the young woman following behind the group, simply looking awed as she walked behind them, her pale skin and curly shoulder-length auburn hair a sharp contrast against her ice-blue eyes that were scanning everything with wonder.
She was wearing Hogwarts robes and seemed like she would fit in perfectly with the 5th to 6th years, but was acting like a first year.
The whispers began almost immediately at the new arrival, but stopped just as abruptly when given a scalding look from none other than McGonagall.
Audible whispers of "I wonder whats going on.", "Dumbledore looks exausted...", "Who is that girl?", "Theres no way she can be a first year.", and "I dont see any house emblem on her robes..." could be heard throughout the hall, even with McGonagall giving students her best 'you-better-be-silent-or-else!' death glare.
The sorting hat sang its song, a very unusual one at that, almost like a warning to the school, and the sortings of the trembling first-years began.
(Im sure everyone has read the fifth book, so I didnt think I needed to enter in the lengthy song it sings. =] )


McGonagall seemed to finish the house sortings in record time, but when McGonagall called "Marie Alice" the confused young woman who stood there nervously at the foot of the dais looked up at her and walked up the steps to the stool.
A deadly silence had fallen over the room as the trembling girl sat on the stool and McGonagall set the sorting hat upon her head.
There was a lengthy silence, and the girl called Marie seemed scared, but contemplative as she closed her eyes.
In that moment Harry Potter looked at the girl curiously, remembering his time under the sorting hat, and the conversation it had with him.
-I wonder what it's saying to her?- he mused as he watched Marie fidget slightly upon the stool.
But his curiousity was soon satisfied as the brim of the sorting hat opened for it to speak. The many people in the room seemed to be audibly holding their breath waiting for what the Sorting Hat would say.


"This girl, is very special, and will not have a house in which to be placed."
At these words the whole room exploded in talk, and Marie sat upon the stool, blushing in embarassment at the public speculation.
McGonagall, seeing the hat had more to say, cleared her throat and ordered for silence, her curiosity audible as she looked upon the sorting hat.
"This girl has the bravery of a Gryffindor, the power and cunning of a Slytherin, the smarts and wisdom of a Ravenclaw, and yet the traits of a Hufflepuff. She is a jewel placed in this school. A unity of all the houses in one. Treat her kindly, and great thigns are bound to happen!" The Hat seemed to not know what else to say, and fell silent as the Hall once again exploded in speculation.
If at all possible, Marie turned a deeper shade of red than a tomato, and tilted her head forward as if to hide her face with her curls.


Almost as if a saving grace, Dumbledore stood and walked to the podium as McGongall removed the hat off of the girls head and steped back a moment as if unsure what to do.
Standing at the podium, Dumbledore turned a twinkling eye upon the embarassed girl who had now stood and looked at him, confusion audible on her features.
"For the time, Marie, Im sure you would love to room with the Gryffindors. They are a lively, though loyal and wonderful bunch and should hopefully make you right at home until this-" he made a waving gesture at the Sorting Hat with his hand "-can be further looked into."
She made a crooked half-smile at him and with a mumbled "Thank you, Headmaster" turned and practically ran to the gryffindor table, dropping herself down in the first avaliable spot.

~Maries POV~


-THAT WAS EMBARASSING!!! They only said i'd be sorted and it would all be worked out later. Im not special! Much less all those things that hat said! Oh god can this get any worse?!-
She thought to herself as she attempted to hide her head in her arms to get away from the curious stares directed at her like daggers.
She was quicky pulled out of her self-pitying musings though, as two masculine voices sounded right in her ears. "Well well, I think we have some type of magical creature sitting between us George." Said the one on her right. "Maybe Fred! The giant mass of hair gives it away I think."
The one on her left said, and she could feel a finger brush her hair back away from her face on her left, and she turned her head and opened her eye to reveal a masculine face, bright ginger hair, and a spattering of freckles.


He was smiling at her and she couldnt control herself, she giggled, the questioning glares forgotten.
"Oh my!" Said the one she was looking at. -I think someone said his name was Fred. He's really cute!- "I think it must be some sort of faery sprite. It's looking at me with these mischevious blue eyes.
Or it might even be a part-veela! I havent seen a woman this attractive since those frilly veelas came in from Beubatons.. " Fred made a face at trying to pronounce the foreign school's name "...or whatever you want to call it."
She couldnt help it, she giggled again, and could feel herself blushing at his light teasing and flirting.
He was too cute to resist, and was looking at her with these twinkling golden eyes that threatened to melt her.
She relaxed, and sat up, earning two almost identical gasps whiched caused her to give that half-crooked smile she never could get rid of.
"Oi it's alive!" Fred said as they both smiled widely.
She looked to her right and saw what must be Fred's identical twin smiling at her too.
They looked almost the same, except this one had a mole on the right side of his neck.
She laughed lightly again and said "Well, im no magical creature. Or half-veela. Just plain old muggle-born Marie Alice. Nice to meet you." She couldnt help it, the ridiculousness of the moment just was getting to her, so she giggled again.
The one on her left held out his hand with a smile on his face and said "Hey im Fred. You seem like a mischevious one. Im sure we'll get along wonderfully."
She took his hand and shook it, smiling, and turned as the one on her right began to speak.
"And im George. Welcome to Hogwarts."
Fred picked up right after him as if they were reciting a speech that required the both of them to go back and forth with talking.
"We know how it is without someone to show you around and how it is without new friend in a new place."
"And how miserable it is to not know where your going and get lost in this place."
"so, if you dont object to it, madame,-" And at this he made a half-bow in his seat, which looked rather comical from his position, eventhough he tried to look completely sincere while doing it, and made her giggle again.
Fred turned and picked up right from where his twin left off.
"-we would love to be your first friends and help you around hogwarts adn with your howework and all that."
"Well, that of course is if your dont mind."
Feeling much better and more at home, she laughed a little, and beamed at them.
"I would love that very, very much. Thanks you kinds sirs."
And she tried to make a small curtsey in her seat but only succeeded in making the three of them laugh at their antics.


Dumbledore, standing at the podium, motioned for silence as the sortings finished and the last of the applause died out.
"Well, this year promises to be a very exciting and interesting year! Ms.Alice, although new to our school, and here under.. unusual circumstances, is one of us.
All of us as the Sorting Hat so plainly stated. I hope you will treat her with kindness and not be too inquisitive as children are prone to be."
As he said this, the curious stares on Marie became almost unbearable for her, and Fred and George, sensing this, put their arms around her shoulders, and Fred, as an extra gesture, reached for and held her hand.
She looked up at him, and he smiled at her in a way that made her heart melt and warm pool in her stomach, but she felt wary.
-He wouldnt like me like that. Im not cut out for relationships or anything else but friendship.-
And she smiled back hestitantly with her signature crooked half-smile.
"Now.. there are a few things of course for the new students and as reminders for the older students."
At this he pointedly looked at Fred and George next to her, and they simply smiled.
"No one is allowed in the Forbidden Forest unless you wish to endure a great amount of danger and extreme life-threatening injuries.
Proffessor Hagrid has not yet returned from his time away, and so Proffessor Grubby-Plank will be filling in for him for the time being.
We have recently recieved a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher! Proffessor Dolores Umbridge from the Ministry of Magic." He pointed to a short, squat woman who was completely clad in pink and seemed to have a pink boa sitting on her shoulders around her plump neck, empahasizing her round facial features. At Dumbledores' gesture she smiled a horrid smile, which showed sharp, pointy teeth.
Turning back around he continued: "Also, Mr. Filch would like it to be known that all Fanged Frizbees are banned, along with a lengthy list of items that can be found on the door to his office.
But enough talk!" And at that, a tiny little hem hem could be heard. It like a small cough, but sounded more like a high-pitched and annoying sound, but it was loud in the silent Great Hall, and caused Dubledore to stop his speech and look around curiously.
It was coming from the staff table behind Dumbledore, and it sounded once again. Hemhem.
Dumbledore looked behind him over his glasses at the pink-clad lady who was looking at him and was smiling that horrid smile. "I dont think I like the look of her at ALL." whispered Marie to Fred and George.
"A right fright that one looks to be." George said.
"Yeah. We might have to stir things up a bit for her." Fred replied, and smiled a mischevious smile at the two of them, which George mimicked.
Marie smiled at them both, thinking -Uh oh. I got myself in with a bunch of troublemakers.... Just my kinda people.-
The pink colored Umbridge woman rose from her seat and walked around next to Dumbledore. Making that horribly annoying hemhem noise of hers, she began to speak
"Well, it's certainly lovely to be back at Hogwarts..."
(I didnt think I needed to add in this speech either. Hopefully everyone has read it and remembers the jist of it.)
The whole room was deathly silent for her whole speech, and when Umbridge went back to her seat, Marie was troubled.
She did not like what that woman had to say. It didnt sound good at all.
Dumbledore seemed to be in shock becasue that was obvious that was not the usual way of things at Hogwarts to Marie, but he collected himself and begain to speak again.
"Well, thank you for those... words of encouragement Dolores.
But it seems like everyone here is very hungry after all that.
Remember Prefects will show the first years to their dorms.
But enough of this. Enjoy everyone!"
Fred and George both looked at each other and grinned mischeviously.
"Enjoy ourselves I think he said George."
"I think he did Fred."
"Well, we might just have to!"
"Starting with that Umbridge woman. Ugh she's a fright."
"Right she is. Wanna help us have a bit of fun around here Marie? Believe me you'll have the time of your life." Fred said, looking right in her eyes and giving her that warm feeling again.
Trying to push away that warm, happy feeling, and not succeeding, she smiled and replied
"Why believe me, I'd love to!"
And then blushing lightly and saying to Fred in a teasing tone "But I think I might need my hand back for that."
Realizing he still had his arm around her holding her hand when George had already removed his when the glares stopped, he said jokingly
"But mademoisele you would leave me all alone to my own defenses even for a moment?"
Eventhough the heavy blush that coverd his face and was so deep it almost hid his freckles gave away his embarassment.
"Yes I would." she said, giggling and letting go of his hand, though feeling slightly sad to have had to let go of it.
-Now stop that.- She thought to herself scoldingly and yet, sadenningly. -It's not worth the trouble. You'll only get hurt. Remember im only 'friend' material.-
But she still couldnt stop that tiny bit of warmth working it's way into her heart and she smiled at them again.
-Maybe it wont be so bad here. In fact I think I might like it...- she thought to her self happily as food materialized in front of her.
She laughed again at her two new friends as they procceeded to pile food on her plate and then theirs, and trying to give them a serious look, but only making them and herself laugh as she said in a half-motherly voice
"Im sure you can help me with alot of things but I can eat myself you know!"

__________________________________________________________


Well, thats the first chapter. Not much I know!
But im working on it.
=]
-Who