The Secret

Mariana Midweb clutched her books to her chest as she walked onto Platform 9¾. Her feet hurt from being crammed into tight shoes that had not broken in yet. She looked down at her new flippers, separated, because they had grown as she left the ocean - and her beautiful, shimmering blue tail that had once waved gracefully as she swam - behind. She looked to her left, and saw a family of three dropping their son off. His mother, a tall brunette with long curly hair, licked her finger and wiped something off his cheek with it as his father, a lanky redhead who definitely resembled his son, organized his books. The boy climbed onto the Hogwarts Express.

"I think I'm going to like Hogwarts," she said, in English, as presumably, nobody could understand Mermish, her native tongue. She figured it was an advantage that she had the power to understand any language. It was part of what her mother, Queen Meridia Midweb, called "Royal Competency." There were other parts, not just language, but she could never remember them all.

The whistle blew, and Mariana climbed onto the Hogwarts Express.

***

Wandering through the train cars, Mariana tried to find a seat. She had checked every open compartment, but so far, nobody wanted to sit with the so-called "American exchange student." You see, Mariana hadn't told anyone about her secrets yet, like that she was the first merperson to walk on land with humans and go to Hogwarts, as no other mermaids could split their flippers like she could, because even though she had never met her father, she was told she looked like him, and that he was a wizard.

She'd never told anyone how she never could understand why she wore a golden necklace in the shape of a lightning bolt at all times, even swimming, and why sometimes, it burned into her skin, but she didn't have a mark afterwards.

Suddenly, someone's words broke her train of thought. "Are you looking for a seat?" She turned to her right, and the redheaded boy from the station was smiling at her.

"Are you talking to me?" she asked, as sweetly as she could manage.

"Yes, I am," he replied. Mariana found his European accent enchanting, even... hot!

"Yes, I'm looking for a seat," she whispered, suddenly hoping that she didn't look like she had just walked out of the sea. The boy shifted towards the window.

"Do you want to sit here? There's plenty of room." Mariana looked at the boy's eyes, looking for any trace of insincerity, but finding none, sat down in the seat in front of him.

"Thanks," she breathed.

"I'm Robert Weasley, by the way. You can call me Robby, if you want," he said with a smile, a stunning smile that seemed to embrace her entire being.

"Hi, um, Robby. I'm Mariana Midweb," she introduced herself, hoping not to sound too foreign.

"I haven't seen you before. You are a third-year, right? What house are you in?" Robby asked, somewhat confused.

"I am a third-year, but I'm the American exchange student, so I haven't been sorted yet," Mariana explained.

"Oh. I'm in Gryffindor. All of my family has been. Maybe you'll be sorted into Gryffindor, too," he wondered aloud.

"Yeah," she whispered. Any excuse to spend every day with this boy she'd just met, yet now had a crush on, would be wonderful.

End of Chapter 1