duels and dances - Merula X Ismelda[OneShot WP]

"Any day now" A slytherin boy said to a red haired ravenclaw girl.
"Any day now, what?" The girl asked.
"I am going to defeat Merula once and for all." The boy declared.
"You're Starting to come off as a bit obsessed."
"Not quite as obsessed as she is, Tulip" The boy said and scowled.
"What are you planning on doing then?" Tulip asked.
Anon Ymous shifted on his chair and pocked his chin with his wand.
"I will prove that she should treat people better."
"Oh, and how do you plan on doing that?" Tulip asked curious.
"Barnaby got tired of her bossing, and I am guessing Ismelda isn't thrilled to be her minion."
"Seriously, you're planning on going after Ismelda now, what could you possibly want with her?" Tulip asked slightly disgusted at the thought of the grim girl and her creepy smile.
"I don't care about her, but if Merula treats her even half as badly as it seems, she is looking for a way out... And even though I have no use for her, I would gladly befriend her. If only to get back at Merula." Anon answered and flicked his wand back, before putting it on a wristband he had under his sleeve.
"It did work with Barnaby, but I don't know if you can befriend Ismelda..."
"Well, that's the thing, I wont even have to." Anon said and smiled.


Merula was covered in sweat, she had just spent entire day practicing ways to defeat Anon. She realized that the boy had gained a lead in dueling, and sought to understand what exactly made him so strong.
"Ismelda!" The messy haired slytherin with striking eyes yelled.
Another girl emerged from the shadows, where she was sitting. Watching the girl practice.
"Yes, Merula?" Ismelda asked with her usual smile.
"Do you think I can beat him?" Merula asked directly.
"You can do anything you set your mind at, Merula." The black haired girl smiled and wiped the hair covering her face away. "You just need the right motivation."
"Really, Ismelda... Motivation?" Merula asked annoyed.
"Why is it, you want to defeat him so badly?" Ismelda asked the girl.
"Because I hate him, because I want to repay all the humiliations and for crossing me." Merula answered angrily, why did she have to reason her hatred?
"Surely there are better ways than dueling him directly? he is formidable and ruthless."
"You think he's stronger than me!" Merula accused Ismelda angrily and stomped her foot.
"No... I..." Ismelda said quickly and looked at Merula weirdly.
"You think he's stronger than me, what were you going to suggest then, cursing him while his back is turned with cruciatus?" Merula said disgusted.
"Why don't we just forget about him and focus on other things, like finding out clues on our own?" Ismelda asked
"If you think I'm going to admit defeat and just go about slinking behind everyone's back, you're as stupid as Barnaby!" Merula shouted.
"Merula, that's not what I..." Ismelda started.
"I am tired of listening to you, I am going to defeat him in a fair duel... Even if I have to practice for months without pause."
Ismelda looked a bit hurt at Merula's comment, but she knew better than to take the girl's angry words at face value.
"As you wish, Merula... I still think you're stronger than him." Ismelda said. "In your own way."
"My own way" Merula said mockingly. "What a laugh, I am stronger than he is and I will prove it to everyone."
Ismelda stopped smiling and walked away, leaving the angry determined girl to practice on her own.


Ismelda walked in the common room, and noticed Anon and Rowan were huddled together, whispering something. They hadn't noticed her. She thought she would eavesdrop them, maybe she got some information she could present to Merula. She crept closer without making a sound.
"I can't wait to see the look on her face, when she realizes we've beaten her to another clue." Anon said laughing.
"Yeah, we need to go and sweep the place empty before she realizes anything." Rowan laughed.
"Not yet, we'll wait till tomorrow, otherwise I run the risk of drawing attention, we need to act casual. The hidden path from the dungeons isn't going anywhere and Merula is none the wiser."
"So it's behind the headless suit of armor?" Rowan asked.
"Yes, if the clues are right, all you have to do is bring it the helmet from the two-headed suit of armor and it will let you pass." Anon said triumphantly.
Anon and Rowan were laughing when Ismelda slowly crept back out of the  common room and hurried back to the room Merula was practicing in.


"Merula!" Ismelda called out. "Let me in, I have something important I have to tell you!"
The door opened and Merula poked her angry looking head out and stared Ismelda right in the eyes.
Ismelda blushed slightly at the sight of Merula being so close.
"What do you want, Ismelda, I thought I didn't want to listen to your plans to cast illegal curses on Anon." Merula snapped.
"This isn't about that, and did you think I would..." Ismelda started.
"Let me practice!" Merula snapped.
"No, Merula, listen." Ismelda said quickly. "I overheard Ymous and Khanna talking about another clue."
Merula's eyes got wider and she let the taller girl in the room.
"What did you hear?" She asked anxiously.
"Everything, I heard them talk about a room, where it is and how to open it." Ismelda smiled.
"Really?" Merula got excited.
"Yes!" Ismelda was happy to see Merula cheer up. "And the best part is, they're planning on going there tomorrow... So..."
"We should go there right now, where is it and how to open it!?" Merula shouted excited.
"In the dungeons, there is that suit of armor with no helmet, well turns out the two headed suit of armor has his helmet." Ismelda explained to the excited girl. "If you return the helmet, it should reveal a clue."
"HA!" Merula shouted happily. "Let's go, I will take what's in the room and burn it down!"
Ismelda could barely follow the excited girl, she smiled at her enthusiasm.


The two girls reached the two headed suit of armor and looked at it for a while.
"Which one is the right helmet?" Merula asked.
"I don't know..." Ismelda said. "Let's just take both and see which one opens the door?"
"Let's leave helmets from random suits of armor here, So Anon will be confused." Merula smiled mischievously, causing Ismelda to blush.
"Clever." Ismelda said smiling.
The two girls were giggling and carrying the helmets, Merula was complaining about the weight, but Ismelda reminded her that it would be worth it.
When the two reached the helmetless suit of armor, Merula told Ismelda to put the helmets on it as the taller of the two, but she had significant difficulty getting it on the armor aswell.
"Hurry up, I want to see what's in there!" Merula said impatiently.
Just like Ismelda had heard, bringing the knight the missing helmet opened a secret door.
"Let me go first, I want to savour defeating Anon for once." Merula said
"As you wish, Merula." Ismelda smiled at the girl.
Merula entered the room and imediately noticed there was something wrong, she had stepped on a piece of paper that flashed a little and before she knew it a joke bomb exploded right next to her, covering her with black soot.
"WHAT IS THIS!" She shouted.
Ismelda immediately ran in the room and spotted Merula covered in black soot, angriest she had ever been.
"Explain this now, Ismelda!" Merula demanded.
"I-I don't know... I heard it from Ymous..." Ismelda looked at Merula terrified.
"Ahahaha, Now that is a sight to behold." Anon said while walking in the room clapping.
Merula immediately pulled her wand out, but Anon had his out already.
"Don't bother, Merula  everyone knows I am stronger than you." Anon said smiling as infuriatingly as possible.
"I will destroy you for this humiliation!" Merula shouted.
"You will not, I beat you, I have all the clues and everyone is on my side, you have nothing." Anon laughed. "Just admit I am better and we can move on from this stupid rivalry."
Merula let he wand arm drop and she looked at Anon in disbelief, then Ismelda, who was looking confused.
"W-what...." Merula said and felt completely demoralized.
Anon smiled at Ismelda and then turned back to Merula, who turned pale and then red.
"You're all going to pay!" She shouted and pushed past anon and ran off into the night.
Ismelda had been confused the whole exchange, until she had realized what Anon just did.
"YOU!" She shrieked "YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE!"
"Think of it as a favour, Ismelda... You wont have to deal with Merula treating you like shit anymore." Anon shrugged.
Ismelda took out her wand and cast depulso on the the arrogant slytherin, who didn't even bother to defend himself, he just fell on the ground and smiled.
"Really, Ismelda, are you a glutton for punishment? Why do you keep following her around, she doesn't care for you."
"I will kill you for this, Ymous!" Ismelda shouted and ran off after Merula.


"Merula, open the door!" Ismelda said at the room Merula had locked herself in earlier aswell.
"GO AWAY!" Merula shouted. "GO BACK TO BARNABY AND ANON, YOU TRAITOR!"
"Merula, please listen to me!" Ismelda pleaded knocking on the door, with misty eyes.
"I knew it was too good to be true, just stumbling upon them talking about a clue. He really took everything from me." Merula said howling in sorrow.
"I didn't betray you, Merula!" Ismelda shouted. "Please let me in, before Filtch or his cat catch me here."
"Would serve you right, you fucking bitch." Merula shouted.
"Merula, please... I didn't betray you." Ismelda said weakly. "He played me for a fool and this hurt me more than you can ever imagine..."
"You expect me to believe that... Everyone betrays me."
"Please, let me explain myself..." Ismelda pleaded.
Merula was silent for a while, until she finally opened the door.
Ismelda immediately slipped in the room, only to realize Merula locked the door and pointed her wand at her.
"I will not be betrayed by ANYONE!" Merula shouted. "FLIPENDO!"
Ismelda felt the knock before she could react and fell on her side.
"Please listen to me, Merula!" Ismelda tried to reason with the girl. But realized Merula had lost reasoning due to anger and grief.
"Depulso!" Merula hit Ismelda with another spell and pushed the black haired girl further into the empty room.
Ismelda realized she would have to  defend herself, or Merula might seriously injure her. She took out her wand.
"Please forgive me, Merula."
"NEVER!" Merula said and assumed a dueling stance.
Ismelda wasn't a good duelist, years behind Merula and lifetimes behind Anon, but she knew Merula and how she dueled. Perhaps better than anyone, save for maybe Anon. But his was experience, Ismelda tried to understand Merula.
"Flipendo!" Merula shouted.
"Incendio!" Ismelda said and aimed her spell at the ground next to Merula. Before getting knocked down.
"Expelliarmus!" Ismelda shouted from the ground and aimed at Merula's shoulder, the fire on the floor had caused Merula to lose her footing and her stance had an opening. However, Merula wasn't so easilly defeated, the girl ducked forward to avoid the spell and landed on the ground infront of Ismelda.
"Depulso!" Merula shouted and pushed Ismelda against a wall, the impact made Ismelda drop her wand.
Merula just jumped up and kicked Ismelda's wand away and pointed hers at the defeated girl.
"Why..." Merula asked tearfully.
"We were played, Merula... I would never betray you..." Ismelda said equally tearfully.
"I don't believe you..." Merula said with an expression of pain and anger, she dropped her wand and fell on her knees infront of Ismelda sitting down with her back on the wall.
"It's the truth, I wouldn't ever betray you for any reason..." Ismelda said
"B-but I treated you badly, I-i was worried you would also betray me, like Barnaby and Tulip..." Merula cried out. "I made you do this... I'm so sorry..."
"I didn't betray you, Merula" Ismelda repeated.
"W-what..." Merula asked wiping her cheeks.
"Ymous and Karasu set me up, they must have noticed me and leaked the information intentionally... They wanted to make it seem like I betrayed you." Ismelda said and wiped her cheeks aswell.
"B-but why are you loyal to me then?" Merula asked surpsied.
"Because..." Ismelda started, she didn't know how to say the words, she could keep her mouth shut and continue like this. But if she was honest and Merula found her disgusting, Ymous would win.
Merula looked Ismelda with her beautiful violet eyes, the tears seemed to make them shine even more briliantly.
"Because of what, Ismelda?" Merula asked.
Ismelda closed her eyes...
"Because I love you." She said quietly.
"W-what...?" Merula asked surprised and turned red.
"I love you, Merula... I always did..." Ismelda admitted, with her eyes still closed. She was worried that Merula would look her in disgust, so she chose to keep her eyes closed. She fully expected Merula to run off the room in disgust.
"You... Love me... That is why you took my abuse?" Merula asked surprised.
Ismelda opened her eyes and saw Merula stare her with a soft expression, looking more beautiful than she had ever looked. Even with her makeup running down her beautiful face.
Ismelda became self-aware and turned completely red and started wiping her cheeks. She also wore makeup that was probably running down her ugly jawline by now.
"Please don't..." Ismelda started. "Please don't leave me, I just want to..."
She tried to tell Merula she just wanted to be together with her, but she didn't know the words.
"You seemed to cold towards everyone." Merula said suddenly. "I had no idea..."
"Just a mask... I was afraid what you would think... And I hated everyone else for how they treated you. Especially Ymous..." Ismelda said and scowled in anger when she said Anon's name.
"I don't know what to say..." Merula said.
"Please, just forget what I said, let's just go back to the way things were." Ismelda said anguished. "Please..."
"No." Merula said finally.
Ismelda felt her heart stop beating, she knew she had ruined everything, she was about ready to get up and walk away, when Merula stopped her.
"Did you really believe in me?" Merula asked her.
"Always." Ismelda said and tried to smile.
Merula pulled ismelda to her and kissed her clumsily. Ismelda felt her heart stop again. Merula pulled back and smiled.
"I will defeat him..." She said smiling. "I will beat him for what he did to you... And not only that." her eyes sparked brilliantly.
"I will kill him..." Merula got up and walked out of the room with Ismelda rushing after her.


Ismelda tried to stop Merula, but she wouldn't listen, the two reached the Slytherin common room and noticed Anon on the hallway with Tulip and Rowan.
"Looks like my plot didn't work out..." Anon said looking at the girls. "You really do have a stockholm syndrome, Ismelda..."
"You think Merula is bad..." Ismelda said coldly without smiling. "You are a hundred times worse than she is."
Merula gently pushed Ismelda away.
"You really made me mad this time, Anon." Merula said without a hint of anger in her voice.
"I will destroy you." She said more convincing than she had ever been.
"Fine, but not here..." Anon said.
The students crept back into the room Merula and Ismelda had just fought in. Tulip and Rowan were a bit uneasy about this but Ismelda knew how this would end.
Anon and Merula stood in the middle of the room. Anon assumed his usual eccentric stance that fit his style of dueling.
Merula stared at the boy for a while and realized that for the first time in her life she felt nothing looking at him. He meant nothing to her, he was nothing to her. He was just an obstacle that could never get under her skin ever again. Then she looked at Ismelda who was smiling reassuringly.
"Let's get this over with, Merula." Anon said impatiently.
"once and for all..." Merula said and took a new stance, not one filled with frustration and anger. But one of balance, she realized her weakness when she dueled Ismelda.
Anon looked at the girl puzzled, had she practiced some new moves. What could she possibly have more devastating than her freakishly powerful flipendo? He decided to play it safe at first.
"Expelliarmus!" He shouted and aimed at the girl's free hand. But instead of retalliating immediately, Merula just let the spell pass her. She wouldn't take the bait anymore.
She's distressed, that is why she isn't on the offensive. Anon thought to himself. This will be easy!
"Flipendo!" He shouted.
"Protego!" The girl cast before he finished.
The spell rebounded and Anon fell on his back.
"WHAT!" Anon shouted.
But Merula just looked at him with a completely neutral expression.
Anon got up and looked around, Tulip and Rowan were just as surprised as he was that Merula was on the defensive. But Ismelda was just staring at Merula and smiling.
"Depu..." Anon shouted in frustration
"Incendio" Merula said calmly and aimed her spell infront of Anon and got the boy to step back.
"Flipendo" She continued.
Anon was caught completely off guard by the flipendo not being charged fully; and was aimed effectivelly at his feet. He stumbled back and realized Merula had turned him to his side. He was completely exposed and Merula was in his blind spot without once taking a single step during the entire duel. Anon smiled and waited for the last knockdown.
"Expelliarmus!" Merula said and disarmed the surprised boy.
"I yield." Anon said finally. "Well done, Merula... You actually defeated me." The boy said smiling at her.
Merula didn't even look at him, she turned towards Ismelda and smiled at her.
"I don't care." She said and walked off with the black haired girl in tow.
Anon was completely stumped by this turn of events, he had expected the girl to start gloating and demanding him to call her the greatest witch in Hogwarts. He looked at Tulip and Rowan who were also surprised.


Epilogue


Few weeks passed from the incident, Merula had completely reorganized her priorities. She was still interested in the vaults, but would now research them on her own terms. Ismelda had changed completely, she was still mostly glum, because that is she always was. But she wasn't acting as if she had a darker side. Except whenever she interracted with Ymous.
Ymous fell from grace after the details from his duel came out. He was certain that it was Merula who had bragged about it, but the girl no longer seemed to care about him or what people thought of her. Instead if had been Tulip and Rowan who had talked about the duel, which strained his relations with the two. Sure, no one would dispute that he was probably strongest duelist in the school, but since Merula had stopped duelling him, he really had no way of proving it.
Eventually his legend faded out, and life in Hogwarts turned more or less normal. Until there was an announcement from the faculty about a Ball marking the end of the school year. The announcement made two girls extremely nervous.
"We could just not go at all..." Merula said.
"Or we could have chaperones and sneak a few dances together whenever there is a crowd." Ismelda thought out loud.
The two girls blushed and went silent.
"I just... I want to go together." Merula said. "What do I care what people say?"
"You're right... What do we care, you defeated Ymous, who's brave enough to start anything against you?" Ismelda smiled.
"One time... But I am glad he really left us alone after that." Merula said.
Ismelda was silent for a while, if she told Merula the truth... Would the girl abandon her?
Merula smiled at Ismelda, who was deep in thought.
Ismelda noticed it and decided Merula deserved to know the truth and that she wouldn't abandon her just for that. She needed to trust Merula, even when she felt insecure.
"He loved you." Ismelda said finally.
"He did not." Merula said quickly and looked confused.
"He never showed it, but I could see it in him, I always considered him my greatest rival." Ismelda said and smiled at Merula.
"Why would he act like a total asshole towards me, if he loved me?" Merula asked puzzled.
"You two had a strange relationship from the start, no other students had such fierce rivalry or bond of mutual hatred." Ismelda said. "He probably never knew how to go from there."
"Well, it doesn't matter, I love you." Merula said and kissed Ismelda gently.
Ismelda returned Merula's affections and held her close, the two had found a nice secluded place in Hogwarts, away from prying eyes. Where they could lie on the grass and spend time together.
"Well, that kinda means in the end you were the one who defeated him, not me." Merula giggled.
"We did it together."
"Let's go to the ball together and to hell with what anyone says." Merula finally decided.
"Yeah... Let's." Ismelda said, trying to let her fears go.


The school was chaos for a few days prior to the ball, the final exams took most of sensible people's attentions, and less sensible people stressed more about getting dates to the dance.
But there was also one odd one out, a slytherin boy who couldn't be bothered with either, he passed his exams as he usually did, but was more interested in unlocking secrets than dancing. After all, it was all he had left. He just drifted from day to the next going with the flow, and was actually quite enjoying the fact his days were somewhat more peaceful. He never attempted to reconcile with Rowan or Tulip though, so he was left somewhat alone. but he had made a decision that would bring this whole thing to a conclusion...


The day of the big dance came, most students were already present with their dates, but two girls were standing outside the great hall's doors. Both desperately trying to vanish the other's fears... But neither being able to let go of their own.
"We don't have to do this..." Merula said to Ismelda. "We have nice dresses, we could go to that abandoned room and just close our eyes and pretend we're dancing here.
Ismelda was pale, she had decided to get a dress matching with Merula's albeit with her own colourscheme, the two matched perfectly. She really wanted to go out there and announce their relationship to everyone. But she was afraid.
"Hello." Said Anon Ymous to the two girls standing outside great hall.
"What the fuck are you doing here, Ymous?" Merula snapped in a way she used to act.
Anon felt a bit nostalgic.
"You look, beautiful, Merula." He smiled at Merula, who was annoyed at his intrusion.
"And you aswell, Ismelda." He turned to smile at Ismelda, who immediately blushed.
"Who wants compliments from you, Ymous?" Merula snapped, but blushed lightly.
"But thanks anyway..." Ismelda said.
"I know you're both waiting on your dates." Anon said finally. "So I will make t his quick."
The two girls looked at eachother with their faces red and then back to Anon.
Anon pulled out a tiny notebook from the pocket of his schoolrobes.
"Here." He offered it to Merula. "I compiled all of my notes regarding the vaults and their contents... It's yours."
"W-what?" Merula said surprised. "Why are you giving this to me?"
"I realized my biggest mistake in dealing with you was never to understand your actions. I simply dragged us into an endless cycle of fighting, One which you broke."
"But why are you giving me this?" Merula asked.
"I can't fix what I did wrong all those years, but... It might not be too late." Anon started.
"Well... I understand completely if you don't ever want to see me again, so I will give you all the notes so far." He continued
"You're wanting to reconcile with me, now?" Merula asked in disbelief.
"I don't know, I kinda don't have a goal anymore. I just know that fighting you wasn't a good one to begin with. But, like I said. This has no strings attached, if you accept it, I will not expect anything in return."
Merula took the notes and looked at Ismelda, who was just as puzzled.
"Well, I am going to go see if they will let me in with regular schoolrobes, then I will go sample some snacks and find a wall to support." Anon said
He started walking away from the two girls, but stopped at the door.
"You two shouldn't let your dates wait, you look beautiful together."


Merula and Ismelda walked in the great hall, and realized no one batted an eye at them, sure some people looked at them a bit oddly, but most people were more interested in trying to have a good time. The two girls sighed in relief and went on to get something to drink and to gather courage for their next step.
Eventually the two decided on a song that was comfortable enough for both of them to dance together and they danced together, clumsily, but still. Both were beyond caring at this point, it was their dance. And they were having the time of their life.
The dance wasn't really as grandiose as people had hoped for, after a while of dancing the two girls went on to mingle and look at other couples. They realized they weren't actually the only female couple that had attended, but they were by far the most courageous.
"I am so happy we decided to come." Merula said and looked at Ismelda, who had brushed her hair in a way that didn't cover her face at all. She was smiling, but not her usual unfriendly smile, she looked vibrant and beautiful, even when she was a bit insecure about her freckles and her large jaw. But Merula didn't care about any of  that.
"Yeah, I am having a great time." Ismelda said.
The two were enjoying the sights and the sounds. They even spotted Anon arguing with Snape about his dresscode, but it didn't seem like it was the reason Snape was so angry at him. Eventually Snape let the boy off and Ymous went back to eating and drinking while upholding the structural integrity of the ancient hall.
They even had time to speak with Barnaby, who had brought with him a brunette gryffindor girl the two had tried dancing and it was quite a sight,  mainly because of their height difference but also because the girl somehow managed to step on everything but the dancefloor, eventually Barnaby just lifted the girl and supported her while they were dancing slowly.
Since curfews didn't matter for that night, Merula and Ismelda decided they would go out for a walk and maybe find a nice secluded spot to spend the rest of the evening. They smiled at their acquaintances, people they both had decided they would try to reconcile with eventually. When they were leaving the great hall, they noticed another incident involving Anon Ymous. This time he was being dragged into the dance floor for the last possible dance of the evening by Tulip, who wasn't dressed for the ball either. Anon had a bright red handprint on his cheek and the sight made the two girls laugh.