"So are the rumors I've been hearing about you and Merula true?" Penny asks you, snapping your attention away from the textbook before you. Two weeks ago, the two of you became the talk of Slytherin, when you walked into the Common Room hand in hand. Bewildered spectators observing the sight of the supposedly cursed student holding hands with the most infamous bully in all of Hogwarts. Rivals who once sought nothing more than to see misfortune befall upon the other, turned into possibly the unlikeliest couple showing their affection for their housemates to see. It was only a matter of when, not if, news of Hogwarts' newest couple would have made its way around the school. If anything, it was more surprising it took this long for Penny to overhear.

"Yeah, they're true," you responded to the prying Hufflepuff. "Merula and I are in a relationship together."

Your revelation was met with a quizzical look on the girl's face. Raising her brow she asks, "You...and Merula? Dating?"

"That's what I just said didn't I?" you reply annoyed at her question. You weren't surprised in the slightest that she was in disbelief. It was hard for you to believe it at as well when you and Merula first agreed to take your friendship to the next level.

"I just really can't believe that. You two hated one another for so long and now you're together?" she replies back to you. The look on her face remaining as she struggled to process the fact. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Each subsequent question from the girl frustrated you more and more. It was bad enough that Merula was already questioning the feasibility of your relationship, the doubt from your friends made the fact even worse. "Yeah this is what I want," you snapped back at the girl. "I thought one of my closest friends would be a little more supportive about this, but I guess I was wrong," you finished venting your frustrations as you stood up to begin gather your belongings.

Penny looked back at you dumbfounded at your sudden outburst towards her. Carefully planning her next words she responds, "I'm sorry. I just don't want to see you getting hurt,"

"I know what I'm doing," you reply, as you finish collecting your textbooks and began to head towards the exit of the library without bidding farewell to the Hufflepuff. Her reaction to your relationship was nothing new. Whether it was Rowan, Barnaby, Tulip, or any of your other friends, they all considered you mad for choosing to date someone like Merula. Each subsequent revelation met with questions of why Merula, or if it was all an elaborate joke. It wasn't as if you can vent these frustrations to your girlfriend either. Merula was hesitant in agreeing to dating you in the first place. Each day together so far was marred with her suspicions over your intentions of dating her. How are you going to make this relationship work when Merula herself doubts it will? Learning that nobody believed the two of you will last together would do nothing to help that cause. As you headed out of the library, you made your way towards the Charms classroom to meet Merula after her class. Feigning a smile, you attempted to mask any sign of frustration on your face as you made your way up the staircase. To your surprise, Merula was already out of class and sitting on a stone bench nearby.

"Hey Merula," you greet the young witch, grabbing her attention away from the textbook she was reading.

"Took you long enough to get here," she responds scowling at you. "Where were you?"

"I was studying in the library, I didn't think you would be out of class already," you answered, still attempting to hide any indication of frustration within you knowing full well Merula would find a way to take your frustrations as a reason to get into an argument with you.

"Class ends at the same time, every time you idiot," Merula retorts as she stands up and dusts herself off. "Come on, lets go back to the Common Room already," she commands as she starts to walk towards the staircase.

With a sigh you began to follow your girlfriend. "How was class today?" you ask her.

"It was so pointless. Five years we've been here and we still have to review Lumos?" Merula rants as she made her way down the steps. "Flitwick must think we are all as stupid as that one girl he makes you tutor Lumos to."

"It really is stupid," you reply in agreement. "I don't understand why he can't teach us something more useful we could use in dueling or something."

The two of you continued on your way down towards the Slytherin Common Room. Taking a quick glance at Merula you notice the scowl on the scowl on her face from earlier remained. She always looked unhappy, but this time she seemed particularly upset about something. You were hesitant to ask, but knew whatever was troubling Merula was only going to get worse otherwise.

"Hey is there something wrong? You've looked angry about something since we met up." you manage to question her. Merula's sudden pause in her step more than enough to indicate you on the answer to your question.

"Yeah there is something wrong. Ismelda told me during class today that she notices you being especially close to Penny during Herbology Class," Merula states, each subsequent word summoning more anger within the girl. "Want to tell me why you are so friendly to her?"

Her question shocks you as you thought of your response. An argument with Merula was the last thing you wanted this afternoon, but you knew there was no avoiding one now. "What is she talking about? Penny has been my friend since our first year here, why wouldn't it seem like we get along well?" you respond, still dumbfounded at the sudden accusation against you. "This is ridiculous, Ismelda is just trying to start something between us."

"Do you like her? Do you think shes prettier than me?" Merula retorts as she begins to raise her voice at you.

"What? Where is this coming from all of a sudden?" you reply back, unable to process her barrage of unwarranted questions. "We're just friends I-" Suddenly you feel Merula grabbing your tie as she pulls you towards her forcefully. Looking into her violet eyes revealed a glaring look of sheer fury.

"Admit it. You like her don't you? You'd much rather be with that bimbo you're so clearly attracted to instead of me," Merula manages to demand through her clenched teeth as she continues choking you with your uniform.

"No I don't!" you choke out, desperately hoping your response would calm her down at all. "Please calm down!" you pleaded to your girlfriend. Outbursts of anger were far from rare with Merula, but ever since the two of you began dating her outbursts became more frequent and intense.

"DON'T LIE TO ME," Merula screams as she raises her free hand and strikes you across the face with such force it echoes down the stone corridor. A stinging sensation immediately washes over your face as her sudden act of violence leaves you in complete shock. "You want to be with her don't you?"

"I swear to you I don't," you reply staring completely wide eyed at the furious girl. Still attempting to come to grips with the situation at hand completely blindsided by her sudden violence towards you. Thinking quickly, you thought of anything which might remedy her fury.

"STOP LYING," Merula screams out once more as your response was met with another quick slap to the face before she finally lets go of your tie shoving you backward, leaving you breathless with the taste of blood in your mouth. "Are you going to go run to Penny looking like this now?"

"What is wrong with you? There is nothing going on between Penny and I!" you snapped back at the girl, her act of abuse finally pushing your patience past its limit.

"Oh, are you upset with me now?" Merula responds sarcastically as she walks towards you. "What are you going to do about it? Hit me back?"

"No I'm not. That's completely ridiculous," you firmly state, still recovering from her unwarranted assault. Your refusal only enraged the Slytherin further however as she grabs your wrist and draws it up towards her cheek.

"You want to hit me don't you?" she goads you on as she looks you right in the eyes. "You had no problems striking me when we dueled one another."

Despite her reasoning, there was no chance you would respond to her violence with your own. Never had the thought of abusing the girl you were dating crossed your mind. Attacking Merula during a duel was completely different, physically assaulting her was unacceptable under any circumstance.

"I am not going to hit you Merula," you repeated once more, struggling to regain your composure. Suddenly, Merula pulls your wrist closer to where your palm was resting on the side of her face.

"DO IT," Merula snaps at you. "What kind of man are you that you won't even fight back?"

You jerk your wrist free from Merula's grasp as you pull away from her. "I am not the type of man who would do something like that Merula. Please just calm down, I swear to you there is nothing going on between Penny and I."

Your pacifism only fueled her rage further as Merula lets out a scream of frustration, turning towards the stone wall next to her and punching it repeatedly before finally collapsing to her knees. Realizing the worst of her tantrum was finally over, you began to walk towards Merula wary of her current state of mind.

"I'm sorry," Merula whispers as she lets out a quiet sob. "I don't understand what came over me just then, I should have known you wouldn't do anything that stupid."

Placing your hand on her shoulder you attempted to comfort the fireball of a witch you made your girlfriend. "If were going to continue dating you can't do things like that Merula." you explained to her as calm as you could, careful of provoking her anger once again.

"I know. Please, don't leave me," Merula chokes out as she refuses to meet you in the eye. The last few minutes serving as a reminder to you just how right all your friends were. A relationship with Merula wasn't by any means, going to be easy. Looking down at the crying girl before you made you remember however, you weren't looking for easy. Anything worthwhile never comes easy. You were determined to make things work between yourself and Merula, no matter how much of an insurmountable task it may seem at times.

"I'm not going anywhere Merula. I promise," you whisper to her. Wrapping your arms around her from behind, embracing her with a hug. Brushing a trickle of blood away from your lip with your shoulder, you realize that perhaps maybe, you were mad as everyone claimed you were after all, but you wouldn't have things any other way.