So I suppose this makes us Partners (Waters/Caldwell)

Marilyn had just come from a run on the Quad and it was time for lunch so she picked up a tray and sat down at a table, opening her book on 'dark hexes of the dark ages and how to deflect them' and reading a bit, curly hair up in a messy bun revealing the extent of the damage on her upper body since she was still in a sports tank top. Jagged scars running along her neck and covering her shoulders and upper back and of course the particularily long one from her left temple down her jaw. Usually she'd have her hair over them but it was quit hot and after Professor Clement's encouraging words on the subject it was becoming easier to not think about them.
There were, of course, many people who were disturbed by them, and usually ran for the hills when they heard her wrecked vocal chords as well. But she didn't feel like it was an issue here at the University. Her Professor hadn't even flinched. Nobody stared. It was nice. And she seemed to be able to work well with her classmate, who for all intents and purposes was her partner and would likely continue to be her partner when they joined the Auror Force together after graduation. But Marilyn still had great difficulties trusting people, which as an Auror isn't exactly a bad thing, but she knew she'd have to get over it in respect to Waters if she was going to be training with the girl for a long time to come, granted both continued passing.
Marilyn was a little lost in thought, her fork aimlessly stirring in her mashed potatoes, when she heard someone approach.

The university workload was getting heavier, and Scarlett had to say that she didn't expect it. Nevertheless, she was the challenge quite a bit. Stealth and Tracking especially because it was the closest thing to her chosen line of work. It was interesting, the good sort of challenge that Scarlett loved. But she had decided to take a break from the rigorous work and decided to go to lunch.

She noted Caldwell sitting down at a table. To Scar, the girl seemed to have the right idea about being an auror, and was sensible enough in training for them to work together smoothly. She picked up her lunch tray and made her way over to the table "Mind if I sit?" she asked her politely.

Marilyn looked up and shook her head, "No I don't mind" her wrecked voice was surprisingly steady for the fact that she was still kind of exhausted from her run. She set her book down next to her tray, remembering her food again. Jake had had a hard time getting her to eat regularily after captivity. That plus the shock of the press being all over her, there's been weeks when she couldn't go out without seeing her face on a newspaper.
The stress had led to her having no appetite, but Jake had helped her get back on track, but still she sometimes forgot her food.

"I'm sorry but I was wondering how you are the only student? What happened last lesson?" The question had been on her mind since her class with the girl. She'd heard rumors but nothing certain.

She gave a small smile when the girl said she could sit, and took the seat across from her "Thanks," she said and began to eat. She was happy to be seated with someone, finally. She wasn't the type of person who usually had people to sit with, even in school. She'd had chats here and there with people, but they were more acquaintances.

"I'm sorry but I was wondering how you are the only student? What happened last lesson?"

She looked up at the girl "Well, in short, Clement gave us the task of applying cameo paint to each other's faces. And somehow that translated into painting portraits or something," she replied, shrugging a little "Anyway, being the only student who actually did what was asked, I got through. Now I just hope that I really am cut out for it, and that I pass the other parts because I fear I might be the good one when compared with the terrible, and the terrible when compared with tho great, y'know?" She added.

"Anyway, how was it you got into the course?" she inquired, though she could already guess part of it, from seeing Mari's scars and hearing her voice. It was still good to ask though.

Marilyn's jaw dropped, "Are you serious? They painted?" she looked horrified, and these were people training to protect the country? Dear Merlin. Thankfully Waters is a clever witch. Marilyn would have been devastated to have to be partners with someone so dim they failed camoflauge.
"I'm suddenly pleased I missed the first lesson." she set down her fork, pondering what she would have done in Professor Clements place. Hexed the two offenders to the next century probably.
Listening to the other girls fear she took a sip of her water and answered in a matter-of-factly way, "Well, you're very clever from what I've seen and I am definitley satisfied to have you as a competant partner. We seem to work well together, which is good, because I know I make people uneasy by just looking at them, not to even mention that I sound like death's rattle, and yet you can work with me and are completely fine." she concluded in her same calm factly tone, "You're certainly cut out to be an Auror." It was obvious that Marilyn wasn't just being nice, if she had thought Waters to be incompetant she would have wasted no time in saying so. She was a very practical witch with genuine gratitude that her partner was the opposite of dense.


"Anyway, how was it you got into the course?"

The Auror in Training took a deep breath and replied, "Well I missed the sign up because of this." she gestured to her left facial half and her neck and shoulders. "Rehabilitation took longer than expected. I spoke with Professor Clement and he tested me on camoflauge and then told me to simply join in the course. Didn't really need credentials if they've been on the front page of the Prophet for months." her tone dry at the end, referring to the continous stories published with details of her escape from Guantanamo and whatever tidbits and photos they should get since.

"Are you serious? They painted?"

She smirked a little and nodded "The great protectors of the wizarding race," she murmured "Yes, not the best lesson to be honest. But at least I sort of learnt how to apply cameo," she shrugged a little.

She listened as Mari spoke to her, about being competent, and it did quell her fears. She could tell that Mari was a sincere girl. It was clear that she was a no-nonsense sort of girl, and Scarlett liked that about her. "Thank you," she said "You know, you don't make people uneasy. Well, not me at least," Scar wasn't bothered one bit by anyone's physical appearance. As long as they were decent people, as Mari seemed to be, she would be decent back.

She listened curiously as the witch explained what had happened, and then it clicked "Oh, I remember reading about that," she said "Yeah, journalists will do whatever it takes to get a good story. It's borderline brutal sometimes, what they'll do," she'd had no experience, but she couldn't fathom that, after being held captive for who knows how long, anyone would want to talk to the press or have their photos taken.

"If those are the great protectors of our world I'm becoming a hermit and living in a cave." she deadpanned.
"Well if I don't make them uneasy I scare them, either way I can't leave my place without a camera flashing or someone staring. You are certainly a welcome change from that."  Taking another bite of her mashed potatoes the witch nodded in agreement, "It's being wildly blown out of proportion. I saw a tabloid yesterday that claimed I rode out of there on a bloody dragon and took down fifty Widows. It's ridiculous." she scoffed, "Just to clarify, I have never seen a dragon in my life and it was not fifty widows, nowhere near. Merlin, you'd think I'm some kind of wizard wonder women by those feats. Crazy." she shook her head, "And the opposing papers think I'm just mad, of course. I can't wait for someone else to do something so I'm no longer on every paper I see. I just want to be an Auror for Merlins sake."

She chuckled at Mari's statement about becoming a hermit "Agreed, it probably wouldn't be too bad a lifestyle, come to think of it," she shrugged a little, but quietened as the girl went on about the tabloid. And honestly, she felt a little bad for the girl having to go through all of that, especially after what she'd gone through. Scar imagined that if it had been her, she'd prefer privacy. And the tabloid were known for being incredibly rude and crude, obsessed with their latest story which happened to be her. "It's really a shame that you didn't ride out on a dragon, taking those fifty Widows down," she sighed a little, dramatically "Because now you can't use said dragon to take down those people flashing cameras in your face. Because in all honesty, who'd want to mess with a girl and her dragon?"

"It sounds like a peaceful life, indeed." she smirked, taking a drink from her water, listening to the girls replies with interest. Waters seemed not only competant, but also charming enough to be able to converse with Marilyn without the witch feeling extremely awkward.
"It's really a shame that you didn't ride out on a dragon, taking those fifty Widows down,"
"Yes, isn't it?" The witch smiled slightly, going along with the bit and sighing just as dramatically and dryly, then smiling at the addition of "who'd want to mess with a girl and her dragon?" "You're right, I think I'll have to get one just for that purpose. It's either that for I hex them to the next century. But I promise, next time I break out of somewhere I'll get a dragon and we can take them down together." The young woman relaxed as they conversed, coming to accept the thought of this woman being her partner in the auror force, she seemed reliable on all accounts so far.

She smirked at Mari's comments, about how peaceful it'd be, and how she should buy a dragon for the purpose of deterring the media. And she was having a pleasant conversation with the girl.

"But I promise, next time I break out of somewhere I'll get a dragon and we can take them down together."

"I guess with a dragon, no one would want to risk locking you up in the first place. It'd pretty much a death wish to do so," she said. She took a bite of her lunch and sipped on some water.