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Redemption	By : Cat_Eyes Category: +M through R > Miraculous LadyBug Views: 2815 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. Miraculous Ladybug is the intellectual property of Thomas Astruc and released by Zag studios. No profit was made writing this story.

Chapter List
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Marinette stretched her arms out over the desk and rested her head between them with an audible thump. 'That test was so tough,' she cried.
Alya patted her back. 'I'm sure you did fine. How about you, Nino?'
Nino spun in his seat and shrugged. 'It was ok. I'll pass.'
'Lucky you,' Marinette moaned. 'What about you, Alya?'
Alya held out a hand and tipped it from side to side. 'Eh.'
Marinette sat up and leaned forward. 'How do you think you did, Adrien?'
Adrien twitched before turning around to face her, while Alya and Nino stared at her, aghast. Marinette kicked Alya in the shin.
'Why are you?' Nino began, then trailed off into a pained grunt as Alya kicked him under the desk.
Adrien glanced between them in uncertainty. 'I think it was fine,' he replied.
'Really?' asked Marinette. 'You must be super smart. Maths is my worst subject.'
Adrien glanced away and shrank in on himself as the rest of the class turned to watch their conversation. 'Not really,' he murmured.
The bell rang and Madame Mendeleiev dismissed them in her usual brusque manner. They all packed up and talked loudly, eager to put the test behind them. Soon, there was only Marinette, Alya, Nino, and Adrien left.
'So, where did you go to school before, Adrien?' Marinette persisted. 'It must've been a good one for you to think Madame Mendeleiev's test was "fine."'
Adrien stood to lift his bag strap over his head. 'I didn't go to school. I was home-schooled.'
'Sounds about right,' Nino muttered under his breath. He suddenly gasped, and glowered at Alya when she kicked him again.
'Is that so?' continued Marinette, a little too loudly. 'That must've been great, getting to stay in your pyjamas all day, not having to go out in bad weather, and not having to put up with annoying classmates every day.'
Adrien's gaze drifted to the floor. 'It was pretty lonely, actually,' he admitted.
Marinette, Alya, and Nino looked at him in silence for a moment.
'I should go,' Adrien said, ducking his head and hurrying away.
Marinette swung her schoolbag onto her back. 'Now do you see what I mean?'
Alya sighed, heaving her own bag across her shoulders as Nino followed suit. 'Ok,' she relented. 'He does seem pretty pathetic. Maybe some friends will be good for him.'
They left the classroom, Marinette grinning widely, and Nino looking at Alya, appalled.
'You can't be serious,' he gasped, incredulously. 'You want to be friends with that guy?'
Alya heaved a sigh. 'I promised Marinette I'd try. I'm not making any promises, but so far, the guy seems genuine.'
'A genuine creep. He's Papillon's son, a master manipulator. How could you think he'd be any different?'
They climbed the stairs to the last class of the day. Marinette quashed a sigh and looked up at Nino. 'I'm not asking you to be his best buddy, but if you can't be civil, at least don't be so overtly hostile. He has it hard enough.'
'He should have it hard. Look at what he did,' Nino spluttered.
Marinette turned her back on Nino as they entered Caline's classroom. 'I'm disappointed in you, Nino,' she threw over her shoulder. 'Of all of us, I thought you would be the most tolerant and open minded. Guess I was wrong.'
Marinette went to her seat without another word, leaving Nino to stand, dumbstruck, in the doorway.
After the last bell rang, Adrien left too quickly for Marinette to catch him. His haste was understandable, as many students still openly displayed their hostility, and the media continued to loiter on the streets. However, Marinette resolved to find an opportunity to talk to him the following day.

Friday dawned overcast and cheerless. Rain fell intermittently, driven by a cold wind that kept most people inside. Marinette regarded it as a mixed blessing. She despised the cold, but the press abhorred the rain. Not a single news crew was out on the street, loathe to get their equipment wet. Marinette smiled as she pushed her windswept hair behind her ear.
Predictably, the school courtyard was also devoid of life, the students awaiting the beginning of class inside their classrooms. Not bothering to stop by her locker, Marinette ran up to her classroom and stopped on the threshold.
Adrien cowered in his seat as Kim, Alix, Ivan, and Sabrina stood over him jeering and repeating media propaganda, while Nino hunched awkwardly on the far end of the bench, unwilling to defend or attack. The rest of the class watched with bated breath from the sidelines.
'What is going on here?' demanded Marinette as she stomped into the room. She grabbed Sabrina by the arm, and Alix by the scruff, propelling them backward before turning on Kim and Ivan. 'Get back in your seats, now.'
Kim turned belligerent. 'You're not the boss here. Where do you get off, telling us what to do like you own the place?'
'Why do you even care?' asked Alix.
'I care because we're better than this,' Marinette retorted, emphatically.
Sabrina held up a threatening finger. 'I swear, Marinette, if you say that acting like this makes us no better than Papillon, I will rip all your hair out.'
'Seriously, don't throw that tired cliché at us,' Alix added. 'Papillon and Chat Noir made a conscious decision to do what they did, unlike all those poor people Papillon controlled.'
'Well, you're making the decision to torment Adrien,' Marinette pointed out. 'Really, how is four of you ganging up on one person any better?'
'Don't compare us to them,' Ivan rumbled.
Marinette put her hands on her hips. 'Oh, you don't like being called hypocrites? May I remind you that you've all been akumatised, and that to be akumatised, you have to knowingly accept Papillon's offer?'
'I don't need to be told that by someone who was never akumatised,' Alix snarled.
'But you don't deny it,' Marinette shot back.
'Enough,' shouted Caline from the doorway. 'Get in your seats, all of you, or I'll send you to the Principal's office.'
Sabrina and Ivan scowled, but returned to their seats. Kim regarded Marinette disdainfully before he, too, sat back down. Marinette and Alix glared at each other a moment before Alix deliberately turned her back on Marinette and resumed her place beside Mylene. Marinette shook her head and sat, ignoring everyone.
She continued to ignore them for the rest of the morning, even Alya and Nino were treated with frigid contempt after she gave them reproachful and disappointed looks. All of them, in turn, left her alone, with one brief exception.
'Traitor,' Alix muttered as she made her way out to lunch.
Marinette screwed her face up and stuck her tongue out after her.
'You shouldn't have done that,' Adrien sighed when they were the only ones left. 'I told you it wouldn't go well.'
Marinette fiddled with her bag strap. 'I know, but I couldn't just sit back and do nothing.'
Adrien stood, but still didn't look at her. 'I appreciate you trying, I do, but please stop. You're going to turn all of your friends against you.'
Marinette got up as he walked to the door. 'I won't,' she called after him. 'I'm not giving up on you, you hear me?'
She spent her lunch break at home and texted with Alya.
I'm really sorry I didn't say anything, Alya sent. It was just so intimidating with everyone against him and watching like that.
Marinette sighed. She supposed that, had she never been Ladybug, she would have done the same thing. I'm not mad at you, she sent back. Just frustrated by how close-minded everyone is.
Well, antagonising them isn't going to win you any favours.
Marinette huffed a weak laugh. I know. I was annoyed and took it out on them.
Instead of rising to their bait, why not stick with your original plan and lead by example? You're good at that, Alya asked.
Marinette paused. You're absolutely right. I'm going to treat him like a friend and everyone else can suck it. You in?
You bet, Girl.
Marinette grinned, finished her lunch, and went back to school. She found Adrien in the library, pretending to focus on a history text, while students shot him hostile glares from the shelves. Marinette squared her shoulders and marched to his table, placing her bag down and sitting in the chair across from him. Adrien looked up in surprise, before casting a worried glance around the rest of the library.
'What are you?' he trailed off as Marinette held out her right hand.
'Hello, my name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I'm very pleased to meet you,' she said with a wide smile. 'Welcome to Collège Françoise Dupont. If there's anything you need, you can come to me at any time. I'm the class rep, so it's my job, and my pleasure, to help.'
Slowly, Adrien reached out to take her hand and shook it. 'Hi, I'm Adrien Agreste. I was home-schooled up until now, so I may be a little dense when it comes to social etiquette,' he returned with a shy smile.
Marinette grinned, still shaking his hand. 'That's ok. If you need clarification, you can always ask me. I hope we can be good friends.'
Adrien's cheeks turned pink, and his eyes began to well. 'I'd like that.'
'Great.' Marinette let go of his hand. 'Would you like to come over for dinner next week?'
Adrien's eyes bulged, so Marinette threw up her hands in a placating gesture. 'If you don't want to, that's fine. Maybe I could visit you, someday. My parents said they were fine with it, either way.'
'Seriously? You really want to come over?' his eyes were still wide.
'Is that ok?' Marinette asked, wringing her hands.
Adrien nodded. 'Yeah, but I'll have to ask, first. No one ever mentioned the possibility of someone wanting to visit.'
Marinette grinned again. 'That's ok. Here,' she pulled a strip of paper from her notebook and scribbled on it. 'I don't know if you have a phone, but here's my number. You can let me know as soon as you hear something.'
Adrien accepted the paper reverently. 'Thank you,' he whispered.
'No problem. It was my pleasure,' Marinette answered, with a pleased smile.
The other students watched the exchange with critical eyes. Some began to murmur behind their hands, while others turned their backs. More than one looked at Marinette as though she had lost her mind. Marinette ignored them all, satisfied she had made Adrien's day a little brighter.
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Redemption