The following day Maria woke with a smile as if life had lifted a weight off her shoulders while she slept. It also had to do with the fact she had a wonderful dream of a particular potionology professor sweeping her off her feet—all in all, a very delightful way to start the day.

"Good morning, Maria. Sleep well?" Faragonda inquired, passing over a plate of pastries.

"Splendidly, though, that god awful alarm woke me up at 7:30. It wasn't that bad when we were students, was it?" Maria asked, putting some jam on her scone.

Griselda let out a small giggle, busying herself with some tea.

Taking notice, Maria called her out," What's so funny?"

"Well, you were never in bed when the alarm went off!"

Faragonda joined in with Giselda's laughter as Maria hung her head in embarrassment. Their conversation had attracted the attention of some of the students, shocked to see the Head of Discipline laughing, along with their Headmistress and this mysterious new woman. In the far corner of the room, the Winx fairy's mused who she could be as they had their breakfast.

"Who does she even think she is, parading around the Headmistresses office!" Musa huffed, biting into an apple.

"She doesn't even have a fashion sense! I mean, that dress was so two seasons ago; talk about the girl that time forgot, " Stella added with a giggle.

"I did some research on her, and she was in the same year as the Headmistress and Griselda, but after 1943 there's no record. It's like she disappeared off the face of the planet." Tecna informed them as she took out her laptop.

"What do you think, Bloom?" Flora asked her friend, who was lost in thought.

Gazing up at the staff table, Bloom studied Maria as she conversed. Something felt off, "I don't know. I know we only met her yesterday, but it feels like I've known her my whole life,"

"Maybe, she just has a familiar face?" Layla offered a suggestion, reaching for a glass.

Though Bloom wasn't satisfied with the answer, gaze still fixed upon the staff table.

"Well, if my memory serves me right, you were out with me," Maria rebutted, refilling her tea when her heart began to flutter.

"Gondy, hide me," she whispered, pushing out her chair.

"What-"

"Just hide me!"

Looking up from her breakfast, Faragonda realised why the woman was so flustered, for walking past the window on his way to the dining hall was Palladium. Rolling her eyes, Faragonda tutted at her friend.

"You know you will have to talk to him eventually,"

Ducking under the table, Maria promptly replied, "Yes, well, that day is not today!"

Before she could say anything, Palladium waltzed up to the table, sitting down in Maria's empty seat, causing the fairy in question's heart to short circuit.

"Morning, Headmistress. Griselda," Palladium greeted them, filling his plate.

Knowing it would get a rise out of Maria, Faragonda engaged intensively with Palladium. "Palladium! Griselda and I were reminiscing about old times, and you happen to come up in conversation."

"Really? And what were you discussing?" the man asked.

Underneath the table, Maria could've killed Faragonda, sharply inhaling when Palladium shifted his feet, mere centimetres away from hitting her.

"The summers we used to spend down by the lake, just the four of us. You, me, Griselda and Maria." Faragonda suppressed the urge to smile, using magic to stir her teaspoon.

"Speaking of Maria, where did she g-" Griselda let out a yelp when Maria whacked her leg, effectively stopping her.

Nervously laughing, Griselda continued, "Get her dress for the summer ball? She looked stunning."

She sent a confused look to Faragonda, who discreetly pointed under the table with her eyes.

"Oh, Oh! Sorry!"

"Oh yes, that was the-um- the blue one?"

"No, it was red," Palladium corrected her," I remember it caught the light just right under the moon. She looked like a goddess,"

Oh, how Maria's heart wished to burst. Though she wanted to stay longer, to hear Palladium talk about her, his feet were inching ever so close to her. Shuffling over to Griselda, she cast a spell that mirrors what she wrote on the woman's plate.

"Code Red! Code Red! Code Red!"

Excusing herself, Griselda stood up from the table, allowing Maria to make a swift getaway. Taking a deep breath, Maria leaned against the wall as she waited for Griselda to catch up.

On her way out, she overheard the Winx girls talking.

"And her hair! It's so dull and brown!"

Not having time to dwell on it, Maria leaned against the wall as she waited for Griselda to catch up, taking a deep breath.

"Real smooth back there, Grizzy."

Griselda mocked offence, "Sorry! I didn't know you were avoiding Palladium."

"I'm not! I don't want to talk to him yet," Maria glanced back at the hall.

"You're avoiding him!"

"Am not-"

"Am too!"

With the final bell ringing for class, Maria said farewell to Griselda and headed up to her room while keeping a low profile. Standing in her room, her mind drifted back to what the girls said. Sure, these things shouldn't matter, but maybe Maria had gotten dull, a relic of the past.

Heading into her bathroom, Maria stared into her reflection. She looked old, and it killed her to look old. That was going to change; Maria would show those fairies what she was made of. Heading back to her room, she rummaged through the bookcase, pulling out an old book she had almost forgotten.

A Fairy's Guide to Staying Fabulous on All Occasions.

"Right, now I cut," she spoke to herself.

Taking one last look in the mirror, Maria quickly cast the spell, cutting her luscious brown locks to her shoulders. Next, she worked on colour. The book made it out to be relatively easy. After a few hours, Maria now sported a long blonde bob, curled up at the ends.

"Still as pretty as ever," she said in her reflection.

Now it was time for shopping.

The crossroads to all magical dimensions had changed since Maria had left all those years ago. Long gone were the wooden shop fronts and corbelled roads. It was amazing what forty years could transform a city. Walking along the pavement, Maria was in awe at how technology had improved the city, running off magic! Magix was ineffable. A particular store caught the fairies eye, enticing her to enter.

"Welcome to Sparkle and Shine. How can I help you?" a young girl greeted her when she entered.

"I'm looking to buy a whole new wardrobe that would blow anyone with a pulse away. Do you think you can do that?" Maria asked her bluntly, scanning through the new style.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Before she went off, Maria called her back.

"Is it just yourself?"

"Yes?" she replied sheepishly.

"No, that won't do. I'm going to need a few more people, Miss?" Maria asked.

"Julia, Ma'am"

"Miss Julia. I intend on spending an obscene amount of money here."

With a click of Julia's fingers, figures materialised from the ground, each holding an outfit for her to try on. This was going to be a fun trip. Julia was in her element finding the latest arrivals for Maria to try, having her fashion show.

"OOoh, that is the one!" she exclaimed when Maria emerged in a tight-fitting white suit.

"It is gorgeous, isn't it?" Maria giggled, strutting down the aisle.

"Oh, I have just the thing," Dashing off to the other side of the shop, Julia returned with a stunning black dress hat, placing it on Maria's head. " There, perfect!"

By the end of the spree, Maria had too many bags to carry, wearing the white suit out. The fairy walked out of Sparkle and Shine, the most fashionable woman in all of Magix. A perfect day indeed.

~~~~~~~

Hello! I have a question for you all, team palladium or team Avalon?

*The_lost_flower*