Thin Skin

From the look on her face, Marietta could tell Hermione was startled to find them there and embarrassed to have obviously interrupted them.

"I'm sorry," Hermione started, "I just thought, well, you see, the door was sticking earlier and I-"

"Why can't you ever leave people alone?" Cho interrupted.

"I had to go, I mean, it is a public toilet, isn't it?"

"Couldn't you have shown a little decency and gone to a different car? I thought you were supposed to be really brilliant," Cho said angrily.

Marietta almost felt sorry for Hermione as she stood in the doorway. She thought Cho's outburst towards Hermione to be a bit rude. However, Cho had been in an emotional state and Hermione was not one of Cho's favorite people. Marietta preferred to avoid Hermione as well, but given the state of her face, she wouldn't have chosen to antagonize her further.

Cho pushed past Hermione into the passageway, "Let's get out of here before she makes us sign something else."

Marietta avoided Hermione's eyes as she walked past her to follow her friend. She was surprised when Hermione grabbed her arm.

"I need to talk to you," she whispered.

Marietta looked at Hermione and then looked to Cho, who was halfway down the passageway, assuming Marietta was right behind her and fully aware that when making a dramatic exit, the last thing one wants to do is look back.

"Cho," she called, "I need to wash my hands. I'll meet you at our compartment." Then she followed Hermione back into the bathroom. "What do you want?" she asked Hermione, who looked tentative.

"Well, I have to ask, do you really still have the acne or are you just wearing the balaclava to make me feel guilty?"

Marietta couldn't believe Hermione was asking her this. Instead of saying anything, she walked to the mirror and watched herself remove the balaclava. There it was, the word SNEAK, across her face in ugly purple and red pustules. Her eyes met the other girl's in the mirror. "Satisfied?" Hermione was clearly astonished and Marietta took some pleasure in having shocked the Muggle girl into silence. She replaced the balaclava, hiding her face from the world once more.

"I'm sorry, I had to ask," Hermione said.

"Whatever." She shrugged. She couldn't really blame Hermione for wanting to gloat, could she?

"No, see, the jinx I placed on the parchment wasn't that good," Hermione said, turning red. Marietta wondered if this was because Hermione was admitting to doing something not quite perfectly.

"Oh, well, that is a relief," Marietta snorted, "I would hate to see what would have happened to me had you performed to your usual showing everyone else up standard of excellence. I am sorry that you are ashamed that all you managed to do was destroy my face. Next time, I'll be sure to wait until you perfect your jinxing abilities." She walked out of the bathroom, leaving Hermione gaping at her retreating figure.

She was proud that she managed to keep the tears from overwhelming her while in Hermione's presence, but as soon as she found an empty compartment, she ducked inside and began to cry. It wasn't fair. She knew that no matter how much she hated Hermione, she hated herself more. After all, Hermione was brilliant and beautiful and she was loyal to her friends and brave, while Marietta was none of those things, and now she had the words on her face to prove it.

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Marietta took a deep breath and told herself that she was prepared for whatever Umbridge would do to her. She looked at her hand and imagined what line Umbridge might have her carve into it and then knocked on the office door.

The door opened and there stood Umbridge, looking at Marietta with a look of consideration. "Miss Edgecombe," she said in a her high-pitched voice, "so sweet of you to join me for tea. Come in."

She had told herself that whatever Umbridge did to her, she would survive it. She had been preparing herself for this meeting all day, preparing herself for the detention she had heard Umbridge meted out, prepared for the quill which would carve lines in her hand.

She was not prepared for kindness or for tea. "Tea?"

"Why, yes, of course. What did you think I was inviting you here for?" Umbridge asked her.

"Well, I didn't know. I thought maybe I might have detention," Marietta mumbled, knowing that this was not the right way to answer that question, wondering if there was a right way to answer that question.

"Detention? Oh no no no no no no no," Umbridge said, and began making clucking noises, "have you done anything which would cause you to deserve detention?"

"No ma'am," Marietta mumbled.

"Well, then, come and sit down, have some tea."

Marietta looked at Umbridge's office and had to admit, it did resemble Madame Puddifoot's tearoom in Hogsmeade. She looked at the table with the floral tea service and saw what appeared to be lemon scones. Professor Umbridge watched Marietta's reaction and said, "Yes, your mother was kind enough to share your grandmother's delicious recipe with me. She told me they were your favorite. Sit down, please."

"Why is my mother sharing recipes with Umbridge?" Marietta thought to herself.

"So I understand you take your tea with two sugars. Yes, you are young, you can afford to eat anything you want. Not like us adults who have to watch our figures," Umbridge giggled, "I remember when I was a girl I just loved sweets too."

Marietta tried and failed to imagine Umbridge as a young girl. She kept envisioning a smaller, but every bit as ugly, toadlike figure in a pink angora sweater. Luckily, Umbridge was paying very little attention to Marietta as she poured the tea.

Marietta sat in one of the overstuffed flowery chairs by the side table and immediately wished she had chosen a stiffer chair. This chair enveloped her and made her wonder if it was in fact bewitched. "Umbridge is just the sort to trap you in an armchair during tea," she thought.

"Now, then, here is your tea. Milk, two sugars," Umbridge placed the teacup and saucer on the table next to Marietta. Then she brought over a silver tea tray which was had not only a plate of lemon scones, but also clotted cream, honey, and strawberry jam. "Your mother mentioned you liked your scones with all the fixings. I do enjoy my chats with your mother. She is so very helpful. She has told me how hard she has worked to instill that same helpfulness in you."

At that moment, Marietta realized how she behaved with Umbridge could effect her mother's position at the Ministry and, subsequently, Marietta's position with her mother. All the Owls she had received from her parents throughout the school year, the ones which encouraged, pleaded, ordered her to speak with Professor Umbridge regarding anything and everything Marietta may know about her fellow students, suddenly came back to her.

"Has she ma'am?" Marietta asked in what she hoped was an innocent voice.

"Oh yes," Umbridge said, "In fact, she talks about you so much. She is very proud of you, very proud of how well you have done academically."

Marietta blushed at this. Her mother had never once mentioned being proud of Marietta to Marietta, so she was pleased to hear that her mother may be saving all her praise to brag to her friends. Then Marietta thought it was disturbing to think that her mother might be friends with Umbridge. She focused on her scone, deciding that Umbridge would have to do most of the talking if Marietta's mouth was full.

As Marietta ate, Umbridge pulled out a file. "Now, let's see here, Marietta, you passed all your O.W.L.s, that is impressive. And you received Outstandings in Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I see you are taking twelve N.E.W.T. classes this year. Very impressive."

Marietta smiled and swallowed the pastry in her mouth. "Thank you ma'am."

"I imagine it was your academic interest which led you to meet Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger at the Hog's Head."

Marietta felt her stomach turn. "Well ma'am, you see-"

"Oh no, do not explain to me, I understand. They promised to show you spells and charms which only adult wizards should be exposed to. How exciting. For such a dedicated student as yourself, I am sure you spend a lot of time practicing spells you have not learned in school. Your mother told me all about your failed attempts this summer to produce a Patronus. She was so impressed that you showed so much interest in your studies. Of course, she swore she wouldn't let you do such a thing now that the Ministry has declared such things to be too advanced for students. She explained that it might take you teenagers some time to accept this."

Marietta felt herself growing angry as Umbridge said these things. The Ministry of Magic may have appointed her the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and she may be the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, but this did not mean she knew anything about what teenagers could and couldn't handle. Marietta's attempts to carry off the Patronus Charm had failed, it was true, but Harry Potter's hadn't and Marietta felt that if she had just a little instruction, she could work the charm too. Marietta quickly took a sip of tea to avoid saying anything stupid to Umbridge, who was watching her closely at this point.

"Yes," Umbridge went on, "I understand how the allure of learning forbidden magic might turn a girl's head. Of course, it was this same allure which led to all that trouble before you were born. All those wizards whose heads were turned by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named because they wanted to learn something new, something forbidden. But while I know you were motivated by your love of learning, surely you can see how you were no different from a Death Eater? After all, the Ministry of Magic had forbade you from performing certain spells and you were attempting to disobey, were you not?"

Marietta didn't know what to say to this question. She didn't really see how learning the Patronus Charm was the equivalent to following He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but she didn't know how to articulate this to Umbridge. Marietta shrugged and hoped this would be enough for Umbridge.

"But what I do not understand is why you would have turned to Hermione Granger of all people."

Marietta looked up at her professor who was attempting an innocent smile. "Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Oh, don't be coy with me, I know how you feel about that girl. With good reason, I might add," Umbridge opened the file on her lap once more. "I see your marks have always been excellent. Your first year here, your professors wrote some wonderful evaluations of you. "Best student we've had in years" wrote Professor Flitwick, "Should have been in Slytherin" wrote Professor Snape, "I sometimes think she can see the map of her stars in her sleep" wrote Professor Sinistra. Very impressive. But then your second year, while your marks remained at the same high level, all the praise seems to have dried up. All I have in this file are your marks, no additional glowing evaluations from the professors. Why is that, do you think?"

Marietta opened her mouth, but found she couldn't think of anything to say. She had always had her suspicions regarding her academic progress at Hogwarts, but she was not prepared for Umbridge's interrogations.

"Oh yes," Umbridge said, as if suddenly remembering, "Hermione Granger arrived at Hogwarts your second year. Shall I grab her file and see what the professors have said about her?"

Marietta shook her head. Being shown up by Hermione was something she was used to experiencing. She didn't need Umbridge to articulate her shame for her.

"Have another scone, dear," Umbridge said as she stood up, "I will pour you some more tea. Now," she continued as she puttered around by the teapot on her desk, "I can understand what a blow that must have been for you. And then to have Granger steal your boyfriend at the Yule Ball," Marietta looked at Umbridge, stunned that she should have known this, that she could have found out about this when Marietta had told no one about what happened with Jean Claude, "Oh, yes, I know all about that. Terrible piece of French trash, to throw you over like that for a miserable Muggle. You poor girl." Umbridge then patted Marietta's shoulder in sympathy as she handed her her tea.

"How? I mean, who?" Marietta sputtered.

"Well, as you may recall, the Ministry sent Percy Weasley in the place of Barty Crouch. You know Percy Weasley, his father has worked in the Ministry for years, I am sure you have met him a number of times, at functions for the Ministry families," Marietta nodded, "Well, it seems that over the years, Mr. Weasley has been carrying a small torch for you. He noticed you at the Yule Ball, said you looked quite adorable in fact, and saw how shabbily you were treated by your date, and why. He now is one of Cornelius Fudge's most able assistants. He told me all about what he saw."

Marietta wanted to laugh at the news that Percy Weasley had a crush on her (when all she could remember of Percy was that he had been Head Boy during her fourth year and had the Weasley red hair) and that this had led him to reveal her shame to Umbridge. "The irony is fantastic," she told herself. Marietta looked down at her teacup and hoped that Umbridge would change the subject.

"So what I do not understand is why you would associate with that awful girl after everything she has done to you," Umbridge cooed, sympathetically.

Marietta shrugged, still looking at her cup of tea. She was too mortified and ashamed to speak, though she suspected Umbridge wanted her to say something. "Hermione's not so bad," she mumbled, halfheartedly.

"Oh you brave girl," Umbridge exclaimed, "I know what it is like, your friend starts to like a boy, and then suddenly you have to be friends with all of his friends."

Marietta wanted to say something in protest, wanted to defend Cho, but couldn't think of anything to say which wouldn't implicate them further.

"Oh, I understand it is a shock, it can be very painful to lose your friends to other people. And to lose your best friend to Granger, well, that must be very hard after all that you have been through."

Marietta felt as if Umbridge had poured ice into her stomach. Cho was most definitely not friends with Hermione, was she? "I don't quite understand what you are saying, ma'am."

"Of course, it is hard to accept. Cho Chang is such a sweet girl to. She probably hasn't had the heart to tell you."

Was that the reason Cho had grown so distant from her? Throughout the school year, Marietta had thought that Cho was grieving, that Cho was not talking to her because talking about Cedric was too painful. For the first time, Marietta considered that maybe Cho was talking to other people, people she had decided she liked more than her.

"Yes, it is terrible what that little Mudblood has done to this school," Umbridge muttered, seemingly to herself. "If only I had a way of expelling her and Potter, I am sure Cho would soon see the error of her ways."

Marietta was too shocked with the idea that Cho would abandon her for Hermione to notice that Umbridge had use such a foul term to describe another witch.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I think I ought to go to dinner now," Marietta stood up, abruptly. "Thank you so much for the tea."

"Of course, Marietta," Umbridge cooed, "I enjoy so much the time I can spend with students. If you have any concerns or information to discuss with me, please feel free to visit me anytime. Anytime at all."

Marietta left the office with the simple goal of finding Cho and dispelling all the fears which had suddenly grown up in her heart. She thought she could forgive Hermione everything, if only what Umbridge had just suggested were not true.

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"STUPID!" Marietta admonished herself as she wiped her tears off her face.

Circumstances had conspired to make all her seemingly childish fears seem real, but that didn't give her comfort or excuse. She suspected that no other student would have fallen prey to Umbridge quite so easily, would have believed her insinuations, would have let themselves be used. She cursed Umbridge and her mother and Percy Weasley, but it didn't help, didn't make it any less painful, didn't make her feel any less responsible. There are some crimes for which a person should never be forgiven, and Marietta suspected hers was not one of them. She reminded herself that most of the students of Hogwarts were still friendly to her. Many of the students believed she must have been served Veritaserum in her tea and that she could not control herself. But Marietta knew the truth and it didn't matter if everyone else at Hogwarts (including Professor Dumbledore) had forgiven her. She sat in the empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express and wondered if she would ever be able to forgive herself.