Of Friendship and Fury

Marietta hadn't wanted to return, but her mother had convinced her. Her mother, who had said of course you're going back to Hogwarts! Merlin! How on earth will you survive without NEWTS, looking like that?, with a cup of Earl Grey shaking in her hand and glaring at her daughter like she'd cursed herself on purpose.

Marietta bit her lip. She scanned the platform, eyes searching for Cho but lingering upon a figure standing at the edge of the platform. Her heart fluttered against her chest and she turned quickly, searching for a distraction. It was fourteen to eleven. In under three minutes, the Hogwarts Express would appear.

It would only take one simple spell, a mere sidestep, for Hermione Granger to fall to her doom.

With a furious breath, Marietta loosened the fingers curled around her pale ash wand and wished she was standing with Cho. She tried to ignore the group of Hufflepuff fourth years, two of them pausing obviously at the sight of her face. But when they formed a circle nearby, Marietta heard her name, and then Harry Potter's. A few of them twisted to look at her. She held herself rigid with controlled emotion, and then sank back upon her trunk, picking dirt of out glitter charmed nails and trying to remain calm.

Marietta raised her head at the train's arrival, chancing another gaze across the platform: Cho was still nowhere to be seen and the Hufflepuff girls had wandered off. Hermione, however, met her glance and held it. Marietta's right hand clenched within her pocket as she bit the inside of her upper right lip and forced her eyes away, but that did nothing to quell the bile rising in her throat.

Fucking Mudblood.

Marietta heard laughter emanating outwards from the Trio, a cataract of satisfaction at her discomfort. She felt sick, unsteady. Rising, she jerked away from the sound, yanking at her trunk; unmoving, it seemed to watch scornfully; the weak charm her mother had cast already faded. Marietta circled behind her luggage and reapplied the charm, using her feet to edge the wooden box towards the train. She ignored the urge to glance away, and her hair fell forward like closing curtains.

The sound of laugher reached her ears once more. It didn't belong to Hermione, but Marietta still flushed beneath her make up and thought of revenge, of curses and charms and embarrassment. There had to be something in the Restricted Section of the library. Something in the newspaper articles published by the Prophet. Something...

The train whistled. Marietta scanned the platform once more: Hermione had left, Cho still hadn't arrived, and the crowds were sparse even beside the train. She bent down, her knuckles pale against the darkened wood of her trunk's handle. The train loomed, glossy red. She was alone. Of course she had to return - but like this?

She stumbled forwards, climbing onto the train only seconds before the doors slammed closed. She leaned against the rocking wall and closed her eyes, aware that a simple memory charm could erase the pain. She bit her lip again, shaking away the thought and clawing at another just beneath the surface, of reasons? Betrayal -

"Are you okay?"

Cho's voice cut across her thoughts, and she opened her eyes to her friend, leaning against the train's inner doorway.

"You took ages to get on! What's -?"

Marietta flinched away from her concern. Cho glanced at the word SNEAK spread across her cheeks, faint but still visible, like pencilled graffiti. Then she realised she was staring and looked away.

After a moments silence, Marietta explained: "I was waiting for you on the platform."

"Oh." Cho looked back at her friend. "I was waiting for you on the train."

"Oh."

Marietta reached for her trunk, leaning forward in a shroud of curly hair. Che gestured at the corridor behind them and started walking.

"I got us an empty apartment. Although Sara might stop by later, I think... you know she's Head Girl this year?"

"I guessed," Marietta admitted, her voice flat.

Cho glanced at her, carefully, and then grinned. They were passing a Slytherin compartment of seventh year girls.

"Rebecca Windstone didn't."

Marietta snorted, and Cho, giggling, flicked her hair over her shoulders and stuck up her nose. It wasn't a good impression of the Slytherin girl, but that didn't mean it wasn't amusing.

Marietta relaxed into the familiarity of the train as they walked down the corridor, running one hand along the glossy wall polish. For the first time all summer, she found herself glad to be returning to Hogwarts. But then Ginny Weasley emerged from another compartment and shoved past them, muttering "Sneak" loudly as she passed.

"Bitch. Ignore her," Cho whispered.

Marietta shrugged her agreement, keeping her eyes to the floor. She only raised them after Cho had paused, opening a door to another compartment. Marietta stared in horror at the mess within. Paper was strewn across the floor and seats, while Cho's robes and books lay discarded in one corner, her empty trunk blocking the door.

Cho knelt, pushing her trunk aside and sweeping parchment into piles.

"We should tell a teacher."

Cho turned, her eyes lingering a moment upon her friend's pustules. She half-laughed, a forced, unpleasant sound, then shook her head and giggled.

"No, this was me." Her words were airy. She gestured at the seats. "Didn't want anyone to steal them."

Marietta nodded, and waved her wand at the disorder. It arranged itself in neat piles. Cho beamed at her from the floor, and then flicked though the piles idly, chucking most belonging into her trunk.

"Where are Morgan and Emily?"

"A few doors down." Cho scanned a piece of parchment and then folded it carefully, placing it inside her astomony textbook. "So are the boys."

Marietta nodded. She didn't want company more that Cho did.

"I... I wasn't sure if you were going to return." Cho spoke the words a rush of breath, fiddling with the carpet.

Marietta shrugged, and turned away. "What else would I do?" she asked, flinching at the sound of her voice. It was strangely bitter.

With a forced smile, she reached into her bag and drew out a box of chocolate frogs.

"Want one? Mother brought them for me."

Cho accepted, whatever she was going to say smothered under discomfort or forgotten.

They talked about the holidays. Marietta shared her mother's stories from the Ministry, and talked at length about their week in Paris. Cho mentioned the various theatre productions she'd seen with her family in London. Neither of them mentioned the news, the real news, until Hermione Granger passed by the compartment. Cho, spread out on two double seats, pretended not to notice. Marietta struggled to smother the hatred rising inside her; a minute later, she realised there was blood in her mouth and she had no idea what Cho had just said.

The silence fell, heavy.

It was Cho who resumed their chatter, asking Marietta if she thought it was less dangerous abroad. Marietta bit her lip, refusing to answer and muttering only that danger was relative, and their talk returned to shallower subjects.

It was only after Harry Potter had passed their compartment that Marietta hit the side of the train and blurted "so you really believe it?"

The words hung in the air. Cho struggled to understand, almost wondering if she had missed a vital piece gossip about Drusilla Glistening during the holiday's unending terror. She hooked her hair behind her left ear, shifting fractionally towards her friend, and frowned.

"Believe... believe what?"

"Believe... you know." Marietta gestured at the cabin around them, but Cho's frown only grew deeper as she shifted in her seat, now sitting upright and winding her hair though her fingers.

"You're not talking about Drusilla Glistening," she stated.

Marietta stared at her friend reproachfully, jerking her gesturing hand back as if the sunlight burned and breathing deep. She explained with a sigh. "I mean - do you believe... everything? That You-Know-Who is really back. That we're really in danger?"

Cho stared at her friend blankly.

"Of course he is," she said flatly, finally.

Marietta bit her lip and glanced sideways. There was still a newspaper on the floor. "I know everyone's saying he did, but..."

"He killed Cedric!" Cho's words were shrill. She crossed her arms over her knees in the seat, her hair falling free past her shoulders.

A harsh silence hung between the two girls in the compartment. Beyond their door, there was movement: students were laughing, whispering, claiming sweets from the Trolley, brushing against both friends and enemies. Marietta blinked rapidly, and shivered. Cho let her knees fall, sliding fingers beneath her hair and grasping her neck.

Marietta was afraid she would cry, but she couldn't stop the words brimming. "You can't know that."

"Harry saw him! Dumbledore saw him! Fudge saw him!"

Marietta ignored the frantic gesturing coming from the newspaper. Shoulders near glass, she stared out the window at a land of green fields and farmer's fences.

The silence returned: this time, Cho broke it. Her voice was steady.

"Fudge lost his job because of Him."

"So?"

"So why would he lie?"

Marietta shrugged again, her eyes unfocused on the glass, the world green smudged, murky. Cho saw her raise a hand to her cheek - to wipe away tears or finger the pustules on her face, Cho didn't know.

"Maybe he had too."

Cho stared at her friend, feeling tears rising in her eyes. Blindly, she took the seat next to her friend, leaning against her shoulder. With a smothered sob, Marietta turned away from the glass and clutched her friend tight, and the train sped on.