This was written for Hogwarts Games: Butterfly 100-1000.

They looked out for each other- Cho and Mariette did. A part of them knew they always would because they needed each other. They didn't know if they would have been able to make it through on their own.

Cho didn't know what she would have done without Mariette after the Third Task and the year that followed where her grades would have faltered as much as her attitude if Mariette hadn't taken on the extra workload. Mariette stayed when everyone else avoided her and Cho was nearly certain she would have transferred to avoid thinking about... about Cedric, if not for Mariette.

Mariette gave her a smile across the classroom and explained to teachers what was happening when Cho just couldn't get up to go to class. Mariette accompanied her to practice with the DA even though Cho knew she didn't trust them or their morals.

Mariette knew that Cho was there for her one day when they were on the train back to Hogwarts for their seventh year. She'd been trying to not let it show but about five minutes into the ride, she let out a sob. "Cho... I feel like it's all going so fast and... and I don't remember what happened last year. And I should but it's all just... dark."

Cho hugged her friend and took a deep breath. "They don't want me to tell you this, Mariette, but you're not losing it. They... that Hermione Granger, put a memory charm on you because..."

The story is out before she can stop it and Mariette gives her a grateful smile even if she's not sure she wants to wait out this nightmare. She still holds her hand up to the words on her cheek and now she knows what they mean.

They help each other every step of the way. They both make sure the other one makes it through that dreaded year after once everything catches up with them. Their sixth year for Cho and then rebounded in their seventh year for Mariette. It's their first year after Hogwarts, when Cho is flitting between Quidditch practice and dates and Mariette is trying to keep it together doing odd jobs and making sure she's alwaystotallybusy so she doesn't remember.

Cho didn't know what to do when her ex- only the second man she'd ever loved- left her as well. Mariette brought food every night and cheerful stories and letters from friends and flowers and notes from a boy that she said liked Cho.

Cho knew she owed her friend for spending so much time with her whenever she needed. She just didn't know how much. Cho never knew that there was no boy and that Mariette had to quit one of her jobs to spend time with her.

Mariette wasn't sure what to do. She was eighteen and she was in her own flat and still her mum was yelling at her. She knew that the DA would catch up with her and so she had to sit there on her own couch with her head down while her mum went on about the kind of riff-raff she hung out with and how Cho was a 'no good girl' 'a slut' 'and worse of all, a traitor'. Mariette just sat there and took it, never speaking up to tell her mum that Cho was doing what was right and that, as she realized, the DA's hearts were in the right places.

Mariette left and was over at Cho's flat before she knew what she was doing. She was ready to cry and have her best friend comfort her but Cho shook her head as soon as she stepped through the door with tears in her eyes. "Come on, Mariette" was all she said and the next thing she knew, they were in Hogsmeade in the cold and through the Hog's Head and into a passage and Mariette was so lost.

Then they were in a room full of students and she knew it was the DA and they were glaring at her and whispering and she could hear them muttering 'traitor' 'why's she here?' 'She could be working for Voldemort' and she blinked back the tears and just turned to look at Cho with a quick "they hate me, I told you they did" and Cho shook her head "they don't". But they do. It's obvious from the way they look at her.

She pushed past them and Cho grabbed her hand. "There's a battle."

"I know."

"Marietta..."

"My mum is wrong."

Marietta pushed past Cho, leaving her friend wondering what was up. Marietta knew the Army might not accept her and she might still not like them, but this was bigger than that. This wasn't the general fight between good and evil because it was much more three dimensional than that. There was good and bad on both sides and there were those who wouldn't be on either side. Marietta thought she didn't care but she would follow Cho always. Together, they would make it right.

Edit: I only edited this to add linebreaks and to acknowledge my amazing beta for this story, Sara, who will always look over my stories even if it's insanely last minute.