"Hey Edgecombe!"

Marietta spun around to see Pansy Parkinson. Pansy was leaning against the door of a classroom, a broad grin on her pug-like face.

Marietta barely suppressed a groan. "What is it?" she asked. She didn't want to listen to gloating over how the Slytherins had successfully captured Dumbledore's Army. All made possible by her.

"Aw, come on," said Pansy, "I just wanted to well done."

"Well, thanks," she muttered and went to continue her way to the Ravenclaw common room. But Pansy grabbed Marietta by the shoulder and spun her around to face her.

"If you ever need some friends," Pansy said, "come and sit with us some time."

Marietta adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "Thanks," she said again awkwardly, "I will."

Pansy smiled again and said, "Listen. That - telling someone and all? That was a good thing you did. Looked pretty dangerous, what they were doing."

"Yeah," Marietta smiled back, "yeah it was. Not sure they'll all understand though."

"They should," said Pansy seriously, "if they're really your friends they'll understand you were helping them."

Marietta nodded. "You think? I mean, most of them really do hate Umbridge."

"Professor Umbridge," Pansy corrected lightly, "is tough. But we do need to follow school rules. Look, I don't much like her either, but I want to feel safe here and, well being in the Squad helps that."

Marietta relaxed and nodded again eagerly. "That's what I think," she said, "how is being in a secret club learning dangerous spells keeping safe? And they keep going on about house unity, but won't let you Slytherins in."

Pansy sighed. "Yeah. It can be hard. You're not bad, though."

Marietta grinned and put out her hand for Pansy to shake. Pansy clasped her hand firmly. "You're making the right choice," said Pansy, "see you around."

"How could you," Padma said. Her voice cracked, almost in tears. She was curled up on a sofa in the Ravenclaw common room and had clearly been waiting up.

Marietta let her bag slip from her fingers, and it fell to the ground with a clunk. She had not expected to face Padma quite yet, had wanted time to think before they spoke and she tried to explain. Marietta quickly crossed the common room to join Padma on the sofa. Now the day was over, Marietta wanted to hold Padma and be held, understanding and comfort between them. She did not quite know what they had together. Marietta knew that her and Padma were close, but not if they were actually together. She had never been able to bring the subject up, it always felt too awkward to talk about and she didn't want to ruin the relationship she had with Padma. Marietta didn't know if Padma felt the same way and was content also to not yet speak of it or if she was just regarded as a good friend.

But as Marietta came towards her, Padma recoiled. "Don't, Marietta."

Marietta hesitated and took two careful steps towards Padma, dropping to her knees before her. She reached out to place a comforting hand on Padma's thigh.

"Don't, Marietta," Padma repeated. She pulled her legs up, and wrapped her arms around herself. Marietta sat down heavily, not sure what to do. Up close, she could see that Padma's eyes were rimmed in red, her brown hair loose and unbrushed. Marietta wished to tuck herself behind Padma on the sofa and gently run a brush through her hair, massaging her scalp and shoulders, placing the occasional teasing kiss on her neck. Marietta did not know why Padma wouldn't let her close. She had known, before going to Professor Umbridge, that Padma, perhaps at first would not understand.

But Marietta was so sure of herself. She had worked up the courage to let someone know of the dangerous meetings in the Room of Requirement for weeks. Professor Umbridge was hardly an ideal choice, but to Marietta, she was at least a professor she could trust to take action. After all, Umbridge was enforcing rules to keep them all safe. Was that not a good thing?

When Marietta had entered the pink, kitten decorated office, she had thought she may not have the courage to speak at all. Only a few small squeaks had come out. But Professor Umbridge had been so understanding and encouraging. Slowly, Marietta had managed to speak enough to tell her to look around where the Room of Requirement was at the time of the next meeting. Professor Umbridge had told her how good she had been, made her feel she had made the right choice. Marietta knew that they would all likely have detentions, but they had been all breaking school rules. She knew it was important to learn defence, but there would be another professor next year to teach them.

"What's wrong, Padma?" Marietta asked.

Padma frowned at her. "How can't you know?" she asked, "What? You didn't know you were betraying us all?"

Marietta flinched. She wanted Padma, and everyone, safe. Not dueling without a professor's supervision or sneaking around. She didn't know why Harry and Hermione were insisting on all this secrecy, acting as though this was some very important task they had to do. She wasn't going to call Harry a liar, but she didn't really believe his story of You-Know-Who and the graveyard, and there really wasn't any proof.

Marietta went to reached out to Padma, but quickly drew her hand back again. "I was thinking of you, Padma," she said.

Padma just looked at her, wide eyed, confused and even a little angry. "How could you be thinking of me? You-" Padma broke off and shook her head, unable to find the words. She looked away from Marietta, avoiding her gaze.

"I was enjoying those meetings," said Padma, her voice cracking. "All of us were. Apart from you, apparently."

Marietta took a small, tentative shuffle forwards. "I was enjoying them as well," she said.

"Then why?" asked Padma, now looking at Marietta, trying to find a satisfactory answer in her eyes.

"We would have been caught anyway," Marietta said, "we couldn't have kept up meetings anyway with OWLs coming up."

Padma's eyes narrowed. "That's a weak argument and you know it," she snapped.

Marietta sighed. She tried to find an answer that would satisfy Padma and make her understand. Marietta had a hundred reasons why she had gone to Umbridge, but now they all seemed so weak. She had been thinking of Padma. She wanted Padma safe, away from those meetings before Padma was hurt, and away from those scary stories of You-Know-Who.

"I wanted you safe," Marietta said. It was the best answer she could give.

"We were learning defence to be safe," said Padma, still not understanding.

"We were learning dangerous spells," Marietta's voice rose, frustrated, "what if something happened?"

Padma's entire body sagged, dropping her legs to the ground. "The danger's out there," she said.

Again, Marietta reached for Padma, and this time, Padma allowed her to place a hand on her leg. Marietta shook her head. "There is no danger. And we're learning defence from our professor."

"What?" Padma said incredulously. "That stupid book? A first year wouldn't learn anything from that thing. What good do you think that would be if you met a Death Eater? Against Vo- Vol- You-Know-Who!"

Marietta moved closer, so she was kneeling right before Padma, a hand on each knee."We don't graduate for another three years," Marietta tried to reassure Padma. "You should feel safe."

Padma covered Marietta's hands with her own. "I know that. But what makes me feel safe is knowing I can defend myself if I need to."

Marietta sighed, exasperated. "There's nothing to defend yourself from. You are safe. You should feel safe."

Padma shook her head. "No," she said, "haven't you been listening? You Know Who won't just stay quiet. He'll attack. People will disappear. People will die. I don't want that to be me. My friends. My parents. My sister. Why are you so against me protecting myself?"

Marietta gripped Padma's knees and leaned forwards towards her. "I've never said that," she said, "that won't happen. You Know Who is gone."

Padma recoiled from her again, flinching back. "You don't believe Harry then," she stated.

Marietta snorted. "Why should I? What proof does he have?"

Padma groaned and abruptly scrambled over the side of the sofa. "Nothing I say is going to get through to you. I'm going to bed," she snapped.

For the first time, Marietta felt like hitting Padma. Pansy had been so understanding, and now Padma couldn't be bothered to listen. "At least Pansy listened to me. Listened to a bit of sense."

"Pansy?" Padma said in disgust, rounding on her.

Marietta folded her arms. "Yeah. Pansy. She's a friend," she said coldly.

"Wasn't yesterday," Padma snapped.

"We spoke," said Marietta, now glaring at Padma, "and she was very nice."

"Oh, I'm sure she was," Padma's voice rose to a shout, "she was manipulating you - you stupid -"

Marietta felt the sharp sting on her cheek as Padma slapped her. Marietta took a step back, and said, "Just because Pansy's a Slytherin doesn't mean she's manipulating me. You're a hypocrite. House unity except for Slytherins. Well, you know what? I'm going to give them a chance."

"Fat lot of good that's done you so far. Betraying all your friends." Padma turned from Marietta and stormed up the stairs to the dorms.

The next morning, Marietta walked into the Great Hall for breakfast. She felt as awkward now at the Ravenclaw table. She always found herself sitting alone, as far as she could get from Cho, Padma and the others in Dumbledores Army. She hadn't quite yet gotten the courage to go over to Pansy. She smiled at Pansy and greeted her during classes, but going over there felt like leaving Ravenclaw. Marietta stood in the large stone entrance, and her eyes drifted to the Slytherin table. Once again, as she always did in the morning, Pansy spotted her and gave her a wide smile. Her eye caught Pansy's. Pansy raised her goblet to her and beckoned her over. Marietta spared a glance at Padma. They hadn't spoken since Padma had hit her.

Marietta steeled herself, turned away from the Ravenclaw table and slowly made her way to the Slytherin table. She was glad that Pansy and her group, were at least, not far down the table. Marietta felt as though every person in the Great Hall was staring at her. She stopped just before she reached Pansy, hesitating, even though she could not run back to the Ravenclaw table now. "Hi," she said in a small voice.

Pansy gave her a wide smile. "Hey Marietta," she said and gestured to her friends, "this is Millicent and Daphne." Marietta nodded to the two girls. Millicent gave a small smile and Daphne looked her up and down before returning to her potatoes. Marietta didn't trust herself to speak.

"Sit down," said Pansy, "don't worry. You'll soon feel right at home."

Marietta gave a tight smile, trying not to glance at the Ravenclaw table. She felt entirely out of place.