Being Dark Isn't Easy

Disclaimer: I do not infringe on any rights of the author. I don't own any of the characters or quotes I have used from the book.

In the fifth year (Fifth book)

Being Dark Isn't Easy

Green, lush fields seemed to travel in every direction. Sunlight danced across the expanse of fields, while behind it, shades of blue appeared splashed across the sky. In the fields, the crimson coffee berries dotted the rows. She inhaled the rich smell of the wet soil beneath her feet. A breeze swept through her hair, and she suddenly felt her burdens were lifted.

And then the thunder clouds rolled in, quickly becoming greyer by the second. Lightening flashed, and the whole world became dark. Rain drenched the earth, and an ocean appeared before her. A tidal wave, rising to consume her.

She shrieked, and woke up, sitting upright.

On the bed adjacent to hers, another girl had already woken up, and asked, groggily, "Marietta? Are you okay?"

The girl who had the nightmare nodded dully, "Fine." In reality, she was feeling a little peachy, but she didn't dare tell the Princess of Ravenclaw that, though she was under the pretense of being her best friend.

She inwardly rolled her eyes as her concerned friend, scampered over in her nightgown and sat on her bed. She reached out, and straightened out some of her reddish-blonde curls.

Marietta pushed her hands away, not caring for the ministrations. "I'm fine. Really, Cho."

"Did I wake up any of the other girls?" Marietta asked, suspiciously glancing over to the other beds in the room. She did not want any of the girls to find her one weakness, or for the nightmares to somehow get back to her parents.

As Cho nodded her head, Marietta calmed down. "You should get back to sleep. I'm sorry for waking you up." She pasted a fake happy smile on her face for Cho.

Cho smiled back. "Tell me if anything is bothering you."

Marietta consented, and they both began to snuggle into their respective beds.

Marietta Edgecombe was her full name. At the ministry the surname commanded respect and oozed of authority. At the Death Eater's inner circle it meant death and suffering.

It had been a dream of both her parents and herself to get into Slytherin (in her opinion, the only respectable House), make some good connections with the Purebloods, and eventually marry into one of the families.

Because she didn't get into the House of her choice, which had been obviously Slytherin, she pretended to be Cho's friend. By becoming her best friend she was instantly be included in the House, and it was strangely satisfying receiving jealous looks from her simpering, sycophantic peers. What with Ravenclaw's fanatical loyalty to Cho Chang which rivaled Hufflepuff's, and their reverence of their Prince Cedric (completely disregarding the fact he was in Hufflepuff), she could barely restrain herself from hexing everyone within a five meter radius.

At least she was grateful for the fact she wasn't put into the 'Puff' House. The embarrassment would follow her throughout her whole life. She could just imagine… people ten years later would ask her…"and Marietta, weren't you in Huffelpuff? …and then they'd all laugh, while she turned red and slowly dissolved into her seat. She shuddered involuntarily, and regretted the reaction immediately. Showing weakness was not tolerated.

She still didn't understand Cho Chang though, who acted like an angel, and seemed to be perfect like one. She was sure it was just an act. Who in their right minds would ask if she was alright, when she was the one who had woken her up? And then she had to continue to be disgustingly caring for her. And then was it not Cho who had the right to have terrifying dreams? Cedric's death had left her in a slump of depression.

Looking at a clock on the wall, she realized there was no point in going back to sleep. Everyone would be awake in a few hours, and she did not want to confront that nightmare in her sleep again. It would start off as a wonderful dream, feeling liberated, and refreshed, and then the feeling would rapidly deteriorate as something dark and menacing swallowed her up.

She might as well use the washroom before the other girls cluttered it up crowding it like sardines in a tin can.

Contrary to popular belief, Ravenclaws DID care about their beauty despite being bookish.

They had Beauty AND Brains

Okay…so maybe she had an inkling of respect for them (disregarding the fact that she was one of them).

Anyways, she had to find a way to become more Slytherin-ish. Pretending to be Cho's friend wasn't cutting it. It had to be big, bad, and dark, and HAD to involve stealing, conniving, evil laughter, and it had to be DARK.

It was still early in the morning- the perfect time to execute plan G- Get Into the Restricted Section Without Pince Knowing- or any teachers for that matter.

-

'Quickly', she told herself, repeating it over and over again, as she snuck through the entrance through the library. She shook with glee. The empty library called to her, especially the section to the far corner.

She was halfway there, loving the musty smell of the older books. Almost at her destination, she already felt a sort of pride. She was being bad! And sneaky!

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she quickly straightened up out of her sneaking posture and into her usual innocent pose. Turning, she found herself face to face with the Prince of Slytherin. She let her posture drop and ground out, "Malfoy…stop being so sneaky."

Malfoy had known about her obsession and true character ever since they were little. She was a frequent playmate of his, and he always seemed to know what she was thinking. She swore on the day she turned ten that she would be the 'baddest witch there ever was.' Malfoy had laughed at her.

He chuckled. "You don't have to look sneaky to be sneaky Edgecombe. Remember that." He put a finger to his elegant chin thoughtfully and smirked at her. "And for the record Edgecombe, sneaking into the Restricted Section isn't considered a sin. For Slytherins, it's actually the norm." He winked at her and walked away, cloak billowing behind him.

She scoffed. Conceited Malfoy…Plan G was officially ruined. And yes, there had been plans dating from Plan A to the disastrous Plan G and all had been ruined.

It really wasn't easy being dark.

She decided to lounge on the soft armchair in the centre of the library, thinking of Plan H, when Cho came up to her. "Marietta," she whispered.

She unglued her face from the ceiling and became alert again. "What is it, Cho?" She asked in the most heartbreakingly innocent voice she could muster.

Honesty brimming, Cho sat down beside her. "Do you think we're learning much in Defense?"

"Well, no." They weren't learning anything at all, truthfully. Umbridge was a Ministry drone that shouldn't have been given her position. She was banning everything and was a big pain in the ass. Then, she thought of Umbridge and how she seemed to repress an evil that she too had inside of her, being saccharine when she needed to and poisonous as a rattlesnake when she wanted to. "I admire Professor Umbridge though," she finally said.

Cho looked at her dubiously. "Really?"

"Really," she answered, one of her only honest answers to the Ravenclaw Princess.

"Well, I'm not sure if you're going to like this, but you have to promise not to say anything." Her voice was back to being a slight whisper.

Marietta's eyes widened. Cho being sneaky and secretive? She had to listen to this. Maybe she'd turned over a new leaf. "What is it?" She urged her.

"Harry and Hermione are holding this club that will teach us what we're supposed to learn in Defense- nowadays, what we're not supposed to learn, but that's besides the point. It's a secret, since you know clubs are banned. Are you in this?" Cho looked up at her hopefully.

"I, uh…" She was really lost for words. "but we shouldn't break the rules, Cho," she said in that whiny voice she hated.

"It'll be fine. Let's do this," she urged her.

At that moment, a plan formed in Marietta's head. Yes, perfect. "Okay," she said, sounding reluctant.

Cho smiled and flung her arms around her best friend. "Yay," she said. "There's a meeting at the Hog's Head. We'll go there together." Looking at her watch, she realized what time it was. "Oops, I've got to go now. I'll see you at breakfast."

Marietta had already been ignoring her 'friend' since she'd agreed and was focused on her next diabolical plan. Perfect…Plan H- Hermione and Harry…In Trouble…

The meeting at Hog's Head was as planned. She looked as meek and terrified of the idea as she possibly could and Cho defended her from any naysayers. The plan was going on schedule. While looking frightened, she'd committed the names of everyone in the group to memory and later, wrote down the names of everyone that had joined this clandestine club. She cackled with glee inside.

The next evening she met Draco in the dark empty hallways, past midnight. Quickly, looking around, she shoved him and herself into the nearest closet.

"Whoa," he said, "If you wanted me that bad, you could have just said so." He slung his arm around her shoulders.

Picking it off her, she rolled her eyes. "Now is not the time, Draco. I have the names of all the people involved in the club. Tell Umbridge." She gave him the list, which he shoved into his pocket.

He smiled. "You may be actually able to pull off this bad stuff after all."

He left her, standing in the closet, feeling unlike she had ever felt after a rendezvous with Malfoy.

She really did feel evil.

The next morning, Draco came up to her and handed her a note. "What is it?" She asked him. She opened it up. It was a blank piece of parchment.

"Umbridge doesn't just want the names. She wants to catch them in the act. When you know the time of the meeting and where it takes place, write it down as soon as possible onto the parchment. The message automatically appears on her desk." He informed her.

He looked at her, hard. "Are you having second thoughts?"

She stuttered, "W-what? What would make you think that?" She asked him nervously.

"Marietta," he said, "Some people don't have it in them to be cruel and unfeeling. Ever since we were little, I knew you never had it in you. Don't force yourself."

She was livid. "Don't you dare tell me I'm not bad. I am," she stated defiantly. She thought to herself. 'I'm in too deep. It's too late anyways. Umbridge knows I'm involved. If I walk away, she'll be furious.' She put the piece of parchment in her pocket and marched away, feeling Draco's penetrating gaze pierce through her.

So, she didn't debate with herself, when she was alerted of the next meeting time via the 'coin'. With a steady hand, she wrote down the next time and the location.

The meeting was scheduled the next night and she would not be surprised if she was called to Dumbledore's office. She'd have to justify herself in the eyes of the whole club. She groaned. She'd already stayed in the bed the whole day already, because she wasn't feeling well and getting up was a pain. Remembering that she was doing what her parents wanted her to do, she smiled…and winced, feeling a stinging sensation on her face. Quickly, she hurried to the nearest mirror and gasped, making her cringe. Her face was covered in welts, red, half-formed bubbles and yellow liquid oozed from her face. The worst part about it was that it spelt out the word 'sneak'.

"Damn…"

At that moment, she heard Draco yelling. "Marietta, we've caught Dumbledore's Army. Umbridge wants you to verify your story."

She ran down the stairs as fast as she could. "Draco," she wailed.

"What happened to your face?" He inquired, as politely as he could, failing to hide his laughter.

"Draco," she shrieked and hit him over the head.

"Ouch," he said and gave her a once-over. "Screw Umbridge. Let's get you cleaned up first." He led her by the hand and guided her to the communal bathrooms. He dabbed a wet cloth at her face gently. "Do I have to ask how this happened?" Amusement was apparent on his face.

"I don't know how it happened," she said honestly.

He chuckled. "I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before. I should have known she would have done this."

"What?"

"It must have been that know-it-all Granger. She must have jinxed everyone who agreed to keeping the club a secret. They would know who tattled on them and humiliate them at the same time," he said admiringly.

She smacked her forehead. "I probably should have thought of that," she groaned.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "-and that's why I'm the evil one and you're not."

"Okay. We're all done. Ready to face them?" He patted her on the back comfortingly.

"Let's do this," she replied confidently.

And so, being brought before Dumbledore and his 'army', prodded by the not-so-gentle Professor Umbridge, she forced tears through her eyes, confirming that it was them that were involved in the club. She looked at the members, who were for the most part, giving her death glares, except Cho. Cho looked up at her understandingly in that sickeningly sweet compassionate gaze that she always seemed to give her.

She covered her face, as if she were ashamed, biting back scathing remarks she wanted to make at Umbridge's poor attempts at 'comforting' her.

She was surprised that she saw Fudge in the corner of her eye. Umbridge then said, looking at Fudge, "The Minister is very pleased with you. He'll be telling your mother what a good girl you've been. Marietta's mother, Minister, is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network office- she's been helping us police the Howarts fires, you know."

"Jolly good, jolly good. Like mother, like daughter," Fudge said.

Marietta froze at that comment.

"Well, come on, now dear, look up, don't be shy. What have you got to say?"

When she did lift up her head, as she predicted, Fudge was startled and stumbled back. She did look pretty horrendous if she said so herself.

She laughed on the inside, but on the outside pretended to look horrified, and burst into another round of crying.

"Go on, girl. Continue. What happened?"

A few more accusations later, they asked her more questions. "Miss Edgecombe," Umbridge said, "Can you tell us if there have been meetings over the last six months?"

She didn't move. She saw Kingsley out of the corner of her eye. He was casting a spell on her, she realized…but it was too late.

The next thing she knew was that Umbridge was yelling at her and she did not recollect a thing. She just shook her head 'no' at everything. The meeting continued, with more accusations, and Dumbledore escaping Hogwarts. It was nothing that fazed her.

Tired, after a long confusing, interrogation, she met Malfoy in the stairwell as she was going to sleep. "I'm pretty sure they obliviated you. You don't remember a thing, do you?" He said incredulously.

"The thing is," she said, "I remember giving you the parchment of names and tattling on the group members, but I don't remember any meetings."

"You didn't bother to lie and tell Umbridge that there were?" He said curiously.

"I lost that inclination after Fudge told me I was like my mother," she spat out.

"Why?"

"It's not worth it. Especially if it gets me here. Obliviated, humiliated and back to where I've started." She sighed. "Don't talk to me anymore Mafoy. At least, not until I 'clear up'. I can't stand to be around you like this."

He left promptly.

A few days later, when she her face was free from any of those marks on her face, she strolled through the hallway, happily, whistling a tune, beside her best friend (the one she did not deserve, for sticking up for her) and just loving being a pretentious Ravenclaw.

Seeing Malfoy motion for her to come, she told Cho she had to leave and found herself in a broom closet. "Malfoy, if you wanted me that bad, all you had to do was ask," she threw his own line back at him.

He smirked, his trademark smirk. "Good line, but I have a better one. Your plans to be bad have most disastrously failed. I have a proposition for you. If you really want to be bad, meet me at the astronomy tower at midnight." He kissed her on the cheek lightly, winked at her suggestively and swaggered away confidently.

She shrugged. If that was the only way she could be bad, she'd take it.

Being dark just wasn't easy.

-

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A/N The part where she has to confess and tell everyone about the club, is mostly where I took quotes from the book, because I was trying to imitate that scene.

It's just another point of view from Marietta of what happened in Book 5. …and a very out of character Draco Malfoy.

But who doesn't love him? –kidding…