(A/N - Finally you guys get a [somewhat] longer chapter! I think you'll like this one... ^^ Enjoy! )

Chapter 8 - Lessons

The next day was Monday, a new week at school for Ron, Hermione and Harry. It was also a new week of school for Marielle, but as she was in England, she couldn't exactly attend. After plenty of fretting on Mari's part, Hermione came up with the perfect answer to the problem over brunch (they took up the habit of eating late so Mari could come with them to the Dining Hall and not be seen) on Sunday.

"I could bewitch an object such as a mirror or a pane of glass in order to see what is taking place in your school," said Hermione, sounding as usual: though she'd swallowed the whole of her spellbooks. "It would take a lot of work, because it is an immensely difficult spell--"

"Yeah, yeah, Hermione," Ron butted in impatiently, "we don't care how hard it is, as long as you can do it!" Mari and Harry snorted, trying to cover up their laughter as Hermione swelled red with anger.

Later on Sunday, the four were crowded into the girl's dormitory of Gryffindor Tower. The other two 5th year Gryffindor girls, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, were on an overnight excursion with Professor Trelawney, doing advanced reading of the planets, so Hermione wouldn't be bothered while performing the Viewing Spell. Ron provided one of the larger shards of a broken mirror of his to use.

"We'll have to sand down the edges for better viewing," commented Hermione, and with the flick of her wand, the glass mirror was in a perfect oval.

"Stand back, everyone!" Hermione uttered an incantation, causing golden beams of light to release from the mirror. "Now let me just program it for your school, so you can see what's going on..."

After 30 minutes, a mentally exhausted Hermione handed Marielle the seeing glass.

"Thanks, Hermione! This is great," exclaimed Marielle, examining her classmates file into Millenium, her private high school.

"Hey, its Adelaide, Beth, Jenny...hey Ron, come take a look at Adelaide, she's probably talking about you right now!" Ron shuffled over, red, and sure enough, Adelaide was currently musing on "how cute Ron is when he says 'Gerroff,'" giggling wildly. Beth and Jenny were conversing about how much they'd like to play Quidditch. Ron turned maroon.

"Wow," Hermione breathed. "Its so weird to hear Muggles talk about Quidditch..."

"I'll get you a parchment and quill to take notes with, Mari, looks like your classes are starting."

"Thanks, Harry."

So Mari spent the next few days up in the girls dormitory, magically taking her lessons while Hermione, Harry and Ron were at theirs. She joined them for breaks, taking strolls out on the grounds under the Cloak. On Tuesday, Marielle took a walk around the lake with Harry (Ron had to stay after Potions class for knocking over Malfoy's cauldron, and Hermione was in the library.). Harry felt at peace with the day, being outside in the cool December air, with Mari at his side, both under the Invisibility Cloak. He breathed in, taking the pleasant, crisp smell morning frost and the scent only being with Marielle could bring: like sweet roses growing near a clear mountain spring. What joy it was, to be walking with Mari, not wanting to be anywhere else or with anyone else, even Cho Chang, his crush for two years. It's strange, he thought. If I feel so wonderful around Mari, wouldn't that mean I fancy her? But whenever I'm near Cho, I always blush, stutter, feel so stupid...and I definitely fancy her...or do I? Oh, I don't know what this is...

Mari couldn't believe her luck. Here she was at Hogwarts, strolling around with the one guy she ever loved, with him even seeming to enjoy it. Wouldn't it be wonderful for Harry to love me as I do with him, to be in his company like this every day...Mari smiled a happy, content smile, amusing herself with the silly idea that her and Harry would ever be together, like that, anyway.

"Marielle?" Harry said timidly. Harry had never called her by her full name. She liked it when he said it.

"Yeah?" she replied, just as shyly. She shivered.

"Have you ever been in love?" Harry said it very quickly, as if to get it out of him before he faltered. "I mean, not just a crush...real love." Wow. Mari was LEAST expecting THAT.

"Well," she began, "I think so, but I'm not sure. I can't think of any other thing to describe it, so I call it love."

"Sorry, but what does it feel like?" Harry heard Mari sigh almost wistfully.

"It's a feeling I can hardly describe, it's so good. Whenever you're with the person, you feel as though all the good in the world is by your side, and that nothing will ever go wrong, or happen to you or the object of your affection. Like a sweet breeze on a warm summer's day." Harry looked into Marielle's eyes, the crystalline cerulean of a tropical islands waters, a shocking colour Harry had never seen there before.

Does he know? Marielle pondered frightfully, looking into his jolting emerald eyes, shining like beacons. Does he know now that I love him?

This is what she's talking about, Harry thought, This must be love.

(A/N - Aww...now we all *really* want to be Mari! I'd really like some constructive feedback on this chapter -- It was hard for me to put this scene into words [it originally was a picture that I drew]. So please give me some responses! I think I owe a few thank-yous to some awesome people -- Beth, lee-anne, and The Other Kate for your constant reviews! I appreciate them so much. Thanks to Danny and Greg for being my first fans! You guys rock! And thanks to Jessie for just being so cool [and a damn good writer, too!] Look forward to the next chapter in Apple Cinnamon and Roses, "Conflict". )