(A/N - Sorry guys, it's another short chapter. ^^; Well, the next one will be longer!)

Chapter 9 - Conflict

Marielle sat in Gryffindor Common Room late that night, and rubbed her eyes. Her Seeing Glass, the Marauders Map, and the Invisibility Cloak lay in front of her with some parchment and a quill. Hermione had taught her how to 'rewind' the mirror to replay classes she might have missed (which came in very handy that day, when she was taking a stroll with Harry, thought Mari). She couldn't concentrate at all, not after what happened at the lake. Mari smiled and leaned back on the two hind legs of her chair, replaying the beauty of Harry's amorphous eyes once more.

"Uh-oh..." The chair began to quiver, Mari flailing her arms around in an ungainly attempt to rebalance it. The crash to the floor was stopped by someone steadying the chair. Marielle slowly opened one eye and saw Hermione, smiling.

"You were lucky I was out late tonight and caught you, that fall would have caused a bit of a ruckus."

"Yeah! Thanks, Hermione. Say," said Mari, smiling slightly. "Why ARE you out this late? It's not like you..."

"Oh! Well, erm..." Hermione began to blush. "I was just taking a stroll...with Ron, actually."

"Really.." Mari hid a grin behind her hand. "Have a seat, Hermione. So what were you guys talking about?" Now it was Hermione's time to smile.

"He was talking about you, Mari. A lot...he really likes you, you know. Even more than that veela girl, Fleur..." Hermione and Marielle both burst out laughing at the thought of Ron's crush last year, one of the Champions in the Triwizard Tournament.

Ron likes ME? Marielle thought, panicking. Hermione went serious again.

"Ron told me that he was going to ask you to the Yule Ball. You know its coming up, right?" Mari gulped; she'd forgotten about the annual Yule Ball. A fleeting image of Harry and Cho Chang dancing suddenly crossed her mind.

"Mari, you want Harry to ask you...right?" Hermione spoke very quietly now.

"Wha..?! Well..." How did Hermione know about that?

"That makes the both of us, then."

"WHAT?!?" Had she heard correctly? Hermione looked down.

"I've got a crush on Harry. Just like you, right?" This was nothing like Hermione...

"Well, yes, but--" This was the LAST thing Marielle wanted -- to have to fight over a guy with her friend. "Hermione, I--"

"YOU CAN HAVE HIM!" They both shouted in unison. After gales of abashed laughter, Hermione spoke again.

"Marielle, I know how much you love him. I can see it in your eyes; they always turn blue when you're around him. So..." Hermione looked so sad, but so determined. "...don't you dare turn him down if he asks you to the Yule Ball."

"Hermione, I can't...you've known him--"

"Please." There was now a pleading in Hermione's voice.

"But..why? I thought you liked him too..."

"I do. He is also a dear friend to me. What do you think would happen to our friendship if we ended up together? Harry isn't the type of guy that could stand losing a friend due to a relationship." Marielle thought about this. Hermione was right, of course. Harry had lost so much, he probably couldn't deal with that.

"Hermione...are you sure...?"

"Positive." The two girls smiled.

"Hermione, I'm glad this worked out; I couldn't have lived with knowing we were both after Harry."

"Yeah," replied Hermione, looking incredibly pleased and relieved. "Me too."

Hermione made her way up to the dormitories, and Mari, suddenly feeling a bit worn out, cleared the mirror and packed up her parchment. I almost had a heart attack when she told me about Harry! I'm glad that's settled, thought Marielle, heading upstairs to her dormitory. I admire Hermione so much for doing that for me. She's really great... Mari slipped on her pyjamas and got into bed. Now the only problem is what to do about Ron... I suppose I'll have to talk to him...