Written for the Quidditch Leagues Round 2

Prompts Used: (setting) Prefects Bathroom, (word) Mirror, (quote) "Boyfriends & girlfriends will come and go, but this is for life." - Phoebe, Friends.

Task: Write about a Ravenclaw/Ravenclaw friendship.

Also written for the Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt.

Somehow, I find myself flying after my best friend, shortly after I see her leaving Professor Umbridge's office. I run along every corridor, up every twisting, turning flight of stairs until I reach the fifth floor. It's at that point that I see a dash of frazzled, reddish blonde hair flit behind the statue of Boris the Bewildered, and I know where she's gone.

It was me after all, who told Marietta the password for the Prefects Bathroom after Cedric gave it to me. I was going to keep the knowledge to myself, but poor Marietta was so rattled with the fears of the Ministry sacking her mother, that I felt compelled to offer her the Prefect's Bathroom to relax. Though it seemed that now she was using the bathroom as an escape route as well as to relax.

I whisper the password to Boris the Bewildered, to which he sighs and rolls his dull, stone eyes. The lock clicks quietly, and I push open the door.

It always surprises me, no matter how many times I use it. The huge bath, which is more like a swimming pool than a tub, is sunk into the ground. There are various taps and pumps which I know emit a variety of bubble bath, oil, hair products, and scented soap. The bath is in the centre of an enormous, marble-floored room, with the toilet stalls on a the far side of the room, and a remarkable, stained-glass window of a mermaid overlooking the black lake. As I look up at the mermaid sitting on her rock, she tosses her hair over her shoulder, and looks pointedly towards the vanity area.

In front of the mirrors and leaning against the sinks is Marietta. I hurry over to her, my shoes echoing on the marble floor. I don't think she hears me though, as she is sniffling and crying too loudly. Carefully, I pull her away from the sinks and lean her against the worktop. She continues to wail, her arms folded across her face tightly, exposing nothing but her mouth, which is in a letterbox shape as she howls in an extremely undignified manner.

"Marietta," I shout over the peals of crying, grabbing her arms. She has a vice-like grip over her face, however, and it takes several minutes of wrestling with her to get her to relax her arms. They drop by her side limply, and she stares at me angrily with red-rimmed, puffy blue eyes.

"There!" she cries back at me. "Are you happy now, Cho?"

I furrow my brow and stare at her tear-streaked face a little more carefully. My eyebrows rise, and my mouth slacks open in shock as I realise what the problem is. In red, pus-filled pimples, the word 'sneak' is littered across her nose and cheeks.

After witnessing my expression, Marietta flails her arms and turns to face the mirror again, glaring at her reflection in anguish. "I've tried a few spells," she whimpers, "But they've just made them worse. Nothing will make them go away."

I lick my lips slowly, and pull out my wand, aiming at her voice. "Reparo," I attempt, feebly. Nothing happens, but it was worth a try. "What happened?" I ask in a small voice, though I have an idea. She explains in a thick voice, that she was forced to betray Dumbledore's Army to Umbridge by her mother, by giving her a very large hint that the meetings take place in the Room of Requirement. Because of Marietta's betrayal, a secret charm that Hermione Granger had placed on the parchment we were forced to sign had caused the pimples to erupt on Marietta's face.

As Marietta chokes the story out to me, I feel a lot more resentment towards Hermione. I already struggle to tolerate her, due to her extremely close friendship with Harry, but now, after seeing the sly, nasty little trick she played on the parchment we signed - I detest her even more.

"Don't worry, Marietta," I promise her. "We'll get you to the Hospital Wing; it's just downstairs, so we'll be able to make it without anyone seeing you, I'm sure."

"Aren't you angry with me?" Marietta demands to know, continuing to glare at her pimples in the foggy mirror. "Umbridge will be on her way down to the Room of Requirement right now. I've ruined it. They'll all be given horrible punishments. But I couldn't keep the secret anymore, not when my mother is..." on that last note, Marietta bursts into another flood of tears. I wrap my arms around her comfortingly, and pat her back gently.

"Of course I'm not angry with you, Marietta. I would have done the same thing. I'm sure Harry will understand, especially since he probably doesn't know about that nasty, evil little trick that Granger played on the parchment."

"I don't blame you if you don't want to be friends with me anymore, Cho," Marietta continues. "If you want to stay with Harry, I understand."

I lean back, and give Marietta a reproachful stare, but I am smiling a little. "Hey!" I urge her. "Don't be so silly. Boyfriends and girlfriends will come and go. But this," I wave my hand between us, gesturing to the friendship that we have had since we were sorted into Ravenclaw together. "is for life." Marietta gives me a weak smile in response, and I hug her a little tighter. "No matter what happens," I continue. "We'll always remain friends."