Hermione really seemed to be very mad at Ben, because she refused to acknowledge his presence even when the four of them were together, having breakfast the next morning. The girl had gotten back to eating, though, since she seemed to have realised not doing it was absolutely no use.

"Hermione, please, how many times do I have to try to tell you that-"

"Oh, drop it, Ben," Ron advised him, raising his eyebrows from the other side of the table.

Ben continued looking at the girl, who was doing her best to ignore him by pretending to be incredibly interested in her cereals. He took a deep breath, and stabbed his toast with a fork he didn't even know why he had picked up.

"What has that piece of bread done to you?" asked Harry from beside him.

Judging by how frustrated Ben was feeling, one would've expected him to say something rude. But it had been Harry who had spoken. And Harry was his friend; his best friend, actually, and he was physically incapable of being mean to him.

Even though Hermione didn't look or say a word to Ben even once, the morning classes flowed without a hitch. In the afternoon, they had two hours of Muggle Studies in a row, and the boy wondered if his friend would sit next to him even though she was angry with him. But then he remembered that she had stopped using the time turner, and that she no longer went with him to class.

So, he sat beside Marina. The girl had changed quite a lot over summer. Her hair was still brown, but it seemed slightly lighter, and she had grown it out. He also noticed her eyes had... some kind of black line surrounding them, and her lashes looked thicker.

"Oh," he exclaimed, eyes wide open, looking at her. "That's mascara, isn't it?

"Um... Yes, why?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed. Ben was very glad he had remembered its name. "How'd you know?"

"My sister Audrey was obsessed with that thingy," he replied, pulling out his things from his bag. "You know, when we were younger, we would play with makeup... I would watch her as she experimented with it, and she once asked me if I wanted her to try it on me. I refused, and tried to run out of her room, but she caught me and forced me to stay still as she did my makeup."

Marina let out a soft, sweet-sounding laugh. "And how did it go?"

Ben smiled at her, and leaned towards her so he wouldn't have to speak too loudly for her to hear him. "Don't tell anyone, but I liked it."

The girl laughed again, brushing some caramel-coloured locks out of her face. "Does she know about it?"

"Well, I never told her, but I'm pretty sure she secretly knew. I think that's why she always insisted on doing it everytime my parents were away, and it kind of became a habit."

"That's so sweet."

"Yeah, I guess," he admitted, shrugging. "I kinda miss it sometimes, you know?"

Marina was silent for a second. She looked deep in thought, until she finally spoke, her cheeks tinted in red. "I know it won't be the same, obviously, but... I've got some makeup my parents got me this summer. So, if you want, we could- Er... You know..."

Ben waited patiently for her to continue speaking, but the girl's rosey lips were shut. So he realised she wasn't going to finish her sentence, and it was his turn to speak.

"Oh, yes, yes," he said, hoping he had understood what she was trying to say. "I'd love to."

Marina's eyes lit up, as her eyebrows lifted up in surprise. "Really? You would?"

"Of course," he nodded. "When are you free?"

"Well, since Quidditch has been cancelled, I'm always free."

"Oh, right... What about this afternoon, after this class is over?"

"Yeah, okay!"

———————————————

So, as soon as the Muggle Studies class ended, Marina and Ben decided to meet each other in the Entrance Hall in fifteen minutes. The girl would go pick up her makeup from her dorm, and Ben wanted to leave his books on his bed.

When he arrived, smiling brightly, at the Gryffindor Common Room, he saw Hermione sitting beside the chimney, working on something. She glanced up to him and, when he was about to wave at his friend, he received a dirty look from her, so he completely ignored her and went upstairs happily, refusing to let her ruin his mood.

"Hey," he was greeted by Harry and Ron as soon as he opened the door to their dorm.

"Hello!" He greeted them back, heading to his bed and leaving his stuff there. He turned to his friends. "Is it cold outside?"

"Idunno," replied Ron. "Why?"

"Because I'm going outside."

"On your own?" asked Harry.

"No," he answered. Harry had been lying on his bed, but had lifted himself up as soon as Ben had entered the room. His hair was looking fluffier than it ever had, and some strands of it fell over his eyes.

"Who are you going with, then?" wondered Ron.

"Marina."

Ron shot a quick but worried look at Harry, who accidentally let out a strange, strangled sound. He cleared his throat immediately, and he readjusted himself on his bed so suddenly he threw a pillow to the floor.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied. Ben frowned, confused, and tried to meet his friend's eyes. But he didn't seem up to the task, and avoided it by stretching himself to pick up the pillow from the floor.

"Is it a date?" asked Ron, an unfamiliar look in his eyes.

"What?" laughed Ben. "Of course it's not. We're only friends. She doesn't like me like that."

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

Harry was the one to speak, eyes fixed on the pillow he had just picked up. "Do you like her like that?"

Ben was about to deny it, but a weird sensation crept onto his chest as he looked at Harry. It was something he had never felt before. Something he couldn't describe with words. Something that didn't even allow him to use his words to tell him that he did not like Marina, although it was the thing he wanted the most. He didn't even understand why, but there was a sudden urge inside of him to let him know that there was nothing between Marina and him. He wanted him to be sure of it. To know it as surely as he knew his own name. He would've promised it, sworn it on his own life. He wanted, needed to assure him that there was simply no room in his heart for Marina or any other girl in the whole castle, in the whole world. There was absolutely no more room in his heart, because it was already overflowing with someone.

He could feel how his mind was, slowly yet surely, about to project an image of that someone. And, as soon as he caught a glimpse of those eyes, that sensation shifted into something different. Something sharp, terrifying, suffocating, that didn't let him breathe. For an instant, his consciousness disappeared, and he forgot where he was, who was in front of him, and what they would think it meant if he ran, so he did.

He didn't think of anything as he exited the Gryffindor tower and ran down the stairs until he reached the Entrance Hall, and it took him a while to recover. He was glad to see Marina wasn't there yet, which allowed him to clear his mind before having to speak with someone else.

But he didn't know how to clear his mind. Because he didn't even know what had happened. Unconsciously, he sat on the floor, with his back against the hard, cold stone wall, and wrapping his arms around his legs as he thought. He replayed what had happened inside of his mind, still feeling that strangling sensation all over his body. He was pretty sure he had never been more confused. Why had he panicked so hard? Was it maybe being asked about his feelings for Marina?

But they didn't seem complicated enough to make him act like that. He knew perfectly well what his feelings for Marina were. She was cool, and sweet, and made him feel she was interested in getting to know him and hang out together. He wasn't sure about how long two people had to talk to each other before forming a friendship, and he had no idea if they had reached that point, but he honestly considered her his friend. Or a soon-to-be friend, at least.

Harry had asked him if he had a crush on her. And he was absolutely sure he didn't. He didn't fancy her in the slightest, although she was undeniably pretty but, once again, she wasn't his type. But, then, why did he panic after the question? Why didn't he just tell the truth? It was as simple as saying no. Yet, he hadn't done that. Instead, he had stared at Harry, and at his face full of worry, and that was when he finally realised.

He finally realised why Harry always acted oddly when it came to Marina being around.

He finally realised why Harry got so tense everytime Ben mentioned the girl.

He finally realised why Harry had panicked slightly when Ben had told them he was going to meet Marina.

He finally realised why Harry's face was full of concern as he asked Ben if he had a crush on Marina.

Harry obviously didn't want Ben to fancy Marina. Because it would mean their friendship could risk being ruined.

Because, well, everybody knows that, when two friends have a crush on the same person, it ends up terribly bad most of the time.

So, he had to be quick at letting his best friend know that he didn't like Marina that way, and that it was completely okay for him to date her if he wanted to. If Harry was in love with Marina, and she was in love with Harry, he would definitely do his best to try and support them and to ignore that weird feeling of heaviness in his heart.

"Hi!" he was greeted by Marina's voice. He immediately stood up. The girl was carrying a small yellow bag with a big silver heart in the middle. "Sorry I'm a bit late."

"It's fine," he replied, passing a hand through his hair. He cleared his throat. "So, what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to try my new makeup on you," she smiled.

Ben smiled back at her. "But where? I don't want the whole school to see me."

"Don't worry about that, come with me," she reassured him before, all of a sudden, taking his hand in her own, and guiding him outside the castle.

For a couple of seconds, Ben's mind was back at being blank. He was way too shocked at the fact that she had grabbed his hand. He had never held hands with a girl who wasn't his sister, so it was something he wasn't familiar in the slightest with. However, he didn't dislike it. At all.

Quite the contrary, actually. He kind of liked it, and found it sweet. Her hand was soft, yet quite cold. Her grip was tight, but it seemed to be full of fondness. His heart fluttered.

"Where are we going?" he asked blissfully.

"You'll see."

"Is this secretly a plan to kill me, Marina?"

"Certainly." 

"Oh, no!"

Marina burst into laughter, and was soon joined by the now grinning boy.

It was a bit cold outside, and Ben regretted not having taken a jacket or something of the sort, but didn't speak. The girl didn't either, and just continued walking across the grounds, still holding Ben's hand. He could barely contain his curiosity, and was really happy to see Marina finally stop in front of a wooden door on the side of the castle.

"Here we are."

"What a beautiful door," commented Ben sarcastically. "Very classy."

Marina rolled her eyes and nudged him playfully before taking out a small silver key from her pocket. She introduced it on the lock, and extended her only free arm to push the door open. She turned to him, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling mischievously, and walked inside. Ben hesitated for an instant before joining her, although he didn't really have a saying, since they were technically still holding hands.

Once he was inside, he needed a couple of instants to take in the beauty of the... room? Honestly, he was unsure of whether it was a room, or some sort of cave. It looked as though it was a mixture of them. The walls were made of stone and rock, but they weren't as uniform or polished as those in the hallways and rooms of the rest of Hogwarts. Each rock was a different size, colour, shape and, apparently, even a different texture than the one before it. However, as surprising as it might seem, it made it look somehow cozy.

It wasn't something enormous as one of the halls of Hogwarts, and neither as small as a broom closet. It was iluminated by some lit candles on each side of the wall, and there were no windows or other doors apart from the one Ben and Marina had just walked through.

In the center, there was a majestic ceramic fountain, with three bases at different heights and of different sizes. A stream of crystal clear water flowed from a small pegasus-shaped statuette with outstretched wings.

"This place is beautiful," he said, before turning to the girl. Her eyes were fixed on the fountain, and they slowly shifted to meet the boy's, as her lips tightened in a smile.

"I know," she replied. "I discovered it during our first month at Hogwarts. It took me a long while to make friends, so I spent a lot of time on my own, exploring the castle."

"And how did you get the key to unlock the door?"

"I found it in a drawer of my nightstand on our first night here. I don't know why, but it was there, on a corner, behind some lint and crumpled pieces of parchment. I was curious to find out what it unlocked, and that's why I began exploring the castle."

"It must have taken you a long time to discover that, of all the locks in the castle, it was precisely this one."

She shrugged, walking over to the fountain and sitting carefully on the ledge of it. Ben joined her, and casually reached out to touch the cool water with his fingertips. "As I said, I didn't have anyone to hang out with back then. I've never struggled much with school, and I was quick while doing homework, so I used to have a lot of free time."

"I wish I was that fast, too," commented Ben.

Marina chuckled. "Well, at least you've always had Hermione to help you."

"Not really. I mean, she does help us sometimes, but she doesn't do it very often. She wants us to figure out how to do our work ourselves because, according to her, her help won't be available to us during exams. Or in the future, if it comes to us having to apply our knowledge in real life."

"She's right about that."

"She's always right about everything," he mumbled through gritted teeth. "Or that's how she thinks she is."

"What do you mean?"

Ben took a deap breath. "Please don't tell anyone, I don't want other people to interfere and create a bigger mess, but she and I have just had an argument. Well, actually, she had an argument with herself, because she got mad over her own assumption about me."

"What was it about, if you're okay with me knowing?"

Although Marina and him hadn't talked as much as he had with any of his other friends, he felt a sense of comfort and calmness when she was around. Maybe it was the soft look on her eyes, or the sweetness of her voice, or her harmonious laugh... He didn't really know, but he was sure he trusted her.

"Yeah, of course I am," he replied, meaning it. "During the Start-Of-Term Feast, she found out there's house elves working at Hogwarts. Don't ask me how she came to that realisation, because I really have got no clue. But she was suddenly very mad about it. She said she wouldn't eat anymore. She called it a hunger strike."

Marina's expression was full of concern. "She has eaten since that, right?"

"She has, she realised a hunger strike would be no use, so it only lasted for a meal," he answered, taking his fingers out of the water, and drying them on his own shirt. "During it, she asked me about my opinion, so I told her about Deedee, and the other house elves my family has at home. And she suddenly went crazy at me and now refuses to speak to me."

"Because you have house elves at home?"

"Exactly. I mean, I know it's... Not the best thing to do, let's say it like that, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Marina nodded. "Yeah, it's not your fault."

"Thanks," he smiled. "I've always been as kind as possible to them.  I can't say the same about my parents, or my older sister, but Alycia and I consider and treat them as equals. Before I came here, I would spend hours helping them out with tasks, and telling them about the books I was reading."

"Aw, that's so cute."

Ben went brick red, and couldn't be happier that there wasn't much lighting.

"I wish I could let Hermione know about this. I wish she'd let me explain myself, but she's way too stubborn, and won't give in."

"I'm sure she eventually will," reassured Marina, calmly. "You see, you and her have been friends for a while now. You've gone through a lot of things together, I'm sure she won't throw it all away because of something like this."

"She thinks I have slaves at home, though."

"But, deep down, she knows you have no say in that. She knows you as a person. She knows how you are. Trust me, she won't be mad for long."

"And, in the meantime, what do I do?"

"Just wait, don't do anything else. Don't insist any more, at least for a while. Make sure to now drag yourself away," she recommended. "Whatever has to happen, will happen, but don't force it."

"Alright," he said, nodding. "I don't know if it's a good idea to be around them, then."

"Around Harry and Ron?"

"Yes, because Hermione's not mad at them, so she still hangs out with them. We go to classes together, and have our meals together, too. It's quite uncomfortable to be there, and keep being ignored by Hermione."

"Yeah, I get it... You could come with us, then."

"Who's us?"

"Well, my friends and I."

He hesitated. "Do I know any of them?"

Marina stopped to think for a while. Ben noticed how her eyebrows furrowed, and how small wrinkles appeared on her forehead as she did so. "You're friends with Thomas Stonem, right?"

Ben's eyes lit up. "Yes! We're very good friends."

"So, do you know his cousin? Her name's Delilah."

"Oh, yes, I know her. We went to the Quidditch World Cup together back in August."

"Great, so she's one of my friends, although she's a year older than us. It used to be just her and I, but lately she's gotten close to another Ravenclaw from her year, and she introduced us, so now we're friends."

"What's her name?" asked Ben, having a feeling he could guess.

"Mei-Xing Chang, I think you know her. I think she's dating Cedric Diggory, you know, the Hufflepuff seeker..."

"Yeah, I know Cedric, too," he told her. "We don't talk very often, since he's quite older, but we do every now and then."

"Have you heard the rumours about him?"

"Rumours?" he repeated.

"People are saying he wants to be the Hogwarts Champion."

"Oh."

"I think it'd be cool if he was, I think he'd deserve the honour of winning," she commented, tossing her hair behind her shoulders. "He's such a hard-working boy, a great athlete and, overall, a very good-hearted person. It wouldn't be nice to have one of those grumpy and rude Slytherins represent us, would it?"

"I guess you're right," he shrugged. "But, I don't know- I mean, Dumbledore said the tournament is quite dangerous. What if something goes wrong?"

"I don't think it will... Dumbledore probably only said that to make sure people thought carefully about it before putting their names into the Goblet. To make sure our champion is someone who'd actually do a good job, and not just someone who wants glory and money."

"That's a good point."

There was a momentary silence after that, until Marina cleared her throat, grabbed her makeup bag, and smirked at him. "Well, shall we start with your makeover?"

A/N: AAAHH i'm so excited to continue writing this year, there's many things coming! also sorry for not updating in a month, i've had many exams!

there's a lot of things to mention about this chapter... what are your thoughs? i really want to read about your opinions!

well i hope you enjoyed, love youuu!