Yule Tidings

With everything going on the in the castle, it is dangerously easy for the students of Hogwarts to get distracted; what with dragons flying around and carving parts out of the castle and teenagers fighting almost to the death. The Triwizard Tournament had done little but cause almost every student to get lazy with their school work, or even give up all together. Everyone except Ariana Middleton.

Her quill scratched across the page, writing fluidly until it scratched off the end and caused the witch to sigh as she flipped it, only to find more scribble on the other side. With an almost content smile, she laid the parchment on the pile with the others, reaching across the start another – etching a small 'page 6' into the corner. Her eyes felt heavy, but she had no urge to sleep; sleeping only felt like a waste of time for Aria. With her three nightly coffees still coursing through her veins, the witch knew that even if she went to the trouble of laying down in her bed, sleep would elude her with her heart beat thumping traitorously fast in her ears.

Hours passed, and finally the last of her house-mates had trickled off to bed, and the aged fire in the hearth choked on the ashes. Aria was about to concede, knowing that she would not write anything more tonight without the need for heavy editing in the morning anyway. She swept the pages of her essay into a pile and slid them carefully into the textbook she had read and re-read thoroughly – trying not to smudge the small amount of ink still left drying on the page. With her work and stationary packed away, she slowly made her way to the stair-case which would take her to her fluffy, warm, blue bed. Her foot gently found its place on the first step of the stair-case when the door to the common room softly squeaked as it was gently pushed open. Aria frowned, unaware that one of her housemates had been expected back this late. Her heart stopped, though, when her bulging eyes took in the tuft of bright red hair peeked out from behind it, and she heard the two most recognizable voices echo out into the almost empty lounge.

"Fred?!" she hissed incredulously, her heart racing again. "George!?" Her bag slipped from her shoulder and fell to the ground with a small thud, but her mind barely noticed it as she stared at her two best friends and their handiwork.
"Ah," George smiled, his voice still kept to a whisper, "Aria!" The stunned witch stared at the two Gryffindors, waiting for them to explain how they had ended up in the Ravenclaw Common Room this late at night – or at all, to be frank. When the two of them just smiled, closing the gap between them and grabbing her arms, Aria shook her head – trying to give them a look which again asked all of her questions. They did not get it.
"Where- Why… How?" she could barely get her words out as she looked between them. Their hands were wrapped tightly around her elbows and she knew that she would not be escaping what they had planned.
"Did you really think we couldn't get in?" Fred laughed, as he straightened an invisible tie on his collar, and George nodded.
"I mean, come on! It's just a simple logic question, anyone can figure that out," he chuckled, "the hard part was making sure you were the only one there when we did it. We had to wait for at least 20 minutes for that wart boy to leave –"
"Charlie?"
"Whatever? Anyway, point is, we need your help." By this point the boys had steered her out of the common room and down the spiral stair-case. Aria stopped walking, causing the boys to falter in their confident strides and turn back to her. She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry or have a panic attack, but she knew one of the three were coming. Of course being friends with the twins had its' dangers – this was certainly not the first time she had been out of bed after dark. But everything before now had been small jokes and pranks, mostly about exploring the castle, yet the way they were talking made Aria feel that if she agreed she would be getting herself into more than she could handle.

"Help? With what?" she asked, her hands folding across her chest, trying to calm herself. The twins look to each other with a grin that would make anyone's stomach squirm. They both looked back at her with practiced synchronicity, their eyes alight with mischief.
"We're going to break into the Durmstrang ship."

Her shoes slapped the tiles as she raced back to the door to her common room. She could hear the boys behind her, but she didn't care – she was going to bed.
"Aria, come on!" George called, his voice tainted with a hint of humour as he tried to stop her retreat. "It'll be fun!"
"Fun!?" she screeched, spinning on the spot and being met with two very winded Gryffindors, the stairs behind them seemed to stretch on forever at the thought of having to descend them again. "You call possibly getting ourselves hurt or expelled, or ruining ties with the Bulgarians fun!?" Her mind was racing fast as she thought of what their plan could possibly be for this nights' adventure to the magical ship currently residing in the lake. She watched as the two caught their breaths, her patience running on fumes. "And Jesus Christ, guys, aren't you athletes?" Aria ran her hands through her bushy black hair, the pain caused by her fingers getting caught in the tangles really helping bring her back down to earth. She sighed as she looked between the two of them, their excitement not at all belittled by her reluctance.
"You're serious?" she asked, her eyes falling shut as she knew she would have to go to keep them out of trouble.
"Of course," Fred smiled, his hands still pressed to his hips as he took deep gulps of airs. Aria shook her head and sighed.
"Fine."

The three of them made their way down the worn path towards the lake, the cold air ripping through the dressing gown Aria had thrown over her clothes on their way out. Fred looked back at her as a particularly violent shiver coursed over her. With a soft grin, he slid his scarf from his throat and slung it around hers. Aria felt her face heat up as she thanked him, thanking Merlin in the process for the dark night to hide her blush. George looked back at them, motioning for them to hurry up. Aria felt her nerves rocket as they approached the side of the boat. The ramp was down, but they know there would be some sort of security they would have to pass to get on the ship. Fred walked carefully down one side of the boat, and George mirrored him on the other. Ariana was left to keep look out, but her curiosity got the better of her as she turned to watch the boys. Fred's hand grazed the side of the ship as he looked up at the boat – its sheer height intimidating him a bit more than he would like to admit.

Ariana took a step forward, her eyes focusing on a small shimmer that expanded from Fred's fingers as he inspected the ship. As she did so, though she heard a soft noise from behind her. Spinning around she was met with the scowling face of the Hogwarts Head-boy and Ravenclaw golden child, Lucian Middleton – who also just happened to be her twin brother.
"Hey, Aria," he smirked, taking in the scene before him, "whatcha doing?" His question was tainted by the shiny badge that seemed to illuminate itself on his chest. Ariana looked behind her where the Weasley twins had halted their movement and groaned as they realized who had come to the scene.
"Hey, Lu," Aria mumbled, looking back to her brother who seemed to tower over her in the darkness. His grey eyes, identical to her own, darted between them.
"Anyone else with you? Or just the delinquent twins?"
"You mean my friends?" Aria felt her cheeks heat again, but for a different reason this time. Her brother had never approved of her choice in friends, but the fact that he was a year above her despite their four minute difference made it difficult for him to keep an eye on her. "No. It's just us." Lucian sighed, watching the boys approach Aria, their stances ones of protection, despite the fact that that is all Lucian wanted for his sister.
"You should not be out here, especially near the Durmstrang ship," he said with a voice Aria couldn't quite place, but she detected a little disappointment – her least favourite thing to hear from her brother. "I'm going to have to take fifty points from each of you." Ariana's jaw dropped as he spoke.
"Lu!" she said, almost unable to believe he would do it.
"No, Aria, you broke the rules – a lot of them." Aria's eyes narrowed as she looked up at her brother. Too angry to speak, and scared that the encounter would leave her in tears, she just stormed away. Aria was not entirely sure she was heading to the common room, but still unsure of where she was being drawn. As she reached the castle though, she realised she was not being followed.

Her feet lead her along corridors and up staircases until finally she found herself standing in the owlery, her hands in fists. She conjured some parchment and a quill and began to write. She was halfway through the letter before she knew who it was for – her mother.

…and something has changed. I can't quite place it, Mum, but he doesn't look at me the same way. I don't know if I'm worrying over nothing, and when we're away from this place he'll go back to himself? I hope it's just this castle – that badge. Did he tell you that he was asked to be Head-boy? That's a big deal here, and he's really proud of himself. I am too, of course, but it was all he talked about when he received the letter. Grandma said that she would tell you, because I know Lu and Dad weren't going to. You deserve to know though.

How's the book coming? Jackson still being as supportive as he was in the summer? I hope so. If you want I can read what you have? I'd like to help in some way.

Anyway, love forever!
Your daughter, Ariana.

Aria rolled the note into a small tube and let out a whistle. A little owl, just bigger than her palm, descended from its' perch. She let out a hoot as she landed on Ariana's shoulder, her head tucking under Aria's hair in welcome.
"Hey Queenie," she cooed, stroking the birds feather's gently. Her owl, named after Aria's Grandmother and own middle name – Elizabeth, quickly picked up the nickname Queenie after the twins only spoke to and about it in a royal manner fit only for the Queen of England herself. Aria tied the small note to her Majesty's leg and watched the owl fly away with instructions: 'Take this to my mother.'

As she made her way back to her common room, Aria felt herself start to hum. This seemed to calm her, as by the time the brass door-knocker had asked its' question, Aria was entering the common room with a calm she could never emulate any other way. When she finally climbed the stair-case, her bag hanging limply in her hands, Aria could barely keep her eyes open. Finally the coffee and adrenaline had worn out and she was ready to fall fast asleep. Which is exactly what she did, without even changing out of her clothes.

The next morning Aria slept right through breakfast and woke just as the clock showed she had ten minutes to Charms. Grumbling at the fact that none of the girls in her dorm has seen fit to wake her, despite helping them out on similar occasions when their nightly activities involved running around the castle with boys – in a much different sense than the one which Aria subscribed to. With her skirt on backwards and her tie hanging off her in a very unprofessional manner, Ariana sped for the door; pausing only to pick up Fred's scarf from the night before, which she hadn't remembered to return in her anger. She considered for a moment, not returning it – claiming she forgot – and decided that she did not want to accidentally make their friendship weirder. She was out the doors with five minutes to spare and only realised she had forgotten a quill as she slid into her seat next to Angelina at the end of the row.

"Damn it," she cursed, shaking her head. She heard the Gryffindor chuckle as she reached into her bag and retrieved a spare quill. "How did you -?" Aria began to ask, but was cut off.
"You weren't at breakfast and you're almost late – you slept in, didn't you." Ariana gave her friend a knowing look and sighed.
"Thanks."

As Professor Flitwick started the class, she looked over Angelina to where the twins sat in the next two seats. George smiled his greeting as being the furthest away made a conversation hard, but Fred just looked down into his bag and pulled out a bagel from the morning's feast.
"You're welcome, Ace," he winked, using the nickname only he had ever called her.
"Thanks, you're a lifesaver." Fred smiled, nodding his head in acknowledgement. Ariana turned back to look at Flitwick, trying to pay attention to the class, all the while snacking on the bagel in her lap. She heard small whispers coming from beside her and turned to see the twins whispering to themselves as Angelina lent in, a smile on their faces. Aria shifter her seat softly, trying to come in range of their voices.
"Did you hear that my brother tried to ask Fleur Delacour to the ball," George was saying, causing Angelina to giggle into her hand.
"Is he okay?" she asked, her face twinging red as she tried not to laugh too loud. The twins shook their head in sync. The four of them chuckled but Aria kept her eyes on the Professor, not wanting to get into any trouble.
"I don't think there's even any point going to the effort of finding a date?" George said softly, his face resting in his hands as he stared at the chalk now scratching across the blackboard. "I mean, we're all going to be in the same place anyway – why not just go as a group and not have to worry about finding dates and conforming to a ritual which only makes those who don't have dates feel bad?" Angelina stared at the younger of the two twins, her eyebrows shifting inwards to a frown as she tried to think of the reason he would be so upset by a dance. Before either of the girls could broach the subject, Fred decided to speak up.
"Come on, Georgie," he said, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, "cheer up! Can't have you moping about when we go through with our plan." Fred winked as he scribbled something onto the parchment in front of him; either actually working or putting on a ruse to make Flitwick believe he was.
"What plan?" Angelina queried, her lips twisting into a grin as she imagined some of the things the twins had planned over the years.
"Well, if you have to know," he started, looking back at George who was rolling his eyes, a smile ghosting across his face anyway. "We're planning to see which of us can get the lovely Minerva to agree to go to the ball with us." Both of the girls' jaws dropped, their eyes widening as they stared at their friends.
"You're not serious are you?" Aria hissed, leaning across Angelina to get Fred's full attention. It was only then that she realised her mistake.

There was a small cough from in front of her, and Aria groaned as she looked to its owner. Professor Flitwick stood before her, his hands resting on his hips in frustration.
"Miss Middleton," he started, his eyebrows raised in a question he hadn't asked. "Would you like to share with the class what was more important than my lesson? Or do you feel like you have already mastered this weeks' spell?" Ariana was quiet, unsure of how to get out of this without either getting in even more trouble or crying in front of the whole class. The professor tilted his head, waiting for her reply.
"Would you like to show the class your progress?" Aria shook her head, knowing that the embarrassment of not being able to form the spell would most likely kill her. She heard a voice to her side pipe up.
"Professor, it was actually my f-" Fred began, but the stout teacher held up his hand.
"I'm sorry, Mr Weasley, but just because you are used to being in trouble doesn't mean you can bail out your friends." Fred fell silent beside her and Aria felt her cheeks burn once more. She hated how easy it was to get her upset, and she knew she was mere seconds from crying.
"Now, Miss Middleton," Flitwick said, turning from her and walking back to his desk. He waved his wand as he waddled to his destination and Aria saw a quill stand to attention and begin scratching along a piece of parchment. "With everything that has been happening recently I have to say that this cannot again be tolerated." He returned to where she sat, the paper held out to her.
"I am very disappointed in the way you have been acting recently," he said softly. "I was informed about the reason my house is down fifty points this morning, and now I am unhappy to have to take five more." Ariana's mouth opened in protest but she closed it quickly.
"Considering you have already decided that you are proficient in this spell, and do not need to learn it anymore, I'm sending you to see Professor McGonagall as I am busy trying to teach the others in this class."

Ariana knew that if she stayed too long she would do something she would come to regret. So, without saying anything or even a glance to her friends, Aria sped from the room – not even pausing to pack up her things.

She was outside of McGonagall's office before she realised, and her heart started to race. Before she knocked on the door, she made sure to wipe away any trace of the tears which had seconds before run down her cheeks. The door swung open before she even had a chance to rap the door with her knuckles. The elderly professor sat calmly at her desk, her glasses clutching to the end of her nose as she read over a paper in front of her. Ariana made her way through to door and quickly took a seat in front of the desk, not wanting to upset any more of her teachers. The room was quiet except for the breathing of the two women, and the occasional scratching of the professor's quill. Aria realised she still held the parchment in her hands and gingerly laid it on the desk in front of her. McGonagall looked up from the paper she was marking, her eyes narrowing on the letter. She flicked her wand and the letter flew through the air, opening just before her eyes. McGonagall's eyes rolled over the curved script, a small smile forming on her face. The letter folded in on itself as it flew towards the trash can over by the door.
"Miss Middleton," she started, finally looking at the girl sitting before her. Aria gulped, unsure what the Head of Gryffindor house had planned; whether it was detention, chastising, or anything involving not seeing her friends. All of these options rang around her head, causing her heart beat to accelerate exponentially and her eyes to blur. The older woman seemed to notice this reaction and her face softened significantly.
"Ariana," her voice was light now as she spoke, unlike Aria had ever heard it before, "due to the unneeded stress this Tournament has brought to our school, teachers, and students, everyone is a little on edge. I know that Filius cannot have been as upset as he seemed, especially not for something as small as speaking in class." Aria felt a weight lift off her chest as it looked like she was not in for a verbal beating.
"However," the witch continued, "I cannot say I didn't hear about what you and the Weasley twins had planned as a late night excursion, yesterday." Her eyes seemed to bore into the younger witch, her mouth becoming the thin line all had come to fear.
"It was just supposed to be some fun," Aria said quietly, unsure of how much trouble she was going to be in.
"I just need you to be careful," McGonagall said, surprising the Ravenclaw, "with everything happening, I need to know my students – even those not in my house – are safe. So, maybe we could keep our snooping to the day time?" Aria was shocked at the professor's words, unsure of how she ended up in this position.
"Thank you, Professor," Aria smiled, bowing her head slightly.
"Now, Miss Middleton. This period is coming to a close, and I wouldn't want you missing the next." Both of the women stood, heading to the door. McGonagall opened the door, gesturing for Aria to take the lead. The girl smiled, stepping through the doorway fast.
"And don't worry about Professor Flitwick," McGonagall said, "I'll speak with him." They walked through the hallway together, finding themselves in the courtyard now surrounded by students exiting their classes. Aria saw the twins approaching, one with a look of mischief and the other slightly tinged with worry. She went to meet them, and saw only too late the bunch of flowers in George's hand. As she reached them George continued on his way to their professor, while Fred stopped in front of Aria.
"Hey, Ace. You okay?" he asked, his face full of concern. Ariana nodded, her hand finding his and squeezing it to make sure he believed her.

McGonagall's eyes twinkled with amusement as she saw George coming toward her, shaking her head slightly as she knew something was about to happen. The teen approached his teacher with a swagger known to all as the Weasley walk, his face lit with a smile that caused one to form on McGonagall's cheeks.
"Minerva," he smiled, and the older woman's eyes narrowed at the use of her first name. The boy bowed slightly, extending the flowers he had brought in front of him. "Will you do the honour of being my date to the Yule ball?" Ariana and Fred watched on with a smile as McGonagall's face lit up, and she tried her best not to smile. Fred turned to Aria, his grin bright and full of laughs, and chuckled.
"That's my cue."

Ariana's eyes followed Fred as he ran across the courtyard. He came to a stop in front of his brother, his hand coming to rest on his heart, his mouth hanging open.
"How could you?!" She heard his echo around the space, all students within ear shot were now looking at the brothers. "You know how I feel!" His hands were suddenly on his brothers shoulders as he pushed him, starting a fight between the two. Aria couldn't help the burst of giggles that escaped her as she watched the two fall to the ground in a flurry of limbs. Their voices mingled together as they yelled about their love for the Transfiguration professor. Ariana looked to McGonagall, who was red with holding back her own laughter, and there was a look in her eyes that Aria couldn't quite face. She pulled out her wand and waved it slowly, separating the two wrestling boys. She looked between them, her face slowly turning back to its usual shade.
"Thank you for you declarations, boys, but I am afraid that Dumbledore has made it explicitly clear that teachers are not allowed to accompany students to the ball, despite what we want." Everyone watching, except the two Weasley's, missed the small wink she gave them. With another wave of her wand, the twins were once again upright and their robes straightened out. They faces were filled with smiles as they turned from the professor after a small bow.

Aria's smile matched theirs as they made their way back into the castle.

The day ended far too quickly for Aria's liking, and by the time dinner was well and truly over she knew she would be saying good night to the boys – at least for a few hours. They each headed back to their respective common rooms as the time ticked close to curfew. Ariana closed the door behind her and fell into one of the couches, not quite feeling like starting on her homework. She watched as the clock ticked by and she heard the door open behind her. Over her shoulder she saw her brother walking heavily across the carpet.
"Lucian," she said softly, sitting up in her chair. He paused on his way to the men's dormitories, his eyes still focused on the ground.
"You should be asleep." His voice was soft, a tinge of something in it she couldn't place.
"Where were you?" Aria asked innocently, standing but not making her way over. She could tell that something was off with him and didn't want to spook him into leaving.
"Doing my job," he said sharply as he continued on his way.
"Lu! Why don't we talk anymore?" Aria asked, her eyes stinging as she looked at her brother. "I could always count on you, for support… and now you're never around. I need you sometimes!"
"Talk? What do you want to talk about?" he asked, finally turning to face her. "School work? You're friends who have no respect for the rules? Mum? I know you've been talking to her." Ariana's mouth opened to ask a question he quickly answered, "She sent me a letter today."

The air between hem became stale as neither of them spoke; Aria not sure what to say, and Lucian too mad to speak.
"Are you really this mad at me?" she asked softly, not sure what to do to make it better again. Her hand came up to her cheek to wipe away the tears the slid down the curve of her face. Lucian looked at her, his hard eyes softening as he stared.
"No, I guess not," his voice waivered as he pushed out the words.
"Then what?" He shook his head, not sure what to say or how to say what was on his mind. Aria could sense that he was hurting and didn't know how to help. She moved back to the couch, taking a seat and patting the cushion beside her. "Come. Sit." His feet seemed to drag as he came to sit beside her, his brow furrowing.
"There's this… person," he began, his eyes closing.
"A girl?" Aria's head tilted to the side, trying to read her brother's face as he stared ahead. Lucian looked up at her, his eyes shining. Something about the way he was sitting made Ariana's stomach churn.
"Aria, you promise to listen and… understand?" Aria nodded, stretching out her hand, and laying it on his.
"Of course."

Lucian opened his mouth, then closed it again. He shook his head, his curls brushing against his eyebrows.
"It's a boy."
Ariana frowned, unsure if she had heard him correctly. Lucian stood, his hands balling into fists. Aria's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't say anything.
"I know we never talked about this, and I wasn't really sure how to tell you," Lucian looked back at her, his hands wringing at the bottom of his shirt, his eyes darting around the room until finally falling on Aria. She didn't know what her face was conveying, and truthfully she was not quite sure what to think. All over, she knew that she would be happy for him, but as his twin – Ariana felt she should have seen some sort of signs.
"What happened?" she asked, deciding to be supportive over anything else. Lucian let out a large sigh, feeling the weight of the world leave his chest.
"You're not disgusted with me?" he asked, his voice so soft she almost missed it. Aria stood, shaking her head as she crossed to him, her arms extended.
"No, no, no. Lu! Never!" His heart was racing as she hugged him, his eyes welling with tears that he couldn't hold back. Aria felt her own tears form as she finally felt the missing piece between them fall in place.

"Is this why you've been avoiding me?" she asked, her eyes suddenly alight with rage. Lucian couldn't stop the smile that lit his face.
"It might have been," he sighed. "I didn't want to lose you."
"That would never happen."

The two of them talked for hours. They talked about school; they talked about their worries, their fears; they talked about their mother's new boyfriend and his band; they talked about their feelings. Lucian admitted that he had asked a Beauxbatons girl to the Yule Ball, from fear that someone might find out his secret. The only downside to this was the fact that there was a boy, a Beauxbatons boy who had caught his fancy and seemed to return his feelings – only problem, neither of them wished to admit it. When he saw that Lucian had ask a girl, he backed off and got hostile. This was affecting Aria's brother more than he would like to admit. In fact, right before Aria had caught her brother walking in late, he had been in a closet trying to fix things between himself and his new beau, but only seemed to make it worse.

Aria, on the other hand, had just admitted to being in love with one of her best friends. Which was difficult in itself, except for the fact that she was almost sure that he not only did not return her feelings, but fancied someone else – someone who wore more red and gold. Lucian sighed deeply as he sat back in his chair.
"I can't tell you for sure," he started, reaching out to hold her hand, "but I heard that one of the twins asked Angelina to the ball in the common room tonight. Very suave, very cool." He watched as he face fell, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.
"I knew it," she whispered, her hair falling across her face like a black veil. "I knew I didn't have a chance."
"Why can't it be George? Surely that's a possibility?" Lucian suggested, his mind thinking of ways to cheer his sister up.
"No, Lu," she said flatly, standing and walking to the dying fire. "He said he wasn't going to ask anyone – period." Lucian sighed as he let his head fall into his hand. He knew how his sister was feeling, and suddenly felt bad for causing what would probably be similar feelings on the Beauxbatons boy.
"I'm sorry, Aria." Lucian walked softly to where she stood and slung an arm across her shoulder. "I'm so sorry." Aria smiled sadly, her head falling onto his shoulder, her arm slung around his waist.
"It's okay…" she breathed, her eyes falling shut. "I'm going to go to bed."

Aria awoke with a start, her dreams seeming so real when she was in them, but as she rubbed her eyes and stared at the clock beside her bed, they faded swiftly away. With a sigh, she kicked her legs out of bed, pressing them gingerly into the cold ground to force the sleep away. A smile slid onto her face as she remembered the events of the night before; her make up with Lucian, and her long and needed talk. Her memory finally fell onto her best friends and her smile soured. She had forgotten about that part. Deciding to just face what that would bring, Ariana quickly got dressed and headed to the Great Hall with the rest of her dorm for breakfast. She sent a smile to her friends as she slid into a seat beside her brother at the Ravenclaw table, and couldn't help but see Angelina sitting very happily next to Fred.

After breakfast, Aria searched for her friends. They all had this period off and usually found themselves in a secluded part of the grounds laughing about something that had happened, or some new piece of gossip. Or more truthfully, Angelina and the twins would as Aria would try to convince them to start their essays – to no avail. Unable to see them, Aria decided to head to their meeting spot, only to find her way suddenly blocked by something big. Being shorter for her age, Aria felt incredibly intimidated by the seventh year in front of her. His smile, which was lopsided in the creepy-not-cute way, sent a nervous shiver down her spine.
"Hey, Ariana!" he started, his arm sliding across her shoulders as he and his friends steered her in the opposite direction from her own. Aria knew this guy from the year above, his name was Richard. She tried to keep her calm, but she couldn't stop the fuzz that was clouding her brain as she felt the panic start to rise.
"You're a chic, right? You got a date yet?" Sleazy-Richard asked, his eyebrow quirked. Aria could feel her whole body freeze as his fingers grazed through her hair. She knew she needed to say something, to stop him before he assumed that her silence meant 'yes'. That had happened too many times before. She opened her mouth, but the words refused to come out. Her face turned red as she tried to think, but she had never been good around anyone but her brother, the twins, and on occasion, Angelina. Her heart was running wildly out of control as she looked up at him, his eyes narrowed at something just below her face. Just as she prayed for a miracle she heard a voice from behind them.

Richard spun them around as the voice of George Weasley echoed toward them.
"Sorry, man," George stepped in, "she's not your type." Richard looked at George, his height somehow seeming smaller compared to the red-hair lanky teen. Despite that, Richard was stockier than the Gryffindor beater, and he knew it. With his chest puffed, he took a step forward. Before anything could be said, or any fists went flying, Fred stepped up beside his brother. Both Weasley twins now stood before them, their faces set and hands hovering threateningly over their pockets, where it was easy to guess their wands were hidden. Aria could see the Ravenclaw weigh his chances, then concede. He took a step back, looking towards Aria with a little grin.
"If you change your mind, darl," he finished his sentence with a wink as he walked away. Aria grimaced, imagining having to spend any more time with that boy. She looked back at Fred and George, her face twisting into a huge smile as she rushed to them. She tackled the both of them into a hug before she thought about it, her arms around their necks within moments. They all laughed as she tripped, her feet being pulled from beneath her, causing the two of them to have to catch her to stop her from continuing to the ground. Aria steadied herself, letting go of the boys, her smile not dimmed as she took a step back.
"You okay, Ace?" Fred asked, his eyes running over her. Ariana nodded, brushing out her shirt and fixing her tie as she hid her blush.
"Fine," she sighed, "but he's right, I don't have a date and if I show up alone everyone will finally know I'm a loser." George sighed, shaking his head as he stepped beside her.
"It won't matter."
"Besides, you'll find someone perfect," Fred chipped in, his arm coming to rest on her shoulder, bringing her in for a hug, "and if not, you can hitch with me." Aria looked up at him, her brow creasing in confusion.
"Didn't you ask Ang?" she asked quickly, before she could convince herself not to. Fred smiled down at her and let out a small laugh.
"Nah," he said softly, "that was Romeo over there." He cocked his head in George's direction, who sneered back at them. "Decided to conform to the people." Aria let out a small laughed as she looked ahead. Her entire chest swelled with the news. She felt a smile stick to her face, which she knew would not leave anytime soon.
"Good for him."

A/N: So, it took me some time but I got here. Here is my OC contribution, Ariana Elizabeth Middleton, created by MaryandMerlin. This is a one shot, even though I fell for these characters. I don't often write the twins, and I really did enjoy it. I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always welcomed.

Words - 6231