Chapter 6:
The week leading up to Halloween was rather intolerable and Aria got so fed up of Jade and Tibbs she ended up spending the majority of her free time with Ginny. Jade had spent the week in a schizophrenic state between overwhelming excitement and panic meanwhile, Tibbs had been in a foul mood partly due to her dread of Halloween and the fact that Pansy and her friends were going out of their way to make her life miserable. Usually, Aria would put up with her bad mood and stick by her but Aria only had to say a word to her to get her head bitten off or a filthy look so by Wednesday she'd given up. There was only so much she could take.
It was nice spending more time with Ginny, as often throughout the school year they didn't get much of a chance. Aria and Ginny had one of those friendships though where even if they didn't speak for a whole month or two – after they would still be exactly the same. They were sat in the library Thursday afternoon, and Aria was filling her in on how she had to embarrassingly ask Fred to get her Firewhisky for Saturday night.
'Pfft' Ginny said mildly annoyed. 'He'd never do that for me!'
'As Ella would let you sneak round the corridors when she was prefect but I'd get a right earful if she caught me!'
Ginny laughed admitting it was true and they reminisced on the time in their third year they'd been sneaking to the restricted section in the library and had to run half way round the castle in order to escape from Filch. They ended up in a fit of giggles remembering how scared they and been. As always, they got sent out the library for being noisy and they ended up sitting together on a bench outside the Great Hall. They often struggled to find places to sit and chat when the weather was bad as of course they weren't allowed in each other's Common Rooms.
'I wish you were coming on Saturday night. Jade and Rhiannon are driving me mental – I don't think I can be with them for more than an hour or two.'
'Hah – that'd go well! I'd get frogmarched right out of there by Malfoy or one of his cronies'
'How about you bring all the Gryffindor down – could make the night more interesting' Aria joked
'If interesting means a fight and us all getting into shitloads of trouble than yes…' Ginny mused
'You lot doing anything for Halloween?' Aria said referring to the Gryffindors
'Probably just have fun and mess around in the Common Room – yeah why are you guys going outside?' Ginny said curiously.
'Snape. He wouldn't know a good time if it smacked him in the face'
At that precise moment Dumbledore had walked past and smiled clearly hearing everything Aria had just said. Aria froze meanwhile Ginny suppressed a giggle.
'Yes' Dumbledore said absentmindedly. 'Professor Snape never has been a party-goer despite my best efforts'. Seeing the two girls rather sceptical but also shocked faces he chuckled and entered the Great Hall. The two girls got up, bid goodbye and went their separate ways following their headmaster in for dinner.
Saturday evening came soon enough and before Aria knew it she was sat in the Great Hall once again in awe of the Halloween decorations. Aria stared at the pumpkins overhead meanwhile Jade kept muttering about how clammy she was.
'Pack it in!' snapped Tibbs whose mood was still as foul as ever.
Aria was about to tell them both to grow up but she thought better of it. The last thing she wanted was an argument. Aria was never really one for confrontation. As the meal drew to a close Blaise leant over Crabbe and said to Jade
'Still coming tonight?'
Jade nodded trying to muster a smile. She was digging her nails into Aria's leg under the table. Aria winced and tried her best not to cry out in pain. As soon as his attention was elsewhere Aria slapped her hand so hard it made a loud clap and shot Jade a grumpy look.
'Ouch! That hurt' Jade muttered rubbing the back of her hand but soon shut up seeing the look on Aria's face. After the feast they made it back into the Common Room where the year above was lazily lying around on the armchairs. As per usual Pansy, Daphne and Millicent gave the three girls filthy looks as the passed them on to the way to their dorm.
'Why do we have to go' Tibbs wailed once they were up there
None of them replied. Aria was starting to feel on edge about tonight. 'Pull yourself together' she told herself angrily. Jade started applying more makeup in a sort of frenzy meanwhile Tibbs drummed her fingers nervously on the bedside table.
'Right. That's it!' Aria exclaimed. 'One – Jade it's going to be pitch black outside so I wouldn't bother with that. Two – Tibbs that drumming isn't helping.' They both stopped and turned to look at her. 'We are just going out for some Halloween celebrations- what 20m above us? - with some people from our house. It is not a big deal and we all –including me' Aria said admittingly '–need to get a grip and calm down. Now let's have some of this and we'll head down sometime after they've gone.' She said pulling out the firewhisky.
They all had a few gulps and as always it burned their throats on the way down causing Tibbs to almost spit it out. They heard them all leaving at about half ten and they waited until ten to eleven before they left. As much as Aria's little speech had calmed them at the time – the effect had not lasted. They crept out of the Common Room and went upstairs; somehow unnoticed they managed to sneak outside despite them all shaking like leaves partyl due to the cold. Jade led them past the greenhouses to a large group of people concealed round a corner near the vegetable garden. There was a bonfire in which about 20 or 30 students stood around laughing and chatting while they drank. Before joining the large group – they stayed hidden in the shadows.
'Look!' whispered Tibbs 'There's Ravenclaws! Look that's Terry Boot with Mandy whats her name?'
'Brocklehurst' Jade answered instantly also scanning the crowd.
'And Anthony Goldstein he's a Ravenclaw right?' Aria said on tiptoes peering over the other two's heads.
'Ernie Macmillan's over there too! He's a Hufflepuff!' Jade exclaimed.
'At least there are quite a lot of people!' Aria muttered
'Yeah – I'm surprised –There's no Gryffindors… And - I thought the year above didn't like any of the other houses?'
'Well, they are in a group on their own' said Tibbs gesturing towards the far side of the bonfire.
Sure enough Aria could see a drunken Pansy leaning all over Draco he kept trying to swat her off as if she was a mosquito. Aria tried to suppress her smile. They had another swig of the firewhisky – which this time had been marginally better- and they set off to join the other students. As far as Aria could see they were the only ones from their year there – however the feeling of being special soon wore off as she started to feel perhaps unwelcome. As they walked towards the other students they stared worriedly at each other as what to do. They couldn't just stand there alone. Luckily, Jade's cousin Selena saw them and beckoned them over to some other Hufflepuff's in the year above.
'I never knew you were coming!' Serena said as if relieved 'I thought I was the only one in our year here! I'm here with Wayne' she said referring the tall boy she was holding hands with.
'So did we! Thank Merlin you're here' Jade said as if she was about to faint with happiness.
They talked with the Serena and the Hufflepuffs for a while, until Aria noticed Blaise approaching.
'Oi – you lot over here!' he called casually and the three girls said goodbye to Serena and tried to as casually as possible join the other Slytherins.
'Why are they here' Pansy slurred struggling to stay up. She swayed and once again leant on Draco for support.
'FOR GODS SAKE' he said angrily 'Take her back – she's a mess' he said disgusted shoving her into the unwilling arms of Millicent and Daphne.
They sulkily held Pansy up and giving the three girls a filthy look tried to stalk off the best they could while supporting Pansy who had appearingly turned a shade of green. Tibbs smirked and whispered so only Aria could hear.
'This could be an all right night – after all'.