Aria's worst memory
After leaving my fathers I was angry I didn't know what to do. "Draco if he puts you in a contract are you going to leave me?" I asked fearing the answer.
It felt like I took a bludger to my heart when he said. "I would have no choice." He whispered.
Tears leaked down my face. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth against the pain. "I guess this is it then the real end of us. I will always love you Dray. I hope that whoever the contract is with can make you happy." I kissed him for what I knew would be the last time.
I ran as fast as I could leaving behind a broken looking Draco. I couldn't let him see how much this broke me to. He was in shock and I used that to make my escape. After turning the corner I needed to find a place to break down. I didn't want anyone to see me. I pulled my cloak out and headed up to where no one would disturb me the Astronomy tower.
I sank against the cold stone wall and down onto the floor. I wiped furiously at the tears in my eyes. I hated crying. Crying meant weakness at least that's what Uncle Vernon had said. I wasn't allowed to cry and my father and Aria were the only two that had ever seen me cry.
My heart hurt and my stomach felt like I was going to be sick. I hugged my knees to my chest and put my head on them. I stared out into the sky. It was bright and sunny out. The cold would be coming soon as October rolled into November. My idle thoughts trying to block out the pain. Breaking up with Draco was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. I couldn't just sit here and continue this relationship wondering when it would have to end though. I also could let us fall anymore in love only to be ripped apart. Draco obviously couldn't /wouldn't fight his father. I wasn't going to ask him to either. Maybe when the contract came it would spark a rebellion in him. I just can't trust the what if's though. I loved him but at this point it was best for both of us if we let each other go. I hoped he would understand.
My stomach grumbled in hunger after a while and I realized it had grown dark and chilly while I was staring off. I stood up and headed back to the dorms. Aria was asleep when I came in. I slipped quietly into bed not bothering to change.
I was awoken by Aria screaming. "NO, PLEASE! DON'T KILL HER! PLEASE!"
I jumped out of bed and ran towards her. She was crying and writhing in her bed. "Aria wake up." I said.
She didn't wake just begged again. I shook her shoulder. She sat up gasping. Tears pouring down her face. She was shaking.
"Want to talk about it Ari?" I asked.
"This isn't something I talk about." She said weakly.
"You know I am here for you Ari." I said.
"I know but I just I can't…" She said.
"Don't you trust me?" I asked mock offended. Hoping she would try to avoid offending me and spill it.
She looked horrified then sighed. "Well it was almost a year after my father had been arrested. My mum had tucked me in and I was asleep. Moony had taken me out for the day to an amusement park. I had so much fun and was so tired when I got home. I fell asleep and then I was awoken by my mother screaming. I ran down stairs and there was my Aunt Bellatrix. I had seen pictures of her my mother warned me to stay away from her. When she saw me, she gasped.
Flashback
Bellatrix was staring in shock at the young girl on the stairwell. Arabella your alive! She whispered. "Hello icle baby come to mummy Arabella." She purred. Aria didn't move. Bellatrix's shock turned into feral fury. Her already wild appearance became even wilder.
She whirled around facing the witch tied to a chair. Aria was horrified when the woman turned on her mother. Why was mummy tied up? What was Aunt Bella doing here?
"You stole her!" Bellatrix screeched.
"She is mine and Sirius's her name is Aria! NOT ARABELLA." Arias mummy had said.
"CRUCIO!" Bellatrix screamed
Aria's mummy had started screaming. Aria started sobbing. "STOP IT! STOP HURTING MUMMY!" Aria charged the witch and started hitting her leg.
The witches feral sneer didn't falter, she stopped the curse and looked at Aria's mummy and said another curse.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Aria saw her mummy go limp her head hanging down. Aria ran up to her and crawled into her lap. Her mummy's eyes were open.
"Mummy?" She shook her. "Mummy wake up!" She didn't move. Aria started crying again. "MMMuuummmy."
"I am right here Arabella." A voice said behind her.
Aria turned around at the witch. "My name is Aria. What did you do? Why won't mummy wake up?" Aria asked.
"She is not your mummy and your name is not Aria." She said.
"LIAR!" Aria screamed.
The woman frowned. "Come to mummy Arabella."
Aria clung tighter to her mother. Then there was a series of pops. "Bloody hell!" The woman cursed.
"Arabella come to mummy now! We have to go!" She said.
Just as she reached out to grab Aria four wands were pointed in her face. "Stop right there Lestrange!" One of the men her mummy worked with said. He had a stump for a leg and scary scars and an eye that never stopped moving.
"Mad eye." Bellatrix breathed.
The man smiled. "Yes, so you best come quietly Lestrange." He said.
Bellatrix cackled with laughter. "Never! My daughter is alive and you will never take her from me!" She started dueling all four of the men at once.
Aria trembled and curled into her mother's chest. She buried her face and clung to her mother for dear life.
Aria wished that this would all stop she would wake up and it would all be a bad dream. The men were successfully making Bellatrix back away from the girl and finally Mad eyes stupefy hit her. She fell to the ground with a thud. Aria still clung to her mother not wanting to look.
"Get Remus!" Mad eye snapped.
"Take this piece of filth to the ministry." He ordered the remaining two. Several seconds later there was another pop.
"What happened?" Uncle moony asked panicked.
"Lestrange!" The man growled.
"Sirius's cousin?" Remus asked.
"Yes." The man replied gruffly.
"What happened to Marleen? Is she ok? What about Aria?" Remus asked hurriedly.
The man bowed his head. "Marleen is dead." He said sadly.
Remus sucked in a breath. "Is Aria…. is she?" Remus whispered.
"No, I don't know what's been done to her or how much she saw but she is curled up against Marlene's lap. I figured it would be best for a familiar face to be here someone she trusts." The scarred face Auror said.
Tears in his eyes Remus responded, "Thank you Mad eye." He said.
Remus approached Aria slowly. He bit back a sob at the sight Marlene was tied to a chair. Her head slumped forward. In her lap was Aria sobbing and clinging to her mother. She was begging her to wake up. She was calling for her dad to her mummy. Remus wasn't sure Aria even knew what she was saying.
"Aria sweetheart it's Uncle Moony can you look at me?" He said gently.
Aria's sweet innocent tear stained face turned to him. She looked so broken. It was a horrifying contrast to the happy toddler he had taken out this afternoon.
"Unca moony me want daddy. Please get me daddy. I don't want to be alone." She begged.
Remus heart broke. "You won't be alone sweet heart Uncle Moony will take care of you I promise." He said.
"I WANT DADDY! I WANT MUMMY! I WANT DADDY! I WANT MUMMY!" She screamed.
Remus let out a sobbed and reached for her. "I can't cub. I am so sorry." He said letting out another sob.
Aria beat her little fist against his chest and kicked him a few times as he held her close to him. Suddenly her pleas became sobs and instead of fighting him she clung to him like she had her mother.
Remus rocked her. "I will always protect you cub I promise. Your mine now and no one will leave you again." He vowed.
Aria as she finished the story was clinging to me sobbing. I felt my heart break for my friend. I remembered my mother's death more clearly with the dementors but I couldn't imagine having to go through that all my life.
"I am so sorry shadow I had no idea." She said.
"Will you stay here tonight?" Aria asked.
"Sure." I replied.
We settled into the bed and Aria quickly fell back asleep. I on the other hand was cursing Voldemort and Bellatrix with ever horrible scenario I could think of. I hated Voldemort. I hated Bellatrix and I hated Lucius Malfoy. The trio of evil that laid nothing but destruction and pain in their path.
At some point while imagining scenarios in which all three died I fell asleep. I was awoken with Aria rolling on top of me.
"Get off Ari!" I whined shoving her onto the floor.
"Omph. OW!" She complained. "What was that for?" She asked picking herself up.
"You rolled on top of me." I said.
She looked a little sheepish. "Sorry." She said then grinning. "I call shower first." She said running into the bathroom shutting and locking the door.
"Stupid bloody mutt." I grumbled.
"Love you too Phoenix!" She shouted from the bathroom. I stuck my tongue out at her and huffed.
I waited impatiently for her to finish showering. I fed Athena and grabbed a fresh uniform. I packed my bag with today's books and headed out the door. It was Halloween. Of course, this cursed time of year something bad always happened. I suppose my first Halloween was my only good one. My second my parents were killed. At the Dursleys I was locked away with no food and never got any candy. They also shoved in my face it was another year they had been stuck with me. They were always cruelest on Halloween. Here first year the troll had been let in, second year I was possessed by Riddle, I shuddered to think what could happen this year. I debated crawling back into bed. At least in bed I could ignore the pain in my heart. I wouldn't have to see Draco and pretend I didn't love him.
Aria came out of the bathroom and I got ready for the day. I slowly trudged down to breakfast. Aria and I walked side by side in silence. She kept stealing glances at me.
"You ok Jamie?" She asked.
"Fine." I said faking a smile.
She scowled at me. "Guess its the hard way then." She said.
I raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you talking about?" I asked.
"I know you too well to believe you are fine. Your not. That was the easy way for you to tell me, but you seem to want the hard way." She said.
"What's the hard way?" I asked.
She smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know." She said.
I sighed. "Fine because I don't feel like dealing with whatever you have planned I will tell you. First Draco and I broke up he is fixing to be betrothed and so unless he fights that which he won't we can't be together. Second its Halloween and every Halloween has been horrible. Third I miss my mum especially on Halloween. It's another year without her." I whispered.
She wrapped me in a hug. "I am so sorry Phoenix." She said. She look sympathetically at me. "You know if you truly love each other you will be together again someday."
I sighed. "How are you doing?" I asked trying to change the subject.
"Bout as well as you. We will get through this. At least now we have each other." She said.
I gave a small smile. "Always." I said. "When did you become such a sap?" I teased.
She laughed. Just then we reached the great hall. I sucked in a breath and braced myself. As we walked into the great hall my eyes first flicked toward the staff table where my father was absent. Draco was sitting at the Slytherin table. He was arguing heatedly with Arabella.
We approached the table and Draco said. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! MIND YOUR OWN BUISNESS!" He snapped the stormed out of the hall.
I was frozen to the spot. It took everything in me not to follow him. To tell him screw his father and any sodding betrothal contract. I forced myself to sit at the table not that I would be able to eat. "What was that about?" I asked Arabella.
"Nothing." She said. Looking where Draco had left then back to me.
"You were talking to him about us weren't you?" I asked.
She sighed. "Yes you two are being ridiculous. Surely Aunt Cissa won't let Lucius put her son in such a barbaric contract."
"You obviously don't know Aunt Cissa then." Aria said.
"What do you mean?" Arabella asked.
"You realize she never does anything against him. She will go along with it and I wouldn't be surprised if you were betrothed too Ella." Aria said.
"They better not." She growled. "They won't do it to Draco either if I can help it." She said fiercely.
I just looked longing at the doors and pushed my food around my plate not eating. After a few moments, I couldn't take it anymore and I left the great hall. Once through the doors I sprinted to the dungeon.
When I entered, the common room was empty. I threw my bag down and headed towards his dorm. He was face down on the bed. I wondered for a moment if he had fallen asleep.
"Draco…?" I said.
He shot out of the bed and was staring at me. His eyes wide and his breathing heavy. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I came to talk to you make sure you were ok." I asked.
"I… I can't lose you Jamie. I don't give a damn what my father says. He can disown me for all I care. One day without you is torcher I can't imagine a lifetime." He said.
Before I could respond he was kissing me and pulling me close to him. He sighed contentedly. I responded to the kiss it was like fire in my veins.
"You mean it?" I asked.
"Yes, I mean it." He said.
I had tears now. Happy tears. "You love me that much?" I asked.
"Of course, I do. I can't imagine life without you." He said.
"I'm sorry but I can't have you choose between me and your father. I can't mess up your life like that.
"Jamie… please." He begged.
We jumped when there was a knock on the door. "You done groping each other? We have class." Arabella said.
I could hear Aria laughing her head off.
Draco's mouth dropped open. "What did you do to my cousin?" He said.
I laughed. "Why do you think it was me?" I replied mock offended.
He snorted. "Right maybe I should be looking at my other cousin." He said.
"Seriously though. Why me?" I asked curious.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you or are you not the witch that curses like a sailor and hangs out with the two most perverted Weasly boys in the clan?" He asked.
I snickered. It was true Fred and George could make anything an innuendo. It was a habit Aria and I were quickly mastering much to their delight.
"Fine maybe it's both of us." I shrugged smiling.
We opened the door and Arabella was smirking. Her smirk said that she knew she had shocked us with her comment. Aria was giggling.
I rolled my eyes. "Let's get to class." I said.
We all hurried to class. We had defense again this morning. It was quickly becoming my favorite class. Uncle Moony was the best teacher we had ever had.
During class, he taught us about red caps. Redcaps were nasty little creature that lurked in valleys where there had been bloodshed. They anxiously awaited people to come by that they would rip apart.
After that class, we had care of magical creatures. Since the exciting first class we had Hagrid had lost his spark. We were learning about flobber worms and they were deadly boring. I decided after class to talk to Hagrid. Maybe I could give him some of his confidence back.
When class ended I motioned for everyone to go on without me. They did Draco reluctantly.
"Ello Jamie hows yer shoulder?" Hagrid asked.
"Doing fine Hagrid." I said.
"Good. You want ter talk about summat?" He asked.
"I did actually. Hagrid I don't want you to think it was your fault. Don't hold yourself back." I said.
"I don want anyone else hurt." He said.
"They won't. Ron was an idiot don't let him ruin it." I said.
"Yer right ye wont learn nothin if I am too afraid to teach ye. Thanks Jamie." Hagrid said.
"No problem Hagrid." I said. "See ya." I said.
I headed back up to the castle. When I reached the entrance hall I heard my name. "Oi! Snape!" A boy called. I looked around and saw Blaise Zabini waving at me smiling. He was leaned up against the stone wall. He looked like he had been waiting. "Hey Zabini what's up?" I asked.
"First Hogsmead weekend is coming up." He said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah did your dad sign your slip?" He asked.
I bit my lip. "Erm yeah he did." After begging and pleading and promising to stick with my friends. I added in my head.
"Cool. You want to go with me?" He asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked confused.
"Well I heard you and Draco broke up so…" He said.
"Draco… and I…." I started.
"Are over so move on come on give me a chance." He said.
"Zabini…" I said. Then he kissed me. Before I could react he was yanking me closer to him. I was hitting his chest he just pinned my arms. Panic started to set in. Suddenly Zabini was yanked back and spun around. Draco had him by the throat. He looked murderous.
"Why you little piece of filth!" Draco spat.
"Draco…" Zabini choked out.
"Its Malfoy to you Zabini. Only my friends get to call me Draco and you are no longer my friend."
Draco punched him once in the face and once in the gut before dropping him to the floor. "The first was for going after MY woman. The second of for kissing a girl without her consent." He kicked him. "That was because I felt like it." He said.
He left Zabini on the ground and came over to me. "You ok?" He asked.
I nodded slowly. I didn't realize I was trembling until Draco said. "Shhh, your safe now. Do you want me to take you to your father?" He asked.
I nodded mutely.
Draco know briskly on my fathers door. "Draco? What do you…" He broke off and pulled me away from Draco. "What happened?" He hissed.
"Zabini assaulted her." Draco growled spitting Zabini's name like a curse.
"Jamie are you ok?" He asked.
I just broke down into sobs in his lap. "What did Zabini do?" He asked.
"He kissed her sir and she tried to stop him but she couldn't get away I think it frightened her." Draco said.
"Go get the Headmaster and Mr. Zabini." Snape growled.
"Um Zabini had an accident. I don't know that he can walk." Draco said sneering.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy you didn't!" My father hissed.
Draco shrugged unapologetic. "Get Mr. Lupin then and have him help you retrieve Mr. Zabini."
After a while I calmed down and went to the great hall to eat. My father and the headmaster were still discussing Zabini's punishment. The Halloween feast was interesting and the ghost put on a small play for entertainment.
However not even half an hour after the feast my father came in panicked. He hugged me tightly when he saw me. "Sirius Black was spotted in the castle." He said. "All students are being moved into the great hall." He said addressing the Slytherins in the common room.
"All Prefects are in charge of getting the Slytherins to the great hall. I need to help search the castle."
Great yet another Halloween that is terrible. I thought.
