The Next Day…
Ariay stormed across the Hogwarts courtyard, scattering all the students in her wake.
Ariay was rarely ever mad. When she was though, no one stood in her way.
However, it seemed as though this fact had escaped the attention of Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were pursuing her, Malfoy smirking triumphantly.
"What's the matter, Ariay, can't take a joke?" Draco called after her.
"What's the matter, Malfoy," Ariay spun around, "can't take a hint?" Her voice was almost a snarl. Draco stopped and raised one eyebrow aristocratically.
"Unlike your stupid little suck-up metamorph, freak of a friend, I-"
SMACK!
Silence reigned as every one turned to the sound, a single whisper of "Did she just slap a Malfoy?" silenced by the glare that Ariay threw around the courtyard, before shifting her attention back to Malfoy.
"Don't you DARE talk about Bella that way, you two faced coward!" Ariay said, her voice like smooth ice. "You aren't half the person she is, not to mention any where near as good a witch-or wizard- that she is either! Just because your jealous of her obvious superiority to your stupidity doesn't mean that you have the right to insult her." Ariay turned on the balls of her feet, her crimson hair whipping Malfoy in the face, and stormed to the hallway.
The silence of the courtyard slowly gave way to the natural hubbub of life at Hogwarts, but Malfoy didn't notice. He stood there, one hand on his steadily reddening cheek.
"Interesting." He said, watching as Ariay met up with Bella and the two walked into the building. "Very interesting."
" What is?" Goyle asked, somewhat wary of the other boy.
"Ariay is single, is she not?" Draco turned to Crabbe, ignoring Goyle's question.
"I believe so." Came Crabbe's reply.
"Good. I've just decided that I want her." He turned to walk to the Great Hall, via different route. "Come, we have other things to do."
"Bravo, Ariay!" Bella said, a slight smirk adorning her lips and she clapped as Ariay passed her. "But I must wonder why you didn't just hex him?"
"Because it was more satisfying to slap the idiot, hopefully knocking some sense into that brain of his, small as it may be." The redhead responded.
"Good point, but I had thought that after spending so much time with me you would have learned, you never slap a Slytherin, you always punch." Bella stated matter-of-factly, the smirk still there, her dark green eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Next time you do something stupid, I'll make sure to keep that in mind." Ariay tried gallantly not to laugh. Bella snorted.
"The day I do something stupid is the day you become a tutu wearing pixie!" Bella responded, causing the duo to burst into laughter.
"Best go get the tutu out of the mothballs, shan't I? Hey, are we still going to talk during lunch?" Ariay asked as she regained control and rapidly changed the subject.
"Yes. It's stupid that we have to sit at our own tables today. I mean, that's as cruel as forcing Snape to wash his hair!"
As Ariay opened her mouth to chastise Bella, Ron skidded to a halt in front of the duo, Harry and Hermione close behind.
"Did you really slap him?" Ron asked excitedly while Hermione tried to catch her breathe.
"Personally, I think she should have placed him in the infirmary, but yes, she slapped him." Bella said, elatedly. "Which is almost as good, but not quite." She added.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes glowing with admiration.
"Did you get a picture?" Harry asked, mirth barely hidden in is voice.
"Afraid not," Ariay said, "Can we go eat lu-"
"I gotta picture of Ariay slapping Malfoy!" Colin Creevy came flying down the hallway, a picture clutched desperately in his hands.
"Really? Let me see that." Bella snatched the photo from his shaky hands.
The Golden Trio huddled excitedly around the black and white photo in Bella's hands.
"As much as I hate having to admit this…" Harry started, hesitantly, "you did a bloody good job, Colin."
Colin beamed proudly at Harry's compliment.
"Oh, for the love of Salazaar Slytherin!" Bella sneered, rolling her eyes towards the heavens at Colin's reaction. "Get a grip, Creevy, you're embarrassing yourself."
"Don't be mean." Ariay scolded, leaning casually against the wall.
Harry looked at her curiously. "Don't you want to see it?" He asked.
"What? The picture?" Ariay snorted. "I'm HUNGRY! I frankly don't CARE about the picture! Besides, I was the one who slapped him, remember? Do you honestly think that I will ever forget that?"
Hermione stifled a laugh as best she could.
"It is rather funny." She snickered as she glanced at the picture.
"Let me see the stupid thing so that you'll shut up about it and we can eat!" Ariay groused, as she snatched the photo out of Bella's hands. She couldn't help but grin at the sight.
Draco's face was turned towards the camera, eyes wide in shock, mouth open ever so slightly, and his expression betraying his incredulity. Ariay's hand was on his cheek, her scowl amusing due to its rarity.
" Alright, I admit, it's funny… can we please go eat now?" Ariay whined slightly. "Please?"
Bella sighed and massaged her temple.
"It would figure that you would care less about slapping Malfoy and more about food." Hermione stated, try hard to suppress her sarcasm.
"FOOD!" Ariay, however, completely ignored her.
The group finally came to the doors to the Great Hall and was about to enter when Neville Longbottom came running up. "Ariay, did you really…"
"Slap Malfoy? Yes, now can we please eat?!" Ariay interrupted him and began pushing him through the doors. "Here's the picture, have fun!"
Neville looked at the picture for a moment, smiled, and then ran off to show the other Gryffindors.
"Hey! Come back here with my picture!" Colin cried, as he chased after Neville, nearly tripping over the hem of his robe. Ariay started to follow, at a more sedate pace.
"Bye Bella, I'll talk to you later." Bella said, mocking Ariay's usually cheerful voice. "Don't forget to say hello to the Twins for me!"
"Okay, I will." Ariay said flatly before rushing over to Gryffindor table.
'Awww, How cute! My little girl is growing up. She FINALLY learned what sarcasm is!' Bella smirked.
'How cute. Bella and Draco sitting at the same table!' Ariay shot back as she filled her plate.
'You do remember I'm good at potions, right?'
Ariay paused. 'Shut up!!' She wined as she poured herself some pumpkin juice.
'You know it's only funnier when you do that, right?'
'All I have to say is, Shut your mouth!'
'That is the most pathetic thing you've said yet!'
'Not as pathetic as what I'm about to say. Leave me alone, I'm eating.'
'Yes ma'am! Heaven help whoever tries to stand between Ariay and her food!'
'Heaven help whoever comes into contact with Bella's sarcasm.'
'Oh, thank you so much! That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! You just made my day!'
'Have fun with Malfoy.' Ariay thought, with another one of her rare smirks pulling the corners of her mouth.
By now, Bella had found a seat at the Slytherin table, next to none other than Draco Malfoy. Bella glared at Ariay with her trademark, 'I'm going to incinerate you now' look, before an evil grin broke across her face. Ariay stopped, her fork midway to her mouth, eyes widening as Bella pulled a small vial of purplish liquid from her robe pockets.
'That's not what I think it is, is it?'
'Mmm-hmm.'
'Oh, Fudge Monkeys, please don't put that in my drink!'
'Who says it's for your drink?' Bella glanced at Draco and grinned evilly.
'No! You wouldn't… you're not that evil!'
'Personally, I think you're problem is that you're jealous that I get to wear such cool colors and you don't.'
"What?!" Ariay said aloud, causing Ron, Harry, Hermione, and the Twins to look up at her.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Ron asked.
"Um… Bella said to tell you she said hello!" Ariay said to the Twins quickly. She looked up to see Bella laughing, something that did not help her disposition.
"Gold eyes, red hair, and now a red face… You really have a lot of spirit, Ariay." Fred smirked, his eyes glimmering with mischief.
"How cute! You made her blush even more." George teased. Ariay looked back up at the Slytherin table, a loud THUNK indicating that her friend had fallen off her seat. Draco was looking at Bella as though she belonged in St. Mungo's.
'I'm gonna kill you!' Ariay shot at Bella.
'Just remember who has the love potion, sweetheart.' Bella held the vial up and pointed at Malfoy.
Ariay went scarlet.
Fred and George, noticing Bella antics, began roaring with laughter.
"I… She…" Fred couldn't even talk.
"Oh, we're so proud of her. She'd make such a good addition to the pack, even if she is a Slytherin." George said between hoots of laughter.
Ariay looked down at her plate.
"Aw, It's okay Ariay. Just because Bella found out about your secret crush on Malfoy…" Fred began, ruffling Ariay's hair as he laughed.
"You ever say that again and you'll find yourselves locked in a broom closet with Parkinson over there some day, and you won't be able to get out until you start snogging!"
Fred and George started to howling with laughter.
"You? Doing something that mean?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow, unsure exactly what was going on, but catching her comment.
'You'd be surprised how mean she can be.' Bella said, more to herself than to Ariay.
'Not as mean as you are.'
'Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to Draco.'
'What?' Ariay asked as Bella closed the connection. "Jerk" She muttered under her breath.
Suddenly, Draco turned towards Bella, leaning towards her as if…as if to talk to her!
"Wait a min…Hey!" As Ariay had stood to go over to the Slytherin table, Fred and George, who were seated on either side of her, grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back down.
"Now, now, Ariay… don't spoil our fun." Fred chastised her, a lopsided grin on his face.
"Be a good girl and sit." George added.
"Let go of me!" Ariay struggled to free herself, but neither Twin relinquished his hold. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were looking at them as though they were insane. Ariay glanced over to see Bella smirking.
What is she up to now?! Ariay thought, worrying slightly, for that smirk never bode well.
"So, Bella, just curious, but is Ariay seeing anyone…" Draco paused "As if any one would want to see her, but is she?"
Bella raised an eyebrow, stifling a laugh as she did.
"I don't know, I'll have to ask her." She glanced over to see the Twins pull Ariay down, and snorted. "Why? Are you interested?" She smirked.
"Me? Interested in a Gryffindor?" Draco snorted. "Nevertheless a blood traitor, never."
"That's good to know, Malfoy, because if you ever hurt her, I'd be forced to kill you at the very least." Bella said nonchalantly. "And it'd be just awful if I got blood on my new robes, wouldn't you agree?"
Draco paled at Bella's evil smirk. She changed to a haughty smile before turning her attention back to Ariay, who had apparently given up on escaping.
'Oh, Ariay, do you have a boyfriend, by any chance?' Bella asked sweetly.
'Why? What'd he ask you? What'd you do?'
'Don't worry, I didn't use the potion… But Malfoy did happen to ask if you were seeing someone.
Ariay's jaw dropped, her face turning even redder.
"I didn't think it was possible for you to get any redder, but I was obviously wrong." Fred quipped, moving a few strands of her face to get a better look. Ariay slapped his hand away, causing the Twins to burst out laughing again.
'Excuse me?! What happened?!!'
'Draco seems to like you, Gryffindork. I guess that slap knocked something other than sense into that brain of his.'
Ariay buried her face in her hands, shaking her head and giving off a low moan indicative of a headache.
'Can I blast him?' She asked.
'You? Do something that mean. I'd like to see this, just wait, let me find the popcorn.' Bella was smirking.
"You know, that's the second time I've heard that in the last five minutes."
"Of course, Ariay, you know bloody well you're too nice too be mean." Bella smiled.
"Is that a challenge?" Ariay raised an eyebrow and raised her goblet in a toast, turning her head ever so slightly.
"Why I'd thought you'd never ask…hop to it, sweetie." Bella returned the toast with equal flare.
'Move, duck, Get out of the way, unless you wanna get hit.' Ariay flashed Bella a serious look that may have crossed her face once every few millennia.
Bella moved away from Draco, watching as Ariay took her wand out and whispered something to the Twins. A slight motion of her wand and… BANG! Draco flew backwards, as a big cloud of smoke covered him.
As the cloud cleared, everyone at Slytherin table fell into a shocked silence, well every one except Bella, who fell out of her chair laughing, yet again. The Twins and Lee Jordan joined her on the floor, as Gryffindor table burst out cheering.
Draco looked horrified. His hair and robes were all red and gold. Gryffindor colors.
"Not bad, but not quite finished!" Bella cried, and with a flick of her wand, an almost unspoken spell, and another loud BANG filled the Great Hall.
"Stop this at once!" Draco yelled, clearing the smoke furiously.
He was entirely red and gold, from his hair to his skin, his eyes, his fingernails; even his shoes were red and gold.
A bright flash blinded Malfoy.
"I've got the picture! I've got the picture!" Colin squealed happily, turning tail and running towards the Common room as fast as he could.
"Give me that, Mudblood!" Malfoy snarled, his usually schooled features giving way to an ugly look.
Ariay stood, faking a gasp and covering her mouth dramatically with her hands.
"Oh, look Malfoy's lost his mask." She smiled sweetly, which was inappropriate for her sarcastic demeanor. "Too bad he doesn't have the genius of the Phantom to make up for his looks." She frowned, cocking her head again as if to study him.
"Don't look too closely, Ariay," Bella said with mock innocence that everyone knew she didn't possess, "you might go blind, after all, he shatters every mirror he looks into. Maybe his face is causing people to be petrified."
"Okay, Bella, that's just a little too mean." Ariay scolded.
Bella looked at Ariay with feigned childlike innocence.
"What's the matter Ariay, afraid that I might hurt the ferrets feelings?" she assumed a dainty posture with a barely veiled smirk. "Or is it because he's your boyfriend."
Ariay's jaw dropped, her face turning a crimson shade that could shame Gryffindor's banners.
"He is not my boyfriend." Ariay said, adding in a helpless whining tone. "And you call yourself my friend."
"Best friend, Ariay dearest, and you know I only do it out of love." Bella waved her hand dramatically, grinning smugly at Ariay's horrified expression. "Perhaps we should have Creevy get another picture…I'm sure your fans would love it. I think your boyfriend might even buy a very large copy."
"I hate you…"Ariay glared at Bella before a surprised expression took over her face. "Fans? What fans? I wasn't aware I had fans of any sort."
"Of course you do, Ariay, after all, you seem to be the very center of attention tonight…I mean, you finally gave Malfoy what he deserved, a nice hard slap…" Bella gazed at Malfoy, with a disdained smirk curling her lips. "And you made him come out of the closet about his favorite colors. If that doesn't earn you some fans in all the houses, I don't know what would."
During the whole
exchange, Malfoy's own jaw had dropped, a shocked look plastered on
his face. And in the stunned silence of the Great Hall, a single
whisper was heard, from the direction of the Slytherin table, "I
wish I had some popcorn."
"See…I told you."
"You smug little…" Fred's hand covered her mouth at that moment.
"Remember, Ariay, your supposed to be the nice one." He said.
Ariay rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away, muttering something that sounded like dire threats to his life.
Fred simply laughed.
"Are you saying that I'm not nice? I thought I meant something to you!" Bella feigned wiping away tears with her black silk handkerchief. "Very well, then, you've left me no other choice…I must tell Snape…" She paused dramatically with a hand over her heart. "But it pains me because" She suddenly dropped to her knees, arms extended towards him. "I LOVE YOU!"
A bright flash erupted in the Great Hall yet again.
"So when's the wedding, love birds?" Lee Jordan smirked at his dumbfounded friend.
Fred's eyes widened in shock.
Ariay stifled a laugh and nudged him, glad to see the spotlight was off of her.
"Now what are you going to do with fair lady's heart?" Ariay looked up at him cheekily.
"I…um…that is to say…uh…I just remembered, Mother wanted me to write her a letter."
As he turned to leave, Ariay pulled a parchment letter out of her robes.
"What…you mean the letter that you already wrote?" Ariay glanced at Bella.
Bella sniffled and began to 'sob.'
"My little girl is growing up…Freddie, aren't you proud? You'll be giving her away to her groom soon."
Fred caught on quickly.
"I'm not quite sure Malfoy is ready for that commitment…and I don't want him to hurt our baby." He pinched Ariay's cheek.
"WE ARE NOT GETTING MARRIED!" Both Draco and Ariay screamed in unison.
"EVER!" Ariay added.
"Of course not, dear, then we might go to Azkaban for murdering him." Fred patted Ariay's head.
"Wait a second, Malfoy, are you saying you might actually marry our girl?" Bella asked, askance. "Well, Fred darling, we might have to kill him after all."
"Of course, we'll have to find a way to destroy the evidence…" Fred said thoughtfully.
By now, the prefects of the houses were serving popcorn to students and teachers alike, all if them trying to stifle laughter as to not interrupt the show.
"Well, that's easy, dear, we'll marinate the meat in barbeque sauce and then throw 'em on the grill…'member, secrets in the sauce."
"Are you sure it wouldn't kill them to eat it? I mean, after all, he is pretty rancid." Fred asked.
Draco was as red as Ariay by now.
"Aw, how cute…they both have the same favorite color." Bella pointed at him. "Birds of a feather flock together."
"Be prepared to meet the Angel of Death, blood traitor." He started to chase after Bella, who was already 'cowering' behind Fred.
"Fred, darling, save me!" Bella paused. "Wait…you actually have the brains to understand the concept of the Angel of Death…" she looked up adoringly at Fred. "It seems I've underestimated him Fred, darling…he really is almost as smart as a monkey. Quick, call Darwin! We've found the missing link!"
"SERPENSORTIA!" Draco roared, pointing his wand at Bella.
She gasped, having been caught off guard. But just before the spell hit her, Ariay threw down a veil and they were enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
When the smoke cleared they were gone, leaving only the snake to hiss angrily for missing its prey and a very astonished Great Hall.
"Up here, lover boy!" Bella called to the snake, waving happily from her perch upon the Hogwarts banner with Ariay and Fred on either side of her. "Come and get me if you can!"
Ariay smiled.
"Didn't expect that, now did ya, Draco?" she cocked her head and laughed, covering her mouth with one hand delicately, mocking him.
Draco stared at Ariay for a second, his face pale.
"Don't you think you should take care of that snake now, Professor?" Bella said, looking down at Lockhart. An apple appeared suddenly above Bella's hand. As she was reaching for it, it fell and hit Lockhart on the head.
"Oops…sorry Professor." She said in an unconvincingly sweet manner.
"Oh, yeah, you really meant that." Ariay snorted.
"Tell me I'm an angel…" Bella started singing, pretending as if she hadn't heard Ariay.
Ariay rolled her eyes.
"Okay, students, fun is over." Professor Snape growled, standing and sending a quick spell at the snake to make it disappear.
"Aw, but Professor, the fun is only beginning." Bella smirked, looking at him evilly.
"Bella, behave! He is a professor, after all." Ariay shot Bella a sharp look.
"Yes, well, I suppose I can behave, after all, he's nowhere near as bad as Lockhart."
At the moment, the three students looked down at the professor in question only to see him snoring loudly, his face in the midst of his plate.
"I suppose those mashed potatoes weren't very good…after all, they did put the poor man to sleep." Bella said, mustering as much innocence into her voice as possible.
"No, sorry, Mum, I believe it was that apple you 'mistakenly' dropped on his head that wasn't very good." Ariay grinned at Bella and giggled.
"Well, I suppose I should agree, after all, Malfoy touched it." Bella nodded towards Malfoy, who looked almost as white as his House Ghost, the Bloody Baron.
"It appears that he didn't hear you...you'd better repeat it, darling." Fred smirked.
"Gladly." Bella remarked. "And I'll even be nice and be a little scathing this time."
"Nice?" Ariay raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, but only in your own world is that being nice."
"Exactly." Bella replied. "Now…how about you get us down from here so I can give him the honor of insulting him to his face."
"Are you sure you want to honor him?" Ariay bit back a grin, resisting the urge to burst out laughing.
"Being in my very presence is an honor, dearest," Bella said haughtily. "Besides, it's the only other honor he'll ever receive on purpose, seeing as I must acknowledge his own pointless existence."
Ariay put her head in her hands and shook her head in silent resignment. Bella laughed.
"You know it only makes it funnier when you do that. Right?" Bella said, composing herself.
"I hate you." Ariay moaned, her head still in her hands.
"As entertaining as this, I believe you three have classes to attend to soon." Dumbledore smiled, peeking over his half-moon spectacles.
"Yes, I suppose you're right…but must we go to Lockhart's class." Bella glanced down at Lockhart, whose face was now completely covered with what had been on his plate. "Yum, mashed potatoes."
"I'm afraid so, but look at it this way…he won't be teaching very much today in his present state." Dumbledore winked at his most mischievous students.
"One…two…three!" In a puff of smoke, the three stood by their appropriate house tables.
Ariay groaned.
"Why can't you be in a different house?" she said, looking at Fred grudgingly.
"Because then I couldn't tease you and make you wear the House colors all the time." Fred grinned, winking at Bella.
"But Bella does just fine and she's in Slytherin!" Ariay blurted before thinking about what she had said.
Groaning, she put her head in her hands and faked a sob.
"I love you, Ariay." Bella said as sweetly as she could muster into her voice.
"The Hell you do." Ariay snapped, grabbing her bag and storming out of the Great Hall.
As she walked through the doors, she turned towards Bella and stuck out her tongue before disappearing into the entrance hall.
Bella bowed.
"Thank you very much for your patronage." She said, bowing to all sides of the room. "Video copies of this performance will be available through Colin Creevy, myself, or other representatives of SG, Ltd."
"Slytherin and Gryffindor Limited, bringing you quality merchandise at affordable prices." Fred added, taking his own bows.
"Look for SG radio, coming this Christmas season…hohoho! Turn you radios to Wiz 203!" George quipped.
The three took one last bow and left, arm in arm.
Draco glared after the jesters of Hogwarts.
"Jesters they may be, but I am King, as they have performed in front of me…" he sneered.
"More like with you as the prop." An unknown Slytherin snickered.
"Shut up!" Draco snapped, causing those around him to cringe. "I will get them back for this, miserable Blood traitors…but first, we go to Madame Pomfrey."
"Why?" Goyle asked stupidly, looking at Malfoy.
"Because I can't get rid of these bloody colors!" he shrieked. "Stupid Bella…"
"Actually, it was your girlfriend that started it, ferret boy." Lee quipped, before running to safety in the Gryffindor tower.
Draco shook in anger, hands clenched in fists at his side before storming out.
"I'm not sure if he was mad at Ariay being called his girlfriend, or that she cursed him first." McGonagall snickered, hiding her mouth behind her hand.
Dumbledore merely smiled in silent agreement.