Chapter Ten:
Ariana made her way back through the crowd to Draco waiting off to the side like he said he would, leaning up against a statue he stood up straight as he saw her break through the crowd to join him. "Well?" He asked as she came within hearing distance.
"They think I'm evil because I'm in Slytherin. At least his friend does, Ron. I'm not quite sure how Harry feels..." She watched a couple of older students pass by. "So." She looked back at Draco.
"So what?" He asked.
"You promised me an answer later. Well, it is later." Ariana said as her and Draco slowly took of down towards the dungeons.
"You really aren't going to drop it are you?" He muttered rolling his eyes in a playful manner.
"I will if you give me a good enough reason to." Ariana said, Draco just looked at her. "What?" She asked when she looked over and he was already staring at her.
"You are just, nothing like any girl I've ever met..." He looked away pretending to watch something up ahead, when he chanced a glance back towards Ariana she was still watching him. Silently, with that small smile that always seemed to be plastered on her face.
"I think I will take that as a compliment." Ariana said bumping his hip with hers, he couldn't help but smirk. "So, this is going to be awkward huh?" Ariana asked as she followed Draco.
"Why?" He asked, a bit confused at the quick change of subject.
"Pansy. Your girlfriend." Ariana joked. "She tried to stab me with her wand on the train and now we are in the same house, probably the same room. I'm starting to wonder if I should have someone teach me some good protective charms to place around my bed. Or maybe I might have to kip on a couch somewhere."
"Pansy isn't my girlfriend, and you wont have to kip on a couch. She'll leave you alone since you're in Slytherin." Draco said, oblivious to what she meant.
"Wow, mean really are as thick as they are in books." Ariana mused aloud, Draco raised an eyebrow. "You know she has a thing for you right?"
"What? Pansy? She's just very... affectionate. We just know each other through our parents." Draco stammered out, Ariana rolled her eyes unconvinced.
"Mmmhmm, and I'm the Prime Minister." Ariana joked. "Alright, alright." Ariana said at the look Draco gave her. "I believe you believe what you're saying. All I'm saying is if I get my throat slit in the middle of the night I'm going to come back as a ghost and haunt you till your dying day Draco Malfoy." Ariana said sticking her tongue out at him.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Could be worse."
Ariana tilted her head to the side in questioning, "How so?"
"At least you'd be a pretty ghost, so I couldn't really complain."
Ariana stopped her mouth hanging slightly open. "What?"
"What what?" He asked, "Hasn't anyone ever given you a compliment before, Potter? And you shouldn't stand there with your mouth open you look ridiculous."
Ariana gave a small blush and bit her bottom lip. "No, they haven't." She said taking a couple of leaps to catch up to him as he had kept walking. "I didn't grow up with a golden spoon in my mouth." Ariana chided him.
"Actually it was emerald." He said casually as if talking about the weather.
"What?" Ariana asked, not sure he had heard him right.
"It was covered in emeralds, not gold, the spoon." Draco said, after a moment he let out a laugh at the look on her face. "I'm kidding!" Nudging her with his shoulder as they stopped in front of a stone wall, a few other students stood there along with the two boys Ariana had seen with Draco earlier, seeing him they walked over and stood next to him. "Boys, this is Ariana. Ariana, this is Crabbe and Goyle." Draco said waving at each of them in turn as someone closer to the wall said the password, Purity, and the wall opened up revealing a passage. Ariana followed behind Draco, Crabbe and Goyle behind her, the passage leaded to a dim lit room that was covered with green and silver. "It's not much." Draco said sprawling out onto a love seat next to the fireplace, Crabb and Goyle sat across from him on a couch where a sour faced Pansy already sat, not wanting to cause anymore drama today than she had to, Ariana sat on the floor by the fireplace, feeling as though she had just sank into a warm bath.
"I think it's cozy," Ariana said as she locked her ankles together to the side sitting almost in a side saddle way. "I've never had a fireplace before." She turned her head towards the fire closing her eyes soaking in the warmth. "Mmm, it really is as wonderful as they say. Oh!" Ariana said suddenly, making Crabbe and Goyle jump as she herself jumped up and started off towards where she saw the other girls heading towards their beds. As she followed another fourth year she took a peak in the room and saw her trunk. Rushing over she opened it and pulled out a warn book with a faded cover that you couldn't even tell what the title used to be and quickly changed back into her new jeans and a ribbed dark green tank. She came back down, as she turned the corner she saw Draco had propped himself up on his elbows. "Back, sorry. I've always wanted to do this!" She crossed her legs Native American style and lowered herself back to the floor opening her book.
"You're reading?" Pansy gave a small laugh that sounded more like a shriek.
"Well yeah." Ariana said looking over at her. "Can't you?" Ariana shot back, Pansy's mouth slapped shut.
Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and a new dark skinned boy Ariana hadn't noticed when she came back laughed. As the laughing died down Draco waved towards the new boy, "Ariana that is Blaise." Ariana gave a small wave and lowered her head back into her book. "What are you reading really?" Draco asked after a few minutes.
"A book." Ariana said not looking up, not bothering to hide a smirk.
"Oh she is funny." The boy Blaise said, Ariana saw him smile out of the corner of her eyes.
"It's called Lord of the Rings, I've only read it about a million times but it's always worth another read." Ariana said turning a page.
"A muggle book really? Ew." Pansy said.
"Don't knock it till you've tried it." Ariana said stretching out, laying on the floor turning a page now and again. As the night wore on, the common room emptied more and more, even Pansy eventually left, after giving Draco a sickening good night, one which Ariana and Blaise spent the next fifteen minutes making fun of. When the clock had chimed ten o'clock Ariana stretched once again and shut her book and stood up. "Well, I guess I should go get some sleep too. If I'm to make a fool of myself all day tomorrow I might as well be rested."
"Oh stop, you wont make a fool of yourself. I'll take you to all your classes and help you out. You will be just fine." Draco said standing up as well, followed in suit by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Thanks Draco, G'night. I mean," She paused putting on a sickly sweet face. "Night Drakey Poo!" Ariana giggled.
"Yeah yeah yeah. Be careful Potter or I might just lock you in a broom cupboard like your brother." Draco said trying to sound rude, but it came out sounding more like an empty threat.
"I'm not afraid of you." Ariana said getting a mischievous smirk on her face.
"Oh you should be Potter." Draco said stepping up to Ariana, only stopping a few inches away from her. He was still a good five inches taller than her but she didn't back down.
"Ohhh I'm quaking in my boots Malfoy." Ariana said pretending to shiver. She poked him in the nose with hers and laughed when Draco shook his head and took a step back at the sudden contact. "I win." She said, back to her bubbly personality. "Night boys." Ariana said picking up her book and strutted back towards the girls dormitory.