Fourth Book
Mid-November, 1994
Sixth Year
Fred watched Ara, smile plastered on his face, while making sure there were no Law Enforcement Officers near her. They avoided the area Zonko's was in while making their way towards the public Floo.
They were back in Diagon Alley. They'd had a very unique trip to muggle London; which included getting lost a handful of times, considering Fred had exaggerated his knowledge of the city, and more than a few muggles becoming infatuated with the witch and wizard respectively.
"Do you suppose we're something like Veela to them, Ar'?"
"Stop thinking about muggle girls and start thinking about where we are."
"Freddie!" Ara yelled, snapping Fred back to reality, the boy watched as she ran over to him.
"What do-"
Fred forgot what he was going to say when Ara tackled him, he stumbled back a few steps before instinctively wrapping his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while.
"Today was fun," Ara mumbled into his chest, and then pulled away.
Fred was at a loss for words as he looked down at the girl walking beside him. She was admiring the pretty lighting in, the now dark, Diagon Alley.
"Ara," Fred whispered, the blonde looked up at him and smiled softly.
I think I'm in love with you.
Fred cleared his throat and looked away.
"-I had fun today, too,"
Ara laughed and nodded.
Fred had an arm thrown over Ara's shoulder while she mumbled things along the lines of— Look at that, Freddie or— That's cute while pointed at random shops. Fred admired the girl next to him quietly.
I don't think my life has ever been so perfect.
"Fred," Ara gasped, which forced Fred to snap his head down at her, in a very concerned manner. "-How are we going to Floo back to Hogsmeade without Madam Rosmerta noticing?"
The boys jaw dropped.
"Fuck,"
Ara's eyes widen.
The two Sixth Years stared at each other silently.
"What if we just— don't go back?" Ara asked, there was a hint of desperation in her voice that Fred couldn't help but notice.
It's so perfect here. So blissful.
"Ever? That means you don't get to graduate Ar'." Fred teased and the girl groaned while covering her face.
Fred sighed.
"We've got the cloak. We'll have to Floo and hope for the best." The Gryffindor murmured while pulling Ara into an alley for the second time that day.
He took Harry's invisibility clock out of his school bag.
"This was such a bad idea," Ara whined, Fred chuckled and threw the cloak over the two of them.
"It was worth it,"
Ara said nothing back, but Fred knew she agreed with him. The pair walked towards the public Floo and then threw the silvery powder from Ara's velvet pouch into it. The two Sixth Years fell into the emerald flames of the Floo, and like Fred said, hoped for the best.
The invisibility cloak stayed on them this time, thankfully.
"Rosmerta, are you sure you a student used the-"
No. Oh, no, no, no.
Fred and Ara's eyes widened, they froze upon hearing Professor McGonagall's voice.
Neither dared to move so much an inch.
The pub was silent.
"Are you going to take that off or are we going to have to pull it off?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Ara said nothing and softly hit her head against Fred's chest.
It could be worse.
"I think it's the second option, Minerva,"
Ara felt sick to her stomach upon hearing his voice.
It could not, in any possible way, be worse.
In one swift motion, the invisibility cloak was pulled off the two Sixth Years. Ara and Fred came face to face with Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, and Madam Rosmerta.
"Merlin," Severus sighed deeply and proceeded to walk away upon seeing that it was his goddaughter under the cloak.
No one said anything other than that for a while.
"We can explain," Fred said softly, eyeing Ara.
"Please do so then, Mr Weasley," Severus snapped from across the pub, hand covering face as he tried to remain calm.
"Well, you see-" Fred began stuttering. McGonagall had fallen into a chair across from the two and covered her face in a similar way to how Snape had, Rosmerta had her arms crossed and eyed the two teenagers.
"Weasley, if you cannot form a proper sentence, please allow your date to do so,"
Severus made a near gag-like sound upon hearing his goddaughter be referred to as Fred Weasley's date.
"It was not a date!" Ara assured, mostly to calm her godfathers nerves.
"Then what was it?"
Ara and Fred locked eyes for a moment.
"I believe..." Ara trailed off, "-That due to us being good students-"
"You!" Snape corrected, "-You, being a good student,"
Fred shrugged in agreement, not offended by the notion.
"Due to me being a good student, I think that Fred and I should be granted... immunity,"
The pub was silent, McGonagall wore an unreadable expression.
"Immunity?" She repeated, Ara and Fred gave her an awkward look and then nodded.
"Yes, immunity from-"
"Do you two understand what you've done?!" McGonagall yelled, Ara and Fred jumped. "-Do you understand how dangerous it is for two- two children to be going Merlin-knows where together without anyone knowing? We have designated trip days to Hogsmeade for a reason! And-"
"It was my fault," Fred said quickly, cutting the older woman off.
Ara snapped her neck towards him and gently grabbed his arm, shaking her head. Fred glanced at the blonde and gave her a warm look before turning his attention back to the head of Gryffindor.
"I suggested going to Diagon-"
"You went to Diagon Alley?" McGonagall gasped, Ara cringed.
"Just barely," The blonde mumbled, still holding Fred's arm.
"What does 'just barely' mean?" Snape asked, finally joining the two students and faculty gathered around them.
"It means that we really didn't spend all that much time in Diagon Alley." Ara reasoned, hoping that the true fact would make up for something.
"You've been gone all day. We've been waiting here all day-"
"The Three Broomsticks has been closed all day, anticipating your return," McGonagall added. Ara and Fred were beginning to grasp just how much trouble they were in.
"Lost a whole day of pay," Rosmerta muttered.
The Sixth Years gave her an apologetic look.
"So, if you really didn't spend all that much time in Diagon Alley, where did you spend your time?" Snape asked lowly, glaring at Fred.
"Can I vote for immunity?" Fred asked, comically enough to make Ara have to close her eyes and hold back a giggle.
"No!" Both Snape and McGonagall snapped.
"We are taking you to Dumbledore, because I personally cannot deal with this- this tomfoolery!" McGonagall snapped while standing up. Without giving anyone so much as a second glance, she began walking towards the pub's exit.
"You heard her," Snape hissed, to which Ara and Fred quickly bolted after the head of Gryffindor.
"Sorry, Madam Rosmerta," The two Sixth Years mumbled as they passed the owner of the pub.
She said nothing back as she watched Snape escort them out.
The walk back to Hogwarts was silent.
"Uncle Sev-"
"Don't," Severus hissed from behind Ara, the girl cringed at his tone.
"Are you going to tell father?"
Her godfather said nothing.
Ara bit the inside of her cheek as she followed McGonagall into the castle.
Thankfully, there were no students outside their common rooms, surely due to the fact that it was way past curfew.
"Headmaster!" Ara watched anxiously as McGonagall knocked on Dumbledore's office door.
The girl glanced at Fred, who did not look nearly as stressed.
"Come in, Minerva, I've disabled the password for today," The old mans voice rang from behind the door.
McGonagall pushed the door open, and Snape pushed the two students into the office.
Dumbledore, being the strange man he was, smiled at Ara and Fred.
"Ah, are these the two that snuck out?" The old man asked, happily, "-Take a seat,"
Ara and Fred listened to their Headmasters command, quickly falling into the chairs across from his desk.
"Yes,"
"They went to Diagon Alley,"
"Is that so? See anything interesting?" Dumbledore asked the two, Ara and Fred locked eyes, wondering whether or not this was a trick.
"Not really," Ara muttered awkwardly.
"Zonko's is selling faulty-"
Ara elbowed the boy next to her.
Now is not the time.
"Minerva, Severus, if you could step out of my office? I would like to speak to the troublemakers alone,"
The two professors shared a look before scurrying out of the room and shutting the door behind them.
Ara shuffled uncomfortably in her chair, avoiding the Headmasters gaze.
Fred reached out to grab the blondes leg, which was bouncing very loudly. Ara and he locked eyes, and the boy tilted his head towards Dumbledore, making a face that screamed— Would you stop it?
Dumbledore's hearty laugh interrupted the pairs staring contest. The two Sixth Years quickly snapped their heads over him; Fred removed his hand from Ara's leg.
"So, you went to Diagon Alley?"
"Yes," Ara said confidently.
The girl then felt the most peculiar thing.
Like someone was pushing around in her mind, pushing through her thoughts.
Suddenly feeling panicked, Ara quickly built a wall up around her thoughts; the same way Uncle Sev had taught her to.
She and Dumbledore stared at each other. The pushing feeling was beginning to grow stronger, and Ara was beginning to grow more shocked.
Fred's not this persistent, it's not him.
Dumbledore was trying to use Legilimency on her.
What. The. Fuck.
The old man, either noticing Ara's growing discomfit, or realizing she was not going to let up, turned to look at Fred. Nearly immediately, he chuckled.
"I don't appreciate you lying, Miss Malfoy," Dumbledore turned to the girl again. "-But I understand why you would,"
Ara said nothing, eyeing the headmaster instead.
"How did you find Muggle London?"
I've got to teach Fred Occlumeny.
"Fine," Ara said simply, Dumbledore sighed and nodded, leaning back into his seat.
"I'm glad, now, I want you to know, I am not angry at either of you," Dumbledore smiled. "-But, I assume your heads of house are, so I do have to punish you,"
Ara and Fred cringed.
"You both have detention until further notice," Dumbledore said. Fred made an outraged sound and Ara stepped on his foot while giving him a look that immediately made him shut up.
It could've been much worse.
Dumbledore laughed.
"For Rosmerta's sake, you'll do your detention with her, making up for the business you kept from her today,"
"Can-"
"Will you tell our parents?" Ara asked, cutting Fred off.
Dumbledore seemed to be in thought for a moment.
"Not yours," The man shrugged, "-As for you Mr Weasley, you will not be so lucky,"
Fred groaned, but said nothing back.
"Now, go tell your heads of house the news and Fred, do return Mr Potter's cloak?"
Ara and Fred stood up and practically ran out of Dumbledore's office.
"How'd he know?" Fred mumbled, referring to their trip to Muggle London.
"Because of you," Ara said quickly, Fred gave her a shocked look.
"-I'll explain later,"
"While we're busing tables at the Three Broomsticks?" Fred joked, Ara stifled a giggle.
"Where have you been?" Nereza's outraged voice made Ara jump when she slipped into their dorm.
The blonde groaned.
"Please, relax," Ara started, Nereza let out a sarcastic laugh. She was standing in the middle of their dorm with her hands on her hips.
"Relax? You've been gone all day! No one has seen you, not even Diggory! I was so worried that I made Blaise ask around for you too-"
The girl continued ranting, Ara sighed and fell into her bed, she shut her eyes.
"-You were with Weasley? Weren't you?" Nereza's smug voice made the blonde snap her eyes open.
"Pfft, no," Ara lied, quite badly due to how tired she was, she closed her eyes again and tried not to cringe.
"You were!" Nereza squealed, before beginning to jump around the dorm.
Ara peeled an eye open and chuckled at her roommates excitement.
"What did you two do? Hm?" Nereza asked, falling on top of Ara's laying figure and smiling.
"Nothing like what you're thinking, I swear," Ara nearly giggled.
"So you were together!"
Ara sighed and began laughing.
"You should find out when he was born," Nereza sighed. While still partially on top of Ara, the dark-skinned girl turned to lay on her back. "-I'll do his birthchart, and then we can compare it with yours!"
Nereza loved Divination and everything to do with it.
"Ask him yourself," Ara said teasingly, Nereza gasped.
"No! I don't know him like that!"
Ara smiled at her friend and shook her head. Nereza stood up from the blonde's bed.
"You know," The kinky-haired Slytherin paused, "-I've heard he's an amazing shag,"
"Nereza!" Ara gasped, sitting up immediately.
"What? It's only a rumour!" The girl shrugged, "-But I bet you could tell me if it were true,"
The two girls started laughing, very loudly.
Fred was dead tired, despite this, he dragged himself up to his dorm with a smile on his face. McGonagall had yelled at him for an ungodly amount of time, which he couldn't care less about.
I had fun today. Ara had fun today.
Fred's thoughts about Ara came to an abrupt stop upon hearing moaning coming from his dorm.
"You've got to be kidding me," The redhead groaned, not in the mood, he pushing the door open without so much as a warning.
"Lee, get whoever it is out. I've had a long day, and I'm not sleeping in the common room,"
It hadn't registered in Fred's head that he'd seen Lee doing his homework in the common room mere seconds ago.
"Get out!" A girl's voice, which sounded strangely like Angelina's, screamed.
"Fuck off, this is my room, you get out," Fred rolled his eyes and fell into his bed.
The boy sighed contently and closed his eyes before gasping.
He shot up out of his bed, wide-eyed.
George and Angelina sat in the bed next to his, blankets pulled over their shoulders.
"You git!" Fred hissed. He reached across his bed to grab one of his pillows, he wound up and threw it at George. "-You're why everyone thinks I'm sleeping with Angelina!"
not me forgetting to update, SORRY FOLKS
anywayyyy, honestly sm of my gof chapters are filler chapters *sigh* don't worry, we're about half way done them. BUTTTT do u guys want a lil fun fact? I WAS ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY PLANNING ON MAKING NEREZA EVIL. if you google her name, it literally means darkness in italian, and that was supposed to be a big part of her plot. but, i thought of a whole other plotline she could be part of, which also included blaise (mwah my bb) and i loved it sm more! now im totally in love with her character, so yeah! okay, pls accept this lil bts tidbit as an apology for my late update hahaha.