Over the next few weeks, Draco and Ariadne became inseparable. They sat together at mealtimes in the Great Hall and in the evenings in the common room. They wandered round Hogsmeade hand in hand with dreamy expressions on their faces, and sneaked out at night for moonlit walks in the Hogwarts grounds. They had nearly been caught kissing behind Greenhouse 3 by Filch on several occasions, but were saved by one of Ariadne's carefully placed invisibility spells; her speciality.
Christmas was fast approaching, but Ariadne wasn't happy about it. She would be going home for 2 weeks – 2 weeks without Draco. She wasn't sure she could cope. They had only been together for a few weeks, but she was sure she was falling in love with him.
The answer to her problem came by owl one Friday morning, two weeks before Christmas. Nivosus swooped into the Great Hall, accompanied by another owl Ariadne recognised as her mother's. Between them they were supporting a large parcel, which they dropped on the table in front of Ariadne, a split second after she moved her bowl of cereal out of the way. She tore the paper away, to reveal a large box and an envelope. Ariadne picked up the letter, opened it, and began to read.
It explained that she and Alexander had been invited back to Norway for Christmas to spend the holiday with some friends. Ariadne, of course, was welcome, but if she didn't want to go with them, then they understood. It also explained that the parcel contained Ariadne's Christmas present. If she wanted to go with her parents to Norway, then she was to bring the parcel back with her on the train, and that if she didn't want to go, that she was to save it until Christmas.
Ariadne, being ever so slightly impatient, began to rip at the parcel. However, she found that the paper wouldn't tear. She couldn't get into it. Every time she clawed at the parcel, her fingers slipped off its surface, much to Draco's amusement.
Throwing Draco a mock-angry look, Ariadne turned the box over and found a tag. It read, 'Dear Ariadne, Happy Christmas. Don't try to open this before Christmas Day – it's fitted with an anti-pre-Christmas opening spell. Lots of love, Mum and Dad.'
Pouting, Ariadne picked up the letter and re-read it, a smile spreading across her face. She could spend Christmas with Draco after all! Turning to tell him, she saw his eagle owl arrive with a letter for him. He opened it, read it, then looked up at Ariadne.
'Are you still spending Christmas with your parents?' he asked.
'It's just that I've told father all about you and he's dying to meet you.'
'No, I'm not,' smiled Ariadne. They're going to Norway and say that I don't have to go with them. Are you saying…'
'Would you like to spend Christmas with me?' Draco asked her. Ariadne kissed him, which was all the answer he needed.
*
Through her delight, Ariadne hadn't noticed the pair of eyes scowling at her down the table that morning. Nor had she noticed them glaring across the common room at her that evening. They watched her sitting with Draco, tucked away in a corner. They watched her kiss him goodnight. And they watched her climb the stairs, as the owner of the pair of eyes followed her.
Ariadne was just passing the 5th year's dormitory when a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her into the room. It was dark and empty, except for the person who had just pulled her in and magically locked the door. Ariadne was pushed roughly into a corner.
'Lumos,' muttered the figure, and in the wandlight that appeared, Ariadne saw the face of a girl she knew to be a year older than herself. A face Ariadne had always thought looked rather like that of a pug, or similar dog.
'Hello Ariadne,' said Pansy Parkinson, her wand now pointing directly between Ariadne's eyes. 'I've been watching you recently, and I don't like what I see.'
Growing panicky, Ariadne didn't respond.
'I'm talking about you and Draco,' Pansy hissed nastily. 'He was all mine until you turned up here, and now you've lured him away. What are you, a Veela or something?'
Pansy looked Ariadne up and down, taking in her slim figure, perfectly positioned eyes and long, smooth blonde hair. Ariadne hated to admit it, but she did look scarily like a Veela.
'I'm not a Veela,' she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady.
'Well I can't see any other reason for him to fall for you,' sneered Pansy, pressing the wand into Ariadne's skin until she squeaked with pain. 'You'd better listen to me Durmstrang,' she said, shining the wand light in Ariadne's eyes. 'Draco Malfoy is trouble. He's not worth the hassle he can cause you. Trust me Ariadne, he's dangerous.'
'If he's so dangerous, why do you want him back so much?' said Ariadne in a low voice. 'If you're trying to warn me off him Parkinson, it's not working.' Ariadne's hand was reaching for her wand. 'He's made his decision, and he chose me. Deal with it.'
With that, Ariadne pushed Pansy backwards and shouted, 'Expelliarmus!' Pansy flew across the room, her wand shooting away in another direction. Ariadne didn't stop to see if she was alright. She ran to the door, cried, 'Alohamora!' and the door burst open. She ran to her dormitory, jumped onto her bed and pulled the hangings closed around her.
Had Pansy's warning been genuine? Or was she simply trying to scare Ariadne? Well, if the latter was true, it had worked. She was desperately trying to keep herself steady, but it wasn't working.
As the fear began to ebb away, it was replaced by rational thoughts. Who cared what Pansy Parkinson said? She was just jealous. Ariadne loved Draco and he loved her, she was spending Christmas at Malfoy Manor, and nothing else mattered.