AN: This is for the three of you that reviewed the last chapter: I LOVE
you!!!! And no I don't own anyone or anything that you've read before, I
guess that the virgin blood hasn't worked yet. Oh well back to the
sacrifice stone. Now with out further ado and words the chapter,
Chapter Five
A Peek into the Past
Hermione lead the small group to a large portrait of a woman wearing a frilly pink dress.
Hermione cleared her throat. "Abalone." The woman in the portrait nodded and swung off the wall to reveal the Gryffindor common room. "Now pay attention to the passwords and do not write it down. So, the dormitories are up the stairs. Boys on the right and girls on the left; and I recommend that you all turn in very soon." Hermione then left the awed eleven-year-olds to go join her friends by the fire. She sat across from a scowling Ron, "What's wrong with you?"
Ron only mumbled something and slouched farther down in his chair.
"Pardon?" Asked Hermione.
Harry then spoke up. "He said, 'she's a Malfoy, how is it even possible that she made it into Gryffindor' or something like that." He shrugged and looked over at Ariana's retreating figure.
Hermione sighed, "You know Ron that she was sorted into Gryffindor by the same hat that sorted you."
"So!" Shouted Ron sitting up. "She could have put a dark spell on it you know!"
"Ron that's impossible, the hat can't be tricked." Hermione said.
"But she's a Malfoy! I mean she was bloody talking to Malfoy, you know that they were planing some evil scheme to get Harry here and serve him to You-Know-Who on a platter!" Ron yelled.
"Quiet Ron." Hissed Hermione. "Do you want her to hear?"
However it was not very possible that Ariana could hear anyone from down in the common room-even Ron- because she was too busy being bombarded with questions from Lavender and Parvati.
"So you're really related to Draco?"
"What's he like?"
"Does he write poetry?"
"Are his eyes blue or gray?"
"How soft is his hair?"
"What's his favorite color?"
"He has a six pack, right?"
"What's his favorite food?"
"What kind of chocolate does he like?"
"Light?"
"Dark?"
"White?"
"Can he sing?"
"What does he look for in a woman?"
"Boxers? Or Briefs?"
Ariana just stared at the two girls and wondered how she would ever survive rooming with them and their apparently nonstop questions about Draco so she did the only thing she could do; she charmed away their voices. "Silencio." Smirking in satisfaction at the two very confused girls.
"Now if you two are finished, I've had a very trying day and I would just like to retire to bed without being grilled about Draco. And I say this in the nicest way possible." Ariana explained as she pulled out her nightclothes (from Madam Malkin) and made her was over to the adjoining bathroom. She stopped and the door and faced her roommates. "You girls do understand, don't you?" Lavender and Parvati just nodded. Ariana smiled, "Good. Finite Incantatum." She removed the spell and entered the bathroom.
Parvati coughed and looked over at her friend and said, "Well now we know that she really is a Malfoy. Who else would cast a voice lock spell on her first night?" Lavender nodded in agreement and the two got ready for bed.
* * * * *
Hermione was ecstatic, it was the first day of school and she could not wait until her first class. She finished brushing her hair and then pinned her polished Prefect badge on her chest, grabbed her books and made her way to the common room to wait for her friends.
However, on the other side or the tower Ron, Harry and the rest of their roommates were all still sound asleep.
Back in the sixth year girls' dormitories Lavender and Parvati where awake and dressed staring at the closed curtains of Ariana's bed wondering whether or not they should wake their new roommate. They decided that even if she would be mad at them she would probably be furious at them if she missed her first class. So together- after they couldn't decide who would do it- they pulled back the drapes only to find an empty bed. After further investigation they saw that Ariana's school bag was also gone. Shrugging they returned to the bathroom to put the finishing touches on their faces.
Ariana, who had up for over an hour was now in the Gryffindor common room trying to remember what was the fastest way to get to the Slytherin dorms when Hermione walked down the stairs and spotted her.
"Ariana, what are you doing up so early?" Hermione asked readjusting her bag that looked as if it were about to break in protest of all the books it was carrying.
"Oh just wanted to get to breakfast early and get my timetable." Ariana replied while thinking that any hopes of talking to Draco before classes were now gone.
"Let's go down together, that way you wont get lost and I don't have to wait for Harry and Ron to get down here." Hermione smiled and went over to the portrait waiting for Ariana who followed.
"So," Hermione began after a few minutes of walking together in silence, "Ariana how was your first night with Lavender and Parvati? I know mine was awful."
Ariana smiled slightly and replied, "I was bombarded with questions about Draco the very instance that I entered the room."
"Yeah, one of us should have warned you." Hermione cringed, "They're obsessed with Malfoy."
Now Ariana smiled. "And with good reason."
Hermione nearly choked and stopped grabbing Ariana on the shoulder and spinning her so she could look at her. "What do you mean with good reason? Malfoy is a slimy little rat faced git, who would know common decency if it danced around naked in front of him!"
"Now I wouldn't call him rat faced Hermione." Ariana was looking Hermione in the eyes, which wasn't very hard considering Ariana was only an inch or so taller than Hermione. "But the Draco I know is a kind, handsome, funny Renaissance man who would do anything for the ones he loved. And I have known him all of his life."
"Oh." Was all Hermione could say under the steady gaze of Ariana.
Ariana smiled and started to walk away with Hermione right behind her.
By the time they reached the practically empty Great Hall both were talking about arithmancy and the theory of time and space when Draco walked up behind them and said,
"So are we going to talk?"
Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice. How long had he been walking behind them?
"Hmm." Ariana turned around and faced Draco. "How about after breakfast?"
"How about now?" Draco asked in a slightly irritated tone. He wanted to know why she didn't appear dead.
"No, I'd rather talk after breakfast."
"Well I'd rather talk now." Draco's voice was very low and clipped as he moved to tower over Ariana, who didn't seem to care.
"After breakfast. I'm hungry." She didn't even flinch.
By now Draco's jaw was clenched. "I want to talk now." Hermione could almost feel the tension between the two and decided to step in.
"Didn't you hear her Malfoy? She said she would talk to you after breakfast. Or are you too stupid to-"
"Stay out of this mudblood."
Ariana's eyes widened then narrowed dangerously at Draco. "Apologize." She commanded, pointing to Hermione. Draco just glared back saying nothing. "Now." Said Ariana.
Hermione was nervous. When one Malfoy was mad things were not good, but now she had two mad Malfoys on her hands and she really did not know what to do.
"Ariana?" Hermione asked getting no reply she tried again. "Ariana it's alright, Malfoy doesn't have to apologize."
Still the Malfoys glared at each other neither one backing down. This was the sight that greeted Harry and Ron as the entered the Great Hall. They both rushed to Hermione with Harry asking if she was all right. Hermione only nodded still staring at Ariana and Draco.
"What's going on?" Asked Ron.
Hermione sighed still staring at the two glaring Malfoys. "I haven't the slightest idea. First Malfoy wanted to talk to Ariana but she said after breakfast and he got angry, then I tried to break them up and Malfoy (being the wonderful gentleman that he is) called me a mudblood and Ariana told him to apologize and now they're still staring at each other."
The three Gryffindors stared at the two Malfoys both so similar, both with the same unnerving stare that would cause many grown wizards to look away in fear. It was now that Harry and Ron realized what Parvati was talking about last night at the feast, Ariana was a female carbon copy of Draco and that the male population of Hogwarts would soon be starting their own 'we love Malfoy club'.
Finally Ariana spoke, "Draco Lucius Malfoy apologize to Hermione this instant." Her voice was low and threatening but Draco did nothing, he just continued to glare. "Alright then," She paused and tilted her head slightly to the right, "Lucius, don't apologize." She smirked knowing that she hit a nerve.
Draco stiffened. "What are you implying?"
"That you're no better then he is."
That's what broke Draco. Being compared to his bastard father. Turning to face Hermione he sighed. "I'm sorry for calling you a mudblood. You didn't deserve to be called that."
Saying that Hermione was stunned would be an understatement. She was staring at Malfoy with her mouth hanging open. Ariana was smiling at Draco; "We'll talk after breakfast." He nodded and made his way to the Slytherin table.
"That was bloody unbelievable, she got Malfoy to apologize." Ron was in awe as he sat down next to Ariana and asked her, "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?" She asked taking a bit of her French toast.
"Make Malfoy apologize."
"Oh, I didn't make him. He did that on his own." Explained Ariana as she started to butter some toast.
Harry, who was sitting across form Ariana, stared at her. "How?"
She laughed. "I've known Draco for a long time and he doesn't do anything unless he wants to."
Ron shook his head in disbelief and started to eat.
In under ten minutes the entire Great Hall was filled and the four heads of house where passing out the new timetables. Every sixth year Gryffindor groaned as they saw what their first class of the day was. Double Potions with the Slytherins.
Harry sighed and looked at Ron. "Every bloody year. You'd think someone would go for something different once and a while."
"Now see that would be fair and make sense and we're not that lucky." Ron then but off a very large piece of sausage with about four pieces of bacon around it and munched happily away while Hermione looked on in disgust.
She looked at her two friends and said "Come on you two potions this year is suppose to be very exciting and don't forget that the N.E.W.T.'s are next year." Ron waived her off and turned the topic of conversation to the new Quidditch season. She sighed irritably and turned to Ariana who was studying her new timetable and eating her French toast. "So, Ariana, what do you have today?"
"Double Potions," She began but was interrupted by a faint clinking noise. Professor McGonagall was standing in front of the Great Hall tapping her spoon against the side of her goblet. The Great Hall fell silent and she began to speak.
"Now that I have everyone's attention our Headmaster would like to make an announcement." Professor McGonagall then took her seat and looked at Dumbledore who was smiling at all of his students.
"I have just received an owl from the head of the new Department of Wizard Moral and they have asked that we hold a ball this year in order to keep up our spirits and to promote inter-house relationships." He was smiling and his eyes were shinning as the Great Hall burst out into excited chatter. Dumbledore held up his hands to silence the crowd and continued, "Now we have not yet picked a date. So, in order to do so, I will be having a meeting with your Head Boy, Head Girl and Prefects on Wednesday evening in order to decide that. Now that leaves all of you about two and a half days to express to them what day you would like it to be held." Every Prefect groaned at the thought of not having a moment of peace until Wednesday night. Hermione just sunk lower into her chair. With one last smile Dumbledore sat back down and began to eat.
"Oh my gosh! A ball! I am so beyond excited!" Gushed Lavender and about every other girl in the Great Hall.
* * * * *
"So, Dracy," Purred Pansy as she leaned over his left shoulder and trailed a finger down his cheek. "How about I let you take me to the Ball?"
'Not even if Hell froze over and satin took up figure skating and did a duet with Voldemort would I go with you.' Draco swatted her hand away and snorted. Gathering his books he stood and left for the dungeons.
* * * * *
Ariana watched as Draco brushed off Pansy and leave the Hall. 'Now would be a perfect time to talk.' Thought Ariana as she got up and followed Draco.
Hermione looked at Ariana's retreating figure. 'I wonder where she's going?'
* * * * *
Draco walked down one of the many different staircases and skipped the seventh from the bottom as he continued to mutter random curses to that new department and Parkinson. He was about to start on the lovely new topic of Lucius when he heard a startled cry behind him. He spun around with his wand drawn, only to find Ariana with her right leg sunken knee deep in the seventh stair.
"Well are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?" Asked a very peeved Ariana. When he did not move she sent him a quick glare before she tried to pull her leg out of the stair.
Draco watched with an amused look on his face, then began to chuckle. Putting his wand away he went over to her and lifted her out of the step and sent her down on the one below.
"Well I'm glad that you didn't take your sweet time helping me." Ariana said sarcastically whale readjusting her sock. Draco was still laughing at what had happened but stopped when Ariana hit him in the back of the head. "It's not funny! I haven't been here for over a thousand years, you try to remember something as trivial as these stupid trick stairs." She then began to walk of into the dark halls of the dungeons with Draco silently laughing behind her.
They where walking for about four minutes when Draco called out, "Do you even know where you're going?" Ariana stopped walking and looked straight ahead.
"No."
"Well then shouldn't you be following me?" Draco smirked and he took the lead.
* * * * *
"Hurry up Ron, or we're going to be late. And I really don't feel like getting a detention on the first day." Harry said standing next to Ron, who was still eating.
Ron looked up and was about to say something but caught Hermione's glare and dropped his fork. The trio then made their way down to the dungeons and slipped in just as the bell rang and quickly took three seats in the back. The class became quite as Professor Snape entered the room in his usual manner with his black cape billowing behind him. He surveyed his class and began the lesson.
"Today class you will be reviewing a simple potion that you learned how to make last year." With a flick of his wrist the potion and all of the ingredients appeared on the board. "However," he began, causing his students to stop. "You will be working in pairs. That I will assign." The entire class groaned. Snape ignored the outburst and continued. "Now you will move to an empty workspace and begin." With another flick of his wand the student's names appeared in pairs on the board next to the list of potion ingredients.
The entire class groaned again and reluctantly moved to find their partners.
Ron had a look of pure disgust and horror on his face as he sat down next to his new partner, Millicent Bulstrode. Harry on the other hand didn't have to worry about his partner putting him in a headlock because, simply put; Pansy Parkinson would rather kiss Trevor the Toad than touch him. Hermione got stuck with Blaze Zabini who was a fairly competent person, there was just the little fact that he was as predigest as they come. Lavender made her way to where Draco was sitting comfortably in his usual seat with a huge smile on her face. Considering all of that Ariana got a wonderful partner, Neville Longbottom.
Neville paled slightly as he saw that they were making a Retrieval Potion (makes a person relive a date in their minds to help with memory curses or just to find out where you left your wand, also if a separate party administers it the person speaks what they said on the aforementioned date).
"What's wrong?" Ariana asked as she set her cauldron over the small fire. She turned to look at him. "Neville?"
He looked down at the table. "Last time I made this I spent three days in the hospital wing."
"Not this time." Ariana began to add three cups of spring water and seven shredded white rose pedals.
Twenty minutes and eight ingredients later it was time for the final three ingredients. Ariana added the two crushed beetle shells she had Neville add a teaspoon of dried lavender and after stirring counterclockwise fifty times he added, with Ariana's encouragement, seven drops of elephant blood.
"The potion ought to be a pale gray color, not pink Wesley." Said Snape as he looked down at Ron and Millicent's potion, which was giving off a rotten cabbage smell. "Now who will be so brave as to test out their potion?" Snap scanned the room and his eyes fell on Neville who was looking down at his desk and praying that he wouldn't be called on. "Longbottom," Neville's head jerked up to look at Snape with wide eyes. "You will test your potion on your new partner. Now."
Neville gulped and started to shakily spoon out half of a cup to give to Ariana.
Draco was not a very happy person when Snape had announced that Ariana would be testing out Longbottom's potion. "Now Professor, do you really think that you should punish his partner when you could just punish Longbottom?" He drawled
"Now, now Draco, I have complete and utter faith in our potion. Nothing will go wrong."
"Yes Mr. Malfoy, why don't you listen to your cousin and have some faith. Miss Malfoy?" Snape looked at Ariana and smiled gesturing to the potion that she held in her hand. With that Ariana drank the potion. In a few seconds it had taken effect she stared at Neville with blank eyes.
He gulped and thought of the first date that came to mind. "The last day before summer holiday." The entire class waited for Ariana to speak.
"Promise?" The entire class gasped and Ariana continued. "Please, I need you to." Snape sneered as the potion began to work. 'Oh well, Potter's bound to do something before the end of class.'
~*~*~
"For you anything."
Ariana smiled at the man standing in front of her. Holding both of her hands he brought them up to his mouth and kissed them.
"Thank you, Donovan. I know that you mean well but you don't know father like I do." Ariana closed her eyes in relief.
Donovan leaned down so that their foreheads touched. "So when can I expect you? Mum has been dying to meet you."
She pulled away and walked over to the large tower window and stared out across the grounds. "You know I still can't believe the view from up here."
"See now you're just changing the subject." Donovan tsked. He walked over and hugged Ariana from behind and placing his chin on her right shoulder. "I know that the Gryffindor tower has a much better view than the dungeons Slytherin has you in, but.."
"You can see the lake. I love the way it looks when the sun sets."
"You're changing the subject again." He sighed. Pulling back he spun her around so she was facing him again. "I know you don't want to talk about it but, I can't stand not seeing you for three months. And besides my mum wants to meet the woman who has captured my heart." He looked in her eyes and saw nothing, and that either meant that she was mad or thinking. He was really hoping for thinking. Leaving on the wrong foot would not help him try and persuade her to visit over the holiday.
"He wouldn't allow it." She broke away from him and began to magically pack his trunk.
He sighed and plucked out his Charms book midair and tossed it on the nearby desk. "Since when does the Ariana Malfoy care what someone allows her to do?"
Ariana stopped packing and gave a soft snort, "Since the day I was born."
Donovan over to Ariana and ran his hands up and down her arms. "Well then break away, Ariana. You're brilliant and powerful and no one can stop you."
"Father could. He could kill me, or worse kill you." Ariana looked up into his eyes. "And I wouldn't want to live without you."
Donovan smiled and leaned down so that they where only centimeters away and wispered, "Don't talk like that." And kissed her.
~*~*~
"I'll try."
The whole class was still watching Ariana with great interest.
"This is mad." Growled Draco.
"What's mad Malfoy?" Asked Lavender tearing her eyes away from Ariana to look at Draco, which wasn't all that hard.
"It's a bloody invasion of privacy, that's what it is." Draco said not even bothering to look at the girl next to him.
Hermione, who was sitting right in front of Draco and Lavender, had to agree that this was an invasion of privacy. 'Dear Merlin I'm agreeing with Malfoy. But this has got to stop.'
Draco was getting more upset as time passed. He knew what Ariana was talking about. It was her last day of sixth year and she was saying goodbye to Donovan and trying to explain why she couldn't visit him over the summer. This was one of his favorite stories when he was little, how she out smarted her father and got to visit her Donovan. That had always given him hope and now it was being violated by this stupid potion. So he did the only thing that he could do: he ended the potion.
"Fintion."
Ariana gasped as the potion ended. She swallowed and looked around the room at her class, who were all staring at her. Then they began talking all at once about what they had heard.
However, Snape had heard enough. "Silence. Now I want all of you read chapters one and seven and write a three-parchment essay on the uses and effects on quintapeds saliva. Now bottle your potions and leave a marked bottle on my desk and clean up."
Neville turned to Ariana, shaking slightly. "I, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"About what?" Ariana asked putting the stopper on the vile of their Retrieval Potion.
"About what you said." His face turned pale and he was now looking down at his hands.
She looked over at him with confusion on her face. She did not know what he was talking about. "Neville, what did I say?"
He was about to answer when Draco walked over and began to speak, "Oh it was nothing you where just talking about the last time that you saw Donovan before you went to his house."
"Oh dear.." Was all that Ariana said as she packed up her potion supplies.
"Is that all you have to say about it?" Draco hissed. Ariana did not answer him, she just kept on packing. "How can you just sit there when some bloody potion invades your past?"
Ariana finished packing and set her bag on the back of her chair and looked up at Draco. "You seen even more distraught about this invasion of privacy than I do, Draco." Draco did not answer right away.
"How can you just sit there and not care that you just reenact the last day of sixth year in front of everyone?" Draco paused, "How can you just not care that you relieved one of the most painful days of your life in front of strangers?"
Ariana shrugged, "Well I can't say that it was on my to do list for this morning."
"How did you know that Malfoy?" Asked a newly arrived Hermione.
"What are you doing here Granger?" Draco sneered, turning around to look at her.
Hermione stiffed a bit and glared back. "Well Malfoy, the bell rang and I came over to see if Ariana had arithmancy next so I could show her how to get there."
"Yes I do." Ariana stood and slung her bag over her right shoulder preparing to leave. Hermione brushed past Draco to leave with Ariana, but Draco grabbed her bag strap to stop her.
"Not so fast, Granger. I need to talk to my dear cousin for a moment. We'll meet you there."
Ariana smiled at Hermione and nodded for her to go on with out her, then she turned towards Draco. "Why are you so upset? I know that it was one of your favorite stories when you where little but I just don't understand." They had left Snape's classroom and where now walking down a long narrow hallway with no other students.
"Yes, one of my stories. And it's not just the fact that the story was for me but if the others figure out that you're a thousand years old I won't get to spend time with you and we won't be able to work on that curse of yours."
She smirked. "So you want to get rid of me, do you?" "But of course." He drawled back. They arrived at Professor Vector's room and Draco opened the door and motioned for Ariana to go first. "My lady."
So rolled her eyes and sweep into the room followed by Draco.
* * * * *
AN: See? I didn't die, but I can see that some of you want me dead. oh well, it just means that I might no have to go back to school so yayness. And what is the stupid professor's name foe arithmancy? I couldn't find it and it's like 12:30 at night and I have work in like 9 hours so tell me, it be great of you. But this is a long chapter for me so I hope that you are all happy. Be happy damn it! I'll be happy on the 26! InuYasha coming back on TV! YAY! Everybody's favorite hanyou is back! ::does snoopy dance:: and I'm v. excited and you all should go watch it. August 26. Cartoon Network. Monday-Thursday. Midnight.(I live in Pa so according to all of that time zone crap...) Be there. Now I want you all to review and I'll give you something shinny. Shinny good. Love always(if you review), Francinator
Chapter Five
A Peek into the Past
Hermione lead the small group to a large portrait of a woman wearing a frilly pink dress.
Hermione cleared her throat. "Abalone." The woman in the portrait nodded and swung off the wall to reveal the Gryffindor common room. "Now pay attention to the passwords and do not write it down. So, the dormitories are up the stairs. Boys on the right and girls on the left; and I recommend that you all turn in very soon." Hermione then left the awed eleven-year-olds to go join her friends by the fire. She sat across from a scowling Ron, "What's wrong with you?"
Ron only mumbled something and slouched farther down in his chair.
"Pardon?" Asked Hermione.
Harry then spoke up. "He said, 'she's a Malfoy, how is it even possible that she made it into Gryffindor' or something like that." He shrugged and looked over at Ariana's retreating figure.
Hermione sighed, "You know Ron that she was sorted into Gryffindor by the same hat that sorted you."
"So!" Shouted Ron sitting up. "She could have put a dark spell on it you know!"
"Ron that's impossible, the hat can't be tricked." Hermione said.
"But she's a Malfoy! I mean she was bloody talking to Malfoy, you know that they were planing some evil scheme to get Harry here and serve him to You-Know-Who on a platter!" Ron yelled.
"Quiet Ron." Hissed Hermione. "Do you want her to hear?"
However it was not very possible that Ariana could hear anyone from down in the common room-even Ron- because she was too busy being bombarded with questions from Lavender and Parvati.
"So you're really related to Draco?"
"What's he like?"
"Does he write poetry?"
"Are his eyes blue or gray?"
"How soft is his hair?"
"What's his favorite color?"
"He has a six pack, right?"
"What's his favorite food?"
"What kind of chocolate does he like?"
"Light?"
"Dark?"
"White?"
"Can he sing?"
"What does he look for in a woman?"
"Boxers? Or Briefs?"
Ariana just stared at the two girls and wondered how she would ever survive rooming with them and their apparently nonstop questions about Draco so she did the only thing she could do; she charmed away their voices. "Silencio." Smirking in satisfaction at the two very confused girls.
"Now if you two are finished, I've had a very trying day and I would just like to retire to bed without being grilled about Draco. And I say this in the nicest way possible." Ariana explained as she pulled out her nightclothes (from Madam Malkin) and made her was over to the adjoining bathroom. She stopped and the door and faced her roommates. "You girls do understand, don't you?" Lavender and Parvati just nodded. Ariana smiled, "Good. Finite Incantatum." She removed the spell and entered the bathroom.
Parvati coughed and looked over at her friend and said, "Well now we know that she really is a Malfoy. Who else would cast a voice lock spell on her first night?" Lavender nodded in agreement and the two got ready for bed.
* * * * *
Hermione was ecstatic, it was the first day of school and she could not wait until her first class. She finished brushing her hair and then pinned her polished Prefect badge on her chest, grabbed her books and made her way to the common room to wait for her friends.
However, on the other side or the tower Ron, Harry and the rest of their roommates were all still sound asleep.
Back in the sixth year girls' dormitories Lavender and Parvati where awake and dressed staring at the closed curtains of Ariana's bed wondering whether or not they should wake their new roommate. They decided that even if she would be mad at them she would probably be furious at them if she missed her first class. So together- after they couldn't decide who would do it- they pulled back the drapes only to find an empty bed. After further investigation they saw that Ariana's school bag was also gone. Shrugging they returned to the bathroom to put the finishing touches on their faces.
Ariana, who had up for over an hour was now in the Gryffindor common room trying to remember what was the fastest way to get to the Slytherin dorms when Hermione walked down the stairs and spotted her.
"Ariana, what are you doing up so early?" Hermione asked readjusting her bag that looked as if it were about to break in protest of all the books it was carrying.
"Oh just wanted to get to breakfast early and get my timetable." Ariana replied while thinking that any hopes of talking to Draco before classes were now gone.
"Let's go down together, that way you wont get lost and I don't have to wait for Harry and Ron to get down here." Hermione smiled and went over to the portrait waiting for Ariana who followed.
"So," Hermione began after a few minutes of walking together in silence, "Ariana how was your first night with Lavender and Parvati? I know mine was awful."
Ariana smiled slightly and replied, "I was bombarded with questions about Draco the very instance that I entered the room."
"Yeah, one of us should have warned you." Hermione cringed, "They're obsessed with Malfoy."
Now Ariana smiled. "And with good reason."
Hermione nearly choked and stopped grabbing Ariana on the shoulder and spinning her so she could look at her. "What do you mean with good reason? Malfoy is a slimy little rat faced git, who would know common decency if it danced around naked in front of him!"
"Now I wouldn't call him rat faced Hermione." Ariana was looking Hermione in the eyes, which wasn't very hard considering Ariana was only an inch or so taller than Hermione. "But the Draco I know is a kind, handsome, funny Renaissance man who would do anything for the ones he loved. And I have known him all of his life."
"Oh." Was all Hermione could say under the steady gaze of Ariana.
Ariana smiled and started to walk away with Hermione right behind her.
By the time they reached the practically empty Great Hall both were talking about arithmancy and the theory of time and space when Draco walked up behind them and said,
"So are we going to talk?"
Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice. How long had he been walking behind them?
"Hmm." Ariana turned around and faced Draco. "How about after breakfast?"
"How about now?" Draco asked in a slightly irritated tone. He wanted to know why she didn't appear dead.
"No, I'd rather talk after breakfast."
"Well I'd rather talk now." Draco's voice was very low and clipped as he moved to tower over Ariana, who didn't seem to care.
"After breakfast. I'm hungry." She didn't even flinch.
By now Draco's jaw was clenched. "I want to talk now." Hermione could almost feel the tension between the two and decided to step in.
"Didn't you hear her Malfoy? She said she would talk to you after breakfast. Or are you too stupid to-"
"Stay out of this mudblood."
Ariana's eyes widened then narrowed dangerously at Draco. "Apologize." She commanded, pointing to Hermione. Draco just glared back saying nothing. "Now." Said Ariana.
Hermione was nervous. When one Malfoy was mad things were not good, but now she had two mad Malfoys on her hands and she really did not know what to do.
"Ariana?" Hermione asked getting no reply she tried again. "Ariana it's alright, Malfoy doesn't have to apologize."
Still the Malfoys glared at each other neither one backing down. This was the sight that greeted Harry and Ron as the entered the Great Hall. They both rushed to Hermione with Harry asking if she was all right. Hermione only nodded still staring at Ariana and Draco.
"What's going on?" Asked Ron.
Hermione sighed still staring at the two glaring Malfoys. "I haven't the slightest idea. First Malfoy wanted to talk to Ariana but she said after breakfast and he got angry, then I tried to break them up and Malfoy (being the wonderful gentleman that he is) called me a mudblood and Ariana told him to apologize and now they're still staring at each other."
The three Gryffindors stared at the two Malfoys both so similar, both with the same unnerving stare that would cause many grown wizards to look away in fear. It was now that Harry and Ron realized what Parvati was talking about last night at the feast, Ariana was a female carbon copy of Draco and that the male population of Hogwarts would soon be starting their own 'we love Malfoy club'.
Finally Ariana spoke, "Draco Lucius Malfoy apologize to Hermione this instant." Her voice was low and threatening but Draco did nothing, he just continued to glare. "Alright then," She paused and tilted her head slightly to the right, "Lucius, don't apologize." She smirked knowing that she hit a nerve.
Draco stiffened. "What are you implying?"
"That you're no better then he is."
That's what broke Draco. Being compared to his bastard father. Turning to face Hermione he sighed. "I'm sorry for calling you a mudblood. You didn't deserve to be called that."
Saying that Hermione was stunned would be an understatement. She was staring at Malfoy with her mouth hanging open. Ariana was smiling at Draco; "We'll talk after breakfast." He nodded and made his way to the Slytherin table.
"That was bloody unbelievable, she got Malfoy to apologize." Ron was in awe as he sat down next to Ariana and asked her, "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?" She asked taking a bit of her French toast.
"Make Malfoy apologize."
"Oh, I didn't make him. He did that on his own." Explained Ariana as she started to butter some toast.
Harry, who was sitting across form Ariana, stared at her. "How?"
She laughed. "I've known Draco for a long time and he doesn't do anything unless he wants to."
Ron shook his head in disbelief and started to eat.
In under ten minutes the entire Great Hall was filled and the four heads of house where passing out the new timetables. Every sixth year Gryffindor groaned as they saw what their first class of the day was. Double Potions with the Slytherins.
Harry sighed and looked at Ron. "Every bloody year. You'd think someone would go for something different once and a while."
"Now see that would be fair and make sense and we're not that lucky." Ron then but off a very large piece of sausage with about four pieces of bacon around it and munched happily away while Hermione looked on in disgust.
She looked at her two friends and said "Come on you two potions this year is suppose to be very exciting and don't forget that the N.E.W.T.'s are next year." Ron waived her off and turned the topic of conversation to the new Quidditch season. She sighed irritably and turned to Ariana who was studying her new timetable and eating her French toast. "So, Ariana, what do you have today?"
"Double Potions," She began but was interrupted by a faint clinking noise. Professor McGonagall was standing in front of the Great Hall tapping her spoon against the side of her goblet. The Great Hall fell silent and she began to speak.
"Now that I have everyone's attention our Headmaster would like to make an announcement." Professor McGonagall then took her seat and looked at Dumbledore who was smiling at all of his students.
"I have just received an owl from the head of the new Department of Wizard Moral and they have asked that we hold a ball this year in order to keep up our spirits and to promote inter-house relationships." He was smiling and his eyes were shinning as the Great Hall burst out into excited chatter. Dumbledore held up his hands to silence the crowd and continued, "Now we have not yet picked a date. So, in order to do so, I will be having a meeting with your Head Boy, Head Girl and Prefects on Wednesday evening in order to decide that. Now that leaves all of you about two and a half days to express to them what day you would like it to be held." Every Prefect groaned at the thought of not having a moment of peace until Wednesday night. Hermione just sunk lower into her chair. With one last smile Dumbledore sat back down and began to eat.
"Oh my gosh! A ball! I am so beyond excited!" Gushed Lavender and about every other girl in the Great Hall.
* * * * *
"So, Dracy," Purred Pansy as she leaned over his left shoulder and trailed a finger down his cheek. "How about I let you take me to the Ball?"
'Not even if Hell froze over and satin took up figure skating and did a duet with Voldemort would I go with you.' Draco swatted her hand away and snorted. Gathering his books he stood and left for the dungeons.
* * * * *
Ariana watched as Draco brushed off Pansy and leave the Hall. 'Now would be a perfect time to talk.' Thought Ariana as she got up and followed Draco.
Hermione looked at Ariana's retreating figure. 'I wonder where she's going?'
* * * * *
Draco walked down one of the many different staircases and skipped the seventh from the bottom as he continued to mutter random curses to that new department and Parkinson. He was about to start on the lovely new topic of Lucius when he heard a startled cry behind him. He spun around with his wand drawn, only to find Ariana with her right leg sunken knee deep in the seventh stair.
"Well are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?" Asked a very peeved Ariana. When he did not move she sent him a quick glare before she tried to pull her leg out of the stair.
Draco watched with an amused look on his face, then began to chuckle. Putting his wand away he went over to her and lifted her out of the step and sent her down on the one below.
"Well I'm glad that you didn't take your sweet time helping me." Ariana said sarcastically whale readjusting her sock. Draco was still laughing at what had happened but stopped when Ariana hit him in the back of the head. "It's not funny! I haven't been here for over a thousand years, you try to remember something as trivial as these stupid trick stairs." She then began to walk of into the dark halls of the dungeons with Draco silently laughing behind her.
They where walking for about four minutes when Draco called out, "Do you even know where you're going?" Ariana stopped walking and looked straight ahead.
"No."
"Well then shouldn't you be following me?" Draco smirked and he took the lead.
* * * * *
"Hurry up Ron, or we're going to be late. And I really don't feel like getting a detention on the first day." Harry said standing next to Ron, who was still eating.
Ron looked up and was about to say something but caught Hermione's glare and dropped his fork. The trio then made their way down to the dungeons and slipped in just as the bell rang and quickly took three seats in the back. The class became quite as Professor Snape entered the room in his usual manner with his black cape billowing behind him. He surveyed his class and began the lesson.
"Today class you will be reviewing a simple potion that you learned how to make last year." With a flick of his wrist the potion and all of the ingredients appeared on the board. "However," he began, causing his students to stop. "You will be working in pairs. That I will assign." The entire class groaned. Snape ignored the outburst and continued. "Now you will move to an empty workspace and begin." With another flick of his wand the student's names appeared in pairs on the board next to the list of potion ingredients.
The entire class groaned again and reluctantly moved to find their partners.
Ron had a look of pure disgust and horror on his face as he sat down next to his new partner, Millicent Bulstrode. Harry on the other hand didn't have to worry about his partner putting him in a headlock because, simply put; Pansy Parkinson would rather kiss Trevor the Toad than touch him. Hermione got stuck with Blaze Zabini who was a fairly competent person, there was just the little fact that he was as predigest as they come. Lavender made her way to where Draco was sitting comfortably in his usual seat with a huge smile on her face. Considering all of that Ariana got a wonderful partner, Neville Longbottom.
Neville paled slightly as he saw that they were making a Retrieval Potion (makes a person relive a date in their minds to help with memory curses or just to find out where you left your wand, also if a separate party administers it the person speaks what they said on the aforementioned date).
"What's wrong?" Ariana asked as she set her cauldron over the small fire. She turned to look at him. "Neville?"
He looked down at the table. "Last time I made this I spent three days in the hospital wing."
"Not this time." Ariana began to add three cups of spring water and seven shredded white rose pedals.
Twenty minutes and eight ingredients later it was time for the final three ingredients. Ariana added the two crushed beetle shells she had Neville add a teaspoon of dried lavender and after stirring counterclockwise fifty times he added, with Ariana's encouragement, seven drops of elephant blood.
"The potion ought to be a pale gray color, not pink Wesley." Said Snape as he looked down at Ron and Millicent's potion, which was giving off a rotten cabbage smell. "Now who will be so brave as to test out their potion?" Snap scanned the room and his eyes fell on Neville who was looking down at his desk and praying that he wouldn't be called on. "Longbottom," Neville's head jerked up to look at Snape with wide eyes. "You will test your potion on your new partner. Now."
Neville gulped and started to shakily spoon out half of a cup to give to Ariana.
Draco was not a very happy person when Snape had announced that Ariana would be testing out Longbottom's potion. "Now Professor, do you really think that you should punish his partner when you could just punish Longbottom?" He drawled
"Now, now Draco, I have complete and utter faith in our potion. Nothing will go wrong."
"Yes Mr. Malfoy, why don't you listen to your cousin and have some faith. Miss Malfoy?" Snape looked at Ariana and smiled gesturing to the potion that she held in her hand. With that Ariana drank the potion. In a few seconds it had taken effect she stared at Neville with blank eyes.
He gulped and thought of the first date that came to mind. "The last day before summer holiday." The entire class waited for Ariana to speak.
"Promise?" The entire class gasped and Ariana continued. "Please, I need you to." Snape sneered as the potion began to work. 'Oh well, Potter's bound to do something before the end of class.'
~*~*~
"For you anything."
Ariana smiled at the man standing in front of her. Holding both of her hands he brought them up to his mouth and kissed them.
"Thank you, Donovan. I know that you mean well but you don't know father like I do." Ariana closed her eyes in relief.
Donovan leaned down so that their foreheads touched. "So when can I expect you? Mum has been dying to meet you."
She pulled away and walked over to the large tower window and stared out across the grounds. "You know I still can't believe the view from up here."
"See now you're just changing the subject." Donovan tsked. He walked over and hugged Ariana from behind and placing his chin on her right shoulder. "I know that the Gryffindor tower has a much better view than the dungeons Slytherin has you in, but.."
"You can see the lake. I love the way it looks when the sun sets."
"You're changing the subject again." He sighed. Pulling back he spun her around so she was facing him again. "I know you don't want to talk about it but, I can't stand not seeing you for three months. And besides my mum wants to meet the woman who has captured my heart." He looked in her eyes and saw nothing, and that either meant that she was mad or thinking. He was really hoping for thinking. Leaving on the wrong foot would not help him try and persuade her to visit over the holiday.
"He wouldn't allow it." She broke away from him and began to magically pack his trunk.
He sighed and plucked out his Charms book midair and tossed it on the nearby desk. "Since when does the Ariana Malfoy care what someone allows her to do?"
Ariana stopped packing and gave a soft snort, "Since the day I was born."
Donovan over to Ariana and ran his hands up and down her arms. "Well then break away, Ariana. You're brilliant and powerful and no one can stop you."
"Father could. He could kill me, or worse kill you." Ariana looked up into his eyes. "And I wouldn't want to live without you."
Donovan smiled and leaned down so that they where only centimeters away and wispered, "Don't talk like that." And kissed her.
~*~*~
"I'll try."
The whole class was still watching Ariana with great interest.
"This is mad." Growled Draco.
"What's mad Malfoy?" Asked Lavender tearing her eyes away from Ariana to look at Draco, which wasn't all that hard.
"It's a bloody invasion of privacy, that's what it is." Draco said not even bothering to look at the girl next to him.
Hermione, who was sitting right in front of Draco and Lavender, had to agree that this was an invasion of privacy. 'Dear Merlin I'm agreeing with Malfoy. But this has got to stop.'
Draco was getting more upset as time passed. He knew what Ariana was talking about. It was her last day of sixth year and she was saying goodbye to Donovan and trying to explain why she couldn't visit him over the summer. This was one of his favorite stories when he was little, how she out smarted her father and got to visit her Donovan. That had always given him hope and now it was being violated by this stupid potion. So he did the only thing that he could do: he ended the potion.
"Fintion."
Ariana gasped as the potion ended. She swallowed and looked around the room at her class, who were all staring at her. Then they began talking all at once about what they had heard.
However, Snape had heard enough. "Silence. Now I want all of you read chapters one and seven and write a three-parchment essay on the uses and effects on quintapeds saliva. Now bottle your potions and leave a marked bottle on my desk and clean up."
Neville turned to Ariana, shaking slightly. "I, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"
"About what?" Ariana asked putting the stopper on the vile of their Retrieval Potion.
"About what you said." His face turned pale and he was now looking down at his hands.
She looked over at him with confusion on her face. She did not know what he was talking about. "Neville, what did I say?"
He was about to answer when Draco walked over and began to speak, "Oh it was nothing you where just talking about the last time that you saw Donovan before you went to his house."
"Oh dear.." Was all that Ariana said as she packed up her potion supplies.
"Is that all you have to say about it?" Draco hissed. Ariana did not answer him, she just kept on packing. "How can you just sit there when some bloody potion invades your past?"
Ariana finished packing and set her bag on the back of her chair and looked up at Draco. "You seen even more distraught about this invasion of privacy than I do, Draco." Draco did not answer right away.
"How can you just sit there and not care that you just reenact the last day of sixth year in front of everyone?" Draco paused, "How can you just not care that you relieved one of the most painful days of your life in front of strangers?"
Ariana shrugged, "Well I can't say that it was on my to do list for this morning."
"How did you know that Malfoy?" Asked a newly arrived Hermione.
"What are you doing here Granger?" Draco sneered, turning around to look at her.
Hermione stiffed a bit and glared back. "Well Malfoy, the bell rang and I came over to see if Ariana had arithmancy next so I could show her how to get there."
"Yes I do." Ariana stood and slung her bag over her right shoulder preparing to leave. Hermione brushed past Draco to leave with Ariana, but Draco grabbed her bag strap to stop her.
"Not so fast, Granger. I need to talk to my dear cousin for a moment. We'll meet you there."
Ariana smiled at Hermione and nodded for her to go on with out her, then she turned towards Draco. "Why are you so upset? I know that it was one of your favorite stories when you where little but I just don't understand." They had left Snape's classroom and where now walking down a long narrow hallway with no other students.
"Yes, one of my stories. And it's not just the fact that the story was for me but if the others figure out that you're a thousand years old I won't get to spend time with you and we won't be able to work on that curse of yours."
She smirked. "So you want to get rid of me, do you?" "But of course." He drawled back. They arrived at Professor Vector's room and Draco opened the door and motioned for Ariana to go first. "My lady."
So rolled her eyes and sweep into the room followed by Draco.
* * * * *
AN: See? I didn't die, but I can see that some of you want me dead. oh well, it just means that I might no have to go back to school so yayness. And what is the stupid professor's name foe arithmancy? I couldn't find it and it's like 12:30 at night and I have work in like 9 hours so tell me, it be great of you. But this is a long chapter for me so I hope that you are all happy. Be happy damn it! I'll be happy on the 26! InuYasha coming back on TV! YAY! Everybody's favorite hanyou is back! ::does snoopy dance:: and I'm v. excited and you all should go watch it. August 26. Cartoon Network. Monday-Thursday. Midnight.(I live in Pa so according to all of that time zone crap...) Be there. Now I want you all to review and I'll give you something shinny. Shinny good. Love always(if you review), Francinator
