Chapter Forty-three

After dinner, Araminta took a long hot bath with magical, pink bubbles that smelled like bubble gum and didn't pop until she drained the tub. She missed having Bollocksy around to scrub her back.

Araminta rubbed herself off with a thick, Egyptian cotton towel. She used her wand to style her hair and fix her makeup, then flopped down on her bed. All she wanted was a good night's sleep.

But too bad for her. She had detention.

On the up side, she reflected, she got to have detention with her soulmate. She gathered her reserves of energy and managed to get dressed in an old work robe she found in her closet (just in case Madam Pince gave them a dirty job to do).

Araminta walked into the library at 9:59. Madam Pince was tapping her foot and staring at her watch. Harry was already there, looking glum.

"You're...not late," Madam Pince sighed. She looked like she would dearly have liked to give Araminta another detention.

"No, I'm not." Araminta smirked at her. "What do we have to do? I want to get this over with."

"You have to alphabetize all of the books that were returned today, put them in their proper places, and dust all of the shelves." Madam Pince glared at both of them. "If you're not done by midnight, it's another day for the both of you." She pointed one long, bony finger at a cart full of books and stormed out of the library.

Araminta and Harry shared a secret glance, then, when they realized that they were truly alone, they fell into full-blown gales of laughter. "Oh, oh, oh," said Araminta, wiping away a tear. "Did you see the drama?"

"Yeah," laughed Harry. "She's always like that when she thinks someone is going to harm her precious library."

When they could finally stand up straight again, Araminta and Harry inspected the cart full of books. There weren't too many, but it would still take them all night to put them all back on the shelves.

"This sucks," Harry remarked.

Araminta nodded. "But it doesn't have to." She raised her wand. "Alphebetize." The books jumped into the air and fell back down in the right order. "At least this way we don't have to sort them too."

"That was a pretty good idea," said Harry admiringly. "You know as many spells as Hermione."

"Well, it runs in the family," said Araminta before she could remember to stop herself.

Harry gave her a curious look. "What?"

"Um, nothing?" said Araminta. Harry turned his head to the side and looked her up and down. This made Araminta weak in the knees, and she sat down abruptly on the edge of the cart.

"Okay. Want to ride?" Harry nodded at the cart.

A minute later, Harry was pushing Araminta up and down the long rows of books. Araminta put the books in the right places as Harry went along. "This wasn't what I was expecting for a Hogwarts detention."

"Usually they're much harder," noted Harry. "I usually have to do something with Snape, or I get paired up with Draco, the jerk. What sorts of detentions did you have in Japan?"

"Oh, the usual. Scrubbing the floors, washing the windows, writing the rules over and over, that sort of thing," Araminta said. She really had no idea how people were punished in Japan.

When the last book was on the shelf, Harry began pushing the cart really fast. He careened around corners and Araminta squealed and held on really tight. "Careful, careful," she laughed as Harry made silly broomstick noises.

All of a sudden, Harry lost control and the cart tumbled over. Araminta fell to the floor with the cart trapping her underneath.

From far away, she heard Harry shout "Wingardium Leviosa!" and the cart flew away. Harry fell to his knees and gathered her up in his arms. "Oh, can you ever forgive me? I can't believe--I can't believe I did that. If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. I'd never forgive myself," he finished, his face serious. He was very pale as if he'd been scared.

"It's all right, not even a scratch," said Araminta, who noticed that Harry's face was very close to hers and that he was still holding her very tightly. "You didn't mean it."

Harry leaned forward, his green eyes glowing with heated passion. "All I want is, is..." He trailed off, suddenly uncertain. "Um, maybe I shouldn't be getting in the way of my destiny."

Before Araminta could talk to Harry any more, they heard feet approaching in the hall and they jumped apart, straightening their robes to hide the evidence. Harry righted the cart and Araminta grabbed a rag and started dusting the shelves with a new fervor.

Madam Pince came in and put her hands on her hips. "Well," she said, "I can see that you've put the books away. Very good. I'll excuse you from the rest, then." She waved them out the door.

Araminta and Harry looked at each other. This was an unexpected surprise. "Thanks, Madam Pince," they said together.

They walked into the hall. "So, you want to go get some cocoa?" asked Araminta.

"I'm not all that thirsty, thanks," said Harry. He looked at her awkwardly, and Araminta noticed that his hair was sticking up in that really cute way. "But, um, maybe I could walk you back to your room?"

"I would be honored to have you walk me back to my room, Harry Potter." Araminta took Harry's arm and let him lead her down through the halls toward her room.

"So, um, did you know that tomorrow is a Hogsmeade day? You can visit the only all-wizard town around and do all sorts of fun things, like get candy at Honeydukes, have a butterbeer and The Three Broomsticks, get scared at the Shrieking Shack, or go to Zonko's Joke Shop."

"Wow, that sounds like fun," said Araminta. "I had better go too, then, because I need to go shopping for a costume for the Quidditch Ball!"

"What are you going to be?" asked Harry.

Araminta started to say, "It's no fun if you tell," but she heard a strange sound coming from around the next corner so she said "shh" instead and pulled Harry behind a tapestry.

"You can't, you just can't! We should stay close, for the child if nothing else," said one voice.

"I don't think you understand," said the other. "It is not so simple as that. Don't you understand? The child's life would be in danger from Death Eaters. It could not be associated with me at all."

"You're going to keep it, though?"

There was a long pause. "Thank you."

The pattering of little feet came their way, and Harry and Araminta shrank into the shadows. Araminta couldn't help peeking, though, when she heard a person crying. When she looked out from behind the tapestry, she was pretty sure she spotted Pansy running by.