Chapter Nine: The Way We Get By
(In the Living Room)
As the group disapparated from the alley and appeared in the old mansion, they all split ways. Except for Hermione, she stayed behind with Ariadne. She wanted answers, she wanted to know what was going on with her, she was concerned.
"Ari, what is going on, I know this was no accident, as did Farrell..." Hermione's face serious and concerned all at once, but she would not let Ariadne escape the question.
"Can you not tell anyone?" Ariadne had a pleading voice and expression.
"Of course I can, you know I can..." Hermione smiled assuringly.
"Well... You know I was a Slytherin and how I hadn't joined the Order till about a year ago..." Ariadne paused, breathing in deeply, "Well, my friend April... Yes, April Burns... and I made a bet on something in relation to Neville, he doesn't know it was me..."
Hermione just watched Ariadne, who was spilling her heart about her past to her. She remembered April, quite well actually... April had teased Hermione endlessy throughout her seventh year, but she didn't realize that Ariadne had been friends with her till now.
"You know that close call he had with a Sect of Secrecy member a couple years back.... April organized it and I had bet 20 galleons on his death..." Ariadne was now in tears, "I regret it so much, I was so surprised when Harry let me join the Order so willingly..." She was almost sobbing now.
Hermione had no idea what to say, this was a blow... A huge blow... She hugged Ariadne for a moment, then pushes her lightly by her shoulders, looking her in the eyes carefully.
"That was a horrible thing to do, Ari, but look at all the good things you have done since..." Hermione paused, "You have saved lives, you have saved Neville's skin many'a times.... I won't tell him, but realize it may be discovered...."
"Thank you so much, Hermione..." Ariadne choked back tears.
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(In the Kitchen)
"I'm worried about Aria...." Farrell said, distraction obvious in his tone.
"I'm worried about you..." Harry said, looking at Farrell, "You have been really distant ever since Tom came around earlier..."
"That's none of your business...." Farrell stated flatly and firmly.
"It may not be, but as leader of the Order, I want all my fellow Order people to be in a right state..." Harry paused, "Which you are obviously not!"
"I'm fine!!" Farrell boomed, a tear streaming his cheek.
"Farrell, calm down, it's nothing..." Ron said, offering a tissue after seeing the tear.
"Fin! You want to know what it is?" Farrell wiped his eye, seeming really upset he continued, "I'm still in love with Tom, but I have regret because I've fallen for another... Now after many years I see him and I'm not happy, I'm empty...."
Harry and Ron watched their friend who was so upset, he was almost crying. Both believed not only did her worry for Ariadne, his best friend, but he worried for himself. He seemed to hate this 'emptiness' he had felt when he saw Tom and it was breaking his heart. Neither Harry nor Ron knew what they could possibly say to change the mood.
"I wish I could forget things like you, Harry..." Farrell stated in a hollow voice.
"What does that mean?" Ron asked, cocking a brow.
"He forgot about Cho so easily... Especially after he and Ginny started dating..." Farrell's voice was still very hollow.
"WHAT?!!!" Ron boomed, "YOU'RE WITH GINNY, HARRY?!?"
"Yes..." Harry said, looking at his feet, "We didn't tell you cause you were worried about Quidditch and the N.E.W.T.s that year, we didn't want to distract you..."
"You still should have told me..." Ron calmed himself a bit, "I'm glad that you two are together, though I'm surprised... I had thought she'd gotten over her crush..."
"Not really it was there, only lingering..." Harry said.
"Wow.... So much to learn!" Ron spoke while pouring himself a glass of Butterbeer and downing it almost instantaneously, "I feel like we live in a soap opera, Harry..."
"We pretty much do, Ron..." Harry stated jokingly.
(In the Living Room)
As the group disapparated from the alley and appeared in the old mansion, they all split ways. Except for Hermione, she stayed behind with Ariadne. She wanted answers, she wanted to know what was going on with her, she was concerned.
"Ari, what is going on, I know this was no accident, as did Farrell..." Hermione's face serious and concerned all at once, but she would not let Ariadne escape the question.
"Can you not tell anyone?" Ariadne had a pleading voice and expression.
"Of course I can, you know I can..." Hermione smiled assuringly.
"Well... You know I was a Slytherin and how I hadn't joined the Order till about a year ago..." Ariadne paused, breathing in deeply, "Well, my friend April... Yes, April Burns... and I made a bet on something in relation to Neville, he doesn't know it was me..."
Hermione just watched Ariadne, who was spilling her heart about her past to her. She remembered April, quite well actually... April had teased Hermione endlessy throughout her seventh year, but she didn't realize that Ariadne had been friends with her till now.
"You know that close call he had with a Sect of Secrecy member a couple years back.... April organized it and I had bet 20 galleons on his death..." Ariadne was now in tears, "I regret it so much, I was so surprised when Harry let me join the Order so willingly..." She was almost sobbing now.
Hermione had no idea what to say, this was a blow... A huge blow... She hugged Ariadne for a moment, then pushes her lightly by her shoulders, looking her in the eyes carefully.
"That was a horrible thing to do, Ari, but look at all the good things you have done since..." Hermione paused, "You have saved lives, you have saved Neville's skin many'a times.... I won't tell him, but realize it may be discovered...."
"Thank you so much, Hermione..." Ariadne choked back tears.
************************
(In the Kitchen)
"I'm worried about Aria...." Farrell said, distraction obvious in his tone.
"I'm worried about you..." Harry said, looking at Farrell, "You have been really distant ever since Tom came around earlier..."
"That's none of your business...." Farrell stated flatly and firmly.
"It may not be, but as leader of the Order, I want all my fellow Order people to be in a right state..." Harry paused, "Which you are obviously not!"
"I'm fine!!" Farrell boomed, a tear streaming his cheek.
"Farrell, calm down, it's nothing..." Ron said, offering a tissue after seeing the tear.
"Fin! You want to know what it is?" Farrell wiped his eye, seeming really upset he continued, "I'm still in love with Tom, but I have regret because I've fallen for another... Now after many years I see him and I'm not happy, I'm empty...."
Harry and Ron watched their friend who was so upset, he was almost crying. Both believed not only did her worry for Ariadne, his best friend, but he worried for himself. He seemed to hate this 'emptiness' he had felt when he saw Tom and it was breaking his heart. Neither Harry nor Ron knew what they could possibly say to change the mood.
"I wish I could forget things like you, Harry..." Farrell stated in a hollow voice.
"What does that mean?" Ron asked, cocking a brow.
"He forgot about Cho so easily... Especially after he and Ginny started dating..." Farrell's voice was still very hollow.
"WHAT?!!!" Ron boomed, "YOU'RE WITH GINNY, HARRY?!?"
"Yes..." Harry said, looking at his feet, "We didn't tell you cause you were worried about Quidditch and the N.E.W.T.s that year, we didn't want to distract you..."
"You still should have told me..." Ron calmed himself a bit, "I'm glad that you two are together, though I'm surprised... I had thought she'd gotten over her crush..."
"Not really it was there, only lingering..." Harry said.
"Wow.... So much to learn!" Ron spoke while pouring himself a glass of Butterbeer and downing it almost instantaneously, "I feel like we live in a soap opera, Harry..."
"We pretty much do, Ron..." Harry stated jokingly.