Chapter 28
Harry had a time frame the next week.
Early on Ariana told him she was going to be going home at the weekend as she had stayed at school the last one. She wanted to see Aberforth and the goats.
He had got permission from Aberforth to talk her to the ball. He hadn't believe it when he had. He had been sure the adding man would say no to him after what had happened in the first task. Now all he had to do was ask her. He felt coy about it. Her hadn't ever had to ask a girl out any where before. Let alone his best friend.
It was just Ariana, yet she was still a girl. He was beginning to see that as well.
When most saw her they saw her disability, but not him. Not any more. He saw someone who he believed to be – well, pretty. He hadn't seen someone like that before.
Sitting in the common room together he sighed. She sat with the end of her quill in her month looking hard at her parchment. He took the opportunity to take her in. Her blue eyes were so clear. So unlike they had been in September.
"I am going to be so glad when I get this essay done." She said to him.
"Yeah?"
"Yup. Its for McGonagall. Then providing I get no more then I am done with work for Christmas." she said to him. She had wrote it surprisingly quickly. She had got to grips with writing now. Reading she found harder. And she was sure she still didn't have enough vocabulary to be up with the first years. But that night she didn't care.
"You're lucky. I am not nearly done yet."
"It's cause you have s o many classes. You work hardly than me."
"I doubt that."
She looked at him for a moment. He had real faith in her and she knew it. Whenever she doubted herself he was always there with a comment like that to pick her up. He was extraordinary like that. Yet still just Harry.
"Are you going to be staying here for Christmas." he blurted out. She had too. And if she wasn't then he had to know.
"I don't know yet. I need to talk to Aberforth and Albus about it," she said to him obviously still focusing on the essay more than him. She wanted to spend Christmas with both of them really. They were both her brothers and they had had some wonderful Christmases when they had been at home with there mother and father. She smiled as she always did when she remembered the old days when they had truly been a family. Kendra and Percival had made sure to make the Yule tide special for there children. They had never been able to afford much of course. But it had been enough. And all of there children looked back at that time fondly. Lost in thought for a moment she had a far away look in her eyes that made Harry sure there was so much more to her he was yet to find out. He wanted to know everything.
"Are you ok?" he said to her.
She nodded as she put her quill down by her side, brushing his hand with hers. It was the gentlest touch but Harry felt as if she had passed something from herself to him.
"Yeah." she nodded smiling.
Come on Harry, he thought to himself.
Bite the bullet. He had to ask her and if he did not then he would regret it.
"There's the ball here at Christmas." he reminded her.
She nodded. She hadn't given it much thought. It was part of the tournament. and while she was sure that it would be a lot of fun she did doubt she was going to get the permission of her brothers to attend. She didn't want to get her hopes up. Not this time.
"Yeah." she repeated absently.
"Would you like to go?" Harry asked while he had the courage. "With me?"
She looked at him oddly. He was her best friend. And now he was asking her something which sounded to her like something you wouldn't ask a best friend. Round the castle she had heard girls giggling about who was going to ask them to the ball. But it seemed to her awfully grown up to go to the ball with someone. It seemed to her like some thing a mother and father might go to before they were married. When they were courting. She knew her parents had attended a few together. She had seen the pictures. Her mother had had the most beautiful dresses for balls. She remembered wanting ones like them when she was old enough to court. Which was she realized now. She was fifteen, after all.
But the question had been presented to her out the blue and so she nodded and said what came to her naturally.
"Ok then."
She it so quietly he wasn't sure he had heard right. But the look in her eyes told him he had. And so he smiled back at her. They were going to the ball.
"So it does seem our Cinderella is going to the ball." said Albus to his brother.
Aberforth grunted.
He regretted his answer to Harry now. He didn't know why he had said yes to him in the first place. He supposed he had been surprised and he hadn't really thought about it. And now his sister was off to the ball. Much to his annoyance he realized if he wanted to be with her on Christmas day he was going to have to go as well. He could think of nothing less he'd like to do on Christmas day than go to a school Ball. What was wrong with staying at home eating dinner.
"Did I do the right thing for her allowing her to go?" he asked.
"I think you did, I think she needs to be with people her own age and it is obvious that Harry cares for her if she came to you to ask to take her. If something goes wrong then we are both going to be close on hand." Albus shrugged. He was thrilled for his sister.
"I know. It just feels odd her going with a boy some where!" He wondered if this was how his father would have felt he saw his little girl all grown up.
"She was going to fall in love some time." Albus shrugged. He had always known that they weren't going to be the only men she loved for ever. Apparently his brother had thought they would be.
When you looked past her illness she was a beautiful young women. Why shouldn't she be courted? Have fun and laugh with a lad her own age.
"Is she ever going to be able to have a proper relationship though? I love her but I am not so blind to her I cant see she isn't all there. Is she going to be able to cope with a boy liking her?"
It was a weird and awkward conversation for them to be having. When she had come in the summer it hadn't dawned on Aberforth that some one might Evert like her enough in that way. She had been ill. But she had changed in the days she had been at Hogwarts. She had matured.
The potion had changed everything though. And in her sane state he knew there brother was right. She was very much like every other girl. Why should she not fall in love?
But then he was probably blowing everything out of proportion. They were two teenagers going to a party together. That was all he told himself. It was innocent. And when it was done they would still just be friends.
-
"Hey there he is the chip off the old block. That's my boy!" Harry heard as he walked down the empty corridor.
Apparently his godfather was behind him.
He turned to Sirius with a smile on his face. He was taking a girl to the ball. She had said yes. He felt like - like - a marauder.
"I'm proud of you boy." said Sirius wrapping an arm round his shoulders and kissing his forehead quickly.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I am sure you two are going to make a sweet couple." he teased.
"Shut up." he said to him playful.
"No seriously Harry I think the two of you are going to make each other happy."
"I don't know what you're on about we are going together as friends."
"Of course you are. That is why you asked her brother for permission to take her. God, Harry are you secretly planning on marrying the girl?"
-
Ariana looked out the window. The news that she and Harry were going to the ball together was spreading and she knew it. The oddest couple at Hogwarts. That was what they were.
Smiling she thought for the first time how much she loved being weird. As long as it was with him. It felt good to be together. Harry coming in to the common room looked at her.
"More snow today." he said to her.
"Yes I saw it. I was thinking as about going out to build a snow man in a bit." she said to him. "Do you want to come?" he nodded.
"Sounds like fun."
"Good."
Within fifteen minutes of her suggestion they were out in the ground building it together.
"Every one talking about the two us." Harry said to her.
"Yeah, well then what's new?" she shrugged.
Nothing he supposed. They were just two very odd friends who liked to do normal stuff together. If any one had a problem with that, well then at least it wasn't their problem. Not any more.
Ariana's dark hair feel in front of her eyes as she built with him and Harry fought the urge to brush it away.
"My god he has it bad." thought Sirius as he watched from his office. Love. Who would have thought it three months ago? He almost wished he had fallen for any other girl in the world. Not her. He wanted his godson to love one who would be able to properly return his feelings. That wasn't Ariana.
He had only ever seen one other man with such feelings for a women in his eyes.
"He's how James was over Lily." he muttered again to himself. He had seen the same burning hope in James's eyes as he saw in Harry's when he looked at the Dumbledore girl. He was going to have to give him the talk soon he smirked to himself.
But not that day.
They were young, he thought to himself. Let them enjoy it. Whilst it lasts.