Chapter 31
"You know I don't think I am ready for the holidays to be over yet. I have had such a good time." said Ariana. Her and Harry were in the common room. The two of them had cuddled up on the sofa. It was boxing day still and they were both tired after the night before. Being the middle of the day thy pretty mush had the common room to themselves.
"Me neither. Last night was so much fun." he muttered. He had shut his eyes; her head was on his chest. She had wrapped her fingers about his T shirt and he had his hand on her hip. They had never shared such intimacy before.
"The best night of my life. I really enjoyed myself. I felt that I was untouchable. I also proved to my brothers that I am actually half way sane."
"You are. You're completely sane." he said wanting to believe it was true. He remembered when things had gone wrong the night the other schools had arrived. She was so fragile. It was as if anything could break her. He had never felt such a need to protect some one. He was absolutely terrified of losing her. Before that year he had never known that feeling. Sirius and she had taught him to feel. He had a family about him now. He didn't ever want to be alone again.
"I wish I was." she shrugged.
"In my eyes you are." he told her. A smile spread across her face. Maybe he was right.
"You make everything seem ok." she said to him.
"It is. Why do you always doubt yourself?" he asked her.
She shrugged. "Because with me everything does always seem to go wrong." she sighed, shutting her eyes. Taking up her hand he laced his fingers through hers.
"Me too. But we have had a bit of luck. For gods sake let's enjoy it." he said to her and she nodded.
She didn't want too break the moment and so she stayed silent. She laid there in peace. A perfect moment of peace for them both. There was so much going on. Her lessons, the tri wizard tournament. Their lives were never going to be normal. But they could still be happy.
-
"What are you doing for news years eve?" asked Hermione. She was in the library with Ariana. The girls had decided it was a good idea to try and get a bit of work done before term begun and so Hermione had dragged Ariana and Harry apart for the hour. He hadn't minded though. He, Ron and the Weasley twins had gone down to the Quidditch pitch for the hour.
"I don't know, but I think I wanna stay here with you guys. I feel so horrible. I feel as if I should go home to the pub for It." she said to her friend. She knew she had not been the best sister lately. She hadn't spent the majority of her free time with Harry. The news depths of their relationship excited her and she wanted to explore them, but not at the cost of her relationship with Aberforth.
"Don't. Aberforth wont mind." Hermione said encouragingly.
"Don't you think?"
"No. I think he is going to understand that you want to be with your mates." she said as she wrote her essay.
"Maybe. I hope so."
"Besides the twins are putting it about that there is going to be a party in the common room for it." she said.
"I don't want to miss that. I'll speak to Aberforth. Your right. I am sure he is going to understand."
-
Aberforth knew he was a selfish old fool at times and he knew he was set in his ways when it came to his little sister. When they had been young it had been just them. Aberforth and Ariana against the world. That had been how he liked it, he dare say. He enjoyed the feeling of being special to her. Yet he felt the Potter boy and his friends were taking her away from him. He was acting he knew like such a child. But he didn't want to let her go.
"I can come and see you on New Years day," she said smiling up at him, having just told him about the party in the common room. The right thing was to let her go he knew. She was a teenager, and she was determined to get a social life obviously. If he didn't live so close to the school then none of this would even be an issue. She would be like all of the other Gryffindors in her house. She was a student. And she wanted to live the life of a Hogwarts student. He had agreed to let her go to school. Now they had to take all that came with it.
"Alright then sweetheart. That's sounds good." He felt sick as he said those words. He had wanted her with him, but then there was a price for everything. Even love. he knew he had to lie to himself as well as her if he wasn't going to say no to her.
"You're the best Aberforth." she said to him diving in to his arms for a hug before she left the pub to go back up to the school. She was going to see in the next year with all her friends.
And it was going to be great fun.
She felt more settled than she had done for years and happier too. It was days like those that made her glad to be alive.
-
Ariana and Harry threw themselves into the party on New Years Eve. They were there with all there friends but more importantly they were together. And that was the way it was going to stay.
Ron and Hermione sat down together with Ginny and Neville on the sofa while Ariana and Harry sat on one of the larger arm chairs together.
This had been what she was missing she thought to herself. All that time when she had been sick she had been missing out on the best things in life. Having a real set of friends about her who going to be there for her no matter what. She also had a family who she adored.
And she was well enough to show them that now. The last three months had been what constituted the year for her and they had been great. She had had her down times but then again hadn't they all.
The only thing that really mattered was that she was back now. The next year was going to be as good as this one had been.
"Right are you lot ready it is time for the count down?" said Fred, getting up on the table so he could see the hole of the common room.
"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1!"
"Happy new year," said Harry to her as he slid his arm about her waist.
"You too." she said to him as they drew together and for a moment there lips collided.
It was only for a second, but it was their first kiss.
Neither had ever had such a happy new year before.