Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, nor will I ever be. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters... Just wanted to make that clear... haha

This story is rated T for foul language

Chapter 2

Ari's POV

I walk through my room and go through my checklist for what is the fifth time today. We are all back from vacation and back at Grimmauld place. Although the camping trip was a bust, the vacation was lovely. It was nice to get away for a bit. But now we are back to reality and we leave for Hogwarts tomorrow. I want to be sure I have everything so I'm checking and double checking my list. Al knocks on my door and peeks in. "Are you almost completely packed?"

I nod my head. "Yes. Are you?"

He shakes his head with a laugh. "No. I was actually coming up here to see if you could come help me…"

"You're so unprepared…" we walk out of my room and make our way down four flights of stairs to his room. He twists the handle and the door swings open, revealing his messy, green room. His four post bed is unmade, his sheets laid on top of the mattress messily. His floor is covered in books, clothes, parchments, quills, potion supplies, and other miscellaneous items. He has his robes strewn about the room chaotically, some hanging and others crumpled on the floor. I let out a huff and shake my head. "Looks like we have a LOT of work to do."

He laughs and nods. "Yea… sorry… It's more cleaning than packing."

I shrug my shoulders and sit on the ground. "Well get through it. We've got another day before we leave."

Al and I start cleaning when we hear James yelling at Harry. "I'M SO TIRED OF SCHOOL DAD! I HAD TO CRAM A YEAR'S WORTH OF INFORMATION INTO MY BRAIN THIS SUMMER! NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME I HAVE TO GET TUTORED AND TAKE YEAR SEVEN CLASSES THIS UPCOMING YEAR? WHEN DOES IT END?"

I roll my eyes and frown. "Well that's what happens when you lose your memory."

Al looks at me with disappointment. "Ari, you KNOW it's not his fault…"

I roll my eyes again and nod with a sigh. "I know. I'm just still upset about this whole thing. Actually, that's not it. I'm upset with what he's become. I'm upset with the fact that Monroe means more to him than his family does and I'm upset with the fact that he can't remember ANYTHING. But more than anything else, I'm upset with myself."

Al pats me on the arm. "I know Ari, I know… But you really shouldn't be mad at yourself. It's not like any of this is your fault."

I don't agree with him at all, but I'm not in the mood to argue with him about this. "Let's change the subject please."

He grins. "Did I tell you that I am one of Sytherine's prefects this year?"

I toss a balled up pair of socks at him and smile widely. "Al! That's awesome!"

We spend the rest of the day packing, cleaning and talking about what we plan to do once we get to Hogwarts.

(Break)

I pull out my letter from McGonagall and read it over again.

Miss Brighton,

I am pleased to inform you that you have been chosen as Head Girl for this upcoming year at Hogwarts. You will be responsible for helping the students at Hogwarts as well as guiding and leading the prefects through a successful year.

You and the Head Boy will be conducting the introductory meeting at 11:15 sharp. Please be in the compartment for the Head Boy and Head girl by 11:00 sharp so that you and the Head Boy may discuss your strategies and goals for this year.

Signed,

Headmaster McGonagall

I fold up the parchment and pull out the smaller one that came in the envelope too. I unfold it and read it over again too.

Ariana,

I know you may not understand my reasoning now, but I believe that this will be good for both you AND the Head Boy in more ways than one.

I am always rooting for you.

Signed,

Headmaster McGonagall

I fold up that parchment and place it in my bags. McGonagall was right. I DON'T understand why she picked me for Head Girl when there were clearly less broken, more obvious choices. I look at the watch on my wrist and sigh. 10:55…

I gather my things from above me and exit the empty train compartment. I make my way through the corridors of the Hogwarts Express to the front of the train.

Landen has GOT to be Head Boy… He's the only male prefect from last year left! He's the obvious choice…

I grab the handle of the compartment for Heads and lightly pull it open. "Hey Landen I…"

I stop dead in my tracks, dropping all my things in shock, as I realize that the boy sitting in the Heads compartment isn't Landen.

James' POV

I sit in the Head Boy compartment waiting for the Head Girl to show up for what feels like forever. I shuffle my feet as I try to figure out who she could be. Maybe Rose… Or Monroe…

I shake my head. Monroe hadn't been a prefect. But neither had I so I'm not too sure why I was picked for Head Boy. Most of the Heads are students who were prefects the year before. I had been in complete and utter shock when I received my letter from McGonagall. I hadn't told anyone about my letter either. I was afraid it was a cruel joke of some kind. I look at my watch and then look out the window. 10:55…

The new head girl should be showing up soon. I wonder who it will be… I hope it's not Monroe… She has been starting to aggravate me lately... Plus hers and Ariana's fighting is starting to get old…

A few more minutes pass and then the door to the compartment gently slides open. I hear "Hey Landen I…"

The girl stops her sentence and drops her things. She stares at me with her mouth open and eyes wide. I smile nervously at her. "Hey Ariana…"

Ari's POV

He smiles anxiously. "Hey Ariana…"

The sound of his voice breaks through my shock. "J-James?"

He scrambles up and grabs some of my bags. "Here, let me help you with that…"

I respond sharper than I intended. "NO!" He looks at me with wide eyes and I take a deep breath. "No. I don't need your help."

"Fine." He sets the bags down with a smirk and sits back in his seat. After spending a few minutes struggling with my bags, I finally get them put away.

I sit down and play with my charm bracelet while looking at him warily. "There has got to be some kind of mistake…"

He shrugs his shoulders and holds out his letter. "I was in as much shock as you are when I got my letter."

I snatch the letter from his hand and skim it over then hand it back to him angrily. "You weren't even a prefect…"

"You think I don't know that Ariana?" He narrows his eyes at me, obviously mistaking my surprise for a lack of faith in him

His eyes showed the offense he took and I shook my head apologetically. "Sorry James. I guess I just expected Landen to get it." I look at my watch again and take a deep breath. "We should start setting up. The prefects will be here for their meeting in ten minutes."

He nods stiffly and gets up from his seat. We set up the seats and look over the list of prefects who will be here shortly. He looks up with a shocked expression on his face. "Al is a prefect? Why didn't he tell me?"

I shrug my shoulders despite the fact that I already know the answer. He didn't tell James because he isn't as close with him now that he's lost his memory and is dating Monroe again.

James isn't convinced though. "Did you know?"

"Yea… He told me while I was helping him pack." This doesn't help his attitude at all. His lips curl into a frown at the fact that I knew before him. I ignore the frown on his face and grimace as I continue to read the list. "Rylan Adonis is a bloody prefect?"

He shrugs his shoulders, obviously still in a sour mood. His mood lifts, however, when I ask him about quidditch.

"Are you ready for quidditch tryouts this year?"

He nods enthusiastically with a grin. "Hell yea! Although, I am rather upset that I will have to find a chaser to replace Spencer. Hey… Do you play?"

I nod slowly and gently finger my charm bracelet again. "Yes… I'm on the Gryffindor team already… You would know that if you had talked to me about anything other than Monroe this summer…"

The door to the compartment slides open and Al walks in. He looks from me to James, his face displaying his confusion. "Ari? James? YOU TWO are the Heads this year?"

I nod with a smirk. "I know, crazy right?"

He laughs loudly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise! Little did I know I was in for the surprise of a lifetime…" I look over at James who is smiling lightly.

Al looks at him and smiles. "I have no idea how you made Head Boy, but congratulations."

A few minutes after Al, Rylan comes in. He winks at me with a grin and then takes a seat. "Ariana, it's good to see you again. I know you missed me."

I roll my eyes and ignore his comment and the odd looks I'm getting from both Al and James.

After Rylan, the remaining prefects slowly file into the compartment. After everyone has joined us, we go through introductions and delve into the heart of the meeting. We explain to them what being a prefect means, their duties and their privileges. At the end we take any questions they may have.

James' POV

Ariana runs most of the meeting since I wasn't a previous prefect so I don't know what I'm really doing.

Once the train pulls into the station we all exit and Ariana and I head to the great hall to wait for the sorting and the feast. Ariana takes a seat next to Landen and begins a conversation with him immediately. I awkwardly take a seat next to her and look around. Suddenly Monroe comes out of nowhere and throws her arms around my neck. "JAMIE WAMIE!"

I grimace as her pet name for me reverberates throughout the great hall. "Hey Monroe…"

She insists on yelling yet again and loudly says "WHAT'S WRONG JAMIE WAMIE?"

I grimace again and wince away from her. "I just have a bit of a headache, that's all."

"OH JAMIE WAMIE, I'M SO SORRY!"

McGonagall clears her throat loudly and looks at us. "If you two are finished, let's get started with the sorting." She commences with the sorting, starting with "ALBERTSON, HANNAH."

The sorting seems to take years, and by the time the feast ends, I'm exhausted. Entertaining Monroe has become a full time job and it's tiring me out quickly. Ariana and I make sure the prefects have a handle on all the first years and then head up to the Gryffindor common room. I am about to head up to the boys dorms when Ariana grabs my arm. "James, we have a separate dorm room." She pulls me toward a painting and says the password. We walk into the common room of the Heads dorm room and Ariana points to the right. "Your room is over there." I nod and head into my room. I ignore the fact that I am still in my robes and fling myself onto my bed. My head is on the pillow for a few moments before I drift off to sleep.

I am walking through the forbidden forest again with Freddie, that asshole Carter Cass, and a couple of girls I don't know. We come to the outside of a clearing and see hundreds of Death Eaters encircling the clearing. There are a few of them lying lifelessly in a crater across from me. In the middle of the clearing is Carter's father. He is standing, with his wand pointed in front of him, in front of a blonde girl who is chained to a post. He has blood seeping from his cheek, suggesting the girl on the post wasn't caught without putting up a fight.

I look around and realize I've been here before. I have been here every night since the camping trip…

Carter's father leans forward and says something to the girl. She responds by spitting on him and letting out a rage filled scream. Cass brings the back of his hand colliding into the girls face. Her head jerks to the side, blood spraying from her mouth and revealing her face. It's Ariana!

Ariana spits out a bit of blood in her mouth then turns back to Cass with a smile on her bloody lips. "Is that all you've got? You hit like my grandma…"

I let out a low laugh and continue watching. Cass snarls and says, "You're lucky the Dark Lord wants you alive. I would end your life right here and now if that weren't the case, Ariana Brighton. Until then, I get to have my fun with you. CRUCIO!"

Ariana clenches her teeth together with eyes wide, trying to hold in cries of pain. I look around desperately. I know I have to do something, I just don't know what. If we attack Cass, the other Death Eaters will surely kill all of us AND Ariana…

Cass laughs evilly. "What's wrong little girl, no smart ass comments left? Shame, really. I thought you would be a more adverse foe. Now, you shall endure the same pain your father did before I killed him! CRUCIO!" He waves his wand and yells his curse with more feeling this time, causing a small cry of pain to escape her lips. Cass smiles at the slight glimpse of weakness. The look on Ariana's face shows the excruciating pain she is feeling. He releases her and cackles, and lets out another anger-filled crucio, red sparks flying at Ariana. This time he breaks her; she cries out, agonizing pain filling her face. Her feet lift off the ground and her arms bend as her body gives way under the pain.

This is the farthest I've ever gotten. I expect myself to wake up at any second now, but the sweet relief doesn't come. Instead, the dream warps into something else.

I am in a car with Ariana at the wheel. There is snow falling quickly all around us. She is looking around frantically when something jumps onto the hood of the car and busts through the front windshield. Ariana turns her head away from the glass that sprays at her face. The creature reaches a bony hand toward her and rips through the sweater she is wearing. She jerks the wheel to the side and the car goes over a bump.

We fly through the air and the car lands in a snow bank. Ariana and I look at each other and climb out of the car. The snow is falling in sheets, leaving us standing in a whiteout. I pull out my wand and, as I do a pair of bony, white hands shoot out from the white mess in front of me. The hands raise me up and throw me back against a snow bank, knocking my wand from my hand. I look up and see another creature like the one from before jumps out from above me. It lands on me with snarling teeth, its nails digging into my shoulders and drawing blood. Its sharp teeth are inches from my face, snapping fiercely at my face. Its eyes are glaring intently at me, malice dripping from its expression. Its grip tightens on my shoulders, drawing more blood.

Suddenly there is an explosion and my world goes dark.

I sit up abruptly, covered in sweat and panting. I look around and try to calm myself down but to no avail. I grab my wand and quietly walk to the common room. I am at the doorway between my room and the common room when I see Ariana sitting on a couch looking at the fireplace. "You can't sleep either?"

Her head whips around quickly, clearly startled by my presence. Her expression lightens and she sighs. "Not since the end of last year…"

I walk over and sit next to her on the couch. "Really? That long, huh? What do you do to pass the time?"

She chuckles lightly. "Usually this."

I sigh and look at the fire. "Oh."

She continues to look at the fire and begins to absentmindedly play with the charm bracelet on her wrist. I can see the bags under her eyes and a faint scar on her lip as the firelight dances on her skin. Her light blue hair is pulled into a ponytail and her expression is pained. I guess she can feel me staring at her because she looks at me out of the corner of her eye and smirks. "What?"

I shake my head and return her smirk. "Nothing, just thinking is all. So why can't you sleep?"

She flinches a bit at then looks at me plainly. "That's what happens when you lose almost all of your friends and your boyfriend in one day. It tends to give you awful nightmares."

I look at her, my confusion apparent. "So the rumors are true then?"

"You shouldn't always believe what people say, James." She shakes her head and looks back at the fire, playing with the heart charm on the bracelet around her wrist.

I scoff loudly. "Obviously… Nobody mentioned a dead boyfriend. Are you sure he's dead?"

Ari's POV

I turn from the fire and look at James closely. The light from the fire dances across his confused features as I watch him. His eyebrows are scrunched together, the fire lighting up his hazel eyes and accenting his tan face. His dark hair is strewn about messily as it always it and his lips are parted and pulled down at the corners to accentuate his confusion.

He sure looks like James, but this definitely isn't the same one I was dating before. "If he's not dead then he's just extremely lost… Either way, I don't think I will ever get him back…" I let out a fake yawn and give an exaggerated stretch. "Well, I guess it's off to bed for me…" I get off the couch and head back to my room. I really don't plan on going to sleep, but the conversation was getting a bit too personal for my taste.

I crawl into my bed and pull the sheets up. I twirl my charm bracelet and try to think of anything other than James.

Sorry it took me so long to update, I just wanted to make sure that this chapter was the best it could be.

Let me know what you thought about the chapter! I would love to hear your thoughts! :)

I will post chapter three as soon as I get it typed up.

Thanks yall for your support! :)

-Tx