star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER FOUR

The 1st of September came and again, the Weasleys and Harry and Hermione were transported from the Burrow in Ministry cars, accompanied by two Aurors. Molly had had them all finish packing the day prior so as to not be in a rush in the morning, and sure enough, it was the least chaotic first day of term Arabella had ever experienced.

They all got through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4 and onto the Hogwarts Express easily and without trouble. Ginny and Arabella, accompanied by their Pygmy Puffs, found Evelyn, Seamus, and Dean and found a compartment with them.

"What are those things?" Dean asked as the girls got the creatures out of their cages.

"Pygmy Puffs," Ginny told him, holding hers (which she had named Arnold) out to him so he could pet it. "We got them from Fred and George's shop."

"I wanted to go there," Seamus said as he petted Gerald. "Mum wanted to get in and out of Diagon Alley as fast as possible though, so she wouldn't let me."

"Mum was sort of the same way," Arabella said. "We didn't stay long."

The five of them got settled in their seats as the train left the platform.

"So," said Dean, "anything new?"

"Fleur wants us to be bridesmaids in the wedding," Ginny said in a disgusted tone.

"What's wrong with that?" Seamus asked.

The sisters looked at Seamus like he had gone mad while Evelyn and Dean sat there awkwardly, knowing that one of the redheads was about to go off.

"'What's wrong with that?' You're joking," Arabella said. "Seamus... if we are bridesmaids, Fleur gets to choose what we wear, and we just have to stay quiet and deal with it because it's our brother's wedding and we're not allowed to ruin it."

"Oh, God forbid you're not allowed to ruin a wedding. That must be terrible for you."

A few minutes later, Arabella was still in the compartment playing with Gerald, which struck as odd to the others.

"Ari," Dean said, "everything okay with Malfoy?"

Arabella's heart began to beat so hard that she could hear it, but realizing that there was no way Dean would have known that Draco was in Knockturn Alley, she quickly calmed down.

"Yeah, we're fine. Why?" she responded.

"Because we've been on the train for a while now and you're still here."

"Oh, damn... erm... Seamus, take Gerald... and my glasses..."

And with that, she rushed out of the compartment to find Draco.

She found him a few minutes later in a compartment with Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and another Slytherin boy named Blaise Zabini. They all noticed her standing there before Draco did, as he seemed to be deep in thought.

"I think your weasel wants to talk to you, Draco," Pansy said, smirking at Arabella.

Draco looked up and saw Arabella through the glass door and immediately stood up and left the compartment, joining her in the corridor without saying a word to his friends.