star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER SIX

"Wait, so if I smell apples from that potion, does that mean I'm attracted to apples?" Arabella asked Hermione as the Potions class left the classroom.

"Bella, I don't understand how you can be so intelligent yet so very dense," Hermione sighed.

"I think it's the Weasley."

"If Amortentia smells like apples to you, then more than likely the person you're attracted to really likes apples."

"Ooh. Yeah, that makes more sense. Thanks, Mione!" And with that, Arabella sped up to catch up with Draco.

Some time later, the two of them sat in a window seat in an empty corridor so that they would not be overheard or interrupted.

"Belle," Draco said.

"Yes?" Arabella asked, looking up from her Arithmancy homework.

"I... I need to tell you something."

Arabella's heart stopped. Was he about to tell her about anything to do with why he was in Knockturn Alley?

"O-okay. Go on, then."

Draco seemed to greatly consider what he was about to say. "I told my mother about us."

It took Arabella a moment to actually process what exactly this meant. "Okay. And?"

"Well... she doesn't love it."

"Okay, well, that's okay, right? I mean, my parents don't love it, either, but as long as we're both still safe in our homes..."

"Right."

He wasn't looking at her, making her wonder if he actually was safe back at home and hoping if he wasn't that it wasn't her fault.

"Is that all?" she asked, hoping very much that it was.

"Yeah, I just... I need to go do something."

"Are you going to tell me what this something is?"

"I... don't worry about it."

"Well, now that you said that, I'm gonna worry about it."

"Don't." He leaned over and kissed her cheek before getting up and walking away down the corridor.

Arabella sighed. "Such a Gemini," she muttered, gathering her bag and heading back to Gryffindor Tower.

Upon entering the common room, she was quickly joined by Seamus, who looked beyond relieved to see her.

"Thank Merlin you're finally here," he said. "I feel like I've been third-wheeling for years."

"That's great, Seamus," Arabella said absentmindedly, sitting down on a sofa.

"Something wrong?"

Arabella looked down at her hands that rested in her lap. "Seamus, I'm going to tell you something and you have to swear not to tell anyone. Not even Dean."

"Ari, you're scaring me."

"Seamus."

Still looking concerned, Seamus sighed. "Okay, I won't tell anyone. Go ahead."

Arabella was quiet for a moment before speaking. "Before term started, I saw Draco somewhere he shouldn't have been."

"Like... with another girl?"

"No, it wasn't anything like that. He just shouldn't have been there. Especially nowadays. And I just... I have this really bad feeling about it. I know I should be trusting him instead of being suspicious of him... I just want him to tell me something so I can know if I'm overreacting or not."

"Does he know you saw him there?"

"No. And he can't, so don't even suggest just asking him."

"All right, I won't. Was he alone?"

"No, he was with his mum."

"Okay, then maybe she was the reason he was there. Maybe he didn't have a choice."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. I'm fairly sure that if he really didn't want to go somewhere that his mum would not make him. This is Draco we're talking about, Seamus. He's spoiled, you know that."

"That's true. Were you the only one that saw him?"

"No. Ron, Mione, and Harry all saw him, too."

"Okay, then what do they think about it?"

"Ron and Hermione don't seem to think it's anything to be worried about, but Harry on the other hand..."

"Okay, before you say anything more, Malfoy and Harry have been at each other's throats since day one. Obviously, if Harry sees Malfoy somewhere he shouldn't be, his mind is going to go straight to the worst possible thing. Malfoy would probably think the same thing if he saw Harry... wherever this was. So, from what you've told me, Ari, I'm going to have to agree with Ron and Hermione on this one. I don't think it's anything you should be losing sleep over."

"Ah, well... it's a bit late for that."

"Okay, well, then, now is a good time to stop."

[word count: 755]
[written: 9/3/20]
[published: 9/3/20]
i think i'm going to add that very first bit of dialogue to the description of this book bc i think it describes bella so perfectly... she's so obviously in love with draco and she's been using every opportunity since the beginning to be like "i pretend i do not see it"