star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

When Ron awoke later on in the day, he was very pleased to find out that he was free of Lavender (though he was very confused as to how it happened) and that Hermione was speaking to him again. This made Arabella happy as well, as it released a lot of the tension within her group of friends. Although, she was now getting dirty looks from Lavender every time the two of them were in the same room, but this didn't bother Arabella because she had never really liked the girl and she had better things to worry about.

Madam Pomfrey was making Ron stay in the hospital wing for a week, meaning he would not be able to play in Gryffindor's Quidditch match against Hufflepuff. This left Harry having to temporarily replace him with the person who had performed second-best at try-outs: Cormac McLaggen.

McLaggen seemed to think that he knew better than everyone, often giving instructions during practices and critiquing people instead of paying attention to what he was supposed to be doing. Unfortunately, this aggravating behavior carried into the match, where McLaggen went as far as to take Jimmy Peakes's Beater's bat away from him and show him the "proper way" to hit a Bludger. Just as Harry flew over to tell him to get back to the goalposts, McLaggen hit the incoming Bludger without caring to check where he was sending it. It hit Harry hard, knocking him unconscious instantly and sending him falling off of his broom towards the ground. Thankfully, Fraser and Jimmy caught him before he could hit the ground, and a few professors took him to the hospital wing.

Of course, everyone had seen what had just happened, and the Gryffindor players in particular were not happy.

"You've nearly killed our Seeker, you complete buffoon!" Ginny shouted at him whilst the game was paused due to what had occurred, red in the face with anger, as McLaggen hovered awkwardly at the goalposts, trying to ignore all of the angry yelling he was receiving from Gryffindors and their supporters.

"Now how do you suggest we win the match, McLaggen?" Arabella questioned, her ears becoming red under her hair, a clear sign that she was beyond furious. "Since you apparently know everything? Are you going to catch the Snitch for us and Keep?"

McLaggen did not answer but instead had to dodge a Bludger that had been sent by an irate Fraser. "If you pull something like that again, I'll make sure it hits you!" he roared, his Scottish accent as prevalent as ever.

"Wood, if I see you attacking your teammates again, it's detention!" Madam Hooch warned him.

"It was meant to miss him, Madam," Fraser told her. "I'm not stupid, I'm not going to be the reason we're two players short. But after the match, I'm afraid I can't make any promises..."

"Hear, hear!" the Weasley sisters voiced their agreement, their eyes shooting daggers at McLaggen, who was beginning to look extremely uncomfortable.

Dean and Jimmy exchanged concerned looks, knowing that if their teammates really wanted to hurt McLaggen, they would not be able to stop them.

In the end, after Gryffindor had lost to Hufflepuff 320 to 60, Arabella, Ginny, and Fraser had earned themselves a week of detention, for as soon as the match had ended and the players touched back down to the ground, they had all sent curses at McLaggen, hitting him all at the same time. They were also told that if they stepped another toe out of line, they would lose their spots on the team.

As the weather gradually warmed up as spring wore on, however, there was one positive: Hermione and Arabella had managed to Apparate twice each. Of course, it was only from the outside of their hoop to the inside, but it was still something. Fortunately, there was to be an extra practice session coming up in Hogsmeade during the next trip for those who were 17 or were going to be before the first test date, allowing them the opportunity to really get Apparition down. The two girls, accompanied by Ron and most of the students in their year, took this without question, wanting to make sure they only had to take the test once.

After the practice session, the sixth-years who had attended felt much more confident in their ability to Apparate, especially Hermione and Arabella, who had both done it so perfectly that the instructor had praised them the whole time. Even Ron had come out of it feeling more comfortable with Apparition.

However, come the morning of the 21st of April, this did not stop any of them from feeling some degree of nervousness. Arabella herself was not completely overwhelmed, as she was generally a confident person and all but knew she would pass, but that meant she had to deal with Seamus and Dean worrying nonstop.

The sixth-years (not including the select few who were still 16) were called into the Great Hall one by one in alphabetical order. This meant that Arabella was in the very back of the line with Ron, giving the two of them more room to worry, but allowing them to congratulate their friends and peers when they came out to announce that they had passed, or wish them better luck next time if they had failed.

Hermione decided to stay and wait with the twins after she had taken her test and passed (which came as a surprise to no one) until they had both finished their tests. Arabella took hers before Ron and, as everyone knew she would, passed. She came out and waited with Hermione while Ron took his. He came out not long later looking highly disgruntled, informing them that he had failed simply because half of one of his eyebrows had been left behind when he had Apparated.

One May morning, Arabella entered the Great Hall for breakfast, found Seamus and Dean, and sat down across from the two.

"Morning," she said to them as she immediately began to fill her plate with food. When neither of them responded, she looked up at them curiously to see Dean looking very downtrodden while Seamus looked quite awkward sitting beside him. "What's up with you two?"

"Why don't you ask your sister?" Dean replied grumpily.

"My sister? What...?" Arabella looked around until her eyes fell on Ginny, who was immersed in a whispered conversation with Evelyn. She saw the girls' eyes flicker over to the trio before hastily looking away. Understanding what must have happened, Arabella turned her attention back to Dean, her expression and tone sympathetic. "Oh... you split up, didn't you?"

Dean nodded soberly. "Last night."

Arabella frowned. "I'm sorry, Dean. I know how much you liked her."

He shrugged. "It's all right, I guess. It was bound to happen eventually."

Seamus and Arabella exchanged a look before Arabella's eyes noticed someone she hadn't seen in months.

"It's Katie! She's back!" she announced, giving the older girl a cheery wave.

Dean briefly looked over his shoulder at Katie before sighing. "Great. I'm losing my spot on the team, now, too," he said.

In response, Arabella flicked a grape at him. "This isn't about you."

She then watched as Harry rose from his seat to speak to Katie, and while they were talking, Draco entered the Hall, but upon seeing Harry and Katie, stopped in his tracks. Harry turned around and saw him, at which point he turned around and walked right back out of the double oak doors. Harry quickly ended his conversation with Katie and followed him.

"Oh, joy."

[word count: 1264]
[written: 9/26/20]
[published: 9/26/20]