The Era of Aria Snape

58

Chapter Fifty-Eight

ARIA SAT IN the common room with Marauders Map closed on the table in front of the leather sofa. She curled her fingers around her wand, waiting, for what, she did not know. Perhaps it was the repulsive sensation she felt when she considered the fact that George and that girl were actually together.

She turned her attention back to the blank map, remembering how George and Fred had mentioned a few things about it in Egypt, including how to get it to work, unlike her father had done.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Aria whispered, touching her wand to the parchment. Slowly, engravings began to appear on the cover, her heart raced.

Fear that upon opening the map her suspicions would be confirmed, she looked away, glancing towards the clock and noticing the time. Dawn wasn't far off and she had not gotten a wink of sleep. "Mischief managed." The map appeared blank once more.

Aria stuffed it into her robes, considering that if she was correct in her suspicions, her revenge may involve some Unforgivable Curses. It was better to sleep than discover the truth at four in the morning when she could do nothing but wait to confront him anyway.

With a heavy heart, she reached her bed, trying not to wake the others as she released a sob. Images of Malfoy's cruel I told you so's flooded through her mind as she tried to find sleep, but it never came.

ϟ

I was running again. The wind rustling my hair felt freeing. This time I wasn't running away, I was running towards.

Towards something better, towards something that would aid me, care for, and accept me.

There were no fires this time, no corpses rotting across my path.

The forest loomed ahead, there was a flash of white that made me quicken my pace. I ignored the black symbol that loomed overhead in the sky.

Freedom. I was running towards freedom.

That realization kept me moving.

Aria recalled her dream in her Dream Diary, moment for moment, word for word, and scene by scene. She jotted every second of it down with her quill. She doubted that writing it down would help her gain any inside into what this dream-or vision, as Trelawney had suggested-meant, but it was the start of something.

Divination had slowly moved along and once again, Aria had not gained a hint of knowledge regarding her dreams. She had begun to believe that their set work, The Dream Oracle, was a load of rubbish.

"Anna." She spoke to her friend once the lesson had ended. The girl stopped at the door and turned to Aria. "Are you able to interpret your dreams, better than before I mean?"

"Nope." She continued to amble out of the classroom, Aria trailed behind, hardly listening after she had received her answer. "As I have said before, Divination is for the deranged. I'm only taking it because mum and dad said it's a good skill to have, especially in the muggle world apparently. As if I'm going to work a muggle job when there's the option of creating elixirs and conjuring spells that could possibly save lives. I would rather spend all day with Madam Pomfrey than in Divination."

The pair proceeded to their Potions class together, Anna rambling on. She shared this class with George, the thought of him reminded her that she had yet to even glance into the map.

"And you already know, Ari," Anna smirked once they had sat down. "I only dream about things that ought not to be repeated in class."

Aria laughed, although it was forced. Her mind was too focused on the laughter that came from the opposite side of the classroom as Fred juggled something similar to fire between his hands. George was nowhere to be seen.

Aria's heart sunk, but she didn't have time to ponder over it. Her father had just entered the classroom giving her an easy distraction.

"I think it wise to remind you that next June you will be writing an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned regarding the composition and use of magical potions."

Aria did not need reminding. Examinations had been the only thing she thought of before this whole ordeal with George. She contemplated for a moment-was having a boyfriend even worth all the trouble? Perhaps she should just leave him altogether.

The thought pained her.

"Hence I require an essay no shorter than three pieces of parchment long on Moonstone and its use in potion making, particularly its benefits."

There was a series of groans throughout the class, but Aria was glad for the distraction. Anything to get her to not look at the map. She was sure that if she took a peak right now, she would see George's name and surely inappropriately close by, that girl's name.

She felt into her pocket to make sure that the map was still there. The parchment met her fingertips. She would never leave it lying around, especially with the likes of Matilda slithering around.

"That is due two lessons from now." He concluded and skimmed the faces in the classroom. Aria noticed the tiniest of smiles on his face when his eyes passed her.

She was glad to have him back. At least some good had come of this year.

"However, today we will focus on brewing an Erumpment Potion. You should find the difficulty level of this potion low. It is an Ordinary Wizarding Level and may or may not come up in your examinations. Open your textbooks to page one hundred and three. The first person to brew this potion will receive twenty house points. Get to it."

And Aria did because she certainly needed to get on her house's good side again. Earning house points seemed like a good way to start,

ϟ

Aria hadn't finished first. In fact, she hadn't finished at all.

George had arrived halfway through the session looking scruffy, which had completely distracted Aria's train of thought, so much so that she had accidentally reached across the table and grabbed Miranda's potion instead of the exploding fluid, which she had meant to take.

The potion had blown upon impact and Aria was left with a burnt hand and a face red from embarrassment. She had stormed out of the class before George or anyone could speak to her.

Aria had gone straight to her dorm room, the sight of George's ruffled hair and shaggy clothing still piercing her mind's eye. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." She spoke, the map coming to life before her.

Her eyes skimmed the page for George, seeing his name still hovering in the Potions class. She realized it had been a stupid idea to try and find answers now when she had just seen him. She noticed something strange as she scanned the map again. Professor Lupin. He was making his way across the grounds and that wouldn't have been suspicious, if not for who accompanied him.

Sirius Black.

Aria weighed her options. She didn't like Lupin all that much and she didn't appreciate Sirius and the fact that his presence had caused the dementors to roam the school grounds. No, she wasn't particularly fond of either of them as she watched their names drift across the page.

Needless to say, she had been searching for a way to avenge her father after finding out that Lupin, and she assumed Sirius had been particularly horrible to him during their school years.

Getting the both of them taken to Azkaban seemed like a pretty decent way to repay them.

Aria shoved the map into her pocket, clipped her hair back, and headed out of the common room, dead set on revenge.