𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 [𝐏𝐉𝐎 𝐗 𝐇𝐏]

xiv: ariana has anti-fainting lessons

Ariana shrugged. "I guess. But Harry was mad, and I just happened to bear the brunt of his anger. I forgive them. They truly seems sorry."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "You really need to work on holding grudges. Anyway, continue with the story of your holiday."

"Shut up. So after we all made up, Hermione and Ron kept fighting over their pets. Crookshanks trying to eat Scabbers, Ron kicking Scabbers. And then Harry got a Firebolt-"

"What's that?"

"Dude, you serious? It's like the best broom there is! Then Hermione thought Sirius Black sent it, which he probably did, and told McGonagall, who obviously took it to see if it was jinxed. The boys are refusing to speak to Hermione until she apologises, but she thinks she was right. And I had to spend a week trying to make them friends again."

Dean blew out a breath. "That's a lot of drama." He checked his watch. "Shoot. We better run. Curfews in ten. And Filch will kill us if we're back late."

"Race you." Without even stopping to hear an answer, Ariana took off sprinting back to the common room.

"Cheater!"

° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °

Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs.

It wasn't nearly as good as the magical campfire at camp, but just feeling the fire brought back warm feelings along with a sharp feeling of homesickness and worry. This was the longest she had ever been away from camp and Annabeth since she had arrived, and her separation anxiety was starting to act up. She was sending an Iris message to Camp almost every day, making sure everyone was safe. It didn't help that her dreams had gotten worse.

Ariana was running. She wasn't sure from what, or where she was headed, all she knew is that she couldn't stop.

Her feet echoed across the tiles of the golden hall, as she sprinted towards freedom. Her back was weighed down with something that felt like a bowling ball.

She ran past huge double doors, through the central courtyard and down the steps. She past statue's and sleeping nymphs and satyrs.

A dark presence. An evil laugh. Lightning flashing and thunder booming. The sea thrashing against the coast.

She snapped back to reality as Hagrid dismissed them all. She packed up her stuff and started the trek up to the castle, and then on to the North Tower.

The first Divination lesson of the new term was not fun in anyway whatsoever. Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry and Ariana that they had the shortest life line she had ever seen. Ariana was seriously regretting taking it, and was considering switching to Ancient Runes. She already had to be tutored in every subject to catch up to the level of everyone else in her year. The only things she didn't need help in were charms and potions.

When it was time for Defence Against The Dark Arts, Ariana was careful when she was working so Lupin wouldn't get suspicious of her. At the end if the lesson, Harry hung back to ask about the anti-dementor lessons, and dragged Ariana with him.

"Ah yes," said Lupin. "Let me see...how about eight o'clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough...I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this...We can't bring a real Dementor into the castle to practice on...."