The Dark Lord's Bride (Draco X OC)

The Unforgivable Curses

Ariana's POV

As the train chugged its way back to Hogwarts, I found myself in a window-gazing reverie while Harry explained his mysterious dream to Ron and Hermione across the aisle.

"A man, Harry! Who?" Ron interrogated.

"I don't know. I didn't see his face," Harry replied, leaving us all in suspense. Just as the tension mounted, the salvation of the Hogwarts Express arrived: the trolley lady with her tempting treats.

"Anything from the trolley? Anything from the trolley? Anything from the trolley, dears?" She sang her sweet sales pitch.

Ron, facing a brief internal crisis over his snack choices, "Packet of Drooble's and a Licorice Wand." However, a financial reality check hit him, and he amended, "On second thought, just the Drooble's."

"It's all right, I'll get it," Harry offered, playing the generous friend. Ron, ever the humble one, insisted, "Don't worry. Just the Drooble's," and vanished into the compartment.

While Harry and Ron sorted out their snack affairs, I seized the opportunity for a sweet spree. "Give me a dozen of edible wands, please," I requested from the trolley lady, and promptly paid up.

"What are you, a pig?" Harry, couldn't help but comment,

"Hey...!! I'm a growing girl! Let me have my fill. I can't eat them in my house anyway," I defended, defiantly popping one into my mouth.

Then, in a plot twist worthy of a wizarding rom-com, Cho appeared. "Two Pumpkin Pasties, please," She politely requested, exchanging money with the trolley lady.

She then flashed a smile at Harry, and I couldn't resist looking at him with a mischievous smirk. "Oh, shut up," He grumbled as we settled back into our seats.

"This is horrible! How can the Ministry not know who conjured it?" Hermione exclaimed, munching on one of the edible wands she took from me.

"Wasn't there any security or anything?" I questioned, genuinely puzzled. "Loads, according to Dad. That's what worried them so much. It happened right under their noses," Ron explained.

Harry, sensing an opportunity to share his pain, touched his scar.

"It's hurting again, isn't it? Your scar," Hermione observed, showing her knack for stating the obvious. "I'm fine..." Harry mumbled, clearly not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

Hermione, however, had other plans.

"You know Sirius will want to hear about this-what you saw at the World Cup and about the dreams you had," She asserted, prompting Harry to write a letter detailing our dreamy adventures.

He handed it over to Hedwig for delivery.

Time Skip~~~

Later, as we gathered outside, Pegasus-drawn carriages floated down, and a mysterious figure emerged from the water in a ship.

"Are the guests Dumbledore talked about Fairies and Pirates?" I questioned with all the seriousness

Draco snorted behind hugging me. "No, you idiot. They are the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons Academy," He clarified.

I stared at him for a moment, processing this information. "Is there something on my face?" Draco asked, touching his own face.

"Draco.... Draco you." I continued to stare, leaving him utterly perplexed.

'Goodness, Draco's hit by puberty like a freight train! Now he's suddenly wearing perfume on top of that, he's towering over me. I can't help but be hyper-consious of him.'