The group slowly made their way back to the Slytherin common room. If anyone saw them, they'd possibly think they were in a trance of some sort. It was only when they finally got to the privacy of their own dorm that someone finally spoke.
"She's hiding something..." whispered Severus, drawing all their attention.
"What do you mean? What else could she possibly be hiding?" inquired Lucius.
But Severus just looked past Lucius to Barty with narrowed, accusing eyes. "You know what it is... don't you?"
Barty looked down at the ground with a pained expression, trying to ignore the eyes that shifted to him.
"But you said you didn't know anything!" accused Regulus.
"I don't! I didn't... I mean—"
Regulus cut him off, "What aren't you telling us, Barty?"
Barty hung his head before he took a deep breath. "I swear I didn't know about any of what we just saw... But—"
"But?" chorused the three of them.
Barty looked up with a pained expression. "I—I did know that she was faking the whole amnesia thing. And... I knew about the room. Oh, and I knew of the necklace as I helped her find it and destroy it."
"That's a lot more than 'I don't know anything'!" mocked Regulus with a glare.
Lucius, however, kept his narrowed gaze on Barty. "There's something else. Isn't there? Spit it out, Barty!"
But Barty looked away from them. He didn't want to say it! He didn't want it to be true. But he knew that if he was going to get any type of access to the Black library... he'd have to tell them. He needed their help.
"You know that day when she bumped into you crying?"
"Yes. What about it?" asked Lucius, as they all leaned slightly forward from their spots, intrigued.
"It's because she accidentally let something... slip."
"Which was?" asked Regulus.
"She—she said that we couldn't be friends because... she was gonna die."
The three of them inhaled a sharp breath as they stared at Barty with wide eyes in shock. Barty then continued amidst the silence. "I don't know how—or when—but I think one possibility could be, she's still a... Horcrux. Or, it could be because we destroyed the necklace, undoing her birth! I don't know!"
"B-But she... sacrificed herself already!" mumbled Lucius.
Severus pondered over something in his head, something that had confused him earlier. "Why would Death let her change things?"
All of them snapped their gazes at him. "I mean... is it possible that her coming back to change things wasn't just out of the 'kindness' of Death's possible heart?"
Barty looked at him with wide eyes and a pale face. "Are you implying that in order for her to come back and change things..."
"...that something had to be given in exchange. Yes," Severus cut in.
"N-No it can't be! It's gotta be something else!" panicked Barty. How could he possibly save her if it was Death himself that would kill her? How does one escape Death by Death? And Merlin! Isn't that a mind-boggling thing to consider?
ϟϟϟ
He woke up earlier than usual and slowly got ready for the day, only to stop suddenly when he heard Lucius mumble Ara's name in his sleep. That son of a bitch! Was he dreaming about her? He suddenly grabbed his pillow and smacked Lucius in the face as hard as possible with it, effectively waking him up.
"Ow! What the hell, Barty!" glared Lucius.
"Oops! It slipped! Time to wake up anyway," he smiled back sharply.
Though Lucius tensed, pink-faced and looked away as he mumbled, "I'll get ready in a few minutes."
Barty tilted his head, confused, before realization struck him, bringing even more anger! It took everything he had in him to calmly walk out of the dorm and continue to breakfast.
ϟϟϟ
The four sat at the Slytherin table, pushing the food around on their plates, zoned out in thought. Then Ara walked in, and they all instantly looked at her. She looked at them before looking at Lupin? Huh, the Marauders weren't sitting together? When has that ever happened? Shaking himself out of his thoughts once again, he saw her sit down next to Potter. Huh? Now that he knows, he can sort of see the similarities in them. But then Potter suddenly looked panicked after she whispered something to him. Naturally, that made Barty internally panic. They have Arithmancy together in the morning; he could find out then! He just needed to make sure to sit with her before anyone else did.
ϟϟϟ
He made sure to arrive early, and the second he saw her, he looped their arms together and walked to some seats in the back of the class. She stared at him in a mix of amusement and bewilderment. When they sat down, she finally whispered, "You're not mad at me?"
He looked at her with a face full of confusion. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"
She bit her bottom lip and looked down at the desk with a sad expression. "I—I got you killed in the future..."
Did she really think that he'd blame her for that? What is he saying... Of course, she does! With the way she grew up! With the utmost sincerity, he said, "Ara. That never was and never will be your fault. None of what happened was, and I'll never blame you or be mad at you for any of it."
He swallowed the lump in his throat as they stared at one another. When did he grab her hand? Why was his heart pounding? Why didn't he want to let go? Was it warm in here or was it his illness that Pomfrey is obviously blind to? Maybe he should ask Regulus to run some scans. Suddenly interrupted by the sound of the Professor entering the class and closing the door, he reluctantly dropped her hand and looked away. It was only in the middle of the Professor's speech that he suddenly remembered what he wanted to ask.
"Hey, why did Potter look so panicked during breakfast earlier?" he whispered to her, making sure no one else was listening in.
She momentarily tensed before hesitantly whispering back, "I'm sneaking out tonight after dinner to get the ring. I'll be back though. I promise."
He whipped his head towards her so fast, his neck made a cracking sound...