Third Book
September 1st, 1993
Fifth Year
"There'll be Dementors at Hogwarts this year so, keep an extra eye on your brother,"
Those words had been repeating in Ara's head ever since her mother had first uttered them. So, when the Hogwarts Express came to a screeching stop and the lights powered off, her mother's voice was practically screaming at her.
Ara stumbled out of her train compartment and told the Slytherins that she'd been sitting with to stay put.
It was nearly pitch black in the train due to the awful weather and the sound of rain pelting down on the locomotive was louder than ever.
"Lumos,"
Ara began walking into every compartment, making sure everyone was okay, and calling out Draco's name in the process. When she fell into the train compartment of a group of First Years, she took the time to teach them their first spell.
"Here, move your wands like this and say 'Lumos', so that you're not in the dark," Ara smiled when they preformed the spell successfully.
"Is this normal?"
"Are we going to be okay?"
"What's going on?"
"I'm not sure yet, but you are all in good hands, just relax until the train starts again," Ara shut the compartment door and hoped that she hadn't just lied to a group of eleven year olds.
She stumbled clumsily into the next compartment.
"Drac-"
"Ara!" Fred and George smiled widely, they both stood up to hug her.
They'd grown even taller over the summer. And certainly looked more mature.
"Are you two okay?" Ara asked immediately, looking the two boys over.
"Of course," George nodded. He and Fred's eyes fell to the prefect badge pinned on Ara's chest, they made a gross face.
Ara rolled her eyes and covered the badge with her robe.
"Stop it! Have you seen Percy, or maybe my brother?"
"Already planning on taking orders from Perce? What has the world come to," Fred shook his head, faking disappointment. Ara smiled and rolled her eyes.
She couldn't help but notice that he looked very good. Good enough to make her feel slightly flustered, which was not good, not proper, and definitely not a reciprocated feeling.
She pushed the feeling to the back of her head.
"It's part of the job description, unfort-"
Before Ara could finish her sentence, her whole body went stiff and she felt incredibly cold. Looking up at the twins, she could tell they felt the same.
"What's-" George was cut off when the compartment door slammed open.
Ara immediately turned around and felt her skin crawl, there, right in front of her, was a Dementor.
The hooded figure silently stood in front of the three Fifth Years. Ara felt her breath hitch, it was becoming increasingly cold, and increasingly uncomfortable, in the compartment.
Subconsciously, Ara stepped back into Fred's chest, she heard the boy take a deep breath and then step in front of her. He didn't dare to utter a word though.
The four beings stared at each other quietly. And that continued, until a scream was heard.
Draco's scream.
Ara's eyes widened and she quickly pushed herself in front of Fred, who placed his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to stop her.
"You've seen the compartment, now be on your way," Ara said with a type of bravery she was not aware she possessed.
She held her lit wand up and directed it towards the Dementor, who stepped, or whatever it was they did, back.
It did not leave. And Ara's hands were shaking so badly, it was comical.
"We're only Fifth Years. We haven't got any business with the man you're looking for, be on your way," Ara demanded, this time in a sterner voice.
"Hey, you heard her," Fred piped up, lighting his wand as well and pointing it toward the hooded figure, George followed in suit.
The Dementor wordlessly left the compartment.
Ara's confident posture, and the hand which held her wand, both fell. She let out a shaky breath.
"That was Draco's scream-"
Before Ara could even finish her sentence, the lights flickered back on, and three boys burst into the compartment. Looking as if they'd pissed themselves.
Fred and George began laughing. Ara, although finding their appearance funny, hit both the twins stomachs with the back of her hand, and mumbled a- 'stop'.
"Draco, Gregory, Vincent, are you alright?"
-
"I cannot believe Professor Snape recommended me for this rotten job!" Ara complained loudly to George and Fred, "-Guess what I had to do, first thing this morning? Pull apart two Third Years, who were clawing at each other's necks! Over my brother!"
"No!" George gasped and began laughing, "-The boy who nearly pissed-"
"Yes, that boy," Ara rolled her eyes, cutting him off before he made fun of the scene with Draco on the train.
"You know, Ced seems to be enjoying his job as prefect," Fred mused teasingly.
They had just seen the Hufflepuff standing outside of a classroom consoling a crying First Year dressed in yellow.
"Hm, I wonder why? When do you think was the last time Cedric had to pull apart two Hufflepuffs trying to murder each other?" Ara asked sarcastically.
She couldn't believe she'd been excited over this.
"Ah yes, the duties of being a prefect, I suppose," An unfamiliar voice interrupted, "-The ones from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw always seemed to be having the grandest time, while unfortunately, the ones from Gryffindor and Slytherin often had their work cut out for them, it was like that back in my day, I can attest to it,"
The trio had walked into their Defence Against the Dark Arts class, where their newest teacher, Professor Lupin, gave them an amused look.
"-Do try to keep your head on straight, or you might end up graduating with a few extra grey hairs, Miss..." Remus Lupin trailed off, looking directly at Ara.
The blonde stared at him, wide-eyed.
She hadn't found Professor Lockhart, or really any of her teachers, particularly attractive before.
That was not the case anymore.
Professor Lupin had brown hair and a face sprinkled with soft freckles and large scars, ones he might've been self-conscious about, but they did nothing except make him look cuter.
"Ar'?" Fred gently nudged Ara with his elbow, snapping her out of her daze.
Remus had raised an eyebrow at the silent girl.
"He's asking your name," George whispered softly, the boys gave each other a concerned look.
"Oh! I-umh-Ara," She stuttered, turning a shade pinker out of embarrassment.
Lupin gave her a nod, and cracked smiled.
"Very well, Miss Ara, please, take a seat," He gestured to the classroom desks, "-Along with you two, then we'll start the class," Remus glanced at the twins.
Ara quickly, with her head down, pushed past a few desks and sat at the first empty one she saw. Too embarrassed to look at the Professor, she kept her nose in her textbook as he began teaching.
"Ara, what's wrong?" Fred mumbled softly. He and his brother had sat down on either side of the blonde, she refused to look up at them.
Fred was starting to get worried.
"Ar', you're acting strange, are you-"
"Shut up, please! I am fine!" Ara said in a rushed tone, still refusing to lift her head out of her textbook.
Fred blinked a few times before glancing at George, who seemed just as confused. The twins, simultaneously, grabbed Ara's book and forced it away from her face, placing it flat on her desk.
Ara glared at the two boys, but could not hide the blush that still adorned her cheeks.
Fred's face washed over in realization, he snapped his head over to Lupin and then back to the girl beside him.
"Really, him?" He asked, connecting the dots and making a clearly disgusted face.
"Wait till Cedric hears!" George, who'd understood immediately, found the situation very amusing.
"Cedric will not hear, anything!" Ara whispered aggressively.
"Oh, yes, he will!" Fred told her teasingly, "-To think, he's been right since Second Year!"
The twins both stifled their laughter and Ara buried her head in her hands.
Throughout the year, the blonde found herself forgetting to write notes and dazing off dreamily while Professor Lupin taught, which the twins found hilarious.
-
"Malfoy!" Roger Davies, a Ravenclaw prefect in his Fifth Year, burst into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, effectively bringing the current lesson to a halt.
"My apologies for the disturbance Professor," Lupin said nothing and glanced at the Slytherin being called, "-Malfoy, your brother has been injured,"
Ara stood up from her desk, confused, and very concerned.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He's in the infirmary, Madam-"
Ara drowned out the rest of what Roger was saying, she turned her head to Professor Lupin while looking nearly frantic, and as if he could read her mind, he nodded.
"Go,"
Ara dashed out of the classroom and ran through the castle until she made it down to the infirmary. She made sure to ask Madam Pomfrey what had happened before she got to Draco, and upon hearing the explanation, Ara found herself less worried and more angry.
"Draco Malfoy! Who do you think you are?" The blonde bellowed, the smile on Draco's face that had formed upon seeing his sister fell upon realizing she was angry.
"I-"
"No! Draco, I've kept all my notes from Care for Magical Creatures, you've read them! What did you think you were doing, insulting a Hippogriff?" Ara asked angrily.
Madam Pomfrey had quickly made her way over to the siblings and was desperately attempting to calm the oldest.
"It's not my fault the beast-"
"Mr Malfoy, Miss Malfoy, calm down!"
They both ignored Madam Pomfrey.
"It is entirely your fault! They are known as prideful creatures! I can guarantee that your Professor told you that! You will apologize to them for disturbing their class with your higher-then-thou complex!"
"Ara, the Professor is that oaf groundskeeper Hag-"
"You will be apologizing to Professor Hagrid, then! Are we clear?" Ara and her brother glared at one another, but the older sibling was unwavering in her demands.
"Fine," Draco mumbled, "-But I've already written father about it,"
"Of course you have," Ara rolled her eyes.
Daddy's boy.
"How badly is he hurt?" The blonde asked, turning to Madam Pomfrey. Ara knew better than to ask Draco, he was, after all, a dramatic boy.
"Just a scratch,"
"I'm in pain!"
It was going to be a long year.