The Era of Aria Snape

26

Chapter Twenty-Six

FOURTH-YEAR.

ARIA stared at the train before her, wondering where all the time had gone. It seemed like only yesterday she was boarding it for the first time. The excitement fired through her, it was fourth year! It was going to be a good year.

"Anna!" She spotted her friend nearby and walked over, slightly shocked when she turned around, her skin much more tan than before. "Good break?" That was all Aria managed to say. Anna looked good-healthy and happy.

"Very, yes. Mum took us to Brazil. Dad was panicking the whole time that I'd slip up and show my muggle side of the family what I've been up to, but that didn't happen. He worries too much." She laughed. "How about you?"

Aria felt a jab in her chest and found herself wishing she had family experiences like that. She pushed the thought to the side and grinned. "It was good too. I spent most of my time at Malfoy's."

A flash of red hair caught Aria's eye and no sooner than it did were the Weasley twins at her side, George smiling down at her.

Aria glanced up. "Hello, ladies."

"No kiss?" George puckered his lips teasingly as Aria swatted him away. They weren't dating, not officially anyway. He was clearly smitten, anyone could see that from a mile away and while Aria refused to admit she had feelings for him, a certain warmness flooded through her when he was around.

Which was quite a bit. George had made a point to see her almost every day and they met at Hogsmeade about a dozen times during the break.

Anna's eyes darted between them, her face scrunched in confusion. "Are you two together?"

"No," Aria said while George said the exact opposite. She glared up at the ginger. "We are not."

"Then what's this?" He loosed his tie and undid the top button of his shirt to reveal a small lovebite that Aria had given him a few days prior. A smirk came onto his face as Aria hurried to hide the evidence with her hand.

He laughed and buttoned up while Fred pulled him to the side.

"I can not believe you, Aria." Annabelle snapped and glanced past her, glaring at the twins. "Dating a Weasley... Merlin!"

"We're not dating," Aria assured her as Malfoy waved from the opposite end of the train station. They had grown closer over the holidays, they were now friends instead of just Slytherin's who got along.

"Didn't see you much last week, didn't get an owl or anything. I was beginning to worry." Malfoy snorted.

Aria shrugged. "I went searching for school supplies. Books have gotten so bloody expensive by the way. Especially since that fool, Lockhart had to sign them." Aria rolled her eyes as she remembered his dumb grin.

"Snape, I was with you that day." Malfoy reminded her in amusement.

"Yes, but you went off while Narcissa took me into the bookstore. I wanted to pound that phony! My dad hates him too."

"What?" Anna gasped. "You hate Lockhart? He's a hero!"

"His stories are a bit far-fetched, don't you think?"

"You're mad." Anna seemed unable to comprehend Aria's reasoning. "I heard he's teaching at Hogwarts this year. I don't know how I'm supposed to get any work done with someone like him around." She sighed dreamily.

Aria scrunched her nose in disgust. "And I'm the one with no standards?" She turned to Malfoy. "We should go find our seats. Are you coming?"

He shook his head. "I'll wait for Crabbe and Goyle, they should be here any moment."

She nodded and followed Anna on the train who was still gushing over the possibility of her new Professor. "There they are!" She pointed to a compartment with exactly the people Aria was not looking forward to seeing.

Matilda sat by the window, black hair cropped shorter than the previous year, her glasses sitting on her nose as she gossiped to Madison opposite her. Next to the blonde was Gale, handsome as ever, and opposite him was one of his teammates who seemed far too interested in Matilda. He must have had mental issues to like that thing.

Anna greeted them all, squeezing in next to Gale and leaving Aria to sit next to the other boy, far too close to Matilda even with a whole person separating them. She wished she could sit by the window, at least then she wouldn't have to listen to their conversations. She sighed as Anna asked how everybody's break was and turned to face the door.

Perhaps watching students walk by would be entertaining. It was surely better than anything Matilda had to say.

Only, as Aria came to realize, it wasn't. She would have much preferred listening to Matilda talk about her newfound gift than watch as Cedric passed by the compartment, his arm around another girl. Their eyes met and she contemplated hexing him right there.

His brown eyes slid over her as he whispered something to the girl and began walking to the compartment door. Aria was frozen, she didn't know whether to hex him or kiss him as he approached.

"No way!" Anna snapped and stood up, locking the door and sending Cedric a vulgar gesture.

Aria held in a laugh as he moped away, but she couldn't help the frown that spread across her face.

"Don't pay any attention to that cheater, Aria," Anna told her, reaching for her hand. "You can do so much better than a Hufflepuff with a weird hairstyle."

She nodded in thanks, knowing that her best friend was right. She could do better than Cedric and she was better than any girl he would fancy after her, Aria knew this and yet it still hurt to think about him with other girls.

"Smile for the Slytherin Weekly! Matilda held up her camera, flashing a photo of Aria and Anna. "That'll make the front page. Slytherin Princess scorned by break up! Who's to blame and why?" She spoke in her best reporter's voice. "I can see it now." She grinned to herself.

Aria snapped her head to face Matilda and reached for her wand, the year was going to start with a bang, that was for sure.