The Era of Aria Snape

36

Chapter Thirty-Six

ARIA CHUCKLED DEVIOUSLY to herself, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure nobody was watching her.

She had summoned a small green box onto the table before her and packed the concoction that she had so carefully brewed tightly inside. It was something that George had taught her during the break-how to store spells.

Aria figured that since she hadn't been able to scheme and find a way to call out Potter, she need a little help. Nothing encouraged her to scheme more than Matilda's vile presence and so, Aria smiled to herself as she scribbled Matilda's name across the green box containing the Bat-Bogey Hex and tied a neat bow around it. She would assume it was from one of her admirers and open it happily onto to be met with a wonderful surprise, well, not so wonderful for her, but wonderful for Aria.

She patted the box and left it on the table, running to hide behind the corner as the common room door opened. She recognized the voice that spoke next and silently cursed as she realized it was Malfoy.

Aria peeked around the corner, he was lounging on one leather sofa, Crabbe and Goyle opposite to him looking even stranger than usual.

"You'd never know that the Weasley's were purebloods, the way they behave. They're an embarrassment to the Wizarding world, all of them.

Aria rolled her eyes, she didn't particularly mind what he had said, but she supposed it was better she didn't agree with it, even if it was only in her mind.

"You know," Malfoy continued. "I'm surprised the daily profit hasn't done a report on all these attacks. I supposed Dumbeldore's tryna hush it all up. Father always said that Dumbeldore was the worst thing that ever happened to this place."

Aria nodded along, agreeing as a faint smile appeared on her face.

"You're wrong!" Goyle snapped.

From her hiding place, Aria sent him a suspicious glance.

Draco stood to his feet. "What? You think there's someone here who's worse than Dumbeldore?" Crabbe shook his head. "Well, do you?"

"Harry Potter." Goyle added quickly.

Aria's ears pricked up. Perhaps, despite their lack of knowledge, they knew something that she did not about the boy with the scar.

Malfoy smirked. "Good one, Goyle. You're absolutely right. Saint Potter. And people actually think that he's the heir of Slytherin."

Aria sucked in a breath as he said that. Perhaps Malfoy hadn't been letting off as much as he knew about this whole heir business.

"But then you must have some idea who's behind it all?"

Malfoy began to pace. "You know I don't, Goyle. I told you yesterday." He took a seat on the table where Aria had left the box. She internally cringed as he took it in his hands and began juggling it around. It was delicate. "How many times do I have to tell you?" He shook the box in his ear, Aria closed her eyes, waiting for it to explode. "Is this yours?"

Goyle shook his head and Aria watched, furiously as the blond slipped it into the pocket of his robes.

"But my father did say this..." He continued.

For a moment, Aria's attention shifted from the box and back to their conversation.

"It's been fifty years since the Chamber was opened, he wouldn't tell me who opened it, only that they were expelled. The last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a mudblood died. So it's only a matter of time before one of them is killed this time. As for me," He smirked. "I hope it's Granger."

Crabbe jumped up at that, fists balled. If it weren't for Goyle holding him back he looked as if he'd been about to hit Malfoy. Aria smirked, she wondered how that would play out.

"What's the matter with you two?" He looked between them. "You're acting very... odd."

Aria watched as Draco removed the box from his robes, she took it as her sign to reveal herself and get it back from him before he actually opened it. "Hey!" She snapped as he made to untie the bow.

He jumped. "Merlin, Snape. Where did you come from?"

"What do you mean? I've been here all this time." She glared at Crabbe and Goyle, watching in confusion as they hurried out of the common room, Malfoy shouting after them.

Aria used his distraction to her advantage and grabbed the box from his hands. He snapped his attention to her and tried to grab it back. "What are you doing?" He asked, reaching for it.

"Not so fast." She held it above her head, out of his reach. "It's mine."

"It was on the table, you thief!" His eyes flickered as he glanced at the box. "What? Gift from your Gryffindor boyfriend?"

"No! It's just... my thing."

"Just your thing?" He snorted. "I bet it's a ring, a wedding ring. Wait until my father hears that you're marrying a Gryffindor, worse, a Weasley. Better yet, I bet you're pregnant. Don't even try denying it, I saw you and that blood-traitor by the lake the other day. I bet you've done it over one hundred times! It's disgusting." He spat, pulling a face, and reached for the box again.

"How dare you." She snapped and held it even higher. "You're so far off it's hilarious."

"Am I? What's in the box then, Snape?"

In a moment of determination and sheer annoyance, Aria lowered the box, removed the bow, and threw the lid to the floor. It wasn't until black smoke began to simmer above the opening did she realize what she had done to herself.

She felt her nose tingle and then a sneeze. Aria and Malfoy watched in horror as her bogey flew out of her nose accompanied by wings.

"Take me..." She began, releasing another sneeze and another bat-bogey along with it. "To the hospital wing!" She demanded, several more escaping her nose. "Now, Malfoy!"

He swore and grabbed her arm. "Come on, come on. Try not to sneeze on me." He made sure to keep a good distance between the two of them.

Aria felt like punching herself. How could she have been so stupid? Her own hex was used against her. She figured it was bad luck, but added everyone who had been in the common room to her To Hex list just for good measure.

Her lingering thoughts on revenge soon vanished as another, huge, bat-bogey fluttered from her nose and darted across the corridor faster than she could stop it.

Her To-Hex list would have to wait, she had much bigger problems to deal with at the moment.