star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

On top of her weakened state, Arabella was very emotional when the Hogwarts Express finally arrived at Platform 9 3/4 that evening. Ginny had had to help her off of the train and when they reached their parents, Arabella had practically fallen into Molly's arms and began to sob, overwhelmed by everything. This obviously alarmed both Arthur and Molly and as soon as they arrived back to the Burrow, they made the girls explain everything.

"Oh, Bella, when are you going to learn to ignore that girl?" Molly exclaimed, immediately moving to make a remedy of some sort after her daughters told her about the situation with Pansy, Amycus and Alecto Carrow, and the Cruciatus Curse. "She's only out to cause you trouble."

"But, Mum, the things she was saying-" Arabella cut herself off, not wanting to repeat the foul things that Pansy had said. "I couldn't just ignore it. The only thing I regret is not doing something worse, like she deserved."

"Look, Bella," Arthur began, settling himself beside his eldest daughter on the sitting room sofa, "I don't blame you for reacting the way you did. I, too, find myself getting angry whenever someone speaks ill of those I love."

"Yeah, we know." Arabella grinned slightly, remembering what had occurred between her family and Lucius Malfoy in Flourish and Blotts back before she had started her second year at Hogwarts.

"Yes, well, there comes a time where you have to learn to choose your battles, dear. Especially during a time like this, when retaliating against someone can earn you something much worse than simply writing lines or scrubbing floors." He looked pointedly at Arabella, reminding her of the tame punishments she used to receive for defending her family against Pansy, and then pulled her into him for a hug. "But right now, I'm just glad you're all right."

As she rested against her father and enjoyed the embrace that she hadn't felt in months, Arabella frowned and she came to a realization that had never occurred to her before. She could've died that day. If it weren't for Draco coming in and coming up with some excuse, the Carrows could've killed her, or tortured her into insanity like their fellow Death Eaters had done to Frank and Alice Longbottom. Either way, she would've been taken away from her family and friends, leaving them with a pain that would last a lifetime, all because she had acted rashly and let the words of someone she had no care for get to her. Arthur was right; she needed to learn to choose her battles before something like that did happen. And the way her friends had fussed over her and never left her alone after the fact, the way Molly's eyes had filled with tears when informed of what had happened, and the way Arthur was holding her tight now only reinforced that.

"Parkinson's still a right bitch though," Ginny said, pulling Arabella out of her melancholy thoughts.

"Ginevra Weasley!" Molly scolded from the kitchen.

"Sorry, Mum." Then, Ginny turned to Arthur and Arabella and mouthed 'No, I'm not.'

Arabella couldn't help but laugh while Arthur shook his head disapprovingly while trying his hardest to keep back a smile.

.｡❅*⋆⍋*∞*｡*∞*⍋⋆*❅｡.

Over the next few days, as she had predicted, Molly hardly ever let Arabella out of her sight and made Ginny do all of the chores, not wanting the oldest to overexert herself no matter how much she insisted she was fine, that she was back to normal.

When Christmas came, Arabella didn't feel the usual excitement that came with the holiday. If anything, the day made her even more depressed than she already had been. It was her first Christmas since their third year of school that she wasn't with Ron, but even back then, she wasn't feeling like this, because she knew he was safe back at Hogwarts. She had no idea where he was this time around, or if he was safe. The only thing she knew was that he was alive, only because she was certain she would feel something if he had died.