What If? Year 1

Chapter 16

I curl into a ball onto my bed. Ginny and Ara are staring at me. Heather had run off to get Hermione.
"What was that?" Ginny speaks up. I look up from my knees and see that they were kneeling in front of my bed.
"I don't know," I mumble, wiping the tears off my face, "I didn't even realize I was screaming." Ara reaches out and touches my knee.
"You can tell us anything," she says, as I make eye contact with Ginny. I feel a stabbing pain in my head.
"I know," I tell them, blinking, "I really don't get it." Ginny nods. Hermione barges into the dorm.
"Are you alright?" she asks, sitting down next to me and wrapping her arms around me, "were you dreaming? Is it a side affect of what happened to you?"
"I don't know, Mione," I tell her, "I really don't know. I don't even remember what I was dreaming about." Hermione nods.
"Well you four should get ready for classes," she says, getting up and leaving. I get up and change into my robes. I grab my letter to Evie and walk down the stairs to the common room. Harry was standing by the portrait door with his arms crossed.
"Are you alright?" he asks, grabbing my arm and leading me over to a corner, "Hermione kinda explained to me what happened, but I wanted to hear it from you."
"I don't know, Harry," I growl at him, "can you just give this letter to Hedwig?" I storm away from him and grab Ara.
"Let's go, please," I whisper to her, dragging her past Harry and to the grand staircase.
"Is something wrong?" she asks. I feel a guilty feeling in my stomach.
"I'm going to tell you something," I whisper, leading her down the stairs with me, "But you have to promise that you won't laugh or tell anyone." Ara nods, her hair turning white.
"I won't tell a soul," she says, smiling.
"I c-can talk to dead people," I stutter, "At least I think I can. If Snape's quill is on the floor this morning I know I can." Ara looks at me.
"Is that why you were screaming this morning?" she asks, scrabbling to the bottom of the stairs.
"Kind of," I tell her, scrunching my face up, "but not really, I guess." Ara laughs.
"You guess?" she asks, "And why is it Snape's quill that has to be on the floor?"
"Why are you two talking about my quill?" Professor Snape is over Ara and I in a moment. My face color is gone.
"I-I had a d-dream t-that H-harry kn-knocked you're qu-quill on the ground," I stutter out, "b-but I d-doubt it ac-actually hap-happened." Snape looks at me questionably.
"I did find my quill on the ground this morning," He says, touching my forehead with his thumb, "was this last night?"
"Y-yes s-sir," I stutter. He frowns before nodding.
"Thank you for this exciting intel," Snape sneers. I nod and walk to the Great Hall with Ara.
"That was weird," Ara says, "So you think that.. the person you talked to last night..." I nod, as we sit down at the Gryffindor table. I notice Cedric at the Hufflepuff table talking with a Ravenclaw girl, I had not met yet.
"Look's like your boyfriend is talking to Cho," George says, "she's the hottest girl at Hogwarts." I clench my fist.
"He isn't my boyfriend!" I shout, "we're just friends!" Ara snorts.
"He isn't!" Ara changes her hair to pink.
"Suuree," Fred teases, "Just a fair warning.. If Cedric wants to be you're boyfriend, he will be persistent."
"Cedric isn't like that, Fred," I grumble, "Maybe if you weren't so caught up in the house rivalry you would notice that." Fred nods.
"Alright," he grumbles, "don't say I didn't warn you." I roll my eyes before looking back over to Cedric. He's looking at me now. He waves. I wave back, slowly.
"Sure," Ara mumbles, putting some food on her plate. I grab a waffle and some butter. Ginny and Heather join us.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Ginny asks, as soon as she sits down. I nod, as I bit into my waffle.
"Alright," she mumbles.
She was with that weird voice. Who is that? Maybe I could...
"I can't wait for the first Quidditch game!" Heather exclaims, "I've never seen a game, but it sounds like a lot of fun."
"It is!" Ginny and I say together. We both giggle. Ara's hair turns black as someone walks up to us.
"Ara," Draco grumbles, "can I talk with you?" I glare at him.
"What do you want, Draco?" Ara asks, "And if you need to talk to me, you can say it in front of Marigold at least." Draco glares at me.
"Fine," he growls, "don't make me say it here." Ara nods to me and I follow her and Draco to just outside the Great Hall.
"Ara," Draco says, "I just wanted to say sorry. I should not have said some of the things I said." Ara crosses her arms.
"I guess I except you're apology," Ara says, making her hair look like Draco's platinum blonde, "Are mom and dad still mad?"
"Yes," Draco mumbles, his features stiffening, "They can't believe that you're choosing to be in Gryffindor rather than in Slytherin." Ara rolls her eyes.
I don't understand why I need to be here. Ara senses my awkwardness and inclines her head to point at me.
"You might want to say sorry to her as well," she says. Draco frowns at me.
"I don't understand why that would be nes-" Ara glares at him.
"Alright, fine," he growls, "I'm sorry." I nod, hoping I was not expected to respond in any way.
"Is that all, Draco?" Ara asks, searching her brother's face for any unasked questions. Draco shakes his head.
"I think Dad wants to kick you out of the house," Draco says, "I'm not sure yet. Mum is against it, but she doesn't have a lot of power over dad." Ara nods, looking over at me.
"I can find a place to stay if that happens," she says, shuffling over to me and putting her arm around me, "I've got friends."
"Alright," Draco says, "I.. I hope you don't... I wish I could.." Ara giggles.
"I get it, Draco," she says, sticking her hand out for a handshake, "peace for now?" Draco looks at her, then me, and then back to Ara.
"Sure," he sneers, shaking Ara's hand. Ara smiles as he lets go.
"That was fun," I whisper to her as Draco heads back to the Great Hall.
"It's not like Draco to apologies," Ara says, "I wonder if he's up to something." I shrug.
"We should go finish our breakfast, none the less," I tell her, hooking her elbow with mine and walking with her back to the Gryffindor table.