The Era of Aria Snape

66

Chapter Sixty-Six

ARIA STARED AT the Goblet from outside the age line that Dumbledore had drawn around it-the only thing in the way of her entering the tournament. She was grateful for it.

"Hey, Aria."

She didn't need to turn to know who had stood beside her. "Hello, Cedric."

"Saw you at the World Cup."

"Mmm."

"Are you... planning on entering?" He gestured to the Goblet before them.

"I'm underage."

"Oh, yeah." He chuckled nervously. "I'm entering."

"You have a good chance of being chosen." She may have hated him, but she couldn't deny his skill.

"My friends think so too. I'm a bit nervous."

"Dumbledore did say the tasks were dangerous." Life-threatening, if she remembered correctly.

"I'm sure that I can handle them." He said. "I'm fearless." A cocky smirk appeared on his handsome face.

Aria snorted. "Oh yes." To cheat on Aria, you had to be. Aria wanted their conversation to end immediately. She had no interest in speaking to him. "Well, nice catching up-"

"You know, Aria." He cut her off as she had been about to walk away. "I never got the chance to properly apologize for... everything I did."

She stopped and stared at him. It was about three years too late, but she was curious to hear what he had to say, she would most probably laugh about it later with Anna. "Go on."

"I'm sorry for cheating on you, Aria. I was stupid back then."

"Yes. Yes, you were."

"I'd love to make it up to you some time."

She had no intention of ever allowing that, but she played along. "Sure."

"Great." He looked as if he was about to say something else when his friends came along and pushed him past the age line and into the area that contained the Goblet.

Aria sighed and stepped back, only grateful that the conversation was over and that by entering the tournament, he was guaranteed some injuries. Of course, she didn't want him fatally wounded, but it would be nice to see a beast or two knock him down a bit.

A chill ran over Aria's spine as the doors burst open. She didn't need to turn around to know who had come in, the cheering they received from the Gryffindor students provided more than enough evidence of the Weasley twins' presence.

The room cheered at the sight of them holding a bottle each. "Thank you, thank you," George said, making a point to shove Aria as he walked past. She felt the need to curse him immediately, but held back and glared at him instead. "Well lads, we've done it."

"Cooked it up this morning." Fred chimed in.

She continued to glare at them, eyeing out Hermione angrily as well. It wasn't that she didn't like the girl, but she had sworn off associating with the likes of them ever again, and she was as good as Weasley, judging by the amount of time she spent with them.

"Ready Fred?"

"Ready George."

They each drank from the vial they held and jumped into the age line. They made it in.

Aria noticed a look from her fellow Slytherins as if they expected her to now enter as well, using their ridiculous potion.

With a cheer, the twins placed two pieces of parchment into the blue flames that lingered across the Goblet, and for a moment the room was silent, waiting in anticipation to see if their genius plan had worked. It appeared as though it had and cheers erupted from around her once again. Aria groaned, she would have to use another excuse not to enter now.

But, mere seconds later, two flames sparked and Aria found herself staring down at the twins who had landed by her feet and not had faces covered in grey hair.

She smiled down triumphantly. "Better luck next time, Georgie. Seems you're as bad at potions as you are at relationships." She and stepped over him to leave the room.

She passed Krum on the way out and snorted once he had passed. He didn't so much as glance at her and Aria decided that he wasn't that good-looking after all.

She made her way to the common room and found Draco sprawled across the couch, complaining about something or other.

"Aria." He made room for her as she approached.

Pansy glared and stood up from the seat opposite him when Aria sat down.

"Your girlfriend's quite the petty bitch, isn't she?" Aria mumbled and stared into the fire, silently laughing at Pansy's enraged squeal as she departed up the stairs, sending Draco one last glare before disappearing.

"What'd you do that for?" Draco snapped and stared after her.

Aria rolled her eyes and shrugged. "For that reaction." She grinned. "Cedric just entered the tournament. I've never been so grateful to be underage, imagine risking your life just for eternal glory."

"Yeah, like you've never done anything dangerous before." He snorted from beside her.

"This is different."

"I know." He sighed. "I'm also grateful-I'd hate for you to enter and die."

Aria smiled at his concern. "I guess we'll have to wait and see who the sorry soul is that gets picked."

He snorted. "Yeah. Pitiful really, I doubt they'll last a second."

Aria was only glad that it wouldn't be her.