"You, my dear, seem to have a knack at Potions."
Aria's eyes widened at her head of house's statement. Professor Snape stood next to the Herbology professor and Professor McGonagall stood on her other side. Why Aria needed an entire audience for ju...
Chapter 11 : Practice Doesn't Make Perfect : Year 2
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Corryn and Thomas had offered to go down with Aria for her first practice, but she had promised that she would be alright on her own. Cedric would have walked down with her, but he headed down there early to meet with Boe Harrison about some things, so Aria headed down by herself. The weather outside was chilly and wet, having rained during the night. And while a chill ran up Aria's spine, she liked the change of temperature. It made her more awake than she was, since it was so early in the morning on a Saturday. Down on the pitch, Cedric was the first to see her, and waved excitedly, beckoning him toward her.
It had been a week since he had first sat with her and her friends at lunch. Thomas was quite harsh with him at first, but the two of them had really bonded, and were almost inseparable. Aria guessed that Thomas looked up to him. Cedric was older, almost by two years, and Thomas liked the way that Cedric carried himself. Corryn thought Cedric was nice, and was willing to battle back with her quick remarks. Apparently Aria and Thomas didn't have the capacity for that (words from her own mouth). Aria enjoyed his company. He was kind and gave great advice. He supported her in her decisions and tried to help her when she needed it. It had only been a week, but all four of them had gotten closer in the presence of Cedric. It was like their group had been needing him this whole time to help their bond strengthen. Aria was thankful for that.
"Morning, Rivers!" Cedric called when she approached.
Aria shook her head in dismay. He still hadn't stopped calling her by her last name, and she was sure that he would never drop it. That wasn't the only problem. Thomas and Corryn had adopted the name as well, and now, to all her closest friends (other than the Weasleys), she was Rivers. At first it had made her mad. But it was almost endearing. Even over a week, the name had grown on her. She could see why people in Great Britain called each other by their last names. It was like being in a spy movie. Not only that, but it was almost endearing.
"Morning, Diggory," she replied quickly. "Sleep well?"
"As well as I could. Are you ready for today?"
"As ready as I can be."
"I'm glad you two have become friends," Boe Harrison noticed. "Your friends have been asking after you. They're wondering why you're not sitting with them anymore."
"How could I resist being friends with the second most popular pupil in school?" Cedric asked, sending her a wink. "I've just found more reliable friends. No need to worry about them, Harrison. I'm sure they'll be fine without me. They didn't really need me anyway."
Boe smiled. "Well, I think you made the right choice. Anyway, let's get started. Here comes everyone else."
The two of them turned to face a group of four others who made their way onto the pitch, getting ready for practice. None of them really seemed to want to talk to each other which made Aria frown. That's not team spirit. Everyone had to trust each other if they were going to win the cup this year. She knew they probably had a chance, but if no one could even introduce themselves, what chance did they have.
