There's Something About Potter

Chapter 18

Aria was one of the few students who decided to stay behind at Hogwarts instead of going home for the Holidays.

She figured it was the best decision anyway, especially since Ron and Hermione would be spending their break separately with their families this year. Of course, as expected, they both offered to stay behind and keep her company at Hogwarts, but Aria had adamantly refused and had sent them away.

Hermione had plans to spend Christmas with her parents in Paris; and after having been deprived of their company for so long during the war, Aria certainly wasn't about to keep her friend at Hogwarts just for her sake. As always, Ron was going to spend Christmas with the rest of the Weasleys at the Burrow.

Before he left, he tried to convince Aria to come with him like she usually did, but Aria decided to decline. As much as she loved the Weasleys, she knew how important it was for them to spend their Christmas together alone as a family this year – especially since this was their first Christmas together after Fred's death.

Well, at least that was what she tried to convince herself anyway.

Aria knew the Weasleys would always welcome her into their home with open arms, but truth be told, the real reason she didn't want to celebrate with them that year was because of something more personal.

She couldn't help thinking about how, in the last couple of years, the Weasleys had also invited Remus and Tonks to celebrate Christmas with them. And given the circumstances, Aria really wasn't ready to celebrate Christmas in front of so many empty seats at the dinner table that year.

Not yet.

It was an entirely selfish and, admittedly, cowardly reason not to go; so Aria didn't bother sharing this with Ron or Hermione – even if she knew that they wouldn't judge her for it or take it against her.

Among her housemates, Aria was surprised when she learned that Pansy, Hannah, and Neville also decided to stay behind at Hogwarts that week. Meanwhile, the rest of the Slytherins, including Blaise and Draco, went home to spend their Christmas with their families.

In Pansy's case, she explained to them that her parents were planning to have her meet her potential fiancé (a man who was, apparently, 15 years older than her) so she decided to make up an excuse about having to stay at school. Neville, on the other hand, didn't want to go home because his grandmother had invited some of their distant relatives over, and he really didn't get along with them. Hannah had just stayed behind because she wanted to take advantage of the empty library and get some last minute cramming done for their NEWT exams.

Aria found herself relating very much to Hannah in that aspect.

She was alone in the Slytherin Common Room that afternoon, desperately trying to cram one of the more complicated chapters of her Advanced Potions textbook; all the while trying not to panic when she thought about how the NEWTs were only a couple more days away. Massaging her aching temples, Aria was just about to take a break when the entrance to the common room suddenly slid open, followed by the sound of two students arguing with each other as they approached where Aria was seated.

Even without looking up, Aria knew that it was Pansy and Neville.

She reacted instinctively by ducking down behind the couch, keeping her head low enough so that they wouldn't notice her there.

Pansy's footsteps were curt and agitated as she stomped into the room, her high heels clacking loudly against the dungeon floors. From the rushed, heavier footsteps that immediately followed, Aria guessed that Neville was probably trailing close behind her.