You don't own me, Riddle

Chapter 14- Acceptance

As Ari and Tom reentered the room, Jack immediately made his way over to them. "Ari, where were you? You've been gone for ages!" He exclaimed and ran a hand through his now somewhat messy hair. His eyes wandered over to Tom and he looked him over "Riddle. If you don't mind may I borrow my date for a while" He snarled, visibly irritated.

Tom clenched his jaw and raised one eyebrow at Ari but remained silent, which she was thankful for. She decided against correcting Jack and simply nodded once at Tom before dragging Jack to a vacant corner of the room. "What was that about?" She asked him, feeling the urge to cross her arms over her chest.

Jack snorted in response, and turned his head away from her, gazing over the remaining students in the room. "What is your problem with Tom anyways?" she asked and leaned up against the wall, waiting for him to return his attention to her. "Nothing" he responded absent-mindedly, still avoiding looking at her.

"Jack" she pleaded and grabbed his arm, which finally made him turn her way. "Ari, he's not good" he said and placed his hand on top of hers. "I don't know how to explain it, I just know he's not." Ari tilted her head slightly and searched his eyes. "Besides I'm not the only one who thinks that. Ask Victor or even Elizabeth! They will tell you the same thing." Jack continued, concern written all over his expression.

As Ari took a step back, releasing Jack's arm from her grip he brought his hands to the pockets of his dress robes and stared at the floor. "I know you like him, It's pretty obvious, but please be careful around him at least. I don't trust him." He pleaded. Ari thought that this serious expression did not suit Jack, and swallowed the newly formed lump in her throat.

"I know jack" she started, not denying his acusation while still maintaining the distance between them. "But you have to understand, I'm not a child and I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions. You're a very important friend to me, and I really hope that it will stay that way" Ari told him, and saw him smile defeatedly at the ground. "Of course" he said, tilting his head slightly upwards to look at her.

"Well I think I'm gonna head back, I'm absolutely famished." Ari said, and felt her headache from earlier returning. "Sure, I'll walk you back"

Ari took one last look around the room, seemingly aimless before bidding Professor Slughorn goodbye and following Jack back to the commonroom.

Elizabeth, Stella, Victor, and to her surprise even Helen was waiting for them in one of the couches, laughing abouth something Victor was saying. "I swear, he was all round and purple! Like an enourmus grape! It was even more funny

when he tried to chase the poor kid who accidentally.. Jack, Ari!" He interupted himself.

Elizabeth dried a tear from her eye with her finger and smiled happily at them. "Ari! Victor just told us... what's wrong?" The previous grin on her face replaced with a more serious expression as she saw the looks on Ari's and Jack's faces.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all" Jack awnsered and Ari gave him a thankfull smile. "We're just very tired. Professor Slughorn is quite tha handfull!" Ari joked and nudged Jack's arm. He replied with a sheepish grin, and she could finally hint his dimples. They were gonna be okay, she decided.

"Let's go, we want to hear all about it!" Elizabeth burst and hurried over to Ari and started to drag her towards their dorm room. "Hey, I want to hear it to!" Victor protested, and Elizabeth awnsered by sticking out her toung at him. "Sorry boys, its girl talk!" She then continued, gesturing for Stella and Helen to follow them.

Ari heard a low chuckle before Elizabeth basically carried her in to their shared room. Stella and Helen entered short therafter. "How was it? What did you do? Was there a lot of people there that you know" Elizabeth begain bombing her with questions. She really resembeled Kat when she was excited. Squirrel 2.0. She supressed a laugh at her thought.

"Well we had dinner, and then just hung around for a while I guess. And besides me and Jack, Frank and Petra was there.. And Tom and Alvin." She told them. The image of her and Tom in the come and go room popped up in her mind and made her blush slightly.

Elizabeth seemed a bit taken aback with the information. Or Ari's reaction. It was hard to tell. "Of course Tom was there, he is Slughorn's favorite after all" Stella said admirably. Ari smiled happily at her, glad that not all of her friends despised the boy.

Ari met Helen's eyes, and saw a frown on her face, wich she immediatly exchanged to her noraml expressionless deminor. Ari drew the conclusion that Helen was also a part of the 'Down with the snake' Gang, togehetr with Jack and Elizabeth. And Victor apperantly. She decided to spear the details untill she was alone with Stella, Kat and Georgia.

"Sorry guys, I really am tired" Ari said with a jawn. "Can we talk abouth this tomorrow?" Elizabeth looked dissapointed but nodded understandingly.

After washing of her makeup and changing to her night gown, Ari looked at her immage in the bathroom mirror. Once again her gaze fell down to her mothers bracelet. She gave herself a moment to just imagine being able to tell her mother abouth everything that was going on in her life, before she sighed and headed of to bed.

Her thoughts were filled with a certain Slytherin, and she felt exited. Abouth him, their agreement and to her surprise even the deal that they had made. As she decided that being with Tom after all might be worth the lies she was going to have to tell her friends she drifted of to sleep feeling content and drained.

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A/N

A rather uneventfull chapter, I know... but were just getting in to the good parts!

Have a good day!

-Naomi