Written In the Stars | s.b |

SIXTY-ONE

Ariah let out a loud huff as she laid across the bench in the compartment, her head resting on Sirius' lap. Instinctively, Sirius placed his hand on Ariah's head, lightly stroking her hair.

"Thank Merlin the O.W.Ls are done with," Ariah said, closing her eyes and allowing herself to relax.

"Now we just wait for our results," Meeka mumbled, sitting across from the couple, followed by Remus, Peter and Lily.

"And prepare for the N.E.W.T's," Lily stated.

Ariah groaned. "Let's just not ever mention any kind of testing or results ever again."

"Sit the bloody hell up, Ariah." Dylan tried to push Ariah's feet, but she only lifted them up, setting them across Dylan's legs as soon as she sat down.

"Honestly," James said, sitting beside Dylan. "Our group is getting too big for laying down."

"I'll just have to make sure not to get a girlfriend," Dylan said. Ariah sat up, shocked but smiling slightly.

Everyone stared at Dylan. Ariah felt the anxiety that pulsed through Dylan despite her cool expression. Ariah put her hand on her friends hand.

"Are you saying..." Peter started to ask.

"That I'm gay," Dylan confirmed.

"Well cool!" Sirius said. "I know a few girls who would be freaking lucky to call themselves your girlfriend. Just don't invite them to sit in this compartment."

Everyone chuckled and Ariah felt the tension wash away from Dylan as she chuckled along. "Not sure I can trust you're taste in girls, Sirius," Dylan said with a smirk directed at Ariah.

"Excuse me?!" Ariah and Sirius exclaimed.

Ariah looked to Sirius, surprised he would take offense to that. "Jokes aside, I have the most amazing taste in girls because I've had a crush on this one since year one and she's a major catch."

Ariah smiled largely, a blush evident to all in her cheeks. "You had a crush on me since year one...? How embarrassing."

Sirius rolled his eyes, shoving Ariah's shoulder. "Oh shuddup."

"Both of you shut up," James groaned. "The honeymoon faze, am I right?"

"They've been dating for five months," Meeka pointed out. "The honeymoon faze only lasts one month. They're just cute, and you're just jealous."

"Yeah James," Sirius said, wrapping his arm around Ariah's shoulder. "We're just cute, and you're just jealous."

James rolled his eyes but said nothing in response.

"Well back to O.W.L's," Lily said. "I really hope I did well enough to get into the N.E.W.T classes to become an auror."

Ariah groaned again. "Let's forget about the O.W.L's for two seconds...."

"You really don't want to discuss what you hope to have done well in?" Lily asked. "What do you want to do after hogwarts?"

Ariah sighed, resting her head on the wall of the compartment, staring at the ceiling. "I really don't know...."

"It's okay not to know," Remus said. "I don't really know what I want to do either."

"I thought you wanted to be a professor," Meeka asked, prompting Remus to cover her mouth with his hand.

"It's just an idea," Remus said. "I don't really know."

"It's fine," Ariah mumbled. "I would like to be a therapist... I meet with one at St. Mungos during breaks — I think Hogwarts should have a counselor on campus."