Let's Blame Magic

Chapter Four

   “What did I do to deserve this?” Ariella’s thoughts screamed in her head. She jabbed her fork into her broccoli before taking a small bite out of it.

   “Life was better when no one noticed me.” 

  Her thoughts contradicted her previous thoughts, she looked at her reflection that was smeared with grease from the food; it was distorted. She couldn’t see her reflection clearly.

   “Ariella!” Someone shouted.

  Her heart stopped and she dropped her fork, the sound of the metal clashing together was ringing in her ears as she slowly brought her head up.

  It was Ebony. Ebony gave a disturbed look after listening to that ear wrenching sound but it softened as she looked at Ariella.

   “What’s your deal? It’s time to go upstairs now.” Ebony began to walk away “Stop spacing out.” She said looking over her shoulder.

  Ariella wiped her mouth and left the table where Filch, the Caretaker, will gladly take care of. As she was drawing closer towards the doors, the contents of the most recent note flashed across her mind. Her pace began to slowly decrease, she wasn’t ready for this. The nervous twitch in her hand became a soft tremble but anxiety and fear was still evident across her face.

   “Maybe it won’t be a bad thing to meet him…or her.” She said softly to herself. 

  As she exited the Great Hall, there were still a number of students making their way to their common rooms, which meant the person who sent the notes would have a hard time spotting her in the crowd. She waited by the torch pedestal and admired the soft amber glow from the flame; the small things in life, that’s what Ariella, treasured the most because the most beautiful moments in life are in places no one ever looks.

   “Ariella, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay!” A voice disrupted her train of thought; she noticed how the flame violently blew in the wind as her name was called.

  She turned her head to the direction of the voice and found herself staring at a pair of soft brown eyes; it was Neville Longbottom, a Third Year Gryffindor. She started at him as his words echoed in her ears.

   “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay!”

  And then the note,

   “I want to make sure you’re okay. Meet me outside the Great Hall after Dinner.”

  It was Neville who wrote those notes. Ariella should have known from the start because Neville was there for her during Second Year when her life was going through a very hard state. Ariella was lost in a trance until she noticed Neville slowly changing his expression.

   “Oh, I’m good now, thank you.” Ariella said softly. She swallowed and tried to find the rest of her words “So, uhm, what was it that you wanted to talk about?”

  She noticed Neville’s eyebrows furrowed to her words, was what she said too straightforward?

   “That was it. Well, I better get some rest. Tomorrow is our first Hogsmeade trip!” He said with a tone of confusion that gradually turned into excitement.

  It wasn’t him.

  Ariella quickly apologized but Neville told her not to worry as much before he smiled and walked away.

   “Ariella, off to the common rooms now!” Penelope said as she was ushering a bunch of first years up the stairs.

  Ariella nodded, she pivoted her body but once she did, there she met Draco’s cool grey eyes, Oliver’s warm brown eyes and Ron’s mysterious blue eyes. Could it be one of them?