star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Harry alerted them to what he had found. Hagrid rushed over at once, telling Hermione, Ron, and Arabella to stay back. They caught a glimpse of it and from what Arabella could gather, it was a dead body. Ron came to this same conclusion and immediately blocked her view of whoever it was. Hagrid ordered them all to go to Gryffindor Tower immediately. On the way, Harry informed them that it was Mr. Crouch, and he was almost certainly dead.

"Mr. Crouch? Dead? In the Dark Forest?" Draco questioned, a look of concern on his face. He and Arabella sat in their usual place in the back of the library a few days after the fact as she told him all about it. "How? Isn't this supposed to be the safest place on Earth?"

"I don't know, but it's scary," Arabella said. "I mean, he couldn't have been there long. I just saw him right after the task as we were coming up to the castle. He stopped to speak with Harry. We almost had to have been in the Forest at the same time as whoever killed him."

"I don't like that, Belle. They could've come after you."

"They wouldn't have. If they wanted Crouch, they wouldn't have come after a bunch of fourth-year students, not with Hagrid with us. Think about it. Crouch was in the Ministry, he probably just pissed off the wrong person. It could've also been someone from Beauxbatons or Durmstrang, mad that Crouch agreed to give Harry second place and not Viktor or Fleur. Though I'll admit, I can't see anyone from Beauxbatons even being able to Disarm someone, let alone murder them."

As she began to laugh at the idea, he laughed along with her, though still not convinced that Crouch had been murdered for either of the reasons she had named.

On the first of March, Arabella awoke, and knowing what day it was, grinned contentedly. As usual, she was the last to wake, so she got dressed alone and then headed down to the common room. At the bottom of the staircase, she looked to the right and saw Ron coming down as well.

"Happy birthday, Ron," she greeted him with a smile.

"Happy birthday, Bella," he replied, also with a smile.

Soon after this, she was given tons of Honeydukes sweets from Hermione, Seamus, and Dean even though she had told them all countless times that they didn't have to get her anything. Ginny had tagged along with them but had not given anything. Arabella looked at her expectantly.

"Oh, you thought I was gonna give you something?" Ginny asked. "Bella, I thought you'd get it by now. Your present is me being your sister. You're welcome. Happy birthday, by the way."

"Not like you had a choice in the matter," Arabella muttered as Ginny walked away.

Down in the Great Hall, Arabella was pulled aside as she entered and found herself face-to-face with Draco.

"Happy birthday, Belle," he told her, a warm smile on his face before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you. You didn't get me anything, did you?"

"Almost, but no."

"Good." She kissed his cheek.

"You're going to have to let me buy you something someday, though."

"Hm. No. Not until I get my own money."

"We could always go back to me paying you."

"What would you be paying me for exactly?"

"Kisses."

"Kisses? You'd pay for kisses?"

"From you, yes."

Arabella laughed. "Somehow, I don't think that's legal."

"I've never known you to care."

She gave him a jokingly stern look. "Don't use my morals against me."

[word count: 619]
[written: 5/28/20]
[published: 6/21/20]