star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER TWELVE

The last day of the summer holiday could not come fast enough. After spending her entire summer indoors, eavesdropping on adults, cleaning, worrying, and fighting with Ron, Arabella was ready to go back to Hogwarts and get some fresh air, view the night sky for the first time in months, and explain herself to her friends and boyfriend who were definitely going to be angry with her.

Their Hogwarts letters and booklists came on that day, and Arabella sat in her room with Hermione, Ginny, and Evelyn as they opened them. The Weasley girls and Evelyn quickly skimmed over their letters, nothing really new or interesting included in them, and tossed them aside in a bored manner. Hermione, however, let out a shriek, causing the other three to look at her, startled. They didn't even have to ask why, though, for they saw their friend staring at the badge in her shaking hands with shock and excitement.

"I'm a prefect," she said. "I can't believe it. I'm actually a prefect!"

"Oh, please, you definitely saw that coming," Ginny said. "You're next." She poked Evelyn in the side.

"Ow, Ginny," Evelyn complained. The two girls looked at each other and began to laugh.

"I knew you would be!" Arabella said to Hermione, getting up from her bed to take a look at the badge. "Wow, that is really shiny. Now I get why Percy was always polishing his... that pompous git."

"We do not speak that name in this household," Ginny scolded her.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"I bet Harry's been made prefect, too," Hermione said, and with that, dashed out of the room. Arabella followed her to Ron and Harry's bedroom, where Fred and George also were. "Did you- did you get-" She saw the badge in Harry's hand and shrieked again. "I knew it! Me too, Harry, me too!"

"No," Harry said, giving the badge to Ron. "It's Ron, not me."

"It- what?"

"Ron's prefect, not me."

"Ron? But... are you sure? I mean-"

"That's impossible," Arabella said. "Ron? Prefect? No."

"It's my name on the letter," Ron said.

"But... how?"

"What do you mean, how?"

"How would you get prefect when people like Dean exist?"

"Gee, thanks a lot, Bella. I appreciate your support."

Just then, Molly entered, and they all fell silent as they watched her carry in a stack of robes and set them on the bed to sort them out.

"Ginny said the booklists had come at last," she said. "If you give them to me I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you more pajamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing... what color would you like?"

"Get him red and gold to match his badge," George said.

"Match his what?"

"His badge," Fred repeated. "His lovely shiny new prefect's badge."

It took a moment for these words to register in Molly's brain.

"His... but... Ron, you're not...?" Ron held up his badge, and she shrieked. "I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"

"What are Fred, Bella, and I, next-door neighbors?" George questioned.

"I cannot stand you people," Arabella muttered, leaving the room so she wouldn't have to witness her mother fawning over Ron.

Walking into the kitchen later on that day for dinner, Arabella couldn't believe her eyes. Along with the large amount of food, there was a banner on the table that read CONGRATULATIONS RON, HERMIONE, AND OLIVIA - NEW PREFECTS AND HEAD GIRL. Grumbling under her breath, she pretended not to see it as she sat down to fix herself a plate.

"Oh, hello, Tonks," Arabella greeted the woman, who today had long red hair very similar to hers and Ginny's. "You're looking very much like me today."

Tonks looked at her. "I am, aren't I? Awe, look at us, we could be twins!" she said, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Cool, you can replace Ron. Welcome to the family, you're officially a Weasley. Hey, Mum, you've got a new daughter!"

At the look of confusion on Molly's face, Arabella and Tonks laughed.

Arthur and Bill arrived soon after, and once everyone had gotten themselves a drink, Arthur proposed a toast to Ron, Hermione, and Olivia. The three of them blushed while everyone toasted them.

"I was never a prefect myself," Tonks told the Weasley girls, Evelyn, and Hermione as they all sat together. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" Ginny asked.

"Like the ability to behave myself."

Arabella, Evelyn, and Ginny laughed while Hermione choked on her drink.

"McGonagall would probably say the same for me if I asked," Arabella confessed.

"Why? What'd you do?"

"Hexed my boyfriend in front of a bunch of people back in second year. Obviously, this was before he was my boyfriend, but apparently the incident was still fresh in McGonagall's mind when she was choosing prefects."

Tonks chuckled. "Yeah, that'll do it."

[word count: 860]
[written: 6/22/20]
[published: 7/6/20]