star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

For the next few weeks, Arabella's time was completely caught up with homework and speaking with people about being taught by Harry. Together, she and Hermione had gotten a fair few people to agree to come to the meeting at the Hog's Head during the first weekend of October.

Because they were both so busy, Draco and Arabella had next to no time to spend together, and it seemed whenever they did, it ended with them arguing about the credibility of Professor Dumbledore and Harry. No matter how hard they tried to get along and keep their relationship afloat, they could both feel it crumbling.

"It's not even like he's just being naïve like everyone else," Arabella ranted to Dean one afternoon. "His father is a Death Eater. He knows You-Know-Who is back and he knows that what Dumbledore and Harry are saying is true. He's lying straight to my face and he thinks that I can't see it. It's insulting, really. It's like he thinks I'm dumb."

"I don't think he thinks you're dumb," Dean told her. "Actually, I think he knows that you know he's lying. But as long as he keeps saying those things, you can't prove that he knows anything and therefore you have nothing against his father."

"Oh, I have plenty against his father."

"You mean Harry has plenty against his father. Harry was the one that saw him with You-Know-Who. You weren't there. You just know what Harry has told you, and that's not concrete evidence, unfortunately."

"It should be."

"I know it should, but in the eyes of the Ministry, it's not."

"I still don't understand why he's lying to me."

"Because he doesn't want his father in Azkaban. The less people know that he's a Death Eater, the better. For him."

"He should be in Azkaban. He's a terrible person. I don't see how Draco doesn't see that."

"Because that's his father. What kind of nutter would want their father to be in Azkaban rather than at home with them?"

"If my father was a Death Eater, I'd want him in Azkaban."

"Ari, if your father was a Death Eater, you and the rest of your family would be, too, and then you wouldn't want him in Azkaban because you'd agree with what he does."

"But Draco isn't a Death Eater."

"Yet."

"Don't say that! He won't ever be. He wouldn't."

Dean sighed. He disagreed, but this was the first time in a few days that Arabella had spoken to him and he didn't want to make her upset. He knew that Arabella was the type of person that always wanted to see the good in most people no matter what, and always had faith that they would do the right thing, even if deep down she knew they wouldn't. And he could understand that she wouldn't want to believe that her own boyfriend would join the Dark side, even if all the signs said he would eventually. So he kept quiet.

On the day of their Hogsmeade visit, Arabella walked with Ron, Hermione, and Harry to the Hog's Head. She saw Draco standing with his friends, watching her with a disgruntled expression, but she looked away quickly.

"This is mad," Harry said as they approached the Hog's Head. "Who'd wanna be taught by me? I'm a nutter, remember?"

"Look on the bright side: you can't be any worse than old toad face," Ron said.