The Girl With The Emerald Eyes

Moving on

A week later the gang were just tucking into breakfast when Aria appeared. Her honey blond hair which she usually wore loose was pulled into a tight ponytail. She was pale and had dark black circles under her eyes. Her school uniform hung a lot more loosely than it had the previous year. It was the first time she had left the dorm since the memorial service and everyone was rather shocked to see her.

" are you going to class?" Asked Lily as Aria slumped down at the table .

" yeah I realised there's no point in lying around the dorm, it's not what Jude would wanted" said Aria buttering a piece of toast.

" I'm glad" Lily said, smiling encouragingly .

" I've been reading that book on grief that Peter lent me , it says that it's more beneficial to try and return to normal than to mope around for ages" explained Aria before gingerly nibbling on the edge of her toast.

" it helped me" said Peter just as the post owls began to flock into the hall.

" aren't we popular today" observed James as five owls landed on the table in front of them and began to jostle for position.

" ha! You owe me five galleons Sirius!" Declared Sapphire waving a letter around triumphantly.

" not so fast " said Sirius as a jet black owl touched down beside him.

" sorry I don't understand how you guys are making money off the post" said Charlotte, who had been in classes all week, with a curious look .

" I bet Sirius that my grandmother would send me a letter pressurising me to get married before his mother sent him a letter abusing him" explained Sapphire .

" that's a right cheerful game" said Charlotte wryly.

" Sapphire? Why is your letter addressed to Valentina Adriani?" Asked Peter confusedly as he piled bacon onto his plate.

" it's a long story, basically my gran hates my name says it sounds like a stripper name and will only call me by my 'proper Italian' name" explained Sapphire as she opened her letter.

" your gran is strange" replied Peter.

" oh look she's sent me another list of appropriate suitors" said Sapphire as she read her letter.

" better than my letter" muttered Sirius darkly.

" I had no idea there were so many ways to say I brought shame to the family " he joked.

" oi Nathan!" Called out Sapphire suddenly , the seventh year Gryffindor turned around.

" you've made my grandmothers list of approved marriages congrats!" She shouted.

" I'm honoured" smiled Nathan.

" we should probably get to class" said Remus standing up, they trailed out of the hall.

*****

September turned into October. Slowly everyone started to talk less and less about the train attack and more about other much more mundane things. Scintillating gossip replaced sad tales in the corridors. During the third week of October certain gossip in particular swept the school.

The first Lily heard of it she was sitting in a particularly uninteresting charms class with Aria. A few hufflepuff girls in the corner couldn't contain their giggles and kept shooting glances over at the table where Sapphire and Ruby sat.

" wonder what they are talking about ?" Wondered Lily.

" I'm just glad they aren't talking about me anymore" laughed Aria but there was still a sad look in her eyes.