Chapter 33: Chapter 33: A Date It Is!
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Draco, Aries noted, had started to take furtive glances towards Arianna, something that amused him to no end.
He would not mind if the two became an item in the slightest, Arianna would be good for Draco, and while it might change some of his future plans it would be worth seeing two of his friends happy.
It was something that he could perhaps influence with a word or two to the both of them.
Aries had cunningly manipulated their seating arrangements that night in the library, getting himself a seat next to Daphne and ensuring that the one empty seat for Draco was situated between Arianna and Haydn.
He had taken an effort to not sit next to Arianna at any meals or in their classes, placing himself always in the middle of two others.
It had frustrated the Spanish girl to no end, but it was a necessary sacrifice and maybe she'd finally get the hint.
Aries slammed the book he was reading shut rather violently, much to the chagrin of his five friends.
The relentless screaming of the golden egg had been driving him mad all week. It was obviously some sort of language, it was supposed to be a clue after all.
He sighed before rising to return the book, and smirked when Daphne not so subtly made to follow him.
She was silent as he made his way through the rows of bookshelves.
Aries wished for his library back home and made a note to write to his aunt to see if she had any books that described insane wailing, though he'd probably just get a hundred books on torturing techniques.
Daphne's hesitance to actually say something was starting to unnerve him and he turned around to face her, grabbing her by the shoulders to keep her from running into him.
"Can I help you Greengrass?" He did not miss the rather put out look as he took his hands off her and turned to the bookshelf, noticing a book with a rather interesting title regarding Alchemy.
"This weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend," Daphne began. "I was wondering if you had any arrangements."
"I'm supposed to meet up with Sirius at some point. Other than that, no. Durmstrang doesn't have any village weekends, so I was looking forward to seeing what the fuss was all about." She nodded rather nervously.
Her behavior was starting to intrigue him. Aries was aware that Daphne was very cold to most people, and until his arrival the only people she warmed up to was Pansy Parkinson and Tracey Davis.
Even so, her behavior towards him when they were alone was more relaxed than he believed she was with anyone.
It had taken a few weeks for her to start warming up to him, but since then she had relaxed more than he ever thought she could, and this nervous behavior was outlier among her moods.
"I was hoping you'd allow me to show you around Hogsmeade." Some of her confidence had returned now, though he could see the nervousness in her eyes.
"My friends? Or just me?" Aries asked, giving her a flirty smile.
"Just you and me."
"A date then?"
"We could call it that, if you want."
"A date it is." Daphne was smiling brightly now, and her confidence had returned full force.
"I'll need to let Sirius know, in case he was planning on that himself. I'm sure he was planning on meeting in the afternoon at some pub anyway."
"We'll have the whole morning then."
….
It wasn't too late and so Aries decided to go pay his uncle a visit. Sirius had sent him a note shortly after their first talk describing where in the castle he stayed.
The guest quarters were supposed to be marvelous if his Aunt had spoken true, and she always did.
Aries stopped as he passed by the second-floor girls' lavatory. Eight years had passed since he first went there, and he had returned only two years ago, albeit for only a short hour.
He was curious how that whole 'Chamber of Secrets' incident finished, as the beast had most decidedly not been slain, as the papers said.
Maybe it had something to do with when Hades had come to him at the end of the year demanding his Basilisk venom imbued dagger?
Aries shrugged, he needed to have a conversation with Potter, and that meddling phoenix. He was just about to round the corner to Sirius' quarters when a heated discussion reached his ears.
"Honestly Sirius, did you even read the article?" an unknown man said.
"Yes, I did James, and I told you it's not a big deal." So, Sirius and Potter were arguing? This would be interesting.
"He basically insulted you! And Dumbledore!"
"All he did was state his opinion, which isn't illegal. Given that Aunt Cassi raised him I'm not surprised. He's just a kid, leave him be."
"You've told me about your aunt. Dark as the rest of your family, how do you know she didn't raise this kid to be the next Voldemort?" Aries had to contain the anger that screamed to curse Potter. How dare he compare him to that monster?
"That's enough!" Sirius voice was hard. "We know nothing about him, and you're judging him far too harshly. If he's willing to give me a chance, shouldn't we give him a chance? He's my Heir, and the future of my House. I won't ostracize him just because his views are different from mine, I'm not my father."
"Yeah well he already seems to be a lot like him! Death Eater material if I ever saw it! You said to yourself that the kid knows the Dark Arts!"
"I don't know what he did to convince you and Thomas that he's an alright bloke but I'm not! And your Heir? Are you planning on adopting him or something?"
Silence. Incredibly awkward silence. Silence too long for the answer to be anything close to no.
"Oh Merlin you are? You just met the kid!"
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