Chapter Fifty-One

"YOU KNOW," MALFOY mumbled as he and Aria sat in the common room. "Something interesting happened yesterday."

"Please, enlighten me." Aria rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the textbook in her lap.

"We had Defense Against the Dark Arts yesterday." He said and Aria sighed, remembering that she had not been able to catch her dad after his little quarrel with Lupin. "And we were learning about Boggarts."

"Go on," Aria insisted, having missed that in her third year due to being unconscious. She was only too happy about that. She couldn't imagine how horrible it must have been for the whole class to learn of your biggest fear.

"Well I just thought it was funny how when it was Longbottom's turn, his Boggart was you and your father."

Aria snorted, "I don't know who Longbottom is, but he is wise." She mused, "Strange, though. I'm not all that scary, why does he fear me?"

Malfoy smirked, "I don't know, I wasn't paying attention. All I managed to notice was that you were dressed in... extremely little." Aria didn't have it in her to hex him for his comment, so she merely ignored it, excusing it as an effect of the medication he was taking for his arm.

"So, this Longbottom boy is scared of me in my underwear? That's almost funny." She grinned. It was always good to know that younger Gryffindor students had a healthy fear of their superiors.

Then again, her boyfriend was a Gryffindor.

She internally groaned at the thought of George. He was angry at her for some reason that she concluded had to do with Malfoy, but honestly, she couldn't be bothered. If he wanted to be angry that she was good friends with a third-year then that was his decision. His stupid decision.

"What was your Boggart, Draco?"

"I didn't participate in the lesson-told Lupin to shove the Boggart up his arse."

"Sure you did." Aria laughed and stood up, straightening out her robes. "I better get to Herbology." She made to walk away.

"Wait!"

She raised a quizzical eyebrow at Malfoy's outburst. "What?"

"I just wanted to know if you're... going to Hogsmeade?"

Aria hadn't considered it all that much. She had not gone the previous year, having been far too preoccupied with the heir. "I might go with George. Will I see you there?"

"Yeah, yeah. Pansy wants some candy or something and I promised I'd buy it for her." He shrugged it off.

"Such a good boyfriend you are." She muttered sarcastically, "Anyway, I'll see you later."

Aria left the common room and was almost to the greenhouse when a hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her in her tracks. She looked back.

It was Lupin.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing scaring me like that, Professor?" She folded her arms angrily. "You could have just called me."

"I wanted to apologize." He said, "I am sorry for asking such personal questions the other day. I wasn't aware that you hadn't found your mother."

Aria sighed. She assumed her father must have given him a hard time about it. "It's fine, Professor. You had no way of knowing. I forgive you."

"Thank you. I must say, your father wasn't at all pleased."

The pair began to walk, they walked right past the greenhouse. Aria didn't notice.

"That's just dad, though. He's never all that pleased about anything." Lupin laughed as she said that. "I take it you know my dad?"

"We attended Hogwarts together, yes."

"Oh," Aria nodded. Since they were being honest, she deemed her next question appropriate. "Why does he hate you so much then?"

"I'm afraid that I wasn't very nice to old Sni... Severus, I mean."

Aria felt herself become annoyed. "And why's that?"

Lupin shrugged again and stayed silent for a moment. "Look, Miss Snape. The real reason I stopped you was because I wanted to speak to you more about your mother. Is there anything you know about her? Anything at all?"

Aria was now extremely aggravated. He had apologized for asking personal questions not five minutes prior and then he proceeds to ask him. She stopped and glared at him. "You know, I don't know much about my mother, but like my father, I get angry, fast. You stupid Gryffindors don't seem to understand boundaries and I'm sure that's exactly why my father hates you."

Aria stormed away in a huff and slammed right into George as she turned the corner. One look at his face told her that he had heard her conversation with Lupin.

"You were listening in, weren't you?" She smacked his chest, angrily.

"I only heard a bit. The bit about stupid Gryffindors not understanding boundaries." He glared down at Aria. "Is that how you feel about me-like I'm overstepping some boundary?"

"Yes!" Aria screamed, reconsidered, and yelled, "I mean no! I don't know, George."

"You don't know? You certainly didn't seem to have any problems with boundaries when we were in Egypt."

She grimaced and looked away from him. "You're not overstepping any boundaries, okay? I just... I'm so busy lately. So many things are happening."

"So many things that Malfoy can help you with, but not me, right?"

"You're not seriously still on about Draco. He's a literal third year, George. I would never cheat on you with a third-year!"

"It's not cheating that I'm worried about. You know how horrible he is to my family. For you to be so close with him is just... disrespectful."

"So what do you want me to do?" Aria folded her arms, finding it difficult to understand what his point was. He sure as hell did not sever friendships with the people who hated her. So why should she have to?

"Choose. I want you to choose."

"You can't expect me to choose between the two of you."

"Yes, I can. You're my girlfriend and I love you so much, but if he is what you choose to associate with then clearly we're too different to be together."

Aria fought the tears that formed in her eyes, afraid that he was trying to break up with her, get rid of her. "Fine. I'll choose, but I want you to know that regardless of my choice, you can't change me. I will always be a Slytherin. I will always have Slytherin friends. There's nothing you can do to stop that."

"I don't want to change you, I just want you to show me and my family some loyalty and that means not fraternizing with the likes of Malfoy."

"I need time. To decide."

He nodded.

And with that, Aria made her way to Herbology, wracking her brain all the way there and for the rest of the day. Could she choose between her closest friend and her boyfriend? She shouldn't have to, but when she made the choice, would she regret it?