Ariadne's Thread ⭒ h. potter

Tomato Head

She groaned once they returned to the Common Room, covering her eyes with her fingers as she collapsed into a chair.

"Who does Draco think he is? My father?"

"I suppose they both would like to see me dead," Harry mused teasingly. "Maybe it's in the blood."

Ariadne dropped her left hand to glare at Harry with one eye. "Not funny yet," she said sharply, but her lips pulled up slightly despite herself.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Hermione reminded, looking far too pleased with herself as she opened up a tome on 18th century creature trials.

"You warned me people would think that I got murdered, not that they'd think I was some– some–"

"Trollop?" Ron offered up helpfully. Ariadne glared.

The older girl sniffed. "Some things are better left unsaid. Besides," Hermione looked up, keeping her finger trained on a sentence so as to not lose her place. "No one thinks you're a trollop. Pansy Parkinson on the other hand..."

"She had it coming," the redhead dismissed. "She asked me just last week if one of my parents was a tomato."

Harry stared at him.

"Well, I didn't say she was very inventive, did I?"

"It's not like she was actually sneaking over," Ariadne explained. She really hadn't meant to be overheard in the first place, but damage control was proving to be relatively futile. "We're thirteen, for Merlin's sake."

"Fourteen," Hermione and Ron chimed in simultaneously. Ron turned to face the girl with a grin before remembering himself. Or he remembered Scabbers, that is. Ariadne waved them both off with an impatient hand.

"Draco's thirteen, anyhow. And Pansy was just sticking her head in the fire, that's all. I'm not sure why it's so scandalous."

"Sticking her head in the what?" Harry asked. Hermione sighed and placed her quill down before leaning over to explain the intricate mechanics of Floo network.

Meanwhile, Ron shrugged. "It's not, really. Except some of the older families are old-fashioned about that kind of thing, even if it is innocent. I'd bet my pants that Parkinson's got one of them."

"Will Draco get in trouble?" asked Ariadne, feeling slightly guilty.

Ron began to laugh before realizing Ariadne's question was genuine. "I wish," he lowered his voice, eyeing Hermione furtively and wary of a rant regarding the gendered ills of wizarding society. "Like I said," Ron whispered. "It's really very old-fashioned."

"What is?" Ginny asked as she arrived downstairs, tightening her ponytail as she walked.

"Nothing!" Ron blurted quickly, and Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"You're a terrible liar, Ronald," she probed, and Ron gulped as his eyes darted between Ariadne, Hermione, and his sister. Ariadne kept her face blank, rather enjoying watching him sweat.

Harry, however, sighed before speaking up to save him. "'Morning, Ginny. Did you skip breakfast?"

Ginny reddened instantaneously as she finally noticed Harry, emitting a sound that was for the most part unintelligible. She nodded shyly, glancing at Ariadne before gathering the courage to try to speak once more.

"Yes I– late – Charms homework." she jumbled together. "Did– Did I miss anything?"

"Merlin's beard, Gin! Was that meant to be English?" Ron choked, and Ariadne kicked him. "What was that for?" he glared. Ariadne kicked him again.