Soulmates at First Sight

The Trial

It was the next morning, and it was to be the day of Lucius' trial.  Aria had slept at her flat for the first time in a very long time the  night before; although the Manor was there waiting for her, she couldn't  face the Manor without her love by her side. It would be a great  homecoming for them to arrive back to the Manor together and complete  yet again. She would wait until he was free.

She wanted to look  her absolute best and professional for the day and so she dressed in her  finest pair of silk black trousers, paired with an equally as  impressive silk black blazer over an emerald green satin top; she paired  it with the gorgeous green pearl bracelet that Lucius and the  Slytherin's had given her back at Hogwarts. She appraised herself in the  mirror and felt confident, something she greatly needed today. She knew  Harry was going to call her as a witness during the trial, even though  the rest of the Ministry judges and officials didn't know that yet. She  was going to be the surprise that would turn the trial's favor towards  Lucius. She smiled knowing she would be there to help save him, just as  he was always there to save her. He had given her so much and now she  would help get him his life and freedom back, something he so greatly  deserved.

Aria grabbed her bag and headed out of her flat and into  the bright, crisp morning. She had opted to walk to work today instead  of taking Floo Powder or apparating. The November air was quite cold and  brisk, but Aria drew in deep, calming breaths; the chill of the air  keeping her mind and body alert and energized. She was quite nervous,  and her heart was in a constant state of rapid beating, but the  beautiful walk by St. James Park did her some good and soon she found  herself at the telephone booths that would take her down to the  Ministry.

As the telephone booth took her down into the atrium of  the Ministry, the sense of calm she had obtained during her walk over  instantly disappeared and she was nothing but a ball of nerves. She knew  she couldn't go to her desk and work until she was summoned, so she  decided to take the lifts down directly to the Ministry courtrooms. She  knew Lucius' trial wasn't going to start until 9:30 in the morning, and  it was currently just about the top of the hour. As she waited, she  decided to hide herself around one of the corners from the main  courtroom the trial was to be held in. Slowly she saw many important  witches and wizards pour into the room including the Minister for Magic  himself.

She began pacing back and forth, as she constantly kept  looking around the corner to see when Lucius would be taken into the  room. She saw Hermione and Harry arrive together, and she poked her head  around the corner so that Harry could briefly catch her eye. Luckily,  he saw her right as she turned back around to hide behind the corner,  and he quickly made his way over to where she was.

"Morning Aria," he said with a light smile on his face.

"Morning," she replied back, her voice sounding light and short of breath.

Harry  picked up on her nervousness and tried to calm her down. "It'll be okay  Aria. Just wait here until you are summoned in. A guard will come out  and get you to bring you in. I will be the one asking you the questions,  so there is no need to be nervous. You know I am doing everything I can  to help you. It'll be okay."

"Thanks Harry!" she said as she  quickly hugged him tight and then let him go so that he could join the  rest of his colleagues in the courtroom.

She continued to pace  more and more behind the corner she was keeping a low profile in, when  she briefly saw Narcissa and Draco make their way up to the courtroom  door. An instant feeling of rage boiled in her and she so wished she  could hex them right then and there. Her hand instinctually went to grab  her wand, but she managed to control her rage and she leaned back up  against the cool stone wall and slid down so that she was seated on the  floor. She just couldn't believe Narcissa and Draco had the indecency to  come to Lucius' trial this morning; after everything they already put  him through; it actually didn't surprise her though. She was sure they  were full of nothing but smugness at the moment, thinking that they  would watch him be hauled away, back to Azkaban. Well Aria couldn't wait  to prove them wrong, and she would revel in the feeling to see their  faces when they realized he would be going free.