The Game | D.M

27

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'Just like old times'

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Aria Zabini

Four Months Later

Months had passed since that fateful day. I hadn't spoken a word to anyone in all that time, my voice lost in the abyss of my own despair.

At first, Blaise and Pansy had been my steadfast support system. They stayed by my side, trying to coax me back into myself, thinking that my silence was just a temporary shock. 

But as weeks turned into months, their hope began to wane. The endless days of being ignored wore on them, and though they weren't angry, they were exhausted.

I felt no remorse, no feelings at all. I drifted through my days like a ghost, an empty shell of the girl I once was. The darkness inside me had swallowed any semblance of life and light. 

My once carefully hidden Dark Mark would sometimes peek out from under my sleeve, and I didn't care enough to cover it anymore. It was a symbol of the void I felt, a mark of the death of my former self.

I stopped attending classes altogether, slipping further into the shadows of the castle. I found solace in the girls' bathrooms, where I would light up a cigarette and let the smoke curl around me, a bitter comfort. 

The once pristine lake became my sanctuary for reckless abandon, where I would skinny dip under the moonlight, feeling the cold water against my skin as a reminder that I was still alive, even if I didn't feel like I was.

One afternoon, I was lounged in the library, my feet propped up on the table and a random book I had found open in my lap. I leaned back into my chair, my eyes scanning the words without really absorbing them.

My solitude was interrupted when I saw two figures approaching from the corner of my eye. I moved my feet off the table and glanced up, my expression impassive. Blaise and Pansy stood before me, their faces a mix of concern and determination.

"Aria," Blaise began, his tone gentle but insistent. "We need to talk."

I raised an eyebrow, a silent challenge, before returning to my book, pointedly ignoring them. Their pleas to get me to talk, to stop being stubborn, washed over like distant noise. 

My indifference was palpable, my focus on the book unwavering. All I cared about was when they would finally leave me alone.

Pansy's face fell, a look of sadness and frustration crossing her features. "Please, Aria. We're worried about you," she implored, her voice tinged with desperation.

I remained unmoved, my eyes fixed on the text in front of me. I could feel their disappointment, but it barely registered in my dulled emotions. I had shut myself off so completely that even their concern felt distant and irrelevant.

Blaise sighed heavily, running a hand over his hair. "Fine. We get it. We just wanted to let you know that were throwing Draco a surprise birthday party. It's also a celebration for the end of the year. It's in the common room."

At the mention of Draco's name, my façade almost faltered. I couldn't handle it, even after all these months. The mere thought of being around him again, of facing the pain he had caused, was unbearable. 

I looked up from my book for a second, my eyes briefly meeting Blaise's before I blinked, my body language clear. I just wanted them to leave.

Seeing my unyielding stance, Blaise's expression hardened with a mix of resignation and frustration. "Alright, Aria. We'll leave you be. But know that we're here for you, whether you want to admit it or not."