In third-year halls, their paths first crossed,
A Raven boy, a Blonde girl lost.
"Stay out of my way," she warned with a glare,
But something lingered in the frosty air.
Crimson with his scar and fame,
Emerald with her secrets untamed.
Two worlds ap...
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Aria's eyelids fluttered, her surroundings blurring before finally sharpening into the familiar shapes of her dorm room. The dim light cast shadows on the walls, and a dull ache pulsed through her head, but it was the weight pressing against her chest that reminded her all too clearly of what had happened. She felt a stirring around her, and her gaze landed on the worried faces of her friends hovering nearby, their expressions painted with relief and exhaustion.
Onyx was the first to react. Her face crumpled as she let out a choked breath, grabbing Aria's hand tightly, almost as if afraid that loosening her grip would cause her to slip away. "Oh, thank Merlin, Aria!" she gasped, her voice breaking. Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks, and she leaned closer, clutching Aria's fingers like a lifeline. "You're... you're okay," she managed, her voice thick with emotion, before she buried her face against Blaise, who held her close, a mixture of relief and worry in his own expression.
"I was so scared," Onyx sobbed, her shoulders shaking as she buried her face in Blaise's shoulder, seeking his comfort. "I thought... I thought I'd lost you. I swear, I'll never forgive Potter for this. For what he did to you," she added, her voice hardening even as her hand squeezed Aria's gently, as though needing to reassure herself that Aria was truly there.
Aria's gaze softened as she looked at her friends, feeling the weight of their worry pressing down on her. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as memories from earlier that night flooded back—Harry's spell, the pain that had torn through her, the dark floor of the bathroom, and the look of horror on his face. She closed her eyes, steadying herself against the rush of emotion that accompanied the memories. After a moment, she forced herself to open them again and ask, her voice barely above a whisper, "How long... how long was I out?"
"Just a few hours," Blaise replied gently, his hand resting on Onyx's shoulder as he gave Aria a soft, reassuring look. His usual carefree expression was gone, replaced by something somber, a shadow in his eyes that hadn't been there before. "Snape came as soon as he heard. He used a spell called Vulnera Sanentur to heal your wounds." He paused, his gaze briefly flickering to Aria's chest, where the spell had struck. "You'll be alright... but there will be scars."
Aria's hand moved instinctively to her chest, fingers brushing the area where she could still feel a faint ache beneath the healed skin. The idea of a scar—one that would always remind her of this night—sent a strange pang through her, but she pushed it aside. A scar was a small price to pay, considering what could have happened. She looked back at her friends, who were watching her intently, their concern filling the room with a silent, heavy presence.
She took in each of their faces, the worry etched in Onyx's eyes, the tension in Blaise's shoulders. Then a new thought struck her, one that sent a fresh wave of anxiety rushing through her. "Where's Draco?" she asked, her voice catching.
