Through the Darkness | Draco Malfoy

Twenty two

"Hey, Harry! I brought you some snacks so you can get energetic with me while we wait for the task to start." said Aries cheerfully.

Harry looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "Where were you?! I've been looking for you for ages." he exclaimed.

"I was—"

He went closer and started speaking quietly. "I saw you hanging out with Malfoy yesterday, you know how much he hates us."

Aries sighed. "Don't make assumptions about me Harry. You're acting like I'm out to hurt you or something. Now hear me out, I was talking to Lev but Malfoy interrupted and–"

"Aries..." Harry put his hand on his forehead.

"You are friends with Lev, my friend." Krum said as he approached the two. "He admires you, Black."

Harry had no idea what was going on, he hated how Aries was keeping things from him, especially about her love life.

"Lev is a nice guy, but I deserve better than him." she answered confidently.

Krum frowned and asked, "Do you think he doesn't deserve to be with you?"

"Well I don't know, he's nice to me all the time. But then again, maybe he just doesn't understand the feeling behind the feelings, which means..." she trailed off. "That there's someone else."

"What?" both Harry and Krum asked in confusion, they did not understand her logic, but the only thing Harry understood was that there's someone she likes.

She rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance. "I love and cherish myself, my least concern should be boys who likes me."

"She thinks you are speaking about something else, don't mind her." Harry told Krum so he can leave, as soon as he nodded and walked away, Harry glared at her. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing? Harry, I don't want to depend on a guy I barely know, what if something happens to him because of me huh?"

"So... you like Lev but afraid something will happen to him so you're ignoring your feelings?" Harry asked.

"What– no!"

"Lev? as in, Lev Zograf?" Cedric, who had been listening in on their conversation, chimed in.

Aries rolled her eyes and almost tried to send Harry a signal so he can take over the conversation, but Harry walked away quickly.

She was wincing because of Harry walking away instead of helping her, but then turned to face Cedric with a fake smile. "Yes, Lev Zograf. What about him?"

Cedric shrugged. "You seem to like him a lot." He said quietly.

"I do not! and— and what's in it to you anyway? you're jealous or something?"

"No no, I'm just saying. It's nice seeing Aries Black having a soft spot for someone, it's unusual but really nice." said Cedric with a grin, but Aries didn't grin back.

"You know what, Cedric? I'm going to go help Harry prepare, you can continue your conversation with the walls." she said walking past him.

Harry looked up when he felt her presence. "Hey, you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she stood right beside him. "Cedric is a nosy bastard." she added bitterly after a moment.

Harry slowly nodded. "Everyone's a nosy bastard to you."

"That's true."

"Well now we're all here! time to fill you in." said Bagman brightly, who just came out of no where. "I will be offering you this bag now, which each of you will select a small model of the thing you are aboit to face! there are different varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too... ah yes, your task is to collect the golden egg."