Through the Darkness | Draco Malfoy

Forty

Before Aries went with Lev to the party, she first gave the twins to Seamus, Neville and Ron, so those four can have a boys night out.

And now that she's ready, she headed to find Lev so they can walk together inside.

On her way, she found Harry, seems like he also is waiting for his date.

"Hey Harry." Aries said. "Looking good, you're rocking at this suit. So, are you going to tell me who's your date?"

"Luna." He answered.

"Luna, huh." Aries nodded. "Wise choice, but I expected better." she remembered Ginny and the way she stares at Harry from afar.

Harry stopped their track and looked at Aries solemnly. "Wait, who are you taking?" He asked. "Don't tell me its Mal—"

"Hey, Potter."

And here's her date, Lev. Wearing his suit neatly. "Thank you for escorting my date to me."

"You? I thought Umbridge banished you." said Harry.

"That woman has no right to banish me now." said Lev. "It's not like she's the headmaster of Hogwarts anymore."

"Right."

"I'll be taking Aries for the night." said Lev, taking her hand. "Good luck, Potter." He gave him a wink and they both went.

"Aries!" exclaimed Professor Slughorn, whom was talking to Professor Snape. "You look dashing! Doesn't she, Snape?" He turned to Snape.

"No." said Snape with his deep voice. "She does not look any great, I'm sure her beauty in your eyes can be wiped by a tissue."

Aries shaped her mouth to an O. "Ouch! That's harsh, Professor!" she said dramatically.

"Daughter of Sirius Black and Wisteria Evans, and she doesn't have a sense of humor." He said.

"Apologies, I never knew you had such horrible humor." Aries said, grabbing a glass of some liquid and gave them a cheer pose with it. "I love how you're not stopping me from drinking wine."

She started to drink it.

"Thats because it's Pumpkin juice." said Snape, rolling his eyes.

Aries spit it in the cup. "It's horrible!"

"Oh, where is– there you are Cormac! Say, what did you out inside the Pumpkin juice to make it taste... Weird?" asked Professor Slughorn after spotting Cormac McLaggen.

"Dishwater." he replied.

"You scum!" Aries said, placing the cup of the table harshly, giving him a death glare. "So you have chosen death?"

"Aries! Here you are–"

Aries interrupted Aidan. "No, no. I'm giving myself justice."

"It's only dishwater." said Cormac.

She was about to attack him, but Snape stopped her by grabbing her arms, pulling her back before she savagely attacks him.

"Aries! Not today!" Hermione said from there.

"You need a leash." said Snape.

Aries put her hands in defeat. "Sorry."

"Come here, love." Lev pulled her away. "It's honesty no time to fight, especially when you have no wand."

"How did you know?" Aries asked.

"Whenever you're mad at someone, you first pull out your wand, and I can see you didn't do that." he said. "Did it break of something?"

"Yeah, it sadly did." Aries said.

"As expected."

Lev handed her a cup of Pumpkin juice from another table.

"No, I'm not drinking dishwater again." she said.

"Fine, then let me test if it's poisonous for you, my lady." He said, taking a sip. "This one is perfect." He gave it to her.

Aries took it, an eyebrow raised. "That's a sneaky way to get an indirect kiss from me." she said, then took a sip from it and it's true, this is perfect.

"And my plan worked." He said, winking.

Aries smiled while drinking, then she saw something calculated to raise her spirits even higher.

Draco being dragged by the ear towards Professor Slughorn by Filch.

Aries watched him curiously. "What did he do now?" she asked, eyeing him the entire time like a predator staring at his prey.

"Professor Slughorn." wheezed Filch. "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Draco pulled himself free form Filch's grip, looking furious. "All right, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gatecrash, happy?"

Aries spotted the look on Snape's face looking at Draco, as though both angry and... Is that possible? A little afraid? How? Snape is never afraid for someone.

"I'd like a word with you, Draco." said Snape suddenly.

"Oh now, Severus." said Professor Slughorn. "It's Christmas, don't be too hard—"

"I'm his head of house, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to he." said Snape curtly. "Follow me, Draco."

They left, Snape leading the way, and Draco looking resentful.

Aries turned her head to Harry, who did the same, and they both gave a small nod.

She looked at Lev and placed the cup on the table. "I'll be back in a bit." she said.

"Alright, be back soon." he said.

She hurried with Harry, outside the party, looking for the two through the halls.

Harry pulled her back suddenly, behind a wall and out his finger to his lip. "Shh."

"Don't you shush me!" she whisper shouted, he clapped her mouth with his hand hard which hurted.

Aries was about to argue more but then heard Snape's voice.

"...cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you're expelled—"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, alright?!"

"I hope you're telling he truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand it." said Snape.

"Who suspects me?" asked Draco angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, alright? Aries must've had an enemy as she always does– don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing! I'm not stupid! It won't work, I can stop you!"

"What you did is far beyond foolishness, I could kill you right now with my bare hands, but I did the Unbreakable Vow to your mother so I can't. But what you did won't calm me down. Aries is my goddaughter, and you cursed her. It could end her life, and who's going to take care of her little brothers? Not you of course, the one who is responsible of her death —"

Aries stood up, not wanting to hear more, leaving Harry and hurried back to the party.

Even Snape thinks that Draco is the one who cursed her. She doesn't know who trust anymore.