Since the day Draco became friends with Aria, his life became a little simple. He wasn't so stressed as he had been a week ago. The whole week, Draco's routine had been simple, he went to classes, and then after dinner, he visited his newly made friend, Aria Rosewood. She talked to him freely as if he had been her friend for life.
She made fun of him, teased him, kicked him if necessary but then welcomed him the next day. She found Theo and Nico extremely interesting. She even advised them on their pranking and sometimes even offered different ways to annoy Draco Francis. Draco didn't complain though, he needed a bit of a break from Morana's torture. Aria's health had been a bit improved, but she was still very weak. The professors said she improved, but the healer simply said that she got used to her situation. And well Draco was grateful for whatever had happened. She went to the libraries for books and other stuff too but she still was kept under the Healer's observation. Aria and Draco sometimes sat together and discussed Morana and Draco, of course, tried to pass some clues to her without getting himself suspicious. But Morana couldn't rest, could she? Draco's superb life which had gotten better for at least a week was interrupted when a letter flew to Draco, during breakfast.
Draco opened the letter, which was sleek black, but then regretted it immediately. It was a letter for another meeting. His heart dropped. He was now concerned about what to tell that evil idiot when she will ask him about his progress in the task. If he told her that he had befriended Aria, things will only get worse for Aria and Draco both. The letter said the same thing as before: Go to professor Gladstone's office and take a portkey saying it is a family emergency.
And talking about professor Gladstone...Everyone in the school had noticed the change of behavior. Though no one knew that Morana's pet snake was inside him, people even in their jokes, called him an evil snake. Draco was careful not to show Aria and his friendship to him and as far as he knew, he was successful.
Draco stuffed the letter in his pocket and continued eating. He decided that he will meet Aria during lunch rather than after dinner as he was, of course, going to be off doing an evil mission.
He attended his classes, with a little bit of less attention as his mind kept wandering off, thinking about the worst reactions of Morana. He even had zoned out in the class and dreamed that Morana had killed him for not doing his task quickly. He had been woken up by the professor and half of the class huddled around him, which was pretty embarrassing.
"Where do you keep vanishing, mate?"Asked Nico, while munching his lunch.
"None of your business, family emergency" he replied.
"Well...okay. Anyways, I heard Miller and Rosewood had a fight," he said. Draco looked at him, confused.
"Why?" he asked.
"Dunno," Nico said.
"I am visiting her after lunch," Draco told his friends.
"I am coming too. She is so awesome!!" said Theo.
"Er...Mr. Ellisons...no" he said.
"Oh come on! We need to ask her about her those awesome potions she told us about." Nico begged.
"Potions?" he asked.
"Yes, she told us the recipe for that awesome potion. Just one drop and your hair will turn any color or any length you DON'T want" they said as if it was the best invention in the world.
"Yeah, we could prank anyone, you know?" said Nico, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Fine come and ask and go," he told them, getting up. The three of them made their way their way towards the hospital wing and as they got closer and closer they heard shouting.
"...I don't understand why you trust him, you know what your grandmother told you, right?" came a frustrated Marissa's voice.
"Point one: I don't care about my grandmother and I don't understand why you do. Point two: I will do what I wish, no matter what anyone says. I trust him and I will for my life." replied an angry Aria's voice.
Draco's eyes went wide. He wondered who was 'he'. But by the looks of it, it sounded like that 'he' was Draco.
"Oh really?!!!! What has he done for you? he has been our enemy since childhood, Aria! Why don't you understand? He can betray us!!!" Marissa cried. Draco and his friends hid behind a wall so that they didn't see him.
"Sure!! He has been my life enemy but, Marissa! I don't think he is so vile and cruel. He is just a boy. I really think you should drop it. Please!!! He is my friend!" said Aria.
"Friend" mocked Marissa "of course he is your friend. Then who are we, Aria? okay...What about your grandmother?"
"I have already made this clear, Marissa, I don't care about her. She always had cruel intentions for Draco's family and she is just blaming the poor boy for nothing. HE IS MY FRIEND and I don't believe a word of it. I won't believe a word of it unless he kills a man in front of my eyes and I suppose you should stop it too. I don't understand what have you got for my grandmother? Why are so supporting her?"
"BECAUSE she is right!!!" said Marissa.
Draco stood frozen and horrified. Aria was fighting with her soul friends for him? He felt hollow as if everything inside had been stolen by Aria in her words.
"Are you two done?" came a tired, new, and calm voice. "Don't you understand that this is the hospital wing? what are you two fighting over? Marissa, drop it. And even if we believe that he is supporting Morana, what are we going to? Kill him?"
"Oliver, No! but at least she will stop being with him. How do you know that he is not using her? Spying for Morana on us?" said Marissa, angry.
"Look...If he does, I will still trust him. End of discussion. I will trust him with my life...Morana's servant or not." said Aria, her voice firm.
"Why sudden liking?" asked Marissa.
"Not liking but common sense. He doesn't seem like he has cruel intentions while talking to me." Aria replied.
"FINE!" Marissa huffed.
Draco looked at his friends, whose eyes seemed hollow holes as they were so wide.
"mate? you still want to go in?" whispered Nico in my ear.
"y-yes" He said and confidently walked in trying to look normal, and not like he had just fought a ghost. Nico and Theo followed, their knees, wobbly by fear to what they had just heard. Once, Aria noticed Draco, she flashed him a bright and a troublemaker smile.
"What's up Draco? can't live without me?" she said, mockingly.
"you wish" He replied rolling his eyes.
"Well then, today early?" she asked. "Miss me much?" Marissa grunted in the corner who was sitting with Oliver on the bed next to Aria. Aria gave her an irritated and warning look.
"Um...no actually I am going home today after dinner." Draco cleared his throat. "Family emergency." This seemed to catch Marissa's attention. She looked suspicious and narrowed her eyes.
"What kind of emergency?" she asked suspiciously.
"What did you eat in breakfast, Marissa?" Asked Aria, putting on a sarcastic smile. Marissa seemed confused by the sudden question.
"um...why is it important?" she asked.
"Exactly! His family! His Emergency! What have you got to do with it?" Shouted Aria. Marissa looked embarrassed and angry. She rolled her eyes.
Draco cleared his throat once again. Can we have a peaceful conversation? he thought but didn't say that aloud.
"Um...I wanted to tell you so that you won't worry about why I didn't visit today." He told Aria.
"Oh yeah sure. I don't care anyway but yeah thanx for thinking so much about me." She replied sarcastically. Draco tried to hide his laughter and show annoyance.
"Are you ever serious?" He asked.
"What do you think?" she asked, crossing her arms in a challenging manner.
"You are stupid," he told her, shaking his head. "That's what I think."
"I am not" she defended.
"You are"
"I am not"
"You are"
"I am NOT"
"You ARE"
"Hey!" she protested.
"Hey!" said Draco, in her voice. She gave up and huffed, looking angry. Draco laughed at her childishness.
"Well, Mr. Francis...I think she is stupid-- " said Nico
'--but stupid is the new superb!" finished Theo. Draco rolled his eyes. Aria laughed.
"Yeah...you need to learn something from them, Draco," she told me.
"In your dreams Rosewood" he replied.
"Well, whatever but Aria we need our queries cleared about the pranking potion you told us about," they asked her and the three of them started talking about the potion.
"ARIA! I am going. Do you need anything?" came a loud voice. Marissa and Oliver were at the door waiting to go. Draco liked the way they cared for her even though they just had a fight.
"um...a pastry won't be bad, you know?" she asked, innocently.
"Are you serious?" Asked Oliver.
"What do you think?" she asked, crossing her arms, her tone challenging, again.
"We think you are the biggest clown in the world!" Oliver and Marissa laughed. Aria put her hand over her heart and acted as if she was hurt.
"Hey!" she fake protested but laughed anyway.