Draco went back to Hogwart the very next day and repeated the routine he was doing earlier. He visited Aria and asked if she had any luck...but no. None. NONE! Their constant failure had started to worry Draco about what was he going to do if he was unable to cure Aria. Their friendship had gotten only stronger in the past few days. They joked, fought over small things, but went to serious discussing too. She didn't know her grandmother was missing as none of them ever exchanged any letters. And it was normal for both of them, but then she got to know everything, when one night, an owl flew over to her. Draco and Aria were having dinner together. Aria looked at him confused but took the letter. As she scanned the words, her expression turned to confuse to horrified. She widened her eyes and looked at Draco.
"What is it?" he asked.
"G-grandmother i-is missing," she said, worried. Draco had dreaded this day. They already had enough on their plate, right? and now Draco had no idea how to assure her that her grandmother was safe."The maid wrote me a letter. She says the house was empty for a week now."
"S-she might be visiting a relative?" Draco suggested, but Aria shook her head.
"We don't have any relatives. It's only me and grandmother now" she said.
"Oh...don't worry she must be fine," he said.
"I hope so," said Aria in a small voice.
They continued to eat in silence. Both of them buried in their own thoughts.
"How are feeling, you know? The poison?" Draco asked, after a while. Aria looked down at her body.
"It's worse. I just don't let it affect my mind but it's getting worse. I feel weaker and weaker and my body mostly feels numb." she said. This only dampened Draco's mood. He continued eating, cause he knew if he said more, he would burst into tears. He felt exhausted and tired. He was tired of being Morana's pet and he was exhausted of his own mind. He was alone...fighting with his own thoughts as well as the people around him.
He didn't know what miracle had taken place for him to befriend Aria but whatever that was...he was thankful. She was at least somewhat at ease. She helped him clear his mind with her stupid jokes and taunts. Draco felt good around her even if he pretended to be annoyed. They were silently eating when a teacher walked in. But Draco knew too well for his liking. In walked professor Gladstone who was currently been possessed by Morana's snake. He looked at Draco, suspiciously and for a second, his black eyes turned to snaky green.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Francis? " He asked.
"Um..n-nothing professor. Just talking." he stuttered. He looked between me and Aria.
"Well...I have something to talk to Ms. Rosewood" he said.
"Okay" Draco replied, sitting back down.
"...Alone," said Professor. Draco's brain shifted to high gear. This Professor definitely didn't want to 'talk' but...
"Um...I-I can't go out" Draco replied, looking down.
"It is necessary," he said, firmly.
"B-but-" Aria cut off Draco.
"It's fine. It might be my lame potions homework," she said, trying to cheer up Draco. But it only made Draco feel worse. He wasn't going to leave her alone. No. But what should he do? His heart was beating terribly fast now. He looked at Aria, with begging eyes but she only returned the confused gaze. He looked at professor Gladstone trying to see through those reptile eyes but there was only mist in it.
Nothing clear.
"It's okay, Draco," she said. Draco didn't want to, but his legs forced him to. He looked at his 'professor' and then at Aria. He shook his head in an I-have-no-choice manner and walked out of the hospital wing. He went to the great hall where his friends were laughing and enjoying their dinner. He was sweating badly. He loosened the tie around his neck and sat beside his friends.
"What're you doing here?" asked Theo, his mouth full of food.
"where should I be then?" Draco snapped. Theo looked confused and taken aback.
"What's wrong? what spoiled your awesome mood?" asked Nico.
"Nothing" he muttered. They looked at each other for a second and went silent. Draco was growing more and more nervous. He felt like a snake had coiled around his heart. He felt like he couldn't breathe. Aria...Aria was alone. What if professor Gladstone killed her? He was wrapped in his own thoughts until there was a loud scream heard. Everyone in the great hall stopped eating, their eyes wide. Draco was now visibly panting and gasping for air. He knew the scream. He knew it very well. It belonged to Aria. Draco looked around and found professor Gladstone at the head table. He was eating normally, his expression amused as if he never actually left the table. Draco gulped nervously. When finally the teachers came to their senses, they rushed out of the great hall, Marissa and Oliver following closely behind.
"It sounds like Aria's," said Theo, his tone scared and concerned.
"What do you think happened?" asked Nico.
"dunno" replied Draco.
"Well, I think we should we should stop our little gathering for obvious reasons." said the headmaster "All the students must head to their dorms, their dinner can continue there."
The headmaster left and soon all the head boy and head girls led their houses to their dorms. Wren Wilson, the thunderbird house's head girl, led the students alone as Draco didn't want to. He was scared above anything now. It was because of him Aria was hurt. Only if Draco had stayed...
Draco went to his common room and straight up to his room. He didn't feel like eating, nor did he felt sleepy. He felt terrible. He was a monster who didn't deserve to have friends, but Aria still supported him so much. More than he actually deserved. He sat on his bed for too long. He didn't know how much time had passed. He was almost drowning in his own river of thoughts and no one was there to save him. He was alone. Draco came to his senses when an owl knocked on his window. He got up and opened it and the world stopped right before his eyes. The letter read...
Draco
Aria has been poisoned more severely now. She hasn't got much time. Hurry up with your task. I have removed all the pain for her to be normal and get to know her more but remember she hasn't got much time.
The dark lady
Draco let his tears fall. It was all his fault. Aria was gonna die and Draco will have to just watch. Just watch. Nothing less nor more. After a while, Draco left his room. He felt like someone was crushing his lungs. He rushed down to the bathroom. On his way, he passed the hospital wing and he felt like someone had clenched his heart. He swallowed the lump in his throat and ran towards the bathroom.
He leaned on the sink and let the water flow. His tears and the flow of the water tap were now matching. Draco couldn't breathe. His loud sobs filled the whole bathroom. He let himself flow. He needed it. He was trapped. Trapped in a poisonous prison. He had a single hope. Aria. But now if he didn't see her again, it was going to be his fault. All his. Draco cried and cried until he couldn't take it anymore. He gasped for breath. He looked in the mirror and saw himself. He saw his pale skin, now looking grey. His electric blue sharp eyes now...lost. He had gotten thinner. He wasn't the old, arrogant, and brave Draco he once used to be, but now he was nothing but a dark skeleton. He had put on a mask to hide his dark life but now the mask was melting. He could no more show that he was happy, instead, he was fed up...broken. Draco let his new tears flow. His loud sobs now became screams. In his pained screams, he didn't hear the footsteps behind him.
He once again looked in the mirror, expecting to see himself, but instead, he saw another figure behind him. Aria...
He turned around and saw her. The only person Draco wanted to see, yet he felt wrong. Like she shouldn't be here. Draco...Draco was a monster, one of Morana's servants. He could hurt Aria's fragile body. He didn't want to do this...he didn't want her to see him in a broken state. Not while crying. He pointed his wand at her, but he solemnly swore inside his mind that he will never hurt an inch of her.
"D-Draco" she whispered, stepping forward. Draco wiped his tears and tried to return the mask which was yet melting. He pointed his wand further.
"l-leave. y-you are not s-supposed to be here" he stuttered when inside, he was dying.
"I-I don't care. Don't worry, I am known to be in places I am not supposed to be in." She said. Draco thought it was a kind of joke. But her expression told him otherwise. Her lips were sealed shut and her eyebrows were knitted like she was dead serious. She came closer. Draco backed off.
"D-don't step further. I could h-hurt you" he said, his mask not completely turning into his tears.
"I would rather be hurt," she whispered. Draco dropped his wand and let himself fall on the floor. He cried. Draco didn't know where the tears came from but they did. They kept flowing. Aria sat on her knees beside him.
"Draco, tell me," she said, softly. This only increased Draco's sobs.
"I-I c-can't. You will hate me for this," he said.
"I'd rather hate you for telling me than lying to me," she said. Draco looked at her, she had no traces of joke on her voice. She was speaking a fact. She didn't want to give Draco false hope.
"what is it? Tell me, Draco. Being in darkness will only increase your fear of light. Don't kill every ray of light that tries to help you. Draco, please tell me. And even if you don't" she said pointing towards herself. "This ray of light is quite stubborn." she smiled warmly. Draco smiled too but in a pained way.
"I don't think you will say the same after you what I am, who do I associate with," he said
"Have you seen the future Draco? How do you know what is in your fate?" she sighed. "Draco, did you ever imagine me and you being so close friends? No. You never know what is in our life. Draco, accept the brightness, don't kill it just because you think it is not for you."
Draco laughed bitterly, "You really think so? Do you think I deserve the brightness? After the dark mark which I have on my arm?" He pulled up his left arm where the Dark snake was coiling around the skull. Aria gasped. She looked like she couldn't breathe. She slowly touched the mark and ran her fingers on it. Her face turned green. Tears went down her cheeks and Draco knew it. He had lost his only true friend. His life.