Harry Potter....The Story That Never Happened....For Magical Fans to RP

"That I'm glad for."

"Be careful and stick close."

Ron was near Aria. "You okay?" He asked the moment he was able to.

"Yeah." She told him when she could.

"Aria, Lucius!" Pansy shouted at her, and Aria saw where she was looking, and she found Lucius Malfoy about to shoot a curse at her brother and Hermione, and sudenly without thining, Aria disappeared in smoke.

Draco saw the curse being aimed at them as Aria did and he put himself between it and Hermione, but he didn't expect it to not hit him then he saw who it had hit, and he found Aria stood before them the curse having hit her instead, but it not having any effect.

Hermione had noticed as well barely a second before hearing Pansy's shout and she spun around just in time to grab Draco's arm a look of surprise on her face as she saw Aria.

"Aria!" Ron yelled rushing over to the others the moment he could.

Aria immediately fell backwards and she was caught by her brother who fell to his knees holding her, now that he could see her face, the full effect of the curse could be seen as cuts appeared on her body, and despite any magic he used, they wouldn't heal.

"Stop." She whispered to him. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Draco looked at her. "You fool, you didn't listen." Draco told her, brushing some hair from her face. "You shouldn't have gotten in the way."

Ron knelt beside Draco looking down at Aria, his face completely blank as if he wasn't exactly seeing what he was seeing.

Hermione stood right behind Draco a hand on his shoulder. "Draco....tell me what to do."

"There's nothing you can do." Aria told them, she gently moved a hand to take those of her brother who had rested one hand on her chest, trying to stop the bleeding. "Let me go." She whispered. "Let me go Draco."

Draco looked at her, and he was trying to keep it together.

Ron said nothing at all. He wanted to. God did he want to but he didn't...no words came to him and he just watched them silently.

Hermione knelt down and wrapped an arm around Draco, her other hand moving back to take hold of Ron's hand.

Draco watched his sister as her eyes went like glass and she was still in his arms, and he used the hand that she had held to gently close her eyes. Unbeknownst to him, everyone around them had stopped, like now that Aria was dead, the fighting was over, but everyone knew that no one actually wanted Aria to die.

Neither Ron nor Hermione had words for what they felt. Hermione tightened her arm around Draco and her hand tightened around Ron as she cast a glance at them both in turn.

Draco seemed to tense up completely and he moved away from them, picking his sister up in his arms and he carried her into the school, everyone moved aside as he walked, no one wanting to piss him off anymore than he already was.

Hermione whispered something to Ron and he nodded slowly backing away to stand on his own his eyes fixed on the ground while she followed right behind Draco without a sound.

Draco lay his sister down on a table that Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle had set out, Blaise folding his jacket up and making sure it went under Aria's head.

She kept at his side wanting him to know she was there but at the same time giving him a little space.

Draco gently moved some of Aria's hair from his face as Blaise went back to standing with her family.

Hermione slipped her hand into his giving it a gentle squeeze.

Draco squeezed her hand tightly, before the doors opened and Lucius Malfoy strolled in. Everyone looked ready to snap when they aw him, but Draco moved quicker and he suddenly appeared in front of his father, and punched him square in the face.

She inhaled sharply when he squeezed her hand her eyes following him when he moved. She was right there close by but she said nothing at all as she watched him.

Lucius stood up and he gently touched his jaw where Draco had given him a split lip. "You still fight for her, she was patheti-"

He cut off as Draco hit him again. "She wasn't pathetic, Aria was braver than anyone I've ever seen, smarter than everyone here, and the most loved. She was the only on of us who wasn't a monster, the only good that made being a Deatheater and being a Malfoy bearable. And now she's gone."

Hermione was trying not to say anything, trying incredibly hard. Slowly she stepped forward and set a hand on Draco's shoulder.

By the time that Hermione joined them, Lucius Malfoy was on his knees, and a bloody mess thanks to Draco, and just before Hermione touched him, Draco gave his ather on more punch knocking him unconscious.

She took him by the elbow to turn him around and hugged him tightly without a word.

He hugged her back.

Mrs Weasley walked over to Aria and she gently brushed a finger to her cheek. "Someone has to go and get her mother."

Ron mumbled something that was supposed to be 'I will' before walking out and disapparating to the mansion.

She just held Drago tightly.

Narcissa was playing with her grandchildren as Hermione's mother sat with her whilst Hermione's father sat by the fireplace reading.
_____

Draco held her just as tightly.