Chapter Seventy-Six

ARIA WAS ALMOST certain she knew what the next task was going to be. At least, she hoped she was right, or else the days spent researching spells to help her breathe underwater would be wasted and she would come last, therefore losing the eternal glory that she was working so hard to achieve.

She was determined to not let that happen.

As she moved from bookshelf to bookshelf in the fairly empty library it became apparent that she was being watched. She felt eyes on her, and as she turned she immediately knew why.

The stare was all too familiar and so was the sound of the footsteps that slowly approached her. Of course, she had been avoiding him since the Yule Ball so it was only natural that he would track her down.

His never-ending stares and overall bad attitude were constantly pestering Aria, but she had been ignoring him since the kiss and was content to keep it that way.

But now that she was cornered between a bookshelf and his body, she feared that the option of simply ignoring him wouldn't work this time. Aria rolled her eyes, avoiding his as she scowled and focused on the tiny scar on his jaw instead.

"Heard of personal space?" She muttered after a moment and finally glared up at him before turning to grab a book on a higher shelf.

He scoffed but didn't move, her backside brushing his front as she attempted to reach the book. "Now you have a problem with personal space? It didn't seem to bother you when you were shoving your tongue down my throat!"

Aria glanced around, panicking that someone may have heard him. She frowned and slapped his chest. "Can you not say that so loudly!"

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"Nothing should have happened between us." She said after what felt like an eternity of staring into his pleading eyes.

"But it did. And you can't tell me that you didn't like it."

Aria thought back to how much she had enjoyed it, especially when he-No! She didn't want to think about it. With a grimace, she turned back to the bookshelf.

"Aria, please."

"What do you want me to say?" She sighed and moved past to sit at a small desk.

"I want you to say that you felt it too," She was about to question what the hell he was on about, but Draco continued. "That spark when we kissed."

When she didn't immediately answer Malfoy grabbed a chair and forced it next to hers, sending her an expectant look.

If that was all it was going to take to get him off of her case, then so be it. "Fine." She admitted. "I felt something. Are you happy now?"

"Very." He smiled broadly and leaned in to kiss her again.

She scoffed and pushed her palm against his lips. "It's not going to happen again. Nothing has changed between us."

His expression of confusion was short-lived, replaced by his usual smugness. "I got you to kiss me once, I can do it again." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It won't be long until you're begging to kiss me, Snape."

Professor Snape appeared at that moment, clearing his throat and raising a quizzical eyebrow as he beheld the scene in front of him.

Aria stifled a laugh and busied herself with the closest book, doing her best to appear innocent and hoping that her father was not aware of her latest match of tonsil tennis and whom it had been with.

"Mr. Malfoy." Her father spoke in a monotonous voice, expression changing to a bored one. "In my office."

"What did I do now?" Draco groaned and leaned back in his chair staring up at the Potions Professor.

"In my office. Now." Snape repeated and spun around, the sound of his footsteps becoming softer as he left the library.

Draco got up and sent Aria one last cheeky grin. "Don't worry Snape, I'm patient. I can wait." He winked at her before running after her father, leaving Aria alone with her thoughts, an ever-growing smile on her face. That dumb boy seemed to make her smile a lot.

ϟ

The spell that Aria had at last settled on that would allow her to breathe underwater was a long shot, but she believed that with enough focus, she would be able to pull it off.

Scuba-Spells.

Scuba-Spells were Charms used to breathe underwater without the need of breathing apparatus or other less-convenient forms of magic, like gillyweed or the bubble-head charm.

The incantation wasn't all too tricky and she was sure that she could pull it off. She hoped she could pull it off.

Now, for her other problem.

Aria dug in her robes, pulling out the empty vial that had fallen out of Cedric's pocket just hours prior.

With no label to indicate what it was and the potion itself having dissipated in the bathwater, the only thing she knew was that it belonged to George, according to Cedric anyway.

She headed to the Gryffindor Common room, considering blowing up the wall for a second time and seeing how angry George would get, but she resisted the urge.

She saw a few Gryffindors heading into the common room.

"Could you call George for me?" She asked them, receiving blank stares in return for her question. They were mighty thick. "Now, please." She snapped and watched as they hurried inside.

George soon appeared, his arms wide open. "Aria, I was just thinking about you." He laughed, stepping out of the common room and pulling her into a hug. "Remember that time in third year when we accidentally turned your father into a bird." He chuckled and sighed. "Good times, those. Good times."

"Yes." Aria felt herself grow annoyed at the memory. It was funny, sure, but she was already irritated with George. "I wanted to speak to you about something actually..."

He nodded. "Me too. I had such a great time at the Yule Ball and-"

"No, this isn't about that, George." She spoke and he stopped.

"Then what is it about?"

She opened her hand and revealed the empty vial.

His expression broadened as he smiled and grabbed it from her hand. "Where did you find this? I've been searching for it! Fred was so upset that I lost it."

His reaction had confused Aria. Why was he happy? She suspected his reasons for having this potion in his possession were far more sinister than he lead on.

"Why's it empty?" He shook it upside down as if his eyes decieved him.

"Because I opened it." Aria folded her arms angrily. "It was a love potion wasn't it?" She snapped. She hadn't been able to get that thought out of her head-the worry that he had planned to use it on her. After all, how many potions were pink and made her want to kiss the nearest person? It could only have been that.

"Well yeah. Me and Fred have been working on it for quite some time."

"Was it for me? Did you intend to give it to me?"

He looked at her quizzically.

"Because Cedric gave it to me. He opened the bottle and all I bloody wanted to do was kiss him! It made me feel so terrible that bloody potion and I didn't even drink any-just the scent of it!"

"Wait, what? You kissed Cedric?"

"No! I did not kiss Cedric." She rolled her eyes. "You were going to give it to me to make me your girlfriend again, weren't you?"

"Merlin no!" George snapped and shoved the vial into his pocket. "It was just for me and Fred to use in our future shop." His anger faded quickly. "Besides, I don't need a love potion to make you my girlfriend again."

Aria felt embarrassed.

George seemed to sense this and reached for her hands. "Will you be my girlfriend again?"

The word yes didn't automatically pop into Aria's head like she had expected it to. Instead, the memory of Draco's hands on her thighs did. She pushed it to the side. That couldn't work out even if she wanted it to. "Yes." She smiled and reached up to kiss him.

She hoped that it wasn't a mistake.