Aria had not lied to Draco. You could after-all tell a lot about a person from their Patronus. And Draco's Patronus made more sense then she had led him to believe - something she had never told anyone. And it only confirmed her theory. If things had been different, then she was certain that she and Draco would have had matching Patronuses.

Aria's trail of thoughts abruptly stopped as she caught sight of one of her best friends in the eighth-year common room; her very unimpressed male best friend.

'Alright?' Aria asked settling into an empty armchair next to him.

Ron gave her an earnest expression. 'Not really.'

'Goyle?'

'No, it's got nothing to do with Goyle bugging the hell out of us.' Ron said, and his head turned slightly, a frown etching his facial features. 'I'm far more concerned about you -'

'I'm fine.'

Ron grimaced, and exhaled a breath. 'Aria I think the compatible magic is making you act weird.'

'Ron, please I'm not arguing with you over this, again. All I've heard from you is how much Goyle is annoying you, or about Draco -'

'That's the first thing, you would never call him Draco, despite your engagement. He has always been Malfoy but since this whole compatible magic thing came to light, that's all changed.' Ron reasoned. 'You would have fought it head on, you would have put up more of a fight than you have -'

'Haven't you considered the possibility that I'm fed up of fighting?' Aria replied, 'Why do you think that I haven't reformed the DA? Just because I didn't want to?'

'Figured you didn't have time, what with Quidditch and helping McGonagall.' Ron said, 'I've heard a lot about the activities from the younger students in passing.'

Aria run a hand through her hair, re-framing from replying, apart from Neville and Luna, occasionally Ginny, she hadn't had much support from her peers. Draco had the best excuse, for Aria had not told him when the sessions were being held but mostly because she always planned them for when he was on patrol. Ron and Hermione missed them mostly because they were too busy avoiding Goyle, so they could actually spend time together.

'But that is besides the point. We were talking about Malfoy, and you. What's so great about Malfoy anyway? What do you even like about him? To make you be able to stand being in his presence?'

The fact that Draco actually didn't care that she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life and was OK with that. Or the way his hands cupped her face whilst they kissed, holding her chin in a delicate grasp as though she was the most fragile thing he had ever held. Or just that his magic felt like nothing she had ever known, and she could get lost in it for days. The fact that Draco Malfoy made her feel stronger than she had in months - years - if she told the honest truth. But Aria said none of those things, Ron would not want to hear them.

'Please don't tell me you fancy him.' Aria rolled her eyes, fancing Draco Malfoy was not necessarily a bad thing, now she could see past the pompous selfish little prick she had first met. 'Or worse, that - you know - love him -'

Love him?

Aria often wondered what love was, not the love of friendship, but actual love. She couldn't remember her parents, Sirius had died before she had the chance to really know him. Aria knew that actual love existed, she saw it every time Mr Weasley and Mrs Weasley looked at each other, she saw it in the photographs of her parents'. Aria knew she loved her godson, but to love another person beyond the point of friendship? She didn't know much about that type of love. Funny how she had been willing enough to die to protect her friends, and that had protected them in the last moments of the final battle, but yet she knew nothing about it. There was no doubt that Aria loved the protectiveness of Draco's magic, but loving his magic was not the same as being in love with Draco Malfoy, was it?

'Of course you're not, forgive me, I shouldn't have said that,' Ron said, shaking his head, 'just - be careful please Aria, you're like family, I don't - I can't stand to see you get hurt.'

'I'm not going to get hurt Ron,' Aria said, 'Besides, Draco swore that he wouldn't hurt me. I trust him. So even if you can't, could you at least trust me.' Aria stood up, intent on walking to the girls dorms but stopped after several steps, she turned and faced one of her best friends. 'I'm tired Ron, I've had enough. I've done my part and I'm done fighting. I did what I was meant to do, I now want to live my life. I don't want to chase after any more crazy dangerous wizards, as much as I've loved the adventure that came with it. I don't want to be what people expect me to be anymore, I'm done.' Aria took a breath, looking at him as earnestly as she could. 'I'm done, Ron. No more fighting, the war is over, I just want to move on from it, and leave the shitty mess that it was, where it should be, behind me.'