In the middle of lunch on Sunday, Pansy returned to the castle. She immediately played the role of the victim, crying to whoever was willing to listen and comfort her. Though Draco seemed unfazed by her return, he was very cautious around her, deciding to sit far away from her and not speak to her directly. Their accounts of the breakup differed greatly and it led to a split between those who tended to be ditzy and dramatic and those who were more rational. According to Draco, his father and Pansy's father came to the decision to end the agreement between their families, believing that their children were too young to be pressured into an arranged marriage. To most, it seemed understandable because if they were in the same position, they would not want to be told who to have as their future partner. Aria thought it was strange that the agreement ended abruptly. She had been around Draco's father enough to know that he cared very much about his wealth and social status and a union between his family and the Parkinsons would lead to much more acclaim throughout the wizarding world. Knowing that the breakup was a touchy subject to Draco, she did not bring up her suspicions. Surprising to no one, Pansy's version of the breakup put the blame fully on Aria.

Sobbing hysterically, Pansy would tell people, mostly girls, that she and Draco were the perfect couple until Aria arrived at Hogwarts. She portrayed herself as the victim while Aria was supposedly seducing Draco with her sob stories and actively trying to split Draco and Pansy apart since their third year. Some girls sided with Pansy, thinking that Aria was the one to blame for their problems. They accused her of flirting with Draco, despite his relationship with Pansy, and that Draco was not the only guy to fall for her flirtations. One crazy rumor spreading around the school involved her purposely going to the Yule Ball as herself to entice the guys at Hogwarts so that the following year, when her true self had been revealed, they would be interested in her. Hearing such ridiculous ideas made her glad that she was friends with Hermione, a very logical girl. Throughout the day, Draco apologized for the rumors started by Pansy's lies. Aria assured him that she did not care what people thought of her and if they were senseless enough to believe Pansy, they had their own issues. She was sure that they expected her to stop hanging around Draco, as a way to end the rumors, but she would never let a ditz like Pansy dictate her friendships.

Aria was fast asleep in her room. The previous night, she had placed a shield charm around her bed to repel any spells cast by her roommates. As she dreamt about running in the forest in her wolf form, someone shook her bed. She opened one of her eyes just a bit, seeing a worried Rebekah. Without saying a word, Rebekah grabbed Aria by the arm, taking her down to the common room. A large group of people were gathered around the noticeboard that usually had posters for school clubs, lost and found notices, advertisements for the Weasley joke products, and a list of Hogsmeade visitation dates. All of those signs were covered by one enormous sign with a Ministry seal at the bottom. Following Rebekah to the noticeboard, she read the new sign. Signed by Umbridge, it was a new educational decree that stated all student organizations, teams, and clubs, defined as a meeting of three or more students, were disbanded and to re-form, these organizations needed permission from her. If any students were found having a meeting without her approval, they would be expelled from Hogwarts.

Rebekah was playing with her hair anxiously. She assumed that Umbridge somehow knew about their meeting in the Hog's Head. The other Slytherins, who had not attended the meeting, were untroubled by the new decree. Aria overheard a second year girl worry that Umbridge would not allow the Herbology club.

"She knows" whispered Rebekah.

"Don't worry about it. She doesn't know anything. My mother always taught me that words are everything, Bekah. Whenever she would sign deals or contracts, she checked the wording very carefully"

"Meaning what? How does this help?"

"I'm sure we'll keep doing the meetings. There's a way around this little decree. I'll talk to Harry about it. Stop looking guilty"

"Guilty about what?"

Draco, Blaise, and Theodore were walking down the staircase. They read the new decree on the noticeboard. Theodore shrugged it off, thinking that Umbridge would just get rid of useless clubs.

"What's wrong with you, Rebekah? Do you think she'll find out about your club dedicated to your crush on Harper?" teased Draco.

"Why don't you go deal with your pug ex-girlfriend? She was barking all night and I could barely sleep"

Aria stifled a laugh as Rebekah tossed her hair back, smacking him in the face, and headed back up the stairs. She flicked her wand, conjuring her bag and changing her pajamas into her uniform. As she tied her hair up in a ponytail, she walked with the guys to the Great Hall.

"What's got her wand in a knot?"

"Probably sick of all these lame decrees. You know it means no quidditch teams, right?"

"That's not true"

"It said teams on the sign"

"We don't have to worry. Umbridge will let us play. She likes most of us"

"Most?"

"Well you're not exactly the friendliest person around her. She knows you're the one who flooded her office and filled it with lily pads"

"I was making her feel more at home"

Entering the Great Hall, the only conversations were about the new decree. Aria noticed Umbridge watching a tense conversation between Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the other Gryffindors from the Hog's Head meeting. Thinking up a plan, she hurried over to the teachers' table, standing in front of Umbridge.

"Hello Professor Umbridge. I was wondering if I could ask you a question about chapter two in the book. I know I haven't been the most receptive to your teaching methods but I am willing to learn whatever you wish to teach us"

Snape, who was sitting beside Umbridge, looked at her with a mixed expression of curiosity and amusement. Aria opened her book on the table, asking random questions about the chapter. She nodded her head, pretending to listen to the answers. Once the small group of Gryffindors returned to their seats, she closed her book.

"You have opened my eyes, professor. I never thought of it that way. Thank you"

"I am always willing to help the students. If you have any more questions"

"I will come straight to you"

Aria sat next to Harry at the Gryffindor table. Hermione thanked her for the quick distraction. The other Gryffindors, like Rebekah, were worried that Umbridge had been listening to their secret meeting. Aria was relieved that Harry wanted to continue the lessons and would not back down because of a silly Ministry decree. Ron seemed sure that someone blabbed about the meeting but Hermione had explained him that she and Aria placed a jinx on the parchment. If any of the people who signed the parchment revealed the truth to Umbridge, they would get a nasty surprise.

The morning owls flew around the Great Hall, delivering parcels and letters. An owl landed in front of Hermione, a copy of the Daily Prophet tied to its leg. More people, including Ernie, Hannah, and Michael, made their way towards the Gryffindor table.

"The idiots can't come over here now. It'll look really suspicious" whispered Hermione, glancing over at the teachers' table.

Hermione mouthed to them, telling them to sit down at their tables. Aria ripped off a piece of the newspaper and wrote a message. Tying the paper around the owl's leg, she picked up the small owl and chucked it at Ernie. The owl hit him in the chest. He read the message and gave her a slight nod. They quietly returned to their respective tables and the owl flew back to Hermione. While Hermione dug through her bag for knuts, the owl snapped its beak fiercely at Aria and turned its back, flicking its tail in the air.

"I think it's mad at you for throwing it like a quaffle" said Harry.

"Well at least it got their attention. I can live with one owl hating me. I'm going to head back to the Slytherin table. I could explain it a million times and they still won't understand why I'm friends with you three"

Aria sat at the Slytherin table, next to Raina. Draco was eating a piece of toast, his eyes on Harry.

"Why were you sitting with Potter?"

"He had a question about vanishing spells"

"Is that why you threw an owl at MacMillan?"

"Ron bet that I couldn't throw that far"

"I don't believe you"

"You saw it for yourself. I hit him right in the chest. Never bet against me"

Towards the end of breakfast, the bell rang. Snape stopped by the Slytherin table, getting Aria's attention. He wanted her to follow him to his office instead of going to History of Magic. Aria had no objections, doubting that she would miss much from the usual boring lesson. She handed a piece of paper to Draco, telling him to take notes. He complained that he never paid attention to Binns. She followed Snape to his office.

"Do not lose your temper"

"Why would I?"

"Keep calm"

Opening the door, Snape walked into his office with her. Aria's smile faltered, seeing her aunt. She looked at Snape for an explanation. He nodded towards the chair in front of his desk.

"Thank you, Severus. You can leave for your classroom now to prepare for lessons"

"I would feel better standing outside the door"

"If you wish. I won't hurt her"

Snape left the office. Elyse's eyes flickered to the chair, indicating for Aria to sit there. Aria silently refused, crossing her arms. With a frustrated sigh, Elyse sat at Snape's desk, observing a vial of pepperup potion.

"What are you doing here?"

"I know that just a few days ago, you went through quite the ordeal"

"And what, you're here to see if I'm okay?"

Elyse let out a small laugh. "Of course not"

"I'm touched by how much you care" she replied, sarcastically.

"I've come to make an offer on behalf of the Dark Lord, Aria. To be honest, he underestimated your abilities and your intelligence…even after the little fiasco you caused with Victoria. He has realized that it will take more than simple tricks to fool you and he wishes to treat you as an equal. His offer is that you willingly join his side by the end of term and he will not harm any of your friends. There will be no manipulations, no schemes, no plots to snatch you from the castle at night...he is leaving the decision to you"

"The answer is no so you can tell him to shove his offer up a certain dark place"

"Aria, I would consider his offer before you take a page from your father's book and act like a stubborn child. If you are not at my manor by the end of term, willing to join our side, I'm afraid that some of your friends will pay the price. Graham and Draco have already experienced what happens when the Dark Lord is angry"

"What do you mean?"

"He knew that they were with you on that island. He saw everything and punished them for ruining the plan that night. The first time was just a few burn hexes. The next time, they may not be so lucky. He punishes insolence. I'll leave you to your own thoughts. My opinion must mean very little to you but if you wish to keep your friends alive, then you'll accept the offer"

Elyse vanished through the fireplace. Aria opened the door, finding Snape pacing back and forth. She pulled him into the office and told him about Graham and Draco being punished by Voldemort. He had been aware of the punishment, being the person to bring them to Draco's manor. Before Aria could yell at him for allowing them to get hurt, he defended himself, claiming that if he refused Voldemort's orders, he would not be in a good enough position to spy for the Order.

"They were not seriously injured"

"That doesn't make it okay"

"Are you considering his offer?"

"No. I'm not afraid of him. If he lays a hand on Dr—anyone, I'll rip him apart with my teeth"

"Aria, Dumbledore is already aware of this offer. The Order will find a way to keep you safe. You have two months. For now, focus on your classes. You should return to your History of Magic lesson"

Aria left his office. Instead of heading to the History of Magic classroom, she stayed in the dungeons, hiding in an empty room. She searched her bag for Raina's two-way mirror and used it to contact Sebastien. His face appeared in the mirror. Compared to the last time they saw each other, he looked much healthier and clean-shaven. They discussed the offer made by Voldemort. Sebastien believed that the end of term was the day he would execute his plan.

"Have you been practicing?"

"It's the hardest spell I've ever tried. I almost got it right with my owl. It's hard to find places to practice around this castle"

"Keep trying. It is the only way to ensure your escape. As it gets closer to that date, he will discuss the details of his plan with his top death eaters. I'll be able to tell you more then. Remember the advice I gave you when we had our lessons together. It's all about concentration and determination"

"I know. I guess there's little chance of actually seeing you in person, right?"

"Not without someone following me. He trusts me but he knows me well enough to think that I could be speaking with anyone for the right price. It won't be like that forever, Aria. See the benefit to his offer. You won't need to constantly worry about him or his men attacking you. It gives you two free months to practice that spell"

For the rest of first period, Aria sat in the empty room. She waited to hear people entering the dungeons before heading over to the Potions classroom. Harry grabbed the sleeve of her robes from behind and showed her a letter from Sirius. Hedwig had shown up outside the window of the history classroom with an injured wing. The way it was bent suggested that someone tried to intercept the letter. Sirius wanted to speak with the four of them again in the Gryffindor common room.

"Same time as before? I have to patrol the corridors tonight"

"Sneak away. I think Malfoy can handle it on his own for a few minutes. Just lie that you saw someone sneaking out of bed"

"I'll be there"

The other Slytherins were standing outside the classroom, talking excitedly. "Are you all right? Why weren't you in class?" asked Ron.

"Snape wanted to talk to me about those rumors that I'm some evil seductive witch who wants to steal every guy at Hogwarts. Those idiots are acting like I need the attention of boys to survive…like some weird zombie"

She stuck her hands out in front of her. "Me need boys" she said in a gruff voice.

Harry and Ron laughed. Hermione shook her head as Aria grabbed Harry's shoulder, acting like a zombie.

"Me need boy kisses. Kiss, kiss"

"Would you two stop laughing? It's not—oh honestly, it's like dealing with children" said Hermione.

They were distracted by Draco's voice carrying across the dungeons. He waved around a piece of parchment with a smug expression on his face. Aria overheard him say that he and Graham went to Umbridge right before their first lesson and she granted the Slytherin team permission to continue playing quidditch. He doubted that the Gryffindor team would be allowed to play if her decision was based on influence in the Ministry. Aria held back Harry while Hermione had a grip on Ron's robes, keeping them from going near the Slytherins.

"From what my father says, they've been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years. As for Potter, he thinks it's only a matter of time before the Ministry has him carted off to St. Mungo's...they've got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic"

Draco made a twisted face, imitating a mental patient. The girls shrieked with laughter. Someone pushed past Aria and Harry. She was surprised to see Neville charge at Draco, ready to punch him. Harry and Ron quickly grabbed him while he swung his fists. The Slytherins laughed even harder at Neville's scarlet face and the words spluttering from his mouth.

"Not…funny…don't…Mungo's…"

Aria realized what made Neville very angry. Over the summer, her father showed her a picture of the original Order of the Phoenix. He pointed out members like Sirius, Lupin, and Harry's parents and those who were killed or seriously injured during the first war. Neville's parents were tortured by four death eaters after Voldemort's downfall. They had been hurt so badly by the cruciatus curse that their brains were scrambled and they were sent to St. Mungo's for care. It was the reason why Neville lived with his grandmother.

The classroom door opened and Snape's eyes immediately flickered to Harry and Ron wrestling with Neville. He deducted ten points from Gryffindor, amid the Slytherin laughter, and ordered all of them into the classroom. Aria picked up Neville's bag. People passed by him, looking at him like he had lost his mind. He was still fuming, his fists clenched. Aria handed over his bag, telling him that he should not let idiots like Draco bother him. When she sat at her desk, she pushed Draco off of his seat. Dean and Seamus sniggered at the desk across from them. Draco stood up, straightening his robes.

"What's your problem?" he hissed.

"You're not sitting there" she said, placing her bag on the seat.

"Why n—you're defending Longbottom now? What are you, the Gryffindor bodyguard?"

"When you learn not to be such a git, you can sit here. Go sit with Tweedledee and Tweedledum. You can tell them your stupid jokes that they always laugh at"

"I can sit anywhere I want. Move your bag"

"I am like five seconds from biting you, you little snot. If you don't want to go through what Victoria did last year, get away from me"

He looked at Blaise to side with him. Blaise kept his eyes on the board, purposely not making eye contact with him or Aria. Muttering to himself about girls and their tempers, Draco picked up his bag and sat at a desk with Crabbe and Goyle. Umbridge was in a dim corner of the classroom, holding a clipboard. Their lesson was to continue making strengthening solutions. As she picked up her vial from last lesson on Snape's desk, Draco knocked into her.

"Oops, didn't see you there, pipsqueak"

Aria stamped on his foot. He bit his lip, groaning in pain.

"Do you see me now, ferret? Have fun getting help from the two gorillas. I already know what mistakes you'll make today"

"For your information, Miss Perfect, I won't make a single mistake. I'm great at potions. Mine will be better than yours"

"In what alternate universe will that happen?"

While they made their strengthening solutions, Umbridge scribbled notes on her clipboard. Halfway through the lesson, she began to follow Snape, asking questions about his teaching history. She remarked that she was unsure if the Ministry would approve of strengthening solutions being taught at Hogwarts. Her questions were then directed at the students. Aria finished up her potion and stopped Blaise from putting too much pomegranate juice in his cauldron. She suppressed a smirk when she saw Goyle drop salamander blood into Draco's cauldron, ruining his potion. After questioning Blaise about previous lessons, Umbridge turned towards Aria.

"I've heard that you are Snape's assistant outside of classes, Miss Collins"

"Yep. I help him during lunch"

"You must be quite talented at Potions"

"I guess so"

"You do seem to be very advanced for your age. How is that possible?"

"What do you mean, professor?"

"Considering your…history, I would think that you might be behind in your classes"

"Nope. I guess I just have a natural affinity for potion making"

At the end of class, they handed their potions to Snape and left the dungeons. Seeing that it was a sunny day outside, she sat under the beech tree near the lake with Blaise and Theodore to finish their dream diaries. A group of third year Ravenclaw girls passed them, shooting contemptuous looks at Aria. One of the girls whispered that she was moving on from Draco and now pursuing his friends.

"Is that why we're alone here with you?" asked Blaise in a teasing manner.

"You wish. Give me a dream to make up for last night. If I say that I imagined Pansy drowning in the lake, I might get in trouble"

"Or Trelawney will say it means you've got a crush on her. I'm telling you, that woman's batty"

"You're still doing those diaries? I finished mine last night" she heard.

Draco sat beside her, leaning against the tree. She ignored him, writing a dream about getting a dog. He nudged her side. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a golden snitch. He had stolen it from one of the boxes in the broom shed.

"Watch this"

Releasing the snitch, he allowed it to flutter a few feet away before catching it in mid-air. The snitch fluttered in his hand. She watched him catch the snitch multiple times.

"What's he doing?" she whispered to Theodore.

"Trying to get you to stop being mad at him"

"By catching a snitch?"

"I don't know how his mind works. Just go along with it"

Draco caught the snitch once more. He messed up his hair, running his fingers through it.

"Impressive, huh?"

"You've got the reflexes of a turtle"

"I do not"

When he released the snitch again, Aria grabbed it in a split second. She smirked at Draco.

"That's fast. Nice try, grandpa"

"Show off" he muttered.

"Does this mean you're not mad at him or is this that girl thing where you're nice for a few minutes and then you're mad at him again?" asked Blaise.

She sighed. "I'm not mad. He just needs to stop being a git"

The bell rang in the distance. They packed their belongings into their bags. Aria flicked her wand and a gust of wind knocked them into the lake. She giggled at the sight of Draco and Theodore's hair plastered to their faces. Draco was the first to get out of the lake and chased after her. She easily dodged him until she felt a pull on her navel and was levitated into the air. He dropped her in the middle of the lake.

She swam back to the grounds. "Got you back" he said, smugly.

"My leg's caught in something"

"Nice try"

"I'm not kidding. I think something's got me. Would you help?"

"Take my hand"

Aria grabbed onto his hand. She tugged hard, causing him to fall back into the water. As she climbed out, she used a nonverbal spell to dry her hair and clothes. On their way to Divinations, the three guys repeatedly asked her for help drying themselves. She refused, too busy laughing at their wet dog looks. It was even better when Filch screamed at them for dragging mud and water into the castle. She cleaned them off before Filch was able to find McGonagall to give them detentions.

For once, Divinations was mildly entertaining. The results of Trelawney's inspection appeared to be very poor. Trelawney spent the entire lesson, complaining about Umbridge who placed her on probation for being a sub-standard teacher. She blamed it on wizarding society not understanding her gift of sight. Though Aria felt some sympathy for Trelawney, she did not mind listening to her insult Umbridge for most of the lesson. Defense Against the Dark Arts was far less enjoyable, the entire time spent reading chapter three in their books. Around ten o'clock, Aria, Draco, Hannah, and Ernie were patrolling the corridors. Aria offered to check the seventh floor, thinking it was her best chance at getting to the Gryffindor common room. Draco played with the golden snitch. At one point, he almost lost it and Aria needed to use her enhanced speed to catch it.

Checking his watch, she noticed that it was now five minutes past midnight. She pretended to see a first year sneaking around the corridor.

"Where?" he asked.

"Down that way. I'll get them. Just wait here"

Aria walked down the corridor, stopping in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. Giving the password, she entered the common room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting around the fireplace, speaking to Sirius. She had not missed much of their conversation. It turned out that Mundungus Fletcher, an Order member and known criminal, overheard their meeting in Hog's Head. He was disguised under a thick veil because he was banned from the inn many years ago. Sirius did not look the least bit angry about their secret group but Mrs. Weasley warned them not to take part in anything illegal or likely to get them in trouble. Hermione was not comforted by Sirius's support. He believed it was better to be expelled and able to defend themselves from death eaters than to sit in a boring classroom and learn nothing useful. For the next ten minutes, they discussed possible meeting places.

"How are you doing?" he asked Aria, his tone implying that he knew about Voldemort's offer.

"Great"

"That's a lie. I've got a message from your dad. He said to not listen to a word from your aunt. Whatever Elyse said to get you to accept it, she's bluffing"

"What happened? What did your aunt say?" asked Harry.

"Nothing. I should head back to patrolling the castle. Tell my dad I'll try to write him later"

Aria quickly left the common room. As she returned to the spot where she left Draco, she saw him with Talia, showing off with the snitch. She giggled and clapped each time he caught it. Aria gripped her wand when Talia brushed her hand against his arm.

"You're so talented. That must be really hard"

"Yea, it is but I'm a great seeker"

"You should take me on your broom sometime. It would be fun"

"What are you doing out here?" asked Aria, walking over to them.

Talia smiled. "Hi Aria. I was doing detention with Filch. He had me put supplies in the closets on each floor and I saw Draco. We were just talking and he showed me an amazing trick"

"I bet it was really amazing but he has to keep walking around the castle"

"I'm sure you could handle it by yourself" she said with a sneer.

"No. It's a big castle and it needs more than one person to watch it. Have fun with your detention"

Draco followed her down to the second floor. She took the snitch from him, putting it in her pocket.

"Why did you do that?"

"It's not as amazing as you think. Talia's not exactly hard to impress. You could shine a light on the wall and she would chase after it like a cat. What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing important. She whined about her detentions, said she was sorry about the break up, and asked if I wanted to hang out this weekend"

"So when's the big date?"

"Why do you assume I said yes?"

Aria scoffed. "Why wouldn't you? She's pretty, ditzy, and boosts your ego for every little thing you do. You could probably eat a pancake and she'd get all excited about how you did it"

"Well I didn't. I said it was too soon since I broke up with Pansy. It's only been two days. Besides, I don't like Talia like that. Even when we were…"

"I don't need to hear about your experiences with her. Can we just finish patrolling for the hour?"

Tuesday passed by in a blur. During their Charms lesson, Hermione told her what happened after she left the Gryffindor common room. Umbridge had reached into the fire, attempting to grab Sirius. It confirmed Hermione's suspicions that Umbridge was the one who attacked Hedwig and gave the tip about the dungbombs to Filch. Umbridge possibly wanted to use the false tip to read Harry's mail. It was just one more reason on the long list of why to hate Umbridge. Late that night, Harry received a visit from Dobby, who was returning Hedwig, and learned about a room called the Room of Requirement. It was a special room that altered the interior to fit the visitor's needs. Harry thought it would be a perfect spot for their defense meetings. He decided to have the first meeting at eight o'clock the next day and she and Hermione spread the news to the rest of the members.

At half past seven, Aria was sitting in the Slytherin common room, listening to Graham talk about new quidditch plays. Raina feigned interest, leaning her head on her hand. Her eyes kept darting to the clock, waiting for the right time to leave for the meeting. Draco, Blaise, and Theodore were working on silencing charms, practicing the charm on mice. A group of third year girls walked over to Draco, holding a copy of Witch Weekly.

"Could you sign this for us?" asked the blonde girl.

"What?" he asked.

"You're on the cover"

Raina grabbed the magazine from her, ignoring their complaints. A picture of Draco at the Quidditch World Cup last year was on the front cover, under the title Most Eligible Teen Wizard. She opened the magazine, finding an article with a list of 'good-looking' teen wizards around the world. Draco topped the list with a mention about his break up and how he was now free to date any girls. Aria rolled her eyes at the writer calling him very desirable and handsome.

"Who reads this crap?" she whispered to Raina.

"Looks like he won't have trouble getting girls now"

"Let's go. It's almost eight"

Alec and Rebekah were able to easily sneak out of the common room. Raina pretended to have a bad stomachache. Playing along, Aria offered to bring her to the hospital wing. The four of them walked up to the seventh floor. Along one of the corridors, they found a polished door across from a tapestry. Aria opened the door, revealing an enormous room lined with wooden bookcases, containing books about defensive spells and hexes, silk cushions, and objects like sneakoscopes and foe glasses. Everyone else had already arrived in the room. Aria locked the door behind her in case Filch or Umbridge were nearby.

"Well I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and—what, Hermione?" said Harry, seeing her hand in the air.

"I think we ought to elect a leader"

"Harry's the leader" replied Cho.

"It should be Aria" said Alec.

She smacked Alec's shoulder. He shrugged, explaining that she also had firsthand experience in dealing with dark wizards. The group agreed that Harry and Aria could be co-leaders for the meetings. Hermione also wanted them to choose a formal name. After a few suggestions, they decided to call themselves Dumbledore's Army, using D.A. for short. Hermione pinned the parchment with their signatures to the wall, writing the name across the top. Harry wanted the first lesson to focus on the disarming charm, a basic spell for defense.

"Oh please. I don't think Expelliarmus is going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?" asked Zacharias, annoyed.

"I've used it against him. It saved my life back in June"

"Let's establish something here. This is going to work as good auror/bad auror. Harry will be the good auror, nice and compassionate. If you keep opening your mouth to say something stupid, it's my turn and I will smack you around until you either start crying or I put you in the hospital wing. Got any other complaints, Smith?"

"No" he muttered.

"Great. Then we can divide into pairs and practice"

Neville was the only one left without a partner. Harry joined him and soon, the room was filled with shouts of Expelliarmus. Aria winced, watching them practice the basic charm. Most people could not even disarm properly. Harry had Neville practice with Ron and Hermione and walked around the room with Aria to help the other pairs. Rebekah and Alec quickly mastered the charm. Aria was showing Michael the proper technique. He seemed unwilling to jinx Ginny, his partner.

"Michael, it's okay. Just do the spell"

"I don't want to hurt her" he whispered.

Overhearing him, Ginny scoffed and crossed her arms. Aria patted his shoulder.

"No offense but don't worry about you hurting her. Ginny can handle herself"

Harry was watching Cho and Marietta but mostly Cho. He could not make his crush any more obvious. Cho accidentally set Marietta's skirt on fire. She smiled when Harry said that she did well until that one mistake. At ten past nine, they ended the meeting and agreed to have another meeting at the same time next Wednesday. Aria, Raina, Alec, and Rebekah headed back to the common room. Raina pulled her aside before they walked through the passageway. She wanted to practice Sebastien's spell. Aria and Raina sneaked into an empty room at the end of the dungeons corridor. Flicking her wand, Raina conjured one of the school owls.

"As important as disarming is, you have your own problems. Just take deep breaths and concentrate really hard"

"What if I get stuck?"

"You won't. I'm here if anything goes wrong"

Aria sat on the floor, staring at the owl. "Mutare corpora"

For a few seconds, she felt tiny and her arms were restricted to her side. She glanced up at Raina, raising her arms. The sensation disappeared and she stood up, rubbing her arms. Raina smiled at her.

"It worked, huh?"

"For a few seconds"

"That's a start. We have two months to perfect it. I think it's better if you do it nonverbally…otherwise he might figure out what you're doing"

For the next hour, they practiced the spell. Though she was nowhere near an expert, Raina told her to appreciate the small victories. She suggested that during their next lesson, they could try an animal bigger than an owl. Over the next three weeks, they practiced Sebastien's spell and Aria was slowly getting better. At the same time, she led the D.A. meetings with Harry. Hermione figured out a way to convey the new meeting times through a protean charm on galleons. The galleons would feel warm when the time and date was set, expressed by the numerals on the side of the coin. It was an effective method to set up meetings without raising suspicion from Umbridge.

Aria began to receive letters from her aunt, warning her about the consequences of rejecting Voldemort's offer. She was feeling a lot of pressure, not wanting any of her friends to pay for her refusal to join him. It only added to her determination to master Sebastien's spell. As the weeks passed, she found it easier to sneak away from her friends with Raina because they were busy with the letters Draco received from multiple girls. The article in Witch Weekly gained him even more attention at Hogwarts. Girls were hoping to get a date with him. He seemed to be on a different date every night, which infuriated Pansy. Aria was pleased that Pansy's anger was no longer directed at her but disgusted by the talk from the guys about Draco's dates. Not wanting to listen to their conversations, she spent more time with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Aria was waiting outside Dumbledore's office, holding a letter. It was from Owen, the guy she met on the night of the concert. He invited her to attend a Halloween party at his friend's house. They had been exchanging letters over the past few weeks, getting to know each other better. Raina would tease her about them being a couple. Aria thought the party would be a good excuse to get away from the stresses of the wizarding world. A bit anxious, she opened the door. Dumbledore was standing near the perch for Fawkes, his phoenix.

"Ah, Aria, to what do I owe this visit?"

"I had a favor to ask, sir. You said to ask you for permission if I wanted to leave the castle. There's this…Halloween party and I uh—well, with everything going on, I thought it would be fun to be in the muggle world for a night…just tonight. Could I go?"

"Would you be alone?"

"I could bring Raina with me. She's seventeen so she can use magic if necessary. Would it be okay?"

Dumbledore smiled. "I don't see why not. I do urge you to be careful. The muggle world can be quite dangerous"

"Thanks, sir. I promise to not stay out late"

Aria left his office and walked down to the Great Hall for lunch. Sitting next to Raina, she kept the letter hidden in her pocket.

"I need you to go out with me tonight" she whispered.

"Out where?" asked Raina, spreading jam on her bagel.

"A party"

Raina squealed excitedly. "A party? Finally! This place never does anything fun. It's a Halloween party, right?"

"Stop talking so loud. I don't want anyone else to k"

"What party?" interrupted Graham, looking between Aria and Raina.

"Ooh, is it Owen's party?" asked Raina.

Aria felt herself blushing as people looked at her. Raina grabbed the letter from her pocket. She giggled, reading the invitation.

"I really hope you'll be there" she said, imitating a guy's voice.

Draco stabbed his eggs with a fork. "You've written to that muggleborn loser?"

Aria glared. "He's not a loser. He's nice"

"That means he's boring"

"Be quiet. Aria deserves to have a little fun"

Graham did not look thrilled about Raina's idea of fun. He was reluctant to let Aria go into the muggle world by herself. Raina thought that he was being paranoid due to muggle prejudices made up by snooty purebloods.

"I'll go too"

"What?" asked Aria.

"Yea. We'll all go. It's not like we do anything fun here besides the feast" said Adrian.

"He didn't invite you"

"He didn't invite Raina either"

"That's different. Dumbledore didn't want me going alone and"

"Then it's even better that you're going in a group"

"Don't be mad. After lunch, we can go get costumes. We can apparate to the nearest muggle town. They'll have shops" said Raina.

"I don't think we need costumes"

"Aria, it's a Halloween party. Muggles wear costumes on Halloween. We'll find something sexy for you to wear"

"I don't think she needs anything se—like that" said Graham.

After breakfast, Raina brought her out of the castle. The guys followed them, and the seventh years apparated the group to the closest muggle town. Raina was much more excited about this party. For many years, she lived in the muggle world and was aware of their customs. They entered a costume shop, which was filled with all kinds of costumes from funny to very revealing outfits. Graham placed cat ears on Aria's head.

"There. You're a cat. Costume finished"

"Graham, don't be a grump. You go find a costume over there. Aria and I will look at the costumes for girls"

"We need costumes too?" asked Blaise.

"Of course"

Raina had Aria try on multiple costumes. When they decided on the best outfit, Raina paid for it with muggle money and told Aria to keep it hidden in the bag. To Graham's dismay, she would not let Aria reveal the costume until the party. Once they returned to Hogwarts, Aria stayed in Raina's room. They did not get dressed until eight o'clock.

"Raina, I'm not sure about this"

"You look amazing, Aria. It's perfect"

Aria looked at herself in the mirror. She was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, a character from a muggle fairytale. Her costume consisted of a red and black corset mini dress with red ribbons that tied in the front, black fishnet tights, black ankle boots, and a small red cape. She settled on her hair in loose waves and swiped on lip gloss. Raina's costume was a sexy cop, the muggle equivalent of an auror.

"Graham's going to have a heart attack when he sees you, Raina"

"That's the point. I love Halloween. Come on, it's almost nine. We need to get to the party"

They walked down to the common room. The guys were sitting on the couches in their much more simple costumes. Graham openly gaped at Raina's outfit but when he saw Aria, he looked nervous.

"Heh, that's uh—nice but I think those cat ears would be better. We can go get them before we head to the party"

"Do I look bad?"

Raina scoffed. "No. Your cousin's being silly. You look great…doesn't she, boys?" she asked Draco, Blaise, and Theodore.

The three of them, dressed in t-shirts and leather jackets, simply nodded. She was not reassured by their silence. Raina led them out of the castle. Aria did not have much experience with Halloween. She only remembered dressing up as a mouse one year while Raina was a cat and they went around the neighborhood to get free candy. Apparating to the location given by Owen, they found themselves in front of a manor. Bright lights shined in the window and music blared so loudly that it could be heard outside. The front yard was covered in little decorations like ghosts and tombstones. As she walked into the house, she saw Owen by the doorway. He greeted her, kissing her on the cheek.

"I'm glad you could come. I uh didn't think you'd be bringing other people"

"My headmaster wouldn't let me leave by myself. You remember Raina"

"Yea and the guy who kept pulling your hair" he said, pointing at Draco.

Draco crossed his arms, looking unimpressed. Aria did not understand why he attended the party if he disliked the muggle world. Owen showed her around the house, introducing her to his friends. Guys would come up to her, asking for dances. All of the attention reminded her of the Yule Ball. Aria sat on one of the couches while Owen grabbed drinks. Draco walked over to her, holding a beer bottle.

"I think you should stick with water"

"I'm not drunk. This party is terrible"

"I like it"

"Why are you hanging around that loser? He's not worth your time"

"I think she can decide that for herself"

Owen was standing behind him with two plastic cups. He handed a cup to Aria.

"Go find someone else to bother. She's trying to have fun. Come on, Aria. We're going outside by the pool"

As Aria passed by Draco, he grabbed her wrist. "She's not going anywhere with you"

"Draco, let go of me"

"Stay here"

"Let go of me now" she said, letting out a low growl.

"You heard her" said Owen.

Draco scoffed. "What are you going to do, mudblood?"

"Hey, don't call me that. She wants you to leave her alone. You're not the boss of her"

Aria wrenched her wrist from his grasp and followed Owen outside. Her mood dropped considerably. She tried to have fun at the party but could not get her mind off of the incident with Draco. Around midnight, Graham found her, wanting to return to Hogwarts. Owen walked her to the door.

"Maybe I could see you sooner…just the two of us next time?"

"Just us two?"

"Yea, like a date. I really like you, Aria"

Suddenly, her costume was covered in something wet. She recognized the smell as beer. Owen had gotten splashed with it as well and he turned around to angrily confront the person. Draco and Raina were behind him. She shook her head while Draco shrugged, throwing his beer bottle into a trash bin.

"My bad. I tripped…clumsy me"

"You did that on purpose"

"I did not"

"All right, you two, enough fighting" said Raina, separating them with a shield charm.

She cast another spell to wipe the beer off of Aria and Owen. Embarrassed, Aria left the house, unable to look him in the face. Her anger was reaching the boiling point. Upon their return to the castle, Aria stayed down in the common room, sitting in the armchair by the fireplace. Draco stood in front of her, hands in his pockets.

"Aria, I"

"What is your problem?"

"I'm sorry for what happened tonight"

"No you're not. Leave me alone"

"You're right. I'm not sorry. I didn't mean to throw that beer on you. It was only supposed to hit that idiot"

"Owen's not an idiot. I don't want to talk about tonight. Just drop it"

Aria headed towards the staircase. Draco grabbed her wrist, making her look at him.

"I can't. I can't just keep this inside anymore. I haven't been going on any dates. The guys think that because I make up a bunch of stories. I just pay off those girls to pretend that we went somewhere"

"Why are you talking about your fake dates?"

"My mother begged me to go on at least one. People keep making me feel guilty. My mother, Pansy…"

"Guilty for what?"

"For wanting what I want…what I've wanted for almost an entire year. What I know I don't deserve but I just want it so badly. I had to keep hearing Pansy suspect things and lie that it meant nothing. They make me feel guilty for not trying harder to make it work with her but she isn't who I want"

His hand rested on her cheek. As he leaned closer, she used her enhanced speed to move over to the fireplace. He fell face-first onto the floor. Standing up, he looked at her with an expression that reminded her of Ben when they would be alone together on dates.

"Aria"

"Don't"

"I know that Ben hurt you but"

"But what? You're suddenly going to be a perfect boyfriend? I've known you for the past two years. I know how you are when it comes to girls and relationships. I'm not going to be another name on your list of hook ups"

"I don't want that. This isn't just some silly crush. I"

"Don't finish that sentence. Why are you doing this? You're just putting the blame on me for your problems with Pansy. You could've made it work with her but you were too much of a coward to put any actual effort into the relationship"

"No. I didn't want Pansy. I want you"

Tears brimmed her eyes. "Shut up"

"I think you feel something between us too but you're too scared to admit your feelings because of what happened with Ben. I might not be perfect but I would never hurt you like he did. I'm in"

Aria grabbed him by the throat, slamming him into the wall. He struggled to breathe.

"Just shut up! Don't talk anymore!" she said, her eyes turning golden.

"I—I'm not going to feel g—guilty for what I want, Aria. Why do you think I get angry over you and Potter…or you and that stupid muggleborn? Even when you broke it off with Ben and I was comforting you, I was secretly happy that you weren't together anymore"

"Just be quiet!"

"Tell me that you don't feel the same and that I have no chance…then I'll stop. I'll move on to someone else…even if I think that's impossible"

Her hands were trembling. Unable to say anything, she let go of him and ran out of the common room…


A/N: Thanks for reading. Now that Draco has admitted to his feelings for Aria, she will avoid him because she tends to be a very guarded person and she doesn't want to confront the feelings she may have for him. Draco is going to try to prove to her that he can be a good person but his rivalry with Harry could get in the way of that. The fact that Voldemort is behind the break up between Pansy and Draco is going to be revealed in a surprising way and when Aria learns of this, it is going to make her question if Draco is being genuine towards her or it's all an act. After the disaster with Ben, she is very wary of anyone who shows affection towards her, thinking it could just be another trap.