Mia had decided to spend a quiet afternoon by the Black Lake. The days at Hogwarts had been exhausting lately, and she needed a moment of peace and quiet to immerse herself in one of her favorite books. She had settled comfortably under a majestic tree that offered shade and a stunning view of the lake.
With a book in one hand and a coffee in the other, Hermione was completely absorbed in her reading. The whispering breeze of the lake and the chirping of birds surrounded her, creating a serene atmosphere that transported her to a completely different world.
While Mia was enjoying her solitude, Draco was in an internal struggle. He had been watching Hermione from afar for a while, and he felt it was the right time to express his feelings to her. Draco had noticeably toned down her declarations of love and felt that his best friend's sister might take him seriously.
Draco approached at a slow pace, trying to stay calm and muster up the courage to talk to her. When he was close enough to her, he coughed lightly to get her attention.
Hermione looked up from her book, surprised to see Draco standing in front of her. She did not expect his presence at that place and time. Their eyes met, and Hermione could see a nervous expression on Draco's face.
"Can I help you with something, Draco?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow, keeping her tone friendly and neutral.
Draco swallowed, and his voice sounded a little hoarse when he finally spoke. "Mia, I want to tell you something important. Something I've been feeling for a long time."
"If it's another one of your many declarations of love," Mia said slightly irritated. "I'm going to go."
"No…Well yes, but listen to me." Draco inhaled deeply before continuing. "Mia, I've been wrong about a lot of things in my life. I've been prejudiced and selfish and a brat. But lately I've been reflecting and changing. And, well, I want to tell you that..."
But before he could continue, Draco realized that some of his friends, Crabbe and Goyle, had been watching from a distance. They approached with mocking smiles on their faces.
"Look who we have here!" Crabbe exclaimed. "The prince of Slytherin trying to conquer the blood traitor."
Goyle laughed and added, "What do you say, Draco? Are you going to let a girl give you a softie?"
Mia frowned at the two boys' offensive comments, but Draco felt caught between his desire to be honest with Hermione and his desire to maintain the reputation he had had for years.
"What are you two doing here?" Draco asked, his tone thick with irritation.
"We just came to see how you're doing with the smart girl," Crabbe replied with a mischievous laugh.
Goyle nodded and added, "Yes, Draco, since when do you let a girl treat you the way she treated you?"
The words of his friends triggered a wave of anger in Draco. He felt cornered and angry with himself for having let himself be carried away by the sincerity of his feelings. Without thinking twice, he responded impulsively.
"Shut up, you pair of idiots!" Draco exclaimed, turning sharply towards Crabbe and Goyle. "They have no idea what they're saying."
Mia watched the scene with concern while Draco's friends seemed surprised by her reaction. It looked like the young Slytherin was about to lose control.
Crabbe and Goyle looked bewildered, but after a brief moment of silence, Goyle decided to provoke Draco further. "What's wrong, Malfoy? Has the girl affected you so much that you can't keep your composure anymore?"
Draco was on the verge of fury, and his fists clenched tightly. "I said shut up!" he shouted, full of rage.
Mia decided to intervene before the situation got even worse. "Draco, calm down," she urged him softly, trying to keep the peace.
But her words only made Draco even more angry. He turned to Mia and, in a moment of irrational anger, insulted her. "You have nothing to say here! You have a lot of guys behind you and all you do is use them when it suits you best. The nickname Juliet suits you, after all, because when someone shows a little interest in you, you lead them on and then you throw them away. I don't know why I wasted my time trying to talk to you."
"That's not fair," Mia replied, her voice quivering with a mixture of anger and sadness. "You don't know anything about my relationships or how I feel about them. And what you just said... it's cruel."
Crabbe and Goyle exchanged uncomfortable glances, realizing they had pushed Draco to a breaking point they hadn't anticipated. They took a step back, unsure of what to do next. Draco's anger began to subside as he saw the hurt in Mia's eyes. He regretted his harsh words but was too proud to admit it at that moment.
"I... I didn't mean to say that," Draco muttered, his anger now directed at himself. He turned away from Mia, his shoulders slumping.
"Fuck you, Malfoy," Mia seethed, grabbing her things and leaving. "And if remember correctly I've told you multiple times I'm not fucking interested. Get that through your fucking head and don't fucking talk to me or the next thing your mother will receive is your ashes in that fucking vases she loves so much."
Viktor Krum considered himself a relatively good wizard. He enjoyed everything that magic could offer him, and he was quite good at Quidditch; deep down, that was what he was good at. He loved flying on his broom and the adrenaline rush he got from chasing the Snitch. It wasn't until he met Mia Borghese that he discovered that a person could give him the same sensations as he felt when he flew on his broom.
Since he first saw her in the clearing next to the Black Lake of Durmstrang, Viktor was impressed by Mia's beauty and charm. But what really made him fall head over heels in love with her was the way Mia cared for others. Mia's heart knew no limits; she loved without measure, she loved until it hurt, and Viktor had been able to experience it firsthand. It was an incredible experience, like being in the presence of a goddess. However, despite his admiration and his growing affection for Mia, Viktor never dared to confess his feelings or ask her out, fearing he might ruin their friendship.
Mia, on her part, considered Viktor to be one of her closest friends. They shared a passion for Quidditch and often trained together. Although Mia had noticed some interest from Viktor in her, she had never thought of him in that way. To her, Viktor was simply a good friend.
The Yule ball had been everything Viktor could have wanted; Mia had looked at him all night as if he had set the sun in the sky, and they hadn't stopped laughing all night. Viktor was able to pretend for just one night that the girl on his arm really reciprocated his feelings. Feeling loved by Mia was a wonderful experience.
Viktor, who had been training on the field, noticed Mia from afar. Narrowing his eyes, he could see that the girl was crying uncontrollably. Who had dared to make the happiest person alive cry? His heart tightened at the sight of her tears, and he decided to approach her to find out what was wrong. He put his broom aside and walked towards Mia with determination in his step.
As Viktor approached, Mia looked up and was surprised to see him. Although she was used to seeing him on the Quidditch pitch, this time was different. Viktor approached her with an expression of deep concern on his face.
"Mia?" Viktor murmured softly. "Are you okay?"
Tears continued to flow down Mia's cheeks as she struggled to find the right words to explain what she was feeling. Finally, she managed to say, "My God... I'm so sorry, Viktor. I didn't know you were training."
Viktor shook his head and walked over to Mia, wrapping his arms around her. "Tell me what's wrong."
"It's Draco," Mia said. "He told me that all I do is let guys chase me even though I know they have feelings for me, and then I throw them aside."
Viktor's heart sank upon hearing that. He didn't know much about Draco Malfoy, but he knew that he hadn't stopped pursuing Mia since they arrived at Hogwarts. Viktor was furious; Draco Malfoy didn't deserve Mia's heart. However, instead of pummeling Draco to the ground, Viktor did what he always did: he offered his unconditional support.
"I'm going to kill him," Viktor said, stroking Mia's hair. "He doesn't even deserve to be looked at. I can't believe your brother is his friend."
Viktor knew he was being impartial, but it was impossible not to be when fourteen-year-old Draco Malfoy had hurt the angel in his arms.
"I've already made it clear to him," Mia said, "I've threatened to give him to Vhagar for dessert."
"That is my girl," Viktor said, kissing the top of Mia's head.
Mia continued to cry uncontrollably; she didn't understand why Draco's words had affected her so much. What if what Draco had said was true? After all, Jace had been in love with her, and Viktor too, and she hadn't been able to reciprocate in any way. Maybe she wasn't cut out for love.
Viktor gently lifted Mia's face with his hands and looked into her eyes. "Mia," he began in a soft but firm voice, "you shouldn't pay attention to Draco's words. He has no idea who you really are. You are an incredible, brave, and kind person, and you deserve so much more than the criticism from someone like him."
Mia felt her cheeks heat up at Viktor's comforting words. He looked deep into her dark eyes and realized how much she meant to her. Viktor noticed Mia's gaze and felt a little uncomfortable. He had spoken from the heart, expecting nothing in return. The tension in the air became palpable as Viktor and Mia continued to stare at each other. Without breaking eye contact, Viktor slowly brought his lips to Mia's.
"Viktor…" Mia said, making Viktor retreat, "you know I don't…"
"I'm sorry," said Viktor, embarrassed. "Forgive me."
"Can you hold me?," Mia said in a small voice. "I need someone to hold me."
"Of course," Viktor said, hugging her as she cried. Viktor's heart broke. "Of course.I love you, little one."
"I'm going to kill him," Jace said as Theo walked next to him. "When I catch him, that fucking kid is going to find out because no one messes with us."
Jace and Mia had been friends since they were little. Mia was his princess, and he was her knight in shining armor. Since childhood, they had always shared a special connection, and at some point, Jace had fallen in love with her. How could he not? Mia was his sunshine when the sky was gray. Mia's laughter gave Jace a thousand years of life. When they sang or danced together, Jace wished for time to stop and never let Mia go.
When Jace found out that Draco Malfoy had hurt his princess, he was furious. Jace knew what he was getting into when he discovered that he had feelings for Mia and had learned to live with it, but nothing, and he repeated, nothing, gave Draco Malfoy the right to tell Mia that she was a heartbreaker who toyed with guys and then discarded them. Mia was the complete opposite; Mia gave a piece of her heart to each person, regardless of whether they trampled on it. Mia's heart was the size of the Black Lake.
Theo and Jace found Draco surrounded by his friends in the Hogwarts courtyard, but Jace didn't care. At that moment, the image of Mia crying replayed in his mind. Without saying a word, Jace approached him with his fists clenched and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.
"You, Malfoy!" Jace shouted with fury in his eyes. "Who the fuck do you think you are to talk about Mia like that?"
Draco's friends looked at the scene in surprise, but before Draco could respond, Jace started punching him. Punch after punch, Jace let out all his anger and frustration at the blonde boy.
"You don't deserve her," Jace shouted as he hit him, "you're fucking disgusting and a sorry excuse of a man if you think like that."
"Jace, let him go," Harry begged him as he watched people come closer to see what was happening.
Finally, Draco managed to break free of Jace and backed away, furious and in pain. He was about to draw his wand to defend himself while Jace's back was turned when a firm voice echoed through the courtyard. It was Alastor Moody.
"AH, NO, NOT YOU, BOY!"
In the blink of an eye, Draco Malfoy transformed into a ferret. His friends watched in amazement as the ferret squirmed and tried to quickly scuttle away.
"That'll teach you not to attack people from behind," Moody growled. "There's nothing more cowardly than attacking someone from behind."
"Professor Moody!" exclaimed a horrified voice.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Moody replied calmly, making the ferret bounce even higher.
"What...what are you doing?" Professor McGonagall asked, her eyes on the ferret in the floor
"Teaching," Moody explained.
"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, "Moody, we never use transformation as punishment!" The next moment, Malfoy reappeared with a thud, curled into a ball on the floor, his straight blonde hair falling in his face, which now had a very bright pink color. Wincing, he stood up. "I suppose Professor Dumbledore mentioned that to you."
"He may have mentioned it, yes," Moody said, scratching his chin, appearing very calm, "but I thought it was a good scare..."
"What we do is leave them without privileges, Moody! Or we talk to the head of the house to which the offender belongs...!"
"Then I'll do that," Moody replied, looking at Malfoy with distaste. Malfoy, who still had tears in his eyes from the pain and humiliation, looked at Moody with hatred and muttered a sentence that could be clearly understood, with the words "my father."
"Are you threatening me?" Moody shouted. "Is that a threat, Malfoy?". Draco swiftly darkened with embarrassment and hurried away, but not before catching the mocking glares from Jace and Theo. They'd soon discover the consequences of their taunts.
Draco, seething with anger and a burning desire for revenge, stormed out of his room that same night, carefully avoiding Filch as he advanced through the darkened corridors of Hogwarts. The events of that afternoon still played vividly in his mind, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of humiliation he had endured in front of his friends. He knew he had been wrong to say those things about Mia, but he never expected Jace to react so violently. He couldn't even fathom how Jace had found out about it. What humiliated him the most was the fact that Moody had turned him into a ferret, and now everyone in the school laughed at him whenever they saw him. Jace was going to pay dearly for messing with a Malfoy.
As Draco approached the area where the Durmstrang students were staying, he spotted Jace talking to Theo and approached with furious determination, his wand raised. Several Durmstrang boys noticed his approach and began to close in, and even Theo seemed to sense the impending confrontation, giving Jace a subtle nod while delivering a soft blow to his shoulder, indicating that Draco was approaching.
"Are you lost, pretty boy?" taunted a platinum-haired Durmstrang student with ice-blue eyes, flashing a cruel smile. "This is Durmstrang territory."
"Jace and I have unfinished business," Draco snapped.
"I don't think that's the way to talk," the platinum-haired student said, clicking his tongue mockingly. "You'd think your father would have taught you some manners, Malfoy."
Draco clenched his jaw in frustration. "Shut up," he spat.
"What are little thing going to do to me?" the platinum-haired student asked mockingly. "If I challenge you to a duel right here, your little friends will have to scrape you off the ground."
Theo and Jace made their way through the crowd, sizing up Draco with raised eyebrows. Theo crossed his arms, looking bored, while Jace wore a menacing smile.
"Have you come for looking for more?" Jace asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Haven't you had enough this afternoon?"
"You humiliated me in front of my friends!" Draco shouted.
"You brought that upon yourself," Jace replied coolly.
"There's no teacher to protect you now," Draco sneered, spitting on the floor.
"Are you challenging me to a duel?" Jace's hazel eyes narrowed with a menacing glint.
"It's Durmstrang territory, right?" Draco said, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"Alright," Jace agreed, addressing his friends, "Guys, clear the area a bit. We're going to show this kid how things are done."
The Durmstrang boys reluctantly began to create a circle, giving the two rivals some space. Theo, however, frowned at Draco, his gaze betraying a genuine desire to see Jace hurt.
"Incarcere—" Jace before the spell could take effect, Draco swiftly interrupted him.
"Sectumsempra," Draco bellowed furiously, waving his wand wildly.
Jace's eyes opened wide and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Immediately, blood began to spurt from Jace's face and chest, as if he had been slashed with an invisible sword. The boy took a few steps backwards, staggered and collapsed on the grass, causing the ground to turn red. The wand fell from his right hand, limp.
"No... I didn't..." said Draco in a choked voice. "That's not..."
Theo, horrified, quickly dropped to his knees trembling, not knowing what to do. Jace who was red in the face and with his hands felt his chest, soaked with blood.
"YOU'RE A FUCKING DEAD MAN WALKING, MALFOY!" hissed Theo helplessly trying to stop the pool of blood. "BOYS, GET HIM THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT AND SOMEONE FIND MIA NOW. FUCKING MOVE."
