Chapter: In the Dead of the Night.
"Mr Wheezy must listen. You must not touches it. You must not open it. It contains the most powerful of dark magic. Miss Potter says it can only be destroyed by something more powerful and indestructible than it. You must tells no one including Miss Potter you have it or inform her that you have destroyed it. For if they finds out Miss Potter wills be in most grave danger."
"Didn't Aria tell you to give this to me?"
"Not Mr Wheezy exactly, just to someone Miss Potter trusted most, - Mr Wheezy was Miss Potter's most treasured possession. Dobby has not forgotten."
"So I've got to destroy what this contains, do not look at it and not tell anyone, including Aria that I've got it or even destroyed it." Ron repeated.
"Dobby should be goings now. They would have missed him in the kitchens."
Ron shook his head. Only Aria would trust the elf who almost tried to kill her in her second year.
"Yes, you best go. Don't get into trouble Dobby."
When the elf left Ron swallowed the lump forming in his throat. In the package before him, contained a key bit of what Aria was up to. The plan Aria couldn't tell him about. And now he was in on it.
"Something indestructible. How am I meant to find something indestructible in Hogwarts Aria."
And not for the first time Ron wished Hermione was at Hogwarts.
For the first time in her life, Aria didn't feel like an outsider waiting for an update about someone she cared about. They had only resumed attending Hogwarts for a week when Draco had been summoned to be by The Dark Lord's side. Tonight Draco would, however, be alone. The waiting was killing her inside and only silence greeted her. Aria knew she couldn't be seen pacing around the Slytherin common room or running to the bathroom to empty her stomach, no matter how much it twisted up. She hadn't felt like this before, the dread of not knowing, the worry yes, but never so much it made her unwell. Not even the Carrows torture made her this sick and Aria had recently rescued a first year who had been chained up magically for trainee Death Eaters to practice the Cruciatus Curse on.
Aria didn't know how long she sat by the fire, it was the only source of heat keeping her body warm.
The sound of the bricks moving made Aria snap her head toward the Slytherin common room doorway. Draco looked as haunted as Aria felt inside. He reached out to her once he got closer, kissing her forehead.
"Couldn't sleep."
Aria shook her head. "Feels unsafe when you're not here."
"Come I'll walk you to the dorms. You need rest."
Aria nodded. It wasn't like they could talk here. Too many portraits. They had to be so careful now they had started tracking down the pieces of Voldemort's soul.
"Are you sure?"
Aria asked when she and Draco returned to their hiding place along the secret passageway.
"Certain."
"Then we continue as planned. And move onto the next stage."
"And the acquired item.
Aria moved and found the locket waiting for her, well hidden in the place she had asked Hermione to hide it. "Exactly where I asked for it to be placed."
"Now we just have to find a way to start destroying them. Make sure we were correct in our thinking."
"The first move has been made already," Aria said. "I'm going to have to have a conversation with our old headmaster again."
Draco ran a hand through his hair. "At least I won't have to brew polyjuice for a while. It will keep the Dark Lord off our tracks. He has asked me to accompany more of the meetings. I think he's jealous of how much time I spend with his "precious" one."
"Then I work on the next part alone. The less you know the better."
"Aria-"
"We cannot risk it Draco. If he finds out we're making a move against him."
"Do you no think that I know that!" Draco snapped. "I have taken an awful lot of risks for you. You would not carry that wand without my help. You would not be in this school without my bracelet. You would have been able to plan this without me brewing all the potions or being part of the action and now you're asking me to take a step back. I know the risks Aria."
"I know and I'm sorry. You're taking all these big risks for me and I haven't done much to thank you."
Draco reached out and pulled Aria into him. His lips brushed her temple.
"All I ask is you don't shut me out. You cannot do this alone. You will need help and there is only so much Granger can do or she will get detected."
Aria nods. She realises that. She just doesn't want Draco to get hurt either.
Aria is unable to visit Dumbledore's portrait, Draco wasn't kidding when the Dark Lord asked him to sit in on more Death Eater meetings. She waits for Draco to return, and when he does Draco looks unnaturally pale, he doesn't speak a word of what has happened whilst in the company of the Dark Lord. Aria can hazard a good guess though. She knows it wouldn't have been pretty. Not if what she had to witness during the summer or over the winter holidays was anything to go by.