Chapter Text
Aquila Malfoy had never had anything in life planned for her.
Her parents had expected a son, not twins. A son kept their pure bloodline intact, while a daughter did not. Their son was obedient, trustworthy, hardworking, and eager to please, while their daughter, at least in their eyes, was not.
And so while Draco’s life was set in stone, Aquila’s was not. She grew up second best, no matter how much she tried, how much she attempted to prove she was just as good, nothing ever changed. She would forever be known as the sister of Draco Malfoy.
Interestingly enough, Draco was the best part of her childhood. As twins, they were usually roped together for birthdays, holidays, and nearly everything else. Because of this, they were very close. In fact, until Aquila made it to Hogwarts, she called Draco her best friend. Although Draco never had anything to prove to his parents, he still treated his sister with kindness and respect. Older by six minutes, Draco saw it in himself to be his sister’s protector, which often got him in trouble. He inserted himself in situations he didn’t need to be a part of and got angry if things got in his way. Still, she was thankful. Having her brother around all the time meant she never truly had to be alone.
Coming to Hogwarts was a different story. Aquila had been the first in a long line of Malfoys to not be put in Slytherin, which made her father furious. Secretly, she had been pleased. Aquila never had bought into her family’s pureblood propaganda and constant need to belittle those who weren’t like her. Unfortunately, that also meant she had to keep a number of her friends a secret. Draco’s enrollment had come with friends in the form of Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, two pureblooded wizards who were really Draco’s bodyguards rather than friends. Aquila hated the way they all treated each other and tried to avoid them together at all costs. Alone, they were tolerable, but together, Crabbe and Goyle would make several comments in poor taste, causing Draco to flip out and scream. The cycle would then repeat.
Aquila herself had found solace in the form of Luna Lovegood.
As a Malfoy, Aquila had been shunned since the very beginning. Not being put into Slytherin was one thing, but being perceived as the sister of Draco Malfoy was another. He was a bully, eager to piss people off, and unknown that his actions dragged his sister down with him. They didn’t see Aquila Malfoy; they saw platinum blonde hair and pale skin. They ignored the kindness in her eyes, assuming they were just as icy as her brother’s.
And so they ignored her, whispered about her in the corridors, and wrote her off before they even bothered to talk to her.
That’s why Luna meant everything. They met their first year, both put in Ravenclaw, and Luna made it clear she didn’t care that Aquila was a Malfoy. Luna herself had been written off by students calling her Looney or crazy because her father created the Quibbler. The Lovegood’s did have some interesting beliefs, but it never bothered Aquila. Luna was insightful and very kind. She never had anything bad to say about anyone (except Hagrid, maybe, but she didn’t really understand that what she was saying could be considered rude until Ginny said something) and gave great advice. Aquila ranted and vented to her all the time and Luna never complained. They were great friends and Aquila was thankful.
Luna was the reason she grew to have more friends as well. She introduced Aquila to the Weasleys one cold morning their third year with excitement in her eyes.
“Don’t worry, they’ll love you,” Luna comforted her, causing Aquila to relax. She trusted Luna. After all, she was her best friend.
Luna dragged Aquila over to a different table in the hall, the one where all the Gryffindors sat for dinner. Aquila recognized a few faces, or rather, their hair color. She knew of the Weasley family because not a day went past where Draco didn’t have something clever to say. That was the thing about most pureblooded wizards: everyone somehow knew everyone. Aquila even knew of Luna and Neville Longbottom before coming to school purely for that reason.
“Aquila,” Luna began as the two sit down, “meet the Weasleys: Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny. And this is Neville Longbottom.”
The first thing Aquila noticed was the slight blush on Luna’s cheeks when she introduced Neville. If Aquila didn’t know any better, she would have thought Luna had a crush on Neville.
Second, she noticed the scowls on Ron and Ginny’s face. Ginny appears much nicer, her scowl really just a look of uncertainty, but Ron definitely wasn't okay with this. She wasn’t surprised; it wasn’t like her brother was kind to him. Neville looked terrified, which, again, Aquila knew she couldn’t blame him for. Jeez, Draco sure was a dick to quite a few people.
Fred and George, however, didn’t seem to care one bit. Aquila couldn’t tell who was who until Fred thrust his hand forward and introduced himself.
“Nice to meet you! I’m Fred and this is George.”
“Hello,” said George. Aquila smiled.
“Nice to meet you guys.”
“This is Ron,” Fred continued, pointing to his younger brother. Ron muttered a hello and went back to staring off in the distance. “And this is Ginny. She’s a year younger than you.”
“Not that it matters,” Ginny responded, glaring at her older brothers before her curious gaze returned to Aquila. “You’re Draco’s sister, aren’t you?”
“Was the blonde hair and pale skin not a dead giveaway?” Aquila tried to tease, but it looked like she just made everyone at the table uncomfortable. “Sorry. Yeah, I’m Draco’s sister.”
“I remember when you got put in Ravenclaw,” continued Fred as he looked around the table, “your father was so angry. I don’t know if you would have fit in Slytherin.”
“I don’t think so,” said Luna. “Besides, I wouldn’t have a best friend if that had been the case. It worked out for the best, I think.”
“I agree. I love being in Ravenclaw.” Aquila smiled, anxiously anticipating more questions. Neville and Ron have still refused to speak with her. While Ron continued staring at the doors, Neville resorted to poking at his omelet with his fork.
“What’s Malfoy Manor like?” Asked Ginny with a tilt of her head. Aquila chuckled.
“Pretty much how it looks from the outside. Dark, cold, brooding.”
“Do you know what you want to do after school?”
“Not exactly. Do you?”
Ginny shrugged. “Probably an Auror. Or I’d like to work for the Ministry. Our father works there and our older brother Percy wants to work there after school.”
“Oh, cool.” Aquila fidgeted under the table, feeling herself grow more and more uncomfortable. Fortunately for her, their conversation had been interrupted by the arrival of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Although Aquila knew Harry Potter, mostly because of her brother’s disdain for him, she didn’t know Hermione that well. Hermione was extremely smart and always answered the professor’s questions for nearly every class they had together. Unfortunately, after the previous year’s incident on the Quidditch pitch where Draco used a... unfortunate term toward Hermione, she hadn’t been around that often.
Ron lit up and practically jumped up from the table when his friends arrived. He cleared his throat and appeared to be semi-normal to the rest of the group. “Uh, hey. Harry, Hermione, you know Aquila Malfoy, don’t you?”
Harry had glared at her. Aquila wasn’t sure if he meant to. Harry wasn’t necessarily mean for any reason, but his resting face wasn’t particularly kind, either.
“I don’t believe we’ve ever properly met, no.” He forced a smile and offered her a hand. “Harry.”
“Pleasure,” she replied, taking his hand. She hoped that if she was overly kind, he would be willing to trust her. Aquila then turned toward Hermione, her smile growing. “Hi, Hermione. I love listening to you in class. You’re brilliant.”
Hermione blushed. “Thank you. Are you looking forward to divination?”
“I don’t know if I know enough about it to say I am. Are you?”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “Not really. I can already tell it’s going to be pointless.”
“Anyway,” Ron interrupted, pushing Hermione behind him protectively, “we have to run. Harry needs to speak with Seamus and Dean before class, so.”
“Right,” Aquila retorted, knowing Ron really just wants to stop talking to her. At least Hermione didn’t seem too bothered by her. The compliments must have worked.
“We’ll see you.” Harry led the pack away from the table, leaving Aquila to return to her uncomfortable fidgeting.
At the time, it had made sense why something like that happened. Draco hadn’t made things easy for her, especially around Gryffindors. Even two years later, things were still awkward sometimes. Fred and George had taken a liking to her, but Ron, Hermione, and Harry were all distant. Even Ginny sometimes seemed suspicious of her. Neville had grown comfortable around Aquila, but that definitely had something to do with the heaping amounts of time he spent with Luna. She always passed the conversation off whenever she could, but Aquila knew better. Luna had a boyfriend.
“Hey, everyone.” Aquila sits down for breakfast next to Luna, who is sat with Neville, Ginny, and the Weasley twins. She really did like Fred and George; although she struggled to tell them apart, they were always kind to her and understanding. She wasn’t sure if it was because she herself was a twin or because they understood they couldn’t choose their family.
“You think we’d choose to be related to Percy?” Fred had exclaimed over a meal one day.
“Or bloody Ron for that matter?” George added, sending both of them into a fit of giggles. She knew they were joking, of course, which made her feel worse. Did she really wish she wasn’t related to her parents? Or even her brother?
They certainly didn’t like Draco. Earlier in the semester, after the first Quidditch match of the session, Draco had proved he was an incredibly poor sport. Gryffindor had won the match, and because this was Ron’s first time playing keeper, the Slytherins had gotten together to write lyrics for a song Draco coined “Weasley is Our King.” He was so bloody dramatic.
The lyrics were terribly rude. Aquila had lectured her brother, but it didn’t matter. Once Draco was set on something, it was going to happen. She had made her way down to the pitch to congratulate Fred and George when she heard just what was coming out of Draco’s mouth.
“We wanted to add a verse about your mother, or your poor excuse of a father—”
“ What did you just say?” Angelina Johnson was holding onto Fred, whispering that it wasn’t worth it. Draco lived for the attention, so she was correct. Harry held George, who had his hands balled up into fists. Ron was nowhere to be seen, which was for the better.
“Or maybe we talk about the stink of the pigsty you live in. Isn’t it just... one room?”
“Draco, shut the hell up,” Aquila tried, rolling her eyes. He didn’t listen.
“Surely you aren’t defending these bean poles. It is a wonder, considering how pig-like their mum is—” Draco never finished his sentence because George uppercutted him in the face. Harry began pummeling him in the stomach, both boys trying to hit wherever they could. Aquila supposed she should have stopped the fight, but she was in shock it was actually happening. She always had told Draco he’d get hit in the face one day, and that he’d deserve it.
George and Harry got detention and Draco went to the infirmary with a black eye, a broken nose, and a busted lip. Aquila visited her brother to tell him “I told you so.” Horrible, probably, but their relationship had grown more and more estranged since their third year when she befriended the Weasleys and things with George began to grow more... romantic. Aquila wasn’t sure if she fancied George, but she certainly enjoyed spending time with him. He had asked her to the Yule Ball the previous year and she accepted, having a wonderful time. Draco was pissed, which only made her like George more. As more time passed, she lived to piss off the boy who spent all his time trying to piss off everyone else.
She felt safe around George. They always made it clear they thought she was cool and proved that family names meant nothing. They’d stand up for her when people had snide comments to make, including Harry Potter. Harry was not a fan of her for obvious reasons.
Fred and George were clever, always making people laugh and they always included Aquila in their schemes. She would miss them a lot after they graduated.
Fred and George wave at her as she slides into her seat.
“Morning,” says George. “How’d you sleep?”
“Awful. Can you see how dark the circles under my eyes are?”
“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Fred replies for his brother, elbowing him.
“So very, very kind,” Aquila quips back. Luna smiles as she pushes over a plate of pancakes.
“Eat. The food is very good today.”
“I am starving.” Aquila busies herself with putting pancakes and syrup on her plate, letting the conversations of her friends fade into the background. Suddenly, a jab to her stomach stops her from indulging in her sugary breakfast. “What?”
“What are you up to today?” In the time it took Aquila to get distracted by her breakfast, Fred had moved around the table to her side. She notices Neville, Ginny, Luna, and George staring at her.
“Just class, nothing unusual. What are you two planning?”
“We aren’t planning anything, and we’re offended you say so,” George answers, nodding toward his brother. Fred grins ear-to-ear.
“We’re wondering how you’ve felt about Umbridge’s reign at Hogwarts.”
“She’s awful,” Aquila replies, confused. “Doesn’t everyone think so?”
“Isn’t your brother at the head of her inquisitorial squad?”
Aquila rolls her eyes. “Draco doesn’t count. He’s a bloody idiot.”
“We respectfully agree with you,” Ginny pipes up, eyeing the Malfoy girl up and down, almost as if she didn’t fully trust her. “We just want to make sure we can trust you.”
“I’ve known you lot for five years. Why are you acting so suspicious?”
“You can’t tell your brother,” Luna whispers, leaning over to give Aquila’s hand a squeeze. Still confused, Aquila nods.
“Whatever it is, Draco doesn’t need to know. Now can you please stop acting so secretive?”
“Meet us outside the Gryffindor common room at eight tonight,” Fred demands, sliding out from the table so he can rejoin his brother on the other side. “We’ll show you.”
“You can’t tell me now?”
“Tell you what?” George tilts his head and winks. Their morning chats return to normal, briefly convincing Aquila that the conversation they just had was all in her head.
###
At 8 pm sharp, Luna and Aquila meet Fred and George outside the Gryffindor common room. They lead the way to their destination, which is still unknown to the girl. Every time she tries to ask questions, the twins shut her down. Luna explains that it will all make sense when they get there, but she isn’t so sure. They had their suspicions about her already, which made her nervous. If her own friends were reluctant to invite her to whatever this was, who was to say others wouldn’t completely shut her down? It wouldn’t be the first time.
The Weasley twins lead them to a large, stone wall. Aquila thinks this might be some kind of joke as she watches Fred begin to pace back and forth in front of the wall.
“What’s going on?” She asks, fully prepared to not get an answer. George crosses his arms over his chest and smiles.
“Room of Requirement,” he answers like it’s obvious. “It only appears to those who really need something. In our case—”
“We need this,” Fred interrupts, pointing toward the wall where a door begins to appear between the bricks. Aquila watches in curiosity but the others seem unphased. She supposes this shouldn’t be weird when she attends a school for witchcraft and wizardry.
Fred and Luna enter first, followed by Aquila and George. The room is large and spacious, tinted in blue light. A handful of students are gathered around, talking to each other, and at the head is Harry Potter himself. Aquila tried to avoid the chosen one only because she was a Malfoy and her brother’s obsession with the boy had really put her off of Harry Potter. She was sure he was nice, but no matter how kind she was to him, he’d see her as a second Draco.
“What is this?” She looks around the room wildly. George clears his throat.
“Dumbledore’s Army. Harry is teaching us defense against the dark arts spells since Umbridge banned everything. That’s the reason Ginny was so nervous.”
“Well, this is brilliant!” Aquila exclaims. “I’m not going to tell anyone about this. I’d be bloody stupid too.”
“That’s what I tried to tell the lot.”
Aquila continues observing the space, noting how many students she recognizes here from all different houses. Cho is speaking to Ginny and Neville. She sees Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan as well as Lavender Brown and Marietta Edgecombe. Hermione and Ron are in close discussion with Harry as Luna starts a conversation with the Weasley twins.
Aquila is sure she doesn’t belong here. She appreciates George’s enthusiasm, but none of these people know her well. Half these people sneer at her in the corridors. How can she be a part of something like this when she comes from a family like that?
“What is she doing here?” Harry’s yells stop everyone’s conversations as he marches straight toward the scared girl. He points an accusatory finger in Aquila’s face. "You of all people?”
“It’s all right, Harry, she’s here for the same reasons as anyone else,” George argues, stepping in front of Aquila. She feels her heart speed up just a bit.
“Oh, please.” Harry rolls his eyes. “Surely you don’t think she has the right intentions.”
“And what intentions would that be?” Fred steps up to his brother’s side. The two of them cross their arms defensively. They tower above Harry, making him look small.
“She’s a Malfoy. Any intentions she has have to be just as bad as her brother’s. For all we know, she’s here to rat us all out to Draco—”
“That’s not true in the slightest. I’m not the same as my brother nor do I believe any of the nonsense he spews. Besides, if I really came here to sabotage everything, would I even be able to step foot in this room? Surely you have all kinds of charms and hexes and whatnot to protect yourselves.”
“Your brother is set on finding us,” Harry continues to argue. This time it’s Luna that comes to Aquila’s rescue.
“She’s trustworthy,” Luna speaks up, joining George and Fred in their protective line. “And she’s smart. She’ll really be a great ally.”
“And if Fred and George trust her, so do I,” Ginny adds. She smiles at Aquila. Although Aquila considered her a friend, she never knew what the Weasley girl was thinking. She was a true Gryffindor through and through, which meant sometimes she made rash and impulsive decisions.
Aquila looks at Hermione Granger. The two had a few classes together over the years and studied together. Hermione really knew her stuff, and she seemed to relax around Aquila when she realized the Malfoy girl had no intention of hurting her.
Hermione seems to understand Aquila’s pleading look and sighs. “She’s really great with defense against the dark arts and she’s not like her brother one bit. I really think she ought to stay.”
Harry seems annoyed that people came to Aquila’s rescue at all, but Hermione’s opinion influences his decision. He looks at Aquila menacingly, as if to tell her to watch herself. Aquila understands that there are still people in the room that don’t trust her because she’s a Malfoy. She understands their fears because if she wasn’t related to Draco, perhaps she’d be just as worried. That just gave her more justification to prove herself.
“You can stay on one condition— you beat me in a duel.”
“That’s not fair in the slightest,” George tries to argue, but Aquila stops him with a raise of her hand.
“It’s alright. I’ll duel you.”
The crowd begins to clear the floor, sticking to the sides of the room so Harry and Aquila can face each other. Neville lingers, looking between the pair.
“Be safe and make this fair, you two. We don’t need any injuries.”
“Thank you, Neville,” Harry rolls his shoulders and raises his wand. Aquila does the same. The only experience she had with dueling was against her own brother, but Draco had refused to participate after she beat him over and over again. She had to assume Harry was much better than her brother, especially if he was creating a secret organization to teach spells that students weren’t learning in classes.
Fred takes it upon himself to countdown, stepping out in front of the rest of the students. “Three, two—”
Before Fred can even finish the countdown, Harry fires with Expelliamus. Aquila uses Protego, blocking the spell from disarming her. She keeps a close eye on Harry’s mouth rather than his movements. If she can anticipate when he’ll say the spells, she can block.
“Stupefy!” She fires at Harry who blocks her spell just as easily as she blocked his. This might last a while.
“Confringo!”
“Confundo!” The two spells hit each other and fizzle out. Harry seems annoyed that he didn’t give himself an easy win and takes a step to the right, still watching Aquila. She keeps herself calm and tries not to give how she’s feeling away.
As soon as Harry opens his mouth, Aquila fires. “Petrificus totalus!”
Harry’s wand falls from his hand as his petrified body falls to the ground. Most students watch in shock and surprise as Hermione and Ron undo the full body bind spell and help their friend stand up. Aquila can’t help but feel a sense of pride. She had beaten Harry Potter in a duel. Draco would be proud.
“I guess you’re staying!” George exclaims, grinning ear-to-ear. Aquila appreciates his enthusiasm. It makes her feel like she actually matters.
“I guess she is.” Harry's posture admits defeat. “Good job, Aquila.”
“You’ll need to sign our contract,” Hermione adds, handing Aquila a quill and a piece of parchment. It’s full of the other signatures of the students in the room. “Just to say you won’t betray us.”
“Never,” says Aquila as she scrawls her name across the parchment. Satisfied, Hermione stuffs the contract back into her bag. She offers Aquila a handshake and a smile.
“Welcome aboard.”
They spend the lesson practicing stun spells, which Aquila is already familiar with. She sticks around, though, trying to perfect the spells. Perhaps beating Harry was just luck. After all, she wasn’t supposed to know all the spells she did. Maybe she could use the excuse of being a Ravenclaw.
“I can’t believe how good you are with all these spells, Aquila,” George says during practice. She doesn’t really know why he’s saying that since he has been properly executing the spells too. People here really didn’t give Fred and George enough credit simply because they enjoyed causing trouble. Both of them were brilliant. They had to be to get away with all the stuff they did.
“You’ve been doing much better than me,” she says back. George blushes. Before he can reply, Harry joins them, watching their wand movements.
“Remember to keep your hand tight. You don’t want to use too much flourish on the flick,” he points on, reaching out to move George’s wand slightly higher. Harry points at Aquila. “You two try it out and I’ll give you some tips.”
Aquila takes a few steps back and raises her hand. George does the same, looking visually uncomfortable at the idea of having to stun the girl he fancied. Considering he and Fred had made fun of Ron for getting his ass kicked by Hermione, he knew he’d never hear the end of it if Aquila won.
“Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you,” Aquila quips, winking. Harry waves his hand, signaling the two to start. Before George can even get a word in, Aquila knocks him off his feet.
“Stupefy!”
George hits the wall as his wand rolls across the floor. Harry covers his mouth, but Aquila can tell he’s laughing by the hunch of his shoulders and the crinkle of his eyes. He gives her a thumbs up and moves on to the other students. Aquila offers George a hand. Although embarrassed, he laughs with her.
“Good job.
“Thank you.”
###
After practice, Harry informs the students he’ll see them tomorrow and reminds everyone to avoid Filch and Umbridge’s inquisitorial squad. The room creates doors on the wall where it knows no one is around, allowing the students to leave with ease.
Harry asks Aquila if he can speak with her in private. Luna offers to wait so they can walk back to the Ravenclaw common room together, but Aquila tells her she’ll be fine. Soon, the only people left in the room are Harry and Aquila, after Harry assures his friends he’ll be fine to walk back to the Gryffindor common room alone as well.
“How did you get so good at stun spells?” Asks Harry. Aquila chuckles quietly.
“I suppose I can’t use the Ravenclaw excuse with you, can I?”
“You could, but I’m not sure I’d believe it.” He adjusts his stance and folds his arms. “I’ve had experience with...” Harry trails off, unsure if he should mention what he saw last year during the Triwizard Tournament. Aquila hadn’t been at the Hog’s Head Inn when Hermione initially announced the idea. Plus, with her being a Malfoy, he still wasn’t sure he could trust her.
“I believe you that Voldemort’s back. That you fought him.”
He seems surprised. “Really?”
“Yes. I mean, you know my father is like, a known supporter of the dark lord—”
“I didn’t mean that. You of all people would know Voldemort’s back. I’m mostly just shocked that you actually believe I fought him. And that you’d say—”
“His name?” Aquila smiles. “I don’t see the big deal, really. Draco acts like saying his name will get him hexed.”
“That’s why I was surprised, I guess.” He shifts his weight from his front foot to his back. “You never answered my question, though. The stun spells? You’re quick-witted. Not many people can act that quickly under pressure.”
“Draco and I used to practice the movements and spells as kids. We always had to be ready for something, even if we couldn’t use magic yet. Then, when we got to school, I implemented everything I knew. Professor Lupin used to help me out, actually. He understood how I felt.”
“Really? Professor Lupin?”
She nods. “He was a great teacher.”
“You do realize it was your brother who got him fired, right?”
Aquila rolls her eyes. “I’m not responsible for the actions of my bone-head brother, and I don’t appreciate the insinuations, Potter.” She ignores Harry’s obvious flinch. Apparently, she sounded too much like Draco there. “I might be a Malfoy, but that doesn’t mean I agree with the things Draco runs around doing. I don’t agree with the things my parents do either. Half your friends are my friends too. Do you really think I’d still be here if I wanted to ruin your operation?”
“You could. You could run off to Malfoy and tell him about this—”
“Your bloody obsession with my brother. You and he are obsessed with each other! Have a conversation of your own if you’re so concerned with him sabotaging your banned army.”
“I’m not obsessed with him,” mutters Harry. He turns inward on himself. “Besides, I’m not concerned with him sabotaging this because he’s already actively trying. ”
“So what do you want me to do? Make an unbreakable vow?” Aquila folds her arms, hoping she looks threatening. She wonders how Draco can do it. Maybe she understood, just a little, why her brother hated Harry Potter so much.
“Look. You’re good. Having you around will be a benefit for Dumbledore’s Army, that’s for sure. I’m just telling you that if you do anything to ruin what we have here, you will be punished.”
“Noted. Can I leave now?”
Harry sizes her up. He wants to trust Aquila, really, but his distaste for her brother stops him. It didn’t help that Harry had a hard time trusting people anyway. Those closest to him had a habit of getting hurt.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he replies, gesturing toward the door. With a nod, Aquila leaves the room fuming. The number of people who had accused her of being a bully simply because of her brother had always agitated her, but the fact that Hogwart’s resident celebrity also thought that of her somehow made her feel worse. How dare he accuse her of betrayal. A few hours ago Aquila didn’t even know this place existed.
Before she can start the walk to the Ravenclaw common room, a voice calls her name. Aquila turns around to see George leaning against the wall, a smug grin on his face. She places a hand on her hip.
“You could have gotten in trouble, mister. You know Filch is out looking for us.”
“I’m aware. Have no fear, my dear. I am great at getting out of trouble.” With a wink, George joins Aquila’s side. “I thought you might like some company back to your dormitory.”
“I appreciate that, George.” With a smile, the two begin their walk down the corridor. Aquila can hear Harry leaving the room behind them, taking a different route back to the Gryffindor tower. It was probably for the best. Aquila didn’t want to get into another row with Harry, this time over her relationship with George.
“I’m sorry Harry was so hostile toward you. I didn’t expect that.”
She shrugs. “I’m used to it, really.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be. People here, they see us twins and they think we’re exactly the same.”
“To be fair, I don’t see you without Fred all that often.”
George chuckles. “You’re right. And don’t get me wrong, I love my brother. He does most of the talking. Him and I, we aren’t the same person, though. Most people in this school can’t even tell us apart.”
“You’re George,” Aquila says, teasingly. George sighs obnoxiously.
“I’m Fred! Honestly, you call yourself my friend.”
Aquila rolls her eyes. “Nice try. Fred wouldn’t have waited around to walk me back to my room.”
That causes George to blush. He didn’t know how obvious he made it that he fancied Aquila, so if she knew, perhaps she liked him back. Unfortunately, Aquila was quite dense. Not many boys had an interest in her.
“I’m just saying. There are things I do and things I like that Fred doesn’t. So for people to just assume you’re like Draco, that’s wrong.”
“I agree with you. Perhaps that’s why we get along so well.”
George suddenly stops and pulls Aquila into a doorway. He towers over her, but it doesn’t make her feel small. It makes her feel safe.
It had taken the Weasley boy some time to work up the nerve to make a move. He had several conversations with Fred, and Ron, for that matter. Ron hadn’t been much help, though. Like Harry, Ron saw Aquila Malfoy as a threat.
But George didn’t. If anyone took the time to get to know the real Aquila, they would see a down-to-earth, kind girl who cared about those around her. She knew how to take a joke, how to pull a prank, and how to make the people she spoke to feel special.
“I like you a lot,” he says, his voice cracking. Aquila smiles. It’s weird to see her friend so tense.
“I like you too, George. What’s wrong?”
“No, like...” his face flushes as red as his hair, “I fancy you, Aquila.”
She blinks, astounded. “Really?”
“Really. Have I not been painfully obvious?”
“You might have been, but I’m not great with social cues, am I?” Aquila laughs nervously. The truth is, after long thought, she knew she fancied George too. Being with Fred and George always had been fun, but when she was with George, they had the best conversations. George was a lot more empathetic than Fred and understood how to speak to people. Even when they disagreed on things, George was kind.
“That’s part of your charm, I suppose.”
Aquila grins. “I fancy you too, George.”
“Blimey. I feel like I just ran a marathon.” They both laugh, feeling like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. George leans down, his hands placed on the wall behind Aquila, to kiss her. Aquila closes her eyes and lets it happen. It’s a nice kiss, but then again, she doesn’t have much to compare it to. There’s definitely passion between the two of them, which makes her feel warm inside. She supposed it was good that she felt so safe with George.
Of course, up until someone clears their throat. Aquila and George lock eyes with Draco.
“It’s past curfew,” he says, glaring at George. Aquila steps away from the Weasley boy and pleads with her brother.
“Draco, it’s not what it looks like—”
“I’ll have to take away ten house points for that, Weasley.”
“Sure,” George replies, folding his arms. Draco narrows his eyes.
“And another five for talking back.”
Aquila sighs. “Draco, don’t be petty. We were on our way back, and the common rooms are right there—”
“You need to go to bed,” he interrupts, pointing at her, “or I’ll take house points from you too.”
“Go for it. It’s fair, isn’t it?” Aquila knows Draco won’t do that. He’s punishing her enough by being up here when the Slytherin common room isn’t anywhere near this floor. “Why are you up here anyway?”
“Prefect rounds. Plus, Umbridge has me patrolling the school. I’m just doing my duty.”
“You enjoy having authority, don’t you?” George raises an eyebrow. “You enjoy punishing those who dislike you.”
“Another five points from Gryffindor. Keep it up, I can go all night.”
“Draco, knock it off. You’re being immature. We’re going to bed right now, and, in fact, you stopping us has only wasted our time.”
Draco ignores his sister. “Weasley, if you’ll excuse us.”
“Of course, your majesty.” George courtesies, winking at Aquila before making his way toward the Gryffindor common room. Draco’s jaw clenches as he whips around to get one last word in.
“If I ever see you snogging my sister again, I’ll kill you!” He yells. George flashes one last cheeky grin before disappearing behind the painting of the fat lady.
Draco grabs his sister’s shoulder and presses her against the wall. She shifts uncomfortably. “What are you doing, Aquila? Really? A Weasley, of all people?”
“Don’t say it like it’s bad,” she quips back. “What has George done to you?”
He scoffs and begins to pace in front of her. “Even if we ignore the fact that he punched me earlier this year, the whole Weasley family is an abomination to the wizarding world. You of all people should know that. Honestly, Aquila, the people you hang out with are going to get you killed someday.”
“The people I hang out with? Are you kidding me, Draco? At least I have friends instead of bodyguards.”
His nostrils flare. “Don’t say that. They are my friends.”
“Yeah? Well, my friends don’t take pleasure in getting others in trouble.”
“I’m just trying to protect you.”
“I don’t need your protection. You’re the reason everyone in this bloody school thinks I’m evil. You’re the reason half my friends don’t actually like me, they just tolerate me, and—”
“I’m not evil,” interrupts Draco. He seems weirdly hurt by his sister’s comments. “We’re not evil. We—”
“How can you say that when you bully people? What about Neville? Or Ron? Or even Harry Potter?”
“They deserve it.”
“Nobody deserves to be treated like that, Draco.” Aquila shakes her head sadly. “I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.”
As she turns to leave, Draco grabs her hand. He reiterates his previous point.
“I’m not evil,” he repeats.
“Sure,” says Aquila as she rips her arm away.