The Malfoy Diaries (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

t h i r t y - f o u r 💛

"The most frustrating part in all of this is that I don't even know why I care so much about what you think about me, half-blood. All I know is that I do," he said. 

Malfoy walked on a little further down the hall and then sat down on one of the nearby benches. 

"I just don't understand why, of all the places that I have to be right now, I'm trapped back here at this miserable school," Draco said. 

"It's not that bad," Aria said, as she glanced towards the bench. 

"Go ahead," Draco said. "I'm going to go to the Forbidden Forest in a minute," he said decisively. 

Of course, Aria wasn't going to let him do that alone. In her opinion, it  was a thoroughly ridiculous idea. With all the death eaters about, leaving the Hogwarts castle was becoming rather like a death sentence, at this point. Nevertheless, Malfoy had his reasons for wanting to go to the forest. The rich piney scent, the thick group of evergreens, the tranquility of it all. He just wanted to get away from the same cobblestone walls of Hogwarts for a few moments, at least. 

"If you don't trust me, you can come with me, but I'm still going and you can't change my mind on that one," Draco said decisively.  

Aria gave a nod at that. 

"Did you know before all of this happened, I was supposed to go on holiday to the tropics with my parents? It's a laughable idea now but...I guess that even we didn't know how bad it was going to get. The only family member that actually truly knows what the Dark Lord is capable of is Bellatrix and she is clinically insane. Nobody is going to listen to her any time soon," Draco said with a matter-of-fact tone. "Anyway, I'm going." 

"Then I'm coming with you," Aria said. 

Draco sighed. 

"I had a feeling that you might say that," he replied. 

Aria's lips twitched at one of the corners but she remained silent. It was something that Draco was even letting her go with him. She didn't want to ruin that. 

As they walked on, they eventually reached the grasslands outside Hogwarts. 

"We're not exactly hidden from the death eaters, here. Let's keep going," Malfoy said. 

With a murmur of agreement, Aria followed him on into the Forbidden Forest. She just really hoped that she wasn't about to get murdered. She had a feeling that if Malfoy was going to hurt her, though, then he would have done it by now. In some ways, Malfoy had hurt her before, but the scars were never permanent. That was just one of the things about Aria. She was an incredibly tolerant and patient person. Even when Malfoy had caused her upset, she could overlook it. She wasn't sure whether this meant she had a good heart or whether she was just incredibly stupid, but either way, it was something. 

Malfoy soon turned back to her, once they were in the forest and Aria just met him with a warm smile. It almost unsettled Malfoy to see her smiling at him but then again, he supposed there was a sort of beauty in it, too. What was he even thinking? Was he going quite mad? 

"I don't know why you're smiling at me, Honey, but your 'charm', or whatever it is that you use  to get your friends to adore you, won't work on me," Draco said simply. 

Aria shrugged in response to that, as though she didn't have a clue what Draco was going on about. It was true that Aria usually found it easy to make friends. She could be especially charismatic and warm when she wanted to be, but these qualities didn't seem to win Draco Malfoy over. At least, they hadn't just yet. 

Aria caught up on Malfoy's concern and spoke again. 

"It's going to be alright, you know? This whole thing is going to end and you're going to be fine," Aria said, "Either way, you'll be fine." 

"Yeah. I just know that I have to choose between what is easy and what is right though, don't I?" Malfoy asked then. "Isn't that what you weirdos are all about? Making difficult decisions? I don't know. I thought that following in my father's footsteps would be easy but after you've grown to hate the person you're supposed to follow, it becomes quite difficult to do anything they want you to." 

Aria was slightly stunned by Malfoy's confession, but before she could respond to it. A shadowy figure approached them. Aria soon realised who was stood there and her mouth came slightly agape. 

"Ethan?" she asked, with an incredulous expression. 

"Yeah. I thought I would come and check on how  you were doing," he said, "And I find this. What on earth do you think you're doing, Ari? Hanging out with Malfoy? Have you gone quite mad?" he asked. 

"Speak for yourself," Draco said, as he folded his arms in front of him for a moment, before he adjusted the collar of his coat. 

Ethan raised his wand in Draco's direction then, which prompted Aria to quickly step in between the two of them. 

"Ethan. No," she said. "He doesn't have his wand. He isn't a threat. At least, I don't think he is," Aria said, with a small smile as she turned back to Malfoy for a moment. 

She hadn't expected to see him smirking, as though he was thoroughly enjoying this little exchange. 

"Be realistic here, Aria. He's a Malfoy. You can't be friends with them. They are the enemy. They have always been the enemy," Ethan said. 

"Maybe some of them have been but I don't care about that," Aria spoke, even taking herself by surprise. 

"You don't?" Malfoy asked in a whisper, then, prompting Aria to turn back to him with a sympathetic smile. 

"That's right, Malfoy. I don't care. I don't care about what you've done in the past. It's what you choose to do in the end that matters the most," Aria said, with a genuine tone to her voice that Malfoy couldn't help but be slightly surprised by. The Hufflepuff was actually defending him? There really must be something weird in the mead around Hogwarts...

Ethan scoffed. 

"I don't want to hear this. Goodbye, sister," he said, before he apparated away from the two of them without a second thought.