The Malfoy Diaries (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

t h i r t y - f i v e 💛

"Ethan what?" Hermione asked Aria at breakfast the next morning. 

"Yeah," Aria said as a simple response to her question. 

She had already filled Hermione in on all of the details about her mini adventure to the Forbidden Forest with a certain Draco Malfoy. She had also told her about how that little adventure had ended, too. 

"I know that you all don't exactly like or trust Malfoy but he is terribly lonely, Hermione. I can see it even if nobody else can. I can see it in his eyes. It's the sort of loneliness that's not going to make a big deal about itself, you know? However, it still exists. It's still there. And that's the loneliest thing of all. He doesn't think that anyone else has noticed it, either, but I have. I'm not going to just let him deal with all of this on my own. You know that I've always had this determination in my soul and for some reason that's all going into wanting to get through to Malfoy. Granger, please don't look at me like that. I'm not crazy. I know what I'm talking about. If nobody else is going to try to understand him, then I am. I think he just needs a friend. A real friend. He won't admit that to anyone. Of course, he won't. He's Draco Malfoy, after all, he's as stubborn as anything and he's never going to actually let people know when he's hurting but I know better than to just leave this alone," Aria said. She eventually paused for breath and Hermione just stared at her friend and then sighed. 

"There you go, being so selfless again," Hermione said, as she met the warm honey gaze of her friend. 

It was a truth that Aria couldn't really argue against. She really did want to do all the good that she could for others, when she could. It didn't matter so much to Aria even who the person who she helped was, and Hermione had always known as much, too.

 "Just be realistic about this, please. I don't want you getting hurt again like with Cedric," Hermione said. There were a few lines etched onto her pale forehead, in her worry for her friend.

Aria's heart ached at the mention of her former best friend, who she had also liked at the time. Suddenly, she didn't feel hungry. 

"I know. I know," she managed to say quietly, as she observed Ron and Harry enter the Great Hall. 

"Hey Hermione! Hey Aria!" Ron said enthusiastically, as he sat down with his friends with a huge smile upon his face. Despite the circumstances, Ron was trying to keep himself as joyous as possible. He wanted to provide his friends with some comfort while everything was going on.

"Hello Ron, Harry. Might I ask where you two have been?" Hermione asked, as she glanced between her friends with an expression of interest.

Ron then informed her that he and Harry had spent the morning performing defense charms on the Quidditch pitch.

"It was the only part of the school that didn't have defense in place yet," Harry explained.

"I think it would be fun for us to go onto the pitch!" Ron said with excitement etched onto his expression.

Hermione gave a shake of her head that was telling of her disagreement. She believed that the safest space for them at present was within the castle walls. To go anywhere else could be considered suicide. It was too risky, especially when there were so many death eaters about.

Nevertheless, Ron tried to dispel Hermione's concerns.

"Come on, 'Mione. It'll be fun. Besides, McGonagall told us that there aren't any death eaters about at present and even if there were - the spell we used on the Quidditch pitch won't let them in," Ron explained.

"It will be fine," Harry said optimistically, as he caught on to Hermione's still uncertain mood.

Hermione sighed, as she took a sip from the coffee in front of her. She soon nodded and Harry and Ron's eyes brightened a little.

"I'm coming too," Aria said with a decisive glint in her warm eyes. She was still feeling a little sad from her earlier conversation but she was glad that she had her friends around to look out for her. Harry, Ron and Hermione never failed to make her feel better whenever she was anxious or crestfallen about something.

So, the four of them began to walk back towards the Quidditch pitch and mounted their brooms. All except Hermione, who was stood at the edge of the Quidditch pitch with a concerned expression upon her face.

"Come on, 'Mione," Ron said, as he flew around the pitch to hover in front of her.

Hermione sighed and then wound her arms around Ron's waist as the two of them took off into the air again.

"This still worries me," Hermione said, but it was muffled into Ron's back.

Hermione felt that she was only being practical with her anxieties. After all, if anyone was unpredictable then it was Voldemort and his followers.

Aria flew further into the air until she was flying alongside Harry. He turned to her with a great grin spread upon his face.

"I'll race you," he said.

"Oh, you're on," Aria replied, as she took off at lightning speed across the Quidditch pitch.

There were few wizards who were matched, in proficiency at playing Quidditch and flying, against Harry, but Aria Honey had always been one of these wizards. She had played a few of the Quidditch matches alongside Cedric Diggory and had won some, too. However, after Cedric's passing, Aria had decided that she wasn't exactly in the mood for Quidditch anymore.

Aria and Harry eventually reached the end of the Quidditch pitch.

Once they got off their broomsticks and stood upon the green of the arena, Harry turned to Aria with a thoughtful expression.

"That was a tie," he said.

"Oh, no," said Aria, who wasn't about to take that, "I won. Fair and square."