The Malfoy Diaries (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

t h i r t y - e i g h t 💛

Aria sat by the window in the hall in the early hours of the next morning. 

"Can't sleep?" a familiar silk-smooth voice asked her, and she turned to see that Draco Malfoy was walking in her direction. 

Aria gave a subtle shake of her head in response to his question. 

"Still here, then?" she asked him. 

The corner of Malfoy's lips twitched up at that. 

"Yes. And I don't intend on going anywhere. I might as well make the most of my time here, before everything gets destroyed," Malfoy said in a bleak tone. 

Aria looked down towards the ground for a second, as an unsettling feeling filled the usual void in her chest. 

"I love your optimistic attitude towards yourself and your life," Aria said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 

Malfoy leant against the wall and gave a slight shake of his head. 

"The other day, in the forest, why did you stick up for me against your brother?" Malfoy asked. 

"'Cause he can't tell me who I decide to be friends with," Aria said. 

Malfoy's silvery eyes flickered with surprise, then. 

"What? You're saying we're friends now?" he asked. 

Aria gave a shrug of her  shoulders in response to his question. 

"I don't want to be your worst enemy, Malfoy," she said, as a gentle breeze drifted in through the partly open window. "I know that you might think that I do but I really don't." 

Malfoy expressed that he didn't understand why she didn't hate him, but Aria told him that she could never hate him. No matter what. In all honesty, Malfoy had never been given a choice in what he could do. Aria knew with certainty that she wanted to be the one to provide him with that choice. She wanted to be the one to help him to choose to be good. She knew that it was a sort of shot in the dark, but she was going to try her very best. 

The blond swallowed nervously and then spoke again. 

"I admire your determination. I'll give you that much," he said, as he released an unsteady breath. "If things were different, I suppose I wouldn't be so opposed to the idea of the two of us being friends," he said. He could hardly believe the words that were exiting his mouth but still, he was saying them. He hadn't ever anticipated having this conversation. His morning plan had been to finish his book and his will wasn't about to let anyone get in the way of that plan. At least, anyone apart from Aria, it seemed. "You're one of the only people in this school that even slightly tolerates me. Why is that?" he asked. 

"I'm just not buying it," she replied, as she stood up from the window sill and went to stand in front of Malfoy. 

He took in a breath and regarded her with curiosity. 

"What do you mean- you're not buying it?" he asked with an uncertain expression. 

"I'm not buying that you're a terrible person, Malfoy," Aria said simply. 

"You mean to tell me that you don't think I'm terribly evil?" he asked with a bewildered expression. 

"Precisely that," Aria said, with a shrug of her shoulders. 

Malfoy chuckled then. It was like music to Aria's ears, given that it was so unexpected to see him actually looking happy. 

"Well, you would be the first, but thank you. I suppose it's really not so bad having you around, after all," Malfoy said. 

Aria smiled at that. 

"Don't go getting any ideas, Honey. It doesn't mean that I like you. I guess I just...I don't hate you, alright? I don't think I ever really did. It's sort of hard to hate someone of your kind of disposition," he said. 

"And what's my disposition?" Aria asked simply. 

"You're so happy and selfless all the time. It doesn't make sense to me. I tend to do what I want, when I want to and..." Draco sighed, then, as he ran his fingers through his silk soft blond hair. "And I suppose all that's ever done has made me feel like shit." 

Aria's expression became one of sympathy, after listening to that confession. She had always believed that Malfoy had been unbearably lonely, but had she ever truly considered just how much he disliked the way things were. Had he ever actually wanted a part in any of this? Aria simply couldn't believe that he did. She had always seen every one of Malfoy's actions as having been pre-determined by someone more powerful than he was. In most cases, the finger could be pointed to one person in particular. Lucius Malfoy. 

"Malfoy," Aria said softly, then. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked. 

Malfoy's grey eyes looked towards her and warmed slightly. He hadn't expected her to ask that question but he was almost glad that she had. 

"Just don't take pity on me. That's the last thing I need. I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for any of this but I especially didn't ask to be back here when all I really want to do is..." he trailed off. 

"What? Run away? You'll never escape your troubles if you don't fight them, Malfoy," Aria said with crystal-clear honesty. She knew how much he was struggling but she also knew that him leaving wouldn't solve anything. It certainly wouldn't solve the confused feelings that she had in relation to the entire situation, either.  

"It's just exhausting," Malfoy said. 

Aria gave him an empathetic expression, then. 

"I know it is. Who said that you had to fight them alone, though? You don't have to be on your own, Draco. We could get through this. Together," Aria said. 

Draco smiled at that. He had noticed that she had used his first name for the first time. It was strange but also...nice. Weird. What was even going on inside his head. 

"I'm just surprised that you're not bored of me yet," Malfoy confessed. 

"Oh, I don't get bored easily," Aria replied matter-of-factly. 

Draco smiled despite himself again, as he replied, "Neither do I."