The Malfoy Diaries (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

s i x t y - t w o 💛

When the sun had risen on the warmer April morning, Aria was awoken by Snape. 

"We need to practice," he said. 

"Now?" she asked him. 

"Yes. Now," he replied. 

Aria looked around her in order to gain some awareness of her surroundings. She had fallen asleep on the yellow sofa of the Hufflepuff common room. Why didn't that surprise her? She had been doing a lot of reading the previous evening in an attempt to take her mind off her worries. 

After Hermione had told her that Voldemort was getting closer to Hogwarts castle, it was safe to say that Aria hadn't exactly been the most peaceful person in the wizarding world. 

"Get up," Snape commanded. 

"I'm up. God," Aria said, as she rubbed at her head. She felt groggy but she knew that she needed to wake up soon. If she and Snape were going to practice occlumency, then she was going to need to keep her utmost focus. 

Snape and Aria then walked back to Snape's former potion lab and Aria walked over to the familiarly uncomfortable chair. 

"Do you have anywhere else to sit?" Aria asked. 

"Do you have any way of being less irritating?" Snape retorted. 

Aria sighed. She was in no mood to argue with Snape at this time in the morning. 

"Let's just get this over with," she said. 

The former professor's eyes widened slightly in surprise at that statement, but he set the spell on her anyway. 

Snape and Aria did train for a little while and Aria was mostly successful in keeping Snape out of her mind. At least, she had believed that  she had been successful in doing so. 

"What's going on between you and Malfoy? Whatever it is, it seems as though it is significantly bothering you," Snape commented. 

"Nothing is going on. Draco has to make his own decisions and I'll support him in those. He's on our side, now. That's all I could ever have really asked for," Aria said decisively. As much as it hurt her to admit it, maybe that was where her relationship with Draco was destined to end. Perhaps the two of them would never be more than civil again. It was a bleak thought, but Hermione had reminded her often enough to be realistic when it came to forming friendships with Slytherins. They never lasted for long. Aria had just been really hoping that she and Draco would defy those odds. 

Snape's eyes reflected partial disbelief, but he allowed Aria to leave the room regardless. 

Aria hadn't been in the hallway outside the potion's lab for long before Harry approached her with a kind expression upon his face. 

"It's good to see you, Aria. How are you feeling? Hermione told me that Snape asked to see you yesterday. I figured that he wanted to do occlumency training with you," Harry said. 

Aria's eyes brightened at that. 

"He did. How did you know that?" she asked. 

"He did the same thing with me," Harry explained simply. 

"Ah," Aria said, before she told Harry all about the training. It was going considerably well. Then again, Aria had always believed to have fairly good control over her thoughts and feelings. That had changed recently, though, when it came to one blond Slytherin. 

When Harry asked her about it, Aria answered honestly. 

"I have to accept that Draco is just the way that he is, Harry. Perhaps I'll never truly understand him but...all I can do is try, you know? I told myself that I would help him make the right choices and I truly believe that he is starting to. If that means that this is where my relationship with him ends then so be it," she said. 

"And how does Draco feel about this?" Harry asked. 

Aria paused then. 

"I don't know," she answered honestly. If she could ever have a proper conversation with Draco again, though, she knew that she was going to have to listen to him. Really listen. To everything. She knew that she wasn't the only person bothering him. This whole situation was much bigger than them and they were in it together. That had to count for something. 

Harry's green eyes flickered with sympathy before he replied. "Well, I'll see you soon, Ari. I have to go and meet with Ron and Hermione. You'll be okay, won't you?" he asked. 

"She'll be fine," came the sound of a familiar voice that filled Aria's heart with both warmth and nervousness. 

"Alright," Harry said, with a small smile, "See you around, Aria." 

Draco took a few steps towards Aria and then spoke again. 

"I thought he might never leave," he said. "I need to talk to you. We might as well get it done now. Slytherin common room." 

Aria nodded in agreement and followed Draco down the hall towards the Slytherin common room. 

"Why did Snape need to see you?" Draco asked, as he got himself a glass of fire whiskey. 

"Occlumency," Aria said, as he handed her a glass, too. How considerate. It was unfortunate that she didn't drink. She took a sip, anyway, for common courtesy. 

"Not a big drinker, are you, Honey?" he asked. 

Aria took another sip and tried not to wince at the bitter taste. 

"It's fine," she said. 

Draco smirked at that. 

"Sure, it's fine. That's why your face is souring like that," he said with sarcasm. There was no malice in his gaze, though. His eyes seemed perfectly warm again and they flickered with playfulness and what Aria believed to be affection. "Snape wanted to see me today, actually, but I needed to work on some defense charms," he explained. 

That made sense. It also proved that Draco was still on their side. Good. 

"I have to be honest, Aria. I missed you," Draco said, as he took another sip from his glass. 

"What?" she asked. 

"Don't look so surprised. Yes, I'm annoyed that you took the diary but...people have done far worse to me."