in the end ~ d. malfoy

Chapter Thirty-Five

No. No it would be wayy too soon for Diana to even think about that. They're just friends, close friends, but Diana doesn't want to fuck up whatever relationship they already have by asking her to do something she might not be comfortable with. Besides, she needs to get more a grip on herself. It's not like she's been starved of touch her entire life, Diana knows what it feels like to have been hugged and have your head patted; it usually doesn't do anything emotional if it comes from your smelly old aunt Bellatrix but still-

Luna says it before she can muster up to courage to.

"Y'know, it's awfully chilly in here . . . . Dad told us that we're out of blankets too . . . " She says it casually but it still makes Diana's heart jump for joy, "Would it . . . . would it be okay if we just cuddled for a while? Platonically? I would've figured something else out but I'm really fucking cold and don't want to move so . . . yeah . . ., "

"Sure!! " Diana says, a little too enthusiastically to be normal; She tries to cover it up with a nervous laugh, "I mean . . . I'm fine with it if you are,"

Luna gives her quizzical look before scooting closer to Diana, the taller girl moving and making space for Luna to curl into her side. The blonde witch does exactly that, unabashedly throwing an arm over Diana's body as their legs tangle together. She tentatively wraps an arm around Luna's waist out of politeness, turning onto her side as the smaller girl snuggles into her chest, forcing (which is what Diana tells herself so that annoying little voice in her head will shut up) Diana to rest her chin on top of Luna's head.

She smells like daisies. That's a very platonic thing to notice . . . right?

"Diana?"

"Huh?" Diana cranes her neck to look down at Luna's head resting on her chest, something like butterflies going through her stomach at the way she looks up at her.

Luna smiles, a teasing, snarky one that has Diana's stomach doing somersaults. She gulps, suddenly feeling very warm all over.

"Tell your brain to shut up and go to sleep, "

Diana laughs, softly, as Luna grumbles about the cold and snuggles into her further.

She falls asleep feeling safe for the first time in years.

Going back to school is far from easy for Maya.

There's the week she's taken off for the little detour to Delhi, the questioning stares and bland answers she gives to Harry, Ron and Hermione about why she suddenly went MIA. Diana knows the truth of course; there's no reason for her not to. Maya's apologized to Isabelle numerous times for what ended up happening on their shopping trip, the guilt feeling like it was eating her alive inside from what she put her friend through after spiralling into madness. But the Shadowhunter was surprisingly very understanding about the whole thing, stating that rage can make people do horrible things and to let bygones be bygones, and that Cameron may or may not have deserved it for provoking her in the first place--

Thank god her mom had the foresight to go to his parents and reveal the truth, otherwise Maya would be in very, very, deep shit right now. It's not as though she hasn't received any consequences for her actions though; Maya's had to sign a contract from the Institute, which means that she can never use her magic in front of Mundanes again, unless she wants to risk literal banishment and being thrown in the Gard for the rest of her life.

But considering that there's now an ongoing investigation at Constance Billiard and Cameron Butler's been expelled, a small part of her thinks it may, just may, have been a tiny bit worth it.

Anyway, with their O.W.Ls approaching in six months, her teachers aren't hesitating to pile the fifth years with homework. Maya doesn't know how she's managing to keep her anxiety under control, with all that's going on. A combination of propranolol and mindfulness exercises are seeming to help to alleviate some of the pressure, as well as weekly check-ins with Jem, who's forced her to cut down to one cup of coffee a day (crazy, I know!) as it could potentially interfere with her meds.