The Malfoy Diaries (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

f o r t y - s e v e n 💛

Aria's eyes brightened with partial admiration, then, as she considered Draco's words for a moment. It almost seemed too good to be true, but perhaps even the most unlikely of people could have changes of heart. 

"You are?" she asked. She could hardly believe that she had just heard Draco say those words, but he had. 

Draco gave a simple nod of his head in answer to her question. 

"Yes I am," he said. "No matter what I have to do- I will get the two of you out of here. I'll get out Weasley and Potter, too," he vowed quietly. He was still anxious that his family members could re-emerge at any given moment but another part of him refused to care anymore. He couldn't stand the sight of what had happened to Aria. All he knew was that he wanted to do anything in his power to help her and he would do everything that he could to get her and Granger and even Potter and Weasley out of Malfoy Manor. "It's the right thing to do, so I have to do this. I have to help you," Draco said.

"I don't get it though. Why?" Aria asked.

Draco frowned then, as though this was one question he didn't wish to answer.

"'Cause I care about you, Honey," he said, "Why else? I can't let them continue to hurt you. I won't. And I guess that having you around hasn't been the worst thing to have happened to me," he said.

Aria sighed then as she walked over to Draco to wrap her arms around him.

Hermione looked between the two of them with an expression of subtle judgement, but she had to remind herself that Draco had promised to help them. She was just going to have to trust him. She knew that it was insane, trusting Draco Malfoy, but she wasn't sure what other options she had.

Draco's arms instinctively wrapped around Aria's waist as though holding her was second nature. He soon cleared his throat and let her go, though.

"Listen, Aria. We need to go," he said.

"And they will leave!" a different voice spoke this time around, and Aria turned to see someone that she hadn't expected to see for quite some time. Dobby.

"Dobby?" she asked with an incredulous expression. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Aria couldn't help but feel concerned for Dobby. After all, he was the former house elf for the Malfoys and it was safe to say that they hadn't exactly treated him well during his time with them.

"That's right, Miss Aria. Dobby has come to rescue Miss Aria and all of her friends of course!" he said with an expression of determination.

A couple of moments after that, Harry and Ron barged into the room with expressions of concern. Their eyes fell on Aria and Hermione and they both breathed out in relief.

"'Mione, I am so, so, sorry. I wanted to get out of there. We all did. Luna eventually picked the lock. They apparated away. They're safe...'Mione listen, I will never let anything like that happen to you again," Ron rambled.

Hermione just exhaled in relief and quickly wandered into his chest.

"It'll be okay," she whispered. It just had to be.

Harry's eyes warmed slightly until they fell on Draco.

"Get out of here, Malfoy. Don't you think that you have done quite enough already?" he asked with an expression of pure indignation.

"Harry..." Aria started to say.

Draco's eyebrows creased together in his irritation, then.

"I haven't done anything wrong, as far as I'm aware," he said matter-of-factly. "I didn't want to bring any of you here. If I didn't, though, he would have killed me. I don't expect you to understand. I'm trying to set things right now, Potter. And no, I'm not leaving. I refuse to. I'm staying here with Honey," he said decisively, as his grey eyes landed on Aria, who was stood close beside him. She was very much ready to defend Draco if she needed to. She wasn't about to let Harry and Draco hurt each other again.

Harry gave a slight shake of his head in disbelief.

"Dobby?" he asked, as his eyes landed on the house elf.

"We must go now, Mr Potter! We must leave!" Dobby said with a tone of urgency.

Harry's eyes widened with realisation then, as Dobby grabbed a hold of him, Hermione and Ron.

However, before Dobby could appararate away with them, Bellatrix rushed into the room and threw her wand into the portal in an attempt to stop him.

"No!" Aria cried out in her worry for them all.

Draco stepped forward and pulled Aria into his chest.

"Aria, stop," he said, with an aggressive tone. He wouldn't have spoken to her like that, if his aunt hadn't been in the room.

Aria tried to steady her breathing, as she rested against his chest.

"It's fine, aunt Bella!" Draco said with a tone of annoyance. "I've got her. You can leave now, alright."

Bella cackled as she left the room.

Draco turned Aria around in his arms, so she was now facing him.

"Aria, you need to calm down," he said.

"I need to leave," Aria replied, with an expression of determination.

"And I told you that I would help you leave, did I not?" Draco asked then.

Aria sighed, as she nodded her head.

"I'll do everything that I can to protect you, Aria. You don't need me to tell you that twice," he said.

"Maybe I do," Aria said, as she was still struggling to believe that this was happening. "Why me?" she asked.

Draco gave a small shrug of his shoulders, as a subtle smile appeared at his lips.

"Why not?" he asked. "You want an honest answer?"

"Please," Aria replied simply.

"Because I want to help you, Aria. Because you actually mean something to me in all of this... You make me have hope."