"Astrid! Wait up!"

I span round to see Harry Potter sprinting towards me, just as I was about to take a seat next to Susan at the Hufflepuff table.

"Hey, Harry," I said, startled as he bent double with his hands on his hips trying to catch his breath.

"Astrid-" he said breathlessly, "I was calling you from across the Entrance Hall."

"Is everything okay?" I asked, confused at his anxious desire to speak to me.

"I was just wondering... if you'd join us at the Gryffindor table for dinner?" His cheeks flushed red, although if from embarrassment or exertion, I couldn't tell.

"What? Now?" I asked stupidly, looking from him to Susan who just stared back at me and shrugged.

"Well, yeah," Harry puffed, readjusting his glasses.

"You go on," Susan waved dismissively, "I don't know many people who would turn down a dinner invite from the Chosen One."

"The Chosen One?" I asked, baffled.

"I'll explain over dinner," Harry said, taking this as a yes and grabbing my arm, as he dragged me over to the Gryffindors and seated me down in between him and a red haired girl.

What the hell was going on?

I glanced up at the Slytherin table and saw Draco glowering over at us. Even from here I could see him clenching his knife and fork a little too tightly in his fists. I shrugged my shoulders ever so briefly to show him I had no idea what this was about.

"So," Harry said, starting to fork sausages on to my plate, "how are you finding Hufflepuff? Who did you say you shared a dormitory with, again?"

"I- I, er... didn't," I stuttered feeling rather flustered at this sudden questioning.

But I had an answer ready prepared in case of such nosiness.

"I'm not staying in the common room, they didn't have enough room so I've been allocated my own special place." I explained lightly.

"Oh really!" Harry said, his eyes widening in interest, "and where might that be then?"

"I'd rather not say, if you don't mind," I said, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with his sudden enthusiasm over my sleeping arrangements, "I don't know you that well."

"Harry!" The red headed girl on my right gasped, "would you leave the poor girl alone! It's none of your business where she sleeps!"

Harry pulled a face, mumbling a half hearted apology under his breath, and I looked to the girl gratefully.

"I'm sorry about him," she whispered under her breath to me, "sometimes he has to be reminded of boundaries - although that is usually my brother Ron who has the issues-"

"Hey!"

I looked up to see a furious Ron sitting opposite me. Hermione, I noticed, was sat next to him, eyeing me cautiously.

"Well it's true, Ron," his sister piped up, "remember how you were with Fleur?"

Ron's face immediately went a hilarious shade of red and he responded by shoving a whole potato in his mouth. I recoiled in disgust.

"I'm Ginny, by the way," the girl continued, smiling warmly at me. I liked her already.

"I'm Astrid," I beamed at her, "and apart from your hair, you seem nothing like your brother."

"Thanks," she grinned, "believe me - that's a compliment."

"You know, I'm sat right here," Ron fumed, glaring at the both of us from across the table.

"Yeah, and don't we know it," Ginny said in revolution, as she grimly pulled out bits of potato from her hair which had flown from Ron's mouth.

"So, Astrid," Harry spoke up, making me start. I had almost forgotten he was the reason I was at that table, "do you play Quidditch? I don't know if you've heard, but I'm captain of Gryffindor. Do you know how Hufflepuff's team is coming along?"

"Is this why you've invited me over?" I asked, raising my eyebrows, "so you could find out about Hufflepuff's secret team tactics? Because you're wasting you're time if you have. I know zilch about Quidditch."

"No, I... er..." Harry went red again, "I just wanted to show the new Hufflepuff a warm Gryffindor welcome-"

"Showing off, are you Potter?"

I looked up, startled at the familiar cold drawling voice.

Draco was standing over us, his grey eyes glinting in malice as he stared down at Harry. I could feel the fury coming off of him in waves.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Harry glared back up at him, "go back to the Slytherin table where you belong."

"Well, it appears you have a Hufflepuff sitting amongst you, so I guess anything goes."

"I invited her, if you must know, not that it's any of your business." Harry spat, his lip curling in disgust.

"It is my business, Potter, when I've been requested to escort her to the headmasters office. Prefect duty you understand. Oh - actually you don't. I forget Dumbledore didn't think you were up to it. Not like good old Granger and Weasley."

"Well she's still eating," Harry glowered, and he reached over to pointedly pour gravy all over my food even though it was already drowning in the stuff. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore can wait a little longer."

"Are you trying to undermine me, Potter?" Draco sniped, "because I think you forget the power I have over you. I won't hesitate to dock points from Gryffindor and throw that great big scar-head of yours in detention."

"You're not in the Inquisitorial Squad anymore, Malfoy," Hermione stepped in haughtily, "you can no longer abuse your power to get one up on Harry."

"Shut it, Mudblood!" Draco snarled, "unless you want what's coming to you, and believe me - it won't be long."

"How dare you!" Ron bellowed, jumping up from his chair, brandishing his wand.

Draco instantly pulled his own out, pointing it furiously across the table towards Ron. There was a loud clattering as Harry, too, jumped up, him now directing his wand at Draco's chest.

My heart hammering at the violent commotion that had suddenly erupted around me, I scraped my chair back and shakily stood up.

"Stop it!" I implored, looking to Draco pleadingly, "I'll go with you, okay. Just please put those things away."

Draco blinked at me as if only just realising I was there, and then slowly lowered his wand.

Without looking at or saying anything to anyone else, I turned on the spot and swept from the hall, sensing Draco following closely behind.

"What the hell?" I hissed as we reached the safety of the deserted Entrance Hall.

"Why Potter?" Draco spat, now striding alongside of me as we reached the top of the stairs and continued across the landing, in the direction of the seventh floor, "of all the students in this school you could sit with - why him?"

"He asked me to!" I cried incredulously, "and I didn't realise I needed your permission!"

Draco stopped in his tracks grabbing my arm to halt me with him. I flinched, snatching my arm back.

"You've known how I've felt about him all this time," he snarled vehemently, his grey eyes burning fiercely into mine, "you know the shit he has brought upon my family. My father is in prison because of him!"

"No, Draco," I said, glaring back up at him, "your father is in prison because of this!"

I grabbed his left forearm, holding it up in a vice like grip in front of his face.

Draco's eyes flashed furiously as he yanked his arm back down, making me stumble back slightly.

"Don't you dare!" he hissed menacingly; an extremely dangerous edge to his tone. I had never seen him so angry - not towards me at any rate.

Glaring at me, he straightened his jacket, before turning and continued striding up ahead along the hallway.

"What's a Mudblood, Draco?" I called after him. He paused, hesitating in his step. He slowly turned his head to face me and I didn't miss the guilt flash in his eyes.

"Nothing," he muttered, casting his eyes downwards so he didn't have to look at me.

"It made them all mad. Tell me, Draco, what did it mean?" I asked shakily, knowing that I wasn't going to like it. But I had to know - had to understand.

"I said it was nothing," he muttered again. I was half expecting him to continue storming off but he didn't move.

"Fine, I'll just go back and ask them, then."

And without further ado, I swivelled on the spot and started marching back in the direction of the Great Hall.

"It's a term that is sometimes used for a Muggle-born."

I stopped and turned to face him.

"Like me? Dirty blood?" I looked at him questioningly. His non-response gave me my answer. "That's really classy, Draco. I always thought you were better than this. But you know what? You are just as bad as the bullies I have had to endure all my life. I thought you were one of the good guys Draco, I thought you were saving me. But all you've done is just take me from one place of hell to the next."

He flinched, as if I'd just smacked him hard across the face.

"It's not like that, Astrid," he growled, "it's different, you're not- you're not a-"

"Witch - I know. But let's say tomorrow I wake up with magical powers. Would I suddenly become disgusting to you? Because I don't see how that's any different. My blood will still be the same."

"Astrid, please-" he said, reaching for my hands as I went to stride back past him.

"You know I'm surprised you can even bear to breathe the same air as me, let alone touch me!" I snapped, whipping my hands out of his reach.

This time, I carried on marching, not stopping until I reached the seventh floor. I grabbed my makeshift bed and set it up around the corner from the cabinet. I knew Draco would be working on it tonight and I couldn't bear to look at him. I felt so angry.

But as I tucked myself under the blankets, I couldn't help but lie awake and listen to Draco working tirelessly into the night.

And, just as I was finally dropping off to sleep, I could have sworn I heard the sounds of sobbing.

Deep, wracking sobs coming from a lonely and desolate boy.