"Are you okay, Astrid?" Harry enquired as I pushed my untouched lunch aside at the Gryffindor table. "You've seemed a bit upset ever since we bumped into Malfoy and Pansy. Any particular reason for that?"

"I'm fine," I grumbled, not feeling fine at all. I felt so incredibly hurt and alone. And I was getting pissed off with Harry's constant interrogations.

"Malfoy and Pansy have always been close," Harry went on, and I could feel his eyes studying me carefully, "I expect their families will marry them off together, seeing as they are both pureblooded. It's important, you see - to their families - that they keep the bloodline pure. Especially to the Malfoy's."

"Isn't his dad in prison?" I asked pointedly, refusing to rise to Harry's bait. "I rather don't think he would care much about keeping his family 'pure' from there."

"Yes, but still," Harry droned on, making me close my eyes impatiently, "as I said, they've always been close, and it appears they still are."

I pushed my chair back. "As lovely as this has been, Harry," I said rising from my seat, "I'm going."

"Where to?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"Probably back to sleep," I mumbled, hoping this will deter him from wanting to come with me.

But to my horror, he stood up, briskly rubbing his hands together. "Great! I'll walk you!"

"There's no need-"

"There's every need, Astrid," he said, cutting me off, "there is a war going on."

I looked wildly around, hoping Ginny would be there to remind Harry about boundaries. But sadly, it looked like I was stuck with him.

Confusedly though, Harry bounded on ahead, seemingly knowing where he was going.

I strode after him, wondering what on earth he was playing at.

"Harry!" I called, as he disturbingly headed up the staircase in the direction of the seventh floor.

But he didn't stop or slow down - instead - every now and then, he would grin at me over his shoulder, making sure I was still following behind him.

I felt fearful when we arrived by the tapestry of the trolls and Harry halted.

"Well?" he said, swivelling on the spot to face me. His lips crept into a knowing smile.

"W-Well what?" I stammered, feeling panicked. How did he know?

Harry just grinned wider, making my blood turn cold. "Go on. Ask it."

I started to back away, shaking my head. "I- I don't know what you're talking about, Harry," I said in a small voice.

"Oh, I think you do, Astrid," he said, his smile never faltering from his face, "I've been watching you. Every night you disappear right here, on the seventh floor. When everyone else is in class, you are here. Hiding. The thing is - I know about the Room of Requirement. And I know that Malfoy has been in here with you. Maybe not lately, but he has been. I know, Astrid. But what I don't know is why. So are you going to let me in and explain? Because if you don't, I'm going to have to pay a little visit to Dumbledore, which by the way I am already, tonight. And you don't want me let anything slip, do you?"

I looked at him in horror. Who was this boy who was so desperate to know my secret? But as he continued, I realised it wasn't me he was so obsessed about knowing. It was Draco.

"Tell me, Astrid," Harry sneered now, stepping towards me, closing the gap between us, "what is Malfoy hiding, apart from you? What has this got to do with Voldemort? Are you part of Malfoy's mission? TELL ME!"

I tried to step back in fright as Harry reached out to grab my shoulders, but I ended up connecting painfully with the wall.

"Leave me alone," I begged, cowering against the wall, placing my hands over my ears and closing my eyes as I had done so often in the past, "please."

"Hey!" A voice rang out at the end of the corridor. I heard footsteps hurrying towards us, as I continued to squeeze my eyes tight shut in fright.

"What do you think you're doing, Potter?" A voice spat. And when I looked up, I came face to face with the beautiful boy who had sat with us on the train. Blaise.

He was looking from Harry to me in concern.

"Mind your own business, Zabini," Harry muttered, "we were just having a private chat."

"Funny that," Blaise sneered right in his face, "because she doesn't look like she's enjoying it very much, does she?"

Harry blinked as he took in my trembling body. His eyes seemed to widen in horror almost as if he realised he may have taken it too far.

"Look, Astrid - I'm sorry, okay?" He said, holding his hands up in peace. "I'll catch up with you later."

"I don't think so, Potter," Blaise growled, as he started to push him away - jabbing his hands violently against Harry's chest, "now fuck off!"

Harry stumbled away, straightening his glasses which had come askew. Blaise didn't take his furious eyes off of him until he was safely out of sight.

"Sorry about the language," he murmured silkily, his large, dark, slanting eyes now focusing warmly on me, "are you okay?"

I realised I was still shaking and breathing fast, shallow breaths. My heart raced as I looked into my saviours eyes, and I nodded, not knowing if I would be able to speak.

"That Potter has always been a prick," he sneered, glancing back up in the direction Harry had just disappeared to, "thinks he's so special just because he's the 'Chosen One'."

Despite my ordeal, I couldn't help but laugh.

"You sound just like Draco," I grinned. And then my face immediately fell as I realised that one, my heart squeezed in agony every time I thought about him, and two, I had just stupidly let slip of my acquaintance with Draco Malfoy.

But if Blaise had been surprised about this, he didn't show it. Instead he grinned back, making his eyes twinkle delightfully.

"I guess it must be a Slytherin thing," he drawled softly, and I couldn't help but notice that his voice was as beautiful as his face.

"I'm Blaise, Blaise Zabini," he said, offering out a hand which I just blinked at, making him chuckle, "don't worry about it," he said kindly as he withdrew it and returned it to his pocket, "It's not for everyone. I'm just old fashioned like that."

"I'm Astrid by the way," I smiled gratefully, glad I hadn't offended him.

"So, what was Potter hassling you about?" he asked, frowning slightly, "please don't tell me it was a lovers tiff?"

"Oh god, no," I said a little too quickly, and I couldn't help but notice a tiny flicker of relief cross Blaise's features, "he was asking about Draco Malfoy."

Blaise's frown deepened. "I've heard you're not the only one he's been interrogating about Drac. That git really needs to learn when to keep his nose out."

We were both now staring at the spot where Harry had disappeared.

"You're telling me," I muttered, feeling sick at the thought of what Harry was going to say to Dumbledore that night.

"Well, rather then stay inside on a fine afternoon like this," Blaise murmured in that wonderful silky voice, turning his eyes back on me, "what do you say you and I go for a wander by the lake? We don't have to talk if you don't want, just keep each other company as we while the afternoon away; I've got a Charms essay I was putting off which I could be getting on with."

I remembered the book I had in my bag which Harry had interrupted me reading earlier that day.

And suddenly, nothing sounded better than spending a warm afternoon reading it by the lake in the company of this beautiful boy.

"Okay," I said smiling, "I'd like that very much."