I gazed up at his twinkling silver grey eyes.

"Draco, what's wrong?" I asked, feeling a slight panic at the bewilderment upon his face.

"Nothing," he breathed, touching his fingers to my face as if he'd not seen me in a long time, "nothing at all."

I sat up, blinking against the bright sunlight. It took me a second to realise we were in the hospital wing. Confusion filled me as memories started flooding back. "Draco? Am I-"

"You're still here," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, "you fell asleep and you're still here... with me."

My heart started thudding crazily as I was taking in what he was saying. The darkness hadn't gotten to me. I was still here with Draco.

My arms flew around his neck as a mixture of relief and love flooded me.

"You're fighting it, Astrid," he murmured into my hair, as he clasped me tightly to him, "I knew you would."

We were interrupted at that moment by Madam Pomfrey who forced a potion down my neck and urged us to get out after seeming satisfied that my back had healed up nicely.

Both Draco and I could barely stop smiling at one another as we made our way down to the dungeons.

"This feels too good to be true," Draco murmured in my ear whilst lathering up my hair with shampoo under the shower.

"Well, let's make the most of it, then," I sighed blissfully as I trailed a hand down the length of his body, stopping only to clasp my fingers around his excitement.

He let out an audible gasp as his body made a sudden juddering motion. "Don't stop," he growled, after I let my hand drop.

"I wasn't planning to," I breathed, lifting a leg to wrap around his waist.

Without a moments hesitation, he slammed my back hard against the shower wall, forcing an illicit gasp to leave my mouth as he hoisted my hips up so that they met his.

And then he was inside of me and I cried out in the pure joy of the feel of him as water splattered down around us, my hands gripping his shoulders as he pummelled heatedly against me.

"I'm not going to last," he panted breathlessly as his movements accelerated, control clearly way beyond him.

"I don't care," I gasped, desperate to feel his climax, desperate to feel.

He let out a strangled groan, reaching his ultimate pleasure, pinning me painfully against the wall as his whole body went taut.

"Fuck," he breathed, slowly moving out of me, letting my shaking legs fall back to the wet shower floor as he supported my waist, "I'm sorry - I just couldn't help myself."

He rested his forehead against mine whilst he tried to steady his breathing. "I still can't believe you're here," he murmured, cupping his hands to my face, staring lovingly into my eyes.

"I'm always here," I replied fervently, wringing my fingers through his wet hair, "I'm wherever you are, Draco. No where else is worth being."

And I thought I would die with happiness as he connected his lips to mine, feeling at last that I was somewhere where I belonged.

...

"Stay close to me."

Draco clasped onto her hand tightly as he led them down the corridor of the Hogwarts Express. He was hoping to find them an empty compartment but it wasn't looking good.

In the end they settled for one which had that dotty Loony girl in, who thankfully had her face buried behind that pathetic magazine her father edited.

"Oh, hello," she said in that bizarre ethereal voice of hers as Draco settled himself into the seat opposite, pulling Astrid down possessively next to him.

"Hi," Astrid smiled in a small voice, making Loony look at her in startled surprised.

"Are they letting you have a break from torturing? That's nice. I did think you seemed quite exhausted by it last week during my detention."

Draco bristled in annoyance. He couldn't tell if this girl was taking the piss or not. He had already spent the morning trying to distract Astrid from the glares of their fellow school mates, reassuring her that it wasn't her their animosity was aimed towards.

"Oh... yes," Astrid hesitated, "we're going to spend it with my uncle."

"Professor Snape? That's nice he'll have some company - I expect he gets a bit lonely since he killed Professor Dumbledore. Will your father be joining you? Although, I suppose he's got quite a lot on his plate these days..."

Draco stared at her incredulously. This girl was clearly barking. He pulled Astrid a fraction closer to him, eyeing Loony warily.

"Umm, I guess," Astrid answered timidly, "I'm not really sure of his Christmas plans-"

"I'm sure he's got something lined up," Draco snapped, feeling a flicker of irritation about Astrid being interrogated like this.

Taking the hint, Loony raised her eyebrows at him before hiding back behind her magazine.

Astrid glanced up at him with an exasperated look upon her face. "She was only being friendly!" She mouthed.

"There's being friendly and there's being weird." Draco muttered back as he stared at the upside down picture of Potter smiling goofily at him from the front of the magazine.

He briefly wondered where the fuck the golden trio had gotten to and if they had any immediate plans to kill Voldemort yet. If Snape was correct and that their only hope was in the hands of Scarhead, Weasel and the Mudblood, then Draco couldn't help but feel they were all screwed.

...

As the train trundled on, taking us back down south, I stared curiously at our strange companion.

She had seemed completely genuine in her niceties about Christmas. And yet, apparently I had tortured her only the previous week.

I could tell Draco wasn't comfortable with her whatsoever, but then he could get uptight about these things. Especially where it concerned me.

I gave his hand a comforting squeeze, grateful to have him in my life, relieved that Snape was allowing him to stay with us during the holidays.

"You okay?" He asked, his breath tickling my ear. I looked up at him and I saw the familiar look of relief in his eyes as he registered my blue ones.

"I love you," I whispered, just wanting to let him know. His grey eyes twinkled as his face creased up in a grin. The sight made my heart flutter.

"It's wonderful to see that even Death Eaters can find love."

Both Draco and I swivelled our heads to see Luna looking at us dreamily.

Draco's face immediately contorted into a scowl. "Are you taking the-"

"Thank you, Luna," I quickly intercepted, fearful that Draco was going to do nothing but insult the poor girl. "Although some of us were forced into this life. Draco and I mean no harm to anyone."

"Well, that's nice to know," she answered sincerely, without the slightest hint of sarcasm, "it might make detentions easier to bear in future."

She gave me a genuine warm smile, and I couldn't help but return it. A sudden rush of overwhelming compassion hit me and to my horror, I found my eyes pricking dangerously.

"I'm sorry," I gasped, as tears rolled down my cheeks, "I'm sorry I ever hurt you, Luna."

"Don't cry," Luna sing songed kindly, "I know it's not really you."

As I opened my mouth to thank her for her kindness, the train gave a sudden jolt, causing me to gasp instead.

"What the...?" Draco said, looking around in panicked confusion as the train came to a complete halt in the middle of nowhere.

He immediately stood up, marching to the compartment door, sticking his head out, looking right then left.

"I don't like this..." he muttered, withdrawing his wand.

Luna and I looked at each other in mutual bafflement.

And then we heard the screaming.

"Shit! Death Eaters!" Draco spat, slamming the door shut again. My heart hammered as he strode back over to me, pulling me up behind him as he faced the door with his wand out, so that he stood in front of me like a shield.

"Stay quiet," He muttered to me, "don't let them see you."

"Luna!" I cried, reaching my hand out to her, as she eyed the door fearfully, "come here."

She looked up at me with her large saucer eyes and blinked down at my hand skeptically.

"We're safe! I promise you! We're not like the others!" I implored, reaching out my hand further.

Relief flooded me as Luna went to take it. However, at that exact moment, the door burst open and figures in black cloaks stormed in grabbing Luna at once.

"No-" I started to cry, as Luna tried to fight them off of her as they dragged her to the door. But Draco had placed a hand firmly over my mouth silencing me.

They left as quickly as they had arrived.

"Why did they take her?" I cried, looking at the empty spot where she had sat. "Draco, what are they going to do with her?"

"I don't know," he muttered bitterly, "but that was Rowle and Dolohov, and if they've been sent to capture someone, then it's likely she's being taken straight to your father."

Poor Luna, I thought tearily as Draco gathered me in his arms.

My father really was a shit.