It was snowing by the time I reached the place I knew to be called the Forest of Dean.

I followed the silver-white doe through the thickness of the trees, going deeper and deeper into the forest.

A mixture of snow and leaves crunched beneath my feet as I walked on and on, shivering against the cold.

But I didn't feel afraid - not with my uncle's Patronus guiding my way.

I was, however, feeling tired. And my feet ached. I had been walking for hours in the freezing cold. But I was not to stop until I reached my destination: Harry.

I prayed Draco was going to be all right. I hated the thought of him returning to Hogwarts without me, of not being able to fall asleep in his arms every night. I fiddled with my bracelet he had given me for my birthday and hoped that one day soon, we would find a way back together.

If he believed it, then so would I.

I just hoped it wasn't in death.

"I need a break!" I cried to the doe's retreating form. To my surprise, it halted in its tracks.

Leaning against a tree, I pulled a bottle of water from my satchel bag and took a shivering sip. What I would have done for a warm Butterbeer instead.

I heard a noise behind me - like the sound of a twig snapping, and I felt my heart freeze in fear as I snapped my head around. But I could see nothing as I squinted through the dark, dense trees.

Facing back around, I realised the doe had disappeared, making my chest tighten in panic.

Help, I thought fearfully. I had no way of knowing where to go from here, and without my uncle's comforting companion to guide me, I felt very alone and afraid.

I quickly whipped out my wand holding it shakily in front of me. "Lumos!"

And then, in the distance, I could see a green glow appear. And just as my heart rate was returning to normal, it accelerated almost immediately upon seeing that my uncle's doe was not alone.

It was guiding someone towards me.

And not just anyone: Harry Potter.

...

Draco moodily packed his things for Hogwarts, throwing things haphazardly into his trunk.

The thought of returning there without Astrid made him feel sick.

How he would be able to concentrate on anything when he would be worrying constantly about her was beyond him.

And yet Voldemort wanted him to get good grades. As if that was the only thing good enough in a man for his daughter.

It was a fucking joke.

"We must have faith in her," Snape had said as they watched her walk away.

"Oh, I've got all the faith in the world for her," Draco had sneered bitterly at his Professor. "It's that prick, Potter I have my doubts about."

Draco had swivelled on the spot and stormed back inside the Manor. He could barely look at Snape - still so angry at him for guilting Astrid into doing this. His own fucking niece.

"Let me help you."

Draco looked up from his trunk to see his mother at the door. She looked tired and forlorn. Draco felt guilt twist his insides for having pretty much abandoned her over Christmas.

But Astrid would always come first for him. And he knew deep down, that his mother understood.

He stood aside as she glided over to his wardrobe and started pulling out suits and packing them neatly into his trunk.

"When you have the kind of love you and Astrid have," his mother said, as if they were in the middle of continuing a conversation, "you need to have faith, belief and trust in one another. I don't know what it is Astrid has asked the Dark Lord to do, but anyone can see that her love for you comes first. She wouldn't be doing this if she really didn't have to."

"I know," he muttered, sitting exasperatedly on the edge of his bed, "I'm just scared, mother. I'm really scared."

"It's okay to be scared, Draco," Narcissa said, pausing in folding his school tie. "We're all scared. It's what makes us human, and capable of love."

"I thought she was a Muggle when I first met Astrid. And I still fell in love with her." He didn't know why he was telling his mother his.

If she was shocked, she didn't show it.

"Well, there you go." She simply said, "Despite everything, Draco, you've a good heart. And I couldn't be prouder of the kind of son I have brought into the world."

She stepped over to him, lightly cupping a hand to his cheek, and gave him a small, proud smile. "You're lucky to have found each other. And I've no doubt you'll be together again, soon. Have faith, Draco."

She dropped her hand, and walked over to the door, before pausing. "Just do me one little favour please, darling."

Draco looked up at her, cocking a quizzical eyebrow.

"Just don't tell your father you thought you fell for a Muggle - it might just send him to an early grave."

...

I ducked as Harry flew a jinx towards me.

"What the-?"

Thinking quickly, I flicked my wand, but Harry immediately deflected the spell, before sending a jet of red light my way.

"Harry - stop!" I yelled, as I managed to block it.

But Harry ignored me and carried on blasting hexes towards me. I managed to block them all but he was not quitting.

"Will - you - just - listen - to - me!" I yelled again, as I successfully deflected everything he threw at me.

"How fucking stupid do you think I am?!" He roared, stepping nearer and nearer as he aimed hex after hex.

I felt like I was doing some kind of energetic dance, and Harry was very much leading it.

In the end, Harry got fed up of me dodging his spells and threw a hand up to my neck instead, pinning my throat against the tree behind me.

"Get off me!" I choked, kicking my legs furiously at him, but failing to get Harry to slacken his grip.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Did your father send you?" he spat, his face going puce with rage as he dug the tip of his wand in the side of my head threateningly.

"I- I can't b-breathe-" I strangled out, seeing spots flashing my vision.

"TELL ME WHAT YOUR BUSINESS IS!" Harry bellowed, not seeming to listen to my pleas.

Just as I felt on the verge of passing out, his grip suddenly slackened and I slumped down to the ground against the tree as I gasped desperately for air.

"Blimey, Harry! You were going to kill her!"

I looked up to see my saviour - a tall boy with red hair. Ronald Weasley.

"So what?" I heard Harry snarl, "good riddance to bad rubbish, I say!"

"I- I come here in p-peace," I stuttered, still struggling for air.

"Yeah right! Pull the other one!" Harry sneered. "How thick do you think I am?"

"Mate, lets hear her out," Ron suggested gently. "And maybe lets take that locket off your neck, eh?" He said beckoning to the chain around Harry's neck.

"Fuck you, Ronald!" Harry bellowed, "and where the hell have you been anyway? Ditching Hermione and me like that - you are nothing but a measly coward - a measly-" Harry paused, looking at something past Ron's shoulder. "Hey - what's that?"

I looked up to see what he was referring to - it was a small, frozen pool. Something glinted from deep inside of it.

Harry sprinted over to it, pointing his wand right at it. I shakily got up and went to stand next to Ron where we both just stared at Harry.

"Diffindo!" Harry yelled, making the surface of pool's ice crack.

He pulled his jacket off. And then he was there, and then he wasn't. The idiot had jumped in.

"Harry!" Ron yelled, when Harry did not resurface.

Sighing, I ran to the pool's edge and, leaning my arm in, pulled Harry out who appeared to be choking on the locket that was strangling him.

I struggled to feel sorry for him.

I used my wand to cut through the chain that was closing tightly around his throat, enabling Harry to gasp for air.

Harry looked up at me in shock as he took in great big gulps of air.

"I think it's about time we listen to her," Ron said, stepping up behind me, "don't you think, mate?"