I watched as Harry and Ron destroyed the locket - a Horcrux, apparently.

I shuddered as my father's voice spoke from two figures which had appeared out of the locket - Harry and Hermione. They were snogging and stuff, which clearly distressed Ron.

I didn't know what kind of weird twisted relationship these three Gryffindor's had, and to be honest, I didn't want to know.

Ron stabbed the locket with the sword that Harry had procured from the pool.

Another Horcrux down. Another one closer to Harry and I, I thought, as I eyed that sword with fear.

"So," Harry said, panting as he stood over me - Ron joining his side. "Talk."

I shifted uncomfortably on the rock I was sitting on. "My father knows I'm here, but I'm here as a double agent."

"What?" Harry spluttered angrily, his face turning puce again.

"Listen to her, mate," Ron said, placing a placating hand on his shoulder.

"I'm on your side," I assured him, looking directly into Harry's eyes. "I do not agree with my father's actions and I want him destroyed as much as you do."

"How can we possibly trust you?" Harry spat.

"Because the Sneakoscope is not spinning."

All three of us looked up in shock as Hermione strode defiantly towards us, a funny glass spinning top thing held out in her hand.

I felt a pang of relief as she paused in front of me, giving me a nod to carry on. Harry and Ron just stared at her incredulously.

"Hermione I-" Ron started.

"Not now, Ronald." She said abruptly interrupting him. "Let's hear Astrid out first, and then I can kick your pathetic cowardly arse after."

Ron shut up.

"As you know," I continued, "my father made me a Death Eater. It wasn't a choice I really had. He was going to kill Draco, so I stepped up."

Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes muttering something about a ferret.

"My father controlled me - even put me under the Imperius Curse just so he could force me to tell him I love him and hug him goodnight. It revolted me. He has made me witness countless torture and death. I don't want this life. And neither does Draco."

"Blimey," Ron muttered, shaking his head in pity.

"Where is he then? If Malfoy is so keen to change?!" Harry spat. "Why isn't he with you?"

"He wanted to, but my father wouldn't permit it. He would rather Draco continue on at Hogwarts."

"But how can we trust that your Dark Mark won't bring the Death Eaters to us?" Hermione asked, her voice a lot gentler than Harry's.

"Because," I said, looking up at her, "my father trusts me. And Severus."

"SNAPE IS A MURDERING BASTARD!" Harry screamed, "DUMBLEDORE TRUSTED HIM, TOO!"

"He's on our side!" I implored, as Ron held him back from flying at me, "he told me all about the Horcruxes - Dumbledore knew what he was doing. He knew Severus had to kill him. They had planned it all! It was my uncle's Patronus that led me to you, Harry - that led you to that sword!"

"This is crazy," Ron breathed, and they all eyed the Sneakoscope in Hermione's hand, which had remained still.

"Who else knows about the Horcruxes?" Harry spat.

"Just myself, Draco and Severus. My father has no idea that we know. He thinks I'm here to lure you to him. Harry, we all want you to succeed. I'm here to help you on your Horcrux hunt," I said earnestly looking to each of them. "And with my inside knowledge of the Death Eater ring, we stand more of a chance of succeeding."

Hermione sighed heavily, sitting on the rock next me.

"I think it's safe to say, then," she said, placing a friendly hand on my arm, "Astrid - welcome to our dysfunctional little team."

...

It was going to take time to get Harry to warm to me, I realised.

Ron and Hermione were friendly enough (although not to each other - Hermione was pissed off at Ron because he apparently had gone off in a sulk about something over Christmas). But, despite saving his life even when he had try to kill me, Harry would still regard me with deep contempt.

We camped out in a tent that Hermione had put protective charms on. ("What's the point seeing as we're now inviting Death Eaters in?" "Leave it, Harry, mate.")

Hermione conjured up an extra bed for me to sleep in. It felt ever so lonely at night without Draco. I would fall asleep holding the bracelet in my hand, praying he was okay.

"Edelweiss," Hermione whispered, having noticed me fingering the star shaped flowers on my wrist, "a symbol of deep love and devotion."

"Draco gave it to me for my birthday," I said, my heart twisting as my lips formed his name. "I'm doing this for him. We have no future as long as my father is alive."

I didn't add that we also had no future if he died, too. Well I didn't. Draco still had a chance of life. And that is what counted.

"And your locket?" She asked, beckoning to the silver chain around my neck.

"Severus gave it to me. It was my mother's - his sister. He loved her very much. He became a Death Eater to save her. Like me, he was forced into this life out of love."

"The things we do for love, huh?" Hermione said, glancing across to where Ron was snoring.

But it was worth it. Everything I did for Draco was.

...

"I want to go and see Xenophilius Lovegood." Hermione announced one morning about week after my arrival.

The name Lovegood rang a bell, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Why?" Harry asked, who was lying on his bed vigorously polishing his Gryffindor sword.

Harry was always polishing that sword. It made me nervous, watching him stroke it as he gazed at it with such a tender loving expression upon his face. I wondered if he would happily drive it in me the moment he discovers I'm a Horcrux, before then driving it into himself.

Hermione explained she wanted to ask this Xenophilius about a symbol. One that was linked with Dumbledore, Grindelwald and Godric's Hollow.

I had to admit, I was baffled. And so was Harry who made it clear he thought it was a stupid idea. But Ron was keen to get back into Hermione's good books, so he agreed they should give it a try.

"It's a shame that the holidays are over," Ron said as they found themselves banging on the front door of a strange looking cottage. "It would have been good to see Luna."

And then it hit me.

But before I could say anything to the others, the door flew open and we were faced with a dirty and unkempt looking man. He rather reminded me a lot of Draco's father with his long white hair.

"What? What is it? Who are you? What do you want?"

The kidnap of his daughter had clearly shaken him.

Harry managed to persuade him to let us in and he took us upstairs where he served us questionable looking tea and told us a story about three brothers.

The golden trio seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Luna had been kidnapped and Xenophilius seemed keen not to bring it up.

It wasn't until he disappeared back downstairs did I whisper this news furtively to them.

"What? Why didn't you say anything before?" Harry hissed at me.

"Because I didn't connect the dots until you mentioned her by first name, and by then Xenophilius had answered the door and has been acting quite peculiarly since he have been here! I don't trust him one bit, Harry."

"And I can see why," Hermione piped up, holding up a copy of what looked like the magazine Luna had been reading on the train.

Harry's face was on the front page, depicting a wanted sign.

"Shit!" Ron said as he pointed out the window. Two figures in black cloaks were heading towards the house on broomsticks.

"Death Eaters! Xenophilius must have told them Harry's here!" I gasped. "We need to get out - quick!"

But Xenophilius tried to stop us. He wanted to hand in Harry in exchange for Luna.

"No deal!" Harry roared, and Xenophilius fired a Stunning spell at him which missed and hit something that exploded.

I felt a pair of arms go around me, throwing me to the floor as someone shielded me from the worst of the blast.

When the dust settled, I looked around me, surveying the damage. I was surprised to see Harry had been the one to protect me. To be honest, with the way he was looking at me, I think he was just as surprised himself.

Hermione managed to Disapparate us all out of there, making sure the Death Eaters saw Harry so that Xenophilius wouldn't get in too much trouble.

"Thanks," I said breathlessly to Harry after we all landed in a field somewhere.

He looked up at me and shrugged. "Sure."

I smiled. It wasn't much but it was still the nicest he'd been to me since I had joined them.

And so it seemed, at last, that Harry Potter was finally beginning to thaw.