A sick feeling swooped low in my stomach as I opened my eyes.

We were going home. Well - Draco was going home and I was going to stay at the Weasley's. I had pleaded with Dumbledore to let me go back to my house. But he insisted that sixteen was too young for me to be staying on my own.

My father was still in St Mungo's and it looked as though that is where he will remain for the rest of his days - forever in a vegetative state; a life destroyed by grief.

It really was just me now.

I didn't relish the idea of staying with the Weasley's. Fred and George were no longer there, and although I liked Ginny, I was fuming at Ron for throwing a coward punch at Draco. I didn't want to look at him, let alone live with him.

I looked at the white-blond haired Slytherin lying next to me, still asleep and softly snoring. My heart swelled warmly with love.

I wriggled my body up against him, nuzzling my head in the crook of his neck. He felt wonderful.

"Morning beautiful," he growled huskily, his voice making me shiver in delight.

I felt his lips press against my brow as his arms snaked around me, pulling me tightly against him.

"Let's run away," I said, looking up to stare earnestly into his piercing silver grey eyes. "Just you and me. Where no one else can try and tear us apart."

His face pained, and he briefly closed his eyes, opening them again with a look of deep regret. "You don't know how tempting that sounds, Aurora. To be able to take you away and look after you. But I need to go back to my mother. We- we could be in danger if I don't. After what happened with my father."

My heart twisted sadly. It had been selfish of me to ask. And I hated the thought of putting Draco in any kind of danger.

"Will you be all right?" I asked fearfully, shivering at the idea of what may await him.

"I will be if I know you are going to okay." He said, gently bringing his fingertips up to caress my face. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid, like try to run away? As much as I deplore the Weasley's, at least I know you're being looked after. And then we can return safely to one another in September. Okay?"

I nodded, knowing he was right. We just had to be patient. Even though I felt sick at the thought of being parted from him for almost two months.

We reluctantly got up, looking around the room for the last time, before leaving our separate ways to go and pack our things.

"It'll be all right, Aurora. I promise." Draco said, later that morning, as we made our way hand in hand down the stone steps towards the carriages.

I stopped short, and gasped. For the carriages were no longer horseless. Great big, haunting looking horse-like creatures were standing there.

"Aurora? What's the matter?" Draco asked, sounding panicked. And then he clocked what I was staring at. "Oh, Thestrals. Hagrid explained about those once in class. I guess you can see them now."

"Those are Thestrals?!" I asked, horrified. When I had ridden one to the Ministry - invisible for me back then - I had no idea they were the creatures who pulled these carriages.

Draco squeezed my hand and looked at me sadly. "Come on, Aurora."

As we started towards an empty carriage, a pair of large arms suddenly wrapped around us from behind.

"GUYS!" Came the excited sound of Blaise's voice from above us. "So the rumours are true!"

Draco and I span around to see him grinning from ear to ear. "You could have told me! Well, I suppose you were too busy making up for lost time, huh?!"

I couldn't help but blush as Draco let out a snort. "Well, you're about the only one who seems happy for us." He scoffed.

"Come on, kids," Blaise went on, jumping up into the nearest carriage and patting the seat opposite him. "Come and tell your Uncle Blaise all about how I was right all along."

******

Draco looked out of the train's window, his heart plummeting as he noticed the countryside start to disappear, replaced by vast amounts of concrete and dark bricked buildings.

"We're nearly there," he murmured in Aurora's ear, squeezing her tightly to him.

They had spent the entire train journey cuddled up together in their own compartment. Blaise, understanding their need to be alone, had subtly said he was off to find Cho.

The journey had gone too quick. Draco was dreading being apart from her. He dreaded going home. He was vastly tempted to suggest they just stay on the train and never get off. But he knew his mother needed him. And he wouldn't let her down, not now that he was the man of the house thanks to his father's incarceration.

"I love you, Draco." Aurora said, and he could feel the fear and panic rise in her voice.

"I love you too, Aurora. It'll all be okay, I promise." He lied, hating himself but knowing he couldn't allow her to worry about him. He didn't trust she wouldn't do anything stupid like try and turn up at the Manor. And that could be very dangerous - especially when he was likely to be there.

As the train started to slow to a stop, he pulled her to him and kissed her hard. He kissed her like he was never going to kiss her again, trying to hold on to every second and memorise every detail.

"Draco," she breathed, as they reluctantly broke apart, both panting heavily.

"Stay safe," He growled, resting his forehead down on hers, "whatever you do, just promise me you'll keep yourself safe."

"I promise," she whispered, her beautiful brown eyes burning intensely up into his.

He brushed his lips one last time against hers, before standing up and leading her out into the corridor, both of them dragging their trunks behind them.

As soon as they stepped down onto the platform, Draco saw his mother waiting. She looked worse than he feared; tired, drawn and gaunt. His stomach twisted uneasily.

Swallowing, he gave Aurora's fingers the merest of squeezes, exchanging one last soulful glance before he walked away.

Draco Malfoy didn't know it, but he would soon learn the full horror of what was yet to come.