End of fifth year

(Excerpt from Draco's journal)

I know she thinks I don't love her anymore. But I don't know how to talk t her about it. I feel guilty for not being there with her, but my father…he'd have killed me, and I know it. And to find out that my aunt, her cousin, killed her father…well, I can't help but think she'd be angry at me somehow. How can I make her see that I still love her more than she could possibly imagine?

Draco watched subtly as Lylli walked past him. He moved to stand up, to try and catch her eye, but as always, something in his heart stopped him. He told himself, "She doesn't want to see me anymore. Besides, I'm a Slytherin, she's a Gryffindor. How could it ever work?" He looked away as she turned towards him, and she walked towards her table without a word.

(Excerpt from Lylli's journal)

I don't know how to talk to him anymore. Every time I try, he just walks away. It's like he doesn't care anymore. I want to talk to him about what happened at the Ministry, but he won't listen. I need to talk to someone, and I want it to be him. But how can I make him love me again?

Lylli looked up from her journal as Harry slid into a seat next to her. She smiled warily—Harry had been volatile at best since the Ministry incident—and closed the small, red-leather bound book she used as a diary. "Hey, Harry. How're you today?"

Harry shrugged. "Same. Don't want to get up, convince myself that a letter from Sirius will be waiting at breakfast, and then remember. By then I'm usually half-dressed anyway. So I just get up. What about you? You've seemed kind of bummed since—more than just typical my-father-died bummed, too. What's going on?"

Lylli smiled wryly. "Nothing, really. I just miss Sirius." I can't tell him the truth. I'd never live it down. "Really. Look, I've got to go."

Harry shrugged. "Okay. I'll see you around?"

Lylli nodded. "Yeah." She stood up. "I've just got some things to do." She replaced her journal in her bag and headed for the Slytherin table. One way or another, we're going to talk, she thought, almost angrily. She strode directly up to Draco's side. "Can we talk?"

Draco looked up in surprise as Lylli made her request. He nodded, nearly speechless. "Um, sure. Shall we go somewhere a bit more private, then?"

Lylli nodded. "Yeah. Follow me."

Lylli almost lost her nerve and stopped in the library, but she mustered up her courage and headed for the Room of Requirement. She walked past the door three times—I need a place to talk privately with my boyfriend—and threw open the door. The Room didn't disappoint. It resembled a teacher's office, but without the teacher. She perched on the arm of one of the couches, and Draco sat on the desk. He smiled warily. "You wanted to talk?"

Lylli nodded. "Why don't you ever spend time with me anymore? Ever since that whole fiasco at the Ministry, and with Umbridge, you've seemed bound and determined to ignore me. Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No!" Draco was shocked. "Never. I thought…I thought you'd be furious with me. I mean, we were on opposite sides. And my aunt murdered your father."

"You were on Umbridge's side by force. Didn't you tell me your father threatened you if you didn't join? And you had nothing to do with Bellatrix and that. Draco…I've needed you. I've had no one to talk to."

"Harry?"

"Wouldn't understand. Draco, I needed you! Not just that, but I wanted you. I…I've missed you." Lylli's voice cracked, and she broke down in silent sobs.

Draco threw his arms around her. "I'm so sorry! I didn't even begin to think about how you must have been feeling. I've been so worried that you would hate me that I didn't even think you might need me."

Lylli wiped her eyes. "I could never hate you. I'm too deeply in love with you."

"You'll have to tell Harry soon."

"I know. I'll tell him over the summer. I can't believe we won't see each other for three months."

"We'll stay in touch, I promise. Come on, if we stay any longer, we'll miss the train."

As they quickly parted on the train, Lylli caught Draco's arm. "Don't forget to write!"

"I won't, I promise!" Draco laughed. "We'll try to get together over the break. I love you."

"I love you too." Lylli watched Draco's retreating back, smiling to herself. For the first time since Sirius' death, she was happy. How could she know things might soon change?