"Draco," I say opening my eyes and discovering that I am in the hospital wing and that he is there watching me.

"Shh, I'm here it's okay,"

"I ruined your cloak, I think it has blood on it," I whimper not really knowing what else to say.

"It's okay, don't worry just rest now," he whispers back to me whilst smiling gently, I really don't understand what is going on here.

"But I ruined everything, everyone hates me, and Ginny, she told everyone…" I let out a small sob as I remember, feeling my face flush with the humiliation.

"So it's true?" he says tensely and I can see tears in his eyes as I nod my response. "And the other thing?" I nod again unable to lie to him or look at him as I feel him tense further beside me, every muscle in his body rigid.

"I'm sorry, I know I should have said, but I knew that if you found out you wouldn't want…"

"Want what?"

"Want anything to do with me,"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you hate me, I just hoped that maybe, I'm sorry, you should probably go like everyone else, I'm dangerous," I stutter again.

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for and I'm not going anywhere, you're not dangerous, powerful maybe, but not dangerous," he whispers stroking my hair back from my forehead and kissing it gently.

"Why are you being so nice to me, don't you hate me? Aren't you scared of what I might do? I can't control it you know," I am very confused now and am beginning to wonder if this is all a dream maybe I'm still unconscious.

"Why would I hate you? You just made me see that it was time to stand up and be counted, I didn't like the person I was pretending to be, and you gave me the strength to just be me. You are the only person who could see the real me," I smile at him as he smiles back.

"I'm not sure how I did any of that," I say quietly,

"You never judged me because of my father," he replies and I stare at him for a while in shock,

"Why would I judge you because of what he has done?"

"Everyone does. My father is a death eater and therefore so am I. My father is a sadistic and cruel man and there fore so am I. My father hates anyone who isn't pureblood and therefore so do I. Everyone is scared of my father and loathe him in equal parts and therefore so do they me," he is breathing hard when he finishes and not able to look me in the eye.

"Your father is all of those things but that doesn't have any bearing on how I see you Draco. I hated you… I wanted to hate you for the things you did, I always suspected that you didn't mean half of the things you said and did but I would be a hypocrite to judge you based purely on your upbringing, I mean I don't want to be judged based on the fact that I am an orphan," I say gently and he smiles.

"And that is why you are different, like I said you were the only one who saw the real me, saw through the image I was forced to adopt to everyone only you made me see that I didn't have to do that anymore because those few minutes I spent with you were the most relaxed I have ever been because I was just being me and I don't want to give that up,"

"What are you saying?" I ask as his hand once again finds mine and his fingers grip mine tightly.

"I'm letting the world know that I am against my father, against the dark lord and against all of it," he says after a while and my breath rattles in my lungs at my sharp intake of breath.

"Draco you can't. It's too dangerous, what if they come after you?" I whisper and he smiles slightly.

"I've spoken to Dumbledore already and he has arranged for a safe house for me to stay in when I am not here and we have to face the fact that the war is coming either way and I think I may be safer on the right side, the side you're on," he smiles and I feel myself blush as he leans closer staring into my eyes.

"So you'll stay with me?" I ask nervously after an age suddenly needing someone on my side, needing him to believe in me, to want me not just the right side but me!

"Forever," he breaths as his lips brush mine and I forget everything else. The world implodes behind my eyelids as his lips mould themselves to mine and it is like everything was in black and white before this moment and now I am seeing everything in the most beautiful technicolour. I am gasping for breath when we break apart.

"That was…" I start not knowing what I am saying or how I am even forming words to be honest, I feel a little like my brain has just short-circuited.

"Yeah," he agrees dazedly with a sloppy grin on his face that makes me want to laugh.

A week later and I am ready to go back to school, I am shaking as I get ready for breakfast in the hospital wing and only the thought of Draco keeps me walking as I head down the stairs and through the doors to the great hall, back to a reality I had been thankfully sheltered from up until now. I knew it was going to bad because even though Draco had tried to protect me from it, I heard some of the whispers from students coming to and from the hospital wing and none of my friends had been to see me so I knew they all hated me still.

A hush immediately descends upon the hall as I walk in and then everyone starts to whisper as I walk towards the Gryffindor table and grab a seat near the end pretending to put things on my plate to eat. I have already lost nearly three stone I don't want people to start saying that I am anorexic too.

"What are you doing here traitor?" someone snarls at me, I ignore them though the sting of their words makes me flinch.

"Oi, whore, you're not welcome here," someone else whispers

"Did you really get raped?"

"I heard he beat her half to death, she still has the scars,"

"I heard she always got molested in that place they made her live,"

"Well I heard her parents killed themselves when they saw how ugly she was,"

I cover my face with my hands and try to block out the sounds of what they are saying each thing worse than the last, my heart is beating so fast in my chest that I think I might throw up, I am shaking uncontrollably and I can feel myself losing control and the talking gets louder as light begins to glow around me, a dark purple light and it's getting stronger zapping away my energy but I can't control it and then another hush falls on the grand hall as two strong arms embrace me, pulling me up and turning me round so that my face is buried in his chest. Suddenly the pressure in my head is receding and I can see the light dimming until it disappears, he can control it, even if I can't, having him near me helps me control whatever is wrong with me.

"Malfoy, you blood traitor,"

"How could you?"

"What are they thinking?"

"Has he cursed her?"

"Has she turned dark?"

"STOP!" bellowed Malfoy and everyone went silent looking at him, waiting for an explanation, I chance a glance up and can see them all gaping in silence. "If you must know I don't care what any of you think or believe about me, I am no longer on speaking terms with my father I am not a dark wizard and will never be one, I hate everything they stand for but it wasn't until one very brave and strong, and beautiful girl showed me that I could be who I wanted not what others wanted of me that I had the strength to stand up and say it. So listen up, I am in love with JJ Heely and if anyone lays a finger on her they will have me to answer to," he is breathing heavily and his face has a pinkish tinge to it's beautiful pale when he finishes, I look around and see a load of still gaping faces, a deathly silence hanging over the hall, and then I see them the four of them my best friends, looking guilty and yet still not saying anything I feel my heart break a little as lock eyes with them before Draco leads me away, my heart beating so hard and fast that I can feel myself still shaking violently.