Hermione did not tell Harry or Ron where she was going. She wasn't going to tell anybody, but thinking it would not be best to just disappear from Hogwarts, she left a note in the staff room for Professor McGonagall, ensuring her that she would be back, she hadn't left permanently and was still going to take her N.E.W.T's.

She packed a rucksack, pulled on her travelling cloak and made her way to the gates where, once beyond the school grounds, she could Apparate.

She appeared with a loud CRACK, in an enormous and bleary courtyard in the middle of the North Sea. Azkaban leered above her, unwelcoming and cold and Hermione could already feel the power of the Dementors overwhelming her. Several of them were gliding around the prison walls, sucking at the frozen air. Hermione shivered.

This was a stupid idea…she should never have come. Draco hadn't wanted anyone to follow him, probably least of all her…she had spoiled everything…he didn't love her…he didn't even like her, maybe he was just using her all along, maybe he really didn't care at all and only asked her to be his friend because he wanted to pass his N.E.W.T's…perhaps he really was in love with Pansy. And what about her N.E.W.T's? She had been so distracted recently, she knew she wasn't making as much of an effort as she should be, what if she failed? What if she failed all her exams, and had to leave Hogwarts with no qualifications? What would she do then? And Ron, what was she going to do about Ron?

No, this was the Dementors making her feel this way…she mustn't go to pieces, not now.

A guard, mercifully, a wizard, was standing in a booth a few feet away, a Patronus gambolling around him. Hermione made her way over, conjuring her own silver otter Patronus as she went. Instantly, the air felt warmer and the despair she had felt moments before was fading slowly away.

"Can I help?" said the wizard.

"I'm here to see Narcissa Malfoy" she said convincingly. The wizard frowned and picked up a sheaf of parchment

"Narcissa Malfoy is dead" he said "she died this morning"

"I know" replied Hermione "that's why I'm here"

The wizard looked at her suspiciously "someone already arrived to collect the body, her son"

"I'm here for…for moral support" said Hermione "it's very important I do this, please?"

The guard peered at her sympathetically "I'm sorry miss, I can't help you. Look, shouldn't you be at school? This isn't a nice place for a young girl like you to be. Azkaban isn't pretty"

"If you could just give me five minutes, five minutes to find him, Mrs. Malfoy's son…" Hermione pleaded

"Its fine" It was Draco. He walked slowly from the gates and across the courtyard. His Patronus, a silver eagle, was soaring along beside him "she's with me"

Hermione started forwards, ready to run into his arms, comfort him, but stopped herself. Instead, she said, very quietly "I'm sorry, Draco"

"What did you come running after me for? You're meant to be at school –"

"Where's your mother?" said Hermione, avoiding the question

"Inside. I came out here for some fresh air…Hermione, this is ridiculous, go back"

"No" said Hermione resolutely "I don't want you to do this on your own"

"Did it occur to you that maybe I do? Maybe I don't want to be pitied by you, maybe I don't want your sympathies. Did you think of that before you came out here?" said Draco, his voice rising an octave "you can't help me with this Hermione. You can't fix this"

"Why do you always think you have to do everything alone, Draco? Why do you push away everyone's affections?"

"Like you did, when I came to you by the greenhouses?"

"I was…I was angry, confused…I didn't mean to be so insensitive" said Hermione in a hushed voice "I do care about you, I care about you a lot…I didn't mean for you to...to think that I didn't"

Draco ran his hand wearily through his hair "I needed a friend, a friend, that's all. You made the whole thing more complicated than it needed to be"

"Complicated?" said Hermione exasperatedly "it was you who made everything complicated, coming onto me in the Room of Requirement! Is that all I am to you, then? A friend?" she added.

Draco threw his arms into the air in frustration "I don't know, Hermione! For Merlin's sake…yes, you're a friend"

"And I suppose that's all I can hope for right now, isn't it?"

"You're such a typical woman!" Draco told her "you're making something out of nothing"

"Nothing?" said Hermione in a very small voice

"I can't do this right now" said Draco "I've got to sort things out… get my mother's body, arrange the funeral… not that anyone will come"

"I'll come" said Hermione

Draco gave a mirthless laugh "whatever you expect me to be, Hermione, I'm not. I won't make you happy, I won't be there for you - you think I've changed? Yeah, I suppose I have, but I'm still an arrogant arsehole who doesn't give a shit about anyone else except myself"

"Don't give me that 'you deserve better' crap" said Hermione "I think I know what is best for me, thank you"

Draco took a step forwards and placed his hands gently on her arms "I want you to go back to Hogwarts. I want you to go, now. I have other things on my mind apart from you at the moment"

"No" said Hermione, shaking her head and folding her arms "No. I won't leave you"

"I don't need you, Hermione! I don't need anyone!" said Draco forcefully

"I think you do. You might believe that you don't, but that's because you've never given anyone the chance to be there for you. You've never let anyone in"

Draco sighed angrily "you're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No"

"Are you two going in?" said the guard, poking his head through the window of the booth to look at them "we need to lock the gates"

"Yes, yes I'm going in" said Draco and made his way towards the entrance. Hermione followed.

"Get lost, Granger" said Draco

"Not going to work, Draco" said Hermione and as the gates clanged shut behind them, Draco slipped his hand in Hermione's own, quite unexpectedly, and gave it a little squeeze, the pair of them walking purposefully through the huge iron doors and into the dreary, cold atmosphere of Azkaban.