Disclaimer: I don't own any of this; it's all J.K Rowling's

Authors Note: Sorry the updates are so slow, it's been mental recently and I'm finding it hard to get inspiration! But I will try my absolute hardest to get this finished soon! There's quite a big event in this chapter that you may recognise from the books so you will be able to tell that there's not long left! Please review, reviews always make my day!

She entered the library and soon found him sitting on their usual table so she sat in her usual chair opposite him. His head snapped up but he relaxed as soon as he saw it was Astoria. His face broke out in a smile.

'Seriously Draco, I'm sick of meeting in the library!' she moaned.

'I know, I'm sorry, but I'm really busy! I have loads of research to do' he apologised.

'What are you even doing this doesn't look like homework' she said picking up one of the books on the table entitled Magical Object Repair Manual.

He snatched the book out of her hands 'I'm trying to repair something all right'

'What are you trying to fix? I can try and help!' She said trying to be helpful.

'No offense but I don't think you'll be able to help me'

'Why not?' she asked slightly offended.

'It's just that it's not really a very common object'

'Then what makes you think it will be in here?' she asked holding up another book entitled A Step By Step Guide To Magical Object Restoration.

Draco slammed the book shut that he was reading and sighed 'I suppose your right, I'm just so desperate that I'll try anything at the moment' Astoria sensed by the fear in his voice that this was not for a homework assignment.

'This isn't homework is it?' she whispered.

Draco looked up into her eyes 'No, it's not'

'Will you be in danger you don't fix it?'

'Yes. It's my last option' she said hopelessly.

'I don't want to know why your fixing it but if you really are in that much danger why don't you let me help!'

'I won't let you get involved in this!'

'Fine I won't help you fix it but maybe I can try looking in some books and stuff, that way I won't be directly helping!' she suggested.

Draco sat silently.

'Please Draco'

'Fine. I am getting pretty desperate. I need to fix something called a vanishing cabinet. I sort of know how to fix it because I've been getting help with that and I think if I work on it every night it might be ready in time, but it will all be useless if I don't have the incantation to make it work; and I've looked everywhere but I can't find it!'

Astoria leaned forward 'Have you looked in the restricted section?'

'Um no I haven't actually. I suppose I've been so busy I didn't even think of the most obvious place! Well I need it is as soon as I can to test the cabinet so I might as well go tonight' he decided.

'I thought you said you need to work on the cabinet every night to get it ready in time'

'Yeah but I need the incantation desperately to test it so that's my main priority'

'Why don't you let me get it?'

Draco looked at Astoria shocked 'You would do that?'

'Of course I would! Anyway a bit of rule breaking never hurt anyone!'

'Astoria seriously think about this!'

'Do you realise how bad it would look if you get caught? Especially with Ron Weasley being poisoned the other day and that Bell girl getting cursed by the necklace, you could get suspended if they catch you in the restricted section in the middle of the night!'

'Well I'll just have to make sure I don't get caught then!' Astoria said mischievously.

Astoria hadn't done something like this in years. She could feel the adrenaline in her veins as she creped down the corridors. The halls were filled with an eerie silence, and darkness filled the space around her; Hogwarts was a completely different place in the dead of night.

She eventually found her way large oak library door.

'Muffliato' she whispered pointing her wand at the large door, as it was prone to creaking.

And surely enough as she pushed the door open the eerie silence remained.

Once in the restricted section she scanned the book shelves desperately trying to find anything that sounded relevant. While doing so she realised why most of these books were off-limits she couldn't even imagine why a school would need books such as Secrets of the Darkest Arts and Creative Ways In Which To Kill. Some of the books were chained to the shelves and some even had suspicious red stains on them which she guessed to be blood.

After about 10 minutes she had about 3 books which sounded appropriate and she was sure she would be able to find the incantation in one of them. She put the books in the rucksack she had brought specially and began to make her way back to the library doors when the heard the padding of feet on the floor. She quickly ran behind one of the shelves to cover herself.

'Who's there?' They shouted 'Rotten kids if I had my way they'd be too afraid to even step out of bed on a night' they mumbled, comforting that the voice belonged to Filch.

Filch began to look down each shelf in the library and if Astoria did not move he would soon find her hiding place.

She darted behind another shelf closer to the door and stayed motionless for a moment as she saw filch peering down the row of shelves where she had just been hidden.

Draco's previous warnings about being caught echoed in her mind as she heard Filch shout 'You'll be in serious trouble when I find you! Professor Dumbledore will not be pleased!' he said with a hint of glee in his voice he then added 'You might as well show yourself, I will find you!'

However the little addition to his speech did not scare Astoria it only made her more determined she sprinted behind another shelf and another and then another until she only was within mere metres to the door.

Filch was however just coming to shelf behind which she was hiding, if she did not sprint for the door now he would catch her.

So just as Filch began to turn towards her she sprinted for the door, just getting there in time without Filch even noticing her.

Astoria studied the books all right and amazingly she had managed the find the incantation. After getting a few hours' sleep she made her way down to the common room. She hoped she would see Draco before breakfast so she could tell him the good news but she couldn't find him.

'Daphne have you seen Draco this morning?' she said when she spotted her sat on one of the sofas.

'No but Theo isn't down yet so he might come down with Theo. Why do you want Draco anyway?' Daphne asked raising her eyebrow.

'I just need to talk to him all right?!' she snapped.

She heard footsteps behind her and quickly spun round, her face dropped when she realised it was Theo.

'Who do you need to talk to?' Theo asked.

'Draco, is he down yet?' she said eagerly.

'Didn't you hear? He's in the hospital wing!'

Astoria didn't wait for Theo to explain; she sprinted out of the common room and made her way as quickly as possible to the hospital wing. It wasn't within visiting hours but she honestly didn't care. She pushed the large door to hospital wing open, as silently as she could. She entered the room noiselessly praying that Madam Pomfrey was in her office, and luckily for her she was.

Draco was easy to spot, he was laid sprawled out, face down on a bed, with his platinum hair sticking up at all angles. She walked over to him and sat by him on the edge of his bed.

'Draco' she whispered, shaking him gently.

'Draco, wake up' she repeated and this time he stirred slightly.

'Is that you, Astoria?' He mumbled dreamily.

'Of course it's me! Why are you in the hospital wing? What happened?' she said anxiously.

Draco pulled himself up to a sitting position to face Astoria, Draco had no shirt on but his body was covered in bandages. Where there were gaps in his bandages, large scars could be seen across his torso. After noticing this she began to examine the rest him and she then noticed scars all down his arms and across his face.

'Oh Merlin! What happened to you?'

'Potter' he said casually.

'That bastard! What did he do to you?' Astoria said flaring with anger.

'I'm not entirely sure, he used some spell that I've never heard of and it pretty much sliced me all over' he said examining the cuts across his arms.

'What's his problem? I know you've never been the best of friends but what brought this on?'

Draco then noticed Astoria anger and began to panic 'Calm down Astoria'

'Calm down! How are you so calm? Potter could have bloody killed you! When I see him next I'll –'

'– Astoria listen to me, you can't tell anyone about this! I don't need any more attention brought to me at the minute, especially with everything going on!'

'He attacked you Draco! Don't you want people to know what he did?'

'No, because if they find out they'll all want to know why Potter did it and I think he did it because he suspects me. I think he knows Astoria.' Draco said with panic written all over his face.

'Oh. How much does he know?'

'He doesn't know what I'm doing but I think he knows I'm one of them'

'Do you think that he'll be a problem then?'

'I don't know, I just need to be far more careful now and I need to work even faster'

Astoria then realised the reason why she had even began looking for Draco in the first place.

'I can't believe I forgot! I found the incantation!'

'You did?!' Draco said amazed.

'Of course I did! Did you doubt me?' she said playfully.

'No, but I didn't expect you to find it so fast! Do you remember what it was?'

'It was Harmonia Nectere Passus'

'You don't know how grateful I am for this!' He said as his face lit up.

'You're welcome and I'm just glad you're all right, these look pretty nasty' she said tracing on of the scars that ran across his shoulder blade. Draco shivered at her touch and put his own hand on Astoria's shoulder and then wrapped it around her neck. He then gently began to pull her towards him and Astoria moved towards him willingly.

He then leaned in slowly taking her face I his hands and kissed her slowly but intensely. Astoria responded wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to herself. She felt Draco wince at her movement and she quickly pulled away.

'Shit! Did I hurt you?' She said worried.

'Just a bit, but seriously I don't mind' he said chuckling and leaning in again.

They were interrupted however by the sound of Madame Pomfrey rummaging around in her office.

Astoria sprung up 'Bollocks I forgot I wasn't in visiting hours! I've got to go to class but I promise I'll come and see you later'

She then gave Draco a quick peck on the lips and hurried out of the door, leaving Draco in a slight daze.

Author Questions:

1) Are you pleased with their relationship or would you want to see more of it?

2) Who's your favourite character?