The following morning, I went to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place via the Floo fireplace, to drop off the journal (and also to deliver a letter). The letter was addressed to Daphne, explaining my situation and that I was doing well. I didn't mention any specific details regarding my whereabouts, just to be safe. Even though the chances of it being intercepted by the wrong people were pretty low and Remus had even said that they'd make sure it was safely delivered.

I stepped through the fire and entered the Floo Room of the house, where there were several other Floo fireplaces to various locations. I exited the room and almost bumped into someone in the hallway.

"Oh- 'scuse me," I said. Then I saw who it was.

"Harry?" I said, taken aback. "What're you doing here?"

"I live here now…" Harry responded. "What are you doing here?"

"I uh, came to drop off a letter," I said. "Remus told me if I had to…"

"Master Potter, your breakfast is ready," Kreacher croaked. He then saw me and sunk into a bow. "Master Malfoy, this is a pleasant surprise. Would you like some breakfast as well?"

I hadn't actually had breakfast yet so I turned to Harry and said, "Um, sure if that's okay."

"Yeah, of course, come on," he said, and he led the way to the kitchen. Breakfast was fried eggs, buttered toast and bacon.

As we were eating, Harry said, somewhat awkwardly, "So um… how've you been?"

"Eh… alright, I guess," I said. "Could be a lot worse."

"How's the hand?" he said. "Er… sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Oh, don't sweat it," I said. "The hand is actually pretty cool. Toss me an apple from that basket, would you?"

He did, and I caught it with my metallic right hand. I then proceeded to crush it into a pulp by clenching into a fist.

"Woah," Harry said in awe. "That's really cool. Does it have any other abilities?"

"Not that I'm aware of. I think it's just a stronger version of a human hand," I said. "I don't think it can, like shoot lasers out of it or anything. That would be cool though…"

"Hmmm," Harry said, rubbing his chin. "I wonder if it'll affect your flying in anyway."

"Huh, I hadn't thought about that," I said. "I don't think so? I mean I guess I'd be able to hold onto the broom better, but other than that, I'm not sure."

"I mean, a better grip is a pretty solid advantage…" Harry said. "Speaking of Quidditch, have you been following the league?"

"I haven't, actually," I said. "What's happened?"

"You support Puddlemere, right? They're tied for the top spot with the Holyhead Harpies. There's a game between them on Sunday."

"Nice, nice," I said. "You're with the Tornadoes, right?"

"Nope, Harpies," he said.

"Really?" I said. "Well Sunday ought to be interesting, then."

After finishing my breakfast, I left the letter and journal with Kreacher and told him to give them to Remus. Then I returned to the safehouse, where I realized how much I had enjoyed the talk with Harry, brief as it was. It had been a while I had talked with someone my age.

I sat down on the sofa and sighed. My thoughts turned to the letter. It sucked being so close to Daphne yet so far at the same time. But… then again, July was almost over. A little over a month to go till I was back at Hogwarts…

[…]

The next week went by uneventfully. At long last Saturday came again, and I could go to the town. Hestia showed up on time, and after putting on my disguise again we headed out. Hestia had just gotten back from a three-day trip to Egypt on behalf of Gringotts and told me all about it on the way.

In the town Hestia had to go to the bookstore to pick up some… well, books. I was happy to tag along, I hadn't actually seen the bookstore yet. My first impression was that it was a pretty normal muggle bookstore, but Hestia showed the shopkeeper, a fierce-looking middle-aged woman, a galleon and she led the way to a door in the back. I followed Hestia into the room and this was apparently the wizarding section of the shop, judging by the books and the attire of the handful of other customers.

While Hestia was talking to the shopkeeper, I decided to take a look around. There was some good stuff here, but what really caught my eye wasn't a book, it was a certain blonde girl that just entered the shop.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw Daphne, she was as stunning as ever. The long blonde hair, the blue eyes, that adorable button nose… I watched her browse through some books a few aisles away, and debated talking to her. I was in disguise… so there's that. Plus, kinda beats the whole point of a disguise if I tell someone who I really am.

But on the other hand… it was Daphne! My girlfriend! God, I had missed her!

Hestia was on the other side of the shop, so against my better judgement and all common sense, I walked over to Daphne.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" I said in a low voice.

She looked at me for a moment then said, "Um, sure?"

"Okay, so this is gonna sound weird but… it's me, Draco Malfoy, I'm in disguise right now."

She stared at me for a moment. "I'm sorry, is this some kind of weird joke or something…? Because I really don't have time for this-"

"No, really, it's me, I swear," I said. "Ask me something only Draco would know."

"When was the last time you sent me a letter?" she said. "Oh, and where's the secret passage to Honeydukes located in Hogwarts?"

"Hmm, last week, and behind the statue of the One-Eyed Witch on the third floor," I said. "The passage opens when you say dissendium."

Her skepticism turned to disbelief, and disbelief to happiness. A smile dawned on her face, and she hugged me tightly before quickly pulling away.

"How've you been?" I asked.

"Well, I've been great- what about you? I've barely heard from you all summer!" she said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah well… I've been kinda stuck in a safehouse," I said. I quickly explained everything to her, before chancing a glance back at Hestia. She was carrying a stack of books and seemed to be looking around for me.

"Listen, I'm sorry we couldn't talk any longer, but I have to go now," I said hurriedly. "See you."

"Wait," Daphne said.

"Yeah?"

"Come to my house tonight," she said. "It's just outside of town."

"Wha- I can't come to your house, are you crazy?" I hissed back.

"My parents are going to London tonight," she said. "Astoria will be gone too."

"That's not the issue-" I said. I glanced back, Hestia was a few aisles away so I turned back to Daphne and said, "Ok, look, I really gotta go."

"Okay," she said, "I love you…"

My heart skipped a beat again.

"I love you, too," I said, then left her.

"Ah, there you are," Hestia said as I walked up to her. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go," I said, before looking back at Daphne one last time as I left the shop.

[…]

Later that night, as I lay in bed, I found myself unable to sleep. There was a small ache in my heart, just strong enough to make its presence known and irritate me. It had been there since I had left the bookstore. I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to find a comfortable position, or to keep my eyes closed long enough for me to fall asleep.

I kept thinking about Daphne. Those few minutes in the bookstore… had it been risky? A bit. Would Hestia have allowed it? Absolutely not. But it made me yearn for more… having to wait a month till I got back to Hogwarts, or even a week for just a chance to run into her again seemed too difficult now.

And she had asked me to come over… that would definitely be overstepping the boundaries. If Remus or Sirius found out, I doubt I'd even get the one evening a week I was getting right now. And frankly, with the way things were right now – with Death Eaters being arrested left and right and Voldemort underground – that was a bigger threat to me than any Death Eater attack.

But at the same time… I kinda wanted to go, just so I could see her for a bit longer. I could sneak out of the house now if I wanted to, the alarm was disabled now or at least it was disabled for me. I had tested it out of curiosity a few nights ago.

A light breeze came in through the open window and caressed my feet. Restless, I got out of bed and walked up to the window, looking out into the open countryside, the dark silhouette of the town just barely visible. Most of the lights were off in the town, it was half past ten.

I stood there for a few minutes, then let out a deep sigh. I had made up my mind. Against my better judgement, and abandoning any semblance of common sense, I was gonna go see Daphne tonight.

I got dressed quickly, and put on a big travelling cloak with the hood up to hide my face as a precaution. Making sure I had my wand with me, I headed out. I walked down the lawn up to the gate. I hesitated for a second, before taking a deep breath and stepping out the gate. I stood there for a few moments, when nothing happened, I started heading towards the town. I'll admit I was slightly paranoid, and a few times the sounds of twigs snapping made me stop in my tracks, but it was usually just a small animal.

I reached the town. The street lamps were on but the lights inside the buildings were off save for an occasional house here and there. I made my way through the now-empty streets to the other side of town, where there was a bridge over a small stream leading back out into the countryside. I could see a large house some distance ahead, that was probably Daphne's house.

I walked down the country road, the stone fence of the property on my left, and a line of trees plus an occasional street lamp on my right. I reached the gate, and saw that most of the lights in the house were off, except for one room on the second floor.

I picked up a small pebble from the ground and threw it. It fell short of the window by several feet. I threw another pebble, this one missed and hit the wall next to the window. The third one hit correctly, and a few moments later, Daphne's silhouette arrived at the window and opened it.

I pulled back my hood and waved at her. "Hey, it's me!" I said.

"Oh-!" she disappeared from the window and a few moments later, I heard the front door of the house open as she ran down the gravel path towards the gate and opened it. I took a moment to admire her beauty. She was wearing a silk sleeping gown, her long blonde hair was let loose and shone brilliantly in the moonlight.

"Hi- oof!" I said as she practically threw herself on me for a hug.

When we broke apart, she smiled at me and said, "You took your time, I was about to go to sleep."

"Hey, be glad I came. It was against my better judgement," I said, smiling back. "But I don't regret it."

"Come on in," she said. She grabbed my hand and led me inside, straight across the living room and up to her bedroom. We fell on the bed and started kissing passionately. Her kiss was soft and sweet, her body warm. I ran one hand through her hair as we kissed and with the other, I pulled back her gown a bit and caressed her thigh, her skin smooth to the touch.

"God, I've missed you so much," she said through the kiss.

"I missed you more," I muttered back.

I started kissing her neck, and moved my hand up from her thigh and grabbed her ass. Daphne moaned softly.

I grabbed the belt of her robe and tugged it gently, not enough to untie it completely but loosening it a bit. Daphne grabbed my hand, and pulled away from the kiss. She looked at me, biting her lower lip. I stayed still as I looked back at her. For a moment I thought I may have fucked up, but then I saw she wasn't mad. She seemed… conflicted.

After a few moments of bated breath passed, Daphne just sighed and said, "Draco… I'm sorry, I'm just not sure if I'm ready for… well, you know…"

"Oh… of course, I get it."

"I'm sorry…" she said softly, sitting up straight. "I didn't mean to kill the mood or anything."

"No, no, not at all," I said gently, sitting up straight as well. I grabbed her hand and said, "It's perfectly understandable. I get it, really… we'll take it slow, yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah… thanks for understanding, babe," she said, leaning back in for another kiss. "You're amazing."

"Mhm, I know," I said.

We kissed again, and after that we lay on the bed, talking. We caught up, I filled her in on what happened over the summer, in a bit more detail this time.

"Well sounds like you had a… summer?"

"Yes, it was definitely a summer, alright," I said, nodding affirmatively. "What about you?"

"Nothing much. We were supposed to spend the summer in Holland but we didn't go because Astoria was sick. So, we came here instead."

"Astoria's sick? What's wrong?"

Daphne shrugged. "This is her third trip to St. Mungo's in the last two weeks, they're still trying to figure out what exactly it is. She's been-"

At that moment there was a creaking noise from outside. "Stay back," Daphne said, and looked out the window.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath. "They're back earlier than I thought…"

I winced. "Back door?"

She shook her head. "You won't make it in time… hide under the bed."

"What- how's that better?"

"Just do it!"

I heard the door of the house open below and decided now was probably not the best time for debate, so I hid under the bed. Barely a minute later the door opened and someone entered.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" Daphne said.

"Alright," the newcomer said. I recognized the voice, it was Astoria, though she sounded a bit hoarse. "Mum's asking if you want hot chocolate."

"Now?"

"Dad was in the mood sooo… she's making some right now."

"Alright then, I'll be down in a bit."

"Okay… by the way, whose cloak is that?"

My heart skipped a beat.

Shit, I forgot to hide my cloak!

"Uhhh, that's mine. Duh," Daphne said. "Who's else would it be?"

"Just never seen it before."

"Yeah, I don't really wear it that much," Daphne said quickly. "Now shoo. And close the door on your way out."

Astoria left, doing as she was told. Daphne got up and locked the door.

"Come on up," she said.

"Ok, so how exactly do I leave?" I asked, coming out from under the bed. "Put on a disillusionment charm and try sneaking out?"

Daphne shook her head. "No, disillusionment doesn't make you invisible, they might see you."

"Then what? Wait for your parents to go to sleep?"

"I guess? Unless you wanna try jumping out the window…" she said.

"Let's see, an excuse to spend more time with the most beautiful girl in the world… or potentially break a couple bones jumping from a window," I said dryly. "A tough choice indeed."

She smiled at me.

"Right, stay here then, don't make any noise, I'll be right back."

She left the room, but came back a few moments later, holding two cups of hot chocolate.

"I got one for you as well," she said, handing me one of the cups.

"Thanks," I said, taking it. Daphne closed and locked the door behind her and sat down next to me on the bed. She placed her head gently on my shoulder, and we drank our hot chocolate in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, quite the opposite. It was not because we didn't have anything to say, it was because we didn't need to say anything. Just being with each other was comforting enough. Cherishing each other's presence in silence.

Unfortunately, I had to get back soon. I really didn't want to leave Daphne, but the fact that I was even here in the first place was massively overstepping boundaries to begin with and I really didn't want to push it any more than I already had. So reluctantly I got up to leave. Daphne checked to see if the coast was clear; her parents and Astoria had gone to sleep by now so I put on my cloak, cast a disillusionment charm just to be safe and quietly left the house from the front door, and began the long walk back to my place.

It was late when I got back, and the walk had really done a number on me so I pretty much passed out the moment I hit the sheets. The small, irritating ache in my heart replaced by a warm fuzzy sensation, and just like that, I slipped away into blissful unconsciousness.

[…]

(Meanwhile, in Grimmauld Place)

Sirius was sitting in his study, reading Regulus's journal. He hadn't had the time to read it in the past week. Between rebuilding the House of Black and the duties for Order of the Phoenix, there was more than enough to keep him busy, but with Rufus Scrimgeour taking increasingly extreme action against Death Eaters, that meant there was a large amount of workload on the Wizengamot end as well.

Good thing he had sent Harry to the Weasleys' for the week, at least he'd enjoy himself that way.

Now, finally with some spare time on his hands, he could take a look at the journal. It was an odd experience. The more he read it, the more depressed he became, yet he did not wish to stop.

He had loved his brother dearly, and had done his best to make sure he didn't turn out like the rest of his family. Unfortunately, when Sirius had gone to Hogwarts, his mother had seized the opportunity to brainwash Regulus with her pure-blood mania. All it had taken was one summer away…

Reading the diary entries of a young teenage boy – his brother – fantasize about joining the ranks of Voldemort hurt Sirius. It brought back painful memories of how he and Regulus, once inseparable, had drifted apart in their teenage years.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Remus entered the room.

"I just got the letter, the remaining Lestrange assets have been incorporated into the House of Black," Remus said.

"Good," Sirius said.

"I see you're reading the journal," Lupin said.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to," Sirius said as Kreacher entered the room with tea. "Where'd you say you found it again?"

"Oh, Draco brought it last week," Remus said. "Said he'd found it in the attic of his house."

"In the attic?" Sirius asked in disbelief. "You're telling me the Ministry never cleared out the attic in the decade they had the house in their possession?"

Remus shrugged, pouring himself and Sirius a cup of tea. "Seems like it. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised…"

Sirius shook his head and kept reading. He raised the cup of tea for a sip but stopped, eyes widening.

"Everything alright?" Lupin asked.

Sirius didn't respond immediately, instead kept reading, his eyes scanning the pages.

"Sirius?"

Sirius looked up at Remus and said shakily, "Read this."

Remus took the journal and read the last entry.

"Merlin's beard…" he whispered softly.

"We need to alert the Order immediately," Sirius said.

Lupin nodded. "On it."