Astoria looked at Draco, wondering why he wanted her stay.

"Is there something else you wanted to say or is my company just so enjoyable to you that you couldn't bear to see me leave?" she asked him.

He just ignored her. Astoria sighed and ordered another butterbeer.

Finally, Draco spoke. "I hated being a Death Eater," he said, gripping his glass so hard his knuckles turned white. He didn't make eye contact with her, just stared at spot on the counter.

Astoria didn't say anything; she wanted him to keep talking.

"I was terrified whenever I was around… V-Voldemort." He cringed as he said the name.

"Everything I witnessed, everything he made me do, was just so awful," he continued.

Astoria wasn't sure why he was telling her all this, but she didn't mind.

"He killed the Muggle Studies teacher right in front of me. I didn't know her, but I'd seen her at all my meals for six years." Draco's voice shook and Astoria wondered if he was going to cry. He took a deep breath and continued on though.

"He made me torture someone for him too."

Astoria tried to think of something comforting to say, but she couldn't.

"I wished I could be braver, that everything wouldn't scare me as much."

He fell quiet then. Astoria waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. Just as she was about to give up hope, he opened his mouth again.

"I always admired you," he told her.

"Me?" she asked, shocked. "You hated me."

"No I didn't. I was always impressed with how you always stood up for yourself. You never cared what anyone else thought. You were so brave."

Astoria couldn't believe it.

"You would have made a good Gryffindor."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?" she asked.

"It's a compliment," Draco said. "I can't stand them, but you can't deny that those Gryffindors are brave. Potter never seemed scared of anything, not even Voldemort. Heck, even Longbottom turned out to be braver than I am." He let out a sharp laugh.

"I'm complimenting Potter and Longbottom. Maybe I've finally gone mad," he said.

Astoria smiled. "Yes, maybe you have."

Astoria and Draco were inseparable for the rest of that summer. They found that they were able to tell each other things that they'd never told anyone else.

Draco accompanied Astoria to King's Cross Station to see her off on the Hogwarts Express.

They stood among the crowds of parents and students, not sure what to say to each other.

Finally Draco spoke up. "Try to have a better sixth year than I did, Astoria."

She laughed, but then her expression turned serious again. "You'll write to me, won't you?" she asked him.

"Yeah, sure," he told her.

Astoria smiled. She stood on her toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Before Draco could say anything, she had disappeared into the crowd.

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