[Hermione]

I found my cloak, it was under my bed. I took it out of the wardrobe and walked past Draco. I was glad today was Friday, it meant lessons and I could keep myself busy. I also had rounds tonight. Draco followed keeping his eyes on me. I know I had scared him with all the screaming and stupid attacks I was having but, I felt perfectly fine.

We got down to the Great Hall and I waved goodbye as he walked on ahead and I went to go sit with Harry who was reluctantly sitting with Ron and Lavender.

"Morning," I smiled at Harry.

"What happened last night?" He asked jumping right to the point. I took some toast and opened a fairly big book in front of my face.

"Can I tell you later?" I asked pointing my head towards Ron and Lavender who were glued to each other. I stared repulsed at them. "Guys, trying to eat here." I said throwing a cornflake at Ron. It hit his nose but he didn't do anything. "Are you done?" I asked Harry pleading for him to let us go to Herbology. I took some more toast and we walked away from them. I caught Draco's eye and smiled at him as we left. He smiled back before talking to Blaise again.

Harry and I went out in to the fresh air taking the long way to the Greenhouses.

"So what happened?" Harry asked pulling his cloak close to him as the wind picked up.

I took a deep breath. "Uh...well um. My parents died last night in a fire," I muttered quietly. "Voldemort." Harry's shocked face doubled when I mentioned his name.

"Why did...why them?" Harry spluttered.

I shrugged. "They were muggles? Dumbledore doesn't even know."

Harry took my hand and pulled me in to a tight hug. "Why didn't you come over to the common room? Or come and find me? You shouldn't have been alone." He said holding me close.

"I wasn't alone." I said pulling away and we continued to walk. "Draco came back." Harry took my hand.

"And you were okay because of Draco?" Harry said raising his eyebrow.

"I dunno what it was, he just...seemed to be caring..."I thought not really wanting to talk anymore about it. Harry's arm went around my shoulders and squeezed me close.

"I'm always here for you." He said to me softly. I smiled holding back tears.

Having classes was good for me, I was kept busy and my mind couldn't wander. On the way to second lesson, an owl came down and landed right in front of me. I gasped slightly shocked and approached slowly. The letter in its beak was addressed to me. I took it and stroked the owl on its head before it took off. I recognised the writing slightly and opened the envelope. It was from my Uncle David who lived in Nottingham. The wizards in the post office must have sent this off by owl as he addressed it to an alias address which didn't exist.

'Dear Hermione, I'm sorry I couldn't write to you sooner and that I haven't even been up to see you, but being the Chief of Medicine it gets busy.
I have written your head of school a letter asking if you can come down for the weekend, so we can organise the funeral. I wouldn't feel right doing it by myself and I think you should have an opinion in everything. Please write back when I have your answer.
Love you loads, Dave.'

I smiled, Uncle Dave was such a sweet guy, if it wasn't for his time-taking job, he wouldn't be single. I pocketed the letter for me and made my way to Dumbledore's office. I ran up the last few stairs to the entrance and said the password. As the gargoyle began to move, I jumped on the stairs as it made its way to the top. I took a deep breath and knocked on Dumbledore's office door once I came to it.

"Come in," His gentle voice came. Taking another deep breath, I entered, blushing slightly as I remembered I had practically screamed at him last time I was here. I managed to look up from my shoes as I shuffled to his desk but I felt slightly better when I saw he was smiling. I returned it weakly and cleared my throat.

"Morning Sir, I have a letter for you from my Uncle." I handed it him and waited patiently as he read it.

"That's completely fine Miss Granger. It will probably by easier just to apparate to platform nine and three quarters, I shall make sure a teacher is there to assist you," he smiled.

"Thank you Sir. And um...I'm sorry for everything last night, you know...all the yelling..." I said staring back at my shoes.

"Do not trouble yourself over it. I would be worried if you had given us any less of a reaction," He replied. I smiled and left feeling slightly better. I glanced at my watch when I reached the corridor and yes, I was 15 minutes late for potions.

[Draco]

Draco stifled a yawn as he sat in potions. The hot fumes and dim light was just making him even more tired. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, it was then he noticed that Hermione wasn't in her usual seat next to Potter. He looked around but she wasn't anywhere. 'What trouble has she gotten in to now?' He thought but then he realised that she may have had one of those random attacks...

He waited 5 more minutes but still Hermione had not come in. Draco was about to raise his hand to get out and go find her but as his hand went up, the door opened and Hermione came in.

"That's twice you have been late Miss Granger." Snape looked at her with seething. Hermione took her seat next to Harry and kept her head down. As Snape continued to talk, Draco looked back at her. She didn't look like she had been crying, she looked perfectly fine. He mentally shrugged and turned back to the front, once again yawning. He had little sleep worrying over Hermione and other things. He had been wondering whether to tell her that he was there. That he heard her mother's last screams.

He was also wondering if he should tell her about his dark mark. Maybe if he explained how he was forced in to it she would understand but it was a 99% chance she would run away and tell someone. He wanted someone to confide in and Draco felt very trusting towards Hermione. He thought she seemed like the kind of person was very unselfish and un-self-centred.

"Mr Malfoy." Draco came back out of his thoughts and looked up at Snape. "Please pay attention and get on with it."

Draco looked around and saw everyone busy making some kind of potion. Draco sighed. "Sorry sir, what are we doing?" Snape looked like he might actually murder someone.

"Common poison antidotes." Snape said through gritted teeth. Draco gathered up some of the ingredients and threw some stuff in to his cauldron, not paying attention to what it was. "Draco!" Snape came back over and whacked a notepad around Draco's head. "Pay attention!"

"Can't I just give them a beozar?" Draco snapped. He knew this potion back to front and he seriously couldn't be bothered going back over something he knew.

"Get out now." Snape glared at him. Draco stood up and stalked out of the classroom with Snape following closely. "Draco, what are you doing?" Snape hissed at him, cornering him against the wall.

"I want out. I don't care if he threatens to kill me. I don't want to be part is this sick game anymore!" Draco hissed back. Snape knew very well that he was on about the Dark Lord. Draco had never wanted to be marked, he just wanted to graduate and have a good life. He knew very well that by doing what the Dark Lord wanted, he would never get a future.

"Shut up you stupid boy. The Dark Lord chose you; think of that as a privilege that he would want someone as pathetic as you. Out of all the qualified wizards, he chose a runt like you. You can't back out, your fate is to do what he wishes and you will be rewarded when he had the wizarding world under his thumb." Snape replied.

"I'm being treated like a child. Everyone is choosing decisions for me like I'm an infant. Why can't I choose my own path?" Draco asked.

"Because Draco. Any other path would lead to death. The only reason you're being treated like a child is because you're acting like one. Your mother chose this life for you. Do you want to ignore everything she did for you?"Snape said quietly. At the mention of his mother, Draco's heart tore slightly. It angered him that Snape thought this way. Draco knew this was not the life his mother wanted for him, but she died protecting him and he wouldn't let that go to waste. He wouldn't back out and hide away from the thing that killed his mother. He would just have to bide his time.

"Go and get some rest. You're excused from the rest of your lessons today." Snape said shortly before turning back to the classroom. Draco's shoulders slumped as he walked away. He needed to get out of Hogwarts. He felt like the walls were suffocating him. He walked out in to the courtyard and sat down on one of the stone benches. He ran his hands through his blonde hair and sighed. It was only second lesson and he was excused from the other three. What to do...

He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked slowly with his hands in his pockets out on to the vast grounds. The sun was shining bleakly though the clouds reflecting his mood. He wasn't happy but he wasn't depressed. He could feel something looming over his heart as if it were rain clouds coming, slowly but surely. He knew it was there, he just didn't know when he would realise what it was. He walked around the edge of the lake, kicking the occasional stone in to the water. He stopped after 10 minutes and sat down heavily. He leaned back on his hands and looked out at the horizon. Besides a few birds that flew by, everything was quiet and still. There was no wind and the water was still. The big cliffs that sheltered the lake stood tall as if they were watching out over the water. He wondered if the sea was just beyond them.

Deciding on it almost at once, he took out his wand. "Accio nimbus 2001" He waited for a few minutes before he heard the quiet whistling his broom made when it flew fast through the air. He looked up and saw the sleek, black line zoom towards him. He stood as it came to a stop in front of him and lifted his leg over. He knew Lucius had only bought it so Draco could get on the team but, he loved his broom. It flew well, responded to his touch and just looked good.

He kicked off the ground hard and leaned forward, gathering speed and soared high in to the air. After a few minutes, he could see the grounds so clearly. He slowed down and headed out towards to middle of the lake and kept on going out towards to horizon.

When he was high above the water and very far out, he lowered the broom slowly towards the surface of the water. He lay forward on the broom and skimmed his fingers through the cool water, creating hundreds of ripples on the calm surface. Draco looked down at the water as he sped past but not too fast. His face was pale and he looked shattered, but the air gave his features some life back.

He glanced up from the water and saw the cliffs were getting closer so he sat back up straight and pulled the broom up, gaining height once again curving towards the edge of the cliff.

After a few minutes, he landed hard on the ground. He set down his broom and bag on the grass and looked around. There was no trees, no people, just grass stretching for a few miles up to the edge of the forest which led to the school for a few more miles. Draco looked the other way and walked slowly to the edge. For as far as he could see, there was just sea. Bright, blue sea. For the first time in a few months, Draco could breathe without feeling suffocated. He could think without being interrupted. He could relax his mind.

[Hermione]

It was dinner and I was sat next to Ginny. I hadn't seen much of her lately as she had a new boyfriend and I had my Head Girl duties but it was nice to have a girl to talk to.

"I wish you had come to find me," Ginny sighed rubbing my shoulder.

I didn't really want to mention Draco yet, Ginny would probably jump straight to a stupid conclusion and would never drop it. Then again, was there something to mention about Draco?...

"I would have liked to but, I needed to be alone." I said slowly. Ginny shook her head but didn't comment.

"How are things with Draco?" She asked smirking.

I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I don't see him much." It was a half lie. At first I didn't see much of him...

"Want me to keep you company on rounds tonight then? I know it must kill you even to spend that much time with him," Ginny said taking a sip of juice.

"No, it's okay. It's not allowed anyway," I grinned at her. "What? I have to be good," I said to the look on Ginny's face. Ginny and I were a few of the last ones left in the hall and when we finished up and the plates were wiped clean, we left. I looked around the hall but I couldn't see Draco. Ginny waited with me until everyone had left the hall and I waved my wand so the candles went out. I closed the doors and locked them. As I turned around, someone came through the entrance and I was about to tell at them when I saw Draco. His face looked flushed and he was holding his broom.

"I'm not late am I?" He asked. I shook my head and gave Ginny a hug goodnight. "Can we start from the dungeons so I can take my broom back?" He asked.

"Sure, whatever." I shrugged and headed off now the stairs.

***

"Are you okay?" Draco asked. "You've been off all night." It was true. I tried to talk but when I went to, the memory of us kissing the first night of rounds came to memory. There was something pulling me to Draco but there was also something snagging at the back of my mind telling me to run, fast.

"I'm leaving school tomorrow morning. I'll be back Monday afternoon," I said completely ignoring his question.

"Why?"

"Funeral planning and such," I replied. I felt my eyes burn up as the tears came, sure it was still natural to cry and at least I hadn't had a screaming fit today. I stopped and walked towards the archway window in the courtyard. The moon was shining bright but there were no stars. "It will be good for me to take a few days away from school and everyone. This place can sometimes be...suffocating." I said slowly.

I felt Draco behind me, very close but I didn't turn. "It's hard when normal things begin to suffocate you. You begin to think you're breaking down and you can't handle simple, everyday problems." He said quietly. His hands came either side of mine and rested on the stone. I tilted my head sideways slightly and looked down at them next to mine. His hands weren't big, but his fingers were long and slender. Mine were like a small child's compared to his. I slid my hand across the stone a few inches towards his and wrapped my thumb with his. I looked to the side, his head was leaning gently against the pillar, watching me.

"Come with me." I breathed.

"What?" He asked surprised.

"I need someone with me..." I whispered not knowing entirely what I was saying. "I feel close to you, I feel like I can trust you..."

"What about Harry? Or Ginny? Wouldn't you be better with them?" He asked standing up straight which caused his body to lean closer to mine. I shook my head.

"I don't know what it is, I just want you there. I feel like I know I'll need you..." I said slowly. "You'll think I'm being stupid," I lifted my head and looked across the school, up in to the sky. "But I just have this feeling that we'll need each other." I closed my eyes and lowered my head. I pictured the nameless man in my dreams. When he held me close when I fell, the first time we danced in the candle light and how he felt against me.

"If that's what you want," Draco leaned his chin on my shoulder and I felt him tighten his hold on my hand.