So I continued to live in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

I met various other Order members such as Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Arthur Weasley and Alastor Moody. They all seemed friendly enough - if not a little wary of me.

Snape continued to visit often, and would talk to me about my mother. He even let me delve into his memory and watch a scene from their childhood. It was surreal, but beautiful.

But despite the constant hustle and bustle, I felt lonely. I missed Draco terribly. It was like a physical ache that wouldn't go away.

And then came the time when I first discovered the Black family tree. As I looked along it in fascination, I was shocked to come across the Malfoy family. And there he was - Draco. Son of Narcissa, who was cousin of the infamous Sirius Black.

I brushed my fingers across his painted face, closing my eyes, and trying to imagine what my white-blond haired Slytherin Prince was doing right at that exact moment.

After that, I would visit the family tree often, just staring at the tiny portrait of Draco, hoping and praying I would see him again one day soon.

About a month after I had arrived, I found myself in front of the family tree again, brushing Draco's face lovingly.

"The stupid little girl is mooning over the Malfoy boy, again."

My eyes shot open in surprise, wondering who the horrible little voice belonged to. I looked down to see Kreacher, the house-elf. He made my skin crawl - I usually tried to keep out of his way as often as possible.

I dropped my hand from the wall, trying to act as if I hadn't noticed I'd been caught.

"The stupid girl doesn't even know who she is."

I started to walk away, trying to ignore this vile creature's inane mutterings.

"She doesn't know that my master is after the Malfoy boy. And it won't be long now. The Malfoy boy will be no more."

I stopped in my tracks. His master? I didn't understand much about house-elves but I did know that their masters were usually the home owners of the house they belonged to. And this house happened to belong to Harry Potter.

"What are you talking about, Kreacher?" I asked, suddenly feeling fearful. "What do you mean he will be no more?"

The ugly creature looked up at me, his eyes glinting gleefully.

"The stupid girl is worried! She holds her heart out for a boy who will not be around much longer, thanks to my master. The stupid, stupid girl."

My heart thudded anxiously, I didn't like this one bit. "Kreacher, tell me what you mean!"

"My master has a plan," he said, as his ugly grin grew wider, "the Malfoy boy has no idea. He is as stupid as the girl."

"Kreacher, tell me what Harry Potter is planning, now!"

"It's happening tonight. Such a shame - the Malfoy boy was such a good servant, after all. Easily manipulated... just like the stupid girl. If only someone could warn him. Such a waste of pure blood..."

I realised I wasn't going to get much sense from this... thing. Panicking, I ran down the hall, desperate to find a member of the Order. I needed someone to get a warning to Draco.

But I couldn't find anybody. I yelled, screaming up and down the house. The only attention I managed to receive was from that awful portrait of Mrs Black who started screeching about blood traitors invading her home.

I breathlessly found myself in the kitchen, my heart hammering fearfully in my chest. There was no one here, I realised, as I looked around the empty room fretfully.

My eyes rested on the fireplace.

And I realised there was a way I could warn Draco.

It was risky - I would be jeopardising the protection that Snape had provided for me.

But Draco was in danger.

And nothing else mattered.

Running over to the mantelpiece, I picked up the box that I had seen Snape and the others use. Shakily, I reached in and grabbed a handful of black powder. Throwing it into the flames which instantly turned green, I closed my eyes and stepped in, praying this would work.

"Hogwarts!" I yelled, my mouth instantly filling with a horrific mixture of smoke and soot.

After a terrifying journey, I fell out of another fireplace, stumbling and falling onto a smoke stained rug.

I stood up, looking around me. It had worked. This was the office I recognised as Dumbledore's. But to my dismay, it was empty.

Running down the circular staircase and past the gargoyle, I hesitated. Wondering where I should look first to find Draco.

The Room of Requirement.

Heart pounding, I ran. Luckily it was late, and therefore I didn't bump into anyone in the corridors. I just prayed that Draco was there working on the cabinet, and that I wasn't too late.

If Harry had got there first...

I couldn't bear to think about what Kreacher had meant.

By the time I reached the troll tapestry I could barely breathe.

Closing my eyes, I conjured up the door that had appeared for me so many times over the past year.

Please be here, Draco, I prayed as I threw it open. Please.

...

Draco felt sick.

He gazed up at the Vanishing Cabinet before him, swallowing hard as he waited for the arrivals.

He had put on his best suit for the occasion, as had been requested of him. This was the moment. He was on the verge of being a cold blooded murderer.

But he honestly didn't know if he could do it.

A sudden noise from the edge of the room startled him. He wasn't expecting it. His whole being had been focused on the cabinet before him, waiting for any sign of movement or sound.

As he whipped round to locate the source of the noise, his heart almost burst out of his chest.

For the girl he had been mourning for over the past month suddenly appeared before his eyes, like a mirage of a watery oasis to a dying, thirsty man lost in the desert.

"Astrid!" he cried as she ran full pelt towards him, throwing herself tearfully into his arms.

He could scarcely believe it. He clutched her to him, inhaling her beautiful scent, feeling the wondrous weight of her body, wondering if, in his tiredness and grief, he really was just imaging this.

"Draco," she sobbed, tightening her arms around him as she buried her face in his neck, "I was afraid I was too late - that Harry had gotten to you already-"

"Potter?" He spat incredulously, feeling confused. "Astrid, where have you been? And what the fuck has Potter got to do with anything?"

She looked up into his eyes, and his breath hitched in his throat as the blue beauty of them made his stomach knot in a sudden fierce rush of love. Merlin - how he had missed her.

"I- I can't tell you," she stuttered, looking fearful, "but you have to trust me - please! Something bad is going to happen tonight, and I've come to warn you."

Shit, Draco thought, suddenly panicked. Something bad was going to happen tonight, and it turned out this was the worst place in the world for Astrid to be.

"Astrid, you've got to get out of here!" he cried.

But, as he said these words, strange sounds started emanating from the cabinet.

Strange, trembling sounds that made Draco's heart come to a chilling still.

They were here.

And it was to late for Astrid to run.