Draco could barely see a thing through the thick smoke. All he could do was concentrate on the sound of the screams and follow that.

He kept looking to check that Astrid was close behind him, he was terrified of losing her. He knew she wasn't as good a flier as him.

"I see them, Draco!" She yelled, and sure enough, as he blinked his stinging eyes, peering down through the smoke, he could see three figures huddled together surrounded by a ring of fire.

The Granger girl was already unconscious by the time they landed. Weasley, who was holding her in his arms, clambered immediately on behind Astrid.

Draco's heart sank when he realised who was left to rescue.

"Hop on, then," he muttered at Potter, barely able to look at him.

Draco shuddered as he felt Potter's arms snake around his waist. He couldn't believe what he was reduced to doing. And after the fucker had nicked his wand.

"Hurry!" Potter screamed in his ear.

Draco felt a flicker of irritation. He was saving the git's arse here. A little bit of gratitude wouldn't go amiss.

He lazily kicked off, concentrating with all his might on the back of Astrid's broom, seeing nothing but the ginger head of the Weasley. He hoped she was okay, and wished now that he'd just taken Astrid back on his and left the others the spare to share.

Instead he had to watch as Astrid's broom kept dropping dangerously under the weight of three people, and he also had to put up with this moron clinging painfully around his middle.

"The diadem!" Potter screeched suddenly in his ear. "Malfoy, get the diadem!"

Draco looked down to where he was pointing and saw a tiara sat on top of a burning pile of junk about twenty feet below, where the flames were heavily roaring.

"Don't be a dick!" Draco bellowed, "we need to get out - NOW!"

"We need to get the fucking Horcrux, Malfoy!"

Draco sighed, and dived down, aiming his boom true and fast towards its target. It was damn lucky he was quick on the broom. He hadn't been picked as Seeker for nothing.

As soon as he felt Potter reach out and grab the diadem, Draco shot back up as fast as he could, the heat almost suffocating them.

Much to Draco's trepidation, he was no longer able to see Astrid anymore. He just prayed she managed to get out the door safely.

"Quick!" Harry screamed, "I think the room is going to explode! I can feel it in the air!"

And sure enough, Draco felt the sudden intense swirling of the thick smoke around them as the flames seemed to shrink back like a rolling wave drawing back into the sea before it rises and crashes back down with an almighty roar.

Spotting the rectangle of light through the thick smoke, Draco could just about make out the door. He braced himself.

"Hold on!" He yelled. And then he went for it.

Closing his eyes against the smoke, he urged the broom on at full throttle, praying his aim was true.

He could no longer breath, no longer see and no longer stand the heat. Potter was squeezing the life out of him. He was sure they were not going to make it.

And then, all of a sudden, cool, sweet air filled his lungs, as he violently hit the ground, rolling over and over, coughing and spluttering.

"Astrid," he choked, his eyes still closed as he lay face down on the cold stone floor, trying with all his might to stop coughing and heaving.

"Draco!" And he could have died with relief at the sweet sound of her voice.

She had thrown herself down next to him, and as he painfully opened his eyes, he could see the worry all over her face.

"I couldn't see you anymore! I- I thought you'd... oh, Draco!" And Draco's heart broke for her as tears rolled down her face.

"I'm here, Astrid," he croaked, wincing as his voice felt like sandpaper scratching his throat.

He managed to lift himself to a sitting position and pulled her soft, familiar body onto his lap as she flung her arms fiercely around his neck. "I'm here, baby," he murmured again, softly in her ear this time, soothing her as she wept in shuddering relief.

As he held her tightly to him, Draco looked up at the corridor's occupants. Weasley was leaning against the opposite wall cradling a now conscious Granger in his lap, and Potter was lying sprawled on the floor in the middle of them all, clutching the latest Horcrux in his hands like a baby clutches at a comforter.

He couldn't help but notice that there was no sign of Crabbe or Goyle.

Everyone was in a bit of a daze. Relief that they had gotten out alive, fear of what they had still yet to face.

Sounds of the battle were all around them. Draco knew they couldn't stay slumped in this corridor forever, although that is exactly what he wanted to do - to remain here with Astrid in his arms and not face what lay ahead.

"Come on guys!" Potter yelled, jumping to his feet with an enthusiasm Draco had long ago lost, "we need to destroy this and then go find the snake!"

He found himself exchanging a withered look with Weasley, as if an understanding passed between them.

"Thanks, guys, for coming back for us," Weasley muttered, not quite meeting anyone's eyes.

"Astrid insisted," Draco shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal of it. "She cares about you a lot."

He didn't add, as he glared at Potter, that it baffled him as to why.

He felt an anger bubble in his chest when Potter acted as though no one had said anything.

"Look!" He cried, throwing the diadem to the floor, pointing excitedly to it, "it's melting!"

And sure enough, the thing melted into nothing as a sound almost like a scream left it in a puff of green smoke.

"Fiendfyre," Granger coughed weakly, "it must be able to destroy Horcruxes."

"Excellent!" Weasley cheered, as he fist bumped the air. "Cheers, Crabbe! I guess he wasn't such a worthless piece of shit, after all."

Draco flinched. He realised Crabbe and Goyle had probably both perished in the fire. Although he hated them for what they did, it still made him feel queasy that they might be dead.

"It's okay to feel upset," Astrid whispered quietly, her blue eyes looking up at him in concern as if she could read his mind, "no one deserves to die like that."

Draco's heart twisted as she placed a gentle trembling hand to his face. He loved her so much for understanding him like no one else.

And it was then, as he leant in to brush his lips against hers, when the explosion happened.

The corridor they were sat in was blown apart.

Draco somehow managed to keep Astrid tightly clutched in his arms as he tried to shield her from the debris flying around them.

He closed his eyes against the pain he felt as stone, wood and glass splintered his body. He was only vaguely aware of the screams and shouts around them, concentrating hard on keeping Astrid protected beneath his body.

"Astrid, are you okay?" He murmured urgently as soon as everything seemed to settle.

His heart was in his throat as he waited for a response. Slowly she lifted her head, revealing her cut and blackened face from beneath her hair. "Draco, what happened?" She asked fearfully.

He could have cried with relief, but before he answered, a wailing scream rose from further down the now destroyed corridor.

"Fred! Nooooo!"

Whatever happened, Draco thought with a renewed dismay, it didn't sound good for this Fred.