Draco felt panicked.

"It's not just Harry," she implored, when he complained to her after she joined him at the Slytherin table during breakfast, informing him she couldn't meet with him that night - again. "It's others as well."

"Well it can't be a group study because Umbridge won't allow it unless it's been okay'd by her. And I doubt she'd let Potter do any such thing." He sneered.

"I love you, Draco. You know you have nothing to worry about."

"Aurora, it's only days away from the Christmas holidays and I'm not going to get to see you for the entire two weeks seeing as you are buggering off to the Weasley's!"

"Don't make me feel guilty about that! You know my father is still in hospital. Where else do you expect me to go? And it's not like you're staying here! Surely you don't want me to stay here on my own with that horrible Umbridge woman?!"

"She's not that bad."

Draco realised his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. Aurora stood up, her face full of hurt.

"How could you even say that?" Her voice shook, he tried to reach out for her hand but she snapped it back. "Don't touch me, Draco. Especially not this hand."

She went and sat next to Hermione in their next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Draco felt shit. Of course he hated Umbridge for what she had made Aurora do to herself. But Umbridge hated Potter as much as he did, and he couldn't help but respect her for that. Plus his father kept reminding him that what Umbridge was doing was good for them - and it helped keep him out of Azkaban.

He just wished Aurora wasn't quite so fixed on camp Potter.

She didn't try and approach him over the next few days, and Draco felt too angry at her for choosing Potter over him to make the first move.

But how he missed her.

*****

I threw myself into Dumbledore's Army to try and forget the hurt I felt by Draco's attitude.

A part of me longed to go to him and feel his arms around me, but then I would remember his complete lack of empathy over my feelings towards the woman who tortured me.

There was only one other person who understood.

Harry Potter.

"Just think of that bitch's face when she finally gets what's coming to her," Harry advised as he tried to encourage me to think of a happy thought.

We were halfway through the week and my private lessons with Harry were going well. I had almost produced a full Patronus, although it was still unclear as to what form it took.

I laughed as Harry's stag cantered around us, making me feel all warm and glowy inside.

"It's good to see you happy," he said, smiling at me softly. His green eyes twinkled beneath his glasses, seeming much brighter under the green glow of his Patronus. "You've seemed a little... down these past few days."

I shrugged, sighing slightly. I did not want to share my frustrations about Draco to Harry. So, instead I told him what else was making me sad.

"My first Christmas without Cedric."

Harry's stag slowed to a stop and faded.

"It's okay to be sad about that, you know." Harry said quietly, sitting himself up on a desk and looking down at his feet. "But at least we'll all be together - you, me and the Weasley's."

"Yeah, that helps," I struggled a smile, as I walked over to the desk, and perched next to him. "I'm sure it'll be an experience, at least."

"You're doing really well, you know." Harry murmured. "Cedric would be so proud of you."

I felt a lump form in my throat as I tried to choke back a sob.

"I want to fight for him, Harry." I whispered, "I want to spend the rest of my days fighting for what is right. Fighting for Cedric's memory."

"And as much as I applaud and understand that, Aurora," Harry said, smiling encouragingly at me. "Let me be here to help you learn how to protect yourself. Protect yourself first, and then you can fight. And I'd be honoured to have you fighting by my side."

I felt his arm go around me and I allowed my head to rest on his shoulder as we sat there, side by side, thinking sadly of Cedric.

*****

The last day.

It had been almost a week since Draco and I had spoken.

My heart hurt whenever I caught a glimpse of him across the hall at mealtimes, or when I passed him in the corridors. We acted liked strangers; as if we didn't even know one another - let alone ever shared something as beautiful as we had done.

It felt as though someone had punched me in the gut.

I was the first to arrive in the Room of Requirement for our final DA meeting before Christmas.

Harry was scrambling around trying desperately to pull down these giant golden baubles showing his big beaming face with the words "HAVE A VERY HARRY CHRISTMAS" written across the top.

"Nice baubles, Harry," I laughed, stepping up to his side to help him take them down.

"Bloody Dobby." Harry muttered, going pink.

Almost everyone in the class managed to produce full Patronuses. Cho marvelled at her pretty swan.

When it was my turn to cast mine, I closed my eyes and thought about the first time I realised I had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy.

"Expecto Patronum!"

There were gasps of delight all around me.

I slowly opened my eyes to see a great fire breathing dragon.

"A dragon, huh?" Cho said, smiling coyly as I rejoined her. "And I'm sure that has nothing to do with the fact that a certain someone's name is Latin for dragon?"

"Huh?" I asked. And then it clicked. Draco.

I stayed after everybody else had left.

"You don't have to stay tonight," Harry mumbled as he started to pack away. "We've got a long day tomorrow, travelling back to London. Go and get some sleep."

"It's okay," I said, "I'm not tired and I want to help."

We worked in silence for a bit, putting things away and taking down Christmas decorations.

"You did well tonight," Harry said quietly, breaking the silence. "Your Patronus was extremely impressive."

"Thank you," I blushed. "I just hope I can conjure it when it really counts."

"You will," he reassured me, taking a step towards me. "You're amazing and clever, and I can tell what a talented witch you are. Anyone would be blind not to see it."

He closed the gap between us, taking my hands in his. I was too startled by this gesture to do anything.

"You deserve to be treated well," he went on as my heart hammered nervously in my chest. "I would treat you like a queen, everyday for the rest of my life, if you would let me."

"Harry, I-"

"Please, just listen to what I've got to say, Aurora," Harry begged, his eyes burning imploringly into mine.

Slowly I nodded. I owed him that at least.

"Aurora, it kills me to see you being treated so badly by Malfoy. He doesn't know how lucky he is to have you. And I've noticed you two haven't been talking lately so I'm assuming things are not all okay between you two?"

I felt tears prick at my eyes. Hearing Harry say this out loud was making it all too real.

"Don't cry, Aurora," Harry said, releasing a hand from mine and stroking a lonely tear away from my face.

He kept his hand cupped to my cheek, his fingers lightly stroking me.

And then the next thing I know his lips are upon mine and he is kissing me.

I sigh into the kiss, and a sadness hits me, because I have missed this. I have missed the feel of soft lips caressing mine, and the dance of tongue against tongue.

But it is the wrong boy.

Suddenly, coming to my senses, I push him off.

Tears coursed down my cheeks as the realisation of what I had just done hit me.

"Aurora! Come back!" Harry called after me.

But I didn't stop. I ran and ran.

I hated myself.