As the weeks rolled by and winter was finally coming to an end, so it seemed was also Draco's tether.

He started skipping mealtimes since classes started back and, as a result, he was getting worryingly thin and gaunt.

I got into pinching any food which was able to travel in my bag, passing it onto Draco in class, begging him to eat.

"Thanks," he murmured heavily as he pocketed the green apple I had just slipped under the desk in Potions, "I'll eat it later."

I squeezed his hand, letting him know I was still there for him, but in his exhausted state, I don't think he barely registered it.

Panic and fear consumed me; I felt utterly helpless, not knowing what more I could do.

"Look, you're doing all you can," Neville reassured me when I shared my fears with him. "All that's left is turning to someone else like Dumbledore, but we both know you are never going to do that."

"It's not like I've got anything to tell him, anyway," I sighed heavily, "Drac hasn't told me a thing; he can't, and I'm okay with that. I'm just not okay with the fact that it is clearly making him ill."

"I hope he realises how lucky he is to have you," Neville said, shaking his head as he came to a sudden halt by a leafy green plant. "Aha, here we are. Wormwood."

Removing a small pair of pruning shears from his pocket, he deftly reached up and snipped off five long stems; adding them to the already half full wicker basket I was carrying.

"And this will definitely work?" I asked skeptically as Neville led the way onwards.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," he said confidently over his shoulder. "I've read all there is to read on this stuff. A couple sips of this and he will feel loads better."

Having confided in him about Draco's extreme fatigue; he insisted on brewing a tea for him from a concoction of herbs and plants that we retrieved by breaking in and stealing from the greenhouses.

It took us an entire Sunday to make, but Neville didn't seem to mind, and he happily worked away whilst educating me on all the different plants and their properties.

However, it was the persuading Draco to actually drink it which proved the difficult part.

"Why would I drink something made by Longbottom?" He sneered scathingly when I presented him with the tea at dinner time that very evening. "He's probably poisoned it."

"He wouldn't do that," I bit, thrusting the flask in his hands, "and we've just spent half of our weekend doing this for you, so it wouldn't hurt you to show a bit of gratitude by at least trying some."

"Fine," he muttered as he unscrewed the top and hesitantly brought it up to his nose to give it a wary sniff.

"Nev added peppermint to give it a pleasant aftertaste," I explained when it was clear Draco couldn't find fault with the smell. "He said it didn't necessarily need it but it would taste too bitter without."

"Well here goes then," Draco said in the same manner as a man about to walk to his untimely death.

Moving the flask to his lips, he tipped his head back and grimaced as he took a sip.

"How do you feel?" I asked as I watched him carefully; looking for any signs of revitalisation upon his features.

Draco gave a nonchalant shrug but I could see his eyes glance back down impressively at the flask in his hands.

"It's alright, I suppose," he said sniffly, before taking another swift sip.

"Woah there, buddy; take it easy with that stuff."

Draco and I looked up to see Neville hurriedly approach the Slytherin table. Next to me, I could sense Draco's immediate panic.

"I should have said," Neville wheezed, placing his hand down on the table as he tried to catch his breath back, "that stuff is good but very powerful. Too much and you'll never be able to fall asleep again for as long as you live. Which wouldn't be for long."

He tailed off with a nervous chuckle as he glanced at Draco's horrified expression.

"And you almost conveniently forgot to pass that message on with Blaire, did you?" Draco drawled coldly, his eyes flashing up at Neville's beetroot red face.

"Drac, he's telling you now, isn't he?" I pointed out, wishing he could just be a bit kinder to Neville who was only trying to help.

"Forget it," Draco snarled, slamming the flask down on the table under Neville's nose. "I don't need your help. Not if your bumbling idiocy will only end up getting me killed."

Neville's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish as Draco dragged his chair back, moodily snatching up his bag as he got to his feet.

"I'll see you later, Blaire," he muttered, pointedly ignoring Neville as he turned to storm out of the hall.

"I'm sorry," I said at once to Neville, feeling furious at Draco for being so rude. "He's just not been himself lately."

"Pfft," Neville scoffed, glancing towards the Great Hall doors which Draco had just dramatically banged open. "Seems pretty himself to me."

*****

"There was no need to be so fucking rude!" I scolded, throwing the flask into Draco's lap.

To my surprise, when I returned to the common room after dinner, I had found him sat sulking on the sofa; his arms crossed huffily over his chest and a great big scowl etched deeply in his face.

"Your friend tried to kill me!" He bellowed, causing the rest of the common room to glance warily over.

"No, he didn't! He was trying to help you!"

"I don't need any help!"

"Well clearly you do because I have never seen you look so ill in my life!" I said exasperatedly, running my hands through my hair.

He said nothing, just bristled as his cheeks finally tinged with colour that wasn't grey.

"How come you're here anyway?" I said, deciding to change tack, "I never see you in the common room these days."

He shrugged, refusing to look up at me. "It's your birthday tomorrow."

"So?"

"So, I don't know," he muttered, "I just want to be here. With you."

Exhaling a long heavy sigh, I slowly sank down next to him on the sofa. I couldn't understand how I could feel so mad at him one second and ridiculously touched the next.

He pulled his arm back to curl around my waist, pulling me into his side as I gently rested my head down upon his shoulder.

"Play cards with me," he murmured in my ear, his voice hoarse with exhaustion.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather get some rest?" I asked, looking up into his tired grey eyes.

He shook his head, tightening his arm around me. "I want to stay and say farewell to your childhood together."

Something about the way he said that tugged sadly at my heart. It never really occurred to me until just then, that after midnight, I'd officially be an adult and Draco still a child.

"Not for long," he murmured softly, his eyes dancing amusedly as he removed a pack of cards from his trouser pocket. "I'll always be right behind you, Zabini."

"You promise?" I whispered, feeling my heart give an unexpected flutter.

Draco paused; his hand dropping the deck down beside him before bringing it up to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"I promise, Blaire," he said, his voice full of conviction as his eyes burned ardently into mine.

A great warmth radiated from my core and spread throughout my entire body. If the room hadn't been filled with other Slytherins I would have pressed my lips against his and kissed him with my whole heart.

Draco rested his forehead down against mine, his lips tugging into a smile as he murmured the three little words I'd been longing to hear.

"Best of five?"

******