It was a cold wintry day when it happened.

Deciding it was too cold and wintry to face going into Hogsmeade, I waved pretty much the majority of the others off whilst I decided to make the most of the quietness and go and enjoy having the dormitory to myself.

When no one else was there, I liked to put on a dress and dance with Trevor, pretending we were at a royal ball and about to meet the queen.

However, halfway through a complicated foxtrot step, there was the sound of terrified shouts and cries coming from outside.

I quickly stuck my head out the window, looking down at the tiny figures racing across the grass in a frantic manner. And to my horror, there was Hagrid who appeared to be carrying an unconscious body.

Being too far away for me to be able to see who it was, I quickly dumped Trevor on my bed, flicked off the wireless, and ran straight out to go and find out what had happened.

Not caring about the rules, I raced through the hallways, my heart hammering in fear as I wondered what could have possibly happened and to whom.

I was about halfway down through the castle when I heard the sound of someone sobbing.

I couldn't help but freeze, looking around for the source. Thoughts of the commotion outside now completely pushed from my mind as I determinedly searched for the weeper.

I realised the sobbing was coming from behind a door and, pressing my ear up against it I listened hard for any clues as to who it might be.

Whoever it was sounded devastated. And not only that, I was pretty certain it was coming from a boy.

My heart twisting for this poor soul, I decided to see if I could help in any way and gently pushed open the door.

The white-blond haired Slytherin looked up startled from the desk he was sat at, hurriedly wiping his face which had been buried in his arms prior to my arrival.

"Draco?" I gasped, fear filling me, wondering what on earth could have made him this upset.

"N-Neve," he choked, his grey sunken and red rimmed eyes widening in horror.

"What's happened?" I asked, my heart thudding furiously as I remained frozen in shock in the doorway.

He slowly stood up, shaking his head, his face full of pain and anguish.

"You need to go, Neve," he said, his voice a tight strangle. "You need to stay away from me."

"No," I said decisively, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind me. "Not when you are like this! Tell me, please, what's happened?"

"I- I... can't," he choked as another sob escaped him.

He looked so broken and so desolate that I couldn't help but cross the room and throw my arms around him.

Relief flooded me when he didn't push me away but instead brought his arms up around me, his hands clinging onto the fabric of my dress as he pulled me against him, sobbing into my neck.

I clung to him tightly as his body shook against mine, letting my fingers slide through the blond strands of his hair; offering him all the comfort I could give him.

When his sobs eventually subsided, he lifted his head, using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe away his tears.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, closing his eyes, but not making any attempt to move away.

"Talk to me Draco," I begged, pressing my hand tenderly against his cheek as I looked up at him imploringly. "Let me help you."

"No one can help me," he shuddered, sighing against my hand as he slowly closed his eyes. "I've missed you so much, Neve."

"Then don't push me away," I said, my heart hammering in hope, "let me be here for you."

His eyes flew back open; silver piercing mine intently. I could see him thinking it over, looking almost tempted to spill everything to me.

"You can trust me," I whispered encouragingly, "Please, Draco."

"You'll hate me," he said, his trembling voice cracking slightly as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I could never hate you, Draco," I breathed, daringly reaching up to kiss the tear away. "I love you."

He stilled as the breath hitched in the back of his throat. He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine questioningly.

"Oh, Neve," he whispered regretfully, "you don't know how dangerous it is to love me."

"Well tell me then!" I urged. "Let me be the judge of that!"

He looked unsure for a moment, his eyes flashing as his mind worked an internal battle. And then, finally, he seemed to reach a decision.

"I'll show you," he trembled, stepping back and for some reason, undoing the button on his left cuff. "And if you decide to turn around and walk away, I won't blame you."

"Draco-" I said, my heart hammering. A part of me knew what it was he was going to show me before my brain completely registered it.

And when he lifted the sleeve of his shirt, revealing the black ink of the horrifying image etched upon his pale white skin, I couldn't help but let out a strangled gasp as my stomach turned to liquid.

His arm shook as his eyes looked up to meet mine. "I didn't have a choice," he trembled, "they made me."

Tears blurred my vision as I stepped forward to close the gap between us.

"We'll go to Dumbledore," I said at once as our arms went around one another, "he'll be able to help you. We can sort this, Draco. Together."

"No!" he hissed at once, panic flitting his face as he looked down at me, "you don't understand, Neve, I can't go to anyone! I shouldn't have even told you!"

"But Draco," I trembled, tears rolling down my face, "they've made you a Death Eater."

"I know," he shuddered. "And I hate it. I don't want it. I just want to be a normal kid... I just want to be with you."

"But you've got me Draco," I said hurriedly, cupping his face, "you've got me as long as you want me... you always had."

But he shook his head, his face screwing up in further anguish. "There's so much more Neve, more than me just being a Death Eater. He wants me to... do things. But I can't do them and I'm scared I might have killed someone."

"Killed someone?" I asked frowning, not quite being able to wrap my head around what he was telling me. "Draco, who? Who do you think you've killed?"

"K-Katie Bell," he choked, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. "I put the Imperius Curse on her and got her to deliver a necklace. A cursed necklace."

I dropped my hand from his face, feeling horrified. My heart was pounding so fiercely that I was convinced it was going to burst out of my chest. I felt terrified; completely out of my depth.

"Neve, I'm so sorry," Draco said, looking at me regretful. "I shouldn't have put this on you."

I realised I was shaking. But it wasn't out of fear, it was out of anger; red hot, fierce anger that boiled in my blood and caused flashing lights to blind my vision.

"How could they do this to you?" I shook, my breathing becoming shallow. "The bastards! The absolute fucking-"

"Neve!" Draco cried, his face full of shock at the curse words leaving my lips.

But I was so angry. To force someone to do evil things on others was worse than having them do it on you. To strip them of their soul and innocence was simply barbaric. There was not a word strong enough to convey how I was feeling.

"I'll find out if Katie Bell is okay," I quickly reassured him, "Draco, you might not have killed her. I saw Hagrid carrying someone into the grounds just now. I'll go to the hospital wing and see what I can find out."

"You'll do that for me?" Draco asked, blinking at me nonplussed.

"I'll do anything for you, Draco," I said, stepping towards him and clasping his hands in mine. "You're not on your own. We'll figure this out together."

His face instantly softened as he looked tenderly down at me.

"I love you Neve Longbottom, I love you so much," he shuddered, pulling me into his arms.

I hurried up to the hospital wing, promising to meet him on the seventh floor as soon as I found out what happened to Katie; he explained there was more he needed to tell me and that was the best place to do it.

"She's going to be okay," I said breathlessly as I finally joined him by the troll tapestry where he had been leaning against the wall, waiting. "She barely touched it."

He closed his eyes in relief before engulfing me in his arms. "Thank god," he murmured into my hair, exhaling a long drawn out breath as if he had been holding it for a long time.

"Draco, what are we doing here?" I asked, eyeing the blank wall where I knew the Room of Requirement lay.

"I'll show you," he said, letting me go as he began to pace the corridor.

Taking my hand, he led me through the now visible entrance where we stepped into a room that resembled a cathedral packed with rows and rows of junk.

And that was when he showed me the cabinet and explained that he was to murder our headteacher.

Voldemort really was a big shit.

*****