A/N Just a reminder: this is AU. I have drawn certain events from the books but they may not be in order or accurate.

Aster's POV

The next few weeks were filled with lessons on Occlumency, continuing the laborious task of fixing the vanishing cabinet (this was coming on quite slowly to Draco's chagrin) and my ever most favourite, stolen moments in empty classrooms and in the Room of Requirement.

After that day in the empty classroom, Draco had taken upon himself to grab and pull me aside at any time I was alone. The quick rendezvous' were void of all talk about his task and my lessons in occlumency and instead were passionately filled with touches, moans and releases. I knew this was a way for Draco to relax amongst the building pressure of fixing the cabinet and I was totally okay with it.

The continuous lessons on Occlumency were exhausting at the best of times, most times I came away with blinding migraines; something Draco said shouldn't be happening.  Draco blamed this on my inability to control the depths of sheltering my emotions. His explanation made sense. I had always put those negative feelings into one side of my mind, barricading them in so they wouldn't spill out. My lessons were on acknowledging those feelings and thoughts but shutting those memories out from everyone else BUT me.

I had been improving however, and Draco had finally allowed himself to test my ability by attempting to use legilimency on me.

The first time he attempted to filter through my mind, he had come face to face with a memory of Harper and Blaise. It was a memory that had been brought up by Blaise that morning, a casual mentioning of a day in which Blaise and Harper had visited me on a hot summers day a few years ago. A moment that pictured all three of us swimming in the depths of the sea, laughing and squealing as we splashed each other. The feeling of Draco slipping through the cracks of my mind, made my body shiver with unease and after a few minutes I was able to push him out and create those shields he had been teaching me to use.

Draco was staring at me with an odd expression once I came to. It wasn't necessarily pity but it wasn't a comforting look. He didn't mention the memory, but instead criticised my slow movement with a harsh tone before slipping into a more stoic tone that he normally used for his teaching.

Our 'relationship' had somewhat become normal over the last few weeks. Normal in my terms at the very least. Something had switched in Draco that time after our meeting in the empty classroom. He was more attentive, and seemed calmer in class. He would steal small touches when we were seated next to each other in Potions and would insist on carrying my books when we had our usual library session to complete the assignment. He would still keep away from me when others were around but I understood why.

Draco and I had fooled around countless times in the weeks passing, especially after our laborious spell work on the cabinet at nights but it was just that, fooling around. I was itching to have him all, but he hadn't invited me up to his room since the start of the term. Whenever, I attempted to move onto more in the Room of Requirement, he had ultimately stopped and distracted me with something else.

No matter how many times he could give me my release with just his fingers or his mouth, I was determined for more.

I had sent Draco an owl that morning, asking him to meet me in the library at our usual spot that Saturday evening, on the pretence that we needed to finish the finer points in our assignment. It was when I was rushing towards the back of the library, to our little secluded spot, when I heard students whispering about Katie Bell.

Neville Longbottom was whispering rather loudly as I walked past his table, he was sitting next to Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.

"Harry, Ron and Hermione found her!" he exclaimed before his eyes flicked over to me and he hastily shut up.

I rolled my eyes but gave him a brief curt smile. I wasn't friendly with the bunch, that group had an unruly indifference to us Slytherins but Luna was I guess what you called a friend and I wasn't mortal enemies with Potter like Draco was.

"Hi Aster" a dreamy voice echoed behind me.

I was just about to slip into the stacks that led to the back of the library when Luna called out. I twisted round and found her swivelled in her chair, her lopsided smile beaming at me.

"Hey Luna, you alright?" I asked, feeling the awkward tension that was Neville Longbottom's eyes staring at me.

"Marvellous thank you. Have you seen Malfoy around? Harry said he..." before she got to finish, Ginny interrupted.

"...Luna!" She looked at me tersely, her light eyes squinting slightly.

"No What did Potter say about Malfoy?" I tried to keep my tone level.

Luna looked away from me, her eyes finding interest in something to my left. Instead I looked at Weasley and Longbottom.

"Nothing, he just thought he saw something." Weasley said curtly. She sat up straighter and tried to focus on her work in front of her but I stared at her bright red hair until she wiggled under my piercing stare.

"Longbottom, what happened?" I ordered, pressing my books to my chest.

"Uh, um...Katie Bell's been cursed. She's in the infirmary now. Harry, Ron and Hermione found her." He mumbled, his cheeks flaming under the tension and his eyes avoiding mine.

"What has that got to do with Malfoy?" I asked, my patience now thinning.

He looked into my eyes briefly, apprehension and fear clouded them.

"Nothing...probably. Harry just has this feeling he had something to do with it" he mumbled almost incoherently.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Why would Dr-I mean Malfoy want to curse Katie?" I asked.

Longbottom shrugged. They had all taken to looking at their work in front of them, so I huffed and stalked back towards the back of the library.

I waited two hours. Right until Madam Pince ordered me out with a hushed cry.

The common room was fairly busy but it was a Saturday night so this wasn't unusual. I found Blaise playing exploding snap with Theo, both of them cheerily laughing as they played. It was comforting watching Blaise laugh, I hadn't seen him look so relaxed since Harper left us.

I sat down next to Theo who had settled himself on a two seater couch behind a coffee table. Blaise was sitting on the floor, legs sprawled out, leaning on his elbows.

I scanned the room as I sat, searching for those familiar pale eyes.

"Hey Ast...Ast?"

I tore my eyes away from the room and looked at Blaise, his eyebrows raised in question.

"You alright?"

I nodded and shuffled in my seat.

"Um..have you uh..seen..?" I left the question hanging, hoping Blaise caught on to what I was asking. I felt Theo looking at me from my left but I ignored it.

Blaise eyes flicked in understanding before crinkling with worry lines.

"Yeah- went to bed I think" he answered quickly before dealing another card and drawing Theo back into the game.

It worked, Theo didn't ask and I gave Blaise a smile in thanks. I picked my books up and said goodnight, both boys too distracted by the game.

I slipped into my room to find it empty and put my books back. Before I left, I quickly checked myself in my full length mirror. My hair had come lose from my pony tail, so I pulled it out and let the mess of waves full down my back. I didn't have it in me to brush it, I was starting to fill slightly overwhelmed with nerves and confusion. I tried so hard to not barricade all my uneasy feelings and instead let myself feel them slowly. The effect was obviously starting to have physical repercussions. Clenching and unclenching my fists, I made my way to the boys dorms.

As it was a Saturday night, the boys dorms were busy so I decided to cast a disillusion charm. The charm worked wonders as I strolled though various groups of boys and even a lone Pansy. 

The charm wore off just before I got to Draco's door.

Knocking tentatively, I waited for an answer.

"What!?" His voice yelled out, angry and tense.

I didn't want to yell out, anyone could hear me.

I knocked again, knowing how angry it would make him but the very thought made my lips curl up in amusement.

"For fucks sake-" the door flew open and Draco's mouth stayed wide open as his eyes found mine.

"Hey" I mumbled before he hand a chance to block me, I slipped under his arm and into his bedroom.

I strolled in and took in his room. It was slightly messy for Draco. Clothes were strewn across the floor and papers littered his desk.

I heard him slam the door behind me.

"What are you doing here? Did anyone see you?!"

I spun around to fully look at him.

Dark circles were under bloodshot eyes. His white hair were dishevelled, as if he had been ringing his hands through them all night.

"'No one saw me." I answered curtly.

I was confused. Confused at his appearance, confused about his absence.

Panic started to slip through my cracks and I started to feel my heart beat heavily in my chest.

"Where were you?"

His eyes were empty, he looked at me like I was transparent. It made my heart ache.

He didn't reply, instead he picked up his guitar from the corner and sat on the edge of his bed.

I watched him as he rested the guitar on his lap and tentatively started to strum random cords.

"Are you ok?" I asked him, taking timid steps towards him.

My fingers itched to touch him, to hold him.

He looked so broken.

I clenched my fists again and at this movement his eyes travelled to my hands. I watched as his eyebrows furrowed and his gaze wandered up to my face.

He quickly looked down and focused on moving his fingers to new chords.

"I'll be ok, I have to be" he mumbled softly, almost inaudibly.

I decided to sit next to him, so close that I could feel the warmth of his thigh against mine. Our shoulders brushed so I moved mine so it was slightly in front of his.

"What happened?" I asked, as he strummed. The odd notes were slightly comforting in the silence.

"Doesn't matter"

I watched his fingers as they moved effortless up and down the neck of the guitar.

"Did you curse Katie Bell?"

The words left my mouth in a worried whisper.

He stopped strumming abruptly but kept his gaze on his lap.

"No" he said through gritted teeth.

"I heard-"

"You heard nothing." His voice raised slightly and he pulled the guitar off his lap and onto the floor.

"Fuck!" He yells unexpectedly, burying his head into his hands and tearing at the long strands in his hair.

I waited for his breaths to stop being so laborious. If there was one thing I had learnt from Draco, it was that he didn't like to be pushed into saying something.

"I didn't curse her...I didn't mean to. It wasn't supposed to be her" he mumbled, his words became rushed in his anger and I had to take a second for the words to make sense to me.

"Who was it supposed to be?"

He pulled his head out of his hands and stared at the dark window opposite.

"I can't tell you"

I nodded but my heart ached at not knowing.

"What happened exactly? Can I know that?" I asked nervously.

It took him a minute to reply, his pale eyes searching mine for something.

"I had to- I had this cursed necklace- from father. He organised it. I had to deliver it to- uh. Well I didn't fucking plan for Katie Bell to unwrap it did I? She was just supposed to deliver it." He seemed quite frantic and it was unsettling to see him this way. But he quickly turned his frantic energy into his usual stoic manner.

"Fuck sake!" He yelled pushing himself up from his bed.

"What are you doing here Flint?" He yelled.

I soundlessly casted a silencing spell on the room, hoping that Draco didn't see the swish of my wand.

"I came to see if you were ok. When you didn't turn up in the library, I heard people talking about Katie Bell and then... Longbottom mentioned you and I don't know..." I stuttered at the end, it probably wasn't the best time to tell him I was worried.

"Longbottom?! Of course that bloody idiot thinks I did something. Potter brainwashes those bloody fools I'm telling you!...and why do you care? Just leave me alone" he spat, his face was red now, his face stern.

"Don't you dare push me away again! If this is another task from the dark lord why didn't you just tell me?!"

My heart started to race from anger now and not nerves. Draco made me feel things too much and too deeply and after my lessons with him, I had opened the chasm and now my emotions seemed to flood out of me.

"I don't need your help!" He yelled back, his eyes burning into mine.

"I'm not offering my help you imbecile!"

"What are you offering then Aster? Your body? That's all you good for"

All breath seemed to have left my lungs. I quickly pulled up those mental barriers. Today was not the day to feel.

"Fuck off Draco. I know you well enough now that you push people away from you when your scared"

He narrowed his eyes at me more, I could see his body tense with anger. He stalked towards me but I dared not move.

"I'm not scared" he scoffed but I could tell I hit a nerve. His eyes wavered slightly from mine.

He stepped closer, so I took the opportunity to try and change the tension in the room. I slowly stepped into him and softened my gaze. I looped my arms around his neck. His eyes found mine, his jaw loosening. I felt his hands grip my waist gently, as if he was unsure about what he was doing.

"I'm scared" I admitted.

His eyes widened slightly.

"If he's got you doing other things...that makes me fucking terrified. Why is he using you like this?" I whispered the last question, not sure if I really wanted the answer.

His hands squeeze my waist tightly as he dropped his forehead onto mine and closed his eyes.

"Talk to me" I whispered, keeping my eyes open.

He breathed out heavily.

"What do you want to know?" He asked, his breath hot against my skin.

"Everything".