Astoria's POV

It was nearing February and I had done by best to avoid Malfoy at all costs. For the past 2 months it's worked…until today.

I was having a quiet breakfast in the great hall when a letter plopped into my eggs. I hesitantly examined the letter as if it were a bomb, which would seem amusing to most, but I rarely received mail. I realized it was from my "beloved" parents, which was even more usual since I could not remember the last time they wrote me while I was at Hogwarts.

As I read their message I felt a saddening frown creep on my face, and discovered the horror in what they wrote.

"We have decided that you are to come back home during Easter holiday, and not go back to Hogwarts….we need to be at service to the dark lord….no arguments…"

I wasn't fully aware of my actions in the following minutes, but I had ripped the letter into shreds and ran out the hall.

I couldn't go back to them. Hogwarts was the place to be away from their absurdness. I started to have conversations in my head….

"Should I just not go back on the train?"…... "No they would come to Hogwarts and make me leave once they found out…"

"Should I run away?..."Run away where? You have no where to run away too!"

I found myself at the edge of the Lake. The air was icy-cold but I ignored it. Tears streamed down my face, and I felt myself breaking.

My life was over. I wanted nothing to do with the dark lord. I didn't want to go back to my parents. And I felt even more pathetic when I realized that I didn't want to leave, because he was here, and being here was the only way to be with him.

The mourning over my pathetic life was interrupted when I heard some leaves crunch behind me. Had someone followed me here? Since Snape was made headmaster, Hogwarts is left without protection to dark creatures. Panic took over as I got out my wand defensively.

"WHOSE THERE?!" I shouted.

I let out a startled gasp as Draco stepped out from a tree, and rolled his eyes.

"You know, someone with half a brain would know that it isn't safe being out here alone," he chided.

"No one asked you to protect me, so why don't you just go back to your death eater's and leave me alone," I retorted.

He stared at me for a few seconds and realized the red puffyness of my eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

I was brought back to reality and felt my eyes stinging.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. But I bet it's because your boyfriend broke up with you," he teased.

Now I was livid.

"First of all I don't have a boyfriend! And if you're really so curious about my upset state then here you go. My parents want me to join a cause that I don't believe in. They want me to leave the place I call home so that I can go around and wear retarded hoods. Well, I'm sorry to inform you Malfoy, but I don't want to be a monster like you and your friends. It's surprising, I know, but not everyone finds torturing people with fear fulfilling. Sometimes I don't even know how you can live with yourself!"

He gave me a look that I have never seen from him before, and it was almost scary.

"You. Know. Nothing. You're a freaking goody-goody know-it-all! Do you think I actually wanted to live like this? Do you even know what it's like to fear for your life every day, because one screw up can cost you everything? I haven't had a good night's sleep in months, while you get to live your carefree life bitching about things like how you don't get along with your parents?"

He stormed off and left me speechless. I did notice the unstable look about him since our 6th year, but never got a glimpse of his fear until this point. Before I knew it I was running after him.