Draco's heart was hammering in his chest; his wand gripped tightly in his hand as he tried to prevent it from visibly shaking.

He could curse himself for not having grabbed her sooner, but he had been curious as to where she was going this late at night.

He felt furious at Amycus for hurting her, but most of all his anger was at Potter. That bloody fucking prick was still leading Neve into danger even when he wasn't around.

Why did he have to fall for a fucking Gryffindor?

"Come on then," Amycus said, his eyes wild with greed, "give this little piggy a taster of what's to come."

Draco took a step towards Neve, who flinched from where she was slumped on the floor, looking like a frightened animal cornered by its prey. He tried desperately to meet her eyes; to show her that she needn't fear him. But she refused to look directly at him and his heart wrenched as he could see her visibly trembling.

Draco realised, though, that Neve was going to find out who he was the second he raised his wand and attempted to Crucio her.

He just hoped she cottoned on pretty quick and put on her best show.

Because if she didn't, they could both be in a lot of shit.

*****

I could see the glint of the Death Eater's eyes through the slits of his mask as he stared down at me. I quickly glanced away; my heart pounding fearfully in my chest.

The bravery I had felt a moment ago had quickly evaporated. There was something about the unknown identity behind those masks that made these Death Eaters terrifying; true faceless monsters.

I wished I had kept my mouth shut about Harry.

As he lifted his wand, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the worst pain in the world; preparing to endure sanity destroying torture.

"Crucio!"

But, as the cruel word wrenched from his lips, nothing came. Cautiously, I opened my eyes, confused.

The Death Eater was stood over me, his wand still pointing at me; eyes piercing down at me through the slits in his mask. And this time, I allowed myself to look into them.

I literally had to stuff my fist in my mouth to stop myself from gasping out loud. I knew those eyes.

And it was as though the mask and the cloak melted completely away along with my terror. I felt no pain because Draco couldn't hurt me - because he didn't want to hurt me.

Amycus gave a little cough as he raised a curious eyebrow. "Performance problems? It has been a long day, I suppose. Go on, try again."

Draco raised his wand again, giving me a desperate, searing look; and suddenly I knew exactly what to do.

"Crucio!"

I knew how to act, of course; I'd endured the curse at the hands of his aunt before, and so I made myself recount every painful detail, crying out and writhing my body as if I was experiencing it again.

When Draco eventually lowered his wand, I made myself lie still, being sure to keep my breathing heavy and laboured.

I silently prayed that my squeals had been pig-like enough to satisfy Amycus's revolting desires.

"That should do for now," Amycus said, to my relief. "Take her downstairs and chain her up. Two nights should do the trick."

I saw Draco nod out of the corner of my eye and, as he bent down to scoop me up over his shoulder, I had to physically stop myself from wrapping my arms around him.

I made sure to remain limp and spoke nothing as he carried me out of the office and down the spiral staircase, all the while his arm tightly gripping my legs as my head lolled down his back.

"Stay quiet," I heard him hiss as his arm tightened his hold on me.

He walked the darkened hallways in silence, never saying a word as he moved with surprising ease; never once sounding breathless.

My heart was pounding frantically in anticipation. Despite the fact that I was currently flung over his shoulder, I was desperate to see him, to talk to him, to feel him hold me in his arms.

And then finally we were in a room somewhere in the dungeons and he was locking a door up behind us.

"Neve," he shuddered, the second he placed me on my feet and ripped his mask off.

He immediately pulled me to him and I felt my whole body sigh in relief at being in his arms again. I clung to him, releasing a gut wrenching sob. I had missed him so much.

"It's you, it's really you," I wept, pressing my face into his neck and inhaling his wonderful familiar scent.

"I'm so sorry, Neve," he murmured, pressing his mouth against my ear as he tightened his arms around me, "I would have approached you sooner but I was afraid of the risk. Snape has eyes everywhere."

"It's okay," I said quickly, looking up at him as I delicately touched my fingers down the length of his firm square jaw, "I'm just so glad you're here. I thought I'd never see you again."

"I feared you wouldn't want to ever look at me again," he said, his grey eyes flickering sadly down at me. "After that night..." he trailed off, glancing down towards my stomach. "I- I heard what happened... god Neve, I'm so sorry."

I tried to ignore the violent twist of my heart whenever I was reminded of the future I would never have. I found I suddenly couldn't look at Draco, too afraid he would want me to talk about it.

"What's done is done," I said, purposefully keeping my voice steady so as to conceal my heartache. "What matters right now is getting through this war."

A frown flickered over his features as he looked down at me intently. "Is this what tonight was about? Trying to steal that sword?"

I nodded but said nothing.

He was furious; I could tell by the way the muscle pulsed on his jawline and the way his normally pallid cheeks heightened in colour.

"Damn it Neve, are you trying to get yourself killed?" he spat, his voice an angry growl. He stepped away from me, driving a hand exasperatedly through his white-blond hair. "You do not mess with the fucking Carrows. They are dangerous!"

"I can't just sit around and do nothing!" I implored, my chest rising and falling heatedly. "We need to win this fight!"

"Oh for fuck's sake, Neve, not that shit again," Draco scoffed, his face pinched in fury. "You're not bloody Potter. The fight is not yours to battle. And anyway, where did that little stunt you pulled tonight get you? Chained up in here for two fucking nights where they're likely to send in people other than me to come in and torture you! That's where!"

He gestured around the windowless room he had brought me to. It looked like some kind of prehistoric torture chamber made to look even more sinister by the eerie green glow of the flickering lamp lights. Chains hung on the stone walls and frightening looking contraptions sat precariously on a desk in the corner.

"You're not actually going to chain me up in here?" I asked, looking at him incredulously as the idea of being chained to a wall for two nights caused my blood to run cold.

"I have to, Neve," he said, his face hardening in anger, "if I don't then they'll suspect my loyalty."

"I won't let you lock me up." I said, shaking my head as I took a step away from him, backing towards the door. I would sooner take the Cruciatus Curse than this.

"Tough shit, Neve," he growled, his eyes flashing dangerously down at me. "You should have thought about that before breaking into Snape's office. Now get back here and take your fucking punishment."

"This isn't you, Draco," I said, turning to head towards the door, but a hand gripped my wrist and wrenched me violently back.

And just like the night of Dumbledore's death, something reached deep inside of me and flicked that switch.

We were like two wild animals being set upon one another; attacking and devouring - each out to get as much of the other as possible as our mouths worked furiously together; angry, hungry and frantic.

It was all thrashing teeth and heated breaths. Hands were everywhere, scratching, groping, clawing. The taste of blood filled my mouth and I wasn't even sure if it was his or mine.

I hadn't even been aware that he had picked me up until I felt my back slam heavily against the wall. My only response was to squeeze my legs tight around his waist, causing an illicit groan to sound from the back of his throat; a noise not unlike a wounded animal in pain.

His erection pressed angrily between us, desperate to be freed from the enclosure of his trousers.

My fingers fumbled desperately through the folds of his cloak, grappling through the thick dark material to find the fastenings of his trousers.

"Fuck this," he growled, and shrugged the whole offending cloak off, letting it fall heavily to the ground by his feet.

He pulled my top clean off over my head, running his hands wantonly down my sides making me shiver and buck against the onslaught of goosebumps that erupted maddeningly across my skin. My bra was on the floor before I had even realised he had moved to unclasp it.

My fingers grappled at his shirt, trembling in my fierce desire to get it off of him and feel his skin against mine. He pulled it over his head, forgoing the buttons, his eyes full of lust as he gazed down hungrily at me briefly before crashing his lips back to mine. I danced my fingertips across his torso, making him shudder and gasp as he made continual jerking, thrusting motions against my crotch, his hardness raging through the clothes between us.

"God, I want you so much, Neve," Draco groaned against my mouth which was already sore and tingling from his frantic assault.

We couldn't get our trousers off quick enough, clumsily fumbling with buttons and zips. Draco had moved his lips against my throat where his teeth grazed and suckled my skin causing me to whimper in longing.

And then all of a sudden he was pushing inside of me, slowly filling me up as we both cried out in the pure pleasure of being as one.

His thrusts were sloppy and awkward and, getting frustrated at the awkward angle of having my back against the wall, Draco hoisted me up roughly by the waist as I wrapped my legs tightly around his middle, and he manoeuvred us over to the desk, sweeping his arm across it sending various whips and other torture devices to go crashing noisily to the floor.

He lay my back flat down upon the cold surface and crawled onto the desk above me. Without another word, he grasped my leg, angling it up against his hip and pushed himself back inside of me, the pupils of his eyes dilating in pleasure as he went all the way to the hilt.

The room was filled with our sweaty grunting moans as he continually thrust into me, moving at an urgent pace, both of us dying to reach that sweet release but at the same time never wanting it to end.

I closed my eyes in bliss as I lifted my hips to meet each thrust, drowning in the feel of so much skin against skin. I could feel the building of my climax; the surging rolling back of the ocean before the inevitable crashing of the waves.

"Look at me," he growled, fiercely grabbing my jaw and forcing my face up to meet his, fingers digging into my skin so painfully, my eyes watered.

This whole action, however, sent me careering over the edge. I never tore my eyes from his piercing silver pools of desire as I felt the ripping of my orgasm flood my entire body.

And as my lips gasped his name, I watched the darkening and widening of his own pupils as his whole body shuddered out his climax above me.

He rode out the last of his pleasure with two more hard, deliberate thrusts before collapsing on top of me; our bodies panting, heaving, sweaty messes.

"Fuck," he rasped, burying his face into my neck as our hearts both raced crazily in our heaving chests.

"Please don't chain me up," I begged when I could finally speak again.

But he still did.

*****