I shivered as a single fingertip traced the long silvery scar across the length of my stomach.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, his voice a trembling whisper. "I should have done more."

I looked up into his sad grey eyes and felt my heart constrict in a deep mixture of grief and love.

We were still lying naked across the desk of the torture chamber, having only just recovered from our intense encounter.

I placed my hand flat against his pale cheek, marvelling in the feel of the sharp contours beneath my fingers.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about," I whispered. "It wasn't your fault."

"I let them in. I let him in."

He was talking about Rowle; the Death Eater who caused my injury.

"You had no choice." I reassured him. "Yet I could have easily stayed away like you had begged me to."

"You're a bloody fighter, Neve. It's so fucking infuriating." The words came out violently but I didn't miss the smirk that twitched at his lips, betraying his angry facade.

"I'm a Gryffindor." I shrugged unapologetically.

A frown flickered over his features as he looked down at me. "Yeah, you are certainly that."

A charged silence fell between us as our eyes locked. A look of sadness mingled with affection passed between us and my heart squeezed at how breathtakingly beautiful he was.

"I love you, Draco."

"And I love you," he murmured softly, caressing the back of his hand against my cheek.

"Please don't chain me to the wall," I tried again, although I knew by now that my attempts at pleading my freedom were fruitless.

"You know I have to. If I don't then someone else will, Neve," he gave a heavy sigh, leaning down to rest his forehead against mine, "I'll never leave you, I'll stay with you the whole time."

"You promise me?"

"I promise you, Neve," he spoke sincerely, entwining his long white fingers with mine. "I'm going to look after you. We just need to get through this. Together."

And so, once we were dressed, I tearily allowed him to chain me up; first my wrists and then my ankles.

He held me tightly to him as I wept, trying not to let the wave of panic engulf me.

"I'm sorry, Neve, I really am," he murmured in my ear.

He lay with me on the floor as I slept, wrapping his arms tightly around me and letting me use his chest as a pillow.

He brought me food and fed me; escorted me for bathroom breaks; pretended to torture me when Amycus came to check on me. And we talked; we talked about Trevor, Gran, the war, and even about Harry; we talked about everything except the future - my barren, childless future.

On the second night, still shackled to my chains, he peeled off all my clothes and made intense, mind blowing love to me on the cold dungeon floor.

"Won't they be wondering where you are?" I asked breathlessly as we lay side by side, recovering.

"They know I've got a prisoner," he shrugged. "I'm sure they just assume I've been torturing you all this time."

"And this is normal?" I enquired, raising my eyebrows.

"Sadly, yes," Draco sighed, pulling me into his embrace. "But I'd never let them hurt you, Neve. As long as I'm stationed in Hogwarts, I can protect you."

"And what about the others?" I breathed, my heart twisting as I thought about all the children who would see the inside of these four walls. "Will you help protect them too?"

Draco closed his eyes as if in pain. "All I care about is protecting you."

"I won't ever stop fighting," I said, "as long as I am living and breathing I will fight in the name of Dumbledore."

"When did you get so fierce, Neve?" Draco asked, looking at me in bewilderment. "What happened to the bashful girl with the toad who used to trip over her own feet and cried over spilt potion?"

I looked him dead in the eye and feeling a sudden flash of bravery said, "Voldemort happened."

"FUCK!" Draco yelled, bolting upright and grabbing his wand.

As quick as a flash he flicked it so that our clothes dressed themselves back on us.

I looked at him wordlessly, wondering what he was getting his knickers in a twist for.

"The fucking taboo, Neve," he explained, panic written all over his face as loud frantic banging started up on the other side of the door.

"Let us in!" A gruff voice bellowed. "Fucking Hogwarts and it's anti-Apparition charm!"

Suddenly the door flew open and Draco stepped protectively in front of me just as he pulled on his mask.

I shuddered as I recognised Greyback walking in. He stopped short as he spotted Draco, his sneer dropping slightly as if unsure of his own safety.

"Some smarty pants kid said 'is name," Greyback rasped, his beady eyes peering down past Draco's legs where I sat slumped behind in my chains. "I've come to take 'em."

"There is no need," Draco snarled fiercely, his voice sounding sinister from behind his mask. "As you can see, I'm dealing with it already."

Greyback frowned as his eyes darted between Draco and I, looking sceptical. "I have orders, sir. There are no exceptions. The girl comes with me."

"NO!" Draco bellowed, so loudly that both Greyback and I flinched. "She stays with me unless you want to feel the wrath of my wand!"

My heart was pounding furiously in my chest. The Snatchers who had been hovering by the threshold stepped in, looking to see what the hold up was.

Draco was very much outnumbered.

"Come on now, hand over the girl." Greyback growled taking a step closer. "Surely you wouldn't object to having one less troublemaker to look after."

"I'm warning you," Draco snarled, raising his wand.

Greyback eyed it warily but didn't move. "It's the Malfoy boy isn't it? I thought I recognised your voice. Sound just like your father. Poor, disgraced Lucius. Now it wouldn't be a good look if he found out his son was protecting traitors, would it?"

"I'm not protecting her," Draco spat, "but this prisoner was promised to me!"

"Oh, I see," Greyback sniggered as he exchanged knowing looks over his shoulder with the cackling Snatchers, "Malfoy here has got himself a little sex slave. Don't worry boy, I'm sure there will be others. Now hand her over; this one's ours now."

He stepped forward, flicking his wand at me, releasing my chains.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Draco snarled, hauling me to my feet and tucking me behind his back before Greyback could reach me.

"Don't be stupid, boy," Greyback jeered coming to a standstill in front of him. "Now step aside before I blast you to pieces."

Draco didn't move but instead backed me further into the wall. I clung onto his back feeling horribly vulnerable without my wand.

"And what exactly is going on here?"

It was Snape. I didn't know whether to feel relief or even more dread.

"The boy here refuses to hand over the girl." Greyback growled. "She used the taboo and needs to come with me."

There was silence. I pressed myself into Draco's back trying to calm the racing of my heart which felt as though it was about to burst through my ribcage. Draco's hand gripped mine tight as if reassuring me he was not going to let me go. I could feel him holding his breath as Snape considered the situation; his beady black eyes studying the both of us almost curiously.

"The girl stays." Snape said to my utter astonishment as he whirled round to face Greyback. "And if I ever discover you attempting to come into my school to kidnap my students again then I will personally see to it myself that you are strung up by the balls. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Greyback said, his eyes flashing as he backed out of the room to join the waiting Snatchers. "Come on boys. No luck this time."

Snape waited until the dying of their footsteps before he spoke again.

"Longbottom, I think it's safe to say that your punishment is done. Return to your dormitory immediately, and I urge you to think twice before trying to rebel again as next time you may not be so fortunate as to have your... friend looking after you." His eyes flicked pointedly at Draco as he said this.

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks not being able to look Snape in the eye. "Th-thank you, sir," I mumbled instead as I stepped out from behind Draco.

Draco gave my fingers the briefest squeeze before letting me go completely, and I felt a disappointment in the pit of my stomach at having to say goodbye like this.

I grabbed my wand from the desk and, without turning around, I flew out of the chamber and back through the hallways to the comfort of the Gryffindor Tower; the only place in this castle that still felt like home these days.

When I got to my dormitory I discovered Ginny sleeping in my bed.

She cried for two hours after I woke her, hugging me and sharing her fear that they had killed me.

"They won't get me that easily, Ginny," I said with fierce determination. "Not without a fight."

"You're so brave Neve," she said in wonderment.

And, as she fell back asleep beside me, I started planning my next move.

*****