Expecto Patronum ~ Draco X Hermione

Together.

Draco and Blaise went and sat on the Gryffindor table with the girls, as always. Suddenly, a huge owl with feathers as white as milk and as soft as silk flew elegantly to the table and rested itself on Draco's arm. Draco stroked it's feathers, fed it a treat and let it fly off again after taking the Silver envelope from it's beak.

"It's a bit early for mail, isn't it?" Hermione said, through a mouthful of fruit.

"There aren't any other owls," Ginny observed.

"Draco? You all right mate?"

He sat and stared at the envelope in his hands. Observing the handwriting on the parchment, and feeling his heart fall to the floor. He turned the envelope around, showing Blaise without breaking his gaze on the spot he'd chosen to stare into, in thought.

"Oh Merlin," Blaise whispered, appearing to be more and more nervous by the second.

"Can someone please explain?" Hermione said, quietly, for both herself and Ginny.

Draco hung his head in shame, and Hermione knew it was more serious than she'd previously anticipated.

"Draco?" her voice had become much more serious now.

"I'M SORRY ARE WE DISTURBING YOUR BREAKFAST? MIND YOUR BLOODY BUSINESS AND GET READY FOR YOUR LESSONS YOU NOSEY GITS!" Ginny shouted at the groups of people who had began to stare, and now nobody dared look in their direction, even the ghosts.

Draco felt his eyes welling up with tears so he stood up and ran towards the room of requirements as fast as he could.

"Draco!" Hermione stood up to run after him, and Blaise grabbed her hand.

"Hermione, wait. It's a howler. From his Father. I think he knows. You might not want to hear what he has to say,"

"I don't care what he has to say. I care more about Draco. I can't see him like this and do nothing," she threw Blaise's hand from her wrist and ran after Draco, knowing where he was running to.

She entered the room of requirements to see Draco sat, with the letter in his hands, trembling. He still hadn't opened it.

"Leave,"

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"I said no. I'm not going to let you do this alone. Do you love me?"

"With everything I am,"

"You want us to be together?"

"Of course!"

"That's exactly why I'm here for you Draco. Because we're together. We'll get through this, TOGETHER. You don't have to face this alone. You see this ring? Remember what we promised each other when I put this on? I'm going to be right here by your side. Always."

She took his hand in hers as she sat beside him and rested her forehead on his.

"I love you Draco. That's exactly why I'm not about to let you do this alone."

He took a long deep breath and opened his eyes, before nodding.

"But you have to be prepared. This letter could change everything 'Mione. I don't know what he's about to say about me, or you, or my past, or us. You could find things out that will make you hate me,"

"That's impossible. I love you. And there's nothing your father can do that will stop me from loving you,"

"You open it."

She nodded and took the letter in her hands before taking a deep breath and looking at Draco. He placed his head in his hands and nodded. She broke the seal, and the parchment dropped to the floor before rising to Draco's level and, rather than it screaming at him, it dropped to a lower, intimidatingly quiet and threatening tone.