Lizzie's POV:

"Today, we will be reviewing the Patronus spell. I know a lot of you already know this spell from when I taught it a few months ago, but we have many new members who don't know it, and it is a very useful spell that has, quite frankly, saved my life on multiple accounts. Those of you who know the spell, cast it on the count of three," Harry spoke at the D.A. meeting that day. "One, two, three."

The room was immediately lit up with blue as animals burst from wands all around me. After seeing Luna's patronus hop around her a few times, I cast the spell myself. This time, the memory I used was the moment Draco had told me he loved me a few months ago. I closed my eyes and pictured Draco leaning above me and annunciated the words. "Expecto Patronum."

A large silvery hippogriff leapt from the tip of my wand, flapping its feathery wings proudly. Its wings beat the air as it flew around me and I smiled at it landed and walked towards me. Making eye contact with me, it bowed lowly showing respect and submission. I dipped my head in respect to the creature I had created. Its feathers were sleek and beautiful, lying flat against its body. It slowly dissipated into the air and I stood watching Harry walking around admiring everyone's patronus' and providing advice to those who were struggling.

I watched a small house elf I had never seen before appear and tug on Harry's robes. Harry looked down at the small creature and smiled widely. I inched closer to them near the back of the room in order to hear their conversation, my Slytherin curiosity getting the better of me.

"Hi, Dobby!" Harry said. "What's wrong?" Dobby? Elf names were so odd. I mean come on, who came up with the name Dobby?

The elf's eyes were wide with terror and he was shuddering from head to toe. Everyone in the D.A. fell silent and watched the exchange between the wizard and elf.

"Harry Potter, sir," the elf squeaked out. "Harry Potter, sir. Dobby has come to warn you, but the house elves have been warned not to tell." The elf made a move to run headfirst into the wall, but Harry managed to catch him by the collar.

"What's happened, Dobby?" Harry asked worriedly, spinning the elf around and squatting to his level.

"Harry Potter she... she.. She.."

"Who Dobby?" Harry asked. "Umbridge?" The elf nodded.

"She knows, Harry Potter. She knows of this," Dobby yelped.

"Is she coming?" Harry asked, horrified.

"Yes, Harry Potter, yes!" Harry straightened himself stiff as a board and looked around to the people who were watching him.

"What are you waiting for? Run!" Harry shouted.

The room broke out into panic. Everyone rushed to the door at once, yelling and bumping shoulders, but I was in shock at what I had just heard.

Umbridge knew? But how?

A shoulder rammed into my back, between my shoulder blades, causing me to arch my back in pain and squeal. This is what knocked sense into me and brought me slamming back to the Earth. If I didn't run, Umbridge would catch us and I would be expelled for sure.

Ignoring the sharp pain radiating from my back, I pelted to the now deserted door and made a sharp turn left, looking to head back to the Slytherin common room. I could see other students turning corners and sprinting along the corridors to their respective common rooms.

As I made to turn right and begin down the first set of stairs, something caught me around the ankles, making me slam face first into the ground. My nose made an unnatural crunching noise and began to bleed profusely.

"Over here, Professor!" an annoyingly familiar voice called behind me. I rolled onto my back to and attempt to see my assailant through the water that was collecting in my eyes. Short black hair and a puggy face appeared from around the corner. "Samuels," Pansy growled.

I began to struggle against the invisible thing that was holding my legs together. Any second, Umbridge would appear and expel me.

"It's no use," she grinned evilly. "Professor!"

Umbridge appeared from around the corner that Pansy had come from and advanced towards me. "Miss Samuels!" she squeaked. "Up, up, we're going to make a trip to the headmaster's office." I got to my feet, the spell having worn off and Umbridge began to lead me to Dumbledore's office. I could hardly see through the tears that were spilling down my cheeks from the pain in my nose. The tears only intensified when I heard a voice.

"Hey, Professor! I've got one!" It was Draco. I heard Draco calling out to Umbridge.

The evil woman jumped and gripped my arm. "Quickly, now." She forced me around a few corners to where I saw a blur of blonde and green over a blur of black and red. "It's him!" she shouted jubilantly. I kept my head to the ground, hoping Draco wouldn't recognize me, but knowing he absolutely would, if he hadn't already. "Stand up Potter," she instructed cruelly. "You take Miss Samuels here to the hospital wing to get that mess fixed up. Don't let her out of your sight. I'll take Mr. Potter here to the Headmaster's office." Umbridge gripped Harry's arm and dragged him away from Draco and me.

I once again directed my eyes to the ground in shame. I had only ever kept two secrets from Draco. My blood status and the D.A., and now both of them were out. I expected him to yell at me. Anger spilling from those wonderful grey eyes of his.

"Are you okay, Liz?" he asked me desperately, hurrying to me and lifting my chin. I could only see the blurry outline of his face through my tears which were beginning to turn into sobs. "Bloody hell," he whispered. He began to pat at the blood gushing from my nose with the sleeve of his robes. "What happened to you?"

"P-Pansy," I choked out, wincing against his touch. "I'm so sorry, Draco. I'm so so sorry." I sobbed ashamedly.

"We need to get you to Madam Pomfrey," he spoke, ignoring my apologies. He tenderly grabbed my upper arm and led me through the castle to the hospital wing. My body was now racking with sobs.

Once we were inside the hospital wing doors, Madam Pomfrey rushed over to me.

"Miss Samuels, I was hoping not to see you for a while." She led me to a bed near to the one I spent a month in. "Alright dear, this might pinch a bit. Episkey." My nose gave another sickening crunch as it snapped back into place. Fresh blood came out of my newly healed nose. "Now about all of that blood. Vulnera Sanentur." The blood immediately stopped gushing from my nose. Sobs continued to shake me, however. "I think she's going into a mild shock. Just lie down, dear," she instructed me. I leaned backwards on the bed I was on and curled up into a tight ball, sobbing my eyes out. "If you wait with her for a little while, Mr. Malfoy, she should be fine to go back to bed soon." Madam Pomfrey hustled over to another bed that was taken by someone else who had been attacked tonight.

My chest heaved and tears spilled down my cheeks, wetting the dried blood on my face. I buried my head between my knees, wanting to disappear forever.

I felt a hand rest on my back and rub soothing circles.

Draco stayed there with me and allowed me to cry myself dry. I heaved harder than I ever had, feeling my ribs contract sharply with each breath. My cries shuddered my body and echoed around the room.

When no more tears would come, I lay there hiccupping.

"Come on, Liz," Draco whispered. "Let's get you to bed." He placed a hand under my elbow and pulled me up.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I really, truly am. I wanted to tell you but I didn't know how," I ranted guiltily. I looked to him to see his reaction. His jaw only tightened. He was angry and wasn't trying to hide it.

I hiccupped all the way back to the common room. Instead of leading me to my own dormitory, Draco led me to his bed. He sat me down on it and dug through his trunk, pulling out a shirt and throwing it to me.

"Put that on," he commanded as took his trousers and shirt off, leaving him in only his boxers. I obeyed him and took my bloody robes off, folding them nicely and placing them on top of Draco's bedside table. "Come here." He pulled his wand out and pointed it at my face. "Tergeo." A cool, tickling feeling spread across my face, and upon examination appeared to have removed every trace of blood. He set his wand on his table and crawled into his bed, holding the blankets open for me to get in beside him.

I gently slipped under the blankets and cuddled up next to Draco's bare chest. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close, which was all I needed at the moment. His minty scent filled my nose.

"I am so sorry, Draco," I whispered.

"Sh," he cut me off shortly. "Not tonight. Just get some sleep."

The fatigue of the event that had occurred that night caught up to me and forced my eyes shut. I was slipping into sleeps welcoming darkness, but managed to squeeze out a slurred "I love you," to Draco before falling into a deep sleep.