They were in a forest of some sort and there was nothing else but trees and bushes in sight. Emma, frustrated, stood up and looked at the sky. It was a murky grey and there was a certain chill in the air that sent shivers down her spine. Draco looked away from Emma when she caught his eye, guiltily staring hard at the sticks and leaves on the forest floor. 

"Draco," Emma started, moving quickly towards him and standing in front of him, waiting for him to look back up at her but he didn't. He just frowned, staring downwards. "Draco, you take us back there... Right now!"

Draco said nothing, only swallowed. Emma reached upwards, causing Draco to flinch backwards, but she followed him and forced his face up so that he'd look at her. He only wriggled his face out of her hands and shoved them away with a grunt. 

"Do you have a death wish or something?!" Draco shouted at her, angry tears in his eyes. "Because I don't. And I don't care that it's selfish that I've taken you out of there with me. You're not dying today, Emma."

Emma let out a frustrated cry and turned away from him, reaching up and placing the back of her hand over her mouth. He was right, he was selfish... he couldn't live without her, but what about the fact that her brother was still there? Metres away from Voldemort? 

"You can scream at me all you want, you can cry all you want, you can even hate me all you want," said Draco. "But we're not going back."

Emma stormed up to Draco, got so close to him that he almost stepped back out of intimidation, but he remained where he was, his stormy grey eyes staring down into Emma's blue ones. 

"If you don't take me back there right now... I will never forgive you for this," Emma said softly, tears welling up in her eyes the longer Draco took to say anything. "Please. You don't have the right to make choices for me. My brother is there, Draco... I just found him. Please take me back."

Emma wondered if this took him back to one of their conversations. 

"It's strange to be related to him," Emma had said to Draco once. "It still feels like part of me has been amputated -- I mean, imagine what it would feel like if you were told your parents weren't your real parents, but your real parents were dead. It sucks growing up to learn your entire life has been a lie. My mum and dad are dead, and I have a brother and I barely know him. I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to unless this is all over."

"You'll get the chance," Draco had told her.

"We're not going back," Draco seethed in her face, before turning around and keeping his back to her, probably because he couldn't take seeing how hurt he was making Emma. 

"Fine," Emma snapped, causing the boy to turn his head to the side. "If you won't take me back, then I'll find my own way back. Perhaps I'll try Apparating myself... maybe even get splinched? There's never been anyone who's died by Apparating, has there? If not, I might even be the first."

"What do you want me to do, Emma?" Draco snapped, turning and taking long strides towards her. "Want me to send you back to your death? Really? Where's that going to leave Potter? Better he dies than you."

Emma felt like her stomach was somehow sinking and she opened her mouth to say something, but all that would come out was a hurt sound, like she'd been defeated. 

"I hate you and I'll never forgive you."

Emma turned away from him and began walking off, hoping to find a person, a street, anything other than these trees and Draco.

"Where are you going?" Draco called out.

"Away from you!" Emma called back without looking over her shoulder. 
 

* * * * * *

It felt like hours, walking through this unknown forest, and there was no sight of anything Emma had hoped to see. No people, no places, no streets, no houses, only trees and wildlife. A loss of hope spread through Emma's chest and she let out a sob, dropping to the forest floor and lowering her head, resting her forehead in her hand. 

She heard footsteps and the sounds of leaves and sticks crushing underneath them. Emma knew Draco had been following her, knew he didn't want her getting lost. She truly didn't care if she did get lost, anywhere away from Draco was a start; all his presence seemed to do was irk her. 

"Get away from me, you arse," she gritted when the footfalls stopped, and she saw black leather shoes in front of her. 

Emma looked up at the boy to see him holding out his hand, and, for a second she grew excited, thinking that perhaps he was going to take her back to Hogwarts, but then she reminded herself... he wouldn't, as he had said, no matter how much she screamed and hated him for it. Sighing, Emma took his hand anyway, and he pulled her up. 

"We'll go back soon," said Draco, reaching over and pulling a leaf out of Emma's hair. "I'll Apparate somewhere on the grounds and we can slowly make our way up to the castle. But if I hear so much as a drop of chaos, we're leaving."

"Okay," Emma said quickly, nodding eagerly. "I'll take what I can."

Draco looked extremely guilty for forcing Emma out of there against her will, and she could feel that he felt the way as well. But it wasn't enough to take her back just yet. It wasn't enough to leave her there to begin with and, although she couldn't exactly hate him for caring about her, it pissed her off.  

"I'm sorry," Draco said quietly, reaching out and pulling Emma into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. "I really am. But please don't hate me... I can't stand the thought."

Emma didn't say anything, only reluctantly wrapped her arms around him. It was a homely feeling to hug Draco Malfoy, and it made her feel more safe than anything he had done for her today. 

"Where even are we?"