Yeah, I seriously suck but I have an amazing excuse! I have not had internet going on two months now. Due to not getting the mail the bill for our internet was late and then we got hit with late fees and blah and then we FINALLY paid everything in full and it took us TWO WEEKS for the company to come out and fix something that they broke in the first place. So yes, it's been just a fantastic last few months to say the least. Again, since so much time has passed I will not reply individually to reviews and would just like to thank all those who did read and review and I truly hope the next chapter is soon enough that I can reply to you one by one to show my appreciation. This is already getting long and I'm sure you'd much rather be reading the story so I'll shut my trap and let you get to it. :) I hope you enjoy and that it's worth the wait? Maybe.

~Fluffy

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PART 3-SHOWDOWN

Winter turned and saw Blaise stomping up the walkway towards her and Draco; she stepped in front of Draco to protect him as Blaise's wand was drawn. He stopped just short of her, his eyes never leaving Draco's face.

"Move, Winter," said Blaise.

"You will not speak to me that way, Blaise Zabini," Winter said, her tone deadly serious.

"I can speak however I wish and you will move."

Winter moved to draw her wand but was shocked to feel Blaise hit her with a confusion spell and she felt herself walking wobbly away from Draco and falling to the ground. Her head was spinning and every time she attempted to look at Draco he spun around her vision. She could hear them talking but their voices were garbled. Winter tried to scream out in annoyance but all that left her lips was a whimper. She felt like crying, Draco had looked completely exhausted and who knew if he even had his wand. Blaise could seriously injure him or kill him if he wanted and Winter could do nothing to stop him.

She attempted to stand but when she felt she was upright the earth shifted and she ended up sprawled back across the grass. She reached down to her leg, pulling up her dress and slipping her wand from her garter. When she looked back up she began to see colors cross her vision and the sound of spells connecting with one another. Slowly the repetitious shapes of Draco and Blaise melded together until she could see them clearly and stand up on her own two feet. Blaise was casting spell after spell at Draco and all Draco was doing was reflecting them and casting no spells of his own.

Winter had heard that Draco had had to do some terrible things and she imagined he wouldn't fight back, not after that. She pointed her wand at Blaise and he was so intent on watching Draco that he hadn't even noticed Winter approaching him.

"Expelliarmus!" Winter shouted and Blaise's wand flew from his hand, he turned and saw Winter with her wand held out towards him.

"How can you still choose him?" Blaise shouted. "After everything, you would give up a life with me for him, why, Winter?"

"Because I love him, Blaise, why has that always been so hard for you to understand?" asked Winter.

"Because I love you and I will treat you right, Draco will cheat and lie to you and I never will."

"I would cheat on you, Blaise, because I won't be happy and already I have lied to you by making you believe I cared about you. How am I any better than Draco?"

"You are everything to me, Winter, I have nothing without you."

"No, Blaise, you have nothing because you are caught up on me, when I'm gone you will see that you can be happy, probably happier without me."

"I need you."

"You don't."

"I won't give you up without a fight!"

Blaise ran for his wand and Winter couldn't let him reach it.

"Stupefy!" she cried. Blaise flew back onto the ground and Winter was surprised that it hadn't knocked him unconscious. She stepped forward and leaned over him, her wand pointed at his chest, her hand shaking and flashes of anger rushing through her head. She hadn't done much wandless magic or silent magic but she knew if she thought of any terrible spell in her mind she would do it and so she tried to calm down. Draco came up behind her and rested his hands on her arms, one hand moving across her arm until it reached her wand. He clasped his hand around hers and lowered her arm until she was no longer pointing her wand at Blaise. Winter turned around and pressed her face into Draco's chest. She felt him wrap his arms around her as she gripped his shirt and cried.

The last thing she ever expected in her life was to have to battle her best friend and stop herself from accidentally killing him. She leaned back and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her oversized dress before turning and looking at Blaise, who was still on the ground watching them with a defeated look on his face.

"I'm never going to win, am I?" asked Blaise. "I'm never going to make you believe that you are making a mistake?"

"I am not making a mistake, Blaise, that's the difference," Winter replied.

"I tried to save you from Draco, Winter, but I can only try so many times before I leave you to your fate."

"Then leave me to my fate, damn it, Blaise, just leave me the hell alone you prat."

Blaise shook his head with a sad smirk on his face.

"When he tears your heart into a million pieces I won't be there to help you put it back together, forget you ever knew me because that is exactly what I'm going to do."

Gladly."

Blaise stood up and picked up his wand and Winter held hers out defensively but he just placed it in his robe and with an obscene gesture at them both he disapperated before their eyes.

"Well, that was unnecessary," said Draco and Winter sighed, her shoulders sagging as she felt the weight she had been holding lift. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"I'm more sorry that you had to deal with him that way," Winter replied.

"I can't fight anymore, not like that, not with the memories."

"I understand, Draco, and it's okay."

Winter wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and pulled him in for a hug and he twined his arms around her waist.

"You still haven't told me your answer," said Draco.

"My answer to what?" Winter asked obliviously.

"My marriage proposal."

"How could you ever believe I'd say no?"

Winter turned the words Draco had said to her around on him and looked up at with a big smile on her face.

"But I will not marry you today or in this dress," Winter said.

"Fair enough," Draco replied. "I'd be glad to remove that dress for you if you'd like."

"Back to your old self I see."

Draco smirked before leaning down and gripping Winter's thighs, pulling her up until her legs were wrapped around his waist. Winter blushed but Draco continued to smirk as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Winter's and kissed her for the first time since that day at Hogwarts over a year ago. It was exactly how Winter remembered it, perfect and beautiful and filled with so much love that she felt her eyes beginning to tear up with joy. She still loved Draco Malfoy and Draco Malfoy still loved her. It that instant Winter knew that her parents would be okay, the unbreakable vow was breakable after all thanks to her dad. She didn't have to marry Blaise and she didn't have to marry Draco, the difference was when it came to Draco, she actually wanted to.

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Hmm, this came out more anti-climatic than I wanted it to. I rewrote it three times and each time I added more drama but I feel like any more would be too much. I mean, the war just happened and they've had enough to deal with without adding more to it had the battle gone longer or someone gotten physically hurt. Gah, what do you guys think? I'm so-so with it and I really didn't want to be cause I want this story to be just right, like the last bowl of porridge. ;)

~Fluffy