A/N: Hi all! I'm really sorry for the long and unnecessary hiatus. I've just been extremely busy. This chapter goes out to J'aime le solei, because she really motivated me to start writing again. Thank you! Enjoy!

For as long as she could remember, Elly had always been the one to feel guilty very easily. For example, when she had thrown a tantrum at her father, circa age eight, in return he had listed all the things that he had done for her, such as attending every piano recital, feeding her, clothing her, and sheltering her. And most of all, no matter how much Elly blew up at him, that he would always love her. That little spiel that her father made always knocked her down with a burden of guilt. Therefore, it was safe to say that Elly had a problem with it. And because of that problem and weakness with guilt, Elly had done it.

She had broken her vow to herself. Instead of terminating all means of communication with the blond bastard, she had sent him that stupid letter saying that he didn't deserve to be imprisoned in Azkaban. Why had she done it? Guilt, of course, was a cause, but the rest of her mind was blank. Well, actually, there was an abundance of thoughts racing through it. Some were trivial, like wondering how soon she could get access to the Food Network inside the walls of this damn castle. However, the main thoughts that clouded her mind were the ones of Malfoy. She wanted to kick herself repeatedly in the stomach, because, despite what he had done and regardless of the now fading bruise on her right cheek, she still held a torch for him. As Elly contemplated this realization, all she could think of was how odd this situation was. One thing was for sure, she needed her Food Network back.

Right now, Draco Malfoy was a very confused Slytherin. Half of him was extremely relieved that Elly had sent him that letter. Although it was sparse, to him, it meant that he still had a chance to get back in her good graces. However, it would definitely not be easy. No, it would be like climbing Mount Everest in swimming trunks and flip flops. However, if there was one quality that Draco did not lack in, it was ambition. And for however long it took, his ambition was to get Elly back. He ran a hand through his messy blond locks and took a deep breath. It was going to be a long climb.

"So, one thing is obvious. It has to do with Malfoy," Ron paced around the Gryffindor common room.

"As much as I would love to immediately jump to that conclusion, Ron, we don't know that. Maybe she got hit with a quaffle or something," Hermione tried to be logical.

Harry let out an exasperated sigh, "Hermione, if Elly had gotten hit with a quaffle, she would have no teeth.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Look, all I'm saying is that he didn't necessarily hit her. Has anyone thought to actually talk to her directly about what happened?"

"Oh, yes. Because our conversation would definitely get us somewhere. 'Hello, Elly. Where did you get that enormous bruise from?'" Ron mocked a conversation.

"Fine, it probably does have something to do with Malfoy. I just didn't want to be hasty. What are proposing that we do about him? You know a confrontation won't do us any good," Hermione conceded.

"Hermione, Harry's the 'Chosen One,' he can do something cool that will make Malfoy wish he could move to Siberia!" Ron exclaimed.

"I'm glad you think so highly of my title," Harry muttered. "Look, Malfoy will get what's coming to him, don't you worry."

Elly knew she had to do it. It was now or never, and if she didn't have the balls to confront Malfoy, she would have to spend the rest of the term avoiding him. She would have been content watching him suffer, but the tiniest, most minuscule part of her would be suffering, too.

"Pureblood," She spoke the password to get into the Slytherin dormitories, and rolled her eyes at what the password was. She was granted access. Elly was nervous about entering the garden of snakes. She was speaking metaphorically, of course.

As soon as her head appeared in the common room, a shriek echoed.

"BRIGHTMAN! What are you doing in MY territory?!" A livid Pansy Parkinson shouted, jumping up from the sofa and dropping the Witch Weekly she had been flipping though.

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize that this was your kingdom. If it were, I'd pick a nicer couch for your throne. Black leather gets quite hot in the summertime," Elly sneered.

"Are you here to see you little Draco? If you are, you should know that you'll never be half the woman that he needs."

"And I suppose you think you are? I mean, I'd take him for a man-whore, but even he has standards."

"Why you little brat! I'm going to CLAW YOUR EYES OUT!" Pansy screamed.

Draco heard Pansy's tantrum and promptly entered the common room. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Elly. What was she doing here? Maybe, just maybe, he thought, that he would only have to climb to the second to last summit of Everest instead of the very top.

Elly ignored Pansy's threat and turned her attention to Draco who had, at that moment, decided to appear in the common room. "Uhm, hi," she said awkwardly.

"Hello," He responded evenly.

"Draco, why are you just standing there!? Aren't you going to hex her into oblivion for what she did to you?!" Pansy's shrieks were definitely going to force the people currently in the Slytherin common room into investing in a hearing aid.

Draco ignored her, "what are you doing here?" He asked in a softer tone.

Elly cleared her throat, "I couldn't ignore you any longer. I have some things that I need to say to you. And I was hoping I could say them in private, and not in the presence of a banshee," she said looking over at a still fuming Pansy.

"That can be arranged. Follow me," he said leading her down a corridor. "I think my room is the only safe haven right now."

As Elly stepped into his lair, she immediately took notice of how Draco like the room was. The walls were silver and jade, and in the middle of the room was a large bed with a green comforter. It was all very Slytherin. "So, uh, I guess I should start by saying that I don't hate you."

"I'm so glad to hear that, Elle. And I meant what I said in potions the other day, I never ever should have laid a hand on you that way, and—"

Elly put up a hand to stop him. "Let me say my piece."

He nodded.

"You hit me, Draco. That's not something to be taken lightly. I know it was spastic and that you said you didn't mean to do it, but the fact is, you did it and it can't be undone. I would like to tell myself that this was completely out of character for you and not in your nature, but the truth is, I don't really know if it's in your nature or not because I don't know you at all. We had sex, which I would consider an intimate act between two people, but I was not exactly sober. However, that kinda created a bond between us, I think. And I'll admit, I said some things about your family that I probably should not have said, but like I said before, I said them, and I can't take them back," She paused for breath. "And I send you that owl because even though you did something horrible, I still like you and think you're really sexy, and I'm not ready to castrate you. Not yet, at least," she said really fast.

Draco slowly walked up to her until his face was inches away from hers. He gently cupped her still bruised cheek and planted a soft kiss there. "I Promise that I will never hurt you again."

Elly forgot to breathe for a moment. "Do you have to do that all the time?"

"Do what?"

"Always be so suave and seductive like that. You make me loose a couple of brain cells every time, which is becoming quite frequent."

"Well, I'm sorry I have that effect on you," He smirked and finally, pressed his lips to hers. For Draco, it felt like he was tasting chocolate cake after being on a rigorous diet for weeks.

However, at that moment, Pansy decided to barge into the room and point her wand menacingly at Elly. "YOU WILL PAY FOR TAKING DRACO AWAY FROM ME!"

Before Pansy could utter a spell, Elly whipped out her wand and yelled, "Stupefy!"

Pansy hit the ground with a thud.

"Shit," Elly cursed. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. I did not just stun her…I can't believe I just did that, oh, shit I'm going to get expelled!"

"Hey, hey, relax. It was self defense. I'll be your witness," Draco tried to comfort her.

At that precise moment, Snape burst into the bedroom after hearing the commotion. "Brightman?! What did you do?" He barked.

"It was all self defense, I swear," Draco defended her.

"Quiet, Malfoy. Brightman, did you or did you not stun Miss Parkinson?"

What use was it to lie? Elly thought dejectedly. "Yes. I did."

"Miss Brightman, you have intentionally harmed a student. I have no choice but to expel you from Hogwarts," Snape declared.