Disclaimer: I wonder if I could make Polyjuice Potion to transform into J.K Rowling...but until then, I don't own Harry Potter.

I could barely eat anything during dinner – I was too preoccupied with my ever-changing thoughts.

Why had I agreed? This couldn't possibly be a good idea.

But Draco was right...I did feel something. And apparently, so did he.

But...what?

It was thrilling...exhilarating...so...right.

In dueling there had to be a connection – not just to your magic, but also to your opponent.

And somehow deep down inside I knew that Draco and I would have the strongest connection.

I was the strongest when I dueled with him. He made me better – he pushed me to be better.

Of course, that wasn't his intention.

But with his taunts and jeers, I wanted to push myself to prove him wrong and give him an opponent he could see as a challenge.

I could feel a pair of eyes on me, bringing me out of my thoughts, so I slowly turned my head around and saw Draco staring at me intently. Once our eyes locked, a slight smirk appeared on his face, and I knew that this was his way of telling me to be ready.

"Earth to Christina!" Ron waved a hand in front of my face, breaking my staring contest with Draco. "You've barely touched your food, are you feeling alright?"

I blinked a couple of times, before responding, "Yeah, sorry. Guess I'm just not that hungry."

"Oh...can I have your treacle tart then?" Ron asked, already inching his hand forward.

I nodded, "Yeah, go ahead."

Ron happily took the pastry off my plate and stuffed it into his mouth.

Hermione glared at him, "You ate it whole! Can you chew your food?"

Ron went to reply, but bits of the treacle tart slipped out from behind his lips. He went in search of a napkin while Hermione shook her head disgustedly and turned to me.

"Are you really alright, Christina? It isn't like you to have no appetite," she spoke, her voice laced with worry.

"I'll tell you later," I mumbled, and attempted to swallow down a sip of my nettle tea.

"You're what?" Harry asked, standing from his place on the armchair. "You do remember what happened the last time Malfoy challenged Ron and I to a duel, right?"

Oh – that's right.

In first year, Draco challenged Harry and Ron to have a wizard's duel with him and Crabbe.

Harry and Ron showed up – with me, Hermione, and Neville somehow tagging along – but Draco and Crabbe were no shows.

And then we almost got caught by Filch.

It was a setup.

"Yeah I remember," I conceded. "But it's just gonna be me and him this time...he seemed rather serious."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other uncertainly, but they knew I would go through with it.

"Can you at least take the invisibility cloak? So that way if things go wrong you can hide," Harry suggested.

I nodded, "Yeah, that seems like a good idea. Thanks."

Harry ran up to his dorm to retrieve the cloak, and I looked at the clock.

11:50pm.

I should be leaving now.

"Are you really sure about this?" Hermione asked as Harry returned and tossed me the cloak.

"You know Malfoy's a git – he won't fight fairly," Ron reminded me.

I shrugged, "Well, if he doesn't then neither will I," I put the cloak under my arm and headed towards the exit to the common room. "If I'm not back in an hour, come find me. We'll be in the Trophy Room." And with that, I left.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Hermione said softly, and Harry and Ron couldn't help but agree.

I reached the outside of the Trophy Room, and saw that I was completely alone. Still under the invisibility cloak, I sat down against the door and waited patiently.

About three minutes later, I felt another presence enter the corridor. I looked to my right from where I had come, and spotted familiar platinum blond hair, which was the only thing that stood out amongst the all black outfit Draco had on.

"Miro?" I heard him question in a breathless whisper.

Smirking to myself, I decided to have a little fun.

I crawled over to where Draco was standing and then...grabbed a hold of his leg and pulled.

Draco let out a manly scream and kicked his leg out, narrowing missing my head. I was able to roll out of the way, and in the process the cloak fell off my body.

"Miro?" Draco seethed, glaring down at me.

I couldn't stop laughing, though I knew I had to be quiet. Holding my side, I tried to will the laughter away. "Yeah – it's me Malfoy," I said in between chuckles.

Draco was not amused.

"Are we gonna duel or what?" he asked harshly.

My laughter began to die down, "I don't know...did you come alone?"

Draco gave me an 'are-you-stupid' look, "Does it look like anyone is with me?"

"You Slytherins are pretty sneaky...and I wouldn't want to have a repeat of the 'duel' in first year," I shrugged.

Draco scoffed loudly, "Just get into the room before someone sees us...or hears us."

I pursed my lips, "Then you need to stop making me laugh."

"Wasn't my fault – you attacked me."

"Attacked?" I repeated incredulously. "Get your arse in the room and I'll show you attacked."

Draco unlocked the Trophy Room door quickly and we both slipped inside. I locked it behind us, and said a quiet silencing spell. Then I turned to face the room.

It was massive.

In crystal glass displays all across the room, awards, trophies, cups, plates, shields, statues, and medals were kept clean and shiny. Forgetting about Draco and the duel for a moment, I casually looked through all of the display cases. I stopped at one, which held plaques to those students who had done special services to the school. My heart nearly stopped beating when I came upon one award, with the clearly inscribed words Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle," I heard Draco whisper beside me, making me flinch slightly.

"He isn't known by that name anymore, is he?" I almost chuckled, but the dark thoughts of a snakelike face and red eyes kept me from doing so.

"No, he's not," Draco's voice remained quiet, and he seemed to be pondering his own thoughts.

"I feel sorry for him," I began, my eyes not moving from the shimmering gold plaque. "He was so smart, so incredibly talented...he still is, too. He was raised with such mistrust in humanity. He's done terrible things to many people. I feel anger towards him - and sadness, frustration...but pity, too. He could've been a great wizard...but his heart is cold," I suddenly reached my hand out and placed it on Draco's chest, hovering above his heart – a move which surprised Draco. "You still have a heart," I mused, staring at the hand on his chest intently. "I can feel it beating underneath my fingers. But...how long until it isn't there anymore? Voldemort has your fear; he has your loyalty...how long before he takes this too?"

Draco shoved my hand away abruptly, "We came here to duel, I don't have to listen to your rubbish," He pushed away from the display cabinet and stopped in the middle of the room where there was an abundance of free space. "Get your wand," Draco ordered coldly.

I sighed deeply.

He has a heart, but it's only a matter of time before he loses it. Why won't he just listen to me? This is wrong – he is wrong!

"Fine then Malfoy," I spat, joining him in the middle of the room. "You wanna duel, let's duel!" I raised my wand, about to bow, when a sudden idea hit me. "But..." I began, smirking slightly, "How about we make this a bit more interesting?"

Draco lowered his wand slowly, "What do you have in mind?" he asked cautiously.

"A bet."

"A bet?" he repeated, raising his eyebrows.

"Mhm. If I win I get something, but if you win, you get something."

Draco rubbed his chin thoughtfully, contemplating my proposal. "And what would the terms be?"

It was my turn to ponder. This could work out to my benefit...

"If I win, you have to tell me how you're involved with Voldemort," I said fiercely.

Draco nearly dropped his wand, "I'm n-not going t-to do t-that," he stuttered.

"That's my final offer."

Draco glared at me strongly for a few moments before asking, "And if I win?"

I shrugged, "Your choice."

Draco continued to look at me carefully. "If I win...you have to stay at the Malfoy Manor every break until school ends – including summer."

My eyes shot open. I wouldn't be able to stand that hell for another minute! "No!" I objected. "Your parents wouldn't let me stay there anyway!"

"Trust me, if they knew how unhappy you'd be, they'd practically welcome you with open arms," Draco sneered.

"No, I refuse."

Draco shrugged, "That's my final offer," he repeated my words back to me.

Before I refused again, I thought about my odds.

If I won, I'd have more of an idea of what Draco had gotten himself into...and that would be most beneficial.

But if I lost...I'd have to stay at the Malfoy Manor. The thought alone was giving me shivers.

"Would we be using verbal or nonverbal magic?" I asked.

"Your call," Draco said simply.

Hm. If we did nonverbal magic, Draco would have the obvious edge. He already mastered it last year, and I was just beginning to learn it.

So I made up my mind.

"The only way I'll agree to this is if we both use verbal magic only," I finally spoke.

"I agree to your terms," Draco nodded.

"And no using the Unforgivables," I warned.

Draco gasped in mock shock, "Why Christina, what kind of a man do you take me for?"

I didn't answer his sarcastic question, I only raised my wand.

This duel would have even odds – we were both skilled in verbal spell casting.

"Scared, Miro?" Draco sneered, raising his wand in front of his face.

"You wish," I narrowed my eyes at him.

We quickly bowed and turned, walking to opposite ends of the room.

And then it began.

"Expelliamus!" I shouted, but Draco expertly raised a shield before it could hit him.

"Stupefy!" he cast a spell of his own, and momentarily forgetting to use magic, I dove to my right, landing just out of the way of the spell.

From the ground I lifted my wand, "Avis," I muttered, and a flock of birds traveled out the tip of my wand. "Oppugno!"

The birds immediately flew straight to Draco, and he had to wave his arm to keep them from attacking. "Confringo!" he yelled with annoyance, and the offending birds around him exploded. "Furnunculus!"

I immediately erected a Shield Charm, and looked at Draco incredulously. "Boils? You were going to give me boils!"

Draco smirked slightly, "You attacked me with birds!"

"I've got worse than that! Anteoculatia!"

"Protego!" Draco shouted, followed by, "Calvario!"

I brought up a Shield Charm again. He was going to make me bald! That git! "Stupefy!"

Draco didn't erect a shield in time, and the spell hit into his chest, causing him to stumble backwards. Fury flashed through his eyes. "Levicorpus!"

I abruptly felt my feet give out from underneath me, and before I knew it, I was hanging upside down in midair. "Malfoy!" I seethed, desperately hanging onto my wand. "You think you're so clever, don't you?" I wanted to wipe off his stupid smirk.

"I know I'm clever," he said smugly. "Give up?"

"Never – Stupefy!" I shouted, and once the spell hit the unsuspecting Draco, I was released from the air. I landed sharply on my side and groaned in pain.

Bloody hell that hurt.

But I couldn't stay on the floor; Draco was already getting up again.

"Stupefy!" I shouted, but Draco dodged it and sent a spell towards me.

Nonverbally.

Whatever the spell was, it slashed across my arm and tore through my robes and a couple layers of skin. Shit!

"Malfoy, you said no nonverbal spells!" I cried.

"I lied," Draco said simply, and sent another spell my way. It hit my stomach and I was propelled backwards until I hit the wall. I crashed down to the floor and got up as quickly as I could.

This just got real serious.

"Everte Statum!" I yelled, and watched as Draco flew backwards into one of the display cases, effectively shattering it.

He got up with relative ease, however, oblivious to the damage that was just caused. He flicked his wand and a jet of light came towards me, suddenly turning into a small tornado of sorts. I was so astonished by the sight that I didn't have time to cast a Shield Charm, and the spell knocked me backwards and into the display case, breaking it as well. I could feel glass cut into my arms and legs, but I was so focused on the duel that I hardly noticed.

"Flipendo Tria!" I cast, but Draco blocked the spell with a flick of his wand.

He sent another curse at me.

"Protego!" I said, followed by, "Stupefy!"

Draco was cast back into the wreckage of glass and metal. He struggled slightly in standing again, and when he turned to look at me, he had a split lip.

I momentarily felt a bit guilty, but that soon changed as he flicked his wand at me again.

Sharp pain exploded on my stomach, and I nearly toppled over from the impact. Touching my abdomen, I could feel four distinct gashes, not too deep, but deep enough to draw blood.

"Rictusempra!" I shouted.

Draco blocked it and sent another curse towards me.

"Protego! Expelliamus!"

Draco blocked and flicked his wrist again, and I suddenly felt a tight pressure wrap itself around my abdomen and pull me forward.

It was a rope.

My feet seemed to move by themselves and I only stopped when I was chest to chest with Draco.

We were both breathing heavily, and had injuries equal in severity. Nothing serious, but painful nonetheless.

Glaring into his eyes, I could tell that he was getting tired, and so was I. But I could also see a fierce determination to finish what we started, and I was sure he could see it in my eyes as well.

But as we stood there, gasping for breaths and staring into the other's eyes, something passed between us. Some kind of spark, and I could feel a tightening in my stomach that was not from the rope. Draco seemed to be feeling the same way, as his eyes darkened slightly, and his gaze shifted over my lips.

"Do you want to finish what we started?" he whispered breathlessly, and for a moment I thought he was talking about something other than the duel. But I got my bearings straight, and I immediately freed myself from the rope and his hold.

"Stupefy!" I shouted, but Draco cast a spell at the same time, and both spells collided and then diminished.

Draco and I stood there for a few moments, just looking at each other, and the room filled with silence. There was glass, awards, and bits of robe everywhere, but neither of us brought ourselves to care.

As I finally raised my wand, Draco mimicked me.

Needing to end this duel now, I cast the strongest spell I knew.

I was entirely surprised when Draco cast the same one.

And then everything went black.

A/N: Intense chapter. How are they going to get out of this one? Continue reading to find out...;D Again, thank you for all your reviews! They mean the world! You guys are AMAZING. Seriously! You don't know how much inspirartion you give me...enjoy the chapters! R&R :D