I'm a horrible, terrible person and all I can say is that I'm sorry. The chapter I'm working on now is KILLING ME! I don't know how to work in what I want it to say but I think I may have it down now... Aside from that, I was also working on another oneshot that got away from me and now, I'm not sure I like it... Either way, these are not good excuses, but I hope you all don't hate me and enjoy this chapter. It was definitely one of my favorites to write. :)

I own nothing and all mistakes are my own. :/

I was dreaming; I knew I was. But it felt so real, and so damn good, that I didn't want to wake up.

Draco was laying with me… somewhere. I didn't know where we were, just that we were somewhere warm, lying on silk sheets on a massive bed with the fire glowing in the background being the only light in the room. We were naked and I wasn't bothered by my scars, because Draco was looking at me like I was the most beautiful thing in the world.

I was lying facing him, his arms around me, holding me close. We were looking into each other's eyes, not saying anything because nothing needed to be said. I reached my hand up to his face, gently tracing the soft skin under his eyes, the bridge of his nose; his lips with the very tips of my fingers. His eyes were closed and he had a soft smile on his face.

My hand moved to cup his cheek and his eyes opened to look into mine. His head slowly came forward until his petal soft lips brushed mine ever so gently. I felt like I was in heaven.

Just as Draco's hands were traveling farther down my body, fingers feathering over my scars and tattoos, the edges of my vision began to darken, pulling me away from the wonderful dream.

My eyes opened blearily before snapping shut at the bright light that assaulted them cruelly. I groaned softly as my head pounded.

The light that was still torturing me through my eyelids suddenly disappeared. I warily opened my eyes again to almost darkness and a bear like shape hovering over my bed.

"Emmett?" I said my voice rough from not being used for… Wait, how long hasn't it been used?

"Shh, you're still recovering. Don't strain yourself." He said softly. His hand moved to gently push my hair from my face, which I needed to cut soon now that I saw it, and reached over to grab a potion vial off of the side table.

At my curious look, Emmett explained. "Core stabilizer. It'll help boost your magic back up to normal levels faster."

Before that, I hadn't remembered what had happened, my mind not in working order just yet, but as Emmett spoke of my magic, memories slammed into me.

Emmett seemed to see my epiphany, for he said, "Drink this, Bella. No complaints or I'll tie you to this bed."

Even as the panic in me began to grow, I downed the potion quickly and tried to sit up. Emmett began to push me back down, but I growled and shoved his arms away. "Draco… I have to see Draco. I have to see that he's okay."

I began to cry softly as I tried to move from the bed, ignore the tiredness in my body. I caught myself on the side table as I stumbled when my feet hit the ground, but I didn't let it deter me.

"Bella, Bella please. Relax, honey. I'll take you to him right now, just calm down or I'll have to put you back to sleep. I can't have you up out of bed, traipsing around the house. You don't even know where he is." Emmett pulled me gently into his arms, holding my weak body easily as I tried to push away from him.

"Please, Em. Please, you have to take me to him. Please." I begged in a whimper. I was working myself up over nothing, I knew, but I wouldn't calm down until I was with him, until I could see with my own eyes that he was alive and well. I had begun sobbing at this point, desperate to get to him.

I was being irrational and I didn't give a fuck, just as long as it got me where I needed to be; wrapped around Draco.

"Alright, sweetheart, alright. He's downstairs in the dining room with the others. He woke up a few hours ago, feeling perfectly healthy. I'll take you to him, just please calm down." Emmett's voice was soothing as he spoke to me, rubbing my back to calm my racing heart. I knew it wasn't healthy for me to get this worked up with my magic so low. If I were to fall at the moment, I was sure I'd break at least three bones and probably knock myself out, but in my desperation to see Draco, I couldn't find it in me to care.

I stopped sobbing, though the tears still came as I sniffled, as Emmett slowly led me down the stairs and into the dining room.

My eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for the blonde hair. When I found it, I couldn't hold in the sob.

Draco was sitting in the far corner of the room, sipping a cup of coffee and ignoring the other occupants of the room. At my sob, his eyes flashed up to mine. Seeing the state I was in, he set down his cup and was in front of me in seconds.

I shook Emmett's hold off of me and stumbled into Draco's arms, releasing all of the pent up emotions that I hadn't been able to let go of last night. Draco lifted me into his arms and carried me back across the room, probably already guessing that I wouldn't be allowed out of Emmett's sight just yet. As he sat down in his chair, he whispered soft words to me.

"Shh, love. Everything's alright, I'm fine. I'm safe; no one's going to hurt me. Hush, sweetheart. It's okay…" His hands were gently as they rubbed my back, though no less desperate. He seemed just as concerned with reassuring himself of my safety as I was his.

It went on this way for an unknown amount of time as I lifted my head up from his chest and kissed everywhere I could reach; his lips, his cheeks, his neck. My hands mapped the upper half of his body as I murmured fragmented sentences at him through my panicked tears.

"I was so scared… Oh God, I thought I was gonna lose you… Please, please don't do that to me again, please…" I whimpered at him, ending in a desperate sob, before claiming his lips with my own again. We ignored the rest of the room, even though I hadn't heard anything from anyone since I had entered the room.

The kiss was desperate, my lips shaky as I tried to assure that he was really okay, that his heart was beating at the same time as mine; that he was breathing. As he continued to kiss me, I calmed down slowly, my hands burying themselves in his hair. Draco's own hands were pressing against my back, careful to keep the force to a minimum, knowing that I was at my weakest; physically, emotionally, and mentally. He was holding me to him tightly as his tongue gently licked at my bottom lip.

After a while, Draco pulled back to breathe, but he rested his forehead against mine, keeping me as close to him as he could. I looked at him to see that he was crying, too, his cheeks wet with tears even as a few more slipped from the corners of his eyes.

He began to whisper to me again. "I thought I was gone, Bella. I thought I would never see you again, that I would never see your smile or feel you in my arms again. All I could think about was you, wanting to get back to you, to live for you.

"I kept passing out and they would wake me back up. They made father watch as they beat me; I was scared that they would-." he stopped, but I knew what he meant. He was afraid they would have raped him, and they probably would have had Lucius not gotten them out when he did. I wanted to stop him, but I knew he needed to get this out, so I stayed quiet as I cried.

His breath caught as he continued. "I just kept picturing your face in my mind, and I knew that I had to live for you, at the very least. Knowing that I made it, that you saved my life… Gods, I've never been so damn relieved before. There at the end I was sure I wouldn't make it, but you…" He looked into my eyes then, showing me all that he was feeling.

He laughed through his tears and said, "I thought I was going to die without getting the chance to say I love you. I love you so much, Bella. I love you…" He kissed me again, the both of still crying, though now for different reasons.

Now that I was sure Draco was okay, that he wasn't in danger anymore, I wasn't as desperate to touch him, though I continued to do so. While this kiss didn't progress any further than a gentle loving kiss, it held such meaning that it didn't have to.

Pulling back, I whispered, "God, I love you too. I never thought I'd fall in love until I met you. I love you so much, Dray." Not caring just how prominent my accent was, I placed another kiss on his lips, before moving my kisses across his cheek to his ear, where I pressed my face into his neck and wrapped my arms around him as best I could with as weak as I was.

His hand traveled up to the back of my neck to keep me hidden from view as he laid soft kisses to the exposed part of my throat.

It was almost better than my dream, knowing for sure that he loved me. I kissed the skin that my lips were closest to.

The moment seemed to drag on until a throat was cleared on the opposite end of the room, reminding the both of us that we weren't alone.

At the moment, however, I didn't give a fuck that I looked like shit, that I had just sobbed in front of a shit load of people, or that I had just admitted my love for Draco before said people. All I cared about was that Draco was safe in my arms, and that he loved me just as much as I loved him. That was all that mattered.

Though, I would like to know what happened after I passed out.

Turning from my resting spot to the other people in the room, I sniffled. "Hey y'all. How's is goin'?"

Rose was the first to react, laughing at my nonchalant greeting after what had just transpired. I smirked a little at her, but my eyes being swollen from all of the crying and my muscles too tired to move the way they should didn't make for a very good smirk.

She replied. "Hey Bells. I believe we're all feeling pretty awkward."

I shrugged weakly. "Oh well. Should have left the fuckin' room, huh?" I couldn't be bothered with trying to hide my accent at the moment, or keep my vulgarity to a minimum, too comfortable in Draco's embrace and tired from last night and my previous cry-fest to mind much.

And I thought Draco might like it if the slight bulge under my ass was anything to go by.

I turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, and he shrugged, smirking, before leaning forward to kiss me softly.

I sighed in content and leaned back against Draco's solid chest, looking over at the people before me.

"So, what happened last night? After my lights went out, that is." I looked around the room at the people who had been there, but it was, presumably, Emmett that answered.

"After you got Draco stabilized, and you passed out, you and he were taken to your rooms. Draco seemed to be just sleeping it off, but you were a different matter.

"We fire called Snape," he nodded towards the darkly dressed man in the darkest corner of the room, who I just realized was eyeing me with concern in his dark gaze. "And had him bring a pain reliever, core stabilizer, and sleeping draught. I gave you the pain reliever and sleeping draught while you were unconscious, but had to wait until this morning to give you the stabilizer; the person taking it has to be aware that they are taking it, because if it isn't needed, it had been known to kill a person as a way for your magic to protect you." I just nodded, knowing that the core stabilizer was one potion that I would never quite understand.

I turned to the others, searching for Lucius, whom I found quickly. "And you? You're okay?" I asked gently, my eyes softening in understanding. This man had endured the worst pain a parent can feel; to be forced to watch helplessly as your child is tortured, perhaps even killed, is excruciatingly painful.

Lucius smiled softly back at me. "Yes, Bella, I'm alright. I must thank you for what you did. You know as well as I that it could have killed you, yet you did it anyway. I will never be able to truly expression my gratitude."

I smiled, but shook my head. "No thanks needed, Lucius." I turned to face Draco, my hand reaching up to cup his cheek. Draco nuzzled into my hand. "I never would have let him die. No matter what the consequences." I said softly, my eyes full of the love that I felt for this beautiful man.

I turned back to Lucius and smiled at him, to which he flashed me one of his own as he nodded his head. No other words were spoken between us.

I huffed out a breath and said, "I do believe… that I'll have a cup of coffee before going back to bed." I made to get up and get my cup, but Harry beat me to it, glaring at me.

"Don't you dare get up. I'll get it." He scoffed at me, walking into the kitchen, muttering about stupid Slytherin. I just laughed at his back.

Twenty minutes later, I was done with my coffee and could hardly hold my head up. Turning tired eyes to Draco, I asked, "Come lay with me?"

His only response was to pick me up and carry me upstairs as I waved goodbye over his shoulder. Through my tiredness, I smiled mischievously at Rose, causing her to laugh as the door swung closed behind us.

So? Did you like it, hate it, want to throw rotting food at me for it? Tell me what you thought, please. ^.^ Like I said, I loved writing this chapter because it was really my first lovey-dovey chapter for this story... Pretty much, any way; though fair warning, there will be many more to come. :D Is anyone else as excited about that as me! lol

xoxo,

kitkat