A/N: I'M BAAAAAAACK! Hello my lovelies, I'm sorry that we've been apart for so long - please don't hate me! I've been writing so many dull essays that I just haven't been able to think creatively for a while. But now that I haven't got any more due for a while, I'm going to devote some much needed love and attention to this story.

Thank you soooooooosooooooo much to everyone who has stuck with me this far and to the following people for your kind reviews and PMs since the last chapter, I honestly might have given up if it wasn't for you beauties:

alfieHewie, addyliners, MissBlack2, DracoMalfoysSecretWife, PorcelainPuppetLady, Snowgirl7589, Guest, Aurora, Tinsela, InsaneXPrincess, ImsebastianstanButter, Guest, Guest, and Guest again! I love you all, thank you!


Now for a little reminder of where we left off:

"My darling boy," Narcissa said soothingly, brushing Draco's hair from his face. "It is okay to love her, you needn't shun your feelings like this. It's not as though she's some half-breed-"

"I can't love her," Draco croaked.

Narcissa furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean? You have tried but you can't summon enough affection for her?"

"No!" He snapped, pulling away from his mother's embrace and scowling. "I can't love her. She won't be safe with me."

"Oh," was all Narcissa could manage, unable to contradict her son.

"Don't tell Father."

Narcissa nearly laughed, it seemed such a ludicrous thing to worry about when there was so much more going on. "Why ever not? Because he doesn't like the Welsh? Draco, there is really no need not to-"

"Just do not tell him."

She was about to tell her son to stop being so ridiculous when an urgent banging sounded against the window in Draco's room. "What in Merlin's name?" Narcissa opened the window to allow an owl to swoop in and drop a bright red letter into her hands. It was addressed to Arianwen. She called loudly for Arianwen to enter and a few minutes later the younger blonde appeared, looking incredibly awkward to be in her son's bedroom.

"Is that?" Arianwen questioned.

"A howler yes, for you dear," Narcissa finished, quickly pressing the envelope into her hands.

Before Arianwen could even pop open the seal, the envelope exploded and the deep, commanding voice of the Duke of Montgomeryshire, the Warden of Mid Wales, shouted urgently:

"DUCHESS! DEATH EATERS IN THE GORGE AT CADAIR BERWYN! MANY HAVE FALLEN…MAKE HASTE!"

Arianwen did not waste a second in drawing her wand on the two Malfoy's in the room.

"How could you?!" She screamed, causing Lucius to run into the room and dive at Arianwen to bring her down. She deflected him easily as the Dark Lord had taken his wand, and bound him with ropes conjured rapidly from her wand.

"NO!" Draco shouted, trying to move closer to Arianwen in a desperate bid to make her listen. "No, you don't understand!"

"I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY!" She roared. "You mean to distract me while your comrades slaughter my people!"

Draco tried to grab her shoulders, to shake her, to will her to believe him.

"BACK OFF!" She screamed. "PROTEGO!"

The force of colliding with her shield charm sent Draco flying backwards, giving Arianwen the chance she needed to flee the villa and apparate to the heart of the battle. Her blood turned cold when she realised whom Montgomery was referring to as the many that had fallen.


Chapter Twenty-Eight: Proclamation

"Gwyn!" Arianwen ran over to where her friend was crumpled on the ground and groaning softly, the grass around him hot and sticky with his blood. He was not the only injured person; there must have been at least twenty people around him that had also fallen and many more in the distance where the battle was still raging on. Buildings belched smoke from their shattered windows, the air filled with the stench of fire, the heat of it strong enough that Arianwen could feel it on her skin, even from where she was. She could hear the moans of the wounded, the sobbing of the survivors, the wet, rattling gasps of the nearly dying. There were so many that Arianwen felt all of her usual composure leave her – she prided herself on her identity as a Healer, but confronted by so much blood, so much hurt, she didn't know what she could possibly do to help.

But Gwyn was only one person. Even if she could do nothing else, she could make a difference here. She could save her friend.

She fell to her knees beside him and began muttering a string of healing spells, desperate to keep him alive - but nothing was working, she could hear his breath beginning to fade. This was it, Gwyn was going to die.

"No," she croaked as her tears fell on his face, "not you too. Please! Not you too!"

His hand twitched, like he was trying to touch her. She gasped and took it, bending close to him to try and decipher the words on his lips.

"Arianwen!" Brianne skidded to a halt beside them and started blabbering about the battle. "It happened so fast, Montgomery sounded the alarm and we all came, there were Death Eaters everywhere. They-they set fire to the village down there, I think-um-I think they're dead. All of them. Montgomery and the others managed to fight them off though, they've all disapparated but…" she stopped talking suddenly for she had only just noticed who Arianwen was bending over, "is that?"

Arianwen nodded absently, she was too preoccupied with stroking Gwyn's head and watching the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Can you save him?" She whispered.

"There is something," she said nervously, "but I don't know if I'm strong enough."

"You have to be!" Brianne cried. "Arianwen, you have to try!"

She nodded, Brianne was right. She'd managed to save Katie Bell's heart from giving up so why not Gwyn? Because you're too invested, a nasty voice in her head reminded her. Because you know you might fail and you're so weak and afraid that you won't even try.

"Okay," Arianwen said, fighting against the voice in her head, "I'll do it."

She steadied herself, then placed her hands over Gwyn's chest and started chanting the ancient incantation that she had discovered in one of her family's old books in Myddfai House. To a foreign ear the recitation would sound twisted and dark; the atmosphere around them tightening – closer, colder, thinner, the air vibrating with power.

Gwyn's heart began to beat stronger; she could feel it beneath her fingers as the ancient magic massaged it, calling it back to life. Colour was returning to the little patches of his face that weren't coated in blood as his wounds knitted themselves together. Arianwen wanted to lie beside him, to sleep beside him as his body finished repairing itself, so exhausted was she from the healing spell that she needed to collapse. She knew she couldn't though, she knew that there were more people that needed help, more people that were lying afraid and alone, close to the end as the Death Eaters who attacked them ran away like cowards. A few feet away, a man groaned piteously and as exhausted as she was, she pushed herself to her feet, stealing herself in readiness for what was to come.


After the battle, Arianwen moved the casualties that were still alive to a make-shift ward in the Duke of Montgomeryshire's house with the help of a group of healers and medi-wizards. She was too afraid to ask what the current body count was, for there had been at least twenty people identified as dead before anyone had even gone down to the main village where the Death Eaters had struck first, so busied herself with fussing over Gwyn's dressings instead.

Gwyn, who could read Arianwen like a book, placed his hand over hers, preventing her from re-fastening the end of the bandage on his stomach. "Arianwen," he croaked weakly, "stop blaming yourself, you couldn't save everyone."

She looked at him through watery eyes and sniffed but nodded slowly and mumbled that she was sorry.

"Don't be. You saved every single person in this room, love, we would have all died without you. Don't you see how incredible you are?"

Arianwen was saved from responding by the booming voice of Gwyn's father, who was calling out his name with the type of desperation that only could only come from fearing the worst. When he saw them he rushed over and kissed his son forcefully on the head, clearly not expecting to find him alive, before rounding on Arianwen and pulling her into a tight embrace. "You saved him," he repeated again and again, "you saved my boy!"

Gwyn's sisters, mother and the rest of their friends found them while Earl Bedwyr gushed his thanks to Arianwen and pulled up chairs around his bed, some of them sobbing with relief. When the Earl finally released Arianwen, she was distinctly more red in the face and felt the need to keep mumbling, "it was nothing".

Brianne seemed outraged by this and proceeded to fill the others in on how Arianwen had managed to save Gwyn, but Arianwen didn't pay attention to any of that, she couldn't tear her eyes away from Gwyn's. He was smiling at her faintly, a stronger version of the one he had had when he was lying close to death in the field; but their eye contact broke when a great cry of "TRAITOR!" made them all jump. Everyone stared agape at the ward's entrance, where a man was forcefully trying to enter but was being blocked by Montgomery.

Arianwen sighed when she heard a familiar voice shouting over Montgomery's repeated cries of, "traitor!" and, "you shall not pass!" It was Aneirin, and he was most probably looking for her.

"I should go and see to that," she said tiredly, moving away from the foot of Gwyn's bed.

"Wait," Gwyn rasped, "please Arianwen, just wait one minute."

She turned back and fixed him with a confused look but did as he requested and moved over to his bedside so he wouldn't have to strain his voice any further.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" She asked worriedly, trying not to panic too much for fear of worrying his family.

"No, I'm fine."

Arianwen exchanged a look with Owain, who rolled his eyes and chuckled, assuming his friend was just after a bit more attention from her.

"Okay good," she said slowly, brushing her fingers over his hair soothingly and smiling as his honey-brown eyes fixed upon her intently. "I really need to go and help Aneirin, honey. Montgomery is giving him a pretty hard time over there."

Gwyn nodded and she tried to move away again but, in a swift movement, he just managed to catch hold of her hand, causing her to falter once more. She looked at him expectantly but didn't push for anything, demonstrating her most Hufflepuff-like patience.

"I think I'm in love with you."

The group around Gwyn's bed collectively sucked in a breath and held it there, watching Arianwen's mouth open slightly in surprise. They waited with bated breath for her response but she simply stood there, staring into Gwyn's eyes. After what felt like years she smiled softly and bent down to kiss him on the forehead.

"I'll be back soon," she whispered, avoiding eye contact with any of her friends as she retreated to the ward entrance to calm Montgomery down.


"You are a TRAITOR, sir! I will not permit you to enter that ward!"

Arianwen slid past Montgomery's arm as he blocked Aneirin's entrance and looked at both men with such sternness that each of them visibly shrank back.

"How dare you cause such a commotion while my patients are trying to rest?" She demanded, arms folded across her chest. She was pleased when they both had the courtesy to look ashamed. Madam Pomfrey would be proud.

"Duchess! I had to make sure that you're okay," Aneirin declared, his eyes scanning Arianwen for any injuries.

"I am quite well," she said in a firm but kind tone, "and I received your letter, darling; you have nothing to worry about, I believe you."

The relief that Aneirin felt was evident, for his whole body seemed to relax as he smiled appreciatively at her. He reached out to take her hand in his but as he did so, Montgomery pulled his wand on him, shouting, "DO NOT TOUCH THE DUCHESS!"

"Duke!" Arianwen exclaimed in horror, she snatched his wand out of his hand and had to jump to dodge the spitting and hissing of sparks that subsequently emitted from its tip. "That is quite enough! Lord Aneirin here played no part in his father's decision. He even wrote to me to confirm that he will take our side and defy his father's judgement. Now, I don't know if you are aware but Aneirin was at the battle and was fighting the Death Eaters. No-" she said, raising her hand to stop Montgomery from interrupting, "no, I saw him with my own eyes and he did a mighty good job of it too! Hit that horrid blonde one and sent him away, squealing like a disgusting pig, didn't you?" She looked to Aneirin and smiled encouragingly as he bent his head slowly in affirmation.

"You were there?" Montgomery asked weakly, the scenes of the horrific slaughter in his village playing across the forefront of his mind.

"Yes," Aneirin said carefully with a somewhat awkward edge to his voice. "I managed to get the last of them out of the village but by that point they, uh…" he couldn't find the words to finish the sentence; he had managed to see off the last Death Eaters but so many innocent people had already been murdered by that point that it barely felt like a victory.

"Oh Merlin," Montgomery croaked, his voice thick with nausea. He staggered over to a rigid bench in the corridor and slumped down upon it in a most un-Montgomery-like fashion, he was normally a man of such poise.

"Duke," Arianwen said gently, taking the seat beside him and encasing his hand in her own in a show of comfort, "tell me what happened. Why did they come for your village of all places?" With a nod from Arianwen, Aneirin pulled up a chair to their left and leant forward slightly to make out the quiet ramblings of the older man.

"Three Death Eaters turned up on my doorstep a few nights ago, they said that their Lord had been informed that I do not support their cause-"

"Informed by whom?" Aneirin butted in, shocked.

Arianwen didn't have to wait to hear Montgomery's response to know that it was her Uncle. Her fingers balled into fists as she listened to the rest of the story.

"-they threatened me of course, said their would be consequences for my refusal but I never-I never expected…I never imagined that they would attack-" his sobs took over, preventing any further speech from coming. Arianwen pulled him into a hug, ignoring the awkwardness that she felt embracing a man whom she'd always regarded as her superior.

Her stomach convulsed with nausea. Draco must have known, he must have been aware that Death Eaters were going to slaughter a whole village, that innocent people were going to die and he didn't even warn her. Yet at the same time she didn't want to believe it, as much as she was trying to suppress it, seeing Draco had only confirmed what she secretly knew all along: that she was still hopelessly in love with him.

Why can't I just love Gwyn? It would be so easy; a Welsh nobleman with plenty of land and money to last centuries, a man who she thought she could be in love with, whose family loved her, who was adored by her friends and even her Father when he was alive…a man who loved her. I have to at least try; don't I owe him that? Don't I owe myself that?

She sighed and rubbed circles into Montgomery's back, smiling gratefully when Aneirin announced that he was going to help clean up the village.

"Nei?" She called suddenly, just managing to catch him before he was out of sight. "Um can I, can you-can you bring him to me?"

Aneirin understood that the 'him' she was referring to was Lloyd and shot a warning glance in the direction of Montgomery, who was still unaware of the child's existence.

"Pembroke, Saturday at dawn," he whispered, and thankfully Montgomery was so wrapped up in his emotions that he didn't pay them any mind.

"Thank you."


"Well?" Brianne demanded, following Arianwen to her bed where an elf had laid out some respectful black garments for her to wear while the country was in mourning.

"Well what?" Arianwen asked distractedly as she checked her appearance in the mirror. It had only been a few days since the massacre in mid-Wales and she'd barely slept, dedicating all of her time to sending aid to Montgomery's town, healing the wounded, and generally avoiding Gwyn.

"You know what!" Brianne clipped. "What are you going to do about Gwyn?"

Arianwen groaned, she'd done such a good job at avoiding the topic, citing her busyness as an excuse to rush off every time one of her friends tried to corner her, but Brianne had had enough and was determined to get an answer from her best friend one way or another.

"I don't know," she admitted finally, "I haven't allowed myself to feel anything like that for Gwyn in a long time, not since he-"

"That was before," Brianne interrupted as Arianwen was about to mention Gwyn's prior infidelity, "he's different now, Ri, he's grown up. He would never do that to you again, I'm sure of it!"

Arianwen eyed her friend cautiously; she looked so earnest, clearly in favour of the idea of the two getting back together. "Maybe not but it still doesn't excuse the fact that I don't have those feelings for him, Brianne. I just don't."

"Is this about Draco?" Brianne probed. "Because if it is, you need to forget him. He's been awful to you, more awful than Gwyn has ever been. Gwyn loves you, he wants to make you happy and I know that you will love him too if you let your guard down for five minutes! Can't you give him a chance?"

Arianwen bit her lip, she brushed her hair to one side and started plaiting it neatly.

"Alright," she resigned, laughing as Brianne squeaked in delight. "I suppose you're right, there is no point me hanging on to Draco, he clearly isn't thinking of me right now. I need to move on. Can you ask Gwyn to visit me this evening? I'll be in Pembroke. I would ask him myself but I've got to go to the Council meeting."

"YES! This is incredible, I'm so excited for you! I'll go tell him now." She planted a quick kiss on Arianwen's cheek and then darted from the room. Arianwen sat down on the edge of her bed, she looked at the photograph that Draco had given her of them on the bench at Pembroke and allowed a few tears to fall for the loss of the man she loved.


After the battle, in Wiltshire…

Draco scowled as another Death Eater shot his father a smug smirk; the Dark Lord had recently announced that the Malfoy's manor was to be their headquarters and many of the Death Eaters had taken this as an opportunity to force themselves upon the already fraying family, goading them with a lack of privacy.

"Quiet." The chilling voice of the Dark Lord silenced the room immediately, causing an odd buzz of anticipation to hover around their heads. "So," he said, his eyes flashing as he stalked through the assembled Death Eaters, his long-fingered hands clasped behind his back, his snake-like face a mask. "I gather a congratulations are in order; very well done, all of you." Draco sensed the danger in the Dark Lord's tone, the vibrations thrumming through the room, and tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible; other Death Eaters, however, did not seem to pick up on it, and he saw several of them glance at each other, obviously relieved.

"Oh, yes," Voldemort continued, his eyes scanning the faces of those he passed, that cold, empty smile causing many of them to look away, "congratulations. You managed to slaughter the cattle and seize the village, as instructed, and, I'm sure," his voice was a silken drawl, "that when the Welsh fools brought in reinforcements, you all held your positions," and Draco could see the relief slide off the faces of the idiots who thought they were safe, "as you were instructed. I'm sure," Voldemort continued, "that you were more than a match for those weak-minded Mudblood-lovers and their pathetic excuse for magic. But wait!" He spun, suddenly, clapping his hands together and causing everyone to jump. "That's right! You didn't do any of that. You fled, like frightened little children."

The entire mass of Death Eaters were cringing now, and Draco kept his head bowed.

"You had your orders!" Voldemort spat. "You were told to take and hold the village! And yet, you, my most trusted servants, my greatest forces, couldn't even defeat a squabbling mass of weak-minded Welshmen!"

"My Lord!" Draco glanced up sharply at the familiar drawl of Lord Dafydd Gwydion. He fell to his knees in a great show of deference, his hands clasped together as though praying for forgiveness. "My Lord please! Forgive us, I beg of you! Montgomery cannot deny us for long, he will break and then we have only to take the South!"

"Take the South?" Voldemort sneered. "What is stopping you? Your niece? You mean to tell me that this child is more powerful than you? Perhaps it is she who should be amongst us here, you're barely worthy of your mark."

A shuffling could be heard in the room as people shifted uncomfortably. Draco felt a chill spread throughout his body at the mention of Arianwen, but couldn't supress a private smirk at the thought of what she would have said if she'd been approached by the Death Eaters. His mind went to her, it killed him to know that she was out there somewhere, alone, possibly even hurt – and she hated him. He had finally managed to make her hate him…so why wasn't he happy?


"Arianwen?" Gwyn called tentatively, poking his head into a multitude of rooms on his way through the castle. He wandered into a sitting room and smiled at what he saw; Arianwen was curled up in a mess of blankets, fast asleep. He crouched down in front of her and shook her shoulder gently, causing her to stir in a panic and rub her eyes urgently; they softened when she saw him.

"Gwyn! Sorry I uh-I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"No?" Gwyn smiled teasingly. "Because normally when you bury yourself in blankets you fall asleep pretty quickly. Remember that New Years Eve?"

Arianwen blushed, a few years ago she'd promised Gwyn a kiss at midnight, they'd cwtched themselves around a bonfire in one of the fields around Gwyn's house but she'd got so warm and comfortable that she'd fallen into a deep stupor and Gwyn couldn't wake her up without getting a slap to the face.

"Sorry," she mumbled, dragging herself from the sofa and pulling Gwyn into a tight hug. "You look well."

He laughed into her hair, the warm vibrations enticing her to smile against his chest. "I have you to thank for that."

"I know. Flowers would've been nice."

Gwyn chuckled and scooped her up, he sat back where she had made a dent in the sofa cushion and pulled the blankets around them, keeping her on his lap. "That's quite enough from you, little one!"

Arianwen pouted playfully, enjoying how comfortable things could be with him. "But I wanted flowers," she whined, "they're pretty, I want some!"

Gwyn grinned and kissed her hand gently, "then I will get you all of the flowers in Wales, happy?" She nodded enthusiastically and shuffled closer so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.

"So," Gwyn started after a few minutes of comfortable silence, "apparently I confessed my love for you the other night?"

Arianwen sat up in surprise, examining Gwyn's face for information. "You don't remember?"

"Vaguely, you drugged me pretty hard."

"Oh, yeah I suppose I did," she offered weakly, surprised by the disappointment she felt.

Gwyn ran a finger down the side of her face, his honey-brown eyes watching her carefully. "Doesn't mean I didn't mean it though."

Arianwen felt her heartbeat quicken, she watched as Gwyn's face became serious and blushed under the intensity of his gaze.

"I do love you, Arianwen, I know it took me a while to realise it but I do. I never should have treated you the way I did before, you deserve better."

Arianwen couldn't say anything, she felt like her lips were glued shut. Gwyn seemed happy enough to talk for both of them though. "I want to give us another go. I know you're still upset about Draco and I'm willing to wait if that's what you need. Merlin, I'd wait a hundred years if you asked me to but I have to know…I have to know if there's a chance for us…" His eyes were pleading, he looked so pained, as though laying his emotions out like that had physically hurt him.

Draco wouldn't wait for me. A little voice in her head reminded her. Draco would rarely even say that he loved me, and that was all a lie to get me to sleep with him anyway. Gwyn is better, so much better. I know I can make myself love him.

Yes. I'm going to fall in love with Gwyn, it's decided.

"There's more than a chance," she whispered, her eyes transfixed on his. He didn't breathe, just continued to look at her hopefully. "Maybe you can come and visit me in Hogsmeade next month? For um-for a date maybe?"

He grinned widely and pulled her close so that their noses were barely an inch apart, moments later their lips were moving against each other and Arianwen almost allowed herself a moment to forget about Draco.

Almost.