Hello everyone! I know I took a while to update, but here it is! There is only one last chapter after this, aren't you excited? So hurry and read! Hehe.

Chapter 11

"You lost, Malfoy. It's over."

Friday night, Draco paced back and forth in the Slytherin common room, unsure of what to do. His friends tried consoling him, and asked him what was wrong with him. He refused to tell them anything.

There still had to be a way of winning Ginny over. Because he knew that she still loved him. And if she ended up with Harry, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He wanted to, needed to change the ending… he would not suffer his father's fate.

-

Ginny and Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room that same night, having a serious conversation. Ginny had already apologized for kissing Draco; she said that she didn't know what she was doing. She said that she'd almost forgotten why she was scared of Draco. Because he was a death eater… a merciless, sadistic, follower of the Dark Lord. And how could somebody without a heart claim to love her?

"Harry, I'm still scared… I need you."

"There's nothing to worry about, Ginny. I'll protect you."

The words were so warm, so comforting. She loved hearing his voice, because it always calmed her down, and she knew she could always confide in him. He reminded her, in a way, of her brothers. But she had so many brothers, that she didn't need one more. Instead, Harry was somebody she could love in a more intimate way.

"Harry… what about you? Who's going to protect you?" The question came out of nowhere, it seemed.

"I'll take care of myself, of course," he replied.

"No… that's not true. We all need someone to look out for us. So… I'll look out for you, if you want. I promise to protect you," she said. Harry smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you," he said. Ginny sighed and rested her arm on his shoulder.

-

She's afraid of me, thought Draco. Why? Where did I go wrong?

He thought back to that one night when they had kissed underneath the tree… when she'd found out his secret.

I let her down.

He thought back to just hours earlier, when he'd used an unforgivable curse on Harry.

God, I'm such an idiot!

He ran up immediately to his dormitory and took out his broom. He ran to the window and threw it open, climbing onto his broom. Then he flew out.

He flew at lightning speed towards the lake and circled it three times, then soared over the forbidden forest. He needed to have that feeling… the one he'd felt when he'd fallen for her. He needed to feel the wind in his face again.

He flew towards the boundaries of the Hogwarts ground. He wanted so badly to run away right now, to get away from everything. Maybe if he just let Harry have Ginny, Ginny would be better off…

No. He'd promised his father that he wouldn't let him down. So he had to do this, no matter what. He took a deep breath before soaring back to the castle. He stopped in front of the window… her window. He peered inside. It was empty, and still early for her bedtime on a Friday night. She was probably with Harry in the common room…

Draco tried to open the window; it was locked. He used an unlocking spell and pushed the window open, climbing inside. He would wait here for her, all night if he had to.

-

Ginny said good night to Harry, and headed for the girl's dormitories. She was tired; it was 11 pm, and time to sleep. The events of the day had racked her mind for so long, but it was time to rest now. She didn't want to think about Draco, and she certainly did not want to see him. That's why she screamed when she opened her door to find him sitting on her bed.

"Silencio!" Draco's spell hit her and she was immediately silenced. She tried to get out, but Draco raised his wand and the door behind her closed and locked.

"Draco…" she mouthed. He raised his wand and took the silencing charm off of her.

"Don't scream now, love," he said.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked nervously.

"I guess you can say I'm fulfilling the curse," he answered.

"What do you mean?"

"My father kidnapped Potter's mum, Ginny. So I'm kidnapping you. Don't worry, I won't do anything… harmful. I'm just going to talk some sense into you. Now…" Draco looked around the dark room, "Where's your roommate?"

"I don't know," she answered truthfully.

"Well, just in case, we're going to go somewhere else," he said.

"You can't make me…"

"Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew from her pocket and into Draco's hands. "Now, get your broom. We're going for a little ride." Ginny reluctantly obeyed and they went outside on their brooms. Draco flew towards Hogwarts Hill and made sure Ginny followed him. When they landed on top of the hill, he put a spell on her to make her stay put.

"D-draco, I won't run away… just talk to me. I won't run away…" she said softly.

"I believe you, love. But I don't want your lover to find us. Forgive me, I meant to say 'that stupid git who thinks you belong to him.' That's right, Ginny. It's not me, but Harry who treats you that way. I never did anything wrong, and if I did, then please let me know."

"You're evil!"

"Now that is a misconception. I'm not really evil," he said.

"Yes you are! You have the dark mark," she reminded him.

"Oh, that. Yes, I know that makes me seem evil, but I'm only joining that side so I won't get myself killed. Let me rephrase that: I'm only joining that side so that my father won't kill me," he said. Ginny laughed nervously.

"You expect me to believe that? That your father threatened you? This being the same man who fell in love with Harry's mum?"

"Well, okay, not threatened me, exactly. But my loyalties lie with my father and my family. I couldn't refuse the dark mark," he said.

"Well," said Ginny, gaining confidence, "that makes you my enemy! Because I promised to protect and love Harry Potter, the Dark Lord's sworn enemy! So you're my enemy, Draco!"

"That's not true, Ginny," Draco said, "because enemies cannot love each other."

"You can't love if you don't have a heart!" she screamed at him.

"I don't have a heart? How can you say that? I'm getting fed up with you, Ginny!"

"Good, then leave me alone!" she shouted. Leave me alone. Draco had once told her the same thing. And it had hurt her to hear those words. "Why…" she said to herself.

"Why?" Draco had heard her, "Why what?"

"Why… do you keep telling me that you love me?"

"Because it's the truth," he said. "I need you." I need you. She'd never heard anyone say those words, had she? Harry even told her that he didn't need her. He had said that he could take care of himself, hadn't she? Even after she said she'd needed him…

"You do?" She said softly.

"Yes, of course I do! I've been trying to tell you that. Whenever I'm not with you, I feel terrible," he explained.

"Really?" she replied.

"OW!" Draco clutched his wrist, the one with the dark mark on it. Ginny smirked.

"Prove it!" she said, "Don't answer you Lord when he calls you."

"Ginny, no… You want me to die?" he asked.

"How do you know you'll die if you don't go?" she asked.

"It's a rule. Anyone who has the dark mark that does not answer immediately after the third call will be killed," he explained.

"Is there any other way?"

"No."

"Then… then let me go. I've made my decision, and it's Harry," she said calmly.

"No!" Draco screamed. He couldn't lose… not yet!

"Let me go, Draco," she said.

"I need you!" he shouted, reaching his other arm out towards her.

"Don't touch her." Those three words sent a chill through Ginny's spine. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around.

"Harry…"

"How did you find us?" Draco asked.

"I was in my room when Ginny's roommate ran in and told me that she saw you and Draco fly out the window towards Hogwarts Hill," he explained.

"Dammit!" Draco shrieked, "Why did you have to come? I… AHHHHHHHH!" He screamed as his arms seared with twice the amount of pain then the first calling.

"Draco!" Ginny shrieked.

"I have to go… If I don't go after one more call, he'll kill me! Don't you understand?"

"I'm so sorry, Draco. I'll miss you," she said.

"Damn… it can't end this way," he said, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Harry. "Expelliarmus!"

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Harry said as his wand flew into Draco's hands.

"I'm going to kill you, to please my Lord," Draco said, "And to show Ginny that nothing can come between us! Crucio!"

Harry fell to the ground in pain.

"Stop it!" Ginny screamed. Draco ignored her and kept the spell on him until he fell unconscious.

"Harry!" Ginny shrieked.

"Avada-" But before Draco could finish saying the incantation for the killing curse, Ginny flung himself in front of Harry.

"You'll have to kill me first," she said.

"No, Ginny! Get out of the way! I don't want to hurt you!" He said.

"It's too late for that!" she cried. Draco grabbed her arm and forcefully pulled her out of the way. She screamed at him and tried to free herself, but it was no use as Harry lay on the floor unconscious.

"Now, to get this over with before the third calling… AHHHHHHHH!" The third calling was three times as painful as the first, and sent Draco to the ground, howling for release. He watched as Ginny ran to Harry's side… Harry's side, and not his. She looked up at him and mouthed "Goodbye."

"NO!" Finally, Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it at his arm and muttered an incantation. Ginny watched in horror and shock as half of Draco's arm detached itself from his body, and blood oozed out.

He looked up at her and smiled one of his rare smiles. The pain from his bleeding arm was nothing compared to the call of the Dark Lord, and he was glad that that was over.

"I don't have the Dark Mark anymore," he explained, "So they can't kill me."

"Draco…why?" Ginny said, too stunned to move from her position next to Harry's unconscious form.

"It was the only way," he said, "Because I need you."

Ginny lowered her head before letting a tear escape. She wiped her eyes and looked up at Draco. "I need you too." Draco moved closer towards her and pulled her and Harry's wands out from his pocket, handing them to her. She took them.

"Take him back to the castle," he said, pointing to Harry, "He needs you more than I do. He loves you, and you love him, so you belong together."

"No… Draco, I love him, but… He doesn't need me more than you do. I understand now. And I love you too, so… I want to stay with you. And…" Another tear escaped from her eyes and Draco wiped it away with his finger.

"Here, let's take him back to the castle together. Madam Pomfrey will take care of him," he said. Ginny nodded. They picked Harry up and placed him on Ginny's broomstick, where she flew him back to the castle, Draco right behind her.

So I know I sort of ended it in a cliffhanger, but the next chapter is the epilogue, which will explain everything. So I'll update as soon as possible.