"My aunt and uncle just had a baby, you know," Kaitlyn whispered to the unconscious form of her boyfriend. "He's right over in the next room. I want to see him and everything, but I can't leave you. I know I can't. I have to be here when you wake up.

"A lot of things have happened, Dameon. Your father is here. He's threatening to take you back home. My mum and dad… I can't even begin to believe how supportive they are of us. It's amazing. I never would have expected that of my dad… my dad, the thickest man in the world (so says my mum). He was the one defending us. He was the one saying that we needed time alone. And then your father got here… I was scared to death. I didn't want him to take you again. But he and my parents are talking. My mum mentioned your mum and your father got really upset.

"I've often wondered about that, Dameon. Do you know anything about your mum? Has your dad told you anything? I bet you could find out about her. She went to this school. She was a Hufflepuff. I know you could find out who she was, what she did. Was she on the Quidditch team? Was she a Prefect? Head Girl? Did she get good grades? Was she well liked? That sort of thing. I want to help you, Dameon. You have to know everything."

Dameon's eyes fluttered open, but Kaitlyn did not notice. Her gaze was fixed downward on the sheets. "You know that I love you very much, Dameon. I want to help you out in any way that I can. I want to be here for you, I want you to know that I'm never going to abandon you, the way your father did before he even really knew you."

Dameon lifted his hand up and touched Kaitlyn's hair. She gasped, looking straight up at him. "You're awake!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. He groaned in pain and she immediately jumped backward. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"No," he moaned, rubbing his ribs. "I'm all right. I heard what you said, Kate. And I love you as well."

Tears filled her eyes. "You're alive. That's all that matters."

Dameon smiled lovingly at her. "Where am I?" he asked, looking around. "What happened?"

"I can't believe you don't remember," she said, gently touching the wounds on his face. His color was returning slowly and his awareness was sharpening. "You were so brave…"

Dameon stopped to try and remember the past events. He sighed. "Yes, I do remember… I can't believe what happened… but, Kate, you came and saved me. You saved me from my father, because you loved me."

"Of course I rescued you," she said, trying to get closer to him without hurting him. "I couldn't live a day without you. I spent all night and day thinking about how I was going to get you back to me. I never expected all of this."

"I didn't either," he replied. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. He kissed it so softly that it felt like a gentle wind. Staring into the deep, midnight blue gaze he called his own, Kaitlyn felt completely safe and protected. She was right where she belonged.

Madam Pomfrey appeared through the posters and smiled brightly at Dameon. "Good, you're awake!" She briskly walked over to the nightstand next to his bed and handed him a glass full of a bright orange liquid. He stared disgustedly at it. "Mr. Malfoy, I expect you to drink that at least three times a day for the remainder of the time you are in here. I'll be by to enforce it if you don't cooperate. Now go on, drink up."

Stealing a glance at Kaitlyn, he shrugged and poured it down his throat and then gagged. Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes and took the glass back from Dameon. "I'll go inform your father that you are awake."

Dameon sighed disgustedly. "I can't believe my father actually even cared to come."

"Now, Dameon, don't talk like that," Kaitlyn scolded gently.

He shook his head at her. "After imprisoning me in my own home, you'd think he wouldn't give a flying fig about my well being."

"He's your father."

Draco appeared behind the posters and looked at Kaitlyn. She was surprised to see such a neutral expression on his face. "Please leave us."

She was, again, not only surprised to hear the indifferent tone to his voice, but also the fact that he had said 'please.' She gave Dameon an encouraging and hopeful look and headed out to see her mother and father.

Ron and Hermione were talking to Harry about Ginny. Kaitlyn approached them carefully, unable to say much. Harry looked over Ron and Hermione at her, smiling fondly. "How's my favorite niece?" he asked, rushing toward her with his arms wide open.

"Not so great, Uncle Harry," she told him, embracing him tightly.

"That's all right, love," he whispered into her ear. "I know how it feels."

Kaitlyn didn't want to let her tears out. It was far too hard to cry all over again. Instead, she pushed them off and asked, "How's Aunt Ginny?"

"She's great. Do you want to meet your new cousin?"

"Do I!" she exclaimed excitedly.

All four of them entered the room. Ginny looked up, grinning widely at them. She positively beamed when she noticed that Kaitlyn had come as well. "Katydid!" she squealed excitedly. "Come over here! I've been so worried about you!"

Kaitlyn walked obediently over to her Aunt Ginny and squeezed her tightly. She felt something wet drip into her hair and looked up to see her aunt producing tears.

"I'm so sorry, love," Ginny said, wiping the tears away. I've just been very emotion today. Oh!" she exclaimed. "Do you want to meet Cedric?"

Kaitlyn frowned. Cedric… where had she heard that name before? Ginny leaned over and lifted the baby out of his bassinet. Turning to Kaitlyn, she whispered, "Do you want to hold your cousin?" Kaitlyn could barely speak. Cedric looked exactly like her uncle in every way. He had a few strands of black hair that were already threatening to become unruly. He had wide, bright green eyes and a soft, upturned nose. His lips were even the same shade of rose.

"I can't believe how gorgeous he is," Kaitlyn whispered.

"I know," Ginny said, reaching her hand over to touch her son. "He looks just like his father, doesn't he? Absolutely perfect."

Harry was completely overtaken with love for his wife. He rushed over to her side and sat down on the bed right next to her. "I love you, J."

"And I love you, Wood," she replied, leaning over to kiss him.

Kaitlyn was suddenly perplexed. "What does that mean? I've always wondered."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Wood and J. Why do you call each other that?"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and then back at Kaitlyn. "That's definitely another story in itself," Hermione answered for them.

Kaitlyn turned to her mother and then frowned. "Where did Dad go?"

Kaitlyn wandered out of the hospital room several minutes later. Draco was talking to Madam Pomfrey and looked like he was ready to leave. Kaitlyn wanted to make sure she completely avoided him and made her way over to Dameon's bed.

"Weasley," came the snide, drawling voice from across the room from her. She wasn't sure whom he was addressing, but realized it was she when he approached.

"W-What is it?" she asked, trying to keep her cool. She could handle Dameon when he was just another Malfoy, but she definitely couldn't be that way with Draco.

He stepped in front of her, pulling out Dameon's wand and fingered it gently. "I've just spoken with my son, and it seems that he wants to stay at Hogwarts more than anything. I can only imagine why." Kaitlyn said nothing. "I discussed it with him at length, and I decided that the only fair thing to do…" she gulped. "Was let him stay here. He's got a lot going for him," he whispered. Draco looked away from her and she could tell that he was avoiding her eyes for a very good reason. "I know how it feels, Weasley… I've been there before, and I know that it would be unfair of me to take him out of school. He'd just end up finding a way to escape, and that's definitely not what I need in my family." Draco stiffened his resolve again, throwing his head back overconfidently. He looked at the wand again and then reluctantly handed it over to Kaitlyn. "Take care of him, Weasley. I expect nothing less than the best for my son." And with that, Draco turned on his heel and fled the Hospital Wing.

Kaitlyn looked down at the wand in her hand, completely amazed at what had just happened. She walked back to Dameon's bed and opened the posters.

Her father was sitting next to him, talking to him. They appeared to be getting on very well, laughing and chatting. Dameon looked up and smiled brightly at her. "Hello, Kate!"

Ron turned around and smiled at his daughter. He stood up, walked over to her, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered in her ear, "You've made a great choice, love."

Kaitlyn stared at Dameon after her father left, astonished. She walked over to him, sat down, and took his hand in hers. "Can you believe all of this?"

"No," he said smiling a mile wide. "But that's really the best part. It's so amazing that I don't want to believe it. You know, after my father and I talked I have to say… I think your mother may have had some influence on him."

"My mum has influence on everyone," she laughed.

"He mentioned something about not wanting us to be the kind of pair you drank poison and stabbed themselves for love."

They both laughed heartily at this. "That was definitely my mum. How would your father ever know Shakespeare?"

Dameon took her hand, pressed it to his lips and whispered, "I guess we've broken the Romeo and Juliet curse."

She smiled lovingly at him. "You know… you may be right."

'My only love sprung from my only hate/Too early seen unknown and known too late/Prodigious birth of love it is to me/That I must love a loathed enemy.'

Juliet Act I, Scene V

'Did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.'

Romeo Act I, Scene V