Hey readers! I'm so sorry I forgot to mention last chapter that Chapter 8 would be the last chapter! I'm really sorry, I kind of thought it was unfair to just leave you with the idea that a lot more was going to happen. I feel really bad if this last chapter is disappointing (- -x) but I really really hope that you guys liked the story! Again, sorry for not mentioning it sooner! I'm horrible! Anyway, on to my shout outs to my wonderful reviewers!

Earendil-DMCC: Oh, I know which fanfic you're talking about! Cho's Chic:D Hehe, thanks so much for all the support through my fic, you are majorlyyy awesome. :D

Roonil: Thanks so much for all the support you've given me! Seriously, you are the greatest. I really appreciate it! Thanks for sticking by me from day one! You're the best:D

Swellkisses: Thank you for the review! I love Malfoy's character, but I don't like to play around too much with it. Lol, thanks for the support! You really brightened my day!

Sukuri99: I'm sorry, your MOREs have unfortunately come to an end since my story's ending! I'm so sad about it, but I hope you really enjoyed my fic! Thank you so much for reviewing and supporting me since the first chapters!

Chapter 8.

Cho's footsteps echoed forlornly in the stone corridor. Around her, her friends were cheering, celebrating the end of their midyear exams. Cho tried to mirror their expressions, but instead succeeded in widening the emptiness that now resided in her stomach. I never really resolved the fight with Malfoy. Cho bit her lip. I never got the chance to apologize about what I said about his parents..

"Cho! Let's celebrate! I've got fire whisky!" Marietta giggled in her face. "Let's go! Party in the common room, everyone!" The group of giddy Ravenclaws cheered and skipped down the hall, following Marietta. Cho lagged behind, and eventually, her friends all disappeared up the staircase. Instead of following, Cho slowed and stopped at a windowsill , leaning against it, breathing the brisk spring air and letting the sunlight warm her body. Mmm, Cho sighed. It smells so much like summer… almost one year has gone by…

Suddenly, Cho became aware of faint footsteps that grew louder and closer with every second. She turned sharply to see who it was, and saw a tall, handsome boy walking toward her, a determined yet uneasy look on his face.

"Hi, Malfoy," said Cho, smiling faintly.

Malfoy stopped in front of her, hands in his pockets. Then, he leaned on the windowsill next to her and simply stared out onto the bright Hogwarts grounds. Cho decided not to break the silence, and was oddly satisfied when Malfoy decided to speak first.

"How did you know?" he said at last, still staring out the window.

Cho sighed and twirled a strand of hair pensively. She remembered trying her hardest to achieve all the grades her parents expected…Straight O's! her mother had urged. She remembered struggling, earlier this year, with her broken heart and plummeting grades. The pressure was intense, Cho reminisced. I felt like I would break down any minute…

"I recognized your expression the day of the match, I guess," Cho finally replied. She turned to look at him. "After all, I saw the same one in the mirror for months."

To Cho's astonishment, Malfoy then asked bluntly, "Was it because of Diggory?"

Cho expected herself to snap at him for bringing Cedric up or clam up like she always did when other people tried to talk about Cedric, but she shocked herself by doing neither. In fact, she found herself feeling…calm. If anyone else had brought him up, Cho would have been irritated or standoffish.

But for some reason… she found it perfectly okay for Malfoy to talk about Cedric.

"Yeah," said Cho. "Mostly." Her voice strengthened with the words she had longed to share for so long. Her emotions poured out of her like water–about her parents' high expectations, Cedric's death, her feelings for Harry, her confusion, and Quidditch.

"You helped me there," finished Cho, smiling. "You helped me bring back the happiness I was missing."

"Just by coaching you in Quidditch?" Malfoy asked disbelievingly.

Cho nodded and looked out toward the grounds again. A small gust of wind tousled a few strands of her hair, and when it stopped, the sleek locks settled back neatly and softly onto her shoulder.

"Quidditch," Cho started again, wanting to elaborate, "was the only thing that I loved doing and that made my parents proud. When I was playing, I felt like I was a star player. You know what I mean. I know you know the feeling, Malfoy. I felt like I was someone. That's what everyone knew me for, and I loved it. I loved having people cheer for me and celebrate in my honor. I needed Quidditch because I needed that feeling. And then after Cedric died, my Quidditch skills…I don't know…faded away. And that's when I felt my life spiraling out of control. Without that feeling, I was going to break down. I needed help… I needed you."

I needed you.

Cho suddenly realized the enormity of what had just come spilling out of her mouth. To Draco Malfoy.

And she didn't care.

All of a sudden, Cho found herself wanting Malfoy to answer her, to tell her that everything was back to normal now, to tell her not to worry anymore, to tell her his own life story. She wanted to know everything about him, from his deepest secrets to his favorite ice cream flavor. Cho had never had someone to spill her deepest emotions to, and she wasn't about to let her first true confidant go. She wasn't sure, actually, just how Draco Malfoy had managed to be that confidant, but she liked the feeling. For months, Cho had thought she was abnormal, the only person to suffer through severe pressure and the need to strive for the best.

And then she had found Malfoy.

The last person whom she expected to be going through the same sadness as her.

Meanwhile, Malfoy was clutching his hands together, mulling over her words. Cho could see his jaw muscles straining as he ground his teeth slowly. For once in his life, Malfoy was wordless. He stood like that for well over a minute before smirking slightly and replying, "I know."

Malfoy's hand moved toward Cho's and grasped it firmly, as if assuring her that everything was going to be okay. He moved closer and both students, not entirely sure what was going on, met in a rush of emotion. Cho instantly felt the unnamed feeling from her dream flood her body, and she felt like she was being doused from head to toe in warm, soothing water. Catching every breath that escaped Malfoy's lips, Cho felt the wind pick up and swirl around her, whispering comfortingly in her ear. As she sank into his comforting embrace, her heart grew wings and soared into the utmost reaches of her soul; her skin prickled with the intensity of her building emotions. Cho felt like she could do anything at that moment, that moment that their lips had met.

She was complete. Finally, she truly was.

"Thank you," Cho whispered faintly as they broke apart.

Then, Cho heard the loveliest words –pure, untainted, and not spoiled with use; it was probably the first time they had ever left the Slytherin. They sounded foreign and alien, yet Cho felt as if they had belonged on his tongue the whole time.

"No Cho, thank you," Malfoy replied, gazing back calmly out the window, never letting go of her hand. "And I'll be here, if you want to talk…

if you ever need me."

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(A/N) Ah, I can't believe my story has come to its end! I had a really good time writing it, and I really hope you guys liked it! Absolutely ANYONE out there can review, I would love to hear how I did, or get some feedback, or whatnot: I'm going to be posting a new story soon, it's just a little Draco/Luna one-shot that I wrote in between writing this one. if you want to check it out, I will reward you with my undying appreciation. :D Haha, keep an eye out, yeah? Thanks so much, everyone! In the meantime, I would love to hear all your opinions and reviews on this fic! .:D