Chapter 7- Sorry's Hard To Say

Meli lay in her bed still listening to music. She hadn't been able to sleep and decided to just lay awake hoping sleep would claim her. After laying here for hours she decided that enough was enough. Standing up she found a note in front of her door.

Meli,

I'm glad you agreed to meet me.

Go to the RoR after lunch.

Make sure your not followed.

Draco

Crumpling up the note she tossed it in the wastebasket and got dressed for the day. Today seemed like a fine day to visit Hermione and Harry and see how their relationship was going. Going to their tower she said the password and walked right in. It was still early morning but she had at least expected Hermione to be up by now. Listening for any sounds that might give one of them away she opened up Hermione's door and found her room empty. Crossing the room she cautiously opened the door. The minute she looked in Harry's room she wished she hadn't. "Oh Merlin I'm sorry." She said shielding her eyes from the view. Inside Hermione blushed furiously and desperately looked for something to put on. "Meli!" her brother yelled while looking around.

"You can look now." Hermione said. Taking her hands away from her eyes she sighed. "I'm so sorry." She apologized again. The look on Meli's face was so funny that Harry had to laugh a little. He had just thoroughly embarrassed Meli without meaning to. "It's alright." Harry and Hermione said together. But it wasn't. That was one image Meli had never wanted to see, it was just wrong. Not wanting to stay in this room she grinned. "Let's go get breakfast." She suggested running out of the room and down to the great hall. Laughing they followed her slowly and made sure she made it to the Great Hall first to give her time to get over her embarrassment.

Tick Tick Tick Tick. The hands moved slowly on the clock and Meli found herself growing annoyed. She hadn't had much patience lately and the anticipation of the meeting with Draco after lunch was making her more irritated. She didn't know why she had agreed to meet him when she absolutely despised him at the moment. The bell rang signaling the end of class and Meli packed her things quickly to get to lunch. Loading her plate up she began to shovel food into her mouth at a rate that even Ron was jealous of. "Bloody hell Meli slow down." Ron said as she shoved the last bite into her mouth. "Can't gotta go." She said. Grabbing her bag she took off for the seventh floor and paced about thinking, " I need to meet Draco." A door appeared in front of her and she turned the knob to find him waiting for her.

"Well out with it. What do you want?" she snapped as she sat down on a chair away from him. She was just going to hear him out politely if possible and then rudely tell him to bugger off. "Meli I'm sorry about what happened. I panicked." He started. Anger flashed into her hazel eyes but tried to remain silent. Failing she stood up. "Well what the hell do you want me to do? Forgive you every time you panic and do as your father says. I'll never do that." She said. By now her face was a shade of red that rivaled the Weasley hair. He went to speak again but she stopped him rudely. "No. I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses. You may change for a little while but you'll always be the same." She said. Turning her back she left the room and headed back to her room and locked the door behind her.

As he watched Meli leave he knew just how much he had messed up. Running his hands through his hair he too left but went in search of someone he knew could help, Harry and Hermione. Wanting to talk to Hermione first he went to the library where she was sitting there reading a book while Potter was scribbling furiously on a parchment. Stepping up to them he sat at the table with them and thought about what to say. "Is there a particular reason you're here or are you here to mess with me like you did my sister?" Harry asked pausing for a moment to glare at Draco. Meli had filled him in this morning and had made Harry promise not to hex Malfoy into oblivion. Going back to his essay he waited for ferret boy to grace him with an answer or leave. "I didn't mean to mess with your sister. And I came here to find out what I should do to get her back." He said barely audible yet Harry managed to hear what he said. How low could he get actually going to Potter for help. Again the scratching of the quill against the parchment stopped and Draco looked to see Potter glaring at him even more. "I think you should just bugger off and leave her be. She's been through enough without you making it worse." Harry said after a long period of silence and glaring. He should have known better than to go to her brother for help when Harry would just try to protect Meli. Really he should have just talked to Hermione first. Normally he would have called her Granger or 'mudblood' but Meli had made him promise to use her first name. "Hermione what do you think?" Draco asked. Harry's eyes narrowed as he glanced from Hermione to Malfoy. "I think that Harry's right. If she's clearly told you to get lost then you should do so. But if she hasn't then you must figure out a way to win her back on your own." Hermione stated never looking up from her book.

With a sigh Draco stood up and headed for his room to think. Neither one of them had been much help but he had to admit that Hermione had a point. If it wasn't something he had put thought into then Meli would never believe he was sorry. Entering their common room he once again heard her muggle music and knew the door was more than likely locked. Collapsing on the couch he stared at the ceiling willing an idea to come to him. Why did his father have to show up just when things were going good? Taking the ring of his mother's he had been keeping in his pocket he decided now was time. There would never be another girl he wanted more than Meli, she was his life as cheesy as that sounded. Gathering his courage and wits he unlocked her door with a spell and opened it up. Not paying attention to what she was listening to this time since it seemed to depend on her mood he sat down on her bed.

Feeling weight on her bed she sighed and sat up. "What?" she asked coldly. He could tell she was angry by looking into her eyes, because she was that readable. Anger was not the only emotion there; pain, betrayal, and love could be seen. It was hard to understand girls sometimes he thought. "Meli I have something to say. Don't interrupt me." He said. Slowly she nodded her head as consent that she would listen quietly he began. "My mother left me something to give to the girl I love with all my heart and one I wished to marry. I want to give it to you and I want you to accept it." Holding out the box he held his breath as Meli reached for it and opened it. "I'm sorry Draco but I can't accept this." She said handing it back to him. Sighing he took the ring out of the box and slid it on her left finger. "I won't take no as an answer. Nobody but you deserves this ring. It would be what my mother wanted." He insisted. Making a movement to remove the ring his fast reflexes captured her hand into his.

"There's another reason I came. I want you to please give me another chance. I won't screw up this time. It's a promise." Seeing the hesitation he sighed. "Just at least think about it. I don't expect an answer right away. When you decide just let me know." He said. Returning to his room he lay on his bed and let out a rush of air. That had taken so much courage he wondered if he had a bit of Gryffindor in him. Drifting off to sleep he didn't notice the door open and a small figure come in.

She wasn't a stalker she just wanted to talk to him. It hadn't taken her long after he left to figure out she wanted to be with him always. Just because he had a moment of weakness in front of the man who had made him miserable for 16 years. As she entered he had just drifted off to sleep. Sitting down on the bed she yawned and decided to skive off the rest of the lessons. Unable to hold her eyes open any longer she closed them.

A smell of cinnamon and ginger met his nose and he snuggled closer to the source of the fragrance. Feeling a body next to him he forced his eyes open and saw Meli beside him. Stretching out he gave her a poke in the side. "Meli wake up." He whispered. Poking her once more the fluttering of her eyes told him she was now awake. "hmmm?" she asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Blushing furiously she sat straight up stiff as a board. "I'm sorry." She said quickly. "It's mkay. What's up?" he asked still sleepy. "I have an answer. I just wanted to say I want to be with you too and that I'm very sorry that I overreacted." Smiling up at him she was surprised to hear his next words. "This isn't something I ever do but I just wanted to say……wanted to say I'm sorry too." He said.

Finally seeing things were going to be alright for now Meli threw herself into his arms. "Promise me you'll try to stand up to your dad someday?" she whispered. Lucius Malfoy was the one thing that could possibly stand in her way with a future with Draco. "Someday." He answered firmly. Holding Meli close he let his thoughts drift to happier things. They were good for now and that's the only thing he wanted to concentrate on for the moment. The rest of the world would have to wait.

AN: I'm so so so so sorry that this was updated so late. I'm not sure if anyone at all is still reading this but if you are I'm really really really sorry. A few personal problems came up with family and then I started a new story. I'm not trying to make excuses just letting you know why I forgot about this. So anyway please read and review.