Disclaimer: Not mine.

There was a knock on the door and Gale found herself smiling.

If it had been Neville, Luna, or Ginny, they would have used the coins.

Ark . . . well, Ark didn't knock. He just barged his way in. Once, she had been getting dressed. She shivered as she always did when she thought of how his eyes had lingered on her, clad in her skirt and bra. It had made her feel dirty and she took to getting dressed in the bathroom now.

So, since Neville, Luna, or Ginny hadn't activated the coins and Ark didn't knock, that left one person.

Draco peeked his head in, giving her a hesitant smile. "Hey."

Gale wiped the smile from her face and raised her hand in a gentle wave.

No.

She was still angry with him for everything that happened, still wished she could tell him off like she wanted too . . . but she couldn't help but admit that having him around made her feel protected.

It seemed like she was making the same mistake all over again . . . hiding her 'relationship' from her friends. . . . Would it only end in disaster again?

He did seem incredibly regretful about the whole thing . . .

No.

She would not fall for him again.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, softly.

She shrugged, wincing slightly at the pain in her shoulder. Draco gave her a look and she sighed, taking off her robes which were draped over an old t-shirt. Rolling up her sleeve, she showed him the almost fresh slash in shoulder. Ark had gotten angry once more and this was the result of it. It was unavoidable.

Draco cursed quietly, pulling his wand from his pocket. He glanced up at her. "I'm not, you know, great with medical magic but I can, er, try to make it so it doesn't hurt so much."

Gale nodded. His fingers brushed against the bare flesh of her arm, sending goosebumps along the back of her neck.

No.

She looked away when the tip of his wand came in contact with her shoulder but she couldn't help but look back up at him and into those slate gray eyes that were watching her so very intently.

No.

She wouldn't, she thought to herself as Draco put down his wand. "Does that feel better?" he asked.

Gale nodded, still stuck on him. This couldn't be happening . . . not again.

She told herself she wouldn't ever be near him again. It hurt too much. What he had done was unacceptable.

"Was – was that the first time you've cried since . . . it happened?" he asked suddenly, shocking Gale out of her thoughts.

Looking away from him, she turned to the lamp that she had thrown at his head, perfectly fixed. Sighing, she gave a jerky nod of her head. She hadn't cried at the funeral and hadn't cried all summer. She didn't call it being strong and she didn't think crying would make her weak but . . . she had always thought that if she let herself cry, that might make it final. That would have to mean that Albus was gone for good, never coming back and she was here, alone. Being forced into that tiny room had made her realize it. As she had walked through the door, she couldn't help but think what on earth was she supposed to do now, stuck alone with her thoughts and her nightmares and the constant threat of Ark being able to check up on her whenever he wanted to. . . . She fell apart as if her heart had just cracked into a million pieces.

And then there was Draco. . . .

Merlin why did he have to be so good looking?

"I really am sorry," he said, softly. "Even if it's hard to believe, even if it's hard to take back all that I've done, I'm sorry. I – I really did try to stop it from happening. If you never speak to me, never smile at me, never look me at me again, it's fully understandable. But –"

He looked up at her, eyes bright and intense, pleading even. He so wanted to be forgiven, she could see, for the mistakes that he made.

"If you, you know, feel like crying so more. . . ." the suggestion trailed off as he didn't know how to finish it.

But Gale sort of knew what he was going to say. Not being able to help herself, she smiled. Draco seemed astonished at the sight of it. "There it is," he said so quietly that Gale wasn't even sure she had heard it.

His hand, which had still been resting on her opposite shoulder moved up to her neck, his fingers catching in the tendrils of hair that hung down from her messy bun.

No.

But she was leaning forward, shocked into a standstill by the touch of his fingers against the back of her neck and in her hair. . . .

No.

She could feel his light breathing on her lips and knew that he could feel her pulse speed up under her palm.

They kissed.

Yes.

She wanted this. She really, really wanted this.

The kiss intensified and Gale found herself clutching onto the front of Draco's robes as she would if this were her last chance on air.

It should be impossible for her to be this affected by someone. She was only seventeen, turning eighteen. It should be impossible for her to be this in love with someone.

Love?

Yes, she could honestly say that she was in love with Draco Malfoy, despite what he had done . . . that's why it had hurt so much that he had betrayed her. She had opened her heart and soul to him and he had come in.

She was in love with Draco no matter the consequences, no matter that she wasn't sure how long it would take for her to trust him again. She was well on the way to it.

Harry wouldn't agree. Neither would Ron or Neville. She was fairly sure that Hermione and Ginny would be upset but would still listen. But Luna . . . Luna would just want to her to be happy.

And, Merlin forbid, she was happy with Draco.

They broke apart, Draco resting his forehead against hers. "I love you," he said and then he opened his eyes, as if he surprised himself and as if he were scared of her answer.

Without looking away from him, Gale plucked her wand from her bedside table, using it to write.

I'm still angry with you.

Draco quickly read the words before looking back at her. "I know."

What you did was horrible.

"I know."

But

The word glittered in the air for a minute before fading away. Gale looked to him, watching her and she smiled, raising her wand once more.

I love you.

A/N: So what do you think? I hope you guys don't think Gale gave in to easily. It was bound to happen eventually. Hope you liked it. Stay tuned.