Soo.. guess who's back?

Yes, I am past my due date of the 15th of September, but.. love me anyways? I think it's a pretty good chapter! And it explains shit!

I'm going to lose so many fans with what happened to Neville, I can feel it XD

Anyways, lots has been happening in the lives of all our girls, but that's unimportant! This chapter is much more crucial!

Enjoy! Don't hate me!

Sam sat gawking, a hand clasped over her mouth in hopes of hiding it. But it was in vain. Both of them knew her expression of horror was well deserved. With tears in the corners of her eyes, she listened patiently to his story.

The fake Mad-Eye had broken Neville. He'd always been an awkward child, one who didn't believe in himself at any point. From his grandmother belittling him, to Snape never laying off of his inability in Potions, to teasing done by Slytherins, he'd never seen himself as anything but worthless. And fake Mad-Eye took advantage of that.

No one could hear them, with the room silenced and locked. The imposter ripped from a fourth year boy who already believed he could never achieve anything his virginity. Tears, cries, and futile kicks did nothing to stop him. It only fuelled the hate-filled rape. And after he was done, with blood streaming down his leg beneath his trousers, he took the book he was given and scurried away to hide in shame.

By the time the entire tragic tale was uttered, Neville was clinging to Sam with strength he didn't know he possessed, never wanting to let her go as he sobbed into her shoulder. She couldn't muster up the power to stop her own tears from falling down her porcelain face, biting her lip to keep from choking on gasps.

"I'm so sorry, Neville…" she managed to mutter into his neck. This only made him pull her closer. His head was heavy on her shoulder, but she didn't mind. All her heart wanted to do was keep this boy – this clunky, stroppy boy who she had somehow fallen for – as close to her as humanly possible. The dare didn't matter anymore. She felt stinging pangs of guilt but didn't mention them. As both their shirts became soaked with the products of their sorrow, they just sat and rocked in one another's embrace.

"N-Now d'you see why you f-frighten me? Why y-you're unashamed att-ttitude about s-sex scares the living h-hell out of me?" he stuttered. She nodded quickly, her curls sticking to her wet cheeks.

"I'm sorry I ever thought about it. I'm so sorry. I don't want… I mean, I do, but… I can definitely wait," she got out in one breath. He smiled weakly, a sight that only forced more sniffles to her lips.

"You can't. You c-can't go without it-t." She let her wide eyes look at him as he slowly untangled himself from her, but she didn't let his hand go. He didn't try to pull away.

"I will for you," she replied strongly.

Silence fell over them for an eternity. But it wasn't uncomfortable. They just had nothing to say. And that was alright. Somewhere between her pulling him back and their crying fit, they had come to an unspoken agreement that they were together. It didn't have to be voiced. They didn't particularly want it to be. The quiet was their friend right now, and with their fingers interlocked, they would remain in its arms for the night.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Draco didn't respond to Kenzie's outburst as he stormed around the castle. She had attempted several times once they'd left the dorms to make him stop, but he had a number of inches of height on her, as well as being a solid wall of muscle. A rather attractive one, she couldn't help but think, then almost slapped herself for such a thought at such a time.

She finally managed to grab his shoulder and halt his walking in the Entrance Hall. He instantly shrugged her hand off but spun around and looked down at her. The intensity of his glare made her take a step back, but she attempted to counter it as best she could. It almost brought a grin to his thin lips, the way she mocked his anger.

"Answer the question," she ordered. He rolled his eyes.

"Draco Malfoy. If you didn't even know that, then why chase me all the way here?"

"Don't get smart, asshole. What was that little brawl about, huh?" she snapped. Her hair was a mess, falling into her flushed face. Her hands were clenched at her sides, and she was shaking slightly at his sheer audacity to be a smartass at this hour of the morning. He had woken her up! He had no right to act like this was all her fault!

"Nothing that will concern you," was his reply as he looked away from her. Several moments passed of quiet where he felt as though he had bested her.

The burning pain of a palm making harsh contact with his pale cheek told him otherwise. It sent him reeling, making his own hand fly to where hers had been before, clutching the bright red flesh. He was still turned away from her but slowly righted himself. The look of loathing that he was met with wasn't much of a shock, but there was something else there too. It looked like hurt.

"I'm sick of your attitude, Draco! You can think you're the fucking Prince of Slytherin, like you're the only reason that the world revolves, but I know better! I can see through your fucking mask!" she seethed, her chest rising and falling distractingly. He tried to keep his eyes on hers, but found them attracted to the heaving cleavage. As soon as she noticed this, she let out a breathy shriek of repugnance and made to slap him again, but he ducked. "You're an absolute pig!"

"And you're a bitch!" he called right back, taking her aback slightly. He smirked coldly. "Don't look so shocked. You can't go ahead and pretend like I mean something to you, then flirt with Nott and come at me with the hate routine!"

She stood still for a long moment, staring at him in disbelief. Then, slowly, a laugh fell from her mouth. He didn't know what to make of this, what with the slaps beforehand and repugnance for him afterward. The laughter came as a shock.

"You thought I was flirting with Theo?" she got out between chuckles. She gasped for breath as she grabbed her stomach, doubling over in giggles. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"I'd definitely call it flirting, Thorne."

"Well, I call it being a friend. You should look into it," she replied. Her face slowly sobered again and she looked up at him. "Besides, I don't hate you."

"You sure as hell act like it," he said quickly, his voice raising. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm passionate about you, I'll agree there. But it isn't hate, asshole."

"Is that so?"

"As a matter of fact, it is." She stood up taller at his defiance of her, her gaze meeting his once more. He matched it easily.

"And what would you call that emotion then? Because if it isn't hate I've been experiencing in return, what the hell could it be?" he asked.

"You won't believe me."

"Try me."

She quirked a brow at him, biting her lip slightly and mustering up her courage as best she could. "Think, Malfoy. You're smart. Sometimes." She smirked a bit.

He couldn't help returning it. "What if I don't want to?"

"I'm not going to think for you."

"You won't be able to," he muttered cockily. She narrowed her eyes.

"What's that supposed to-"

She froze as soon as his lips made contact with hers, but only for a split second before a hand going behind his neck and pulling him closer. His hands slipped round her waist, pressing her closer to him. Neither wanted to breathe as they moved against the other. It was perfect synchronization; sudden and unplanned, yet it was fluid and easy to go along with. Fingers clutched skin gently and they only broke apart when they felt themselves become lightheaded.

Kenzie's head fell to his chest as she gripped his shirt in his hand, trying to consume enough oxygen to form words again. She couldn't be bothered with the way his hand was absently touching her side. Not sexually. Not greedily. Just a soothing movement of his fingertips over her skin.

At long last, she cleared her throat and let out a croaky sound resembling the word wow. He laughed quietly and turned her face up to his.

"I think I know what you were talking about, Kenzie," he told her quietly. She grinned slightly and leaned back in for another kiss.

"Get a room!" someone called out as they left, resulting in Rose flipping them the bird and Ron laughing against her lips. They split only as they heard people entering, with loud voices the resembled their best friends.

"…snogged my best friend!"

"You're a dumbass, Harry, you really are!"

"Why, because I don't cheat?!"

A quiet groan of annoyance came from the pair previously kissing as they looked over the back of the couch they were sharing to find Harry and Eryn stood near the portrait entrance, staring intensely at one another.

"What's going on, children?" Rose asked sternly. Eryn shot her a glare.

"Don't," she warned. The apologetic look she received softened her a bit and she uncrossed her arms. "Please agree with me that Harry is an oblivious idiot."

"I am n-" Harry's denial was cut over by Ron and Rose murmuring something along the lines of agreement. He let his jaw drop. "How?!"

"Mate, she snogged me to get your attention. It took that much to actually make you see that she was sending you signs. Even I got that," Ron chuckled.

"And you're almost as bad as he is," Rose smirked while patting his cheek. Harry glowered.

"I don't see what she wants!" he cried. "Just outright say it, Eryn! Please! Because I don't understand what it is you want!"

"ASK HER!" Rose nearly screamed as she pulled herself up and shoved Ron out of the Gryffindor common room. She gave a wink to the fighting pair before leaving. Harry watched where they had left in bewilderment, turning to ask what she had meant when he caught sight of Eryn's face.

She was biting her lip and trying not to look as though he was breaking her heart. A sigh of discontent left him and he took several steps forward to take her hands. Though she didn't pull away, she didn't return the squeeze he gave them.

"Please just tell me what it is you want," he said quietly, watching her eyes stare at the floor. After a moment, she took a shuddering breath and looked up, her pink hair looking less fluorescent in that moment of sadness.

"I want you to figure it out yourself, Harry. Because if you can't then it doesn't mean enough to you."

He didn't move for another few seconds. He just stood with her fingers laced with hers, trying to formulate words. At long last, he made sure she had his gaze before speaking.

"The only reason I don't want to ask you to be my girlfriend is from fear of you getting hurt." Her eyes showed confusion, which he addressed instantly. "Any girl who meant anything to me got hurt. And you mean too much to me to follow that trend. What if you get put in danger because someone knows you're my girlfriend? What if you end up wounded, or dead, because of your association with me? I can't deal with that."

Eryn's eyes searched his, looking for any lies, but she found none. He was sincere this time. And while she understood the purpose behind his worry, it was stupid. She voiced as much as well. Because it didn't matter if the label was there or not, she was too much in love with him to not be at stake. Yet she would take it to be his.

"I want to be asked. No one has. No one ever will again, I can guarantee it. Please, if I don't mean as much to you as you do to me, then just tell me to get my heartbreak over with. Otherwise, I want to be known to the school – fuck, to the world! – that I am your girlfriend."

They looked at one another for what felt like forever before he gently moved in and kissed her. She returned it easily, her fingers knotting in his mess of black hair. And against her lips, he whispered, "Be my girlfriend, Eryn Winters?"

The smile he got in return along with the nod could have lit up all of England.

Yay! Happy endings all around! There is one last chapter left, but it's brief and should be up within the week. Don't quote me on that please though. I don't want to let anyone down.

REVIEW! :D