Welcome Back! I'd first off like to thank all of the wonderful people who have read my story and returned to see the ending. Once again. I'd like to remind you that there is still a lot more to come and that I haven't given up. I've revised this story and rewritten all of the lost chapters. So, enjoy the tale and expect more to come. As a small token of my appreciation for all of your love and patience, I will upload chapter 1 of The Pact the same day I upload the last chapter of this story. Can't wait to see you there.

I thought that after Christmas that it would be awkward between me and Draco, but he acted as if nothing had happened. He was the same as ever. He came to my room that morning, waited as I said goodbye to my parents, and sat in the train compartment taunting me while talking in codes to Crabbe and Goyle.

I wasn't looking forward to what Pansy would do if she found out. I'd run through the images of me being cold and naked in the forest. The same thing applied for Harry. My stomach twisted in a dozen knots as I saw him in the corridor looking out at Hagrid's hut.

Draco groaned as Harry and Ron approached us.

"Emma, how was your holiday?" Harry asked.

"I bet it was horrible." Ron said.

I hugged both of them despite the way Ron froze under my touch. "Actually," I glanced at Draco, "it wasn't that bad."

He looked pissed, but he was smirking so it couldn't have been that bad. "I bet. Emma loves roses…and tulips…and mistletoe…" He mumbled the last part under his breath. Wagging his eyebrows, he stalked around the three of us and headed down the corridor.

I clamped my jaw-dropped mouth. Harry and Ron stared at me very confused. Harry was the first to break the awkward silence. "Emma, what exactly happened over break?" He asked.

I shrugged and responded with the first thing that wasn't a lie. "Oh, I tried to learn how to ice skate. I fell a few hundred times, crushed a few flowers along the way. He and his friends had a good laugh. Nothing too eventful."

They nodded and we went on to talk about their break. I wasn't going to tell them what happen. I was going to act like it never happened, just like Draco was doing before we got back to school. I'd still have to deal with him later though.

"Done catching up with you friends?"

I plopped down beside Draco. He was reading a roll of parchment.

"Oh yeah," I said sarcastically, "We had loads of fun. We talked about everything."

"Except the kiss." He countered.

"Except the kiss." I agreed. I frowned, glaring up at the ceiling as I sank down into the couch.

"Sooner or later, they're going to find out." He stated absently, folding the parchment and tossing it into the fireplace.

"Not if both parties keep their mouths shut." I countered.

"Emma, love, isn't that how we got into that mess in the first place?"

I rolled my eyes and hit him with a cushion. "Doesn't matter. It's not going to happen again, right?"

He laid his head against the back of the couch. I would've thought that he was considering letting it go if he didn't have that big stupid grin on his face. Without warning, one of his legs flew over me so that he was on my lap. He put both hands on the head of the couch and leaned his face in.

"I know you want me. I can feel it."

I forced my heart back down my throat. "Yeah, sure. Maybe in your dreams." It came out as a pathetic mumble.

He chuckled, "Especially in my dreams," and ran his fingers down my cheek to my collarbone. His eyes settled there, gazing at my chest. The round globes were fairly visible when he looked down my blouse like that. I attempted to back away from him, but I wiggled my way all the way down so I was lying flat on my back. He was now on top of me. The triumphant grin on his face was maddening.

Over the rest of the break, I'd decided that I liked Draco. There was no use in denying it, even my mother could see it. I'm not exactly sure how, or even why, but I do. There were too many other things that I couldn't handle- Pansy, her friends, my friends…and this! The moment when Draco's smirk disappeared and he got closer to me. His lips touched mine is the sweetest way.

This was technically the third kiss we'd had. I just pushed it into the back of my mind and denied the whole thing. Draco was willing to play along with that. Sneaking up to my room in the middle of the night and wishing me a Happy New Year was one thing. But this wasn't going to be the case this time. It was making me insane, and this is why.

He trails his lips down to my neck. He grazes his lips on a spot that releases a sigh from my lips. The nerves in my body become uncontrollable. My muscles can't get enough adrenaline. My hands trace every muscle on his stomach and feel his soft blond hair.

And then I realize what I'm doing. And then I realize what I'm feeling. And it's all because of him. And I can't take it.

"Draco…" It came out as a whisper because I was out of breath. It almost sounds like I'm beckoning him, so he takes it as an invitation for his fingers to crawl their way up inside my shirt and send goose bumps up my spine.

He sighed into my neck. "Yes?" My silence is enough for him to breathe an aggravated groan against my skin before looking at me, want all in his face.

I release his hair and push against his chest. He sat back and I folded my calves under my thighs to sit up too. We stared at each other until I heard the common room door slide open. Kids began flooding in finally. I stood up and walked to the staircase going to the girls' dorm.

"Draco. You're back."

I looked back even though I knew I shouldn't have. Pansy and her friends ran up to greet him. He glanced at me once running fingers through his platinum hair. Then he turned away and began talking to Pansy. He sat back in the chair and wrapped his arm around her. I scoffed and changed my path. I left the common room grabbing my coat and giving Pansy the coldest glare I could as I passed the horde. I huffed and sat on the edge of the lake.

"Trouble in paradise?" Kim asked taking a seat next to me.

"Why would you say that? I asked.

I didn't tell anyone about what happened over Christmas break. No one. I wasn't planning to either.

She shrugged with a grin. "I saw the way you were glaring at Pansy… and... I was kind of the one who kept Pansy away from you and Draco at the Malfoys' party. You know, after that night I thought you'd be on board, but no."

I gaped at her. I opened my mouth to respond, but I shut it because I really didn't know what to say.

"Why would you do that?" I asked her skeptically.

"He asked me to." Her eyes narrowed studying my movement. I looked away from her quickly to avert giving away anything that I would regret. Instead, I studied the water. Kim clapped her hands together and hooted.

"Oh, see. I knew it. You like him. Otherwise, why would you keep running away like a complete idiot."

"You like someone, Em?"

I jumped to see Hermione walking over to us. She sat on the other side of me setting down her jumbo book.

"Yes," Kim answered for me, "And will you tell her that if the guy obviously likes her too, then she should go for it." Kim waved her hand between Hermione and me. Hermione pulled her eyebrows together and grinned obviously amused by how uncomfortable I obviously looked.

"Um, yeah. There's no use in delaying the inevitable." She agreed.

"But what would my friends think?" I countered.

"We're your friends." Kim scoffed.

"And Harry and Ron will be fine with it too, whoever he is." Hermione said slowly.

"Ginny and Cody will be behind you too. One hundred percent. I know he likes you. Frankly, when I was with him, it was more physical. With you, he's actually a decent human being. You'll be good for him. You're different from the rest of the Slytherins."

"Tuh, you didn't see him with that prude." I buzzed.

"Uh, yeah I did. He's only trying to make you jealous. Haven't you ever had a boyfriend before?" Kim argued.

"But-"

"Girl, just go. You're getting on my nerves. Jeez, you're almost completely hopeless."

"Almost?" Hermione and I asked in unison.

"No. No more stalling. Go and talk to him or I swear I will help Pansy and her idiot friends torture you."

I looked to Hermione for help. If anyone would be rational, she would. She lowered her shoulders and shook her head in apologetic surrender. "You should at least give it a try. If it doesn't work, you can always break up with the guy."

I glared at both of them and sighed.

"You like him, don't you?" Hermione asked.

"Unfortunately…"

"Well…you should go then. Otherwise, the only person with the problem is you."

"Fine, fine."

I stood up wiping the snow off my pants and walked up the hill back towards the castle.

"So, who's this guy again?" Hermione whispered to Kim.

I shook my head. They were right. I was being extremely difficult. I thought of the first few weeks after I'd gotten the letter from my parents. I was being a complete bitch. Draco's been a saint (as much of a saint as any Slytherin Prince aka future Death Eater could be). It wouldn't be that bad.

Then I remembered. Pansy. The named screamed in my head as my knuckles made their way to Draco's door. She was like a leech that couldn't get enough blood. I didn't know what to do about her. She was always there. Draco loved it too. He craved her attention, her friends' attention. Why would he give that up, just out of nowhere? Where had the change happened? He was still just a 15 year old boy with raging hormones.

I turned away from the door. Biting down on my lip, I contemplated what I should do. It felt like two alter egos yelling at me in my head.

'You are not chickening out.'

'Yes. I am.' I argued with my mind.

"Are you going to stand there all day?"

I pivoted on my toes. Draco raised one eyebrow while he stood in the doorway. He motioned for me to come in.

I sat on his desk crossing my legs. I was surprised at how much my stomach churned and twisted into knots, trying to kill all the butterflies that resided in it.

"Here to give me more mixed signals?" He asked casually sitting on his bed.

I looked at my twirling thumbs. "No."

He waited and waited… and waited. I didn't know how to start. He wasn't making it easy either. He steady blue eyes watched me from his four poster bed, roaming over every expression that happened to show on my face. It wasn't completely evident what he was searching for. I silently begged for something, anything to break the silence.

There was a knock on the door followed by a, "Draco. Come on. I'm sorry for what I said about Panty- I mean Paniettiere. Come on. You're no fun anymore."

Scratch that. Can I please take that back? Silence is fine.

I sighed and began to get up. "I'll leave you two to your business." I murmured.

"No, stay. I'm sure you didn't come here to twiddle your thumbs. Something's obviously eating at you so say it already." He pulled me onto the bed and put a silencing spell on the door.

"Why does it matter? You've got Pansy." I spat dryly.

He stared at me for a good ten seconds before he burst into loud laughter. I frowned at him.

"It's not funny."

"Yes it is actually. Pansy isn't nearly as important as she thinks. You out rank her in more ways than you know- you being second in line to become a Death Eater being the most important. If you said the word, the other heirs could have her out of this school within the hour."

He leaned against the silent pounding of the door and stared at me. I could see his taunting smirk, but his grey eyes gave a completely new atmosphere to the room.

I rolled my eyes. "Draco, you and her are joined at the hip. The prince and his princess… his sick… twisted… princess."

He sighed, "How do I explain without sounding like a complete prat," He looked at the ceiling and back down at me. "Before you became an heir, everyone thought it was going to be me and Pansy… until you came along."

I shook my head confused. "So…"

He sighed again. "So… Everyone adores you Emma. You're an imbecile if you haven't seen it yet." He waited for me to say I had, but I hadn't. I tiled my head and combed my fingers though my long brown curls.

"Now I highly doubt that." I mumbled in a muted voice. I lowered my eyes as Draco made his way over to me. He raked all ten of his fingers through my hair and lifted me up into the bed. Then, he pressed his body against mine.

"Don't doubt it."

I didn't even flinch when we pressed our lips together, sealing my fate. No use in delaying the inevitable.