"Emma."

My eyes fluttered a few more times trying to adjust to the scene before me. There was Draco staring at me. It took me by surprise. He was actually smiling. I sat up slowly, my limbs still stiff from the lack of movement. I smiled, stretching my numb, chapped lips. I glanced around the room.

It was still the same infirmary- the same stony floor and the same lumpy beds with the same ugly blue sheets. I focused my eyes back on Draco who was still grinning ear to ear.

"Hey, stranger." Seeing his face, my heart skipped a beat. It seemed to be ages since I'd seen his face, smelled his spicy cologne. I lifted my arms to touch his face. I hadn't noticed how tense his face was until I smoothed away the wrinkles on his forehead.

"Emma." He whispered again. For an instant, I saw him, the real Draco again. He looked weary. His hands clutched mine trying to push them away from face. Then, his mask came back up. I placed my fingers back on his cheeks hoping that I could pull the mask away again.

I pulled his face closer to mine. I just wanted to kiss his lips. His hands reached up and went to pull my hands lower my hands again, but instead they just laid there waiting for me to move.

"Say something Emma." He murmured. I couldn't find anything to say though, nothing to express this sudden feeling anyway. I just leaned forward and pulled his lips to mine feeling them as if they were brand new. They were softer, unsure. It was not as forceful, and I wondered why. I wasn't sure why I felt this. I just knew that he wanted me here more than anything. I was glad for that. I just knew. His fingers trailed up and down my arms scrutinizing slow.

Then, the moment was washed away as I heard a voice. "Emma, you're awake. Thank Merlin." Hermione shouted. She slammed the door behind her and ran up to me and Draco.

I dropped my hands as the door re-opened. In walked Cody, Ginny, Harry, and then Ron. I pulled my smile back on and avoided Draco's glare.

"Hey, Emma. How are you?" Hermione pulled me into a tight hug. Then, Ginny pushed Cody out of the way to steal a hug before Cody could get to me. Then Harry gave me a tight embraced but didn't quite release me. He sat on the edge of the bed and grinned. My peripheral vision showed Ron looking at me, seeming grave as ever.

"I'm okay. I'm just a bit stiff. Don't look so sad Ron. I'm alive and well. I'm perfectly fine."

"Yeah right. Do you know how long you've been lying in this bed? We thought you were brain dead." Ginny gasped sitting right beside me.

I couldn't keep my eyes away from Draco that long. I kept glancing at him. Even as I felt how uncomfortable he was around all of these people and he got up, I wanted to pull him back down. He somehow found a way to the end of the bed and away from the group. He was staring at me with an unreadable expression.

"I'll be going then. I'll see you later Emma. Everyone will be glad to hear that you've finally rose from the dead." He said with his Malfoy smirk reappearing. There was a shadow of something in it, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I felt that he didn't want leave. I watched as he dragged his feet all the way to the wooden door and pulled the handle to close it gently.

I stared after him even as Harry continued on. "You really scared us. We heard you scream, and when we came around the corner you were laying on the floor and Malfoy and Cody were there shaking you. We thought you died."

I tore my eyes away from the door and smiled at them. "I'm fine. I just need to get my second wind. Next time, Pansy's going down."

Hermione shook her head. She was at the end of the bed patting my feet. "Unfortunately, she's nowhere to be found. She disappeared from the school after your accident. No one knows where she is."

That was no surprise. I doubt that even Pansy could've gotten away with using the killing curse on another student on school grounds. I didn't have to think of where she would go. She won't go very far. If anything, she had probably relayed my defiance to the Dark Lord the moment that she saw him. She still would have to take my place at Voldemort's side. There was no way I would let her get away with what she did. She really would have to kill me, and with all the people avenging me, she wouldn't get anywhere near me. I'd make sure of that. "Don't worry about it." I retorted calmly.

Ginny grinned and rubbed my shoulder soothingly. "On another note, you seem to look better. Doesn't she Ron?"

I glanced up at Ron. He was still staring intently at the floor, but he nodded. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and his sleeves were rolled up in their usual way. His blazing red hair hid his eyes from me, but I could tell that he felt bad about something. Just then, he looked up at me and shook his head.

"We're glad that you're back, Emma... I'm glad you're back. I was worried- well worried for Hermione and Ginny since they were so worried. And-"

I could tell that he was struggling to get through this halfway apology. It was amusingly refreshing from the usual guarded Ron. "It's okay Ron. I know what you're trying to say. I know that you don't think that it was my fault. I think it actually was though. Someone was following me, Ginny, and Hermione to the door. It was most likely Pansy. She was just waiting for the perfect moment to get us. I'm really sorry, but you have to know that Cody and I care about you all. We would never purposely sabotage the DA."

Hermione nodded and passed a glare to Ron. "He knows that. He's just too stubborn to admit it."

"It's okay," I digressed, "It is hard trusting people who you've been taught to hate. I'll forgive him if he forgives me."

The way he stared at the door as I explained myself told me that he positively knew about me and Draco. I brushed it off for the moment. This was far from the time to worry about that.

"What does he need to forgive you about?" Harry asked utterly confounded. He looked at the stares that passed between me and Ron.

"Nothing too important I hope." I said. I was sure that Hermione caught the glance I gave her.

She sighed and clamped Harry on the shoulder. "I think we'd better leave. We've still got some classes today. Come on."

As they made their way out and said their goodbyes to me, I called Ron back just as he was leaving out the door.

"Ron..."

He turned to me knowingly. All he said was, "He comes here all the time- everyday, sometimes twice a day."

"Ron, I-"

"I've never known a Malfoy to be in love." He stated and closed the door behind him.

I sighed and grabbed my pillow. I pulled up my knees and sat there for a while. Hopefully, Madame Pomfrey would let me get out of this horrid room soon. I didn't think I wanted to be in there for another second.

There was only one person I wanted to see. An overwhelming feeling overtook me, and I suddenly couldn't wait. I probably wouldn't get out until tomorrow.

I was sure that Draco would be there the next morning to get me at that time. He didn't show up though. He wasn't in the common room when I got there either. Kim was still coiled up in her bed. I just let her lay there. She looked unreasonably comfortable. I decided that he would be in the Great Hall. On my way, I could barely believe some of the things that people were saying.

"Alright, Paniettiere is back in the game." Blaise hooted the next morning at the Slytherin breakfast table.

"Oh joy," Called one of Pansy's goonies. I didn't really pay attention to her at all. I was stunned to see all the people coming up to me.

They were all mostly 'Emma, were you really a part of Dumbledore's Army,' and 'You took on Pansy? Wow, she's so scared. She actually ran away from Hogwarts because she was too afraid of what you'd do when you woke up' and 'You survived the Killing Curse. You the second person who done it.' Even Fred and George came up to me telling me how bloody brilliant the fight must've been.

These accusations mostly came from the damage that was down to the corridor in which the fight took place. Some chunks in the walls were missing completely. I was in shock when I saw the pictures that Colin Creevy took of it. It was headlined in underground photos saying, 'DA Training Prevails' and 'Paniettiere Forever' (This one created in case I died).

"Wow, how much did I miss?" I whispered into Draco's ear as I caught sight of him and took my usual seat beside him. The girls glared daggers at me, but today all I saw was Draco. The pull seemed suddenly so much stronger.

"A lot." Was all he said and he continued eating.

I was taken aback by his distance. I stayed calm and continued on nonchalantly as possible. "Really, can I get an update?" I asked scooting closer to him.

Instead of Draco answering, Crabbe opened his mouth that was half full of rice pudding and something else that I didn't want to think too hard about. "Well, that loony headmaster has gone missing-disappeared right out of his office. Pansy's gone somewhere. It's supposed to be some secret place that no one can get to, but she's probably just in Tahiti getting a tan. Then, what happened to you- congratulations. You've got the respect of the heirs now. Oh, yeah! There's been a rise in attacks, and they still don't have the faintest clue who it is… if you get my drift. I think that's it."

I grinded my teeth and nodded, "Thank you Vincent. You're very informed." Then, I turned back to Draco. "So, when do we continue our lessons?" I asked. He swallowed his last bit of toast and grabbed his bag.

"We should get to class." He said. He didn't wait for me. He just began his stride out of the Great Hall.

I was stunned, but I still followed. This went on for the entire day. He barely said a single word to me. He seemed colder than ever.

I was walking with Kim when she finally decided to wake up and go to class.

"I'm so glad that you're awake. I went to see you yesterday morning, but you didn't even wake up until that afternoon. It was so lonely in that room without you. Draco's been fucking wretched." She told me as we turned the corner. We didn't pay attention at all during class. We found seats in the back and whispered to each other.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked fully concerned.

"I think you scared him. Losing you is probably… never mind, never mind…" I watched as she shook her head. She chuckled quietly and ran her fingers through her dark black hair thinking about something.

"No, tell me." I said rolling my parchment up slowly.

She glanced at me and then opened her parchment as if she was going to take notes. She twirled her quill and let the ink drip onto the paper. It settled into the thick paper and spread across to form her name Kimberly Anderson in the topmost corner. I watched it instead of my friend.

"I was going to say that losing you is probably the worst thing that could ever happen to him. You should've seen him Emma. When you were asleep," She whispered still in deep thought. She refused to say coma and her grin slipped away, "He went to the infirmary every day. Besides classes, that's where he was. You know, the reason I didn't go to the infirmary too often is because, well I think he would've been better off alone with you. I didn't want to tell Cody, but one day I was going up to the infirmary to see you- had flowers and everything- but I heard Draco behind the curtain. He was talking to you. He kept telling you to wake up, and… he admitted something that I'd never thought that ever he'd admit to anyone. Then a couple of days later, he said it to my face."

She let out a breath, still with obvious shock gripping her. She continued to shake her head and began drawing random patterns on her parchment.

"What did he say?" I asked after a few minutes. I didn't look at her. I was too scared to. I just waited. I didn't think she would answer me. We sat in silence, but just as we left class she stood by the door.

"He told me that he loved you. He said that he'd never loved anyone before. Then, you came along and," She laughed quietly in the noisy corridor, "stole his heart. He said you ripped it right from his chest."

I stood in shock. I blinked my eyes. Then I began to laugh with her. "Wow." I said. I placed my hand on my forehead and repeated in an inaudible voice, "Are you sure he said that."

"You've stolen his heart Emma." She repeated, tauntingly.

That explained everyone being so passive about Draco. Now, I needed to figure out was wrong with him. I pulled my eyebrows together and began walking again. "Then, what's wrong with him?"

She shrugged glad to lighten the mood. "He's probably just still in shock. He'll get over it."

I waited and waited, but he didn't seem to warm up to me at all. He still ignored me. He barely even looked at me. I didn't want to think that Kim was lying, but it was hard to believe that he was in love with me when he all but ignored me for the remainder of the day. Finally, before dinner I pulled him into a doorway arch leading out to Hagrid's hut to give him a piece of my still muddled brain.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked in a low voice.

He avoided my eyes staring directly past me. There was no emotion in his face at all. I wondered if he'd always looked this way and I just didn't notice it until now, or if this was a result of something that I'd done.

"Draco, say something. I thought out of all people that you'd be glad to see me out of that bed. Draco, are you listening to me? You're the one who told me to wake up. You told me to open my eyes."

He shot his eyes toward me then. He stared fiercely at me. "You heard me?"

I didn't know where the thought came from. All I could remember was the feeling of falling and a voice telling me to open my eyes. It sounded strangely like Draco's voice, but there was something else. I couldn't quite recall...

"Yes, I woke up. Why wouldn't I?" I decided to say.

He averted his eyes again and his face began to lose its emotion again. I shook my head and pulled him outside around the corner of the wall. I was sure that no one was watching us. I pulled his lips down to mine. This is what I thirsted for. After all that he had said and done, I still thirsted for him, needed him. Why did I need him so much?

"Merlin, Draco. It feels like it's been ages." I laughed putting my forehead on his chest.

He was hesitant to place his arms around me. "Emma?"

I sighed and lifted my head. "Yes." I breathed. The cold air let my breath puff out up into the air.

"I- Let's go. We have to eat." He said shaking his head and releasing me.

I stood my ground and pulled him back. "Haven't you missed me at all Draco?" I asked. I wasn't exactly sure how I knew what he wanted to say, but I knew. I looked into his eyes and knew. "You probably don't even care that I was almost killed do you?" I accused with a sly grin. The wind blew my brown hair across my face as if it was shielding me from his anger, or whatever emotion that he was feeling.

His eyebrows drew together. "How could you say that? I thought that you were dead!" He seethed.

I lifted my hands up and rolled my eyes. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because it's true! Em, you don't know what it was like- to see you there, and Pansy- You wouldn't move… I couldn't even hear you breathing."

I pulled my hair back dropping my amused stature. I saw again the brooding person I'd seen in the infirmary. His eyes looked sad and hurt. I touched his hand and pulled it close to me.

"Draco, I- I'm sorry. I didn't know that I scared you that much. I-"

He pulled my hand up to his chest wrapping his other arm around me pressing me flush against his body. The wind started up again, but I didn't feel the cold air this time. My face was hidden in Draco's robes.

"Just don't do that again." He whispered.

I nodded furiously not daring to say anything else but, "Okay Draco, okay."

After a moment we pulled away from each other. Draco didn't look as hurt as he did before, and his smirk wasn't the Draco smirk that I'd always known, but he grinned and pulled me along back through the arch. He even turned around once and kissed me before we went back into the Great Hall.

Back at the table, he took my hand and held it there as he joined in on whatever conversation the boys were having. I didn't say anything as he pulled me closer to him and whispered in my ear, "I told you that you'd love me one day."

I just shook my head and grinned, knowing that he wasn't the one with the upper hand in this love game. It was like a twenty-two catch. No matter how much Draco and I fought against what each other and what we wanted, neither of us seemed to get anywhere. We always ended up together and back at square one. There was no way of winning, but I didn't think that we'd lost just yet.

For those who've previously read the story, I did change this last bit. There's still too much fluff for my taste, but hey! Hope you all liked it.