I sat there by the Black Lake, wondering what the hell was wrong with me for wanting a guy like Draco Malfoy. Was it the fact that I slept with him twice already that made me feel this way?

I huffed a sigh. I assumed my only purpose in life was to just kill Voldemort and restore peace back in the Wizarding world.

"Max?" I turned around and saw Harry standing there. "You alright?"

"How did you find me?" I asked him as he sat down beside me.

He shrugged. "I just figured you'd be here."

"Why did you come out here?"

"Because I was worried about you."

"When are you not worried about me?"

He slightly chuckled. "So, why are you out here?"

I sighed. "I don't know. I was just thinking, trying to figure out how to tell you all those things I promised to tell you when I was ready. But I just can't find the right words."

"Max, you don't have to tell me right away. Just take your time. I completely understand, you know."

"I know. But what I have to tell you is kind of big and shocking."

"Is that why you won't tell me?"

"That's not just it," I replied. "I'm scared to tell you."

"What? Why are you scared?"

"Because if I tell you, then you'll hate me forever and probably disown me."

"Okay, you're just talking rubbish now." Harry took my hand and gave me a serious look. "I would never disown you, Max. A life without you is hard to imagine. You're my twin, the other half of me. My other half, Max. I can't lose you. I won't lose you. I promise."

"Merlin, Harry, you're getting deep on me now," I said, smiling and laughing.

He started to laugh as well. "I just want you to know that I'm always here for you. No matter what."

I hoped the fact that I slept with Draco Malfoy twice wasn't going to change that last statement.

*******

Ron was finally healthy enough to be released from the Hospital Wing. The next morning, we all sat together again. Ron and Hermione were sitting beside each other again as well. Harry was reading that Potions book again, Hermione had her nose stuck in the Daily Prophet, Ron was eyeing Lavender, who was at another table, and I was just there, stirring my cereal around in my bowl.

"Stop it, Ron! You're making it snow!" Hermione said as Harry wiped off the snow from the table.

"Tell me how I broke up with Lavender again," he said.

"Ron, we've told you the story a million times already," I reminded him. "Lavender came to visit you in the hospital, you were talking in your sleep, the conversation wasn't long at all, and that was it. There's nothing else to the story."

"Well, don't get me wrong, I'm bloody thrilled to be shot of her. It's just that she seems a bit put out."

The four of us glanced at her as she was shaking.

"Yes, she does, doesn't she?" Hermione spoke up.

"Well, you two certainly forced her to move to another table," I commented. "Are you sure you don't remember anything?"

"Well, there is something." Ron thought about it for a moment, but he chuckled afterwards. "But it can't be. I was completely boggled, wasn't I?"

Hermione laughed in disappointment. "Yeah. Boggled." As everyone went back to doing what they were doing, Hermione said something again. "Katie Bell just walked past us."

Harry shot up and went up to her, taking the book with him.

"Harry, don't." I tried to stop him, but he was already gone. "He never listens to me."

The three of us went back to ignoring what Harry was doing. While I was about to get up and leave, I finally had a reason to exit out of the Great Hall when Ron saw Harry walk past us.

"Where's Harry going?" he asked.

I looked over to see Harry almost gone and out of sight from where I was at. I got up from my seat and followed him out of the Great Hall. "Harry? Harry, where are you going? Harry!"

"Hey, watch it!"

"Excuse you, Potter!"

"Don't you know how to walk?!"

But I wasn't listening to the people yelling at me. When I got out of the Great Hall, Harry was cutting a corner, his pace faster than usual. I followed him to where no one was around anymore. Harry was nowhere in sight. Where did he go? Was he following someone? All of a sudden, I heard voices from a distance.

"I know what you did, Malfoy! You hexed her, didn't you?" It was Harry. He was following Draco. They were in the bathroom.

"No," I whispered to myself.

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of spells being casted at each other. I made a run for the bathroom, breathing heavily. When I got to the bathroom, Harry was about to shout a spell.

"Harry, no!"

"Sectumsempra!"

But it was too late. I watched as Draco fell to the ground, hearing the splash after he went down. Harry went inside to see what happened to him. I ran up to Harry and looked down at Draco and gasped. My eyes were beginning to fill with tears as I saw a bleeding Draco on the ground. He was crying, too.

"No. No, Draco!" I fell on my knees by the blond boy and ran my hand into his wet hair. "Shh, Draco, it's okay. It's okay, it's me, Max. It's okay." I saw the blood mixing in with the water.

"Max, calm down," Harry said.

I got up and went up to Harry, crying and yelling at him. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"Max, wait--"

"LOOK WHAT YOU DID, HARRY! LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO HIM!" I tried to go back to Draco, but Harry was holding me back, wrapping his arms around my waist as I struggled to get out of his grasp.

"Max, stop it! Malfoy's a git! He cursed Katie Bell! He poisoned Ron! Why would you still consider him your friend?!"

"You don't get it, Harry!" I retorted, pushing him off of me and looking at him while I was still crying. "I slept with Draco! Once over the summer and then again on the night of Slughorn's Christmas party! You don't understand how much he means to me! I want to be with him, Harry, despite everything else!"

Just as I said that, Snape came in, giving us a look that was telling us to leave.

"Max, we have to leave now."

"No! No, I want to stay with him!"

Harry grabbed me and led me out of the bathroom as I continued crying. "Come on. Let's go back to the Gryffindor Tower. You and I are going to have a talk."

It felt like forever when we were walking back to the Gryffindor Tower. My crying barely died down ever since we left Draco with Snape. I was so mad at Harry for doing that to him, and I was also mad at myself for spilling about Draco and I. But I guessed it didn't matter anymore. It was going to come out sooner or later, and it just came out at the wrong time.

We said the password and entered through the portal. Ron and Hermione were in the Gryffindor Common Room, looking up at us with worried faces.

"What's wrong with Max?" Hermione asked.

"Remember that spell I ask you about, Hermione?" Harry asked her. She nodded. "I finally figured out what it did to people."

I got out of Harry's grip, shooting him a glare. "Why did you have to use it, Harry? Why were you so stupid? Because of you, Draco might be dead right now!"

"He's not dead, Max! Snape was handling it! And what's this about you sleeping around with Malfoy?"

"You're shagging Malfoy?!" Ron and Hermione asked in unison.

"It's a long story. Harry, these are the things I've been meaning to tell you for a long time now." We sat down on the couch as Ron and Hermione left us alone. I managed to stop crying as I took a deep breath and began telling him the things I was meaning to tell him. "I slept with Draco over the summer, and then I did it again when I left Slughorn's party.

"Lucius found out about it and he didn't take it very well. He beat me, Harry. He did it until I couldn't even stand up. Draco and Blaise found me and helped me. Draco also helped me escape the manor, too. I knew about everything this entire time. He told me that he cursed Katie and poisoned Ron. I know he's done horrible things, but he just means so much to me." I paused for a moment. "I like him, Harry. I really do."

"Why didn't you just tell me all these things?"

"Because I didn't want you to judge me. I was going to tell you before until you started going on about your theories that he might be a Death Eater. You wouldn't have forgiven me."

He sighed sadly and gave me a hug. "Max, I didn't know you felt that way."

"I'm sorry," I said, crying again. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I'm sorry for lying to you for this long."

"No, Max, it's okay." He sighed. "I mean, I am kind of annoyed and upset that you and Malfoy...well...you know. But I understand why it took you this long to tell me or even why you didn't tell me in general. I'm sorry, too."

"For what?"

"For being an ignorant brother."

I laughed slightly, sniffling as I pulled away. "Thank you, Harry."

He nodded. "Thank you as well, Max. And if you want to be with Mal-- Draco, then that's fine with me. As long as you're happy with him. But promise me to be careful. He could still be dangerous."

I nodded back. "I promise." With that, I left through the portal and went walking down the corridors.

"Max." I heard someone say from behind me. "It's me, Blaise."

I turned around and ran up to him. "Have you seen Draco yet? Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine. Snape and I placed him in the Hospital Wing just now. He's seriously injured. Even after Snape healed him, he was still hurting."

"So he's going to be okay?" He nodded. I sighed in relief. "Merlin, I was worried about him."

"You were, huh?" he asked, smirking at me. "I knew it all along."

"Well, wasn't it obvious? I shagged him twice, so it shouldn't have taken you that long to figure it out."

Blaise chuckled. "Now I see why Draco is so interested in you. But right now, he thinks you don't care about him."

"I know. It was my fault. But I can't talk to him. He's in the Hospital Wing, and Madam Pomfrey will surely kick me out if I try to go see him right now."

The boy sighed. "Look, I know you like him and all. If you want to see him, meet me by the Charms room at eleven. That's usually when Madam Pomfrey leaves the hospital to go to bed."

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

With that, we parted ways until tonight rolled by.

*******

Around half past ten, I popped into Harry's room and stole the cloak and the map from Harry's trunk. I placed my wand in my back pocket after I opened the map so that I could see the entire castle. I threw the cloak over my head and made my way over to the Charms classroom. Right at eleven o'clock, Blaise showed up. I took the cloak off of my head, making Blaise jump.

"Bloody hell!" he hissed. "Don't ever do that again."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault you were scared," I retorted in a playful way.

"Whatever. Come on."

I followed Blaise all the way to the Hospital Wing. He motioned me to go in and I nodded and went inside as he went back down the corridor. Draco was in bed, but he wasn't sleeping. He was looking up at the ceiling in deep thought.

"Hi," I managed to say. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," he replied bluntly. "Why are you here? I thought you didn't give a damn about me. After all, I almost got killed by your brother."

"I know, but I was worried that he did kill you." I paused, sighing. "I'm glad you're okay."

Draco scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure you are."

I raised my eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you are one complicated person. You're always thinking or feeling something different about me."

"Well, you're not so simple to figure out, either," I retorted. "So I guess we're both difficult to deal with."

He sighed. "Fair point. Anyway, does the whole school know about what happened in the bathroom? Does everyone know how you're reacting to it?"

"No one knows, Draco," I assured him. "Besides, not everyone needs to know how I'm feeling."

Draco couldn't help but laugh at this. "Right. Because no one is supposed to know how Maxine Potter is feeling. No one can know whether or not she is feeling happy or angry at any moment!"

"Don't call me by my full name!" I said. "Besides, there's a reason why I don't want anyone to know what I'm feeling. They all expect me to defeat Voldemort so that the entire Wizarding world will be at peace once again. I'm feeling a bunch of things right now, Draco, and I don't want anyone to know about them for various reasons."

"Oh, enough with the sob story, Max. Everyone knows about third year--"

"Stop it."

"--and fourth year--"

"Shut up, Draco."

"--and let's not forget fifth year--"

"No, just let me explain--"

"--and this year will be the best one yet for you and your brother. Here I am, sitting in the Hospital Wing, because someone decided that he wanted to kill me in the bathroom today. So now, his sister is here with me, telling me all this shit about her being worried about me--"

"I reacted that way because I like you!" I blurted out loud. "There, I said it. I like you, Draco Malfoy, and I don't care if you feel the same way or not. I'm just glad that I got it off of my chest."

A long silence came over us. Draco looked speechless, not knowing what to say next. He probably hated me even more now. Why did I say that? It was obvious that he didn't feel the same way. What was wrong with me? I hated myself for saying something stupid like that.

"I like you, too," he said slowly.

"What?" I asked.

"I like you, too," he repeated. "I have for a while now, in case you missed it. So there, that's how I'm feeling, and I'm glad that you feel the same way."

I looked at him in shock and awe. Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned down and kissed him. He kissed me back without hesitation, placing his hand on the back of my head. Once he pulled away, I didn't stop staring at him.

"Let's make this work," he whispered, barely audible. "Seriously. I want you to be with me."

I nodded. "Yes. Yes, absolutely. Let's be together." I gave him a small peck, along with a small smile. "I want to stay with you tonight."

He nodded back as I pulled up a chair and took his hand in mine. I watched him as he gradually fell asleep with our hands still together. I never wanted to let go of his hand or the moment that we just had. Draco Malfoy was mine, and I was his. For the first time since Cedric died, I was finally content with a guy that truly cared about me. Draco Malfoy liked me and only me. Nothing was ever going to change that.

~~~~~~~

A/N: YES! MY OTP IS NOW SAILING! :D

What did you guys think? Are you FINALLY happy that Draco and Max are together now? What did you think about Harry's reaction when Max finally told him about...you know?

Comment, vote, SHIP DRAX! Next update is Monday! BYE! :D

-A