Title: Third Time's a Charm
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Draco/Gabrielle
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 654
Summary: Draco ends up in the hospital, but it turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to him.

Notes:

Drabble Ship: Cafe Concert – Draco/Gabrielle

Marathon Competition: Third Mile – Healer

Year Long Scavenger Hunt: A1. (word) stale

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Arithmancy - Task 1 - Write about how "third time's the charm."

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: March Event – Jewel Day Challenge – Spinel – Ring: Write about Fleur and/or Gabrielle Delacour.

Draco stared at his plate. It was a ham sandwich on stale bread. He rolled his eyes in disgust. Who in their rightful mind thought this was an appropriate meal for a Malfoy?

The door opened and in walked a woman. A pretty, blonde woman with deep blue eyes.

Draco felt his breath catch.

The girl's eyes narrowed. "Hello, Mr. Malfoy. How are you feeling today?"

Draco swallowed. "Okay," he choked out even as his heartbeat skyrocketed.

The woman—a healer, his mind supplied—took out her wand and waved over his body as she muttered an incantation. A glow surrounded him, and it flashed dark purple before slowly lightening. "Well, you're lucky. It seems the dark curse isn't going to have a lasting effect on your body. Most people who are hit with those sorts of curses aren't as lucky."

Draco remembered what put him in the hospital. A Death Eater who managed to avoid going to Azkaban cornered him and blamed him for Voldemort's defeat. He screamed that if he, along with his family, hadn't become turncoats, the Dark Lord would have won. And then he shot an unknown curse at Draco and the blond's shield didn't work against it. "Yes, lucky," he mumbled.

He wondered if the guy was caught and finally sent to Azkaban. No one was giving him any answers.

"You don't recognize me, do you?" the woman asked.

Draco looked up. "Should I?" He didn't remember her, and he thought that if he had met her, he wouldn't be able to forget her. Who could forget a face like an angel?

"My name is Gabrielle Delacour. My big sister is Fleur Delacour, and she's married to Bill Weasley."

His mind went back to Hogwarts, fourth year. He had bumped into a young French girl and said something. A rude comment of some sort. And the girl's sister had come upon them and gave him a tongue lashing because he dared to talk to the girl in such a way.

"Oh," he gasped as red bloomed across his cheekbones. "Wow. You've sure grown up."

"Not such a little girl anymore, huh?" Gabrielle asked with a quirk of an eyebrow.

"Definitely not a little girl," Draco agreed as his eyes drank in her beautiful body.

She didn't blush. "You're interested. That much is obvious, but you don't act like a slobbering fool."

Draco turned his nose up to the air. "Malfoys don't slobber or act like fools," he pompously stated.

"Well, I seem to have that affect on men, even ones who don't normally act in such a horrendous way."

He remembered she had some Veela in her, and she was probably used to men making inappropriate remarks to her.

"I won't deny you're beautiful. Anyone with eyes can see that, but I'm not interested.

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe you."

Draco thought about his two failed relationships. First Pansy. And then Astoria. He hadn't been good enough for either of them. After Astoria, he had shut himself off, afraid to get close to another woman, only to have her walk away from him when he didn't live up to the image of whom she thought he should be.

He was lonely, but he hadn't been ready to give love another chance.

"Well, believe it. I'm not interested in having any relationship."

She moved closer. "I won't do anything while you're my patient, but I also won't give up on you or what I want. There's something about you, Draco Malfoy. And I will make you mine."

Draco swallowed at the challenge he read in her eyes. "Oh, really?"

Gabrielle nodded. "I'm a Delacour, and Delacours always get what they want."

She turned around and walked out of his hospital room. And by the time his stay at the hospital was coming to an end, he was thinking about giving love another try. Third try's the charm, right?