***VERY IMPORTANT*** Okay I am just going to explain this. It will be explained in the story, but I just want to make sure that it is clear. Voldemort had risen to power, and people on the Light Side are fighting a war against him on battle fields. Most people from Hogwarts have gone to fight. Ginny is a healer. She goes out into the battle fields and heals her men and women who are hurt. She is also a Phoenix Healer, which is identified by the tattoo on her back. A phoenix healer has the ability to create a healing quality similar to the Phoenix tear, without using wands, only hands. It is very difficult to reach this level and very rare. She is currently a prisoner of war in a War Prison. Okay, well that is about it! Please do read and enjoy! **************************************************************************** ********** Chapter 1 The Capture Ginny let her hands drift along the invisible wall keeping her trapped in the prison. It had been nearly two days since she had been captured. She was still seething from the last visit from the prison guards. They had once again tried to get her to reveal her Squadrons positions, or even just her name. Despite the beatings Ginny still refused. It was lonely in the empty cell, though it gave her more time to curse herself for getting caught at all. She was one of the few Phoenix level Healer still alive, she had been of great importance. Ginny knew now her Squad had pronounced her dead. No one ever escaped from Death Eater War Prisons. She knew that she was in trouble when one of her own men mistakenly ripped her robes at the back revealing her Phoenix tattoo on her shoulder blade during the last battle. The tattoo was a tell a tale sign that she was a Healer, and at the most powerful level. Death Eaters immediately spotted her. Ginny thought they would kill her, but instead she was knocked out and woke up in a white space, trapped by transparent walls. Ginny kicked the wall angrily just as she heard voiced coming from around the corner. "Bring them down here. It is the only place we got left" she heard a gruff male voice command. She watched curiously from her cell as three people were brought down in her direction by burly prison guards. The men didn't even register that Ginny was there at all. The first man shoved a scared, dirty looking girl into the invisible cell across from Ginny. The two other people with her were pushed into cells further down the block. "You fucking Mudblood's will get what is coming to you. A Serpent League Commander is coming tonight" one of the prison guards said addressing all four people isolated in their cells. His eyes leered on Ginny for a moment. "He is certainly going to have some fun" he commented before leaving chuckling with the other guards. As they left Ginny pressed herself against the clear barrier. "Are you alright?" she asked the muddy girl quickly. The girl lifted her head. Her dark curls were matted against her face, her cheeks were mixed with blood, tears and dirt. "None of us are alright" she said fear and anger whisked in her voice. "We should wish for death" she said seriously. Ginny sighed. She was used to the pessimistic attitude of all the witches and wizards who had been in battle. "No, I meant are you hurt. I am a healer" Ginny explained. She saw the girl perk up slightly at this information. "A Healer? And you are not dead?" she asked curiously. "Don't talk to her. She is probably a spy just pretending to be a prisoner" a guy from a cell further down said bitterly. "No Healer would ever be granted to live. Voldemort is slowly cutting off all of our medical services. He wants us to just die after battle" "You're right" the girl said narrowing her eyes at Ginny. "No, I am" Ginny said again. She turned around to reveal the rip in the back of her robes. Through the rip a silver and blue tattoo of a Phoenix glinted. She turned back to face the girl who looked utterly surprised. "Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was filled with awe and her dark eyes looked hopeful. "I can't say my name" Ginny said solemnly. "I dare not have the guards hear it" she whispered. "I would be tortured and killed immediately. "Well, I am Pearl" the girl smiled slightly offering a sign of friendship. "Pearl Waters." Ginny felt herself choke on the name the girl said. "Pearl?" she trembled. As she looked at the girl she was able to pick through the dirty on her mentally until she recognized the girl. "Pearl?" she said slowly. "It is me. Ginny" she whispered. She pressed her hands against the barrier wishing it would break down. "Ginny!" Pearl said. Her eyes flew open with sudden surprise. Ginny smiled and nodded, she was suddenly hit with a flashback. ~FLASHBACK~ "Now remember Best friends forever" Ginny said embracing her best friend Pearl into a huge hug. "I could never forget Ginny" a smiling Pearl laughed hugging her back. The two girls were on the Hogwarts express heading back home, they had completed their final year. They released their hug. "So are really going to enlist" Ginny asked her eyes widened afraid for her best friend. Pearl had plans to join The Fight after school got out. "I have to Gin! I can't leave Dante to do all the fighting." Pearl said mentioning her boyfriend who was a year older and already training for the war. "Well, I am still going to do what I always wanted to. I am going to go be a Healer" Ginny smiled. "And I refuse to go into the war" she said firmly. "Well, I wouldn't want both of us in the that violent blood bath" Pearl smiled. Suddenly her eyes grew larger. "Ginny I have something to tell you, but you can't tell anyone yet!" she whispered. "Okay" Ginny grinned. She loved secrets. Pearl and her confided everything in one another. "Dante asked me to marry him" she said pulling a necklace from beneath her robes. Dangling from the end of the chain was a silver ring Ginny recognized as Dante's class ring. "We are going to marry just as soon as the War is over" "That is great Pearl. I only wish I was that lucky" Ginny sighed. ~END FLASHBACK~ Ginny shook the memory of the naive girl she used to be from her head. It had been the final time that she and Pearl had spoken. "But Ginny, you said you wouldn't go to the war" Pearl said almost accusingly. "I didn't have a choice. I was enlisted because of my level. They said I had a duty to serve my cause" Ginny sighed sitting down on the floor of the uncomfortable cell. Pearl followed suit and sat down in her cell facing Ginny. "What about Dante, where is he" Ginny asked. A sharp look of pain crossed past Pearl's eyes. "Killed in action" she said coldly. Ginny was surprised by the hatred in her friends voice. "I am sorry" Ginny said quietly. Pearl didn't seem to want her pity though. "You know we aren't going to win this war. It is futile" Pearl said moving further back in her cell to sit on her bed. "There is no use" she said darkly before lying down to try and sleep. Ginny was surprised at Pearls sudden mood swing, She tried to ignore her words as she stood up again. She felt immense pain for her friend, but knew at the same time that Pearl was gone. All that was left of her was a pessimistic, vengeance seeking solider. **************************************************************************** ********** ~~~~~ Draco Malfoy walked into the stone structure. He quickly touched the strip around his arm with the Viper Snake around it to signify his position as a member of the Serpent League. A red strip ran down the center of it to symbolize his place as Commander. He brandished a look of superiority on his face as he was greeted by the prison guards. "Commander, we are honored by your attendance" on of the guard said standing start still. His voice was stern and clipped. "At ease soldier" Draco sneered. He never tired of the fear he was able to bestow on others. "Do you run this establishment" Draco asked looking around the room he stood in. Draco had come to Ireland because he was summoned by a War Camp that they had attained a Phoenix level Healer. The Dark Lord had given him strict orders to capture all Healers. They had become of use to the Dark Side. "Yes Commander. This is the War Prison of Dublin" the guard said a hint of pride in his voice. Draco looked disgusted around him. "Well, I didn't come to see you" Draco said his eyes narrowing. "Where is the healer?" "Oh right this way Commander." The guard said quite flustered. He led Draco down a corridor. On either side were Transparent Cells filled with what Draco guessed were Mudbloods, and people fighting for the light side. "What is his name?" Draco asked as they turned a corner. "It is a girl Commander, and she refuses to give out any information about her name, or her Squad" the guard said regretfully. He led Draco down a hall and stopped infront of a cell. "You can leave now" Draco said smoothly. The guard hesitated before quickly leaving the way he had just come. Draco looked into the clear cell. A girl had turned abruptly as he had told the guard to leave. Draco wasn't surprised with what he saw infront of him. The girl was short and very emaciated. Her robes were in tatters and her skin was covered in blood and dirt. Her dark masses of hair was greasy and looked thin. The only thing that startled him about the terribly ugly girl was her eyes. He had been to a lot of War Prisons and all of the prisoners eyes all looked the same, dead. This girl's eyes were very much alive, and looked vicious. "Name and Rank?" Draco commanded talking down to her angrily. The girl stayed silent. Draco felt his temper rise, he felt an urge to break her spirit. To make her eyes darken. He approached the invisible wall. "NAME AND RANK!" he said causing her to jump slightly. "Does it really matter to know the name and rank of the person you kill." The girl shot back. Draco was surprised to hear no fear in her tone. "No, I just want to know the name of the person that will be screaming my name" Draco sneered. He was pleased when he saw her face fall with fear. Girls always cowered at the idea of rape. "Now again what is your name and rank" he said again. "Healer" she said simply. Draco glared, but was pleased he got her to say anything at all. "I already knew that, that is why I am here" Draco said almost amused. "You are going to get a new life" The girl looked suspicious. "What do you mean" she said moving away. She reminded Draco of a wild animal in a muggle zoo. She began to pace her cage, her eyes never leaving him. "What I mean is, you are being given an opportunity to go back to work." Draco smiled. This was easier than he thought it would be. "For you!" the girl said trembling slightly. "I would rather die" Draco figured he had spoken too soon. "Well, that can be arranged." He smirked keeping his cool demeanor about him. "Well call the order. I have no fear of death" the girl said. Her voice was a low hiss and her eyes were tiny slits. "Well, we could make that a large order. If you don't agree we will be forced to kill all of the prisoners" Draco said. He gestured to the girl who was sleeping in the cell across from her. "We can start with her" he smiled when he saw the worried look cross her face. "NO" the girl choked. "You can't do that" "Oh, but I can" Draco said. He could feel that he was gaining ground. This wasn't the first Healer he had black mailed into working for the Dark Side. This was third in fact. "Okay, I'll do it" the girl said. Draco could see the obvious fury in her eyes. "Good" Draco smiled pulling out his wand. His simply pointed it at the girl who tried to dart out of the way before being hit with a streak of blue light. Draco smiled as she fell to the ground unconscious. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny sat quietly on her bed. She looked over to Pearl's cell. Pearl was still sleeping. Ginny sighed and looked around her. There was nothing in the cell to keep her occupied. It was dead quiet except for the sound of breathing from the other prisoners. Ginny sighed and was about to go to sleep when she heard the familiar voice of one of the prison guards. "She refuses to give out any information about her name and squad" the guard was saying. Ginny frowned. She knew that whom ever he was talking to, the subject was her, but the thing that bothered her was the fear instilled in the guards tone. Ginny waiting and she saw the form of two people come towards her cell. She turned away from them quickly. She had learned that any unintended eye contact with guards led to more beatings. "You can leave now" a voice said, an unfamiliar voice. Ginny turned and felt her stomach turn to ice. Standing just outside of her receptacle was a tall intimidating man. He wore a plain black army fatigue known as the Death Eater uniforms, and a red band around his arm with a snake across it. Ginny had been out enough on the fields to realize that this was one of the elusive Serpent League Commanders. He seemed to study her just as much as she was studying him. "Name and Rank?" he asked coolly. His voice never changing tone. Ginny thought it best not to answer. She wasn't about to tell him, so what was the use of just refusing. The Commander seemed to understand this. His eyes darkened further. "NAME AND RANK" he barked. The sudden change to a yell caused Ginny to jump back with surprise. "Does it really matter to know the name and rank of the person you kill" she found herself saying. Her voice was filled with the venom she felt for him. "No, I just want to know the name of the person that will be screaming my name" The Commander said with a sneer. Ginny felt her stomach drop with sudden fear. She had heard the screams of other girls as the visiting Army troops came by, she was suddenly filled with terror. "Healer" Ginny squeaked out her job hoping that it would be good enough to hold him. "I already knew that, that is why I am here" The Commander chuckled slightly. "You are going to get a new life" Ginny stomach did a flip flop. She couldn't stay still anymore. Ginny began to pace from side to side in her cell.. "What do you mean" she asked. Her voice giving away her every insecurity. "What I mean is, you are being given an opportunity to go back to work." The Commander smirked. He acted as though this was all obvious and she should be able to figure it out. "For you!" Ginny scoffed. "I would rather die" "Well, that can be arranged." A cruel smile braced his face and Ginny shivered. "Well call the order. I have no fear of death" Ginny said almost eagerly. She realized now, if necessary she could accept death. "Well, we could make that a large order. If you don't agree we will be forced to kill all of the prisoners" The Commander said with malice. He matched her hissing tones as he moved close to Pearl's cell.. "We can start with her" "NO" Ginny heard herself saying. She looking at the still sleeping form of Pearl. She couldn't let her die, not after Dante and everything. "Oh, but I can" The Commander assured her. He challenged her with his voice to test his ability. "Okay, I'll do it" Ginny said. She felt defeated and looked at the maliciousness face of the triumphant Commander. "Good" he said. Ginny watched as he reached into the simple black robes and removed a wand. Ginny tried to leap out of the way, but before she could manage a shot of blue light entered the air. Everything around Ginny faded to black...... **************************************************************************** ********** Chapter 2 The Serpent League Manor ~~~~~~~ Draco stepped into the cell with the unconscious girl. He looked at her with a smirk. She was face down and he could now see the healer tattoo that was plastered on her back. "Returius" he hissed pointing at the sleeping form. The Healer disappeared then Draco followed with a similar spell. Draco blinked and found himself in the grand hall of the Malfoy Manor. Of course it really wasn't the manor anymore, Voldemort had turned it into a training and central for the Serpent League. Lucius had left the house to Voldemort after he died in battle. Draco watched as a Training Death Eater approached him. It was evident he was in training because he had the signature yellow arm band on. "Commander Malfoy sir, you have returned. Shall I inform Lord Voldemort that you were successful?" he asked. His voice unfeeling and holding a steady tone. "No, you shall take this new recruit to the Healer's den. Give her a private room." Draco said, his eyes not even looking at either the healer sprawled on the floor or the soldier. "I shall go inform Lord Voldemort." The young soldier nodded before leaning and lifting the young girl with ease. He cradled her like a small child as he left the room. Draco sneered. He walked purposefully through the Death Eaters that were wandering around the living room and entry way. Draco slipped behind a tapestry unnoticed by the others. He walked down a narrow stone path until he came to a large wooden door at the end. He didn't bother to knock or make any gestures that he was there. He only waited. A chilling voice floated from within the door. "Come in Commander" it welcomed. Draco without hesitation opened the door and stepped inside the room. It was a room completely black. It was lit with only the wane fire light. "Malfoy, I presume you were successful in retrieving the Healer" Voldemort stated, there was no answer required to the question. Draco looked to where the Dark Lord sat in a throne like chair in front of the fire. Three angry snakes coiled around his chair peacefully. "Yes My Lord." Draco said holding his back up straight and his eyes not focusing on anything, only staring straight ahead of him. "Details? Will we have issues with him?" Voldemort asked. His voice was eerily calm and seemed slippery. "Female, stubborn, needs breaking, very powerful" Draco said as though he was describing a dinner special rather than a human being. "Malfoy, I am going to leave this one to your charge. I want her ready for the fields in three weeks. Is that clear" Voldemort announced. Draco tried to keep the disappointment from his face. He didn't really want to have to face the girl again. "Why are you intimidated by her" Voldemort asked sounding amused. Draco jumped slightly. He hated the fact that Voldemort could read minds and sometimes forgot. "No My Lord. The Healer would be my pleasure to break" Draco heard himself say. His voice filled with over confidence. "Good" Voldemort smiled. "You are dismissed". Draco bowed out of the room and quickly returned to the main area. "Commander" an urgent voice said behind him. Draco turned in annoyance to see the same trainee who had retrieved the Healer. "The Healer has been settled into her new chambers. You mother is asking for you though" "Very well" Draco said hiding the disdain from his voice. Draco reluctantly walked up the stair case and up to two large white French doors. He knocked lightly. "Come in" a tired voice called. Draco opened one of the doors and looked unto the bed. The frail form of his mother was mostly hidden beneath the mounds of blankets. "Hello Draco" she said obviously pleased by the rare visit from his son. "Good evening mother" Draco said trying to keep himself in his soldier mode. "Draco, come here" Narcissa said firmly to her son. Draco only blinked and stayed where he was standing at the entrance to the room. "Fine, well the only reason I called you here is to inform you that another disrupter has entered our household." Narcissa said folding her arms across her chest. Draco tried to keep from groaning. His mother and her sixth sense. She was always sensing little aura related energies in the air. A disrupter was someone with energies that were clashing with the energies and aura's in the house. "Mother, this is no longer OUR house, and if there is a disrupter, you can't expect me to find and rid you of it. There are just too many people in this bloody castle." Draco said his voice ebbing with annoyance. "I wouldn't dream of ridding this one" Narcissa said horrified that he would suggest it. A small smile twisted on her face. "This disrupter is going to change you" she said almost amused. "Now I would hate to keep a son from his important duty of slavery to the Dark Lord, so off you go" Narcissa said her voice heavy with sarcasm. Draco nodded and left the room. His brow furrowed angrily. His mother had been like that since his father died. She suddenly hated everything to do with the Dark Side. Voldemort made her like the surrogate mother to the base. She was treated with respect by all the soldiers and never bothered. Draco grumbled to himself. "Now to go and wake that bloody healer.". **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny woke to find herself no longer in the white cell. She was now lying in a large bed in the middle of a room. She sat up quickly trying to remember what had happened. Thinking back quickly she recalled it all. She remembered that she had agreed to be a healer for the dark side. Ginny groaned and fell back on her pillow. As she did the door burst open. Ginny sat up again in surprise. In entered a male and female. Both wore pristine white robes with green stripes down the side. She recognized them immediately as Healers for the Dark Side. "Hello, I am Hanna" the girl said. She eyed Ginny suspiciously. Ginny said nothing but inched against her bed frame as they both approached. "I am Owen. We are both Healers." The man beside Hanna said. "We were informed that you arrived and have come to introduce ourselves." He explained he looked at her with mistrust written across his face. Ginny nodded slightly. "Where am I?" she asked. Her voice wavered though she tried desperately to keep it at a regular tone. "The Serpent League Manor" Hanna said frowning slightly. Ginny could tell that she was coming to revelation about something. "Did you come against your will?" she asked slightly confused. Ginny nodded, her body was completely tense. "I was a Prisoner of War. I had no choice." She said thinking of Pearl still stuck back in Dublin. "Oh, well you are lucky to be on the winning side now" Owen said simply. "Come on Hanna we aren't suppose to be here. I wasn't aware she was still to be broken" he said directly. Hanna nodded and without another word the two left the room. Ginny slid back down to relax on her bed after they had left. She had an immediate dislike for Owen, but wasn't sure of what to make of Hanna. Ginny didn't have a lot of time to ponder it though. The door burst open again and in walked the familiar Commander from before followed by two other burly men. "I see your awake" the Commander said. A small smirk was on his face. Ginny couldn't help but to think that the smirk was familiar in some way. "Yes" Ginny said refusing to cower to them. "Good, well you have to be cleaned, then training with begin" The Commander said simply. He flicked a gloved hand in her direction and the two thugs with him walked forward. Ginny tried to squirm away, but they grabbed her harshly at the arms and dragged her off the bed. "Let go of me" Ginny screeched as they pulled her painfully down the hall. "HELP! Someone please help" she said kicking her legs trying to get free. Everyone in the halls ignored her pleas as though it was normal. Some even laughed as she passed. She struggled until she was dropped onto a tiled floor. Looking up she saw she was in a bathroom. The Commander threw a towel at her. "Now clean yourself" he said angrily. Ginny stood shaking. The Commander turned and exited the room, but the two who had carried her stood where they were, leering at her form. "I refuse to bathe, if you two plan to watch" Ginny said her eyes narrowing at the perversion. "You don't have a choice" one of them chuckled. Ginny was struck with fear. "Soldiers, is there a reason you are still in here" a voice said suddenly. Both turned to see that their Commander had returned. "No Commander Malfoy" they said in unison. They hurried out of the room. Ginny felt her stomach drop. She looked at the Commander again... Had they just said Malfoy, her mind rushed with answers to the questions she had been asking herself. "well go about it girl" Malfoy said impatiently. He turned and stalked once more out of the bathroom. Ginny stood trembling for a moment feeling severely mistreated. She found a shower and let the water run. Ginny let her dirty robes fall to the ground and stepped under the soothing water. Sighing she let the water run over her. She didn't want to think so, but she was thoroughly pleased by the shower. It had been so long, that her usually red hair was looking black, her face was stained with the dirt and she could barely remember what it was like to be clean. Too much time on in the fields, she mused softly to herself. She lathered her hair with a shampoo and shut her eyes tightly enjoying the soft aroma's. The water eventually stopped running the muddy color and came clear. Soon her skin had returned to its milky white and her hair was its full red color. She stepped out and did a drying spell. She wrapped her towel around her and looked down at her filthy robes on the ground. She ignored them, not wishing to be put back into the dirt. Ginny approached a mirror and looked at herself. It had been awhile since she had seen her own image. She saw that she had lost a lot of weight. Ginny removed her towel, she was able to count her ribs and was disgusted by her concave stomach. She re-wrapped the towel not wanted to look at her famished form any longer. "Finished I see" a voice said behind her. Ginny jumped and whirled to face the Commander. She wondered how long he had been standing there. When she turned she caught a sudden look of surprise flash across his face, before he was able to return to his regular façade. "Yes" Ginny nodded. A new found hate blazed her eyes. She now knew who this soldier was, she wondered why it had taken so long. It was none other than Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin boy, who had been a year ahead of her in school. She let a vicious smile cross her face knowing that she had one on him. She knew who he was, but her identity was safely hidden from him. "I require new robes" she said simply gesturing to the ones on the floor. Malfoy didn't bother to look at them. He muttered something under his breath and soon a pair of robes appeared in his hands. He threw them at her swiftly. "Return to your room once finished" he barked before retreating. **************************************************************************** ********** Draco left the bathroom, his head was filled with new thoughts. He had walked in the bathroom to retrieve the Healer and was quite surprised by what he saw. When he walked in he saw the back of her form, unclothed and looking into a mirror that (a/n: thankfully) he couldn't see. He was surprised to see that her hair was now a fiery red. He had waited until she put her towel back on before speaking. When she had turned, Draco was quite taken back. Mainly because he immediately recognized her as none other than that Ginny Weasley, a Gryffindor who had been a year younger than him in school. He was able to maintain his composure, and breath relief as he knew she didn't know who he was. It wasn't unusual to run into people you went to school with in the war situations. Draco left and turned to go back to his own private quarters. His head screamed his thoughts "Why did it have to be Ginny Weasley? It could have been anyone else and Draco would have been perfectly fine with it." Draco walked for nearly ten minutes to reach his private quarters in the west end of the manor. When he was young, it had served to his advantage to be as far from his father as possible. The door was locked by a simple password which Draco breathed softly. "Snakes Blood". He hated the password, but his father had chosen it, and it couldn't be changed. The door swung open to reveal the familiar bed room. Draco walked in feeling exhausted. He threw himself down on his bed and was suddenly hit with an unexpected flashback....... **FLASHBACK** Draco stood looking around, everyone was with their families talking happily. Of course his own parents wouldn't even attend his graduation. His eyes traced the room of people. Each student was dressed in white robes with graduation hats. They all seemed oblivious to what was to be of their futures. He saw Potter in the corner petting a black dog and chatting enthusiastically with Granger and her muggle parents. Ron was surrounded by his entire Weasley family and no doubt they were exclaiming on how proud they were of him. Even Vincent Crabbe's parents had come to the occasion. Draco kicked the ground angrily, "at least they all had choices on their futures" he thought bitterly. He decided he would return to the Slytherin Dungeons to pack his thinks. He turned and jumped back to see a familiar red head standing behind him. "Kind of sucks doesn't it?" she said simply. A small smile played on her lips and her eyes were sparkling with mischief. "Shouldn't you be over with your family Weasley" Draco sneered trying to keep composure. Virginia Weasley, the one girl in the school he had never been able to figure out, she was always keeping him on his toes. "Please and listen to them congratulate Ron one more time" she said rolling her eyes. "I would rather hang with a Malfoy" she said making being with him sound like an equally bad choice. "Hey" Draco said trying to be angry. In truth her insults never really bothered him. What did bother him, was her constant disregard for him being Slytherin, the enemy. She never showed any signs of caring. She just spoke to him as though, as though they were equals. "Well come on lets blow this party" Ginny said reaching for his hand, which Draco upon instinct pulled from her grasp. "Come on Draco, you have a choice here. You can stay at this depressing scene, or you can make a better memory" Ginny said holding out her hand for him. Draco looked at her chocolate eyes, to her awaiting hand. He had a choice? This made him grin. No one ever gave him a choice. Draco quickly grabbed her hand and was led away to go break some rules. **END FLASHBACK** Draco groaned as he remembered that moment. He knew that dealing with Ginny wasn't going to be simple as the other ones. He pushed his pillow infront of his face and tried to forget about who she was. "Remember she is just another Healer. Something to use to your advantage" he reminded himself calmly. This seemed to ease him and he let himself drift into a dreamless sleep. **************************************************************************** ********** Chapter 3 Identity ********** Ginny clothed herself quickly and returned to her room, though she found it difficult to remember where she had been dragged from. She entered her room, to see a house elf gently setting a tray of food at the foot of her bed. He jumped as she entered. "Hello" Ginny said approaching the bed. She could smell the tantalizing food and didn't wish to pass it up. The small house elf shuddered at her comment. "Hark is sorry he am here Misses Healer. Me tried to do it quicker, but Hark get stopped by soldiers." The house elf said trembling with fear. Ginny could see that the elf was covered in bruises and burns of sorts. She guessed that he was used for "entertainment" by the soldiers. "That is fine" Ginny said calmly. "Come here" she said kneeling down to become closer to the level of the elf. The elf looked full of fear, but did not wish to disobey and timidly stood infront of her. He shook like a leaf, his large eyes quivering. "Hark is very sorry" the elf begged. Ginny ignored his pleas and brought her hands up to either side of his face. Shutting her eyes she could feel the pain and anguish radiating off of the tiny creature. She concentrated, until she began to feel a tingling warmth in her hands. Ginny opened her eyes and watched as her own hands created a white light that enveloped the shivering elf. As the light died down Ginny could see the elf visibly surprised. All signs of injury had left his body, except for the faded white scars where the wounds use to lye. "Misses Healer is too good to Hark" the elf said tears trickling down his cheeks. "Hark does not deserve such nobility" "No, Hark deserves much more" Ginny smiled. She leaned down and kissed the top of the elf's head. "Now I suggest you return to your duties" she said standing. The elf didn't wait for another command. He hurried out of the room, most likely quite shaken by the events. Ginny grabbed the tray of food and retreated to her bed to indulge. She looked down at the tray, and to her disdain saw that it was covered in meats. Ginny, had been a vegetarian since for as long as she could remember. The idea of eating someone else's body was revolting in her idea. Disappointed Ginny just grabbed the bread that was on the tray and returned it to the end of the bed. Ginny heard slight bumping outside her door, and suddenly it swung open. In her doorway stood a women, she looked to be about fifty, with a tangled mane of silvery blond and white hair. Her eyes were blazing with curiousity. "So I finally find you" the woman said calmly, entering the room. She shut the door behind herself. Ginny sensed that the woman meant her no harm and didn't bother to react to the oddity. "You are the disrupter" she said triumphantly. Ginny knew what a disrupter was, and was quite certain it was true. She was far to innocent and feeling to be in a place so brutal. "I am Ginny" she smiled, not sure why she would take the chance of introducing herself to this mysterious woman. The woman smiled and came to sit on the end of her bed next to the tray of food. "And I am Narcissa Malfoy" she smiled. "I have been waiting for you" Ginny realized that this woman must have been Draco's mother. She wasn't at all how she had pictured her. This woman was kind and seemed to be quite welcoming. "why have you been waiting for me?" Ginny asked curiously. "Oh, we need someone with such a clear aura" she smiled running her fingers around the outline of Ginny as though she could see something that Ginny couldn't. "Well, I am not here by chose" Ginny said. She was happy to have found someone else in the house sounding so serene. "Who is?" Narcissa laughed almost bitterly. "If I could leave I would. But I have no where to go. Why are you here?" "A Phoenix Healer." Ginny said brushing a strand of red hair from her face. "I am guessing since the requirements for that are to be peaceful and innocent, the Dark Side doesn't have any" "MOTHER" a booming voice suddenly said. Narcissa turned her head lazily and looked to the doorway where Draco Malfoy now stood. He looked quite angry. "You are not suppose to be in here" he said. "Well neither is she" Narcissa pointed out. She showed no form of respect for his position. She turned and smiled at Ginny. She leaned forward and kissed the girls forehead softly. "Stay strong child. We all need you." With that Narcissa floated out of the room not paying any attention to her son. Ginny turned to Draco who had now entered. He seemed to be surveying her room. "On a hunger strike" he smirked looking briefly down at the untouched food tray. "No, I am a vegetarian" Ginny said looking directly at him. He matched her stare and both stayed silent and glared. His cold silver eyes didn't seem to waver. Ginny forced herself to look away and accept the defeat. She figured he had been trained and would in the end beat her. "You are to begin your training now" Draco said his voice clipped and unfeeling. He paused before adding. "Virginia Weasley" with a slight sneer. Ginny stood her face showing the horror she felt about being recognized. She no longer had her shell to hide under. She had been revealed. "Follow me to the Healer's dens" he said not even trying to mask his triumphant at stripping her of safety. Ginny followed silently behind him. The halls easily parted as they passed and she could feel the curious eyes on her. She followed him down a narrow stairwell and into a room that was most likely the Healers den he spoke of. "Go to Owen, he will begin your training." Draco said pushing Ginny forward. Ginny stumbled but managed to stop before she hit the ground. She whirled back around to face the sneering Commander. "If you think that knowing my name will make your job any easier. Think again Draco Malfoy" she spat before regaining her composure and gliding over to where Owen and Hanna were healing a Death Eater with their wands. Owen looked up and stopped using his wand. Hanna followed suit. "I see that the Commander has decided that you need some training" Owen smirked puffing out with superiority. "No, I don't require any training" Ginny said stubbornly. She knew that she had at least twice the skills as him, and was annoyed that he was given seniority over her. "Well, then, obviously you haven’t spend that much time on the fields. I have been on the fields since you were in school girly." The aging man said his eyes narrowed. "I really don't care what kind of Healer you believe you are, you need training" "Then allow me to prove my status" Ginny said calmly. Owen nodded. Ginny looked around the hospital room. She saw a man in dark robes lying very still in a bed. Confidently Ginny approached him. She heard Owen stifle a laugh. "Listen Peaches, that Soldier has been incoherent since he got here. He was hit with an unknown curse. Those bloody Regal Alliance got to him" Owen sighed not even trying to hid his obvious amusement. Ginny flinched. The Regal Alliance was the most powerful of the Squads on the light side. It consisted mainly of Auror's and Elitist Soldiers. The main power of the Regal Alliance was of course Harry Potter. Ginny chose to ignore the rest of what Owen said. She went to the side of the Death Eater's bed. She chose not to cringe as she looked down on his emaciate and weak form. She placed her hands in the praying position above his head and took a deep breath. **************************************************************************** ********** Draco watched as Ginny walked over to Owen and Hanna. He was finding it difficult to not show his anger and shock about her knowing who he was. Draco sat down lazily on a chair and leaned back. His eyes filled with contempt, but he watched with joy as Owen belittled Ginny. He watched as the small healer marched herself over to where a Death Eater was lying in one of the beds. He found it amusing that she was attempting to revive a soldier downed by the Regal Alliance. It was a contradiction of her every moral, especially considering that Potter was probably the one who put the Death Eater where he lay now. He studied her fluid motions as she placed her hands in a peak over his head. Draco raised an eyebrow curiously. He had never actually seen a Phoenix Healer work before. Other Healers and even patients turned in interest to where she was holding her hands. Her eyes were shut and she looked quite peaceful and calm. A trickle of blue light began to seep from her hands. It flowed like water and stopped suspended over the Death Eater's body. Ginny let out a small gasp and the blue light dropped and seemed to be absorbed by the restless form. Suddenly the pale man seemed to return to a regular healthy glow. Draco didn't try to mask his disbelief, as the man opened his eyes. Ginny almost simultaneously opened hers. She smiled down at the man with non-judgmental eyes. "You are going to be alright now" she said in a near whisper. The voice sent shivers down Draco's spine. Though he would never admit that. Draco took this opportunity to walk over to Owen, who was standing with a look that was a mix of anger and incredulity. "How long until she is ready for the fields" Draco asked. His voice was calm and orderly as if he knew what she was capable of all along. "She is a Phoenix Healer" Owen said. His brow was furrowed and he looked quite miffed. "Of course I am" Ginny said walking back over to them. She looked briefly up at Draco with a look somewhere between being revolted and being scared. Draco smirked at her attempt to stay in composure around him. "Well, then I suppose that she doesn't require any training" Owen grumbled looking angrily at Ginny's now superior face. "Well, then let her work the Healer's Den and then Hanna I expect you to ensure that she is ready for tomorrow night's banquet" Draco directed realizing that he most likely wouldn't have to stay much longer. This pleased him. "Yes Commander" Hanna said. Owen stayed silent obviously fuming over the fact that Ginny knew more than he did. Draco turned and began to walk away before pausing. He turned back around. "Oh I almost forgot" Draco sneered. He removed a silver necklace from his pocket. At the end was a bright red amulet. He walked back until he stood directly infront of Ginny. Looking down into her fearless eyes he attempted to put it over her head. Ginny ducked out of the way. "What is that" she asked suspiciously backing away from him. Draco frowned. "You do not have permission to question my actions" he barked his eyes flashing with retrieved anger. He watched as Ginny's face flickered with doubt and fear. He smirked at this. She bowed her head and stood back infront of him. Draco hesitated for a second before placing the necklace around her slender neck. At one time this would have been a very intimate action, but now it seemed cold and almost cruel. He finished attaching the clasp and removed his arms from around her neck. She didn't lift her head, but only her eyes. Her long black lashes flickered up to reveal her large brown eyes. For a second Draco almost considered feeling remorse for her, but quickly squashed that foreign emotion. He moved away from her and left the room without another thought. At least now with the necklace on, she would have the inability to leave the premises without consent. Draco made his way back up to the main level. It was virtually empty, which wasn't surprising since most of the Death Eaters would be in their training workouts. Draco's clipped walk echoed down the hall as he headed to the Serpent League hall. He burst the double door open and five fellow Serpent League men who were chatting stood at attention as he entered. "Hey Draco" said a dark skinned man who had not stood. He stayed sitting as he should, since he was also a Commander. "At ease" Draco barked causing the other soldiers in the room to relax and sit back down. "Hey Tobias" Draco sighed sitting down in an overstuffed chair beside the other commander. "I heard you got another Healer" Tobias smirked seemingly amused by his friends misfortune. "Unfortunately" Draco sighed feeling already mentally worn by the conflicting girl. "She is really a problem" he confided. "It is a girl? But Draco, you are usually so good at squashing young women's morals" Tobias said in surprise and sarcasm. Draco chose to ignore that comment. He knew that Tobias was a lot softer than the other Commanders, but very smart, that is the only reason he was in the Serpent League. He didn't agree with the way people ran things. He was too sensitive and nice for that. "We went to school together" Draco explained, his eyes darkening as he spoke. "She isn't like the rest. She is stubborn" "Sounds interesting. I like her already" Tobias smiled mockingly. He stood and let his dark black robes fall back to the floor. He adjusted his red viper band and looked down at Draco who was sulking. "I have got to go greet some new recruits down in the east wing." He explained. "Well have a good time" Draco said with heavy sarcasm. Though training Prisoners to work for the dark side was the hardest job, it was also very difficult to try and train new enlistee. "I'll try" Tobias smirked. He strode out the room causing the soldiers to stand at attention again. "At ease soldiers" Tobias said lazily with the wave of his hand. The soldiers sat back down and Draco tried not to look amused. Draco had never had to go through the training. He had been accepted immediately as a commander by the Dark Lord. He sighed as he thought of the annoyance of the Banquet being held the next night. A foreign diplomat was attending some business with Voldemort and they were to hold a Ball in his honor. Only people in attendance were to be Serpent League soldiers, and unfortunately young women of the household. Draco only prayed that Hanna would make sure that Ginny didn't do anything that Draco would have to punish her for. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny woke to the sound of someone shutting her door. Ginny sat up still feeling quite tired. Owen had worked Ginny extremely hard in the past day. Not that Ginny was complaining. It was ten times better than being stuck around Malfoy all day. At least then she got to help people, even if they were Death Eaters, they were still people. Ginny sat up and saw that Hanna was timidly standing at the end of her bed. "Hello Ginny" she said quietly. Ginny looked to hand, where to black bags were grasped in her hands. "Hi Hanna, what is going on" Ginny asked nervously looking at the black bags. "Oh, we have to go to The Maiden Lounge. Narcissa is to inspect and choose our outfits for tonight's Banquet." Hanna explained. "I am not going to any banquet" Ginny said narrowing her eyes. She folded her arms defiantly. "Come on Ginny" Hanna said desperately. "I really don't need to get into trouble because you are being a brat! Just come down to the Maiden Lounge and you can discuss it with Narcissa." Her eyes pleaded with Ginny. It struck her that if she refused Hanna would most likely be punished. "Fine" Ginny sighed getting off of her bed. Hanna smiled gratefully and led her out into the hallway. Soldiers stopped and looked at them as they passed. Some gave perverted cat calls which Ginny tried hard to ignore. It was like a walk of shame. Hanna seemed not to notice, she opened a pair of frosted white glass doors. "In here" she said. Ginny walked into the room and was surprised to see the amount of girls in the room. There had to be at least thirty five. A few looked to be healers, or Death Eaters wives. Ginny could separate them since they seemed to be wearing nicer clothes and were sitting at a large table sipping drinks. Narcissa was the only one else where. She was in the far corner helping some very battered looking girls into clothing. It seemed to be a painful process for the girls. There was definite fear in their eyes and Narcissa's gentle manner didn't seem to sooth them. "What is wrong with those girls?" Ginny asked Hanna, pointing to the bruised females. "House Harlot's" Hanna said. She handed Ginny one of the two black bags before walking away from Ginny. Ginny sighed looking at the girls. She felt immediate pain for them. Some looked quite young, others seemed to look obviously older than they were. Too much damage had made them lose years. Ginny walked over to Narcissa and the girls she was dressing. "Hello Narcissa" she said with a small smile. "Is there anything I can help with?" "Oh no dear, you should get ready for the banquet" she said looking up from the dress she was trying to make look less tattered on a frail looking girl. Ginny guessed she couldn't be older than seventeen. This made her seethe with unearthed anger. Anger she was usually able to control. This place she was in was sickening. "I am not going to the banquet" Ginny told her calmly. She knew that she was acting like a child, but she had no choice but to be there. She would do her work, only because she couldn't stand to see people in pain. Some of the girls let out gasps as she said this. "No, I really think that you should dear. It will keep the rest of us out of trouble" Narcissa explained with a sympathetic sigh.. Ginny felt guilty. She didn't want anyone else blamed for her absence, but still didn't want to go. Ginny sighed and an internal battle raged within her. She definitely didn't want to cause problems with Narcissa, though she was desperate to cause problems with Malfoy. "Well at least let me help these girls" Ginny offered. "I promise I will go to the banquet." Narcissa eyed her closely. Taking her hand Narcissa led her slightly away from the girls. "Ginny, you mustn't heal these women" she said fiercely. "If all of a sudden they are without bruising, it will mean twice as many beatings. Please I am begging you. Don't heal these women" Ginny was surprised. This had to be the first time that she had been told not to help. With that thought, she realized how useless she was. Ginny nodded numbly. "What do you expect me to do instead?" she asked her voice barely a squeak. "Just be a friend. They have no others" Narcissa said gently. Ginny nodded mutely. She walked back over with Narcissa. "Girls this is Ginny, she can help you as well" Narcissa smiled graciously. Ginny gave a forced smile. With a little coax from Narcissa she walked over to where a girl was standing. She wore nothing but a scantly rag that only covered necessary parts of her. Her chocolate complexion was covered in abrasions. "Hello" Ginny said to the young girl. Ginny had chosen her since they looked to be about the same age. "Hi" the girl said timidly. "I am Renee" she introduced herself. "I'm Ginny" Ginny smiled. She went and retrieved one of the tight fitting dresses expected to be worn by the Harlot's of the household. "Did you want some help putting this on?" Ginny asked hesitantly. Renee nodded quite ashamed of her inability to do it herself. "I have too many bruises" she explained shyly. "It hurts to move too much" Ginny felt unbelievable hurt for the beautiful girl. Her entire life was taken from her, so she could be enjoyment for some sick soldier. "That is alright Renee" Ginny giving her a sympathetic smile. She now was beginning to see what Narcissa meant when she said the most you could be was their friends. Renee slipped out of her rags and stood nude. Ginny was surprised to see that she held no shame for her body. It was probably because she was treated as though it didn't belong to her. Ginny avoided looking at the angry marks scattered across her body. She slipped the dress over the girls head and fitted it gently cringing every time she heard Renee wince. Once the tight and revealing garment was secured Ginny looked up at Renee. Renee's eyes were filled with tears. "I hate these Banquets" she confided in a quiet voice. Ginny felt her heart getting torn out. There was nothing she could do for Renee. It was a very helpless feeling. "I am so sorry" Ginny managed. She leaned in and gently hugged the girl. She felt her first flinch before allowing Ginny to hug her close. "This wasn't how I pictured my future" she said muffled by Ginny's shoulder. Ginny could think of nothing to ease her pain. It was evident that this was beyond Ginny's control. All Ginny could do now was continue to hug and stroke her tangles of dark hair. **************************************************************************** ********** Chapter 4 Prisoner ********* Draco entered the Banquet hall, he wore a black pair of robes and with little silver clasps. A simple classic outfit that was expected of him. Letting his eyes trace the room he noted that most of invited were in attendance. Draco watched as the whores were pushed into a corner, for both viewing and selecting. Draco let the revolted look show on his face for only a second. He never had used the company of a Harlot. Not because he thought it was morally wrong, no simply because he didn't wish to catch the diseases that he was sure they were infested with. "So is the Dark Lord going to be making an appearance" a drippy voice said behind him. Draco turned to see one of the foreign diplomats. He looked greedily up at Draco as though he longed for his power. "No, I am afraid that the Dark Lord is not" Draco said in a neat clipped voice. "He rarely finds the time for such functions." The diplomat seemed to accept this, though very disappointed. He wandered off towards the food table, letting his eyes leer at the women as he went. "You know, the more that come here, the more I hate" another voice said behind him. Draco turned to the recognizable tone of Tobias. His eyes were in angry slits and he looked ready to kill the next person that asked about Voldemort. "I know how you feel" Draco sighed. "I can't stand these things, especially since my charge is yet to make her appearance" he said noting that Ginny was still not present. "Ah, I am still curious to see this girl who has you even showing slight change in character." Tobias said with a chuckle. "Usually females are just some sort of annoyance to you" "They are! She is no different" Draco said stubbornly. He searched for her with his eyes as he spoke. He knew it wasn't true, but he didn't want Tobias to know that. Draco finally spotted her. She entered the room accompanied by his mother. Draco felt his breath catch in his throat. She wore blood red robes, her hair was coiled into little ringlets while piled on her head. Her dark striking eyes contrasted with her porcelain white skin. She was beautiful, not that he would let himself admit that. Draco watched as her eyes trailed to look at the girls in the corner. A look of anguish crossed her unblemished face. She bit down on her red lip and turned away in revulsion. "I see that you have spotted the lovely---what's her name again?" Tobias asked following Draco's gaze to land on majestic healer. "Ginny" he said quietly barely aware of Tobias's presence. He was breath taken, a familiar feeling crawled upon him. The same way he felt back in school. NO, Draco shuddered off the emotions. He forced himself back into his Commander mode. "Well, then I think I might just go over and introduce myself to the beautiful creature. It isn't fair that she only knows Commanders like you" Tobias said with a slight smirk. "Beautiful!?! Those aren't the words I would use to describe the looks of that gawky thing" Draco said for Tobias's benefit. "Well, if you have no problem with it…." Tobias smiled. He slipped by Draco and made a purposeful path towards the healer. Draco watched from a distant, not recognizing the alien feeling of jealously he was experiencing. He clenched his hand into a fist and watched Tobias begin to engage her in conversation. At first Ginny looked disinterested, this pleased Draco, but soon Tobias as cracked a smile on her red lips. Draco was focusing so heavily on them, he didn't even notice a figure approach from the left, not until they lay their slimy hands on his muscular arm. "Hi Draco" a feminine voice purred. It send spiders crawling down his back. He turned to face the pug like features of Mrs. Pansy Goyle. "Hello Pansy" he said smoothly pulling his arm from her grasp. "What brings you here." "Oh, Gregory had an invite from someone" she shrugged. She seemed completely careless about her husbands whereabouts. Draco spotted his old classmate Goyle over admiring the Harlots with ravenous eyes. He seemed to share her indifference. "It has been awhile since I have seen you though" she cooed placing her hand daintily on his shoulder. She pressed her firm breasts into his side and whispered in his ear seductively. "I have missed you Drake, maybe you and I can catch up on old times" Draco cringed at her slithering words. He turned to face her, their lips were only centimeters apart so he could feel her hot breath on his face. Draco gave her a slight smirk. "Pansy, the last thing I would want to do is catch up with a town broom like you. I mean, everyone has already had a ride" he hissed before jerking out of her grip. He walked away before Pansy could comment, or even begin to comprehend what he had said to her. He reached a safe corner where no one seemed to be crowded around. Draco rested against the wall wishing he could be anywhere but this tedious party. He tried to seek Ginny out again, but once combing the crowd he noticed that she was no where to be seen. He panicked for a second before he caught a glimpse of red slipping out the side door. Draco stood up and regained his balance. He quickly strode across the room ignoring the calls from a number of people wishing to associate themselves with him by starting a dull conversation. He slipped out the door that he had seen Ginny disappear from. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny sat quietly as Hanna and Narcissa worked on her hair. "I don't want you to get in trouble on my part. You must be dressed like a lady" Hanna said as she used her wand to create ringlets in Ginny's red hair. "Yah, because with a war going on and everything, they should really be worried about appearances" Ginny murmured bitterly. She could almost sense Hanna's lips forming a thin line of disapproval. Narcissa who had been doing Ginny's make-up fought against laughing. "I think you are done Ginny" she said after finally swiping a bit of juicy red lipstick on Ginny's face. Ginny stood gratefully. "I guess the sooner we go, the sooner I can leave" she sighed. Narcissa smiled in agreement and the two left leaving Hanna who was too busy fussing about her "not-perfect-enough" appearance to join them. Ginny nervously followed Narcissa into the banquet hall. She surveyed the room with an detached expression. There were people everywhere, most were wearing black robes, some had included something that would suggest their position or league. Ginny was scared by all of them, not that she would let them see that. She didn't wish to be stuck around all of these obviously evil people. She caught sight of Renee cowering in the corner. Ginny couldn't help but to be horrified. Ginny bit her lip, ignoring the bitter taste of her lipstick. She turned away trying to find something else to focus her attention on. Narcissa had already disappeared into the crowds, obviously to complete her duty as the hostess. Ginny suddenly felt very alone and self conscious. She began to looked discreetly for an exit. "Hello" a voice said behind her. Ginny jumped at the voice. She turned to see a very tall man. He was startlingly good looking. He had a smooth dark complexion, a broad muscular form and energetic blue eyes. "Hello" Ginny said wishing he would leave. Her eyes dragged to the Viper band he wore on his arm. She knew immediately that he was a Commander, like Malfoy. "I am Tobias Haven" he said with a half smile. He extended his hand which surprised Ginny. "Ginny" she said taking his hand for a second before flinching away. "You know we can't all be bad" he said as though reading her thoughts. Ginny jerked her head up, she had a momentary loss for words. "Maybe, but looking from my perspective, does it really matter what the individual people are like." Ginny pointed out. "All that is important is how they act as a whole" She expected Tobias to show his disapproval, but instead he smiled. "I knew I liked you." He said with a laugh. He brought his eyes to meet hers. They sparkled with life. "It is nice to have a girl around who isn't afraid to challenge" he grinned. Ginny couldn't help but to smile at his cheerful disposition. "If you don't mind me saying so, you really don't seem like um--" she hesitated not sure how to word it. "The Death Eater type?" he finished for her, a wane smile on his face. Ginny nodded. "Well, I am not. I was forced into this a long time ago" he explained. "It kind of just grows on you I guess. I know a lot of people here" "Oh, well I really don't see this all growing on me" Ginny sighed. Tobias was about to speak again when a fat man came and clapped him on the back. "Commander! Glad to see you could make it too the banquet. Tell me can I trust for you to have company tonight" the man asked gesturing to the Harlot's. "Oh course General, two or three. In fact, you can bring those three there to my chambers now" he said pointing to three of the youngest girls of the group. "I shall have my company after the banquet" Tobias explained. "Nice choice Commander" the man said before walking away to go get the three girls. Ginny was horrified. "You are a disgusting bastard" she hissed angrily at Tobias. She was suddenly seeing him in a whole new light. She felt foolish for even thinking for a moment that there could be some nice people even on the dark side. "Hey, relax" Tobias said. A slight smile played on his lips as he watched her seethe with anger. "Relax! Please you just took three innocent girls to rape and acting like you were buying a piece of fruit. " Ginny said glaring daggers at him. "They are human beings" "Oh course they are" Tobias said calmly. "That is why I took them. If I don't take them then some who actually plans to rape them will. I do this every party. In my room they will find comfortable robes, food and a bed for them to sleep on. Those girls need to rest sometimes." He explained. Ginny's features softened as she listened to him. "Besides, any company I need can be provided most sufficiently by my wife" he said. "God, I'm sorry" Ginny said blushing slightly. She felt bad for accusing him. It was embarrassing to know that her anger had whelmed up so easily. "I didn't know" she said looking down at the ground. "Don't apologize." Tobias told her seriously. "They need people to defend them like you" "Thank you" Ginny said sincerely. She decided it didn't matter what side, Tobias Haven was one of the nicest people she had ever met. "Ginny, I think you should find an escape." Tobias said suddenly. "These guys are going to get drunk pretty quickly and well I wouldn't want to see someone like you getting caught in the middle of that" he said letting his eyes flicker around him. "How do I leave?" Ginny asked happy that she was being granted an exit so quickly. "Through those doors there, they will take you out on to the grounds, I trust you can find your way back from there" Tobias said. Ginny nodded. "Thank you again" she said. She leaned up and gently kissed his cheek. With a quick turn Ginny hurried across the room and slipped out the door, going unnoticed by all. Ginny rushed out into the warm summer night. Ginny gasped as she looked around her. It occurred to her she could barely remember the last time she had been outside. She looked up at the sky which was twinkling with stars. A large smile filled her face. She remembered what Ron had told her, it had been ages since she had seen Ron. He had told her. "No matter how tough life gets, you can look up at the stars and take comfort in knowing that they can be your constant". Ginny sighed and breathed in the night air. She ignored the fact that the expensive velvet robes she wore were dragging on the wet grass. It was nice to know that her constant was still there. Ginny was absorbed in finding her favorite constellations, but not so much that she didn't sense the heavy soldier footsteps of an approaching figure. Ginny knew immediately as they drew closer that it was Draco Malfoy. "Come to tell me prisoners can't be outside?" she asked in a bitter voice not moving her eyes from the stars. "No" he said. she saw from the corner of her eye that he had come to stand beside her. His eyes began to search the night sky the same as she did. "You are not a prisoner anymore. You are a healer. A member of my squad" he said, his voice calculated and precise. Ginny scoffed slightly. She turned to face him. She let her eyes flicker around him, but eventually, and reluctantly locked them on his cold gray eyes. Ginny hated to look at them. Reaching around her own neck she pulled the necklace into view. Ginny had discovered early she had the inability to take the necklace off. It kept her locked within certain places, anywhere she wasn't allowed to travel, the necklace stopped her. "No, I am a prisoner. Equals would not be forced to wear dog chains. Equals wouldn't run the second the chain was removed like I would. Until the day I escape here I am a prisoner" Ginny hissed. She brushed past Malfoy and headed back towards the manor. **************************************************************************** Chapter 5 Vita Basium ********** Draco entered into the hall behind the tapestry. He was trying to fight the feelings of unease. It had been nearly two weeks. Voldemort had of course now called him back to get further information on the healers progress. Ginny had been doing her work, but in a non-conformist fashion. She healed everyone in no particular order, not paying any attention to Rank or any attention to Draco's command. Not that he really asked her to do anything. He cleared his head of any thoughts that Voldemort could pick up and entered the small den. Voldemort was standing next to the window. The snakes as usual coiled around his feet hissing contently. "She will never quite be broken" Voldemort hissed with displeasure. Draco stood letting his face hold the a firm unreadable expression. Voldemort turned and looked at him. The contempt seething in his unnaturally blue eyes. "I am sending two squads out to a muggle city, I want a full raid. Something to shake up the Regal Alliance" Voldemort said not quite able to keep the sneer off his face. "Who would you prefer to run second squad behind you. Draco still hadn't moved. He knew immediately that he would want Tobias. "Haven" Draco said directly, but as though it didn't matter. There was no one Draco would trust more to be his second than Tobias. "Fine" Voldemort hissed. "I have sent for the healer to join us. I must inspect to make sure she is a worthy addition to the raid. She can't be causing difficulties." Draco fought the feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was foreign and he wasn't sure what it could be, but he definitely didn't want Voldemort in contact with Ginny. He blocked the thoughts from Voldemort and answered. "She seems to be under control" he snapped. Voldemort looked at him with slight curiousity and Draco cursed himself for saying it so hastily. "Well, we will see" he said coolly. Draco nodded and stood at strict attention at the door while Voldemort sat graciously in the seat waiting for her arrival. Draco fought against the thoughts entering his head. He couldn't have Voldemort know what terrible and unusual things he managed to think about. Things about Ginny, things about the Dark side, things that he had been trained not to think. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny sat in her room at near exhaustion. Owen now took great pleasure in sitting down and making her work the entire den by herself. It was awful, the draining of energies as she cured all of the ungrateful death eaters left her feeling tired and sick. It had been nearly two weeks. Ginny had only been granted to meat, so she was surviving strictly on the bread on her plate, well except for when Narcissa brought her some food. The work was tiring and it made her feel guilty for curing people who couldn't help but to think might be going out to kill someone she once knew. Lying back on her bed she loosened the white robes she wore. It had been a long day, and even though the sun was just beginning to set she was ready to sleep. Her eyelids felt heavy and she could barely manage to get herself under the thick blanket. She felt herself drifting off. "GET OUT OF BED!" an angry voice called waking her from the sleep she had just found. Bolting up she saw a blurry figure in the doorway. Letting her eyes adjust she realized it was a large Commander she had never seen before. "I SAID OUT OF BED" he repeated. Ginny didn't have a chance to get out. He came over and by her hair threw her to the cold stone ground. Ginny tried to hide her yelp of pain. Her hands immediately flew to attend her throbbing head. Wavering she stood so as not to get his again. "What do you need" she asked calmly ready to take an order so as she didn't feel any more pain. "DON'T YOU ADDRESS A COMMANDER!" he roared with disapproval. "DIDN'T COMMANDER MALFOY TEACH YOU ANYTHING!" he said. Ginny winced as the commander struck her across the face. "You are lucky you aren't under my control" he hissed. With that he grabbed her arm harshly. Ginny didn't dare try and free herself from his iron grip. She was half dragged half pulled out of her room and down the halls which now seemed empty in the approaching evening. "Ow" she winced under her breath as his grip increased. She could feel his fingers beginning to bruise her pale skin. He pushed her through a tapestry blocked passage and down a narrow hall, no paying attention to the amount of times Ginny felt herself slammed against the narrow passage. He used her small (now battered) body to push open the door. Ginny felt herself fall to a thin rug. She could feel the rough stone ground beneath her. She cried out in pain, but quickly suppressed it. She could feel the power in the room and immediately knew who she would be greeting. Looking up she first saw Draco. He stood motionless avoiding looking at her. Ginny let her eyes trail past him. They locked on the familiar cold blue ones. "Hello Tom" Ginny managed as she stood to her feet. Ginny could feel Draco's eyes open in shock as she said this to Voldemort. The intimidating Dark Lord did nothing. If anything he might have smirked slightly. "So you are our healing unit" he said with both amusement and anger. "I suppose it was oversaw to inform me that you are Virginia Weasley" he sneered. Ginny held her ground. He somehow seemed less terrifying if you had seen them as a child, even if that child had tried to kill you. "Does it truly make a difference?" Ginny asked fighting the tremble in her tone. "No, you are right, it really doesn't matter. Though I found it quite entertaining when I heard of the Gryffindor who just about died from my book was a Weasley" Voldemort said. He sat down in his large throne like chair. His robes making a large sweeping motion as he sat. "I wanted to meet you. Funny we are all on the same side now" he sneered. Ginny felt her blood boil. The last thing she wanted was to be thought of as an ally by him. "We will never be on the same side" Ginny said angrily. Voldemort's eyes flickered with hatred before returning to a calm unreadable glaze. "I see. Well, you will not be happy to hear you are being placed on a raid." "And if I refuse" Ginny said her eyes burning with the unadulterated hate. "Well, then I am sure that there can be other uses for you." Voldemort sneered slightly. "I am sure they are always room for more Harlots" Ginny felt a sickening twist occur in her stomach. After a short calculation she could see being a Harlot 1000 times worse than curing people, even if they were raiding muggle towns. "Fine" Ginny said not hiding the defeat from her voice. "Come here" Voldemort hissed beckoning her forward. Ginny planted her feet firmly. The look in his eyes didn't make her want to move even slightly towards him. Voldemort looked at her the hatred evident in his cold features. "Child, do you think that you are my equal" he said standing. A quick flick of his wand brought Ginny directly infront of him. Ginny winced as she realized she couldn't move. A full body bind. His long bony fingers encircled her neck. Ginny knew immediately what he was doing. She looked quickly at Draco and saw the horror across his face. He thought that Voldemort was choking her, but no Ginny knew better. Voldemort gave her neck a sudden jerk forward so now Ginny had no choice but to look down at the angry snakes slithering around Voldemort and her. She felt him brush her hair away from the back of her neck with a quick swipe. Ginny longed to shut her eyes. She knew what he was looking for, and unfortunately he was going to find it. A pair of pristine white unicorn wings was tattooed magically on to back of her neck. "I see you at least have some sense. What do you save it for?" he hissed into her ear. The feeling of his breath on her was like spiders crawling across her skin. "Some one worthy, no one I would find here" she said wishing to jerk away. The wings that Voldemort now traced his fingers hungrily along were the Phoenix Healers greatest achievement. They were the Vita Basium. They only worked once, they could save you just like unicorn blood, a second from death. Most Phoenix Healers used it as quickly as possible, foolishly saving someone undeserving of their gift. For Vita Basium took away all scarring, healed all wounds and left you with the strength you may have never felt before. As soon as Ginny bestowed this power on someone else than the wings would fade and cease to appear on her neck. So Voldemort must be very pleased to see hers were still there. "You can leave now. The squadrons will leave early tomorrow" Voldemort hissed pushing away. Ginny managed to catch herself before she hit the ground. Finding her balance she left the room, head bowed thankful that the horrifying meeting had ended. **************************************************************************** ********** Draco watched trying to stay indifferent as the scenes played out infront of him. He still did not know why he was required to be there at all. He certainly would have preferred not to see this confusing situation. He gasped when he heard Ginny direct the Dark Lord so fearlessly, and by his first name at that. NO ONE called Voldemort Tom, the mere idea meant instant death, but obviously not for her. He watched as defeated Ginny left the room. He tried to catch a glimpse at what had been so interesting at the back of her neck, but didn't see anything. He didn't have long to ponder it before Voldemort interrupted his thoughts. "Go and tell Commander Haven that she is now his problem. When the teams go for the raid. If she becomes injured leave her. We don't require someone as undisciplined as her" Voldemort said his eyes glaring at the door where she left. "Yes sir" Draco said making his face unreadable. Voldemort seemed satisfied by this. "You are dismissed." He said. Draco didn't need to be told twice. He bowed out of the room and headed straight for the Serpent League Hall. He knew that Tobias would be there. Draco pushed open the door and entered the room. He noted Tobias and his wife were the only ones in the room. They sat quietly sharing a couch infront of the fire. His wife leaning against him. They both looked quite content to stare at the fire. Draco pushed down the foreign jealously. "Sorry to interrupt" Draco said in a clear concise voice. He watched as they both looked up at him. "Draco, you are never sorry" Tobias scoffed half jokingly. He turned back to his wife, his eyes softening to a gentle look. "June" he said apologetically. "Of course, I will see you tonight" June smiled at her husband. She kissed him lightly before standing up. "Don't work him too hard Draco" she said with a smirk. She passed him and left the room. Draco watched her leave before focusing his eyes back onto Tobias's. "What can I do for you" Tobias sighed sitting up. Draco moved to sit across from him in an overstuffed chair. "The Dark Lord moved Ginny to your care" Draco said not hiding the disdain in his voice. He trusted Tobias with everything, but for some reason he wanted to know that Ginny would be safe out in the fields. "I'll take care of her" Tobias said as though he could read his mind. An amused smile was on his face. "I am still finding it hard to believe that this girl had you acting like this" Draco frowned. "Like what!" he demanded. "I am acting no differently. I could care less who she is." He said in defense. He knew it wasn't true. Even though he avoided her, it was one of the few times he ever felt guilty about anything in his life. She really didn't deserve to be there. "Fine, you aren't different" Tobias agreed not wanting to fight it out. "So why is she under my care." "The Dark Lord says she is of no use to us. He says to leave her if she is injured" Draco explained. He tried to convince himself that she wouldn't get injured, healers are rarely hurt. "Okay" Tobias said tentatively. "Did anything else happen that I should know about?" Draco paused. "Well, he looked at the back of her neck. He said something about her saving it for someone. I didn't know what they were talking about" Draco watched as Tobias's eyes lit up. "Are you serious! She still had the Vita Basium?!" he exclaimed in awe. "What is that?" Draco asked. Tobias smiled at his friend naivete, it wasn't there often. "Phoenix healers have three means of healing, the Phoenix tear which creates a blue light, very impersonal. The golden touch, which heals wounds internally as well as externally." Tobias explained. "What about the third?" Draco asked mildly interested. So far he was saying nothing that he didn't already know. "The Vita Basium. It can only be used once. It will save you seconds from Death. Phoenix Healers with the ability to use it have wings imprinted on their necks. It will heal all wounds. Though it is so personal that Healers usually use them on someone very close to them" Tobias finished. Draco breathed deeply for a second. He could see why this interested Voldemort so much. "How does it work?" "It should be obvious" Tobias frowned. "Vita Basium means Life Kiss. That is why it is so personal." Draco didn't speak. He stood up and left the room with out another word. Tobias didn't seem to mind. He turned back and continued to stare at the fire. Draco went up the stairs and not even sure what he was doing headed for Ginny's chambers. He arrived outside the door and was about to open it when he stopped himself. What was he doing? He wasn't even sure. He pushed open the door gently and looked in the room. He could see the mass of red contrasting with the white pillow. She was asleep. He could see that her cheeks were stained with tears and she looked so frail. Her food as usual lay untouched at the end of the bed. The only missing item was the bread. He looked in on her sleeping form for god knows how long. He seemed enthralled by her every feature. Her cheeks looked pale against the freckles across her nose. Her red curls were unruly and spread out framing her face. Her dark lashes were shut causing the most contrast. In short she was striking. Draco knew this and as he looked he let the though process in his head for the first time. He knew immediately that he couldn't quite acknowledge her as just a device to reach power ever again. No for the first time he saw Ginny as he had seen her long ago. As a girl. **FLASHBACK** (A/N: I am sorry, I love flashbacks) Draco sighed and tried to block out the throbbing pain in his head. Trying to open his eyes hurt, so he let his eyes stay shut as he remembered everything that had happened. He groaned as he recalled it all. He had caught the snitch. That damned Ravenclaw seeker hadn't seen it coming so Draco had gotten it on a low dive. Now, unlike Potter, Draco found it impossible to pull out of it in time. Draco had slammed into the ground, the last thing he remembered was the cheers of the Slytherin's about their first victory of the season. It was his sixth year and as prefect and Slytherin captain Draco had large plans to take the cup. Draco now forced his eyes open. He knew he would be in the hospital wing. Surprisingly as he opened his eyes he was faced with an unexpected sight. A figure was leaning over him, dangerously close. Their neck was inches from his face. He wondered why he couldn't have sensed it. Looking he followed the slender neck line. It was a girl and she was leaning over him to check his vitals on the board behind his head. Draco sighed in slight relief and let his eyes travel back down to her milky neck. He inhaled her sweet scent of strawberries and vanilla. It was heavenly. His eyes focused on the place where her neck and her collar bone created a slight dip. For some reason Draco stared at it hungrily. He longed to touch it, or maybe to kiss it. He wasn't sure, but he was content with just staring at it for now. He was disappointed as the girl pulled back. "Oh your awake!" she said slightly startled. Draco let his eyes trail up from the spot on her neck to her face. He was most surprised to realize that it was Ginny Weasley. Her red hair was held firmly in a bun. Her dark eyes flickered at him in surprise. "What are you doing here?" Draco asked. He couldn’t recall the last time he had ever really seen her around the school, not that he had ever really looked. "I am an intern for Madam Pomfrey. I was just taking your vitals." She explained. "You really did a nice dive. I hear the judges gave you 8.5 on the landing" Draco frowned for a second before realizing what she said. He was confused. They weren't friends therefore shouldn't be allowed to joke. Looking into her sparkling eyes he smirked slightly. "As they should" he said with mock pride. Ginny smiled and Draco felt his stomach lurch. He liked making her smile. "Well, you have better get your rest. If you seriously think that you have a chance to beat Gryffindor next match you will need all the sleep you can get" she barbed. She pulled out her wand and said softly to the light "Return Lumos" the room dimmed. "I could beat Gryffindor with my eyes closed" Draco muttered to the shadowed form of Ginny. "You can tell Potter that for me" He could see the outline move slightly. "Draco you can feel free to tell him whatever you please. But you will have to prove it to me" she said before disappearing behind the curtains. Draco lay back for a second. He wasn't sure how to handle that. She had called him Draco. She had called him Draco and he had liked it. He shut the thought out of his mind and let sleep claim him. Draco left the hospital wing the next day, his thought of Ginny vanquished from his mind, never to really think of her again until their next meeting. **END FLASHBACK** "She is beginning to get to you" a triumphant voice whispered behind Draco. Draco jumped and turned to face his mother. She wore a pleased smirk not unlike one Draco brandished most of the time. "I don't know what you are talking about" Draco hissed at the senile old woman. Draco was convinced that his mother had long ago lost her mind. He didn't blame her, he would have too if he had been married to Lucius. "I think you do." Narcissa smiled. In her hand she held a tray of food. On it was an assortment of fruits, vegetables and other vegetarian items. "I just came to drop this off" she said gently. She placed it at the end of Ginny's bed silently. "I don't know what you are talking about" Draco insisted. "It doesn't matter though. She will most likely be dead by the end of the raid. She is not under my control and we have orders to leave if she becomes a burden" Draco said just to spite the woman. He watched as her face flickered with sadness. "Then I suppose that it is for the best. She really is too good for someone like my son" Narcissa said slowly. She touched Draco's cheek before exiting the room as though she was floating. It took a minute for Draco to let the insult sink in. With an angry look towards Ginny he left the room to find peace of mind in his own. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny let her eyes flicker open after she was sure that both people had left her room. Sitting up she retrieved the food from the end of her bed. Eating quietly she thought of everything that had been said when they all suspected that slept…………… **************************************************************************** Chapter 6 Harry Potter ********** Ginny woke the next morning before the sun. She had no wish to be woken by Draco. Not after what she had heard the day before. Hadn't Narcissa been hinting towards the two of them sharing romantic interest. Ginny shuddered at the idea. Draco was barely human. He was so cold and distant. He caused a hate to erupt in her like no other. She felt betrayed by him. She felt scared of him. She felt helpless around him. Ginny kicked off her blankets and dressed quickly in the pristine white robes worn in fields by the Death Eater's healers. She tried again to remove the large necklace, but with no luck. She no sooner done this and her door opened. Ginny didn't bother to turn and greet Draco. She wasn't sure if she could manage to look into his cold eyes. "It is time to go" a regretful voice said. Ginny was surprised to hear it sounded nothing like Draco's. She whirled around to face Tobias. He wore black army robes and a red viper band. His eyes were dark and unfeeling but his voice held emotion for her. "Where is Malfoy?" Ginny demanded slightly surprised. "You have been moved from his command. You are on my squad now" Tobias explained. Ginny was both relieved and scared. She wasn't sure but there was a comforting thought in knowing Draco would be beside her. "Oh" was all she said. Tobias seemed to accept this and moved out of the doorway. Ginny walked out and felt him fall in behind her. She wasn't sure where to go, but Tobias soon took over and led her underground. They reached a room quite far beneath the manor. Death Eaters stood at attention facing their squad leaders. Tobias went and stood infront of his. His hands behind his back, his feet spread apart a steely look in his blue eyes. Ginny was quite surprised to see the change in attitude he was capable of. "ATTENTION" Tobias said his voice cutting through the room like a knife. His squad of soldiers stood straight up, fear clearly marked in their eyes. Ginny found herself standing next to Hanna, the other healer assigned to the mission. "Hi" Hanna said in a quiet voice. Ginny gave her a small nod but said nothing. "Serpent League one will depart first by means of Apparition, I want a clean landing directly in the town's center. We will not be taking prisoners" a voice said. Ginny looked to see Draco giving orders to a much more collected looking group. They were obviously veterans to the fields. "We will follow Commander Malfoy's squad and land just outside the town. I want a clean surround. Any opposing forces must be subjugated." Tobias said. He looked at his men daring any of them to object. "Move out" Draco said with a quick nod in Tobias's direction. Ginny watched as the first group began to disappear. She knew that they were going to begin a massacre. This is what the Dark Side did. They killed muggles and tried to kill the opposing sides. They really weren't solving anything or even proving a point besides mass destruction. "Come on Ginny" Hanna said pulling at her hand. Ginny could hear the nervous fear in the woman's voice. Ginny followed her to Tobias. Tobias turned to them and winked quickly. He pointed his wand at them and said something that Ginny didn't hear. She didn't have time. As soon as he said it she felt a whipping feeling like when you touched a port key. Her stomach lurched upward and the colors whirled by her. She breathed in sharply and felt her feet hit the ground with such force that her knees buckled and she hit the hard earth. Looking up she was just in time to see Hanna darting out into the already destructive war zone. Ginny gripped the ground as though to secure her safety. It was obvious that there had been an ambush. Ginny could see muggles running from their homes, Death Eaters causing as much destruction with hexes and curses as possible and not to Ginny's surprise there were already Regal Alliance squads appearing in large groups. Ginny looked about her, a moment of freezing over took her. She could see no recognizable faces, only the beginnings of a brutal, and pointless battle. Standing up she could noted her white robes already were beginning to be covered in dirt. She let her eyes scan the surroundings searching out the injured. Bodies were already layering the ground, hexes and curses shot from wands emitting painful lights. No one ever used the unforgivable curses, they took to much energy and chances were that after performing one you wouldn't have the strength left to defend yourself. So instead torturous curses were exchanged eventually resulting in a slow moving death. Ginny rushed up to a man she saw face down on the ground. Kneeling beside him she managed to turn him over. He was a member of the Regal Alliance. His blue robes were stained with his own blood and he uttered small whimpers of pain as Ginny searched for the actual injury. "Don't let me die" he said in a harsh whisper. Ginny tried to give him a gentle smile. "Cure your own men Death Eater" a low hiss said behind her. Suddenly Ginny felt strong arms push her down out of reach of the hurt soldier. Looking up in surprise she saw a determined looking healer in the pleasant yellow robes worn by Regal Squads take over healing the man. Ginny was more than a little shocked though she could understand what she meant. If Ginny had seen a Death Eater's Healer saving one of her men she would have suspected the worst. So silently Ginny stood and scanned the massacre again. Most of the men around were lost causes. Ginny searched out the ones that could still be saved and began to heal. She became so lost around her she couldn't even hear the screams and chaos anymore. Everything was utterly silence. Ginny had gone into her trance state. It was the only way that she managed to cope. Everything except her job was locked out of her head. She stopped registering what side people were fighting for, how close the hexes came to hitting her. All she saw was one injury after another, she barely stopped to look at their faces. Leaning over another body, Ginny recognized the hex as one that would liquefy internal organs slowly. The man below her cried out in the pain. Quickly Ginny performed one of her healing charms. As she finished she felt faint. Ginny didn't know how long she had been out there, but she was growing weak. She stood slowly ignoring the calls of thank you from the man. A sharp hand grabbed her shoulder pulling her towards them and out of her trance. Ginny gasped as she looked up into the muddied face. She didn't have time to react though. Fuzzy blackness covered her eyes and seeped into her head. Ginny felt her legs collapse and everything faded quickly to darkness. **************************************************************************** ********** Draco appeared in the muggle town. It was broad daylight, but not one victim marked the streets. A quick estimation told him that they were already in the presence of thirty Regal Alliance members. They were no where to be seen but Draco could sense their eyes focused on him. He gave a slight smirk. "We will require no prisoners" he barked as an order. Immediately the Death Eaters around him began to move and through the town. Doors were opened, fires began to be set, screams of muggles filled the air. Draco stayed exactly where he was and waited. He knew they were there and bidding there time. "Come out come out were ever you are" Draco said in a near whisper. As if they had heard him suddenly men and women in blue robes threw their invisibility cloaks from them. Their eyes filled with daggers began to spilt off and try and undo some of the damage by outright attacking all Death Eaters. Draco gave a sneer before with-drawing his wand to join the action. Hexes shot from his wand and successfully downed the Regal Squads. Draco smiled at himself as he did a full body bind on a muggle women. Her face stayed locked on the pure horror, Draco turned away pleased and caught sight of red. Draco turned back and saw her. Ginny was walking through the pandemonium like it was nothing. Her face held a serene expressions, her eyes seeking out the injured bodies as though she was shopping. Draco knew deep down he could have never handled curing people, killing and hurting was a lot easier than the reverse. Walking away Draco found himself face to face with a Regal Squad member. His eyes burned into him with sadness and Draco felt himself begin to feel sick. "I can't hurt you Draco" the older man said lowering his hooded cloak. Draco felt himself go weak before masking his surprise with a glare. Before him stood the man who had been the closest thing to a father he had ever had. "Well that makes one of us Severus" Draco said in a low growl. Severus Snape had been the head of Slytherin house and the only person who understood Draco even in the slightest. The man standing before him now looked very much the same, a few gray strands now mingled with the black hair, his dark eyes looked a little more hollow and his tone was soft. Draco extended his wand. He could feel the hate and betrayal for Severus rushing through his body urging him to bestow anything upon the him that might make him feel the same hurt he once had. He focused hard, but couldn't bring himself to do anything. He felt Severus push the wand aside. "I truly am sorry Draco. I never meant to leave you there" he said quietly. Draco looked up at him with shock at the sincerity of those words. Severus gave him a grave look before bringing his hood back up over his head and walking in another direction. Draco stood in shock. He probable had been there too long since he felt a curse hit him with full force. Draco hit the ground, his eyes squeezed out the pain. Opening them he looked down to where the curse had hit his stomach. It hadn't been a particularly bad hex. He recognized it immediately as the disarming curse. Groaning Draco stood only to find that his wand was now useless. Looking around Draco saw Tobias over dueling with one of the commanders from the other side. He looked completely busy and Draco knew he couldn't call his retreat. Muggles screamed and cried running from their houses, and Draco was beginning to get hostile. The feeling of having no control was quite unnerving. His eyes searching for an able Death Eater to demobilize the disarming spell. He traced the crowds and let his eyes fall on Ginny. She just finished leaning over a man. As she stood he watched her waver slightly on her feet. He could tell that she was growing weary. She didn't have a wand to return herself, as Hanna had probably already done. Draco felt guilty for taking her wand away from her. Sure she was still able to heal, but it took away all means of defense or escape. Draco began to move towards her. He would just have to zap her home. Then a thought came to him. Voldemort. He had told them to leave her to die. She wasn't to return unless she was strong enough. Draco shrugged. He would have continued to go over to her, except for the fact her remembered his wand would be out of commission for at least a day until the hex wore off. "RETREAT" he heard Tobias call to his men. Draco watched as everyone began to disappear. He looked back over to Ginny only to see she had collapsed. A man he couldn't see was leaning over her unconscious body. "Leave her" he commanded himself in a hissing whisper. "Come on Draco, we have to get out of here" they are calling in reinforcement!" Tobias said grabbing a dazed looking Draco. "I can't my wand is disarmed" he said pointing to the useless stick in his hand. "Thothius" Tobias said pointing his wand at Draco's. Draco could feel immediately the power flow back through him into the wand. "Now get out of here" he said angrily. "What about your healer?" Draco asked trying to sound as though it was all business. Tobias followed Draco's clearly worried face over to where the red head lay unconscious on the ground. The man was still over her shaking her arms trying to wake her up. "I will get her" Tobias promised his friend. Draco nodded at this and apparated back to the manor. **************************************************************************** ********** Tobias watched to make sure Draco disappeared. He looked back over to the girl. He knew that she was responsible for the change already occurring in Draco. Tobias weaved through the crowds. It was dangerous to still be on the ground, especially as he wore Serpent League Commander robes but he was willing to risk it. Tobias approached from behind. The man who leaned over her whirled around and drew his wand. Tobias was taken back in surprise. "What have you done to her" the man hissed. His green eyes were dark with hate. His blue Regal Alliance robes were covered in mud and his dark hair was tousled in a dirty mess. "I have done nothing. I am going to be taking her back to be healed" Tobias said trying to prove he meant no harm. He wasn't sure why Ginny was of such importance to him. "She is not yours to be taken back!" he spat. "I should kill you for doing this to her, that necklace I noticed prevents any escape. She is with you against her will!" Tobias watched as the man brushed his hair back from his forehead. It gave him a brief glance at the lightening bolt scar across his forehead. Tobias gasped. "Commander Potter. It is none of your concern who our healers are. Just allow me to save her." He compromised Harry's eyes darkened. "Ginny is my concern. She is the closest thing to my sister! What you have done to her will be avenged that is a sworn guarantee" he hissed before apparating out of Tobias's sight. Tobias sighed in shock. He looked down at Ginny dirty form and sent her back to the base. There was obviously more about this girl than he could have guessed. She knew the infamous Harry Potter. This truly wasn't one of the Dark Lords brightest moments. To take something precious to Harry was only going to get yourself a death warrant. He quickly apparated out so as not to further risk capture. **************************************************************************** Chapter 7 Forgetting her Name ********** "HARRY!" Ginny screamed waking up with a start. Her heart was pounding, her eyes filled with tears. She felt hot all over. She knew the feeling immediately, she had been a healer for much too long. Ginny had a Witches Fever. Looking around she couldn't see straight. She could see a blurry figure in the corner of her room facing her. She kicked off her blankets and tried to stand. The figure from the side of the room didn’t move, but she felt icy hands pushing her back into the bed. "Let me get up!" she demanded. "No you have to sleep. You are very sick" a pleasant voice told her. Ginny tried to fight against them only to find she was much weaker than she would have expected. "Harry is that you?" she called desperately to the motionless figure near the door. "Who is she talking to?" a disembodied voice floated. Ginny recognized it as Narcissa. "I don't know" another voice said softly. Ginny wanted to explain that she wanted to know if the person in the corner was Harry, not that anyone would listen. Ginny sighed and stopped resisting and felt them push her against the cool pillow. Her eyes felt heavy and she couldn't quite remember where she was. It really didn't matter though all she needed was sleep. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny felt cold hands touch her face. Her mind was a little clearer, but she didn't want to open her eyes. Her suspicion was that the room might try and spin if she made any sudden movements. Ginny leaned into the hand that was now touching her cheek. It felt so nice. The cool touch soothed her. "It will be okay now" a gentle voice came. It sounded slow and very deep. Ginny knew it was being distorted in her mind and through this fever. "Harry?" she asked hopefully. Maybe Harry had found a way to get her out of there. The hand flinched away and Ginny gave a slight moan. She didn't want them to leave. "I suppose that was just a sign" the voice sighed inwardly. "I'm leaving now, I won't be coming back" Ginny smiled, the voice was so soothing, not that she bothered to comprehend what they were saying. She felt them kiss her forehead softly, so softly. She felt herself drifting off. The voice still evident in her thoughts……… **************************************************************************** ********** Draco found himself back in the manor. He sighed in relief and immediately made his way to his private chambers. He needed time. He brushed down the hallways which parted easily for him. "Snakes Blood" he whispered in a defeated voice. The door swung open and Draco shut it with a snap behind him. He removed all of his army clothes and changed into a black shirt and kept on his baggy dark green pants. Throwing himself down on his bed he entered himself into deep thought. Ginny, what the hell had she done to him? One minute she was just some pathetic healer, whose only purpose was to serve, next she was someone he knew from school, someone who had been nice to him, someone who he regretted doing this too. And now, well now it seemed he felt more than regret for her. NO, Draco attempted to throw those thoughts from his mind. Draco ran his hands through his soft blond hair. Why did things have to be so difficult. He knew Tobias would bring her back. He wasn't worried about that, but could his mother have been right. Draco recalled what she had said to him a month earlier. A disrupter had entered the household. Draco had told her it would be impossible to rid her of it and then she had smiled and explained she didn't want to be rid of it. The disrupter would change him. "Ginny" he murmured softly to himself. The disrupter was Ginny. Draco pounded his hands into the pillow. This just wasn't the way things were supposed to go. "I will have to leave. She can't be affecting my work" Draco convinced himself. He couldn't afford to be changed. He had been trained. Standing up he decided upon his plans and went to go see Voldemort. **************************************************************************** ********** Draco left from talking to the Dark Lord. He had been more than willing to have Draco be moved to a different base. Draco suspected the Voldemort could feel the change in Draco also. He wouldn't want to lose his best Commander. Draco was supposed to leave for Ireland as soon as he possibly could make it. He knew he really had nothing to retrieve, so he should have just apparated right then, he would have too. "Draco! Draco" a voice called behind him as he headed back towards his chambers. Draco turned to see Tobias approaching him. His face had a worried expression. "Did you bring Ginny back!" Draco asked suddenly stricken with the idea that she might still be dying out on the fields. "Yes" Tobias nodded. Draco sighed in relief. "But there was someone there with her when I went to retrieve. They promised to seek revenge for our taking her" Tobias said seriously. His blue eyes were filled with an unreadable grave look. Draco saw a brief flash in his mind of an unknown figure standing over Ginny. "Who?" Draco demanded. He hoped to god that it wasn't Snape he couldn't have dealt with him, not after what he did to him. "Harry Potter of the Regal Alliance" Tobias said stiffening at the very name. Draco flinched. Harry, of course it would be Harry. Always there to save the day Harry Bloody Potter. "Well that is none of my concern" Draco snapped. Tobias looked at him with mild surprise, though he was used to Draco's mood swings. "I leave in an hour. I have switched bases." Tobias nodded. He knew Draco would try and run. This is how he managed his emotions. "Are you going to say goodbye first?" he asked fighting the smirk from coming on his face. Draco understood that he meant saying goodbye to Ginny so he shook his head in a resounding no. "I have no such plans" he said in a cool calculated tone. "I think you should. She is sick" Tobias said quietly. Draco froze for a second. "She has witches fever" Tobias informed him. "I have no plans to see her. She is just a healer" Draco said through grit teeth. "If she dies then good riddance" He whirled around to head back to his room leaving Tobias in the hall. Draco knew Witches Fever had no cure. The only way to fight it was to have a strong will to live. He knew Ginny could survive it. Draco hurried back to his room, he was searching for something in particular. He swung open his trunk and removed a cloak. It shimmered like water as he touched it. Draco remembered his father had given it to him for his sixteenth birthday. His own invisibility cloak. Draco gently attached it and examined himself in the mirror making sure he couldn't see any part of himself. Once satisfied with his transparent look he left his room. Draco slipped through the halls careful not to hit anyone and arouse suspicions. He stopped infront of her door. It was open and he could see Ginny thrashing in her bed. He slipped in the doorway and looked at her. His mother and June Haven were either side of her trying to get her to stop. Her skin held a shiny layer of sweat, she was ghastly pale and her hair was damp and stringy. Suddenly her eyes opened extremely wide. They were red with the fever. "HARRY!" she screamed, her voice raspy. Draco watched her looked around the room and settle on him. His heart gave a slight jump. She was looking at him, like she could see him even though he had the cloak on. Her face was filled with confusion and she tried to get up. Narcissa and June immediately went to push her back against the bed. "Let me get up" she begged her voice weak and strained. "You have to sleep you are very sick" June said brushing the thick masses of red hair from her forehead. Draco winced at the pain she must be in. "Harry is that you?" she asked hopefully looking at Draco again. Draco felt a stab of unneeded pain. Of course she would be hoping for Harry. He watched her eyes settle shut. "Who was she talking to?" Narcissa asked looking over at Draco. It was clear she couldn't see him. "I don't know" June shrugged. "We should go and get her medicines though." She said. Narcissa nodded and the two swept out of the room past Draco. As soon as they were gone Draco shut the door. He walked silently over to the edge of her bed. Her breathing was shallow and her eyelashes were fluttering. "Hello Ginny" Draco said quietly. He reached his hand for her cheek but stopped himself. He could do it. "I wanted to tell you I am sorry" Draco sighed. It was hard to say it, even though she was asleep and delirious with fever. "You are probably the last person I would ever want to hurt" Ginny's face broke a small blissful smile as she shifted I her bed. He knew he would regret it, but he reached his hand and touched her cheek. The minute he did this she leaned into his touch. Draco felt himself soar at this small gesture. He now never wanted to remove his hand. "It will be okay now" he assured her sadly. "Harry?" Ginny said, her voice was filled with hope and contentment. Draco flinched. "I suppose that is a sign" he snorted slightly removing his hand. Ginny could never like him, he could never like Ginny. She would always be for someone like Harry Potter. Someone not like him. "I'm leaving now, I won't coming back" he informed her, his voice was more cold than before. He watched a smile form on her face, it tore at his heart but he turned to leave. Draco hesitated and turned back. Leaning down he softy kissed her forehead. It wasn't as though she would ever remember it. With that Draco exited the room and removed his invisibility cloak. It was time to join the new base and forget the name Ginny Weasley. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny woke at the feeling of a cold cloth hitting her head. Her eyes flew open and she was faced with a woman she had never seen before. She smiled kindly at her. She had large brown eyes, black braids and a smooth mocha complexion. "You are going to be fine now" she said. Ginny recognized her voice as someone who had talked to her earlier. It was all a blur though. "You had witches fever" she informed her as if she could read minds. "Who are you?" Ginny asked sitting herself up. She was surprised to find it brought no nausea. "June Haven" she smiled. "I have been taking care of you" "Are you a healer. I don't remember seeing you before." She frowned. "No, I am just a Death Eater's wife" she smiled. "It is a life style I swear" Ginny had to crack a smile. "I am sorry" she said. She knew the treatment of most Death Eater's wives. They were abused, raped and hurt in pretty much every way. "No, it really isn't like that. I love my husband. We met long before all of this" she explained. "Who is your husband?" Ginny asked tucking her loose strands of red hair behind her ears. "Commander Tobias Haven" she smiled a little love smile on her face. "Oh" Ginny nodded. June smiled in understanding. "It must be nice to have someone like him." she said wistfully. She hadn't meant to sound so needy, but it was true. June just smiled. "After this war is over, I am sure that you will find someone" she said a hint of sadness in her voice like she pitied her. Ginny flushed slightly. "Do you know what is to happen now?" she asked changing the subject. "I think that you are expected back in the Healer's den by six thirty. There are still many injured men coming in. A battle has started just west of Belfast. They say it is going to end this all." June said a hint of hope in her voice. "Am I going to have to go?" Ginny asked her voice revealing her worry. She wasn't looking forward to returning to battle. If she had thought it was hard healing for the Light Side, it was twice the challenge for the Death Eaters. "I don't believe so" June smiled. "It will be nice when this is all over. Lets hope that Harry Potter can finally put Voldemort in his place" she said her voice filled with spirit. Ginny widened her eyes and June seemed to notice that. "Just because I am here doesn't mean I want us to win" June said misinterpreting her shocked face. "H-Harry?" Ginny asked suddenly the memories all came flooding back to her. Seeing his face, then waking up. Had that been him in the doorway? She could barely remember. "Yes Ginny. Harry Potter. Commander of the Regal Alliance" June said a strange look crossing her face. "He is the only one who will ever put a stop to this." "He was there" Ginny said suddenly her voice gone going shrilly. She kicked off her covers her eyes suddenly searching the room as though he might be hiding in the walls. "Potter?" June asked obviously bewildered. She watched the fiery red head wave her hand over a small area near the door. "He was here. I could sense him. He was watching me" Ginny said turning back to June. June forced a smile. She supposed the poor girl was delusional from the medication. "Am I interrupting?" a quiet knock came at the door. Ginny and June both turned to see Tobias at the door. He was no longer wearing his army clothes, but a sleeveless black shirt and baggy black pants. "TOBIAS!" June shrieked running to her husband. Ginny realized that she must have not seen him since the last battle. She ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. Ginny smiled nostalgically at the two. She slipped back beneath the covers wishing she could leave them to have a moment, but she had no where to go. Certainly no where to go in her undergarments. "I missed you" Tobias said pulling apart from his wife. He kissed her softly on the lips. Ginny could feel the affection radiating off of the two. They were so very much in love. That much was obvious. Tobias broke the kiss and looked up at Ginny. "Feeling better?" he asked wrapping one of his arms protectively around his spouse. "As good as one can feel" Ginny said pulling the blankets up further. It embarrassed her that she was there. She felt like an intruder in her own room. Tobias was about to respond when the door burst open. All three of them averted their eyes to see Narcissa in the doorway. She reminded Ginny of when she had first met her. Her hair was in coarse, wild mounds of silver and blond mixing, her skin a sickly pale color. The most disturbing part was her eyes. Instead of the usual alive sparks that seemed to jump from her eyes they were instead brimming with tears. Red was around the rim and it looked as though she had just burst into tears. "Where is he?" Narcissa asked weakly looking at Tobias almost accusingly. "Ireland. He left last night" Tobias said apologetically. Ginny was confused. Who were they talking about. "How did you know he left" Tobias asked sound equally confused. Narcissa dropped her head to look at the ground. Her shoulders slumped causing her to give the effect of detrimental sadness. As she spoke her voice was quiet and slow. There was no trace of her former confidence. "Because a mother always knows." She said lifting her head again. Ginny felt her stomach lurch. It seemed so unnatural for Narcissa to be so beaten. "Who left Cissa?" Ginny asked her voice trembling. Deep down she already knew the answer. "I need to speak to Ginny alone" Narcissa said her voice retrieving a little of it's old self in tone. Tobias and June both nodded and left the room. Ginny watched as June briefly touched her arm in a sign of support. They shut the door after their retreat. "Ginny you know who left" she said slowly. Ginny breathed in for a moment. She knew she should be feeling happy, not for Narcissa, but for herself. She knew who had left. "Draco" she said with a nod. Narcissa gave a pained smile before sitting on the edge of Ginny's bed. "I will never see him again" she said her eyes filling with another layer of salty tears. Ginny opened her mouth to question the statement but Narcissa brought her hand up in silence. "I know these things Ginny. One of us is going to die before we have the chance to see each other again". Ginny felt her stomach drop. She didn't want Draco to die. He may have been heartless, but he was still undeserving of death. "How?" she asked ignoring the tears that now filled her eyes. "I don't know" Narcissa said wiping a tear from her own cheek. "I can only pray that I am the one to die, not him. A mother should never bury her own son" Ginny looked into the pale blue eyes of Narcissa. "Don’t say that Cissa" she commanded not being able to bear the thought of her dying, or Draco dying. She had to be wrong. "A sweet Ginny. I really meant what I said before. I had been waiting for you" Narcissa smiled. "Tell my son when you see him that I loved him." she said a small smile breaking her lips. She reached out and touched Ginny's soft red hair. "Now get some rest child. I am sure that you will need it" **************************************************************************** Chapter 8 Apparation ********** Draco sat silently in his small room he shared with two other men. The living conditions at the Ireland base was to say the least, not to his liking. The moment he had arrived nearly three weeks earlier, he had been given two hundred untrained men to place into the battle beginning waged just outside of Belfast. He brought his hands to his face and sighed running them back through his hair. If he had ever thought it had been difficult before, now it was just hell. The battle in Belfast had started the day before he arrived and now it had been going on still. He hated going out there. Bodies lined to ground and you had no choice but to use them as a carpet. There wasn't any healers left, they all either had abandoned their posts or had been killed while trying to save soldiers so the fatality count was on a steady and bloody rise. Draco was about to shut off the lights and ignore the fact that the two other commanders had not returned yet, when suddenly the doors burst open. The two very red faced commanders traipsed into the room, scantily clothed women under each of their arms squirmed trying in vain to escape their grasps. "COMMANDER MALFOY!" one of them said as though they had been old friends. "You weren't at the pubs tonight! Come have one of our woman. It is a time for celebration!" Draco turned in disgust away from the extremely young looking girls they gripped close to them. The eldest one couldn't have been more than sixteen. "What is there to celebrate? Not one of my men returned from battle yesterday" Draco said flatly. "The Dark Lord is coming 'ere!" the other one said boastfully. "In two days time, Voldemort is coming and 'e is bring'in all the soldier and 'ealers he can to win this fight" "Why would he come here." Draco asked, his eyes narrowed at the suspicion. There had to be something bigger happening. "They say 'arry Potter is coming and this is going to be the final battle. Everyone 'as to be fighting starting tomorrow. This is going to be the biggest battle in 'istory" he answered his eyes were filled with blood thirst and intoxication. He threw one of the girls down on the bed who let out a cry of fear and surprise. Draco stood knowing that the conversation had drawn to a close by the commanders short attention span and female bodies. In detestation Draco stood and exited to the room. The last thing he need to hear was the pained screams of the women, no the children. Heading out onto the bare training fields he saw that there was absolutely no one in sight. From the base, Belfast was no more than a few miles away. A hazy red smoke lightened the sky from the soon to be famous siege on the edge of the horizon. The faint sound of explosions and screams were no more than a gentle rustle, but every blow echoed in Draco's mind. He was relatively unaffected by distant battle, but he turned away anyway so he didn't have to think about 'work'. After all that was all it really was. Draco sighed and once again ran his fingers through his hair. If it was true that Lord Voldemort was to arrive than this would be the end. Draco felt his breath catch in his throat. The war would be over. It seemed so long ago when it had been peaceful, and now there was a chance that it could be once again. The very idea for some reason brought Ginny to his head. The image of the fiery angel he had worked so hard to worm out of his head for the past three weeks sudden appeared in perfect remembrance standing in front of him. Her red hair silken and contrasting with her pale skin. Her dark eyes and full lashes looking up at him with betrayal and hatred brewing beneath the soft brown color. The Ginny-Memory bit her lip and turned away from him. Draco didn't try to stop her. This was reality over taking him. He watched as she walked away from him. Her phoenix tattoo glinting from her revealed shoulder blade. She never turned back and soon disintegrated into his consciousness. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny winced as Hanna leaned in to heal the cut still bleeding along her neck. A quick flash of light burned slightly as it healed the wound. "Don't worry, I am sure Tobias will be back soon" Hanna said her voice lined with pity. Ginny forced a nod. Tobias had left a week earlier, he had gone away on some business of some sort, and that left Ginny with more brutal commanders. "Lets hope so" Ginny sighed hopping of the bed. Hanna gave her a weak smile and put her wand away. The two girls had taken sanctuary "We are going to heading to Belfast tomorrow. The Dark Lord joining the fight" Hanna said gravely. "But it will be impossible to heal everyone there" Ginny exclaimed horrified. Hanna nodded grimly. "They don't care. As long as they are using all of their resources" "Well at least we won't be in the manor anymore. If this war is going to end in Belfast, then it is going to be ended in favor of the Regal Alliance" Ginny sighed rubbing her cheek when her Commander had hit her. Hanna pressed her lips together and said nothing in response. "I have to go to bed" she said standing. Ginny nodded and the older blond left the room. Ginny yawned before crawling up the bed and beneath the thin covers. She let her eyes slide shut and the night and sleep over take her. ~~~~~~~~ Ginny woke to the sharp sounds of voices in the halls. Sitting right up in bed she could see that all was still dark. Thunderous sounds came from outside. There was a flash of red that assaulted her eyes, it lit the room for only a second before returning it to darkness. Ginny jerked her head as the door open and a figure entered. "GINNY get up!" the panicked voice said moving swiftly to her bedside. There was another flash of red and Ginny could see the face for a second. "Narcissa what is going on?" Ginny asked standing from her bed, she blinked away her remaining sleep and focused on the woman infront of her. Narcissa quickly grabbed her shoulders. "Ginny, the Regal Alliance is attacking. They are taking no prisoners. Go downstairs try to get apparated to Belfast. Just tell a Commander that you have orders" Narcissa said fiercely. Ginny didn't know what to say. She knew that it would be her only escape. "What about you?" Narcissa gave her a sad smile. "Voldemort would never let me leave. I shall stay" Ginny felt a sudden jolt. "If you stay the Regal Alliance will kill you with the rest. Come with me. Explain yourself. Voldemort will surely let you" "Listen to yourself Ginny, even as you say that, you know it isn't true" Narcissa said urgently. "JUST GO!" she released her grip on Ginny and gave her a firm shove towards the door. "I won't!" Ginny said stubbornly. She knew it would be impossible to leave Narcissa. "Don't tempt me girl" Narcissa said coldly. She approached the young red head and slapped her firmly across the cheek. "You listen to me and get out of here" Ginny brought her hand to her stinging cheek. She had been hit many times before, but never had it hurt this much. "Don't make me go Narcissa. The guilt will haunt me". She couldn't keep the tears that bit her eyes at bay, so they splashed onto her hand and cheek. Narcissa seemed to freeze for a second before realizing what she was doing. Her firm face softened "Ginny, if you don't go, the guilt left with my son will kill him, why not just let one die instead of three. Please go child, it is my final wish" Ginny was torn. She took a deep breath and kissed Narcissa's cheek. "I'll leave for you, but not for your son. I will keep my promise, he shall know you loved him" "Thank you" Narcissa said. Ginny nodded and turned away. She took no notice that she still wore her nightgown. She entered the halls which were a bustle of activity. Soldiers pushed past one another in utter chaos to get permission to leave the manor. Ginny was pulled and pushed with the growing throng of panic. "Ginny! Ginny" a voice called as Ginny managed to get pushed down the stairs. Ginny managed to catch her fall with her hands. She stood quickly yelping as someone kicked her firmly in the ribs. Ginny stood brushing herself up and ignoring the pain in her side. "Come Ginny! We are apparating out of here!" Hanna said sternly grabbing her arm. Ginny winced and followed the distraught girl behind a tapestry. Ginny vaguely remembered going back their before. A small fear wormed inside of her. She could feel the cruel aura of Voldemort filling the air. Ginny suddenly tried to stop, but Hanna wouldn't have it. She pulled the girl forward and through the same door. In the room was some of the more elitist soldiers. One by one they began to disappear in to thin air. "Ah the healers have arrived" a sharp voice called. Ginny could feel the spiders crawling up her spine at the cold tone. "Yes Lord Voldemort" Hanna said confidently. She stepped between soldiers still in the room parting them to reveal a throne chair Ginny remembered from before. There was another flash of light from outside reminding them that an attack was still going on. Voldemort quickly brought his wand out and pointed it at blond woman. She disappeared. Ginny felt suddenly unsettled. She met Voldemort's blue eyes and felt herself move forward almost of her own will. "I see you have been trained" he smirked looking over her form. Ginny shuddered under his glare but said nothing. "Well I suppose it really doesn't matter what we do with you. The minute you are spotted in Belfast you will die. If you stay here, you will die. Consistency is key." Ginny refused to look away. She didn't care if he could read her thoughts. Her hatred for him outlived any other emotion. Voldemort was going to die tomorrow. **************************************************************************** Chapter 9 Hell's Holiday **************************************************************************** Draco straightened his red viper band. He knew that he had to be prepared to die today, it frightened him how the idea didn't even make him blink. Maybe Hell would be a holiday from the life he was living now. The idea made him smirk. The only comfort he could feel was that this would all be over after this one excruciatingly long battle. He could go traveling. He could take his mother just as she used to take him when he was younger. Draco felt a pang of guilt. His mother would probably disown him given the opportunity. Draco had treated her horribly since the war started. Sighing Draco stopped touching his band. It was now more crinkled than when he had started to smooth it. "Draco we have to talk" a solemn and quiet voice said behind him. Draco jumped at the tone. It was unusual to hear such a gentle voice in a place where yelling was considered normal. He turned to meet Tobias's steady gaze. Draco felt his stomach drop as he looked at his friend. He carried dark circles under his red eyes. It looked like he had been crying which made Draco even more uneasy. Tobias may have been more sensitive than the other soldiers, but he was also more collected. He was always the last one to break down in any situation. "Tobias?" Draco said weakly even though he had meant it as a greeting it sounded like a question. "They did it Draco. They took down the manor" Tobias said coldly his eyes filming over with Draco could only guess was more tears. "Anyone with out a pass to battle was left to die. It is nothing more than rubble." Draco felt his breath catch as he realized why Tobias was so upset. "June?" he asked tentatively. Tobias seemed to shudder at the mention of her name. He dropped his head and Draco was horrified to see this full grown man's shoulders shake with his grief as he wept for his lost wife. He wanted to comfort him, but had never experienced a loss except his father and that was hardly worth crying over. He knew not how to help. Draco shifted from foot to foot as though keeping movement would make the situation less real. Finally Tobias took control of his sorrow and brought his eyes back up to Draco's. "Draco, you mother, she also" Tobias didn't get to finish what he was saying. "Mum" Draco said meekly. Suddenly he knew what Tobias was feeling. A queasy feeling overtook his chest and he found himself unable to support his own weight. The supposedly heartless commander was brought to his knees. Draco squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't cry. Draco wasn't sure if he even had the ability to cry, it was a foreign emotion, much like what he was experiencing now. All he could see what his mothers laughing face. As she took his hand and showed him the sights in Italy, hugged him tightly when they received Draco's Hogwarts letter and press the ice to his cheek after his first attempt on the broom. Every memory of her rushed through his head in a sickening movie reel. He breathed deeply bracing his hands on the stone floor he waited for it all to pass. Eventually Draco found it safe to open his eyes. A small red piece of fabric fell infront of his eyes. He recognized it as a viper band. He managed to look up at Tobias. "If I am going to fight today, I am going to fight for the side June would have wanted me to" he said firmly. Draco looked from his friend to the discarded band. He envied his simple choice. To do the right thing, to do what his loved one would have wanted. Draco didn't have that. He didn't know what his mother would have wanted. He was amazed that Tobias had no vengeance, he was willing to join the people who killed his wife. "How can you do that?" Draco asked steadily. He ran a hand through his blond hair which stubbornly fell into his contemptuous gray eyes again. "How can you not?" Tobias said quietly. There was a stretch of silence in which Draco could not answer. Draco looked down to the ground and heard a small pop. He knew that Tobias was gone. Gone to die, gone to live. Just gone. Draco stood on shaky legs. He didn't know what he planned to do. He knew what he should do, but that was easier said than done. Touching the comforting red band Draco cringed as he heard the sound of the Velcro tear away from him. He dared not look at it as his only identity fell to the floor. "It wasn't your identity" Draco reminded himself thinking of his mother. A pain in his gut seared through him and he wasn't sure how he was going to do this, but somehow he knew he could. **************************************************************************** ********** Ginny squeezed her eyes shut as Voldemort lowered his wand to her. She felt the familiar whooshing sound of being apparated to the battlefield. Ginny made a soft landing and was surprised that she had perfected on keeping her balance on deplaning. Ginny then let her eyes flutter open and just about collapsed. The revolting sight ahead of her was enough to make anyone faint. In fact as soldiers apparated beside her, some fainted dead away. Ginny didn't blame them. The vast field was covered in nothing more than bodies. The incandescent smell of decaying corpses permeated the air, shouts from the hundreds of witches and wizards flew all over the blood bath like a child's playground, only this one could be found in hell not in the school yard. The sun was just beginning to come out in the early morning and the shadows created in the morning glow made it look like a cemetery alive with suffering. Ginny took a sharp breath, but her mind was blank, she dared not move. The fear of being downed by the hundreds of soldiers was huge. Miss aimed cursed flew all over the battle field, Voldemort was right. If she had stayed she would die, and being here wasn't giving her much better odds. A large stream of purple light blocked by someone now reflected in her direction. Ginny threw herself to the ground to avoid getting hit. She was horrified as her hand that braced her fall landed on a body. Squeaking Ginny took her hand away and cursed herself for being so squeamish, this was her job after all. With trembling fingers she brought her hand to the corpses face. The eyes were wide with a glassy look and the mouth twisted in pain. Realizing Ginny was holding her breath she let it go and brought the eyelids down over the lifeless eyes. The small action brought some of Ginny's courage and conviction back. She stood back up and remembered her purpose. Forcing herself into the trance for work Ginny forced herself to just separate the living from the dead, the dangerous from the harmless like she would separate white from black. Swiftly moving Ginny found herself with ample energies. She helped only those still able to call out, and barely noticed as she was knocked to the ground on several occasions. Ginny leaned down and quickly healed a man. She tried to stand again but felt his hands pull her back down. Her eyes flew open and she focused on the now stronger man. "Ms. Weasley?" he asked in a surprised voice. Ginny shuddered and pulled herself away. "Professor Snape?" she asked standing. Her former teacher also stood. Both just seemed to look at each other for a minute. "I never expected to see someone like you out here" Snape said a sad smile on his face. "Especially in Death Eater robes" Ginny touched the muddied white robes self consciously. "Professor, did you expect any of this?" Ginny asked bringing her hand up to scan the fields which were still alive with blood shed. "No, Ms. Weasley I suppose I didn't. Thank you for curing me." Snape said with a slight tip of his head in her direction. With that he walked past her and disappeared in the growing anguish. Ginny sucked in more of the humid air and continued to heal. Ginny heard a cry, she looked down, but couldn't see any living person. Her eyes scanned through the death looking for signs of life. "GINNY!" someone jerked her from search. Everything seemed to stop as the figure ran up to her. It was Harry, if he was here everything was going to be okay. "Harry!" Ginny called, she could barely fight the tears at the surprise of seeing someone she knew and loved. He pulled her into a hug that made Ginny leave the ground. "This is just some nightmare" Ginny sobbed clutching his robes. "I'll wake you up soon" Harry soothed stroking her hair. Ginny stifled a cry. For some reason this wasn't comforting enough for her. It was strange to not have his word be enough. She pulled away. "Harry promise you will end this today" Ginny whimpered. "This is already ending Ginny. I can apparate you to a safe place now" Harry said raising his wand. "NO!" Ginny said shocked by the conviction in her voice. "I have to do my job" she said firmly. Harry pressed his lips together before nodding. "Alright" he said wiping a smear of mud from her cheek. "Just be safe" he directed firmly. Ginny nodded and turned away from him. With Harry suddenly back in the battle Ginny felt alone again. It bothered her. His presence had felt much more reassuring when she had the fever. She had felt safer. Ginny brushed the thought from her mind and continued to scan the body littered ground for life. Spotting someone Ginny ran forward and resumed her work once again. Ginny brushed the sweat from her forehead. She knew it must have been hours since she had started. People were dying as fast as they were apparating in, and there was still no sign of Voldemort. Once he arrived the blood shed would double, and then it would all end abruptly. Ginny knew this and would bet anything on it. Bending down she checked the non-existent pulse of a witch. Her flesh was already cold so Ginny moved on. She looked up for a second and saw a flash of blond. She brought her eyes back up and saw him. Draco was throwing curses with another Death Eater. Ginny stopped breathing for a second. He was fighting against his own side. Her eyes trailed to his arm and saw that his band was now missing. A few seconds later the Death Eater he had been fighting lay on the ground. Ginny smiled as she saw this. A comforting feeling over took her. Everything was going to be fine. Draco turned in her direction and seemed to catch her eye but he turned away quickly wand drawn and eyes focused on an approaching figure. Ginny followed his gaze and saw that it was locked on none other than Harry Potter. **************************************************************************** ********** Draco hesitated and looked at the red band. Before he could change his mind he forced himself to apparate out. He didn't even flinch as he appeared in the middle of the heated battle. The minute he arrived a curse hit him causing a large wound to appear on the side of his abdomen where it had appeared. Draco ignored the pain knowing the blow wasn't fatal. Pulling out his wand Draco quickly found a Death Eater to make eye contact with. He began to shoot curses and hexes and soon the man was on the ground dead. Draco cringed. He wasn't used to killing another Death Eater, but it seemed more justified than harming someone from the Light Side. He turned and found himself faced with a Death Eater he vaguely recognized. "Commander what are you doing?" the man asked terrified. "You are b- betraying the D-Dark Lord" he announced defiantly. His wand became pointed directly at Draco. "I am finally on the right side" Draco said smoothly as though the idea was old news. Really it had just struck him. Tobias was right. This seemed a lot more worthy than vengeance for his mothers death. "Then I will have to take you out" the man said darkly. He shot a curse at Draco which he easily countered. It wasn't hard to see that this man, no boy was not experienced at all in combat. "I am sorry" Draco sighed before shooting a fatal hex. The boy dropped to his knees unable to block it, he got the full effect. Draco turned away. He saw a flash of red and tried to focus on it. "MALFOY!" a loud voice called behind him. Draco turned away reluctantly from what might have been Ginny and faced the person who he was not looking forward to encountering. Harry Potter. "Harry Potter" Draco said. He took pleasure in watching the man flinch at the sound of his first name from his enemies mouth. Harry had his wand drawn same as Draco. Both were keeping them perfectly trained on each other. "I just saw you down two Death Eaters" Harry said accusingly. "You are a Death Eater. What is this Mutiny?" Draco smirked and lowered his wand. "No it is realization" he said. Harry seemed taken back, but made no attempts to show the same surrender. "You are in league with Voldemort!" Harry spat, his eyes darkened with hatred. "You may have decided to take on this new heart now, but you supported the man that killed my parents" "And YOU were the man that killed mine" Draco said not hiding the hurt from his tone. He waited for Harry to answer, but he seemed to have none. So Draco took a breath and for some reason found himself trying to make a truce with his life long enemy. "We both know what it is like to lose family Harry. Why don't we just forget this now. I hate you, you hate me. Lets just walk away from this before one of us does something we will regret" The last comment seemed to register with Harry. His green eyes remained dark. "I promise you Malfoy, I will not regret this". Draco opened his mouth to speak, but had no time to react. He didn't hear what Harry said, but the stream of light flew out of his wand and hit Draco squarely in the shoulder. Draco gasped as the racking pain flew through his body. Blood poured from the point of impact and Draco fell backwards onto the ground. He looked up at Harry who seemed equally shocked by his own actions. His green eyes had returned to their original look of perpetual concern. Draco knew the curse was fatal. The pain was already numbing and the blood loss was rising at substantial rates. "I am sorry" Harry said quietly. It was clear he regretted the rash choice. He cast his head down and began to walk away. Draco allowed his rigid body to relax into the pool of his own blood. Dying seemed a lot easier than living. **************************************************************************** Chapter 10 All is Fair In ************************************************************************************** Ginny watched in horror as Draco hit the ground. It almost seemed to happen in slow motion. "NO!" Ginny cried, but her voice was lost in the sea of noise and destruction. Ginny pushed through the crowds, barely noticing the curses thrown in her direction. She finally got a clear visual of the Blond Slytherin lying in his own blood. His eyes were squeezed shut as he avoided the pain. "Draco?" she said quietly. She wasn't even sure what she was doing. They were enemies and this was war. Death was expected. Draco made no movements to show he acknowledged her presence. His shallow breathing was the only thing letting her know he was still alive. Ginny sucked in her breath, there was so much blood. There was a large crack and Ginny looked up in surprise. A icy feeling over took her and she knew Voldemort had arrived. The screams around her increased as the battle became even more blood thirsty. She looked down at Draco again. His skin was becoming ghastly pale. His breathing slowing more with each passing second and the blood seeped beneath the hand protecting the gash. "Draco I don't know what to do" Ginny whispered. She kneeled down next to him and brought a hand to his head and brushed the hair away. As she did this his eyes flew open. Ginny was so startled she moved her hand away. "Ginny?" Draco asked, his voice raspy and weak. His eyes fluttered from her to Snape and then back to her again. He removed his crimson hand from his shoulder which now bled more freely than before. With all his strength he moved his hand upwards to her neck. Ginny was frozen looking into his terrified silver eyes that seemed fixated on his moving hand. He stopped briefly and touched the dip of her neck and collar bone. Ginny shivered at the touch. He then grabbed the silver chain that attached the prison amulet to her neck and snapped in with a flick of the wrist. Ginny yelped with the momentary pain the action caused. His hand fell to his side more weak than before. "I am sorry" he breathed before wincing as a spasm of pain attacked him again. The amulet fell lifeless to the ground. Suffocation. Pure blighting suffocation of stirring emotion. Ginny felt smothered against the rise of immutable feelings that strangled her throat, asphyxiated her mind. "Draco don't go," she pleaded. Her fingers, shaking and blind, followed the soft curve of his hairline; the once blonde strands were wet and dark with hot, sticky blood. Her fingers quivered over the wet patches, her eyes watching in disbelief. "Please, Draco," she whispered. "Please." "I-I" Draco attempted speech. "Shh," she whispered, her voice nearly lost beneath the snarled and embroiled rages of war. Spastic shots of magic tore through the air all too close for comfort. Bodies carpeted the ground; a woman--long-dead--reached out with lacerated fingers towards Draco's fallen form as though asking for a donation, an act of hospitality. Her eyes were filmy volleys of faded root beer. Her face a incongruous mass of melted flesh and broken bone, shattered dreams and lost hope. Ginny's innocence eyes watched the corpse, watched the woman in her dead reach, her dead askance for charity, and felt tears prick at her own eyes. She could not let Draco become just another body to carpet the once green field. Yet he lay dying, his eyes already possessing the sightless gauze of death, and she could not move. "Lay still, Draco," Ginny said. He did not respond. "Draco?" Nothing. Ginny let her arms cradle his head gently. Looking down at his ashen face pushed away any doubt in her mind. She had to save him. Ginny leaned down and without hesitation softly pressed her lips to his. She could still feel the faint heartbeat matching beats with her own. He moaned slightly as her lips began to implore with his. It was filled with Ginny's own innocence, a soft show of unknown affection. The battle muted, the cries silenced and all she could think about was whether he could live or not. A tingling warm feeling overtook Ginny, she opened her eyes but didn't break the kiss. Draco's eyes were open, the silver shine beginning to retake form. They looked at one another as Ginny continued, a silent understanding. A white glow appeared around Ginny, a radiation of her power and gift. Ginny knew that it was beginning to work. She prepared herself for what was next..... Ginny's eyes squeezed shut again as the tingling feeling turned into burn. Suddenly all innocence melted away. A blade of agony, pain-racked and piercing cleaved through her soft flesh, her innocence skin. The winged tattoo on her neck seemed to have invoked a guillotine's edge to sever her head from her shoulders, a giant's hand to rip the whole into two. She felt the power of the wings surge through her body and filter into Draco. The young death-eater convulsed beneath her, his mouth became active and implored through her to have more life. A final cry from death. Ginny had anticipated the pain, but could not have fathomed the blinding torment it was causing. The tattoo continued to feed Draco its power, continued to revive him from his deathlike state. Draco convulsed again. Ginny dared not pushed away, she had to make sure he lived no matter the pain it caused her. Draco seemed to regain strength for suddenly his lips seemed to catch the rhythmic motion of the dying kiss. The pain ebbed away and all Ginny could feel was his warm lips on hers, the heat still radiating, the comforts returning. The pain became a forgotten memory as he returned the kiss with passion seeming not necessary in reviving him. His blue eyes focussed, death's filmy membrane removed. Ginny felt the last surge of the tattoo's power filter into Draco, and she felt the death-eater release his grip and push away from her. A gasp of life emitted from deep within himself. She fell back to the ground, unconscious, weak, vulnerable. The healing had taken too much energy, too much strength. She was helpless, and Draco was fully revived. ************************************************************************************** Draco gasped as he shot up from the small collection of blood. His vision was blurred but he knew he was okay. He brought his hand to the shoulder of his robes. The blood was still sticky and warm beneath his tentative touch, but the wound was gone. No scar, no pain nothing. A surge of strength rushed through him. He wasn't sure how it had happened. A figure entered his shadows and Draco became aware of the carnage around him. Looking up he saw the person lift a muddied figure from the ground. Her body seemed lifeless and her garbs dark with blood and dirt. His heart lurched as he noted the red hair. "Ginny?" He let his eyes drift up to the person carrying her. Their head was bent over her and they almost seemed to be morning the heavenly creature. "Draco, come with me. She must leave here now or she will be dead soon" the person said lifting their eyes to meet his. Draco was surprised to see Severus Snape. It looked so out of his element to be cradling the small form. Draco stood from the ground. Around him the battle was hitting the climax of action. He looked around not really understanding. He felt at peace, a feeling he wasn't sure he had experienced before. "What happened to me?" Draco said his voice a whisper lost in the turrets of noise. "Just take her and go back to my manor" Snape snapped. He pushed the unconscious girl into Draco's arms. He had only his quick reflexes to thank for not dropping her. The weakened girl curled closer to him. A small pale hand pressed daintily against his chest. "What happened to her?" Draco asked stubbornly. It didn't seem important the urgency in Snape's voice, or the increasing danger. He wanted answers. "JUST GO!" Snape said harshly. His breaking voice snapped Draco out of the strange delusional trance he had melted into. He didn't wait another second. He balanced Ginny in one arm so as to remove his want. "Returius Severus Manor" he hissed so even he could barely hear himself. He felt the familiar feeling of apparition and suddenly found himself in a grand entry way. It was a shock to not have the screams and chaos surrounding him. It had been like that for so long. Now standing in the marble entry way he felt strangely out of place. The blood from his robes dribbled onto the ground and soaked the pristine floors. He breathed deeply and found that it held no trace of the carnage he was used to. A soft moan pulled him abruptly from the examination. Ginny whimpered slightly and pressed her face close into his side. Draco clutched her protectively and moved further into the manor. He had been there many times before, usually had used it as a refuge from his father. Snape had always welcomed him warmly. Draco trudged up the white carpeted stairs ignoring the wine colored footprints he left in his wake. He found his former room easily and pushed the door open. The large bed was in the middle of the room, just as he had left it before. He walked over and set the petit girl on the crushed velvet blanket. Ginny seemed to sense the change as her eyes fluttered open meekly. She looked up at Draco, not quite coherent enough to really understand what was going on. "I knew you would live" she said before her eyes fluttered shut again. Draco sucked in his breath. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Something seemed different, but he couldn't remember what had happened. Looking down at her he searched with his eyes for clues of why she fainted, or why he was still alive. Nothing came to him and looking that hard at Ginny while she seemed to be so weak tore him up inside. He turned away from her dirty form and left the room with not so much as a look back at her. Once in the hall he managed to retrace his bloodied footprints back towards the entrance. He stopped as he came to a familiar door and pushed it open. Within the confines was a large bathroom, similar to the prefects bathroom at Hogwarts. Draco sighed and removed the blood incrusted clothing he work. He approached the tap and brought his arm out to turn on the water. He froze. He looked down at his bare forearm and saw something he hadn't seen since he was fourteen years old... His arm. Draco shaking touched his forearm with his fingers lightly. The Dark Mark was gone. His pale arm looked unblemished as though it had never had any injuries. His mind swarmed with ideas, maybe it had disappeared after he betrayed Voldemort.... No Snape's mark never left his arm. It took extreme magic to remove a dark mark. He breathed deeply. . . unless. Draco turned and found a large mirror. Looking at his well sculpted chest and sinewy body he gasped. He ran his hand along his chest to make sure it was real. It was all gone. Every scar his father had ever bestowed on him, every Quidditch match gone wrong. It was all gone. A sickening realization hit him. Vita Basium. Suddenly it all flowed back to him, the kiss, her lips, he could feel her pain, her power. He remembered it all. "Oh gods" Draco breathed. He grabbed a spare set of robes from the large closest Snape had in the bathroom and took off towards Ginny's room. He burst through the door. "GINNY!" he called slightly breathless. His stomach hit the ground as he looked at the bed. It was empty. ************************************************************************************* Chapter 11 Remembering Relations ************************************************************************************** The door shut with a snap and Ginny opened her eyes, the assaulting light made her squint before her eyes adjusted to the light room. Her heart beat was pounding in her head insuring that she was still among the living. She sat up and ignored the dizzy feeling that was still lagging. The history of what had just happened rushed back to her. Looking down at her self she saw she was still wearing her dirty robes. Draco's blood had dried at the edges, but she knew it had not been long ago since some was still staining the immaculate bed spread. It took her a few minutes to completely adjust to being awake and process what had happened. Once she had, the question of where she was entered her mind. Nothing was familiar, the nearly completely white room did feel comfortable and was obviously that of someone wealthy. Ginny swung her legs down and let them press against the cold wood floor. Standing she found herself fairly unstable, but ignored it by gripping one of the intricately carved bedpost. There were absolutely no hints to who or what had brought her here, except... she spotted something from the corner of her eye. A wand had been dropped or discarded on the carpet near the door. She stumbled over and picked it up. It was one used in War, she could tell by the thick ebony cover. Ginny clutched it in trembling hands. This was the first time she had been in contact with protection in so long. She had to make a decision. Looking down she could feel herself adjust to the power within the wand. She knew she could make it perform, she could apparate home, go to The Burrow. The very thought made her heart yearn. The idea of home almost seemed foreign. She breathed deeply and held it above herself ready to summon herself home. A door snapped shut and made her jump. She could feel her heart rate pick up as rapid footsteps headed towards her door. Someone was coming. Ginny panicked but resolved to wait, there was a chance she had been rescued, and there was no reason to escape. The door burst open, just about hitting her and the familiar blond head appeared, still encrusted with dried blood. She didn't wait another second. Squeezing her eyes shut, she heard the small pop and knew she had left, she barely had a second to hear him say her name. Ginny opened her eyes again, and the minute she did, she heard the sound of shattering glass. "Ginny?" a weakened voice said. Ginny turned around. She was standing in the kitchen of the Burrow. Her mother stood by the sink, what used to be a plate was in pieces on the floor infront of her. Her eyes whelmed with relief as she looked around. She was home. "Mom" Ginny nodded. The older woman let out a stifled sob and moved forward to hug her daughter. "I didn't know where you were." She cried into her shoulder. Ginny hugged her soft mother letting her weep. It was obvious that the war, and all her children being gone to fight had taken a huge toll on her. "So many died Ginny, there were so many in the final battle and they are all gone" her mother said tearfully pulling her daughter back to look into her eyes. "Is-is everyone okay?" Ginny asked hesitantly. She knew she wouldn't be able to stand it if anyone in her family had been hurt, or worse. ... She didn't want to think about it. "Everyone is fine Ginny." Her mother nodded. "It is over. Harry finished this all" she sniffed. "Oi! Mom, what is all your weeping about!" a voice from the living room called. Ginny felt her heart soar. It was true, she was home. Ginny rushed into the living room and attacked her unsuspecting brother into a hug. "Ron!" she shrieked holding the young man firmly around the middle. Ron looked down at the petit red head, still covered in dried blood hugging him tightly. It took a second for him to register who she was. "G-Ginny!" Ron yelped pulling the girl away from him. He grabbed her shoulders to better look at her. It had been so long. Ginny was surprised to see that Ron looked so grown up. He had been away training and fighting in Scotland, she couldn't remember when she had seen him last. "I am okay Ron" Ginny assured her brother. She ignored the tears in his eyes, she knew he would hate it if she pointed them out. "We are all okay, we can live our lives now" ************************************************************************************** Six Months later...... Draco Malfoy looked around the room, he felt out of place, but it had been the Minister of Magic's request that he attend, Draco really couldn't say no. He walked into the expansive room provided by the Ministry, a light music was filling the air, a gentle undertone for the friendly chatter of the celebration. He caught a twinkling eye and looking over. Dumbledore was sitting at a table chatting idly with some officials. He beckoned Draco over, and the blond reluctantly joined them. "Mr. Malfoy" Dumbledore greeted kindly. "I would like you to meet my Deputy Minister Vivian Rein, and my Assistant Chairman, Dean Thomas." Dumbledore said graciously gesturing to the two people he had been speaking with. Draco nodded accordingly before locking eyes with Dean Thomas. He knew his a Gryffindor, back when they had gone to school. Draco shifted from foot to foot, but did not back down from the stare. He wasn't sure what Dean planned to say to him. Finally after a few tense seconds Dean broke the silence. "I heard wonders about the work you are doing in compensation for Families deaths" he said with an accepting nod. Draco let his breath go. His past didn't seem to cling to him the same, not since he had dropped that Red Band in Belfast. "Yes, well it is the least I can do. I am in grave debt" Draco said bowing his head slightly. Dean nodded again before breaking into a grin. It was clear Draco had made an acceptable beginning. "Well don't you two just stand around here" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "This is my party, and a celebration for all. I demand that you enjoy yourselves" "Yes, Well congratulations on the new position" Draco nodded to his former Headmaster. He turned and glided away. It all felt so surreal. Strange happenings to have a Malfoy attending this gathering instead of the one in Azkaban. He grabbed a champagne class from one the trays being carried around proudly by liberated house elves. Each one wore their own variety of clothing. He took a large sip hoping that the evening might go faster if it was a bit tipsy. Draco whirled around and just about spat out his drink. A red head was standing directly in his path. "Hello" Draco said calmly as though he saw them at every get together. "Malfoy, I want to talk to you" Ron Weasley said clenching and unclenching his fists. Draco attempted not to smirk, but found it much to easy and proceeded. "Alright then" Draco said with an inviting hand gesture. "Talk away." He continued to hold the bemused look simply because it annoyed his school rival. "It is about my sister" Ron said. Immediately the smile and color drained from Draco's face. It was funny that he hadn't even related *her* to Ron. Now it was all evidently clear. Draco stayed silent. No snide remarks or belittling comments came to him as he looked at the blood link to his heart, to his Ginny. Ron didn't seem the least bit surprised by his silence and continued. "She told me what you did for her" Draco cringed. He was going to get it now. He had been horrible. " She told me how you got her away from the fields after she fainted." Ron finished, it was clear he knew nothing of the Vita Basium. Draco wondered briefly why Ginny hadn't told him. His tense blue eyes locked with Draco's silver ones. Draco knew it was his way of giving a thank you. A thank you that he didn't deserve. Draco drew his breath for strength. He couldn't push the hate he had for Ron away, and he knew Ron still hated him. Neither of them wanted to be standing there making amends, but they also both knew it had to be done. "Have we reached an armistice then?" Draco asked tentatively. Ron smiled slightly and nodded. Draco made the first move and extended a hand. Ron gripped it firmly, both pulled away rather quickly. "Well then Mal- Draco, I guess I will see you around" Ron said rather insincerely. 'Yes, see you around" Draco nodded agreeing to the hollow promise. Ron then stepped away. Draco watched him return to a corner of the room where a rather beautiful brunette was talking avidly with some people Draco barely recognized from Hogwarts. Ron slid in beside her slipping his hand in hers. She turned to him and pecked him on the cheek. Draco snorted as he recognized the rather stunning beauty, Hermione Granger. "Granger huh?" he murmured to himself. It amused him, even he a Slytherin had heard about the hostility between those two back at school. Though as Draco recalled Ron never hesitated to defend her. "They seemed like an unlikely match that we all knew were destined" a voice said behind him. Draco stiffened as he immediately recognized the now world renowned voice. He turned away from the happy Gryffindor's. "Hello Potter" Draco said with a trace of a sneer. There was no doubt that the level of discomfort far surpassed what he had felt with Ron, in fact he might prefer to be have a row with Ron right at that moment. Harry's green eyes seemed to study Draco, a faint disdain hidden behind the glasses, but mixed with unadulterated confusion and guilt. He opened his mouth to speak but Draco silenced him with a hand. He couldn't take it if Harry apologized, not for the battle. "Don't" Draco said firmly. "We both know that your aim is pitiful, and that you couldn't throw a decent hex if you tried. If you had any skill you might of killed me, but you didn't" he finished. Harry stood his mouth pressed in a firm line. "It is okay Potter. I guarantee that I would have done the same. The battle field is a different place than real life" Draco's mouth twitched a smile, but was forced into a typical smirk. "I am sorry" Harry said quietly. It was obvious that it had been plaguing him for the past six months. Draco suddenly remembered the champagne in his hand and grateful took another swallow. "Hey, we are both still alive, no harm done" Draco said lightly. He really hadn't been thrilled at getting half killed by Harry, but in a sick way it almost evened the score. One near-death for years of torment seemed fair. He didn't feel right in holding a grudge. Lately doing the right seem had infected him. "This doesn't mean I like you Potter, I see that you still manage to hog all the spotlights. I am sure there is a camera crew waiting for you. Don't let me keep you" Draco said giving him a clear exit. The last thing he wanted was to continue this ridiculously uncomfortable situation. Harry hesitated so Draco gave him a firmer shove. "Oh sod off Potter, if you don't I might have to hurt you. That would ruin this even score thing we have" Harry tipped his head slightly. A silent thank you, and an ending to their child feud. Draco turn and spun away at the exact moment Harry did. Both walked away, not a glance back and with a hope to never encounter each other again. ************************************************************************************** "Do I look alright?" Ginny asked examining her features in the mirror. "Yes dear, now give me a spin" the mirror directed sternly. Ginny smiled and spun around quickly letting the hem of her dress fly out around her. She stopped again to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair had been cut to her chin the moment she had arrived. Her mother had insisted that her hair was ruined from the war. Ginny had been indifferent, but was now quite pleased with the results. She smoothed the white silk of her gown, Charlie had presented it to her when he announced that Dumbledore was going to be celebrating. She touched her pearl earrings and smiled. She was all set. "Ready to go then Ginny? We are going to be late" Harry called from outside her door. "Yes" Ginny said walked to the door, she opened it to see Harry standing in the doorway. His brown hair was tousled and his eyes were still the same vibrant green. "I am ready" she announced. Harry smiled and looked her over. "You look beautiful" he said sincerely. He held out his arm and Ginny took it graciously. She hadn't been sure of what to think when Harry first asked her to accompany him, but it had been flattering. "Shall we?" Ron asked as they entered the living room. He had Hermione on his arm. She wore a purple satin dress, her hair was coiled on her head, she looked quite elegant. Harry nodded at his friend and removed his wand. Ginny felt the familiar rush as he apparated Ginny and himself to the Ministry party. They landed just outside the party entrance and Ginny's stomach did a flip-flop. She could sense *him* immediately. "You alright Gin? You seem a bit pale" Harry noted with concern. Ginny forced a smile. "I am fine" she nodded. Harry smiled and led her into the hall. Inside the social gathering was already in full swing. "Wow" Harry said in awe. Ginny agreed that he had just summed it all up. It was strange to see people you knew, and people you recognized from battle all dressed in fancy clothes and talking like adults. Ginny realized that they must be adults now, she somehow couldn't remember when the change had occurred. "Ginny!" a surprised voice came from behind. Ginny looked over her shoulder and saw a tall dark skinned man behind her. His energetic blue eyes were focused on her. Ginny released Harry's hand and rushed over to him pulling him into a hug. "Tobias!" she shrieked happily. She felt his arms surround her, a warm safe feeling took over her, but it seemed to be missing something. She pulled back. "How are you?" she asked seriously. Tobias forced a smile. He looked much more tired than he had even during the battle. His eyes told a story that his healthy and muscular physique hid. "It is hard" he admitted with a nod. "But it is getting easier" Ginny sensed Harry approach them. "If you ever want to talk about it" she said earnestly. Tobias smiled gratefully. "I know," he said. Ginny sighed and on tiptoes she reached up and kissed his cheek softly. "Take care Ginny and promise me you will talk to Draco" Tobias said as she descended to stand on flat feet again. Ginny nodded, she already needed to talk to Draco, it was just when that was the question. "I will" With that Ginny turned back to Harry who was now giving her questioning looks at her for being so over-emotional with someone he didn't know at all. Harry possessively latched his hand back to hers. "Who was that?" he asked softly as they submerged further into the crowds. "An old friend" Ginny sighed. She walked and stopped to talk to various people along the way. Out of the corner of her eye Ginny spotted someone. He stood in the corner his eyes narrowed and looking sulkily around the room. "I'll be right back Harry, I have to go talk to someone" she said quietly. Harry nodded and turned back to his conversation with Seamus Finnigan. Ginny moved across the room, as she approached he sensed someone and looked directly at her. Pushing himself away from the wall he stood tall. "Hello" Ginny said quietly. "Miss. Weasley" Snape nodded. "To what do I owe this visit? If I remember you didn't stay at my house for very long" Ginny blushed. She remembered how she had panicked and left the manor before she had really known where she was. A letter had arrived from a large owl. It had been from her former potions master. He had explained where she had been and what had happened after she had fainted. She breathed in deeply before saying what she had to say. "I just wanted to tell you Thank you" she said bowing her head. Professor Snape smiled. "There is no need, but if you are interested *he* is here tonight" Ginny pretended not to know who he was talking about. Shooting him a confused look she finished. "Well I better to find Harry. I will see you again" she nodded. Snape merely made a fleeting hand gesture. Ginny followed his motion and saw where he was pointing. A blond stood at the other side of the room speaking with her date, neither one looked happy about the confrontation. She felt her heart lurch and her stomach churn. She knew what she had to do. ************************************************************************************** Chapter 12 I love you, but i can't ********** Ginny watched for a few minutes until she saw that Draco was alone. She was surprised to see him speak with many people she knew, including her date for the evening. She watched him move around the room, downing a glass of champagne almost desperately. Ginny began to approach. She saw him stiffen slightly as she got closer. Suddenly his head whipped around and he made direct eye contact with her. Ginny froze. Her insides seemed to turn to jelly and all her thoughts got lost in those milky gray eyes. Draco didn't show any emotion. His eyes stayed locked on hers, his face blank, except for his eyes which almost seemed violent with the wash of confused feelings. Ginny turned her head away. Any thought of speaking to Draco disappeared from her mind. She could still sense his eyes on her back. She moved away trying to ignore his eyes, his pull. She spotted Harry talking to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. Smiling gratefully she walked over to him. "Hey Ginny, you alright?" Harry asked with concern. He wrapped his arm around her waist. Ginny felt the intense gaze leave her back. Draco wasn't watching her anymore. "I am fine" she nodded. She forced a small smile to prove her status. "Nice to see you again Ginny" Seamus smiled. Ginny nodded. Seamus turned back to Harry. "As I was saying, it is nice to have the support from Old Wizarding families. It would have been quite hard to rebuild the damage done" "I agree" Dean Thomas nodded. "The orphanages are so full now since parents have died in the war. Without donations we would have no money to support them" Ginny shifted, their conversation was fairly boring and she could think of many things that she would prefer to be doing. "Well the Narcissa Malfoy fund has been doing wonders for affected families" Harry said sipping his drink. "Malfoy is heading it up, I never thought he would change sides." Ginny jerked her head up. A pang of sadness hit her. Narcissa, it had been so long since she had saved Ginny. She still remembered. Ginny, if you don't go, the guilt left with my son will kill him, why not just let one die instead of three. Please go child, it is my final wish" Ginny had promised she would tell Draco that Narcissa had loved him. She had promised it. She shook her head to dispel the haunting thoughts. "I know, I spoke to his earlier." Dean nodded. "He seems to be a changed man. Who or what changed him is beyond me though." "I have to go" Ginny suddenly broke in. Her voice must have sounded strained because all three men looked at her oddly. "Okay, are you apparating back then?" Harry asked. Ginny nodded trying to look frail. "I will come by and see you before I go home then" Harry nodded. Ginny smiled and loosened Harry grip on her. As soon as she was finished with the mandatory good byes, Ginny swept out of the room, "Bye Ginny!" Tobias called after her as he saw her heading across the lawns. Ginny turned to wave and didn't see the person directly infront of her. "Oh gods, I am sorry" Ginny squeaked as she grasped their shoulders to keep from falling. "A simple hello would have sufficed" the person commented. Ginny looked up and drew her hands back quickly as though she had touched something hot. "Malfoy" she said looking into the haunting gray eyes. She took an involuntary step backwards, it scared her how relieved she felt to be around him. "I was hoping to.." **************************************************************************** ********** "Avoid me" Draco finished for her. Ginny blushed and Draco let the smirk fade from his face. Why shouldn't she avoid him? Hadn't he held her captive for three months? Forced her to go against her beliefs, and hadn't she in the end saved him when he least deserved it? "You don't need to explain" Draco said considerably softer. "How have you been?" he asked attempting weak conversation. Anything to stay around her. Ginny bowed her head slightly and sighed. She then brought her head up and looked into his eyes. A look of terror was across her face, but she didn't seem afraid of him, at least not how she had seemed before. "Your mother" Ginny began. Draco felt a pang of hurt. He wanted to talk nothing of her. "I don't want to talk about my mother" Draco said coldly. He took a step back away as she had first done. "Your mother wanted me to tell you something" Ginny explained quietly. Tears sprung to her eyes. The past suddenly was raked to the surface. Narcissa's kind face flashed in her mind, it was eased out by the motion of Draco in front of her. He looked truly hurt that the conversation had taken this painful turn. "Don't do this Ginny." Draco said quietly. As he issued her name it occurred to him how little he actually said it in her presence. "She wanted me to tell you that" Ginny began again. Looking into his eyes she became lost. Anything she had set out to say disappeared. The deep metallic eyes were mixed with many things she couldn't place. Many things she wasn't sure she wanted to. All rehearsed lines fled, so she just said the first thing that popped into her head. "I love you" she said in a rush. Draco who was about to continue to object stopped. Her brown eyes filled with terror as she realized what she had said. "You what?" Draco said quite surprised. "SHE, s-she loved you" she corrected unconvincingly. Draco was too dumbstruck to say anything. "I didn't mean that. I meant to tell you that Narcissa wanted me to tell you….." she trailed off. It would seem what Narcissa had wanted Ginny to say to her son had been said even without the request. Narcissa had thought Ginny and Draco should have been together since the beginning. A disrupter sent to change him. Make him a better person. Ginny now shifted from foot to foot weighing out the option of running. "Ginny you saved me" Draco said trying to keep his voice steady. He slipped back his robes to reveal his left forearm. "From a fate worse than death, not that I knew that at the time". Ginny's eyes flew open at the sight of his arm now free of the Dark Mark. "I didn't know I-" she attempted to say something but stopped. "Whether you meant to say what you said, I - I." Draco drew his breath for another dose of courage. "I love you." He watched the terror disappear from her eyes as the brown softened. Her lips parted slightly as his words hit her. Draco wanted nothing more than to kiss her but refrained. The soft look in her eyes gradually subsided. "Draco-" she began. But it was too much, his name from this angel's lips made up his mind. In a swift motion he tilted her chin and captured her lips into his. Her breath was released into his mouth as he pressed his lips to hers gently savoring the ecstasy. He was about to stop when he felt her lips press back against his with slight pressure. His mind went blank of his surroundings and anything that didn't involve her touch, her scent, her kiss. Draco pulled away slightly their lips still seemed to graze one another, her breath seemed as ragged as his. Eyes locked having an intense silent conversation. "Draco" Ginny began again,. She pulled herself from his arms. Draco wasn't even sure when he had held her. She backed away so she was at least a foot from his grasps. "I can't love you" she said tears forming in her eyes. Draco felt something inside of him crush. This was an intense pain, far worse than dying on a battle field. "But you do" Draco said slowly. He attempted to move forward but she jumped back. He stopped not wanted to scare her away completely. "How do you know that?" Ginny asked wiping a tear from her cheek. "I just do" Draco insisted, the build up of emotion was beginning to choke him. This wasn't the happy ending that was supposed to happen. Ginny seemed to suffer an emotional struggle. Her eyes darkened and she bit down on her lip and looked at him. "I can't love you," she repeated. "I am done with this, and you. I am happy now, my life is together and so is yours. I am in a relationship and you should move on." Draco suddenly understood heartbreak. It was that feeling right in your chest where you are sure that something is tearing flesh and that your heart is going to split apart with the strain. A feeling like if you did stop breathing right then, it would be a relief. A cold flush over took him and he felt his face harden. "Do you have any conception of what you are doing to me?" He said his tone showing remnants of his past self. "Maybe it is a small sample of what I went through for those months" Ginny countered. She hadn't meant to seemed harsh, but the words flowed easily. Draco attempted not to show his hurt, but failed. "I suppose that is fair" he said managing to form the cold words. "Goodbye Virginia." Draco took out his wand and willed himself to disappear. Ginny stood quite shocked. Every sense of safe abandoned her as the blond Slytherin apparated away. "Ginny!" a voice called behind her. Ginny whipped around guiltily to see Harry jogging towards her. "I am glad you are still here. I am ready to go" he informed his date. Ginny wiped the tears that were still rebelling in her eyes. "Okay" she nodded forcing a smile. Harry extended his hand offering a half smile. "Lets go" he smiled. **************************************************************************** Chapter 13 Time Will Tell ********** Ginny placed a foot tentatively out of the car door. A wind whipped and she shivered almost considering closing the door to drive off. She gave herself a mental push and finished stepping out of the vehicle. The ground beneath her was soft in the late spring afternoon, the moist air still filled with the earlier days rain gave her an added boost of confidence. She clutched the white roses she carried a little tighter. Her heels sunk into the earth as she walked forward. Ahead of her was a field, it stretched as far as the eye could see, little white marks scattered across the green grass revealing the ground's history with it's white scars. A black iron fence enclosed the area, there was a hinged gate which was shut securely. A small firm looking witch stood infront of the gate, her arms crossed defiantly as though everyone would try and force entry. Ginny approached, self consciously touching the white handkerchief that swallowed her red hair on top of her head. "What is your business?" the witch asked sharply. She turned her suspicious green tinged face to Ginny, her dark blue eyes surveying her carefully. Ginny took a breath. "I have come to claim a grave." She said quietly bowing her head. "In what name my dear." The witch said. Her voice was considerably softer. "Waters, Pearl, Waters" Ginny said. She unconsciously wiped and invisible tear from her cheek. "Certainly dear, you may choose any unmarked stone." The witch nodded scribbling down Pearl's name on to her charts. "Thank you" Ginny nodded, but she made no motion to move to the gate that the gate keeper had opened graciously for her. "Was there something else miss?" the witch asked after she realized that Ginny was not going to move. Ginny looked back up at her. "Has a grave been claimed for Narcissa Malfoy?". The Gate keeper looked startled. "Well considering that his was where Malfoy Manor used to stand, I am sure her grave has been-" the witch was looking through her charts a little crease appearing in her forehead. "No, no one has claimed a grave for her." Her round blue eyes looked curiously up at Ginny. Ginny bit her lip. Draco has still not come to lay his mother's rest. She was sure after a year, yes it had been a whole year. He surely should have returned to the Serpent League Manor, to the Malfoy Manor, to his former home. "Thank you" Ginny said sharply. She now walked through the gate, the roses pressed firmly to her chest. It seemed only yesterday, she had been here. It had been a castle like structure that had mapped this land, not the tiny markers of lost souls. Draco Malfoy himself had turned the remains of the Serpent League Manor after the attack, into a graveyard, a memorial for all the bodies that were never identified, for the people who were lost in war. A chilled wind rushed past her, she stopped to let it run over her, not knowing what grave she should be claiming for her lost friend. "Searching for a memory?" a quiet voice echoed behind her. Ginny stiffened before turning. "One could say that." She nodded. "I never expected to see you here Owen." The older healer ran a hand through his aging hair. "Well, some times we find the unexpected." He said tentatively. "I came to lay a mark for Hanna, she has no family to do it for her." "I am sorry" Ginny said quietly. She met the watery blue eyes of the man that had never spoken to as an equal, that is until that moment. "There is no use being sorry, we are all sorry, but condolences get us no where." Owen said sighing as he lay a red rose on a bleached white stone that now read HANNA FRANDS. Ginny knew once he had turned away that their conversation had finished so she continued to walk. Her eyes grazed the names on the stones, there was the odd empty one, but she knew it wasn't the right spot for Pearl, not for her best friend. Her walk seemed to take forever, she felt guilty for she couldn't help but to be grateful she didn't need to come lay a stone for one in her family, or worse her family come lay one for her. She turned into another row and finally saw it. Across a stone in bold letters were the words DANTE RENTON. Ginny drew a shaky breath, Pearl would want to be buried beside her love, it was the least Ginny could do for her now. Her eyes filled with tears as she leaned down and pointed her wand at the white granite. PEARL WATERS appeared on the stone as though they had been there for years. Her friends happy voice echoed in her head. "Dante asked me to marry him" she said pulling a necklace from beneath her robes. Dangling from the end of the chain was a silver ring Ginny recognized as Dante's class ring. "We are going to marry just as soon as the War is over" Ginny lowered the flowers to the wet ground. She didn't care that her hands got muddy with the excessive force she applied to the stems to make them stick out from the ground. "Goodbye" Ginny said solemnly standing. She tore her eyes away from the grave and managed to begin to walk back towards the gates, her shaky breath returned to normal. She had been plaguing herself about finishing this final goodbye, it had been guilt that finally drove her to do it. She expected to feel more free, everything was suppose to be perfect now. She had a job at the Children Of War Association that she adored. Working to place children who lost their parents to the war was something she loved. She only wished that she could have her own one day. She was single, but happy. Her short lived dating life with Harry ended abruptly as they both realized they had their own demons to fight and they were too close to be more than friends. Everything was supposed to be going good now, but she still felt like a shell. Bill said a lot of people feel like that since the war ended, but Ginny felt hers was different, maybe she was just being egocentric, but deep down she knew why. She lifted her head and took in as much of the damp air as she could manage then turned her eye in the directing the breeze was going. **************************************************************************** ********** Draco Malfoy apparated quickly onto the grounds. The soft floor cushioned his landing. He breathed in the air, his face softening. It had been a year since he had last been there. He had once called this place home. "Can I assist you Mr. Malfoy?" a gentle voice cooed. Draco turned sharply to see a greenish faced witch looking curiously at him. "Narcissa Malfoy" he said in a cold and calculated voice. It retched him that it had taken him this long to come to peace with her, enough so that he could lay her to rest. "Of course" the witch nodded. "We had been wondering when she would claim a place. One of the angel 's on the hill are still free. She deserves a place of extreme honor." "No, she would want the same as everyone else" Draco said sharply. "That is what she would have wanted." He glared slightly at this witch. She was annoying him. "A-alright" she stumbled writing something hastily down on her clipboard. Draco didn't continue the conversation. He pushed the gate open and strode in. His mind screamed just to find the first grave site and go. His eyes scanned the little granite stones, some of them were blank and waiting for a name, but Draco didn't stop at them. No, even if he wanted to get this over with, he would get it over with the right way. He walked along, listening to his own footsteps dimple the grass beneath him. “Come on Mom, just choose a spot” he muttered as though Narcissa was right beside him. As though she had answered his command, his eyes fell upon a simple white stone. He leaned down and gentle pressed his wand to a corner of it. “Narcissa Malfoy” he whispered as he expelled his breath. Bold writing appeared across the stone, marking her place in the world. “Goodbye” he said quietly standing quickly. A rush of relief filled him he had finished what he had needed to do. He turned his eyes skyward for a second before letting them back down to look infront of him. His deep breath stopped. A flash of red had invaded his vision. Draco’s relief swum away abandoning him. He watched the red-head venture across the grass, her head tilted upwards, she seemed to be feeling the same way he was. “Ginny” he said under his breath. He dared not actually call out to her so he stayed listening to his heartbeat thud in his ears. He couldn’t count the times he had watched her from a distance now. Most of the times, it had been in his mind. As though Ginny has heard him, she turned. Her eyes locked with his, there was a moment where across the graveyard, that everything stood still. The only thing that seemed to be moving was the breeze. Draco felt a strong urge to run to her. To tell her how much she had hurt him, but how willing he was to forgive her. His feeling for her hadn’t faded, but he couldn’t take another encounter. Another rejection. Her eyes stayed locked on him, looks of confusion and stress flickered cross them as she blinked. Then without indication, she turned to continue walking. “WAIT!” Draco heard himself saying. He mentally cursed himself, he didn’t want her to leave, why couldn’t she have just been content staring at him as he was with her. Ginny seemed to have a mental battle, but she stopped, her hands held firmly at her sides. She didn’t turn back to look at him again. Draco felt a small twinge of hope and found himself jogging across the silent cemetery until he was a few feet behind her. “Ginny.” He said as a form of weak greeting. He watched her strong, healing hands tense and flex. She spun around, Draco could feel her reluctance. Draco opened his mouth to speak but Ginny beat him to it. “This hurts too much Draco,” she said quietly. He was surprised that her eyes already had tears in them. For him? No, he thought. She was already in a place of mourning, those tears were for someone else. “You can’t avoid me forever.” Draco sighed moving slightly closer. He congratulated himself silently as she didn’t flinch away. “If I am not mistaken, you were the one to leave first last time.” She reminded him. Draco cringed at the memory of the party. He wanted to look away now, but he found himself studying her instead. Ginny was still just as pretty as always. Her red hair was still short, though not at chin length. It fell just above her shoulders in gentle waves. Her skin looked older, small creased marked her eyes making her look above her age. Her eyes were tired and red-rimmed, it was clear the war had not left her untouched. Draco without a doubt thought she was breathtaking. “I still feel the same for you.” Draco admitted. It was easier to say now, that she already knew that. He didn’t bother to deny it. She was in his thoughts everyday, throughout the day. She bowed her head. “I still can’t Draco, you don’t understand what it did to me.” She said, her shoulders shuddered at her painful memories. “I have nightmares and can forever see the blood in my mind.” Her voice wavered, but she still continued. “I can’t even go out on dates, I have broken off relations because I am too damaged. How can I feel something for someone who I should blame for my pain?” Draco’s face blanched. When would she let these things go, when could he be forgiven for his actions? “I love you Ginny.” He said firmly finding it was the only thing he could say. “I will always love you. Please don’t hold this above my head anymore, I can’t take it.” Ginny brought her eyes back up, a look of shock across them. “I-I wasn’t blaming you. I am not holding anything above you.” She sounded appalled that he would think so. “Draco, I said I SHOULD blame, but I never could Draco. I-I…” Draco felt more relieved. “Come have a butterbeer with me?” he asked hopefully. Ginny bit her lip and Draco knew she would refuse, he tried again. “We can start over. You know be friends?” . She smiled slightly. She moved closer, so that there was no room left for personal space. She tilted her head to look directly into his gray eyes. “Give me time Draco.” She stood on her tiptoes, pressing her hands to his firm chest she let her lips fall softly onto his forehead. He shut his eyes, letting his senses be suffocated by her intoxicating scent and her enthralling touch. She pulled away and dropped her hands. “When I am ready Draco, you will be the first to know, and I promise, we will be much more than friends.” With that the Red-haired angel, the disrupter, the healer, the savior…… his love turned and walked away. Draco felt himself flutter, still slightly warm and dizzy from his encounter. He blinked for a second taking in what she had said. He knew he could never be patient, but he knew he could wait, and would wait for forever and day. THE END.
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