Sweet Vengeance
Chapter 29

A/N: The first part in this chapter is simply Ginny's thoughts immediately after the events of the previous chapter. Everything else is about a week after that. I don't own anything in this story bar the plot. Enjoy!

"I know what you are."

I'm a horrible person. I'm a monster. I'm alone now.

"I know what you've done."

I've betrayed the two closest friends I've ever had, and murdered a human being. I orchestrated his death, and I took pleasure in knowing that he would die.

"Do not hurt my son."

I've already hurt him. Draco won't speak to me. I killed his father – I can't blame him. All I need now is for him to find out the truth about my purpose here, and I'm dead. I wish I already was…

"He still loves you,"

Fred, George, Bill, Charlie and Ron Weasley, along with Harry Potter, carried the double coffin that held Molly and Arthur through the tunnels of Allysium where their tomb awaited. Weasley's had been buried here for as long as anybody could remember. The walls of the tunnel were lined with the small purple flower that its name was derived from, and the smell of the tunnel was exquisite. No one would have guessed that its purpose was to hide the smell of death.

The Weasley's were all upset, were all confused, but Ron in particular was in turmoil. His sister had promised him that she was still on their side. All the letters, all the signs had pointed to her telling the truth. But to murder their parents! He wanted to try and believe that she had done it for a reason, that she still had one or two tricks up her sleeve, but he was too overcome with grief. Not even the Queen of the Dark Lord could bring the dead back to life.

"Ron, I need to apologise to you," Harry said later on.

"Not now Harry,"

"But your sister…you told me, but I – "

"Dammit I said not now Harry! Leave me alone!"

"But Ron – " Harry said uncertainly.

"Does the Boy Who Lived need his God damn hearing checked? Get away from me!" Ron yelled. His brothers all looked at him in shock, and Harry backed away to where Hermione stood with Fred.

"I don't understand what's gotten in to him," he whispered to Hermione.

"Our baby sister just killed our parents Harry, do you actually expect him to be open right now?" Fred snarled.

"I lost my parents too," Harry replied defensively.

"Oh Harry, it's not the same situation at all," Hermione said sadly. "You were too young to understand what was going on,"

"Yeah but – "

"No Harry, no buts. This isn't a situation you can fix with your pep talks about Voldemort losing in the end and casualties of war. After everything Molly and Arthur have done for you I would think you understood that," Hermione said, and she walked away to join Ron. Harry looked at Fred helplessly.

"Look Harry, you're a good mate. Right now, we're all in a shit of a situation. Our baby sister joined the dark side because her head was so messed up by you and Malfoy she didn't know what to do. She then went and murdered our parents. None of us are really open for a deep and meaningful right now," Fred said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"So you all blame me?" Harry asked bitterly.

"No…we just don't know who to blame is all. We've hardly spoken to each other all day. We're all trying to work out if we could have done something to prevent it – individually or as a family. We all feel guilt, because we all feel that we could have, and should have, done more to make Ginny happy at home with us,"

Harry couldn't believe it. He had never thought that he would hear such emotional words from Fred Weasley. He had heard about this sort of thing from Sirius and Remus – towards the end of the war, everyone had become so solemn and depressed, there had been no laughter or happiness. Just pain and death. He vowed that he would fix that. No matter what it took, regardless of whether or not he would die in the process, he would bring Ginny back to the Weasley's and he would end this war.

- - - - -

A few meters away from where Harry was making these declarations, Hermione put her arms around her boyfriend and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Something isn't right Hermione," Ron whispered.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, it just isn't right. Why would she kill Mum and Dad? And what she said to me afterwards – 'they will sleep together forever' – why not just say 'haha they're dead'?"

"Maybe she was trying to be poetic Ron. Romeo and Juliet is her favourite story," Hermione suggested.

"I know. She used to say that she wished that she and Draco could use the Sleeping Beauty spell that the minister placed on Juliet in the wizard version, so that they could sleep together forever, and wake up when the world was a more accepting place,"

"That doesn't make sense. Isn't it only your true love that can wake you up from that spell?" Hermione asked.

Ron was shocked for a second that Hermione didn't know all the ins and outs of a spell. "No. It just needs to be a relative or close friend who has good intentions. I…" Ron's eyes glazed over and his mouth opened and closed several times. He was so deep in thought he forgot Hermione was there until she started shaking him.

"Ron? Ron what's wrong? Ron you're scaring me, talk to me!" Hermione said, worried.

"I'm sorry, I lost myself for a minute there. I'm sorry Hermione but I have to talk to Dumbledore,"

"Dumbledore? What – "

"I'll explain everything as soon as I can Hermione!"

Ron ran inside and used the Floo in the fireplace to get to Hogwarts. He came out at the Transfiguration classroom, and ran all the way to Headmasters office, bursting through the door without knocking. Remus, Snape and Dumbledore were seated around Dumbledore's desk. Snape jumped up from his seat and Remus looked at him in shock. Dumbledore remained calm.

"Mr Weasley, can we help you?"

"They're not dead!" he exclaimed.

"Weasley, what is this babble?" Snape asked, angrily.

"Sorry Professor. Headmaster, my parents. I don't think – um,"

He looked at Remus and Snape, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Remus and Severus have both been informed about our current situation with Ginevra. Please continue Mr Weasley,"

Ron nodded, understanding now why Remus looked so angry.

"I don't think Ginny killed Mum and Dad. I think they're alive,"

Ginny was confused. He still loves you, Lucius Malfoy had told her. To her knowledge Draco Malfoy had never loved her. As far as she could tell, the only person Draco had ever loved was his mother Narcissa. And surely he would never fall in love with a Weasley, regardless of what side he was on. His father would have killed him, tortured him, put him through the worst hell he could ever imagine simply for having thoughts about a Weasley. How could he have loved her when he knew she was Harry's? It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense these days. Draco wasn't speaking to her. Blaise called in every now and then, but he didn't know what to say. And Tom…Tom had been pleased with her. Too pleased. She shuddered at the memory of his hands on her…his lips on her skin…

Her thoughts were broken by a knock at the door, and Blaise popped his head in the door.

"Can I come in?"

Ginny smiled, and he took that for a yes.

"How are you feeling?"

"Pretty crappy actually,"

"You've hardy left your room in a week Ginny, you need some air," he said, taking a Butterbeer from her little fridge.

"Blaise, we live in a cave, there's no air," she replied.

"Ok sourface, how about leaving the cave?"

"What, you'll take me out and leave Draco here?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe he could come,"

"Forget it Blaise," she sighed. "He doesn't want to see me. And besides, I couldn't chance running into somebody,"

"Somebody like a Weasley?" Blaise asked.

"Blaise how could I do it? How could I put my family through that?" she was of course referring to making her family believe she'd killed Molly and Arthur – the result being that they all hated her, but Blaise didn't know that.

"Ginny if you hadn't, you'd be dead right now. We would have buried you last week with Lucius,"

Ginny let out a sob. As a traitor, Lucius had not been given the honor of a proper funeral. A hole in the ground with a small cross at the rear of the Dark Cave marked his burial spot. Narcissa Malfoy had been moping around the Cave all week with her son, too distraught to return to the home she had shared with her husband.

"Gin it was you or Lucius, you know that. Draco knows that,"

"That's why he hates me so much,"

"He doesn't hate you," Blaise tried to explain. He had had the same conversation with Draco who believed that Ginny hated him because she hadn't come to visit him. "He's just…confused. He hated his father. Lucius made his life hell, tortured him horribly when he first came to the Cave – "

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure. Draco wouldn't tell me. Anyway, yes he hated Lucius, we all did. But he still can't work out whether or not he wanted him dead. Lucius was his father,"

"But he wasn't a very good one, was he?" a voice said from behind them.

Ginny whipped her head around to find Draco standing in her doorway. "The door was open. I'll go if you like," he said.

"No! No, please stay," she said quietly.

"Uh, I'll go," Blaise said hurriedly. "I've got things to do, training, people to pretend to kill. You know the drill. See you later!"

"So…haven't really seen you around for a while," Draco said, still standing in the doorway.

"I haven't really wanted to see anybody," she replied. "You can sit down if you like,"

Draco sat awkwardly on the edge of her bed. "I don't hate you. I know you think I do, but I don't. I just…I had to sort some things out in my head, you know?"

"Yeah I know. For what it's worth, I'm sorry it happened Draco, I really am,"

"I believe you. I can't imagine my father betraying us to Dumbledore. It's just so weird. He always used to go on about how pathetic Dumbledore was, and how he couldn't wait to see Voldemort destroy him. I just can't imagine it. Maybe Voldemort was wrong,"

"Uh, I don't…I mean you heard him," she said, slightly worried. "There were only two people who knew, and – "

"And one of them was you Ginny,"

There was a long silence as the two of them stared at each other.

"Why would you do it? Why would you spy on us?" he asked her eventually.

"Draco please," she whispered, on the verge of tears. He knows!

"I've tried to understand. Tried to work out how you could betray us like that. But I don't get it. It's so…well it's so Gryffindor of you. I don't care about Voldemort, or my father or my stupid aunt or any of those people. But how could do it to Blaise and I?"

"There's really no point denying it, is there?" she asked.

"No. Not really," he replied.

"For what it's worth, nothing that you and Blaise have talked about has ever gone back to them,"

"So your parents?"

"Not really dead,"

"And your brothers?"

"None of them know. Well, except for Ron. Just Dumbledore and Ron, that's all,"

Ginny didn't mention that she thought that Snape might know by now.

"All for Potter right? You came in here, betrayed me and killed my Father all for Potter?"

"No. Not for Harry. I came in here…God I don't even know why. I remember being so sure about it, months ago. I think it was just after you left Hogwarts that Dumbledore approached me and told me that Tom was obsessed with me again. There was something, something important that I had to do. Some supreme reason I had to be here. But I just can't remember it. Just before I came here everything got so muddled, and all I knew was that I had to come. Yes, it was me who told Tom that I believed your father was betraying him, but not for the reasons you might think,"

"What possible reason would it be, if not for the diary thing?" Draco asked angrily.

Ginny sighed, and spoke very softly. "Tom thought that it was you Draco. He thought you were the spy. I had to protect you,"

"Why?"

"Gods I don't know!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "Up until a couple of months ago when I got here, I believed my purpose in life was simply to love Harry Potter. Then I got here, and the second I set eyes on you that purpose became twisted. And then that kiss…and then Tom told me that he thought you were the spy and this voice in my head started screaming that I had to protect you, and I don't understand it! You and I were never friends, we were never anything except enemies!"

Draco's head dropped, and Ginny looked at him confused.

"Right Draco?"

"You really don't remember do you?"

"Remember what?"

He leaned up and kissed her softly on the lips, and Ginny couldn't help but think how different it was to Harry's timid kisses, or Tom's hungry ones. Draco's kiss stirred something inside her. A warmth that she didn't understand.

"Draco," she whispered when he pulled away.

"It doesn't matter Ginny. It's not important," He stood up and walked out of the room.

"Shit! Can I do anything right?" Ginny yelled to nobody in particular.

"NO!" someone yelled back.

What the hell? I must be imagining things...

"NO!" someone screamed again.

Ginny ran to the door and yanked it open, surprised to see Bellatrix Lestrange standing at the end of the hallway ripping a letter to shreds.

"Bella, what's going on?" she asked, approaching the older woman with caution. If she ignored the fact that Bellatrix had murdered her best friend, she managed to get along with her quite well.

"That bitch!" Bellatrix yelled.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"My blood! My flesh and blood! With that half-breed!"

Ginny was still staring at her confused, when Narcissa walked up behind her and placed a hand on her sisters shoulder.

"Narcissa, what's going on?" Ginny asked.

"It seems our niece has had a baby with the werewolf, Lupin," she replied coldly.

"Tonks and Remus had a baby?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Yes. Teddy Lupin, after that fat muggle my sister married,"

"She screwed that monster! And they reproduced!" Bellatrix yelled. "I'll kill her! I'll kill them both!"

Ginny walked slowly back to her room, smiling, but feeling Narcissa's cold eyes on her the whole time. She closed her door, and felt tears running down her face. Remus and Tonks had had a baby. Baby Teddy. After everything they had been through, they had finally found some happiness. She wondered if Harry had been named godfather? Surely he had. Ginny felt a pang as she realised that the happiness that Tonks and Remus had found was a long way away from her yet.

Late that night, Ginny tiptoed through the hallways of the Dark Cave, counting doors until she came to the one she wanted. She opened it quietly and slipped inside.

"I should slice you to bits where you stand," Draco Malfoy snarled from his bed, his eyes still closed.

"I suppose that would end the pain I've been feeling since you left my room today," she replied.

"Ginny?"

"I need you to hold me Draco. I don't know what it is, I can't explain it, but when I'm with you everything feels right again. I feel warm, and alive. Draco I need to feel alive," she whispered, tears streaming down her face.

"Shh, it's okay, come here," he said, pulling back the covers of his bed. She crawled in next to him and pressed against his chest.

"You're so warm," she said softly.

"I'm not the cold hearted monster everything thinks I am," he replied, half joking.

"I know you're not," she leaned up and kissed him softly.

"Go to sleep Ginny. You're safe here,"

She pulled the covers around her shoulders and went straight to sleep.

He started to lift her skirt but she pulled back, whispering, "You'll never get this Malfoy, never." He looked at her, shocked.

"Poor little baby, you'll be alright!" she teased, walking away.

-

"I'm going to show you why you never fool or embarrass a Malfoy. Come here!" and he lunged for her robes.

-

"Strap yourself in, you're in for the ride of your life Malfoy," she replied, laughing.

"But there are no straps," he said, confused.

-

"Don't you dare laugh at me for caring you stupid bitch!" he yelled. Ginny stopped. Had Malfoy just admitted to caring about her?

-

"Well, because, I don't know! You care about me?" she guessed. He froze. "I was right wasn't I?"

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, hard and fast. Her arms fell limp at her side for a minute, but she picked them up and wrapped them around his chest. He pulled away slowly, but she pulled him back again. Neither of them heard the bell ring, or saw the swarms of people surround them, staring. She didn't notice Ron's shocked look as he came around the corner, didn't hear Hermione's shriek. She was so wrapped up in his arms, she didn't even notice Harry's tears…

-

"Yes, I really do," she replied, pulling away. "Whilst you want to be a Death Eater for the rest of your life, however short a time that may be, I actually want better things for myself, and earth to Draco, unless I pass, I ain't got nothing,"

"Ok, ok. No need to be a bitch," he replied, angrily.

"No need to get narky," she replied in a sing-song voice.

"You started it,"

"And I'm ending it. Bye Draco,"

-

She crept over to bed and slid in next to Draco. He sniffed and put his arm around her waist. She smiled softly to herself and snuggled into him. He smelt so good, and she finally felt like she was home.

"I'll never leave you again, I promise," she whispered, and fell asleep.

-

"Ginny, do you love me?" he asked, cutting her off.

"Yes, of course I love you!"

"And no one else?" he asked. She paused for a second, remembering the voice that kept telling her she loved Tom… she considered whether she did love Tom, but as she looked into Draco's eyes, she saw the truth etched into them.

"I love you, and no one else,"

"Then we are most definitely fine,"

-

"So what are you now?"

"I'm…I guess I'm just me. And me is good,"

"You is very good," he replied, kissing her forehead.

-

"You've already chosen which side?"

"You forced me to choose, remember?"

He looked into her eyes and saw the truth. She would leave him one day, if he made this choice without her, she would leave him.

"I'm with you Gin, no matter what side you choose,"

-

"No, Ginny. I think it would be best if we just let it go. I have to do what I've been told. It's better off this way,"

"If that's what you want,"

Her calm attitude stunned him.

"Why are you letting this go so easily?" he asked her. She turned her head.

"I knew it would happen. All along I guess I've known. There was never going to be a happily ever after for us,"

-

She heard his voice calling to her, and her eyes opened slightly as he rocked her. She caught sight of his platinum blonde hair and laughed slightly, knowing she had to push him away further.

"Oh my God, Ginny. This never would have happened if I hadn't left you,"

"This happened because you left me," she whispered.

"What the hell do you mean?" he asked, looking upset.

"Ask your mother. And get me my boyfriend will you?"

He had snarled at her and dropped her naked body.

"You little slut. Cover yourself, you're making me sick. I hope you freeze to death before he finds you. Maybe it will teach you both a lesson,"

He threw a galleon at her and smirked.

"For your services over the last 6 months. I don't need you anymore Ginny, remember that,"

-

"Hermione, Harry is a fantastic guy, and I care about him more than I can say, but I've never loved anyone the way I love Draco Malfoy,"

"Ginny he hurt you. He practically destroyed you inside and out, how could you possibly still love him?"

"I didn't leave him much choice Hermione. Draco Malfoy is a good man, he made me feel like I was special, like I was a woman with something to live for. Nothing in the world will ever make me stop loving him,"

- - - - -

"Ginny! Ginny wake up! Ginny what's going on!" Ginny was screaming and yelling, kicking the air. Draco shook her awake, and Ginny stared at him.

"I…I love you," she said, staring into his eyes.

"What?"

"I remember everything,"

"You – you remember?"

"Everything. I came here for you Draco, only for you. God I love you! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be silly," he said, kissing her head. "Everything's going to be okay now,"

She kissed him hard on the lips, and he flipped her over on the bed.

"This is going to be bad for business," she whispered, laughing. "I can tell,"

Ginny got her memories back! Yay! For those who didn't work it out, Ginny was forced by Tom to ah…consummate their relationship you might say. Yuk. So now that Ginny has her memories back, things are going to get very interesting…stay with me people, the end is near! xx

P.S. That last line is from Moulin Rouge some of you might have noticed. And thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter! I can't wait until this is over, so I can go back to the start and edit all the crappy chapters I wrote when I was 14!