AN: Thanks to all of my faithful reviewers. This is the end- I hope you liked my story- if you haven't already pop me a review and let me know what you think.

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Before she knew it, Christmas holiday was over, and Ginny was preparing to get back on the train to Hogwarts. As she went to say goodbye to Harry and the others, however, she found out that they intended to take the train with her.

"We have some business in Hogsmeade, so we are going to ride with you."

Ginny frowned. What business could they possibly have in Hogsmeade? Ginny thought, and she saw Hermione exchange a worried glance with Ron, but the look passed as quickly as it had come and Ginny couldn't be sure she had seen it.

Ginny spent most of the train ride in uncomfortable silence, wondering what the trio was planning on doing in Hogsmeade. To further her discomfort about having them anywhere near Draco, Lupin and Tonks had come along. Why are they going to Hogsmeade? It doesn't make any sense. Finally her curiosity won out and she asked.

Ron looked questioningly at Harry who sighed and nodded his head. "Um, Gin," Ron began, "There have been reports that Malfoy was seen somewhere around Hogsmeade." Ginny choked and broke into a loud coughing fit. Ron looked distinctly disgruntled and continued. "We didn't want you to worry, so we didn't say anything. Lupin and Tonks are going to try and convince him to come back with us. As for myself, I'd rather just hex him into oblivion and leave him the Death Eaters."

"Ron!" Ginny shouted, suddenly over her coughs. "That is awful! How could you say that? Have you ever thought that maybe these past months have been horrible on him? Everyone wants to capture him for their own means, and no one stops to think that maybe he just wants to be left alone!"

"Ginny," began Harry, "you do realize that this is Malfoy that you are talking about? You hate him."

"Oh, just shut up, Harry," Ginny said and abruptly stood to exit the compartment, but when she opened the door she saw Tonks and Lupin standing just outside and thought better of leaving. She turned back to her friends, glared at them, and sunk into her seat to ignore them for the rest of the trip. Ginny didn't notice the looks passing between the others who all considered her behavior highly unorthodox and suspicious.

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Night had finally fallen over the castle and found Ginny, not curled up in her warm bed, but piled under layers of clothing sneaking through the corridors to the familiar statue of a hunchbacked witch. She had decided that cover be damned, she needed to warn him to get out of there before the nosy Order found him.

Ginny rushed through Hogsmeade paying little attention to keeping undercover, because it was a crisp night, and she didn't think anyone else would be foolish enough to run around town. It was strange to follow the path that she had walked so regularly for weeks. She was more than a little worried about how he would receive her after so long a time, but hoped that the gift would have softened him up a bit.

Ginny jogged the final distance to the cave and arrived out of breath to an alarmed looking Draco. Almost instantly the surprise on his face hardened into an expression of anger.

"What are you doing here?"

Ginny finally caught her breath, conjured up a bag and started shoving his things into it to a strangled sound by Draco. "You've got to go! The Order knows you are out here."

"What did you tell them?"

"Me?" Ginny looked completely taken aback. "I didn't tell them anything. There were supposedly sightings around here."

"And I am supposed to believe that?" he asked maliciously as he watched her shoving his things into a bag.

"Of course you are!" Ginny shouted in frustration. Then she found something that made her stop her wild "packing."

"The snowglobe," she said, picking it up and looking at Draco. She could tell that the globe had shattered and he had tried to reparo it, but it was difficult to put something like that back together, so the glass looked cracked and fragmented, and the water and snow from inside were gone.

Draco's expression turned to one that Ginny couldn't decipher as he walked over, took it out of his hand and put it in his pocket.

"You broke it?" Ginny asked feeling hurt.

"Yes," Draco replied without offering an explanation. Ginny stared at him for a few moments before collecting herself mentally and resuming her packing.

"You still need to get out of here tonight."

"I'm not going to run away."

"Draco, don't be stupid. Just get your things and go. They will find you by morning, I swear to you."

Whatever Draco was going to say in response was cut off by a sound outside the cave. "Draco, stay here," Ginny commanded.

"Not bloody likely," he responded and began to step forward.

"Immobulus!" Draco stopped in his tracks, but his eyes glared furiously at the redhead whose wand was pointed at him. "Stay here."

Ginny took a deep breath and went out to confront her friends, who she was sure were standing just outside the cave, but the voice she heard from the shadows was not what she expected and it froze her to the bone.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" the cold voice of Lucius Malfoy drawled.

Ginny steeled herself and turned to face the man that had tried to turn her into a murderer and kill her in her first year. She glared confidently at him.

"Mm, yes you are quite fierce, aren't you? You are also quite stupid. You led me here from town. In your haste to get out here to save this pathetic excuse for a pureblood, you have condemned him."

Ginny's glare faltered momentarily, but she recovered quickly. "You do realize that you are talking about your own son!"

"He is no son of mine. My son would not have been a coward and left his dirty work to others. He would have been proud of the task set to him, and he would have honored his family."

"Do you always do your own dirty work, Lucius?" she spat out angrily. "Is that why you give an eleven year old a diary to bring back Riddle instead of doing it yourself? And I'll have you know that he was trying to save his family when he had mercy on Dumbledore- he was offered protection for his mother, your wife! Not that you care about anyone other than yourself."

"You have a lot of guts, little girl," he said coolly.

Ignoring him, she continued, "If you did, you would see that Draco is a wonderful person, he makes excellent grades, and is very gifted in potions- he would have been Head Boy this year. You poisoned him with your bigoted beliefs and denied him his chance at a normal life! And now look him! He's…" but whatever he was, Ginny never finished because he didn't notice the flick of Lucius's wrist in time.

"Crucio!" Ginny was on the ground writhing in pain and screaming. I am dying. I am dying. I am dying, she thought over and over. Finally the pain subsided, and she shakily made her way to her feet.

"You should learn how to speak to your superiors," Lucius drawled lazily while leaving his wand pointed at the girl.

"I'll remember that if I ever meet one." Ginny saw the flash in his eyes and threw up a shield charm instantly; Lucius's curse bounced harmlessly away.

Lucius's eyes narrowed in anger and frustration, and Ginny pulled every ounce of determination in her body to glare at him directly in the eyes. Again, she saw a flash in his eyes, and threw up a shield and immediately counted with expelliarmus. She was as shocked as he to find his was in her hand.

"Why you insolent…" he lunged for her, and in that instant she shouted a binding spell and snapped his wand.

What the bloody hell just happened? Ginny thought staring at Lucius Malfoy's immobilized body and his broken wand. Was it supposed to be that easy? How did I… but her musing trailed off as she moved to take a step away, and she realized the pain that was coursing through her body. She winced, then collected herself, added a couple of extra binding spells to the man's body and stunned him. Just in case, she thought, then she stumbled into the cave, leaving the man in the moonless night outside.

As she got to Draco's fire, she sunk to the ground groaning in pain, and he eyes fluttered closed. It wasn't until minutes later that she realized that Draco was still immobilized. Without opening her eyes, Ginny weakly lifted her arm and muttered the countercurse in his direction.

Immediately he was at her side. "Ginny, you idiot, what is the matter with you? How could be so stupid? You could have died! Bloody Gryffindors and their bloody courage. You are nothing but a bunch of fools!" All the while, Draco was patting Ginny's body looking for any broken bones or anything he could help with. He knew first hand the feeling of crucio, and knew that there was nothing he could do to alleviate her pain, but it didn't stop him trying. Moments later, though, he gave up and took her hand in his.

"Draco, I am sorry. I didn't want to leave."

"I know. It was that bloody Gryffindor nobility. I really hate Gryffindors, you know," he added, without a trace of malice in his voice.

"You should go- the Order is still looking for you."

"Right. I am going to leave you in here like this? We need to get you back to the school. Madam Pomfrey has got all sorts of pain relieving potions, and you need a good night's sleep."

Ginny forced herself to sit up and began to stand to the disapproval of Draco. When he tried to keep her down, she swatted his hand away and stood shakily. "I can take care of myself, Draco. You need to take care of yourself."

The two froze as they heard a shout coming from the darkness outside the cave. They both trained their wands on the cave entrance as a pair of figures entered: Lupin and Tonks.

"Wotcher, Ginny," said Tonks looking strangely cheery.

"Go away," Ginny said coldly.

"Ginny, put your wand down," said Lupin calmly.

Another figure came rushing in from the darkness. "Did you find her?" Ron asked in a panicky voice before he noticed her. "Ginny!" he cried and ran toward her.

"Stop, Ron," she said not lowering her wand.

"Ginny? What is wrong? Are you alright? We heard you scream. Lucius Malfoy is bound up outside the cave! What the bloody hell is going on?" Then he added, "Ginny, put your wand down."

"No! You all need to leave!" she shouted. Draco stood a few feet behind her watching in fascination, but grimaced as Harry and Hermione entered and joined the crowd.

"He's been stunned," Harry said as he entered, then noticed the raised wands and Ginny. "Ginny! You are okay! We heard you scream and came as fast as we could. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but you all need to leave." Harry looked confused.

"Ginny, come on, don't be ridiculous, this is Malfoy, and it's not like we are going to hurt him. We're trying to help him."

"Did you ask if he wants your help? He hates you! What would ever possess him to take your charity?" she shouted crazily.

The others exchanged wary glances and Lupin cautiously stepped forward. "Ginny, please step out of the way. We just want to talk to him. Let us talk. You don't need your wand for that."

"Leave us alone!"

Harry stepped forward, and Ginny had a curse halfway out of her mouth before her wand was sent flying out of her hand, and Draco caught it nimbly. She turned wildly and looked at him. The others stood back.

"Draco, what are you doing? Give me my wand."

"Ginny, it is not necessary. Just calm down."

Obviously that was not the right thing to say to her. Ginny advanced on him, her voice raising as she spoke. "No! You don't know what you are doing! You can't go with them! You will be miserable!" and her voice started to drop back down. "Draco, they would ruin you. They aren't doing it for you. They want to use you for information. They would treat you like a slave and lock you up just like they did with Sirius until you were completely mad. They would ruin you," she repeated, her tone laced with defeat.

"Ginny, if you think that I am any less of a slave right now, then you are completely mental. And maybe I have learned that I want to help them, because my father was right, I am a pathetic Death Eater. I don't want to be one. Besides, if I went with them, you wouldn't have to ignore me 'for our own good' anymore," he added quietly.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked like they would be sick at the familiarity between the two. Lupin looked confused but pleased, and Tonks had a silly grin on her face.

Ginny took a deep breath and sighed. So quietly that only Draco could hear, Ginny said,
"Please, Draco. Think of yourself. Don't do this because of me."

Just as quietly he responded, "I am thinking of myself, I am a Slytherin." He smirked. "I've been crazy without you." Ginny frowned, and Draco pulled the snowglobe out of his pocket and held it in front of her. "I want this," he said quietly. "The sooner this war is over, the sooner I can have it. I can help. I know I can."

Ginny looked in his eyes pleadingly once more, but knew his mind was made up. She grabbed her wand out of his hand and sunk to the floor. Her hand flew to her chest as she tried to relax and get over the pain, both physically and mentally. Draco stepped up beside her, his hand placed comfortingly on her shoulder.

"I'll go with you," he said.

"Good, now let's get out of here, and get Miss Weasley to bed," Lupin said, motioning for the others to leave the cave. "Tonks, will you deal with Lucius while I get the others back to Grimmauld Place?" Tonks gave a quick nod and made toward the man's prone body.

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Ginny awoke with a groan feeling very groggy. I really hate Dreamless Sleep draughts, she thought miserably without evening bothering to open her eyes. A noise at her side, however, caused her to pry them open. There, looking thoroughly disheveled, was Draco Malfoy, and Ginny tried not to laugh aloud. He was hunched over in a chair trying to sleep; his hair was completely mussed, his clothes wrinkled, and his mouth hanging open. So much for charming, she thought beaming. I think I prefer this to the dirty robes and greasy hair he sported out in the woods. Plus he smells much fresher.

"What are you grinning about?" Draco asked without opening his eyes.

"How did you know that I…" She was cut off by his reply.

"I can feel it. And you can't make fun of the way I am sleeping, you were snoring all night, and you drooled all over your pillow."

"I did not," she replied indignantly rubbing her hand along the pillow under her head to find that it was indeed damp. She grimaced. How embarrassing! "Why did you stick around if it was so revolting, then?" she asked.

"That is what friends do, isn't it? Sit by the other's death bed and stick up to each other's fathers?"

Ginny's eyes softened as she gazed at the boy in silence. After she didn't reply, he finally opened his eyes looking a bit nervous, but smiled when he saw her expression.

Finally Ginny spoke. "You know, I really missed you. I thought I was helping, but I only managed to make things worse."

"If worse means that I have a roof over my head, a shower nearby, food on a real table, and the only people who are out to get me are trying to make me do chores instead of kill me, then yeah, you made things horrible. Bloody terrible. Can't stand it. Especially when I have to sit here watching this bloody redhead drool all over herself. That's the worst part."

"You prat," Ginny replied playfully. "Where are the others?" she asked.

"I think Weasel was feeling a bit sick. Something about me wanting to be with you really upset his stomach. And Potter is off sulking, because you stood up for me. Oh and Granger is dirtying her nose with book ink again."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Bloody forever. I would have starved to death if I didn't have your mother here. Cooks better than a house elf, that woman."

Ginny smiled and her stomach growled betraying her hunger.

"Aha! I was wondering when you would ask, milady," Draco said grinning as he stood and walked to a table at the side of the room. "It is breakfast in bed for you."

Ginny clapped her hands in delight. "I love breakfast in bed!"

"Quiet now. If anyone else hears that you are awake, I will have to share, and I am not ready for that. Especially if old lover boy comes back in here."

Ginny looked at his questioningly before she asked, "Lover boy?"

"Potter," Draco bit out sullenly. "He's been sulking around here waiting for you to wake up so he can reaffirm his love or something. You know, you shouldn't flirt with other boys if you are still dating someone else."

Ginny gagged before she was able to contain herself, and Draco looked at her curiously. "Please tell me you are kidding."

"No…" Draco trailed off, his eyes searching hers.

"Harry and I are over. He's just a friend. If he thinks it is any more, I am sorry, but he is sorely misled."

"Really?" Draco asked a little more enthusiastically than he would have liked.

"What is it to you?" she asked challengingly at the blonde in front of her.

"Well, it is rude to kiss someone who is already taken, but if you are not, it might not be as presumptuous."

Ginny nodded as a grin broke out on her face. "I think that would be a fair assessment."

Draco's eyes clouded over as he stared at her a moment before stepping over to her bed and pushing her food to the floor.

"I wasn't done yet!" she cried in mock concern.

"Be quiet and let me kiss you."

Ginny leaned forward and met Draco's lips with her own. A tingle ran down her spine as he reached his hand up and held the back of her neck gently and he tenderly deepened the kiss. Ginny was only too happy to oblige. It felt as if the world had started spinning; Ginny was dizzy with emotion as she clung to the boy in front of her, kissing him as she had unconsciously wanted to every since she saw those bloody pebble cufflinks.

When he finally broke away, Ginny looked into his eyes trying to read his expression. Had he liked it? Am I a horrible kisser?

Finally he broke the silence and said, "You have morning breath," and Ginny's face fell and turned bright red. "But I don't mind," he continued, taking her chin into his hand and catching her eyes, "because I have waited for that moment since you stepped into my cave wearing that atrocious robe. I wanted to kiss you every time you opened you mouth."

Ginny began to reply, and he leaned in and cut her off with a kiss. "I told you," he said when he finally broke away. "It's a bit of a menace, really." Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Well you are actually pretty witty, and it takes everything I have to try and pay attention to your words instead of your mouth."

"Draco Malfoy, do you always talk to the ladies like this?" Ginny asked teasingly, putting her finger to his lips as he leaned in to cut her off with another kiss.

"No," he said resolutely. "I've never wanted anything as much as I want this. And that is saying something because second year I really wanted that Nimbus 2001 so I could destroy Harry on the pitch."

"Ah, such sweet words," Ginny said with a smile as she leaned in to kiss him again.

"Ginny, dear, do you want some more…" Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room carrying a steaming tray of breakfast, but stopped as she saw her daughter attached to their newest guest.

Ginny and Draco pulled away quickly; Ginny reddened and Draco had the grace to look ashamed of himself.

"I was just bringing you some more food. I figured he had eaten all of the food I left for you. He's quite the pig, you know," Mrs. Weasley added teasingly to her daughter.

Draco coughed and said, "It's not my fault it is so good."

"Of course not, dear. Anyway, more food," and she set the tray down on the table where the other had been. She was almost out the door, before she turned back and with a twinkle in her eyes said, "You know, dear, you are lucky I wasn't Ron, he would have had kittens. You should be a bit more careful around that one."

"Yes, Mum," Ginny replied humiliated.

"Now, I'll be going. Get back to whatever you were doing before I interrupted," and Mrs. Weasley closed the door behind her.

"Mum!" Ginny cried in a scandalized voice, and Draco just started laughing. "She's gone completely barmy!" Ginny cried motioning to the door.

"No, she is just very perceptive. She confronted me when I first got here and asked me my 'intentions.'"

"She did not?"

"I assure you she did, though at the time I thought it pointless because I assumed Potter was right."

"No, he was wrong. My Mum knew all along." Ginny sighed. "No doubt my brother will be up here any minute to check on me."

"Can I kiss you one more time before he realizes? Otherwise I might lose control and do it at the dinner table or something."

Ginny nodded and leaned into him again to get lost in another kiss.

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AN: Well I pondered breaking this one in half, but I figured you were all ready for a bit of fluff, and I felt bad sending you another angsty one. So here you are. The end. If I get enough reviews, I may consider an epilogue (is evil). REVIEW!