Everything Was

1. Torture

Draco knelt in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by black robes and white masks. His father was to his right and Bellatrix on his left. He tried to keep an eye on them, but he could only stare straight ahead and pair of bright scarlet eyes. The snake-like face gave nothing away and Draco awaited his punishment. His face was carefully blank and he tried to mentally brace himself for what was coming.

You did not double-cross the Dark Lord and expect a medal from him. Draco swallowed when Voldemort stepped forward and began to speak.

"Draco, you knew this was coming," Voldemort said, his voice sounding rough from smoke, and Draco was not surprised. They were stationed deep in the Forbidden Forest, two miles from the only trail that went through, and the fires that both sides had caused had left a permanent smoky atmosphere around the grounds of Hogwarts. Draco was used to hearing his own wheezing breaths, thinking about how blackened his lungs must be.

"I did," Draco said monotonously, and wished desperately for his wand, or a way out of this mess.

"You submit yourself to this?" Voldemort asked, standing only three feet away from Draco.

Draco only nodded and winced when a sharp pain twisted from his abdomen. "Yes," he amended, not meeting the eyes.

"Very well then," Voldemort's lips twisted into what could have been a smile but looked much like a snarl that Draco flinched and the fear rose. Voldemort nodded and all twelve Death Eaters drew their wands. Including his father. Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it straight at Draco, who only closed his eyes, his breath coming faster, and the rest mimicked him like a choreographed torture dance.

"Raise your wand, Lucius." Voldemort's tone was icy.

"He's my son-." Lucius stammered weakly.

"Your wand." Voldemort's tone screamed that torture was in store for Draco's father, who raised his wand, and pointed it at his own flesh and blood. The wand shook and from across the clearing, so did Bellatrix's.

"Loyalty, Draco. Remember this is what brought you here." Voldemort said, and Draco let the breath he was holding from his lungs. Draco did not know about the unease his companions felt about torturing one their own but they were too afraid to go against Voldemort. At first it had been loyalty and a need to cleanse the Wizarding bloodlines of Muggles, but now it was the reign of fear. They did what he commanded and much more. If not, then the price to pay was their sanity as well as pain so intense, they preferred the Dementor's Kiss. Now the twelve that made the perfect circle around the thirteenth member held their breath waiting for Voldemort's signal. Draco's removal might benefit them. Maybe.

The signal came subtly, and barely a nanosecond later the air was thick and bright with curses.

"Crucio!"

"Sectumsempra!"

Draco stopped hearing after that. There was only sensation, and his throat burning. He realized he was screaming. The pain exploded from his very being, and coursed through his body relentlessly, burning him alive. Thought was impossible as Draco's body tried to grasp what was happening, but the pain was too large. Words, images and noises, faces and names scrambled through his brain as his body writhed trying to find an outlet for the pain that was eating him alive. He was dimly aware of his own screaming, but more aware of his body. He felt a strange sensation begin in his stomach and Draco tried to stop it. He knew what it was and couldn't believe someone had actually used to on him. The sensation grew sharper and it turned to a burning that spread from his navel to his fingertips. A burning so painful, Draco could only open and close his mouth, his eyes wide, not seeing, mouth not working, and breath stopped.

It stopped as soon as it started and Draco saw his hands were red. Bloody. Draco's breaths were shaky and he couldn't stop his body from trembling. The aftershocks were still ripping small noises from his throat. Lucius had that image burned into his mind. His son in the middle of the clearing, one hand clutching his stomach, the other bent, supporting his upper body with his elbow, panting like a dog, shaking with vomit in front of him. The bloody gash that he had caused bled freely.

"Again." Voldemort sounded amused.

"No!! Please don't!" Draco screamed, and returned to his hell after the same curses hit him. He was not prepared for it, this time. For those brief minutes, he lost his mind completely. His vision was white and he couldn't think, he couldn't make out where the pain ended or where it began, or how to stop it. He was powerless, lying on the ground shuddering, screaming and breathing in short little gasps. He felt strange sensations through the pain and wondered what they were. He couldn't bear it, it was too much, and his mind was shattering.

Draco's subconscious did the only thing to protect him, and sunk him deep into blackness where he could feel nothing at all, but the shadow of the pain was still there.

When Draco's body stopped moving, a deathly stillness descended over the Death Eaters.

"He lasted a lot longer that what I thought." Voldemort mused, and stepped forward. "Bellatrix, head for Malfoy Manor, with Lucius. The rest of you disappear. I will call you in due time." Voldemort nodded and his Death Eaters disappeared without comment. He studied Draco's bleeding form expressionlessly before vanishing. Draco was left in a puddle of vomit and blood, after enduring an hour's worth of ceaseless torture. His body was covered in cuts, and his face that was perfect a short seven minutes ago was no longer recognizable. The only thing that gave him away was that Malfoy crest on his robes and the snake ring on his left middle finger. He expected to never wake up, but he did, ten minutes later, his body throbbing. He couldn't find the energy to lift his hand to touch his face, and it took an astonishing amount of willpower to blink.

He was alone, but he knew they had to find him.

He heard voices and stayed where he was. His weak mind couldn't cope with the shapes around him, so his swollen eyes closed and he listened, and he finally recognized the voices. Never had he felt so weak in his entire life, his body felt as if it weighed tons, and everything hurt. Every twitch of his body was so painful, he whimpered, tears falling from his eyes. His breath was still painful gasps.

"Look! There's someone there." The voice sounded unsure, and close.

"Where? I see- Oh god." The voice belonged to a woman, and she sounded appalled. "We can't leave him, he's dying. He's awake."

Footsteps so close, voices so loud he let out a strangled sob. Surely they could see what kind of pain he was in. Relief warmed his body and made the pain more intense. Seconds ticked by.

"Alright. We'll get him to Ginny." A third voice, and water was being poured down his throat. He swallowed.

Someone was picking him up from the mess of his own vomit. Someone was putting him a broom, and someone was tying him to a strong body. Draco nearly screamed when whoever it was pushed off the ground. The mental pain had transcended to physical pain, and he could no longer feel any sensation without it being painful. It was a miracle he stayed conscious.

After what felt like years, they touched down lightly and he heard the whisper of 'Mobilicorpus!' before he was floating outside and then inside. There had been no talking during the flight to where ever he was and now he heard different voices.

"Oh, dear Merlin. What happened?" Another voice that sounded like a melody to his ears exclaimed.

"We found him. Look, he's covered in blood, Ginny, do something!" The first voice he had heard sounded frantic. Why? The world was becoming hazy.

"Set him down right here." The melodious voice commanded and Draco felt a hard surface. Immediately, he felt hand on his chest, and the pain rose again. He choked on a scream.

"Oh, no. Ron. Do you know who this is?" The voice sounded a bit afraid. "This is Draco Malfoy."

"What?! How? What happened?" the second voice rose in alarm. Granger. Strangely, he felt like thanking her for finding him or else he was sure he could have gone mad. He was half conscious, and still felt the pain.

""I don't know, but he's lost a lot of blood. I need to take his shirt off." The voice said. He hadn't been able to place it. He heard the clatter of something metallic and whomever it was cutting through his clothes and peeling the sticky layers from him. They had practiced hands and soon he was naked from the waist up.

"Oh my god." Granger said, and heard a clap as her had clamped over her mouth, her tone horrified.

"Who did this to him?" The third voice… Potter.

"I don't know, but the damage is extensive. I'm surprised he's alive. Alive and conscious." The voice said, concentration tinting the tone. A wand prodded a cut and he screamed as a burning pain exploded in the cut.

"Stop it, stop it! No please don't!" Draco screamed, mindless fear and pain making him unable to recognize the alien hands that held him down.

"Hold him down, Harry! Ron, help!" The voice commanded. "It's not curable with magic! Hermione, get the Muggle kit, hurry!"

Draco began to cease his fighting when a hand stroked his left cheek. "Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you." The voice murmured in his ear, and he felt warm water on his chest. Someone was cleaning him up.

"Ron, Harry, you can stop holding him down. You guys can leave, I'll take care of him." The voice said softly, and he heard the sound of footsteps, and then a door shutting. Draco was floating in a state between unconsciousness and consciousness, where everything but the pain was hazy. The person cleaned his wounds methodically and quickly, and wondered when they paused over his arm.

"It's alright, don't worry. I won't hurt you." The voice said again, and then the right side of his neck and jaw began to burn. Draco whimpered, but stopped when cold air hit the spot and the burning stopped. He couldn't help the person… a woman… flipped him over.

"Oh dear Merlin, what happened to you?" The whisper was horrified, filled with pain. Draco shuddered and hissed out a breath when the same burning started. "It's alright, the burning wont last." The voice was shaky now, scared. Draco sighed, the pain was dulling, and he listened when the door opened, and several footsteps sounded.

"Gin, dinner's read-." The voices stopped. "What happened?" Granger breathed.

"I don't know. He's conscious, but he's too weak to talk. He's lost a lot of blood. And look." The woman lifted his right arm and twisted until the underside showed.

"The Dark Mark's been burned off," Potter said.

"What does that mean?" Granger queried, coming closer.

"I don't know what happened, he must have done something. The Dark Mark's been burned off, and he can't even speak. He's been tortured to the brink of insanity, and well… this speaks for itself," Weasley said. "That look's really bad," he added.

"I won't be at dinner, I have to tend to him." The voice - Ginny? - said.

"Alright. We'll bring something up. Holler if something happens, Ginny."

Scream if he wakes up and tries to kill you. The tone seemed to say.

"I will. Close the door."

The meticulous work of cleaning him up must have taken at least two hours, but by that time, he had been stripped and bathed, and gauze applied to the wounds on his legs. When the hands were wrapping gauze around his chest, he forced his eyes to open. He was under a light that was dim enough for him to see the soft features of the woman who was tending to him. Her pink, full lips were set into a frown of concentration, her brow was slightly furrowed and her wide, brandy-colored eyes were shining with concentration. Her red curls were tied into a high ponytail and side-swept bangs fell into her eyes as she worked. Ginny Weasley, he thought. She was beautiful.

Her eyes flicked to his face and didn't register the eyes open. They widened and then flicked back to his face. "Draco?" Sometime while she was cleaning him up, he had become human to her, not a beastly Death Eater. She leaned closer, and looked into his eyes. "Are you awake?"

He tried to make his mouth work, but when it opened, no sound came out just a sigh. "Its okay, just stay still." Ginny said and looked down at him. When Ron, Harry and Hermione had first brought him to her, she could hardly believe he was still alive. There were deep cuts all over his body; bruises covered his ribs and hips. His back was a grisly mass of flesh. It was as if he had been whipped until his skin had torn. She had examined him for what curses had been used and she'd been horrified to know what he had been hit with the Cruciatus curse four times. The rest of the curses, she recognized as pure physical and mental, that would inflict wounds and cause so much pain that death was the only way to escape them. He had been nearly beaten to death, yet no one had laid a hand on him. Ginny swallowed.

He made a noise, and Ginny was immediately four inches away from his face, trying to listen, stroking his hair and murmuring that he was safe.

"Thank you." It was barely audible, and Ginny was left speechless. She did the only thing she could have done.

Her lips touched his forehead, and she smiled at him. His eyes rolled back into his head and unconsciousness finally took him under, into a deep welcoming blackness, the image of her sweet smile still in his mind.

2. Healing

"Wake up, you need some food." The voice was brisk, yet he still recognized it. When he opened his eyes, Ginny was leaning over him, a glass in her hand.

He was lying in a soft bed, and sunlight was pouring through the window. The room was homely, gray walls with a painting of several pirates brightening up the blank wall space. He blinked, and cleared his throat.

"Where am I?" His voice was gratingly hoarse, and for the first time he wasn't breathing smoke. He inhaled sharply and only smelled clean air… and her.

"My house," Ginny said. "Do you need help sitting up?" When he tried and fell heavily, she set down the purple glass on the pine nightstand, and gripped his arm, careful of his wounds and the other pulled him forward. She quickly set some pillows behind him and lowered him gently. When he winced, she smiled apologetically. He closed his eyes for a second and then opened them. She was frowning at him, and he eyes cleared when she saw him looking at her. "I thought you passed out on me again," she said.

He shook his head and that left him tired. His arms felt like lead, and his throat was parched. Almost as if reading his mind, she sat next him and leaned forward pick up a tall glass of juice from the nightstand on his right. She slid a straw into the liquid and held it to his mouth, and held on patiently when he drank the whole glass. He sighed and his head almost dropped. He was still weak enough to not handle feeding himself. Her hand smoothed his hair back from his forehead and she pushed his head back so she could look at his face. Her eyes searched him.

"You're a long way from healed, Malfoy," Ginny said, her hand still on his forehead.

He could smell her, and yet he felt the pull of sleep. His eyes began to close and he felt her support him enough to slide the pillow from behind him, and set him down gently. The burning on his back made him cry out in pain.

"Oh no," she murmured when he tried to find a position that didn't hurt him. "Lay still," she commanded, and pulled out her hand and tapped the gauze that cooled down to make the burning easier. When he stopped and relaxed, she felt his forehead once more for a fever. Satisfied, she sat back and watched his chest rise and fall evenly. After five minutes, she silently walked out of the room and closed the door. Hermione was also coming out of the bathroom.

"How is he?" Hermione whispered, walking to Ginny.

"He's... recovering. He asked where he was and that's it. He was exhausted after drinking a whole glass of orange juice, Hermione, he's in really bad shape," Ginny said, looking at Hermione worriedly. "What are Harry and Ron saying?"

"Well, they owled Molly and Arthur, but they don't know. Ron implied that as soon as he's back on his feet to send him back to Voldemort." Hermione shook her head.

"What? Why?" Ginny asked, appalled. She suspected it to be months before Draco would be able to stand on his own two feet for more than ten minutes without exhausting himself. Hermione shrugged.

"I told him that he'd better rethink that," Hermione sighed, all the stress suddenly falling on her. "How long will this last, Ginny?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Oh, Hermione. I don't know. It will end," Ginny reassured and drew her friend into her arms, where Hermione wept quietly. Ginny felt her own eyes stinging, and hugged Hermione tighter. When she pulled away, Ginny saw her friend's face covered in tears.

"I'm sorry, Gin. I know I should be stronger." Hermione sniffed.

Ginny smiled. So stubborn, always determined to be the strong, logical one. Hermione shook her head. "Some days, I just wish I could just leave."

"I know." Ginny knew that feeling so well. She was so tired of seeing dead, hurt, bloody people and of seeing the pain and suffering in their eyes. She had taught herself to shield her heart against that.

Hermione sighed again. "I have to go help Harry search the castle today."

"Alright," Ginny said, and watched her friend walk away. Ginny walked into another room and smiled at an Auror who was healed enough to report back to the Ministry. Her day was filled with smiles and blood.

__

The next time Draco's eyes flickered open, it was night. Draco tried winced when his back began to burn again. The old clock next to the vampire painting told him it was seven o'clock, and he sighed, bringing up his arm to rub his eyes. It didn't take so much effort to lift his arms anymore, he noted, and the door opened. Ginny walked in, carrying a purple bowl filled with something that made him realize that he hadn't eaten and a glass of orange juice. When she saw that he was awake, she smiled, and set the bowl and juice on the nightstand. She sat down to help him up, but her hands faltered when he sat up, and he held himself there for Ginny to slide the pillow behind him. When Ginny pulled back, he settled himself against the pillow and grimaced.

"Does it hurt?" She asked tentatively, and pulled out her wand. When he nodded, she tapped the gauze and its temperature lowered enough for him to be comfortable.

"How long have I been out?" He asked, clearing his throat, and she handed him the glass of orange juice.

"Four days." Ginny answered, and smiled when he nearly choked on the juice. "I was getting worried."

Impossible. Four days? He stared at her, and her innocent honesty led him to believe her. She glanced at his abdomen when his stomach growled.

"You need to eat." When she said that he realized he was ravenous, so before she could finish her sentence, he had already snatched the bowl up and was downing the contents in greedy gulps. He looked at her surprised expression and kept on eating, filling his stomach. When he was finished, he held out the bowl to her, and was surprised when his hand began to shake. "More?" She asked, and when he nodded quickly, she stood up, "I'll be right back."

She left and Draco let out a breath. He thought he had just slept for a few hours, but his limbs were stiff, and that told him another story. His hand rose slowly and he brushed his hair back and felt them soft and clean. Had she bathed him? It certainly felt like it. He hoped he hadn't done anything embarrassing while he was out. He studied his body once more. His gauze was white and clean. He knew she had to have changed it every day so his wounds wouldn't get infected and spent two minutes staring down at his abdomen that was covered in gauze. The door opened again and Ginny came back with a bigger, bright green bowl this time and handed it to him. He ate slower this time, while Ginny walked to the table with a single drawer and started pulling out scissors and rolls of gauze. When he was scrapping the last bits from the bowl, he set it down and looked up at Ginny.

"I need to walk around." He said, and watched her face transform into a frown.

"You're too weak, Draco." She said, and walked to the bedside and he realized this was an actual hospital bed.

"I meant I have to go to the bathroom." He said and watched her flush.

"Right," she muttered, and leaned forward to help him into an actual sitting position with his legs dangling. She pulled his arm around her shoulders and used her body to pull him so he was standing, some of his weight on her. Draco was surprised, his knees felt so weak, and he was sure he was going to fall flat on his face if she let go.

She wasn't petite like some on the girls that helped her out, but she wasn't a guy, she huffed a bit when she finally led him to the door, his arm still around her shoulders. At five eight, she was toned by her favorite sport of running and doing a number of sit-ups that had could rival Harry's workout before the war got serious enough to have him pulled out of Quidditch and into Auror training. She supported his weight as they walked the small distance between his room and the bathroom. When they reached the floor, Draco's shaky steps had gotten shakier, and he leaned against the wall while Ginny kicked the door open and she pulled him into the big bathroom. Draco's breathing was harsh and he collapsed on the toilet seat, his eyes closed and sweat beading his forehead.

"Do you need a minute?" Ginny asked, and wiped his face. He nodded, and opened his eyes to see her looking down at him, a worried look on her face.

"I'm fine," he said before she could ask.

"That was a distance of ten feet, Draco. You shouldn't be up," Ginny said, and tried not to grit her teeth when he shrugged and winced right after.

"Okay," he said and she held her hands out help him stand up. When he stood, she had to tilt her face up too look at him. Not saying a word, she turned him around and flipped open the toilet and waited. Her gaze was drawn to his back, and to the red spot that began to grow, slightly to the left of his spine. Concern immediately had, her touching the spot.

"Am I bleeding?" he asked, feeling her fingers on the spot that stung slightly.

"Yes," she answered. Two minutes later, she was leading him back to his room, when his knees started to buckle. "Come on, Draco, just a bit more." She huffed, and pulled him forward. "I am not carrying you." She warned, and pulled him quickly into the room where they both staggered and he fell on his side on the bed. He groaned in pain and she immediately rolled him onto his stomach and saw the spot had gotten bigger. She pulled out her wand and prodded his skin, numbing his back. She peeled back the gauze tried not to make any noise as some of the scabs were pulled from the healing flesh. She tended to his back silently.

"Why are you so quiet, Weasley?" Draco asked, his face on his hands. He only felt small sensations of pressure on his back and secretly thanking her for the numbing charm.

"What do you want me to say?" She asked, securing the gauze onto his back. He was healing faster with the potion she had been mixing into his orange juice.

"You always had something to say back at… school." School seemed to be millions of years ago, he thought and she let out a small laugh.

"School was millions of years ago, Malfoy." She voiced his thoughts, "This isn't school," she sighed. "I've been forced to do and see things I wouldn't otherwise have seen if this war hadn't been going on." She considered. "Also most people I see aren't interested in small talk."

"Who do you see?" Thinking of another man, he helped her roll him over and adjust him so his head was on the pillows. He looked at her curiously.

"Other patients. Wizards that were tortured aren't exactly interested in hearing how my day went, or how many people I've treated, how many wounds I've cleaned. Or my dreams - more aptly described as nightmares," she said, and looked so sad Draco didn't say anything.

The silence lasted five minutes. She wrapped his wounds without meeting his eyes. Unknowingly, she had let out a piece of the heaviness that always seemed to be in her heart.

"You're different, Weasley," he said, and sighed as exhaustion began to take a hold on him.

"Everyone is," she said.

"I kind liked the old you. Feisty," he murmured before drifting off.

Ginny shut the door to his room quietly. She felt lighter for some reason.

She was surprised at how easy it was to smile that night.

__

Ginny made her rounds the next day, checking on everyone, noticing the empty beds of released patients. There hadn't been anyone new admitted to the hospital making Ginny's time more flexible. She turned the hall to check on Draco when she him, leaning against the wall, breathing hard.

"Malfoy!" She rushed to him, lifting his head and looking at his face. His eyes looked clear, but tired. "What are you doing?"

"You give me orange juice six times a day, Weasley, what do you think?" Draco said, and groaned when she slid his arm across her shoulders and they walked to his room. Ginny carefully let him sit and checked his back for bleeding; when she pulled back she let him lay down and pulled the blanket over him.

"You could have called me, I would have helped you," Ginny said, checking his temperature and his chest wounds that would be completely healed soon.

"I wanted to see if I could make it. I almost did," he said, slowly sleep trying to take him under again. Ginny sighed. She understood that. She opened her mouth when the door flew open, and Ron, Harry and Hermione blew in.

"Ginny! I need you to lock down the hospital. Voldemort's is planning on taking the Death Eaters to the edge of Hogsmeade." Ginny's eyes widened. Her own house was in Hogsmeade. Draco's memory however was stirring. He was fighting sleep and his furious mind was working as he remembered. He had been at the hospital for six days… Voldemort was planning something that was supposed to happen seventh night – today – but what?

"Raid the Order's backup Headquarters. We'll have Dementors outside the entrance…" Voldemort's voice echoed in his mind. Draco watched through the eyeholes in mask as he paced the perfect circle they made. When Voldemort was directly in from on Nott, on Draco's right, he whispered.

"Call the rest of them. And bring the werewolves. We know Potter will be there." Nott nodded maliciously. Draco knew that was a secret order and he wasn't supposed to know.

"We're going to try to stop him, just stay here, alright?" Ron commanded. "There will be Dementors."

Draco's hand lifted so slowly that he was sure he was going to miss her. When his fingers brushed hers, she turned, and leaned over.

"Werewolves." He whispered. Ginny leaned closer.

"Is he saying something?" Harry asked impatiently, and Ginny waved for him to shut up.

He tried again, louder this time. "Werewolves… and the rest of them." Ginny looked down at his face, her eyes wide.

She pulled back and stared down at him, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Are you telling me that he's called the werewolves? And… The Inferatus?" Ginny whispered, her hand now clutching Draco's fingers.

"What?" Ron asked and stepped forward, his eyes narrowed suspiciously at Draco. "Bill didn't say anything about hearing about that."

"Weren't supposed to. Trap." Draco managed to cough out.

"How can we trust you?" Harry demanded but Draco was already drifting.

"I don't think he's lying. Bring back up Aurors… and tell the Order Headquarters to call some Aurors and to cast a protective charm on the whole street." Ginny snapped out, and pushed them out.

"What if he was lying?" Ron demanded, staring at Ginny.

"Did you look at him? Ron, he was almost dead. He was warning you." Ginny snapped, not realizing that Draco could still hear her. Had he really been almost killed? It had certainly felt like it. Death could have been preferable, was his last thought,

In the hallway, Ron was still arguing. "Stop it! Hermione." Ginny turned to Hermione who was biting her lip.

"Ginny's right. He might have been lying, but was if he was actually trying to warn us? He could be trying to kill you, Harry."

"He's tried before." Harry snapped.

"He almost succeeded last time." Ginny retorted, and didn't care when he flinched. "Just take some extra people with you… Malfoy wasn't lying. And if he was then you'd have more people helping you anyway. It wouldn't hurt," Ginny said, irritated, and they finally rushed. Ginny ran downstairs to the desk where her Healers were stationed.

"Millie, we've got lock down the hospital. There will be some Aurors coming. Don't panic, just keep your wand out," Ginny warned and flew down three more flights of stairs, repeating the same warning. When she got to the ground floor she felt the dread.

"Oh no," Ginny said and waved her wand, concentrating, and she immediately felt the protective spell working against the Inferatus. She nearly shrieked when Aurors apparated next to her with a pop. Ginny nodded tensely to the Aurors who mirrored her gesture.

Draco had been telling the truth. Ginny thought, and waved all three of them waves their wands, strengthening the spell. Two more Aurors apparated and Ginny stared at the doors that led to Hogsmeade, hardly able to believe that Voldemort was attacking less than a mile away.

"I need to check upstairs." Ginny said and the Aurors nodded at her, and she immediately ran to the stairs and climbed them two at a time. When she pushed the door open she was faced with a shaking wand a terrified Healer.

"Its okay!" Ginny said and held up her hands. The Healer let out a huge sigh of relief and let the wand drop. "Is everything okay here?" Ginny asked, breathless. Fear was clawing her stomach, yet her face was carefully controlled.

"Yes, Ginny. There are two Aurors on this floor, they're checking out the floor. I'm pretty sure there are two on each floor but I'm not sure about the last floor. Mr. Malfoy's up there, isn't he?" The Healer, Tammy, said in a rushed voice. Sounds were beginning to creep into the building. Explosions and screams were dimly heard.

"He is. Do you remember the spell against them, Tammy?" When the girl nodded, Ginny gripped the smaller girl's arms. "You know you have to hit them with all the concentration and happiness you could possibly get. If you and Fleur can't stop them then just run, and get the Aurors, okay? Good girl. I'm going to check on the other floor. I'm going to holler your name when I'm coming down again so you'll know its me." After the girl stammered a yes, she went back up the stairs, hollering the Healer on that floor's name and ran into the front hall were the Healers and two Aurors had their wands out.

It was now dark outside, and Ginny tried not to think about what that would do to her brother, or Hermione or Harry. "Is everything okay?" Ginny called and when she received a yes, she said the same thing she had said to Tammy. She climbed up more stairs, this time slightly out of breath. Draco was still two levels up. Ginny checked on every floor, and when she finally slid into the fifth floor, she knew something was wrong.

Her skin chilled, and she felt dread, fear and hate climbing up her belly, but Ginny pushed it back. An Inferatus had slid into the Hospital. Ginny leaned back and opened the door she had just come through, and sent a quick spell down to the others. Ginny fought against the feelings as hard as she could, remembering that the Inferatus were creatures created by Voldemort that rivaled the Inferi in evilness. Ginny swallowed as fear welled in the pit of her stomach.

"Relax," she whispered to herself when the torchlight flickered around her and Ginny began to take small steps down the hall. She cursed the designer of the house for making the halls L-shaped. Draco was at the far end. She had never seen the creatures up close, but she knew they were so much worse than a Dementor. Her fingers gripped her wand until her knuckles turned white, and she proceeded down the hall listening to her blood in her ears.

She was ten feet from the bend in the hall when it slid from the shadows. Ginny stifled a scream, the spell she'd been murmuring in her mind suddenly blanked out and all she could do was stare. The creatures were eight feet tall, long and humanoid, but they looked as if they had a thin film of gray, rotting flesh over their faces except for their mouths. Ginny took a moment to realize that they looked like a very tall person that had a long sheet of flesh wrapped tightly around their bodies, so it looked as if they glided forwards. The floor under its feet turned black as if walked – glided – ominously toward Ginny, who had dropped her wand. The creature seemed to sigh as its mass of flesh seemed to swell, and for a split second Ginny could almost see her death.

Fear finally broke though and she screamed, so loud it hurt her hears and the creature seemed to laugh. The gray flesh rippled as another wave of death pulsated out towards Ginny who could almost feel her life beginning to ebb. Her knees no longer supported her and she fell, the pain of her the hard floor connecting with her kneecaps was nothing compared to what the creature was doing; manipulating her mind, her emotions until she was petrified with fear.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and for a fleeting moment, she saw a light and then complete and utter blackness.

__

Ginny woke up gasping, her skin cold as ice. She was in her room and her muscles immediately relaxed, and she covered her face with her hands. What had happened? Ginny looked to her nightstand and saw her wand lying there and she grabbed it, holding it her chest. The fear ebbed in again, but she forced it back. She slid from the bed, slowly and walked from her room. Since her room was on the first floor, she walked immediately to the lobby, so when the Healers saw her they rushed to her side.

"Gin! Are you alright?" Tammy asked eagerly, her hand already on Ginny's forehead.

"I'm alright… what happened?" Ginny asked and Tammy looked at her dubiously.

"The… you-know-what attacked you." Tammy whispered.

"I'm aware of that. I mean what happened after?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Oh. The… you-" Tammy began, but Ginny cut her off.

"Its an Inferatus, Tammy."

"Right. The, uh, Inferatus… well… we don't really know. WE just found the thing on the ground, already turned into ashes, and you on the floor, passed out and so white we thought you were dead, and… Malfoy was in the hall behind the creature with his wand out. He was on the floor too, but I think it was just exhaustion." Tammy paused. "I think he saved you."

Ginny stared at Tammy. Was that what the flash of light was? She shook her head hard enough to send her hair tumbling. "I need to see him."

"I put him back in his room, he says he wants to see you too." Tammy agreed and led Ginny to the newly installed elevator.

"When did that get here?" Ginny asked, studying the wooden doors.

"Your brother and Harry installed it. He said it should take us to whichever floor we want in a flash. It works so far." Tammy said and pushed Ginny inside.

Ginny looked around at the mirrored walls and saw that she was still pale and there were lavender shadows underneath her eyes. She sighed. She looked horrible and she was in her robe! The wooden doors closed, and opened nearly a second later on the fifth floor. Finny leaned against the wall and tried to run the sleep from her eyes. She slid into the hall and shuddered when she saw the black line on the ground. She stepped nimbly around the burned trail on the creature's path and walked down the hall, her eyes trained to the spot where the trial began and she stared when the black wood started on the wall. It was as if the creature had slid between the planks of wood. Ginny shuddered again and opened the door to Draco's room.

Leaning against the door, she studied him. He looked better. The bruises were fading, and the cuts were healing. She wanted to examine his back. Ginny stood there for a moment, wondering how he had gotten out of bed. How he had found the strength to come and save her.

"Are you staring at me or do I have something on my face?" The voice startled her and Ginny smiled when she noticed his eyes were open and twinkling with humor.

"You have something on your face." She answered, and closed the door. She walked closer and her smile faded with each step, as did his.

"I want to thank you for saving me." She whispered, not sure what to do with her hands, so she grabbed the hem of her robe. Before he could answer, she blurted out, "Why did you?"

He blinked. She didn't know how vulnerable she looked in her rosy robe, and black pajamas. Her hair was wondrously messy, a bedhead, and her face was pale. She didn't let him answer but she whirled around, and she drew her arms against herself, battling the residue of the fear the creature had instilled in her, and Draco knew it. With much effort, he slid to his feet and tested himself. He could stand without shaking or falling so he took a step toward her. His hand reached out for her shoulder and she flinched when she felt his light brush. She turned around, hating to be a coward and looked at his face. The soft, thoughtful expression on his face was so alien to her, she almost leaned to the side see if Draco was on the bed and she was just talking to someone who looked remarkably like him.

"You would have done the same for me, Ginny. I had to. You don't know what those things do… if you're around then for too long." Draco said, his fingers on her chin, he wondered what it would be like to kiss her.

Ginny blinked. Was he staring at her lips? The dread that started to course through her faded as a thrill traveled up her spine, making her cheeks glow red, and her eyes to close partway. Her eyes studied his face, and she didn't move when he leaned closer. A sigh escaped her lips when his lips brushed hers in a feathery kiss. Unknowingly. Her hands fisted around his blue hospital shirt, and she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss until she couldn't form a coherent sentence in her mind or until she was a slave to the feeling he stirred inside her.

Oxygen! Her brain howled and she slid back on heels, wondering when she had risen to her toes and took a deep breath, as did he. Ginny was staring at him, wondering why he was looking at her as if she had just said something funny.

"You're as red as your hair, Weasley."

"You have morning breath." She retorted, and couldn't help the giggle that escaped her when his cheeks tinged pink.

"You didn't seem to mind." He said easily, and Ginny's curved lips went down a notch. She hadn't minded. In fact, she loved it.

"I need to check your back." She said, and Draco's smug expression became fixed. It stayed there even as she finished up, using less gauze and swabbing the pink, shiny scar tissue with alcohol.

"How is it?" Draco asked, suddenly, and Ginny paused.

"The scars wont fade." She answered.

"Bad?"

"Very. Your back resembled a hamburger." Ginny said and immediately regretted it. It didn't look that bad… before she had cleaned his back.

Draco was silent. His back felt stiff and scratchy; he figured it was because of the scarring. He stayed silent, his cheek pressed against the soft material of the bed and waited as her practiced hands finished checking his back. He rolled over without her asking and watched the concentration, and the quick flicks to his face as she checked his chest and stomach wounds. When she peeled of the gauze the cut that stretched all the way from the corner of his jaw, curving gently over the slopes of his chest to rest an inch from is nipple. She stood back and surveyed the pink, fresh scar that had healed completely. She traced, searching for a trace of the spell that had caused it, and when she found none, she looked at his face a satisfied smile forming. The smile quickly faded when she saw the heat in his eyes and she paused her hands hovering over his abdomen. Blinking, she quickly cleaned up the still healing cut right next to his belly button and threw away the gauze. She surveyed the landscape of his chest, along with the thin, pink, healed lacerations and the three big cuts. The one on his stomach, and side were almost done healing.

It took all her will to stop her eyes from wandering to his face, but she couldn't help when his hands enclosed round her, roughly, pulling her down until her lips met his again, and this time it was him who pulled away.

"Ginny." Hermione's voice echoed into her ears and her head snapped to the doorway, causing a crick in her neck. She winced, stood up straight. Hermione was staring at Ginny, a bewildered expression on her face.

"Her- Hermione." Ginny stammered and blushed furiously. She looked down to Draco, avoiding his eyes, and said, "I have to check on the fourth floor." Ginny slid past Hermione, aware her knees were shaking slightly, turned to see Hermione closing the door to his room.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't see that." Hermione said slowly. Then thought better of it, "What were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't. He has this thing where he makes my mind go blank, its really great, you should try it sometime, I mean, no you shouldn't, because he's mine – wait! - stop looking at me like that." Ginny drew in a breath when she saw Hermione's expression had grown more horrified. Ginny closed her mouth and couldn't stop the huge grin that spread across her face.

"I've been rendered speechless." Hermione managed to say, and Ginny laughed.

"Where's my brother?" Ginny asked, and Hermione took the bait to change the subject.

"He's in the lobby. Tammy sent a message about what happened. Are you alright?" Hermione asked needlessly.

"Perfectly fine." Ginny smiled when they reached the elevator. Her smile stayed on the whole day. When she went back to Draco's room with a plate of food, she had unconsciously leaned down for a kiss and reveled in it as he gave. Curling up at night, her eyes closed and a dreamless sleep followed.

3. After

"Malfoy!" Ron shouted, ducking a stunning charm.

"What!" Was the response from somewhere behind him.

"We're too close to the Hospital, go with my sister!" Ron yelled, and shot another Unarming charm at a Death Eater. Draco didn't respond, but began to run toward the black and grey building. He ducked falling debris from buildings and ran down the street. It was three months after they had found him in the clearing, almost dead. Draco bust through the doors of the hospital, setting an impenetrable shield on the doors, and hurried past the Healers and Aurors who were stationed at every entrance. His footsteps grew louder as he approached the bend of the hell and he nearly crashed into a panting Ginny.

"Are you okay?" Draco bellowed and Ginny fought to calm her racing heart.

"I'm fine. Tammy needs someone with her, I need to check on second floor." Ginny said hurriedly, gripping his arm tightly. This was the fourth raid of the month, and Ginny was already a pro at being calm enough to snap out orders.

"Where's Tammy?" Draco asked, rolling his shoulders to help with the stiffness. Everything had healed but the scar tissue was stiff.

"Third floor." Ginny said, and both bolted in the opposite direction, already at ease with each other. Draco reached the third floor a minute after Ginny had reached the second and felt the familiar dread.

"Fuck!" he swore and lighted his wand when he encountered a blackness so thick he thought it was actually it was pressing on him. "Tammy?" He called, his defenses already up, stopping the creature from slipping through. All the torches were put off, and he knew hat this was Inferatus magic. The torches in this Hospital were special, and only went off at the presence of the creatures. His wand created a dim circle of light around him and he knew he might as well have painted a target on his scarred chest. Draco braced himself, his back against the wall. It came from his left, from the direction of the desk where Tammy and the other healers would have been. The gray flesh seemed to rot before his eyes and Draco felt the electricity of pure reflex zip down his arm and he wand was pointed and the words were already coming out of his mouth.

"Terminato domine!" He whispered, his mind intently focused and didn't flinch when the creature seemed to throw back its head and a gaping hole tore in a soundless scream where its mouth would have been. The creature stiffened, and it flesh hardened until it was charred flesh. Draco stepped over the creature and stood still as the torches lit once more.

"Ginny!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and knew she heard him. He took in a breath and lurched forward, his eyes on the scene before him. His eyes followed the black trail of etched wood to the middle of the hallway, right before the big desk. The trail stretched a foot toward the desk and then it became a huge spot of black. The pretty pine desk was black now, and it looked burned. His graze was drawn to the huge circle of blackness around the desk. Tammy's body was stiff and leaning against the wall behind the desk.

"Tammy!" Ginny's scream behind him barely registered. The pretty healer looked like a charred body. Her skin crinkly and black, he mouth open, and cracked, in a soundless screech. Next to her was Tammy's best friend, Romilda, was sprawled across the desk, a charred arm had broken off and was on the ground. "Oh my god." Ginny whispered, staring at the bodies. Aurors ran up behind them and stopped dead at the edge of the etched wood. Ginny followed the trail of blackness to the spot where a mass of black flesh was and she shuddered. "Draco?"

"It knew a way in," he said and Ginny's heart almost stopped.

"How do you know?" Harry asked, his face pale, and he was trying to avoid looking at the remains of the healers.

"How long where we out there, Potter? About one hour and a couple of minutes, right?" Draco explained, "Well, it takes those things about an hour to reduce someone to this. That's why victims of the Inferatus that are saved minutes after the attack are grey, as if they've been drowned. But takes them an hour to reduce them to this, so it found a way in almost at the same time we went outside." Draco said, his brow furrowed, and studied the remains.

"How?" Ginny demanded, staring at Draco.

"And how exactly do you know that?" One of the Aurors asked, suspiciously.

"How do you think?" Draco asked coldly and Ginny could feel the temperature lower a few notches. When the Auror didn't' respond, Ginny swallowed and snapped out orders.

"Alright, we need to clear out Tammy- the bodies- and I need you two," she pointed to the Aurors, "To help me clear up the area." She said and the Healers immediately got to work. Tammy and Romilda's remains where gently put into silver lined coffins and send out to their families, while Ginny, Draco and Aurors washed the blackness of the creature's magic and watched the blackness receded into nothing, leaving the wood red once more. "Oh, and Jordan? Call for more Healers. And specify that they need to know how to fend of the Inferatus," Ginny said tiredly, and walked with Draco down the hall.

"Are you going to be okay?" Draco asked quietly and Ginny sighed.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Are you coming by tonight?" Ginny asked hopefully and looked around when Draco kissed her forehead. No one knew.

"I'll be there," he said and risked another kiss as he went up to his room. Life had a funny way of twisting things around, he mused.

___

Ginny smiled lavishly at him from across the room. He had been on her mind all night, and she couldn't help laughing when his eyes glittered with a knowing male desire. She turned back to Hermione and tried to catch up on where the conversation was led to after her distraction.

"… Such a time to have a wedding." Molly said sadly, looking at Hermione whose smile faltered just a little bit. Ginny frowned instantly.

"Mum, its never a bad time to have a wedding. We should at least have this before the Order takes action against Voldemort." Ginny put in, and gazed at her mother disproval written on her features. The disapproval grew even more pronounced when her mother flinched at the name.

Hermione's smile brightened after Ginny said those words and looked at her fiancé, who was in a passionate discussion about the Chudley Cannons with Harry.

"Ron wanted to get married as soon as possible. It doesn't matter to me when or how." Hermione sighed, and Ginny couldn't help reconsider her mother's words. They were close to the end of the war, Voldemort's movements had grown more erratic and panicked, and that's how they knew they would get him. There had been equal losses between both sides, and everyone had no time to grieve. Ginny squared her shoulders and tried not to think of a certain dazed blonde. Just last month a werewolf, and Death Eater, had killed Luna Lovegood while Ginny and her had taken a few hours from the Hospital to shop for Hermione's wedding gift. Ginny had grieved her death quietly, whenever she got the chance, and sent Luna's parents her condolences. Luna had proved to be a very powerful witch. Ginny would never forget the look of mild determination on her face when she had saved Ginny from the Killing Curse that had been launched at her by one of the Death Eaters, merely by stepping in front of her and taking the full blast.

"Oh, Ginny." Hermione's eyes welled with tears at the memory of their friends. Ginny shook her head, keeping the grief under control.

"Hermione, this is your wedding! You're marrying my brother, and I really do not want you to look all red and blotchy in the pictures." Ginny said, and grinned when Hermione snorted out a laugh, and was pulled away by Ron.

Ginny fought the tears that threatened to well up. It really was the worst time to have a wedding. There was absolutely no one left in the Wizarding world of England. Most of the shops in Diagon Alley were closed and barred up, and what shops were left didn't allow anyone who wasn't a member of the Order inside.

Sirius's house was filled with people who were trying to soak up the bit of happiness from the wedding. She spied Fred and George by the fireplace chatting animatedly with Bill whose scars from Fenrir's attack had healed. Fleur was by his side smiling at whatever Fred was saying and small laugh was forced from her lips. Sighing, she put her punch down and sidled to the door where she slid outside to the porch.

"At least they're happy," came a voice from her left. She had not seen him, but she pretended she had.

"For how long?" Ginny said softly, and sighed when he pulled her into the warm circle of his arms.

"They'll last," Draco said, resting his chin on the top of her head, "They always do."

"Will we?" she whispered, burying her face in his chest.

"Don't say that, Gin. You know we will," Draco said and held her away so he could look at her face.

"Then why the secrecy?" Ginny demanded, mortified when the tears spilled over. "Why can't we let my parents know that we're together?" She jutted her chin out staring at him defiantly.

He sighed. "We're been though this, Ginny, you know why," Draco reasoned. "You know that if he ever captures any of the others and they knew about use, about me, he's send his most powerful to finish me off, and everyone I love. You know this!"

"I'm sorry." Ginny sighed, turned her face up for a kiss, which she received. A soft, sweet one that almost made her burst into tears. "I love you." She whispered against his mouth.

"I love you too," he responded, and he was mortally afraid that he did.

"Ginny?" Molly's voice came from the other side of the door, and Ginny jerked back three feet, until she was leaning against the railing.

"Quidditch," Ginny said, and grinned when Draco's face morphed into one of irritation.

"Arguing still?" Molly asked, hands on her hips, "I need you, dear, to get Hermione's you-know-what. The ceremony's about to start." Molly smiled at Ginny, a happy smile forming on her face. She was so used to seeing her mother's face twisted into a worried frown that she savored the smile that was being directed at her. "And Draco, Ron wants you to escort Ginny, stop looking as if I just fed you Muggle beer." Molly laughed at the look on Draco's face. Ginny fought back the smile and slid past her mother and to the rooms upstairs.

She hurried to her room and gripped the sparkly bag in her hands tightly as she bounded downstairs again. Five minutes before the actual ceremony, Ginny ran up to Hermione, hugged her, and gave her the bag.

"What's this?" Hermione asked, surprised and peeked into the bag, but tissue paper stopped her view.

"A gift. Open it later." Ginny advised, and kissed Hermione's cheek. She looked radiant, and happy, like a bride should, Ginny mused. Her arm slid through the Draco's and the ceremony began.

Ginny had not time to cry, and the wedding was a blur. Hermione and Ron shared a chaste kiss, and Ginny whistled easily, and grinned when several people laughed. She studied the new couple and wondered if anything like that in store for her. She wondered if Draco had even considered staying with her after the whole war was over.

Melancholy, she slid into the dark hallway, and stood stock still when she spotted Draco's still form. "Draco?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

His body jerked and he whirled around. "Ginny," he said and closed his eyes. His expression was defeated and Ginny immediately threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in the hollow of his neck.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly, feeling his pulse under her lips.

"Is there life after this?" He asked softly and Ginny paused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean will everything be like it was before this war started?" Draco closed his eyes. He slid his hands down until they rested on her hips.

"I don't think it would return exactly back," Ginny answered. "There was life before, its just going to take a while to build it back up." She said softly.

"If there is, I want you in mine," he said, and Ginny's heart swelled. Her mouth opened to reply, but she was cut off.

"Ginny?" It was Ron's voice. She slid from Draco's arms she leaned easily against the opposite wall.

"Shut it, Malfoy." She said, and smiled.

"There you are. Malfoy. Ginny, I need to ask you something." Ron said, and he sounded embarrassed.

Giving a small laugh, she wandered towards her brother. "What is it?"

"Well, you see… I was wondering if you could help me. I want to cook Hermione dinner, at your place. You know. Candles, moonlight, whatever." Ron blushed and Ginny grinned.

"I see. When?"

"Tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.

"Alright. You have the keys, and I'll send Dobby to get everything ready for you."

"Thank you, Gin," he said.

"No problem," she whispered to his back.

Everything Is

1. Deceit

"Be brave, Ginny, they need you." Ginny whispered under her breath.

She hurtled into the site, sending stunning spells at every white mask she saw. She blocked spells that were sent her way and obeyed Harry's shouted commands.

"The werewolves! Ginny, behind you!"

Ginny processed the thought in less than a second she whirled around and began firing off spells that brought the oncoming snarling werewolves down in a unconscious heap of fur that turned into a knocked out human. Ginny turned and ran, heading deeper into the battle than she intended and soon she was just blocking spells that ricocheted her way. She screamed and covered her face with her hands when a rock exploded in front of her and she was pelted with pieces of broken rock.

Just she began to lower her arms, she felt something warm hit her on the stomach and realized that there was a werewolf snarling above her. Ginny's mind froze and yet her body reacted on its own once she recognized the face of the wolf that had mangled Bill's face.

"Avada Kedavra!" She shrieked, and grunted when Fenrir's dead body fell and covered hers. She pushed him off and sat up. Her mind processed Harry dueling with Bellatrix Lestrange, and a white masked man raising his wand pointing it at Harry's back.

"Crucio!" She howled, and the Death Eater dropped like a stone, his screams echoed in the night. She sent another killing curse at the writhing Death Eater before blocking a jet of green light that had been aimed at her. She turned and was faced with a towering Death Eater.

"Impedimenta!" She screamed, and backed up a step when he blocked her spell with a flick of his want.

"Expelliarmus." He said it lazily and Ginny blocked it easily.

"Where's my son, Miss Weasley?" the Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, snarled.

"I don't know. Did you torture him too?" When he flinched, she knew he had, and blocked a spell. "He was almost dead!" She screamed and didn't raise her wand in time to block the curse that hit her square in the chest.

It took a moment to realize that she was flying through the air, but before she could brace herself she landed. Her back arched with pain as she crashed through the thorny rosebushes, her legs, arms, and face getting cut by the roses. Ginny slid to the ground with a thud that tore a grunt from her body, and knocked the wind out of her. She lay there for a minute, her head angled so she could see the door of the manor. She saw the flash of white light that blasted the heavy door to pieces, and the tall, white figure of Voldemort entering the manor, a snarl fixed on his face. She saw two figures, one with white blond hair and another with red hair running after him.

She took a second to wipe the dirt from her eyes and she scrambled to her feet, following the three figures. She made it safely inside and slumped to catch her breath. She heard distinct explosions from under her and saw the door that had been ripped open that led to the dungeons. She was in the dirty, broken foyer of the misused house, leaning against a pillar that framed the open doorway. The black and white checkered floor was now littered with debris and broken stone. Her breath was coming fast, and her lungs burned. Everything was outside, in the gardens, less than thirty feet away. Ginny shuddered, and turned back into the doorway, sending stunning spells at masks, and dodging green and red bolts of light that suddenly flew her way.

Ginny pushed off the wall and ran to the door, fully aware that every second she wasted might cost someone's life. She stumbled down the stone steps, and leaned against the wet, cold stone and fought to catch her breath. The sounds from outside were softer down here and she sent a few stunning spells outside, just in case. When she heard a thud, she smiled in satisfaction.

"Okay, now focus." Ginny closed her eyes. This was the last battle, they had said. Ron, Harry, her, Hermione and Draco had planned everything out with enough detail to shame a Quidditch coach. The Death Eaters had taken up their base at the outskirts of Malfoy's land, and that was an opportunity. Ginny had been a back up and she'd been called into the field after twenty minutes. Thirty minutes later, she could no longer see who was winning. She could see the bodies that littered the ground, and she bit her lip trying to block out the image of lifeless eyes. Her fingertips brushed damp stone and she was brought back to her setting.

Ginny murmured and walked forward into the blackness. Her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness and she whispered an incantation softly and her wand lit. Her fingers went limp, and her lungs forced a scream. Pure mindless fear her screaming before she could focus.

"Terminato domine!" She screamed, and ran forward, pushing past cold, grey flesh. She kept shouting the spell over her shoulder and kept on running, her legs burning but what drove her was fear.

She had no idea where she was, where she was running to, or if they were still behind her. The sounds of grey flesh behind her had faded into a dim echo that she wasn't sure was real, or if they were just her imagination. She bent over, hands on her knees as she fought to catch her breath, whimpering when the air cut her ragged throat.

She was a mess; her hair that had been in a pretty bun now fell around her face, caked in blood and dirt. Her face was dirty, covered in splotches of blood and mud; scrapes around her jaw and a split lip throbbed painfully. Her hands shook as she tried to shove her hair behind one ear, and she tried to judge her surroundings. She was in the endless dungeons of Malfoy Manor, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint where. The hall she was in might as well have been a replica of a prison. Stonewalls, lighted only a single torch on the right hand side, the musky smell of rats and water dripping from the cracks in the stones.

Ginny stood shakily and stepped forward, her breathing was short and she knew she was going to burst into tears soon if she didn't find her brother and Draco. Slowly, she crept forward, and stopped. She was in a fork in the road, and she aimed her beam of light and saw the same thing in both: endless darkness. She decided on the left path and her steps grew more purposeful as she walked, her wand held out, her tongue ready to snap out a spell.

"Ron, Draco, where are you?" She whispered, and came to a blank wall. "Blast," She hissed, and looked around. She looked to her right and saw dim green glow, like a doorway at the far end.

A doorway? Without thinking, she was already sprinting towards it, watching as it drew closer, until she burst through the archway into a wide, circular stone room. Her eyes met cruel grey, and her wand fell from her hand, her mind blanked with shock.

"Draco?"

Her eyes left his and she looked down at the body at his feet, at the wand in his hand.

A very familiar shape was crumpled on the ground, deathly still. Red hair was bedraggled, and familiar brown eyes were glassy.

"Ron," Ginny moaned.

2. Truth

"I need you, Draco." Voldemort whispered.

"For what, Master?" Draco's voice was low, and ominous, he already had an idea of what the Dark Lord was asking him to do.

"This is the only way we can win, Draco, you are our only way in." Voldemort said, his voice dangerously low.

Draco stared down at the floor of the round room lighted by torched that emitted a green flame. There was nothing in the room except for Draco, who was kneeling respectfully and Voldemort who paced in circles.

"The girl," he said and Draco understood.

"Yes, Master."

"We must make this as believable as we can. You will be on their side for some time, until I call for you," he said to his follower.

"Yes, Master."

"This will happen in three days, Draco. Prepare yourself," Voldemort warned.

"I will, Master."

"That will be all, Draco."

Draco stood up and bowed, not meeting the garnet eyes of his Master. He turned on his heel and calmly strode out into the main stone hall. His face was cool and composed until he reached his mother in her room.

"Mother," he said.

"Son," she said weakly.

"He's going to send me," Draco said shortly, and struggled to not beg his mother to put her arms around him. She did anyway, hugging her son to her chest; her eyes closed hating her husband. She knew the hate was pointless, but it was nice to feel it. It gave her something to hang on to.

The days went by in a blur and he suddenly felt warm hands.

"I love you, Draco." Ginny whispered.

"You submitted yourself to this, Draco." The Dark Lord's words echoed.

"I love you, Ginny." His words flowed out, unstoppable.

"The girl's the key, Draco."

"I want you, Ginny," he whispered.

The kiss was endless, and soon, he was above her, inside her, surrounding her in ecstasy. He stared down at her face, thrown back, mouth half open, lids closed, and her hair spread around her like a halo. The moans rumbled in his throat as he moved inside her, feeling her very soul, and her cries matched his.

"Draco, please!" She moaned, arching her back, dragging Draco under another wave of mind-numbing pleasure.

"Ginny," he groaned, and felt his own release. Everything in her body seemed to tense, drawn into a painfully tight fist, driving her to scream out in her own pleasure until it released and her hands slid down his arms like water.

"I love you, I love you," he whispered into her hair, and felt the weight of every lie.

Her soft lips caressed his shoulder and his eyes closed.

I don't love you.

"Kill her, Draco," the hissing voice ordered.

In the oval room, with her brother at his feet, his wand rose and her eyes widened. Pain, shock, fear, hurt, and love flashed through those eyes the color of whiskey before he closed his own.

"Avada Kedavra," he whispered.

3. End

"She went into the Manor after Ron and Draco!" Harry shouted to Hermione who was sending spell after charm without opening her mouth. They both began to back to the Manor once their numbers of opponents were winding down; they turned, and blocked spells easily as they ran to the open doors. Hermione slid on the floor of the Manor and nearly fell.

"They went through there." Harry panted and they ran down the dark stone steps. Harry kept a hand out next to his wand, a poise reflecting Hermione's. Deeper into the hallway, Harry felt hate start welling up in his stomach.

"Inferatus!" Hermione screamed, and began firing off the spell, and she ran through the mass of gray flesh as did Harry. He turned around to see the five Inferatus already crumbling to the ground. Hermione was pale, and her eyes looked ethereal, shocked.

"Keep going!" Harry shouted, and Hermione shook her head and followed him, trusting him enough to not get her killed. Ron's face flashed into her mind and she felt an odd twisting dread. Had something happened? She shook the feeling off kept running.

They stumbled on the fork and they looked at each other, and back the two very similar hallways. Where would Ginny have gone? Harry nodded to the left path while Hermione looked doubtfully at the right.

"You take the right," Harry told her and took off, leaving Hermione running down the right hall. Hermione stopped at the persistence of the nauseous feeling in her stomach and she turned around.

"Ron," Hermione breathed, and bolted the way she had come and turned violently onto the path where Harry had gone down.

"Harry!" She tried to scream but it came out a hoarse snarl. She ran faster, hoping to catch up to her friend.

Harry ran down the winding stone hall until he nearly crashed into the stone wall at the very end. His hand took most of the impact, but it still jolted him when his shoulder hit it.

"What the hell?" He asked furiously, hands running over the dank stone.

He touched the stone and felt no magic. At the corner of his eye, he saw a dim flash of green and he turned. The flash was gone but there was a dim, green glow – torches? He began to walk slowly, assessing what could possibly be in that room, and then to run, his gut clenching with a mindless fear. What if Ginny was dead? What if Draco was dead? Harry skidded to a stop and he looked inside the room in time to see Ginny fall to the ground, her eyes wide with pain and death. He had the time to take in her eyes fading as she fell, her hair tumbling around her shoulders, her hands reaching out and then falling limp to the ground. He wasn't yet in the room but was hidden by the darkness of the hallway.

Harry's mind went blank as he stared at the small body of Ginny Weasley – sprawled with a strange morbid beauty in contrast with the dark rocks beneath her. The blankness in his mind then turned into awful denial and disbelief as Ron, his best friend, lay at Draco's feet. He didn't have to be a genius to see that they were both dead. And he didn't have to think to figure out that Draco Malfoy had killed them. The empty look on Draco's face spoke volumes as he stepped into the green luminescence and into Draco's line of sight.

"No! Ron! No!" He screamed and reality finally broke through the hazy layer of shock, his wand was already out, and pointed at Draco whose eyes had snapped open in surprise. He wasn't prepared for Harry's fury or blinding grief and it made him pause.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry roared with all the grief that rose in him – all aimed at the blonde man. He felt cold as Draco Malfoy dropped to the ground his face blank, surprise still marred on his features.

"At last," the silky voice had Harry turning, grief and rage driving his magic to the fullest extent of power. Voldemort stared at the bodies with faint interest before turning his red glare to Harry.

"You made him kill them!" Harry snarled, trembling with suppressed rage. He didn't feel human. He couldn't.

"I did," he hissed then laughed mirthfully. "It's possible that he may have loved her too, isn't that interesting? She was just a pawn. A silly pawn."

"Shut up!" Harry seethed, the rage blinding him. He wasn't prepared when Voldemort lifted his wand and began to howl the spell.

"Avada-!"

"Expelliarmus!" The voice from behind Harry had him jumping as the wand flew from Voldemort's hand and clattered to the ground. Harry reacted without thinking – only feeling he deep pit of blackness inside him as he advanced onto his enemy.

"Avada Kedavra!" Harry's voice reverberated throughout the room as the Dark Lord's eyes widened with terror at the force of Harry's magic.

"Harry- who-? Ron? Ron?!" A ringing in his ears drowned Hermione's screams out.

"It's over." He murmured. Hermione began to shake him, but Harry was drifting into a blackness that swallowed him whole.

"Harry, please wake up." Hermione sobbed, her head resting over his still beating heart. "Harry, WAKE UP!!"

Author's Note: This was written well before the seventh… hell, even the sixth book was released, hence the absence of those pesky Horcruxes. Also, since the reviewers (90% of them actually, haha) pointed out the obnoxious grammatical errors I left on there I decided to comb though this one more time. Hopefully, I got most of them. This story was planned from beginning to end to end like this – with Draco's betrayal. I just didn't want to make it obvious with hints like "Draco had a brief flash of satisfaction when Tammy died at the hand of his Master's creatures" or something like that.

Also, there's the issue of Draco. I wanted to make his 'love' for Ginny as believable as possible. I didn't realize how well of a job I'd done until I had someone read it in front of me and say, "Wtf?" But that's what I like about this – you would have never known otherwise.

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