A/N: I will NOT disclaim my ownage of Harry Potter. To disclaim something, means that you must claim it first! So ha! I haven't claimed anything, I never said, I OWN HARRY POTTER!! Oh, wait, I just said it. Crap… ok, I disclaim any and all rights to the Harry Potter kingdom… happy now?!

-Alright everybody, this is my first so be gentle with me. This was submitted without a beta, so if you catch anything, be sure to call me on it. And now... Enjoy!! (or suffer the consequences)

Chapter 1

The gently rolling hills of the English countryside sped past the Hogwarts Express on a lovely late summer day. Ginny Weasley was enjoying the view when she realized that she was being asked a question.

''What? Sorry?'' She looked sheepishly at her friends. By the way Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and her brother, Ron Weasley were looking at her, they must have been trying to rouse her attention for a number of minutes. ''Guess I wandered off there a bit. I'm sorry Hermione, what were you saying?''

Hermione rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh, ''I was asking you about your upcoming extra-curricular activities. I heard something about medi-witch training from your mum on the platform.''

Ginny had a feeling Hermione would bring this up, ''Oh yeah, I got an owl this summer from Dumbledore. He said that I'm going to get the chance to work with Madame Pomfrey in the hospital wing for a term or two. It's kind of like an internship.''

''But Ginny, your OWLs are coming up this year. You are going to need all your extra time for studying to make sure that you can even get in to a good healer's school. Not to mention…''

Ginny cut her off, ''Hermione, I am not Ron. I realize my OWLs are coming up and I will have plenty of time to study. I'm not worried. I can stir circles around everyone in my Potions Class. Transfiguration makes perfect sense to me. And from all the practice we got in the DA, I seriously don't think that Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts are going to be much of a problem. Please don't worry about me. I promise, if I get into any trouble I will come straight to you for help, alright?''

Hermione seemed ready to object again, but then gave a curt nod, ''Alright. If you're sure.''

''I am sure.'' Ginny looked to her brother, Ron, who looked slightly well, slighted. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'I'm not Ron.' What is that supposed to mean?!"

Ginny, Harry and Hermione all looked at each other and burst out into laughter.

The Great Hall was magnificent as always. Pin points of stars floated amongst the rafters, mimicking the clear night sky. Hundreds of candles drifted about just over head of the students and teachers, illuminating the hall with warm light. For the moment, the house tables were bare. But Ginny knew that once the feast began, they would be decked with such excellent and fanciful dishes, one would be hard put to find their equal in most parts of the wizarding world.

Ginny glanced around at the familiar faces, looking for a seat. Luna Lovegood waved to her from the Ravenclaw table. Ginny smiled and waved back before taking a seat next to Colin and Denis Creevy.

''Hello Ginny! Have a nice holiday?''

''Not to bad, Colin, all things considered. How about you?''

''Pretty uneventful. The whole family went to France, but we stayed with our horrid Aunt Gertrude. I did manage to get some pretty fantastic photos, though.'' Ginny could tell that Colin was about to go on one of his tangents about the exciting world of wizarding photography. Thankfully, he was interrupted by the entrance of the first years. She just wasn't quite up to pretending to pay attention tonight. She had a lot on her mind.

With the sorting done, and Headmaster Dumbledore's speech through, the Welcoming Feast appeared on the tables. Even though everything looked exceptionally scrumptious, she just didn't feel at all hungry. She made some excuse to Colin about being tired and headed towards the doors.

Ginny, who wasn't tired in the least, made her way out of the Great Hall and up the Grand Staircase towards the hospital wing. She greeted the paintings as she passed them, and thankfully managed to avoid Peeves. The halls were so quiet, Ginny took extra care to step lightly, and not ruin the peaceful tranquility.

When she reached the infirmary, a certain calm came over her. In this place, she would begin to learn her trade, her calling. For that is what healing was; her calling. She had felt pain, seen pain, throughout her life and could not bear to sit idly by while others suffered. She had a profound need to help others. Something she got from her mother, she was sure.

Ginny wandered down the rows of beds and came to one of the windows. Of all the places in the castle, save the Astronomy Tower, the hospital wing had the best views, in her opinion. On a clear night, the school grounds lit up with star- and moonlight. She could just sit there for hours, and had on many occasions.

She made her way over to a medium sized table near Madame Pomfrey's office. On it had been laid out several sheaves of parchment, with quill and ink, some of the basic potion necessities; cauldron, mortar and pestle, silver knife, and a few other things, and several books on medicinal magical plants, potions, and techniques. Ginny looked over the items with hungry eyes. She was so eager to start, so eager to learn. She picked up one of the books on medicinal magical plants and flipped it open. This particular section was dedicated to the Bubotuber. Ginny grimaced, thinking of last year's herbology class when they had to drain the plant's puss. Which, undiluted, can cause painful boils. As quite a few of the other, less mindful, students found out firsthand. She put down the book and selected another. This one was on medicinal potions. She was reading about the pepperup potion when she was interrupted. ''I see you're making yourself quite at home.''

Ginny spun around, clutching the book. ''Oh, Madame Pomfrey! You startled me. I'm sorry, I... I just wanted to have a look around… and...'' She swallowed hard, hoping she hadn't just booted herself out of her internship.

Madame Pomfrey regarded her for a moment, and then let out a little laugh. ''Relax Miss Weasley, your place here is safe. I actually had planned on showing you around tonight. Before someone takes a spill and ruins the ambiance, of course.'' She laughed again. Ginny smiled, warming immediately to the older witch's sense of humor.

''When I saw you leave the feast early, I had a suspicion that you would end up here. You've a healer's instinct in you Miss Weasley, I can feel it.'' The medi-witch shuffled through the parchment on the table, ''Ah, here we are. This is your schedule, it's not in stone mind you, so if you need a little more free time, say to study for your OWLs, we can work something out.''

Ginny took the parchment with a grin, ''Has Hermione Granger been in your ear?''

''Thankfully, no. But OWLs are rather important in a healing career. Still, you seem mature enough to know when you are at your wit's end, eh?'' She placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder, ''Don't let this become a burden, dear. Take it a little at a time, and only as much as you can handle. What's the saying, 'don't bite off more than you can chew'?''

Ginny smiled, ''Yes, that would be the one.''

''Well, come by tomorrow after you've checked your class schedule to make sure that everything fits, and I'll give you a proper tour. As for me, I'm off to bed. Good night, Miss Weasley.''

''Good night.'' Ginny watched her leave and turned back to the table and set down the book. She glanced over her schedule and put it in her pocket, and made her way back to the windows.

Draco Malfoy sat at the Slytherin table, surrounded by his cronies. Pansy Parkinson clung to his side like a swamp leech, and sickened him just the same. He hadn't been back a day yet and already he was weary of his cohorts. He had to get away, now.

''Where are we going, Drakie?''

Draco shuddered with disgust at the nickname Pansy insisted upon using, and forcibly removed her hand from his arm. ''We aren't going anywhere. I am leaving.'' And so did, before she regained enough of her senses to try and follow him.

Wandering aimlessly through the corridors usually helped Draco relax. Here lately, there was so much on his mind that he found it very difficult to sleep, so he needed all the help he could get. With the added pressure from his father, and his upcoming role in some task that he had yet to be informed of, he found it impossible to clear his mind.

In his wandering, realized that he was quite close to the hospital wing.

''Perhaps I can nick some Dreamless Sleeping Draught from the potion cabinet,'' he thought to himself. ''At least then I'll be sure to finally get some rest.''

As he drew nearer to the infirmary door, he thought he heard something. It sounded like singing. ''Beautiful singing'', he thought as he tried to make out the words.

''Here I go again

Slipping further away

Letting go again

Of what keeps me in place

I like it here

But it scares me to death

There is nothing here''

Draco came up to the door and realized that the voice was coming from inside. He carefully opened the door and slipped in.

''The light is beautiful

But I'm darker than light

And you are wonderful

But this moment is mine''

He slowly, and silently, moved down the rows of beds, searching for the source of the voice. This enthralling voice that had seized his attention so completely, his thoughts were of nothing else.

''All of this dust

All of this past

All of this over and gone

And never coming back

All of this forgotten

Not by me''

The voice was not only beautiful, it held such feeling. This was a voice that could easily sway the motions of men.

''I find comfort here

'Cause I know what is lost

Hope is always fear

For the pain it may cost

And I have searched for a reason to go on

I've tried and I've tried

But it's taking me so long''

Draco rounded the corner of a bed and saw a figure sitting at the window. It was from this creature that the enrapturing voice came from. He stared at her for a moment waiting for her to react, to tell him to get out, to hex him, even. But she just kept on singing. She didn't even realize that he was there.

''I might be better off

Closing my eyes

And God will come looking for me

In time

All of this dust

All of this past

All of this over and gone

And never coming back

All of this forgotten

Not by me''

He tried to place her features, though it was a little difficult with her face turned slightly away from him. ''Her hair,'' he though, ''such a striking color in the moonlight… it looks so soft..''

''I can see myself

I look peaceful and pale

But underneath

I can barely inhale''

Draco thought for a moment. ''That color, so… red…'' Then his mind made the connection. Red hair… This was the littlest Weasley, the youngest of that worthless, blood-traitor family. He was immediately appalled at the thoughts that had just been running through his mind. He swallowed hard and backed up slowly, silently. He certainly didn't want to catch her attention now.

''I can hear myself singing that song

Over and over until it belongs to me''

As Draco retreated through the door, he heard her humming softly and glanced back. He shook his head in annoyance and walked swiftly down the hall toward the dungeons.

Ginny hummed the ending notes to her song, gazing up at the stars. She heard a noise and quickly glanced around. There was no one there, but she swore that she heard footsteps. She heaved a sigh, ''I guess I am getting a bit tired if I'm imagining noises,'' she thought. ''Ah well, off to bed then.''

Draco lay in his bed, his mind full of disparaging thoughts. ''Beautiful! How could you think that about the Weaslette?! Of all things she is, beautiful is not one of them. She is poor, and a blood-traitor, and… sings like an siren… No! The only reason I listened was because it was bizarre. Yes, bizarre. That's what it was, I've certainly never heard something so, so… enchanting… Ahh! No!''

Draco's mind wandered in circles like this until he fell asleep thinking about her. And, much to his annoyance, he slept more soundly than he had in months.

A/N: I hope you liked it! The song she is singing is ''All of this Past'' by Sara Bettens. I'll try to have the next chapter up in a couple days. Please, please review!