I Walked this Road

Disclaimer: I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. !

A/N: Hullo readers! Just dropping you a bit of a background shot so you don't get completely befuddled! This fanfic is set after Hogwarts and the war but Voldemort is not yet dead and his forces are gathering. Ginny has joined the order and works as a 'Circe' an elite Auror and has been sent on a mission with a small army of her own self-trained men. Draco has escaped his father's clutches and works under the Order's protection but he is not trusted enough to be made a member. His mother has been hidden away for her own safety…but nobody is really safe and even those held closest will betray everything for a price…

Without further ado, I give …
Chapter One: Even the Bravest will Fall

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel - not a destination"

Screams shattered the air and she could hear the flurry of wands in the heat of a raging battle. Streaks of light, caused by the casting of spells, were the only relief from utter darkness and yet she could still see her men falling down in the mud all around her. Once innocent faces lay empty, the horror or war still echoing in the void of their eyes, and she choked back a scream. Rough hands grabbed her shoulders, dragging her to the ground, covering her body from the onslaught of curses.

'Ginny, you need to get out!' He shouted his light hair falling across her face softly.

'No!' Ginny spat, attempting to get back up but his body pinned her down.

His silvery eyes turned desperate as he swept back her hair, caressing her face and tracing each of her scars briefly. 'Please, don't stay here.'

'I can't leave my men!' she cried over the clashing over battle overhead.

He cursed under his breath, 'I can't protect you from here.'

'So?' she demanded. 'I'll look after myself!'

'And if they kill you?' he hissed, rolling them to the side to avoid a well-aimed hex. 'What am I supposed to do then?'

'Have some faith, I won't get killed.' Her eyes blazing he knew there was no arguing she was too stubborn.

'I'm so sorry,' he murmured, 'please forgive me.' A strange emotion flickered over her ravaged features and for a moment he hesitated before bending down to whisper in her ear. 'I love you.'

Understanding dawned in her eyes as he pulled out his wand. 'No! Please don't, please no!' she screamed as she thrashed against him, desperately struggling to get free. 'Don't make me go back, I need to be here!' she sobbed. 'You promised, you said you'd never let me go- not now, please!' she begged, scrambling to knock his wand out the way but he murmured the curse all the same, his heart flooding with hopelessness as a dullness glazed over her fiery amber eyes and her head lolled to the side.

Ginny Weasley had forgotten.

~
Three years later.

There was someone following her, of that she was sure. The shadows flickered slightly and her head snapped to left. Whoever they were, they were good. Spreading her legs she took up an offensive position knowing she couldn't make the first move till they revealed themselves. She made a quick assessment of her surroundings; the open field was good space wise but left little place to hide or run and she had a feeling she'd be doing both. The cover of the woods was at least thirty metres away which would have been ideal but the sun was already dipping behind the horizon and Ginny knew the woods too well to dare an escapade at night. Over all, her location lowered her chances of survival by seven to eight per cent which meant she'd have to rely on her skill and the weapons at her disposal.

Suddenly Ginny ducked to avoid a beautifully aimed curse that streaked just over her head. Crouching down she crawled to her left; judging by the curse's point of origin he attacker was less than ten metres away and shooting from the right. Based on the choice of curse, which she'd been able to identify as a binding spell, her attacker was male but he did not have the intention of killing which left two options; capturing or interrogating. Neither option particularly appealed to Ginny so she risked a sprint to the left, a stunning curse immediately erupted, scraping against her cheek forcing her to fall back to the ground. Cursing irately she scrambled to her feet, spitting out clumps of earth, and faced her opponent. Her prediction had been proved correct he was male, tall, well-muscled and definitely the stronger of the two. But strength certainly wasn't the be-all and end-all of combat; speed and agility were highly prized too, and Ginny had both. Swinging low she lashed out with her right leg; aiming for his calf to destabilise his balance but he seemed to have anticipated her move and despite her split second advantage he dodged to the left with an admirable display of flexibility.

But as his feet touch the ground again his foot caught on a slight ridge and he stumbled, just for a moment, but it was enough time for Ginny to swing her fist out and make contact with his jaw, smirking slightly at the loud 'pop' that indicated she had at least dislocated it. But in her split second pause he reached out, twisting her arm right up around her back so her fingers brushed against her shoulder bone. She cried out in pain and shock but managed to bring her foot down hard against his- a highly underrated move that reaped the best results- and he flinched back, swearing in a strange language. Ginny flipped back around, her body already in motion, and swung a perfect kick into his stomach and using his shock to her advantage proceeded to smash her palm into his temple.

He doubled over and Ginny, in the conceit of her prowess, stepped forward- big mistake. His hand lunged forward, twisting her ankle and forcing her to the ground. He wasted no time in jumping on top her to prevent her escape, pinning her arms down behind her sides. A small grin flitted across his hard features, concealed behind a mask, as she continued to struggle against his hold; this girl had nerve. He pulled out his wand and had it up against her throat in seconds, his breathing still ragged; she'd put up a good fight.

'Who are you?' she spat violently.

'I'll trade you,' he said calmly, 'an answer for an answer.' She looked at him with incredulity, her blazing amber eyes making him flinch back.

'Fine,' she hissed, 'what do you want to know?'

'Why you dropped your wand and used physical combat methods,' he answered earning himself yet another incredulous look.

'Wands make you vulnerable,' she replied, urged on by his questioning glance, 'because if you're relying upon your wand it's probably too late for you to be safe. My body won't fail me in that way.'

'Look around you,' he taunted, 'I don't think you're exactly in a desirable position, do you?'

'It's not so bad,' she replied a strange smirk playing with the corners of her mouth.

He raised a cynical eyebrow, 'What makes you so confident?'

She leaned forward slightly and murmured, 'I could kill you in one second flat.' He snorted but she just said, 'You've left your blind side open.' He followed her eyes down to his side where she had her wand digging into his back. 'I asked you who you are?' she repeated coolly. He pulled back his mask still in shock, revealing silvery blue eyes and silky, platinum blonde hair that fell across her face softly. 'Malfoy?' she choked back.

He nodded coolly but said in reply, 'Your turn.'

Ginny flicked her wand slightly and the concealment charm fell away to reveal her tumbles of red curls and glittering eyes. Malfoy froze for a second just staring but then suddenly he flinched back, scrambling to his feet and stumbling backwards.

'Ginny?' he asked, his voice hoarse.

'I don't remember giving you leave to use my first name,' she spat at him, confused by his reaction.

'You don't remember,' he muttered to himself, 'of course.'

'What are you doing here? This is Weasley territory,' Ginny demanded, her eyes narrowing into slits.

'Running patrol,' he replied, his eyes still wide in shock.

'Running patrol?' she asked stupidly.

'For the Order,' he explained, a little colour returning to his hollow cheeks. 'How did you-'

'You're in the Order?' Ginny scoffed, her wand never wavering from its offensive stance.

'A lot has changed since you disappeared,' he murmured and Ginny fell silent for the first time. She'd been gone for three years and she didn't remember a second of it.

'I remember prep for battle in the ministry,' she murmured, 'and then I woke up in a field a million miles away,' she said, barely registering the way he flinched at her words. 'After that there's only bits and pieces; like getting on a train for Paris and then Rome…and then nothing,' she said frowning. 'When I try to remember I get this funny feeling like…I shouldn't…and then…but…,' she started to stumble over her words and then without warning she crumbled to the ground; her body still.

'Where'd she go? I mean for three years? She wouldn't just leave…'

'Maybe, but war changes people…more importantly, what did she do?'

'Or who was she with? God, can you imagine explaining this to mum?'

'Dad will be worse. You don't think the death-eaters…nah, couldn't have been.'

Ginny smiled a little at the last comment, it was the voice of Ron- she could always tell when he was nervous or scared; he'd instantly dismiss the worst possible theory his mind could conceive.

'Did you see that?'

'What?'

'Her eyes, they just fluttered- I swear!'

'Ron, she'll be out for a few more hours, I need to talk to Draco.'

'Shame,' Ginny mumbled, 'I thought you might have missed me, Bill.'

'Ginny!' a hundred cries went up as she roused, squinting in the light trying to regain focus. Four faces with familiar red hair appeared in front of her and she managed a weak grin.

'Hi guys, I'm back.'

'What happened, Gin? - I mean, where have you been? - What were you doing? How come you never contacted us?' Charlie and Ron shot about a hundred questions at her unanimously but it was Bill who waved them away, a rare stern expression on his face.

'Leave her be,' he warned, pointing a finger at the two culprits. 'She needs her rest.'

'No I don't,' Ginny argued, sitting up, trying to ignore the dizziness. 'I need answers.'

'That can wait,' George said firmly, speaking for the first time.

Ginny pouted but none of their expressions changed. 'Fine,' she muttered looking around properly for the first time. 'Where's Draco?' she asked suddenly, noticing his absence.

'Finishing patrol, I think,' Charlie said unconcernedly. 'He dragged you back in here, half dead, leaving Mundungas in his place,' he said, rolling his eyes.

'Oh,' she murmured, secretly glad of his absence.

'What we need to know is-' George began but Ginny cut him off.

'I know, where I've been, what I've been doing and why I haven't contacted you,' she muttered, a depressed feeling curdling inside. 'Was that all of it, Ron?' Her question was met with a sheepishly apologetic smile from her brother. 'I don't remember though, I've tried, I've really tried but…nothing.'

'Draco told us what happened,' Bill said, 'he says you can remember up to your last mission; at the ministry.' Ginny nodded and he added in a strangled voice, 'But Gin, that's three years ago.' Ginny nodded again.

'I know,' she murmured softly.

'He also said you passed out after he pressed you for details,' George said and Ginny looked down at her bed covers, a little ashamed. 'We think whoever you were with put a powerful spell on you to stop you remembering.'

'But why not kill me?' she asked, her brow crinkling in confusion. 'Why let me come all this way back?'

'Maybe they still need you alive and…here,' Ron whispered, averting his gaze.

'But that means,' she stopped short, glancing around at all her brothers none of which had approached her and she noticed her wand had been taken away. 'I'm dangerous…I'm a weapon.'

'No,' Bill said suddenly, coming towards her. 'It just means you were too good for them.'

'No-one's too good for the Circle.' A voice sounded from the doorway and Ginny looked up, her gazer locking with a silvery-grey scrutiny.

'Stop,' Bill said firmly but Draco stepped inside the room, his presence filling it up and making it hard for her to breathe.

'The Circle?' Ginny asked, confusion replacing her fear.

'An elite order of death-eaters; Voldemort's inner circle, if you like,' Draco explained with a dark look.

'How do you know I was with them- I can't even remember anything?'

'Those moves you used out there are unlike any I've ever seen, except,' he said breaking off with a covert glance at Bill that did not go unnoticed by Ginny.

'Except?' she demanded.

'Except by my uncle Ivankov, a death-eater,' he added bitterly.

'And he was a member of this…Circle?' Draco nodded.

'Your battle strategies were brilliant and you executed them perfectly,' he said with a calculating look.

'So?' she asked defensively, 'anyone could have trained me'.

'But your intent was to kill,' he added quietly, 'only one group teaches that…mentality.'

Ginny was shocked into silence. She'd reacted by instinct, lashing out in a way that she knew had been drilled into her head hundreds of times. And Draco was right, she hadn't realised it but she had meant to kill him if she got the chance.

'But I didn't,' she said looking around at her brothers. 'I didn't kill you, I had the chance but I didn't. Why not?'

'The Circle wouldn't train you without a purpose. You may not consciously be aware of it but you have a mission- a deadly mission- but it also means they can't have completely wiped your memory because you remembering things; your training and such.'

'How to kill,' Ginny spat. Was she a killer? Without even knowing it?

'But you didn't,' Bill said emphatically. 'That's the point, you're remembering what they taught you but you're also remembering something more important; who you are.'

A silence settled over the room as every eye turned to Ginny.

'I have to get back to headquarters,' Draco said suddenly, shattering the peaceful atmosphere. 'Hermione has to send in her report, she got back from Romania this morning and I need to view it over first.' He nodded to Charlie and Bill before turning to leave.

'Draco?' Ginny called out without realising. He stopped but didn't turn to face her as if there was something written on his face that he didn't want her to see. 'Thank you' she murmured simply watching as he strode away.

'Get some rest, Gin,' George said as the rest turned to leave.

Ginny sank back into the bed and allowed a peaceful drowsiness lull her to sleep.

A/N: Hullo, again! Well I hope that was enjoyable…please leave me your thoughts and whatnots so I can be inspired to write another chapter! That little review button just down there is begging to be pressed and I'd hate for you to leave it so unhappy! If you have any questions or confusions check out my little 'summary setting' up the top! Check in soon for the next chapter!