Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me... I own nothing... blah blah
Sorry if there's an abundance of writing errors-- misplaced modifiers, parallelism, etc. I tried to maintain the flow of the story. This is my first story so I hope you're not too harsh in your reviews... and yes I know it sucks.

Somehow, a spat between Ginny and Draco turned into a full-blooded argument; soon, angry words were being exchanged as the sound of their voices rose into the night. Draco irately grabbed a heavy crystal vase and hurled it in Ginny's direction. Never prone to violence against the woman he loved, he was stunned at his own actions. The next thing he knew, time seemed to freeze as the vase hurtled towards Ginny and shattered after smashing into her head. He let out a strangled cry as he watched her crumple to the ground, then rushed to her limp body. All he could see was blood, a tangle of red hair and broken crystal.


Draco awoke at St. Mungo's on a lumpy couch in the corner of the waiting room with a throbbing headache. He suddenly remembered the events of the night before and let out a groan. Ginny was probably dead now. The only spot of brightness in his ugly gray life… and he had destroyed it. "If she's gone, I'll never be able to forgive myself!!" he whispered savagely. Burying his fingers in his tangled hair he was suddenly confronted with a flashback.

It was right after the two had eloped. He had been watching his new wife happily as they unpacked boxes of old things into their new apartment. She had been wearing an old shirt of his with the sleeves rolled up and cut-off sweatpants. Her hair was messily pulled back in a pony-tail and her glowing face was prettily framed by the tendrils of hair that had escaped her hair-tie. They had been laughing and joking with each other… Draco felt the happiest he had in a long time. Abruptly, a shadow fell over them and Draco's grin faded. Ginny didn't see the intruder, but Draco saw Lucius, his father standing over them with a murderous look on his face. His wand had been pulled out and he was brandishing it menacingly. "Draco," he drawled "You haven't properly introduced me to your charming new bride". Ginny smiled warmly but Draco knew something was amiss. He didn't trust his father at all and heard the venom in his voice- the voice that had plagued him throughout his life. "You don't understand the humiliation do you?" he snarled "Hearing of your little elopement with this tramp from a stranger… the Drummonds. Imagine that! And they even congratulated me. Why should I be happy? Of your marriage to a filthy Weasley!" he spat out the word as if he couldn't bear saying it. "You're a disgrace to the Malfoy line!" Lucius pulled out his wand. "Crucio!" Ginny fell to the ground, writhing in pain before falling unconscious. Minutes later, Draco was hit by the same curse as he fell to the ground.

He shook his head, trying to clear it of those horrible memories. Seeing Ginny in pain nearly broke his heart the first time, but the second was so much worse. The knowledge that he had inflicted pain upon her and possibly even killed her after taking that oath to never let harm come to her was too much. He broke down and shed bitter tears. It was the first time he had cried since he was 7 and his father had killed his puppy, then inflicted the Cruciatus curse on him for showing weakness. The wall he had built around himself and others broke- the wall that had kept him untouchable, unaffected, emotionless and able to withhold tears. He cried for Ginny, for his mother who had lived years of suffering with his father before being murdered, for himself and his absolute worthlessness, for his father's victims, for Ginny's family, and for all those years he had held his tears in. The hysterical sobbing echoed in the empty room and it seemed as if Draco's world had suddenly caved in and trapped him inside with his misery. It seemed as if he cried for hours, until a kind nurse (who introduced herself as Kate Sykes) had come in, sat beside him holding his head in her lap and stroking his hair. When he was done, she asked him what the matter was, probably not expecting the torrent of words that escaped his mouth. He told her everything… of their families' enmity, of they way he had tortured Ginny in school, then fallen in love with her in his last year at Hogwarts, the memories of their time together, riding on broomsticks and practicing on the Quidditch pitch, of their marriage, how Ginny had always wanted a large wedding with all the family, how she had to give up the people she loved for him, how caring and compassionate Ginny was, how beautiful she was, how he was a stupid git., the events that had happened last night, of his evil father, of not becoming a death eater, how Ginny's brother Ron would never reconcile with him, no matter what . The nurse listened sympathetically throughout this long confession and was touched by the young man's love for his wife. His eyes were filled with pain, anguish and guilt. "…and now I've killed her," he finished.


The healers looked on despondently at the young woman who had arrived in their ward earlier that day. She was still unconscious and was in danger of slipping into a coma… or dying. Her husband seemed to be going crazy with worry and grief, but they were doing the best they could. Any improvement would be relayed to him immediately.


The two weeks that Ginny lay in St. Mungo's without any sign of improvement… hovering between life and death were taxing on everyone. Draco was gradually allowed to sit by her bedside and he did this 24/7. His face was paler, hollow and thinner due to his lack of eating and sleeping. A nurse eventually had to take him away and force feed him. Two days later, he was back at Ginny's side. One afternoon, as Draco was studying Ginny's face again, he noticed a flutter of her eyelids. An instant later, it was gone and all was still. He couldn't help but wonder if it was just an illusion caused by days without sleep, but he noticed it again and sat quietly in anticipation. Suddenly, Ginny's eyes flew open and Draco let out a long breath. Tears began welling up again and he cried with joy, until he realized bitterly that he probably shouldn't be here. He had caused so much pain in her young life, was it worth it for her to have more? Lucius was in Azkaban but they would never have a happy life together. He loved her too much… the love would eventually consume them both. Instead he would have to let her go. "Goodbye, Ginny" he whispered. "Remember always that I love you and I will love you….even past the day I die." He slipped the wedding band of her finger and put it in his pocket. No, she couldn't have any memory of me, he thought to himself. I'll ask for a memory charm, to erase all of them. She would be able to start a new life, with a husband who would win her family's love. She would have children... a house full of them… and grandchildren…Yes, he resolved, I'll get the best to do this procedure. The marriage will be annulled. I'll leave her a house in London and one by the beach. I'll disappear and give her a second chance.

5 years later…

It was the day of the hospital benefit and Ginny had butterflies in her stomach. These social functions always make me nervous, but I'm head of the Gorsemoor Magical Hospital and this is necessary to receive funding from all those rich philanthropist-wannabes, she thought to herself. Her mother was also hinting that it would be a good place to meet eligible wizards. Hah, as if I'd ever marry one of those rich, stuck-up, I-pretend-I-care-but-I-really-don't-give-a-damn-what-other-people-think-because-I'm-a-selfish-boar guys, she thought, but perhaps I'll talk to them, just to get my precious mum off my back with her "You're an old maid at 29… why your brother Ron's already married and has given me 3 darling grandchildren!" speech.

Ginny stood in her closet holding up dress after dress in an attempt to decide which one would suit the occasion the best. She finally chose a long black dress robe that hugged her body and flared out slightly at her hips. Her hair was swept up in an elegant up-do and charmed in place. Her necklace was a borrowed chain of diamonds from her rich friend Alicia, who was going to be there. For her make-up, she painted her lips a soft pink and charmed her eyelashes to stay long and dark. Perfect, she thought.

Okay so St. Mungo's is for "Magical Maladies and Injuries", and Ginny's injury is not quite magical… but she can still be there can't she?