Author's Note: So, while re-reading this story with the intention of getting in touch with it again, to be able to update and complete it, I found the content in the chapters terribly flawed. Therefore, I felt like the best option would be to just delete the entire story and start re-posting the edited chapters. I sincerely apologise to readers/followers, but the plot will remain the same, and the content will just be spruced up with the hope that it will become a much better read than the first time around. Enjoy!

Nova*

Redeeming Draco Malfoy

Chapter One

GINNY Weasley's big, brown eyes opened widely to bright sunlight filtering through her bedroom window. She took a moment to register her surroundings. Slowly a smile formed on her full lips and she stretched lazily in her tiny but comfortable bed.

The red head closed her eyes for a moment, savouring the sounds of birds chirping in the orchard outside, the familiar rattling of pots and pans downstairs and the wonderful aroma of bacon and eggs wafting up to her bedroom.

For Ginny those noises sounded like peace.

The War had been over for four months now and with the arrival of summer, feelings had started to morph from the deadly gloom everyone had been feeling to acceptance. Light and hope had filtered through the cracks of loss that they had all experienced, healing wounds and reminding her family and friends that they were alive. After all, not being dead was definitely something to be grateful for. They had mourned angrily, stayed silent in misery and had been altered because of broken hearts, but a new dawn had emerged and it had finally become time to move on.

The first step forward should have been easy after everything they had been through, however, letting go had proved to be much more difficult than accepting a loved one was gone and never returning. After a while, they had made it though. And while it still felt like they were sometimes dodging pain like determined bludgers, Ginny knew that as long as they had each other, they could overcome anything.

Ginny had made it her mission to smile and ensure everyone else around her knew that they could count on her if they needed. That was how she had dealt with her grief. She had occupied herself with placing everyone else's needs first, so that it became easier to forget to focus on her own pain. Slowly the throbbing aches had dulled into residual soreness.

Ginny pulled on a well worn, but still cosy, dressing gown and headed towards the bathroom. Her body felt more relaxed than it had ever since the War had began and she was relieved that she was getting more sleep in nowadays. Moving straight for the bathroom basin, Ginny placed her palms on the edge and looked up at the chipped mirror above it.

"You can do this." The witch told herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror and took in a deep breath. Ginny brushed her teeth before splashing water on her face. Then the red head smiled encouragingly at her dripping image before nodding determinedly and wiping her face dry. She had taken to starting off her days with confidence and positive energy ever since the War had began. In doing so, Ginny had managed to salvage her sanity, at least.

Ginny jogged down the rickety old steps of the Burrow, jumping over the hole where almost an entire step was now missing. The familiarity of her childhood home made her feel thankful that she still had the Burrow, her parents and her family. Even though there would always be a painful reminder in her chest due to Fred's absence, she knew that there were better ways to honour her brother's memory than to sit around and spend her days wallowing. That was not something Fred would have wanted either. Plus, she had cried so much in the past four months that Ginny doubted she had any tears left to shed.

That was not entirely true though. The smallest mention of Fred or Remus and Tonks, or Colin and every other friend who had died during the War could still make tears spring to her eyes and her throat burn with sadness. However, Ginny had become so accustomed to the reaction that she had mastered how to keep her tears from spilling over. Harry had helped her monumentally with overcoming Fred's death and she had spent much time with George, reliving their memories of Fred to help them both with their healing process. Taking strength from only those two wizards had allowed her a modicum of composure when it had mattered most.

"Morning, mum." Ginny greeted. The young witch watched Molly Weasley turn around from the pots she stood over.

"Good morning, Ginny." Mrs Weasley smiled at her daughter as Ginny placed a soft kiss on her plump cheek.

Ginny had taken to being a little more affectionate towards her parents after the War. Partially due to the fact that she no longer took them for granted after having come so close to losing them, and because she knew deep down she was trying her best to fill the gaping hole Fred had left them with. While there was a light absent from Mr and Mrs Weasley's eyes, one that used to sparkle for Fred alone, Ginny knew in her hopeful heart that it would return one day. One step at a time.

"Is everyone at work then?" Ginny asked as she looked at the clock on a kitchen counter nearby, one that actually told the time.

"Yes, dear. I thought you deserved a bit of a sleep in." Mrs Weasley bustled around the kitchen, setting down breakfast for herself and her daughter.

Mrs Weasley had lost much weight in the past four months, so Ginny had made it a habit to eat meals with her mother when her father was not around. As of late it had been the younger witch who would try and coax her mother into eating, therefore seeing Mrs Weasley lay out the table today made Ginny smile. She was just pleased that life seemed to be slowly going back to normal. Well as normal as could be. There were many changes that had taken place after the War, some more difficult than others and some that would only become easier with time. Yet the Weasley family – extended members included – dealt with it together and that was where they had drawn their strength from, from one another.

"Thanks, mum." Ginny appreciated as she smiled warmly at her mother. She was about to sit down when she noticed a large, tawny owl swooping towards their kitchen window. "I'll get it, mum." Ginny placed a small hand on her mother's shoulder to keep Mrs Weasley seated. The younger witch untied the letter from the Ministry owl before the bird flew away gracefully again.

Turning around to lean on the window ledge, Ginny took the mail that was addressed to her and opened the Ministry seal carefully. Her bright brown eyes widened almost comically, so much so that it was quite possible that they would pop out of her sockets if she didn't stop glaring at the piece of parchment in her hands.

In bewilderment she read the correspondence she had received for her summer internship once more, before turning it over to ensure it really was the Ministry seal on the letter. Ginny then inspected the letter again before bringing it closer to her eyes. When she was certain that she had not misread the words written there, she brought the letter up to her nose.

Watching Ginny, one would have thought it a silly notion to sniff new parchment, but Ginny knew better. She was trying to tell if the letter was a joke from Fred and George by the way it smelled. It was something that the twins … Ginny stopped abruptly as she remembered that it was only George now. Refusing to be plagued by sadness Ginny shook her head slightly to redirect her thoughts. George was doing fine, her family was coping and the War had been over for months now.

"Ginny, dear, what are you doing?" Mrs Weasley turned to see why her daughter had not yet returned to their old, wooden table for breakfast.

The older witch watched Ginny as she licked her thumb and suspiciously tried to rub at the black ink, scripted neatly and professionally against the crisp parchment in her hand. Mrs Weasley's frown deepened at the odd behaviour.

"I am simply checking if this is a hoax, mum." Ginny grumbled as she turned the letter up and down in her hands.

"What is, Ginny?" Mrs Weasley set down her cutlery as Ginny went over to sit next to her mother.

With Hogwarts completely wrecked and a war to clean up after, the start of term would only start in October rather than September that year. It allowed the dust to settle, literally and figuratively, as Hogwarts was only just nearing its completion stages of being rebuilt. The Ministry wanted to ensure that the Castle was safe for its students return. Also, there were many people who had been on the run during Voldemort's reign and were slowly being found and returned home.

In the interim the Ministry had decided to use the time in between for the rebuilding of their community as well. Since she had turned seventeen weeks ago, Ginny had decided to sign up for a Ministry reformation programme, The Repentance Workshop.

The workshop was a way for young adults to assist with the appropriate rehabilitating of other witches and wizards, closer to their own age, who had chosen to side with Voldemort during the War. Namely the Slytherins who had taken perverse pleasure in the blood-traitor torture that had become part of the syllabus after Dumbledore's death. Kingsley had wanted to reduce the number of people that would be sent to Azkaban, so Harry, Ron and Hermione had come up with the idea for him. It ensured that the younger or aspiring Death Eaters were held accountable for their actions but not by the same laws that punished fully grown wizards. Since Kingsley had felt that Azkaban would do more harm than good for the young dark witches and wizards – who were simply misguided by their parents, in his eyes – he had approved of the idea. The temporary Minister for Magic had been of the opinion that being paired with witches and wizards who had fought with Harry during the War would help show them the light, so to speak.

Hermione had suggested something that the Muggles called community service, and the new Minister had thought it a brilliant plan to implement in the Wizarding world as well. Who wouldn't fancy the idea anyway, considering it had come from the brightest witch of their age and backed up by Harry Potter – Chosen One and defeater of the Dark Lord? Therefore, Ginny, who had never been one to sit idly by, had joined in.

Now she was seriously rethinking her chivalrous choice.

"Oh, my." Molly said softly as she too turned over the letter, examining it to make sure it wasn't a prank.

"Exactly." Ginny agreed while biting into a streak of bacon with a little more ferociousness than was necessary. All the while Ginny was thinking how she could chew and spit out whoever it was that had picked her Repentance Workshop partner.

The official letter that had arrived for her today had included instructions on her new charge. Her accused was none other than Draco Lucius Malfoy.

. . .

Draco Malfoy shielded his eyes with the back of his arm as his mother magically opened the thick and expensive curtains of his large bedroom.

"Mother." Draco groaned out as he turned around on his stomach and buried his face into his fluffy pillow.

He reconsidered stirring with such speed as his head spun from the movement. Draco wondered if he could convince his mother to brew up a hangover remedy for him as he was sure he had forgotten to replenish his own stock.

"Get up, Draco. I can not believe that you would come home at three this morning with everything that has been going on." Narcissa Malfoy reprimanded coldly as Draco heard her approach the side of his bed.

He moved his blonde head a little to the right so he could peak at his mother with one bleary, grey eye. She stood tall and impressive as she always did in her immaculate dress robes, not a strand of her shiny blonde hair out of place. It was only her icy blue eyes that showed Draco how pissed she really was with him.

"Don't worry, mother. I was up in Scotland with Theo and Blaise. I doubt any of the scavengers here could get their hands on a story."

"Funny you should say that, son." His mother's voice held no humour though. Her tone was chilly and clearly restrained.

Draco winced. He really did not want to be subjected to his mother losing her temper when he felt like he was about to lose his intestines. Her endless hours of lecturing with no hangover potion, ultimately meant that the trolls in his head would break his skull by the end of the day. Draco groaned.

"Don't you moan at me. Look at this, Draco." Narcissa whacked him over the head with a newspaper, by the feel of it. Only it had felt like she had taken a sledgehammer to his cranium in his current state, and with a long suffering whine, Draco turned around to sit up in his lumps of silk sheets and luxurious duvets.

He took the paper his mother handed him but noticed that she was also holding a letter in her other hand. He sighed as he wondered how much torture he would have to go through today. Deciding to deal with one blasted menace at a time, Draco inhaled deeply and opened the Daily Prophet his mother had given him. Grey eyes scanned the article and he immediately snarled at the offending paper.

"There is no use in griping at something that is your fault. I told you to wait, Draco. Just until this mess is behind us. Until after two months when your father's sentence is revisited." Draco drowned out Narcissa's ramblings as he flung the paper away from him in disgust.

While Potter and his two loyal sidekicks had given personal testimonies – and it seemed that the golden trio's word was almost law now – Draco and his mother had been saved from going to Azkaban on various conditions, of course. Lucius, unfortunately, was spending a minimum of six months in Azkaban for his War crimes before his case could be revisited. Draco thought that this was a light sentence compared to the other Death Eaters who were either dead, on the run like dogs or imprisoned for life. However, considering all the valuable information concerning Voldemort's inner circle that Lucius had so willingly traded with the Ministry to save his own hide, Draco wasn't surprised.

For avoiding Azkaban, Narcissa's charges had been for her to give her time working in various Muggle charities and donating vast sums of Malfoy gold towards the damages the War had caused for the useless creatures. The Malfoy assets were currently seized by the Ministry but that didn't bother Draco since not all their gold was kept in a vault at Gringotts. Also, the money that the Ministry saw fit to spend was small change to Draco. However, the shame for working like a common Muggle was a hefty price to pay in his eyes.

Draco sniffed at the thought and ran his hands through his mussed hair. The blonde strands fell back onto his forehead like fine silk without a holding charm to keep them slicked back. Draco knew his fate could have been much worse. He could be sharing a cell with his father in Azkaban right at this moment, though that thought didn't make the humiliation any easier to bear. And that wasn't the worse of Draco's punishments. He had been asked to sign up for the newest stupidity disguised as competence by the Ministry.

The Repentance Workshop.

Even the name was unimaginative and he already hated the darn thing for simply existing. Draco was going to be assigned a fellow witch or wizard to ensure he completed a months worth of "community service". If his assessor signed his clearance letter at the end of September, then he would be spared from going on trial for his War crimes.

Considering Draco was branded with the Dark Mark and had actually committed dastardly deeds, the Malfoy family had accepted the Minister's kindness. Although, Draco was fairly certain that it was Potter who now had the final say when it came to the fate of his family and him. Draco just knew that the noble arse felt like he owed them. Draco felt uncomfortable with receiving anything from Potter, the Weasel and Granger, least of all pity, but he didn't really have a choice in the matter. It was either Draco swallowed his pride or said goodbye to his future.

The media on the other hand was not very accepting of the Malfoys sentence. While they were told only that the Malfoys played instrumental roles in the demise of Voldemort, Potter had declined to detail the events surrounding what he and his faithful lackeys had been doing to bring down Voldemort in its entirety. Potter had divulged only the basics, refusing for the story to become a tale.

Draco sighed before throwing back the bundles of his bedding and getting out of his lush, four poster bed. He reached for his mother's shoulders and stopped her pacing as the sound of her heels clicking against his marble floors made his head hurt more.

"It's alright, mother, people aren't going to change Kingsley's mind."

Narcissa shook of her son's hold and glared at him. "Maybe not for our initial sentence, no. But I keep telling you that this reflects badly on your father, what – "

"It is because of father that we are in this position." Draco snapped as he felt his temper flare. He was still very conflicted about his feelings towards his father and preferred not to dwell on them – for now at least.

"He is still your father, Draco." Draco heard the tremble in his mother's voice and sighed. She was not far from tears of late, and while he could be a complete prat to humans in general, including his father now, his mother was not one of them.

"I'll stop the meetings for a while then." Draco tried to appease Narcissa.

She nodded with a small watery smile and he made to excuse himself quickly so he didn't have to witness his mother's lack of composure when she spoke again. "I doubt you'll have much time to do otherwise, Draco. Tomorrow is the first of September and your first day of the Repentance Workshop begins." Draco turned around again, aghast at that bit of information. "This will help your public image much."

Draco groaned as he took the envelope his mother offered him and opened it carefully. His eyes widened as he read the official letter before it slipped form his fingers. He sat down on a comfy chaise nearby, one that his father had imported for him from Persia, his knees weak as he felt the distinct urge to vomit rise bitterly up his throat.

He watched as his mother bent to pick up the letter. He gave her a few seconds to read the parchment before he looked up at her. She had an unreadable expression on her face and Draco wondered if they could still buy their way out of this mess. Even if it was just to change his assessor.

"You are going to go through with the programme, aren't you, Draco?" Narcissa asked and her bottom lip trembled vulnerably again.

Draco sighed as he ran his hands down his face. If he was not going to do it for his father, or even for himself, then he would definitely partake in the bloody joke for his mother's sake. "I don't see any other way out."

He expected to see disgust at having to associate with a family his parents loathed from long before the War, or even pity for the position he found himself in, instead his mother stood taller, her shoulders straight again and a familiar gleam appeared in her blue eyes.

Had he just been played?

"Wonderful, the Weasleys are basically running the Ministry nowadays. Having one as your assessor could even sway the opinion of the public."

Draco groaned and resisted the urge to plant his fist into something as he let his heavy, pounding head fall into his hands. His mother looked as if she was planning a massive ball while he was going to be stuck with the littlest Weasley for an entire month. The blonde haired wizard idly pressed the bridge of his nose as a distant memory clawed through his nostrils making him shudder faintly. He could already smell the scent of vengeance surrounding him.

Only Draco knew that it was he who was going to be the one paying up this time …

. . .

"This is simply insane. I'm sorry, Minister, but I refuse to help him. He can be thrown into Azkaban, for all I care." Ginny ranted, sitting forward in the hard chair in Kingsley's office, her small hands clenched into fists on the large desk that separated her from the Minster for Magic.

Had it not been for the relationship between her family and Kingsley since before he became Minister, then she doubted she would have even gotten an appointment with him. However, long gone were the days when the Weasleys were unrecognisable, poor blood-traitors who people – like the Malfoys – looked down their snotty noses at. Now they were War heroes. Ginny mentally scoffed at the title. She did not think that doing what was right should be glorified. It was something that she had learned from Harry. You did good things because it was the right thing to do.

She didn't care how rich or renowned someone was. If he or she was an evil prat then they were snot beneath her cheap, scuffed pumps. Ginny Weasley always did what was right. Well, not always but at least she was not evil.

"Ginny." Kingsley spoke with much patience, making Ginny feel slightly abashed over her brazen behaviour.

The new Minster had much to do and she was sure listening to her petty griping about something she had volunteered for in the first place, did not rank high on his agenda. Also she did not want it to seem like she was using her last name to ask for favouritism, but she was desperate and needed his help.

"Yes, Minister?" Ginny queried sweetly but Kingsley knew her well enough to humour her faux innocence.

"Do you know why I chose you for young Mr Malfoy, Ginny?"

"Honestly, Minister, I think with all the stress you have been going through of late, you wanted to get a good laugh at my reaction. That or no one else wanted to be stuck with him for a month." Ginny said impassively and Kingsley's lips involuntarily twitched.

"No, Ginny. I chose you because I thought that if anyone deserved to be a deciding factor on Mr Malfoy's sentence, a Weasley having power over him would humble the young wizard into proving himself." Ginny scoffed as she doubted a Malfoy could ever be humbled, least of all by an abhorred Weasley, but she allowed Kingsley to continue out of respect for the elder wizard. "I also did it because I believed that out of everyone, a Weasel had earned the opportunity to see a little Malfoy humiliation."

At the twinkle in Kingsley's eyes Ginny raised a neatly shaped auburn eyebrow at this. She could not deny that the idea was suddenly starting to hold some appeal for her. "Go on, Minster." Ginny said sweetly and Kingsley did smile this time.

"As Ron is busy with his Auror training," Ginny refused to feel bitter about this since wherever Harry went, Ron followed along, ever the faithful sidekick. "I thought who better than you to take over something that you were so excited in doing in the first place. I never thought you'd willingly give up or back down from a challenge, Ginny. I expected you to be a lot braver than this."

Ginny new she was being manipulated, the Minister was using mind games really, but damn it Kingsley was good at it. She could see now why he was voted into being temporary Minister and she had no doubt that it would become a permanent fixture too. And he was right. Evil schemes were already being concocted in her mind for vile punishments befitting Draco Malfoy. She was going to make him suffer. Oh, how she was going to enjoy this.

Ginny stood up serenely and extended a tiny hand to the Minister. "I appreciate the time and confidence, Minster. I won't let you down." With a mischievous grin Ginny made to leave.

"I know you won't." Kingsley gave her a conspiratorial smile and she headed out the ostentatious office. She would go visit her father first before she left the Ministry.

. . .

Ginny found him at the bar in Enchanted. He was surrounded by a group of giggling witches in robes of various bright pinks. There was so much pink around that Ginny wondered whether they had just come from attending a "how to be an airhead" meeting. There must be a club because all those girly vibes made Ginny feel queasy.

She sat at a table in the corner, watching as Draco Malfoy ordered another drink and leaned in to whisper something into the ear of a dark haired witch near him. The girl simpered and giggled and Ginny's lips curled up in disgust. Did they really think that all that blonde hair and sharp features were good looking?

Ginny studied Malfoy objectively. His aristocratic face was regal and handsome, his frame tall and his shoulders broad. However it was the way he looked when he wasn't sneering or scowling – as she usually saw him doing – that made Ginny see some appeal to him. A confident smirk tugging at one corner of his lips accentuated his features. The way a lock of blonde hair fell on his forehead made him look almost human and not like an evil, cold blooded git.

However, there was something different about this Malfoy than she remembered from school. Ginny was not sure if it was the way his usually immaculate, dark robes looked slightly rumpled or the way his hands ran thorough his slightly longer, not slicked back hair frequently or the fact that he was drinking continuously made Ginny take a second look. It was almost as if he was lacking his air of superiority.

That was probably to be expected since his father was facing trial again and his mother and he, had only been exonerated with stringent conditions. Such restrictions could not be an easy life for the previously privileged Malfoys. It was difficult to buy your way out of situations when no one wanted your gold any longer. Respect from silly, giggling girls was probably all he could get now. He looked somewhat defeated and resigned. Ginny chastised herself. She would not feel even an ounce of pity for a Malfoy. She refused to. He didn't deserve it.

Making up her mind Ginny downed the last of her Butterbeer and stood up. She made her way towards the girls clustered around him, as if he were a celebrity, but stilled when she heard the stupid witches speak.

"Oh, Draco, tell them that story about how You-Know-Who tortured you." Ginny heard one witch prattle on sympathetically.

"Yes, Draco, you must tell them how brave you were to fight for the good while playing on the bad side. If You-Know-Who had found out …." A blonde girl shuddered with an annoying simper as the others around her clucked sympathetically.

"Oh, you brave man." Another simpered.

Ginny felt her breakfast rise to her throat as she listened to the hogwash these brainless chits were spurning. Did they really believe that? Even she had found it hard to believe that Draco Malfoy had suffered during the War, and Ginny had been armed with all the facts and Harry's testimonies as well. After all, Malfoy hadn't been so sure of his loyalties when he had been crying in a girl's lavatory and trying to kill Dumbledore. He had almost murdered others as he went along, including two of her brothers. And all these witches were surrounding him as if he was a hero? It was despicable and spurred Ginny's self righteous anger on all the more.

Taking in a deep breath to calm herself, before she hexed all the brainless broads surrounding Malfoy, a plan formed in her head. It was preposterous and probably wouldn't end well, but she needed to get rid of all the bimbos before they filled Malfoy's head with so much drivel that he actually started to believe them. Merlin knew at one point his arrogance had rivalled even that of Voldemort's. This could also be an added bonus in punishing Malfoy since he seemed to be revelling in the mindless attention. And anything he took pleasure in, Ginny would strip from him.

With a determined lift to her red head, Ginny elbowed her way towards Malfoy. "Darling, there you are." She cooed loudly as she stepped directly into Malfoy's line of vision.

Lifting her face to his Ginny pressed her cheek against Malfoy's on the pretext of kissing him in greeting while she was really whispering against the shell of his ear. All the while grateful she had managed to bamboozle him in to not pushing her aside and claiming disgust at being near a poor, blood-traitor.

"Be a good boy and get rid of the slags, Malfoy, so you can say a proper hello to your Repentance Workshop Assessor."