Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter universe. Thank you J.K. Rowling for giving us these fabulous characters, and thank you to the wonderful writers of the songs that acted as my inspiration. The songs for this chapter are So Far Away by Crossfade and Warning by Incubus, respectively.

NOTE: This chapter has been edited.

And now we return to our story from the heroine's point of view…

Draco Malfoy broke my heart. No, he didn't break my heart. He just never gave it back to me. He took it and kept it, even when I wanted it back. Especially when I wanted it back. He was a stubborn, stuck up prat, and I loved him. That's the tragedy of my story.

Everyone thought I married the right man for me. Harry is the only one who knows the truth. Not about me loving Draco, of course. He could never stomach that...but Harry does know that I don't love him. Harry's been so supportive throughout our marriage that I can't even imagine living away from him anymore.

But there are some nights when I can't sleep because I see a loving smirk surrounded by silver-blond hair.

Harry has been a great husband, all things considered. I mean, it's not his fault that he isn't Draco.

I told Draco once that he was it for me. I couldn't survive with anyone else. His grey eyes turned solemn as he whispered, "You'd survive without me, Red. You'll always survive." I should've known then what he was planning...

There's no way I could have figured out. I mean, in the beginning, I was too caught up in hating Draco to even imagine what would happen to the two of us. And that's where I should have begun this story, I suppose. Here goes.

My mom and dad told me that I shouldn't go back to Hogwarts. They said it could be dangerous for me. Like hell I was going to listen. I had decided that if Harry, Ron and Hermione were going to try and bring down Voldemort, I was damn well going to stick it out at Hogwarts. Even when I knew that Voldemort was effectively running the school, I didn't think that anything completely horrible could happen to the students.

My first taste of the new world was given to me when I got to Platform 9 ¾. The entire area was usually full of bustling people, frantically saying goodbye to loved ones and rushing to get a compartment on the train. Posters for Hogsmeade stores, magical cleaning supplies and the latest Firebolt model would paper the walls. But this year, everything was different.

Everyone was being herded into groups by Ministry officials; groups that divided everyone by their Houses at Hogwarts, then subdivided them by family status. First years were simply divided by family status.

I looked around, shocked. The walls, instead of being covered with the bright advertisements that she had grown used to, were now papered, ceiling to floor, with wanted posters for most of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry. The overall effect was dark and grim.

Well, I thought, this is foreshadowing if ever I've seen it.

"Ginny, please. You don't have to do this," my mother begged me from within her cloak. My parents had come to see me off under heavy disguises. My mom looked like a frumpy blond woman in her 20s, and my dad looked like her old-enough-to-be-her-father husband.

"Mum, we've been over this. I want to do this. I'll be fine! Fred and George are my brothers, remember? I can't possibly get into any real trouble." Mum gave me a weak smile through the onset of her tears.

I looked at my parents, and it suddenly hit me that I may not see them again. I pulled them into a fierce hug, told them I loved them, and walked away without a backward glance. I was afraid that if I looked back, I'd be tempted to leave with them.

I joined the queue of waiting Gryffindors, and was told that I would be in the worst compartment since I was a Weasley.

"Figures," I muttered darkly. Neville Longbottom gave me a sad smile and went to stand with the other witches and wizards with family's in excellent social standing.

As I got onto the train, I was told by an attendant dressed in black and with a black felt mask on (yeah, that didn't SCREAM Death Eater) to move toward the back section.

"Reserved for Blood Traitors," he sneered, looking at my hair and freckles. Yes, I thought, I'm a Weasley. I get it. Really. No one needs to call attention to my physical attributes. I see myself in a mirror every day. I rolled my eyes and started moving through the crowd toward the indicated compartments.

Or, at least that's what I was doing.

My arm was grabbed from behind, and I was swung around to face a sneering Draco Malfoy. The last person I cared to talk to.

"What are you doing out here with us decent folk, Weasley?"

I knew I shouldn't let him get to me, but with everything that I had lost and still stood to lose…he was the last straw. I reached for my wand, but he was too fast. He grabbed my wrist to stop my hurried movement.

"Weasley, what makes you think that you could best ME in a duel?"

Men were easy. All you had to do was kick them in the ego. I tossed my hair and said jeeringly, "Only because I did it last year, Malfoy."

As the smirk on Malfoy's face faded, mine grew wider.

He tightened his grip on my wrist and pulled me closer. "Did you really think I had forgotten about that?"

Well, of course he hadn't. My Bat Bogey Hexes were nothing short of a work of art. Even Malfoy wasn't dense enough to forget one of MY hexes. But I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to ruffle Malfoy's feathers.

"With your ferret sized brain? I wouldn't put it past you." Despite myself, I was beginning to get a little nervous. The look in Malfoy's eyes was frightening to say the least.

Malfoy looked at me with disbelief and amusement in his eyes. "What a stupid girl you are. Do you really have no idea how much has changed?"

Malfoy was really starting to piss me off. The only thing I could do was…get away.

I snorted (and thanked any deity listening that my mum wasn't there to hear me snort) and jerked my arm away.

I started walking away from Malfoy, but delivered this parting shot over my shoulder. "Just stay away from me Malfoy, and your pretty face won't be damaged."

As I walked toward my assigned compartment, I couldn't help but wonder if Malfoy was right. Was I stupid for not anticipating some of these changes? Was Hogwarts even going to resemble the beloved school I had known for five years?

I shook my hair back and said, "Only one way to find out."

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