Draco sat at the table, alone but for the house elves bustling around him making breakfast for the school. He looked down at the knife in his hands and wondered. Would it be better for this world if he did not exist?

With a snarl Draco dropped the knife onto the table. How could he think about suicide? He deserved to live just as every human deserved to live. But…

His eyes lit on the knife again and Draco buried his face in his hands. But…

all he could see was her red hair, her body as she writhed under him, the horror hidden deep in her eyes, and the screams, the pain. And he had done that to her.

For that he more than deserved to die.

Draco picked up the knife and looked at his wrists. Would slicing his wrists be painful enough to atone for his sins? He did not think so, but it was the only way he could think of ending himself.

Draco Malfoy smiled serenely; the first smile he had shed in weeks; and left the kitchens for a more private place.

This would be his apology, his goodbye, to Ginevra Molly Weasley.

III

Ginny smiled brightly up at Harry and Ron and marveled at just how easy it was to keep the mask on. She could keep all her true emotions hidden deep inside her soul and only let everyone else see what they wanted to see. So if Harry and Ron wanted to see a happy Ginny who really had not been harmed by her brief sojourn away when the train had been so abruptly stopped; Hermione wanted to see a happy and studious Ginny; her friends wanted to see the Ginny that they had become friends with, then she was more than willing to give them what they wanted. Her mask never slipped. She would not allow it.

Aside from her memories it was usually easy to avoid everything that might crack her façade. She avoided Draco Malfoy and never went down to their secret room and she evaded speaking about what had happened while she was missing.

Tom still sent her dreams at night but Voldemort never touched her. He sent her memories of something worse-

-Blond hair above her, sweat dripping off his face onto hers, the rhythmic pounding, the moaning, the pain.

-but this was only a memory; something she had already endured and could therefore ignore.

She would wake up screaming at night with the last hard grunts and the wetness inside riding her consciousness. But it was only memory so she pushed it aside.

No, what was scarier was that sometimes she would wake and wonder if Draco Malfoy would ever do that to her again.

Sometimes she shuddered at the thought and curled into a ball to shun the pain such thoughts brought. Yet, every once in a while and slowly ever more frequently, she would wake wishing that his weight was above her again. She wanted to feel him move inside of her, and that scared her more than Tom ever could.

No, she would never allow another male to touch her. Never again.

"Come on Ginny, we should head down to the Great Hall for breakfast now." Hermione called from the portrait where she, Harry and Ron were waiting for Ginny to meet up with them. Ginny smiled and hurried to catch up with the trio. She stayed a careful half step extra away from the boys but no one bothered to notice.

Ginny sat down at the Gryffindor table and piled a little food onto her plate even though she knew that she would not be able to eat it.

She sat in the Great Hall, at the Gryffindor table, surrounded by people on all sides, and was alone. Who could she talk to? Who deserved to be burdened with her problems? No one should have to know pain so encompassing as hers; so she remained alone.

"Pr-professor!"

Everyone looked up at the voice as a boy rushed into the Great Hall as if the devil were on his heals.

"Oh my God, Professor Dumbledore, hurry! He's bleeding everywhere!"

Dumbledore stood and held a hand for silence. "Mr. Cooper, please explain what exactly has occurred." The old man quickly walked down to the boy and led the way out of the Great Hall. Professors Snape and McGonagall followed.

Ginny could clearly hear as the doors closed behind the last set of heals, "It's Draco Malfoy sir. I…I think he's gone and slit his wrists."

Ginny stood up and stared after the professors. "Draco Malfoy," and "gone and slit his wrists," kept filtering though her mind and she felt it. She felt her mask crack and the pain jump to the forefront of her mind.

Ron looked over at his sister just in time to leap forward and catch the girl as she fainted.

III

"What is going on here?" Madam Pomfrey snarled at Professor Dumbledore. "Sir, this boy is covered in old and new scarring and bruises. It looks like he has been tortured within an inch of his life multiple times. It's no wonder he tried to commit suicide!"

Dumbledore hung his head and sighed. "I'm terribly sorry Poppy but I'm afraid that I do not entirely understand this myself."

"And Albus! This girl," she continued as if she did not hear him, "I've never seen such horrible mental scarring. That's aside from the fact that I think she's been raped both mentally and physically. Honestly, I thought you kept and eye on all the Order and Death Eater children. How could you miss both Draco Malfoy and Ginevra Weasley?"

"They have been hiding from me Poppy." He answered with a sad sigh. "There is a room in the bowels of Hogwarts that only admits those who are in so much pain that it is surprising that they are still alive. The room protects them from all outside influences, including me. Draco Malfoy found the room in his first year and has been spending copious amounts of time there. Miss Weasley was brought to the room this year and I have been unable to keep track of what has been happening to her ever since."

Madam Pomfrey sighed and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I don't think I should be the one healing them. The damage is too extensive and I may injure them further if I try anything. I believe only the medics at St. Mungo's would have a chance at healing them."

Dumbledore nodded. "I will let you make the arrangements Poppy, but I suggest that you request that Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley share a room while at the hospital." He left the hospital wing before the healer could ask what the odd twinkle in his eye meant.

III

"No, stop it! Don't touch me!"

Draco woke slowly to loud screams filling the room. He did not stop to look at his surroundings nor did he take a second to wonder why he was still among the living because he recognized that voice, those screams. Draco still heard those cries in his nightmares; he could not forget them as easily as he wished. He would not allow her to be hurt by any one else.

He shot out of bed and was across the room before Ginny could catch her breath enough to scream again. Draco's fist connected with the medi-wizards' face and sent the man sprawling.

Draco bent over Ginny to see if she was all right and saw that her eyes were wide and frightened but were staring beyond him at the place where the strange man had just been hovering. Her flailing arm hit his hand and suddenly she was gripping his hand with all the strength her frail body could muster. His other hand rose to cover her shaking hands as he knelt on the floor next to her bed.

Draco rested his head on the edge of the bed next to her pillow as he realized just how tired and weak her was feeling. He slowly felt Ginny's grip loosen as she too fought and lost with exhaustion. He followed her into sleep moments later and was thankfully unconscious by the time the head medi-witch ran into the room to berate his actions.

III

A.N. I know this is a short chapter but I felt like it needed to end there. I hope you liked this chapter and I'm glad to read every review.

Right now I'm at a crossroads of sorts and I need some help to decide where to go. There are two ways I could take this story.

1. Draco and Ginny slowly and painfully get better and fall in love.

Or

2. Draco and Ginny end up dying/ being forced apart/ something negative and horrible.

The first ends on a happy note, which I'm not sure would work with this story, while the second is very negative which would work but I still want D/G goodness.

Please review and tell me what you think!!!