The next morning Ginny was forced to accept Draco's help. Katy was stuck in bed with a horrible fever and she was so delirious she thought she was the queen. Definitely not in the shape to take care of owls. Ginny showed Draco where the basement was where the owls hunted. They all flew up and out of the basement and settled back on their perches in time to sleep. A male great grey carried a large mouse to his mate who was always tending to her eggs.

Ginny was busy with the paper work that Katy didn't do the day before but did it at the front desk so Draco wasn't alone and wouldn't freak out if a customer asked too many questions he couldn't answer. But the day was rather uneventful. She and Draco sat and talked about the good old times at Hogwarts. They avoided talk about You-Know-Who or his father and everything about the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny still couldn't recall everything about that year. She only remembered being escorted half way to her transfiguration class before everything going black. The next thing she knew she was waking up in the middle of the Chamber of Secrets with the enormous Basilisk lying dead on the floor and Harry dying slowly due to the poison fang stuck in his arm.

All day, and the day after that they worked in the shop together because Katy was still sick. Friday came in a haze of rain and hail and Katy's fever had, if possible, gotten worse. Ginny sent one of their fastest owls to St. Mungos Hospital explaining her symptoms and hoping that they would respond quickly. On top of that it was the day of Draco's hearing. The Aurors would be arriving soon to escort him to where he would stand in front of the entire ministry and explain his father's plan with nothing but his mother's word and the support of the Order of the Phoenix.

Around three o'clock there was a knock at the door. Draco answered it as Ginny was too busy changing the wet towel she had against Katy's forehead in a desperate attempt to bring her fever down. Draco had rushed back in seconds later followed by two medical wizards and a witch. They pushed her aside and began observing Katy's condition. Ginny felt tears welling up in her eyes as they began talking to each other in panicked voices. Draco wrapped his muscular arms around her and pulled her into his chest. She cried against him until someone knocked on the door again.

She pulled herself away and walked out to the kitchen to open the door. There stood Harry. "What are you doing here?" she snapped.

Harry looked at the tears falling down her face. "Ginny," he said quietly. "What's wrong?"

"It's Katy," Ginny turned away from him but stood in his way so he wouldn't be able to get inside the apartment. "She got stunned when we were at Draco's place and she's been sick ever since. Healers from St Mungos are here now."

"What!" Harry snapped. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's none of your business!" Ginny snapped. "Now what are you doing here?"

"I'm one of the Aurors to escort Malfoy to the hearing."

"You've got to be kidding me. You're not even a fully fledged auror yet!"

"It's a part of training. Can we come in?"

She was about to refuse when the witch from St Mungos yelled from behind her. "Out of the way!"

Ginny had to step out of the way of the door as the two wizards ran past her with Katy lying on a stretcher. The witch stopped in front of Ginny. "We're taking her to St Mungos." She said quickly. "No, you can't come with us. We will send you an owl when we are sure what is wrong with her and you can come and visit her. Until then, please try not to worry, she's in good hands."

With that the witch left the apartment. Ginny, suddenly feeling weak went and sat down at the kitchen table. Draco was there now. He didn't try to hug Ginny again because Harry was there but Harry looked from Ginny's face to Draco's tear stained shirt and put two and two together. He said nothing however. Instead he led the other two aurors, one of them being his senior advisor, into the small apartment. "I would suggest wearing something a little more presentable, Mr Malfoy," said the senior auror dully. "You'll be in one of the old dungeon court rooms and they're really uptight about dress code."

Draco nodded, ignored Harry's glares and walked away to get dressed. Ginny shuddered and tried to gain control of her tears. Harry sat beside her. "It's going to be ok, Ginny," he said soothingly. "Katy will be alright."

"Harry," said the senior auror snapped. "You are here on official Ministry business, not to comfort your ex-girlfriend."

Ginny laughed a little as Harry stood up from his seat again. A sudden idea popped into her head and she jumped up. "Wait here," she said absentmindedly and rushed off to her room.

Five minutes later she was back in her robes, her faced washed and her hair pulled up in a high pony tail. Her wand was tucked safely in her belt. "What do you think you're doing?" Both Harry and Draco snapped when they saw her.

"What does it look like?" she snapped, grabbing the keys to the apartment and the shop off the counter. "I'm coming too."

Harry shook his head. "You're not allowed in the hearing," he looked at his superior. "Is she?"

"It all depends on what the Minister says. Regardless we must leave, or we will be late."

"Ginny," Draco looked deeply into her eyes. "Stay here, you shouldn't be there."

"And what else am I supposed to do here?" Ginny snapped back. "Sit, worry and wait, wondering which bit of news I'm going to get first? I think not!"

Harry sighed and looked at his watch, shrugging annoyed. So they all left the apartment, Ginny locking up after them. She followed them, sticking close to Draco. Draco wanted to comfort her, wrap his arm around her shoulders or, at least, take her hand in his. But he didn't dare with Harry right behind him, practically breathing down his neck.

They got to the Ministry in time to see the Minister himself on his way to the court room. He was a tall. Lanky man wearing mahogany robes and a tired look. Ginny requested her presence at the court, offering that she had witnessed the attack at Draco's house and what they Death-Eaters had said and he agreed solemnly. "And to think," he said in a wheezy voice. "Everything seemed so peaceful for a while..." he trailed off and continued to the court room.

Harry and the other aurors escorted Draco and Ginny to the visitor's desk and signing them in before proceeding down to the huge court room. Ginny and Draco stood outside until they were called in where they took their seats in the middle. Ginny had never been in the dungeon court rooms before and quickly began to shiver. It surprised her even more when the doors opened again and five more aurors walked in escorting a chained Lucius Malfoy. His normally well tamed, blonde hair was tangled and unkempt. He had a dark, malicious look on his face which turned into a snarl when he saw his disowned son.

The aurors sat Lucius in the chair with chains that immediately jumped up and bound him tightly to the chair. Draco's hands clenched the arms of his chair and Ginny nervously touched his hand. He looked at her and smiled gently. The Minister of Magic cleared his throat. Ginny looked forward and saw her father. He winked and gave her a reassuring smile. "Court Room 11, number 3589, May 24th, 2011. Presenting Mr Lucius Malfoy, Mr Draco Malfoy, and recently added Miss Ginerva Weasely."

Draco stood up quickly. "My apologies, Minister," he said politely, but angrily. "I have disowned myself from the Malfoy family. I currently have no surname."

Licius let out a laugh that sounded more like a bark. "You have Malfoy blood in you, boy," he said loud and clear. "You can disown your name but you cannot disown your bloodline!"

The Minister ignored Lucius. "My apologies, Mr Draco." He corrected. "Please take your seat."

Draco sat, shifting his and Ginny's chair slightly further away from Lucius. The Minister returned to his notes and began the official trial, his assistant scribbling madly. He went through the reasons Lucius was sent to Azkaban, the date of Draco's disownment and the last day that Narcissa had visited Lucius. He then looked up at Draco. "Please rise and explain the reason you're here."

Draco stood up again and began talking. "On the evening of May 17th, 2011 I returned to my home north of London in the area of Winslen Drive. Already in my home was Narcissa Malfoy, waiting for my return. She was there to ask me to return to the Malfoy family. Her reasons were both logical and maternal. Her logical reasons were that she wanted me to return to the Dark Lord."

"You-Know-Who," the Minister looked at Draco over the top of his glasses. "Is dead. How can you return to serve a dead man?"

"She told me that her husband, Lucius Malfoy, was going to take the place of the Dark Lord and appeal for his release to Azkaban."

The Minister glanced at Lucius before focusing on Draco again. "Large shoes to fill. Did Narcissa explain how he was going to achieve this?"

"No. She came to try to get me to join them again. I refused. Immediately after I went to the Order of the Phoenix to repeat what Narcissa had told me. Ginerva can confirm."

The Minister turned to her and Ginny nodded her head, unable to find her voice. Arthur gave her another reassuring smile but everyone turned to Lucius who had begun to laugh manically. He pulled himself away from the chair but the chains held him fast. He looked madly up at the Minister. "It's already begun." He said in a loud, mad voice. "I will take the place of the Dark Lord and I will walk around and none of you..."

Suddenly Lucius had gone rigid. His mouth was still wide open and his eyes were as wide as saucers. Lucius then began to convulse, as if having a seizure but there were none of the usual signs. The two senior aurors pushed Ginny and Draco aside to see what was wrong with Lucius. Draco turned away so he wouldn't have to see his father and pulled Ginny into his chest so she wouldn't have to see it either. There was a huge commotion in the benches above them. Two witches bound down to join the aurors trying to stop Lucius's seizure.

In a few minutes it was all over. Draco let Ginny go and they turned. Lucius Malfoy was lying on his back on the floor looking paler than ever before. He was dead. Ginny's breath caught in her throat. She was trembling. What had happened to him? Wizards didn't get seizures, they were easily prevented by the magic in their blood. Even if they had somehow gotten a seizure there was a simple spell to prevent it. The Minister, who was standing along with the rest of the court cleared his throat nervously. "Well it looks like we don't have to worry about that anymore. Take him to St Mungos and make sure they find out what's happened to him."

Draco turned on his heel and steered Ginny out of the Court Room. Harry noticed and followed them. "Oi!" he snapped. "The minister hasn't allowed you to leave yet!"

"Open your eyes, Potter!" Draco snarled, sounding like his old self again.

Ginny was trembling in his arms, clutching to his robes. Her eyes were wide and unblinking. She wasn't crying but she couldn't seem to say anything either. Harry snorted. "Had she stayed behind like I told her to she would have seen..."

Ginny wasn't sure at what point Draco let go of her and what point he punched Harry in the jaw. She only noticed the slight chill she got with the disappearance of the Draco's warm arms around her. Harry was on the floor and Draco was yelling. The dungeon door banged open and Arthur Weasely ran out with his wand drawn. "What's going on?" He snapped, looking between Harry, Ginny and Draco.

Draco backed off and faced Arthur, still mad. "Since I need it," he spat. "May I have permission to take Ginny away from this place before they come out with the body?"

Arthur looked at Ginny again and nodded. Draco took Ginny's arm and spun on the spot, disapperating them back into her apartment. She stumbled and Draco sat her in a chair. He began to make tea. Ginny noticed a tawny owl at the window and stumbled over to open it. The owl stuck out its leg and Ginny took the letter. "It's from St Mungos." She said softly.

"What does it say?"

Ginny read it over and breathed a sigh of relief. "She's ok. She got hit with a double stunning spell which isn't good for your heart and she apparently had a pre-existing heart problem. They say they're going to keep overnight for observation and she will have to take it easy for a while."

Somehow she managed to sit back down before collapsing. Draco placed a strong cup of tea with a shot of fire-whiskey in front of her. He took her hand gently. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

Ginny looked at their hands and whispered. "I don't think this was an accident. I think this was all a part of your father's plan. It's not over. Something is about to happen... something bad."

Draco nodded in agreement. Before he said anything however there was a loud crack and a knock on the door. Draco answered it since Ginny was unable to stand without falling over. It was a ministry of magic representative. Draco showed him in and he stepped in to face them both. "I am here to give the Status of Mr Lucius Malfoy."

"Where's Potter?" Draco asked

"Mr Potter is not a complete wizard of the ministry and therefore not qualified to deliver this news." He waited for Draco or Ginny to complain. When they didn't he continued. "Lucius Malfoy has been declared incompetent on the mental and physical level. He has been transported to St Mungos hospital."

Draco stared at him. "I beg your pardon." He snapped. "He's dead, isn't he?"

"That's the weird thing," The ministry wizard said, dropping his professional manor. "He's alive, but, his soul is gone."

"Come again?" Ginny whispered.

"Alright, you know the dementors? Of course you do, blimey, I'm an idiot. Anyway, it's like he's been kissed. He's still alive but he has no soul. And no one knows why or, more importantly, how. We've got healers and unspeakables working on it but there's nothing that anyone can think of right now. Blimey, look at the time, I really must be going. Please excuse me."

He disapparated. Ginny and Draco looked at each other. She suddenly burst into tears and dived into his chest. Draco stumbled a little but then wrapped his arms around her and held her. She bawled and he whispered soothing words into her ear until she collapsed in a chair and shuddered every so often. Draco bit his lip, thinking about what to do. Finally he lifted Ginny up and carried her to her bedroom. He lay her down and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you ok?" he asked.

She shivered and looked up at him. "Will you stay with me tonight?"

Draco smiled and went back to his room to change. By the time he got back she had changed into a pair of shorts, a tank top and was already fast asleep. He lay beside her and pulled her close. She was shivering so he pulled the quilt over them both. Draco couldn't sleep. His mind was reeling. How could his father's soul left his body without the help of a dementor? As far as he knew, and he knew a lot, there was no way that a physical body could be separated from its soul without the magic of a dementor. It seemed impossible.

After Ginny stopped shivering Draco stepped out of the bed and walked out to the kitchen. He had no idea why he was feeling so suspicious of his father and now it was keeping him from sleeping. He opened the refrigerator and took out an open bottle of wine and poured himself a generous glass. He sat at the table and drank the wine and looked at his wand carefully. He didn't know what it was but he was suddenly disgusted with the piece of wood he was holding. It connected him to his father, something he had been trying to stop for the last two years. He desperately wanted to get rid of the wand he had recovered from Harry at the last battle of Hogwarts. It was the one his father had bought him when he was eleven years old. He wanted to snap his wand in half and buy another one. And since Olivander was back it was easy enough to do so.

Ginny woke up the next morning to the sound of a crackling fire and completely alone. She followed the sound and found Draco standing in front of the sink with a fire inside it. "What's with the fire?" she asked.

"I'm burning my old wand." Draco said darkly. "I'm completely detaching myself from my father. He bought me this wand and now I'm destroying it."

"But will Olivander give you a new one? I know he denied Pansy Parkinson since she wanted to give up Harry to the Death Eaters at the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Yeah but she never disowned herself from her family or denied that she wanted to be involved with them. Or apologised for her actions. I'll go down to Olivander's today and ask. I also have a job interview tomorrow and most wizarding places won't hire unless I have a wand so I'm really hoping I can get a new one."

"What will you do if you can't?"

Draco sighed and leaned against the sink as his old wand was reduced to ashes. He only shook his head. Ginny stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. She didn't know how to comfort him. Finally she said; "Look, I'm sure my dad can help you out if you can't get a job or wand. And if you can't get a job you can cover for Katy and I'll pay you as best I can."

She saw a shadow of a smile and she pulled him away from the smoking sink. "Come and help me bring out the owls. I'm going to close early once the healers bring Katy back. I want to keep an eye on her for a while."

"Of course."

A few hours later Ginny flipped the sign to close the shop as the healers from St. Mungos put her into bed. She was asleep and, according to them, she would be until the next morning. Ginny opened the trap door so the owls could go down whenever they were hungry. Draco hadn't returned yet and he had been gone all morning. She wasn't too worried, she knew he could handle himself, but he didn't have a wand and if he ran into trouble he would have no way to defend himself. She turned away from the door and shook her head. She had Katy to worry about. She walked up to the apartment and met one of the healers. She handed her a bottle of milky liquid. "Give her six drops of this twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. It goes best with milk but goes fine with tea. We gave her the morning draft so just make sure to wake her up around seven to give the next draft.

"Thank you so much."

The healers nodded and they all disapperated at the same time. Ginny went into the room to look at Katy. She was pale as could be. She was definitely very sick. Suddenly she heard a loud crack. She ran out to the kitchen. It was Harry. She clenched her teeth together. "What are you doing here?" she snapped. "Haven't you heard of knocking?"

"Look, Ginny, we need to talk. Now that the whole Lucius Malfoy thing is over, we should sit down and have a sensible conversation. We're both adults and mature. So can we go out to dinner tonight so we can talk?"

"What makes you think it's over?"

"Malfoy's practically dead. He's not going anywhere or casting any spells. Without his soul he has nothing."

Ginny wrapped her arms around herself. "I really don't think this is over. Don't ask me how I know this but it's just this weird feeling that I have."

Harry opened his mouth to speak but there was a loud crack from outside the door before someone knocked. Ginny opened it. It was Draco. He stepped in and looked coldly at Harry. Harry looked just as coldly back. "What's he doing here?" Harry glowered.

"Unlike you, I'm welcome here." Draco growled and turned to Ginny. "Olivander accepted to give me a second wand. Is Katy alright?"

"She's pale but the Healers say she's ok."

"If you're so welcome why didn't you just apparate in here?" Harry cut across their conversation.

"Ginny never gave me keys or permission to apparate here. But I'll leave you to your conversation. I must send an owl to Arthur. Ginny, may I use one of the post owls?"

"Of course."

Draco turned and walked out of the apartment again. Harry grumbled. "I don't see why he has to stay here now. The whole thing is over and done with."

"Like I said before," Ginny sighed. "I really don't think it is."

Harry stepped forward and took her hand. "You're worrying too much, Ginny. You need to relax Come to dinner with me and we'll talk and relax."

"No, Harry. I have to take care of Katy. Please leave now."

Harry sighed. "Please Ginny. We didn't end well and I want to fix that. Please give me..."

"No!" Ginny snapped. "Get out before I jinx you into next week."

Harry sighed, turned on the spot and disapperated. Ginny groaned and sat down on the floor. She made the dust around the stove disappear, like a vacuum. A few minutes later Draco sat down in front of her against the stove. "You alright?" he asked.

"Do I look alright?" she glowered. "My best friend is sick, my ex-boyfriend keeps bugging me and Voldemort threatens peace again."

Draco tilted his head. "You said his name,"

Ginny shrugged. "I'm just sick being afraid of a stupid name."

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on them. Draco reached out and rested a hand on her arm. "This won't make you feel better, but, I know for a fact that it isn't over. I went to visit my parent's mansion. It's been destroyed. Torched to the ground. But there was no sign of the fortune or any of the dark artefacts they kept under the drawing room. My mother's planning something and my father losing his soul was a part of it."

"Why can't this just end? Why does it have to be this way?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. And I wish I could give you a better answer."

"Did you tell my father about the mansion?"

"Of course. Why do you think it took me so long to get back?" When Ginny smiled he pulled himself back onto his feet. "I have to go get ready for an interview. Are you going to be ok on your own?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll be looking after Katy."

"Speaking of which," Draco chuckled as Katy stumbled out of her bedroom. "Good morning sleeping beauty."

Katy glared at him and spoke two words. "Coffee... please..."