A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back! Sorry it took so long! Thanks so much to everyone who is reading. If you like my story enough to put me on your favorites list, then please, please, please review as well. I sincerely take all feedback into account, and it has happened where people's comments and suggestions have actually inspired me to add new things to the fic or take it into a different direction. I appreciate all of your support and thank you again for reading!! I love you guys, and the reason why I have continued writing is for you.

The following poem was just too perfect :)

Remember

Christina Rossetti

Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land;

When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day

You tell me of our future that you plann'd:

Only remember me; you understand

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while

And afterwards remember, do not grieve:

For if the darkness and corruption leave

A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

Better by far you should forget and smile

Than that you should remember and be sad.

Chapter Twenty-One: Departure

Ginny felt like every inch of her body was on fire. She thought that she was hallucinating because she swore that the tears streaming down her face were sizzling. Her breathing had become labored and erratic, while the look in Malfoy's steely eyes was getting ravenous.

"Do it," he sneered and Ginny's fingers slowly rose to his shirt, feeling its cursed softness, slipping it off slowly, revealing his smooth skin. Malfoy took her hand and guided it across his chest. She felt his heart beating—it was a strong beat that coursed right through her. Suddenly he moved his mouth onto her lips and she felt his tongue invading her mouth. She fought until she forced her teeth to clamp down.

Malfoy moved away, a thin stream of blood trickling from his lips. He wiped it off with his tongue with relish. He gave a devilish grin and then moved his mouth elsewhere—to her breasts.

"No!" she managed to gasp out but that was all she could do, her heaving chest actually made it easier for his mouth to reach her. He started off gently circling with his tongue but then he started handling her body with his hand and mouth with increasing roughness until all pretenses of tenderness disappeared. Her body was protesting in pain. He moved away momentarily to grab her and lie her down completely on the bed as he climbed on top of her with a grunt. A flash of lightning showed the beginnings of bruises and teeth marks on her neck and chest. She could definitely feel the hardness through his pants on her groin. No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, Oh Please God No, she silently pleaded. Her anger rose and rose, the heat growing unbearable. She tried fighting, but it seemed as if his passion increased the magical clamp on her body stronger.

To her horror, he saw his hand moving to her undergarments. She mustered every ounce of her energy to fight back, even if it seemed futile, because despite everything, her arms and legs would not move. His fingers were digging through the cloth until she felt his cold skin on her own burning skin. She froze for a moment because—was that a wince? She saw Malfoy retreat his fingers for an instant as soon as they touched her. But he took advantage of Ginny's momentary relapse and before she could realize it, his fingers were inside her---

It all happened so fast that at first Ginny thought her rage had destroyed the entire castle. She heard a roar and a burst of a power that she could only describe as complete and utter fury. She pushed Malfoy with her legs and he flew about fifteen feet away until he crashed into the large mirror behind him. Then Ginny realized that not only was she screaming, but Malfoy was also hollering with pain. The mirror shattered into tiny, pieces, sparkling as they fell through the moonlight. When they settled, Ginny saw Malfoy on the ground, still yelling in pain and looking at his hands—which were severely burned, in some places to the bone.

Ginny froze to her spot, and she noticed that the sheets around her were charred black. Internally celebrating the fact that she was now able to move with complete freedom, she flew up and grabbed her nightgown from the floor, but before she could throw it over herself she saw a tall figure rumbling on the staircase and emerging through the doorway. She pressed the nightgown to her chest to cover herself.

"Ginevra!" her heart almost stopped as she heard her father calling her name for the first time in her life.

Lightning flashed, dangerously illuminating Voldemort's deathly pale skin. Draco felt sick. All his life he had been taught to hide his emotions, to treat them as a humiliating secret that nobody should be aware of, especially those in power. Knowing that Voldemort, of all people, knew of the deepest and darkest weakness of his heart made him want to vomit. He knew his feelings would inevitably be used to slither his own heart. Voldemort had done that to Potter countless times.

"Well then it seems Lucius has failed in raising your so-called prodigy," growled a hooded figure.

"It is not Lucius's fault. Perhaps his mother's coddling has turned him vulnerable to it. But we must not despise it—we must see it as a fortunate accident."

Draco had memorized every curve and twist of the blades of grass at his feet. Voldemort swiftly approached him and tilted his chin towards his slitted eyes.

"Tell me, young Malfoy, what power do you have over Slytherin's daughter? What does she feel for you?"

Draco fought it, but he couldn't help the instinctual flash in his brain of Ginny, half undressed, entreating in a gasping whisper, "I want you to do…I want everything to do with you…."

Voldemort stepped away, a smile of satisfaction on his twisted face.

"The boy didn't answer, what impetuosity, my Lord!" Zabini exclaimed.

Voldemort turned to Zabini and answered in a slithering voice, "He has given me the best answer possible."

Harry ran through the dark corridors, Ron at his heels. He stopped and pulled out his map, using the tip of his wand for light.

"Malfoy's not anywhere!"

"He couldn't have gone so far away from Hogwarts."

"He must have apparated!"

Ron was trained well. "You can't apparate—"

"Don't you think that maybe the castle's defenses have been broken? Why do you think Dumbledore wanted everyone in the Great Hall so the teachers can keep an eye on all the students!"

"So you're saying we should try and---apparate?"

Harry furrowed his brows. "Maybe."

"But if the defenses are still up…and we apparate…"

"But you said it yourself, what about Ginny and Hermione?"

"Harry, you're not making any sense. We don't even know where to apparate to!"

"Malfoy's gone…where do you think the slimeball has run away to?"

"I don't know…wait!"

"What is it?"

They saw a dark figure crawling toward them, making gurgling noises. Ron and Harry raised their wands.

Slytherin looked truly frightening. His eyes flashed as he stared at Malfoy, who had managed to stand up. He winced as he picked up his wand. His face contorted in agony as he raised it toward his cousin. Slytherin looked up and down at Ginny, taking in her bruises, her tear-strained and flushed cheeks. He took a step inside the room.

"How dare you touch her..."

Ginny hurriedly wore her nightgown in complete mortification , but after that she couldn't bring herself to move. She somehow knew that Malfoy was no match for her father in a duel—her father, the thought of those two words jarred her to the soul.

"This is my house, you have no business to interfere. What concern is it to you what I do with the girl?" Malfoy growled through his grimaced lips.

"Enough for me to take your life."

A flash of beautiful green light threw Malfoy back once more, his wand flying across the room. Slytherin's skill with a wand was even more impressive than with a sword. Malfoy tried to get up but it seemed that Slytherin's spell had done more than just throw him back. Every movement seemed to cause him pain, until he finally collapsed to the ground . Slytherin was on top of Malfoy in a flash, his wand poking at his throat.

"I will torture you until you beg me to kill you."

At first the sight of Slytherin had elated Ginny. But then as she saw his wand digging into Malfoy's neck, his eyes now widened with terror, she realized—flashes of Draco flew through her brain, him leaning on the table, wearing his black turtleneck sweater, her kissing him, him holding onto her thighs.

"No!" she cried.

Slytherin turned. He looked angry with her, and it took her back for a moment.

"He deserves to die, look what he tried to do, have you no pride?"

"No, you don't understand! He….he…" She had no idea how to explain.

"Don't tell me you wanted this piece of filth--"

"No! But there is…someone…in the future…whose life depends on…him." Ginny felt the tears welling up once more. The thought of losing Draco had pushed her to the brink. She couldn't breathe properly.

Slytherin stared at her, looking a bit incredulous, searching her every movement. He looked back at Malfoy. His neck was bleeding where the wand was digging into his skin. Malfoy was too scared to even move.

"This someone…who is he?

Ginny laughed unconvincingly. "I-I never said it was a he…."

Slytherin's eyes never left her face. She knew that she was too nervous to hide it. She wasn't a perfect Slytherin yet. Her father's features slackened a bit.

"You have… feelings for this….person?" Ginny nodded, and it was strange how she felt a bit ashamed. However, he had understood more than she had even hoped.

Malfoy looked puzzled, but then a disgusting smile crept onto his face. Slytherin made a swift movement with his wand and a flash later, Malfoy was unconscious.

"No!" Ginny cried, falling to the floor. Slytherin stepped toward her and took her hand, helping her get up. He looked at her once more.

"He's not dead. I will spare him, but I will ensure he is punished nonetheless."

Ginny closed her eyes in relief. The tears were still flowing. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Harry…." The figure sputtered.

Harry moved his wand toward it, illuminating a bloody and badly bruised face.

"Neville!"

They rushed to him. He had been beaten terribly.

"What happened?" Ron tried picking him up, but Neville winced and was unable to stand.

"D-death Eaters."

"Here? In the castle?"

Every word was costing Neville some effort. "They w-wanted information. I wouldn't tell them. Th-they were looking f-for… M-Malfoy. "

"What? Why?"

"They mentioned the M-Manor, and his f-father." Harry and Ron gave each other a look.

"Then what?" Harry's eyes had a strange look to them, as if he had forgotten about Neville's pain and all he wanted was information.

"Th-they disappeared."

Harry grabbed Neville's robes. "Neville! Did they apparate?"

It took him a while to catch his breath. Finally, he gasped, "Yeah."

"Where is my father?" Draco was struggling against the painful grip of an especially large Death-Eater.

"He's in his chambers. Don't worry, your precious father will survive." Zabini didn't look happy as he said this.

"I want my wand back," he demanded. Zabini merely gave him an amused smile. Draco tried to punch him but Crabbe twisted his arm and he grunted. Draco didn't allow himself to show anymore pain than that.

Zabini opened a door which Draco immediately recognized. Crabbe shoved Draco into his own room, the one which had served as a type of prison cell for so many occasions before. The door slammed with a booming echo. Draco didn't even bother trying to open it—he knew it was locked. He rubbed his arm and muttered a charm that eased the pain. After pacing for a few minutes, which frustrated him even more, he threw himself on his bed.

Ginny and Slytherin were hurrying up the stairs towards Hermione's room. Between breaths, Slytherin said, "Ginevra, you and Rowena need to leave immediately. I'm not sure how long it will take my vile cousin to regain his senses." It was hard for Ginny to keep up with Slytherin, but his warm fingers around her hand gave her a rush of affection. When they finally reached the top of the stairs, he stopped, turned to her, and put his palm to her cheek.

Ginny smiled, but then she twisted her lips in embarrassment. "I need to tell you something." She struggled to keep looking in his eyes.

"That girl in the room…is not Rowena Ravenclaw." Slytherin's hand left her face. For the first time, he was unable to look at her.

He shook his head and then looked up, his temper rising. "Who is she? You made me make a fool of myself in front of that girl!"

Ginny's lip trembled. It was like her entire world depended on the opinion of this young man who was not much older than she was.

"She is my friend…she's from the future."

"Is she a Ravenclaw?"

Ginny's cheeks were burning. She tore her gaze away. "No."

"Who is her father?"

Ginny shook her head. "He is a muggle."

Slytherin was yelling at her now. "How dare you consort with Mudbloods!"

"Please! You don't understand, she's the smartest witch of our age, she's amazing--"

She stopped when she saw the strange look on her face. "Perhaps she is not completely muggleborn. She looks just like Rowena…perhaps one of her ancestors…" he forced himself to stop his train of thought. "You both must leave as soon as possible. Go to your—friend and go back to where—when you… belong." He held her shoulders and looked with an expression that made her want to cry all over again.

"Come with us."

He looked at her, and she could tell the tenderness rising in his eyes. Then he looked at the door, biting his lip, and looked back at her.

"No, I could never do that."

"Why not?"

"Your friend—make sure she does not see any man before she finds the antidote."

"What?"

Suddenly a loud boom shook the walls. Slytherin looked at her intently.

"There is no time to explain! Just tell her that I will find the antidote and hide it in the Manor. She will understand."

"No! I won't lose you again!"

Another boom shook the banisters. He squeezed her shoulders.

"No, it is not right. I cannot risk that she-- I must stay here. I will hold Malfoy off until you can leave."

"No!"

He shook her, his fingers digging into her skin. "Listen, my darling. You must go. There is nothing to be done. Do not worry. I know at the very least I will see you again on the day you are born." He kissed her forehead and she hoped that she wasn't imagining the fact that his eyes were shinier than before.

She drank in one last, long look, memorizing the lines and curves of his face, his hair falling over his eyes, his broad shoulders. She knew that whenever she needed strength, she would remember that very moment.

She ran through the door where she saw Hermione lying motionless on the bed. She heard a loud crash just outside the door and she knew Malfoy had reached the top of the stairs. Hermione's peacefulness seemed almost like a mockery in the chaos surrounding her, but the crash caused her to open her eyes.

"Ginny?" she muttered.

"Hermione! We have to leave! Now! Put the locket around me!"

They both heard Malfoy's voice, almost animal-like in its thirst. "Is the wench awake?"

Ginny heard Slytherin yell out and a flash of light illuminated the doorway. They heard another crash. She ran to Hermione, who clumsily slipped the Time Turner's delicate chain around her neck. She started turning.

"Hermione! Close your eyes and don't open them until we get there!"

"What? Why?" she said, still turning.

"Just do it!"

Hermione clamped her eyes tight and as she turned the hourglass for the last time, she grabbed Ginny tightly and the world suddenly became a whirlwind of color.

A/N: Next chapter: Finally, something happens that we have all been waiting for...