-1Ginny made her way through the castle carefully, her heart pounding from adrenalin and the excitement of seeing Draco. She knew she should be apprehensive, frightened, even, but all of her doubts had been washed away by the tide of memories. She smiled as she climbed into bed, remembering the feel of his arms supporting her gently, and fell asleep thinking of ways to see him again.

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It was a few months, however, before this dream came to fruition. They wrote as often as they could, changing owls every time, but Ginny couldn't be seen writing too many letters or it would look suspicious. Draco closed every letter with some sort of plea for Ginny to go to Dumbledore, but she refused, saying that she wouldn't bother the headmaster unless Draco provided his reason for attacking Michael. He wouldn't, and Ginny was secretly glad, because she had a strong feeling that going to Dumbledore would put Draco in danger, and she wanted to avoid that at all costs.

By the end of October, they were at an impasse, neither of them willing to give in, and both, though neither admitted it, longing to see each other again. So when Ginny saw that the first Hogsmeade weekend had been announced, her face broke out in a wide smile, and she immediately raced to the owlery.

Draco,

First Hogsmeade weekend this Saturday. I've got an idea about how we can meet without being seen - how about inside the Shrieking Shack?

Ginny

Draco sent back his okay with the next morning's post, and that evening, Ginny couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous, as if she were preparing for a date. That was preposterous, of course, but silly as it was, Ginny was a little distracted as she made her way back to the common room, and was overcome with surprise when she ran into a tall Hufflepuff boy and knocked his things to the floor.

She was halfway in between apologizing profusely and stopping to gather up his Potions book when she saw that the boy she'd nearly bowled over was in fact, the reason why Draco was currently hiding in a cramped, musty cavern in the mountains surrounding Hogwarts.

Michael Corner grinned down at Ginny, and she was momentarily taken aback by how good-looking he was. But she forced herself to think of Draco, and Michael's easy smile went from charming to roguish. She muttered "Sorry," again, handed him his book, and made to leave, but he wasn't about to let her go that easily. Still smiling, he took hold of her upper arm in what was clearly meant to seem like an easygoing gesture, but his vice like grip hinted at something more sinister. Instinctively, Ginny did not struggle, but simply looked up at him with an innocent expression. His smile widened.

"Ginny Weasely, right?"

Like he didn't bloody well know. "Um, yes. Excuse me, but I'm kind of late for something…" she cast a pointed look at his hand, which was still grasping her upper arm, and he let go rather reluctantly, the shifty grin never leaving his face.

"Hey, listen, you got plans for tomorrow? 'Cause if not, I was thinking, would you like to go for a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks."

Oh, sweet Merlin! Draco was not going to like this. "Um, can't, sorry," Ginny mumbled quickly, avoiding eye contact, and ducked around him to walk quickly away.

As soon as she was around the corner, she broke into a run, refusing to pause until she collapsed, winded, on her four-poster in the girl's dormitory.

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The next day, Ginny threw on the outfit she'd nervously picked out three days before and made her way downstairs without bothering to look in a mirror. It was cold and overcast outside, so it made sense for her to wear a hat, although she didn't do it because she was worried about the temperature. It was more that she wanted to be able to blend in today, and her vivid hair generally made that impossible. Still, she couldn't help from glancing over her shoulder every two seconds for the entirety of the twenty-minute trip, couldn't shake the prickling feeling at the back of her neck, like she was being watched. When she at last saw the entrance to the old, abandoned house, it was actually a relief to have the gate within her sights. Ignoring the NO TRESPASSING sign, she stepped easily over the broken-down fencing and made her way up the path to the house itself.

The front door did not creak when she opened it, and Ginny found it slightly ominous, as if the absence of sound had intensified her feeling that she was being stalked. Trying to dismiss her burgeoning terror, Ginny called out, "Draco?"

There was no response save the rising goose bumps on her arms. And then, quite suddenly, Ginny heard the front door slam. Whirling around, Ginny drew her wand, but, for the third time in her life, she wasn't fast enough.

"Expelliarmus!" cried Michael Corner, and Ginny watched in despair as her wand soared away from her in a high arc. He caught it, laughing quietly.

"Ah, Ginny. So naïve. Did you really think I wouldn't follow you here?"

Ginny trembled, but held her head high, refusing to show any sign of fear. Michael studied her intently, his brow furrowed.

"I can't tell if you really don't remember or if you're acting. Tell me, do you remember our night together?"

Ginny tasted bile in her throat. She did not move, determined not to give him the satisfaction of an answer. Her determination seemed to amuse him.

"Just as stubborn as ever, I see…now, are you going to answer me, or do we have to do this the hard way?"

She said nothing, and he seemed to take that as confirmation. With a theatrical sigh, he pointed his wand at her heart.

"Crucio!" he cried, and Ginny collapsed on the floor, writhing in pain unlike any she had ever experienced. The first time she fell off a broomstick, the broken ribs when she was ten and got dared to climb the flagpole, the time she was attacked by the Venomous Tentacula in Herbology…none of those experiences could even come close to matching this, the most gruesome agony any human had ever endured-

And then, suddenly, it was over, and she was herself again. Her limbs stopped twitching, her scream cut off, and the fire slowly receded from her limbs. Shaking, she clutched her stomach, feeling like she was about to be sick. Then she heard Michael chuckling softly to himself, and that simple sound infuriated her more than any other she'd heard in her young life. Gritting her teeth, Ginny pushed herself to her feet, and stood defiantly before him. He simply raised his eyebrows.

"So, do you remember?" He prompted her. She gave no sign that she'd heard him, and his grin widened. "Guess I'll just have to remind you, then…"

Ginny stiffened, but he did not come near her. Instead, he merely muttered words, an incantation, and her knees buckled beneath her once more…

She was thirteen again, stumbling happily into the common room after that second conversation with Draco. To her surprise and anger, she found Michael waiting for her.

He was sitting in a chair beside the fire, flames flickering on a face that seemed carved out of stone. "I waited for you at dinner."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I had to go to the library. To return a book. You know how Madam Pince gets –" Ginny babbled incoherently. From the murderous look on his face, she could tell Michael wasn't buying it. She cast her eyes around the room, trying to find someone to help her out of this mess, but there was no one.

"Who were you with, Ginny?"

She was out of practice with rearranging her expression. "What?" she gasped weakly, trying to sound surprised. In truth, the only shock was that he'd figured it out so quickly.

"I know you were with someone. Who?" His fists were balled at his sides and his eyes were full of black fury. Ginny started to answer, but Michael cut her off with a growl of rage. He took a step toward her, and Ginny's hand crept toward her wand pocket.

"You know what? It doesn't matter who it was. I know what you were doing, you filthy little slut, and tomorrow the whole school will know it, too…"

The memories kept playing in her head, and Ginny lived through everything again, as if for the first time. She shuddered and sobbed and begged him not to hurt her, but he didn't listen, and the memories continued, up to and including the confrontation involving her, Michael, and Draco. As soon as it was over, everything clicked in her brain, the forcefully forgotten events of the past two years all fitting together seamlessly. She looked up at Michael with a mixture of shock, revulsion, and anger, and before he could blink, she had thrown herself at him like a feral cat, ducking his shouted curse with insulting ease. Time slowed down for her, and she was glad, because it gave her the opportunity to really enjoying the feel of her fingernails against his face, to hear with utter clarity the satisfying crunch his nose made when her fist connected.

Simply put, Michael had no chance. Ginny, screaming like a banshee, had wrestled his wand out of his hand and had it pointed directly between his eyes before he had a chance to react. Panting, she stepped off of him, still keeping his wand trained at his forehead.

"Where's Draco?" she shrieked, anger pulsing white-hot through her blood.

His forehead furrowed convincingly, but Ginny wasn't buying his honest confusion act for one second. In fact, she was about a second away from hexing him into oblivion when Draco burst through the door of the Shrieking Shack.

"Ginny!" he cried, and made as if to move toward her.

At that moment, however, Ginny was certain that if he touched her, she would shatter into a million pieces. "Don't!" she cried, her voice full of pain and heartbreak as she began to tremble violently.

Draco stood undecided in the doorway, torn between wanting to go and comfort her and wanting to kill Michael on the spot. He decided that trying to calm her down was the best option for the moment, and then they could decide what do about the piece of human scum that was currently cowering on the floor.

Suddenly, Draco was struck by an idea. Taking his inspiration from the one Muggle film he'd seen in his life, Draco deftly stunned Michael. Ginny flinched, and he hurried to stow his wand in his jean's pocket and raise his hands above his head in the universal gesture of surrender.

"It's all right," he assured Ginny calmly, taking a step her way. She didn't move, just stood there with a trapped expression on her face. "I'm not going to hurt you…" Another step. She was starting to look frightened now. He paused, and in desperation tried to appeal to her reasonable side.

"Ginny, come on. It's me, Draco. I love you, remember? Please, honey, just try and calm down a little bit."

That seemed to do the trick. Ginny lowered Michael's wand almost all the way. Draco rushed to her side, and she collapsed onto him, sobbing. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Draco buried his face in her hair and simply let her cry. At last, she pulled away from him, wiping her eyes.

"I remember…" she started out shakily, and Draco held a gentle finger to his lips, hushing her.

"Shh, it'll be all right. You remember…what he did to you?"

She nodded, looking on the verge of tears again. "Draco, why didn't you tell me?"

His heart broke then, as she looked up at him with betrayal in her eyes. "Oh, Ginny…I'm so sorry, what I did was inexcusable. I just…I didn't want you to have to hurt like this." Draco's voice trembled, and Ginny, to his amazement, managed a watery smile as she wiped away the tears that were now slipping down his cheeks. Leaning close to him, she whispered nine words in his ear:

"It's worth it if I get to keep you."

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The process back up to the castle was slow, but at last they made it, directly a bound, unconscious, and levitated Michael in front of them throughout the journey. It took all of Draco's restraint not to kill him on the spot, but Ginny made the very good point that if he did that he'd be throwing away all his sacrifices just for revenge.

"Look, I'm not saying the bastard deserves to walk free," she stated, remarkably calmly. "But I don't want his blood on your hands, Draco. You're better than that."

Inwardly, Draco knew she was right, but it was still very hard not to attack him. He made do with letting the son of a bitch's head bump on the ceiling's stones as they made their way back up the tunnel that led to the Whomping Willow, discussing strategy for making sure that their story was heard. They decided that the best idea was just to go straight to Dumbledore, and cast Disillusionment charms on themselves to keep from being seen. Once inside the castle, they locked a still unconscious Michael inside a closet and headed for Dumbledore's office.

They were about halfway there when the screaming started.

A/N: I broke my previous word limit! Whoo!

Also, this chapter was really fun to write. Especially the part where Ginny attacks Michael.

More coming soon…if you REVIEW! Muahahahaha.