A/N: Couple of big moments in these chapters. Also, I've decided to do this fanfiction in two parts. Believe it or not, when it started it was only supposed to be about what happened after Hogwarts... now look at it! So once we get through with the Hogwarts school year, I'll be marking this part complete and posting the rest as a sequel... because that part is going to be just as long, and much longer. I'm overwhelmed by the response to this story and I love you guys. Thanks so much for inspiring me to keep writing.

GWDM

I woke to an empty bed in the morning, and sat up to find Draco looking out the window. I watched him for a while, knowing that this was hard for him.

Seeing the Mark on my skin last night hadn't triggered what I thought it would. I had expected to cry, to panic, because, after all, this was the one thing I'd been taught to fear and hate all my life.

But things weren't so black and white anymore. It wasn't as simple as good and evil, because there was also fear.

The Order would kill a Death Eater the same as a Death Eater would kill an Order Member, in a pinch. That didn't really make us better than them, not in my mind- not anymore. Perhaps we had better intentions, but we were two sides of the same coin, both fighting for what we believed in, despite the nature of our morals.

Seeing the Mark on my skin had made me angry. But it also made me feel strong. Because I'd made this choice to save us. I'd survived. I was both sides of the coin, and so was Draco.

"Ready to go?"

I blinked, looking at him again. He was still looking out the window. "We're going?"

He smirked. "I can see your reflection a bit in the window. I'm taking you home."

"What about you?"

"My cousin has a room for me," he replied.

"You're staying with Tonks? She's with Andromeda."

"I know."

I mulled this over. "I'll have to ask for clothes," I said finally.

He turned, and picked up a shirt and sweats from the chair in the corner, bringing them to me. "These are mine, I fixed them to fit you better." He leaned down, kissing me softly. "I've already packed your dress and jewelry, and I've got your wand."

I nodded, swinging my legs out of bed and standing. I unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off, sliding the sweats up and the long sleeved shirt over my head.

"I look forward to the day I can watch you unbutton my shirt to reveal your bare body under relaxed circumstances," he murmured, eyes darkening.

I smiled at him, then rolled my sleeve up to reveal my bandage. "Take this off for me, please."

"Ginny-"

"No. Take it off. I need it visible for the big reveal. Then I'll do something about it for school."

He hesitated, but he did as I asked, carefully. I pulled the sleeve down over my skin, feeling like the Mark was burning through my sleeve- like the whole world would know it was there. I'd have to learn to wrap it with one hand, I supposed, because wearing long sleeves all spring would be impossible.

"It goes away," he said quietly. "The feeling that everyone will know."

I looked at him, wide-eyed and surprised that I'd been so transparent.

"I do remember what it felt like afterwards, Gin. Like a dirty secret. That goes away."

"It's not going to be a secret," I said angrily. "It's their fault and I want them to know. Let's go."

He grabbed what appeared to be Hermione's beaded purse, handed it to me, and then took my arm, turning immediately and disapparating.

~~gwdmgwdmgwdmgwdm~~

Ottery St. Catchpole was less than busy as we hurried through it, which was good because Draco insisted on carrying me when he realized I had no shoes. He set me down when we reached Hermione, waiting to walk us through the wards. I hugged her tightly.

"Are you okay, Gin? We were all so worried…"

"You're on my good list," I promised. "And I'm absolutely fine."

"Good list?"

"Just… trust me."

She gazed at me and nodded, walking us through the wards and back to my home. I entered the kitchen with Draco trailing behind me, and was immediately surrounded by concerned people saying my name and asking whether or not I was okay. I didn't deny my parents hugs, but otherwise I hugged only Lupin, Tonks, Fred and George, and Hagrid, who was sitting on the ground. It appeared that the entire Order was present. Excellent.

The concern the Order was showing for me only made me angrier by the second. If they cared about me, they would've given me a way to protect us too. So I pushed through the people attempting to hug me and climbed onto the kitchen table, barefoot.

"SHUT IT!" I yelled. It went quiet; some members looked stunned. "Sit down. I am not asking. I'm bringing this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order."

"Gin-" Charlie said, and I shot him a look so full of anger that he flinched.

They took their seats, Draco smirked and leaned against the cabinets behind me, and I slammed my hands down on the table.

"I want to know who thought it was a bloody good idea to send me into a potentially dangerous situation as the only person who didn't know the plan. Raise your hands! And don't bother lying, because I already know the answer."

Those that I expected raised their hands, looking ashamed or guilty or confused.

"I'm going to make one thing perfectly clear to those of you with a hand up. What happened at the Manor was entirely your fault. I very nearly died in that damned place. And if I'd been a part of this bloody great scheme you cooked up and left me out of, none of this would've happened."

Hermione stood. "What happened, Ginny?'

I laughed, well and truly laughed. "Well, Hermione, because of the people, including the majority of my own family, that voted to leave me absolutely clueless, I celebrated Christmas by getting a new tattoo," I spat, yanking up my left sleeve.

The Mark stood out dark and cruel against my white skin, no mistaking it. There was a collective gasp and my mother burst into tears, which I didn't feel badly about for once.

"What the hell did he do to you?" Harry yelled, standing furiously and looking at Draco. I flicked my wand and he slammed back into his seat with a shout.

"I walked behind Draco and his father with free hands into a room where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named stood with his Death Eaters surrounding him. Could've flipped a coin any time between the front door and the wing we were taken to. I watched with a wand pressed into my throat as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named questioned Draco about my place there and as Draco refused to deny his feelings for me even in the face of losing his life. I watched He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named force the man I love to his knees in a full body bind, and I watched the lip-less mouth of a snake begin to mouth the Killing Curse right in front of me. So I played an extremely dangerous bluff to save us both our skins, and I barely made it out with my life," I snapped out, fire rolling under my skin. "Finding out afterwards that everything was so easily preventable just iced the bloody cake. Narcissa Malfoy sat by my bedside for a week while Draco researched ways to save me from bearing this curse my whole life. They are the only reason I am alive. The people I love and trust have betrayed me. I'm going upstairs to get some things, and then I am going to go wherever Draco goes, because apparently, he's one of the only ones here who knows that the best way to protect me is to give me the bloody means to protect myself."

I yanked the sleeve down and stormed from the room, going to my bedroom and sealing the door. I didn't want anyone, even Draco, and I yanked the curtains roughly over my windows before I curled up on my own bed for the fist time since Christmas Eve, and cried.