Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. I do however own the cap and gown that I will be wearing at my high school graduation on Friday! Woo! Almost done with school! Well, then it's off to collage so not really done with school… Ah well!

Nothing, absolutely nothing, I can say can excuse the face I haven't updated in over a month. I a so sorry, from the depths of my heart, I apologize for the wait. While I know nothing can excuse it, I will tell you why it's been so long since my last update. The all to used excuse of school comes to mind. See, I'm a senior this year and finals start next week, graduation is on Friday, and I've been piled with a ton of homework and crap to study for the finals. Add to that the fact with band this month was pretty busy. And to top it off I went back to work. I've had so little time to myself. Either way, I'm sorry for the wait.

On a slightly different note, thanks to all of you for the wonderful reviews! *hands out the many flavors of homemade pie* Enjoy! There's more where that came from if you keep the reviews rolling it!

The inspiration for this chapter is a song by Westlife called Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You. You should YouTube it before you read or while you read because it really ties into the end of this chapter. I listened to that song like fifteen billion times while trying to write the end of this chapter. I actually got teary while I was writing. The song added to the end really makes it all that more touching. You should check out the song and listen to it at near the end of the chapter.

I know that you all probably hate author notes because they keep you form the story so I'm just going to leave it here.

Without further ado…

Chapter 31

Ginny POV

The faint light of predawn had just started to filter through the windows. I rolled over and looked out the window to see the faint glow behind the forest attesting to the rising sun. I turned my head and looked over at the still sleeping Draco. He never looked as peaceful as when he slept. The worry lines he always seemed to have were smoothed out and a faint smile graced his lips. I wondered what he was dreaming about.

I turned back over and curled against his side, enjoying the feeling of closeness. For a moment, all was peaceful. I was able to relax and enjoy just being with Draco. But when the sun finally came over the trees and the dim morning light filtered into the room, a sense of unease settled into the pit of my stomach. Today was my last day with Draco. Today we would part ways. I breathed in a ragged breath at the thought of leaving him.

In an attempt to divert my thoughts, I leaned up on an elbow and looked down at the sleeping Draco. He was lying on his stomach, his face towards me. His face was smooth and only the faint creases of worry lines were visible. His broad shoulders were well toned from years of Quidditch, as was the rest of him. His pale skin was smooth and perfect. But, with the covers of the bed bunched at his waist, the only flaw on his otherwise perfect body was visible; the scar that ran the length of his back.

It seemed as if it would never fade. It was still the bright red it was when it was first healed. It had taken weeks of recovery just for it to fade to that scar, even with the healing potions and spells. Though I know it didn't hurt him anymore, I knew he hated the scar. Nothing we had tried was able to remove the ugly blemish from his back. He saw it as a weakness, proof that his father had beat him. It served as a reminder to him as to what he was going up against; what he was expected to become. That scar seemed to embody everything bad about his life.

But with time, that scar would fade. One day, the war would end. Someday, he would be able to put all of the pain and suffering in his past. But that day was not today. Today he would be walking back into the pain, into the madness that he hated so much. Today could very well be the last time I ever saw him.

I squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears from falling. I didn't want to think about the coming separation. We had been through so much in the two short years we had been together. We could survive this next hurdle. As much as the time away from him pained me to even think about, I knew I could make it through it. I had too. I couldn't imagine my life without him.

Even as I tried to think positively, the dark thoughts I tried to keep away crept up. What if he didn't make it through the war? What if he was killed? What if Voldemort won? There was so much uncertainty looming overhead, so many doubts.

I slowly opened my eyes, the tears already sliding down my cheeks. Draco was still sleeping peacefully, not a care in the world. Moments like this, being able to watch Draco sleep, were rare for me. He was almost always up before me. I sniffled and wiped my watery eyes. I sighed softly, wishing this peace could last forever.

I slowly reached up and ran my finger along the scar on his back. He might see it as something bad, but I saw it as proof he could endure, that he could survive. Not many could have made it through what his father did to him. Draco's eyes fluttered a bit, a sign that he would soon wake up. His shoulders rolled slightly as he subconsciously tried to rid himself of the tickling sensation of my fingers on his back. I smiled as a frown flickered across his face. I laid my hand flat on his back and leaned over, kissing him softly.

At first he didn't respond. But as he woke up, he started to kiss me back. His eyes didn't even open as he leaned up, pushing me back onto the bed, not breaking the kiss. He rolled over on top of me, pinning me to the bed. The kiss went from soft and sweet to hard and demanding. I bit back a moan as his tongue caressed my lips, asking for entrance. I eagerly complied, opening my mouth to let him in.

When he finally broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against mine, we were both breathing raggedly. "Good morning," I said breathlessly after a moment.

Finally, his eyes opened. The smile that graced his lips grew as he leaned down and kissed me quickly. "The best," he replied with a chuckle. "That has to be the best kind of alarm clock. Maybe I should take you home with me. I'd never get up late again. Though, I'm sure I'd not be out of bed on time much." I laughed softly at that and, sighing contentedly, closed my eyes.

Draco POV

I smiled as I kissed Ginny quickly again before rolling off of her. I was in dire need of a cold shower right now and from the blush that heated her face, she could tell. I smiled as I pulled her to me, kissing her again. It was hard to make myself get out of bed yet. Everything seemed right when she was in my arms. I didn't want to disturb the peace of the moment.

But, we had much to do today. We needed to get ready to go. I rolled over and sat up. I heard Ginny let out a soft sigh of disappointment. "Come on," I said, pulling her up next to me. "We need to get ready. Why don't you go take a shower while I go find Blaise."

She frowned and nodded, looking down at her lap. I knew she was dreading this day as much as I was. I gently took in chin in my hand and forced her to look up at me. "You know I love you," I said softly. "Nothing will change that. Not the time apart we face, not the war we will being going into, nothing. This isn't the end Gin."

"I know," she whispered tearfully.

I kissed her forehead softly before getting out of bed. She too got up and walked around me, heading for the bathroom. She turned when she got to the door and said, "I love you, Draco. And nothing will ever change that ether." She smiled then, walking out before I could reply.

I was smiling as I got dressed but when I walked out into the hall, the smile left my face. I had to go down to breakfast and find Blaise. With luck he would have gotten the hair from that girl he had been talking about. It was fairly late for people to be coming down for breakfast so the halls were mostly deserted. Most people would be there already or, for those who liked to be early to places, on the way to Hogsmeade. With luck, the girl Blaise had been getting hair from would be on her way or already there.

Lost in though, I wandered slowly down the corridor towards the Great Hall. I had made it down to the first floor when someone ran into me. It was like déjà vu as a small redhead sparled on the floor in front of me. "Oh," she said in a high pitched voice. "S-sorry, Sir." She paled as she stared up at me, reconizing me at once. But I wasn't in the mood to get mad. Besides, she was Slytherin.

I just shrugged, stepping around her, and continued down the corridor. I made it down to the Great Hall and, spotting my best friend easliy, went to sit next to him. "Hey, mate," Blaise said as I took my place next to him. He had plate full of food in front of him and seemed contnet to gourge himself one last time.

"Hey," I said absently as I reached for the toast. But nothing sounded good, I wasn't hungry. There was no room in my stomach for food, it was filled with worry. I sighed, putting the toast on my plate. "Did you get the hair," I asked Blaise quietly.

"Of course," he said around a mouthfull of hashbrowns. He washed it down with a swig of pumpkin juice before continuing. "It was easy really. She was more than eager to have snogging session with me. She was pretty good, for a second year. But yes, I have the hair," he said with a smirk.

"As long as you have the hair, I don't care. Just hurry and eat so we can get back up to my dorm," I said in a whisper.

"Fine, fine," he said as he stuffed one last mouthfull of biscuts and gravy into his mouth. "Let's go."

I stood up and, glacing down at the uneaten toast on my plate, started towards the door. I could hear Blaise getting up and trying to eat at the same time. I rolled my eyes as Blaise hurried after me, muttering something about still being hungry.

We made it back up to my drom quickly and when we walked in I could hear the shower still running. I had only been gone maybe fifteen minutes and, knowing how Ginny loved to take long showers, it might be another fifteen before she was out. To my surprise however, it was less than a minute after Blaise and I had sat down, that the shower shut off.

"Did you get her any slytherin robes that would fit?" Blaise asked from his spot on the sofa.

"She's going to use some of mine that she fitted to her," I answered from the windowseat, not looking away from the tree in the distance. "She said she wanted one that smelled like me." I coudnlt help the smug smile that settled on my face.

Blaise chuckled at that as the door of the bathroom opened. I turned to see Ginny walking out in my Slytherin robes. He hair was still slighlty damp and her light, freckled face downcast. "Hey guys," she said softly as she came and sat down on my lap. I put my arms around her and let my chin rest on her shoulder. "Did you get the hair, Blaise?" she asked in the same sad voice. It was hard to see her hurting and not be able to do anything about it.

"Yup," Blaise said in a voice way to perky for the current atmosphere. But I had to give him props for trying. "Piece of cake! She loved it, though now I think she may be more obsessed with me. But, ah well." He smiled as he pulled a small glass vile from his robes.

"Pollyjuice is in the bathroom," I said as he stood up. He disapeared into the bathroom for a moment and when he came back out, he was holding a small flask of muddy looking potion.

"Eww," said Ginny from my lap. "That looks like mud. I have to drink that?"

"No," Blaise said with a grin. He took the stopper out of the small vile and let the few hairs from it sild into the potion. It turned a nasty yellow color. "You have to drink this."

"It looks like puss!" Ginny cried indignatly.

"The taste goes away after a moment," I said with a laugh.

She groaned, turning around in my lap, buried her face in my robes. I laughed as I turned her around and took the flask of potion from Blaise. "Drink up, love," Blaise said with a laugh.

I handed the potion to her and gave her a quick peck on the lips. She kissed me back and took the potion. "Do I have to?" she asked forlornly. "Isn't there any other way to get me out?"

She sounded hopeful for a moment. I shook my head and nodded toward the flask. "Drink."

"Fine," she said with a sigh, putting the flask to her lips. She downed it one swallow and I took the flask before she could drop it. Blaise and I both laughed at the look of disgust on her face. But then her face started to change. It went from the cute round, freckled face that I could spend hours looking at to a thin face, slightly darker, with no freckles. Her red hair darkened to a slightly darker red and her body seemed to shrink.

And before I knew it, I was looking at the girl I had run into in the hall earlier. "Blaise," I said, not taking my eyes of the figure in my lap.

But before I could tell Blaise that I had seen this girl less than half an hour ago in the hall, Ginny spoke in the unfamiliar high voice. "A redhead? Honestly, Blaise!" And the laugh that came from her mouth was slightly shrill. "Why didn't I see this coming?" She turned around and smiled at me. I couldn't help but notice the gap between her two front teeth.

"Blaise," I said again over their laughter.

"Yeah, mate?" he asked as their laugher died down.

"I saw this girl in the hall less than half an hour ago. It seems you were wrong about saying she would be at the train before we even got up," I said in a tight voice. Now what were we going to do?

"Crap," he muttered under his breath.

"You mean I drank that disgusting thing for nothing?" Ginny asked in her new, high voice.

"Nope," Blaise said in a voice a lot more confidant than what I was feeling. "We'll improvise."

I looked at him skeptically but didn't question him. His plans usually worked out. Besides, what other choice did we have? "We have to go now though. The potion only lasts an hour," I pointed out, sliding Ginny off my lap and standing up. She stood next to me, half a head shorter than before. I didn't like the idea spending the last bit of time with together with her looking like someone else.

"Okay," Blaise said, leading the way to the corridor outside. "Your name is Lacy Tiller." As we made our way down the hall, I kept glancing around, expecting to see the real Lacy Tiller.

Ginny POV

We made it to the stairs in the entrance hall before anything happened. "Lacey!" called a squeaky voice from the door near the dungeons. "Lacey, wait up!"

I froze, my hand on Draco's arm to stop him. Blaise looked over at the small girl making her way towards us. "Her name is Celia Roberts, Lacey's best friend," Blaise whispered inconspicuously to us.

"Hey Celia!" I called to the plump Slytherin girl.

"Hey Lace," she said as she caught up to us. "I thought you left already."

"Oh, no I was waiting for Blaise and Draco. They took absolutely forever to get ready to go! I wanted to be down at the train hours ago but…" I trailed off, hoping I sounded convincing.

"Why were you waiting for them," Celia asked in a low voice, glancing up quickly at Draco and Blaise.

"Because," I said in a voice I hoped was confident. Draco was going to be so mad about what I was about to say. "I'm dating Blaise. Did I not tell you that last night?" I laughed that annoying laugh and grabbed Blaise's arm. I glanced up at him and could tell he was trying not to laugh. Draco on the other hand was scowling at me.

I tired my best to ignore him. He would get over it. I had to fight to keep my laughter in.

"No, you didn't," said Celia indignantly. "How could you not have told me?" She put her hands on her hips and frowned at me, but a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. From the looks of it, Lacey had had a crush on Blaise for a while now.

As I was thinking about what to say next, Blaise nudged me. I looked up at him and he looked pointedly at the door of the dungeons. Standing there was none other than the real Lacey Tiller. I nodded slightly to him and looked back at Celia, who was waiting expectantly for my reply.

"Celia, let's go to the loo before we head down to the train," I said, talking Celia's hand and pulling her towards the nearest girls' bathroom. As I passed Draco I let my hand brush against his. He squeezed my hand quickly and I knew he forgave me for saying I was dating Blaise. Even if it helped out little plan to get me on the train, I knew he was possessive. "And I'll tell you what happened. Did I even tell you anything last night?"

"Nothing! Not a single word. You came in the common room looking flushed and when I asked what happened you just shook your head and went to bed," she said, following me to the bathroom. "Don't you remember?"

"Gosh, everything just kind of passed in a blur last night. Blaise was snogging me before I went back to the common room, and that's were he asked me to be his girlfriend. I don't even remember getting back to the common room because he held my hand all the way back." I sighed in my best imitation of a dreamy sigh, hopping I sounded convincing.

As Celia started talking, I looked over my shoulder, with the pretence of looking at Blaise, to see if Lacey was gone yet. She was almost to the front doors. I let out a sigh of relief as she walked out the doors; oblivious to the fact I was pretending to be her.

We spent several minutes in the bathroom, I used the excuse I needed to fix my makeup, to make sure the real Lacey was far enough ahead of us that she wouldn't look back and see another her walking next to her best friend. I really wanted to ditch Celia but I didn't think I would be able to without her running into the other Lacey.

I knew we couldn't waist to much time. It could take a while to walk to Hogsmeade and I knew I had only about forty-five minutes left. When we walked back into the Great Hall, I wanted to go up to Draco and just take his hand, but I forced myself to go to Blaise instead. I smiled sadly at Draco for a moment as Blaise took my hand gingerly in his. Celia was oblivious to all of this though. As it turned out, she was a very talkative person. All I had to do was smile and nod and she just kept talking.

We got to Hogsmeade in good time but now we had a problem. I was still Lacey, though not for much longer, and Celia was still next to me. I couldn't get on the train with her following me because she might see the real Lacey in a compartment. But if I didn't get on with her then she would still think I'm outside. I sighed inwardly as we walked into the train station.

It turned out I wasn't the only one wondering what to do. When we got there, Blaise let go of my hand and kissed my cheek. While he was leaned down to my face, he whispered. "Go on and come back off after Celia and I have gotten on. Don't worry about the real Lacey, I'll use a memory charm on her when we get to her compartment." And then as he straitened up he said in a normal voice, "Why don't you go find us a compartment, love."

I smiled up at him and nodded, skipping off to the train. When I got on, I walked quickly down the train car. Each compartment I passed, I looked into to see if Lacey Tiller was in there. Luckily she wasn't and I made it to the next door without incidence.

I peeked my head out the door just in time to see Blaise leading Celia onto the train. I sighed in relief as I hopped off the train and made my way over to Draco. He looked around quickly, scanning the crowed to makes sure nobody was watching, and took my hand, pulling me behind a pillar and out of sight of the crowed on the platform.

Draco POV

I took Ginny's hand and pulled behind the nearest pillar just as her hair started to lighten to it's normal shade of red. Her face filled back out and freckles popped up again. The light blue eyes of Lacey Tiller slowly disappeared as Ginny's chocolate brown eyes came back. The small hand nestled in mine grew slightly larger. And I had my Ginny back.

I smiled down at Ginny as she said, "It feels good to have my body back." I let out a small laugh as she looked back down at her clothes. "I'm still wearing Slytherin though."

With a quick flick of my wand, the green turned red and the sliver to gold. "Now your back to those pesky Gryffindor colors," I said as I pulled her to me.

She clung to me with might and I could feel her start to shake with sobs. I knew that nothing I could say right now would help ease her pain, so I just held her. I buried my face in her thick red hair and took a deep breath. She always smelled like her vanilla shampoo. It was a scent I had come to love. I tired to ignore the sting of tears in my own eyes as I held her to me.

We stood there for a few moments, nether wanting or willing to move. The train whistle sounded nearby and made Ginny jump. The train was about to leave. She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes and said in a watery voice, "I don't want to leave you." She clutched the front of my robes tightly in her hands and was trying to reign in her crying.

"I know, Gin. I know," I said in a strained voice. I didn't want to leave her so hurt and sad but I didn't know how to fix it. I rubbed her back in a calming motion with one hand, wiping her tears away with the other. "This isn't the end, Ginny," I said softly. "I will always find my way back to you. Never give up hope. I will always love you. Don't ever doubt it. The days ahead will be filled with fear and doubt and pain, but through it all, I will come back to you. One day, we will be together. I love you, Gin. I'm not going to let you go," I said, pulling her back against me.

She leaned her head too look at me and I kissed her. God, I would miss this girl. As I broke the kiss, my heart felt like it was being torn in two. But I smiled down at Ginny and pulled her arms from around me, taking her hands in mine. "I will always find my way back to you." I kissed her one last time and the train whistle sounded again. I nudged her towards the train.

"I love you, Draco," she said, throwing her arms around me one last time. I hugged her briefly as the train slowly started to move.

"I love you too, Ginny," I said in a strained voice as looked down at her tear-stained face. And with that, she ran to the train. The second she jumped on the door slammed behind her.

I stood there watching the train pull from the station, watching it take away everything that held meaning in my life. I saw a flash of red and Ginny's face showed up in a window just as the train rounded the bend. The last thing I saw before I disapparated, was her mouthing 'I love you.

Did you like it? I know it was really sad and depressing and touching. At least that's what it was meant to come off as. Was it ok?

I was thinking about ending the story here and starting up a sequel. What do you think? But I don't know… I haven't gotten to the chapter that ties the name of the story into this story so that would disappoint me, considering I've already written it mostly lol.

Oh, how do my lovely readers feel about adult content in the story? Just give it a little thought because I have so many ideas that could involve that. Anyway, just review and let me know what you think.

Oh, and BJ is uber hungry from not eating in over a month so feed BJ!

Yeah… my hands are tired of typing so I'll just let y'all go here. 'Till next time!

And remember, a happy author writes better and faster! So review and make me happy!