The Stained Glass Idyll
By Ellipsis and Shiva
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Most of this isn't ours. Some of it is. We are making no money. Steal and die!
Warning: Angst, violence, torture, drug abuse, coarse language, adult themes and situations.
Pairing: Draco/Ginny 
Summary: Ginny Weasley has watched Harry Potter save the world time and time again and wondered 
what it would be like. Draco Malfoy has watched the same and wished he could be the one to end 
Potter's winning streak. Ginny wants to make her mark on the world, Draco looses himself in the last place 
anyone would ever look for him.
Then Ginny accepts an assignment to hunt down the most dangerous Death Eater at large and 
when circumstances intervene she begins to realise that it may not be a world she needs to save.
Additional notes: Well, here's the Prologue of our collab fic. We'd like to thank Juice, Sarah Lily and Eva James 
for their lovely work in betaing this section. Chapter One is written and will be coming to a location near you rather soonish.
The prologue may seem short, but believe us, Chapter One is insanely, incredibly long.

~~~~~

History is written by the winners, Draco thought, hiding in the bushes and staring at the Aurors raiding his home. Children will read about us in twenty years, and they'll believe that Voldemort was a tyrant. If we'd won, he'd be a hero and a liberator. All the filthy mudbloods who would disagree would have been exterminated and we would be remembered as the heralds of a new, golden age.

Instead, Draco Malfoy, son and heir of the Malfoy estate, was running for his life.

The catalogue of events leading up to this moment flashed through Draco's mind, a montage of utter destruction.

Four days ago, he'd helped his father torture and kill Remus Lupin, knowing that this would draw Harry Potter, the Gryffindor wunderkind, Dumbledore's pet and the joy of muggle lovers everywhere out of his hole. They'd sent the werewolf's carcass to Harry in five separate 'care' packages. The plan was to get him angry, because temper was always a Gryffindor's worst enemy.

Two days ago, they'd received Harry's reply in the form of a challenge. Lucius Malfoy had gone to the stated place and Draco had gone with him.

Draco had watched his father fall under a barrage of attacks from the thirty-odd cohorts of Harry's who were waiting for them. Draco had concealed himself, and then snuck away to tell Lord Voldemort.

I wonder how they'll justify that in the history books. That blatant foul play. They'll probably pass it off with some comment about how Death Eaters could never be trusted to be fair or how Potter was provoked beyond reason. The so-called good-guys always have an excuse.

One day ago, Harry, flushed from his success, presented himself at the entrance to Voldemort's secret residence. How he knew where it was, Draco would never know. Voldemort had emerged, enraged at Potter's effrontery. Around him were gathered his inner circle. Draco had stood in Lucius' rightful place.

What had ensued had been a heated battle, the final outcome of which being that Harry Potter had done the expected thing, and killed Voldemort. Draco's body had strained, wanting to rush forward and finish that sod Potter off while he was weak, but his mind had overruled him and as the Golden Boy's friends gathered around him, Draco knew he'd lost his chance. Instead of staying at the scene, he'd turned and run into the forest, making his way stealthily towards where his wand told him Malfoy Manor was.

This was the sight which had greeted him. Aurors in control of the mansion, dragging his heritage off and cataloguing it, the Daily Prophet announcing that Death Eaters were being hunted and persecuted across Britain. Of course, there were some things in the Manor that they would never be able to remove. In a distracted gesture, Draco's hand touched an object hanging on a chain under his shirt and he smiled slightly.

Draco knew he had to disappear. He'd bide his time, somewhere they'd never look for him. And when the time was right…

Maybe there'll even be a note about me. I hope so. I hope it says 'Harry Potter was tragically killed after the war ended by the formidable wizard Draco Malfoy, whose father Potter had murdered.'

This was his ultimate plan. He'd lost his first chance to snuff out that pesky little life, but he wouldn't waste his second. He would vanish for now, somewhere no one would ever find him then, in two years or ten, he'd return.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold.

One day, he would kill Harry Potter.

Turning from the chaos, he began to walk quickly away, vanishing into the evening.