Chapter One

:St Mungo's:

"She came to me today, Ginny..." Dean Thomas whispered, "She asked me, begged me to save her. But I couldn't...and he...he..."

Ginny, a Healer at St. Mungo's, sat down next to Dean's bed in a small plastic chair used for visitors. "He did what?" Ginny asked gently.

Dean closed his eyes. "He killed her..." He answered, and Ginny could hear the pain in his voice. It always hurt him to speak about Lavender Brown, "her," but he needed to. It was necessary.

Many people had lost loved ones in the war. Ginny herself lost her older brother, Charlie, and good friend Luna Lovegood at the hands of Deatheaters. Some just didn't take their losses as well as others...

Many of the patients now occupying St. Mungo's, including Dead, had been admitted after the war against (and defeat of) Voldemort. They had witnessed so much death that they'd driven themselves crazy. They saw things...they relived the war in their heads, and felt as though they were right there. Dean always relived the moment his wife, Lavender, was being killed and he could do nothing about it.

"Who was it?" Ginny asked him, "Who killed her?"

Dean shook his head. They had been trying for months to find out who this mysterious killer was, but with no prevail. He'd never even given a hint.

"It's alright, Dean. You don't have to tell me." Ginny said to him in the same gentle tone she always used with her patients. Feeling defeated once again, Ginny took her wand out of the pockets of her Healer's robes. She began to arrange the vases of flowers that had been sent to Dean that day. As she made the colorful vases fly around the room Dean mumbled,

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy killed my wife."

Ginny dropped her wand and the yellow vase came crashing to the floor. She let out a string of curses, picked up her want, and quickly cleaned up the mess.

"Draco Malfoy?" She asked, trying to keep herself as calm as possible, "Are you sure?"

Dean nodded slowly. "Yes," He managed to get out as a few tears fell down his face.

Ginny kissed his cheek. "Thank you for telling me, Dean."

:Malfoy Manor:

Draco Malfoy placed the glass of water on the mahogany coffee table in front of her. "For my lady," He said as he did so.

Ginny forced a fake smile onto her face and thanked him as he sat down next to her on the plush couch holding his own glass which was full of something that was probably rum.

He always has loved his rum. Ginny thought.

"Why so quiet, Ginny?" Draco asked, dropping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

Ginny looked up at his face. It was as pale as ever, beautiful, and flawless. His icy blue eyes sparkled in a way they only did when she was around (at least that's what he told her when she brought it up one day), and a thin white scar above his lip showed he'd fought hard in the war, even if it was on a side Ginny was firmly against. (She knew that he had two more of the same white scars: one on his neck, the other on his chest.). His hair was shorter now than it had been in school. Tired of being mistaken for his deceased father, he'd cut it short. In Ginny's opinion, he looked much more handsome this way.

Ginny always felt like such a child next to Draco. She was 24-year-old, but she was still small and without many curves. He red Weasley hair fell limp over her shoulders, and her eyes, brown and big, never looked any better no matter what she tried to do to them. She could never understand, never would understand, why Draco was attracted to her. Sometimes she thought it was a joke. Sometimes she thought he just thought of her as "an easy lay."

"Gin?"

"Well, um," Ginny cleared her throat nervously, "I found out some very interesting information today."

"Really?" Draco asked between sips of his rum. He always tried to sound like he was interested, but it usually was all an act.

"Yes, from Dean Thomas."

"Oh," Draco didn't even fake interest in this, "That's nice."

Almost every day for the past two years, Draco had been hearing about Ginny's patients. Since Dean was her newest one, that was who she usually spoke of lately. But Draco didn't care about the things he was seeing and hearing. He didn't care about what any of them were hearing. He just didn't care.

"He told me who killed Lavender all those years ago...you know, during the war." Ginny pressed on slowly.

Draco swallowed hard. "Well that must be very exciting for you all," He spoke quickly, "I know how long you and the other Healers-"

"It was you, Draco..." Ginny said, cutting him off, "You killed Lavender. You killed someone's wife."

"I had to, Ginny. She was in the way, being a silly nuisance. I had to get rid of her in order to kill Potter."

"But you didn't," Ginny gently reminded him, "Harry Potter is still alive and well. If I recall correctly, I believe that Harry very nearly killed you."

"I no longer wish to speak of this, Virginia." Draco said firmly.

"Why don't you ever want to talk about it, Draco? Why can't we ever discuss the war with each other?"

"Because I still hate Harry Potter with every single part of me. He killed my leader, he killed my father, and I do not want him discussed or brought up in my home again!"

"Alright," Ginny said with a sigh, "Well I should be getting back to work."

"Work!" Draco looked at the large grandfather clock at the other side of the well furnished living room, "It's already 6:30!"

"I know, I know, but they need me overnight." Ginny told him.

"Fine. Will you be over tomorrow?"

Ginny sent him a small smile. "I'll try," she said, "But I can't promise anything." She leaned over and kissed him.

"Maybe I'll come by and visit you tonight," Draco said with a devilish grin.

Ginny giggled as she got up. "Sure," She said, knowing well that Draco Malfoy would never in a million years show up at her work, "I'll be waiting."

AN: Well, at least this started it out a bit, huh? My apologies if it's short (a curse I'm plagued with), and the writing isn't as good in some parts. I wrote about half (or more) in school, by hand, with a dull pencil. REVIEW!

Disclaimer-All of the Harry Potter characters belong to JK Rowling.