Oh man, it's been a long time, and for that, I'm sorry. Apparently I'm losing my memory at the rip age of twenty-one. Sad, isn't it? Anyway, thank you to all who've read and reviewed; it honestly brightens my day to open my inbox and find numerous e-mails of reviews. And once again, the biggest thank you ever to my beta Key, without whom I would be incredibly lost and sans "Half-Life."

Enjoy!

♥, Amy (s p l a s h d o w n)

Chapter 4: The Task At Hand

The rest of the week flew by for Ginny. No matter how hard she tried to slow it down and savor her final few days of blissful freedom, the days rushed by her in a blur, unrelenting in their mad fervor to keep on with life. She soon found herself on the eve before her first day as an intern and began to feel the butterflies fluttering wildly in the pit of her stomach. She silently wondered if Hermione could notice her anxiety and willed herself to keep calm.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, ever-so-slightly tilting her head and staring at Ginny in between bites of the mincemeat pie that covered her dinner plate in heaps.

Ginny shrugged and muttered, "Of course," hoping beyond hope that she looked a lot more composed than she felt. Despite the wild emotions into which her temper took her, she hated showing too much emotion. Ever since her earliest year at Hogwarts, the first year she let herself fall victim to the evil Slytherin Prince (and certainly not the last one), Ginny felt as though showing any type of passion was better than any other thing in the whole world – whether that be Muggle or Magical. But after her stint with Draco, she found that she would much rather break her own wand in two bits than go revealing her innermost thoughts and feelings. Rendering herself incapable of emotional reading was one of her most satisfying attributes (or so she thought) and one of the many things she'd learned from Draco. Ginny had always envied his cold, calculating demeanor, the way he could turn people into small objects with a flash of an eye or a cock of an eyebrow, how he was constantly unreadable. It was as if he had put up curtains to hide the genuine aspect of himself, the real Draco Malfoy.

Or maybe that was the real Draco Malfoy. Ginny's chance to find that out came to a screeching halt ages ago.

-------

Draco was true to his word. Everywhere she went, every move she made, every thing she did – he watched her.

After several days of feeling his eyes upon her, Ginny felt something inside her snap into place, something she hadn't suffered in many long and forlorn years. It seemed as though if he didn't watch her, he would fade away into nothing, fade away into something that never had existed, fade away into the loneliness that had filled her heart for so long.

Ginny began feeding herself on his unjustifiable attention. When she was in classes, she longed for his presence, for his eyes to be upon her. When she was walking down the corridors, whether alone or accompanied by friends, she watched mercilessly for a glimpse of sleek blonde hair or cruel silver eyes, and when she found what she was looking for, found his head pointed in her direction and his eyes ruthlessly running the length of her body, she felt wanted, needed, desired. She felt on top of the world as she ran her fingers through her hair, smirking slyly in his direction, daring him to take his eyes off of her. From the moment she woke until the moment she fell asleep, her mind thought only of one person. It was unfortunate, however, that the one person she wanted seemed to be the one person she could never fully have.

It appeared as though Ginny had rough luck when it came to the opposite sex. Every boy she had ever felt truly enthralled with became every boy who held a bigger agenda, had the wrong last name, or was merely a memory. In the meantime, anyone else was kept around for the sole purpose of filling the void of the impossibility looming in the darkness ahead of her.

-------

Ginny left the library only minutes before her curfew of 9 pm and began making the journey up to the safety and warmth of Gryffindor Tower. On that particular evening, however, she felt as though not even the laughter and companionship in the common room would be able to melt the frozen feeling inside of her. Draco hadn't watched her in nearly four days, a detail that wounded Ginny and made her wonder what she did wrong to merit his lost interest. It was as though another diary had been ruined by her mere existence, and that thought alone was enough to chill her to the bone; she couldn't lose again. She felt as though one more loss would tear away at her soul and leave her completely and mortally empty. (Years later, Ginny would look back and wonder whether her entire essence would've truly been lost or if it had just been a normal bout of teenage angst. She would sincerely hope for the latter, yet somehow knew in her heart that the former was probably more accurate and would inwardly curse herself for being so weak.)

Ginny was halfway down the corridor when she felt, rather than heard, someone quickly approaching her and realized, with slight terror, that she was completely alone. Before she could turn around to face the sudden looming unknown, an icy hand clasped her mouth, and she felt herself being jostled into the nearest empty classroom.

"Missed me, haven't you, Weasley?" he whispered into her ear, making the ginger hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end, and as the familiar voice filled the silence of the almost-vacant room, she felt her body relax and her heartbeat return to a slightly normal pace, although still thumping a bit more rapidly than usual due to the presence standing extremely close to her (was it him that smelled of pine and expensive soap?) and the pleasantly cold hand still draped across her lips.

She felt him press closer as he murmured into her ear again. "You thought I haven't been watching, haven't you? Didn't I tell you that I am always watching?" He paused, and she was grateful; she realized her heart was beating wildly again and willed herself to calm down. After all, this was only Draco Malfoy; they were only enemies. And that was his body pushed up against hers, leaving no space in between.

He leaned even nearer, his lips barely brushing the tip of her ear, and continued. "I have noticed that you are quite the little tease, Weasley, always wandering gauchely about the castle, smiling at every walking creature that shows even the slightest bit of interest in you. You belong to me, little girl," his voice lowered, barely audible, "whether you realize it or not, but do not delude yourself into thinking that I belong to you. I will never belong to you, for you are nothing but a treasure to me, no matter how much I watch you or how long this entire masquerade continues. Do you understand me, Weasley?"

Anger flaired through Ginny, knowing that this was wrong, that Draco was cruel and offensive, that she deserved more than being considered nothing but a prize to someone. But she nodded anyway, her insides twisting in longing and fear, and Draco removed his hand from her mouth and turned her to face him, their faces inches apart. She would always remember the way he stared at her just then, his eyes on fire from the passion in which he spoke.

"Now that we have an understanding," he said, his lips coming down on hers as he kissed her harshly, and silently commanded for her to open up and let him taste her, all of her, for as long as he chose. He thought he might explode as he felt her comply to his demands and reassured himself that she was only a treasure, a mere trophy for his bookshelf. He would not become attached. After all, he was a Malfoy, and she, a Weasley. He almost laughed out loud at the thought of becoming caught up with a blood traitor. He would not become attached.

Ginny realized suddenly that she had never been kissed in such a manner before. She certainly had her fair share of kisses, but never with such force, such ardor, that had Draco not been grasping her upper arms in a tight embrace, Ginny was sure that she'd have fallen straight over and made a right fool of herself.

She was also quite certain that she'd never imagined Draco to have such passion inside of him, let alone be capable of showing it – especially with her. Her insides twitched with exhilaration at the thought of seeing this side of Draco and being the one who'd brought it out of him.

After what seemed like hours, Draco pulled away and watched as Ginny panted, clearly out of breath. She stared back up at him. They stood there in silence and simply looked at one another, the only sounds coming from the both of them as they each struggled to catch their breath. Finally Draco broke the reverie and spoke.

"If this is going to continue, which it undoubtedly will, we must keep it a secret. I cannot have anyone knowing I'm engaging myself with a filthy Weasley, at my own leis—"

"It's Ginny," she interjected crossly. "My name, that is. It's Ginny." She was startled at the way that had come out of her mouth, but pleased at the look that crossed Draco's face at the same time. No matter how much she wanted this to continue, no matter how intrigued she was, she wouldn't tolerate her last name being made a mockery.

Draco quieted, his eyebrow cocked as he considered her. "I know that," was all he could think of to say, and he silently cursed himself for lacking his usual vengeance at her interruption.

"Then call me by my first name," she responded, her cheeks slightly flushed, proud of the way she was standing up to him.

"Well, that's laughable," Draco replied coolly, clearly amused that she would even think of asking to be called by such a common, filthy name, let alone be called that by him, a Malfoy.

Her eyes narrowed. "Fine," she said, moving around him and beginning to head toward the door, surprised by her own audacity and hoping she hadn't just ruined what could've been. But Draco didn't quite understand what was happening; he was in charge here, not her. A Weasley never outshined a Malfoy. Ever.

"Is Ginny," he paused, significantly disgusted at the way her name easily rolled across his tongue and out of his mouth. "Is that your real name?" he asked her, visibly annoyed with the situation but more so at her stubborn desire to be called by her first name.

"No," she said, turning around once again to face him. "It's Ginevra, my real name. I have always just been Ginny, though. Everything else sounds wrong." She stayed where she was, which was a few feet away from him and stared, challenging him to disrespect her yet again.

He considered this name for a moment and said it aloud, "Ginevra." It was definitely better than Ginny, by far. He figured he might as well call her by her first name instead of by her surname, the horrid one she shared with the rest of her poor, bothersome family. Maybe this way she would seem less like a Weasley and more like someone exceptionally decent, someone a Malfoy could truly be attracted to for reasons other than pure enjoyment. Not that there were other such reasons. Sensing her peaked curiosity, he quickly nodded his approval (or consent, at least) as she smiled warmly at him and began moving back toward him. He wasn't quite sure what to do – nobody had ever smiled at him in that way before, so untainted and real – so he nodded once more and hastily swept past her.

"Don't forget," he called over his shoulder as he gracefully strode towards the shut door of the classroom. "You are mine. Goodnight," he paused, "Ginevra."

And with that, he swept from the room, leaving Ginny too caught up in her thoughts to remember that she was irrefutably late for her curfew.

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Ginny woke the next morning, considerably calmer than the night before. She climbed out of her bed bright and early and decided to make breakfast for herself and Hermione. Just as she placed the food on the table and was conjuring up some coffee, Hermione walked in, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Mmmm," she said, looking around the room, eyes landing on the breakfast sitting at the table. "Something smells delicious."

"Morning, Hermione," Ginny said cheerfully, smiling at her roommate as she took a seat at the table and began dishing out some food for herself. Hermione returned her smile and followed suit. They ate in silence as both girls stared out the kitchen window into the dazzling, sunny morning.

After both had finished eating, Hermione cleared the plates and cleaned up as Ginny continued staring out of the window, wondering just how her internship was going to turn out. I hope I'm not stuck with some old hag, she thought to herself. That would be just my luck. She smiled at the notion of following another Trelawney around the hospital. That would not be a good, for surely Ginny would explode. Anyone as mad as Trelawney deserved to be locked up for being completely incompetent.

Ginny realized that she had to be at St. Mungo's very soon, so she quickly showered and got herself around and ready. At a quarter till nine, she bid farewell to Hermione and Apparated directly into the waiting room at the hospital. She checked in with the nurse at the station and was told to head to the fourth floor, where a nurse called Deza would be waiting for her. Ginny smiled, kindly thanked the nurse, and headed toward the stairs.

When she arrived on the fourth floor, she was quick to find the nurse with whom she would be working. Deza had a round face with deep blue eyes and long strawberry blonde hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail and hung down to just above her waist. She grinned at Ginny and said, "Miss Weasley, I presume?" Ginny nodded and smiled, pleased that Deza seemed to be very nice and not at all mad.

"I'm very glad to be working with you, Miss Weasley," Deza continued, grabbing Ginny's elbow and directing her to an oval office down the hall.

"Please, call me Ginny," she replied, letting Deza guide her into a chair in front of a large wooden desk. The name plate on the desk read:

Deza McPherson
Head Nurse
Spell Damage Department
Fourth Floor

Deza's smile widened. "Of course," she responded warmly. "I have heard quite a lot about you, Ginny, from many of the professors at Hogwarts. They've all said such good things about you, and I am quite certain that you are the perfect person for this internship. So perfect, in fact, that I've decided to give you a special assignment right away."

Ginny's eyes enlarged slightly as she leaned forward in her chair, both interested and anxious of the special task Deza was talking about. Deza seemed to notice her apprehension because she continued on without haste.

"Of course, if you'd rather not handle this task, I quite understand, but given your prior experience and the words of recommendation from your professors, I rather thought you would enjoy this extra hands-on practice," Deza said.

Ginny exhaled, only now realizing she'd been holding her breath, and cleared her throat before asking, "What type of special assignment would this be?"

Deza smiled once more and replied. "Well, since the arrival of the Falcons in London, we've had quite a few offers for the job of Official Team Healer. Once I found out that you had played Quidditch during your years at Hogwarts, I thought that this would be the perfect task for you to gain confidence in this discipline. I hope that you will accept," she added, looking earnestly at Ginny with an optimistic gleam in her eyes.

Ginny sighed to herself and took a moment to think about the job with which she'd be entrusted. "Would I be working with myself, then?" she asked.

"Yes, but if you had any questions or needed any help at all, I would certainly be at your beck and call whenever possible," Deza responded quickly, the gleam of hope still in her eyes.

Ginny nodded. It would be good experience, she thought to herself. And I would be all by myself, answering to no one and giving orders to the team. Plus, it is Quidditch. She continued to reason with herself for another moment before finally accepting the offer. Deza grinned excitedly and started telling Ginny more about what she would be doing, both in the hospital and on the Quidditch pitch.

By mid-afternoon, Ginny had learned that she would be following Deza around at the hospital for a few days, learning the ropes and getting a feel for cures of the most common cases brought to the fourth floor's attention. Once she felt as though she could handle herself, she would be given Deza's patients with the helpful eye of her mentor and in due time, patients to deal with on her own.

On the Quidditch Pitch, she learned that she would be attending the Falcons' practices every night for two hours, and on days in which there was a match, she would have to be in attendance for however long the competition ensued. It would be a lot of work and even more of a commitment, but Ginny reckoned that she could handle it. Besides, if that was something she wanted to do with the rest of her life, she was willing to give up a few extra hours each day to become more involved and learned in her chosen occupation.

She bid adieu to Deza and Disapparated back into her flat, finding Hermione already there.

"So," Hermione said, excitedly. "How'd it go?"

Ginny swiftly re-capped her day and squealed in delight with Hermione, who'd known how much interest Ginny had in becoming a professional Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Afterwards, she decided to nip over to the Burrow before Apparating to the new Quidditch pitch to meet the team for which she would be working.

When Ginny entered the front door, she heard her mother right away, singing to herself in the kitchen, which was one of Ginny's most favorite things. Molly Weasley always had had a beautiful voice, and when she sang aloud, she made Ginny feel as though everything was going to be all right.

"Hi, Mum," Ginny called out as Mrs. Weasley turned around with wide eyes.

"Ginny! Oh, darling, how are you? Are you getting on well with Hermione? You look like you've lost weight, dear, you should really eat more," she fused, hugging her only daughter tightly.

Ginny grinned and sat down at the table, Mrs. Weasley following suit. Ginny re-told her earlier experience at St. Mungo's and laughed as her mum excitedly gossiped about her news. Ginny quickly realized how much she missed her mum and longed for the days when she was younger and lived at the Burrow, following Mrs. Weasley around everywhere. She sighed and brought herself back to the present, and her mum talking.

"So," Mrs. Weasley said, brightening up. "I've just received an owl from Bill, and you'll never guess what he's had to say."

Ginny's curiosity peaked. It wasn't everyday that Bill wrote home and certainly not everyday that he actually had news. "Mum, what?" she asked, genuinely interested in what was about to come from her mother's mouth. She loved her brothers – all of them – very dearly, so learning (and gossiping) more about them was always incredibly fascinating to her. It always had been, too, which is why she'd gotten in so much trouble when they all still lived at the Burrow.

"Well," her mother started. "He's got a girlfriend! Our Bill, can you believe it? Who'd have thought he'd finally buck up and find someone who'd love him despite his unruly long hair?" She sighed.

Ginny giggled, and for the next ten minutes they continued chatting about Bill and his new girlfriend, imagining what she looked like and how they'd met. It made Ginny even more excited for the Christmas holidays to approach; she couldn't wait to badger Bill about this news, granted he was still "with girlfriend" by then.

Soon it was time to leave for the pitch. After promising she'd return in a few days for more talking, Ginny kissed her mum on the cheek and Disapparated with a POP!

As Ginny entered the arena, she gasped in awe. It had been months since she had been around a Quidditch pitch and even longer since she'd been around one so grandiose. She caught sight of the team dismounting their broomsticks and hurried over.

It was right then that Ginny realized with whom she'd be helping, as the tall, blonde haired boy looked directly at her. At once, Ginny realized her voice was stuck in her throat and felt herself go pale as she stopped in her tracks and stared back, clearly taken aback by her stupidity.

Draco cocked his eyebrow in amusement and stalked past her to speak with the Captain of the team, a pretty dark-haired girl named Susan Whitethorn, Ginny would later find out. Ginny couldn't believe her luck, or lack thereof, and decided to shake off the uneasy feeling in her stomach (as well as in her heart). If she had to work with Draco, so be it. She was perfectly fine with that. After all, she held no feelings for him in the least. This would be purely professional.

If only she knew how wrong she was.