A/N: The top half is light, fluffy, and long-awaited. The bottom half is dark, twisted, and upseting. It is only grouped together in one chapter for length's sake. The bottom half was originally titled more fittingly "Battleground." There are two parts to it and Ginny's POV is significantly lighter while still presenting all pertinent information. Draco's POV is darker. If you find it too upsetting, skip to Ginny's POV. You won't miss anything important.

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from an HP book is the sole property of JKR. Original characters and plot belong to me.

Warning: Mentions of past cutting, blood, murder, harassment, death of families.

I Never Thought I Would Be A Hero

Original Dark Angel

Chapter 13: Changes

"Why is this taking so long, Draco? The waiting is worse on my nerves than the actual fighting."

"Their plan has a specific time frame, Ginny. Until we come up with a plan, we're playing on their schedule. Try not to think about it anymore than you have to. Think about something else. Anything else."

"Jenny is gorgeous."

Draco blinked. That was fast. He scrambled for a second before coming up with a sentence. "Yeah, she looks like Fleur."

"But she has the red Weasley hair." Ginny looked up at him with a soft smile. "Bill loves that baby so much. She's going to grow up so spoiled."

"When a baby girl has five-no, seven-uncles, it is kind of unavoidable."

"Seven?"

"Your family adopted Potter long ago, and I'm not above spoiling my girlfriend's niece."

"So you're an honorary uncle like Harry."

"Maybe better than that." Draco was just as surprised as she was when those words came out of his mouth. He didn't know if this was the right moment, but suddenly it felt like it. They were sitting on the sandy patch by the part of the lake shallow enough for wading, and watching the giant squid give a fountain performance, Ginny's head in his lap and the kids that they were responsible for were safe in the castle. It was perfect.

"Are you still competing with Harry? I thought you were starting to become friends."

"We're not openly hexing each other but I doubt that close friendship is in our future. But this isn't competing. This is a moment I've been planning for what feels like forever."

"I thought coming out to the lake was my idea."

Draco shook his head, and placed a finger to her lips. "Shh, let me finish, luv." He stood and drew her over to the water so that the waves from the squid's antics crashed over their ankles. "You see all of this water? It's been here for ages. Since before the Founders' time even. And it will still be here hundreds of years from now, even if Hogwarts isn't. My love for you is just as eternal. You drive me completely insane sometimes, but you are the only person that I ever felt safe letting into my heart."

"Draco?"

Draco knelt in front of her, fumbling in his pocket for the ever-present jewelry box. "Ginny, would you marry me?" He held out the silver ring with the dark sapphire stone, surrounded by tiny opals and waited for her response. Would Andrea's vision come true?

"Yes, Draco. Today if possible."

He slipped the ring onto her finger and stood to kiss her. She threw her arms around his neck, and caught up in the moment he started to spin her around until they were knee deep in the water and the squid sent a larger than usual wave at them. Drenched from head to toe, they stood there laughing for a few minutes before returning to shore and collapsing in the sand.

Tracing the curve of her face with his fingers, Draco grinned. "That idea actually has merit."

"What idea?"

"Getting married today. There's a ministry official in Hogsmeade who owes me a favor."

Ginny's eyes lit up, and then her face fell. "We can't. My mum would kill me, and I don't have anything for a wedding."

"Wear your auror robes and let me handle the rings. I swear that after this is all over, we'll have the biggest public wedding that the Wizarding World has ever seen, but I want to make you mine, now that I finally have the courage to ask you."

Her eyes dancing in mirth, she teased, "Exactly how long have you had that ring, Draco?"

"July 31. My birthday. Remember, I disappeared for a few hours?"

"You crazy boy," she laughed, kissing him. "I love you so much, and I would love to marry you today."

"Then go get ready, and slip away. I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks."

Draco finished getting ready long before Ginny and owled his jeweler to tell him to have the project ready for him to pick up. Dashing through the closest secret passage to Hogsmeade, he went straight to the shop. He was surprised to run into Potter without his usual fan club/bodyguards. "What are you doing here?"

"Buying a piece of jewelry," the other boy answered flippantly. "You?"

"Same." He continued to look expectantly at Potter until the other boy caved.

"I'm buying an engagement ring for Luna. If I die in this war, I want her to know how much she meant to me. And if you tell me that it's a ridiculous notion because I'm definitely going to win, then I swear I'll hex you."

"I don't think it's ridiculous, Potter. I'd be a hypocrite if I did."

"You're buying an engagement ring for Ginny?"

"Did that months ago, Potter. I'm buying a wedding band, because I'm getting married today." Draco secretly agreed that Potter should not only ask Luna to marry him, but to actually go through with it, before the final battle commenced. But openly helping the man to realize it went against the sworn enemies thing. "I know that Ginny would like for Luna to be there on her special day. Would you care to serve as our other witness?" That would get Potter in the right place, and make it easier for Draco to justify not telling Blaise. It wouldn't be fair to ask him to witness the wedding of the girl he loved to his best friend. Maybe when they remarried publicly, Blaise would have found the right girl and be willing to serve as his Best Man.

"You're eloping?"

"Do you think we want something private and special splashed across the front page of the Daily Prophet? We may as well send an invitation to Voldemort."

"Good point. I'll do it."

"Buy both rings now, Potter," Draco advised. "That way you're always ready." He picked up the black velvet case that the jeweler placed in front of him, checking inside of it to make sure that it was the correct rings, before leaving.

Draco and Ginny were married quietly and exchanged the wedding bands carved from a single dark sapphire with a chaste kiss. As surprised as Ginny was to see them there, she knew what was coming before Luna did, and witnessed her best friend's wedding to Harry Potter, the private ceremony that Harry had always been afraid he could never have.

Battleground Interlude (Draco's POV)

Blood. It was everywhere, vivid red pools at her feet, staining her white blouse, streaked across her wrists, matted in her hair, pale blonde turned scarlet. All that blood. Draco reached out to support Ginny who had blanched. An agonized cry came from the bedroom.

"Not the baby too," Ron whispered in horror.

This was too much for Ginny. Draco caught her before she hit the floor, sweeping up her thin form, realizing how much weight she had lost in the last two years. He cradled her to him, wishing he could protect her from this horror. "Nice move, Weasley," he snapped. Harry and Hermione returned without Bill. He turned to Hermione. "The baby?" she shook her head. "Damn."

"What happened to Ginny?" asked Harry.

"Fainted," Draco replied tersely. "Can you blame her?"

"No, boy, am I glad Luna isn't here. This is a nightmare." Harry began to pace, well away from the puddle of blood.

"Potter, you're going to drive us all crazy. Why don't you interrogate the bloody portraits so we have an idea what happened?"

"That's a good idea," rushed Hermione before Harry argued or snapped. "Why don't you and Ron do that and I'll help Malfoy with Ginny." Draco placed Ginny on the sofa, smoothing her hair back away from her face. Hermione sat next to her and waved smelling salts under her friend's nose. "Her skin is like ice."

"I know," his voice was tense and worried. Ginny began to stir. "Hey, luv."

"What happened?"

"You fainted."

"The blood. I didn't . . . the blood." Ginny started to get hysterical. Draco knelt next to her framing her face in his hands, wiping away tears. Hermione left so he could comfort her.

"It's okay. I'm going to take you home."

"Bill."

"Ron's here. As soon as the others find out, they'll come, but you don't need to see or deal with this. Bill will understand." He turned to inform Potter of his decision, but they were listening to the paintings.

"Put her under the imperious spell, he did. Told her what to do and she did it. Walked into the bedroom and killed that pretty little baby, before slitting her own wrists. Poor baby, killed by her own mother."

"Silencio!" Draco burst out. The painting's voice instantly became muted. "Pompous old windbag," he muttered, turning back around. Ginny had turned green. "Shit! Weasley!"
Ron saw his sister's face. "Second door to the left, Gin."

Ginny burst into the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time to empty her stomach. Then Draco was there, cool hands supporting her head until she was finished. Then she backed away and leaned against the wall. Draco stood and went to the sink to get her a glass of water. In the mirror, she could see his battle to keep his face calm, fighting off anger, worry, and fear. He looked at her in the mirror and saw her watching him. He returned to her side and offered her the water. She sipped it slowly. Once it was gone, she handed it back to him. He placed it on the counter and sat down next to her, slipping one hand around her waist. She rested her head against his shoulder and he leaned his head against hers. This was their way of thinking things through, calming down, offering support, resting, meditating, and just being together. It was also the way they sat when they were confiding something.

"I hate blood. It scares me, ever since I was little. My dad brought home turkey, a live one that a friend from America sent him and you know how dad is about muggle traditions like thanksgiving. Only problem was as a typical four year old, I made a friend out of our 'pet' turkey. Mum tried to distract me, but I went running out to save it at the last minute, startling Dad. He missed and hit some sort of artery. The still-alive turkey was jumping around splattering blood all over everything. All over me. And ever since, I've been terrified of blood. When I was younger, Mum used to have to immediately perform healing spells on any of my brother who got so much as a scrape, because if I saw it, I would start screaming." She shook her head. "First year, when Harry rescued me, he was dripping blood from the basilisk, and it was all I could do not to scream."

"You were a cutter like me."

"It was different when it was my blood. I tried to make it into some elaborate art. Now I can't believe that I everthought that it could be soothing. It was only pain. The scars on my arms are the only thing about myself that I wish I could change. If I just told someone about the diary, then the whole mess would never have happened. I don't know, maybe none of this would have happened," she shivered.

"Don't. It's not even close to being your fault, Ginevra Molly Weasley Malfoy." He was distracted by a knock on the door, and then Hermione sticking her head inside. "We're fine. Go away, Granger." He rested his head on Ginny's once more. "I'm sorry that you had to see that. It's a sight I wish I could have saved you."

She moved to look up at him. "You've seen it before. It's what you remember when the dementor's come too close. It's the reason that you started cutting."

"Yes." Once more his face reflected a war between emotions. "If this is too much for you, stop me."

She curled up against his chest with his arms around her, and felt him stroke her hair, long pale fingers getting tangled in bright red locks. "Tell me."

"When I was growing up, my cousin, Leoni, and her brother lived with us because their parents were in Azkaban." Without asking, Ginny knew that Leoni's brother was Lucas. "I hated him. He was violent, dangerous, and my father loved him for it. But Leoni was nice. She was a year older than him, two years older than me. She was like the perfect big sister who spoiled me. Sometimes my parents would disappear for a couple days, even weeks at a time, sometimes taking Lucas with them, sometimes not. When they didn't take him, she protected me from him. When they did . . . well, it was like heaven at the manor. We'd slide down staircase banisters, race down the halls, jump on every single one of the beds in all of the guestrooms, and shout and laugh. We ate whenever we felt like it, and even bullied the house-elves to take us to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. I hated it when she left for school, though it got easier after Lucas went. She attended Hogwarts. He attended Durmstrang. He took a summer course in the Dark Arts, so that year she got home first, and we went to Diagon Alley for school supplies; she gave me such a talking-to for scaring 'that poor new boy in the robes shop.' I later found out that he was Harry Potter. Lucas finally came home and was waiting when we got back." His voice broke off for a minute, as if he was lost in thought, before continuing. "They had both changed. I hadn't really noticed it in Leoni. I was only eleven and she came home for visits during the holidays. She had always been pretty, petite, blonde, and gray-green eyes, but she had grown up that year. And Lucas sure noticed. He was already six inches taller than her. His eyes followed her everywhere for a week. Then . . . I was waiting for her down by the pool. I wasn't allowed to go in until she got there and she had promised me that she would be down to take me swimming. I had waited for almost an hour, when she came running out the front door as if the devil, himself, was after her. He was, because it was Lucas who was following her and laughing like a maniac. She was scared. I started towards her, but he was faster. He drew this awful looking knife and slit her wrists while she struggled and just before I reached them, he slit her throat. She was dead before she hit the ground. I hit Lucas over and over, finally knocked him down, started wrestling him. The knife ended up in his leg about the same time Father arrived home from the Ministry. He cuffed the both of us, yanked the knife out of Lucas's leg, and after a healing charm, sent us with a house-elf to be cleaned up. He carried her body in, healed it, and let my mother dress her for the funeral. They told everyone that she died of a heart murmur, and no one ever knew the truth. I went to school, determined to make friends with the great Harry Potter, because it would upset my Father, but he didn't want anything to do with me. I became lost and angry and desperate. I started cutting. Eventually I went to Dumbledore and offered my services as his eyes and ears, but I never stopped cutting. I used the same knife on me that Lucas had used to kill Leoni. That's the reason that I hate Lucas so much. At twelve years old he was evil enough to kill his own sister. He did it in front of me and I couldn't do a thing to stop him." Draco's voice was choked with tears, and Ginny held onto him even tighter. They sat together for a while just crying.

When they finally regained composure, Ginny moved to kneel in front of him, unknowingly pinning her robes tightly against her. Remembering what Ron had said to make Ginny faint, and then what had made her sick, Draco raked his eyes over her slim frame in suspicion. It was too early to tell. "Ginny? Are you-"

"No!" Her tone was sharp, but her eyes didn't meet his and he knew that he was right.

Battleground Interlude (Ginny's POV)

The worst thing that Ginny had ever seen, was her sister-in-law lying in a pool of blood. Fleur was so pale and her clothing so white that the red stains were even more vivid that usual. She was glad that she had not followed Harry and Bill into the nursery where Jenny had died. She had fainted when Ron said aloud what they were all dreading, and become dreadfully ill when the portrait confirmed that Fleur had killed Jenny while under the Imperious Curse before committing suicide. Ron and the rest of the Golden Trio stayed with Bill, while Draco rushed her back to Hogwarts and tried to force her to see Madame Pomfrey. She refused, not wanting anyone to discover her secret although Draco probably knew that she was lying. Her husband of two months was acutely aware of her emotions and behaviors.

She hadn't just puked her guts up and needed Draco's tender administrations. She had fallen apart in that bathroom and he had carefully put her back together again. There was no sneer in his voice as she confided the Thanksgiving mishap that caused her terror of blood not her own. When she explained her need to make cutting alluring, he accepted that all it had ever been was a punishment for herself. And then when she asked a question that she had been wondering about since their first kiss on the Hogwarts' Express last year, he had opened up to her about a terrible piece of his past.

She was infinitely more thankful that Blaise and Draco had rescued her from Lucas last year now that she knew what he was capable of. To have performed such heinous crimes upon his own sister, to have murdered her and in front of an eleven-year-old boy was beyond anything Ginny had ever imagined a person to be capable of. The fact that Lucas had been twelve at the time of Third Year Leoni LeStrange's death horrified her to no end. He was like a young Voldemort without a soul in his body to be troubled by what he had done.

It was obvious that Leoni had meant a lot to Draco, providing a childhood playmate and a responsible guardian despite an age difference of only two years. Seeing another girl, another blonde girl slaughtered in the same way as his beloved cousin was almost as bad as his all too frequent encounters with dementors. She had known that Draco could not cast a patronus and now knew why. There was simply no memory happy enough to get all the blood out of his mind. She understood his prior addiction to cutting even better than before. Lucius had not merely abused him, but covered up the murder of Leoni to protect the nephew who meant more to him than his own son. There was nothing to trulyhelp withthat.

Ginny bit her lip. She did hold one secret from Draco, one that would enable him to cast a patronus she was sure, but if he knew, he would send her away from the war and she simply could not bear being unable to protect him. He was smart though. He may have already discovered the truth.

One thing was for sure: By bringing the war to the innocents of the Weasley clan, Lucas LeStrange had declared war and Ginny grimly determined that he would perish upon his chosen battleground.

A/N: There are three more chapters. The second to last chapter has an enormously huge and evil cliffhanger and I've not decided yet whether or not to post the last two chapters together or not. Next update: Next Wednesday.