Author's Note: Well here is the next chapter…and SleepyHeather, yes I kind of re-wrote this story…I wrote the other one you read too but decided to change it a bit. And once again, yes there will most certainly be some Harry/Ginny romance. This is all about Harry and Ginny! Thanks for all the reviews everyone! And I like constructive criticism…so feel free to criticize but please, do not flame me. I hate flames…

PART I

I walked with Mrs. Arkinson, a silver-haired lady of about fifty to my 'sleeping quarters' by the main building they had set up for the aurors they recruited. Her tall body, leader-like demeanor and good posture was slightly intimidating as she moved ahead of me, her strong legs moving a grace I had not expected from her. But her voice was rough and strict…there was nothing graceful or melodious about it at all. It demanded prompt obedience and obtained it too, from what I had seen.

"This is where you will be sleeping' she said, gesturing towards the small, rather untidy dormitory in front of us. I barely glanced at the room before turning away, disgusted at its appearance to which my 'advisor' shook her head at disapprovingly "We are fighting a war, Ms. Weasley. I suspect you will have to learn to live in such conditions"

I nodded solemnly before following her to the next room. My thoughts were jumbled up and my heart ached. Mum had just sent me an owl with the news that Harry had indeed died…in the sense that he had disappeared and not returned for a few days. …Which could only mean that the suckers had gotten him – once again, there was no body to bury. Both men we had sent were causalities of a war, we are apparently not winning.

"When in the presence of a vampire" continued the old lady, rudely interrupting my muddled and sad thoughts. "You should always flash the fluorescent torch-light we give you into the blood drinker's face. This stops the circulation of blood and causes the poisonous, mono-molecular venom to stop forming, which allows you to –"

"Huh?" Speak English

Again she shot me the disapproving look. I was not up to her standards. "The mono-molecular venom, blood drinkers poison you with causes some very serious side effects to the brain. They also inject feracis with their fangs…which induces mutations in your DNA, again causing side-effects which include mental retardation and disabilities of the limbs. Flash the flurocent flash light and…"

That was English? But nevertheless, I nodded, acting as though I understood everything she was going on about. And anyway, her main point was to flash the torch-light.

"Any questions?"

"Yes…Isn't it better if I just stab the sucker without using this torch-light business?"

Mrs. Arkinson stared at me for a long moment before saying nastily, "Yes, it is advisable that you do, Ms. Weasley except for the fact these suckers, as you rudely put, do not die. They are immortal" I felt really small suddenly "Any more questions?"

"No, not at all, Professor Arkinson" I had to address her as professor for the obvious reason that she was my senior.

"Well that covers everything. I will see you at dinner at 7 pm. Please be on time" As I stared at her slim body moving away, I had the distinct feeling that I was seven years old and was now, in summer camp.

I plopped my small, neatly packed bag onto the wooden floor and moved outside, for some fresh air. I needed to think and get mentally and physically ready for this emotional roller-coaster I was about to take a ride on. I had never in life felt so lonely and helpless. This was you decision, remember? I kept telling myself No one forced you into it.

But I was homesick already. I wanted my room…my mother…my father…my brothers including Ron. The strong breeze, that rustled the leaves, blew through my red hair, moving it from my sweaty face and neck.

The sky was blue and cloudless. The birds sang happily, unabashed, from afar. I walked towards a group of people near by, presumably aurors, who were working on some drills, wands in their hands. The blonde-haired lady leading the group looked no more than twenty-four, her blue eyes set in stone. The determination and self-confidence she emanated stunned me.

I stared at her giving orders, her head help up high "Don't tell me you pansies are tired!"

I laughed at her egocentric behavior before I felt a presence…someone standing behind me. When I turned around, shivering slightly (ignoring the fact that it was amazingly hot), I saw a man of about 6 feet call out to me "You are our new comer I presume?" He looked young…twenty-five, maybe. I took an instant liking to him and his rugged good looks and curly honey-blonde hair certainly did no harm. "Edward Cardew. Pleased to meet you" He held out his hand, his voice, resonant and friendly as he came forward.

"Ginny Weasley" I smiled, clasping his out stretched hand. His palm was rough under mine and his grip, strong.

"Ah…another Weasley eh? I should have known from the red hair…You brother was –" But he stopped immediately when he saw my somber face. He had probably not known "My apologies…I-I didn't know…"

"It's fine" I replied, trying hard to smile again, hurting my face in the process. "So this is what fighting a war is like huh?" I was desperate for a subject change for I hate the way people stare at you, pitifully once you tell them one of your relatives died in the war.

"It's not as bad as it seems. It's hard to adjust at first but after awhile…it feels good to know that you are doing something to help man-kind. You feel like you've…accomplished something important. I'm sure you'll manage. "

That had been Ron's exact words "Yeah, it'll take awhile" I turned my face to the blonde haired lady again, who was, literally, killing her recruits.

"So I see you've met Pansy Parkinson. She keeps us warm with her charm" His crooked smile lit up his handsome face. But I stopped dead in my tracks. Pansy Parkinson? That tall pretty, young lady was Parkinson? Boy, has she changed from the pug-faced bch I knew from my school days. But I had heard that she'd done well in the Auror business which had really did come as a surprise for I never thought I'd live to hear the day when Pansy Parkinson became someone intellectual. But then, as they say, miracles do happen "Hey Pansy" called out Edward "Come over here…I've got someone I'd like you to meet"

The fair-haired lady turned around to face us, her hands tightly clasping her wand "Edward…Can this please wait for later? Can't you see I'm friggin' busy at – " Her eyes widened when they met mine. "Weasley" Her voice turned cold.

"Parkinson" The atmosphere, visibly, changed.

Edward turned to us, his face slightly red from confusion, I suppose. "So you've met before? Well that just makes things a lot more –" Pansy's recruits, stood frozen, staring at us, their faces lined with confusion too.

"Shut up" Pansy snapped as she came towards us (we weren't standing that far away from her)

"I see you haven't changed" I spit out the words.

"Talk for yourself"

We stared at each other for a long moment before Edward broke the cold silence that had formed "Let me get us some drinks. Boy, it's bloody hot, isn't it?"

As Edward left me to fend for myself, Pansy observed my angry red face before saying, rather wearily "What are you doing here?"

"A stupid question that is Parkinson. I'm, obviously, doing exactly what you are doing – fighting for my people"

The most un-ladylike snort of laughter escaped her lips "It's not at all like it's all cracked up to be"

"…So I've been told"

"Many people have died"

"…including my brother and Harry"

Her icy blue eyes widened once again "Potter?" She laughed bitterly "He never misses a chance to play hero does he?" When she saw me glaring at her, she continued as though she had not just insulted a poor departed soul "The suckers murdered Draco too"

"Malfoy fought?" I asked, trying hard to mask my disbelief. The pansy fought? I felt uncharitable the moment that thought flew through my mind. I, too, was insulting a departed soul.

"We were supposed to have our engagement once this was over but it never happened" Her eyes welled up with tears and she quickly brushed them away, her armor of self-confidence wearing away. My heart, surprisingly, went out to her. She turned to her group on queue and shouted, averting her face from mine "Break! Come back here in fifteen minutes!" Everyone scurried away, glad, it appeared to leave Pansy's claws.

"I'm sorry…" I muttered

"Sure you are…it's not like you care" She was back to her normal self. That's what you get for being nice to a Slytherin. There has one thing I've been sure of throughout my entire life and this that: You can take a person out of Slytherin. But you can never take the Slytherin out of the person. It is a universally acknowledged fact.

"You are right" I snapped, nastily "I don't but I try hard to be nice and considerate. It's what humans usually do"

We were silent once again…and awkward silence it was. "The suckers are winning you know…I don't think we can hold them back much longer" Pansy mumbled, suddenly, breaking the sudden stillness. She looked out towards the mountains, her blue eyes clouded with disappointment and regret. "And even with all this, there are still fights occurring among us, wizards. The Dark Lords's followers who still adamantly claim he's there when he obviously isn't keep starting riots with the people whom, the Dark Lord once detested. I mean…who the bloody hell cares? He's gone…finished!"

My eyes widened with surprise "So…you have changed" I smiled slightly to myself.

"Shut up" she snapped though there was a small smile playing on her lips too. But then her face turned serious, her blue eyes hardening "I wouldn't have come, if I was you"

"I wanted to…I want to finish what Ron, Harry, Malfoy and you have started. I mean…once we all hated each other, remember? Slytherin…Gryffindor…Gryffindor…Slytherin. And now, we are fighting together against a common enemy for the same cause. I want to be part of that miracle"

I was surprised at myself for saying all this…and I could see Pansy was too. Her lips opened and then closed, somewhat like a fish before she finally said, smiling "You are better than I originally thought, Weasley"

"Talk for yourself"

Both of us started laughing…A Gryffindor and Slytherin, laughing together in the sunlight with the birds chirping and sun shinning. This is what it is all about…

But our laughter was broken short when Edward came towards us with two glasses of fresh orange juice "Dig in…it's all on me" he said before looking at the both of us and letting out a sigh of relief "Please don't glare at each other like that again. It scares the hell out of me. But it's over now right? Boy, am I mighty glad that the both of you have made up"

So am I, I thought to myself …So am I

XXX

I couldn't sleep that night from some odd reason. I mainly attributed it to the fact that I was homesick. But my head ached and the pillows I had received were really uncomfortable. I had a strong hunch that they had run of feathers and had used stones, instead. Correction: Boulders!

I got out of bed (if you call the horse-haired mattress a bed), grabbing the torch-light Mrs. Arkinson had handed me and walked out of the cramped room onto the porch in front. The moon shone brightly and the leaves, once again, rustled in the strong breeze that was blowing my red hair about my face too.

I walked a few meters out when suddenly I heard a cry…it hurt my ears and made me cringe in disbelief. What in the world could make such a terrible sound? I heard it once again…louder this time and it was coming nearer and nearer…the screeching was unbearably…and it was nearer..

….nearer

nearer…

…when suddenly someone…something jumped on me, pushing me back on to the ground with a thud. It was, undoubtedly, a blood drinker. The marble white skin was unmistakable – even in the darkness that enveloped us. I opened my mouth to let out a scream but was stopped when he…or it put his icy old palm over my lips.

Fear took hold of me. I was going to die today – on my first day. What would mother and father do? Charlie…Bill? Fred and George?

I looked into the blood-drinker's face and tried grabbing for my flash-light. The vampiric fragrances were over-powering as it filled my nostrils. I needed the torch light before the sucker poisoned me with that ferasis thing, Mrs. Arkinson had told me about.

But as I struggled and squirmed, I noticed something…something of the most unusual sort….the blood drinker's untidy, black hair flopped messily onto his high, strong forehead…over his high, hollowed cheeks. …And the piercingly green eyes…the emerald green eyes.

I stared in shock when I finally had the courage to open my mouth. "Harry?" I asked. My words came out muffeled due to the fact that his hand was over my mouth and fear running through my veins along with the disbelief.

But he heard me nevertheless if his next words were any indication of it… "Ginny?"

The boy who lived, had lived after all…

Author's Note: I hope you guys like it…