Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I only own the plot and Stephanie.

A/N: Okay, so in the last chapter, I could tell by the reviews that alot of people were peeved at the thought of Arthur dying...but in all fairness I did say that this fic was going to get pretty angsty. If you don't like angst, then this story and its sequel are definitely not for you. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Note: Remember that I like the name Virginia better than Ginevra, so thats what I'm using.

Time to read and review!

Chapter 27: Only The Beginning

The ticking of Dumbledore's muggle grandfather clock echoed loudly in Ginny's ears, or was it the sound of her heart beating painfully against her ribs? She couldn't really tell one way or the other. All she knew was that something was definitely wrong. McGonagall had called her, along with Ron, Hermione and Harry from the common room, just a few moments before supper would begin. Now, instead of her stomach aching with hunger, it was tied in knots of fear. Ginny waited in anticipation, fiddling with the hem of her school robes.

Ron currently sat in a chair beside his sister, his stomach growling from the lack of food. Why did Dumbledore call them to his office right before dinner? And why did he call Hermione and Harry down too, if all he wanted them to do was stand outside the door? Better yet, what the hell was Snape doing in here?

"I suppose you're wondering why you're here," Dumbledore said, his grave voice interrupting the sibling's thoughts.

They both nodded, the eldest eyeing Snape warily.

"I'm afraid that there isn't any easy way to tell you," Dumbledore continued.

"It's our family, isn't it?" Ginny asked fearfully, her face very pale.

Ron paled along with his sister's words. "What? No! Our family is okay, right? I mean, this isn't what this is about, is it?"

"I'm sorry to tell you that your father was kill-"

"No!" Ron shouted, jumping out of his chair. "You're lying!" he accused, shaking his head in denial.

"Shut up, Ron!" Ginny yelled, her voice cracking in the process. She turned back to her Headmaster, ready for the inevitable. "I want to know what happened to my father. Everything," she said determinedly.

"He was killed by Death Eaters, Ms. Weasley," Snape intervened, "Lucius Malfoy was seen by Minister Fudge, casting the Dark Mark," he paused, looking to his superior as if silently asking for permission to go on.

Dumbledore slightly shook his head. "No, that will be all, Severus. I think that they need more time to process things before we go any further with the details." Snape nodded grimly in agreement.

"No, I want to know what happened to my father," Ginny replied, her voice becoming cold. "I need to know what happened to him," she pleaded.

"I think that it would be wise if you listened to the Headmaster," Snape informed her softly, his tone surprisingly concerned.

"Its all your bloody fault!" she started screaming at her Potion's professor. "If you were doing your job the right way, then maybe Voldemort wouldn't suspect your being a spy, then maybe you would have known about this..." Ginny choked, a huge sob catching in her throat.

"Hey, Gin, lets just do what Dumbledore says, alright? We can find out everything later on," Ron told her soothingly, pulling her into a hug.

She nodded reluctantly against his chest, then turned back to Dumbledore, ignoring Snape all together. "But the...the rest of our family, they're safe?"

"They are safe," Dumbledore confirmed.

"What do you think's going on in there?" Hermione asked Harry, biting her bottom lip. She had been standing outside the Headmaster's door with Harry for the past five minutes, hoping against all hope that they weren't here because something horrible had happened.

"I don't know," Harry answered, "but it can't be good."

"What do you mean it can't be good?" she asked him frantically.

"I...I don't know. I just have this bad feeling is all."

"Well that can't be good! Your instincts are always right!" she began ranting hysterically, "What if somebody got hurt, Harry! What if someone is dea-"

Harry stopped her abruptly by placing his hands firmly on her shoulders. "Hermione," he started softly, "if somebody did get hurt, then Ron and Ginny are going to need us to be there for them. WITHOUT the stark raving mad woman, okay?"

"You're right." Hermione took a shuddering breath. "I need to be strong for them," she said, becoming determined. "I just really hope that your instincts are wrong this time."

"I do too," Harry agreed with her, but couldn't shake the feeling of doubt that seemed to grow with every passing second they stood there.

The distinct sound of Ron and Ginny's angry voices coming through the door moments later didn't help the situation any, and especially when Ginny's sobbing could be he heard loud and clear. Hermione's doe brown eyes brimmed with tears and Harry had the sudden urge to throw up.

"Please let everything be okay," Hermione whispered to herself. "Please..."

Five minutes later, Ron's pale face and Ginny's tear streaked one appeared in the doorway.

"What's happened?" Harry asked, dreading the answer.

"Dad's dead," Ron croaked out. Hermione gasped, her hand covering her mouth in shock.

"Who-how," Harry stumbled over his words, desperately needing to know.

"Death Eaters," Ginny spat, her voice void of any emotion except for disgust.

Harry opened his mouth to speak again, but a burst of searing pain that surged through his scar made him cry out, and his knees buckled from underneath him. He gasped, breathing air deeply into his lungs and tried to block the pain, but it only seemed to get worse. Harry could hear the alarmed voices of Hermione and Ron before his vision faded to black.

Obviously Voldemort wasn't too happy with the fact that some of his Death Eaters were now locked up in Azkaban.

Hermione and Ron sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall the next morning, millions of thoughts running through both of their minds. For once in his life, Ron hadn't touched any of the food on his plate, being in a state of shock seemingly spoiled his larger than life appetite.

Harry was in the hospital wing currently unconscious. Madame Pomfrey had explained to Ron and Hermione that from what she could tell, the boy had been put through some immense amount of pain, knocking him out cold in the process. Hermione had then asked when he would be able to go back to his classes and the nurse had told them that Harry would be okay in the next day or so, what with the right remedies.

Ginny had refused to come down from her dormitory for breakfast. Ron was worried about her, seeing as how the very last words that came from her mouth were 'Death Eaters.' He didn't even want to think of what his little sister was going through. Ginny had been Dad's little girl.

"Ron," Hermione said, interrupting his thoughts.

"What?" he asked her, snapping out of his stupor.

"I think that you should take a look at this," she whispered, handing him several pieces of paper.

Ron's eyes quickly scanned the front page of the Daily Prophet.

Assistant To Minister of Magic Dead

By: Rita Skeeter

Forty-seven year old Arthur Weasley, newly appointed assistant to Minister Fudge, was killed yesterday evening. For thirty years he was happily married to Molly Weasley and in those years he fathered seven children, all of which have graduated from Hogwarts, except for his youngest two, Ronald and Virginia Weasley. Apparently, several Death Eaters were spotted at the Ministry of Magic, but only a few, some including Nott, Avery, and Goyle, were captured by Aurors. Another one of the Dark Wizards, who's greatly known for his higher ranking in the Ministry, was Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco Malfoy, who resides in Slytherin at Hogwarts. Minister Fudge witnessed the elder Malfoy casting the Dark Mark and had him arrested. Lucius Malfoy is now on trial for a lifetime sentence in Azkaban prison. Arthur Weasley's death wasn't caused by the killing curse, but a poison that he had been forced to take by mouth. As for details on who killed Arthur Weasley, that remains a mystery.

"I thought you took care of Rita Skeeter," Ron said after he finished reading, ignoring the pang of grief that came forth at the mention of his now dead father.

"I did take care of her. She promised me that she wouldn't lie about anything anymore and as you can see, she kept her promise. Her article is even smaller than usual," Hermione rationalized.

"Well I-" Ron stopped suddenly and looked around the Great Hall. More than half of the school now had their attention focused on him and the other half were busy watching Draco Malfoy.

"We should go," Hermione replied, following his gaze. "It's Saturday, so we can stay in the common room if you want."

Ron gave her a small smile, thankful once again that they were friends.

Draco watched Granger close the doors of the Great Hall behind her and Weasley. At first, when he had read the words on the front page of the Daily Prophet, he felt like jumping for joy. His father was finally in Azkaban, right where he belonged. The second time he had read it, Draco felt sick to his stomach. Ginny's father was dead, and it was all his fault. Now all hope of being with her was completely gone. There was no way in hell Ginny would ever forgive him for something like this.

"Draco, I think we should go," Stephanie suggested quietly.

He watched the emotions that played across his cousin's face. Fear, anger, hurt, regret. Stephanie never could hide those type of emotions very well. "Alright, lets go," he agreed, standing up and walking farther away from everyone's prying eyes.

Once they were in Draco's private room, Stephanie let go of her anger by punching the mirror with her fists, despite its loud protests of being broken into tiny pieces.

"You have a bloody punching bag in your room, why did you have to take it out on my mirror?" Draco asked her in annoyance.

She shrugged, not giving a damn about the mirror. "I didn't feel like waiting."

Draco scowled at her, taking her bloodied hands into his and mending them with his wand. "You'll have to go to Pomfrey in awhile. The spell will only last for so long."

"What are we going to do, Draco?" she finally asked, fatigued from the whole ordeal.

"There's nothing to do. We've lost everything thats important." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't accept that," Stephanie said stubbornly.

"You might not accept it, but it's the truth," Draco argued.

"Why didn't we think of going to Professor Snape sooner?" she cried to no one in particular.

"You went to Professor Snape? When?"

Stephanie winced at his demanding tone. "I went to him yesterday. I thought that if I told him, he could tell the Headmaster, and then they could save Ginny's dad," She explained.

"How could you do something so stupid?" Draco asked in an outrage. "Someone could've seen you! Now Voldemort might suspect something or worse, he might suspect us!"

"Stupid? Stupid!" Stephanie growled at him angrily. "You have some nerve to call me stupid, after everything you've done to Ginny!" she said disbelievingly. "And as for Voldemort, well FUCK him! I could care less if he knew that I told Professor Snape about his bloody plans! The only reason I didn't go straight to Dumbledore is because I thought that would be too obvious and that you and I would both get killed!"

Draco shoulders sagged in defeat. Stephanie was right. If anyone was stupid, it was him. "You're right, Voldemort doesn't matter anymore." He laughed wryly, "I mean, why should I even care? My asshole of a father is in Azkaban, meaning that I don't have to take anymore of his shit."

"Until Voldemort finds a way for him to escape," Stephanie pointed out.

"Yeah, so what do we do when they come for us?" Draco asked outloud to himself.

"We have to go to Dumbledore, so that when they do come for us, we'll be safe," Stephanie answered casually.

"I am not going to that mudblood loving fool-" he stopped at her glare and had the nerve to smirk. "Sorry, it's a hard habit to break."

"Madame Pomfrey!" Stephanie called, stepping into the nurse's office.

"Out here, dearie!" the plump woman shouted.

Stephanie ventured into the infirmary and stopped short at the sight in front of her. Madame Pomfrey was busy making a patient take a very nasty concoction, who was in one of the many beds lined along the plain white wall.

"Harry!" Stephanie said in surprise, not being able to stop herself.

"Stephanie!" he exclaimed, sitting up straight.

"Umm, Madame Pomfrey, I hurt my hands...playing Quidditch. Is there some way that you can heal them?" Stephanie asked, quickly making up a lie for her injury and avoiding Harry's eyes while doing so.

"Of course, dear. I'll be right back with an antibiotic," she said, before hustling away.

"How did you hurt your hands?" Harry asked curiously, but also concerned.

"Weren't you here when I told Pomfrey that I hurt them playing Quidditch?" asked Stephanie sarcastically, still avoiding his eyes.

Harry smiled knowingly. "I know that you absolutely hate to fly, so you couldn't have hurt your hands by playing Quidditch."

She sighed. "Why are you talking to me, Harry?" Stephanie asked, looking directly into his emerald eyes.

He frowned. "Why wouldn't I be talking to you?"

e frowned."Why wouldn't I be talking to you?"

Stephanie tried to force the tears back, but a few escaped her tightened lids. "Ginny's father is dead because of me. Doesn't that make you hate me?"

"Wha-what in the world are talking about?" Harry stuttered in amazement.

Madame Pomfrey hurried back in before anything else could be spoken between the two. "Here you go, dear." She handed Stephanie a vial of green ointment. "Put it on, and after twenty minutes, those hands of yours should be good as new."

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey," Stephanie replied shakily, then left the room as quickly as possible.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Pomfrey asked, noticing his dazed expression.

"Oh um, I'm fine," he assured the older woman, still wondering what in the hell Stephanie was talking about.

On Sunday morning, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry (who had been released from the infirmary only moments ago) walked down the chilly hallway towards the Headmaster's office in silence.

Ginny's breathing sounded loudly in her ears, her heart pounding a mile a minute. She dreaded hearing what had happened to her father, knowing that when she did, she couldn't put this off as being a bad nightmare that she would eventually wake up from.

But that was just it, this was real. And her father was really gone.

Dumbledore greeted them with a somber smile and the Gryffindors piled into four of the six chairs that were placed in front of the Headmaster's desk.

"Um, Professor Dumbledore? Why are there six chairs?" Hermione asked, being the first one to notice.

"We have three more people arriving, Miss Granger," he told her. The teenagers looked at each other in confusion. Who else needed to know what had happened to Arthur Weasley?

"Ah, there they are," Dumbledore said, putting a halt to everyone's separate thoughts. Everybody turned to the door, three jaws dropping in unison.

"What the bloody hell are they doing here?" Ron demanded, scowling.

"I'd like to know the same thing, Weasley."

Ginny winced at the sound of Draco's voice. "Why are they here?" she asked Dumbledore, ignoring her ex-best friend's pleading gaze.

"They are here, Ms. Weasley," Snape's oily voice answered, "because it is necessary."

"What could they possibly need to know about our father's death?" Ginny cried in disbelief. This was already hard enough, she didn't need Draco and Stephanie adding to her grief.

"There is a good enough reason, which in time you will learn," Dumbledore said to the Gryffindors softly.

Hermione placed a comforting hand on Ron, refraining him from saying anything more.

"Please, do sit down." The Headmaster gestured to the two empty chairs by Ginny.

Both Draco and Stephanie seemed reluctant and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I don't bite," ahe growled at them.

Draco gave Ginny his trademark smirk, sitting down next to her. 'Well at least she still has her fiery attitude in check,' he thought bitterly.

Harry gazed at his current girlfriend, wondering if this had something to do with what she told him last night. How could she possibly have something to do with Mr. Weasley's death? She couldn't have... Could she?

Stephanie avoided Harry's searching eyes for the tenth time in two days, feeling sick to her stomach. Whatever the Headmaster had to tell them, it probably didn't consist of puppies and ice cream.

Ron gripped Hermione's hand tightly, relishing in the huge amount of comfort that she was always able to give him. He didn't know what he would without Hermione in his life, especially during this point in time.

"We're ready to know," Ginny said, getting impatient and uncomfortable with Draco sitting so close to her. She felt a shock of electricity when his arm grazed hers.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and peered at them over his glasses. Usually his blue eyes would be twinkling, but in this case, they seemed sad. "I guess we that I should start from the beginning then?"

"Before we start, Headmaster, I think we should make a few things clear," Severus replied beforehand. At the older man's consent he continued on, "Whatever is said here today, should stay here. Under no circumstances will there be fighting." He glared at Harry and Ron. "No matter what is said," he stated firmly.

Ron snorted and Hermione gave him a look of disapproval.

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "I think we should start by explaining how Fudge knew of Voldemort's plans. It seems," he gazed at Draco, "that Narcissa Malfoy informed Minister Fudge that Lucius was planning the death of Arthur."

Everyone, even Draco, looked shocked at this piece of information.

Draco swallowed hard, preparing for the worst. "Is my mother still alive?" he asked.

"She is safe, along with the Weasleys and the Grangers," Snape informed him, also relieved that Narcissa was alive.

"My parents are hidden too?" Hermione asked in concern, feeling guilty. What with everything that was going on with Ron, she didn't even have the time to ask about her parents.

"They are, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore established. "I'm afraid that Voldemort was going after those that were closest to Harry, or having the intent of hurting those that are close to him."

"So it's my fault?" Harry asked him quietly.

"No!" Hermione and Ron shouted in unison. Ginny, Draco, and Stephanie rolled their eyes. Professor Snape was trying his hardest not to do so as well.

"Don't be stupid, Potter," Stephanie retorted, "Voldemort is after EVERYONE who isn't on his side."

"She's right, Harry," Hermione replied to him softly.

"It's Voldemort and the Death Eaters fault," Ginny spat, shooting Draco a look.

"It's my fault too, Ginny," Stephanie whispered to her once best friend.

"How is it your fault!" Harry asked loudly, wondering what in the hell she was talking about again.

"She knew," Ginny said, her voice dangerously low, "she and Draco knew what Lucius Malfoy planned to do and they never told us."

"You what?" Harry asked Stephanie in disbelief, looking stricken.

"How could she know about You-Know-Who's plan?" Ron demanded of his sister.

Ginny squirmed uncomfortably at her brother's question. Even though their father was dead, she felt like she couldn't use that as an excuse to out Draco's status of being a Death Eater.

"I can answer that question," Draco spoke up, noticing his ex-girlfriend's distress.

Ron's face contorted in confusion. "What do you-"

"Oh..." Hermione's gasp cut him off. "You're a..a"

"Death Eater," Draco confirmed grimly, gazing at Dumbledore. The Headmaster just gave him a small, encouraging smile.

Ron's face slowly turned a bright red. "You knew and you didn't tell anyone?" he yelled angrily at the two Slytherins.

Harry and Hermione had never seen him this mad with Draco before. And who could blame him? This was his father's death that they were talking about.

"Stop yelling, Mr. Weasley," Snape commanded icily.

"Oh, why don't you shove it?" Ron turned to his most hated Professor.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped. "You just cursed at a teacher!"

"Why don't you shove it, Weasley?" Draco snarled at him.

Ron flipped his chair over and moved toward the blonde Slytherin with a predatory gleam in his eye, punching him directly in the mouth.

"Ronald Billius Weasley, you stop that this instant!" Hermione screamed, using all her strength to push his body back into a chair.

Draco stumbled from the blow, spitting out his blood on the clean floor. You could practically feel the hate vibrating between the two. Stephanie layed a restraining hand on her cousin's shoulder, but he shrugged it off and sat back down.

"I thought that I said no violence whatsoever," Snape drawled.

"Fuck off, you slimy git!" Ron growled.

"RON!"

"And you!" Ron pointed an accusatory finger at Dumbledore. "You willingly LET Death Eaters stay at your school!"

"There are very good reasons as to why I let them stay here, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore explained quietly, remaining calm throughout the entire brawl.

"You mean to tell me that you knew I was a Death Eater?" Draco asked the Headmaster doubtfully.

"I know many of the things that occur here at Hogwarts."

"Then why didn't you know about Voldemort's plans?" Ginny spoke for the first time in half an hour. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Ginny's tone was as cold as ice.

"I'm afraid even I can't answer that," Dumbledore told her sadly.

"Well, why didn't you tell anyone?" Harry asked, mostly aiming his words at Stephanie.

"Because, Potter," Draco started, "there are spys for Voldemort, here at Hogwarts. If they saw me or Stephanie speaking privately with a Professor, then they would suspect something and immediately tell the Dark Lord. If we'd went to someone and he found out, then we'd probably be dead now."

"That does make quite a bit of sense, actually," Hermione said thoughtfully, trying to ease some of the tension between the group.

"It doesn't make sense! It doesn't make any sense whatsoever!" Ginny shouted. "It's complete bullshit! They could've come to Dumbledore for help and then my father would still be alive!" Tears started to run down her flushed cheeks.

Draco's heart ached at the sight of her crying, but he didn't show it. He hadn't meant for this to happen. None of it.

"That isn't fair, Ginny," Stephanie argued, "you have no idea what its like hiding a secret like this, especially when it's from your best friend. We didn't know what to do! Imagine what it would be like if you were in our shoes!"

"I don't want to hear it. It's all complete bullshit!" Ginny cried angrily. "You could have told someone, but you chose to save your on asses! You're nothing but a goddamned hypocrite!"

"That is enough!" Snape deep voice yelled over the commotion. "Professor Dumbledore has a few more things that he needs to tell you and he cannot do so while you are busy acting like a bunch of little idiots. You are being disrespectful!"

Stephanie and Ginny glared at their Professor, one slightly offended from his insult, the other felt like clawing his face.

"I think what Severus means," Dumbledore eyed Snape, letting him know he disapproved of the way his younger apprentice handled the situation, "is that we should all settle down, so I can explain a few things to you."

"I would really like to hear what you have to say, Professor," Hermione said, again trying to help, weirdly feeling out of place.

"Yes, sir, I would too," Harry followed her lead and for the second time that night, Draco rolled his eyes.

Dumbledore smiled at them thankfully. "Now, since your parents are in hiding-"

"Mine aren't," Stephanie interrupted, "I mean, my mother-the stupid wench-wants me to become a Death Eater, so she doesn't have a reason to go into hiding."

The Headmaster's mask of sadness reappeared. "I'm sorry to inform you that your mother has been missing for the past day."

Stephanie shrugged, not looking upset at the information, but Harry knew otherwise. Ginny felt bad for her friend, but would never admit it.

"What about my father?" Draco asked.

"He's in Azkaban," Snape replied, then added, "for now anyway."

"Well I know that he's in Azkaban," Draco said impatiently. "What I want to know is what will happen when he gets out of Azkaban."

"You'll be safe at Hogwarts," Dumbledore answered. "For now."

"For now? What do you mean for now? Why is everyone saying 'for now?'" Hermione asked worriedly.

"You are all targets of Voldemort, which means that even my protection won't hold for that long." Dumbledore sighed wearily. "Meaning that we will have to find a place for you to go, one that Voldemort will overlook easily or one that he doesn't yet know about."

"How long will your protection wards hold?" Harry asked.

"At least until September. But I think that after your graduation, you should leave. If you stay here all summer, then you might get restless, especially since you've been in this one location for over nine months," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully.

"Wait a minute..." Ginny trailed off in growing horror, "you're saying that all six of us are staying with each other? For the WHOLE summer vacation?"

"I refuse to stay with those Slytherin freaks!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron!"

"I'm afraid that this is the only solution," Dumbledore said gravely. "You will be safer if you are together."

"But, sir," replied Harry, "why can't I just go to the Dursleys? Not that I want to spend the summer there," he added hurriedly.

"It would only take so much time before Voldemort figures out how to get past the blood magic. If you are somewhere different, then it will take much more of his time if he has to search for you."

"Well that makes me feel much better," Harry uttered under his breath and Stephanie smirked.

Draco sat quietly, contemplating. He'd rather be in the company of Potter and Weasley for a whole ten years, than under Voldemort's orders for the rest of his life. The fact that being with Ginny the whole summer didn't hurt, even if she did seem to hate him with a deep passion. Who knew what would happen in that amount of time?

Ginny sat, frozen in shock. How could she spend the whole summer with Draco? She had been looking forward to going home to the Burrow, safely tucked in her warm bed, FAR AWAY from Draco Malfoy. How did Voldemort always find a way to fuck up people's lives?

"I think that everyone has learned enough for today, don't you think?" Dumbledore cut through the silence. "I have letters from your relatives or current guardians. The letters should answer some of the questions that you may have." He pulled out a stack of envelopes and gave them to Professor Snape, who in turn handed them out to the their respectful owners. "I think it's time that everyone went back to their common room and each of you can read your letter there. We'll have another meeting in about a month. Right now though, I think you should all have your attention focused on simpler things, such as your studies," Dumbledore suggested.

Hermione looked horrified at the prospect of studying being described as simple. "But what about You-Know-Who?" she asked him, admitting to herself that even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was more important than her classes.

"We are more than sure that he will not strike again for sometime," Dumbledore said in confidence.

"Thankfully," Snape intercepted, "he has lost too many of his Death Eaters, so most of his plans have probably backfired. At least for awhile."

"So you're saying that it could be more than a month before he strikes again?" Harry asked curiously, and partly terrified.

"We do not know the exact amount of time, Potter," Snape said with his usual sneer.

"And on that note," Dumbledore lightly clapped his hands, "you should all be off. It's almost time for dinner."

"Great, just what I wanted," Ron said gruffly, "people staring at me for a whole hour while I eat." He headed to the door, Hermione, Harry and Ginny behind him.

"You're certain that my mother is okay?" Draco asked when he, Stephanie, Dumbledore and Snape were the only ones left in the office.

The Headmaster nodded. "She's with the Weasleys, Grangers, and a few other people who cannot yet be named."

Draco, satisfied with this answer, left the room with his cousin.

"When are we going to let them know about the Order?" Snape asked Dumbledore, when he was certain that his students were gone.

"We will let them know everything about the Order of Phoenix next month."

"Ginny, you need to eat something!" Ron persisted to his baby sister. Hermione and Harry had already headed down to supper, seeing that an argument was about to erupt between the two short-tempered siblings.

Draco, who had exited the spiral staircase coming from the Headmaster's office, became just as concerned for Ginny as her older brother.

"I'm not hungry, Ron," Ginny said sighing, catching Draco's eye in the process. She quickly looked away and scolded herself for the shock that seemed to go through her each time the sexy Slytherin gave her the eye.

"You need to eat, Ginny! You look like you've lost ten pounds in the past two days!" Ron said dramatically.

Draco also noticed that she seemed very tired. 'Well, it's your fault you bloody idiot,' he thought to himself shamefully.

"You should listen to your brother," Stephanie said to her in concern.

"Oh, what the fuck would you know about eating?" Ginny asked coldly, referring to her similar figure.

"Sorry for being worried," Stephanie spat, shoving past her.

Ginny swallowed the guilt that came in the form of acid. "I'm going back to Gryffindor tower, so I can read my letters. I'll see you later, Ron," she said, before turning in the opposite direction.

"Ginny, Ginny!" Draco ran after her and lightly grabbed her wrist.

She ignored the shock that came with the touch of his fingertips and turned to him with a scowl. "Don't ever touch me again, Death Eater," she emphasized, her eyes shining with tears.

"You heard her," Ron growled to him, arriving in time to hear his sister's last words.

Draco watched Ginny go, stone faced, not feeling the lone tear traveling down one of his chiseled pale cheeks.

Stephanie sighed, plopping down on the hard ground near the Willow tree, fatigue from the long day washing over her in waves. She kept gazing at the letter that Snape had handed her earlier, her curiosity growing steadily. It sure as hell wasn't a letter from her mother, since the bitch was a lunatic, so it could only be from one other person. Aunt Narcissa. Stephanie had always known that her Aunt was different from the rest of the Malfoy family. Finding out today that Narcissa had warned Minister Fudge of Voldemort's disturbing plans, proved her right. 'At least one of us in this family can do the right thing,' she thought wryly. Finally, curiosity getting the better of her, Stephanie opened the envelop and started to read.

Dear Stephanie,

How is my favorite niece of all time? You'll have to forgive me, that was a stupid question, wasn't it? You, along with my son, are probably going through hell. I heard a few months back that you and the Potter boy were together. I was just curious as to whether or not you really had feelings for the boy? He is the main target of Voldemort, after all, but I guess that wouldn't make much of a difference, since you are related to one of the most high ranked Death Eaters in Britain. As for where you stand in the war, well, the thought of you working under Voldemort never crossed my mind. Even though you and I are related by marriage, I feel we are of the same blood. You and I would never bow down to a half-blood and neither would Draco. If and when, the war ends, you will come home with Draco and I. And that isn't a suggestion or an invitation, it's an order. There is no doubt in my mind that we will win this war. If, one day, the pain from this war is to much to bear, always remember that you have people who love you.

Aunt Narcissa

For the first time that day, Stephanie smiled.

Hermione couldn't believe that all of this was happening. What she was told in Dumbledore's office today seemed unreal. Hermione snorted to herself, thinking about how unreal she thought magic was, until she arrived at Hogwarts seven years ago.

These past fast few days had been some of the worst in Hermione's life, so she couldn't imagine what Ginny and Ron were going through, Draco too. Though Ron didn't show many of his emotions, deep down he was hurting from the loss of his father. She wished that she could somehow take away all of Ron's pain. Now, unfortunately, all of her friends had only one parent. She was the only one left with both of her parents and thanked God for that blessing.

The letter that she had received from her parents had let her know that they were okay for now. It didn't tell anything about their whereabouts, heck, they probably didn't even know where they were. And with her parents being dentists, watching everyone around them use magic for simple everyday chores would be quite unusual for them. Hermione sighed, 'At least they could learn different ways of cleaning their teeth.'

Dear Harry,

First off, I wanted to tell you that what happened to Arthur Weasley is NOT YOUR FAULT. Yes, we will all miss him dearly, but sadly life will go on without him. Don't you dare think for one second that this was your fault! The Weasleys would be just as much of a target, nevermind the status of your friendship with them, because they are pureblooded wizards who are against Voldemort. I do not want to hear that you started to draw away from your loved ones, and if I do, then I will come to Hogwarts and beat some bloody sense into your thick skull myself, giving the Ministry a real reason to put me into Azkaban. So how is that Slytherin girlfriend of yours? Going well, I hope. I just wanted to let you know that you have my blessing. To me, it doesn't matter what house she's in, what matters the most is whether or not she makes you happy. Don't take the time to worry about what other people think about you. In the end, the people who really care about you will want you to be happy. Now, for the next month, I want you to try and be a normal teenager-don't scoff at me-just do it. Later on in the year, you can start to worry about the fate of the world, alright? As for Dumbledore's idea for where you will be staying during the summer, well, I think that it's a wise idea. Though sometimes I wonder if the man has lost his insanity, I do know that he is the smartest man alive. No matter what happens, always know that you have people who love you. Never give up, Harry.

Sincerely,

Padfoot

P.S. Tell Dumbledore that I have an idea as to where you kids can stay for the summer.

Ron looked at the writing on the parchment, forcing back the tears. He wouldn't cry like a bloody poofter. He wouldn't lose control again. He still had his mother, his five older brothers, his younger sister, and his best friends, Harry and Hermione.

But not a father.

His father was gone forever. And because of Voldemort, his mother was a mess, his brothers were angry, his sister was numb, Hermione was discriminated because of her blood and Harry had the burden of the world on his shoulders.

When the time came, Voldemort and his fucking Death Eaters would pay.

Ginny sat on her bed, pulling the curtains closed for privacy, and unfolding the letter that was written only two days ago by her mother.

It read:

Dear Ginny,

I am writing this letter to tell you that I love you and to let you know that you aren't alone. I'm sure that the loss of your father has put you in a great deal of shock, even I still don't want to believe that it's happened, but it has. Ginny, I'm afraid that this is only the beginning of many deaths to come. I'm scared for all of you-you, Ron, the twins, Bill, Charlie, and Percy. I always thought that your father and I would grow old together and watch your children grow up to be extraordinary, just like you. You are my daughter, Ginny, my only daughter, the only little girl that I will ever have. I wish for nothing more than to hold you in my arms and make all of your pain go away. I realize that this is a war, and as much as I want to protect you and Ron, and even Harry and Hermione, I won't be able to. Promise me that you will do the right thing and make the right choices in the near future. Also, keep your grades up, do you hear? I don't want another child who decides to drop out of their seventh year and open up a bloody joke shop! And make sure that Ronald doesn't fail his classes, although, I'm sure Hermione has this part covered. Sadly, I'm not sure when I will see you again, so know that I love you, and give my love to everyone else. Your brothers send their love as well-Charlie says keep your head up and no...well I'm not going to tell you what he just said. Know that everyone here, including the Grangers, Narcissa (bless the woman), and Padfoot are safe as possible. I will try and write again as soon as I can.

All my love,

Your mother

Ginny watched her tears fall in slow motion, smudging the words written in black ink and mixing with the already dried spots of salt water that had come from her mother's eyes.

Draco scowled darkly at the disaster in front of him. He had returned from dinner ten minutes ago, only to find the portrait of his private room slashed into pieces and everything inside the room, broken or torn.

"I didn't have anything to do with it," Blaise promised, coming up behind him and surveying the mess.

"I know you didn't do it, but who did?" Draco asked as he waved his wand over some of he belongings, saying 'reparo' multiple times.

"I know for sure that Nott and Avery had something to do with it," Blaise said, remembering bits and pieces of a certain conversation he'd had with Pansy.

"I'll fucking kill them," Draco growled out. "Bloody stupid pricks."

Blaise smirked. "They're just mad because their fathers got put into Azkaban."

"Oh really?" Draco raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "This doesn't have anything to do with a certain Dark Lord we all loathe?"

He shrugged, "Yeah, that too. Goyle said that the Dark Lord thought you needed a warning, trying to give you a glimpse as to what would happen if you decided to be stupid and follow in your mother's footsteps," Blaise said, then looked concerned. "Your mom's alright, isn't she?"

"I got a letter from her, which I have yet to read," Draco replied, pulling said object from his khaki colored jeans.

"Well, I'll let you read your letter then," said Blaise, heading towards the now repaired portrait.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want anyone thinking that you and I are secretly plotting something," Draco said smirking.

Blaise grinned. "Nah, we wouldn't want that to happen." He then turned serious, "Oh and don't be surprised if they," Draco knew he was talking about the other Death Eaters, "decide to mess with you again."

"I can hold my own, Zabini," Draco said, dismissing the thought carelessly. "They didn't do anything to Stephanie, did they?" he asked.

"No that I know of," Blaise answered, then smiled. "Besides, I think all the boys in Slytherin have a crush on her, except for you."

Draco winced. "To bad she's stuck on Potter."

Blaise's face fell for a second, but it was gone the next. "Yeah, too bad."

"I was wondering," Draco looked thoughtful, "do you know why Pansy hasn't been bothering me? Not that I care or anything, it just seems a little weird is all."

Blaise breathed a sigh of relief, for a minute there he thought that Draco might've known something. "Uh, I don't know man. Maybe she decided to get a life of her own."

"Yeah, right," Draco snorted.

"Well, I'll catch up with you later. I gotta go finish that Potions essay."

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later." Draco waved him off, then proceeded in opening the letter from his mother.

Dear Draco,

I suspect that you are blown away by my actions, suffice to say that I'm still surprised myself. When I got married some twenty years ago, your father was a different man altogether. Shockingly, he seemed to care about me and we were so much in love. As you can see, the Dark Lord changed this. Although, I can't put all the blame on that half-blood, your father has always been so power hungry that he can't see straight. Lucius used to be somewhat of a good person, but he was always a Dark Wizard. Not that being a Dark Wizard is bad, it just depends on how you use your magic.

I wanted to tell you, that I'm very proud of the young wizard you've become, and I know that Ayvriana would agree with me. Don't think that I don't see what you have accomplished, because I do. I also know about you and the Weasley girl. Don't worry, Lucius's family has a grudge with the girl's family, not mine. Actually, I used to be pretty good friends with Molly, before your father decided to run my life. Don't ever choose power over love, unless you're certain that it will be fulfilling.

Love,

Mother

Well, I made up for not updating sooner with a really long chapter.

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