Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyright owned by JK Rowling. The movie is copyright owned by the WB.

Summary: By some odd twist of Fate our roads met again...

PhoenixRae's Notes: After how many months (maybe years even) since I first wrote my one-shot It's Sad to Belong (to Someone Else) an idea for a sequel of some sort popped into my mind while listening to some oldies love songs yet again (the original story was inspired by a song of the same title as the fic). This time around the fic tackles what happened in-between the 10 years from when Draco & Ginny last saw each other leaving Hogwarts and of Draco reading in the news of Ginny's marriage to Harry Potter. Hopefully this is up to par with the previous fic. I'll be reposting It's Sad to Belong (to Someone Else) back on eventually (had to take it out before).

Rating: PG13 - R (Take your pick)


I'LL NEVER GET OVER YOU

I KNEW SOMETHING was amiss as soon as I stepped into the ancient building housing the Ministry of Magic offices. There was a fell sense in the air, almost ominous in a way, that triggered an inert sixth sense of mine, warning me that all was not well and I must leave the building before I could even reach my desk to start work.

I wasn't much of a believer when it came to omens and superstitions even though I am a witch and such thing was synonymous with what I am, but that day I was tempted to turn and run away. Only...only I didn't. I felt this pull, this urge to stay and deal with whatever Fate decided to hurtle my way.

But Fate had a funny sense of humour that day. Instead of whatever omen it was about hurtled at me I found it dropped right on me -- totally unexpected at all! Now I wish I had the chance to step out of the way or took heed to my initial gut-instinct earlier that day...

CHAOS! COMPLETE, UTTER, dreadful chaos greeted me as soon as I walked through the Ministry doors this morning. I felt slightly winded after I walked in and received news that my father went home sick -- that was a bad sign if my father called in sick; Arthur Weasley never called in sick at work. He had a 100 attendance and years of dedicated service to show for it. Then Harry owled me as soon as I sat at my desk informing me he'd be delayed from returning back to the country from the tournament this weekend and that our so-called date will have to be rescheduled.

I swear since he became this mucho Quidditch superstar he hardly has time to spend with me! And to think I'm his fiancée; I ought to rank high on his people to please list!

As if that doesn't add more salt to the wound, I received another owl from Hermione telling me she wouldn't make it for our lunch date today. She and Ron were working out some stuff and it required their hundred percent attention if they wanted their relationship to get back on track.

Suffice to say my morning was shaping up to a really bad start. I couldn't wait until after I get back from my lunch break, which I'd be having alone no thanks to Hermione. I decided to floo to the Leaky Cauldron, have a nice, hot meal there before browsing some stores at Diagon Alley. It had been ages since I last went there and browsed the shops. I might even stop by the twins' store and check out what recent invention they had concocted to lure younger generation of pranksters.

Lunch time couldn't have come any sooner. Already my desk at the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes was overflowing with reports of trigger-happy wizards playing pranks on poor, unsuspecting Muggles. As the Junior Assistant to the Head of this department, it was my duty to make sure proper authorities were dispatched to deal with certain magical problems some prank-happy wizard or witch decided to pull on a Muggle (or Muggles -- depending on where the target place was). Some of the accidents reported sounded like the work of my famous troublesome twin brothers; now I really have to make a stop at their store and check out certain artifacts collected at the scene of the crimes.

The sun was gorgeous outside. I'd been cooped-up in the office for four hours that I missed the wonderful sun rays. I dusted my robe off soot after I appeared at the Leaky Cauldron. I took my usual spot near the back of the room where it was less crowded (and less seen by patrons) and opened the menu book that magically appeared on the table as soon as I sat down. I took my time reading the menu, deciding on whether I should stray away from my usual sandwich order or not.

Nothing was amiss at the Leaky Cauldron when I flooed there. It was loud with the hustle and bustle of its patrons. Everything was in order, until the usually bright room was cast in an ominous dark shadow when dozens upon dozens of Death Eaters barged into the establishment, causing havoc and fear on everyone caught by the unprecedented attack.

It has been months since Death Eaters were active. After the infamous second battle between Lord Voldemort and Harry a few years ago, the Dark Lord and his blasted followers went into hiding yet again when Voldemort proved to be ill-equipped to battle an eighteen-year-old boy. On and off Death Eaters would strike, causing grief, suffering and pain wherever they felt like striking, but for a good ten months there hasn't been any attacks...until now.

Frazzled screams coincided with the Death Eaters throwing Unforgivable Curses at any and all patrons that got in their way. I whipped my wand out and stepped out of the booth where I knew I was safely hidden and decided to face off with these damn Death Eaters. I didn't learn any advance Defense Against the Dark Arts back at Hogwarts to slink away like a sissy under the table!

I saw my first target and threw a Confundus Charm on the sorry git. Satisfied that I still haven't lost my touch, I moved forward as opposed to backward and away from the fray like what most people were doing. I threw my infamous Bat Bogey Hex a couple of times and a few Leg-Locker Curses were thrown in as well. I was on a roll to rid myself of these numbskulls -- or at least get as much of them until Ministry Personnel gets here -- as I possibly can when I felt an arm wrap around my waist, pushing me down and landed against a hard wall of male chest. I clawed and punched at my attacker, intending to aim at least one swift punch at his chin, but I was prevented from doing so after my captor cast a full-body bind on me.

"Sorry, Gin," whispered my masked assailant.

His voice sent shivers down my spine. It was an all too familiar voice; a voice I hadn't heard in years since I left school...


WHEN I RECEIVED THE assignment to attack Diagon Alley by starting off at the Leaky Cauldron I was tempted to tell Marcus to take the assignment and shove it where the sun don't shine. I've had it with these piddle attacks to cast fear and paranoia amongst the people of the wizarding world.

Terrorizing people was part of my agenda back in the days when I was young and carefree. I used to enjoy making Harry Potter's life miserable. Heck, I not only enjoyed tormenting Potter and his friends back in school. Other students couldn't escape fast enough from me back then. But now...Voldemort lost for the umpteenth time to the same Boy Who Lived Countless Times! Couldn't the old codger get a clue that he wasn't meant to rule the wizarding world?

"Malfoy, are you going or not?" asked Crabbe who poked his head inside my room at the large mansion concealed from the public's eye where junior Death Eater recruits resided.

"Do I have a choice?" I snapped back and pushed myself off my bed. I followed Crabbe down the stairs and into the large main room where every one of the new recruits were gathered. Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Parkinson, Bulstrode, and a few other Slytherin alumni were gathered around, listening to Lucius give the new recruits some last-minute instructions on what was expected of them to do on this first venture of theirs since the last Death Eater attack months ago. I don't understand why I must be here. I hate babysitting. Lucius knew this. He was doing it deliberately to torment me. He was a sick prick, that was what he was.

Lucius finished his spiel by wishing us all luck then sent us on our way to cause havoc to those unsuspecting witches and wizards who thought they have seen the end of the Dark Lord's Death Eaters.

This was almost two hours ago. We left the Death Manor (aptly named since I felt nothing but death from the moment I moved in there after Hogwarts) in a series of apparitions, apparating on our designated stations conveniently located near the Leaky Cauldron; it was only eleven-thirty in the morning -- we had to wait until well after twelve noon before we made our move to attack. Lucius told us the best way to attack the famous establishment was when it was packed with lunch-goers.

I looked over the head of my young recruit, an eighteen year old young man of Indian heritage, to where Marcus -- our 'team leader' -- was hiding with his own recruit he needed to show the ropes. He gave me the signal then turned to look at the others and gave them the signal as well.

I looked down at Atul, sensing the teenager's apprehension at the task given to us to carry out doing. I remembered how it was like when I was a junior Death Eater recruited by my own father to serve and protect the damn blasted Dark Lord; I loathed it. By the time I was allowed to join the Dark Lord and his Army I no longer had the same zest for death and destruction that I used to have before I reached my sixth year at Hogwarts. I still tormented people during my last two years in school, but it was all for show; I didn't want to be picked on by my blasted housemates for turning soft after five years of terrorizing other students.

"Quit shaking like a leaf!" I hissed at my nervous companion.

"I'm not shaking," denied the rookie.

I merely cocked an eyebrow at him and pushed him and his presence at the back of my head. The sooner we terrorized these people the sooner I could get back to my own room and lock everyone out. Unfortunately I couldn't lock them all out for good.

"Now!" yelled Marcus, leading the pack of Death Eaters surging towards the Leaky Cauldron.

Atul took off before me, following the other eager recruits for a taste of glory by attacking innocent bystanders minding their own business. I half-ran and half-walked to catch up with the others. I had to show I at least had some gusto still left in me to inflict terror and pain to others.

I entered the pandemonium caused by my fellow Death Eaters shortly after and felt someone fell with a resounding thud beside me. I looked down and recognized Atul hexed by an all too familiar Bat Bogey Hex I had the first-hand experience of encountering at Hogwarts. I only knew of one person who was capable of performing such hex to perfection. A quick scan of the room and I saw the person responsible for a hexed Atul. She was blasting Death Eaters left, right and center. I couldn't explain my feelings at seeing her again after nine years from when I last saw her. I never thought I'd cross paths with the alluring redheaded woman who did nothing but haunt my every waking and sleeping hour, but here she was -- in the flesh -- battling my cohorts. Instead of backing off like what the other patrons were doing, she was going forward and doing battle.

I was impressed and to hell at whomever catches me giving a proud smirk at the woman causing as much damage to my cohorts as they were to these people. I wanted to help her, but doing so would be one fatal mistake that I wasn't prepared to take...yet. I scanned the room, making sure she wasn't caught unaware by a straying Death Eater who realized that someone was attacking them. I kept up the pretense of throwing curses and hexes at people, occasionally aiming a little bit off to avoid causing damage to anyone (Lucius would have my sorry hide if he heard of this folly of mine).

A movement caught the corner of my eye. It was headed for the direction of the redhead witch. I saw Marcus sneaking up behind her, his wand drawn out and ready to cast one of the Unforgivable Curses.

I didn't think twice about my action. As soon as I saw Marcus raise his wand hand up and opened his mouth, I bolted towards the oblivious woman, tackling her down and twisting at the very last minute so she'd be cushioned from the fall by my body.

I didn't expect her to be grateful for my chivalrous act since she had no idea why I did what I did, but I wouldn't stand for her turning me black and blue with her punching and clawing. I quickly uttered the full body-bind spell and froze the irate beauty.

"Sorry, Gin," I whispered before hauling her unmoving body like a sack of potato over my shoulder. I cast a quick glance at Marcus who was obviously peeved at what I did. To cover up for this slip-up I called out loud, "This wench needs a lesson, Flint! And I know exactly what needs to be done to this woman!"

Slow as Marcus was, he quickly picked up on what I meant as I headed towards the stairs leading to the rooms above the Leaky Cauldron. I heard a lascivious male belly laugh followed by, "Enjoy, Malfoy! Teach that wench a lesson for messing with us!"


DRACO MALFOY...MY, MY, MY. Why wasn't I surprised that he turned out to be cut from the same cloth as his father? I thought dear old Lucius had no hold over his sole heir? Guess I was wrong. At least I was no longer in a body-bind, but my hands were still bound by a magical elastic band that wouldn't break no matter how hard I pulled.

"I hate you, Malfoy," I couldn't help from hissing at the blond young man pacing back and forth in front of me. "Unbound me now and let me go!"

"Hush!" he commanded, his gray eyes avoiding looking my way where I was deposited on the four-poster bed in the center of the room. "I can't let you go...not just yet. Flint expects me to rape you, Weasley, and he also expects me to prolong the torment."

"If I am supposed to be raped, I ought to be screaming for you to get the fuck off me!"

Malfoy halted his pacing and slowly pivoted to look at me, a mischievous grin appeared on his still handsome face, but what once was a boyish face was now etched with hard lines. I was caught off guard by this sudden realization. Since that day I jumped off the carriage to board the Hogwarts Express back to Kings Cross I never saw him again. I knew he searched for me on the train ride back, but I made damn sure to keep myself hidden. I asked Harry for his Invisibility Cloak giving him some lame excuse about my not wanting to be disturbed for the rest of the trip home.

"Just shut your damn yap, Weasley, and stay comfortable," he warned me.

"Exactly how do you expect me to relax when I am bound like this?" I lifted her bound hands and presented it to him. "Undo this and I'll soon relax," I demanded.

Malfoy merely looked at my bound wrists then looked away. He kept on opening the door just a fraction of an inch to check if anyone was outside. I could still hear some of the Leaky Cauldron's patrons screaming for mercy and the sounds carried out to the busy Diagon Alley. I jumped when a pot or something by the window of the room Malfoy picked exploded. I spun around and looked at the blasted glass window, its shards glinting on the wooden floor.

"Damn Marcus," I thought I heard him sneer before he hissed "Reparo!" and all the broken pieces was put back together.

For someone who's in league with the Dark Lord, you seem to be the odd one out."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you just fixed that window after one of your cohorts blasted it. If you're really as vile as most Death Eaters are, you wouldn't have given it a damn nor would I be sitting here telling you to unbound me and let me go."

Malfoy cocked an eyebrow at my spot-on observation. Nevertheless my glare never wavered nor did I back out. I braced myself, however, when he moved away from his spot by the door and stood looming over me. I swear the years had been good to him. He seemed to have grown a helluva lot since I last saw him!

"Are you really trying my patience, Weasley?" he practically snarled at me.

"Are you trying to intimidate me, Malfoy?" I snapped back at him.

"Are you easily intimidated?"

"What do you think?" This was beginning to sound ridiculous even to my own ears. I was supposed to be his damn prisoner and yet I am sitting her, hands bound flirting with my captor who seems to grow hotter and hotter by the second -- and not hotter in the sense of temperature either! Damn him and his smirk!

I honestly thought I was over him. I never heard from him since he disappeared out of my life my last day in sixth year. I never heard a peep from him. It was like he dropped off the face of the earth only to resurface some almost nine years later looking as rakishly handsome as he did that night I threw myself into his arms.

I hadn't thought about that night in ages. Since Malfoy made it clear whatever we had at the Astronomy Tower was a one-of, I began living my life again as normal as I possibly could. Harry and I finally consummated our love the year I graduated from Hogwarts. If he noticed any lack of barriers when he finally joined me as one, he was too much of a gentleman to question me about my virginity, after all according to Malfoy, Harry had been with other girls before me.

That first time with Harry had been hell for me. It had been a full year since I had been with a man, and the said man was standing right in front of me now splitting my head into two with that deadly glare of his.

If Malfoy hadn't been gentle with me. If only he hadn't shown me what pure bliss was all about. If only...oh Merlin, why am I thinking about this right now?

Again, damn Draco Malfoy!


PLEASE GINNY DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT, I mentally pleaded when I saw a flicker of emotion and hunger crisscross those beautiful brown eyes of hers. I am doing my damnedest not to touch her. Holding her in my arms for the briefest of moments earlier when I saved her behind from being killed had been pure torture. Her soft, lush body slammed against his hardened one opened up a flood of emotion he hadn't welcomed since the day we parted ways at the train station in Hogsmeade.

"Don't tempt me, Weasley," I hissed harshly and stalked away from her. I needed to distance myself from temptation before I do something I knew I'd later regret.

She still wasn't free. Although I dropped off the face of the earth I made it a point to remain updated on the goings on around me. I picked up the Daily Prophet every now and then and read the sports section. Reading about her well-known relationship with that damn Potter was enough to make my skin crawl and toss the newspaper away.

I can't pine for something that wasn't mine to begin with. Not again. I went through hell already the first time, Merlin knows how I'll survive a second bout of Ginny Weasley. All I'm after right now was her safety. As soon as Marcus and his goons were satisfied with raising chaos in Diagon Alley I'll let her go and disappear from her life...again.

"Don't tempt you to what?" she goaded.

"Sweet Merlin woman, you're really asking for it, aren't you?" I clenched and unclenched my fists at my side. I forced my feet to move away from her, prevented my head from turning to even give her a quick glimpse. I knew I shouldn't have told Marcus what I intended to do to the wench that was attacking our rookies, but I had no choice in the matter. Either I kill Ginny right there and then or I degrade her.

I chose neither.

"Then let me go, dammit!" she demanded. "You and I know keeping me here for this long is ridiculous! Marcus and everybody else already moved on outside. You can leave me alone now, you know?"

"But I can't, dammit!" the words flew right out of my mouth before I could stop myself. I spun around and glared at the woman responsible for my suddenly sour disposition. Before her I used to love tormenting people. Before her I was a man who walked around with my head held high flashing the usual Malfoy smirk and air of authority amongst others. But since I became enchanted by her I no longer longed to do what I was taught and raised to do.

And staying in this damn room with her wasn't doing me any good either.

"I beg your pardon?"

I watched shock register in her face. She looked at me quite funnily, trying to decipher exactly what I meant. And exactly what do I mean? I couldn't let go of the one woman who made me feel human after all these years? The same woman who was still with my number one nemesis back in school?

"Just shut up, Ginny," I said finally and turned my back to him.

I waited for her to say something. She always had some smart rebuttal to hurtle at me. When I heard none I discreetly stole a glance at her. She sat there, bound hands on her lap, her brown eyes aimed at me, but instead of daggers flying from those lovely eyes I felt...something.

"You called me Ginny," she said softly, her tone in awe at hearing me utter her name. "Earlier you called me Gin too."

"So?"

"You always call me by my last name. In fact since we entered this room you kept on referring to me by my last name."

"Again I repeat, so?"

"The only time you ever called me by my name was..." her voice trailed off, her brown eyes being veiled by her long lashes and shielding them from me.

I don't need her to finish what she was about to say. I already knew where she was leading to, but she was wrong in thinking I only ever referred to her by her name that night when I had her writhing in my arms, moaning and cooing, snuggling closer to me as we both rode that one final ride to ecstasy before stumbling back to this wretched world we called our reality. I began referring to her by her given name soon after I realized I fancied her, but I made sure to watch myself around others when I referred to her.

"Did you ever think about that night at all?" she whispered, her gaze downcast and avoiding to meet mine.

I finally moved where I was rooted close to the door. I crossed the distance I gave the two of us and crouched down in front of her. Cupping her cheek in the palm of my hand, I cajoled her to meet my gaze. Gone was the fire and anger I saw flashing in those sweet brown eyes of hers. Instead they were replaced by a whimsical glow mirroring mine on occasion when I dared allowed myself to remember.

"Why are you still with Potter, Weasley?" Because she loves him, you stupid git! that annoying voice at the back of my head scolded me.

"Why aren't you with anyone, Malfoy?"

I cocked an eyebrow at her question. Was I that transparent? Does she read minds?

"Because the one I want...the one I need is with someone else," I confessed.

I saw her mouth form the word 'Oh,' but no sound came out.

"Now it's your turn to answer my question," I cajoled.

"Why am I still with Harry?" she repeated.

I nodded in response.

"Because, like yourself, the one I want to spend my life with is out of my reach."

Of all the things she was to say, she just had to give me that answer.

"Ginny--" I didn't get to finish the rest of my sentence before her lips covered mine.

I don't know how she managed to move so lithelessly. One second I was cupping her face in the palm of my hand and the next her lips were on mine, her bound hands cupping my face, pulling me closer. She seemed uncertain at first, then I felt her tongue dart out and cajoled mine to part. It didn't need much prodding before I opened my mouth for her.

I was pushed back on the ground with Ginny wrapped in my arms. She briefly broke our kiss to raise her bound hands and locked my neck between her arms before we resumed kissing again.

I knew I shouldn't feel as though I just died and gone to heaven, but having the feel of her -- her taste -- seeping through every pore of my body as we continued to snog made me forget that I wasn't supposed to be gentle with her. Hell, I shouldn't even be kissing her! If I was the Death Eater I ought to be, Ginny Weasley would be on her back, legs raised up and spread wide open while I stood between the V of her legs and pounding her like a damn animal!

But I wasn't that type of person, not anymore anyway.

Removing her arms from around my neck, I uttered a spell to unbound her, giving her hands and arms freedom to move about. I watched her sit back and slowly removed her robe, discarding it on the side before proceeding to undress before me. I had to stop her before she finished unbuttoning the top of her crisp white blouse, the shiny smooth skin glinting from where it peeked at the opening visible to the naked eye.

"Let me," Without much finesse I ripped the rest of her blouse's buttons off, sending them flying about in the room. She merely gasped and gave a pitiful at the now useless blouse. "Don't worry about this. I'll replace it with a better one," I promised, slowly leaning forward to capture one protruding nipple in my mouth.

Ginny didn't have much to say after that. She raked her fingers through my hair, digging through my skull whilst I lavished each breast with the utmost attention. I managed to move us to an upright position, but did we make it to the bed?

No.

I yearned for her so damn much I need to be sheathed deep inside her. I pressed her against the wall, our mouths locked in another searing kiss. I positioned myself right at her entrance; she was ready and waiting. It has been years since I'd last been with her, I wanted to savour this moment. I slowly slipped into her, feeling her body shudder when she felt my size penetrate her tight opening. She dug her fingers harder on my back, her legs tightened around my hips, her feet locked at the ankles as she urged me to fully bury myself into her until finally we were one again.

"Welcome home," she whispered against my lips.

I couldn't help from grinning. Yes, I was home. Being with her was home; it was what I had been missing all this time.

We started to move in a rhythm that was our own. Slow at first, building up to that crescendo that would send us spiraling out of control. Soon we were panting hard, each clinging to the other before yelping out each other's name. I squirted my seed into her until I was spent. I never let go of her. We remained locked in each other's arms, my face buried between her breasts, and that was how Marcus walked in on the two of us.

"Damn, Malfoy! No wonder you didn't rejoin us outside. She's one hot fuck that wench," he slurred, eyeing Ginny's glistening body like a hungry wolf ready to pounce on its prey.

"Get out of here, Flint!" I bellowed and called for my wand. I sent Marcus flying out of the room and slammed the door shut, making sure the lock was turned and it was magically protected before I disentangled myself from Ginny who was caught unaware by Marcus's unannounced appearance.

"Did he see who I was?" was her worried question.

"No, I don't think so."

"Oh Draco..." she whimpered and threw herself at me yet again, sobbing against my chest, her arms around my neck tightened. "For your sake I hope Marcus didn't see my face, and if ever he did, I pray he didn't recognize me," she slowly pulled away from my embrace and sought my eyes. "I don't want to think of what would happen to you if he found out you just fucked the likes of me!"

"Made love, Ginny, made love to a Muggle-loving witch," I corrected, sincerity etched on my face and I'm sure she saw it for her face lit up for the briefest second. "It's never just sex between us, Gin, and you know that." There was no need to pretend I don't care for her. I knew I'd only be kidding myself if I denied what I really felt for this redhead in my arms.

Her eyes dropped to the white gold chain around my neck, noticing it for the first time since we started pawing at each other. She lifted it up to reveal the Cassiopeia pendant. Another smile touched her lips as she looked at present she gave me years ago.

"I didn't think you'd keep this one."

I clutched her hand holding the pendant and pressed it close to my heart. I gave her hand a slight squeeze, urging her to meet my gaze. "It's the only thing of yours that I could keep close to my heart, Ginny."

"What a wretched life we're living then, huh?" she said deprecatingly.

"Life's unfair and a bitch most of the time," I agreed.

"We only have snippets of time. A few stolen moments and then what?" She lowered her gaze to our clenched hands, wriggling hers free and opened it to look at the pendant she gave me cradled in her palm. "I care for Harry, Draco," she began.

I closed my eyes blocking out what she was about to say. The last thing I wanted to hear after we just made love was her confessing her undying love for the blasted Boy Who Lived Countless Times!

"But I can never love him as much as I love you." She lifted her gaze and met with mine, tears brimming in her lower eyelids before adding, "Too bad we're on different sides. I'll never get over you, Draco Malfoy. God knows I tried, but I can't seem to wipe you completely off my life."

"And I you, Ginny Weasley," I admitted. "And I you." I knew I was tempting fate way too damn much, but I couldn't help from not kissing her again, which resulted in another lovemaking session, only this time we took our time and used the bed...


FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THEIR LIVES, Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley parted ways after spending an afternoon together.

Ginny returned home to her empty apartment, ignored the owl she received from her fiancé and went straight to her bedroom where she curled up in her big bed pulling a worn-out afghan over herself as she recounted the events of the day. Who would've thought that her day that started like hell would end up...she couldn't think of a word to describe the end of her day. It was a bittersweet ending. Draco left albeit unwillingly in the room he dragged her in to earlier. He had to show his face to Marcus and report the status of him 'teaching a wench a lesson' to his father as well as the others.

She rose from her bed and walked to her window, pulling the curtain open and looked up at the bright full moon. It was only then that she allowed her mind to rest and ponder...

Draco walked in to the Death Manor acting like nothing's changed. He made sure to shield his thoughts from the prying minds of others in case he jeopardized Ginny's safety and divulge his stolen moment affairs with the engaging redhead. He kept the white gold chain hidden from prying eyes as well before facing his father who demanded a blow by blow account on what he did. Of course he received shit for not watching out for Atul. It took all of Draco's will power not to talk back to Lucius and tell him how incompetent his new recruits were; a single witch managed to knock out majority of the recruits that stormed the Leaky Cauldron! How embarrassing was that?

After his grueling one-on-one with his father Draco was free to go back to his own quarters and sulk alone. He didn't bother turning on any lights. He crossed his darkened bedroom and pulled the curtains wide open, letting the light from the full moon enter and light up his musty room. He lifted his face to the glowing white orb nestled between thin moving clouds and allowed himself to relax and think...

"Enough is enough," Draco and Ginny thought in unison while looking at the moon. "I love you. I'll never get over you, but we cannot be together. Thank you for the memories, it's all I'll ever have of you..."

THE END