Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. I'm not that lucky.

Okay guys. I didn't realize till I got a message from one of you guys how long it had been. Months guys! I feel so bad! Life has been busy and we're in the process of moving. But fear not! We'll be moved soon and the new place has no internet unless I run off my phone's hot spot. So I'll have nothing to do but write! So come next month expect a whole lot more updates! I'll try and post some more in the mean time too!

Without further ado…

Chapter 17

Ginny POV

I thought I had moved on, tricked my heart into forgetting him, but I was wrong. When Draco Malfoy let Death Eaters into the school and caused the murder of Albus Dumbledore, instead just being angry or upset, I was hurt. The feeling of betrayal was unexpected, but strong. Some deep part of me, a part I hadn't even acknowledge until then, had still believed Draco wasn't a truly bad person. Not evil at least. Immature and hurtful with no regard for the feelings of others, yes, but not evil. The relationship had had built with me might have been one giant lie, but I didn't think that he lied about hating everything that was happening with You-Know-Who.

That unconscious knowledge had been a small comfort to my hurting heart, a heart that unwillingly still loved him. I may have fallen for his tricks and giving him myself and my heart, but part of me understood the good that was in him. That goodness must be there, somewhere. But I had been wrong. All that time, maybe even in the months that he spent luring me in for that bet, making me fall in love with him, he was plotting Dumbledore's death.

I hated that I felt so betrayed, hated that I still cared about him enough for him to hurt me. But the look in his eyes before he apparated away was burned into my mind. He looked broken, defeated despite his victory, and sorrowful. It was like he was asking for my forgiveness with one stolen moment of eye contact. But surely all of that was in my head too. I read too much into him with my betraying heart.

Life moved on, despite the hollow feeling that filled me. Dumbledore's funeral was held and he was laid to rest upon the castle grounds. Everyone returned home for the summer. Bill was recovering well from being attacked by Greyback that night and plans for his wedding to Fleur were well under way. The Burrow was a busy place in the following weeks, what with wedding preparations and the extensive security precautions being put in place. My childhood home was going to become a safe-house for the Order, once all the proper spells were in place and the wedding was over.

Just as life seemed to be improving, looking as if everything might be okay, death struck again. This time it took Mad-Eye Moody. He had been tasked with the safe return of Harry from his Aunt and Uncle's house. The plan had seemed fool-proof. Somehow though, You-Know-Who figured it out though and killed Mad-Eye in the flight. Though we all mourned the loss, I was grateful that everyone else made it safely. Harry was unscathed and all of my brothers and my dad made it home.

Mad-Eye's death had been a wakeup call for the Order. Obviously even the best laid plans could not be wholly trusted. So my family began to make a backup plan incase our home, our safe-house, was compromised. The plan was to scatter to different safe-house locations. Mum and Dad would go to Shell Cottage, the home that Bill and Fleur would be moving into after the wedding. Fred and George had a safe-house set up above the joke shop in Diagon Alley that they, along with Charlie, would retreat there. The plan for myself, Ron, Harry and Hermione was perhaps the most unpleasant. If it came to having to leave the Burrow, we would be going to Great Aunt Muriel's home. It had been a safe-house in the first war and still had all of the protective charms in place.

It made sense, she had the most room. Bill and Fleur would only have one spare room, as did Fred and George. Aunt Muriel had two. We would have to double up, Hermione and I sharing a room and Harry and Ron doing the same, but that would be no different than the situation at the Burrow. But the idea of having to live with Aunt Muriel was repugnant. She was family, yes, but not the kind you enjoyed spending time with. She was the kind of person you had to bite your lip and tolerate at family gatherings and holidays.

I didn't complain however, the chance that the Burrow was compromised was slim. If we could just make it through the coming wedding, we would be fine. The wedding was the biggest security risk, but Mum insisted that we go through with it for Bill and Fleur's sake. They deserved this little ray of happiness amidst the dark times.

Backup plans were made, and backups for those. Order members were coming and going constantly, each time adding extra security spells or strengthening old ones. This place was going to be the strongest safe-house the order had at this rate. But the invisible spells weren't the only things going up. A massive tent was being erected in the back yard by my father and brothers and the tables and chairs were being put into place. Only a few tables lost their legs in mid-air battles.

It was easy to lose myself in the hectic goings on. It was only at night, having run out of dreamless sleep draught, that I any trouble. I dreamt about Draco almost every night. Some nights were worse than others. Some were happy dreams, others were nightmares. Oftentimes the hardest dreams to bear were the good ones. One in particular repeated itself at least twice a week.

The room was dark, lit only by the moonlight streaming in the open window. Outside you could hear the sounds of the night, the hoot of owls and the baying of wolves deep in the forest. Crickets sang their nightly song and the whole world was at peace. The room was warm, almost balmy, but the breeze from the window stirred the air. The bed I lay in was massive and soft, as inviting a bed as I'd ever been in. I sank into the sheets, feeling enveloped by warmth and comfort. I never wanted the peace of this moment to end.

A door opened, causing me to stir and look over, fighting the sleepy feeling that was pulling me under. My lips curled into a smile as I saw the familiar blond locks and grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. He smiled gently at me in the moonlight, pushing his hair out of his face absentmindedly as he made his way to the bed where I lay.

"I've been in the library for hours. I thought you'd be asleep by now," he said softly, sitting down beside me.

I smiled back up at him, feeling safe and secure knowing he was here with me. "I almost was," I told him, reaching up to pull him down beside me. "I just don't like to sleep without you."

He obliged and stretched out, the full length of his body pressing against my side. Reaching over, he brushed my hair back and pressed a kiss softly against my lips. His hand slid down my body under the blanket, grazing past my breast and going to rest on my stomach. "You should have come gotten me then. You both need your sleep," he said, a smile in his voice as he caressed the bump that held our child. He kissed me once more before pulling me close and closing his eyes.

I always woke up then with an aching sense of loneliness and tears streaming down my face. It was a peaceful and happy dream, one that should have had me waking up with a smile on my face. Instead it just reminded me of what we could have had, what I had imagined our future might hold as I lay awake at night during those two wonderful months when I thought my heart was safe in his hands.

I had fallen so completely in love with him in that short amount of time. He had been everything I didn't know I had been looking for. For a while after he'd broken my heart I had hated him as passionately as I loved him, hated him for what he did. I was past the hate now, instead I was filled with sorrow. Part of me foolishly wished I could go back, not to stop myself from falling in love with him but to keep from ever finding out about that bet. What might have become of us then? Would he have just started pulling away, having fulfilled his plan? Or might he have let it keep going, maybe even falling in love with me for real?

I was deluding myself to think that might have happened. It was foolish. He had shown his true colors the night Dumbledore was killed atop the Astronomy Tower. Draco had been responsible for his death and responsible for Bill getting maimed. He had knowingly and willingly let Death Eaters into the school. So many more might have died that night, and I knew many were likely to die in the coming months because of it. Without Dumbledore, the only person who You-Know-Who was afraid of, what would become of us?

The day of the wedding dawned clear and bright, a beautiful summer morning. The Burrow was already bursting at the seams with people and Mum was preparing a feast to feed everyone. I helped where I could, bouncing from between the kitchen and the room Fleur was getting ready in. The bride, who was stunning on even a bad day, looked absolutely radiant in her wedding gown. Her younger sister Gabrielle and I would be her bridesmaids, but I knew without a doubt we wouldn't even compare to her. That was how it should be though, this was her day.

Weddings were such a festive affair that it was easy to push troublesome thoughts away. My smiles were genuine and laughter real. Even when I retreated to my room to get dressed, I wasn't dwelling on my own problems. Pulling on the pale golden dress, I reached around for the zipper, managing to get it about halfway up my back. As I was struggling to get the zipper the last half of the way, a knock sounded on my door.

"Come in," I called, giving up on the zipper and letting the dress hang loosely on my shoulders.

The hinges creaked as the door was pushed open. Much to my surprise, Harry walked in. "Wow," he said, eyes taking me in. Mum had already done my hair and Gabrielle had done my makeup. I blushed, looking away from his piercing green eyes.

"Can you zip me?" I asked, turning around as he walked in, the door closing softly behind him.

I heard his soft footfalls across my small bedroom before his hands lightly brushed my back, pulling the zipper of my dress up. When I turned back around, he had an almost sad smile on his face. Things hadn't been the same between us since Christmas break when he had finally told me that he liked me. It had been too little too late. We were still friendly, but he had been more distant since. He didn't seem bitter, but maybe disappointed. I wished I could have felt for Harry how I had before Draco had come into my life.

"So when are they turning you in our little cousin Barney?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

"Won't be long now," he said, glancing at the new watch on his wrist. It had been a present from Mum on his birthday. "The wedding guests will begin arriving anytime."

I could tell something was off, that this wasn't just a friendly chat. The look in his eyes said it all. "You're leaving, aren't you?" I asked with a dawning realization, my stomach sinking. "You're three never intended to stay, did you?"

He shook his head, sinking down onto the edge of my childhood bed. "I didn't plan for your brother or Hermione to come with me, but they'll have it no other way. We've got to finish what Dumbledore started, it's our only chance," he said, eyes pleading with me to understand.

"They'd never stand to be left behind," I said softly, thinking of everything that could go wrong. I didn't think I could handle losing my brother or either of my friends. But if they didn't go, we might all be lost. "When will you leave?"

"After the wedding," he said, eyes on his hands clasped in his lap.

Walking over to the bed, I knelt in front of him, balancing on my toes and putting my hands on his. "Promise me you'll be safe. Don't take unnecessary risks. And don't be afraid to come home. You know you'll always be welcome here, no matter what happens." It was like I was about to lose two of my brothers, not just one.

"Thank you, Ginny," Harry said, reaching out with one hand and cupping my cheek. I saw it coming before his lips met mine, but I didn't stop him. I wanted to feel something, wanted to want him like used to. His lips were soft and unsure and the kiss was quick. It wasn't like when I had kissed Draco, didn't affect me at all. I couldn't help but be disappointed.

"Just be safe, Harry," I said, pushing his unruly bangs off his face.

He left after another long moment, disappearing to go get turned into a small redheaded boy. Worry twisted my gut as I thought about the dangers my brother and friends would face going off into the war-torn world on their own. Hermione was clever and could keep them safe, she knew all the protective spells. She had been set on learning them all summer. Now it made sense as to why. And Harry seemed to know what they were doing. They should be okay.

The wedding proceeded without a hitch, the guests arriving and filling the tent with excited chatter. I saw family I rarely saw and greeted friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in a while. I exchanged pleasantries with Aunt Muriel, who was already starting in on the wine. It was then that realized I would be living with her alone if the Burrow was compromised. Lord willing it wouldn't come down to living with the old bat. Once the wedding was over, and Harry, Ron and Hermione left, I was determined to have Mum and Dad rethink the safe-house arrangement. Maybe with the three of them leaving I could get out of potentially living with Aunt Muriel.

The ceremony was beautiful and my eldest brother had never looked happier. I was filled with joy for him, and a bit of sadness to. Would the roles ever be reversed? Would I be standing at the alter one day, happier than I'd ever been? I banished the picture of the Draco from my dreams, the loving one that would caress the child I carried. That would never happen. He did not feel for me like I had for him. It had all been fake.

I managed to push those thoughts away and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. I danced with Lee Jordan for a few songs, then with nearly every single one of my brothers. The only one missing was Percy, but nobody had really expected him to show up. He had pretty much estranged himself. We could only hope that he'd come home eventually. Prick or not, he was still our brother.

As the sun was beginning to set, and more than a few guests began showing signs of obvious intoxication, the music was interrupted by a lithe, silvery figure of a lynx with a heart dropping declaration. "The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming." It vanished once it's message was delivered, leaving chaos in its wake.

My eyes darted everywhere as the wedding guests began to panic, many disappearing into the night. On the far end of the tent I saw Hermione grab onto Ron and Harry, turning and taking both with her as she apparated away. Nearby Mum and Dad were making sure all of their children were going. Fred and George got Charlie and they disappeared. Bill and Fleur disappeared too after exchanging a quick word with Mum and Dad. They spotted me and I rushed over, panic filling my breast.

"Where is Ron?" Mum yelled over the din as I neared.

"They left!" I called back, eyes wide. "They're safe."

She nodded, taking my word. Maybe she too had suspected they wouldn't stick around. "Go with Muriel," she said, pushing me towards my batty aunt.

I didn't question her, instead gave her a quick hug and dashed to the old woman. "Come on, girl!" she called, waddling towards me and snatching my hand. "Let's go!" With her wand held high and a turn of her heel, we were whisked away from the chaos and into darkness.

Alright guys! I hope the not quite real interaction between Draco and Ginny was enough to tide you over. I know it's been a while since our favorite two were together! Fear not though, I have a plan! Just stick with a little while longer.

And remember, a happy author writes better and faster! So review and make me happy!