"No," Ginny spoke forcefully as she sat before a panel of Ministry workers, alongside Draco. Behind the two, sat Missy Elliot, and to Ginny's left were two Members of the Order, whom she and Draco knew personally. "Missy Elliot never harmed anybody in her service to Voldermolt."

"The Dark Lord," The Minister, still afraid to even say the name, stared down at Ginny and Draco, "had so much power because he had such a vast amount of followers. Merely joining them is harming the good of the wizarding world. "

"Really?" Ginny asked, before Draco even had a chance to say anything. "Did you even read the file?" She spat out causing several whispers to break out in the room, while the panel watched as she defied the Minister.

"Ginny," Hermione spoke from Draco's right. "He's read the file." She said, hoping Ginny didn't cause too much a problem in the case.

"Well apparently not, Hermione." Ginny replied, making her sigh as she sat back in her seat. "Did you know she had three children?" She asked, looking up at the Minister.

"No. Her personal life doesn't change her actions."

"Do you ever talk about your work with your children, Minister?" Ginny pressed, leaving Draco to watch with an amused smile. "Did you say the names Evy Elliot, or Scott Elliot to your children, Minister? Those are the names of Missy's two eldest children, aged 14 and 17 when they were killed by Voldermolt. Now, it might just be me, but if I remember correctly, they would be the same age as your two eldest children, today, had they not been killed."

"It's regrettable, however not part of her hearing, Miss Weasley." He spoke strongly on the matter, but it meant nothing to Ginny as she continued.

"Did you know that her only living child is going to Hogwarts next year to start her schooling?" Ginny asked. "Your son is going as well, isn't he? Well at least one of your children will still have a friend left from her family, right? Did you know that the only reason why little Anne Elliot is going to Hogwarts next year, is because when Voldermolt's wand fell upon her little head, her mother finally gave in and became one of his followers?"

"It is certainly a situation that cannot be understood-"

"Oh really?" Ginny asked. "Are you say that if it had been you, you would've said no? You would've watched him kill all of your children? She harmed nobody in her service."

"She casted spells against two Members of the Order."

"The Order." Ginny nodded. "She was a member of the Order, and therefore she knew which members could defend themselves and which one's couldn't. In fact, the two spells she casted against those members were spells only they knew how to deflect. You know, from the outside, it's almost as if she knew she wouldn't hurt them, right? I mean," Ginny smiled and started to laugh in a mockingly manner as she looked up at the minister.

"It's like she gave up her position to save her child's life, and then did everything she could to spare her friends' lives." Ginny commented. "But then again, what am I thinking, only having been a Member of the Order since I graduated, and then went one to form Project Lost, which is designed to only save Death Eaters who aren't actually Voldermolt's followers and believers."

"Your testimony will be taken under consideration. Thank you, Miss Weasely."

"It's agent Weasley." She corrected before she sat down beside Draco, a smug smile across her lips; a smile that neither Draco, nor Hermione could resist, as both found themselves smiling as well.

"Very well," The minister sighed as he looked down at the file before him. "Agent Malfoy, may I hear your thoughts on the matter of Missy Elliot?"

"I believe that she poses absolutely no harm to the world around her." Draco stated simply without even standing from his seat. "Now, if our testimony isn't enough, perhaps a questioning of the Members of the Order is something t be considered," Draco commented as he motioned to the two sitting to the side.

"Yes, I don't believe that will be in order." The Minister commented as he watched the interaction between Missy Elliot and the two Members of the Order as they smiled at each other. "I think it's safe to say that all charges will be dropped, and Mrs. Elliot is free to go. This hearing is over."

Ginny smiled in triumph as she and Draco stood and turned back to Missy Elliot, but the two Members of the Order had beaten them to her, and the three were already embracing each other, and comforting each other.

"Agent Weasley." The Minister came towards Ginny and she and Draco turned back to face him. "I've forgotten how strong willed you were, and I almost forgot the true natures of all Weasley's. However, all that aside, you speak of her children as if you are a mother yourself. It's remarkable, Agent, and under any other circumstances, such personal feelings would cloud one's judgment, however in your case, and as with most case associated with Project Lost, those personal feelings reminds us all of human nature." He spoke without giving her any chance to respond, then walked away from her, before any of her thoughts were able to be voiced.

"Mummy!" A child's voice rang in the air before the Minister left the room, but Ginny turned back to see that Missy Elliot's daughter had come running in to see her mother after the successful hearing.

"Ginny," Draco spoke in her ear as Hermione neared the two. "We have to go back to the office." He reminded her. She only nodded, but kept her eyes on Missy as she embraced her daughter, showering her with affection and love. "Hermione said two agents spotted my father in Muggle London."

At the mention of Draco's father, Ginny turned her attention towards him, noticing that Hermione was holding a green file, containing every last bit of information available about Lucius Malfoy, including family history, and all family members. Hermione pulled the last sheet of the file out and handed it to Draco, allowing him and Ginny to read it.

As the two peered down, they read the account the agents had submitted to Project Lost, as well as to the hospital where Hermione had found out initially. Ginny only nodded as Draco turned up to retrieve the rest of the file from Hermione. As he replaced the paper in the file, Ginny looked over her shoulder, watching as ten year old Anne Elliot dragged her mother and her two friends out of the room, all four faces lit up in happiness.

"Ginny." Hermione called her, turning her attention back. "You can't let anybody find out." She said and Ginny only sighed as she shook her head. "It's just…"

"I know that." Ginny replied.

"You never told anybody." Hermione said, but not to remind Ginny of her own actions. It was more as if Hermione questioned them. "I mean, I understand that telling your brothers, and your parents about you and Draco would've been hard, but to just… give her away." Hermione spoke only when she was sure nobody was in the room to over hear.

"You weren't there," Ginny responded strongly. "It wasn't about telling them, or not telling them, Hermione. It wasn't about me, and it wasn't about Draco. It wasn't about anybody except…" Ginny stopped, before she felt Draco's hand on her waist, his arm wrapping around her, knowing she wasn't strong enough to tell the story, just as he wasn't strong enough to hear it.

"Her?" Hermione finished, and Ginny's eyes shut completely. "We're not together because if there are some people who would do anything to keep us apart, and it has nothing to do with what we want, or what the Ministry wants, or what the stupid law says, Hermione. It has nothing to do with any of that."

"Ginny," Hermione spoke loudly, but lowered her voice once she heard it herself. "If somebody made threats against any Ministry worker, or any of their immediate family members, a green case is opened and everybody is put into strict protection. If she was threatened, we could've protected you, and her. You didn't have to."

"Really? For the rest of her life, Hermione?" Ginny asked as she stared forward as best she could, without letting any of her tears fall. "You're going to tell me, you would be able to protect her for the rest of her life?"

"She wouldn't have needed protection for the rest of her life, because we would've caught him and convicted him within the first year." Hermione countered. She had almost forgotten Draco standing beside Ginny, only listening and looking down at Ginny. When the conversation started it was almost as if he had been the only holding Ginny up, but now, as Hermione turned to him, she saw her arm around his body as well as she held him up.

"Really? Because his Green file has been open for seven years." Ginny responded.

"The year Project Lost was founded?" Hermione knew exactly how long ago green, blue, and red file codes had been in use around the Ministry, and it hadn't started until Ginny and Draco had come up with the idea together.

"Yes," Ginny nodded. "Except in the first of Project Lost, only Draco and I were working it, and only one green case file was opened, and he hasn't been caught once in the last ten years. Not since Voldermolt was alive. He's been thriving in the last ten years, in fact, feeding off of all the stupid Death Eaters, because he knows more than us, Hermione. He knows how to get out, and he knows what protocol is. He knows how agents are supposed to act, and what they're supposed to do."

"Ginny," Draco spoke for the first time, his voice hardly audible.

She ignored his warning, and she continued to speak, her voice grew louder and louder.

"We can't catch him following protocol, Hermione, and yet the only way to have enough people to even come close to catching him is to be a branch of the Ministry, and what does the Ministry want? Protocol. They want channels, they want everything to be perfect and pretty, but that's not the way it is out there, and we'll never catch him following protocol. And if we never catch him, Hermione, we'll never find Ron, either. He's our only chance, but we can't touch him because you're boss has a stick up his ass and won't let me and Draco have free range."

"You abused it last time he granted it." Hermione pointed out.

"And closed the green case file he, himself, opened." Ginny replied. "We caught him, and sent him to Azkaban. If anything, that should be proof that it works. Instead we've got idiots following some stupid protocol, and checking in every three hours. People need more than three hours to catch a guy."

"Let's go." Draco dragged Ginny away from Hermione as she watched the pair walk away, each clutching to the other, one more broken than the other, but one seriously conflicted within himself.

Only a half hour later, Ginny and Draco had arrived at his flat in Wizarding London, a much closer destination than either of their offices. Draco had gone straight to the couches set up around the coffee table in the living room, while Ginny helped herself in the kitchen, already starting to boil water for two cups of tea.

As Draco sat in the silence, he let his head drift back, and his eyes shut as he tried to think of anything else, but failed miserably. Since Ginny was as silent as he, he assumed she had run into the same problem. When he heard the sound of glass clattering in the sink, his thoughts were confirmed. Only when she came into his view, holding two cups of tea, did he finally see tears on her cheeks.

"Come here." He said softly, as if she hadn't already planned on sitting beside him, and cuddling up against his chest as she cried. He lifted his arm, she set the tea on the table, and sat under his arm, letting him wrap it around her much smaller frame. A soft kiss on the top of her head let her know she was free to cry as much as she liked as she buried her face in his chest, taking in the smell of sweet vanilla, but that wasn't his smell, that was hers, all rubbed onto his clothing he'd left at her flat two weeks ago.

His hand rubbed her back gently as the two cried in silence, until she peered up at him, and he made a weak attempt to smile at her. Even behind tears, red eyes, and limp hair, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and he never wanted any moment spent with her to fade. Unfortunately, all they ever did, was fade away faster than he could savor them.

"She was beautiful." Draco said softly.

"She had your eyes." Ginny's voice always sounded strong, but her eyes always watered.

"She has red hair," Draco finally managed a smile as he tucked a few strands of red hair behind her ear. His voice never stayed strong for long, but he could keep his face.

"You think she's still alive?" Ginny asked.

"I think she's hitting her terrible two's somewhere, and some parents are realizing they adopted the sane combination of two very much, not sane people." Draco said, and watched as a smile appeared upon Ginny's lips.

"What if nobody adopted her?" Ginny asked.

"I sure somebody did, love." Draco put his forehead against hers as he looked into her eyes. "She's absolutely beautiful. She'll be the most beautiful girl of her year when she gets to Hogwarts."

"You think we'll meet her one day?"

"Absolutely. She'll find us one day." Draco assured her, hoping the smile would stay as she reached for the two cups of tea, but since she was still half latched on to him, she only picked up one. She took a sip first, before she tipped the glass to Draco's lips, letting him have a taste.

"Did you buy new tea?" He asked as he looked at her to see her nod.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it." He answered and she only smiled at him.

"We have to go to work."

"Not yet." He answered as he pulled her to him once more, knowing the feeling when moments were starting to fade too fast. "Let's just stay a little longer," He whispered in her ear as she melted into his body.


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