Hey all! Thanks again for reviewing. I'm uploading this chapter so soon so that I could address a question many of you probably have, but after this, I'll probably slow down a bit, due to finals and things.

To Kimm Possible and others: Yes, Harry Potter is dead, and you will find out about Ron in this chapter. I must warn you all that this story is going to get dark and angsty and things, so please don't hate me. Also, you won't find out the circumstances of character deaths mentioned in this chapter until much later, when the story gets really interesting. This story is going to jump around a lot to times during the war, after, and the present.

If you've got hypotheses on which characters died and how they died, please feel free to leave a comment!

Much love xoxo,

Nova

Chapter 3

"I'm here on Granger's behalf. I'm her healer," Draco explained, aware of the predicament he was in.

"I know, I'm not stupid," Ginny snapped.

"Then lower your bloody wand! We are wasting precious time," Draco said, patience wearing thin.

At this, Ginny's eyes widened. "Don't come into my house and order me around, especially when you arrived unannounced!"

"I didn't have time for proprieties, for fuck's sake. Put your grudges aside so I can help your friend!"

Ginny continued to stare at him with distrust, but lowered her wand. "Follow me to the sitting room," she muttered.

Draco did as he was told, glancing at his surroundings as he passed the foyer into the sitting room. Noting the magically enlarged interior, he wondered silently if there was really a need for all this space. He sat down on the couch that Ginny gestured to, then turned to face her. "I need to know everything about how you found Granger."

Ginny sat down in a brown leather arm chair and took her time responding. First, she asked a question. "How bad is she?"

"She screamed when I walked in and is currently unconscious. She doesn't know Potter is dead." Draco had expected Ginny to flinch with the mention of her deceased husband, so was surprised when she didn't react.

"I started really worrying about her in earnest around three weeks ago," Ginny said.

"Why?"

"Well, she asked how Harry was when we were having dinner one night. I thought she was joking, and got upset and left. She owled me and asked if Harry and I broke up, and wrote that she was worried because Ron hadn't been home for days."

"She doesn't know they're both dead then?"

"Obviously."

Draco took out a notebook from his briefcase and withdrew a Muggle pen from his robe pocket. He looked back up at Ginny, noting the surprise in her face. "Alright, before that dinner, how long had it been since you had last seen her," he asked, ignoring her reaction to his use of a Muggle contraption.

Ginny looked a bit ashamed as she muttered her answer.

"What was that? Speak up, I can't hear you," Draco said, suddenly reminded of how much he disliked the redhead back when they were both at Hogwarts.

"I said," Ginny started loudly, "four months."

Draco stared at her, jotting down the little factoid. "Why so long," he asked, genuinely curious.

"None of your business," Ginny burst, face turning red.

"Tell me, Weasel. It might be important!"

Ginny glared at him. "I was upset with her. She was acting strange. Kept telling me about nightmares that she was having, during the day. At the time, I thought she was just being paranoid."

"So you got mad at her? Seems a bit immature," Draco muttered, writing down more notes.

"She kept making me relive the war!" Ginny's eyes took on a faraway look, and as Draco watched, they glazed over with tears.

Uncomfortable, he asked another question. "Did you notice anything different about her, physically? Did she travel or eat something weird?"

"No. Don't you lot have some type of diagnostic you run to test for that sort of thing?"

"Yes, but I'm being thorough. When you saw her three weeks ago, did she look different?"

"No, she looked the same." Ginny hesitated.

"Look, Weasley, whatever it is you have to say, spit it out. We don't have all the time in the world."

Ginny bristled. "She was wearing the promise ring Ron had given her during the last year of the war."

"And?"

"And she hasn't worn it since he died."

"Right, and when was that, exactly?"

"A couple months before the end of the war. Maybe four or five."

Draco wrote that tidbit down, then looked at his notes thoughtfully. He looked back up at her. "Before you threw your hissyfit and subsequently subjected your supposed best friend to this dangerous condition with which she has had to deal with by herself for the past couple of months," Draco drawled, abandoning all pretenses of civility and professionalism, "were you seeing her often?"

"Don't talk to me that way, Malfoy," Ginny said, pulling out her wand.

"Answer the fucking question," he said lazily. "I'm only trying to correct your mistake."

"How was I supposed to know that she was ill?" Ginny shouted this, then stood up. "It is not at all unordinary for me to be upset with her after-"

"Well has she done anything like that before?"

"No, which is why I was upset."

"Hmm," Draco murmured sarcastically, "and you didn't think it strange that she was having nightmares about the war-"

"Everyone has nightmares about the war!" Ginny paced angrily, upset at his accusations.

"Yes, but this is Granger! And during the day, no less."

Ginny turned back to him and pointed a finger. "Do not pretend you know her! Even Hermione had nightmares. She just- she just never talked about them, is all." Ginny sat back down huffily.

"Okay, well. You left her when she needed you and confided in you. What if that catalyzed the-"

"Oh no," Ginny said sadly, placing her head in her hands. "You don't suppose it did, do you?"

"It's unclear at this point. Just answer the question I asked you before."

"Yes, we had dinner twice a week before then and everything seemed normal."

Draco recorded that, then looked at the summation of his notes so far. He looked up at Ginny, noticing her pallor. "Look, I realize this is difficult for you, but I'm almost done."

Ginny looked up, surprised at his compassion.

"Don't look so surprised," he muttered. More loudly, he asked, "What were the circumstances of Weasley's death?"

Ginny thought for a bit, before admitting that she didn't really know, and she only knew that during that period of time, Hermione and Ron, along with a couple others, had been held at Malfoy Manor. Here, she looked up. "Shouldn't you know this?"

"No," he answered bluntly. "Who might be able to tell me what happened?"

"Neville, probably. He had been taken too."

"Longbottom?" He quickly jotted down that note, making another note to interview him also. "What about Lovegood? She's listed as Hermione's other contact."

"Yes, well, I put her down because she was the one who tried to tell me about Hermione's deteriorating health. And she is responsible for me reconciling with Hermione, and bringing her to Mungo's."

"You mean to tell me that Lovegood knew Granger was unwell but did nothing about it," Draco said incredulously.

"It's Luna," Ginny pointed out. "She came to me. I should have-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'm going to have to interrupt this pity part. I think I've got what I need." Draco packed up his things and made to go back to the fireplace, ready to leave.

Before he could get very far, Ginny called out to him, "I reckon seeing Luna might do you a bit of good. She'd be able to tell you a lot about Hermione before I brought her to Mungo's."

Draco turned around, staring at Ginny. "Let me ask you something. Luna works with me. Why didn't she say anything?"

Ginny walked past him into the foyer, activating the Floo, clearly anxious for him to leave. She looked back at him. "That's something you're going to have to ask her yourself."