IMPORTANT: We've had a death in the family in the last few days. If that isn't bad enough its a 9 day old baby. So because of this there will be no more post until after the funeral. We're all very busy trying to help my cousin (the baby's mother - who is just 17) organise it. So its looking like it will be a week tomorrow so I ask if you'll all bear with me over the next week or so. When things have calmed down again I will post.

Thanks

Kris xx

Eleven Years Later

"It all started just after my OWLs. Father had been thrown into Azkaban for the part he played in the Ministry and the Dark Lord was furious. He called at our house one evening and ordered my mother to bring me to see him. He stood there acting all high and mighty and told me that I would have to carry on where my father had lost. He told me that he needed to get Dumbledore out of the picture. It was the only way he could see his plans working. So I had to agree didn't I?"

Ginny sat motionless opposite Draco. She was determined to let him speak and hear his side of the story. Things were different for him because, well because he had been brought up the son of a Death Eater. His options in life had to be different from the ones placed before her. His eyes though were now staring into hers and she nodded her argument to what he had said.

"Yes I had to agree there was nothing else for it. So after he left I thought about what I could do. The truth was that even though Dumbledore left the school he was most likely going to be unprepared for an attack in the school because he was sure it was so safe. I needed to think of a way to get Death Eaters into the school."

"Well I obviously managed that as you well remember. But then I was faced with having to kill Dumbledore. I remember looking at him and feeling sick. I stood up in that tower not knowing what to do. I couldn't kill Albus Dumbledore, he deserved a proper death not some kid who was frightened out of his wits. I had to do it because otherwise the Dark Lord would have killed me."

Slowly Ginny reached over and took his hand in hers. She stroked it gently looking deeply into his eyes.

"You're wrong Draco. The Order could have protected you. There was no way that Voldemort was going to be able to penetrate it, especially if Dumbledore had still been alive."

"That's what he told me before he died. He told me that he would help me, stop the Dark Lord from killing me. He even promised to hide my mother and my father when he was released from Azkaban. But the other Death Eaters came, Snape came and they killed him. When we fled the Dark Lord wasn't happy at all."

"But Ginny he allowed us back into his inner circle. Dumbledore was dead and that's all that mattered to him. He claimed that with Dumbledore gone that was one less protector for Harry. But you see that's were things get more complicated."

Draco pulled his hand out of Ginny's grasp and slumped backwards into the chair.

"Gin I was suppose to kill Dumbledore so that Snape could remain close to the Order. But that plan had been destroyed. So the Dark Lord decided that since I had failed to kill Dumbledore he could use me instead of Snape."

"I don't understand. I mean how could he use you?"

"He wanted me to get close to somebody in the Order. He wanted me to take over as his spy from within. I was to contact Tonks originally and get in through her since she's family. But there's one thing about my mother that you must know. She values family over everything even her sister Andromeda. She wrote a letter and sent it telling her of the plan."

"What?"

"Yes. But it was intercepted before it could reach my Aunt. The Dark Lord found out about it and arranged for my mother to be murdered. He set me that task."

"Wait are you telling me that you killed your own mother?"

"Yes Ginny. The Dark Lord commanded it and I did it. I needed to prove myself to him. He had been lenient about the part that I played in Dumbledore's death. I believe that if Snape hadn't have killed Dumbledore I'd be dead. I needed to show him that I could do the tasks he wanted me to. So I killed her."

Ginny felt sick as she watched him. This wasn't the Draco that she knew. He couldn't do something like that. He was kind and caring. Her Draco wasn't a killer.

"After I killed her I fled. I was suppose to make contact with Tonks the next day and I was planning on using my mother's death to my advantage. Through a contact in the Prophet we got the story to make front news and I headed into Diagon Alley to find her. Instead though I found you."

"I remember seeing you look so lost. You weren't paying attention to what you were doing either. So I moved straight into your path and let you walk into me. I suddenly thought that this was going to be so much better than going through Tonks. You were Harry's girlfriend, a Weasley. Everyone knew how close you were to him. If I could position myself with you well then I'd be rewarded by the Dark Lord."

"You used me?"

"Ginny I'm sorry. Please let me explain."

Tears were running down his cheeks and over his nose. She wanted to leave to not hear that her entire relationship with him had been fake.

"That day I made myself cry in front of you. When you comforted me that was perfect. I felt like I was winning. Then you got me back into school and the Dark Lord was thrilled with me. Even though Harry didn't return it didn't matter because I had you eating out of my hands."

"SHUT UP!"

He stopped and looked at her. Tears were falling from her own eyes just listening to him.

"You didn't love me did you? It was all fake."

"Ginny I do love you. That's what I want to explain. You were too good for me. After only a few weeks with you I knew that it wasn't going to work. I was going to pull out because I knew I couldn't use you like that. But I wanted to spend time with you and by Valentines you'd beaten me down. Somehow you got to me and that night looking at you I just had to kiss you. I knew that it was wrong but I had to do it."

"The Dark Lord praised me for dating you. Said that it would guarantee that the plan worked. But I didn't want to be involved anymore. I wanted to keep you to myself. When I left Hogwarts I became a double agent, a spy. Then I couldn't do it anymore. I wanted out."

"What?"

"I turned my back on Voldemort that's why he attacked that day. Nobody leaves his service, nobody. So he decided to kill you and make me come back. That's why I had to send you away. I needed to keep you safe because I love you."

"Lies. Draco this could all be lies and I'd never know."

"I'd never lie to you Gin."

"You already did!"

She stood up and with one last look left the room. Out in the gardens she jumped back over the wall. There were few choices left open to her. But all she knew was that she needed to get away from Draco.