Regret and Betrayal

Chapter Eleven

A Wedding to Remember

~*~~*~~*~

Four bloody days. Four. Not an owl, no apology, no messages, nothing. Draco had waited at home, at work and had broken into Ginny's home to wait. There was nothing there. Her clothes were gone and so was she.

He woke up on her sofa for the second time in four days thinking that she must come home sometime. It was then that he forgot that she had a good friend downstairs and reprimanded himself for not thinking of it earlier, say, four days ago.

He passed the pictures on the wall of the stairs and glanced at them one more time. There was picture there he hadn't seen. Ginny was talking with another woman who could only be her mother in a kitchen of some sort. It was crammed with utensils and food all over the place. He dismissed it and continued down the stairs. He knocked on the door. There was a small tumble and then the door was leaving the latch.

"Draco." Somehow, he had a feeling that she did not want to see him.

"Good afternoon to you too."

She continued putting in her other earring. "What do you want?"

"Ginny, have you-."

"She's not here. She doesn't want to see you."

"She's not here or she doesn't want to see me?"

"Both." She sighed.

"Why?"

"I don't know." Even though he knew she wouldn't tell him anyway, he could tell that she was telling the truth. "What did you do to her?" she questioned.

He frowned. "I didn't do anything. I have been looking for her since you left. You said she went to my house, I went to the office to cut her off - she didn't come. I came back here - she didn't come. I go back to the office and she's not there. When I got home I was told she left ages ago looking for me." He sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore." She gestured for him to come inside. "Are you sure you don't know where she is?"

"Yes." She checked herself in the mirror. He looked over to her and realised she was going out. He then noticed the invitation on the table in front of him.

Curiosity got the better of him and he leaned forward to pick it up and scanned it. Perhaps a party could take his mind off things. "Where are you going?" he said reading. He stopped at the name at the bottom, did a double take and read it over. It was from Harry Potter, and it was addressed to Ginny.

She turned at his question and saw the owl that Ginny had given her a few days ago. "Draco, No!" It was too late. He had risen with it and was holding it at arms length so she couldn't reach it.

"So you don't know where she is?" He read the rest of it despite her attempts to jump at it. "Thank you for your help." He knew exactly where to go.

And he was gone.

Lesley turned to her living room as he left. Dinner was in an hour and she was sure that she wouldn't hear the end of this. "Oh shit," she said as she dropped down into the couch. She was in for a long night.

***

"Do I have it right that there will be a wedding soon?" Paethozar let the newspaper drop on the table in front of him at breakfast.

Cyrus looked at the front page. He gasped. "Potter Weds? To who," he frowned. Paethozar rolled his eyes at his son's interest in media gossip. "When did that happen?" He picked it up and began to read curiously.

"That was not the point of me bringing it up but it was about three years ago. 'She came back into his life and he proposed seven weeks later,'" he quoted.

Cyrus made an understanding face and went back to eating. "So what does that have to do with me?"

"My dear boy. If Virginia's friend is getting married," - Cyrus stopped mid bite when Ginny's name was mentioned. - "Then Virginia will be there. You will bring her to me. The pair's anniversary is coming up, we can't have her late for the special gathering we are having."

"And how am I going to get her to come with me?" he asked.

"I'm sure you'll find a way. You always do."

***

He apparated into a busy kitchen filled with food all over the place, just like in the picture. Except here there was no Ginny. There was her mother though.

"Fred I have told you a hundred times to stop apparating around the house. I don't know what sort of example you want to set for those children of yours." She obviously thought he was someone else. When she didn't hear an answer she began to turn. When she began to turn, he began to run out of sight.

He found a flight of stairs and ran up them before Molly got a chance to see him. At the top he came into contact with a corridor of doors.

"Aunty Gin, Aunty Gin!" he heard.

"Will you all stop shouting that ridiculous name? Go upstairs and look for her if you have to, just get out of my kitchen!" Then there was a rumbling as if a herd was stampeding up the steps. He fumbled for the first door knob he could find and stumbled inside. As he shut the door and backed away his feet found something hard and he tripped over.

***

Ginny sat still, she had been in the wardrobe for almost an hour now so the children were bound to come crashing in any moment. She could hear the shrill calls of "Aunty Gin," something her brother George had christened her with the moment they were able to talk, coming from the kitchen downstairs.

She sat there wondering what was taking them so long, by now they would have been in her room and torn it apart. Should I be encouraging that? She shook the thought away.

Then the door opened. She continued in her frozen state, it was 'hide and seek' after all. She wasn't about to ruin the game. Her mother had entrusted her to keep the cousins busy while she cooked so that there were no interruptions.

Then she heard something fall.

"Jesus Christ." She froze in horror and her eyes opened wide. No, oh please Merlin no. She shut her eyes and stood. She peeked through the crack to see if her terrors were confirmed.

They were.

She pushed the doors open. "What the hell are you doing here? Why are you in here? Why are you here?"

"Aunty Gin!" They both turned toward the doors.

"That's why," he said as he stood up.

She grumbled beneath her breath and pulled him toward the wardrobe, narrowly missing the shelf above although Draco didn't, as the door knob began to rattle. The shelf above hit the back of his head and he groaned. She covered his mouth and hushed him as she pushed him back against the wall causing his head to hit the wall too. He groaned inwardly this time.

The door opened.

"Aunty Gi-in," someone sang. She could feel him shaking with silent laughter behind her hand and she glared at him.

"Check under the bed, she always hides under the bed." There was a rumble of feet around the room and she could hear them drop to the ground. Then she swore she heard drawers opening. These have to be Fred's, she thought and shook her head.

"Ok, so she's not here then." The door opened and Ginny began to relax.

"Wait. What about the wardrobe?" Draco could feel as well as see Ginny tense at those words. Her hand was still over his mouth and she was staring at him. He silently agreed not to move or breathe.

The doors shook, when they stopped she heard Emma, Hermione's daughter, speaking. "It's locked. She's not in here." If it was possible Ginny tensed even more. Oh this just can't get any worse can it?

"So, she could have locked it."

"From the outside? I don't think so."

"She could have used magic."

"Hello," she said with Hermione's obvious voice. "It's aunty Ginny's room. No magic, remember?" Despite her thanks of Emma not adapting that horrid name George had thought up, Ginny closed her eyes in irritation. These children will pay.

"Oh yeah." Alright well let's get back to Uncle Charlie's room. I want to play with that dragon again on his dresser. It blows fire when you poke it." The voices died down from behind the door as they left.

She removed her hand and wiped it on her jeans as she slid to the floor. She brought her arms around her knees. Draco joined her on the ground. Her head was hidden and when she spoke, it was quavering.

"How did you know where I was? No don't bother, I don't want to know."

"I-."

"It was Lesley wasn't it? Oh, I am going to kill her." Her hands balled into fists. Her head went back to her knees. She heard a rattling and raised her head.

"These are yours. I suppose I should give them back." He held out her keys for her to take them.

She frowned as she recognized them. "My keys?"

He shrugged. "Yeah," he said slowly. "I kind of broke into your apartment."

She cocked an eyebrow. "With my keys?" she said in an obvious tone.

"Yeah, I haven't been home in two days."

She rattled them in front of him. "You forgot to open it with your own keys?"

"No, sometime in the past four days I forgot where I lived. Gin will do that to you if you drink enough of it." He smiled to himself.

She put her head back to her knees and covered her head. "Will you leave?" she said into her jeans.

He sighed and leaned back against the wall behind him. "No."

She raised her head. From the light that filtered through the crack of the hinged door on her side, he could see she was crying. "I don't want you here."

It was then that he remembered why he was there, to find out why she hadn't spoken to him. "Why? Ginny what's happened?"

She frowned incredulously. "How can you even ask me that?" She lowered her voice. "No you know what - I deserve to yell at you." She stood up and leaned against the back of the wardrobe and kicked at the doors spreading them open.

***

"Get up." Draco looked at the amount of bolts and locks that had formed around the door and wondered what Ginny was going to do to him. He rose slowly and stepped out of the closet narrowly missing the shelf. He turned back to look at it and saw a green package. It had bows and ribbon around it. He dismissed it for the party they were planning downstairs.

"You have a nerve coming here after what you've done to me. I cannot even believe the depths of hate I have for you right now. You parade around with a wounded heart when you took a spear and drove it through mine."

"What are you talking about?"

"Four days ago, in the afternoon, I came to see you to apologize," she laughed, "to you and... bring you your birthday present." She pointed behind him with her wand. He turned to see the package on the shelf. "Then. I see you with... your receptionist in your office. Does that ring any bells?"

He thought hard. Then it hit him. The woman had kissed him in his office. Ginny must have seen it and gotten the wrong idea.

When Ginny saw the understanding in his features, she broke down. For days she had denied ever witnessing it so that she could just block it out of her memory. "That was a momentary lapse of judgment, she said so herself. I've fired her though, you don't need to worry."

Ginny's mouth opened. "What? Wasn't good enough for you? You didn't seem to be having any problems with her when I saw you. Get out. Get out of my house right now!"

"Ginny?" Both their heads snapped to the door. "Ginny are you okay in there? The children said they couldn't find you and I heard a crash. Are you okay? Arthur, I think there's something wrong with Ginny."

"Mum, I'm fine." She said to the door.

"Ginny? Can you hear me?"

"The silencing charm is still on the door," Draco pointed out.

"I knew that!" Ginny snapped. She removed the charm. "Mum, I'm fine."

Her mother let out an audible sigh. "Well, in that case everything is ready, are you coming down or not?"

"I'll be down in a minute mum."

Concern filled her mother's voice. "Ginny, open the door."

Ginny held her forehead with her free hand. "Mum, not now."

"Ginny." It came with more warning this time. "Open the door. I am not speaking to wood. Do not think that I cannot get around your wards. I helped you make them."

Ginny looked around. If he hid, her mother would find him. She looked around and suddenly stopped in thought toward the window and then back at him.

He noticed her trail as she gazed around. "I am not climbing out the window." Her eyes went up toward his hair and then down to his clothes. So did his hands. "What now?" She pushed him toward the window. As he regained his balance she changed his clothes. He looked down to the plain t-shirt and jeans.

"Stick your head out and change your hair."

"What?"

"Make it longer or something. Change the colour."

"I am not doing anything to my hair."

She stood back and began picking at her nails. "Fine, have my family crucify you."

"Ginny, I hear voices. Let me in right now." The door knob began to rattle. "Fine, if that's the way you want it." An unbarring spell was being said.

Draco did as he was told just as the door flew open. "Ginny, dinner is ready are - who are you?" Molly looked upon the strange man in her daughter's room. "Ginny, what's going on?"

"Mum," Ginny said standing next to her mother. "Aside from Lesley, there will be another guest for dinner. Meet... Drakas," she said with sudden inspiration.

***

"So, how long have you two been working together? How come we haven't heard anything of you before?"

"Well, I'm positioned in another sector. We did training together."

Arthur looked confused. "You train when you become a lawyer?" Lesley coughed into her wine, she had forgotten about that lie. Ginny had obviously kept her family out of the loop after all. He swore she was laughing.

Oh this is going to be good, she thought. "Thanks for inviting me Ginny this is going to be better than my own home at Christmas," she whispered. Ginny stared at her which only caused her to chuckle even more.

Draco frowned "A lawyer?" Ginny glared at him. His features smoothed and he suddenly understood why Lesley had spluttered. "Yes, yes of course you train as a lawyer. You need to have practice in any case you agree to."

"What sector are you located in?" Bill asked.

"Divorce," Ginny stated still staring at him.

His interest peaked. "Oh are you married yourself?"

"Yes he is." Draco turned to her. "He has a son too," she said spitefully. Molly watched her warily.

"I do? I do, Sebastian. Pride and joy."

"Oh that's lovely, isn't it Harry?" Cho said stroking his arm. She seemed to be hinting something.

"Yes it i- Rodney! I told you before don't feed Draco at the table!" Harry snapped and got up to take Draco outside. "You can't feed him ice-cream anyway, Fred's told you that already."

Draco turned to Harry. Ginny sank in her chair. Lesley couldn't stop the laugh from leaving her. "What?" Draco said.

Harry came back from the back door after letting the dog out. "Pardon? Oh no, not Drakas, sorry mate. Draco, it's a name of a guy we hated in school. Don't worry about it." Draco sat back in his chair. Lesley was still shaking in laughter even though the room had gone silent.

It steadily became filled with voices again as the tension slowly left. Some time later Draco began to stand.

"Oh, well I think I better be going now. I have family to see to."

Molly, who hadn't stopped looking at Ginny the whole time, regarded her daughter with knowing eyes. "Ginny, why don't you see Draco out. Go from the garden." She watched them as they stood up and walked to the garden. Honestly if she was going to lie she would have to come up with a better name than that. She glanced into the kitchen and at the makeshift refrigerator Arthur had brought home. There was a plaque that stuck to it, Harry said it was called a 'magnet,' she couldn't remember. Glancing at it, she read the words written behind the glass.

"You can fool all people some of the time and some people all of the time, but you can never fool mum."

Truer words have never been uttered, she mused as they closed the door to the garden.

***

Draco looked up at the stars as he went out into the garden. He loved houses far away from anywhere. There were no lights to block out the stars, a marvel in themselves. He breathed in the clean fresh night air.

"The sky is beautiful isn't it?"

"Yes, well goodbye, Drakas." Ginny turned to go back inside.

"Ginny - wait. At least if you're saying goodbye call me by my actual name. What kind of a name is Drakas anyway?"

"I was under a lot of pressure. Serious pressure. Do not take the mick out of the name, as if you could do any better."

"Well, I always fancied my self as a Drake actually."

Ginny snorted. "Yeah and I'm Vodka, sure. Look goodbye Draco, I don't know why you came and I'm sure you didn't get what you came for but I have to go and kill my best friend for telling you where I was." She turned again. "Oh," she said. "Before I forget." She took out her wand and summoned the package from upstairs and it landed in his hands. "I'm not sure that the inscription would still count but I didn't waste my money on nothing." She made for the door to the house as Draco read the inscription.

"You still love me. No matter what you say or do, you still love me."

Her hand paused on the handle. "How dare you? How is it that you have the nerve to still say that to me but you can't find some strength to just leave me be? I can't stand you right now, why can't you see that?"

"I don't care. I know it. The day I kissed you, you were scared I could feel it-."

"Because of-." She had almost said his name.

He hadn't noticed. "No, not because of that, you got too close. It only seems to click that you should run away when you get too close because it brings up things that happened to you when you gave all of your trust to one person. After a while," - He raised his arms in surrender. - "you just stopped giving it."

"I-."

"I knew it when you were crying as I kissed you. It was in your tears Ginny, I could taste it. You don't have to be afraid anymore, I love you. Can't you see that?"

She wanted to believe it, she really did. It sounded so genuine but after what she had seen, she just knew better than to trust him. Despite his declaration. "Evil can't love."

His features became set. "I see, you said before that 'if I loved you, how could I do this to you' and now it's 'evil can't love.' Why don't you make up your mind? You seem to only acknowledge anything when you want to. Fine, if that's the way you want it, I'll go. For the record, nothing happened with the receptionist, she kissed me and now she's fired." He backed away and lowered his voice. "When you find out you're wrong, don't bother coming to me. I don't want to hear it." Then he was gone.

"Ginny," she heard behind her from the door and turned. Lesley stood at the door looking at her. She had been standing there looking into space for well on ten minutes. The cold air escaped her in gulfs of hot steam.

"Lesley, I want to believe him - I can't. I saw it, I saw it with my own eyes. How can I - how can he deny it if he actually looked at me?" She slid to the floor crying. Lesley held her friend as she sank to the ground.

"What happened Ginny? What did you see?" she implored.

"It doesn't matter. It's over anyway."

***

Hermione came to sit on Ginny's bed. The house was quiet this morning. The whole house was silent from the snores of the men who had vacated the day before to stay by Harry. Cho and Harry were getting married in three and a half hours and no-one had even woken up besides Cho who was probably downstairs in the kitchen, again. "Are you sure you're fine Ginny because you don't look it."

Ginny turned over. "Hermione I'm perfect ok, where's Cho?" she yawned.

"Oh I think she's downstairs eating, honestly I'm surprised she isn't a balloon the rate she's going at. I had better go and get her before Molly wakes up."

Ginny sat up in her bed and felt strangely nauseous. Fred had cooked before he left, she knew she shouldn't have trusted it. She sat up to go to the bathroom. Feeling something pulling around her neck, she pulled on the chain. Instantly, stomach forgotten, she remembered what it was and dreaded turning it around so that she'd have to face it again. She felt for the clasp to take it off but as it spun around through her finger tips she couldn't feel anything. That could only mean one thing, it was charmed.

All previous thoughts gone, only one entered her mind. Damn him, he'll never let me forget him will he?

Just then Hermione came back into the room dragging Cho behind her. "I found her; she was going through the pantry again."

Ginny sighed. "Cho you shouldn't eat so much, how are you going to fit into your wedding dress?"

Cho screwed up the candy bar wrapper in her hand and dropped herself on the bed by Ginny's feet. "To hell with the wedding dress, Harry couldn't care less if I came naked."

They laughed. "No, but your father might," Hermione chuckled.

"Oh." Cho sat up on Ginny's bed. "Ginny, you don't think I'm pushing him too far do you? I mean, I know he doesn't like the whole fame thing but... do you think I've pushed it a little too far?" she looked pleadingly at Ginny for the answer she wanted. It was no but she knew it was probably a yes. Ginny didn't lie about these things.

Ginny approached this carefully. "Well... we all know Harry, that he'd rather elope somewhere unheard of by man." She felt Cho's uneasiness to her point. "But Cho, Harry loves you. He has ever since school so really whatever you do, I'm sure he won't care."

Cho gave a resigned sigh, it was a probable no. "Okay then, I guess you're right. Sometimes I wonder why he never ended up with you Ginny; you seem to know him better than anyone here."

Ginny laughed. "Ok now you're running into the impossible." Ginny hopped out of bed, as she did Hermione caught sight of something behind her back.

"Ginny what is that?" she said pointing to the pendant that she hadn't seen before.

"What?"

"That, the pendant behind your back. I've never seen it before, who gave it to you." She almost screamed with excitement, "Oh Merlin Ginny do you have a boyfriend, why didn't you tell us?"

Instinctively, Ginny's hand went to her chest. She hadn't hidden the pendant like she was used to. She felt behind her to grab it and shoved it down her clothes. "It's nothing, just a chain someone gave me from work. It's nothing special."

"Ooh your work, is there any good looking men there?"

"Cho!" They both said.

"What? I'm not married yet and I'm only talking about it, that's not a crime in my book. Harry's sexy in his own way, no-one denying that, but glancing in other directions isn't wrong."

"Well there is Chris, he's nice. Drop dead gorgeous too."

"Ginny!" Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Do not encourage her."

"Really?" Cho continued as if Hermione hadn't spoken. "Hmm promising, is he the one who gave you the necklace? Nice taste I can tell he's well off in the financial department. That's Domatium a very precious and extremely expensive metal that has to be kept in a liquid form or else it'll set and it will therefore be indestructible. Not even magic can penetrate that. He must either be extremely rich or very well connected. There are precious few who can afford something like that, unless your last name is Potter or Malfoy. Oh Malfoy, now there's a good looking man."

Ginny sat quiet, Hermione looked exasperated. "Cho, stop it. You're getting married in less than three hours!"

"Oh come off it Hermione, Ginny you hear me right?"

Ginny looked at Cho wide eyed but dare not speak.

"Fine then, but Ginny, you can't deny he is one tasty piece of rich chocolate!"

Hermione threw her hands up in the air. "I give up," she said looking away and shaking her head.

Cho looked at nothing in particular as she spoke. "You can just imagine being with him and having the greatest orgasm of your life," she said narrowing her eyes for effect, "and then opening your eyes seeing he's standing on the opposite side of the room, fully dressed. Admit it, he is sexy you can't deny that."

Hermione shook her head. "You would never think she's about to pledge her life to another man would you?"

"Of course you can, I love Harry you know that Hermione I always will. He's the only one for me, I was just joking around you know that. Come on then I have to start getting ready. Ginny, you coming?"

"Yeah I'll be right there." She looked at herself in front of the mirror. She couldn't look at it. It brought back too much that she couldn't bring herself to remember. She took in a long breath and held her head high. She took out her wand. If she couldn't take it off, so she would just have to remove it in another way. As the pendant changed shape, the motions of it sent her stomach coursing again, it reminded her of the reason she got up in the first place. She flew to the bathroom making a mental note to curse, hex and decapitate Fred for even thinking the kitchen could be his friend.

***

"I do," Cho said in a grin. Harry smiled happily at her.

"You may now kiss your bride. Harry?" Harry looked at the Minister. He had been caught up in the exchange of grins. "Kiss her." He nodded quickly and kissed his new wife. The hall exploded in applause and laughter.

"I present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." The room filled even more with applause and cheers.

Music played as everyone stood to move to the reception. A massive crowd still lingered outside the Hall but Ginny had dragged Lesley to apparate from the Ministry's Hall to the reception room.

"Can I show you both to your seats?" an usher said to them as they appeared. They both readily agreed and sat down.

Slowly the hall began filling with guests and family. Namely her own. Minutes passed and Ginny had spoken to half the people she had tried to avoid. Some of them she didn't even know. So far there had been three Mr. and Mrs. Jones' two Leveret's and a Wong family who Port keyed from china to see their niece get married but had just summered in Milan.

"Ginny? Hey Gin! Long time no see. How've you been?" Ginny looked around and gasped.

"Seamus! You stranger where have you been?" She suddenly regretted asking him this as he then went into detail about where he had been for the past four years.

"And then I - Ginny, is your hair blue? I thought it was black but, it is isn't it?"

Ginny raked her hand through it. She knew she should have worn it back. To save her from answering this, a series of bright flashes and cheers sounded from the entrance. The Press was here. No doubt Cho's idea, from the dazzled look in Harry's eyes it was a wonder he could walk. She smiled to herself and rose to clap with the others.

As she did, George came and sat at the table in the vacated seat across from her. "Ginny," he said through the cheers. She turned to him. "Before you have any ideas it wasn't me, Fred said you thought it was me but it wasn't. It was all Cho's idea."

"What are you talking about?" she said. The cheers died down and the couple had gotten to their seats in peace.

"You - you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Pansy is sitting here. From school."

"As annoying as that will be, I don't really see the urgency in that information." Lesley and Seamus snorted.

"Have you seen her placement card?" he said pointing to it in front of him.

"No, why?"

"Keeping my seat warm there are you, Weasley?" Ginny looked up and then instantly wished that she hadn't. She could feel the groan coming from Lesley, as they all knew by now, this was not going to go very smoothly.

Draco pulled out Pansy's chair and pushed it in as she sat down pointedly ignoring everyone else at the table. Everyone.

An hour later of silent eating, the food was well on the way of digestion and chatter was going on in little groups around each table. Blaise Zambini had joined them late as 'he couldn't get away any earlier,' and Pansy had moved the second she had finished her entrée and main meal to go off somewhere. She must have eaten her dessert somewhere else.

Then the room went dark and a spotlight was pointed on the dance floor. Harry and Cho were about to open the dance floor to the public.

Ooh and awws filled each table as they waltzed around in time to the music. Ginny remembered how danceably challenged Harry was and noticed how unchallenged he had become, Cho was such the perfectionist. Those dance lessons did him wonders.

Then it became lighter and the room was suddenly compact with people moving to the floor. Seamus had strategically disappeared and Draco, as the gentleman he was despite the mood at the table, had excused himself to go to the restroom. She would have dismissed this had he not returned seconds later. He stared at her fixedly. She tried to look in other directions but always ended up back at his eyes.

"What?" she said angrily. He didn't say a thing.

Blaise muttered something that sounded a lot like, "This will be interesting," and Lesley looked off into other directions, ignoring them completely.

"Would you like to dance, erm-."

"Lesley-Anne-."

"Yeah - whatever, come on before we get splinched in a glance." He took her hand and moved briskly to the floor.

As soon as they were gone Ginny matched his glare. "What are you doing here? I told you to stay away from me."

He looked down at the table, he then noticed something. "I was invited."

"No you weren't, Harry would never invite you to his wedding."

"You may not have noticed this but, if you look right here." He turned the placement card around. Ginny turned back to him. "It says, "Pansy Parkinson and friend. That means I was invited." He leaned forward across his plate. "You may not know this but," he said as he pointed behind her, "there is more than one person involved in a wedding." Ginny turned to see Cho and Pansy chatting happily. That was where she had eaten her dessert. "I'm just telling you this so you know," she heard and turned back. When she did she gasped. She recognized that malicious smile. She had seen it in his office days ago. She could feel tears burning behind her eyes. He lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. "The world does not revolve around you. And neither do I." He narrowed his eyes and they got diverted to over her shoulder again. He got up excusing himself again disappearing from her sight behind her. She let him go, but the second he left he was back again. He sat down opposite her and looked at her watching him. He seemed vaguely concerned to why she was crying. All malice was gone, the smile was gone and the soft yet surprisingly harsh tone was gone the second he said, "What?"

She was interrupted in her question when Pansy came back to the table to tell Draco that they were about to leave and Cho was going to throw the bouquet. She looked at Ginny with distaste and walked off when Draco didn't answer. Ginny got up. All singles were being called. She stood near the alcove that led to the bathrooms on opposite sides. She leaned against the wall and watched with a smile as Lesley moved to the front. She was distracted as a hand grabbed the crook of her arm and pulled her into the space hidden from view.

She stood against the Women's bathroom door as Draco stood in front of her and just looked at her. "What do you want now? Come to give me more unwanted memories." She rolled her eyes and looked away fighting back the tears that began to burn again.

Her gaze returned to him when he didn't answer. He was still looking at her so he hadn't noticed the door to the men's room open behind him. She, however, did.

"No Ginny, even though I don't know what you're talking about I came to get something from you." He began to reach for the chain around her neck.

Ginny's eyes widened, but not at Draco had reaching for the pendant that, incidentally, was not his pendant anymore but on the fact that the man that had come out of the restroom was just standing there behind him, watching them with a tedious interest. He seemed to be contemplating something. Ginny focused on him and gasped when Draco fell to the ground in front of her as cheers for the bouquet filled the room. No one had heard.

Ginny dragged her gaze from the unconscious Draco on the ground and looked up at their attacker. Her breath caught in her throat as Draco smirked at her. It was the last thing she saw before everything went black when he knocked her out.