A/n. I do not own Harry Potter, it is all J K Rowlings. The plot is from my head.

I'm sorry for not writing this whole summer. I won't be writing personal thanks because it will take to long and I want this out.

Chapter Twenty-four

When Ginny awoke she was warm and in peace. She buried her face in Draco's shirt, content with just being in his arms. Still, despite the happiness of finally being with him again she felt a cloud of doom hovering over them. She did not want to think about the ugly mark that might be on his arm.

How could he let the ugly symbol be burned into him, marring the perfect skin that had been there before?

He was no longer pure to the evils of wizarding world. Ginny squeezed her eyes closed against the flood of tears that threatened to fall. She took in deep raspy breaths and tried to calm herself. Maybe he really did not have the mark. Maybe he did not betray her. Could the water that she had looked upon have been full of lies? Or were those thoughts just made out of false hope?

There was only on way to find out. If he really did have the mark Ginny promised herself that she would not stand by him any longer. If he did have the mark everything anyone had ever said to him were true. But if his skin was perfect, maybe then Ginny could finally tell him that he held her heart. Ginny sat up and pushed up the sleeve of Draco's shirt. When she saw his arm and the mark it bore her breath was let out in a whoosh. Ginny's eyes glistened with unshed tears. She could not look at him. He seemed too innocent to bear the ugly mark. The pain in her chest was more than she could bear. Ginny slid away from the man she loved and walked away. If she had looked back she would have seen the pain and tears on Draco's face the reflected her own.

~Draco's POV~

Draco knew this would happen. He knew from the beginning that he would screw everything up. And now he had proven himself right. Draco put his head in his hands. He could not go after her. She was probably disgusted with him. She must hate him now.

'Like father like son' he thought bitterly.

Sighing Draco stood and wiped away his tears. What was he to do now? What would he live for?

He could not even remember his life before Ginny. In the months that he had been with her he felt as though he was finally living for a reason. At first it was to torment her. His lips turned up in a bittersweet smile when he thought of how he had made her life interesting. After that, when he realized just how beautiful she was, inside and out, he lived to tame her. He almost chuckled at that. She could never be tamed; at least not by anyone like him.

If not him than whom, Harry Potter or Colin Creevey, some noble Gryffindor who actually deserved her?

Maybe it was better this way, perhaps now Ginny could be with a man who would treat her right. Draco sure as hell knew that he had not treated her right. Now what was going to happen with him? Draco knew that he would not be able to let go of Gin for a long time.

Draco got up with a sigh. Life had to go on.

~ Ginny's POV~

It had been a month, a whole painful month. Wasn't her heart supposed to feel better by now? She had always been assured that time healed. In her case, it only hurt. She watched him constantly; he seemed upset all the time, though Ginny did not know what could cause the frown that seemed to be his permanent mask.

She could not fool herself with the thought that he was sad about losing her. He must have known that if he picked that side that he would be giving her up.

Still, Ginny yearned to be in his arms, to feel his lips on hers, to hold his hand for just an instant.   She would even settle for just being able to talk to him. He had always known what was the best thing to do.

Maybe to him joining Voldemort was the best thing in his interest to do.

Ginny shook herself from her thoughts. She sat facing Ron at the Gryffindor table. Poor Ron. There was still no word about Harry. Even though Ginny had told auras as mush information as she could they still could not trace him.

Ginny looked away from her brother, her eyes naturally drawn to the Slytherin table. An owl swooped down and landed on Draco's shoulder, it nibbled Draco's ear and waited to be relieved of the letter it carried. Ginny was overcome with jealousy. How she wished that she could be that owl!

Ginny was struck senseless when Draco's gaze caught hers, and she saw the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Oh Gods, something terrible had happened.

~Draco's POV~

Draco's eyes broke away from Ginny's and numbly he read the rest of the letter.

Something wet ran down his cheeks.

How could it be raining if he was not outside?

He could not believe it. How could his mother be dead? She had not been sick.  He didn't even say goodbye.

What if she died alone? What if she had been calling for him? Why hadn't anyone told him that she was near death? Something made his eyes blur. More raindrops fell down to smear the ink. Something in his chest hurt. He could barley breath. The only thought in his head was to tell Ginny. To tell her that he loved her.

What if she died not knowing that he loved her? He had to tell her.

~Ginny's POV~

Ginny stared out into the dark world past her window. Many thoughts troubled her mind. All her thoughts were about Draco. Ginny sighed, missing him so much it hurt. A few tears leaked from her eyes, she fought back the rest. An owl flew in through her window and landed on her shoulder.

It was the same owl that had gone to Draco that morning. Fearing the worst Ginny tore open the letter and franticly read the few lines.

'Gods I'm sorry. For everything I have ever done wrong. I know you hate me. I don't blame you. I hate me too. I can't keep it to myself anymore. Just for one last time, will you meet me outside the library? Do it for the happy times we had. I just need you one last time.'

The words were smeared with tears; the handwriting was sloppy, as if hastily written. But Ginny knew that it was from Draco. Deep down she knew that it was from him. She pulled on a dressing gown over her nightgown and hurried to the library, where she knew Draco would be waiting.

~~~

As I said before, no personal thank Yous, but for all my reviewers

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!