Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or this story probably would have been published separately.

This is a rewrite of a story that I posted on here, I am posting the new version under a different title. Hope you enjoy!

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'One year, four months, three days, six hours, and…' A set of eyes flickered to a light blue muggle style alarm clock. ' fifty six seconds' the women's internal voice finished her pervious thought. She chanted the whole phrase over and over again as she moved about the room. It was 9:30 on a Tuesday morning, the dark gray clouds hung heavy in the sky, signaling rain. It would be the sixth day in a row that England had been rained upon, well at least Diagon Alley.

With a sigh, the red headed female entered her bathroom and began her usual morning routine. As she brushed her teeth, the light gray circles under her eyes dragged her into the past. Two years prior, the same red headed female was leading an army of ill-trained and ill taught students against some of the maddest and delusional psychopaths in the Wizarding world. The female, the youngest Weasley child and the only girl, was stuck in Hogwarts the year Voldemort fell. She had witnessed it actually, she could remember running from the dead body of Evan Rosier and bursting out onto the court yard. Just as she had reached the crumbling courtyard, she witnessed one Harry James Potter delivering the killing curse. A flash of green light lit the court yard up and just as the light appeared, the light vanished.

A soft thud, of Voldemort's body hitting the ground caused Ginevra Weasley to gasp softly. His smooth translucent skin almost sparkled in the afternoon sun, Voldemort's angry red eyes had laid open in frozen shock, his mouth slack so you could see the yellow stained and decaying teeth. Harry Potter had turned to face her, his wand still in hand. His green eyes traced her face, before he rushed over to her and pressed his-

Ginevra stopped the line of thought as she snapped her eyes open. Her hazel eyes danced with fire licking at her irises. Suddenly the dull task of repeating her timed phrased began again. The rain fall began to pound against the old windows of her small flat. Ginny pulled her long hair away from her face and secured it with bobby pins, a muggle tool which had been a gift from Hermione. She liked these bobby pins, while magic was useful, Ginevra liked trying new things. Well, as long as those new things didn't include books that spoke to you. That she could do without, thank you.

Grabbing a black cloak from the peg near her door, Ginevra turned to give her flat a look over. It was small, something her brothers had picked on her about. The Weasley family status had elevated after the war, so too had their access to money. However, despite its size, the loft flat did her well. She had a completely open floor plan, which suited Ginevra just fine, easier to hex someone breaking in. The soft cream walls made the space feel larger then it was and her simple dark wooden furniture gave the place an air of sophistication. Well, almost, her eyes lingers on a large knitted blanket that was on her dark leather couch. It was old, well used, and the gold fabric was starting to get grungy; but Ginevra wouldn't give it up for the world. Her mother had given it to her during her sixth year at Hogwarts, the year she had lead the Battle of Hogwarts. The blanket had saved her life, the blood stain was outlined on the gold fabric, and she refused to throw it out.

Without lingering on the gory and certainly bloody details of that memory, Ginevra left her flat. Pulling the hood up, Ginevra stepped out on to the wet street and quickly walked to the left of her apartment. Diagon Alley was almost void of all life, the rain pounded away at the cobbled walk way, the scene almost reminded her of her sixth year at Hogwarts again. She had just turned sixteen that summer, her brother and his best friend's abandoned her, she had been very bitter went she had went out shopping for school supplies. That bitterness vanished once part of the Weasley family had arrived at Diagon Alley. It had been just as void and eerie, much like it was in present day. After cutting through a few alley ways and some paths, Ginevra finally found the people. A crowd of people had gathered in front of Gingotts, it was the sole reason Ginevra had put on pants today. She was supposed to be off today, but a sudden and urgent owl had broken that happy ending.

"Ginny!" a familiar voice shouted from the crowd, her heart beat went wild. There, the eyes of Harry James Potter stared back at her, it was annoying. He had used her childhood name, something only her family now used, not him. He was not family, never would be, and he only had himself to bloody fucking blame for that.

"Oi, Gin!" he said again, moving towards her. His hand running through his wet hair out of habit. A sudden urge to cut his hand off enveloped her, she growled softly to herself.

"Don't." she snapped forcefully, as he opened his mouth to say something else. They were now the subject of attention, not what had drawn the crowd in the first place.

She stalked past him and emerged herself in the crowd, Harry grabbed her hand, once more causing attention to turn to him.

"I-I thought you had…" his voice trailed off.

"Clearly fucking not, Potter, now let me go!" Ginny angrily exclaimed, before ripping her arm away from his scared hand. The white scar across the back of his hand was toying with her, like an old friend. She shoved through the crowd and finally came face to face with a pale and strikingly handsome face.

"Red." The face drawled out, before taking a pull off the cigarette.

"Drac." She greeted, as the tall, blonde, male let her through. The pair turned around and walked forward in sync with one another. They had been working together for little more than a year, one very long and tiresome year. Ginny became aware how odd the pair looked, the former playboy and self-proclaimed King of Slytherin was now dressed in all black with an Auror badge shinning on his belt. He looked like a cop Ginny had seen in Muggle London on a trip she had taken with her future sister-in-law. Draco C. Malfoy, former Death Eater, former Spy, former prat, was now a good guy. Maybe, she shouldn't say now, he always had actually been what you call a good guy. At least when you were talking about the war, the teenager had taken up the task spying for the Order. Once he had been found out by his aunt Bellatrix, he fled for his life. It was Neville Longbottom who had found him on the night of October 14th. Neville and Draco had always hated each other, the former because of the torturing of his parents and the later because Neville, unlike Draco, was free.

Ginny and Draco stopped in front of another Auror, who let them pass. Ginny was overcome with a feeling to dread as she spied red hair peeking out from a white sheet. Draco, discreetly squeezed her hand, something Ginny was thankful for.

"Who?" Ginny asked, bending down to remove the sheet. She was greeted with a familiar sight. Mouth slashed open, almost gaping, eyes slashed, hair quickly dyed a horrible orange color, and a symbol carving into the forehead. Draco opened his mouth, but shut it as a black man in purple robes strolled quickly over to them.

"Minister." Draco greeted, before putting out his cigarette.

"Kinsley" Ginny muttered, without look up from the body.

"Weasley, Malfoy" the Minister said, trying to hide his personal connection to them. Why he bothered, Ginny never could understand, it was well known that the unusual pair of Aurors were one of the best in the ministry. Besides Potter and Ron, her elder brother, Draco always told her it was because of 'Golden boy Potter' not because of their talent. "Not that Ron isn't talented" Draco would always add, as if he offended Ginny greatly.

"Is it-"Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice trailed off, his green eyes darting around to see who was close to them. It wasn't well known yet, but the Wizarding World had a serial killer on their hands, it wouldn't be long though, someone was bound to put the murders together.

"Yes" Draco said, almost uninterested at the body before his feet, it was a habit he had that probably turned most people off. But, it was a habit that had come out of fear and war, he distanced himself from those both living and dead. It made dating a hard task for him to complete, for he was as single as Ginny Weasley in that moment.

"Why has he not-" Ginny interrupted the greying man.

"Kingsley, this takes time. If we knew who it was, he would be off the street." Ginny said, trying to keep her irritation out of her voice. Four bodies so far, no leads, and all of them were connected. The Minister's eyes narrowed before he sighed and tossing them an almost dejected look.

"Your mother is upset." Kingsley said finally.

"Of course she is. She's been that way since….." Ginny's voice trailed off. The threesome stood silently as the rain fell on to the ground, death had surrounded them, all of them, even after the war had been won. After a moment or two Kingsley nodded and left the partners alone at the body.

Draco pulled out another cig and bent down to look at the dead female's face again. Her mouth, still gaping open, had been slashed clear up to her ears. A search team had already found her missing eyeballs, his stormy grey eyes lingers on her forehead be for he spoke.

"Red." Draco started out, his voice smooth and cool, like glass.

"Hm?" she asked, her hazel eyes scanning the crowd.

"Maybe your mother is…" she cut him off.

"Oh Merlin, not you too Draco! Malfoy, look, don't even go there. Just because her hair is dye some shitty red color doesn't mean he is hunting me down. I am not the only red headed female in Wizarding England." Ginny hissed out, very away reporters had arrived and were taking pictures.

She was in a sour mood, which had been partly brought on by Harry Potter and Draco himself. The partners had been sleeping together, something neither would admit to publically. It had happened almost two months after they had been pair up together, Yaxley had shown his cowardly face finally. Draco had been itching to bring in the former Death Eater, he had a scar to repay and a serious blood debt. Narcissa Malfoy, while beautiful and graceful, had not escaped the war unscathed for a second time. Yaxley, after Draco's betrayal, had tortured her and scaring her long neck. Rumors floated around that she had almost be decapitated, it wasn't true, but Narcissa had almost bleed to death.

Ginny had to force her way in between a very angry Draco and a bloodied and beaten Yaxely. It was a week later, they had gotten drunk and tumbled into bed. Something that had repeated until the drinking part was negated from the equation. The drunken shags turned into sober trysts between partners, neither had spoken about the change in pattern nor the strange relationship.

One such shag had fatefully happened last night, it was after their tumble, when the arguing started. Draco, as he drew patterns on her bare skin, had brought up the similarities in the victims and the naked woman next to him. The similarities had not gone unnoticed by Ginny, the department, Harry Potter, and worse her family. She had screamed at him, as she threw her clothes back on. Calling him stupid and almost gleefully, reminding him who in fact had given her over to a mad man when she was eleven. It was cruel to have reminded Draco of his father, the former Lord Malfoy was dead, killed for his crimes.

Ginny, as she stared into Draco's face, was once again reminded that the Malfoy family had literally fallen apart during the war and the Weasley's had survived. He ran his hand through his hair, completely different than Harry Potter, which reminded Ginny why she had been attracted to Draco for so many years. He was egotistical, rude, a dick head, a good kisser, and most of all she was a sucker for the fixer uppers. You know, the men women swear they can love enough to fix whatever it was that broke them, it was the reason why Ginny had fallen for Tom Riddle's trap. The elven year old craved attention, something her brothers were refusing to give her, and Tim Riddle knew the exact strings to play. It was sick really, the thoughts often made Ginny physically ill.

"Stop." He said, his voice pulling Ginny out of her trance. Her face was turning white, her eyes had gone unfocused, and Draco knew Tom Riddle was lurking inside her head again. At first, she had refused to tell him of the traumatic things Tom had done to her, but finally, after six months of sleeping with each other she had blurted it out. They had called out sick the next day after staying up to see the sun rise, it was then Draco had gotten to see a glimpse of the real Ginny Weasley. Not just the brave sixteen year old who spat in Bellatrix Lastrange's face.

"I'm sorry." She said after a long pause, he shook his head.

"I shouldn't have brought it up, touchy subject." He said, his thick English accent pouring over each word. His speech was that of a rich man's, very well educated, very well off, and very well pompous.

"Prat." She muttered, a smirk tugging at her full lips. Draco chuckled as the pair set off towards their office. He always did the best impression of his father, just to make Ginny laugh, he never did understand why the fake Lucius Malfoy tone and speech made her giggle. He made a mental note to ask her one day, as the pair walked away from the gruesome scene. They both were blissfully unware of two blue eyes staring at them, heavy breathing picked up as the figure's anger flourished. One year, four months, three days, and six hours he had waited and there the bitch was walking next to Draco Malfoy. He was furious, moving always from the crowd, he pulled out a Muggle phone and dialed a number. His footsteps echoed off the walls of the alley he had entered as the phone rang.

"Hello?" a voice asked in a soft whisper.

"Malfoy and Weasley are together… again" he growled out.

"Easy baby doll, easy. I'll take care of Malfoy don't you worry baby." The voice cooed before the male figure hung up.

"Stupid cunt." The figure growled out before disappearing on the spot with a small pop.

Ginny and Draco had entered the Ministry of Magic by phone booth, which was too close for Ginny Weasley. Her breasts were pressed up against Draco hard and broad chest, his eyes glancing over the top of her head. The former spy, was nearly a foot and half taller than Ginny's short stature, she clearly had not inherited her father's height. She had taken after her grandmother however, slim and short. Draco had said she was a classic beauty, but that was through slurred words and a drunken haze, she had never really put that much thought into it. She thought she was average, not one for make up or even having the face to wear it. Not like Pansy Parkinson, or was it Crabb now? Pansy had married quickly after school, especially after her public break up with Malfoy. It was something the partners had in common, shitty taste in lovers.

While Draco had always known about Pansy's horrid affairs, Ginny had not known that Golden boy Potter was not a saint, but a sinner. Ginny had arrived at Harry's flat the night of August 11th, it was her birthday and the pair had been planning a night in. What Ginny walked into was anything but that, her hand had never left the front door knob when she spotted the couple. Tan bodies were tangled together, long blonde hair and sickening high voice automatically informed Ginny who the women was. Alice Clearwater, the stupid slag, had her legs wrapped around Harry's head, as her arms were wrapped around his waist. Ginny had never seen Alice's face, it was too busy being in Harry's lap, and the blonde bitch hadn't even bothered to stop when Harry spoke.

"Ginny," he said breathlessly, his face covered in a slick film. His green eyes, always warm and inviting, were shocked and frozen in disbelief. Alice had actually had the nerve to ask why he had stopped, though muffled by Harry's prize.

She hadn't uttered a word, just left, there really wasn't much to say. She had gone home, magically sealed her flat, and crawled into bed. A week later, her eldest brother, Bill, managed to break the seals, it was part his job she should have known he'd be the one to do it. She had been sitting on the couch, pictures ripped up and partly burned were lying on the floor. She hadn't said a word till her mother arrived, the elder women cooed at Ginny. Telling her it was a mistake and that Harry had been drugged somehow. It was the second time Ginny had exploded at her mother, the first being right after the Riddle fiasco.

She was busy ranting when Draco came in, his taunting remark set Ginny's fire a blaze. She hit him in the chest and kept hitting him, Draco just let her with a bored look on his face. Finally the youngest Weasley had burnt herself out, Draco's strong arms caught her as she slummed partly to the floor.

"Now than. You need to shower and put clothes on, we got work to do." Draco said firmly, reminding Ginny of her father momentarily. The scene had been very odd to the Weasley clan, but Draco ignored them as he shoved Ginny into her bathroom. Later on, Bill had informed her of the conversation the feuding clans had. Draco had informed Molly Weasley that her hopeful son-in-law had been cheating for months and that it wasn't a drunken mistake. He was polite to the matriarch of the Weasley family, for which Ginny was grateful, Draco could be a dick around people.

Since than the Weasley family had become polite and even nice to Draco Malfoy. It took Ron a lot longer, he hadn't taken Harry's side, and he had in fact beaten his best friend up. Ron had been furious the fourth day Ginny refused to speak to anyone, the papers had finally gotten the story out of Alice, and Ron went on a rampage. Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom had to pull Ron off of Harry, the red headed man was beat red in the face and screaming curses at the top of his voice. Harry just sat on the ground, a defeated man. Draco had shoved Ron and Neville out of the Auror office and sneer at Potter, his rich tone back in place.

"Golden boy Potter. Heavy hangs the head that yesterday wore the crown." Malfoy sneered down at Potter before walking to the exit.

"Hope the cunt was good Potter, you fucked up." Draco said, his cool demeanor returning. He had slammed the door in his wake and met Weasley and Longbottom outside in the hall.

Ron refused to tell Ginny was what said, but Neville had been more than willing to tell her. Ron and Malfoy had been on assignment together, it took them two days to hunt down a lesser known Death Eater. Ron had lost his cool when the man brought Ginny's name up, Draco had pulled Ron off of another person that week. When question on why their prisoner was beaten up, Draco had lied smoothly, not once letting on Ron had actually don the deed. So there in the hallway made of black marble, Ron Weasley stuck his hand out to Draco Malfoy.

"Thank you." Ron said, almost sheepishly.

"For?" Draco asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Doing that back there and….." Draco shook his head.

"My father almost killed your sister, than you sister saved my ass from getting fired or worse. Besides that fucker deserved it. Ginny Weasley…. Well she's alright." Draco said honestly.

Neville, Ron and Draco had gone to lunch that day, the three men hashed old wounds and told stories about the war. It was weird for Ginny to come back to work with Ron saying hello to her partner, Draco just shrugged it off as Ginny looked at him confused. Her first day back into the office had prompted her to speak with Neville, it was that afternoon she heard that story. The story of Harry Potter being beaten up by Ron Weasley. The thought made her giggle, causing present day Draco to look down at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Golden boy." Was all Ginny said, as she walked out of the phone booth into a black lobby. The Ministry of Magic hadn't exactly changed much since the war, well at least in looks. The black marbled lobby was still the same, the statue in the middle of it changed however, now stood a statue of a group of beings. Three humans stood holding hands with a werewolf, a goblin, a house elf, and a giant.

There on the bottom of the gold statue was a line written in French, despite not know how to exactly read French, Ginny knew exactly what those words meant.

Bare witness to our unity. For our differences are many but our friendship stands strong.

Ginny scoffed at one of the human beings, the threesome looked like Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ginny always thought statue Harry's nose was crooked, it served him right really. The house elf had a sock hanging on his ear, which brought a warm smile to Ginny's face. Dobby, the free house elf, had not survived the war. But his sacrifices had been celebrated after the war so too were many other house elfs. Remus Lupin's likeness smiled down at her, causing Ginny's heart to lurch. She missed her professor, he had been the one to teach her the pride in herself again. He had been aware of what she had done her first year at Hogwarts, but none the less he was kind to her. Never cross and always willing to listen, it was he she ran to at night. Those nights when Tom Riddle's hand wrapped around her neck, yes she did indeed miss Remus Lupin.

"He was my favorite teacher." Draco said, looking at statue Remus's face for a moment.

"He was the only qualified one." Ginny said, earning a deep chuckle.

"Snape was qualified, but shit at it." Draco said, as the pair set off again.

"How is he doing by the way?" Ginny asked softly, Draco's eyes glazed over a bit. Severus Snape had spent a year in the hospital, the snake bite had pumped him full of venom that caused the bitten to suffer the same sort of pain one would receive if they had been given the Cruciatus curse. Snape had been found by Luna Lovegood, which was lucky for him, she had read a book about snake bites and quickly set into action the plan that would save Severus Snape's life. That plan did not, however, relive him of the pain. For the past two years, Severus Snape has been using a wheelchair, the doctors think the venom robbed him of his ability to walk. He was always in pain and still, as usual, very grumpy.

"He's…. Snape." Draco said. There really wasn't much to tell, the former Head Master and spy was still his surly self, maybe a bit more doped up. Snape had been cleared of all charges after Draco, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and McGonagall all spoke for him during his trial. Since then, the surly man was living at Malfoy Manor with Draco's mothers in the West wing of the house. The pair were school mates and had gotten on fine, both certainly fine with living outside of the spot light.

"And your mum?" Ginny asked, the elevator moved down.

"The prophet got a picture of her recently, dragged up the scar. She went to the hospital last night, panic attack. They sent her home." Draco said, showing the first signs of tiredness.

"I'm so sorry." Ginny said, her voice oddly pitiful. She felt bad for blowing up at him and leaving him alone to deal with Narcissa Malfoy. Ginny had met her once for lunch, she surprised the pair at a restaurant, and it was one of the few times Narcissa was rarely in public anymore. Ginny invited her to sit, which warmed Draco's heart, not many women would have spoken to Narcissa Malfoy. Despite Narcissa's semi hermit life these days, she still struck fear in to certain people's hearts. She did after all survive an attack for Yaxely and kill her own sister.

Ginny had never confessed to Draco what Narcissa Malfoy had told her, before taking off towards her husband's dead body. Narcissa had thanked her, something that really didn't need explaining. It was well known Lucius was a cruel man, Ginny had been on the other side of his cruelty, and she could only imagen that things he had put his family through. On more than one occasion, Ginny had spied bruises on Draco, she overheard him lie to Blaise Zambini about them, but she knew better. She had witnessed the strike with the cane, just hours before, it was something neither person brought up. Ginny would take Narcissa's thank you to the grave, she had never mentioned it to the press, Potter, or her family.

She had apologized to Draco though, drunkenly of course, he had just kissed her and started another round of passionate sex. She never brought up his father again, at least till last night, another wave of guilt crashed into Ginny as the elevator hit their floor. The pair entered the Auror office in silence, they hung up their cloaks and sat at their desks. Ginny sat with one foot on the chair and the other swinging near the floor. She was still in her black sleeping pants and blue sleeping shirt, it was a faded Ravenclaw shirt, which struck Draco as odd.

"What you wearing that for?" He asked, nodding to the shirt.

"Huh?" Ginny asked, then looking down.

"Oh! Luna had it made for me, the year after the Battle. It has me last name on the back, she said I was an honorary Ravenclaw. I gave her one of my quidditch jersey's on her birthday that year." Ginny replied, shuffling through files.

"You two are weird." Draco said, rolling his sleeves up. Ginny's eyes momentarily lingered on the angry pink scar on his right forearm. The slashed skin no longer bothered her, she had seen and kissed it many times, but the story behind it still did. Draco had tried to cut out his Dark Mark, only to realize he couldn't. He was forever branded with the skull and snake of his father and master, Ginny's eye flicked through a file, and Draco leaned back in his chair before closing his eyes.

The door shut loudly and suddenly Ginny wanted to hurt something. Alice Clearwater, in a red shirt and black leather pants walked in with a swagger that was unbecoming. Her narrow hips swayed with more than just natural movement. Ginny, even under torture from fucking Bellatrix, would never ever admit she was jealous of Alice Clearwater. Alice Clearwater looked like a super model, her high cheek bones could cut a leaf, and her lean, flat, tummy was always peeking from under her tops. She didn't have extra weight around her breast or ass like Ginny did, or the soft layer over her mid-section. Ginny Weasley wasn't fat or ill proportioned, she just wasn't super model type. Alice Clearwater stood at 5'8, while Ginny was pushing 5'1. Alice was also blonde, Ginny who had always been teased about her hair color envied blonde girls. She loved the color of their hair and how sometimes it changed shades, hers always remained red.

"Draco." Alice announced merrily, Ginny narrowed her eyes, but didn't look up from her files.

"What Clearwater?" Draco asked, his eyes flickering to Ginny, than closing his eyes again.

"The Minister wanted me to give you this." Alice said sweetly. Ginny's irritation was growing, while it was probably unfair to blame Alice entirely for her break up, she still would not let the bitch off that easily.

The Golden couple, as Ginny and Harry had been dubbed in the papers, had been having problems well before Clearwater had sunk her fake nails into Harry's back. Ginny had made the mistake in thinking Harry would settle down after the war, she was wrong. He almost basked in the glory and even got to skip training to be an Auror, the department cited field experience as the reasoning. So while Ginny was busting her ass in training, like the rest of the new Aurors, Harry and Ron ran off and played hero again. It was when the trials started that the problems actually started, Ginny had been called to testify against the dead Lucius Malfoy, to tie up loose ends Harry had told her. He was wrong, defense counsels tried to say she murdered Malfoy to get back at him. They pulled memories from the Battle and from that school year, her dirty secret finally came out. It wasn't a surprise about the Chamber, the court had been informed during a closed session, but they were not informed how much Ginny had done during the school year. Almost a hundred and forty detentions had accrued under her name, she still currently holds the title of "Most detentions in a single schools year". The Carrows had used her a torture dummy for other students, in one particularly emotional memory Neville Longbottom was forced to turn his ward against the small girl he called "Captain".

The Weasley family, Harry, Hermione, and everyone else had sat stunned, even the defense was quiet. Ginny stood, shakily, and informed the defense that her memories proved exactly why Lucius Malfoy had to die. Not because she hated him, which was true, but because as long as he lived Voldemort's power would never go away. Ginny left the room, ran down the hall and threw up in the bathroom. She sobbed in the stall, no one daring to come near her. When she finally got home that night, she was drunk and in a right mood. Harry had picked a fight and the relationship spiraled downhill, but that did not give Alice the right to blow her boyfriend. Draco tossed the file on Ginny's desk, snapping her back into the present.

"What?" Ginny said, dazed and confused. Alice had departed and was sitting at her desk, tossing Ginny a glare.

"Clearwater gave that to me to give to you." Draco said, his eyes scanning the pages in front of him. Ginny was silent, she opened the file, and sighed. Seventeen, the dead girl was seventeen years old. Ginny remembered when she had turned seventeen, she moved out of her parents' home and started a life for herself. As her hazel eyes scanned the pages, Ginny tried to imagen what this girl would have been doing with her life. The girl was a half blood, not that it really mattered, from a middle class working family. Her father worked four floors down from them and her mother worked in a shop in Hogsmade.

"What's the date?" Draco asked, as Ginny putt he file down.

"March 20th, why?" she asked.

"Greg's birthday." Draco so said softly, his voice low enough for only her ears. Gregory Andrew Goyle was not the type of person who wanted to meet in a dark alley way. Voldemort knew that, he had often sent the seventeen year old out on missions to threaten people. He had kidnapped Luna, her father, and Olivander the wand maker.

"Fancy a drink tonight then?" Ginny asked, switching which foot was on her chair now. Draco hated celebrating alone, the birthday boy would not be in attendance. Goyle was buried next to his father on their family soil, a sad story really. There really hadn't been an actual body, Goyle had been killed in a fire he had set himself, and the family had buried an empty casket. Draco and Blaise would still get together and celebrate such events, even if those being celebrated were dead. It was this strange ritual where Ginny had found out more about Blaise Zambini. The only child of the famous black widow, Scarlett Zambini, Blaise was amusing and flirtatious. He had done wonders for Ginny's confidence, even if he would sleep with any female remotely attractive. He was a handsome man of light caramel skin, his green eyes always stuck out, and it was easy to see why women literally fell into bed with him. He had a tongue like a snake and was as charming as Tom Riddle.

"Blaise is meeting me at 6 in Hogshead." Draco said leaning back into his chair again. Ginny dropped her foot and swung her legs back and forth above the ground.

"Greg's favorite watering hole than?" Ginny asked.

"No he hated it. But we used to force him there and he'd still get piss drunk." Draco said with smirk of remembrance.

"Alright." Ginny said, her eyes scanning the papers in front of her.

Draco stomach growled, peaking at the clock, he noted it was almost lunch time at the office. His foot hooked around Ginny's feet, gaining her attention.

"Let's get take out." He suggested, unhooking his foot and standing. Ginny huffed out and gathered her files before following him. The pair stopped by their usual Muggle Chinese food shop before discreetly slipping into her flat. Pair sat on her couch, eating silently, looking over their files. He set down his carton of Kung Pow chicken, and rubbed his face.

"Go get a shower, you left clothes here the last time. I washed them." Ginny said without looking up. He was tired, she knew that, with his mother's hospital visit, her tantrum and work, he was probably very much over the current day.

"Only if you are joining." He replied cockily. He was exhausted, all he wanted to do was climb into a bed and sleep for days on end. Ginny scoffed at him, but set her work down. Her hazel eyes roamed his face, taking in the details. He had light gray bag under his eyes, he hadn't shaved that morning so the stubble was coming in, and his skin was dull and lifeless.

"Nap." Ginny said thoughtfully. Draco smiled and kissed her temple, something he had started doing two months ago. Once he climbed into Ginny's large bed, she stretched out on the couch, it was a short time later she heard his soft snores. An hour later, Ginny's eyes began to drop, her head bobbed before she gave up. She sent Neville a note that the pair was out for the rest of the day and shuffled over to her bed. Slipping her pants of, Ginny slid in next to Draco's warm body, and dozed off.

The combined snores and breath was the only thing herd in the flat. They had been pulling shifts with less than five hours for the last month, Ginny hadn't seen bags under her eyes since Yaxely was caught. The case currently plaguing the entire department was at a standstill, even with a new victim. It was awful to think that with each new victim their chances of catching the killer increased, but in typical cases such as this it was true. Only problem is in this case it wasn't true, nothing had been found. Each women was around twenty, the oldest being on the cusp of twenty one. This last one, Meri Roberts, was the youngest and like those before her, her once beautiful blonde hair was shabbily dyed.

Draco's arms wrapped around Ginny's waist and pulled her closer to him. His eyes fluttered open to rest on the crown of her head, he had awoken when she slipped in beside him, a terrible habit from the war. He kept his breathing as even as he could, his chest raising and falling against her back. He was worried, she knew that, but she didn't know how worried he was. At first he thought the dye jobs were the girl's doing, but after the third girl he knew better. The shade was getting dark and darker, this time it was three shades lighter than Ginny's. Each girl had been young too, which also made him suspicious.

Ron Weasley had cornered him that morning, demanding to know details about the case and why Ginny was still on it. While the pair weren't best friends or drinking buddies, they held a new mutual respect for one another. Draco told him Ginny had gotten mad at him for suggesting she was a target, omitting their secret relationship or fling. Draco was not keen on Ron Weasley knowing he was sleeping with his baby sister, or anyone knowing for that fact. He liked Ginny, even since his sixth year at Hogwarts, but people close to him got hurt or worse. It had become a fact of his life really, he pressed his face into Ginny's hair taking in her perfume.

If Draco had looked up just slightly above Ginny's head, he would have seen a vase full of dead and dried white roses, they had yellowed slightly with age, but their owner loved them the same. It had been the same bouquet Draco had sent her Valentine's Day, something he had never done for anyone else except his mother. Ginny had lied to people at the office about it, but was unable to fool Neville Longbottom, perhaps it was because Draco had asked him what Ginny's favorite flower was. After a dinner and night of dancing in Muggle London, Ginny had returned to her flat and placed the flowers in a vase. Many of Draco's gifts were things she kept and refused to throw them out, she almost hexed Ron for even thinking about tossing the flowers.

The sleeping couple was unaware how much the other meant to them, neither really seeing it. But, like so many in the war each had lost something, only starting to find it again. Years later, as Ginny told her seven year old stories about the Red Kraver case, the strawberry blonde boy would innocently ask how she caught him. Like she had with her other three children, Ginny would laugh a point to the blonde male hidden behind a newspaper, and like his elder siblings the boy would giggle, which prompted his father to peak around the paper, causing even more laughter.