Full Summary: A spell gone wrong sends Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy back to Hogwarts and into their sixteen year old bodies. While struggling to trust each other enough to find a way back, they must deal with their own moral issues. Can they stop the war before the people they love die or are they fated to watch their history repeat itself.

Pairing/s: Draco/Ginny, slight Ron/Hermione

A/N: don't own don't sue

The lyrics at the beginning are from Stand by 'Rascal Flatts'

Chapter One

You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless
Like you've lost your fight
But you'll be alright, you'll be alright
'Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you break
'Cause its all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand
Life's like a novel
With the end ripped out
The edge of a canyon
With only one way down
Take what you're given before its gone
Start holding on, keep holding on
'Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend till you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand
Every time you get up
And get back in the race
One more small piece of you
Starts to fall into place
'Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend, till you break
'Cause its all you can take
On your knees you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad you get strong
Wipe your hands shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

"Do you remember what we used to be like?" Hermione sighed, scrunching up her face unhappily and throwing her to-small dress across the room.

She frowned down at her engorged stomach, running a hand over her bump thoughtfully. Ginny, who was sprawled across Hermione and Ron's double bed flicking through a magazine, glanced up at her friend with an amused look in her eye.

"You've only been pregnant for seven months, Hermione. It's not that long."

Hermione waved a hand and shook her curly head, turning back to her wardrobe and rifling through looking for a different dress. It was Hermione and Ron's anniversary dinner in less than two hours and she still couldn't find what to wear, the new dress she'd bought last week was already too tight. She had a sneaking suspicion that she was carrying twins.

"I meant our school years. Back when I could fit into something slightly smaller than a circus tent."

Ginny laughed and rolled off the bed, standing besides Hermione and peering into the wardrobe mirror. Despite the pregnant bulge of her stomach Hermione was still slender but besides Ginny she felt excessively frumpy. Ginny was one of those beautiful women that all other women wanted to hate, the kind of beauty that didn't need any make up or styling. Her silky crimson locks were pulled back in a long ponytail leaving a partial fringe and curled tendrils drifting into her eyes. She was luckier than Ron, Hermione mused, who had gotten eyelashes that matched his hair. Ginny's were long, thick and inky black around her blue-green eyes.

"You're staring at me." Ginny muttered uncomfortably, turning away from the mirror and digging into the closet.

Hermione shook herself and took the dress Ginny offered her. It was floor-length so it would hide her fat ankles she noted ruefully. It was a dark bronze silky material that would bring out the highlights in her hair and make her brown eyes shine. This was exactly why she had asked Ginny to come over.

"What are you wearing?" Hermione called over her shoulder as she headed for the en suite bathroom to get changed.

Ginny shrugged and wandered around the big bedroom absently. It was a bewildering mix of both Ron and Hermione's juxtaposing tastes. The room was every shade of beige but Ron's Quidditch uniform was slung over a chair by the window and there was a bookshelf next to Hermione's side of the bed that was crammed full of books. A big framed picture of the trio was on the wall waving at her happily and next to it was a collection of both families. Above the bed was a large portrait of Ron and Hermione on their wedding day painted by Luna. Both Ron and Hermione had their own study rooms but Ron's briefcase and papers were all over the vanity table amongst Hermione's neatly arranged perfume bottles and lotions.

"Already sorted."

Hermione emerged from the bathroom and headed over to the vanity table to start on her make up. She glanced at the little silver clock to her left.

"He's going to be late."

Ginny grinned and looked at her watch.

"He'll be here." She reached down and kissed Hermione's cheek. "I better go get ready."

Ginny Disapparated and Hermione turned back to face the mirror. She squinted at the crow's feet beginning to form around her eyes. She had laughter lines around her mouth too, a result of living with Ron. Hermione sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"Oh to be young again."

Ginny made herself a bagel and poured herself a glass of wine before she went to get ready, eating it standing at the kitchen counter and reading the night edition of the Daily Prophet. Draco Malfoy was on the front cover, having been dumped by his wife for the new Minister For Magic leaving a very unhappy cuckolded witch with four kids and a thoroughly embarrassed Malfoy.

Ginny flipped past the story until she reached her horoscope at the back. She always read it even if she didn't quite believe in it. Habit.

She rinsed out her plate and headed into her bedroom to get changed. She tapped her radio as she stripped out of her work clothes. She had bought a silky silvery skirt that twirled around her knees and clung to her hips. She had just slipped on a black fitted top that bared her back when her doorbell rang.

It was Harry ready to escort her to the restaurant where the anniversary dinner was being held. He looked handsome in his navy blue suit and he was very cheerful when she answered the door.

"What are you so happy about?" She laughed as he kissed her cheek and walked straight past her into the kitchen.

"I have a date." He announced cheerfully, scavenging her half-finished bottle of wine out of the fridge and pouring himself a glass.

"Anyone we know?" Ginny called through her open bedroom door as she hurriedly applied some mascara.

"I hope not." Harry called back, the rustling pages telling her that he was reading her paper. "She's French. Never heard of me."

Ginny, who had been attaching her favourite diamond drops to her ears, snorted and leaned her head around the door to look at him.

"Is she old enough to drink?"

Harry frowned at her and sipped his wine, waving one hand around airily.

"Of course she is. For a whole two years."

Ginny shook her head and retreated back into her room to do something with her hair. In the end it was as unruly as ever and she settled for pinning half of it back from her face with two jewelled clips.

"Is my purse out there?"

Several loud noises and some alarming bumps and thuds followed her question and once she'd found her patent black skyscraper heels she headed into the living room to find the source of it. Harry was in a heap with someone on her living room floor and the fire was roaring. When the two figures had separated she managed to discern Seamus Finnigan. He waved at Ginny but was busy coughing from a kick he'd taken to the solar plexus.

"What are you doing on my floor?" She demanded with her hands on her hips, trying very hard not to laugh when the two of them looked contritely down at their feet.

"I was looking for Harry." Seamus finally offered.

Ginny held up her hands and shook her head. She really didn't want to know.

The restaurant was packed with Weasleys by the time the three of them got there and Ginny was almost instantly enveloped in hugs from her brothers and their various wives. Once the rowdy greetings had settled Ginny took her seat at one of the smaller tables surrounding the big one Ron and Hermione were at. Luna was besides her and they spent the first two courses catching up. Ginny was on her way to the bathroom when she spotted Draco Malfoy at a distant table. He was eating alone and there was a strange air around him. He didn't look sorry for himself, or indeed as if he even wanted company, but Ginny felt something in her stomach twist. She knew what it was like to be on the outside.

Before she'd even realised what she was doing she'd re-directed her steps to pass by the alcove where he was sitting.

"Hello, Malfoy." She offered tentatively, wondering if he'd even recognise her.

He didn't seem to for a long moment, then he put down his fork and looked straight at her. His piercing eyes were the same silver as her skirt. They shot right through her and she swallowed.

"Weasley."

That was quite polite for a Malfoy, she mused. He glanced around her at the cluster of tables where the Weasleys and friends were attracting a lot of attention with their rowdy antics.

"Reunion?"

Ginny shook her head and moved closer. He watched her approaching with a strange look in his eye, then indicated for her to take the empty seat opposite him. She slid into the chair after a moment's hesitation. He looked tired. His blond locks kept slipping over his forehead and into his eyes as he ate.

"Ron and Hermione's anniversary."

He lifted his eyebrows but didn't comment. Ginny was about to enquire about how he was coping when Seamus and Dean Thomas came barrelling around the corner. They stopped dead at the sight of the two of them. The argument that ensued was reminiscent of the war and Ginny hung her head in shame. It got to the point where the restaurant's security staff had to intervene. Wands were being drawn and there were flashes of light but Ginny realized that it was fading. Something was happening. When she looked down she was startled to see that her body was glowing. Something had happened to the table they were sitting at because Draco was glowing too. They exchanged a startled look as the glow increased. It grew to such a brightness that Ginny had to shield her eyes. Her body was vibrating and a terrible noise was wailing in her ears.

Then it all stopped.

"Ginny?"

Ginny blinked. Her eyes were hurting from the brightness and she squinted. Hermione was peering at her with concern in her brown eyes. She reached out and touched Ginny's cheek.

"You're hot. Are you feeling okay?"

Ginny shook her head and tried to get up but Hermione pushed her back down. Ginny glanced around but there was no one but Hermione near her.

"Where is everyone?"

Hermione gave her a strange look and the concern returned to her face.

"They're at the match, Ginny. Where else would they be?"

Ginny jerked but there was no trace of humour in Hermione's face. She wasn't that good an actress and this wasn't the kind of thing she'd find funny. Ginny's gaze drifted over Hermione's shoulder and she scanned the space they were in. They were on a bench hidden in a deep alcove on one of the corridors. If memory served her correctly this was one of the corridors in the East Wing. Horror washed over her and she leaped to her feet, almost knocked Hermione who had been kneeling in front of her over.

"Oh my God." Ginny wailed.

She raced over and pressed her hands against the stone wall of the corridor. It certainly felt cold and damp, it hummed slightly with the magic of Hogwarts. This could not be happening. Ginny turned to Hermione, who was staring at her as if she'd lost her mind, and caught sight of her reflection in the window behind the bench. A sixteen year old girl stared back at her in amazement. Her hair was in two long messy plaits over her shoulders, her shirt was rolled up at the sleeves because it was one of Percy's old ones and she had an ink smudge on her freckled cheekbone.

"Hermione." Ginny said shakily, putting one hand against the wall to steady herself. The brunette came closer towards her, looking slightly nervous. "This is going to sound insane but please, just go with me." Hermione was completely baffled but she nodded nonetheless. "What year am I in? How old am I?"

Hermione wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"You're nearly sixteen. You're in your fifth year at Hogwarts, Ginny."

Ginny uttered something between a shriek and a groan and whirled around, taking off down the corridor towards Gryffindor Tower. She passed very few people on her way but some of them greeted her, not looking the least bit surprised to see her racing through the corridors.

"Not happening." Ginny kept muttering over and over again. "Not happening. Can't be happening. Even magic can't do this. Not this."

She wasn't nearly as out of breath as she should have been by the time she reached the portrait. The Fat Lady gave her a long considering look, suspicion darkening her painted gaze.

"Password, young lady?"

Ginny shook her head and the Fat Lady sniffed, looking down her nose at the redhead. Before Ginny could argue the portrait swung open and a couple of first years tumbled out giddily, clearly heading for the Quidditch pitch with their Gryffindor scarves around their noses against the cold. Ginny darted past them and into the Common Room. Her heart leaped at the familiar surroundings. A fire was happily crackling in the fireplace, someone's homework had been discarded on a desk in the corner, someone else's cat was worrying a Gryffindor tie that had been draped over the arm of a chair. Crookshanks bounded down from the girl's dormitory and settled into a spot before the fire.

Ginny weaved her way through the mass of chairs and objects and flung herself up the stairs. She reached the fifth year dormitory and threw open the door. Aurora Kent was apparently on her way out of the door and she screeched and fell backwards at Ginny's abrupt arrival.

"Ginny!"

Ginny just stared at her. Aurora had been killed in the battle for Hogwarts. She'd only been sixteen. Ginny briefly forgot her predicament and simply stared at her friend. Her long blonde hair was bound up in a big neat bun at the back of her head and her blue eyes were concerned behind her snazzy orange glasses. She had a woolly hat in her hand and a pair of mittens on. She must have forgotten them. Ginny felt tears in her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her friend, squeezing her tightly.

"I love you too, Gin. But I also saw you half an hour ago at dinner. And I'm late for the match." Aurora extricated herself from Ginny's grip and tugged her hat on over her hair. It was gaudily striped in all different colours of the rainbow. "It's going to be good, there's a bet going round about whether Michael Corner can knock Zacharias Smith off his broom or not. I hope he does. The little troll tried to put his hand up my skirt yesterday. Tried to pretend he'd tripped."

Ginny laughed but Aurora had already passed her and was on her way to the pitch. Ginny dickered about going after her but instead she headed into the now empty room. It was all here. Her whole life. The complete chapter that she'd closed years ago. Her cloak was draped over her trunk. A vase of tulips was on her bedside table, shedding petals onto an open book. She brushed them away so she could see the title. Grimm's Fairytales. Her school robes had been dumped on her bed. It must be Friday. Her table was littered with hair ties, pencils, beads from a broken bracelet. It was all here. Pictures of her family were tacked above her bed. As she watched the twins chased Percy across one of the pictures with a gnome under their entwined arms. Her stomach clenched at the sight of the twins.

She closed her eyes and leant against the post of her bed. She couldn't watch all this again. Her family torn to shreds, her friends giving their lives. She couldn't. What could she do? She only knew when things would happen, certain days that had been seared into her memory. She felt so helpless. So completely unable to deal with the enormity of what this could mean. Could she even change anything? Was she doomed to just repeat what had already happened?

Hermione's hand touched her shoulder and Ginny flinched. The brunette's eyes were dark with worry and her face was very pale. Ginny took a deep breath and pulled herself together, hitching a wavery smile onto her face.

"I think I just have a headache. Maybe I'll lie down for a while."

Hermione seemed relieved and she nodded vigorously, removing Ginny's clothes from her bed and smoothing down the covers. Ginny obediently lay down.

"If you don't feel better maybe you should go to Madam Pomfrey." Hermione fretted, busy pouring out a glass of water for her.

Ginny reassured Hermione and insisted that resting was the cure. Hermione kept casting doubtful looks at the redhead and tugging on a stray curl nervously. Eventually, however, she left. Ginny waited a good ten minutes, long enough for Hermione to get to the Entrance Hall at least, before she jumped up and headed out. The Fat Lady called something after her but Ginny was in too much of a rush to hear. She walked as quickly as she could without drawing any unwanted attention, weaving her way down towards the dungeons. Once she got into the dark creepy corridors, though, she was at a loss. She'd never been to the Slytherin Common Room before and even the Slytherins would be at the Quidditch match.

She hovered around for a while, wandering up and down the corridors and racking her brain trying to remember if she'd even seen the Slytherins emerge from a dead end somewhere.

"Weasley."

To her credit she didn't jump when he emerged in front of her out of nowhere, but that might have been because she was too exhausted for surprise. Draco Malfoy stood before her. Compared to the tired, weary man she'd lat seen, he looked pretty good. She had never noticed how broad his shoulders were under his jumper. His hair was slicked back exposing the perfect cheekbones, the long Greek nose and his startling silver eyes. A smug look came into his eyes when saw her studying him and she flushed irritably.

"What are you smiling about?" She demanded nastily, choosing to take her fear out on him. Being a moody teenager was like riding a bike really.

A pleasant grin had fixed itself to his face and he simply lifted his eyebrows at her, his arms crossed over his chest. Ginny did not miss the ripple of muscles that flashed before her.

"You were staring at me." He told her coolly, appraising her lightly until she scowled at him. "Not that I blame you."

"Don't flatter yourself." She sneered, digging out the quelling look she used for unwanted drunken wizards in bars.

They glowered at each other for a while before footsteps forced them into action. Draco grabbed hold of Ginny, waved his wand at a nearby door and whisked her through it in one complete series of graceful movements. Ginny found herself in a broom closet, her foot stuck in a wooden bucket, her elbow jammed into a box of spare quills and her nose against Draco's chest.

"What are you doing?" She demanded as haughtily as she could manage in her current state.

He gave her a withering look and took a miniscule step back until he was against the door. She tried to glare at him but he couldn't resist grinning at the strange picture she made, her hair sticking up in all directions and her tie all askew.

"Taking the initiative." He told her flatly as she extricated herself from the various boxes and tried to straighten herself out a little. "Detention is not something I particularly want to relive."

She muttered something under her breath but he ignored it, leaning against the door and listening. Whoever was outside had apparently stopped for a good old natter with somebody else. Giggling touched his ears and he grimaced. Bloody women. Merlin knows how long they'd be stuck in here. Ginny had her arms folded when he turned around, her long fingers were tapping against her bare freckled arms. There was a strange look in her eye.

"Alright there, Weasley?"

She shot him a venomous look but didn't reply, her eyes were bright and feverish and they darted ceaselessly around the tiny room.

"Surely it can't be that bad being trapped in close proximity with me?" He was only half joking and she smiled despite herself.

"I'm claustrophobic." She admitted finally, grabbing the bucket and turning it upside down so she could sit down.

He didn't comment, which surprised her. Instead he sighed and let his head fall back against the door.

"How did this happen?"

He wasn't really asking her, just voicing the elephant in the room. Ginny shrugged even though he wasn't looking at her, pulling one of her long braids over her shoulder and fiddling with the end of it.

"Do you think we'll be stuck like this?"

He did look at her then, a long considering look with those deep unfathomable eyes. Ginny squirmed on her bucket, realising that this was probably one of the worst times he could have been landed in. This was right before everything started to go very wrong, the flame to the bonfire so to speak. She let out an involuntary giggle and he frowned at her, a little line creasing the space between his brows.

"I hope our sixteen year old selves aren't in our thirty-year old bodies." She explained, pulling her face at the idea of it.

Draco winced. He had not been particularly pleasant at sixteen. The ghost of a smile crossed his lips and Ginny blinked. She had never imagined with Draco Malfoy would look like with a smile. It had always been a sneer or a snarl or a smirk of something equally unpleasant and filled with malice. It came as quite a shock to see how attractive he looked with the merest hint of a smile. Ginny realised that he was speaking to her again.

"We should be alright now."

He was pulling open the door and Ginny had to get quickly to her feet as he backed up, the space between them becoming smaller and smaller. To make room for the door he had practically stand on top of her and she caught the barest hint of something woodsy like pine but sharper and with a hint of spicy bite. His aftershave must be expensive to smell that delicious, she mused as they crept out of the room. A Hufflepuff was passing by, a second year maybe from the size of her, and she gaped at the sight of Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy emerging from the same broom cupboard looking dishevelled. Draco gave her one of his "looks" and she took off down the corridor back the way she had come.

"Nice scouting there, Sherlock." Ginny mocked, watching the girl beating a hasty retreat down the corridor. "We're lucky no one saw us."

He stuck his tongue out at her and Ginny was so surprised that she burst out laughing. Draco looked bewildered by her amusement and simply stood there looking chagrined and slightly annoyed. When she'd finally stopped laughing they stared at each other again.

"We're going to have to find a way out of this." He said thoughtfully.

Ginny sobered as the enormity of it hit her. This was some very powerful magic, and she had no idea how to find out how this had happened. It would be dangerous to try a counter spell without knowing what they were countering first. The person she would usually have gone straight to for help thought she was currently insane. The only person she could talk to was right here in front of her. They needed help but who would believe them?

"What are we going to do?" She asked him helplessly, feeling overwhelmed and vulnerable.

Noise came suddenly from all around them and Ginny, startled, reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his jumper. It took her a moment to realise that the match must be over already and the students were piling back into Hogwarts out of the bitter cold. She let go of him with a sheepish look.

"Awful jumpy there, aren't you Weasley?"

She gave him and indignant look but that thoroughly amused expression was plastered all over his face again. She was beginning to find it very annoying how amusing he found her.

"Well forgive me, Malfoy, but I don't go hurtling through time and space into my past body every day now do I? Excuse me for being a little rattled."

He seemed to find this funny too because his smile only got bigger. She muttered some of her choicer insults and curses under her breath but the noise was getting closer now and they shouldn't be caught standing together unless one of them was on the end of a nasty curse, anything else would just be suspicious. He took her by the elbow and led her hastily down a couple of winding corridors. He stopped by a rather ugly mural of battlefield littered with dead bodies and murmured something under his breath. The mural shuffled aside irritably and revealed a staircase that wound upwards.

"This will bring you out near the first floor Girl's Bathroom." He told her as he hurried her over the threshold.

"Why do you have a hidden passage to the…"

He waved a hand and gave her a little shove, dismissing her query as the first few students began to emerge into the corridor.

"We'll talk tonight." He whispered before the mural moved back into place and Ginny was staring at the dusty, stitched back of it.

She hastened up the stairs as quickly as she could, slipping out of a hidden niche at the top and emerging into a crowd of Hufflepuffs dissecting the match. The Hospital Wing was in sight and she breathed a sigh of relief, her alibi was sorted at least. She used all the shortcuts she could remember to get back to Gryffindor Tower, hoping to make it back before Hermione could check on her and realise she was gone. She'd rather not have to lie about going to the Hospital Wing, Ron was very prone to overreacting. Still, she thought idly, she could always tell him she'd gone to get something for her cramps. The last time she'd used that as an excuse he'd excused himself from her presence and had been unable to make eye-contact with her for days afterwards. She was grinning at the memory of it when she reached the Fat Lady and the grin slid off her face. Password. Damn.

"Hullo Ginny." Neville said, appearing besides her like a gangly little angel. "Whiffling." He told the Fat Lady absently and she swung open with a derisive sniff.

Ginny could have kissed Neville right there. She managed to ensconce herself on one of the sofas by the fire with him long before the trio made it back to the Tower. He was regaling her with highlights of the match, including Michael Corner knocking Zacharias Smith off his broom by lunging for the Quaffle, when Hermione bustled over and demanded to know how she was.

"I'm fine, Hermione." Ginny assured her, keeping a careful smile on her face as her stomach roiled inside. "Just fine."