Keys, Kisses and Secrets Well Kept for Itsbeenvery

December 13th, 2008

• Title: Keys, Kisses and Secrets Well Kept
  
• Rating: M
  
• Possible Spoilers/Warnings: All correct and accounted for through till Book 7. Excluding one character death and the epilogue in Book 7, obviously.
  
• Author's Notes: This was a challenge for me as I’ve never written a mystery type story before. As it is it’s become a bit Grey’s Anatomy meets Harry Potter so apologies to my giftee if the mystery aspect wasn’t as evident as you wanted it to be ? I tried. Also, like many people in this exchange, I ran out of time and I realise the end is dodgy but if anyone is interested let me know because I think I’ll take my time and edit and really complete this story and post it somewhere…so I apologise to my giftee for the weak ending as well *sigh* If only my plot bunny for this wasn’t so complex…
  
• Summary: Draco returns home from Australia where he had completed his Healer training because his father has caught an unknown disease. And when he gets asked to help Head the research team, he is shocked to see Ginny Weasley is to be his partner…

Keys, Kisses and Secrets Well Kept


Draco Malfoy leant his blonde head against the window of the fastest moving train in England. What he was doing back in this gloomy country (after spending the best part of five years in bright, sunny Australia working as a Healer) temporarily slipped his mind as he stared out over the dark moors and the endless grey sky. He sighed, abruptly remembering the reason for his return and blinking away the tears that threatened to fall every time he thought about it. Controlling himself, he glanced at the other occupants of his carriage. There was an old lady knitting in one corner and a middle aged business man tapping away on those things Muggles always carried to Floo each other on…Mobeel Fones, that's it. Sitting opposite him and gazing out of the window was a very pretty Muggle. Draco smiled at her when he saw her eyes flicker over him appreciatively.

She extended her hand "Hey, my name's Trish."

Her accent was definitely Australian. Draco's smile broadened as he took her deliciously soft hand in his and replied in the signature Malfoy drawl

"Draco, Draco Malfoy. Can I presume you're Australian?"

As the pair chatted about Australia and the places they had in common there, the scenery from the train window gradually changed from fields with speckled houses to tall buildings and the underground tunnels which announced their arrival in London. Draco and Trish exchanged numbers (Draco carefully making up a believable number) as the train slowed and pulled into Kings Cross Station.

"I'll call you then, Draco."

"Thanks, Tash…Trish, I mean" Draco's mind wandered as the curvy girl bent over to retrieve her suitcase from under her seat. She smiled at him as she left the compartment and stepped onto the platform, disappearing into the crowd. Malfoy followed suit, elegantly disembarking the train and scanning the throng of people until his eyes fell on long hair the exact same shade as his.

"Mother." He embraced her briefly but tightly and held her at arm length. "You, at least, seem well. How is Father managing?"

Narcissa smiled up at her son as they began walking to Diagon Alley, the nearest Apparation point. "As well as anyone else, Healer Coors says. Like I have told you in my letters, and no doubt as Christoph explained to you, no-one knows what to expect."

Draco nodded sombrely and furrowed his brow. Head Healer Christoph Pierce had Flooed him weeks ago, begging for his help. Christoph was close friends with Draco's favourite professor at Hogwarts, Severus Snape and it had been he who suggested Christoph enlist Malfoy to head the research team which was to discover the cause and hopefully a cure for a new disease. The same disease Lucius Malfoy was suffering. Mother and son walked in silence as they entered the Leaky Cauldron, nodding at the barman and continuing into the back street which hid Diagon Alley. The two men sitting opposite each other at a dimly lit table in the Leaky Cauldron caught Draco's eye. They were reading different newspapers and discussing the latest headline. The first man's newspaper (The Daily Prophet) stated simply "Three More to Mungo's" and the second man's newspaper (Daily Parchment; owned by Pansy Parkinson no less) headlines bore the words "New Disease May Cause Epidemic." Draco frowned. This proclamation was definitely embellished. When Head Healer Christoph Pierce Flooed him and asked for his help, only six patients had been found with the new symptoms of this disease. Six people in a hospital shouldn't count as an 'epidemic.' Perhaps he was going to have to make a trip to Miss Parkinson's office. Daydreaming of the attractive girl he knew worshipped him at school and what a reunion might involve must have caused his eyes to glaze over as his mother was looking at him with concern.

"I'm afraid that it may be a shock to you to see your father. He…" Narcissa hesitated and then sighed. "He seems to be reverting back to his old ways and everyday more of him is covered with these sores."

Draco nodded. Christoph had explained the main symptoms to him. Firstly, a run-of-the-mill stomach ache, then a feeling of being dehydrated, then the appearance of these green oozing sores and finally a high temperature fever. Not to mention the mental changes.

"Mother," he smiled lopsidedly at her, hoping to ease her worries. "I am a highly qualified Healer. I see sickness everyday."

Narcissa smiled back at him. "I know, Draco dear, but those patients aren't your father. Here, this is the new Apparation point."

As he and his mother turned on the spot, Draco felt the familiar tug in his stomach region and was soon standing in the Malfoy's lavish lounge room. He started at once for his parent's master suite, keen yet at the same time dreading seeing his father again. He heard his mother take a few deep breaths then follow him out of the lounge room, keeping a few steps behind. When Draco reached their room, he placed his hand on the doorknob and closed his eyes, trying to picture the man he left behind. However, the vision that greeted him once he mustered up the courage to enter was less than encouraging. His father had lost so much weight, Draco could see individual ribs, the odd pentagon shaped sores were almost completely covering him - only his face remained untouched. He was pale, but he always had been. Draco smiled crookedly at his father and Lucius nodded to the chair closest to his bed.

"Ah, the prodigal son returns." Lucius rasped. Draco grinned in reply. Narcissa moved to Lucius' side, her eyes filling with tears as he took her hand in his.

"I learnt from the best Father. How are you feeling?"

"Decidedly ill." His father replied. He leant back on the pillows propping him up and sighed. "Christoph has at least been able to contain the disease to my body, so I can stay here without infecting you or my darling." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Will you two ever get over the honeymoon phase?"

"Not if we're lucky." Narcissa replied cheekily, stroking Lucius' face. Draco smiled fondly; this is what he had missed most in Australia: the witty, loving banter of his parents.

"So my boy," Lucius began, "when are you able to start work?"

"Almost at once." Draco replied, hesitating. His father had never approved of his becoming a Healer. Lucius would've preferred him to look after the family business or gone into politics. "I think Christoph is expecting me tomorrow."

"Well, Christoph can wait until you get your things set up in your new office."

"My new office?"

"Of course. I've had it set up opposite mine, assuming I make it through this Merlin forsaken disease. If not, you have to be able to carry on the business by yourself." Narcissa scrunched her face up in preparation of what was to come, both men had terrible tempers and short fuses.

"Father," Draco tried to stay calm. "How many times must we go over this? I don't want to run the family business! I love being a Healer."

Lucius frowned. "Now Draco, I think I have been more than lenient, letting you go to Australia and indulge in this particular fancy of yours. But it's time you stepped up and became the Malfoy you really are."

"Why can't you accept that this is the Malfoy I am? Healing is what I want to do."

"You want to run around after the sick and weak forever?" His father spat. "It's a disgrace to our name!"

"No father, you are a disgrace to our name. You lie here, sick and dying and still you try to project a life on me which I have never wanted. Can't you let me have my own dreams?!"

"What dreams are they Draco? Do you intend to become Head Healer of St Mungo's?" Lucius looked at him scornfully.

"One day, possibly." Draco nodded, his hands clasped in front of him to prevent himself for reaching for his wand. "That is the eventual plan, yes."

"Really?" Lucius cocked his finger, signalling his wife to bend down to him. He whispered in her ear while Draco waited anxiously. Finally, Narcissa straightened and nodded her head.

"Well, then. Draco, your mother and I have come to a conclusion." Draco remained silent. "I have a proposition for you. If you become Head Healer, then I will official resign hope of you entering the family business."

"Oh thank you Father…"

"BUT," Lucius interrupted. "There are two conditions. One, you must become Head Healer by the end of the year." Draco's jaw dropped. "And secondly, you must find a woman, a pureblood mind, who will be willing to marry you within the same time frame."

"What?! That's ridiculous father. I'm only 22 years old…I can't be expected to marry and become Head Healer of Mungo's at this age!"

"Draco, I have given you almost an entire year. By which point you will be 23, three years older than when your mother and I married. It is quite sufficient."

"Mother," Draco appealed. "You can't honestly agree to this."

"Draco darling," His mother came to him and placed a hand to his cheek. "I believe you can do anything."

"This discussion is over." Lucius said, before having a coughing fit and waving Draco away.

Draco swept out of the room and slammed the door behind him. There he turned and rested his forehead on the door.

This is impossible.



Chapter Two

Ginny Weasley's brown eyes scanned the corridors constantly, pausing only to blink or glance at the glass balls which cruised past her. Each ball was colour-coded, depending on the situation which the patient who sent it was in. Luckily the balls floating past her tonight were green and yellow, things that the normal night Healers and nurses could handle, like mild pains and empty water jugs. If an orange or heaven forbid a scarlet ball were to float past, however, Ginny would have to follow it as quickly as she could as her status as the highest ranked Healer on Floor Two dictated her. Healers, nurses and patients alike smiled and nodded at her as her slim, lime-green-clad form sashayed down the corridors. She smiled back but her mind was elsewhere. Three months ago the first patient with pentapox had been brought to St. Mungo's and she was assigned the patient. Five more had been admitted since and there were rumours of some witches and wizards coming down with the disease and refusing to come to the hospital. The six patients currently admitted with pentapox were all technically now her boss, Christoph Pierce's patients but Ginny and the four other top ranking Healers at St Mungo's had full access to their files.

Never before had anything like pentapox been seen in the walls of St Mungo's. The odd, pentagon-shaped, oozing sores were unique themselves, but the really frightening part of the disease was how the patients with more advanced cases of the disease regressed into their memories. It was like they lived their lives all over again, but backwards. The two men who were brought in last week were speaking to the nurses and teasing them when they had to change bandages, perfectly normal. An old woman who was the third person to come down with pentapox was flirting outrageously with the young male Healers as if she was 23, not 64 years old. The first man to be brought in was no longer talking, but stayed in the foetal position, sucking his thumb and crying whenever someone tried to touch him. So far no-one had been able to find a connection between any of the patients. Ginny sighed. She hoped she would be the one to discover what was causing this horrible disease…though her motives for doing so were not as noble as one would think. As Ginny retreated into her mind, her eye was caught by a bright red ball rocketing towards her.

Pulling her wand out from underneath her robe she quickly muttered the reversing spell and darted after the floating ball as it zipped around other Healers and patients. She slid on the highly polished floor when the ball made a sudden turn and Ginny panicked, her worst fears coming true, she had lost sight of a red ball. About to scream for help, Ginny heard someone choking a few doors down. She sprinted to the ward the choking noises were coming out of. There she saw a middle aged woman gasping for air, clawing at her throat. The woman's wavy brown hair was rather sweaty and matted, her curvy form had obviously once been beautiful but the part of this woman's body which captivated Ginny, to the point where she could no longer move, were the woman's eyes. They were bright blue, wide and panicked but at the same time there was cold determination about them and a spark which seemed to speak to Ginny saying 'I will not die, not here.' As Ginny stared at the woman's eyes, she felt someone rudely push her to the side and vaguely saw a figure bend over the patient, examining her throat and eyes quickly, evaluating the situation exactly how Ginny should have, if only she hadn't frozen. When the figure straightened, the light shone on his white-blond hair and Ginny unfroze swiftly.

"Malfoy, what the hell are you doing here?!"

Draco looked up and glared at her. "Saving your patient, Healer. Larynxia Openi-…"

Before Draco could finish the incantation, Ginny grabbed his wand arm and jerked it away from the patient, who was clutching the bed sheets desperately. "You can't use that spell on her, she's had delicate throat work done!" Ginny panted, still holding Draco's arm. He wrenched it away from her and glared even harder.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" He watched as Ginny closed her eyes and placed her hand over the woman's décolleté and breathed out slowly.

"I'm giving her some oxygen," Ginny said calmly, almost musically. "While I try and stop her from getting brain damage from loss of said oxygen, make yourself useful Malfoy and THINK!" She growled the last word at him. Draco ran his fingers through his hair.

"What throat work has she had done?"

"Standard voice box repairing, she'd been tortured so often she'd actually scarred her throat from screaming. She couldn't talk when she got here."

Draco screwed up his face, thinking hard. "Ok ok!" He said, snapping his fingers, "I have it. You have to stand back Healer." Ginny sent him another death stare.

"I'm keeping her alive, I'm not leaving her." All the while she continued her slow breathing, with each breath out she infused the patients lungs with oxygen. Although she wasn't stopping the choking, at least the patient wouldn't die. Then she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"You have to trust me, Ginevra. You have to move away." Slowly, reluctantly, Ginny mover her hand away from the patient and stepped back. As soon as she lost contact with the woman's chest, Draco made rapid wand movements over the woman's throat and whispered incoherent words. Ginny watched as the woman's face gradually got colour back and her eyes began to lose their panicked look. Her chest rose and fell in time with Ginny's own and Draco stepped back from the bed. He turned and smiled at Ginny, the same lopsided smile that had captured a thousand girls' hearts. Ginny felt her own heart beat like crazy and started when a voice came from the doorway.

"Well done, Ginevra, Draco." A man of about 55 stood in the doorway, his brown hair speckled with grey and falling in his eyes; his lime-green robes faded. Draco stepped forward and embraced the man briefly.

"Christoph, it's good to see you."

"And you Draco, you've certainly grown since I saw you last."

Draco laughed. "I should think so."

Christoph shot Ginny a glance. "And you Miss Weasley, excellent job."

"Thank you sir. I was lucky Draco arrived when he did."

"Yes, you two make quite a team. As such, I'm going to make you two head of the Pentapox Advance Research Team." Christoph scanned their faces. Draco was quite impassive, however Ginny seemed about to protest. "Now, I can't make any promises. But I am an old man, my time to leave this place is getting ever closer. I need someone to take over my position as Head Healer and finding a cure for this Pentapox may just have bearing on whom I choose to fill my position."

Ginny and Draco's eyes both lit up with hope and determination.

"No worries, sir. You can count on us." Ginny bowed slightly as the men left the room. Draco waited until he was sure she was out of earshot before rounding on Christoph in the corridor.

"What's the meaning of this Christoph? I thought I and I alone were to head the research team. You can't doubt my desire to find this cure."

"I do not doubt you at all Draco." Christoph smiled at him. "Two heads are always better than one."

"I dare say she would be a valuable resource on my team…but equal Head?"

"Come now Draco, she is attractive, intelligent and one of the hardest workers I've come across. She handled the first patients with the disease and knows the symptoms and progression better than anyone. Besides which she has worked here for five years and you have only just shown up. It wouldn't be fair of me to put you in charge of her." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Also," Christoph's eyes shone. "Severus told me you always work better with a bit of competition."

Draco groaned.

Chapter Three

Ginny stared at Draco's behind as he sauntered out of the room with Christoph.

"Quite the looker, isn't he?" Ginny spun quickly and was shocked to see those captivating blue eyes twinkling at her.

"Draco? I suppose so."

"Jeesh, just listen to you: 'I suppose so.' Of course he's attractive. Why if I were ten…even five years younger…" The patient sighed wistfully. Ginny laughed and extended her hand.

"I'm Healer Ginevra Weasley, call me Ginny."

"Jaye Kline." The woman replied. "And I am quickly crushing on the young Malfoy."

"You know he's a Malfoy?" Ginny questioned.

"Well yes…his father and I have met once or twice." Ginny shuddered, thinking of that man. Jaye continued. "And you also shouted his name out when you were both saving my life."

"Oh right." Ginny said sheepishly. "I forgot. Anyway, how are you feeling Mrs Kline?"

"It's Ms. But please, call me Jaye. And I feel fine. Better than I have in a long while actually."

"Your throat isn't sore or rough or…anything?"

"No." Jaye shook her head. "I could do with a glass of water though."

As Ginny complied, Jaye sat herself up on her pillows. "Thanks love." She accepted the glass Ginny was offering.

"I better go back to patrolling the corridors." Ginny sighed. "It was a pleasure to meet you Jaye."

"It was my good luck you were on duty." Jaye smiled up at her. Ginny stood to leave but hesitated at the doorway when Jaye called her name. "Christoph is right Ginny, you make a good team."

Ginny couldn't shake the feeling that Jaye wasn't just talking about medicine.

~*~

The next morning, Ginny woke up and slowly got herself out of bed. She sighed, running her hand over the double bed she loved so much. After growing up as one of seven kids who always had to survive on single beds, the double bed was the first luxury she bought to go in her apartment. Ginny walked in the bathroom, showered and got dressed in her lime-green robe before leaving via Apparation. Once the tugging sensation in her stomach stopped, Ginny ran across Diagon Alley to her favourite breakfast store, Fleur's Fruit Shop.

"Good morning sister-in-law." Ginny grinned at the silver-haired woman behind the counter.

"Ginny! Eet is good to see you!" Fleur came round and hugged her tightly, kissing Ginny on both cheeks.

"How's Bill and the kids?"

"Zey are excellent, zey get more beautiful by the day."

"What do you expect with such fantastic genes?" Ginny loved chatting to Fleur once a week and catching up on the family gossip. Before she left Hogwarts, Ginny thought she would never be able to stand Fleur, but her comical prudence and determination to be accepted and protect the Weasley family warmed her to Ginny over the years. Besides which, she had almost lost all her superiority.

"Ah that is true little one." Well, almost. "And when can we expect your first child, eh?" Fleur lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow. Ginny threw back her red hair and laughed.

"Not for years and years, if ever." She grinned at Fleur. "I'm afraid you, Angelina, Penelope and Hermione will have to be the baby-making machines for a while yet."

Fleur sighed, "Ah you and Charlie…when will you find love to settle down with?"

"I'm afraid we're in love with our jobs Fleur," Ginny made herself a banana and strawberry smoothie while she talked. "If Charlie finds a particularly attractive dragon, then maybe offspring will ensue."

"You say such crazy things Ginny." Fleur shook her head then looked at her slyly. "I hear Harry is still single."

Ginny dropped the straw she was about to put in her smoothie. "Really? I doubted the Boy Wonder would last a month, let alone five years."

"What really happened between you two? Your muzzer and I thought you would be together forever."

Ginny stiffened, thinking back to what had truly happened between her and Harry. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes and she breathed deeply to calm herself. "We…we just grew apart Fleur. For the first year we were together I was finishing my time at Hogwarts, he was starting his Auror training…we barely saw each other. And then the next year, when we were meant to live together and get married and have our happy ending, we discovered we were different people. Different from each other, and different to the people who had fallen in love in the middle of the greatest war wizardkind had ever seen. That's all."

Fleur rubbed Ginny's shoulder comfortingly. "You say that, Gin. You 'ave both stuck to that story. As plausible as eet sounds, I theenk something else happened." She turned Ginny around so she could look in her eyes. "Just know we are 'ere to listen, Gin. Your Muzzer, I and even 'Ermione."

Ginny nodded, snuffling into Fleur's apron. "Thanks Fleur. But I got to go. I start the research on this new disease today."

"Good luck, little one." Fleur called out after her as Ginny made her way out of the shop.

~*~

Draco tiptoed out of his bedroom and closed the door softly behind him. He turned and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Oh really, Draco."

"Mother! You frightened me half to death. What are you doing in my wing?"

"I came to give you breakfast."

Draco scowled, still annoyed his mother had frightened him so. "I am perfectly capable of ordering the house elves to make me breakfast, mother."

"Oh I know." Narcissa grinned, starting to make her way to the dining room. "But I rather wanted to see you off on your first day of the new job."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Very well, but I have to eat quickly, the Healer helping me head the research team is expecting me at 8am."

"It's only half seven, dear, you have plenty of time. I am pleased to hear you are getting an early start on this research." Her voice became quiet and full of emotion. "We need all the time we can get."

Draco's knuckles went white from clenching his fists around his cutlery. "You know that I won't stop until we find a cure for father."

"I know." Narcissa smiled warmly at her son, her eyes full of pride. She coughed delicately. "I hope you do not think the task put before you by your father is too difficult."

"Diffcult?" Draco laughed. "I should say impossible. Between finding a cure for this wretched disease and trying to convince Christoph that I'm the right man to take his place, when on Earth am I going to find time to meet witches?"

Narcissa's eyes lit up. "Oh Draco, I can help with that." His eyes widened in horror. "Not anything too extravagant," she quickly assured him. "Just a few dates, with some of my friends' daughters. They're all such lovely witches."

Draco sighed, knowing no matter how hard he argued, his Mother would make him attend every date she had already begun planning.

"In any case," Narcissa smiled, knowing she had won. "Who is the Healer aiding you?"

"Actually," Draco hesitated, not knowing how his mother would react to the news. "It's that Weasley girl."

Narcissa showed hardly any emotion, only a brief lift if her eyebrows told Draco that she was surprised. "So, she became a Healer? That is interesting…"

Draco made a noncommittal noise and tucked into his hashbrowns. Narcissa studied his face with sidelong glances.

"She was always very pretty. Now what was her first name?"

"Ginevra." He said, between mouthfuls.

"Yes, Ginevra." Narcissa sounded thoughtful. "I wonder what happened between her and Potter."

Draco shrugged, just as good as his mother at keeping his emotions to himself.

"Such a shame…they barely lasted a year."

Draco rolled his eyes, like his mother cared what Potter or Weasley went through. "I really must go Mother." He stood and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have a nice day."

"Thank you son." She replied warmly. "And best that you and Ginevra working together remains between the two of us, yes?"

Draco nodded his agreement as he stepped into the fireplace to Floo to St Mungo's.

Chapter Four

The research lab looked as it always did; white, sterile and clean. Ginny breathed in the smell of disinfectant and magical cleanser and smiled. It was odd that this white, artificial place could make her feel at home, but the truth was Ginny was more comfortable here in the lab than she was with her patients. She hummed a tune as she arranged her workspace the way she liked it, disease wells to her right, next to her wand sterilizer and gloves. Meanwhile, on her left she had the disease isolator and masks. Straight in front of her were the magical boards that Christoph had designed in his first year as Head Healer. Whatever Ginny used in her wells and the reactions she got would immediately be transferred to the three other cure-developing stations in the lab so nobody doubled up on cures or forgot what had already been tried. Ginny rolled her head on her neck and stretched her shoulders and arms.

"Anyone would think you're getting ready to run a marathon." Draco's lazy drawl penetrated Ginny's shield of happiness and concentration. She glared at him.

"This is far more important than a show of strength and endurance, Malfoy. This is about saving lives."

Draco's grey eyes penetrated her brown ones. "It's also about getting that Head Healer position, isn't it."

Ginny blushed, surprised that he could read her thoughts so easily. "That's a small part of it, yes. Though how we're going to find a cure for this when I have to work with you, I have no idea." Ginny tried to keep her eyes from wandering his perfectly sculpted body that was defined even through his new lime-green robes.

"Easy," Draco grinned. "We each pretend the other person's not there."

Ginny couldn't help but smile back. "Sounds reasonable. Before we start ignoring each other, which I am keen to get to, shall we exchange notes?"

Draco nodded. "Firstly, have all the generic cures been tried? Antidotes, counter curses?"

Ginny rolled her eyes impatiently. "Of course. We aren't inept you know. This hospital ran perfectly well whilst you were in Australia."

Draco's eyebrows rose. "How'd you know I was in Australia?" Ginny's cheeks reddened again.

"Oh," she tried to say it flippantly. "I have family everywhere. A cousin of mine works out in Oz."

Draco chuckled. "I should've guessed. Alright, so all the normal cures have been tried…any connections between the patients?"

"So far, nothing. They live miles away from each other, the ages all vary, they drink from different water supplies, their wands came from different makers, their potion ingredients from different suppliers…" Ginny sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I honestly don't know what they have in common that's causing this disease."

"Hmm, that makes it difficult. What are the main symptoms?" Draco took a seat next to her and took a deep breath, reveling in her floral scent. Damn she smells good…I wonder what perfume she wears? Wait! What the hell am I thinking! He quickly focused on what Ginny was saying.

"Stomach aches first, the dehydration sets in and then the green oozing sores begin to show. The sores usually start on the extremities first before spreading to the torso and finally a high temperature fever. And then there are the mental changes."

Draco looked up sharply. "What changes and what are the time-frames?"

"Mentally, the patients seem to regress…they become younger in the mind, slowly losing intelligence and memory. The first patient can no longer talk, doesn't recognize any of his friends or family. The second patient, a teenage girl, she is now reading at a 7year old level and complains of cooties when the male nurses Healers to her. We can only estimate that she's had the disease for 8-10 weeks. Then there is the 64year old patient. Today she asked one of the female nurses to sneak her in some contraceptive powder…she seems to think Sean and her are going out on a date next Wednesday." Ginny nearly smiled at the thought and Draco briefly grinned at her. "She's only had the disease 6 weeks or so. The next two patients were brought in at roughly the same time, three weeks ago. Our newest patient was brought in last week and the last three seem to be normal, they recognize their family and friends."

Draco nodded, deep in thought. "So is there any connection to how quickly they regress and their age when they contracted the disease?"

"Not that we can tell." Ginny instinctively leant closer to him, surprised at how much warmth his body was radiating and how easy she was finding it to talk to him. "Maybe they regress faster, the older they are but the time-frame remains the same."

"Ok." Draco frowned, still perplexed by the dilemma in front of him. "So where do we start? Have we got samples of the disease?"

Ginny got up and seemed to float over to the large cabinet in the corner of the room. She opened the doors and immediately put on a pair of gloves which were hanging on the inside of the cabinet. She picked up a large green jar and Draco leant forward to see what was inside…then he realized the jar was actually clear, and it was the green pus on the inside. He shuddered, knowing that the very essence of the disease was in that jar and that Ginny and he alone would have to isolate and purify it. Ginny was back at their bench and placed the jar carefully down.

"Gloves and masks." She ordered, though Draco was already securing his mask around his face. She took a deep breath. "Ok, let's do this." Draco could tell she was smiling at him from the way her eyes crinkled above her mask.

Carefully, excruciatingly so, Ginny opened the jar and with her wand, charmed a portion of it out and deposited it into the top of the disease isolator. The disease isolator itself looked vaguely like an hourglass, the pus going in the top and the pure concentrate of the disease dripping out into the bottom. As soon as Ginny had placed the pus in the disease isolator, she tightly shut the jar of pus and carried it back to the cabinet. She disposed of gloves and immediately put on a new pair before joining Draco in his quest to aliquot separate samples of the disease into the wells on their desks. As soon as their wells were filled, Ginny swore and motioned to Draco to follow her. They stopped at the other end of the lab, as far away from the disease as they could go. Ginny ripped off her mask.

"I totally forgot." She moaned.

Draco removed his mask too, looking at her with concern. "What? You didn't get the disease on you?"

"No," she vehemently shook her head. "No, no. But I forgot about Christoph's other invention"

She moved closer to Draco and he felt himself freeze, only his heart beating out a samba assured him he was still alive. Then, abruptly, before their bodies touched, Ginny bent down to the drawers they were standing next to. Draco let out a staggered breath and scolded himself for being so foolish. He watched in interest as Ginny reemerged with two tiny, plastic bags. She opened one and pulled out the contents, a small circular bead which she held against her temple.

"What is it?" Draco leant back as she opened the other bag and went to place the other bead on his temple. She stopped midway and pouted.

"Really, hasn't Christoph told you anything?" She rolled her eyes. "They're MindLink Beads. So we can talk to each other without risking contamination."

Draco considered and obviously came to the decision that he could trust her because he leant his head down to hers. She placed the bead to his temple and he felt a cold, sharp pain for one brief second.

"Ow." He complained.

Fool, it only hurts a little bit.

How is she inside my mind?

Ginny giggled.

Oh, mindlink, right. Draco grinned sheepishly. So shall we get back to finding a cure?

Of course, Draco. Let your fine body follow mine.

Draco chortled as Ginny turned an attractive shade of red. Blushing suits her in a strange way…you'd think it would clash with her hair.

It was Ginny's turn to laugh. They take a while to get used to…just try and monitor what thoughts you let go through the link, ok? She waited for Draco's nod of agreement then made her way back to the desk.

There, they spent the next five hours, trying to determine what was in the disease. In each well, they added a different ingredient and noted the reactions. Based on these reactions, they were slowly starting to piece together the components of the disease. Christoph's medicine boards also consisted of a countdown bar, letting them know how close they were to cracking what made up this disease. Ginny and Draco worked vigilantly, mostly in silence, occasionally asking for advice or reconfirming what the medicine board's memory told them had already been tested. At half past one, Draco watched Ginny applying an ingredient to the last well on the plate she was working on. Her concentration was unwavering, but she was pale beneath her mask and her forehead was glistening with perspiration. The last well shimmered and as Ginny waved her wand, transferring the reaction into the medicine board's database, Draco got her attention.

Ginny? He hesitated, but rested a hand on her shoulder. I think we better go get something to eat.

She looked up at him, determination and anger in her eyes and was about to retort when she felt her knees start to give way. Magic this complex and dangerous sucked the energy out of them more than they realized.

Ok. She agreed reluctantly, looking at the board which showed they were 80% through determining what the disease actually was.

Come on, Draco thought gently. We'll be back here before you know it.

Chapter Five

Once Draco and Ginny had been through the routine decontamination shower and turned on the double duty locks which prevented wandering patients or curious student Healers from entering the lab, they made their way to the elevator. Though the Healers had their own tearoom, both Ginny and Draco preferred to dine on Floor Five with the visitors. Instinctively, Draco placed his hand on Ginny's lower back to guide her to a table. She burned bright red again at the feel of his hand on her back but made no move to step away from him. As his good manners dictated, Draco pulled a chair out for Ginny, like they were on a date. Ginny smiled at him nervously. Only hours ago they were trying to pretend the other person didn't exist…why was Draco being so nice?

What do you want for lunch? He asked her, smiling back.

Um...Ginny scanned the menu quickly. Just some pasta would be great.

Draco nodded and moved gracefully toward the counter. Ginny frowned, not sure if she should be pleased that he was acting so naturally towards her or suspicious. It was against their blood for them to be so friendly and comfortable with each other. She stared at her hands, still frowning when the sound of a chair moving brought her back to reality.

"Jaye!" She was genuinely happy to see the woman. "How are you?"

Jaye smiled at her, those blue eyes twinkling. "Much better thank you. My voice is almost back to normal. I can't thank you and Draco enough for saving me."

Ginny waved a flippant hand. "It's our job." She went back to frowning at her hands and Jaye watched her face with unease.

"What's the matter honey? You seem stressed or worried…"

"I guess I'm both those things." Ginny sighed. "You know the Malfoys, yes?"

Jaye nodded grimly. "I knew them in the first war, and the second."

"Oh," Ginny could have Avada Kedava-ed herself. "I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to rake up bad memories."

Jaye smiled sadly. "I was relatively unharmed in the first war, physically. I knew Lucius and Narcissa when they were in school. They were a few years above me and very cruel even then. But you had to admire the love they had for one another. I doubt Hogwarts saw another couple like them till James and Lily got together. "

Ginny's eyes widened. "You knew Harry's parents?"

It was Jaye's turn to look shocked. "Oh my dear. How could I not have realized…you and Harry." Her voice was quiet. "Yes, I knew them. I knew them right up until they went into hiding. I was very close to them…"

"So you knew Sirius and Remus?" Ginny asked, surprised that she had never met this woman before. She hadn't expected the woman's reaction…Jaye was suddenly crying, tears rolling down her cheeks faster than Ginny could imagine was possible.

"Yes." Jaye's voice cracked. "Yes, I knew Remus the best of all the Marauders…" She sighed, the tears ebbing. "I don't suppose he ever mentioned me?"

Ginny shook her head, wishing she could give some comfort to the woman across from her. Jaye smiled slowly again.

"No, I don't suppose he would've…Re never did like to talk about the hard things." She rubbed her hands over her face and then rested her head on them. "Where to start? At Hogwarts, Remus and I fell in love."

Ginny was startled…she didn't realize there had ever been anyone but Tonks. But I suppose if her and Harry hadn't worked out then anyone...she stopped thinking about it.

"We spent a lot of time together, me, Re, Sirius, Ana, James and Lily." Ginny looked questioningly at the name Ana. "Oh," Jaye's brows furrowed. "Ana was Sirius girl at the time…she didn't make it through the first war. Such a shame, she was so brave and funny…" Jaye sighed. "Anyway, Remus and I were together for a long time and we fought with Dumbledore against Voldemort when he rose the first time. But when we found out he was after Lily, James and Harry…we hid them. I never knew where they went obviously. I never knew where any of them went." The tears began to form again.

"I went into hiding too. Remus forced me, he couldn't bear to see me in battle…couldn't bear to think of me getting hurt. But we couldn't keep in touch, it was the only safe way. We had to try to protect one another by going through the unbearable pain of not knowing. Bellatrix Lestrange found me. She knew I was in cahoots with Dumbledore, even if I wasn't a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She took me to the Malfoy's mansion and threw me in the dungeons. The torturing wasn't too bad. Snape was, as I'm told he still is, a skilled Legilimens. He could see that I had nothing of use to them. So I was kept, like a pet." Her voice was bitter. "Finally, Voldemort fell and I was released…but I was so different, Ginny. I was sour and vengeful and full of rage. I barely smiled." She shut her eyes, reliving the pain. "I couldn't let Remus see me like that…and in all honesty I was scared that the war had changed him too. I was terrified that he would look at me and see a monster and that he wouldn't be the same kind, caring man I had fallen in love with."

Ginny reached across and took the older woman's hands in her own. "He probably had changed from what you remember." Ginny whispered, whilst keeping an eye out for Draco. "But Remus was always kind and good and caring to the very end. He was one of my favourite teachers at Hogwarts."

"He was a teacher?" Jaye's eyes shone, with happiness or tears; Ginny couldn't tell which. "He always wanted to teach…that's good. And this Nymphadora, she made him happy?"

Ginny nodded, not sure how Jaye knew about Tonks, and wondering if she knew about Teddy. However Jaye sighed.

"I tell you this, not only because I wanted to know about Remus, and for someone else to believe in the love we shared, but because I regret it, Ginny."

Ginny was confused, how could you regret falling in love?

"The years I had with Remus, as few as they were. They were the best years of my life, and I let them go because I was too afraid. Too afraid to see him changed, to afraid to have to face the fact that I had changed. That's what I'm getting at Ginny. People DO change…even Malfoys." Her eyes glittered with mischief again. "Though maybe you're already beginning to see that? Don't make the same mistake I did, Gin. Don't let him get away." Jaye lifted Ginny's hands to her lips and kissed them briefly, leaving her table just as Draco sat down with her pasta and his salad.

What was that about? he asked. Looked pretty intense.

She was just giving me some motherly advice. Ginny shrugged and Draco laughed.

At the moment, my mother's advice pretty much sums up to 'get yourself a good witch to settle down with'

Ginny laughed, trying to cover the blush that must have been creeping up her neck.

Well, Jaye's advice was very similar she had to admit Though how they expect us to 'settle down' when we have so much work to do.

Draco grinned Maybe we're meant to fall in love with a patient

With the green oozing sores and mind regression Ginny snorted. Not likely.

I suppose not. Draco hated that he could smell her perfume across the table. Weasley's were not meant to attract Malfoys…it was wrong. How's your pasta?

Not bad…not as good as Mum's, but still pretty good. She smiled, thinking of her portly and fierce mother…she really should Floo her sometime.

Same here. Draco smiled hesitantly at her. So, any further ideas on what might be causing this thing?

No, which is so frustrating. Normally the Healers would know exactly what was spreading the disease by now. I've been going over the interviews with the patients but there doesn't seem to be a common link.

Maybe we haven't asked the right questions. Draco mused. Ginny smiled at how handsome he looked when he was really thinking hard. Do you think we should interview them again?

No. Ginny shook her head, shifting her hair slightly…Draco longed to put it back behind her ear. We've asked them everything we could think of…besides which the first three patients have lost all memory of the time when they contracted it. We're probably going to have to wait for the next patient before we get any more information.

Or Draco sighed, wishing she weren't so melodramatic until we decipher this disease properly in the lab.

"Is everything ok with you two?" Christoph came to sit at their table.

"Of course Christoph," Ginny smiled dazzlingly at him. "Why wouldn't there be?"

"Well, you've been sitting here for like 20 minutes without talking."

Ginny and Draco frowned. The Draco laughed. "Oh of course. We forgot to remove these mindlink beads of yours Christoph."

The older man laughed cheerfully. "I see. Well, I'll leave you two to your thoughts then."

"Come on, Gin." Draco stood and offered her his hand. "Time to get to work."

Ginny accepted gratefully and followed him back to the lab; surprised that they had become so used to being in each other's thoughts in that five hours that they hadn't noticed that they spoke only to each other.

Chapter Six

They worked late together that night, every well they tested getting closer to cracking the disease. Finally, Christoph's medicine boards flashed with bright, white light. Ginny and Draco sighed simultaneously and grinned at each other. They packed away the disease essence and quickly decontaminated their workspace. It was a relief for both of them to take their masks and gloves off.

"We did it!" Ginny smiled happily, despite knowing they were only half way there.

Draco fed off her enthusiasm. "Yep, all downhill from here." He winked at her and she blushed.

"So," she coughed, trying to stay professional. "What have we got Healer Malfoy?"

Quickly, Draco read off the ingredients and their volumes in the potion which caused the disease:

One part armadillo bile

Two parts asphodel

One part belladonna

One bezoar

One part bulbadox powder

Two parts daisy roots

Two parts flobberworm mucus

Three parts fluxweed

One part frog brains

One part ginger roots

Two parts jobberknoll

One part lovage

One part runespoor egg

Ginny sighed. "No wonder we were having trouble…there is a lot to this disease. Asphodel, belladonna…it's a wonder our patients are even alive."

"That's why the bezoar is in there I guess…the oozing can be put down to the bulbadox powder and flobberworm mucus. Fluxweed…that's all about changing someone's appearance." Draco scowled, he hated not understanding things.

"Mmm," Ginny agreed. "I suppose it reacted with the armadillo bile and ginger-roots to change their mind's age. After all, ginger and armadillo are used in Wit-Sharpening potions."

Draco smiled secretively…she was an exceptionally bright witch sometimes. "And the jobberknoll of course…memory potions. Daisy roots are sometimes used in Shrinking potions…that must be why they regress. I suppose the lovage is to blame for the fever. And the runespoor eggs explain the pentagon shaped sores."

"And frog brains." Ginny sighed. No-one really knew what frogs brains did in potions…it was a temperamental ingredient.

"Yeah…it's complex." Draco stood and stretched his arms over his head…Ginny had to make a conscious effort not to stare. "Ah well, tomorrow we begin on unlocking the key to this disease, ok?"

Ginny stifled a yawn. "Sounds good, Draco."

As they turned on the spot, completely in sync, Ginny wondered when they had started being on first name terms…

~*~

Draco slept badly that night; his father hadn't recognized him when he got home. He seemed to think Draco was in his third year of Hogwarts…the regression had finally started. Draco twitched as images of that time of his life flashed before him: his father bribing the minister for influence, his father pushing his hatred of Mudbloods and Muggles onto him, the searing hatred he felt for Potter, his determination to be top of his potions class and gain Snape's respect. It was all so different now…after Voldemort had used him, used his entire family, Draco was empty. He had no idea what he wanted out of life. He'd always thought he would find it simple once he was out of Hogwarts, but Draco hadn't even known who he really was. So he went to Australia, trying to find himself. While he was there he started to learn Healing and more than that, he started to heal. He no longer cared about people's blood status, he didn't even mind Muggles, and he had briefly worked in a Muggle hospital for a short time in Australia. The more people he saved, the healthier and happier they became because of him …the better Draco felt about himself and the more he realized he could help make the world better. It calmed him to think that he was trying to make up for the lives he had hurt and taken when his family sided with Voldemort. He hoped that some day he would save enough to truly be a decent person…not just a bad person trying to be good…

Ginny also slept badly that night. Her big double bed and clean apartment didn't comfort her like they usually did. For once, she was doubting the path she had chosen for her life. When she was at Hogwarts, for the majority, the first six years, it was all about Harry and Voldemort. Every waking moment she had she spent thinking about one or the other. She shuddered, picturing the dark eyes and hair of the Voldemort that haunted her dreams. Was it strange that the bald, crimson eyed Voldemort held less fear for her than the handsome boy who stole her soul when she was merely eleven? Even now that sweet seductive voice that had reassured her, praised her and felt her pain when she was in her first year at Hogwarts appeared at times when she wasn't expecting it. She could imagine his dark eyes, looking at her, wanting her but not in the way she had wanted him. She knew he was bad, she knew while she was writing to him…he couldn't help letting some things slip, he was but 16 after all. He was horrid about some of her classmates but his snide remarks and confidence that they could not be as brilliant as he or Ginny…he had created a world for her to live in where it was just the two of them. And though she saw his true self, long before she knew just how evil he was, she was in love with him. That's why she had poured so much of herself into that forsaken diary. Ginny was not the kind of girl to keep a diary, ever. But when she had started to doodle in it one day and he had written to her…she had a friend. A real friend who cared about her and who was with her always, whenever she wanted. Not like Harry, who barely registered her existence except as Ron's little sister. She wished she didn't pine to have that diary back but she really couldn't help it. Tom had been her first true love…and it sickened her to the core. Nevertheless, she had found happiness with Harry after that. Because he was the only one who could punish Riddle like he deserved. He had disappeared and left Ginny alone and she had wanted revenge. And Harry was the only one who would be able to hurt Tom Riddle in the worst possible way. So she stayed close to Harry, even convincing herself she was in love with him. But really she just wanted to see him succeed, and more than that, she wanted to have details on Voldemort's suffering. She had tried to warn Harry, when he first tried to break up with her in her fifth year…

"Voldemort…already used you as bait once, think how much danger you'll be in if we keep this up. He'll know, he'll find out. He'll try and get to me through you."

"What if I don't care?" She had replied fiercely, and he had misunderstood.

She had tried again… "I knew this would happen in the end. I knew you wouldn't be happy unless you were hunting Voldemort. Maybe that's why I liked you so much."

But still he didn't understand. Ginny sighed and rolled over, shutting her eyes tightly. There it was. The face that came to her on nights like this. It wasn't a face that actually existed, but it was all too familiar to her. It was like a composition of the two men she had loved…Harry and Tom Riddle. They looked quite similar actually, and that was what had kept Ginny with Harry the next two years. Well, there were a few months straight after the war when she really had loved him. He had killed Tom, destroyed him in the way that Ginny wished she could've. And she had loved him for that. But as time went on, Harry began to annoy her. He was constantly out fighting other dark wizards and had barely any time for her, just like in her first year. When they were together they had nothing but the past to talk about, and then his face began to remind her of Tom. She remembered it clearly, the day that Harry had let one of the Death Eaters go. He was furious, there was nothing that could sedate him. Ginny pleaded with him, he had killed the worst wizard of all, wasn't that enough? And he had turned on her, hitting her with the back of his hand. Didn't she understand that was never going to be enough for him? He had tasted blood and wanted more. He wanted to make the world safe…and then he saw what he had done. Ginny was cowering in the corner of the kitchen at his apartment. What was meant to be their apartment. And when she looked at him from between her fingers, all she could see was Tom. Cold, handsome and uncaring.

And so Ginny had vowed then to give up on men. Instead, she concentrated on becoming a Healer. Not so she could help others, but because they were the highest paid members of the wizarding world. She had wanted money, as much as she could earn, so she could hole herself up and not have to be with people. She hated it, they would never comprehend the suffering she had been through. Each face she saw at the hospital, even if they were dying faces, they seemed hopeful and it made her blanch. How could they be hopeful? There was no hope. Even Harry Potter, the Chosen One was rotten through and through. There was no good in the world…

Chapter Seven

The next morning, Christoph announced the arrival of two new members to the research team. Emily and Jasper were both outstanding Healers, particularly in the area of unlocking diseases and both Ginny and Draco were grateful to have them on board. They were inseparable, Emily and Jasper were a two for one deal. They had fallen in love in the second war and had been together ever since. If Draco was honest with himself, he preferred it this way, when he could have Ginny as a partner. They worked silently, as always, only communicating with the MindLink Beads.

So when did you guys get together? Jasper cheerfully asked.

Ginny looked up at Draco in shock, quick enough to notice the tell-tale crinkling of his eyes indicating his smile.

We aren't together. Ginny snapped, perhaps a little quickly.

Not romantically. Draco clarified. We've been working together a few days. That was a bit of an exaggeration but it certainly felt like they had known each other far longer to him than a mere three days.

Oh. Emily's eyebrows shot up. Sorry. We sort of assumed…never mind. She focused once more on the wells in front of her.

Ginny shot Draco a questioning look and he responded with a shrug of the shoulders. It amused Ginny to see that they didn't even need the MindLink Beads to communicate any more. Ginny blushed at the thought and immediately put her hand down, concentrating on her wells. She had just added the root of a oak tree to the well when a bright purple light filled the room then faded quickly. Ginny was ecstatic, she had unlocked the first key!

YES! Draco thought to everyone. First key unlocked! He seemed very smug.

I can't believe it Ginny said, Oak root?

What are you talking about? Draco frowned at her. I added Murtlap Essence.

Well good for you. Ginny's thought were sarcastic. But it was my oak root that unlocked t first key.

Oh honestly. Ginny turned and saw Emily and Jasper watching her and Draco with amusement. If you two would refrain from your flirtations for two seconds and actually check the medicine board…?

Ginny and Draco follwed Jasper's advice, surprised to see they had both unlocked a key.

There now, isn't that good news? Emily sounded patronizing but her eyes were smiling. Only eight more to go.

Emily and Jasper returned to their work, while Ginny and Draco smiled sheepishly at each other.

Sorry. Ginny said.

Accepted. Draco winked at her. I'm sorry too

She winked back and once more returned to her wells.

They worked all day, Jasper unlocking two more keys before lunch. They were in a good mood as they packed up for the night, only 6 keys left to unlock and they had a cure. It still bugged Ginny that they hadn't been able to discover what was causing the disease in the first place. Just as she was thinking that, a scarlet ball floated up to the four Healers and skirted away at once. They followed it quickly, the close environment they'd been working in together making speech unnecessary.

"We're heading towards Jaye's room!" Ginny's panicked voice spurred the foursome on faster and she groaned when the little red ball disappeared into Jaye's ward. The Healer there looked up with relief in her eyes and panic in her voice.

"She was almost back to normal, Healer Weasley. We left her to her own devices most of the time…tonight when I came to just have a chat with her I noticed the spots…"

Ginny was already at Jaye's side, shaking her head. Jaye's legs and arms were covered in pentagon shapes, her eyes shut and her chest rising and falling in a calm, even manner indicating she was asleep.

"Jaye…" She whispered.

Draco was firing questions at the young Healer…had Jaye been complaining of dehydration? Stomach aches? What food had been brought in from the outside? Had she infected any of the other patients?...But Ginny blocked them out, willing Jaye to open her eyes. Perhaps they shared a connection but when Jaye's startling blue eyes did open, Ginny was momentarily shocked.

"Well hello love."

"Jaye, why didn't you tell me? I could've…" But Ginny knew there was nothing she could have done. They still had no cure, no prevention. She turned her head in shame. This woman, who was almost a stranger to her…Ginny felt a strong urge to protect her.

"You couldn't have helped, sweetie. Don't worry about it." Jaye smiled at her. "Now, I have to confess something to you."

Ginny leant in closer.

"I'm usually a relatively good girl." Jaye grinned, as if she didn't believe her own words. "And typically I keep to the strict dietary regime St. Mungo's lays out before me. However, a friend of mine dropped in some fine Firewhiskey to celebrate my recovery…it's under my bed."

Ginny quickly dropped to the floor to retrieve it.

"I only started feeling ill after I drank some…I hope that you can find out what's wrong." Jaye's voice was getting husky.

"Go back to sleep, Jaye." Ginny's voice was quiet but clear. "I promise that I will find a cure for this. I promise."

"I know…" Jaye looked very groggy but she smiled up at Ginny. "You and Draco can do anything together…" It was then Ginny noticed Draco's arm around her shoulders. "I'm living proof of that." And Jaye was no long er in the land of the conscious.

Ginny cried silently as Draco helped her out of her chair.

"Come on, Gin, I'll take you home."

"No," she struggled against his grip, holding the bottle of Firewhiskey to her chest. "I have to go analyse this…we can find out where it's coming from Draco! We can stop it from infecting others."

He shook his head. "None of us are up to that tonight, Gin. Emily and Jasper have gone home, to bed…that's where we should be. Come on, sweetheart."

Ginny felt the first wave of exhaustion roll over her and she relaxed into Draco's firm hold. She vaguely wondered as they spun around together…

His place or mine…?

Chapter Eight

Ginny awoke in her apartment, splayed out like a starfish as normal on her double bed. She groaned, trying to remember the events of last night but could only picture the startling blue eyes of Jaye. The memories then came flooding back and she realized she was in her pajamas. She severely hoped that she had done that herself but the image of pale hands helping her get undressed seemed more real than she wanted to imagine. She got up and hesitantly called out, feeling foolish as she did so.

"Draco?"

"Coming!" He wandered into her bedroom, very at ease and comfortable to be standing there, in her doorway, half naked. Ginny's eyes followed his chiseled chest muscles…and then flushed pink. He looked at her with amused grey eyes. "Did you think I'd leave you here alone after you practically fainted in my arms last night?"

Ginny glared at him "Well, that may have been more gentlemanly than undressing me and spending the night uninvited."

His grin grew even wider. "You mean you don't remember last night?"

Ginny's eyes widened. What on earth had she done? Draco laughed.

"Priceless." He doubled over, he was laughing that much. "Oh Ginny, you'll be the death of me."

"What?" She got defensive. "What did I do last night that is so entertaining?"

He smiled at her. "You don't remember us Apparating here?"

She had a vague memory of that… "You called me sweetheart." She pulled a face. Draco just grinned.

"Yep. Then we got back here and you demanded to be put in your pajamas. I tried to convince you that you really didn't want to be in them but you were persistent so I had to end up helping you into them."

Ginny moaned and threw herself into her pillows, hiding her face. Draco went and perched on the end of her bed.

"As for me going home, I tried to say goodnight but you refused to let me leave." She peeked at him through a curtain of red hair. His eyes softened. "You asked me to stay. Your exact words were 'Please don't leave me Draco.' So I stayed."

She sighed, knowing that he was right. And knowing that she would now have to deal with the feelings which had been building up in her for the past four days.

"Draco…I know we have to talk about this. I obviously revealed too much in my exhausted state and you are far too comfortable being with me half naked than I like."

Draco's smiled flashed down on her and she felt her heart skip. "But can we possibly deal with this later? We have a disease to cure."

Draco nodded and held out a hand, helping her out of bed. "Come on, I cooked you breakfast."

~*~

If Emily or Jasper noticed that Draco was wearing the same robes as yesterday, they didn't mention it. As soon as all four of them were in the lab, they formed a circle around the Firewhiskey bottle of Jaye's. As no disease essence had been bought into the lab since the overnight decontamination, none of them were wearing gloves or masks.

"I've double checked all the patients' questionnaires." Jasper said with authority. "A few of them mention drinking Firewhiskey but as that wasn't a direct question, we can't know that the others had contact with it or not."

Draco nodded. He had Floo-ed his mother from Ginny's place last night…as surprised as she was to hear where he was, she was glad they had unlocked four keys already. And she had replied in the affirmative when Draco asked if his father had drunk any Firewhiskey the week he got sick. He hoped that they were about to find the cause of his father's suffering.

"So," Draco continued, "I've only worked this spell twice before…I'm not sure if I could guide us…"

"No worries." Emily smiled. "I've done this dozens of times, leave it to me."

Ginny smiled at the woman across from her. She had never worked the spell Reversus Tiempo before. It was basically a way of focusing the mind on one aspect of an object and going back in time. Like a Pensieve memory for inanimate objects. All she had to do was concentrate on the point in time when the Firewhiskey got infected and hopefully they would be transported there. Emily began murmuring the incantation under her breath and Ginny smiled at the trust and devotion she could see in Jasper's eyes as he watched her. Then she shook her head and concentrated once more on the point in time…

Suddenly they were in a large factory, where they were brewing Firewhiskey. The foursome looked at each other briefly than began looking around at their surroundings, trying to find the source of the infection. Then Ginny saw two older women workers talking above one of the large vats of Firewhiskey. Her magic sang and she knew she had found the cause. She signaled to the others and they followed her up to the bridge, better to hear and see the women. One was holding a dark blue vial and talking excitedly.

"I swear Tanya, it's meant to make you younger in three days!" She was talking wildly with her hands. "Imagine that, three days and I could be 21 again."

Tanya shook her head in an amused way. "You are nuts, Debbie. These experimental potions can't be good for you."

Debbie rolled her eyes. "They're fine…besides, who wouldn't want to say they had been the first person to become younger?"

"It's not right." Tanya insisted, more serious now. "I don't think you should drink it Debbie…what if you overdo it and I'm left with a teenager for a best friend?"

"I won't." But even as the promise was passed her lips, Debbie was opening the stopped on the bottle and Tanya instinctively arced her arm to knock the potion out of her best friend's grasp.

Emily drew in a sharp breath as all six people on the bridge watched the potion fall into the Firewhiskey vat…then it all began to get fuzzy…and they were back in the lab.

Draco was shaking with silent fury. "All of this?? ALL OF THIS FOR A YOUTH POTION?!"

Emily and Jasper shied away from him as he spat a string of profanities. Ginny whispered to them, telling them to take the news to Christoph. They nodded to her and wandered out of the room, leaving Ginny with a livid Draco. He was crazily attractive when he was mad. Ginny calmed herself then walked over to him.

"Get a grip Malfoy." She looked fiercely at him. "You have to calm down."

"Calm down?" He raged. "What about Jaye? Aren't you hurt that this could have been so easily avoided?"

Ginny recoiled, stung when he brought Jaye's name up.

"My father Ginny…" his face was still beautifully angry, but tears were now rolling down his cheeks. "My father has pentapox and I can't bear to think of the damage he might suffer because one stupid witch wanted to be younger."

It all became clear to Ginny in that instant. Draco's father, Draco's desire to heal, their impossible love…love? Was that what this relationship was? Ginny grinned.

"How can you be smiling?!" Draco fumed. "It's not the least bit funny."

"No it's not." But she was still smiling. "I just can't believe I didn't notice how much you've changed."

Draco gaped at her. "What?" He wasn't angry now, just disbelieving.

"You. You're trying so hard to be good. You really love your father and you are defying him every day to be here." She held up a hand when he was about to protest. "There's no need to tell me he wanted you to take over his business, the whole of England knows that. But yet here you are, betraying him because you want so much to help."

Ginny grinned at him, savoring the look of shock on his face. "You are incredibly gorgeous you know…"

She stepped closer to him and tilted her head up to his and he passionately threw himself into their first kiss…

Epilogue

Luckily for our lovers, it wasn't their last kiss. No, it was the first of many. Emily, Jasper, Draco and Ginny cracked all the keys that very day and had a cure by nightfall. Lucius and Jaye were the first to benefit from the cure, returning to their normal selves completely. All the patients were saved, unequivocally and the foursome became the heroes of London. Christoph held off his retirement plans and is still testing all the Healers, eager to find a replacement. As soon as Lucius was cured, he called off the stupid bet between he and Draco and was never prouder of his son, the Healer. Narcissa and he welcomed Ginny into the family lovingly and eventually the Weasley's and even Harry learnt to accept Draco as part of their lives. Still though, Draco and Ginny have secrets from each other. Secrets that Ginny knows she can never tell anyone…secrets Draco knows would drive Ginny away from him. But that's another story……

ORIGINAL REQUEST:
• Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic
• The tone/mood of the fic: Dark (but not sexually dark)
• An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic: Trains.
• Preferred rating of the fic you want: Any.
• Canon or AU? Either.
• Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): Draco or Ginny dying. Rape, bondage, BDSM, violent sex. - Thanks to Tamora Pierce for the concept of unlocking keys to a disease and also to the creators of Avatar for the use of the word pentapox :D Oh and obviously humungous thanks to JKR for creating this world I love to frolic in (and specifically some stolen text from Book 6) -

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