�Goodness, Weasley, you look pale. Are you sure you�re okay? I only just found out about the attack at the Leaky Cauldron.�

�Well, the Wizard Wireless Network must be slipping. I�d have thought you�d have known by now. And I�m a redhead, Dex. We�re born pale.�

Ginny brushed past her partner and headed up the stairs to where they were keeping Mandy. Dex hurried after her.

�Weasley if I�d had known what happened I would have never asked you to come in. I could have handled things myself.�

Ginny stopped and looked at him. �If what you said in your note is true, then it�s a good idea I be told what�s going on, don�t you?�

Dex nodded reluctantly, but folded his arms. �What does Harry say about all of this? And I can�t believe your family let you out without a chaperone.�

Ginny shook her head and continued up the stairs. Dex�s hand on her back stopped her and she tried to shake it off, annoyed.

�Ginny-� Dex�s voice was low and his use of her first name made her sigh in frustration.

�Harry doesn�t know I�m here, no one does. I snuck out. They�re out there trying to find Malfoy and I�m supposed to sit tight. But this is more important than me. You and I both know that. Remember what Winifred said? If someone is attacking girls because of something I�ve done or because of me, then I owe it to them to figure it all out. Before someone else get�s taken.�

Ginny hadn�t realized she was pleading until she heard the note of it in her own voice. Why couldn�t anyone see that she needed to do something other than just sit around and wait?

Dex looked as though he was going to tell her to go home and Ginny held her breath waiting for the lecture that never came. He smiled at her when she met his eyes.

�I could never talk you out of doing something you wanted to do, Weasley. Come on,� he said as he pushed past her, �Sarah is waiting for you in Mandy�s room. She�s really upset, so you�ve been warned.�

Ginny smiled gratefully at her partner and follwed him. Finally, someone who understood.

Hermione knocked on Harry�s bedroom door softly. When she recieved no answer, she was hoping that meant that Ginny had taken the Sleeping Draught Mrs. Weasley had made for her. But all such hope faded as soon as Hermione opened the door to check and found the empty bedroom and the doors to the balcony standing open.

Hermione half-cursed the Weasley name and walked over to the bed as a piece of paper fluttered to the ground. She picked it up and read it, her eyes growing wide.

Damn that girl, she thought to herself.

Hermione took the note with her and walked back out to the living room. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were not going to like this at all.

But when Hermione entered the living room, Mrs. Weasley was talking to a very upset looking Neville at the door. Neville�s eyes widened when he saw Hermione and he pushed past Molly to walk over to her.

�Hermione, where�s Ginny? I really need to talk to her.�

Molly shook her head. �I tried telling him about what happened but I don�t think he was listening. Neville, Ginny�s resting-�

�Actually, Molly, she�s not,� Hermione said, handing her the note she�d found. �Seems Ginny has decided to go to work.�

Molly stared at Hermione and looked down at the note. She gasped and then went into the kitchen to show Mr. Weasley. Neville looked after her and then ran a hand absentmindedly through his hair. He looked very agitated.

�Neville, what�s wrong?� Hermione asked him.

�It�s... Susan. I can�t find her anywhere. We were supposed to meet and she�s never late and she never misses and now I can�t find her. And... and I found this in her flat-�

Neville held out a small bunch of greenery that had dark pinkish flowers at the end of each stem. They reminded Hermione of a poppies, the petals were long and drooping. Except there was something odd about the shape of the buds. As she took one from Neville�s hand, she turned it over and realized that held the right way, the bloom took on the appearance of a pink heart and at the bottom tip of each heart the color exploded into dark red. It was as though the bloom was bleeding. She supposed that had Neville not seemed so agitated by the appearance of the flower, she might have thought it was pretty, but for some reason she felt a shiver instead.

�What is it?�

�It�s a flower that doesn�t grow around here, that�s what it is. It�s called a Bleeding Heart. And it... it means death. I think something has happened to Susan. I need to show this to Ginny, to see if she can get any impressions from it. Susan�s aunt mentioned something about girls disappearing and-�

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley chose that moment to come out of the kitchen, arguing.

�You should have made sure she took the Sleeping Draught-�

�And you should have made sure your daughter had more sense-�

Hermione shook her head and looked at the the Weasley�s.

�I reckon we need to go after her, don�t we?�

Mr. Weasley nodded. �I know you can�t Apparate yet Hermione, so if you don�t mind seeing Molly-�

�Seeing Molly where? I�m going to the hopsital to give my daughter a nice talking to, Arthur Weasley, something which you should have already done.�

�Molly, I was merely suggesting that you two go to the Ministry, since it�s closer so that someone can let Harry know there�s been some new developments with the case he and Ginny had been working on. Neville and I will pop over to St. Mungo�s and get Ginny back here.�

Before Molly could argue, Hermione took ahold of her future mother-in-law and grabbed their cloaks by the door.

�I think it sounds like a very sensible plan, Arthur,� Hermione said, hoping to avoid an elder Weasley row.

�But what about Susan?! What if she�s been nabbed. A friend of mine was out looking for Mandy Brocklehurst earlier and-�

The closing door shut out Neville�s panicked voice. Hermione realized she was still holding the Bleeding Heart she�d taken from Neville. Stuffing it into her robe pocket she pretended to agree with Molly as the elder woman started going on about irresponsible children.

It was true that Hermione didn�t put much stock into �feelings� or intutions about things, that she preferred logic and facts to guesses and maybes... but as she wrapped her robe closer around her as they made their way to the Ministry, Hermione had a very bad feeling indeed. And something told her to trust it.

They�d recieved notice of Draco�s whereabouts almost immediately after reaching Auror Headquarters. So Harry and the Weasley�s, as well as almost everyone else who had been in the office, including Remus and Tonks, had headed out straight away to a small shopping district along the water front. It reminded Harry too much of the evening that they had found Winifred for some reason. Probably because it was almost the same area, except they were definitely in non-wizard friendly territory, which meant no one could really keep their wands out in front of them. Not that Harry had any fear none of the search party couldn�t reach for them in time. He�d seen everyone work fast and quick under worse conditions then this and if any Muggles saw anything odd or strange, he had no doubt a few memory charms would go a long way.

All Harry cared about was getting Draco and getting back to Ginny. Harry tried to push the anxiety he felt at that to the back of his mind. He didn�t know why he was anxious, but ever since he�d left her... but no, his nerves were just on overkill, that�s all it meant.

He glanced over at Ron, who had a very determined look on his face, his eyes moving left to right. His expression matched Bill and Charlie�s as well. Harry had to curb an urge to chuckle. Merlin, Malfoy, you�re a fool. Not only do you have me after your arse, but you�ve got the full arsenal known as the Wrath of Weasley just itching to pummel you into nothing.

Remus moved beside him and raised his hand so that everyone would stop. They were spread out in a strategic position, with George and Fred and a group of Auror�s bringing up the rear. Harry knew they all looked a bit conspcious, what with the Weasley�s red hair shining bright in the setting sun, but it couldn�t be helped. Remus turned and nodded to a old woman with a shopping cart. She winked at Harry and then walked forward a bit, looking for all the world like a dottering old Muggle, on her way home from the store. Harry had to hand it to Tonks. She could certainly disguise better than anyone he knew. Almost better. His mind reflected on the other person he knew that could change their appearance so well and an idea popped into his head.

�Remus, listen, can Tonks change into Narcissa, do you think?�

Remus blinked at him. �Narcissa? Well, not an exact copy, but from a distance... but isn�t that how you trapped Draco in America, by making him think you had his mother? Do you really think he�d fall for that again?�

�Yeah, Harry,� said Bill as he moved next them. �Malfoy�s an idiot, but he�s not that thick. He�d probably laugh at her.�

�That�s what I want. I want him to come out laughing. Malfoy can�t resist telling me how stupid I am. He�ll see Tonks and want to let the world know how pathetic I am.�

Bill and Remus looked doubtful. Harry tried to explain it more.

�Look, you know how Draco can�t resist showing me up. This is perfect, he�ll just burst with his superiority over me and come out to play.� Harry also didn�t add that the man probably missed his mother enough to want to get a good look at Tonks. Harry knew the extent of Draco�s mother worship, he knew there�d be some force within Draco that would want to believe it was true, even if most of him believed it wasn�t.

�Well, I suppose we can try it, for a little while. Of course, Draco may no longer be in this part of town and we�d just be wasting time,� Remus said, sounding as though he wasn�t convinced the plan had any merit.

�Just walking around is wasting time too,� Bill said and Harry nodded.

�Alright, let me ask her,� Remus turned and headed after Tonks. Harry used his wand and tried another Locator Spell. The wand still buzzed, so that was a good sign. It meant Draco had at least been in the area recently. Harry didn�t have time to wonder why as Ron came up to him and Bill.

�What�s going on?� Ron asked them and Harry started to explain his plan. Bill moved off to tell the others.

�You really think he�ll make an appearance?� Ron asked, skeptically.

Harry nodded. He didn�t know why, but his gut instinct told him Draco would. He just hoped it was soon. The anxiety about Ginny came back again and Harry pushed it away. She�s fine, she�s probably asleep in your bed. Stop worrying.

The inner voice did not soothe his anxieties. Harry just couldn�t shake the idea that Ginny had done something stupid and not taken her sleeping potion like she�d promised.

Ginny stared in complete revulsion at Mandy�s back. Whoever had taken her had carved Ginny�s name into the pale pink skin, just below the other woman�s shoulder blade. She tried to swallow but found that she couldn�t. Sarah wasn�t looking at her and neither was Dex.

�Is she..?� Ginny thought her voice sounded hollow and empty. She closed her eyes to block the view from her mind but it was too late. The image of someone being branded with her name was already burned into her memory.

�She�s asleep. As far as I can tell. Just like... like Winifred was,� Sarah said softly.

�So that�s good then, right?� Dex said, his voice also souding odd to Ginny, �She�ll wake up... eventually, right?�

Sarah just looked at him and sat down in the chair next to the bed. Ginny willed herself to look at Mandy again and moved closer to the bed. He had carved it perfectly. The slope of the G was almost generous as it cut through the skin. The small i and double n�s connecting. The wide expanse of the y... Ginny had never hated her name before but in that moment she did. She bit her lip as she noticed how deeply Mandy had been cut. She took in the redness of Mandy�s hair, dyed or charmed to be just like her own. Ginny felt her stomach drop to her feet and suddenly couldn�t stand it anymore. She bolted from the around the bed and barely made it to the loo before she got sick, retching up whatever she�d had for lunch.

Someone was out there hurting women because of her. What else could it mean?

Ginny fell back and felt herself slide down the wall. The loo seemed to turn and swirl around her and she didn�t realize she was moaning until Dex was saying her name in her ear. She looked up at his concerned face and couldn�t understand what he was saying. In fact, Dex didn�t even look like himself anymore, his face was darker, the features stretched. Ginny felt something pass through her consciousness as he touched her and she gasped as she realized what it was.

Ginny whispered one word before she blacked out and she said it so softly that almost no one would have heard.

But Dex did hear it and something inside him seemed to snap.

Oh no, this wouldn�t do at all.

�Ron! Now!� Harry shouted as Ron threw a Stunning Spell towards the alleyway they�d just seen Draco run down.

True to Harry�s instinct, Draco had been unable to resist the urge to taunt him and he had appeared shortly after Tonks had managed to make herself look like her least favorite aunt. Laughing and full of taunts, Draco had given himself away and the Auror�s led by Fred and George, had pounced on him. It was just a matter of time now.

Harry shared a look with Ron and they took off after Malfoy, knowing full well that Remus and Bill were on the other side waiting. Draco was as good as dead.

They could hear him up ahead, breathing heavily. Harry knew the game was up when he found a piece of the invisiblity cloak Draco had been hiding under sticking off of a nasty piece of broken concrete he�d obviously ran into. Draco could now be seen.

They ran into a small opening between the two buildings and stopped as they saw Remus and Bill enter from the other way. They all looked around and their eyes settled on a small group of boxes and bins that had been dumped by some lazy shop cleaner. Draco had to have hidden in amongst those, somewhere.

�Let us at him!� George was saying in his ear and Fred growled his plea next to Ron.

Harry held out his hand and stopped them.

�Let�s flush him out instead.�

Fred and George exchanged smiles of glee as Harry aimed his wand at one of the large boxes.

�Oh, Draco? Are you home?� A crack of green light filled the alleyway as Harry blew the box away.

�Yeah, you big git, show yourself and we might not hurt you-�

�Too much-� George said and he used his wand to blow up the next box.

�Let me have a go,� Ron said excitedly and aimed his wand at the next largest box. But before he could utter the spell, it moved and they heard Draco�s voice calling out to them.

�Watch it Weasely, if you kill me here you�ll never know what I know about your sister.�

Harry put his hand out to stop Ron.

�What do you mean, Draco? What about Ginny?�

They heard a strange sound and Harry realized it was Draco was laughing at them very hard. So hard in fact that it sounded as though the man was having problems breathing in between chortles. Feeling anger again, Harry aimed his wand and the box around Draco disappeared. Draco�s eyes widened and then he stood up, his eyes flicking over them. He knew he was caught and yet he still had the ability to look at them as though they were beneath him. Harry had to admire the ego it took to do that.

�Tired of playing, Potter? You never did have much patience.�

Remus moved forward but Harry stopped him. �No, Remus. This is between me and Draco.�

Harry moved forward and knew Ron, George and Fred were right behind him. Bill eyed Draco and also moved closer. Charlie and the other Auror�s hung back in case Draco had something planned.

�What do you know about Ginny, Draco. Tell me now and I might let you live.�

Draco smirked. �Idle threats, Potter. You�d no more kill me now then you would when you caught me in America. You�re an eternal do-gooder.�

�Yeah, but we�re not,� Fred said from behind him.

Draco paled a bit but Harry could still see the arrogance in his eyes.

�You Weasley? And which one are you anyway? Oh, it doesn�t matter, once a Weasley, always a Weasley, that is, a scum blood traitor. I hardly doubt you�d want your fat mother to worry about you getting sent off to Azkaban for killing the likes of me.�

George made a growling noise and Ron and Harry had to hold him back, to stop him from charging the other man. Draco backed up a bit, but still stared defiantly at them.

Harry looked at Draco. �Times have changed Draco. Arthur Weasley is the Minister of Magic now and he has personally given us his okay to take you out in anyway possible. Of course, should things go awry here and we�re forced to... harm you, I�m sure the rest of the party will back us up when we say you were harmed while trying to escape.�

Finally Harry could see some of the arrogance wear off of Draco and he was surprised by the haunted expression the man wore. Azkaban had been hard for Draco to endure. His confidence was a shaky thing it seemed.

�Be that as it may, Potter, you still won�t know what I know and believe me... it�s something very interesting. That girlfriend of yours. I watched her today. She�s quite a piece of something, isn�t she? I would have never guessed, seeing as how she comes from a family of traitor�s but... yeah, I can see why you�d like that next to you in bed,� Draco paused, his eye glittering dangerously, his confidence obviously returning, �How is she in bed, by the way? Did she enjoy the Stunner I gave her? Bet it was the first time she felt a real flash of power from a real man, you know what I mean, Harry? I bet she loved it.�

The force of the spell that hit Draco suprised even Harry and he�d been the one to cast it. He�d only meant to propel Draco back against the wall, instead, Malfoy had hit the wall hard, his body making a loud crack! as it made contact.

Two things happened at once, Fred and George let out a loud yell of happiness and clapped Harry on the back and Remus and Bill both said his name in warning tones.

Harry looked down at Draco and felt no remorse. The blonde haired man stared up at him, a strange expression on his face. His eyes met Harry�s.

�Is she as good as all that, Potter? Guess it�s a shame I won�t live to know for myself...� Draco�s voice trailed off and his face flashed with pain. Harry knew then that Draco was dying.

Dropping to his knees over him, Harry used his wand to prop Draco up. Draco coughed and blood came out of his mouth. He looked at it in wonder as though he couldn�t believe it was his.

�About time you finished me off Harry,� Draco said quietly. �But just remember this moment, when you realize what�s gone. When you realize I had things to tell you about Ginny and what�s going to happen to her. Remember that you killed me too soon. Live with that when you find her, dead. He�s going to take her from you Harry and there�s nothing you can do...� Draco�s body shuddered and then his head lolled forward, his eyes going wide. His body went slack and it was only because of the spell Harry still had him secured under that he didn�t crumple to the ground. Remus reached out and checked the man�s pulse.

He looked at Harry. �He�s dead,� he said simply and Harry nodded. He felt numb as though he had been watching himself from the outside. It was always that way when he fought. He released the spell and Remus caught Draco�s body as it fell downwards. He lowered him to the ground and stood up. Not looking at Harry, he turned to Bill who nodded and went to get the others in their group.

�He was bluffing. He didn�t know anything to do with Ginny,� Ron was saying, out loud. �It was just another one of Malfoy�s taunts. You did the right thing Harry. The git deserved it.�

Harry nodded again and yet... something about the look in Draco�s eyes... Harry realized that with the death of Draco so too had died the answers of how he had escaped to begin with and who, if anyone, had helped him. Again the anxious feeling rose up in him and Harry looked at Remus.

�I�m going,� he said simply and Remus nodded at him, because he too had seen something true in the look that Draco had given Harry.

Harry apparated to his flat.