** Okayyyy guys! Here is chapter twenty-three COMPLETED!!! You know what to do, ES <3 **

Chapter Twenty - Three ~ You Wish

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ginny told Draco pathetically as she bit her lip.

Draco knew, he bloody knew and now she was in deep trouble; she thought to herself.

“A blinker, well, that sure would explain a lot, Red.” Draco smirked, “and now, before you start to panic, I work with Kinglsey as well. I’m part of the same organization, so don’t fret over nothing. And, I’m not here to kill you.” He added quickly when her eyes widened in fear and suspicion.

Oddly enough, after hearing Draco’s response, she wasn’t too worried even though she knew the consequences of another hit – witch or wizard finding out about their “colleagues”. The thing was that she trusted Draco, trusted that he wouldn’t spill her secrets about who she was and what she could do.

“So, you’re a hit – witch. Odd choice for a profession, don’t you think?” Draco teased.

Ginny frowned as she brushed a lock of her hair out of her face. As she leaned forward placing her hands on the bed in between them, she began to contemplate what to do when Draco smiled, really smiled; nearly took her breath away. Nearly.

“There really isn’t any reason to think so hard, Gin. We work for the same organization and we both know secrecy is deathly important. I won’t say a word. But now, since you showed me yours, I guess it’s only right if I show you mine.” He smirked suggestively.

She scowled. Leave it to Draco to make that sound uncharacteristically sexual; she thought as she rolled her eyes.

“You missed it,” Draco’s warm breath caressed her neck as she felt his body brush up against her back. She jumped in surprise, spinning around quickly to find him standing in front of her.

She looked back over her shoulder to where he had been standing mere seconds ago then back to where he was currently standing.

“You’re really fast,” she mumbled as all the pieces began to fall into place. She suddenly began to remember all the small things like that that had happened where she had wondered how he had appeared somewhere so quickly but had brushed it aside, putting it on stress or something else.

“Yes, something like that,” Draco agreed, smiling at her shocked expression.

Ginny watched him for a second, his silvery – gray eyes sparkling with mischief. He was enjoying all of this and truthfully, she didn’t know why he would.

“Ginny, love, don’t go off by yourself,” Draco whispered into her ear as he leaned forward, placing his hands on the bed behind her, boxing her in.

“I didn’t go anywhere, you git.” Ginny said breathlessly and hated it. The things he made her feel left her breathless and nervous.

He grinned at her response and leaned closer, their noses brushing lightly against each other. Ginny closed her eyes as electricity ran through her body at that simple touch. She shivered then opened her eyes; immediately looking at his full lips. Unable to help herself, she licked her lips slowly imagining how those lips would feel on hers.

Soft, she thought when instantly those lips curved into a blinding smile and Ginny’s eyes shot up to Draco’s.

He took a step back as laughter escaped from his lips and Ginny’s brown eyes widened in shock.

Oh bloody hell; she had pretty much invited him to laugh at her bloody stupidity! She thought angrily as she sat down on her bed and rubbed the heels of her hands against her eyes. She felt idiotic, mental, well, there really was tons of ways to describe how bloody crazy she was; Ginny thought.

When Ginny looked over at Draco, he was leaning against the wall laughing away. He looked so carefree when he laughs for real; none of that fake snickering stuff he loved to do.

He looked younger and happier and by sweet bloody Merlin, sexy as hell.

“You’re drooling,” Draco teased as his laughing slowed to a stop.

He pushed himself off of the wall and sat down on the bed next to her.

“Done laughing like a mental person?” She asked, glaring at him.

“Done daydreaming about getting snogged by me?” He countered.

Ginny ignored him as she leaned back in bed and looked up at the ceiling. She twirled her wand around her fingers as she thought about what happens now.

“What are you thinking?” Draco asked, looking down at her.

His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her, her fiery red hair spread out against the sheets and her face flushed with embarrassment. He wanted to kiss her; just one small, tiny, meaningless kiss which would definitely turn into a snog and much more, if he could dream might as well make it worth it, no? He thought.

“I was thinking about what happens now. You know what I do and what I can do. So what happens now? I know you won’t tell and you know I won’t tell…” she trailed off wondering briefly, if he was a hit – wizard, who he could have possibly killed.

“Just ask already, Red,” Draco snorted as he saw her battling internally over something she wanted to ask.

“I really shouldn’t ask because honestly, it isn’t any of my business but I’m going to ask anyway.” She bit her lip and frowned.

“C’mon, Red, I’m not getting any younger.” He teased as he pulled on a lock of her hair.

“Who was your first kill?” She asked quickly.

“Cornelius Fudge,” Draco answered just as quickly and smirked when she looked at him in shock.

“Fudge? Cornelius bloody Fudge? As in former I’m-an-idiot Minister of Magic?” Ginny asked as she sat up to look at Draco.

Draco simply nodded.

“No way! Blimey, I can’t believe it.” Ginny watched him as he smiled back at her. “Why?”

“Why what?” He asked.

“Why did They have you do it?” She asked.

“You know I can’t tell you that.” Draco shook his head softly.

“oh c’mon, tell me!” She grabbed his arm and began shaking it annoyingly.

“Stop,” he rolled his eyes at her.

“No, tell me. Please. Please. Please,” she tried.

“Because he’s a bloody idiot?” He said but it was more like he was asking her.

She frowned, “tell the truth, you slimy git.”

“Supposedly, he was posing a threat to the current Ministry by leaking information to questionable sources. Now, that’s all I’m going to tell you.” He said quickly.

“Who ordered it?” She watched him.

He chuckled then said, “you know I can’t tell you that.”

“Figures,” she mumbled as she laid back against the pillows.

“Yours?” He asked.

“Bellatrix Lestrange, your auntie dearest. I know you miss her tremendously.” She teased.

Draco snorted, “I was glad someone cleaned this world of her. Now, I’m ecstatic that it was you.”

“I was too, really.” She grinned as she stretched.

She got up and made her way to the kitchen; as she entered, she found Draco standing there with the fridge door looking for food.

“Hurry, I’m hungry too.” She ordered.

He grabbed a sandwich and handed it to her; she took a bite as she walked over to the dining room table, Draco behind her. They ate quietly each chewing and thinking to themselves.

Unable to stand the silence, Ginny looked up to see Draco watching her.

“Second?” She asked.

“Lidovic Bagman, also known as Ludo, Head of the department of Games and Sports; as we all know his downfall was when he took money from the goblins. He was unable to pay his debts so he was stealing from muggles and magical folk alike.” Draco explained.

Ginny nodded. She understood better than most the dilemma Ludo Bagman had with gambling. He actually ripped off Fred and George during the Quidditch World Cup in the summer before her third year at Hogwarts.

“Yours?” Draco asked right back.

“Hannah Abbott, she was actually in your year. A Hufflepuff, if I remember correctly. Besides the good-girl life everyone believed she lived, innocent Hannah Abbott was secretly kidnapping and shipping witches and wizards to your dear auntie, Bellatrix Lestrange, in order to torture and murder them. Then she’d supply free Death Eaters with polyjuice to have them pose as the victim like Crouch Jr. did in order to help receive information and also to not draw suspicion.”

“Bloody hell, that witch was mental. Who would help Bellatrix?” Draco asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb.

Ginny shrugged as she leaned back in her chair. “Maybe she did it for a reason, a good and desperate reason.”

“Like playing Devil’s Advocate?” Draco eyebrows rose in surprise as he watched Ginny close her eyes and sigh.

“Seriously, who in their right mind would help her? Help her willingly, of course?” Ginny asked back. “No one should,” Ginny said when Draco didn’t say anything.

“Unbelievable,” he snorted.

Ginny nodded in agreement. She bit her lip and jumped when suddenly a Butterbeer appeared right in front of her. She glared at Draco when he snickered.

“Don’t just – just jump out like that!” She growled.

“I didn’t jump out and plus, I thought you’d like something to drink. You’re out of Firewhiskey, you know.” He told her.

“Yes, I know. I haven’t refilled my supply.” Ginny said as she took a sip of the cool Butterbeer. “Who was your third?”

“Third and fourth were together. Millicent Bulstrode married Theodore Nott. It was an arranged marriage between the Bulstrode and Nott family many years before the two had been born. Slytherins, yes, I can see your shock. You’ve never killed a Gryffindor?” Draco asked in which Ginny nodded lightly, “exactly. Well, the two were playing with Dark Magic. Trying to find ways to resurrect the dead but we know that isn’t possible but obviously they didn’t. They even tried use muggle blood.” He shook his head in disgust.

“What’s wrong with people?” Ginny frowned as she mulled over the sanity of mankind, magical-kind, however a person decided to call it.

“Tell me the third and fourth for you.” Draco demanded curiously.

“Victor Krum was my third victim. When I got his name, I felt a bit bad considering he was Ron’s favorite Quidditch player until her dated Hermione but, well, the job called and I delivered, of course. It was said that a few years before the Tri-wizard Tournament, Igor Karkaroff had been secretly training Krum to follow the way of the Dark Lord. When Voldemort surfaced once again, Karkaroff grew frightened that he would hear about his betrayal.”

“Ah, where he snitched on all the Death Eaters to save himself from a one-way ticket to Azkaban. Yeah, he had every right to be frightened.” Draco added.

“Of course, Karkaroff was found dead and it was originally presumed that he was murdered by the Death Eaters but in fact, he was murdered by Krum. All because Karkaroff was planning on running from Voldemort and everything he had taught Krum to cherish, to be loyal to. It was said that he was even thinking about speaking to the Order of the Phoenix. Angry, Krum rounded up a few Death Eaters and murdered Karkaroff. With those Death Eaters who had escaped Azkaban, Krum then tried to resume Voldemort’s work.”

“I heard about that. When the hit – witch caught him, let’s say you now, it was said he was planning on murdering a half - blood family with respectable connections in the ministry. Despicable, truly,” He snorted as he leaned back in the chair.

“I got the bastard before he could go through with his plans for becoming the next Voldemort. One was enough.” Ginny growled as her hand tightened on the Butterbeer bottle.

“Relax there, Weasel,” Draco teased as he leaned forward and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.

She blushed which he grinned at.

“And the fourth one?” Draco asked as he stood up to throw away his bottle.

“Give me,” Ginny grabbed the bottle, closed her eyes quickly, and the two bottles disappeared from her hands.

“Bloody brilliant,” Draco smiled as he sat back down.

“Rodolphus Lestrange, another family member. It seems I might be killing off your entire lot. That can’t be good for our friendship.” Ginny snorted.

Draco ignored her.

“Do I honestly have to explain that one?” Ginny asked.

“No, you don’t. Let’s see, my next one, next ones really, were Alecto and Amycus Carrow. Now that one was a please, truly. They were rotten to the core. Regardless of what people believed, I got tortured a few times by them. I’ve got a scar or two to prove it.” He began to pull up his shirt when Ginny immediately jumped up and pulled it down.

“Keep your bloody clothes on!” She shrieked.

“Whaaaat? Why? I was just about to show you the scars. They’re on my back.” He began to pull his shirt up again.

“Draco Malfoy if you try to remove your clothes one more time, I will blast your slimy, git arse to ten blasted years from now!” Ginny hissed.

He smirked as he sat back and looked at her; “What’s got your knickers in a twist, Red? Afraid you might like what you see?”

“You wish,” she told him but she was lying to him and to herself.

They both knew she did like what she saw, very much in fact. Draco was one sexy piece of…well, let’s not go there. She’d caught a glimpse of those chiseled abs and almost had to fan herself due to how hot she had suddenly felt. It was embarrassing, really.

She bit her lip as he continued to watch her.

“Alright, alright, so you killed the Carrows. My next was Cormac McLaggen. Now, truthfully, I never liked the guy but he didn’t seem that bad until I got my assignment. It turns out that McLaggen had been killing muggles who insulted him for years. Surprising enough, it was only muggles; not that killing muggles is a good thing. They are people too. I just had always assumed that he would turn out to be a grade-A psychopath and murder everyone we know.” Ginny thought over a psychotic McLaggen and actually shivered at the nightmare that would have been.

“Which was the one kill that after you read the information you were dying, just dying to complete it? But not because they told you to, but because you wanted to.” Draco asked.

“It would have to be Marietta Edgecombe. I know you remember her from your fifth year, when Umbridge was there, she ratted on Dumbledore’s Army. Well after the war, it was discovered that she was a Death Eater. She told the Ministry that she had been forced to do, under the Imperius curse, terrible things.” Ginny explained.

“She really should have used a different story. My father even used that one.” Draco snorted.

“Seriously, but anyway, it turns out that she actually sought out Voldemort and volunteered her…services. She kidnapped, tortured and killed muggles and magic folk alike; without reservation. When the Ministry caught her after the war, she blabbed out some sob story and when they released her she went on her merry way until someone tried that mass breakout at Azkaban recently. They found out Marietta Edgecombe was behind it and they sent over a team of Aurors to bring her in. She killed almost all of them. I then found out that it was my team, my squad from training. She killed almost every single one of them. Yeah, we weren’t friends or anything but that angered me, really boiled me up when i found out and the decided to send me. I found her. I found her quickly and by sweet bloody Merlin she got what she deserved.” Ginny growled.

“She sure did, Red, she sure did.” Draco watched her, pulling her eyes into his.

“Did you ever lose sleep from it?” She asked.

“Never,” he replied honestly.

“Did it ever bother you, even a little? Did you feel like it was weighing on your soul? Tarnishing it, destroying it?” She really wanted to know.

“Maybe the first one but after that…well, it wasn’t so hard after that one.” He explained. “Weighing on my soul? Never. Tarnishing it, destroying it? Merlin could only wish! Hah, my soul is – ” Ginny cut him off.

“Do not say your soul is clean. Puh – lease, your soul is the farthest from clean.” She snickered.

“No, not anymore, Red,” He told her.

“It doesn’t bother me anymore either.” Ginny told him and he smiled at her, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.

“Well, if it ever bothers you again, Red, I know something that can ease your mind, your body and your soul. All you’ve gotta do is ask, love.” He whispered seductively.

Ginny blushed brilliantly and smashed her eyes shut, disappearing before his very eyes. He then heard her bathroom door slam shut followed by, “get your slimy ferret arse out of my apartment right now, Draco Malfoy!”

*****

Okay, my readers/fans/friends!

I am so sorry that this chapter has taken so long to write. I was having a bit of trouble but everything has settled itself out on this final draft of the chapter.

i hope that you enjoyed it! Here is the explanationt that you've all be asking for. I hope it works out for you!

Well, you guys know what to do!

Peace & Love,

ES <3