This is the last full chapter of "The Secrets of War." There will be an epilogue, which I plan to post before Christmas.
It's taken far too long to write this. I've been working on this for months, and have kept you all waiting long enough.
Enjoy.
~*~
Chapter Nineteen
Time slowed as Ginny stared at the spot where Draco just stood. He was there, they had made love, and then he disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Ginny shook her head. He didn't just disappear. He was taken away - summoned - by the only person they had left to fear.
Reality fast-forwarded and hit Ginny in the face. Before she could make any sense of what happened, she ran over to the fireplace, grabbed a handful of Floo powder, and cried out for Snape.
Snape's head appeared in a second, and from the look on his face, he was just as bewildered as she was. "What are you doing, calling me like this, Weasley?" Snape snapped. "If I had a fellow Death Eater over, or worse-"
"Voldemort," Ginny spat out, making each of them cringe at the name. "He took Draco. His Darkmark went off and-"
Ginny didn't need to say anymore. Despite the green light, Snape's face flushed at her words. "I'll be over as soon as I can," Snape said, and then the light went out.
The time Snape spent to get over there wasn't soon enough, though. The seconds and minutes stretched into eternal anxiety. She ran to her room and changed into clothes she could fight in and grabbed her wand, hiding it in her back pocket as her only secret weapon. When Ginny went back to Draco's study and waited for Snape, she tried not to look around at all that reminded her of him. She knew in the moment of seeing Snape that not all the Death Eaters were summoned. Whatever Voldemort wanted, he only needed Draco.
Ginny closed her eyes and hid her head in her hands. This was all happening too fast; it was making her dizzy. She had just realized she loved Draco. She only learned that she would fight death for him if it came to that. Now it was here, and all she could do was sit and wait for the next step.
It all came down to the final battle for their love, and Ginny didn't even know where to find Draco.
When Snape entered the room, Ginny didn't jump up and rush at him as she thought she would. Instead, they stared at each other in silence with the knowledge of what was to happen weighing them both down.
"So he was the only one summoned?" Ginny finally asked.
Snape nodded. "I contacted a few Death Eaters. They knew nothing. Just the same talk of Flint's and Pansy's death."
"But he's often had meetings before with just He Who Must Not Be Named, right?"
Snape nodded once more. "Draco managed to get very … close with the Dark Lord throughout the war. It's how he secured you as his prisoner. The more the Dark Lord trusted Draco, the more he would give what was wanted."
"But he had to know Draco was up to something," Ginny said. "We're talking about someone who beat Harry, someone who now rules this world. " Ginny paused. "Draco had to know he couldn't fool the most powerful wizard forever."
"I think you'd be surprised of what Draco is capable of, or how powerful the Dark Lord is," Snape said. "And after all, I did train Draco to keep his secrets hidden."
Ginny's eyes rounded. "You knew about us before-"
"Not exactly," Snape interrupted. "Draco came to me for Occlumency training. It was odd enough that Draco, who was raised to one day be the Dark Lord's follower, would want to defy his master in such a way by hiding his thoughts and memories from him.
"Beyond that was his fierce determination to succeed. I knew Draco had a powerful secret, something he was so desperate to keep hidden. Even though I was the one training him, I couldn't get a glimpse of what it was. Until one day when Draco was too tired, and his days toward the Dark Mark were drawing nearer, that I caught an image of a girl with red hair."
Ginny remembered the times she felt Snape's eyes on hers, as if he was trying to find an answer to a specific question.
"What Draco didn't and doesn't know is my loyalty to the Order. When I saw you in his thoughts, I simply pretended I didn't. Draco moved on with his studies and his plans to keep you safe from the Dark Lord and his followers, and I kept an eye on you until you were the only member of the Order left."
"But he's slipped since then," Ginny said, staring at her hands. "He may have all the strengths of training and fighting, but his weakness is me." Ginny looked up at Snape, and saw the same thought on his face. "He's lied, killed, betrayed, and all for me. At some point, someone was going to put all those pieces together and see where the trail led."
"He's made it this far," Snape said, but his tone did not reassure Ginny.
Ginny shook her head and stood up. "I can't sit here any longer and wait for Draco to be okay. I need you to tell me how to get to him. Where is he hiding, how do I get in-"
A shrieking noise erupted in the room and throughout the manor, cutting Ginny off as she clutched her ears. Her face grimaced in pain at the noise. She yelled at Snape, "What is that?"
When Snape's first movement was to check his Death Mark, Ginny's heart sank. It wasn't black like Draco's when he was summoned, but before Ginny could rejoice she saw the scared look on Snape's face.
"They're here," Snape said. He pushed Ginny away from the door and towards Draco's desk.
Ginny caught herself on the edge of the desk, where the picture was of her in Hogwarts, smiling at her without a care in the world. "Snape - what-"
"Death Eaters," he yelled back, the noise deafening them both. He glanced from the door and then to Ginny. "I rigged Draco's security system. If they're here, then that means the Dark Lord knows."
The shrieking noise suddenly stopped, but Ginny's pounding heart continued. She stared at the picture of her, young and in love with Draco. There were Death Eaters in the manor coming for her, and all she could think about was how this little picture was enough evidence to end it all.
Snape pulled out his wand and used it to shut the door. His head snapped back to Ginny. "You need to get out of here," he hissed. "Take the secret passageway and run."
Ginny turned from the picture to Snape, and couldn't help but weaken at the deep pale in his face and the panic in his eyes. Never had she seen him so undone; yet she wondered why it wasn't hitting her that they were at the end of their journey. Voldemort had Draco, he sent his followers for Ginny, and Snape, the spy, was about to blow his cover by saving her neck.
She could hear loud footsteps on the stairs, but couldn't tell how many people there were. She looked away from Snape and around the study to the pensieve, where she discovered her and Draco's secret past, and then to the couch, where they made love. Even when death faced her, Ginny couldn't leave that room and the manor. She had welcomed it and Draco fully into her life; she wasn't ready to give it all away. Not without a fight.
She went to grab her wand when a red spark flew at her and singed the desk next to her, knocking down the frame. Ginny jumped but it was only Snape with his wand pointed at her. His face still held paleness, but his eyes were darker.
"Go now and hide your wand," he hissed. "Remember that no one else knows you have it."
Several booms erupted in the hallways, as if doors were being knocked down. "But what about you?" Ginny asked as she looked at the secret passageway entrance.
"Go!" Snape yelled, another red spark exploding. The booms in the hallway grew closer. As Snape turned his back on Ginny to defend the door, she did exactly as she was taught to do in the war - she hid.
She found the uneven brick and pushed on it, opening the entrance. As she ran inside, something pounded against the study door. Her last image before the brick door shutting was Snape facing the door, wand at the ready.
Adrenaline kicked into Ginny and she ran down the hallway. Each footstep she told herself that Snape was right for her to run. He still might be able to cover himself for why he was at the manor, maybe to nab Ginny for Voldemort himself. But what good would it do either of them if Ginny stayed and fought by his side? If there was a chance she could make it out of the manor undetected and find Draco, she had to take it.
She passed the door to the library and kept running. It was quiet in the hallway; only the pounding of her feet and heart filled the musky space. How long ago was it since she hid there from Draco, and now she was running to find him?
When she reached the end, she waited for a moment to catch her breath before she could listen through the other side of Narcissa's portrait. When silence greeted her, Ginny made sure her wand was tucked safely away and pushed the brick.
There was no one on the other side of the brick wall. Ginny breathed deeply, and was trying to figure out how to get out safely when a voice made her jump.
"Weasley?" Narcissa's portrait asked. "What are you doing here? And what was that dreadful noise?"
Ginny swung around to look at the blonde woman's stern face. Ginny had every sense to run before the portrait made another peep, but Narcissa was once a Death Eater. She had to know where Draco was.
"Please, Mrs. Malfoy," Ginny whispered. "He Who Must Not Be Named has Draco. I need to find him and-"
Narcissa's tightened face dropped and worry replaced it. "Why would the Dark Lord have Draco? What has he done?"
Ginny flushed. The thought of telling Narcissa that her son was in love with a Weasley, along with the rest of what he has done, confirmed her want to run away.
"Please, there's no time. They found Snape and I need to-"
In that moment, Ginny wondered why she never found Narcissa as scary as Lucius. Every inch of Narcissa's beautiful face turned to stone as she glared at Ginny. "I died for my son," Narcissa hissed. "You will tell me exactly what he did to make it worth that, or I will scream until the Death Eaters find the trash in front of me."
At those words, a fire erupted in Ginny that was missing the moment Draco was taken away. It was because of people like Narcissa that Draco and her had to hide their love in the first place, and all their pain and suffering has only led them to the end. Well, Ginny wasn't going down without a fight.
"It's because your precious son fell in love with trash like me," Ginny snapped, ignoring the shocked look on Narcissa's face. "Everything he has always done since Hogwarts was to protect me, and now I have to do the same. You saved Draco's life once by giving your own. I need your help again. You can think the worst about me, but it's your son I want to help."
The moment Ginny saw the pain etched into Narcissa's face, she regretted how harsh she was. How easy it was for Ginny to get angry with Narcissa, but Ginny had almost forgotten that Narcissa sacrificed her life for Draco when he was with the enemy. And it looked as if Narcissa was piecing the timeframe together as well.
A noise at the end of the hallway made Ginny jump. Narcissa looked at the edge of her portrait and when she looked back at Ginny, a sincere frown was on her face. "It's too late," she whispered. "The other portraits said there are two Death Eaters coming this way."
Panic filled Ginny. She was trapped in a corner with Draco's mother, who was just as likely to turn her in to the Death Eaters if she could.
The noise grew closer, and all Ginny could do was shrink into the corner. She knew going back to the study was pointless. But if she could make it to the fireplace-
"Weasley," Narcissa said.
It was the kindness in Narcissa's voice that took Ginny by surprise. Ginny turned to look at the woman who looked so much like Draco. She had the same cold face, and the beautiful blonde hair. She even had the same gray eyes, with a hint of sadness.
"The Dark Lord's only weakness is love," Narcissa said. "It's why he killed me. He couldn't understand someone who would die for a person they loved. It's something he never had. And he will likely do the same to Draco, because he will never comprehend loving another so much, you're willing to do anything for them."
Ginny stared at her. "I don't understand …"
"Don't fight the Death Eaters - you can only get into the headquarters with one. But once you're there, fight with all you have. Fight with the one thing the Dark Lord will never know or understand, no matter how powerful he is. Fight with your heart and save my boy."
She disappeared before Ginny could respond. Men yelled at her and in a moment she felt a pair of rough hands on her arm. She did as Narcissa said, and didn't fight the Death Eaters as they bounded her arms and dragged her away from Malfoy Manor. She listened to Narcissa's words as Crabbe and Goyle Apparted her away from her home, because Narcissa had the same look in her eyes that Draco always had.
Blind, stubborn hope.
~*~
Ginny didn't have to open her eyes to see where they Apparated to. She would never forget that stench of death, or the screeches of pain. They were back in the prison where Ginny was kept hostage, where, to her, a new life began with Draco.
What was the chance of the same place being the end as well?
Only when Goyle pulled her arm to walk did she open her eyes. They were alone at the Apparation point. Still, Ginny planted her feet in the dirt ground and tried to push herself away from the two men. She listened to Narcissa and got in with a Death Eater, but now she had to fight. She needed to run to a hiding place, get her ropes undone, and raise hell with her wand.
But Goyle and Crabbe didn't flinch at Ginny's attempts. Instead, Goyle pushed her down to the ground and pointed his wand at her as she lay in the dirt, looking up at him.
"We could do this the easy way or the hard way, Weasley," Goyle drawled. Crabbe simply snickered.
Ginny blew the hair out of her face and glared at the men. She wanted to tell at them to piss off, but she paused. How much did they know about the situation? For all Ginny knew, Voldemort only had his suspicions. He called Draco away, and made it look like something horrible had happened for Ginny to be the one to betray their secret. That, and as far as she could tell, Snape wasn't caught. There was still a small chance they could all be safe.
Ginny continued her glare. "What the hell are you doing?" she snapped. "Why am I here?"
Crabbe laughed and Goyle smiled down from his wand. "Someone seem to forget they're a prisoner?" Goyle said.
Ginny's heart dropped, but she didn't let it show. "How could I with you bastards?" she snapped. "I thought my punishment was to be at Malfoy's. What am I doing back here?" It wasn't difficult to force the fear in her voice.
When Goyle smirked and yanked her up instead of answering, Ginny knew he had no idea.
He pushed her to walk in front of him to an entrance on their left. When Ginny looked down the hallway, she froze and desperately tried to run away with zero success. Down the hallway on both sides were the prisoner cells, something she had just gotten out of her nightmares. For how long was she on the other side of the bars, watching people like her walking by, knowing they wouldn't come back?
Ginny couldn't look into the prisoners faces and know, from their sad look, that she wasn't coming back either.
They walked to the end of the hallway to a large, black door. Crabbe knocked twice and waited. Each second that went by, Ginny's heart pounded. This was really it. Whatever - whoever - was behind that door would be it.
The door swung open, but no one was there. The circular room was empty, minus the dozens of candles that were lit on the floor, casting shadows along the wall.
Before Ginny could settle down, Goyle pushed her into the room and shut the door behind her.
Ginny staggered from his shove, but caught herself before she fell onto a candle. She rushed back to the door and tried to open it with her tied hands, but it was no use. She couldn't even get her wand. She was locked in and defenseless.
A breeze of wind stirred Ginny's hair, startling her as she jumped to face the room. It was too quiet, and the light flickering off the walls made it look as if there were things moving in the room that she could only see in shadow. The room was just as big as Draco's study, but the lighting tricked her eyes.
It was when Ginny heard a footstep that she knew she wasn't being paranoid. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes scanned the room, but the sound bounced off the circular walls. All Ginny could do was press herself against the door as she furiously tried to wiggle her hands out of the tied rope.
Ginny froze when her eyes did catch something. On the other side of the room, she saw someone standing towards her, but their upper half was covered in shadow. All she could see were dirty tennis shoes and torn khakis. She knew from the size of the shoes that the person was a man, and also knew Voldemort wouldn't wear such a thing. She still trembled.
But there was a small chance that it was someone who could help her. Maybe it was another prisoner, trapped and waiting for their death as well. She summoned up every ounce of bravery she had and said, "Who's there?"
The person took another step forward, allowing the flickering light to show Ginny everything but his face. She was certain it was a man now. He was wearing a green sweater so dirty, she couldn't make out the lettering on it. There was dried blood on his hands, and he held no wand.
"Who are you?" Ginny asked. "Can you talk? Are you hurt?"
The light flickered in such a way that something gleamed from the man's face, as if he was wearing glasses.
Ginny's eyes lowered back to the man's sweater as her body tingled. Time froze as she squinted to make out what was on the fabric.
It was the letter H, a letter she had seen her mother sew so many times into her homemade sweaters on the green fabric she picked out just to match the eyes of the boy who would wear it.
Ginny's legs wobbled under her and she sank to her knees. "No," she muttered. "No it can't be. You're dead."
When the man walked out of the shadows, a cry erupted out of her mouth but she was frozen to her spot.
All she could do was stare at Harry.
He looked just as he did the last time she saw him alive. He was wearing the same clothes and ratty shoes. His glasses still had tape around the middle when they were once broken, because he worried that using magic to fix them would trigger any alarms Voldemort set.
And he had the same beaten expression on his face.
"Ginny," Harry whispered.
His voice sent shivers down her spine. "But how?" she whispered, shaking her head. "You're dead. Everyone said you're dead."
Harry's face, so full of sadness, managed a small smile. "Do I look dead? You know I'd never leave you."
Whatever strength, whatever reasoning she had left in her broke down. Ginny stood up and ran over to him, to hug him and cry with him. Harry Potter was alive this whole time. There was still hope for the world.
He met her halfway and engulfed her in his arms, swallowing her whole as they stood among the candles. He whispered, "Ginny, oh Ginny," as she cried into his chest as every memory from the moment the war started to the story of his death hit her. All of her friends and family were gone, but Harry wasn't.
Ginny stepped back a few inches so Harry could untie her hands. Once she was free, she hugged him with every ounce she could, for every second she missed him. So many memories came back of Harry with Ron and Hermione, of him with her family on Christmas, and she welcomed every one of them.
Ginny took a step back to wipe the tears off her face. "It's really you," she said, staring at his green eyes and then his scar. "All this time ... but how? He Who Must Not Be Named ... he won."
The smile on Harry's face vanished. "He did win. We fought and he won, but he didn't kill me. The only reason I can come up with was he was afraid his spell would backfire, like it did the first time when I was a baby.
"I've been here since, praying for death every day."
Ginny shook her head. "Don't say such a thing," she said. "Do you know what this means? We still have a chance, Harry. We have a chance to fix everything and make it right again."
"Is it true?" he interrupted. "That Ron's dead? And Hermione?"
What little joy she had left in her broke at Harry asking about his best friends. How could she be the one to tell him that yes, his biggest motivations to fight were gone?
"Harry-"
"And your family? And the rest of the Order?"
Ginny was no longer crying, but her body shook in pain for him and herself. "Harry, please don't-"
"And that the Death Eaters have taken over? That any women left on our side are being raped and tortured?"
"Stop it," she cried, her voice echoing off the walls. "Harry please, you can't do this to yourself. I know what you're thinking, and it's not your fault. Can't you see what a miracle it is that you're alive?"
"All those people are dead because of me," Harry said. "I failed."
Ginny desperately shook her head. "No, Harry. That's war. We all knew that. People die, lives get torn apart, but there's still hope. You still have to fight. We can do this together, Harry. Others survived. And me. I'm still here."
Harry was silent as he calculated her words. The fire flickered, and the shadows grew darker. Then Harry spoke.
"Is it true that you're Malfoy's prisoner?"
His words stopped her cold. The blood drained from her face. Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. A Death Eater. His archenemy. The man he hated most.
The man she had secretly been with while she lied to and betrayed Harry. Only Harry still didn't know, despite all that has happened. The shame she felt was twice as heavy knowing while she moved on with what she did to him, Harry was still alive and suffering alone.
Ginny wrapped her arms around herself. "Yes," she said. "But I'm safe. Everything is okay."
Harry's expression didn't change. "Then why are you here?"
Time stilled as Ginny stared at Harry, as memories came crashing through her mind of running around Hogwarts in secret with Draco; of her lying to Harry, Ron, and Hermione of her whereabouts. Of a time where she thought she loved Harry, waiting for the day that he would be hers, and only when he returned that love did she betray him by loving his enemy.
She had only just realized why she did it all for herself and for Draco. But was all of that so easy to understand when she thought Harry was dead, along with the rest of the consequences and guilt of her sins?
Ginny opened her mouth to speak when a loud noise filled the room. She jumped and turned to see a wall slide open. A gust of wind came through and blew out half the candles.
Harry yelled, "Get back!" and pushed her behind him, protecting her from who or what was about to come through the opening. Ginny gasped as she saw a man walk through. This was it, she thought. Voldemort had finally come.
The lights flickered against the man just as they did for Harry, hiding his figure in the shadows. The man took a step forward. Ginny reached behind her back for her wand.
Then the figure spoke, his voice filling every pore of her body.
"Ginny?"
It was Draco. Ginny cried as he stepped into the light and took him in. His hair was a mess and he was ghostly pale, but he had no cuts or bruises on him. Draco was okay.
Suddenly, every candle exploded with light, filling up the entire room and erasing the shadows. Draco, Ginny, and Harry all stared at each other
"Draco," Ginny gasped. She moved around Harry and toward Draco, but only got a step in before Harry yanked her back.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked, bewildered. "It's Malfoy, Ginny!"
Ginny shook her head as she tried to wiggle out of Harry's grip. "Harry, please-"
Harry held on tighter. Ginny turned to Draco for help, but his wide eyes were fixated on Harry.
"You," Draco said to Harry. "You're supposed to be dead."
Harry glared at Draco, his grasp tightening on Ginny. "That was the plan, wasn't it?"
Ginny's arm hurt under Harry's hand. "Let me go, Harry."
But Harry didn't. He stared at her, and she knew she looked desperate to free herself from Harry to get to Draco. She felt beyond shameful; she had only just gotten Harry back, but now that Draco was there and alive, she had to go to him. She felt something fire up in her, and had a faint reflection of feeling that way while in Hogwarts; how she would lie to anyone and do anything just to be with Draco.
Harry looked at her, and then Draco as if he was trying to piece together a puzzle.
"I know that you took Ginny as a prisoner, Malfoy," Harry said. "But she looks fine; she looks better than she did when I last saw her during the war." He paused. "So what did you do to her?"
Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry. The shock from seeing his enemy alive must have worn off; color returned to his face, and the Malfoy glare returned. "Only what she wanted, Potter."
Ginny watched as Harry's face turned from confusion, to anger, to hatred. But his eyes were on Draco.
"What did you do to her, you sick bastard," Harry said. His face turned red. "Did you torture her? Mess with her mind?"
Ginny shook her head. "Harry, no it's not like that-"
"Then what is it, Ginny?" Harry said. "Why are you throwing yourself at him? You've been a prisoner of Malfoy's - a Death Eater - and suddenly you forget who you are? How his father tried to kill you? How he tortured Ron, your dead brother, for years?"
"Stop it-"
"Or that he killed Hermione? And Lupin? Or-"
"I love him!"
Harry dropped her arm as if it was on fire. The candles stilled. Ginny's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to look at Draco to see his reaction; this wasn't about them. This was about Harry finally knowing the truth, and she would take whatever response he gave her. She thought she had lost Harry once, but she could never really have him back unless she was completely honest with him.
She held her breath as she watched Harry's face. The shock was still there, but the anger grew. And then Harry asked the one question she was dreading.
"For how long?"
Ginny could have said since she was brought to Malfoy Manor, because that was partially true - she entered truly hating Draco Malfoy, and left falling back in love with him, as Draco had hoped would happen since he took her memories away.
But with Harry right there, and the truth finally out, Ginny had an intense urge to tell him everything in hopes that the guilt would ease, and that maybe, once Harry sees it all, she wouldn't lose him forever.
Ginny opened her mouth when suddenly Draco pulled his wand out and pointed it to Harry. She gave him an exasperated look but stopped. Draco's face was blank and his eyes seemed guarded as he stared at Harry.
Ginny started at him, and then Harry right next to her. "Draco-"
Draco's eyes didn't move from Harry. "That isn't Harry."
Ginny looked at Harry, who watched them with steady eyes. She shook her head as she looked at his glasses, and then his scar. "Draco, how could you-"
"He asked how long you've loved me, Ginny, instead of how you could in the first place."
Ginny shook her head and wanted to tell Draco that he wasn't making sense, and that Harry was real, when Draco's words sank in. For her to have told Harry, someone who had loved her as much as he despised Draco, that she was in love with the enemy - for him to even soak in the idea of her choosing Draco Malfoy over him - would have been enough for him to stubbornly refuse to believe it because such a thing was just not possible in Harry's mind.
But the person in front of her didn't show an ounce of heartbreak or confusion. He simply asked a question to something that he already knew.
How easily she forgot where she was and why she was there when she saw Harry. The fear grew at knowing despite Draco stopping her, she had already said too much.
Draco was bait for Ginny. All Voldemort had to do was appear as Harry and Ginny would tell him everything because she needed to clear her conscience, and Voldemort needed to know just how Draco had betrayed him before he killed them both.
When Harry smiled, her fears were confirmed. Ginny gasped as she watched the bashful smile she saw laugh so many times transform into a thin-lipped smirk; his green eyes that were so deep and caring turned red. His messy hair, his broken glasses - everything down to his scar vanished, and before Ginny stood the definition of everything she had associated with death and fear.
Voldemort.
Ginny was too scared to scream. She stumbled backward to Draco, who shoved her behind him, as if they stood a chance. But Ginny knew from Voldemort's amused look that they had met their end.
"So a Malfoy has fallen for a Weasley," Voldemort finally said, his snake-like tone echoing in the room. "How ... tragic."
Ginny could feel Draco's body grow more rigid with every word, but he didn't speak.
Voldemort pressed his long fingertips together as if in deep thought. "The question isn't why though, Draco. It's how long. How long have you kept your secrets from me, your master? How long have you played me for a fool right under my nose?"
"Does that really matter?" Draco finally said. His voice was solid, but Ginny knew he was afraid. "You'll kill us no matter what I say."
Voldemort stared at Draco as his hands fell to his side. "Indeed I will," he said, "but how I do it will all depend on what you've done to me and every one of my followers who got in the way. Pansy. Flint. Your mother. Just how far back does your list of betrayal go, Draco?"
When Draco didn't respond, Voldemort raised his hand. "The hard way then?"
With a swish, Voldemort's wand was out and Draco was thrown across the room. Ginny screamed as he bashed into the wall and fell to the ground. Draco struggled to get up but he was too slow - Voldemort was already in front of Ginny, inches from her.
Courage abandoned her as she coiled away from the face of death. She had only seen Voldemort a few times - Harry and her brothers always made sure to limit her experience in the war - but never this close. She had learned to fear him as others did from birth, but she didn't know what true fear was until that moment.
"Get away from her!" Draco yelled from the side. He managed to stand up; his head was gashed open and blood trickled down. But before he could take a step forward Voldemort held up his wand and Draco was pushed back into the wall. Ginny watched helplessly as invisible binds held Draco back no matter how much he tried to fight it.
Voldemort lowered his wand, but Draco continued to struggle. "We both know I can't get any answers from you, Draco," Voldemort said. He turned to Ginny and stared at her. "Though I imagine you've never taught her how to guard her thoughts as you have been doing for years."
Ginny didn't have time to close her eyes. Voldemort whispered, "Legilimens," and then Ginny saw every memory she couldn't stop herself from showing Voldemort.
Ginny was almost 10, and she had caught sight of the famous Harry Potter as her and her mom dropped Ron off for his first year at Hogwarts. Ginny was 14, and she was playing cards with Ron and her father. But then her memories fast-forward as if Voldemort was shuffling through for one in particular.
And then he found it.
Ginny watched as she was in the Great Hall, staring at the newspaper that said Lucius Malfoy was killed. It then skipped ahead to when Ginny went to Draco afterwards to comfort him in the real beginning of their relationship.
Ginny willed herself to shut Voldemort out of her brain before he saw more, but she knew it was too late. Voldemort saw the date on the paper. He knew exactly how long Draco and Ginny had been together.
When Voldemort pulled out of Ginny's mind, she collapsed to the floor, exhausted from trying to fight him and knowing she'd never be able to. She managed to look up at Draco, and the look on his face said enough; Voldemort knew the truth and they could only hope for a quick death.
Voldemort left Ginny on the floor; she had given him all he needed. He walked towards Draco, who struggled more against the invisible binds the closer Voldemort got.
Voldemort stopped a foot before him. "I must say, Draco, before I kill you, that you had quite a clever plan there. I saw enough in her mind, or not enough, to see that you tampered with her memories. You knew you were trained well enough to guard your memories, but the only way to secure Weasley's safety was to take hers away. That's quite the risk.
"Was it worth it, though? Is it worth knowing that never have I been betrayed in such a way, and I will make sure you feel every ounce of my anger as I kill you?"
Draco's eyes locked on Ginny's. Tears formed in her eyes as they stared at each other, as if Voldemort wasn't in the room and there was no fear. He looked at her with the same eyes as when they first made love in Hogwarts, with such love and passion that he was willing to risk everything for it.
And he did.
"Nothing you could do to me would make me regret loving her," Draco said. "Not even death."
Ginny's heart about stopped. Voldemort's back was to her, but she could feel his anger pulsating throughout the room. The candles' flames exploded and Voldemort drew his wand over Draco's heart.
"Then only in death you'll have each other," Voldemort hissed as he raised his wand.
"No!" Ginny screamed. Without thinking she grabbed her wand from her back pocket and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"
Voldemort's wand shot out of his hand and across the room, freeing Draco of his binds as he fell to the floor. Voldemort spun around, his eyes wild and confused as he stared at Ginny with her wand in hand.
Ginny slowly stood to her feet with her wand pointed at Voldemort. She willed for her arm not to shake; she knew she was only able to repel Voldemort's wand because she caught him by surprise.
Voldemort stared at the wand, which should have been broken in half when she was taken prisoner. He turned back to Draco and, putting it together, yelled, "You!" as he grabbed him by his neck, his long, spider-like hands wrapping around it whole.
"Let him go," Ginny yelled, her wand pointing at Voldemort.
Voldemort paused, his hand still around Draco, whose face was turning red as he struggled to breath. "And if I don't?"
"I'll kill you," Ginny said. "Don't think for a second I won't after all you've done to me."
Laughter was not the response Ginny was expecting. Loud, echoing laughs erupted from Voldemort's mouth, but there was no humor in the eyes. He did let go of Draco, who took a long, ragged breath.
"You, a Weasley, are challenging me?" Voldemort said. "For him?"
"Don't, Ginny," Draco gasped. He managed to get on his feet, but Voldemort still stood between them.
Ginny ignored Draco and glared at Voldemort. "You saw all my memories. You know what I'd do for Draco."
Voldemort stared at her. "Yes, and I'm starting to piece together what Draco has done for you as well. His mother's death makes perfect sense - I did send Draco after you. Or why it seemed you were the healthiest of all the prisoners here. Or, better yet, how you are the only surviving Weasley when I so desperately wanted to kill every last one of you Muggle-loving fools.
"I see now for how long he's been lying to me just to save your neck, and I'll be very happy when I kill him. But I have to say, as much of a traitor as he was, he was still faithful to me when it mattered most."
It wasn't Voldemort's words that shook Ginny - it was seeing the color drain for Draco's face.
"What does that mean?" Ginny asked, but she didn't want to know.
This time, Voldemort had a real smile on his face. "Well he got a number of your people - Lupin for one, and of course Granger -"
"I know all this," Ginny snapped. She knew Voldemort was trying to distract her. "He told me everything and I've learned to deal with it."
"But how could that be when you thought Harry Potter was alive?"
Ginny slowly shook her head. "What does that have to do with-"
"Of course, you forgot. Draco told me where to find Potter so I could murder him."
Ginny remembered, clear as day, when she first went to Malfoy Manor as a prisoner. Draco said that she was his prize for finding her dead boyfriend. "He told me that - that has nothing to do with -"
"Draco knew where to find Harry because you told him."
Ginny didn't move. She didn't breathe. Voldemort could have killed her right then, and she wouldn't have noticed. All she could do was stare at Draco, praying that he would say it was a lie.
Draco didn't say a word.
"I remember thinking how odd it was for Draco to know where Potter was located," Voldemort continued, as if they were taking about the weather. "He never did tell me how he figured it out, just simply told me the location and how to get to the secret tunnel to the caves where Potter hid. He said all he wanted in return was to be rewarded.
"To think that it was just off your family's property in the woods, only a few miles away from where I murdered everyone. I went to them first, before Draco told me, to see where Potter was hiding. They died, refusing to tell. And you wasted their death by telling the man you thought you could trust where Potter was hiding."
Ginny shook her head. Her heart pounded in her ears. "I would never do that," she said. "No matter what I felt for Draco, he was still the enemy."
"Do you want to know how I killed Potter, Weasley?" Voldemort said, ignoring Ginny. "I found him unguarded, waiting for you. News had reached him that you survived, but he didn't know you were already a prisoner. He waited there for you to find him, and that's when I killed him.
"To think that through all this, Potter and everyone else died because you loved a Malfoy. He willingly gave up the Chosen One and sacrificed Potter's life and hundreds others just so he could have you.
"Now let me ask you the same question I asked Malfoy - was it all worth it?"
Though her wand still pointed at Voldemort, Ginny's eyes were on Draco. Blood still trickled from his wound, and there were faint bruises around his neck. His blonde, messy hair hung in his face, but nothing could compare to the look in his eyes - he looked defeated.
"Is this true?" Ginny said. "That I ... that you ..."
Draco's eyes dropped to the ground; his shoulders slumped. Voldemort stood to the side as if he was watching a movie, his sinister smile growing by the second.
"You didn't tell me where Potter was," Draco finally said. "I stole it from your memories." He looked up at Ginny, his eyes suddenly pleading. "I knew the only way to save you was to take your memories, and the only way I could have you back was to give the Dark Lord the only thing he wanted - Potter."
Ginny wanted to believe he was lying; she refused to admit that when death faced them both, Draco would give everything up and let her know what he had done, that that would be her last thought of him. And how easily he could lie to her so she wouldn't lose any reasoning to save them both.
But words rang in her ears from when she first learned Snape was on her side, and what he said about how Draco got her: "The Dark Lord went to drastic measures. He began saying whoever could find Potter would be greatly awarded, that they could have anything they dreamed of. And that's when Draco told him of where Potter was."
Maybe the only reason why her knees didn't buckle is because deep down, somehow, she always knew. She had known what Draco was capable of when it came to her, and she knew he would cross all lines to save her life. Was it so hard to believe that the real reason why Ginny was alive and well was because of all that Draco did to the end?
No, the horrifying part was that in the end, Harry's life was taken so hers was safe. Voldemort was right - everyone in her life did die because of her and Draco's obsession with each other. She was as just as guilty as Draco.
Ginny had stared at Draco for too long. She saw something move in the corner of her eye but didn't react in time as Voldemort's wand flew into his hand. Sickening dread filled her body knowing that he could have done that at any moment; he simply toyed her with emotions and thoughts, choosing to weaken her before he completely broke her.
"I'll give you a choice," Voldemort said, his wand drawing even with hers. Draco lunged forward but Voldemort raised his other hand and simply pressed him back into the wall.
Voldemort stared at Ginny. "Tell me it wasn't worth it, that Malfoy wasn't worth every life that was lost for you two, and I will let you go."
"Do it, Ginny!" Draco yelled, as he struggled against Voldemort. His face was red as he spat his words.
Ginny stared at Draco. She thought about why she loved him, and of the price it entitled to do such a thing. She thought of her loving parents and brothers who she would never see again; she thought of Hermione as the sister she never had, and how in love she was with Ron. She thought of every life that was lost the moment the war started, and questioned how much could have been avoided if she had walked away from Draco at Hogwarts.
Ginny thought of how Harry's death had killed hundreds more, and damned the lives of those who survived.
It was true; her and Draco were never meant to be. Death and misery only followed them, but yet they continued down the path. And why was that? How could two people love each other so much that not even death could keep them apart?
"It wasn't worth it," Ginny finally said. "Nothing can be worth an innocent life."
Voldemort grinned but kept his wand on Ginny. "And this is where you two will meet your end," he said. "It was all for nothing."
"You're wrong," Ginny said, her wand steady. "It wasn't worth it, but throughout everything we have never stopped loving each other. We've gone against every law, every person, that should have kept us apart. We've gone against magic and trust and every being of ourselves to push through it all, and as wrong as every second of it was, it always came back to us simply loving each other."
The grin wiped off Voldemort's face. His eyes glowed red and his wand sparked.
But Ginny didn't care anymore. She was done running and hiding. She was ready to fight for what they believed in.
"There is nothing you could do to us that would ever keep us apart," she said.
"Then so be it," Voldemort hissed as he raised his wand.
"No!" Draco screamed and tore himself from Voldemort's hold. As Voldemort set his wand on Ginny, Draco lunged at her and engulfed her body in his arms as the red spark hit him in the back.
Ginny screamed when Draco fell to the ground limp. She dropped her knees to the floor next to him and rolled him over, her eyes filling with tears. "No, please no," she said, dropping her wand as well so she could move his head onto her lap. Her tears fell onto his eyes that refused to open.
She heard Voldemort walk towards her, but she didn't care. "Draco, please," she whispered as she shook him.
Ginny grabbed for her wand but Voldemort got to it first and kicked it away. She gasped as she looked up at Voldemort hovering over them, his wand pointing at her forehead.
"I've killed Potter," Voldemort hissed, "almost every member of the Order, every follower of Dumbledore. But you two will be my favorite deaths of all. You thought you could defy this world and my laws; you thought such a thing as love was powerful enough to save you. The only thing it has brought you is death."
Ginny stared up at him. She circled her arms around Draco. "In death we will still win."
As Voldemort growled and raised his wand, Ginny clutched onto Draco and closed her eyes as a sudden, white light erupted behind her eyelids. Memories seemed to pour into her mind - ones she knew and others Draco had taken away. They say your entire life flashes before your eyes before you die, and only in that did Ginny finally remember every memory, every ounce of love she had for Draco, and of his love in return.
It was all worth it.
~*~
Epilogue to come very soon - within the week. Promise.
Liz21
-->