Set the Fire to the Third Bar

She pulled out the old slab of parchment with roads and trees marked on it. Carefully, she moved her wand across it to connect her current location to the objective. A smile curved her lips when she saw it was only a few finger lengths away, but it soon faded into a frown when she saw the scale at the bottom. It was so far away, many many kilometers. Putting her finger on the destination, a tear fell from her eye and splashed on Wiltshire. That was exactly where she’d find him. She had no idea what she would find when she got to her goal; she just hoped that she would find him. He was what she needed in life.

Ginny brought a hand up to wipe away the tears. Folding up the map, she put it into her knapsack along with the food she had prepared, and a tent to stay in on the journey. She didn’t have a broom anymore; it had been borrowed by an Order member a few months back, and destroyed when they tried to get Harry out safely. Apparation was not allowed at the current time because Voldemort had control over the Ministry. He was watching for people that were obviously a part of the Order, or could lure members out.

She was leaving Hogwarts. It was alright, no one would notice that she wasn’t at Grimmauld for Christmas. They would all be worrying about where the trio had run off to; they wouldn’t notice that the littlest one had done the same, but to see her boyfriend.

Taking a final deep breath she left her dormitory at the top of the tower. She tiptoed down the stairs into the common room and snuck out the portrait door. The Fat Lady was still sleeping, and as long as she kept quietly to the walls no one would notice her in the halls. Ginny pulled out the second map she had, and whispered that she was up to no good. The corridors to the exit were clear, lucky for her. It felt like fate was helping her reach her goal.

Finally, she reached the Grand Entrance that she would be exiting through. Snape hadn’t bothered on putting a ward up to keep the students in. His motto was becoming if the students didn’t want to learn then let them go to the outside world. There they were almost sure to be tortured or killed; he had always been such a sullen man.

It seemed like hours had passed when she reached the outside gates of Hogwarts. She quietly Stunned the two guards standing there, and unlocked the gate. The snow was crunching loudly under her boots as she left the place the Order begged her to stay at, so she could see a Death Eater. If her mother could see her leaving a warm safe place to go to an uncertain destiny, she would ask her if she was under the Imperius.

Ginny trudged on, fighting against the conscience telling her that she was being ridiculously dumb to leave Hogwarts. She started to jog so the wind would block out the thoughts. The Gryffindor didn’t want to follow the rules anymore, to be told by everyone what she should and shouldn’t do. She could make her own decisions.

The sun started to rise as she saw a town about two or three kilometers in front of her. If she kept at the pace she was going she could reach it in an hour. A good thing too since she couldn’t feel her feet anymore from the cold seeping through her patched boots. She had begun to shiver dangerously. The snow started to fall on her again as the sun tried to peak through the clouds. It wasn’t working out, and Ginny kept touching her nose to make sure it was still attached to her face. I should’ve brought a bloody scarf, she scolded herself.

Entering the town, she recognized it as a Muggle village. She could see little shops on either side of the street, but not one that she needed. There were dress shops and cafes, but there was no pub to warm her up in every aspect. Walking further down the street she stumbled upon a rundown place that advertised warm alcoholic beverages. This was her first sanctuary.

Keeping her hair up in her hat she entered the bar, and took a seat at the counter. She made sure she could keep an eye on the entrance; a Weasley could never be too safe. The barkeep walked up to her, and asked her if she would like a pint.

“No, an Irish coffee will do. Make the coffee warm then just add the whiskey on, no need to cook the alcohol out of it,” she directed, keeping her head down.

The barkeep looked at her speculatively while wiping a glass. “How old are you, lass?”

“I don’t know if it’s any of your business, but sixteen. If you don’t feel the need to serve me I could go walk a few more hours to another place, if need be,” she spoke, finally looking up at the man. “I’ve been walking all night, though, and can’t feel my feet so it’d be quite nice to hold up here for a while.”

The older man gave a smile to Ginny’s spunk, and poured a glass of coffee with a generous helping of whiskey into it. He then poured cream on the top, and handed it to the girl. “Where you heading that you walked all night?”

Ginny took a generous sip of the coffee, and looked up at the barkeep with an annoyed sneer. He understood her look, and walked away to serve a couple men sitting in a corner. The redhead sat quietly for her stay. Listening to men’s laughter, and jabber about something called science. She sighed as she reached the end of her coffee, and pushed it away from her. When the barkeep came back she nodded to refill it, but said no words.

The words of the others in the bar flittered over her. In a way she just imagined them to be noises of wind, and leaves rustling. Of ruffled fabrics, and roaming hands with promises whispered in her ear.

“I’ll be waiting for you, Ginny. Just get out of there and get to me,” the blond head spoke through the flames. “I need you in my arms again.”

“Alright, Draco, I’ll be there as soon as I can leave,” Ginny answered, a smile spreading across her face as she ended the Floo call.

Shaking her head of the memories that were keeping her alive she downed her last coffee, and nodded for the check. Reaching into her sack she reached the Muggle money she had, and handed it to the man. Slinging the sack back over her shoulder, she left the warm place of noises and ghosts.

Ginny kept walking through the snow. A fresh layer was being added quickly with blizzard forces. She knew she would have to settle down in a shaded area for the night, but she wanted to get a little more distance. The longer she walked, the closer she was to reaching him.

After a few more hours passed she settled under a canopy of trees that looked sturdy enough to hold the snow off of her for the night. She set up the tent manually, since magic was out of question with the Death Eaters on the prowl. Lying down on the cold ground she tried to worm herself deeper into the blanket. The only thing that kept her warm that first night were memories of a blond strong man holding her closely. His warm breaths on her neck as they slept peacefully next to each other.

Ginny started to cry as she thought of how she was going to freeze to death before she got to him. Scotland was so far from Wiltshire, and such a long journey in the dead of winter. She heard his words of support in her ear. He was rooting for her, he knew she was strong. Closing her eyes she whispered repeatedly that he could come pick her up, and take her into his warmth again.

The next day was much like the one before. She walked for a long time until she could find a village along her path. Sitting at the bar she ignored all of the words around her, and kept her head lowered to nurse her drinks. When she left the snow was coming down hard again. Only, this time, it was laced with a wet rain.

Her breaths came out slowly against the cold. She tried to bury herself into her cloaks as she walked, but it didn’t douse the uncomfortable feeling. Finding a safe place to stay, she set up camp again and slept fitfully. That night she dreamt of him surprising her at the next pub. He was standing there to take her cloak, and ordered a drink to warm her. Whispering naughty things into her ear as he walked her to a room above the pub.

They fell over each other in a rush, taking up where they left off the last time they saw each other. His fingers traced across her body, causing her skin to goose bump. He laved her with his mouth, and whispered soft words into her ear as he pushed into her. She yelled out his name when she came, and he did the same with hers. Afterwards, he whispered into her ear and held her close, making her so much warmer than she had felt.

Ginny tried to whisper words of love back to him, but her lips wouldn’t work from the tiredness he wrought on her body. He told her how lovely her pale skin was, how it was almost blue in the moonlight.

She lay still in his arms, not wanting the moment to end. Ginny had no idea what would welcome them in Wiltshire, but she burrowed herself further into his arms so as to forget her fears.

He was so warm in her dreams, the sweat glistening on his body. Draco’s beautiful grey eyes surveying her body while he asked if it was all that she ever wanted. Ginny tried to nod to him, but all of her muscles were exhausted from the workout.

Vaguely she realized that it was all a dream that would never happen again. As the temperature around her plummeted and took the girl with it. Her last thoughts were of warmth around her, taking her to a place that they could be together with no bad thoughts. He was taking her to Draco. If she was patient, she would see the boy again. If she was content, for once, she would be with him again.

He found her body when it was too late. He had been waiting on the route she was taking, but she never came. When he went back to see if she went off course he spotted her tent in the woods. Loud pops issued around him as other Death Eaters joined him. They all laughed about the dead Weasley as silent tears dropped down his face behind his mask.

When all the others were gone he lay down beside her and hugged her to him. If he was patient, he would be with her again. If he was content, for once, he would be with her. He whispered that she would be with him again. That something would pick them up and place them in his warm arms.

Snow Patrol “Set the Fire to the Third Bar”

I find the map and draw a straight line
Over rivers, farms, and state lines
The distance from here to where you'd be
It's only finger-lengths that I see
I touch the place where I'd find your face
My finger in creases of distant dark places

I hang my coat up in the first bar
There is no peace that I've found so far
The laughter penetrates my silence
As drunken men find flaws in science

Their words mostly noises
Ghosts with just voices
Your words in my memory
Are like music to me

I'm miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
I, I pray that something picks me up
And sets me down in your warm arms

After I have travelled so far
We'd set the fire to the third bar
We'd share each other like an island
Until exhausted, close our eyelids
And dreaming, pick up from
The last place we left off
Your soft skin is weeping
A joy you can't keep in

I'm miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
And I, I pray that something picks me up
and sets me down in your warm arms

And miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
and I, I pray that something picks me up
and sets me down in your warm arms