"We could run away." He closes his fingers around her wrist, crimson crescents appearing under his nails.
Ginny yanks her arm away. "We can't just run from this. Think of all the lives at stake."
"THINK OF OUR LIVES!" He roars, and his eyes hold a trace of muted panic, like a wild animal trapped in a tiny cage. He fists his hair, silver in the moonlight, and his porcelain cheeks are marred by tears. "We can't save all of them, Gin. But we can save ourselves."
"You're a fucking coward, Draco" She spits, "We have a responsibility here."
He laughs bitterly, "I think we've crossed that line already, Gin. We're too far gone."
Ginny pauses. In the moonlight his pale skin seems to glow, and for a second she considers it. She thinks, maybe, they could run away. She pictures a tiny house filled with children and laughter. She sees two loving parents by the fireplace. Finally, an escape from this hell of war that they were forced into, just like she has dreamed about for so long.
She knows that that dream could never become a reality. Not for them.
She places her hands on his chest and pushes, hard. He topples over the edge of the balcony. His cry echoes for what feels like minutes, and as she looks down towards the ground, the darkness seems endless.
She takes a deep breath and climbs.
Her bare toes curl over the edge and, finally, she feels free.
She knows Draco will understand.
An escape, at last.
She jumps.
