Thud. Thud. Thud. Ginny's feet made contact with the hard concrete. Faster, faster, she urged herself on, her ragged breaths formed mist as they merged with the cold air. She practically flew down the pavement, the trees along the side nothing but sinister emerald blurs. She risked a backwards glance and gasped. He was closer than before, she was doomed. Making a sudden swerve to the left, she entered the forbidding gloom of the looming forest. Darkness engulfed her and she ran into hanging branches. She pushed them out of her way, not slowing down; ignoring the severe bruises that formed on her unblemished face. Fallen twigs and dead leaves snapped and crunched under her. Similar and faster footsteps were heard from behind her. The azure sky became dark and hostile. Tears stung her eyes as flashes of lightning streaked across the black sky. She peered desperately into the descending darkness and could only just make out the silhouettes of the tall trees in her way. Raindrops started pelting down, harder and harder. Soon, torrents of icy water drenched her. She continued running. She had to flee. Death might be unavoidable but she had to try. Her father had once said that she was the most determined little fighter he had ever known, and maybe he was right. Ginny's tears fell, she couldn't hold them back. Her family, she was leaving them behind. No, she was only leaving her brothers behind, and Harry…oh, Harry. Her parents had already died, just last week, killed by none other than the man she truly loved, Draco Malfoy. He had asked for her hand in marriage, his father had finally agreed. But, her father still harbored the hatred he had for the Malfoy family and denied him. He also forbade her from ever seeing him again. Insulted, Lucius Malfoy returned the loathing. The enmity between the two families had only grown. Draco still wouldn't let her go. Ginny loved him with all her heart, but she couldn't…couldn't let Percy, now Minister of Magic and seething with anger towards Draco, kill him…she just couldn't. Harry too, he was now the best auror the wizarding world had ever seen, and now her fiancée. They would personally hunt Draco down and see to it that he dies an excruciating death, to revenge her parents' death.

Ginny agreed to marry Harry when he proposed. Draco was mad, his childhood rival won again. Ginny succeeded in pushing him away, but now he was furious with her and wanted to kill her for accepting Harry's proposal, for choosing someone over him. Ginny turned to the left, the right; she zigzagged in the maze of a forest, anywhere, just to get Draco off her trail. A blaze of sudden fire illuminated the forest. Ginny involuntarily cursed. A tree had been struck by lightning. Another loud roar of thunder, more lightning, another possible fire. Ginny kept surging forward, until…her foot struck a rock and she felt herself falling, tumbling down. Her mind screamed at her to keep her balance, regain her footing but she couldn't. Ginny's body hit the ground. It was too late, her willpower had failed her. Her determination had been obliterated by a single stone lying unseen in her path. A sharp pain surged through her side and made its way to her aching head.

Dampness surrounded her body. Ginny caught a waft of the faint smell of blood. Draco's shouts of anger were muffled, the fire was dying. The forest started to fade away and was replaced by a placid night. Her last thought was of Draco and Harry, about how sorry she was, for unintentionally playing with their hearts. But, maybe…this was for the best…

~ The End ~