End of All Things
Chapter One - Shadows in Silence
It was the last battle. She knew it had to be. There was no way that Harry could fail; it was the biggest battle that she had ever been in.
The day had started with rejoicing and happiness - Charlie and Cho had gotten married behind the burrow, in the large green field that she had grown up on learning how to play Quidditch. The wind had been blowing gently through the surrounding trees and through the forest. The small stream glittered from the sun that was setting. Everyone was happy.
She had been standing next to him when suddenly a scream filled the air. They had looked towards where the newly married couple had been standing only a few moments earlier, laughing and sharing secrets. Now Ginny could only see her brother holding the limp form of his wife, his face frozen in shock. Cho's eyes were wide and open. Draco had grabbed Ginny and pulled her tightly to him, taking care so nothing could happen to her. Everyone's wands were out immediately. No one spoke. All was still and silent - only the trees could be heard; the leaves quaking in the breeze. Ginny shivered. Charlie was still grieving over his dead beloved.
She saw the Death Eaters first; they were walking up the hill towards them, all in one large black mass. Her whole body tensed; her hand gripped Draco's in a painful tightness. He looked towards the direction of her gaze. Ginny screamed forth a spell before he - or anyone else - could react. A Death Eater in the front stumbled and fell - where he stayed. His body made a dull noise when it hit the ground. Time seemed to slow down; his black robe fluttered in the wind behind him where he lay. She saw his comrades paused in their march - Ginny had no idea if they were pausing in honor of their fallen companion or if they were in shock from the deathly strike.
She registered the reactions of the people surrounding her as she opened her mouth immediately to say another spell. Their arms rose up into fighting positions, eyes widening with disbelief. A torrent of words, some whispered, others shouted, swirled around her; spells whipped past like a mighty wind, tossing her red hair around her face like tongues of fire. The scene - if it were not so horrifying a moment - was terrifyingly beautiful.
Death Eater's fell to the ground; some recovered quickly from the spells that hit them and continued their march. They never broke from their formation - they walked over the bodies of their fallen companions. Ginny knew they only did it for them - to make them frightened of their dark mass. She could feel it start to work. Why did they not run, or step to the side? They could see the spells racing towards them.
Then she saw it - the way they were walking. When one fell in the front, another would take his place. They were protecting something - or someone. She turned to tell this to Draco, when the fighting suddenly paused. A overwhelming silence engulfed her. Draco's eyes grew wide as he looked over her shoulder, and ever so slowly she looked back at the group of their enemies that had been marching towards them like bugs across the grass. They were parting way down the middle, still walking. It appeared that they were going to try and surround the former celebration - but there, in the center of the darkness stood a tall figure. Ginny's heart stopped within her as she stared at him. Her fists clenched into tight balls, shaking slightly from fear. Harry stepped forward into Ginny's vision and walked till he was standing in the front. Voldemort walked forward as well, raising his wand; ready to strike. Harry followed suit and, as time seemed to slow even further, all of hell was unleashed.
She and Draco had gotten separated in the midst of the fighting, despite his efforts to stay close to her. The sun was starting to set and the moon was rising. The land was glowing an eerie red. Family and friends were scattered around her on the ground. As she fought she vaguely remembered Harry. Was he dueling Voldemort right then?
The battle was no longer taking place just in the field, but was stretched across the hills and forest. Her dress which had been a pale green was now brown from blood and dirt. A spell had left a large gash starting from right below her left ear and traveled down her side, stopping just below her ribs. Her breathing had become labored, and each intake of air ripped through her body, sending a shock-wave of pain. She knew she was seriously wounded, but she wouldn't stop fighting. She knew the lives of others depended upon her.
Something hit her in the back without warning; it felt like a bludger smacking into her. She stumbled forward before turning towards her attacker. Another spell stuck her and she fell to the ground screaming in pain. She had never felt the Crucio curse before, but she was positive that it was what she was feeling now. The pain was agonizing; her body contorted on the ground, trying to ease it in any way. The screams that tore their way out of her throat, seemed to echo around the field.
Then, just as fast as it started, it stopped. She lay on the ground unmoving, curled into the fetal position. Her whole body ached. The Death Eater moved forward for the kill, and then unexpectedly, he dropped like a stone. Then he was there, brushing her hair back, whispering - pleading - for her to get up. She couldn't actually hear him. A loud buzzing noise filled her ears, drowning out all other noises; she could only see his lips moving. She tried to move, but found it nearly impossible to even lift her hand. A spell flew over their heads, missing them only by a few inches. Draco fell on top of her, blocking her body with his. Her hearing came screaming back, the sounds flooding her senses. Yells of pain and anguish filled the air again. Chaos running free around her, the noises of the war was overbearing. Draco quickly jumped back up, bringing her with him. He scooped her in his arms - she tried to support herself once again but was still too weak. It must have been the spell she was hit with.
He ran them into the forest, managing to evade the attention of the enemy. The wooded area was dark, the sun having completely set and the moon being blocked by the trees. She could see spells being sent from breaks among the trees; people were still fighting. Ginny had no idea how he could see where he was going, but he seemed to be heading for a certain point.
The pain of the curse had subsided, and her breathing became labored again. With each stride Draco took, the pain in her body seemed to manifest ten times. Soon her vision became dark and blurry. It became too much.
"Draco." She winced and clutched her side. He didn't appear to have heard her. She called to him again, a little louder and clearer. She shut her eyes against the hurt. "Please." It came out in a whimper. She wouldn't allow herself to cry. She had to be strong.
She felt him stop, and immediately she was being laid to rest against the trunk of a tree. The pain in her body subsided very little. It felt so good to just sit there, not moving, not seeing, and not being able to hear the sounds of war around her. She quickly opened her eyes and looked around. The woods were still dark, but now the moon was shining through in a few spots, illuminating small spots around her. There were no signs of a battle going on. The trees around her creaked gently in the wind, and crickets chirped from their hiding places. How far had they run?
Draco crouched down next to her, peering at her face. He reached down and tilted her head back a little so he could get a better look at the gash along her throat. She sucked in a sharp breath that she didn't have; her lungs felt like they were on fire. His brow creased with worry when he heard her try to cough. He grabbed a sleeve of his shirt that was hanging tattered and ripped it cleanly off from the shoulder seam. He wrapped it around her neck, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Where are you hurting?" Draco snapped.
"Everywhere," Ginny replied helpfully. "Do you have a wand?"
Draco shook his head. "One of those bastards broke it," he said scathingly. "You?"
"I dropped it right before you came," she whispered.
A twig snapped somewhere off to their left, freezing them for a second. Ginny exhaled slowly, her eyes glued to the vast darkness. All was quite except for the distant sound of a breeze moving among the trees.
"We need to get moving again," said Draco in a hushed whisper. Ginny nodded in agreement.
He looked up towards the sky and around the forest as though he was making sure no one was there. "Can you walk?"
Ginny hesitated before she answered. "I can try."
He stood up carefully as to not make any noise. He offered his hands to her. She grabbed them and he hoisted her slowly to her feet. Ginny bit her lip and wanted to cry. She took a step with his help and rested.
"You doing alright?" he asked.
"I'll do fine."
"Just tell me if you need to rest."
Draco kept his arm around her as they moved quickly through the wooded area. Ginny soon became numb to the pain in her body.
"Where are we going, Draco?"
"You'll find out soon enough," he supplied.
"What about the fight; why are we leaving?" she said. Her breathing had become short again and would need to rest again soon.
Draco hesitated. "I'll answer your questions when we get to somewhere safe."
"Which is where?" she asked.
No reply. Ginny let it go and was silent.
The moon had vanished behind clouds. They traveled in complete darkness. Ginny figured they had been walking for an hour or so. She looked up at the rain clouds.
"How much further, Draco?"
"Not to much longer. Why?" He slowed down and looked at her. "You need a breather?"
She kept moving. "Among other things," she said humorously. He slowed down again, trying to stop, but she kept walking. "No, don't. It's going to start raining. I can rest when we get there." Wherever 'there' is.
She had barely even stopped talking when they could hear rain falling on the ground.
Draco suddenly stopped and moved in front of her. "Climb on my back. We'll get their faster." Ginny complied and positioned herself as so he would be able to move with as much ease as possible.
Ginny was surprised when he took off at a pace twice as fast as the one they had been going. She figured he must have been using magic, despite the fact that he had no wand.
Lightning flashed across the dark sky and flooded the forest with a bright light. Ginny shut her eyes tightly and opened them trying adjust her eyes to the darkness once more. The rain continued to fall. She shivered slightly in the cold. Her hair clung to her face and neck from the rain. Her arms were sore and tired. Her grip loosened around Draco's shoulders.
"We're almost there, Gin," he panted. "Hold on a little longer."
That's what you told me a hour ago when we stopped. She bit back the words that were on the tip of her tongue. But to her delight she found that he was telling the truth. Five minutes later they arrived at a clearing in the woods. The trees parted and the sky became visible. He stopped and she carefully lowered herself to the ground.
"Where are we, Draco? I didn't know this was here," she said resting against a tree on the edge of the grassy meadow.
"I'll tell you in a minute." He stood next to her and quickly swept his eyes across the field. "I just have to go check and make sure everything is alright." He started to walk away. "Stay here and make no noise. I'll be back."
Panic flooded her heart. Make sure what was alright. Why was he leaving her, there in the dark forest, alone. At long last a tear fell down her cheek. It went un-noticed and mixed with the rain. "Draco," she whispered in desperation. "Don't go. Don't leave me here."
But he was already gone. Suddenly the trees behind her seemed larger and she slowly lowered her body and sat on the ground, waiting.
A twig snapped somewhere in the darkness and she stopped a gasp from exiting her lips. A owl called in the distance and waited for a answer. Thunder rumbled and shook the earth. The rain seemed to be easing up.
Ginny shivered again trying to stay warm. Her leg was starting to fall asleep and her bottom was starting to ache. The grass was level with her head, rustling gently in the wind and rain. Hours seemed to pass until she saw him coming to her across the field. She stood up and met him.
She opened her mouth to speak, but he quickly covered it up, silencing her. He put his cheek to hers and spoke into her ear; his voice was low and gentle.
"Listen carefully, Ginny. You have to trust me." He paused. "Do you trust me?" Ginny almost hesitated before nodding yes. "Good. Everything is alright; it's safe. Listen carefully," he repeated. "Winchmore Hill." He pulled away.
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the characters. The plot is my own.
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