She did not like where this was going. Something felt off... As if someone or something was out there watching them.

It was late into the night and the moon hung high in the sky, its soft beams of light cutting through the treetops. The trio had come back together and they had destroyed yet another of Voldemort's horcruxes. Months had passed since she had joined up with Draco Malfoy under the guise of a past Death Eater's daughter, and her life had begun to feel much more normal than it had at the start. Though she still hated to lie about the things she had to lie about, she knew what she was doing was for the greater good, and in the end it was what had to be done. She just wished she hadn't begun to feel the way she did about Draco.

It was odd, knowing the person he truly was inside. Though he had yet to come right out to admit it, Ginny knew he didn't want to be a Death Eater. He didn't want to fight on the side he fought on- he did it out of fear, she supposed, fear of his father and fear of Voldemort. She had learned this was his last chance to live, death being the only thing he could look forward to if they did not capture the Golden Trio alive. They continuously fed information to the Death Eaters, to Draco's father, though Ginny was careful as to what she let on. They had been summoned back to Malfoy Manor on numerous occasions, where they had been interrogated and given more tasks to complete as they went on their journey.

And the most recent time was when Voldemort himself called her to his side to give her a task of his own. She could still rememeber how it felt to stand in his presence; his narrow, crimson eyes so full of malice, the way his lips curled around the vocals of the name she had taken. Keep watch on Lucius, will you? He had asked her that night as he stood with his back to her, his face to fireplace. The room was cast in an eerie shadow and his voice was calm, calmer than she had ever heard it in all of her life. And that was scarier than any of his fits of rage. I fear he is not as loyal as he seems, nor his son, he had turned around then to face her, his wand twirling between his long, pale fingers. But you... I know you are loyal. Your parents were ever faithful followers that I could trust with any task. She had nodded, bowed her head and accepted task like a good follower would. He had smiled upon her then and sent her away, back to meet up with Draco where he waited in the den for her to leave.

Since that night, she had constantly racked her brains as to why Voldemort would not trust Lucius as he once had. He had, she knew, been somewhat of a failure to him, but his loyalty had never once wavered that much was certain. Lucius was a man willing to murder the innocent, including his own bloodline, if it meant his own future was secured. A shudder raced down her spine as she thought of a father murdering his son, of a brother murdering a brother- her family would never be capable of such things.

She was so lost in her own thoughts and Draco could not help but to watch her, delighted in this moment he had to simply observe her without interruption. With her raven tresses falling over her shoulders and her lids half shading her indigo orbs, she looked thoughtful yet lost. As if she were racking her brain for an answer that just would not come. He had wondered what Voldemort had wanted with her that night a few weeks ago, but when he had asked her she had seemed like it was nothing and changed the subject. He supposed she would tell him if she wanted to, but he could not help but continue to be curious. He could also not help but notice her in other ways. The way her smile lit her up from the inside, the way her laugh was airy and carefree, or the way she blushed to the very roots of her hair at the smallest of compliments. He wondered if she felt what he felt- the little spark of electricity when their hands brushed, the way it ignited like a fire that warmed him from the inside out. Once or twice he swore he could see that she noticed it too, the way she would jump ever so slightly and pull back, but he never asked and she never brought it up.

They had grown close over those last few months- closer than he had ever anticipated. They were partners and he had not expected much more than that... But since the beginning, they had closer. She had been wary at first it seemed, quiet and speaking really only when he spoke to her. But then, as if something inside of her had changed, she'd begun to break down the barriers. And with every childhood story she had told, he had told one of his own. With every moment she had shared with him, he had one to share too. They talked of school (how he still could not believe that he couldn't remember ever seeing her) and of the classes they'd enjoyed. They talked about their parents and their friends and everything else they could think of. Considering they spent every waking moment together, it was no surprise that they became so close. Draco had never allowed himself to open up to someone the way he had opened up to her- his school friends, Crabbe and Goyle, Pansy, and the others in his House... Those were not people he had ever felt comfortable opening up to. He could not have ever told them the things he told Audrey.

And stories weren't the only thing they shared. He thought back to only a few nights ago, when the temperatures had dropped well below freezing and she had turned up in his bed yet again. The first few times had left her blushing and awakward, as she was the type to never ask for help of any kind (he'd learned that right quick) but soon it became an unspoken thing between them... If she was cold at night, she was always welcome in his bed. They always remained an appropriate distance apart- though he recalled how the last time she'd ended up squished against him, fast asleep with her hair spread across the pillow.

As he glanced towards her, now reaching into the pot that was over their small fire, he felt a warmth inside of him like he'd never felt before. There was such a fondness there in his heart for this girl that he was certain she could never do a thing to make him feel differently. She turned towards him then and their eyes met, a long lingering moment that brought a blush to both of their cheeks as she turned away, pointedly stirring the pot like her life depended upon it. "I think it's done," she said then, her breath coming in a little puff of white air as she sat back on her hunches, wand cast aside and her sleeves tied back to avoid the flames of the fire she cooked over. "Here," she handed him a bowl of the soup she had so miraculously prepared and spooned out a bowl of her own before rising to occupy the other empty chair.

They ate in silence a while, until suddenly she was on high alert, her blue eyes darting back and forth as something caught her attention. She slowly set aside her bowl and he followed suit, keeping his eyes on the surrounding areas, ears attuned to even the smallest of sounds. "Audrey..." He began, soft as wind, but she gave her head a shake and put a single finger to her lips in a gesture of silence. She held fast to her wand and it was only a moment later that the first red light came screaming through their campsite. "Move!" He shouted, leaping forwards and pushing her sideways out of the chair as a stunning spell shot out, aimed right for her. He slammed to the ground, precariously close to their fire, and she was at his side at once, checking him for injuries before the second stunning spell came at them. She blocked with ease and was on her feet at once, shedding her cloak as she stood, her wand clutched tightly in her dominant hand. He gingerly moved his legs as the feeling slowly returned to his limbs and he was rolling over as their attackers stepped onto the scene.

She could not believe what she was seeing.

For what felt like an eternity she stared at him as he stepped into her line of vision, with the others coming up on his sides. His emerald eyes met her blue and she felt her hand tighten its grip on her wand. Without a word, she reached down with her free hand and offered it to Draco, helping him up to his feet. "You," Harry breathed, his eyes moving from hers to Draco's; at that single word, all of the others turned surprised gazes to their companion, all three wanting to know the history behind such a greeting. But, Ginny knew better- she knew where this was heading and it was down a path she could not walk upon.

"Malfoy-" Ron cut in then, his blue eyes narrowed in heavy dislike, his voice dripping with it. He had his wand held aloft and those eyes came to rest upon her. For a single second, she thought he would know her despite the disguise. Her features were those of Audrey Harper's, her mannerisms were all hers, yet... There were some things that could not be hidden between siblings. But then his eyes sharpened and she saw his jaw tighten as it did when he was angry, and she knew that single instant of do I know her had faded away. "You've been following us." He accused, jabbing a finger in their direction. It was not a question, it was a statement; they all recalled seeing her that day over a month ago in the pub. Harry remembered seeing her that night when everyone else had been asleep. There was no denying it, there was no point.

"Exepelliarmus!" The spell left her lips and she felt her heart twist in her chest. This felt wrong, to be attacking the three people she loved most in the world- but this, this was what she was supposed to be doing. She could give off no impression that she was on any side but Voldemort's. Her next spell, halfhearted as it was, hit its mark and Hermione's wand spun away from her hand in an instant. The girl gave a painful cry and Ginny could see the telltale signs the spell left on her fingers. Issuing a silent apology, Ginny blocked the curse thrown at her by Ron and at once it was two against two.

Draco had never witnessed her fight like this- perhaps she didn't realize it, but he could see her heart was not in it. At least not at first, not with those first few spells she'd released. Perhaps then she had realized it and that was why her tactics became aggressive in the blink of an eye. Or maybe... maybe he had just imagined it. With ease she had disarmed Ron Weasley who dropped to the ground when one of Draco's stunning spells hit him.

Inside of her own mind, Ginny was becoming frantic; she was unsure how she could get past this. Draco knew their mission and their mission was to capture these three standing before them. If they won the battle, Draco would want to take them in to Voldemort... But she couldn't allow that. And her own mission was not yet complete. There was still information she needed to find out. Thoughts were racing through her mind and she knew without a doubt what she needed to do. She needed to lose. Harry had turned to her then and with his shoulders squared, he prepped for his next attack. Ginny knew this look on his face for she had seen it numerous times before- they had taken out his friends and he would do anything to protect those friends. Before she could blink, he'd knocked Draco aside with a foreceful curse and that left only the two of them standing, facing each other as if they were sworn enemies on a bloodied battlefield. The look in his emerald eyes was haunting and she forced herself to look away. At the same time that she raised her own wand, he released a curse that she blocked, but felt the power behind all the same. She could not make it look like she'd given in too easy, but she still could not win. Draco had witnessed the sheer power of Harry's spells, so at least this could be believable, so long as she played her cards right.

Two more waves of curses back and forth- one of his grazed her cheek, splitting it open, and one of hers hit him in the shoulder. She wondered if he could tell she had not given it her all. "Harry," Hermione's voice cut into the silence of the battle and he turned to her, if just for a moment, and something unspoken fell between the Golden Trio. Harry then turned back to her and their eyes met once again, his full of something like betrayal, and she felt her stomach turnover. "Harry." Hermione's voice came stronger this time and her hand was on his arm and he sank back, meeting eyes with the two of his companions. Draco was moving and she put out a hand, stopping him from going any further, watching from where they all stood as the trio turned, as if to perhaps make an escape. None of them, especially not Ginny, were expecting what was to come next.

The curse hit her like a ton of bricks, a silent spell issued by Harry when he had barely begun to turn away from them. She sank to the ground as her limbs crumpled beneath her, and as Draco turned to her aide, she knew they would get away. As they Apparated away, Ginny swore Harry's eyes found hers one last time. And then they were gone, leaving she and Draco alone once more. "Are you alright?" He asked her, reaching out to help her into a sitting position; she had grown very pale, her eyes far too bright and wide for her face, and her response was only to turn to the side and vomit until her stomach was empty.

[ x x x ]

Hours later, miles away from the spot, they found shelter in an old cottage. It was musty inside but there was a fireplace and they would have a bed of their own to sleep in. He had spent the better part of an hour ensuring protection spells were up and she had merely sat on the old couch, her hands curled into fists atop her thighs. When he had come back inside, stomping the snow of his boots, she had not even made a sound, had not even looked up from the floor, which he swore she would stare holes into if she kept staring at it like she was. He knew, if she wanted to talk about it, she would, and so he merely went about his way, bringing some light and warmth into the cottage. He could see that she was shivering violently and it was then he realized her cloak had been left behind, abandoned at the old campsite. Without a word he pulled his from his shoulders and draped it over hers before going back to his task at hand.

"Aren't you going to ask me about it?"

Her voice cut into his swirling thoughts and he turned back to face her, small and pale on the couch, the fire roaring to life behind him. "No," he said simply, watching her features carefully as he spoke. "You can tell me if you want, but no, I'm not going to ask you to tell me if you don't want to." Now he understood. Something had transpired between her and the Golden Trio. He was surprised as her eyes filled with tears and threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she reached up a hand, brushing them away before they had a chance to fall.

She could not believe her ears- she could not believe that he was not screaming at her, that he was not angry beyond words with her. She had, more or less, allowed their mission to fail. She had the chance to take down Harry Potter and he knew it- and yet he did not even seem bothered by it at all. If roles were reversed, she probably would have been demanding answers- why was she so emotional, why was she reduced to vomiting after battling what was supposed to be their enemy? Why had he looked at her in such a way? But, as she looked at Draco and he looked at her, she realized something: he trusted her. He trusted her without a shadow of a doubt.

And that only made her feel worse.

Draco sighed and came closer, dropping onto the couch beside her, his stormy gray eyes finding hers. "I want you to tell me, but only if you want to." He said softly, watching as the tears she'd tried so hard to keep from falling begin to streak her cheeks. "Hey! Hey, don't cry, please..." He was never good with such displays of emotions, and truly he didn't know how to comfort someone in such a state. "I didn't mean for you to cry." She gave a sound that was something between a laugh and a sob and she turned, curling into herself, her shoulders curved with the weight of something she was not saying. "Audrey..."

That name, the one that was not her own... Ginny looked back up and met his gaze, her heart breaking inside of her chest. This whole thing... It was so much harder than she had ever anticipated. Lying was easy when you were lying to someone who you didn't care for. She had never thought she would grow fond of Draco Malfoy- but she had never truly known him for who he really was. Lying to him about everything, making him think he could trust her with secrets, with his innermost thoughts... She hated herself for liking him and she hated herself for wanting to betray her own mission by telling him the truth. And then... Having to face Harry and the others in battle... Having to turn her wand against them hurt more than she had thought. Maybe her father and brothers were right and she wasn't capable of doing this. "You should hate me right now." A pause and she turned away, her eyes back on the floorboards, her shoulders quivering beneath his cloak. "I hate me right now."

To her surprise, he gave a chuckle and shook his head. "For what, letting them get away? I don't care." Why didn't he care, though? He knew that if they didn't succeed in this mission, it would more than likely cost him his life. But, for some reason, that really didn't frighten him anymore. A choked sob escaped her and her tears flowed a bit more freely then, making his heart twist inside his chest. Draco wished he could do something for her, but he wasn't really good in situations like these. The only contact he'd had with a girl had been Pansy and she certainly wasn't the type to cry or ever say something like she had just said. He then recalled something his mother had done for him as a child, and without really thinking about what he was doing, he reached out a hand and cupped her cheek into his palm, turning her head so she looked at him again. Her cheek was warm and damp beneath his palm and her eyes were wide in her face as their gazes met. "I could never hate you. There's nothing you could do to make me feel any differently about you." He said, saying the most honest thing he had said in all of his life.

It took her several seconds to register the words that he had spoken to her and once they finally sunk in, a slow smile spread across her lips and her lids fell closed over her eyes. Such words that she would hold onto forever. His hand was warm against her cheek and she found she longed to feel the rest of him against her. Without warning, she dove into his arms, her own winding around him as she pressed her face into his shoulder. Draco remained stunned for only a moment before he wrapped his arms around her too and held on tight. He breathed in her familiar scent, floral and sweet, and found that he never wanted to let her go again. But then she was pulling back and her arms were draped over his shoulders and his were still wound around her waist. "Draco... I..." She found the words were lost to her and she supposed in a moment such as this, no words were really even needed. He smiled and shook his head, feeling the exact same way as she did. No words were needed, not now, not in a moment such as this one.

"You should get some rest," he finally said, to which she nodded, feeling the exhaustion of the day's events all at once. He too was tired and knew he would fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. She rose up from the couch, her hand lingering on his as she slipped his cloak from her shoulders, draping it across the seat she'd just vacated instead. "We can decide what to do in the morning."

"Thank you." She whispered as she gave another little nod, walking across the room towards one of the bedrooms. For a long moment, she stood in the doorway, watching him as he rose up as well, his back to her as he stared into the fire; something kept her from going into that room, something told her they were not done yet. He turned back then, as if he were ready to go to his own room, and he saw her still standing there in the doorway. Without another thought, she knew what she had to do. She crossed the room and came to stand right before him, the distance between them minimal. He tilted his head, blonde hair catching the light, and his smile was coy and his eyes were dancing like they never had before. Closing the gap between them, she stood on tiptoe and put her lips to his, catching him with a quick kiss that took his breath away. When he had pulled back seconds later, blushing and wide-eyed, he swore he'd never seen her more beautiful. She turned to go and he took her by the hand, pulling her back to him in a swift movement. Their lips met again and he crushed her against him, mareveling to himself at how perfectly she fit against him.

A moment later, they both drew back, breathless and smiling. "Good night." She said with a little flip of her hair and Draco watched as she went, feeling cold now that she was gone from his arms. He could not believe at how right something as simple as a kiss could feel. He could still feel her lips against his, could still feel her warmth against him as he climbed into his bed minutes later. Across the hall, Ginny lay awake in her own bed, her mind a whirlwind as she tried to make sense of all that had happened. Despite it all, despite the storm of her mind, she knew only one thing: nothing in all of her life had ever made more sense than kissing Draco.