The night was incredibly dark.

It had begun to rain and the clouds rolled over the sky, blocking out both the moon and the stars; the wind was raging, howling, whipping her hair all about. She reached up a hand, trying to keep it in place, but to no avail and she instead gave up. She cast her gaze towards the east and decided it was time to turn in, as there was nothing left she was going to do that night.

She had been gone three days now, off tailing after the werewolf Greyback; he had been on the move daily, meeting with low level Death Eaters, discussing everything from the Dark Lord to the missions those men were on. So far, she hadn't learned much she didn't already know: the Dark Lord was searching for something (though she'd yet to uncover what it was) and he had not yet made a move against Neville Longbottom. From the whispers she'd overheard, it seemed as if Voldemort did not view him as any sort of threat at all. She had also overheard her own name being brought up more than once- sometimes in anger from Greyback himself, other times in conversation. She knew that Voldemort thought her a threat, more so than Neville at least, and had ordered her to be brought to him alive should any Death Eater catch her.

Deciding it was time to return home, Ginny had pulled the hood of her cloak back up into place and made to turn to go, but was stopped by the hushed tones of Greyback. "The Dark Lord says otherwise." She caught him mid-sentence and she turned back, crouching low as she tried to stay as small as possible, hoping to go unnoticed. The last thing she wanted was a battle. "He don't believe he's dead." Ginny felt her stomach turnover. Who were they talking about? The Death Eater responded, his vocals too low for Ginny to make out, and she heard Greyback scoff. "We all saw him die. Body or no body, we all saw the light go out of his eyes." Greyback chuckled and the Death Eater responded, stepping a little closer, his mask still pulled over his face, shielding it from her sight. "No, no… The Dark Lord has his reasons. He'll get Potter to come out, if he really is alive." Greyback responded, but he sounded skeptical. "I'm telling you though, the boy is dead. His people buried him. He's dead. Why the Dark Lord is still hung up on him, I don't know. Anyways, my job isn't to worry about that. I'm supposed to be catching that bloody Weasley girl."

Voldemort… He thought Harry was alive? Ginny could feel her heart thumping wildly inside of her chest, so loudly she feared Greyback might hear it. But, luckily for her the wind continued to howl and thunder rumbled overhead. "Not gonna find nothing out here tonight in this mess, anyways." The other Death Eater finally spoke words that she could hear and she blinked, forcing herself to remain still as a statue. "I'm turning in." Greyback nodded and they exchanged a few last words before Greyback was gone from the spot, returning to who knows where. A moment of silence and Ginny was prepared to watch the other Death Eater disappear as well, but to her surprise he raised a hand, removing the mask from his face. Stormy gray eyes peered out into the darkness and she caught her breath, realizing a second later just who was standing there: Draco Malfoy. "I know you're there." He called out after a moment and she nearly jumped from her skin. After several seconds of internal debate, Ginny rose, stepping out from her hiding place, the hood of her cloak still pulled up. The rain was falling harder then, soaking the both of them through their heavy cloaks. Her wand clutched tightly in her hand, she murmured the word and at once her wand tip ignited, casting a beam of light between them. "It's been awhile."

Ginny chuckled and pulled her hood down, revealing to him her magnificent head of red hair, turned a shade or so darker from the rain. "It has." She replied, reaching out a hand to take Draco's, clasping it in a quick gesture of greeting. Though hard to believe, Draco Malfoy was on their side; they had met on one of her missions over a year ago and he'd saved her life. After that, she'd brought him back to the Burrow and he'd taken on the risky role of being a mole. He continued to live his life as if he were a Death Eater, but relayed every piece of information back to the Order. Back to her. "I was worried when you missed our last meeting."

Draco surveyed the young woman before him, her usually fierce brown eyes were tinged with sadness, her frame looking thin beneath the cloak she wore. Potter's death wore heavy on her, that much was certain, though it seemed she tried hard not to let it show. "I couldn't get away," he replied, reaching up to run a hand through his soaking wet locks, pushing them back away from his features. "I'm sorry I missed the funeral." He knew he risked upsetting her, mentioning the funeral, but he could not help but to apologize for not being there. He and Potter had never been best of friends but they had developed a sense of respect for one another over the last year. And Potter had come to him to thank him for risking it all to save Ginny that time.

"It's fine," she turned away then, telling him that she didn't want to talk about it. "What's new? What was Greyback talking about?"

"You're in danger, that's what." Draco said, his tone taking on a serious tone. "Really, Gin." His use of her nickname caught her attention and she turned back to him, pinning him with her intense stare. "The Dark Lord himself wants you captured and Greyback is mad with thoughts of revenge." He watched as her lips twitched with a smirk and he could not help but to sigh. There was no talking sense to the girl, after all. Voldemort himself could be standing before her with his wand pointed at her chest and she would still feel no fear, it seemed. Losing Harry had made her a bit more reckless. "You're the number one target right now, along with a few high ups in the Order. Now that Harry's gone, the Dark Lord wants to take out ones who cause him the most problems." Of course Ginny topped that list. In the weeks since Harry's death, she had busted numerous plots and helped take multiple Death Eaters into custody. He glanced down and the sparkle of the diamond ring on her finger caught his eye and he wondered how badly she must hurt inside. Instead of taking time to grieve, she had thrown herself into the war full throttle, and had never once looked back.

"We're all in danger. You more than anyone else," she retorted, reminding him that should he ever be caught, death would be welcomed after what would happen to him. "Besides that isn't what I was talking about." Of course it wasn't. Draco sighed again and shook his head, running a hand through his hair again- a nervous gesture of his she had seen before. "Tell me, Draco."

"The Dark Lord… He thinks… Well, he thinks Harry is still alive." He watched her face closely and saw that there was no change to her expression; no igniting of hope, no flicker of surprise or faith, just nothing at all. She knew better than to get her hopes up. "He thinks because the body disappeared so quickly… That he didn't actually die." He paused, wondering if he should voice everything. He knew more and he worried telling her the rest would send her into a frenzy. But, he sighed and went on, knowing she would kill him if she found out he was withholding information from her. "He also has had visions, like he always had." He closely watched her but still, saw no change to her expression. "He sees Harry as he always had. But the images are blurry and dark. He doesn't understand them anymore than the rest of us." Ginny shifted her weight from foot to foot then, tilting her head, her curtain of red hair falling across a shoulder. "No one else is convinced, of course. We all saw… We all saw him die." she flinched at those words but remained silent. "He's just hung up on him because of all the history, you know?" Ginny nodded, still silent, looking up at the sky as the thunder crashed and the lightning flashed. "You should go." He said then and she looked back at him, nodding again after a few moments of silence. "Take care of yourself." Without warning, he reached out, slipping his arms around her, embracing her gently. She sagged against him, her arms coming around him seconds later, her face pressed against his chest.

"You too, Draco," she said when she pulled back, lifting her hand to wave goodbye. He watched her as she took another several steps back and raised her want, disappearing on the spot with the quiet little pop. When she had gone he too raised his wand, disappearing from the spot as she had just seconds before.

Neither had been aware of the eyes watching them from a distance away.

[ x x x ]

She had not told anyone else about what Draco had told her. No, she simply had not seen the reasoning. Without knowing anything as fact, she didn't want to excite anyone or make it into something that it wasn't. and so, she kept the knowledge of Voldemort's worries to herself and went on about her days. She allowed her mother to fuss over her, allowed her brothers to pester her, and went on with her life as if the meeting had never even taken place. Her mother had been beside herself when she'd finally returned home after those three days and had not let her out from her sight for nearly a week before finally relenting and Ginny escaped the Burrow, heading to none other than Hogsmeade. She could not quite say what led her there but she supposed she would find out when she got there. She had stopped off to visit Madame Rosmerta and have a quick drink before making her way down the cobblestone road. Being a Tuesday, there was next to no one about, and certainly no students from Hogwarts. In the years since the war had progressed, Hogsmeade trips had become less and less frequent until they had more or less stopped altogether. Some shops were boarded up and some still remained open as if nothing in the world had changed. Ginny supposed they, like everyone else, needed to hold onto at least something constant and familiar in their lives.

As she wandered the streets, stopping in at various shops, she could not shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She kept her eyes open and her hand in her pocket, fingers wrapped tightly around her wand, and kept moving. There was no one around, so why did she feel like that? Continuing on her way, she found she was drawn towards the Shrieking Shack, an old, sort of rundown building that had once been used to shield Remus Lupin during his monthly changes to a werewolf. The building had a history of being haunted, but in truth the ghostly screams the villagers had heard had belonged to Lupin himself. There was no entrance to the shack aside from the tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow, which lay upon the school grounds, but she decided to press on anyways. Walking up the rocky, dirt path, she stood at the top to gaze out towards the shack, the wind catching her hair.

Once again, she felt eyes upon her and she turned to the left, staring out across the way, as if she expected to see someone standing there. But, there was no one. She turned back and continued on her way, carefully treading along the rocky slope. She finally stepped out onto the grassy slope that the shack stood upon and she went closer, circling around the building, chills racing down her spine. She came to a stop at the back, where she had gone completely out of sight, and remained stock still, listening to the wind as it howled around her. She could understand why the villagers thought the building to be haunted- regardless of knowing the truth of its history, the place gave her the creeps.

Ginny…

She gasped, spinning around, swearing she had heard someone softly calling out to her. She remained standing there, still and silent, listening intently to the world around her. But there was nothing but the wind. Had she… Had she only imagined it? Ginny… There it was again! And it was a voice she knew and knew well. Her skipped a beat and she tried to tell herself she was losing her mind. This was not possible. It all had an explanation. She was creeped out by the place, she was tired, she was grieving. There were so many possible answers other than the one she kept circling back to.

"Ginny…" No, this time she had not imagined it. She felt her heart stop in her chest and she sucked in a breath, eyes closing as she slowly revolved on the spot. As she came to a stop, facing back the way she'd been facing originally, she let out the breath and opened her eyes. He stood before her, raven hair a mess and too long, but it was him. "Ginny." His familiar vocals cracked on the syllables of her name and the world around her began to spin. Her knees began to shake and just as they were about to give out, he was there, wrapping his arms around her, holding her up as she felt the tears spilling down her cheeks. He was kissing her then, his palms cupping either side of her face, breaking the kiss a moment later to stare her in the face, his emerald eyes full of emotion.

"I can't believe this." She whispered as he swiped his thumb across her cheeks, erasing the tears as they fell from her eyes. "I thought… You were… We all…" She stammered over the words, shaking her head, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. Harry was here. Harry was alive! "I saw you buried! Ron and Hermione, they saw you die!" She was panicking then, her mind kicking into high gear, and she pulled back, a shaking hand raising her wand up. How did she know this wasn't a trick? Draco had told her that she was a target to Voldemort- how did she know this wasn't a Death Eater in disguise. But it had felt like him. It was all so familiar to her, that feeling that simply could not be faked. "I don't believe this."

Harry could not blame her- he knew that feeling, of being uncertain, of not knowing if something was true or not. Of being unable to trust what was right before his eyes. "Ginny…" He called out to her softly, his emerald eyes finding her brown, eyes he had never once forgotten. "Remember that day by the lake?" He smiled sheepishly, watching as the flicker of the memory crossed her features. "When I was in the sixth year and you were in fifth. We were out there so late and Ron and Hermione came looking for us…" He laughed, remembering how they had scrambled to put themselves back together, how Ginny had been blushing to the roots of her hair and he had thought Ron might actually kill him. She was staring at him then, as if daring herself to believe what he was saying, but then it all clicked and she was flinging herself into his arms.

"I don't understand!" She was saying between kissing him, torn between love and punching him square in the jaw. Love luckily won out and she held his face with her hands as his roamed her body, trailing down her sides, fingertips feeling the grooves of her ribs, palms feeling the sharp points of her hips. Harry felt guilt rising within him as he realized he was the cause of all of those things. He had caused her so much pain, so much sorrow… "Does anyone else know? Ron, Hermione?"

Harry shook his head then, reaching a hand up to brush a lock of hair away from her freckled features. "No, one but Remus knows." He admitted finally, a sigh escaping him. "It was the only way." He went on to say, his hand lowering to snake around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I needed everyone to think I was dead, I needed him to think I was dead." He explained and she nodded, her mind still racing with everything that was unfolding before him. "But then I overheard you and Malfoy and I knew he didn't think…" He trailed off, watching as her eyes widened, as she realized he had been there that night. Now she could understand the feeling of being watched all these weeks.

"You were at your own funeral," she interrupted, poking an accusing finger into his chest, surveying him with her intense stare. His eyes widened then, unsure how she could have possibly known that. "I knew it." She said then, taking his silence as a yes, and she tilted her head to the side. "You should have told me." She said unhappily, folding her arms over her chest, head turned slightly to the side. He put his other arm around her and drew her close to his chest, breathing in her sweet, familiar scent.

"I needed it to be believable. I needed them to see you hurting." He said softly, hating himself for causing her and the others so much agony. "I'm sorry, Gin. I never wanted to hurt you but you understand, right?" After a long moment, she nodded, and he felt her arms come around him. "I have to stay hidden, just a little while longer… You can't tell the others, not yet anyways." She drew back at that and for a moment he thought she might fight him but then she sighed and nodded, though unhappy as she was to agree. "I promise it won't be much longer. Then I can explain everything." She nodded and returned to his arms, savoring what moments she had with him if she could not yet have him back. "I just couldn't stay away from you another moment." He breathed the words into her ear, his lips nipping at her earlobe, and she tilted her head back, shivering as his lips trailed kisses from her ear down her neck and towards her collarbone.

With nimble hands he unfastened her cloak and it fell to the ground at their feet; he put his hands to her shoulders, holding her at arms length in order to really get a good look at her. She was thin, much thinner than she had been the last time he'd even seen her from afar. He was certain that her mother would be beside herself with worry. He lifted up a hand, placing it against her cheek, his eyes brightening as he watched her lips curve with a smile. "I've missed you." He said as he leaned in to kiss her again, his hands falling down to her hips, where they began to toy with the hem of the top she wore. She murmured a response but he could not make it out as she put her mouth to his neck, her breath warm against his skin. He felt the sharp pain that was her biting him and he could not help but to chuckle as he slid his hands up beneath her shirt. Her skin was warm and soft as he trailed his hands up her spine and back down again. Her hands were moving then, yanking his shirt over his head, nearly knocking his glasses askew in her hurry.

In moments they had undressed one another and Harry drew her down to the ground, her cloak beneath them. It was as if they were in school once again and enjoying a quick, passionate moment beside the lake… or in the library… Or wherever else that they had gone a little too far. He trailed kisses from her mouth down her collarbone and across her breasts, down to her sunken abdomen as his hand pinned hers down over her head. "Harry…" His name was a moan leaving her lips as she arched her back, her brown eyes smoldering when they looked upon him seconds later. He grinned down at her and positioned himself over her, pushing himself into her a moment later. She gave a little gasp, a sound he had always loved, and rocked against him, grinding her pelvis into his. He looked down over her, knowing in his heart that he was so incredibly lucky to have her. There was no one more important to him than her. There was no one else he wanted to win the war for more than her. He wanted to end things and start a life with her, with the beautiful, passionate, intelligent woman that she had become.

An hour later, they both stood fully dressed, neither one wanting to be the one to say goodbye. "I'll finish things soon." He said, still holding fast to her hand, watching as she turned away, her profile obscured as the wind blew her hair all about. He reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind an ear and she turned to face him, smiling, the sadness he had once seen in her eyes gone. "I promise you, we'll be together again." A nod and she embraced him, knowing without a doubt that he was telling her the truth. "Bye, Gin." He murmured, and she felt his hand slip from hers as he stepped back, pulling the invisibility cloak from his knapsack. He disappeared from her sight but she continued to stare after him, knowing his every move despite being unable to see him. She watched for what felt like an eternity, until she knew it was time for her to go as well. Turning, she came around to the front side of the Shrieking Shack and raised her wand, disappearing from the spot with a little pop.

Suddenly, the world seemed a little bit brighter.