A/n: So here's the final chapter! I hope you enjoyed this story :) It's been a challenge for me, but I like challenges. And of course, we must give credit to the requeste who gave the concept of this story to me- blindredeyes! This was very fun to write. However, I do need to make the point that for the time being I do not accept request stories from this point fourth. I love that people think I'm worthy of writing something based off their ideas, but right now I have too many ideas bouncing around in my head. So it was fun to do this amazing story for blindredeyes, but I won't be doing any in the future, at least not for some time. This was just a special treat :)
Keep up with the reviews guys, seeing as this is the last chapter. Let me know how I did :D And if you like, you can follow my page on facebook. The links on my profile.
She heard herself coughing as the blade was yanked out of her flesh again, and the sickening sound of tearing skin caught her attention as black spots began to appear. She knew this wasn't fatal yet; she knew she could just get up and fight, and possibly survive. But instead of moving she laid there motionless, surprised at what she was seeing unfold before her eyes. And even this simple pause allowed for her to catch her breath.
Percy had pulled the blade from her flesh, and half a moment later Ron's lunge was complete, and he tackled his older brother to the ground, falling down directly next to Ginny. It was then that she decided to move, scooting back from the fallen pair. Shaking away the black spots in her vision, she noted that Charlie and Harry's wands were drawn, but they were not angled at her for once. In fact, they were angled at Ron and Percy. And as Ron stood up, he angled his at his brother as well.
"This is too far," he said quietly, stepping back to stand beside the others. "I thought we were just mad at the situation Percy; we thought we were looking for closure. It's hard to accept circumstances like this, but that doesn't mean we want them dead." Ron shrugged. "Sure, it would be better if none of this ever happened, but that won't change now. Nothing is going to go back to the way things once were Percy, and killing people won't help the situation either."
The new enemy pulled out his wand, and Ginny slowly stood. "It would be better than knowing you're related to a monster," he seethed in response, glancing at Ginny who readied herself to fight if necessary. "I don't know how any of you can stomach that idea."
"I'd rather know I am related to someone who is undead than someone who is dead because I helped kill them," Charlie said hotly. "This isn't Britain Percy; we don't know what people do down here. Considering that Hermione and Ginny seem to be living in the muggle world here, we don't know what any of the wizarding laws are here. It might even be illegal to kill werewolves for all we know. We have to abide by both the magical and muggle laws, and since we don't know what those are, we might be breaking some already. Do you really want to be arrested in Washington for not knowing the rules?"
Percy shook his head. "It doesn't matter; it's worth it!"
Harry opened his mouth to say something, but no one ever got to find out what he was going to say. From the opposite side of the clearing they stood in something rocketed through the trees, and it took Ginny half a moment to realize it was a werewolf. Her eyebrows shot up, curiosity immediately coursing through her. The last thing she expected was to be found by anyone. Actually, she hadn't even thought they would be looking for her yet.
She tensed as everyone's attention turned to the intruder. She knew that most werewolves back in Britain were not liked, and she hoped that after Charlie's speech about different laws and regulations in different countries that maybe everyone would hold back their attacks. Again though, she was proved wrong when Percy turned and fired a spell at the wolf, sending it flying back into the trees.
Her eyes widened further when she recognized the wolf- Seth. Seth, who was always trying to get her to like him; Seth, who would do anything for her. Seth, who should've been somewhere else where he wouldn't get hurt, instead of fighting with a bunch of wizards he had never even met. And Ginny knew all too well that none of her family would hold back attacking a wolf so long as they thought it was a threat, not even Harry.
Deciding she couldn't just sit there, Ginny leapt into action. She used her new skills to easily hop on top of Harry's shoulders, using her weight to through them into the ground. She stole his wand before he could get back up, thankful that she now had something else to aid her. Spinning around, she came face to face with Ron, who had his hands up.
"Ginny," he said, looking into her eyes, "Don't do anything rash. We're just trying to-"
"Don't Ron," she snapped in return, "Don't try and do anything for me ever again." She shoved past him in time to see another two wolves enter the clearing, followed by Hermione, who briefly met her eyes.
She knew things were going to get out of hand from that moment on, but Ginny couldn't focus on that. She could see the gleam in Percy's eyes again from where she stood, the same gleam he looked at her with only moments ago. Her brother was fighting Seth now, and she knew his intent from the moment she caught that look in Percy's eyes. As the mismatched group began facing off against each other, she only had eyes for the set of events that she was too slow to prevent.
The girl was shoving past Jacob the wolf when it happened. Her chest still hurt, and though she knew that she should be concerned about the throbbing there she couldn't make herself worry about it just then. From the tip of Percy's wand she was the light shoot out, before connecting with the wolves face. One could hear something between a scream and a whimper as the wolf fell back, rolling against the earth as he changed back. She thought that was an oddity even as she ran, for she had never heard of that happening. But then, she hadn't been all that compelled to learn about wolves since she came to Forks; she was trying to distance herself after all.
Passing Percy, she realized he had her wand. There was a large urge inside of her to use the teeth in her mouth to rip his throat out, but she decided against it when she noted Hermione rushing over. Let her friend deal with her brother for now, for she had other obligations. Turning away, she created a large blanket out of a sweater she ripped off and fell beside Seth, forming a barrier as she hit the earth.
Throwing the material over Seth lower body, she rolled him over so he was on his back. In his human form again, she could see the gash in his chest obviously created by the spell Percy fired. She hadn't been paying attention to the words- and perhaps he hadn't said anything at all- and she didn't know what kind of magic created his wound, just that it appeared to be very, very bad. Suddenly the pain in her chest disappeared; she couldn't even think about that anymore.
Brushing back Seth's fringe from his face, she wished more than ever that she was Hermione. The brunette knew more spells than most people in their lifetime, and she was certain the girl could fix him up fairly quickly. But Hermione was off dealing with Percy, and Ginny knew she was all alone in this moment. It was up to her to save Seth's life, and she hoped she could.
First and foremost, she cast a spell to check and see the initial damage. It appeared the spell had punctured a lung, laboring his breathing. It also attacked his veins (obviously) and that explained the blood slowly pouring from his shirt. She could see that the wound didn't go all the way through his chest, but she knew it was bad. Maybe if she still had the ability to, she would cry in that moment.
"I'm sorry," she whispered quietly, using one of her limited spells to at least slow the blood flow. "I'm so sorry," she continued, wishing his eyes would open and look up at her. Anything to confirm that he was going to be alright.
She wasn't sure when the fighting around her stopped, but at some point it grew quieter, and the voices of people broke through her concentration. She didn't look up though, for she was afraid if she stopped for a moment that he would slip away.
A hand came to rest on hers, paler than the body of the man she worked on. Her eyes moved skyward, and she noted a head of very pale, very fine blonde hair leaning over the body as well, clear grey eyes looking to meet hers.
"It'll be alright," Draco said quietly, and for the first time in her life Ginny didn't feel like telling the man to shove off. He stopped her movements, and she slowly watched him take down the barrier she had constructed on one side of them. When he finished, he pulled on her hand, beckoning that she should move.
"No," she said weakly, fighting him now. "I won't leave him to die."
"You're not," he argued, continuing to pull on her hand. "He won't die Ginny, but he won't be helped either if we leave him out in the elements with you feebly trying to heal him. They want to move him back to Jacob's home, and there Hermione will heal him. We both know she's fully capable of doing so."
It was then that she finally looked up and surveyed the scene. No one was fighting anymore, and she couldn't fathom when the noise had died down. Now, Hermione stood with her arms crossed beside the four men she had once been very close to, her expression hard. Five wands lay in her grip, and as the ginger looked closer she realized that they were bound. In her rush to try and heal Seth, she had completely ignored how things ended. Beside her longtime friend stood Jacob still in his wolf form, obviously lingering nearby in case anyone tried anything. The rest of the pack stood in a semi-circle around her, waiting for her to get up and move. And when Draco next pulled on her arm to get her to move, she went without resistance.
"What will happen to them?" she asked mildly as the blonde looped an arm around her waist, pulling her away from the body. She noted that Hermione moved forward, charming Seth's form to float in the air so she could levitate him home. Hopefully no one will see.
"It's yet to be determined Ginny. There are other things to worry about first- like making sure Seth is alright."
She nodded mutely, walking at the head of the group with Draco at her side. She began regretting how hostile she had always been to the blonde as they walked, his taller body dragging her along. Here was the best moment in history to be a pompous arse, and he wasn't taking the bait. All that time she had pegged Draco Malfoy as a heartless arse despite everything they went through together. Now her mindset was changing; he was a good wall to lean on in that moment.
But then, it seemed that her opinion on everyone had been a little flawed. Glancing back at Hermione, she could see that the girl was studying Seth as they walked. Actually, it appeared that she was using a second wand to heal as they went along. It was an oddity to look at, but she didn't complain. She needed Seth to survive after all, for she had a lot to say to him.
She was finally learning something. Keeping people at a distance did not always seem to be for the best; sometimes, if that person is compelled enough, it can only make the situation worse. And maybe if she hadn't been so tapped in her own pit of sorrow, she wouldn't have ignored Seth for so long. When he was better, she knew there would be many things to talk about.
Thankfully Hermione was a lot faster with healing spells than the ginger, and only a few minutes after arriving the wound was healed. She then moved downstairs to find some ingredients to hopefully create a potion to help with his lung, for though she could reattach the poor organ with a spell it would be terribly painful, and the potion would also ensure that if there were any holes in the lung, that would be fixed as well.
Unfortunately, Jacob's kitchen lacked the common ingredients that witches and wizards tend to have, and Hermione quickly found herself departing with Jacob to go to the nearest wizard outlet and pick up what she needed. Ginny just hoped it wouldn't take too terribly long.
As for the four wizards, a fate had yet to be determined. Ginny couldn't stomach the idea of killing them- despite Collin's excitement at the subject- considering that they were family. For the time being until Hermione and Jacob returned, the four were being kept downstairs, watched by the pack and Draco. She thought that was safe enough.
Ginny herself sat in the window seat of Seth's room, watching him from there. Hermione pointedly refused to dress him when the man was so obviously in love with Ginny, and the ginger only looked away at the idea. She had thrown some blankets on top of him when the brunette left to hopefully keep him warm, and so far the wolf hadn't awakened. Her friend warned her that he might wake up before she returned, and if he did that she should help keep him as comfortable as possible. Despite everything, she really hoped that didn't happen.
The ginger felt like such a little fool. After her traumatizing relationship with Harry that resulted in him hating her and trying to kill her when she changed, she didn't really think she wanted to be with someone again. People- even the ones you love the most- could be so unreliable and change in a moments time and be someone you don't understand, that the thought was scary. She wasn't sure she wanted to be with someone who might turn into something she didn't understand again. The heartache couldn't exist now that she was a vampire, but the memories would always be there. If someone did that again, it would just be another daunting memory to look back on when she was lonely at night. But was it better to feel forever alone or to put yourself out there. For Ginny, it was to be forever alone.
That didn't mean though that she never felt anything for the wolf lying in bed. At first when she started thinking that the boy might like her, she had to admit that she felt repulsed. A wolf and a vampire? She had never heard of a sillier thing! She knew that they were destined to hate each other, so how could he feel anything for her in the first place? Didn't the idea terrify him as well?
But overtime, she began to understand. He wasn't a wolf, not all the time. There was human in him, an attractive, male human with an astounding body and a fantastic attitude. He had dreamy eyes, dark locks, and he actually cared to listen to her. But he resembled the personality of Harry at times; a dark-haired male that thirsted for her attention and admired her. Someone that was conflicted with his life yet wanted her to be a part of it. At first, it was all too surreal and she couldn't consider it.
When she first came to Forks, Harry was still a big part of her heart. He may not want her anymore, but he was still there. He was her childhood crush, her first kiss, and her first partner in bed. He was her first everything and the reality that he would never be hers again was crushing. She wanted to hold onto her childhood dream of marrying Harry, of being Mrs. Potter. But it was futile to do so, for it only made her feel more alone and less wanted. How could she even think about being with Seth- or anyone else for that matter- when she was stuck in the mindset that her first love could be her only love? Now, she realized it was childish to hold onto such a fantasy that would never be a reality. Looking back, she knew she had been her own worst enemy from the very first days that she had to cope with her new self.
The ginger's head snapped back to the bed when she heard him stir, and she watched through wide eyes as his hand slowly reached up and touched his head, his eyes dancing open. She remained still for a moment, letting him take in his surroundings and collect himself. There was no reason to startle the poor boy.
At length, his head fell to the side and caught sight of her. Immediately, a crooked grin spread across his face. "I kind of hoped you would be someplace in here, waiting up for me."
She smiled softly at him, climbing out of the window ceil to walk to his side. "Someone needed to watch you after all; make sure you would be alright." She snatched up the glass of water from the table at his side, holding it out to him. "I nominated myself."
Ginny could see the contempt in his eyes as he sipped the water, studying her slowly. He had barely swallowed when he started choking, letting the glass hit the floor as he did so. She ignored the mess, reaching forward to pat his back as he wheezed.
"What the fuck's wrong with me?" he asked, obviously confused as to why it hurt so much to simply try and drink. He glanced up at her, his eyes searching the girls for an answer.
"You can blame my brother for that," she remarked hotly, "Percy, he did this. He was full of vengeance towards myself and Hermione, and apparently any obstacle in the way was worth killing to get to us- to me. He was tired of having to be related to me, even after I was changed into something different."
Seth lay back against the pillows slowly. "Well, hopefully someone killed him for me. I don't think I would want to be related to someone like that." He glanced at her. "Are you alright?"
Her hand came up to rest across her heart, the space Percy had pierced her with a blade. "He's not dead, all four of them are downstairs right now. We were waiting for Hermione and Jacob to return before anything was decided- they are going to make a potion for you to help and soothe some of the pain for when she fixes your lung." He winced when she brought that up. "I'm fine now, before you ask again. Percy stabbed me once in the heart-"
"He what?"
She frowned, holding up a hand. "You didn't let me finish. He stabbed me, but you have to know that it takes more than that to kill a vampire. All Hermione had to do to fix the gash was flick her wand; my insides can't really be damaged when my heart doesn't even beat. She's really quite skilled with a wand Seth; she's saving you. Now don't get all hot-headed about what Percy did again, it's over now. Since you're awake and doing fairly well aside from your breathing, I'm sure that you'll be fine to come downstairs and see what happens to them all. Maybe nothing will happen, but who knows." She shrugged.
They spoke a few minutes more, covering the same topics again and again. He kept studying her, as though trying to make sure she wasn't lying about being alright. It was sweet, if not a little irritating too. She was dead for Merlin's sake- unless some cut her to pieces and burned her she wouldn't die! But he was very much alive, and he could still bleed. If anything, she should be the one studying him.
"It's warm," he muttered, shoving off three of the numerous blankets on his lap. She glanced at the ceiling, recalling that he was still nude beneath. Catching her gaze, he frowned. "You don't have to look so alarmed. I'm still covered you know."
She shrugged. "I know." And the conversation was dropped from there. She brushed her fingers through her hair, awkwardly trying to figure out something to say to divert the topic. She knew he wasn't looking at her, and she thought that was kind of sad. He spent so long looking at her, and now he wouldn't glance her way. What had changed so drastically?
"Thank you for coming to my rescue," she said at length, hoping to swing things in a different direction. He did look up at that at least, smiling softly.
"Well I couldn't just leave you to die," he said slowly.
"And you wouldn't have," she remarked. His eyes met hers, and she could read the question within them. "You wouldn't have let me die. Despite how long I have been ignoring you, I have to admit that I can't completely block myself to your feelings. I'm not a stone Seth, really. I do have feelings, and I can tell when someone… when someone wants to be with me." She shrugged, glancing away. "I've just been a stubborn girl, ignoring you for so long."
"It's fine," he said quietly, and his words caught her off guard. Spinning her head back to stare at him, she watched his lips as he continued speaking. "It's a bit ridiculous actually, for me to believe that you would want me; we're so different."
"Seth-"
"I'm not finished Ginny. The differences between us, they just don't matter to me. I want you Ginny, and I know we're destined to be together. Even if you don't see that, even now, I do. And someday, maybe you'll see it that way too. But I can't stop trying to win you, else I'll die. I'm not sure I can live with the reality that you might never be mine, so I have to stay positive."
She moved from where she sat to the edge of the bed, brushing his cheek with her fingers. His body was such a contrast to hers; frigid skin against warm heat. It was a contrast that she liked, for before she often avoided getting near him. "Seth, do you even know why I've ignored you and denied you since coming to Forks?"
"Not really. I can't decide what I did to you to repulse you so much."
Ginny shook her head. "You didn't do anything. I was with Harry back in Britain for a long time- actually, he was my childhood crush. I trusted him with my heart and my safety, and he turned his back on me and betrayed me as soon as he could. The moment I was different, the second I was something unknown, he gave up on me. Changes caused him to see me as a different person, when in reality I am still the same girl I was before. I had to go through the newborn stage of being a vampire, the complete blood thirst that I couldn't control. I think that my actions made him see me differently, made him think I am some kind of monster I'm not. The point is Seth, he betrayed me. I was scared to let anyone into me again and have them throw me aside if something else changed. I didn't want to be hurt and betrayed like that again, so I blocked people out. Even on our trek across America from New York I ignored people. It's something I am afraid of." She cupped his cheek again. "But, my opinion is changing now."
"Why's that?" he asked gruffly. "Even if I didn't think we were meant to be together, you're Hermione's friend- Jake's mate. I wouldn't have let you die either way, so I don't get why you seem so star struck about things."
"I'm not," she said clearly, her eyebrows drawing together. "Reality is just finally dawning on me. You could've died Seth- you were being rash. But I knew you were doing it in an effect to ensure that I wouldn't be hurt."
"Your point?" He was being cold, she could feel it. After her avoidance to discuss these sort of things or even glance his way for so long, it seemed that his heart didn't want to battle anymore. He seemed afraid that this conversation would only result in a heartbreak, and fortunately for him she had no intent to crush his heart.
She bent forward, breathing against his face. "My point, Seth, is maybe I've been too negative towards you for too long. There is a part of me you know that can be compassionate and loving." She bent forward, pressing her lips to his a moment. His reaction was almost instantaneous- he was quite eager- but she didn't linger long. Pulling back, she stood.
"I know I waited perhaps too long to return your feelings," she said, crossing her arms, "But it would be a shame if I did. I really do feel something for you Seth, I have for a while. I just, after what happened… I needed you to know how I felt. I'm not Hermione, so I haven't done dense research to figure out how your imprinting works, just that it usually does. I don't know if you can stop wanting someone when they have held out too long but I won't blame you if you have given up on me Seth." She nodded her head in his direction, ignoring the perplexed look on his face. "I'll just go now."
He turned to leave, but didn't make it very far. Considering that the girl wasn't rushing, she should've expected something to happen. She was close to him still, and he lurched up in bed to catch her wrist. The action startled her, and Ginny turned around to look at him as he beckoned for her to sit on the bed beside him. She did so, and he grabbed her face in the same way she had cradled his earlier.
Seth shook his head, smiling at her. "You jump to conclusions far too quickly." He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers again, and she let the stiffness in her shoulders fall away, letting herself get lost in the kiss.
It took far too long for the both of them to speak about things. If they had only done this earlier, perhaps they could've been together longer like Jacob and Hermione. But that didn't matter as they kissed, not really. Things were working out now, and they were just fine with that.
They preferred in that moment to have gotten together at some point than to never have gotten together at all.
"What do you mean you don't want them to suffer?" He crossed his arms, looking thoroughly perplexed. "Hermione, they wanted to kill both of you! If they weren't so fucking surprised that you're staying in a house full of werewolves they would probably want to break free and attack again!"
The girl raised an eyebrow at Jacob, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Look, I know what they did is wrong, but you also don't know them. Aside from Percy, I don't think any of them are mental. And if you speak to Ron all he does is look around with a terrified expression on his face. I think the reality of what they almost did finally caught up and they feel guilty. Mistakes happen Jake; they are only human."
"Hermione, I know you have a good heart, but this is just crazy. You can't honestly be thinking about letting them return to Britain after all the trouble they have caused? Even Draco thinks that idea is insane."
The couple had been going over the same topic for hours now. After Hermione mixed and applied the potion to Seth, she quickly stole Ginny away. As soon as she discovered that the stubborn redhead had dropped her guards and finally decided to let her admirer in, she was elated. But the fact of the matter remained that something had to be done about the four bound wizards downstairs. And unfortunately, the ginger wanted nothing to do with that conversation.
"They are my family Hermione. I won't hurt them, even if they deserve it. What good would it do? Percy will want it in for us no matter what, so I don't see why we want to make things worse. Make an unbreakable vow with Harry or something that they will never search for us again. Our lifestyles will never mesh again, so we can't return back to Britain, but they can. And if we live in different parts of the world, perhaps they will stop thinking of us all together."
Ginny stayed upstairs with Seth to make sure his body didn't have any funny reactions to the potion, and Hermione and Jake were nominated to be the deciding factors in the wizard's fate. While Jake thought she should use a spell to remove their memories, she thought otherwise. They were humans after all, caught up in the craze of a post-war nation, seeking to keep their lives semi-normal. And how could life be even close to normal, when you're sister or ex-girlfriend is a vampire? To Hermione, it didn't seem quite right to erase their memories. They would have memories of when they were alive after all, and everyone back home would know what happened to the two girls anyway. Erasing their memories would be irrational.
Still, Jake was persistent. She knew he forced this idea most because he didn't want to repeat this set of events, and frankly neither did she. Chewing her lip, Hermione tried to think of a good solution that would please them both.
"I know we can't let them get away with it," she said slowly, glancing up at him. He raised an eyebrow in return. "But we can't just botch their memories. I think I have a better idea, and so long as I ask people with a half sane mind I think it will work out."
"What are you talking about?"
She just shook her head, grabbing his hand. They turned away from the beach, ready to go back to his house. "You will see."
"Don't listen to her!" Percy seethed. "If you do this, all our efforts will be for nothing!"
"Shh," Charlie snapped, slapping his brother in the head. "Would you be quiet already?"
The living room felt like an awkward place now. Ginny and Seth stood on the stairs, staring down at the collection of people below. Hermione stood next to Jake in the center, her proposal still lingering in everyone's mind. Some of them didn't quite seem to understand what she was saying, but others seemed to have a perfect comprehension. Draco, for one, was looking on in interest at things now.
Jacob looked very concerned that the brunette even wanted to step near these people.
"Well?" she asked, looking at the boy in front of her. He slid his glasses up his nose, looking highly uncomfortable.
"I never thought our lives would come down to this," he said, shuffling his feet. "I never thought you would ask me something like this."
"Well I am," Hermione replied. "I won't ask Percy, for he won't listen. Just take him back with you and throw him at the Ministry. If you explain what he has done, they will search his memories, and he will be charged with trying to kill Ginny. He evaded laws- all of you did- by entering another country just to kill us. No one wants to go through that much trouble for this issue. I won't bother speaking to Percy, because he will have to explain his reasoning for almost killing Seth, and setting up this elaborate plan for Ginny and I. It's too much trouble for a matter that shouldn't be spoken of in other countries."
Harry pulled his hands out of his pockets, looking into her eyes. "I'll take the vow Hermione; I think I speak for all three of us." Behind him, she could see two redheads nodding their silent agreement.
"Then step forward," she said dully. "You will not be welcome here once the process is finished. You will leave here, and you will not return. Go back home, and face reality, all of you. Nothing will change what has happened, and you all must learn to live with it as Mr. and Mrs. Weasely have, as the twins have."
She waited calmly as the two stepped forward, Collin watching Percy while she went through with what she had to. The four sets of hands combined, and she pulled out her wand, casting the red stream over them all.
"You will not return to look for us. Our lives together have been severed, changed by fates hands. You must learn to carry on without us, and without vengeance. Stay in Britain, help rebuild the mess Voldemort left behind. That is where you should be. Someday, you will meet people that will replace us, and that is alright. But you cannot come and seek us out again. To do so will mean death, for our lives are no longer meant to be interlocked. We are all victims of circumstance in this room, changed by forces we can't control." She paused a moment. "Harry Potter, Ron and Charlie Weasely, you will not come searching for any of us again. You will not speak to us again. Things are too uncertain between all of us, and therefore we threaten to upset our tranquil lives by communicating. If you do return to seek us out, it will mean death. Do you promise, to remain away from us for the duration of your lives."
The succession of agreements that followed were unanimous. Everyone understood why they were taking this vow; it set the minds of everyone that would remain in Forks at ease, and made sure that the three wizards would not dwell on the witches forever. Percy however, was a different story. He could not be saved in the same way- not that Hermione exactly wanted to save him. He crossed lines, more than anyone else, all in the name of having a pure line still.
The rest of the Unbreakable Vow finished quickly. It was obvious the witch was well versed, and the connection seemed to go without a hitch. When she was done, the girl stepped back beside Jake, creating a sort of barrier the wizards could not touch. Hermione and Ginny chose where they would stay, and without a word the three wizards- and one silenced Percy- left. No one bid them goodbye.
It wasn't until everyone was sure that they were gone that Ginny moved and hurried out the door, Seth following suit. Hermione glanced up at Jake, unsure what exactly that meant. They followed the couple out, who stood just a few feet from the front door. Upon hearing footsteps on the deck, Ginny glanced back.
"They're gone."
The brunette nodded. "It had to be done. This way, we can all carry on with our lives. Hopefully, this will keep anyone from searching us out again. They all know that they can't reveal where we are."
"Yes," the ginger replied, though she sounded a bit dazed. "I suppose we don't have to run anymore."
"No."
The four stood out there for a long time, watching the sky around them. At some point, Hermione found herself leaning back against the toned wall of her boyfriend. It seemed a bit odd to consider that everything was over, after they spent so long trying to ensure that they wouldn't be found, and that life would be peaceful.
And now that the final obstacle was gone, perhaps they could exist in peace. Only time would tell.
~FIN~