Chapter 9: the Weasel Mourns a Dragon's Fall
Ginny looked at her clock again. Draco was late. She bit her lip and pushed the red hair form her face. "Ginny, if you ask me to do your hair but then continually run your hand through it, it's a bit pointless to ask for my help at all," Samantha said lazily from her place on the bed. She was watching Ginny pace back and forth nervously, eating a bowl of fire corn chips. Ginny glared at Samantha, who simply returned the favor with a smile. "Maybe if this hairdo would stop falling in my eyes," Ginny exclaimed annoyed. "Don't get mad at the hairdresser for your late boyfriend," Samantha scolded Ginny. "And for pete's sake, take off the broach! It doesn't work with the outfit at all and honestly, it's a bit gaudy," Samantha whined. Ginny looked at Samantha angrily. "I will not take it off," she snapped. "Look, Ginny," Samantha said slowly, as if talking to a particularly difficult five-year old. "You are going to be eating with Draco so why do you need the broach? Just leave it here. I promise I won't sell it on the black market." Ginny gave Samantha an odd look. The blonde merely nodded in confirmation that she would do as she promised. "Fine," Ginny said, taking off the broach and putting it gently on her dresser. "Besides, he's right there at the window," Samantha said, not moving from her position. Ginny turned quickly and rushed to the window where Draco sat tapping. She helped him through and he dusted himself off. "Hi there," he said pleasantly, kissing her before nodding at Samantha.
"Ginny has been worried sick you know," Samantha scolded, tossing fire corn chips in her mouth. Her ears steamed with the heat, but she didn't seem to notice as she chewed. "You are a bit late," Ginny said. She thought for a moment that he seemed suddenly very tired as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Worrying that she had hurt his feelings she touched his arm. "Are you alright," she asked kindly. Draco looked at her and smiled, the look of sleepiness left his face entirely and Ginny wondered if it had ever been there at all. "I'm lovely, Ginny. Now come on I have the best dinner planned. Hop on," Draco said moving towards the window. "You look beautiful, by the way," he added as she stepped out of the window and onto the broom that sat suspended hundreds of feet above the ground below. Ginny smiled. "You look pretty good yourself," Ginny laughed as Draco hopped onto the front of the broom. He looked over his shoulder at her, very seriously. "Just pretty good," he asked concerned. "Well, maybe handsome, or something," Ginny conceded with a laugh. "I swear, tell a girl she is beautiful and the best you can get out of her is that you look 'pretty good' and 'handsome or something'," Draco said in a mock annoyed tone. "Oh just drive," Ginny instructed giving him a nudge.
Ginny enjoyed the sensation of flying with Draco. She liked wrapping her arms around his midsection, feeling the wind whipping against her face and hair. She sighed internally rolling her eyes. Was there any point in doing her hair? It was just going to be all-windblown when they landed anyway. At least it had given her something to do as she waited. Draco was normally very punctual, even early. It was odd then that tonight he had not been on time. Tardiness of was not a Malfoy trait. She decided she would ask him, remembering his look of exhaustion that had flickered across his face. She turned her head so that her chin rested on his back, blocking the wind from her eyes. She could see the side of his face, concentrating on flying to the destination. His narrow face was set, must like it was in pursuit of a snitch. Ginny smiled.
"We're here," Draco called over his shoulder. However, he need not have said anything at all for as they landed on the astronomy tower, Ginny would have known that they had arrived. Beneath the crescent moon, Ginny could see a small table, a white tablecloth draped over it, barely touching the ground. The ground was covered with jasmine, making the sweetest aroma in the night air and the table was set with a flickering candle and two golden plated. "Draco," Ginny said breathlessly. "It's a bit much for dinner don't you think?" Draco frowned at her reaction. "You don't like it," he asked somewhat pouty. She smiled kissing his cheek. "It's lovely, it just seems a bit excessive."
"Malfoys are excessive," Draco reminded her, taking her elbow and leading her gently to the seat. She sat down, touching her hair. In such a nice atmosphere she was suddenly very self-conscious about her worn dressing robes and windblown hair. She looked up to see Draco looking at her with an odd smile. "What," she asked curiously. "Did a bug fly on my face?" Draco laughed shaking his head. "Shall we eat," he asked.
An hour or so later, Ginny was feeling full. As the remaining food disappeared from the magic plate, Ginny took a sip from her glass and looked at Draco. He was looking at her and then away nervously, tapping his finger, shaking his leg under the table. Ginny wasn't sure what was making him so antsy though. "Draco, this was delicious," Ginny said with a smile, touching his hand. Draco smiled back at her. "Well, it should be I took so long planning it," Draco responded. He seemed to pause as if wanting to add more, but he did not add anything else, instead hurriedly taking a sip from his glass. "You're acting rather oddly tonight," Ginny said looking at Draco sideways. She could not figure him out. He cleared his throat.
"The thing is Ginny," Draco said, not looking at Ginny completely. Ginny had never seen him so antsy. It was rather enduring. She could feel a smile tugging at her mouth. "The thing is that, well we haven't really been dating to long I suppose but, after you save one another's lives it seems longer, don't you think," Draco asked. He paused. "Wait, that didn't come out right. Not that it hasn't been enjoyable," Draco said, he paused again. "No that sounds bad as well…" "Draco I don't understand," Ginny said. She was extremely confused. "Look, Ginny," Draco said taking Ginny's hands as he stood and move to her side of the table. "I'm trying to say something and it's failing terribly. I'm trying to say that I-" Draco's face twisted into a pained expression as he fell to the ground onto his knees, hands still holding Ginny's. "Draco," Ginny said worriedly. "What's wrong?"
Draco was gritting his teeth as he released Ginny's hands and rolled p the sleeve of his dress robe. She could see the dark mark shine in the moon light. It did not look, as it often did, like an ancient tattoo. Now it burned a deep black as if it had just been applied. "I'm being summoned," Draco stressed. He spoke through gritted teeth. "What do you mean summoned," Ginny asked standing up. But she already knew. In her daydream that had begun when she awoke she had naively forgotten that Draco Malfoy was still a servant to the Dark Lord and that he could not escape as easily as she or Harry Potter could, by simply rushing from a room. "You can't go," Ginny said suddenly feeling frantic. "He'll kill you!" "He'll kill me if I don't go," Draco replied, touching Ginny's cheek with his hand. She placed her own hand on top of his. "Draco," she pleaded. "I can't save you, I don't know how."
Draco smiled, his gray eyes looking at her as if truly seeing her in a way that Ron and Hermione rarely did. Not as if she were a backdrop but the center stage. "Ginny," he said, speaking quietly. "I don't think I've ever loved someone as much as you before. Or ever will again." Ginny bit her lip feeling tears jump to her eyes at the comment. Draco continued, "I would never have freed myself from the power that was the Dark Lord if it was not for you and I would have died before now if you had not saved me in the manor. I love the way you smile, the way you breathe, the way you kiss. I love the way you think, the way you joke, the way you are always kind and strong. I love the way the moon slides down your hair, how you're blushing bright red, and I love the way that you are worried about your dress robes not being good enough, though you'd kill anyone who commented on them poorly." Ginny looked at Draco, searching for the clear words he was trying to say. Draco winced again as the shade of the mark darkened once more. "Look, I love you," Draco said.
The pure simple tone of the words struck Ginny faster and harder than a bludger to the head. "Well, this is awkward if you don't say anything, Ginny," Draco said nervously. "It's not fair," Ginny said feeling tears sting her eyes. Draco looked confused. "It's not fair that you would bring me up here and tell me that you love me and then just leave to get killed by Voldemort. It's not fair." "Ginny," Draco said softly. "I didn't plan it like this. If I had my way I would never be summoned and I could wipe this mark off like it was a spot of dirt. But I can't." Draco sighed. "It was unfair to tell you at such a time though, I suppose. You must hate me for the timing."
Ginny frowned, feeling tears trickling from her eyes as she said, "That's the problem, you git. I love you too and now you're going to Voldemort." She stood and rushed into Draco's slightly surprised arms, burying her head into his chest. She could smell his cologne and hear his breathing and heartbeat. "Draco," she said looking up at him. "Don't go. Please." Draco moved a strand of red hair from her face, wiping a tear away. "I have to. If I don't go the Dark Lord will simply target my parents, or you. Besides this is my own fault. It will be fine," Draco assured her. She knew he was lying and she could tell that this was what had made him look so exhausted earlier that night. He wrapping his arms around her waist and kissed her, seeming to try to assure her in that way as well. Seeming to try and lie, but it only said more truth. Draco made a sound of pain and pulled back. "I have to go," he said, moving his hands from her waist. One got caught in her pocket as it passed, making Draco smirk. "I love you," he said kissing her forehead gently. He turned and took his broom. "Do you need me to drop you at your window," Draco asked holding out his hand to Ginny. She shook her head. "I think I need to just sit for a bit," she said. He nodded understanding. "Leave whenever you like Filch and the first years have likely left by now," Draco explained motioning to the door behind Ginny. Ginny nodded as Draco mounted his broom. He looked behind at her once more. "Draco," she said, but the rest of the words got caught in her throat as tears returned to her eyes. Draco smiled, nodding as if he understood. Then, he was gone and Ginny sat on the astronomy tower alone.
The cloud seemed to dance across the sky mournfully, covering and revealing the moon. Ginny wished she knew what was going on, what she could do. She watched as the candle beat the wick and wax away. The wax rolled down the side of the candle and began to pour on the tablecloth. She sighed, wondering if you could read candle wax like Professor Trelawney claimed you could read tealeaves. If that was true, this bit of wax was beginning to look like a coiled snake, with horns. Ginny squinted. Perhaps it was more like a dragon. With that thought, Ginny stood up so quickly she made the table shake and the half burned candle almost fell. Ginny steadied it and felt her chest. There was no dragon pin. She sighed agitated. She had left it in her room! Turning, Ginny closed her eyes tight and made a secret wish that Draco would be all right, and then she blew out the candle before rushing from the tower.
When she arrived at the Gryffindor Tower doorway, she was flabbergasted to see that the Fat Lady was nowhere to be seen. "Of course," Ginny snapped impatiently, pacing back and forth. The Fat Lady did not appear. "Where is she," grumbled Ginny leaning against the wall after an hour passed. "And why is there no one exiting the tower!" A sound above her made Ginny look up. The painting of a small boy who had been flying a kite peered down at her. "Sorry to bother you, miss," the boy said, holding the kite with his other hand as he moved chestnut hair from his face. "I think the woman you're looking for is in Headmaster Dumbledore's office. One of the headmaster portraits said that he wanted to speak to her a while ago and I would think that she is still there." Ginny's smile broke into a smile. "Thank you so much," she said about to rush off. "Oh, do you know the password by any chance?" The boy seemed to think for a moment, scratching his head. "Some sort of treat. He is a bit odd…" "Thank you," Ginny called as she rushed to Dumbledore's office.
Once facing the statue that stood between Dumbledore's office and herself, Ginny to catch her breathe. As she crouched, arms resting on her head to open her lungs, Ginny tried to think what sort of strange treats Professor Dumbledore could be interested in making his password. "Cockroach Clusters," She asked. The stone gargoyle in front of her made no movement. She bit her lip in thought, recalling what Harry had mentioned about Professor Dumbledore's treat tastes. "Lemon Drop," she asked hopefully, unsure of what a lemon drop was exactly. Whatever it was it was not the password. Ginny tapped her foot impatiently. "Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Botts Beans, Earwax flavor, Butterbeer, Puking Pastilles," Ginny began listing every treat that came to mind. After she finished saying Pastilles, just as she was wondering if Professor Dumbledore had ever heard of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, the Gargoyle statue shook its head. Ginny stepped back in surprise as the Gargoyle stretched and lazily moved to the side revealing a doorway that lead up a long stairway. Ginny nodded at the Gargoyle, saying "thanks," as she rushed passed. She would have to remember to tell Fred and George that Professor Dumbledore had an odd liking for their Puking Pastilles.
When Ginny reached the top of the stairs she found that Dumbledore was not in. In fact, no one was in the room at all. The few portraits that were present on the wall were asleep, snoring soundly. Ginny scanned the room. She could not see the pink dress of the Fat Lady. "Excuse me," Ginny said to a sleeping portrait. "Sorry to disturb you," she said to another. Neither responded with anything more then a snore. "I hate to bother you," Ginny began, tapping the frame of the lowest sleeping portrait, a man with an overly curly beard. The man opened one eye and looked at Ginny. "Don't do that, young lady," he mumbled grumpily. He rearranged his robes and began to doze off again. "Sir," Ginny said fiercely tapping on the frame again. This time the man opened both of his eyes. "I say young lady, why are you banging on my frame in such a fierce manner," he snapped.
"I'm sorry but I am looking for Dumbledore or the Lady who is normally outside the Gryffindor Tower. I need to get into the tower," Ginny explained. The portrait looked at her for a moment, taking out a monocle from his pocket and placing it on his eye to inspect her more closely. "Well, I don't see how Dumbledore will be able to help your dilemma," he said removing his monocle. "You need the portrait in front of the tower." Ginny sighed and tried again, in a nice tone. "Yes, that's who I'm looking for. I heard Professor Dumbledore called her here. You see it's most important that I find either the Lady or Professor Dumbledore," Ginny tried to explain. "Young Lady," the portrait snapped impatiently. "I think it wisest for you not to be sticking your nose into area that are not your concern. It may get cut off at the tip." Ginny touched her nose in confusion.
"But, can you tell me where-" Ginny began again, feeling a desperation growing. However, the portrait cut her off. "The Lady of whom you seek is off somewhere else," the portrait explained, leaning back and resting his chin on his chest as he had been before. He placed his monocle back in his pocket and began to close his drooping eyes. "It will do no good to search for her for who knows where she is. Best to wait here for Albus since you are already here." "But," Ginny asked. "Can't you just tell me where he is?" However, her question was answered with only a snore from the portrait. Ginny made an exasperated sound and sat on the wooden bench at the edge of the room.
"Ginny? Ginny Weasley?" Ginny opened her eyes. She had not realized she had fallen asleep but somewhere in the five-hour time she had sat in the office she had lain down and simply stopped thinking. She rubbed her eyes looking around. The room seemed to brighten, as if some magic had dimmed the lights in her sleep. Remus Lupin stood above Ginny, nudging her lightly to wake her. Ginny sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Where is Professor Dumbledore? I have to speak to him," Ginny said remembering suddenly why she was in the office in the first place. Remus exchanged a look with the woman standing behind him. Ginny had never seen the woman before, but she smiled gently at Ginny, her long chestnut hair delicately cascading over one of her eyes. Her eyes looked very familiar. But where had Ginny seen those eyes?
"Is that you, Tonks," Ginny asked, momentarily distracted. The woman blinked confused. "Who," the woman asked. "Oh, Remus is that your girl?" The woman nudged Remus playfully, who blushed. "Ginny, this is Lela Snape, she is a member of the Order of the Phoenix and an old friend of mine," Remus explained. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Lela said smiling. "Snape has a sister," asked Ginny dumbfounded. "You don't look anything alike." Lela laughed. "I get that a lot. We're twins actually, fraternal and all that. He got the greasier look and the scathing looks, I got the other side of the genes and the inability to neatly eat food," Lela replied. Ginny smiled. "Lela, let's concentrate shall we," Remus said sternly, though Ginny saw the corner of his mouth quiver with a would-be smile. Lela sighed pushing hair from her eye. "Professor Dumbledore is not here, nor will he be here tonight. He has been called to a crime scene to verify the presence of Voldemort," Remus explained.
Ginny's heart sank. "What happened? Why does he need to verify anything," Ginny asked feeling a frantic feeling come over her. "We suspect it was a murder," Remus said slowly. "You expect? But it's not positive," Ginny reiterated quickly. "The dark mark was over head," Remus told her softly. Ginny looked at him seriously. "What are you trying to say," she demanded. "Who was killed?" "Well, that's the thing," Remus said gently. "There was no body found." "So maybe no one was killed," Ginny said in forced cheerfulness. "I suppose it was all a practical joke."
"Voldemort was always terrible at jokes," Lela conceded. Remus looked at her sternly. Lela put up her hands as if she got the message and walked away to look at Professor Dumbledore's desk. "Ginny, we are pretty sure it was Draco Malfoy who was killed," Remus stated gently. "We don't believe you are in danger because of the fact that he has no use for killing you, and you are safe anyway with spending summers at Grimald Place." There was a crashing sound in the background and Remus and Ginny looked to see Lela standing guiltily next to a broken globe. "I can fix it, you know," she sputtered. "You say we stay at Grimald Place? Sirius' old house?" Remus rolled his eyes. "Lela, you are not helping." "Right," Lela said quietly. Ginny looked at Lela.
The tall woman was about Remus' age. Her face shone with a sudden sadness that Ginny had not seen until the mention of Sirius' name. Then it occurred to Ginny that if Lela was friends with Remus, it was likely that she had been a friend with Sirius as well. Sirius, who had fallen through the veil. "Did you hear me Ginny," Remus asked. "Draco is dead." Ginny felt numb. That's all she felt: numb. She could not feel the blood pumping through her body, nor the tears rushing down her face. All she could do was feel nothing and look over Remus' head to Lela Snape who stooped over the globe, magicing the pieces back together. Ginny saw light dance off of Lela's face as a drop of water fell from her shadowed face and landed on a piece of Africa. Ginny wondered if this is how Lela and Remus had felt when they had heard that James and Lily had been killed. Had they felt numb? Or had they wanted to fight as Sirius Black had?
"Did you know Sirius," Ginny asked suddenly. Remus stood quickly. "I don't think that's appropriate, Ginny," Remus replied gently, looking at Lela. She had paused, holding a piece of Europe that she was trying to connect to Scandinavia. "Did you? Did you believe it when they said he was dead? Did you? What did you do?" Ginny willed herself to stop asking questions of the stranger she had just met, but her mouth continued speaking through the haze of numbness. It seemed to have a mind of it's own. "Ginny-" Remus began sternly, giving her a look that tried to stop her talking. "I don't really talk about it," Lela said softly, magicing the last pieces of the globe together. "Isn't that why you were brought here," Ginny asked. "Weren't you brought with Remus to comfort me. You just came to tell me and leave? Pat my head and send me to bed," Ginny asked. Her voice sounded hysterical and distant, detached even. Remus said nothing, only looked at Lela.
"Perhaps eventually," Lela replied, tucking her wand into her sleeve as she looked at Ginny. "But for now, you have to know that there is someone else who went through what you are going through," Lela said crouching to Ginny's level. "Did you feel numb? Did you love him ad then he just died," Ginny asked. Her voice sounded closer. "He just died. And there was nothing you could do?" Lela looked at Ginny right in the eyes and Ginny felt as if she would fall into the dark orbs of Lela's eyes. "Sirius died twice, for everyone who thought he was guilty. He died twice for everyone who thought he was innocent. The first time I felt shock, and rage, and fear. I was confused. I visited him in Azkaban, to get an answer and he just looked at me with those hollow cheeks and soulless eyes. Then the dementor left and he whispered something about a rat," Lela said. Remus touched Lela's shoulder as if to remind her that she need not tell her story to Ginny, who listened anxiously. Lela nodded to him, as Ginny asked, "Did you think he was guilty?"
"No and yes. Like all death, I didn't know what to think," Lela replied. Ginny frowned. "Then, the second time he died," Lela continued quietly. "The second time I was angry at him. He came back and then he died. That was fairly jerky. Then I was just numb." "Numb," Ginny asked. Lela nodded. "It's alright to feel numb," Ginny verified, seeking more to herself than to Lela. Lela nodded as if understanding both the words and whom they were meant for. Then Ginny leaned forward and simply sobbed into Lela's shoulder. Ginny felt Lela's arms around her and they sat like this for at least two hours, though Ginny was not sure how long.
When Ginny awoke, she found herself in her dormitory bed. Pushing away her covers, she found the room was empty. On the table next to her a note that read "Don't forget to eat toast to cheer up- Love Lela." Ginny tried to force a smile, but the feeling of happiness that the note created seemed so far away it could not reach her face. Half heartedly she moved to the dresser and looked. Suddenly a panic hit her. The pin was not on the dresser where she had left it. Looking down, Ginny found that she had changed into her pajamas last night, likely in a half trance. Flustered, Ginny began to tear the room to pieces looking for her clothes from last night or the pin. She found her dress cloak from the night before. Perhaps she had put it into her pocket and simply thought she had placed it on the desk, Ginny thought reaching into the pockets she found nothing. Yet as she pulled her hand out of the second pocket, a crumbled piece of parchment fell to the floor. Curiously, Ginny bent down and uncrumbled the parchment, seeing a familiar scrawl that Draco Malfoy used in all his notes and papers.
Ginny's chest hurt, it physically felt as if it would implode and she leaned against the bedpost for support. After she recovered her breathing pattern, Ginny looked at the note and stopped. She turned over the parchment. Nothing was on the other side. Ginny closed her eyes and tried to think where the paper could have come from. Then it hit her. When Draco had pulled away, his hand had gotten stuck on her pocket, or so she had thought. Perhaps it had gotten stuck inside her pocket! On the note, written in Draco's writing, were the words: "Don't believe everything that you hear and never believe what you cannot find."
But what did it mean? Ginny felt her heartbeat accelerating with excitement. She lowered the note and her eyes fell upon the Dragon pin, lying on the floor by her dresser looking up at her. She stared at it for a moment, then at the note. They seemed to tempt her, guiding her to do what she had wanted to do last night but had not been able to because of the disappearance of Dumbledore and the Fat Lady. Ginny moved slowly, almost surreally to the pin and put clipped it onto her robes. Sitting down, she looked at the note again. Then, she crumbled it in her hands and closed her eyes, imagining Draco's platinum hair, his voice, and his kiss as he said, "I love you, Ginny…"
Ginny wasn't sure if one could find a dead body with the broach's magic, but she could feel her arms and legs extending in a familiar warm psyche. She wondered if this was what it felt like to be dead. Everything around her was darkness. Was she, Draco, dead? She felt a throbbing fear in her heart and yet, she could not get worried. Something surrounding her would not allow her to. She could hear voices around her. Talking in whispers as if she were asleep. "It is better this way, for her not to know. Her safety depends on it. The Dark Lord has no use going after her when he has Potter to worry about." The voice sounded like Professor Snape. "And we are sure that she will not discover somehow," asked another voice. This one was unmistakably the voice of her older brother Charlie Weasley. "It is never a guarantee, but at least this way everyone else will believe in the death. It is not uncommon for His victim's bodies to go missing," replied Snape's voice. Ginny was feeling frustrated. She wanted to not see black. She concentrated, trying to gain power over the eyelids of the body she inhabited. She would see now. With that, she opened her eyes not to find herself in darkness, but instead found herself in a train carriage. She sat next to the window, looking out at the passing scenery. "Your sister talked to her," Charlie's voice asked. "Yes," Professor Snape responded, though his did not sound as if he approved. "Though my sister and Black were a different matter, hopefully it helped somehow."
Ginny turned her head, stretching in her new arm and leg length, and looked about the compartment. It was small and seemed to be a more modern, muggle train. She had seen pictures from her Father's books. In the compartment sat Charlie Weasley, playing chess with Professor Severus Snape. They both looked up, pausing whispered conversation. "Are you feeling alright, Draco," Charlie said with a smile. "You've been asleep for ages. But I suppose dying can really tire someone out." Charlie let out one of his loud laughs that Ginny was so familiar with. Professor Snape, however, looked more serious. He looked at Ginny right in the eye and did not smile or give a nod of approval as he often did to Draco. Ginny turned her head away quickly, catching her reflection in the window. The tired grey eyes and messier than usual blonde hair of Draco Malfoy looked back at her. He was wearing muggle clothing and had a few bruises on his face. A black eye was beginning to disappear. Ginny wondered if Professor Snape had given him a potion to fix the swelling.
Ginny could hear Charlie and Professor Snape whispering, but could not make out the words as she tried to figure out what was going on. Draco's body could not be found because Draco was right here, on this muggle train with two members of the Order. The Order who said Draco was dead. "Well, that's a real pity. I knew she was smart," Charlie replied nonchalantly. Ginny turned her (or rather Draco's) head to look at the two men. Charlie was standing, moving over to her. He looked down at her, a knowing smile on his face. "Sorry, Ginny, love. It's for your own good." With that Charlie pinched Ginny's (or rather Draco's) arm as he use to pinch Ginny when they were younger and she was distracting him from his work or from his girlfriend. Ginny closed her eyes in pain.
When she opened them again she was not on a train. She was in her room and her arm where Charlie had pinched burned with pain. She moved to the bathroom, turning on the light to look at the place that Charlie had pinched. It was just out of comfortable eyesight. Ginny looked in the mirror to see it. There was a red spot as big as her thumb, if not bigger. Ginny sighed, rubbing her arm. Still, she could not help but smile. Draco was alive. Somewhere he was alive and he loved her. And he was not dead and she loved him. Ginny sighed and felt as if she breathed for the first time in ages. As she looked in the mirror, the pin on her chest seemed to shine a bit brighter than usual, it's eyes twinkling, as if to agree and confirm. The Dragon did not fall.
The end.
