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Ten

They faced off, a battle of wills. A mind meld. He broke his gaze from her eyes, allowing it to travel languorously over her curves, along the contours of her body, making it clear what he wanted.

She watched him watch her, remembered times when he'd done the same and thought she didn't know. Times when he'd loved her and thought that no one knew. Thought that she didn't know.

Ginny may have lost her view of life, may have lost – misplaced – a part of her soul, but a part of her would always exist, the giggling schoolgirl, the flaring temper, the book lover, the sharp wit, it had been buried beneath grief, but it still existed. The smile stretched slowly across her features, not a product of happiness, but at least it wasn't a meaningless smile as most were these days.

Harry was far away; she couldn't even feel his protectiveness anymore. She remembered days of pain, when she thought that problems where knowing that the Boy Who Lived did not like her. She remembered days on ease, where the sun it seemed always shone, and every day was as wholesome as the last.

In comparison that seemed like such a joke now. The pain, the problems, the tears, she could have spent them enjoying her youth, enjoying her life, enjoying the people around her, now it was too late. Most of those people were dead now, and she wondered if they knew how much she missed them. She wondered if they knew how much she loved them.

But she'd long since learnt that time should be taken in the here and now. If you spent too much time thinking of the past it would destroy you, ashes to ashes. The future was a taboo as well; there was no guarantee, no certainty. No, there was only the present, and one had to do the best they could with that.

They stood a very long time, watching each other; waiting. He wanted to know if she was willing, she wanted to know how much he was prepared to give.

"There's no one here. Just us." He interrupted her thoughts abruptly, drawing her eyes to his face. She knew what he meant, there were no ghosts with them now. But that was not true. That was never true.

"Why do you want me?" she asked instead, surprising him with her directness.

"Why should I not?" he countered.

"In this day and time? You should not want anything but to live out your next day."

Draco's smile was not meaningless either; it was rueful and ironic. "I'd rather have you and no tomorrow."

Draco blinked, finding himself unexpectedly dropped into the present. He found himself looking into the dark orbs, just as he had done back then. She was still the same, still beautiful, still strong, still desirable. And just as untouchable as ever.

"Ginny, we need to go." He addressed her directly, reading the panic in her eyes. The redhead was scared, scared for her baby, scared for him, but not for herself, not for her own future.

"Where?" she whispered.

"He will be back, we need to be gone from this place."

"But this is the place that protects us." There she was, she'd found her feet again. Ginny tugged Arthur closely, and placed her feet apart. She was scared for them, but she would not do anything that she did not agree with.

The winter wind echoed through the trees, sending them creaking in protest. There was no spring on the breeze; spring would not come for a time yet. They still had a long way to go.

"It will not protect us against the remaining Deatheaters, it will not protect us from death," he argued.

"Well, where do you suggest we go then?"

"We need to return."

Draco watched her potter around furiously, slamming things into the roughly carved cupboards.

"Ginny we have no other choice," he tried to reason calmly.

"I can't go back there!" she replied hotly, not looking at him.

In the background, Arthur began to wail. Draco decided to ignore him for the time being, try and get his mother into a semblance of serenity first.

He grabbed Ginny by the shoulders, forcing her chin up so she was looking at him. She opened her mouth to give him a mouthful no doubt, but never quite got there.

His mouth came down on hers, roughly. She struggled against him, much as she had done the first time. The familiarity there was undeniable though. She had lost herself and found herself in his child, and past flooded back through his kiss. Memories, pain, love hate. Things she thought she had buried for good.

Hogwarts... Persephone... Harry... homework... pumpkin juice... Tom... Divination... Colin Creevey... the twins' pranks... Ron and Hermione... nights of peace... days of learning... safety... Dumbledore. It all came back so vividly, rocking her body with the force of impact.

Here she was. Ginevra Weasley. And she had a cause to fight for.

What was there to fight for?

Life.

Responses

Yes, sorry for the wait everybody's who's reading this, but this term has actually snowed me in without an ice axe or shovel, I have literally been under this huuuuuuge pile of homework that never ends!!

But anyway, enough of the excuses, I will see how much I can get done in the next week! (Half term).

Knight-whosays-ni – I'm sorry I keep making you wait! But I assure you it is not on purpose, I just have no time!! It sucks, but I will do my best :)

Actrez – again, a re-iteration of sorry for the wait but I hope you enjoyed this instalment, and hopefully more will shortly be on the way.

Poky – oh don't worry about the long review time, it's nothing in comparison to my update time. But anyhoo, thank you for your review, was much appreciated!!

xxxxx