A/N: Thank you SometimeSelkie, my super cool beta.

I wrote an entire fake scene to post at the beginning of this chapter. It's so terrble and tragic. It was in response to a really stupid review which I think is rather funny. But then I thought most of the readers may hate me for playing a dirty joke like that, so I left it out. If you have a dark sense of humour, I can send it to you.

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The Safe House

Chapter Twenty-Four

Harry stared absently into the smoke surrounding the small house in Bath. He was sitting on the kerb, lost in thought, unable to comprehend that, only minutes before, he had defeated one of the darkest wizards of all time.

The designated group of the Order had Portkeyed to Bath and set up in a hotel room close to the house where the dark wizard was supposed to be in hiding. Fearing Voldemort's sudden departure had meant that the attack had to be swift and exact. The Tracking Charm on Malfoy's ring confirmed that he had been telling the truth about the location. Harry and Ron surveyed the house and tried to determine if there were any other Death Eaters there besides the known three. Ron was assigned to kill Nagini, and the other Order members who accompanied them were assigned to kill the other Death Eaters, except Malfoy. Harry had made it clear to the small team of elite fighters that Lucius Malfoy had betrayed his master and provided them with the information that brought them there. The house had been dark when they arrived and all were ready to start the surprise attack by dawn. Nearly everything went according to plan; it had almost been too easy. Bellatrix and Nott had put up a good fight and destroyed most of the house in their attempts to kill the Order members, but ultimately, they were both destroyed. Malfoy had stayed right beside Voldemort until the very end. It appeared that he was assigned to guard Nagini or that he purposely had taken the snake, and before Voldemort could reach Nagini and Disapparate, Malfoy killed the beloved snake right in front of his master's eyes. His blatant betrayal had enraged Voldemort, and the mad man fired the Avada Kedavra at him with lightning speed. Killing Malfoy was his final error, because even in the small moment it took for him to turn against his Death Eater, Harry was able to send Voldemort his own fatal curse.

Harry looked over at Ron. "Are you sure there is no evidence of her being here?"

Ron had just come out from the house after searching it for the third time. He sighed heavily as he sat down. "Nothing. Harry, let's go to the Burrow. Mum will have been watching the clock, it would have shown something if she had been here." He suddenly stood up again and shouted loudly at the sky, lifting his fists up in the air. "It's over!"

Harry looked up at his friend, jealous of his happiness and angry at his callousness. It wasn't that he was not relieved, but he just felt numb. He had expected to find Ginny, but she was not there to make him feel better. She was not there to help him work through the emotions that he had been holding in for so many years. She was gone, and he was lost.

ooo

When they finally arrived at the Burrow, the entire Weasley clan was waiting for them. Molly and Arthur embraced the two men, crying over them in joy for their victory. Hermione immediately pulled Ron to her and began kissing him passionately and then checking him over for injury. It was only after the hubbub of excitement began to die down, that Molly noticed Harry staring intently at the family clock.

She took his hand and lovingly pushed his hair from his forehead. "It hasn't moved all night. Wherever she is, she has been safe, and she considers it her home."

Harry clung to the only mother he had ever known and cried into her shoulder. "I don't know where to find her. She's gone."

Molly hugged him closer and whispered softly in his ear. "She's safe, Harry. We have to be happy with that. You are free now to live your life. She would want you to find happiness. Give yourself permission to move on. You are my son in every way that counts, and I am telling you that you need to move on. We love you so much, Harry. We are so proud of you." She kissed him on the head and let him hold on to her for several minutes.

Harry took in her words and repeated them over and over again in his mind. He wanted to let go of Ginny, but the idea of her being out in the world, forcibly removed from her family, was not something he could so easily accept. He told himself that if he knew for sure that she was happy, it would be different, but deep down, he wasn't so sure if that was even true. He wasn't really prepared to give up his fantasy of them being together again. It had been what held him together for so long, he didn't know how to move into a different future.

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oooooOOOooOooOOOooooo

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Draco had held on to his family for several minutes, afraid to look at his arm again, afraid to find that he had been wrong. Eventually, Thuban became restless and started to squirm away from his parents' embrace. Ginny had let the baby down and once again reached for his arm.

She held it up to him and smiled through her tears. "Draco, it's over. Look at it. It's gone."

He pulled her into another kiss before examining his left arm more closely. "There's still a faint outline, a scar, but I think it really is gone. I felt it leaving me. Unless he has figured out a way to undo them, he has to be dead."

Her face fell at his suggestion that it could be anything but Voldemort's death. "Well, first you should test the wards. At least then, we will know for sure that we are free. As for him being dead, the only way to find out is to leave." She stood up and picked up Thuban, holding him close to her chest.

Draco stood and noticed her worry. "He's dead. I know it, but let's focus on one thing at a time." He smiled and gestured to the front door. "Shall we?"

The little family made their way down the front path towards the hidden boundary. Draco pulled out his wand and fired a harmless spell at the wards. Nothing. He looked back at Ginny and Thuban with a broad grin before stepping forward. Ginny held her breath as she watched him slowly pass through the place where the barrier had once knocked her to the ground.

He walked several feet past the former barrier and turned around. "It's gone!" He waved his wand around again and checked the air. "There's still some Anti-Muggle Charms in place, but the barrier is gone!" He ran back over to Ginny and picked her and Thuban up, swinging them around. "Come on!"

Taking his hand, Ginny walked down the path and smiled at Draco. "I love you."

He smiled warmly at her. "I love you. Thank you, Ginevra. Thank you for not letting me get rid of my magic." He kissed her again and Thuban started clapping. "That's right, Snitch. Today is a happy day." He took the baby from her arms and tossed him in the air. All three laughed together as they headed down the path away from the house.

ooo

After exploring the front and back of the property, they decided to return to the house to make their plans. Ginny sat the baby in the playpen that she had recently transfigured and joined Draco at the dining table.

She nervously smiled at Draco, quietly asking, "So how soon should we leave?"

"Today?" He gauged her reaction and found his own fears mirrored in her eyes. "Mmm …Maybe not. I think we should find out where we are first, and of course, we need to know what has happened. I can leave today and look for a town, maybe get some information." He took her hand in his and studied her face.

"I don't want you to leave me. We can go together and look for a town," she pleaded.

"Ginevra, we shouldn't take Thuban out of here until we know where we are at and if it is safe. I don't want to leave you either, but it may be a long walk."

"What about the broom?"

"Okay, but then we wait for tonight. We're in a Muggle area and need to remain unseen. We still can't bring him with us, love. Obviously, one of us has to stay with him. I trust you to go if you want. I don't really want you to, but if you would rather me stay then I will."

"No, you should go. Thank you, though. For trusting me to do that." He gave her a curious look. "I guess I expected you to demand I stay here." She shook her head and smiled. "So tonight you will search for a town and information." She paused as she bit her lip in worry. "Please don't be gone too long."

"I promise to make it as quick as possible. Let's just enjoy the day. We can explore more of the woods, if you want." He stood up and lifted her up to him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.

"That would be wonderful."

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oooooOOOooOooOOOooooo

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Narcissa lay in bed, wide-awake, waiting for Pansy's potion to wear off. Bill Weasley had shown up around ten that morning to inform her and Pansy of what had happened. She had not left the Tonks' house in the hopes that Lucius would be able to find her. Pansy eventually gave up waiting for Harry to arrive and left to get Andromeda. Narcissa had cried her tears after Lucius had left the night before, but it did not make it any easier to accept that he had died. Bill told her that he thought he heard Harry say that Lucius had sacrificed himself, but she didn't care what he had done in the end. All that mattered to her was that he was gone. Her husband and her son were dead; she was alone in the world.

When Narcissa felt her sister lie down next to her and embrace her, a new wave of tears over took her, and she wept into her sister's chest. "How do you do it? How do you keep living?"

Andromeda took a deep breath and answered, "Because I have to. Because Teddy deserves a family. And so do I. … Cissy, we are your family. We may be all that we have now, but we do have each other." She sat for several minutes, stroking her sister's pale blond hair.

Narcissa sat up and wiped her eyes. "Is Teddy here?"

"No, Pansy stayed with him. He's missed you so much. He will be so happy to have you back home."

"I want to go back to the Manor. Come with me. Let's give Teddy the best life we can."

"I don't know, Cissy. That place has –"

"That place was where I gave birth to my son. Where I lived many happy years with my husband. I know many bad things have taken place there, but it is my home. And I will not let him take that from me as well. Please, help me rebuild it into a beautiful home, full of love."

"Okay. We'll do it. I can't say that I will miss that tiny little flat. And this place has too many bad memories for me." Andromeda closed her eyes and pictured the night her other sister had shown up with her husband's dead body. She had barely escaped with Teddy that night and had never spent much time in the house again.

"Oh, Dromeda, I'm sorry. Let's leave right now. I know you hate being here." She sat up and felt the vials in her pocket rolling around. "Oh my God. I forgot about these memories. Lucius gave them to me last night. I need to find a Pensieve." She pulled them from her pocket and noticed that each was labelled with a name: Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco.

Andromeda stood up from the bed and took one of the vials in her hand, examining it. "First, let's go home. Pansy will be able to get to a Pensieve, I'm sure."

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oooooOOOooOooOOOooooo

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When Draco tucked Thuban into his bed that night, he stood and watched him sleep for several minutes. Eventually, he felt a gentle tug on his hand and let his wife lead him into their bedroom. She looked nervous, but she opened her arms to him and embraced him like a mother, giving him the encouragement to do what he must do.

She kissed him briefly on the lips, and said sternly, "You have to take the wand."

"No. Absolutely not. You're keeping the wand here. I promise that I'll be careful. I'm only going to look for Muggles tonight. Nothing more. I just want to find out where we are and get some information. That's all. I'll be back before you know it."

"Then why am I so worried?"

"Because we have been together every day for two and a half years. It's normal to worry. I'm worried about leaving you. Now, go do something to keep yourself busy, and let me get this over with. The sooner I leave, the sooner I get to come home and make love to you." He gave her a lingering kiss and moaned as he pulled away.

She pouted, but then she gently pushed him away. "I love you. Okay, go! Before I change my mind, go." She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled as he mouthed "I love you" back to her and left their room, heading out of the house. She stood at the back window and watched him fly into the night.

ooo

Draco flew for only about ten minutes before he saw the lights of a small town up ahead. He had been very careful to stay hidden. The last thing he needed was to get into trouble with the Ministry, or even worse, to be caught by someone and taken away. How could he ever find Ginny? He didn't even know the address of where they had been living. Earlier that day, he had walked down the long, dirt lane from the front of the house and found a stone with the number 313 on it, but they still did not know the name of the street. Getting close to the lights and losing his cover, he landed outside of the town so he could walk the rest of the way. Thankfully, he had a stash of Muggle money from his days outside of the house as well as from a lockbox that Severus had filled. His goal was to find a newspaper and possibly a train schedule. He and Ginny had decided it would be easiest to use Muggle transportation to get safely back to the Order.

He walked down the main street and heard the sounds of music coming from a small pub. He entered the dark pub and kept his head down as he sat at the end of the bar closest to the door. He glanced around the room and was surprised at how busy it was. Then, remembering the size of the town, he figured there probably wasn't much else to do. He ordered a pint and sat back, slowly nursing his drink, taking in the room. It was very strange. He had not been around more than two other people in over three years, but he wasn't excited to be in the crowd. He was nervous and cautious. All he could think was that he needed to get back home to his family.

He felt a hand touch his leg and he looked up into a pair of bright blue eyes. The girl looked younger than him, and she was clearly intoxicated. She smiled lazily and began to step closer to him, slowly sliding her hand up his leg. "You're not from around here. I know I'd remember seeing you before."

He grabbed her hand roughly and shoved it away from him. "You can leave now." His eyes were cold and his voice was harsh.

She laughed at him and took his hand in hers, fingering his wedding band. "I don't care that you're married."

"But I do. Go back to your friends." He stared into her eyes and placed several images of torture scenes he had witnessed as a Death Eater into her mind. Her eyes widened in fear, and she almost fell in her attempt to get away from him. He smirked to himself, proud of his wandless magic, and turned to the bartender. "I need a newspaper. Do you have one? I will pay you for it."

The barkeep shrugged and yelled for one of the waitresses to get a paper. Draco handed over some of the Muggle money and took the paper before leaving the pub. He paused and looked back at the man and asked if there were a train. The man gave him a funny look and pointed to his left. Once outside, he glanced down at the paper and read The Norwich Evening News. He knew they were not in Norwich, but he hoped that it was the closest city. He turned to the left and headed up the road, eventually finding what looked to be a shack serving as the train station. He wandered over to the board and read the name 'King's Pike Train Station'. There were two services per day, one at seven in the morning that travelled towards Norwich and one at seven at night that came from the city. On Sunday, the times were pushed back to nine. Well, that's easy enough to remember. Tomorrow is Wednesday and our anniversary is Saturday. We have to stay for our anniversary. We will wait to leave on Sunday.

After making it back to the other side of town, he quickly located the hidden broomstick and walked off the road towards the nearby trees. He decided to take the time to discover the name of the street they had been living on for the last couple of years. The Safe House was located at 313 Church Street, as it was also the street of the King's Pike Catholic Church, St. Thomas More. He thought it was ironic that they had found sanctuary in a 'church' house. He was anxious to get home. It had made him tense to leave his family behind.

ooo

Ginny was sitting on the patio, drinking some water, watching the sky, and trying not be mad with worry over her husband. He had only been gone forty-five minutes, and she had promised herself that she would not even think about him being back in less than an hour. But her shower had not taken as long as she would have liked, the book she had picked up was making her dizzy with reading the same three lines repeatedly, and she had no appetite. She thought about drinking some wine, but then she felt that would be irresponsible in case something bad was to happen. So she sat and waited.

A half-hour later, when she heard a low whistle, she jumped from her seat and scanned the sky. "Draco?"

She felt his arms circle her from behind, and she immediately relaxed. He pushed her hair to the side and began kissing her neck.

"I missed you," he murmured against her skin. "We can talk later. I want you. Now." He turned her around and lifted her onto the patio table.

"Did you find anything?" she gasped as he nipped at her neck and down her chest as he opened her blouse.

"Mm-hmm." He continually kissed her neck and behind her ear, mumbling, "paper" as he withdrew it from his jacket. He tossed the paper onto the ground along with the jacket, and forced her legs apart.

"Drac –"

He cut her off with his mouth as he stepped forward and stood between her open legs. His kisses were demanding and quickly distracted her from questioning him. She yelped in pain as he pulled her hair, angling her head back. Draco relaxed his grip on her when he heard her cry. A part of him wanted to stop, or at least slow down. He knew that he was being rough with her, but he needed to lose himself in her embrace. He needed to forget about what could lay ahead for them. Ginny worked her hands under the t-shirt he was wearing and caressed his back. He started to relax, but then he felt his anxiety building again and before she could remove his shirt, he unzipped his trousers and then grabbed her hips, pulling her into him. She moaned in pleasure at feeling him against her and reached down to give him enjoyment. It wasn't long before they both were shouting in pleasure into the night sky.

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A/N: Thanks so so much for all the awesome reviews! Keep them coming please!

Well, I did not provide the big battle scene because I just didn't think I could do it justice. Also, I don't really care about battles when I read these kinds of fics so I figured most of you don't either. Sorry if you felt cheated.

This is still technically Part Two. A bit more transition and then Part Three will begin when D&G&T actually return to their families.