Summery: In a new age of espionage, spies are essential to victory. One woman is given an assignment that could change the course of the impending battle. One assignment, one task, a last hope, in effort to prevent a community on the brink of war from going over the edge, until she finds a secret that could change everything…(After Hogwarts, G/D)
Disclaimer: All things related to HP are not mine, they belong to JK, I just used them and bend them to my will. The basic plot idea was given to me by my sister, Archer, as she came up with the spy idea and claimed she was going to write about it. As I have yet to see proof of this, I came up with my own plot and started the story myself. However, I give all props to my sister, as I wouldn't even be reading or writing HP fanfiction if it weren't for her. *hugs and smewchies*
A/N: Okay, so I wasn't going to write an epilogue, and I wasn't going to write and epilogue, but finally I decided, maybe I will write one. So I did. I sat down and it took about 2 weeks but I think I finally have an ending. So thank you thank you thank you for all your reviews, I'm sorry it's been a while, but I've been extremely busy this summer. Once school starts I think I'll have more time for writing. I'm already working on my next story, yey. I hope you all enjoy this; I worked hard on it for you!
One Last Hope
Epilogue
Without a leader, The Resistance had indeed fallen. Voldemort was destroyed, Lucius was sent to the new prison camps The Alliance had set up. No one else had the desire, or guts, to lead. So the organization folded in on itself. The headquarters in Egypt was dismantled and destroyed along with all reminders of The Resistance. Most Death Eaters were caught right away and sent to prison camps. No leniency for testifying. No one wanted a repeat of before.
Ginny wasn't sure at first what to do. Spies were really no longer needed since there was no enemy. She could go back to Medi-Wizard school but that seemed tame after her several years of covert ops. Headquarters was still rounding up stray Death Eaters and Voldemort supporters that slipped away. Adam was among those that had disappeared. Though mostly Aurors were doing the round up, many people from her unit were helping. It seemed they didn't want to go back to quieter lives either. Ginny decided she would help, as that seemed her only choice at this point.
She hadn't seen Blaise or Draco since that night on the roof in Egypt. She knew there would be no leniency this time, even if they did help stop Lucius or not believe in the Dark Lord's reign or save the world. The Alliance was planning on being stubborn. Ginny told them both to run. And they had; they had no choice.
The look he gave her before Draco finally left the roof would haunt Ginny's dreams for the next few months. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her, that much was evident. She wondered what he would have said if he stayed, he had longed to tell her something. The part she remembered most was the fear in his eyes. Fear of being caught, fear of being unable to hide, or fear of never seeing her again, she didn't know which. All she knew was that she awoke nearly every night in a cold sweat with the feeling of his lips on hers and those scared eyes burned into her memory. She realized she missed him, missed being around him. She also knew there was no way they'd be able to be together; right now Draco was the most wanted man in the wizarding world.
* * * *
Ginny sat straight up in her bed gasping for breath, unwilling to open her eyes yet. Another dream. Of him. They were coming more frequently now.
Taking a deep breath, Ginny savored the cool morning Mediterranean air of Southern France wafting in the open window. Soon it would be hot and muggy, hard to breath, but in the early morning it was refreshing and still cool.
The dream faded as she tried harder to keep it fresh in her head. Her thoughts were forced to shift to her reason for being here. Tracking Adam. She let her eyes open at the thought, taking in the small, quaint bed and breakfast room she was staying in. The comfortable feeling from her dream was gone, replaced by a cold, hard lump of anticipation. Or dread, she wasn't sure.
Flipping the covers off her, she hopped out of the bed and walked over to the window to take in the view one last time. They would find Adam tonight then be sent on the next mission, away from this beautiful country. She was sure of it. And some part of her didn't want to leave; she felt a desire to stay among the rolling green hills and picturesque vineyards.
Without the need for secrecy as there was before, Ginny was allowed to be on her brother's team. She and Ron, along with the rest of his team, were put on Adam's case as soon as it was discovered he surfaced briefly in France. They tracked him to this town, they were sure to uncover him today. Ginny busied herself with getting ready, the dream forgotten, pushed aside, like the rest of her memories of Draco.
* * * *
Ginny's hair would never be the bright red it once was as a teenager. She no longer dyed it other colors but it grew back a dark red, almost burgundy. After initial frustration, Ginny began to actually like the unusual color.
Ron, on the other hand, never wanted red in his hair again. He thought girls would like the blond look more so he kept it. Ginny would tease him about it to their dieing day but in actuality, it looked good on him. His eyes seemed brighter and the messy, just-out-of-bed look suited him.
Sitting in Ron's room, which was serving as a mock conference room, Ginny watched her brother go over the plan to their team. She had to admire him, he was a born leader. He had something…charismatic about him that drew people to him, made them want to follow.
The layout of the building Adam was residing in was on a chart in front of the long oak table the team was sitting at. Ron kept pointing out places with his wand, leaving colorful marks all over the originally white paper.
"Ginny, your stake out point is here," Ron jabbed the wand at the paper, leaving a bright blue dot where he pointed. "You will have a plain view of two exits from the target building, here and here," He pointed at the spots on the chart respectively. "Antonio will be your support," Ron continued on to the next person. Ginny let his voice drone into the background; she knew this plan by heart, she stayed up half the night helping Ron come up with it.
She let her eyes slide to Antonio. She preferred to work alone, but this job was too important to leave anything to one person. He was a competent partner, she supposed, if not a big over eager. He did what he thought would please certain others, not always what was the right thing to do. But he would watch her back and that's all she needed out there tonight.
Everyone began leaving, snapping Ginny back to reality. She paused, catching Ron's look. He wanted her to stay.
The room was cleared quickly, everyone making their last minute preparations before moving out at dusk. Ginny raised an eyebrow at her brother questioningly.
"Gin, it's important to keep our eye on the target," He got right to the point, swiveling into the chair next to her. "No letting personal feelings or vendettas cloud the objective." He looked at her earnestly, his tone serious.
Ginny rolled her eyes but smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, big brother," she leaned forward toward him. "Adam's just another one of these slimy losers, like all other Death Eaters-"
"A slimy loser with a personal history between you two." Ron interjected. He took a deep breath. "Look, Gin. We both know you're good. We both know you're hot tempered. I'm not accusing, Merlin knows it runs in the family. I just need you to be careful."
Ginny stood, giving her brother another reassuring smile. She tipped two fingers to her forehead in a mock salute. "Aye, aye captain." She winked. "I'll be a good girl, I promise."
Ron returned her smile. "I know you will."
* * * *
If Ginny could pick anywhere to live, it would be Southern France. Not only was the landscape breathtaking, the architecture of the quaint villages they passed through was beautiful. Everyone she met seemed hospitable and friendly making her wish she were on vacation, not hunting criminals. Standing at her post she glanced again at the crumbling remains of an ancient castle on a hill overlooking their target building. White marble set against a fading sky of burgundy and amethyst, set on a hill of lush emerald grass. The deep colors were fascinating; she could hardly bear to tear her eyes away.
The sun as gone, the sky was blackening. Soon the dim stars would shine bright and the streets would be illuminated only by the torches the townspeople lit every night. Then the raid would begin. Ginny felt giddy with anticipation.
A movement in the alley to her right caught her eye. Probably a cat, she thought, but still felt uneasy, knowing it could prove trouble if it wasn't a cat. She told Antonio she was going to check it out and began down the pitch-black alley cautiously, ready to draw her wand at a moments notice.
Her eyes were taking their time adjusting but the rest of her senses were on high alert. She heard faint shuffling ahead, a noise that could be an animal - or a human. Her curiosity fully peaked, Ginny tip toed forward, making as little noise as possible.
The alley ended on a narrow cobbled road, hidden away from the main hustle and bustle of the small town. Looking right then left she spotted nothing unusual. One more glance and she turned to head back, disappointment beginning to sink her stomach.
What was that? A sudden movement halted her motion and caused her heart to skip a beat. It looked like an edge of a cloak disappearing around a corner up ahead. Excitement let feeling back into her limbs. Ginny jogged over to search out what caused the commotion.
She stopped at the end of the next alley. Halfway down was a stone archway separating two three-story buildings. Under the arch was a man. At least, it appeared to be a man. In the starlight she could mostly make out only a silhouette of a tall, strongly built guy, hair covered by a brimmed hat, most of his face covered by some sort of scarf.
It was a standoff. Ginny faced him, unmoving; he like-wise faced her, unflinching. As her eyes adjusted a bit more she could begin to distinguish his eyes. Black holes at first, she bean to see them better, squinting as she thought she recognized them but could place them.
He was gone before she could blink. Ginny did blink in surprise, but he was still gone. How did he do that? She rushed forward to where he had been standing. At first it appeared he must have apparated, somehow avoiding the telltale popping noise. Then she realized her steps that were circling on themselves sounded hollow. She stomped twice. Definitely hollow.
Dropping to her knees, Ginny excitedly searched for a latch. Her hand brushed across cold metal among the rough, fake stones. A button. Pushing it, she rocked back on her heels in awe as a slate of road slid into itself and revealed a hold into the ground. Torches were lit within and Ginny could see the floor not far down. Not hesitating a moment she climbed down, eager to explore, the original mission forgotten.
It was well lit by the torches; she could see everything from the hard packed dirt floor to the reinforced stone walls. Someone went through a lot of trouble many years ago to make this tunnel. Not a hundred feet ahead, there was a curve; she couldn't see beyond that. Approaching quickly but cautiously, Ginny peeked around the corner.
The tunnel seemed infinitely long. She wasn't sure how that man disappeared so fast but she was determined to find him. Something about him was bothering her but she couldn't put her finger on what it exactly was.
Ten minutes later there was no sign of change in the tunnel or the guy who led her there. Ginny was quickly getting fed up. Ron would be mad at her already for leaving her post; she should get back before something went awry because she was gone. This search was quickly becoming pointless.
Turning abruptly on her heel, Ginny took one step before feeling something light fall on her head. Looking up she brushed dirt from her hair to find another opening like the one she crawled down. Retracing her steps in her head, Ginny figured she was under the remains of the castle by now. Her interest renewed, she grabbed the edge of the hole and hauled herself up.
It was much darker in this room. The only light was from a single window that let in a bit of the night sky and the faint echo of torchlight from the tunnel she just exited. Ginny allowed a minute for her eyes to adjust before moving away from the hole.
She was definitely in the castle. By the looks of things, she should pray that the walls didn't tumble around her; they didn't look too sturdy. There were still a few pieces of furniture, dilapidated and moldy; Ginny suppressed an urge to pinch her nose at the stink of dust and mildew. There was only one other exit from the room, a doorway to her left. Without further hesitation she went through it.
The hallway was darker then the room she just left. There was a faint glow of light down the hall; Ginny headed in that direction. Rounding a corner she quickly fell back around it hoping she hadn't been noticed. Hearing no sound of alarm, Ginny allowed herself to breathe. Slowly she peeked around the corner, taking in the scene before her.
Her first instinct was to run back and find Ron. No doubt his search was fruitless, Adam was standing in the room in front of Ginny. But she held still, watching, trying to figure out what was going on.
Adam was pacing in front of a group of cloaked figures sitting in chairs, talking animatedly and waving his arms wildly. Even from as far away as she was she could see the crazed look in his eyes. Adam had gone over the edge of sanity, that was apparent. She only wished she could hear what he was saying. She had to get closer.
She scoped out the room. It reminded her of the entrance hall at Hogwarts, high vaulted ceilings, wide open without much furniture. There were a few display cases around the edges of the room, so caked with dust that you couldn't see into them. The candlelight cast shadows everywhere that she could hide in but the problem was getting to them without being seen. Her only option of getting closer was a desk less than fifty feet from her. There were random tables throughout the room but only the desk would provide cover. But how to get to it without Adam seeing her. Her attention snapped back to the gathering before her. Adam was gesturing frantically again, turning his back to the crowd and holding his arms high.
This is my chance, Ginny's thoughts startled her; she was more on top of the game than she felt. Her body was moving before her mind could react, instinct taking over. The desk seemed to take an eternity to get to but she slid silently behind it, undiscovered. Breathing deeply, she steadied herself before realizing she could hear Adam close to perfectly now. She pressed her back to the desk and scooted as close to the edge as she could without being seen.
"He is waiting," She heard him say in a perfectly calm voice that didn't match his earlier active motions. She dared a glance around the desk and going undiscovered, kept her head peeking around the corner to see. Adam whirled back to the murmuring crowd. "I am the only one who knows how. The time draws near. Are we ready? Are you ready to begin?" Adam eyed each member of his crowd questioningly.
Ready for what? Ginny was confused but she kept straining to hear, hoping for a clue to figure out what they were trying to do. Adam continued to assess his crowd with a maniacal smile as he spoke.
"He will rise again. Harry Potter couldn't kill him twenty-five years ago; Lucius Malfoy had no more success. He will come back. TONIGHT!" Adam began laughing in a high-pitched, hysterical manner.
It disturbed Ginny to see a man she once called a friend so obviously insane. Her situation seemed surreal; trying to resurrect Voldemort again? How many times could one person come back? Recalling the way Voldemort was killed, she was pretty certain that there was no way he would rise again, no matter what Adam thought. His words were too cliché, she had to be dreaming. Squeezing her eyes shut she whispered to herself, "One, two, three, wake up!" Opening her eyes, her situation hadn't changed. It was real. Her decision was made for her; she had to find Ron and stop Adam now. There was no way she could take on the all the people in this room on her own.
As quietly as she could, Ginny turned to get a better vantage point in order to see when she could escape the way she came in. Twisting herself up, she lost her footing and began to slip, reaching out to steady herself by grabbing the desk. A second too late she realized her mistake as the desk moved less than an inch but caused a horrible scraping noise that echoed throughout the room. All other noise stopped; the silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Ginny closed her eyes, mentally scolding herself and whispering a few expletives. She could run, but they would be on her within seconds. She reached for her wand to find it missing. A few more whispered curses as she realized she lost it climbing around in the catacombs. The group would come check to see what made the noise any second, she was left without a choice. Exhaling loudly, Ginny stood quickly, confronting the room with a defiant glare.
Adam's look of surprise quickly turned to glee. His entire congregation was turned toward her; all eyes were focused on her. Ginny shifted her weight but held her glare.
"Ginny, my love," the French accent came out thicker than ever. "What a wonderful surprise. I had a feeling you might show up."
"You're not getting away with anything, Adam," Ginny threatened, trying to conceive a quick plan. "You're surrounded, we have every exit covered." She hoped she didn't sound as scared as she felt. She used to be good at bluffing; she was about to find out if her skills were still up to snuff. "Just give it up," She added hastily, wondering what she was going to do if he did, indeed, give up.
Adam's laughter cut her off. "Sorry, Gin. You're a great secret agent but a horrible 'on the spot' liar." He reached behind his back and pulled something from the waistband of his pants. Holding it in her direction she saw a glint of metal and realized it wasn't a wand as she originally thought; it was a Muggle Gun.
Ginny blinked, scarcely believing her eyes. "Adam," She started but didn't get any farther.
"Ginny, love, you may be beautiful, you may be smart, but you are not talking your way out of this. Nothing you can say will rescue you." Adam chuckled, gun still aimed in her direction. "Goodbye, my sweet."
Before she could argue and luckily before he could pull the trigger, a shadow separated itself from the rest of the dark room so quickly she almost missed it. Adam's arm was hit from below, knocking his arm up and the gun away. Ginny stared, realizing her rescuer was the man she followed here to begin with.
Falling back on training and instinct, she knew she couldn't let this element of surprise wear off. Ginny dragged her concentration away from the two men tackling each other and bent to retrieve her spare wand from her boot, thanking Merlin that she was always thorough and put on all her equipment despite the fact she most likely wouldn't need it. It wasn't her own wand, but it would do in a pinch. Quickly pointing it at the slowing coming around crowd, she said the area 'stupefy' spell she learned in her seventh year at Hogwarts, putting most of the group out of commission. But there were still a few coming at her.
Throwing a glance toward Adam and her 'helper' she was satisfied Adam didn't have the upper hand. She could fully concentrate on the current threat, the half dozen or so men advancing on her.
Flinging herself to the ground, she aimed for the knees of her attacker on the right. He stumbled over her, pitching forward into another assailant, causing them both to tumble to the floor. Rolling to her feet, every sense heightened in the heat of the battle, Ginny threw her elbow hard to the left and behind, catching a person in the jaw as he leapt at her. Someone grabbed her right arm, yanking it abruptly, causing Ginny to yelp in pain. She swung at whoever it was grabbing her with her left hand but he caught it as well, leaving her to what he thought was open to attack. Using it to her advantage, she jerked her arms toward her and brought her knee up hard, right into his groin. He tumbled to the side, groaning and holding himself, no longer a threat.
Taking a second to long to enjoy her small victory, someone grabbed her from behind, wrapping a beefy arm around her neck, yanking her backward. A sense of de ja vu filled her, remembering the fight she had in Italy, her last assignment with Riley- er, Adam. She tried to stomp on his foot but he was quicker than her, anticipating her move. She tried to get her footing to lean forward but he was keeping her off balance by dragging her backward. Her air supply was cut off; she was beginning to see black spots on the side of her vision. She couldn't let him win. She reached out her foot, trying to find a wall to flip herself out of his grip or anything to stop her from passing out.
A loud thud startled her and surprisingly her attacker loosened his grip and fell to the floor. Rubbing her neck, she pivoted on her heel, ready to defend herself.
Her jaw dropped in shock. Blaise was standing behind her with a wicked grin, rubbing his knuckles. Ginny glanced down to see the guy who grabbed her out cold at her feet before raising her eyes to the last person she expected to see.
"A thank you would be nice," Blaise prompted, gesturing at the prone man on the ground. "But I'll accept your stunned silence instead." His smug grin hadn't changed since she last saw him. He reached his hand out to help her over the knocked out people strewn about the ground.
Ginny was having a hard time finding her voice. She allowed Blaise to lead her to a corner of the room, picking their way through bodies bound by her spell. What, in Merlin's name, was he doing here? He was supposed to be in hiding. She never thought she'd see him again, not after that night on the roof.
"Now I know you're asking yourself, 'How? How did my current hero, Blaise Zabini, know I was here? How did he know to be here to save my life?' Well, that's easy to explain." Blaise stopped them and motioned toward the center of the room with his elbow.
In a slight daze, Ginny looked over in time to see the guy she followed in the catacombs, the man who saved her from Adam's gun, kick out and defeat Adam who fell motionless to the ground. But he wasn't just any man. In the fight, he lost his scarf and hat, leaving his face exposed. Brushing the hair from his forehead, Ginny caught the glint of blond-silver from the candlelight. Draco.
She squeaked as a hand grabbed her unexpectedly. Turning and inhaling sharply, she met Ron's concerned eyes. She let her breath out slowly when she realized there was no threat. Not quite believing her own eyes, she turned back to see Draco standing in the middle of the room staring back at her. He was wearing a long back leather trench coat, black clothes, black gloves; he blended in with the shadows all around, making his face and hair stand out in the darkness. Her eyes met his but neither spoke a word. It was definitely Draco.
The realization that Ron would want to apprehend Blaise and Draco hit Ginny suddenly. Turning to her brother she tried to find the words to change his mind. "Ron, you can't-"
Ron shook his head once. "Don't worry, Gin," Reaching for his muggle walkie-talkie, he began relaying their location to the rest of the team members outside.
"I met him in the house and brought him here." Blaise cleared up for her. "After a long explanation and a little bit of physical violence." Blaise shot an annoyed look at Ron who returned it with malice. "Otherwise we would have been here sooner."
"You guys better go. The rest of them won't be as understanding." Ron warned, looking around the room to assess the situation and figure out a way to explain why he left the target building.
Ginny had already turned back to face Draco. He was staring at her. She took a few hesitant steps toward him, uncomfortable and unsure of what to do more. She stopped, trying to read his eyes. It was impossible; he seemed to have closed himself off.
She heard Blaise behind her talking to Ron. "The house goes up in three minutes, you're sure it's clear?"
"They're on their way up so yes. Now go before they catch you. Or I change my mind," Ron's voice sounded strained, as if he were trying to keep his anger in check.
There was so much Ginny wanted to say to Draco, so many thoughts she had over the past few months that she wanted to share with him. But words were failing her and time was running short. All they had were a precious few seconds and all she could do was stare dumbly at him, unable to speak, unable to breathe. His stare held equal intensity; she didn't think he was breathing either.
"C'mon, Draco." Blaise uttered softly, coaxing his friend away. Draco didn't take his eyes off her. He made his way toward Blaise, having to walk by her to get out of the building. Ginny was still unable to find her voice and felt paralyzed, unable to move from the spot she stood in. He brushed past her, so close she could feel the heat from his body, smell the scent of him. Close enough for only her to hear him whisper words she never thought she would get to hear from him.
"I love you,"
* * * *
"Damn!" Draco slammed his fist onto the table in anger. He shook his hand, having hurt it in the process.
"Problem?" Blaise asked, setting a mug of coffee in front of Draco before leaning back against the counter, taking a sip from his own mug. Crossing his arms over his chest he watched Draco with much amusement.
"Shut up, Zabini, you know what's wrong." Draco seethed through clenched teeth, not looking at his friend. He pushed the mug away abruptly, sitting back in his chair. "I'm such an idiot," He muttered, staring at the mug intently.
"Well, we all already knew that one, that's old news. There has to be more to the story than that," Blaise goaded Draco, partly for his own entertainment, partly because he knew Draco needed it.
"She just stood there, Blaise. Stood there and didn't say a word. I don't think she was happy." Draco's confession came quicker than both boys expected. Surprised at his own words, Draco closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead warily. "I guess I expected more of a reaction." He admitted finally.
Blaise exhaled, shaking his head. He set his mug down before leaning on the table with both hands. "Drake, she was in shock. The last thing she expected was for the two of us to show up. I think her lack of reaction was more of an indication than an over-dramatic one would have been. You saw the way she was looking at you, man. She was just…" Blaise floundered for a moment, searching out the correct word. "Overwhelmed." He decided on, nodding once with satisfaction at his choice of words.
"I dunno, Blaise." Draco shook his head, a few stray hairs falling into his eyes. He pushed himself away from the table and stood, walking to the nearest window to stare out, hands clasped behind his back. He stared out over the lands that he now owned half of, Blaise owning the other half. The rolling hills stretched for miles, covered in lush green and backed by the purest sky blue.
When Draco and Blaise had run, they needed a place to run to. They discussed both going separate ways and staying together. Surprisingly, both had a small, well-hidden dream of owning a vineyard somewhere in France or Italy. Deciding it would be easy to be overlooked, they invested what little capital they had in the land that they were now standing on in Southern France. Blaise had his own house down the road and they had another cottage set up for the workers they hired to work the land. So far they were breaking even, but profit was on the horizon.
"The question is," Draco continued. "Do you think she'd want to stay? Do you think she'd even consider spending her life in anonymity?" He threw a look over his shoulder at Blaise who was watching him carefully. "Does she love me back?"
* * * *
"I should have said something." Ginny whined, skipping a rock across the still surface of the lake. "It was so dumb of me to just stand there and stare stupidly," she mocked herself, staring at Ron blankly, imitating her reaction to seeing Draco at the castle. "Well, duh," she rolled her eyes. "I could kick myself. I should kick myself. Better yet, you kick me big brother. And remind me of what a stupid arse I am."
Ron rolled his eyes, chuckling as he threw his own rock into the serene water. "Gin, if I hear you talk about Malfoy one more time, I'll take you up on that offer."
Ginny flopped unceremoniously to the ground, sitting with her knees pulled up to her chin. "It's just horrible living with regret, you know. The 'what ifs' start getting to you after a while,"
"It happened yesterday." Ron proclaimed, sitting beside her.
"Yes, I know! And if I'm this miserable today, how will I be tomorrow? In a year? In ten years? Regret is a horrible thing, Ron." Ginny shook her head sadly. "And I totally regret not telling him everything yesterday. Things could be different now."
"There wasn't time." Ron reminded her gently.
She shook her head again. "There was time enough for him to say what he had to."
Ron had told her what had happened yesterday. He went into the target house as planned only to find Blaise Zabini, not Adam. After a few thrown punches, Blaise finally got through enough information to Ron about where Adam really was for Ron to believe him. On the way Blaise explained to him about what he and Draco had been doing since they left the rooftop.
Blaise had left explosives in the target house and shortly after the rest of the team arrived into the castle, the house blew. In reality, no one was hurt; but Ron told everyone he had left Draco and Blaise tied up inside. Everyone thought the two most wanted fugitives were dead. Only Ron and Ginny knew the truth.
The two Weasleys had decided it was time for a much-deserved vacation for a few days and Southern France was the perfect place to do it in. Ron relayed the information he got from Blaise to Ginny that morning about the vineyard and their new identities.
Looking down at his hands before shooting her a sideways glance, Ron suggested, "You could always stay."
Ginny actually snorted. "Like anyone would believe I stayed in France because I 'enjoy the scenery.' Everyone would know we let them get away, Ron. They don't want to accuse me to my face, but everyone knows how I feel about Draco." Shaking her head, Ginny tossed another rock. "No, that would be too obvious and leave Draco and Blaise in danger."
Ron held up his hands as if reading a piece of paper. "Grief stricken on the bring of madness at the loss of her so-called friends, Ginny decides to move to America in search of better dreams and a new hope for a better life."
Ginny made a face at him. "What is that bunch of crapola? You working for Hallmark now?"
Ron laughed. "No, doofus, it should be your explanation for leaving the force. You don't really have to go to America, just make it seem like you did. You know how hard it is to keep track of people once they are there."
"Just…disappear?" Ginny frowned, lost in thought. "Wouldn't they come after me?"
Ron chuckled, reaching over to pat his sister's shoulder affectionately. "Gin, as much as you tend to forget, you are a good guy, remember? You deserve to 'retire' so to speak. Write your note, I'll deliver it. I'll take care of everything. You just go and be happy. No regrets."
Ginny looked at Ron in wonderment, unsure what to say. She kept opening and closing her mouth, words failing her again. Finally, taking a deep breath, she smiled softly. "What about you and George and Fred and Charlie, Bill and Percy? How will I ever see you if I'm hiding here in Southern France?"
Ron sighed in exasperation. "Ginny, don't worry so much. It will all work out how it's supposed to. We'll find a way to visit. Stop trying to make yourself be miserable. Be happy." Ron motioned over her shoulder.
Turning her head slowly, Ginny locked eyes with Draco who was only a few feet away watching them. She scrambled quickly to her feet, wondering how much he had heard.
Ron stood as well. "I, uh, am going to take a walk." He winked at his sister before disappearing among the trees.
All Ginny's attention was focused on Draco now. Her only urge was to run over and throw her arms around him, but she learned to control her impulses a long time ago. Searching for the right words, she finally stammered. "So, how've you been?" Lame, she thought to herself, flinching slightly.
But to her surprise, Draco smiled. "It's quiet here, but in a good way. Peaceful. I never had a lot of peace and quiet growing up. I like it," His smile faltered a fraction of an inch. "But only having Blaise around gets…tiring. I-" He cut himself off, looking past her into the horizon at something only he could see. Pulling himself together, he set his jaw, regained his unemotional, detached expression and continued. "I wanted to thank you for helping us get away a few months ago. You saved Blaise's and my life and I felt I owed you. Now we repaid our debt last night. We're free and clear, we owe each other nothing."
Ginny frowned as he paused, confused. What was he talking about? It sounded like a good-bye. The whole unemotional, shut off expression was frustrating her.
"So I guess this is good-bye," He concluded, already turning to go. He never got the chance.
Ginny flew toward him, covering the distance between them at record speed. Her momentum knocked them both to the ground, Ginny on top of Draco. She licked her dry lips as he turned startled steel-gray eyes up at her. She smiled slowly.
"Oh, no, Malfoy. You're not getting away that easily." Ginny made her decision in that instant. There was no way she was leaving him. She had fallen in love with Draco a while ago and as much as she tried to deny it, she still loved and missed him. This was her one opportunity, her one last hope, at happiness.
"No regrets," She told him, still lying on top of him. "I choose happiness," Ignoring the confused look he was giving her, Ginny leaned down, crushing her lips onto his. He immediately kissed her back with equal intensity, his hands snaking up her back to tangle in her hair. It was better than the dreams she wok up to, more intense than she remembered.
Pulling back slightly, Ginny was breathless and panting a bit. She was pleased to see Draco the same. "I love you too." She whispered, returning the smile that her words put on his face. He pulled her lips back to his, both their worlds now content, now that they finally had each other.
They had to live in hiding, they had to live anonymously, but all that mattered was that they were together and in love. Happiness was inevitable.