Virginia felt the tears rise in her eyes as she listened to Hermione tell them about the workings of the court. How could Malfoy be so hurtful, so spiteful, not only to endanger her own life, but to endanger her brothers, and Hermione, and their mother and father.
"Hermione, you must go home!" Ron practically exclaimed as she finished telling then the information.
"No, I need not go anywhere, I will not let them dictate my life like this. I will not let them…" Hermione began, but Charles interrupted her.
"Hermione, Ronald is right, you need to go, do not bring yourself the same future we may have." He told her.
"Well, what are you going to do? How are you going to deal with this?" Hermione asked. "Will you run?"
William looked between his brothers and sister "How far will they follow us?"
It was a rhetorical question, but inside, all of them needed to know the answer, how far would they follow them. If the kids were to run, then how far would the others chase then.
Would the road be as unforgiving as the towns folk, would the elements of nature and poverty kill them sooner than the witch hunters would. Would running really accomplish anything?
"Where would we run to?" George asked.
"Boston is not safe for us, but it may be our only option" Percival told them all.
"Why run at all?" Virginia asked softly, her voice was hollow, almost devoid of any real emotion. The boys and Hermione each turned to her, and watched as she stood, looking at the blue sky above them.
"Why must we run? We must run to save ourselves" Fredrick replied.
"We did naught wrong! We be not witches, we be not evil, why must we run because Malfoy holds a grudge against me. Why must we run because he is a slimy disgusting letch. Why must we run… why must we move mother from the house she loves so much. From the house the she gave birth to all of us in. You all do not want to leave, I can see it in your eyes. Charles, William, you would never leave this farm, for it was fathers. Percival, can you honestly leave Penelope, I know you wish to wed her this summer. George, Fredrick, I feel your fear, you don't wish to leave, and Ronald, leaving here, leaving hermione would break your heart…"
"And you don't want to leave the Malfoy boy, that is the real reason you speak of staying" William accused "But don't you see, if his father speaks of us this way, then what would he be? How would he treat us?"
"Draco is nothing like is father. His father is a heartless man, but Draco is gentle, sweet, he be not evil, he has a soul" Virginia replied.
"You be so selfish Virginia!" Charles exclaimed. Virginia took a step away from her bother, who towered over her. "You see not what this will do to our family. We lost father to the big city, and now, we all stand to lose it all. Including our lives. You wish to stay for him. You wish to stay, to condemn us all for your own selfishness."
"You need not stay if that is how you feel. Flee, all of you, take your things and leave, but I will stay, I will stand my moral ground, for believe it or not, dear brother, I do not only wish to stay for Draco…I am not a witch, and I know what Malfoy says is pretence. I will not leave for the satisfaction of that man. I will not"
"Your morals will get you killed!" William replied.
"I would rather die knowing the truth than to run, and let the town know they are right" And with that, Virginia turned, and slammed the door behind her.
~*~
"Reverend, what brings you to our home?" Draco asked as his father ended the house with the local reverend with him. Moving to shake his hand, Draco realised that there was something wrong, for why else would he come to their home.
"Nothing, young Draco." The reverend replied. "Your father invited me to share the evening meal with you, that is all"
Reverend looked at Malfoy with a tight lipped grimace. He did not wish to lie to Draco, but he was there to save him, as a form of religious intervention.
"Well, please sir, come in and sit, I have cooked today, I know not how food it will be. I do not cook, that was always Virginia's job…" Draco began, but stopped as he realised what he had said. He had not mentioned Virginia's name in the house since she had been dismissed. Looking over his shoulder at the others in the room, he hoped that his father had not heard him speak of her. But the look on Malfoy's face, Draco could tell that his father had heard him.
The reverend smiled tightly "I am sure that you will cook fine Draco. Although it is not the mans job to be in the kitchen. You must hire a replacement Malfoy, for your son should work in the fields."
"he has never worked in the fields before, I valued his education over his working…but I guess now he will have to, to pick up the slack…"
"Why father?" draco asked, interrupting. "What has happened to the Weasley boys?"
He asked softly, for he knew that he was not old enough to avoid a beating from his father, and of course, the Weasley boys were not the most popular topic of conversation. But his father took a deep breath and sighed.
"They will be put to death, along with their sister" He replied.
"What? When?" Draco exclaimed, the plate falling from his hands and falling to the floor, shattering.
"The trails to their death will we held in the new week, the gallows are being built as we speak. They will hang by the coming Thursday" Malfoy replied. Draco took a step back, shaking his hand.
"You lie father?" he mumbled. "You lie"
"I need not lie, for the witch will be hung"
"I told you before father, she be not a witch. She be kind, and gentle, but she be not a witch. You do not know her as I do. You speak of things you do not know" Draco replied, still backing up.
"I be not the only one who sees the witchery in their family. The whole town does. They speak witch of her and her brothers, he mother as well. You be the only one who does not see it, you be the only one who remain bewitched" Malfoy replied.
"I be not bewitched" Draco exclaimed.
"It is ok to admit it, my child, come back to Jesus. Come back to the light, away from sin!" The reverend began. Draco shook his head.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"The devil child, I know she holds you in her grasp. Come back to the good side child, come back to us. Break her hold on you. Break the promise, break the lust."
Draco could not believe what he was hearing, a well educated man like the reverend should not believe such bull hocus pocus stories.
"I be not held by no devil child, and if I was, I am sure I could ward them off with out your help sir, I know my scriptures, I can use them when needed" Draco replied.
"Then why did you not use them against Virginia, did you not see her broken, black aura?" The reverend asked. Draco sighed.
"I only saw the truth, I saw not what you say you see. You be the one who be lying sir, for I know what you claim is unseen in her. For there is no devil in Virginia. She has not possessed me, and I am in no danger." Draco informed them.
"She has blinded you, my son, do you not feel her hold, doing you harm"
"She does not do harm. Virginia could not harm a fly, she be sweet, innocent, gentle…" Draco began.
"Innocent…I for one know she be not innocent" Malfoy replied. Draco turned red with fury.
"How dare you!" he exclaimed "You make comments that you do not understand, you twist the words of others… you be the one who is the devil"
"Do not take heed to his words Malfoy, Lucifer speaks through him, he know not what he says, he understand not" Reverend replied.
"I understand completely what I say, for I, and only I, am the one who be saying them. So listen to me, and listen to me good. Virginia be not a witch, her brothers be not witches, her mother be not witch. They do not witch people. And I am not witched. I am of sound mind, and sound body, nothing be wrong with me" Draco exclaimed "the only witch in this township be him" he added, pointing at his father.
"Recite the commandments Draco" Reverend said softly. Draco looked across at him.
"What will that prove?" he asked.
"It will prove your word to me, recite your commandments" Reverend replied. Draco took a deep breath before beginning.
"Thou shall have no other gods before me. Thou shall make unto thee no graven images. Thou shall not take the name of the lord in vain. Thou shall remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not commit adultery. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shall not covert thy neighbours belongings… there, that be ten" Draco replied.
"That be nine Draco, you left one out" Malfoy replied.
Draco though quickly "Thou shall not kill?"
"You spoke of that one already." Reverend replied.
"Then which one did I miss?" Draco asked.
"Honour thy mother and thy father" Reverend replied. "I find it suspicious that this be the one you forget, especially due to the accusations you hold against you father"
"So I forgot one, that does not make me evil" Draco replied.
"But why you forgot it, who you consort with, that could make you evil" The reverend replied.
"You know not what you speak about" Draco exclaimed again. Suddenly, Malfoy came across the room and took his son by the arm.
"You speak to us with no respect, this be sign of the devil for sure. I have but one choice, but to beat the devil from you child." Malfoy replied.
Draco stood his ground, this would not be the first time that he had been hit by his father, and now that he knew not to fight back, the experience would be over with before to long. So Draco, with no other words but the prayers that the reverend were muttering, allowed himself to be dragged outside, and kicked for his loyalty to Virginia.
~*~
Virginia sat at her window and watched the ink black night pass by. She needed the time to sit and think, to think about what the boys had said to her. Where they right, had they been telling the truth about Draco not caring for her.
He had promised that he would help her, but now, when she needed him the most, he was yet to be heard from. Maybe they were right.
She could not believe that she had allowed herself to feel for Draco Malfoy, especially now that her family stand accused and he seem not care. She thought that he would have come to her by now. Virginia stood, and moved away from the window, moving to her bed in the corner of the small room.
She was lucky, being the only girl, that she was able to get a room to herself while the boys each had to share with each other.
She settled into bed, and lit the candle on her beside table, when there was enough light, she lifted the candle over her book, and began to read.
A scratching sound brought her out of her reading. Standing quickly, Virginia made her way to the window, and opened it.
"I am sorry to call so late" Draco began, a soft smile on his lips. Virginia laughed softly, and then helped him through the window.
Virginia gasped when she saw him. His face was bruised and his lip was split, he moved slowly, showing that underneath his clothes, he was bruised and cut as well.
"What happened?" Virginia asked
"My father beat the word of god into me" Draco replied. Virginia lead him to the bed and sat him down before pacing around the room a little.
"I know your father would hurt you for helping me. You told me that he would not, and yet, he did this to you Draco" She whispered, moving to the bowl of water that she kept in the corner of the room. She dipped the corner of the worn towel into the water and then came back to him, pressing the cloth to his cut lip.
"How be your hand?" Draco asked.
"Shhh, do not speak of that now, let me fix you first" She replied. "Be there any more bruises?"
"There may be one under my shirt" he told her softly, expecting her to hand him the cloth, but instead, she took a step forward and unbuttoned his white shirt, letting it drop from his shoulders back onto the bed.
His entire chest was black and blue, and there were a few little cuts which she slowly began to clean. When her hand paused, Draco took her wrist and lifted her injured hand to his gaze.
It was covered in a white bandage, but he could not help but press a soft kiss to it anyway.
Virginia suddenly blushed, realising what was happening, she took a step back from him. She was alone, in her bedroom, with Draco, he had his shirt off and was pressing light kisses to her skin. She knew that if she let his continue, then they would both get into much more trouble than it was worth.
"Did you hear I am condemned to death?" she asked softly, Draco nodded.
"My father" he began, but Virginia pressed a finger to his lips.
"I do not want to mention him. Just…Just tell me what I should do" She asked him. Draco shrugged.
"I do not know what you should do Virginia" He began.
"Tell me to run and I will, tell me to stay here and I will not move a muscle." Virginia told him. Draco stood, standing close to her, his hand wove itself in her hair, and he pressed their foreheads together.
"Run" he whispered. "You and your brothers should run and never look back. Go to Boston, save yourselves from the Gallows."
"The boys have already gone, they left this afternoon. They took the things that meant the most to them, including Hermione and Penelope. They will not return any time soon. Mother has gone to…"
"Then why didn't you go with them?" Draco asked, somewhat angrily.
"I was going to stay, I refuse to run from your father" she told him.
"Then run now, take your things and run now. Take the hills, go to Boston, maybe there you will meet the others." He told her.
"Come with me Draco" She whispered, but Draco pulled away from her "Run away from here with me. You are not happy here, I know you are not!"
"My father would come after us if I was to run with you. If you run alone then he may let it slide." Draco replied softly.
"You lie" Virginia accused. "You do not care of you father, you are scared"
"Scared?"
"You are scared of leaving the township, aren't you Draco. You fear what is out beyond the mountains, the trees, the lakes. You will not come with me not because you fear your father, but because you fear yourself. You wish to stay here with the lying, deceitful, murderers than to come with me. Than to come with me and start a new life, a new life without this pain" Virginia replied.
"You wish to start a knew life in Boston?" He asked "With what money Virginia? You and I could not go to Boston. Alone you would get work, but with me there, I would not let you. I would be to jealous" he told her.
"Are you telling me to become a prostitute?" she asked, shocked. "You tell me to go to Boston and become a whore to buy my food, you expected me to live on the streets. I would die then, for I refuse to sell my body for food. I refuse to do that to myself."
"Yet you wish me to run with you?" he exclaimed
She moved closer to him, and placed a soft kiss to his cheek "At least then we will be together. I love you Draco"
Draco took a deep breath and tried to think. Virginia loved him, and he loved Virginia, but he knew that if he was to admit that to her, then she would stay there to be with him.
"I do not love you Virginia" He whispered. She stepped back, a tear running down her cheek.
"I thought…when you kissed me the other day, I thought?" she began.
"What did you think Virginia, that I would just pull you into my arms and we would live happily ever after. It does not work that way dear." Draco told her, his heart breaking as she began to cry heavier. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he knew he had to break her heart, he had to make her leave, or she would surely die.
"Go to Boston, Virginia, go to your brothers, live your life there and do not come back here." Draco told her.
"Why do you care what I do, I would stay here to die and you would not care, you do not love me" She told him.
"But I do care if you live or die, so please, go to Boston" he told her.
Virginia turned, and took her other dresses from the shelf in the corner, stuffing them into a sack. She cried as she worked, and Draco felt himself crying as he watched her.
She turned back to him before climbing out the window "Be careful Draco, one day, the fire you play with will get your burnt"
Draco stared at her, and then crossed to her. His lips rested on her forehead, and then, she was gone "Take care Virginia"
When he was sure she was gone, Draco let the first of his tears run down his cheek.
"Hermione, you must go home!" Ron practically exclaimed as she finished telling then the information.
"No, I need not go anywhere, I will not let them dictate my life like this. I will not let them…" Hermione began, but Charles interrupted her.
"Hermione, Ronald is right, you need to go, do not bring yourself the same future we may have." He told her.
"Well, what are you going to do? How are you going to deal with this?" Hermione asked. "Will you run?"
William looked between his brothers and sister "How far will they follow us?"
It was a rhetorical question, but inside, all of them needed to know the answer, how far would they follow them. If the kids were to run, then how far would the others chase then.
Would the road be as unforgiving as the towns folk, would the elements of nature and poverty kill them sooner than the witch hunters would. Would running really accomplish anything?
"Where would we run to?" George asked.
"Boston is not safe for us, but it may be our only option" Percival told them all.
"Why run at all?" Virginia asked softly, her voice was hollow, almost devoid of any real emotion. The boys and Hermione each turned to her, and watched as she stood, looking at the blue sky above them.
"Why must we run? We must run to save ourselves" Fredrick replied.
"We did naught wrong! We be not witches, we be not evil, why must we run because Malfoy holds a grudge against me. Why must we run because he is a slimy disgusting letch. Why must we run… why must we move mother from the house she loves so much. From the house the she gave birth to all of us in. You all do not want to leave, I can see it in your eyes. Charles, William, you would never leave this farm, for it was fathers. Percival, can you honestly leave Penelope, I know you wish to wed her this summer. George, Fredrick, I feel your fear, you don't wish to leave, and Ronald, leaving here, leaving hermione would break your heart…"
"And you don't want to leave the Malfoy boy, that is the real reason you speak of staying" William accused "But don't you see, if his father speaks of us this way, then what would he be? How would he treat us?"
"Draco is nothing like is father. His father is a heartless man, but Draco is gentle, sweet, he be not evil, he has a soul" Virginia replied.
"You be so selfish Virginia!" Charles exclaimed. Virginia took a step away from her bother, who towered over her. "You see not what this will do to our family. We lost father to the big city, and now, we all stand to lose it all. Including our lives. You wish to stay for him. You wish to stay, to condemn us all for your own selfishness."
"You need not stay if that is how you feel. Flee, all of you, take your things and leave, but I will stay, I will stand my moral ground, for believe it or not, dear brother, I do not only wish to stay for Draco…I am not a witch, and I know what Malfoy says is pretence. I will not leave for the satisfaction of that man. I will not"
"Your morals will get you killed!" William replied.
"I would rather die knowing the truth than to run, and let the town know they are right" And with that, Virginia turned, and slammed the door behind her.
~*~
"Reverend, what brings you to our home?" Draco asked as his father ended the house with the local reverend with him. Moving to shake his hand, Draco realised that there was something wrong, for why else would he come to their home.
"Nothing, young Draco." The reverend replied. "Your father invited me to share the evening meal with you, that is all"
Reverend looked at Malfoy with a tight lipped grimace. He did not wish to lie to Draco, but he was there to save him, as a form of religious intervention.
"Well, please sir, come in and sit, I have cooked today, I know not how food it will be. I do not cook, that was always Virginia's job…" Draco began, but stopped as he realised what he had said. He had not mentioned Virginia's name in the house since she had been dismissed. Looking over his shoulder at the others in the room, he hoped that his father had not heard him speak of her. But the look on Malfoy's face, Draco could tell that his father had heard him.
The reverend smiled tightly "I am sure that you will cook fine Draco. Although it is not the mans job to be in the kitchen. You must hire a replacement Malfoy, for your son should work in the fields."
"he has never worked in the fields before, I valued his education over his working…but I guess now he will have to, to pick up the slack…"
"Why father?" draco asked, interrupting. "What has happened to the Weasley boys?"
He asked softly, for he knew that he was not old enough to avoid a beating from his father, and of course, the Weasley boys were not the most popular topic of conversation. But his father took a deep breath and sighed.
"They will be put to death, along with their sister" He replied.
"What? When?" Draco exclaimed, the plate falling from his hands and falling to the floor, shattering.
"The trails to their death will we held in the new week, the gallows are being built as we speak. They will hang by the coming Thursday" Malfoy replied. Draco took a step back, shaking his hand.
"You lie father?" he mumbled. "You lie"
"I need not lie, for the witch will be hung"
"I told you before father, she be not a witch. She be kind, and gentle, but she be not a witch. You do not know her as I do. You speak of things you do not know" Draco replied, still backing up.
"I be not the only one who sees the witchery in their family. The whole town does. They speak witch of her and her brothers, he mother as well. You be the only one who does not see it, you be the only one who remain bewitched" Malfoy replied.
"I be not bewitched" Draco exclaimed.
"It is ok to admit it, my child, come back to Jesus. Come back to the light, away from sin!" The reverend began. Draco shook his head.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"The devil child, I know she holds you in her grasp. Come back to the good side child, come back to us. Break her hold on you. Break the promise, break the lust."
Draco could not believe what he was hearing, a well educated man like the reverend should not believe such bull hocus pocus stories.
"I be not held by no devil child, and if I was, I am sure I could ward them off with out your help sir, I know my scriptures, I can use them when needed" Draco replied.
"Then why did you not use them against Virginia, did you not see her broken, black aura?" The reverend asked. Draco sighed.
"I only saw the truth, I saw not what you say you see. You be the one who be lying sir, for I know what you claim is unseen in her. For there is no devil in Virginia. She has not possessed me, and I am in no danger." Draco informed them.
"She has blinded you, my son, do you not feel her hold, doing you harm"
"She does not do harm. Virginia could not harm a fly, she be sweet, innocent, gentle…" Draco began.
"Innocent…I for one know she be not innocent" Malfoy replied. Draco turned red with fury.
"How dare you!" he exclaimed "You make comments that you do not understand, you twist the words of others… you be the one who is the devil"
"Do not take heed to his words Malfoy, Lucifer speaks through him, he know not what he says, he understand not" Reverend replied.
"I understand completely what I say, for I, and only I, am the one who be saying them. So listen to me, and listen to me good. Virginia be not a witch, her brothers be not witches, her mother be not witch. They do not witch people. And I am not witched. I am of sound mind, and sound body, nothing be wrong with me" Draco exclaimed "the only witch in this township be him" he added, pointing at his father.
"Recite the commandments Draco" Reverend said softly. Draco looked across at him.
"What will that prove?" he asked.
"It will prove your word to me, recite your commandments" Reverend replied. Draco took a deep breath before beginning.
"Thou shall have no other gods before me. Thou shall make unto thee no graven images. Thou shall not take the name of the lord in vain. Thou shall remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not commit adultery. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shall not covert thy neighbours belongings… there, that be ten" Draco replied.
"That be nine Draco, you left one out" Malfoy replied.
Draco though quickly "Thou shall not kill?"
"You spoke of that one already." Reverend replied.
"Then which one did I miss?" Draco asked.
"Honour thy mother and thy father" Reverend replied. "I find it suspicious that this be the one you forget, especially due to the accusations you hold against you father"
"So I forgot one, that does not make me evil" Draco replied.
"But why you forgot it, who you consort with, that could make you evil" The reverend replied.
"You know not what you speak about" Draco exclaimed again. Suddenly, Malfoy came across the room and took his son by the arm.
"You speak to us with no respect, this be sign of the devil for sure. I have but one choice, but to beat the devil from you child." Malfoy replied.
Draco stood his ground, this would not be the first time that he had been hit by his father, and now that he knew not to fight back, the experience would be over with before to long. So Draco, with no other words but the prayers that the reverend were muttering, allowed himself to be dragged outside, and kicked for his loyalty to Virginia.
~*~
Virginia sat at her window and watched the ink black night pass by. She needed the time to sit and think, to think about what the boys had said to her. Where they right, had they been telling the truth about Draco not caring for her.
He had promised that he would help her, but now, when she needed him the most, he was yet to be heard from. Maybe they were right.
She could not believe that she had allowed herself to feel for Draco Malfoy, especially now that her family stand accused and he seem not care. She thought that he would have come to her by now. Virginia stood, and moved away from the window, moving to her bed in the corner of the small room.
She was lucky, being the only girl, that she was able to get a room to herself while the boys each had to share with each other.
She settled into bed, and lit the candle on her beside table, when there was enough light, she lifted the candle over her book, and began to read.
A scratching sound brought her out of her reading. Standing quickly, Virginia made her way to the window, and opened it.
"I am sorry to call so late" Draco began, a soft smile on his lips. Virginia laughed softly, and then helped him through the window.
Virginia gasped when she saw him. His face was bruised and his lip was split, he moved slowly, showing that underneath his clothes, he was bruised and cut as well.
"What happened?" Virginia asked
"My father beat the word of god into me" Draco replied. Virginia lead him to the bed and sat him down before pacing around the room a little.
"I know your father would hurt you for helping me. You told me that he would not, and yet, he did this to you Draco" She whispered, moving to the bowl of water that she kept in the corner of the room. She dipped the corner of the worn towel into the water and then came back to him, pressing the cloth to his cut lip.
"How be your hand?" Draco asked.
"Shhh, do not speak of that now, let me fix you first" She replied. "Be there any more bruises?"
"There may be one under my shirt" he told her softly, expecting her to hand him the cloth, but instead, she took a step forward and unbuttoned his white shirt, letting it drop from his shoulders back onto the bed.
His entire chest was black and blue, and there were a few little cuts which she slowly began to clean. When her hand paused, Draco took her wrist and lifted her injured hand to his gaze.
It was covered in a white bandage, but he could not help but press a soft kiss to it anyway.
Virginia suddenly blushed, realising what was happening, she took a step back from him. She was alone, in her bedroom, with Draco, he had his shirt off and was pressing light kisses to her skin. She knew that if she let his continue, then they would both get into much more trouble than it was worth.
"Did you hear I am condemned to death?" she asked softly, Draco nodded.
"My father" he began, but Virginia pressed a finger to his lips.
"I do not want to mention him. Just…Just tell me what I should do" She asked him. Draco shrugged.
"I do not know what you should do Virginia" He began.
"Tell me to run and I will, tell me to stay here and I will not move a muscle." Virginia told him. Draco stood, standing close to her, his hand wove itself in her hair, and he pressed their foreheads together.
"Run" he whispered. "You and your brothers should run and never look back. Go to Boston, save yourselves from the Gallows."
"The boys have already gone, they left this afternoon. They took the things that meant the most to them, including Hermione and Penelope. They will not return any time soon. Mother has gone to…"
"Then why didn't you go with them?" Draco asked, somewhat angrily.
"I was going to stay, I refuse to run from your father" she told him.
"Then run now, take your things and run now. Take the hills, go to Boston, maybe there you will meet the others." He told her.
"Come with me Draco" She whispered, but Draco pulled away from her "Run away from here with me. You are not happy here, I know you are not!"
"My father would come after us if I was to run with you. If you run alone then he may let it slide." Draco replied softly.
"You lie" Virginia accused. "You do not care of you father, you are scared"
"Scared?"
"You are scared of leaving the township, aren't you Draco. You fear what is out beyond the mountains, the trees, the lakes. You will not come with me not because you fear your father, but because you fear yourself. You wish to stay here with the lying, deceitful, murderers than to come with me. Than to come with me and start a new life, a new life without this pain" Virginia replied.
"You wish to start a knew life in Boston?" He asked "With what money Virginia? You and I could not go to Boston. Alone you would get work, but with me there, I would not let you. I would be to jealous" he told her.
"Are you telling me to become a prostitute?" she asked, shocked. "You tell me to go to Boston and become a whore to buy my food, you expected me to live on the streets. I would die then, for I refuse to sell my body for food. I refuse to do that to myself."
"Yet you wish me to run with you?" he exclaimed
She moved closer to him, and placed a soft kiss to his cheek "At least then we will be together. I love you Draco"
Draco took a deep breath and tried to think. Virginia loved him, and he loved Virginia, but he knew that if he was to admit that to her, then she would stay there to be with him.
"I do not love you Virginia" He whispered. She stepped back, a tear running down her cheek.
"I thought…when you kissed me the other day, I thought?" she began.
"What did you think Virginia, that I would just pull you into my arms and we would live happily ever after. It does not work that way dear." Draco told her, his heart breaking as she began to cry heavier. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and comfort her, but he knew he had to break her heart, he had to make her leave, or she would surely die.
"Go to Boston, Virginia, go to your brothers, live your life there and do not come back here." Draco told her.
"Why do you care what I do, I would stay here to die and you would not care, you do not love me" She told him.
"But I do care if you live or die, so please, go to Boston" he told her.
Virginia turned, and took her other dresses from the shelf in the corner, stuffing them into a sack. She cried as she worked, and Draco felt himself crying as he watched her.
She turned back to him before climbing out the window "Be careful Draco, one day, the fire you play with will get your burnt"
Draco stared at her, and then crossed to her. His lips rested on her forehead, and then, she was gone "Take care Virginia"
When he was sure she was gone, Draco let the first of his tears run down his cheek.
