Go Tara, it's your birthday, we gonna party like its your birthday, gonna sip bacardi like its your birthday…. And I am going to write this fic cos its my birthday.

Well, it was on Wednesday…I am 17, yay.

~*~

"Do not be alarmed…" Malfoy began, speaking once again for the town meeting to become silent so that he could continue. "But it has come to my attention that the Weasley's have fled to Boston"

"All of them?" Some one asked. Malfoy nodded.

"As far as I know, yes, all of them. When the reverend went to their home this morning to bring them before the open courts, they were gone, their house was empty and a few of their, umm, better, belongings were gone." Malfoy replied.

"Does this mean that their grip on our town has been released? Are we now free from the devil…?" John asked.

"I am not sure, it still be two soon to tell. There have been no changes in my sons behaviour…"

"Will he be saved?" Another one of the people asked.

"I only hope, that as time progresses, my son, and all the others that were afflicted, will return to the way that they were…"

~*~

"Where are you going son?" Malfoy asked as Draco moved to the door. A cold wind swept across the floor as he opened the front door of his house. Outside, the rain was falling, turning the dirt paths into mud.

"A storm is coming" he returned softly "I am going to check that the thunder and lightening will not spook the horses."

Stepping out of the house, he did not flinch at the ice cold rain drops that landed on his skin, mussing up his hair and drizzling down his cheek like tears. Like the tears he had given up crying.

He had told her to go, he had told Virginia to leave, and to not look back. But the most painful thing of all, was that he had made her think that he did not love her. He let her leave the township without knowing just what he meant to him.

If she had taken the mountains, as he had told her to, then she would be half way to Boston by now, at least she would be safe.

But his heart still ached. The only girl he had ever loved had left thinking that he did not care. And he was the one who had told her that he did not love her.

Draco had thought it was for the best. Knowing Virginia, she would not have left if she had thought that there was hope for them. Draco wanted there to be hope for them, but he knew that if she stayed, then she would die. Dying was not an option. He would not let it be an option.

Walking slowly through the pouring rain, Draco looked towards the sky, the stars were bright, but dulled by the rain. Opening the barn, he took a step into the shelter, and looked around the darkness.

Shaking his hair, the access water ran off. The horses seemed fine, but he had no intention of going back inside, he wouldn't, he couldn't deal with his fathers gaze. He couldn't deal with the fact that it was all his fathers fault.

Horses always calmed him, especially his own horse. It was beautiful, white and black. His mother had given it to him a long time ago, and it was getting old, but Draco knew he would always love it.

Moving to the horse, he wrapped an arm around its neck and hugged the beautiful animal. So much had happened to him in the last week. He had lost his mother, fallen in love with the maid, realised that his father was the true evil in their town, and then he had pushed away the only thing he loved because he thought he was doing the right thing.

"What have I done" he whispered into the horses neck, rubbing the soft mane.

"You did what you thought was right" the voice startled him, and he slowly turned to the source of the words. Virginia. "But you are wrong"

The breath caught in Draco's throat as he looked at her, long read hair soaked to her shoulders and face. Her eyes looked haunted.

"I told you to go" he mumbled, trying not to look into her eyes. Virginia took a small step forward.

"And I came back to tell you that you were wrong" she replied. Draco turned back to the horse, still running his hand over the animal.

"Wrong about what Virginia?"

"You are wrong about not loving me. I know that you are. I know you lied to me…to save me" She accused.

"I did not lie. I…I…I do not love you Virginia" he choked on his words, still not looking back to her. Virginia reached out and took his hand in hers, pulling him around to face her, but he did not lift his gaze from the floor.

"You lie, I know that you lie. I could see it in your eyes when you told me that you did not care" She whispered, running her fingers through his wet hair, moving his head up, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Your gaze betrayed you. As did your lips" She carefully pressed her lips to the corner of his lips. "your kiss, I could feel it in your kiss. You love me, even now"

"I cannot love you…don't you see? Not here, not now"

"Just because you cannot, does not mean you do not… you wish for me to leave Draco, then say it again" she whispered "Tell me again that you do not love me, make me believe it, and I will leave again, you will never have to see me again, and you will have your wish."

Draco did not move. He could not move. His heart battled with his mind. If he told her the truth, that he loved her with all that he had, then she would stay and be put to death, but if he broke her heart again, she would be safe and he would die inside.

"Your silence voices your choice Draco" she whispered softly, a tear in her eye. "Good bye"

Draco watched as she released him from the hug she had had him in, and slowly turned away from him. He watched as she took a deep, steadying breath, and began to leave.

He could not let her, he knew that he could not let her leave, not without knowing the truth. If he let her leave, then he would truly be alone. His mother was gone, his father could care less, but Virginia, Virginia was offering him something special.

"Just remember that I do love you. Even if you say you do not feel the same" Virginia told him. Her words were his undoing, and it was then he had made his choice.

If it meant that he would run to be with her, then Draco knew that he would run to the ends of the earth. He could not just let her leave him, especially when they needed each other the most.

Taking three long strides, Draco caught up with her, taking her hand in his and pulling her back into his embrace. "I love you"

Her eyes brightened in delight as he held her body close to his. His hand wrapped in her hair and dragged her mouth to his, kissing her intensely.

Outside the barn, the rain continued to fall as they tightened their embrace, lightening struck and thunder roared, but neither of them pulled away from each other. Hands wove in hair and damp skin slid against damp skin.

"Where will you stay, what will you do. Virginia, it is not safe for you here" he whispered, pulling her body to his, making sure she could not move.

"I will still run, but only if you come with me" Virginia replied. "I do not want to die Draco, but I will not leave without you"

Draco nodded. And kissed her again. He would run with her, he had no choice but to run with her. His future was with Virginia, not with any one else.

"Stay here in the shelter. I will come to you when my father retires for the night. We can…we can leave then and be half way to Boston by morning. Maybe then we can find your brothers, I am sure Ronald misses you terribly."

Virginia nodded, and pressed a quick kiss to Draco's forehead. "Get back into the house before your father finds you gone and comes looking for you. I will not leave, do not worry."

"I love you" Draco told her. She smiled, and watched as he turned to the door of the barn and disappeared back into the rain

~*~

The thunder roared, shaking the barn slightly in the gusty winds. Virginia stood by Draco's horse, calming it, making sure that wasn't scared by the storm.

She was waiting for Draco to return, so that they could go and start their new life together. In Boston, no one knew who they were, she was not evil and he was not the son of a rich man, there they would be accepted. They would struggle, but they could be together.

Virginia had heard her brothers conversations before they had left, and in some ways, she was rather excited that she would be starting again.

The future was unsure. Virginia hoped that she would no have to sell herself the way she suspected. She could not make their money from being another man's wench, especially when she had a man of her own. They would have to find another way to survive.

Percival had plans to marry Penelope, Ronald had plans to marry Hermione. It was one of the plans that she had heard the boys discussing. Both of them had said that they would not take the girls away from their fathers without permission and blessings. Virginia wondered if there was a wedding in her future, if Draco would take her away to Boston and marry her, just as her brothers were doing for their girls. But Virginia refused to get her hopes up, she would not let herself get away with thinking things like that.

First they had to get out of town, and be safe.

Lightning struck again, and Virginia jumped. "We cant leave tonight"

Virginia turned at the sound of the voice, and saw Draco in the doorway holding a small lamp. He held in his hand a blanket and a few towels

"We can not leave tonight, the weather is to rough and we would only get so far before we would have to turn back." he continued "The mountain pass would be a waterfall by now, and the terrain would be to much for a horse to make. I would not risk it."

Virginia nodded, understanding completely. Draco came to her and wrapped a towel around her hair, which was slowly drying in the thick, wet air. "Come inside the house with me Virginia, there is no need for you to freeze out here"

It was a simple enough request, but Virginia knew she could never again step into Malfoy Manor. "Can you stay out here with me tonight instead?"

Draco nodded, and moved to a shelf in the corner, picking up on of the horse blankets and laying it on the hard wood floor. He sat, arranging the towels as pillows. Virginia watched him, smiling, and only moved when he patted the floor beside him. When they were both laying comfortably, he pulled the thicker blanket up around them.

"I brought something for you" Draco whispered. Virginia sighed softly, and handed her a leather bound book. It was the book that they had been reading together before this whole mess had started. Opening the book, Virginia gasped as something fell from between the pages.

It was a thin, gold chain, and by far it was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen.

"it was my mothers" Draco whispered, placing the chain in Virginia's hand. She looked down at it, as it twinkled in the limited light.

"I can not accept this Draco" she whispered.

"You must" he replied, taking the chain from her hand, and sitting her up so he could fasten it around her neck "I give it to you as a token of my love, I wish for you to accept it."

"Then thank you" she smiled, and pressed a light kiss to his lips. "Remember that you must go back to the house later. We can not risk your father knowing I am here."

"I know, I will remember" he yawned, and pulled her into his arms. "We must sleep now, we leave as soon as possible tomorrow night, for I wish to travel in the cover of night, by the time the realise I am gone, then we will be untraceable to them"

~*~

The rain soon gave way to the strong sunlight of morning. But Virginia and Draco were yet to wake from their makeshift bed on the floor of the barn. Around them, the animals stirred, but they still slept on.

The door of the barn opened, and a shadow was cast across the two sleeping bodies.

"Well, well, well" Malfoy Drawled "What do we have here?"

~*~

A FEW QUICK MESSAGES

Laurie - A time machine? Umm, that is a good idea, but I am not quite sure it would work. Be cool to try it though, but I doubt they had the technology or knowledge of quantum physics to make a rift in the space time continuum in order to have the energy to crate a time machine…ok, shutting up now.

Ferggirl99 - I know, my idioms are not very accurate, but I don't knew what else to write really.

Wind and Ashes - Don't worry, that line was meant to be funny.