A/N: Another (fairly) quickly posted chapter, aren't you lucky! We're getting ever closer to having all of the questions answered, I promise. You'll even find the origin of the title here! Oh, and this chapter is from Ginny's P.O.V., just so you know.

I struggled as best I could, shrieking beneath Todd as the Dark Lord within him attempted to claim me as his once and for all. My necklace slipped down around my neck, the charm falling to the ground. I turned my head, straining to reach it. Finally my fingers closed around the tiny thing, and, almost immediately, I heard a roar of rage. My eyes widened as I turned my head in that direction.

What I saw took my breath away. There stood Draco, his clothes at his feet, left in nothing but his pants. The jumper lay in shreds upon the ground, along with his robes. He looked…beautiful. His hair seemed longer, paler, and he seemed taller. His skin shone silver, gilded with darkness and starlight. He looked like he had just fallen to the earth from the sky, his eyes a cold, hard gray as he reached out a hand and pulled Todd off of me by the back of his shirt.

But the most magnificent thing about him had to be the wings. Sprouting majestically from his shoulder blades was a pair of beautiful wings, as tall as he was, a pearly gray. The moon was at his back, right behind his head, giving him a halo of dusty silver as he held Todd off the ground with only one hand, staring regally down his nose at the evil apparent in what had been my boyfriend's eyes. "You touched her," growled Draco, his voice a bit lower, a bit smoother. It sounded like black velvet. He set Todd down, only to grip him around the neck. "I should snap your neck right here and now."

Something I was sure Voldemort hadn't felt in a long time showed in his eyes: fear.

But he was saved by death at Draco's hand by the appearance of none other than Harry Potter. "Put him, down, Malfoy," called Harry imperiously. "He's mine."

Draco glared down at Todd. "Give me one good reason to turn him over to you."

"It's how it has to be," replied Harry firmly.

"I don't trust you. As far as I'm concerned, you're just as bad as he is. A fucking rapist!"

"That wasn't me," replied the Boy Who Lived calmly.

"I saw you, Potter!"

"It wasn't me. Hermione found a cauldron of Polyjuice potion and a bit of my hair in the empty lavatory. We don't know who it really was that attacked Ginny."

Draco eyed Harry suspiciously, and hoisted Todd up into the air, stalking over to Harry with his captive's feet hanging off of the ground. Todd gasped and clawed at Draco's fingers, but my savior's grip was firm. There was no way he was going to let my attacker get away. The contempt in Draco's eyes was clear as he dropped Todd onto the ground at Harry's feet. "There," he growled, his focus still on the Dark Lord as he took a few steps away, watching warily as Todd stood up and dusted himself off. He looked shaken, and his face was flushed from the lack of air he'd just suffered. Before Draco's victim had a chance to do anything, Harry had his wand pressed just under Todd's chin.

For all of Harry's life there had been much hype and apprehension over the moment that would decide the boy's and his rival's fates. Every encounter between the nemeses had raised the bar on the level of anxiety for Harry until at last he could barely escape the media. But when it finally came down to it, everything was simple. Much simpler than anyone had ever thought possible.

I watched as Harry looked coldly into Todd's eyes, and I could see the hatred that the years had built within him. There was icy power brewing behind those eyes, and I watched in horrified fascination as Harry spoke those two fatal words: "Avada Kedavra." His tone was bitter and detached, sending a chill down my spine as the green light flashed from his wand. My eyes widened as something unexpected happened; the light sank beneath his skin, causing it to bubble and ripple. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the terrifying sight, so instead I found myself staring as Todd's skin burst in a million places, the muscle and sinew beneath liquefy, causing the air to stink of burning flesh. With a blinding burst of light as he seemingly exploded, a pile of bones fell to the ground, bleached the brightest, purest white I had ever seen—white enough that they stood out against the snow.

That was when all hell broke loose. The Death Eaters began to scatter as I stood in awed silence, everything seeming sharp and clear in my eyes, all noise sounding distant and far away as Aurors appeared from practically nowhere, capturing Death Eaters left and right. I was alone with the bones, left to myself until a pair of strong arms lifted me off the ground. I shrieked in surprise and looked up only to realize it was Draco.

The world rushed away as he flapped those enormous, beautiful wings, propelling us both up into the clear night air, up into the frigid dark. At first I was afraid as I watched the ground sink beneath us, but then the sensation of flying overcame me. I leaned into Draco's bare chest as we soared away from the danger, closing my eyes and enjoying how it felt to be so free.

It ended all too soon. I felt Draco touch ground again with a small jolt, opened my eyes, and let him set me down. I looked up at him, staring into the alien familiarity. "Draco," I said softly, reaching up to touch his cheek, "Thank you…" He shook his head, pushing away my thanks, and my heart sank for reasons I couldn't comprehend. My fingers roamed upward a bit, touching his silky hair. It was longer, somehow, and all of it… "Your hair," I said, tilting my head to one side slightly as I looked at him, my eyes brimming with wonder. "It's…white," I finished. White as his bones, I thought to myself, shivering involuntarily at the thought.

He covered my hand with his own, and put his other arm around me, drawing me into a hug. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest as he enveloped me with his wings. A sense of comfort washed over me, the feelings of anxiety draining away, leaving me with only his warmth and care. My hand slid from his face, and I wrapped my arms around him. I was totally at ease for the first time that I could remember since…well, it had been a long time.

I finally pulled away from him, escaping his embrace. "Thank you," I repeated, though this time the words had a heavier meaning than they had the first time around.

"You're welcome," he replied, his voice still dark and silken. It…enticed me. "Now…come," he said, taking me into his arms once more. "Let me take you back." With those words, he burst back into the air, sending me into a world of euphoric joy and freedom. The wind rushing over my face washed me clean, and left me feeling new and fresh until, at last, he landed once more, this time on the steps of the castle. He enclosed me in his wings once more, looking down into my eyes with the deepest tenderness I have ever had the privilege of glimpsing. He lifted my chin, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips to mine in a gentle kiss. There was a message in the kiss, I was sure of it—but it was lost on me amid the shock of having found something so kind and caring in him. True, I had always known he cared for me, but I never thought he was capable of such infinite passion.

He tore his lips from mine, kissed my forehead, and left me standing in awe as he took off into the air once more.

A/N: Short, I know, but very much worth it, I hope. More details on Draco's condition and the reason behind Voldemort's easy defeat next chapter!