Chapter Twenty Six

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

It was all going to end. Ginny stared at the wand and knew it was going to end. Draco wasn't going to do what Tom wanted and Tom was going to kill them both. Ginny couldn't let that happen.

She wouldn't let Draco die.

Tom looked over at her. "Where is the boy?" he hissed at her.

Ginny forced herself to be nonchalant. "I don't know. Maybe he doesn't care."

Believe me, she thought. Please believe me..

"Maybe you're right, girl. Maybe I should just save myself the time and kill you now."

Ginny felt her breath catch as the wand pointed at her.

She forced a breath into her lungs and thought about the past three days. The war had started three days ago. Voldemort, true to form had attacked Hogwarts with vigor.

It really was Ginny's own fault she was here. She had been helping ferry others into the castle when she was caught by surprise by the Death Eaters. They had taken her wand, of course and brought her here. She had expected Voldemort to just hand her over to Bellatrix or someone but to her surprise, Voldemort had taken her with him to the top floor of the Shrieking shack.

He had then sent out an owl for Draco.

Ginny had no idea why he wanted Draco.

She eyed the wand pointed her way.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Draco said.

Ginny snapped her gaze to him. He stood in the doorway, looking for all the world like an avenging dark angel, done all in black, his cape billowing just slightly as he stepped into the room, pulling a wand from his shirt.

"So you do care for the girl. How interesting," Tom drawled.

"Let her go. She's not part of this."

"You made her part of this when you refused to give me the Elder wand," Voldemort hissed.

Ginny's eyes flew open. The Elder Wand? Wasn't that just myth? Her eyes focused on the wand he held. It wasn't his wand but it was still familiar. Voldemort seemed to think it was the Elder Wand but it wasn't. It was…

It was Harry's wand. She nearly gasped as she recognized it. Why did Draco have Harry's wand? And if Draco had Harry's wand then…

Harry had the Elder wand. Ginny nearly smiled as she saw the brilliance of it. So that's why Dumbledore had given her Draco's wand. Draco could use Harry's wand but not as easily as his own wand.

Which, she realized, was in her bag.

Her eyes flickered to her bag where it lay only a few feet in front of Draco. They hadn't searched her bag after they took her wand. Naturally. Why search a bag? No one had two wands except Moody perhaps.

Draco followed her gaze and nodded. He knew what she was trying to say.

He took a step closer, his foot almost touching her bag.

"This wand?" he said, shifting his grip on the wand until he held a different end in each hand.

Voldemort's eyes shone with desire.

"What a silly thing to want," Draco said and snapped the wand in half.

There was a bright explosion of light. At the same moment, Draco kicked Ginny's bag to her. She went into a dive for it, avoiding the spell Voldemort sent at her. She grabbed her bag and pulled the wand out, pointing it at Voldemort.

"Petrifis Totalis!"

There was a thunk as Voldemort fell over. Ginny felt no need to wait and Draco felt the same way. He grabbed her hand and began to run.

Ginny let him lead her down the back hallway.

She knew where he was taking her and kept quiet as he led her.

Finally they were in the hallway she remembered, the one that led to the castle. "That was Harry's wand," Ginny finally said.

He looked back at her. "Yeah. It was. I'm hoping he'll forgive me."

Ginny smiled. "I guess I should give this back to you, then," she said, holding out the wand.

He reached for it but paused. "The snake…" he whispered.

She looked down at the snake on the wand's hilt. Originally it had been bronze but after she had pricked her finger on it, the snake had turned silver. She didn't know why.

"Yeah, that happened. Sorry," she replied lamely.

"What happened?"

"I just cut my finger on the tooth of the snake and it turned silver like that."

Draco turned to her and took her face in his hands.

"Do you know what this means, Ginny?" he said, sounding so happy.

"What?" she asked.

He kissed her. Full on the lips. It was the best kiss she had ever had and she returned it.

Finally he pulled away, grinning at her. "It means you love me," he said.

She stared at him for a moment then kissed him again. "Of course I do, you moron."

(A/N: There it is. Took me forty minutes to write, with three breaks. I like it though. Well, that just leaves us with the epilogue which should clear up any loose ends we might have.