"Take it. Go."

Her brows twitched as she stared down at the hawthorn. "Draco—"

"There's no reason to stay," he said, his words catching on the wind. His eyes refused to meet hers. "The last rumor of their location was Norwich. About three weeks ago, there was a possible sighting of someone on the Prophet's Wanted list. We didn't find anything, but it's possible we missed them."

"Draco, we've been through this—"

"You'll find the Order somehow. I know you will. You're brilliant."

She watched him swallow thickly and force the wand into her hand. Her heart clenched in agony, her mind spinning as she warred with herself. Closing her eyes, she took a step backward and tried to think.

"You said there was no trace of the True Order in the U.K. Were you telling me the truth?"

"Of course I was—"

"Then assuming I can't find them, my only option is to Apparate to France or another True Order ally that's close enough for me not to Splinch myself — all of whom have instituted Anti-Apparition Lines." She took a deep breath. "To say nothing of the fact that I'd have to find a way to pass through the U.K.'s Anti-Apparition Line, which has apparently been strengthened in recent weeks."

Her eyelids flew open to silence.

"Draco. I may be a clever witch, but those are enormous odds."

He met her eyes finally. They were wet.

"Then I'll ask Charlotte where I can take you. Once she has her mind back, we'll ask who her contacts are—"

"They'll kill you if I leave and you stay."

And there it was. The truth she couldn't live with, for all her logic. For all her burning desire to return to her friends and fight.

Her hands were trembling, and she curled them into fists. "Could you go somewhere else? If you won't come with me?"

"Yes. Yeah, I could." He dropped his gaze to the blades of grass beneath their feet. "The Malfoys have properties around the world. I could figure something out."

The words fell too quickly from his lips. "Don't lie to me." Her voice shook, and he glanced up at her as she swiped her cheeks. "Tell me if you'd leave. And if your mother would go with you."

He hesitated. "I would try to take her. But she wouldn't leave my father."

"Would your father go?"

And he was silent.

She took a deep breath and looked down at the wand in her hand, singing with magic. She stepped up to him and pressed it back into his hand.

He stared at it blankly, then up at her. "I can't ask you to stay here—"

"You're not." She pushed up on her toes and kissed him. His lips barely moved against hers, but she persisted, sinking her fingers into his hair and cupping his face. She wiped her cheeks when she pulled away, looking up at him. "It's the smartest plan for everyone involved. I'm staying until all of us can get out."