'The world is quiet,
like there is no one around,
but I feel you beside me.
I know the secrets,
you keep locked away inside,
don't understand, why you are fighting.'
"Be a Man"
By Aqua
A/N: Salutations wonderful people of fanfiction! We, Mystical Starlight and Pink Inspiration that is, bring to you a collaborative project that we *gasp* really wrote all in one day. Hey, it's Sunday. Nothing else to do. Anyway, we have the WHOLE plot figured out, and we think this will end up pretty good. That is, if we don't kill each other before we post the next chapter. We really are quite stubborn.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to the all glorious J.K Rowling. The plot belongs, well, ¾ to Mystical Starlight, and the rest is Pink Inspiration. If we were to divide it up into equal fractions, that is. Of course, the creativity and inspiration belong to us, and us only! Bwahahaha! Enjoy the fruits of our labour.
The Phantom of The Phone Booth
The only problem about living alone in London was the fact that most of the phone booths were always either occupied, or broken. This posed a large problem for the young lady walking down the streets, who appeared to be soaked to the bone because of the pouring rain outside.
23 year old Virginia Weasley scurried into the nearest phone booth and hid inside it as the rain pounded on the glass exterior of the small cubicle. Why couldn't she carry an umbrella like a normal person? But no, she just left for work at 6 that morning knowing that it was supposed to rain and simply said to herself, 'Rain wouldn't dare touch me!' But now she was regretting her stupidity, and due to her carelessness, was very much cold and wet.
She jingled her sickles and quid in her hands. Slipping a coin into the phone booth in an attempt to call a street car, Virginia whimpered as the coin kept coming back out.
"Damn and blast!" she swore loudly and pounded her fist on the phone box.
"Don't swear oh gentle one…" Virginia jumped at the eerily calm voice and turned around.
"Would an old class mate need some help?" Golden blond locks covered the mysterious man's face. All that was distinguishable were two hard gray eyes. They seemed so familiar, it almost made her shiver. She could almost recognize him, but not quite…
The man brushed a strand of hair behind his ear and Virginia was shocked to see that it was none other than Draco Malfoy!
Virginia leaned her back against the phone and heard a loud BEEP of one of the numbers.
"Once again I should like to ask you, would an old class mate need some help?" Virginia swallowed nervously and wrung her hands
"All I need is to phone a street car to take me to my flat. That's all. My son's home with the nanny and if I don't get home soon, Cindy will leave Sid alone." As she attempted to push away from the man and move back out onto the streets, a loud sound of a fire truck siren startled her and she jumped quickly back into the booth.
"If I may, I should like to drive you home. It will be less expensive," the man insisted.
"Saving money one day does very little for me. Good day, Mr. Malfoy," Virginia said harshly as Draco grasped her arm tightly.
"Just a drive." Virginia looked up at him and gave in.
"Fine. But just this once." Draco snapped his fingers and within seconds, a large stretch limo was outside the phone booth waiting for them. Virginia's eyes got very wide, much the way her son Sidney's did when he saw a large chocolate bar sitting on the shelf of a candy store. "Woah…" She said loudly in amazement.
Draco smirked lightly. "20,000 galleons for this thing." Leaning closer to her so she could feel his hot breath on her ear, he whispered, "There's a Star Cross 2000 broomstick model under there so she can fly." Virginia touched the side of the window and glided her fingers across.
"Get on in." Draco opened the door for her, and she climbed into the large backseat.
"What's the address deary?" The driver in front asked.
"221 Thexing Street."
The man started to drive down the road and turned to the right. Ginny watched silently from her corner window and sighed.
"A drink?" Draco asked, breaking the silence and pouring himself some whiskey. Virginia looked towards him and shook her head.
"I have a son at home. I can't go home drunk." Draco shrugged and guzzled the whole glass, filling it again. As they turned the corner that her house was on, Virginia let out such a shriek that made Draco drop his glass.
Virginia's house was on fire! She threw the door open and jumped out of the still moving car. She ran over to where Sidney was laying on the floor outside the house. Before she could reach him though, his body slowly levitated into the air. Virginia jumped up and down trying desperately to catch the edge of his clothing, or his hand, or anything. Her tries were useless, however, as her son's body was carried upwards and she couldn't see him anymore.
"Sidney!" she shouted.
She knew it was hopeless, but in panic she stumbled over to the large oak tree beside the house and starting climbing up, tumbling over her skirt. Draco ran behind her and due to his tall height, he merely reached up and grabbed her.
Virginia wailed and fought against him like a madman. She started pounding on his chest as he lifted her down to the ground.
"My son!" She screamed and tried to twist out of Draco's grasp.
A team of firemen had disembarked a few minutes earlier and were fighting the horrendous flames. After the flames were put out, Virginia stepped into the house. Cindy, Sidney's nanny, was in front of his crib, completely burnt to a crisp. Her face was barely recognizable and her hands were full of blood as they clutched the bars of the crib in a vain attempt to free Sidney from the bed.
"Sidney's favorite teddy bear…" Virginia whispered sadly as she reached into the crib and pulled out a small teddy bear who had a bib on that read 'Jude'.
Draco looked around the house and lifted an impressed eyebrow. "Nice house. Well, it was…" Virginia turned around and heaved the bear at him.
"What a time to be a prick!" She exclaimed as Draco looked her in the eye.
"Look, do you want to stay at my house for a few days? Or at least until you have some time to figure out what you're going to do. I mean, my beds are perfect for wallowing in self pity." Draco wiggled Jude's hands playfully before looking back at Virginia.
Virginia gathered all of Sidney's clothes and stuffed his favorite toys in her duffel baby bag; Coogle, Chven and Torro included. Virginia followed Draco mournfully out of the house.
"I just don't understand… Where could he have gone? I mean, he was moving, moving even before he started to go upward, you know? I just…" Ginny stopped and wiped a tear off her cheek as she stepped into the limousine. "Take me to the ministry of magic. I need to see Ron."
The chauffer didn't know who Ron was, but he sensed the panic and did as he was told.
Virginia ran into the building, Draco chasing quickly after her. Teddy, the security officer stepped out of the way for her, but when he saw Draco, he lifted a suspicious eyebrow and went back in front of the door.
"Name?" Draco was about to respond, when he heard another voice.
"Ron!" Virginia shouted, entering his office. Several of his secretaries gave a startled look when she jumped into his arms in a fit of tears.
"Sidney was kidnapped!" she sobbed, stuffing her head into the crook of his neck.
Ron smoothed her hair soothingly and said in a calm voice, "It's okay, Ginny."
"No it isn't! My son is gone! Come, come! You have to help me find him!" She shouted desperately.
Ron touched her cheek in a brotherly fashion. "Just calm down Ginny. Sit down. We'll get to work devising a plan right away." He looked sadly down at her.
"I know this isn't the best thing to say right now, and it may not sound so reassuring, but it can take as long as four months. I assure you Ginny, we'll find him, dead or alive." Virginia jumped up from her chair immediately.
"I don't want him dead!" She shrieked and slapped Ron across the face. "I just want him alive! He's my son!" Virginia ran from the room, slamming the office doors closed, leaving Ron standing there alone in bewilderment.
***
Draco held Virginia as she cried in the limo. "Take us home," he muttered to the chauffer as they started off.
***
Virginia sat curled up in the corner that she had deemed hers ever since she had arrived at Draco Malfoy's home. She couldn't cry now. Her tears had dried up, as she had been at it for the past four hours.
Virginia put her hand against the cool glass of the large window and pushed her burning forehead onto it. Her other hand clutched a handful of the curtain that hung limply over the windowsill she was sitting on.
When she had first set foot on the glorious marble floors of Draco's home, he had shown her where to put her things, then said he would leave her so she could be alone. She hadn't known where to go, where to hide and cry, until she had stumbled upon a brightly lit room with walls covered in bookshelves, and large windows on the west side.
She had immediately fallen in love with the room. She had crept behind the burgundy curtains and wrapped herself with them as she settled down to pray for the safety of her beloved son.
That had been three hours ago, but it felt like she had been sitting here, crying softly for an eternity. She lifted her forehead from the glass and turned around when she heard footsteps.
She clutched the curtain ever so tightly, but alas Draco managed to pull them back and found her curled up form hiding.
"I've been looking for you," he muttered softly and bent forward so he was closer to her.
Ginny merely lifted her legs and propped her elbows on top of her knees and looked at him without a word.
"How long have you been here?"
"Longer than I ever would have guessed," she replied and looked down at her hands.
"No doubt. I've been looking for you for the past two hours! This place is pretty big, Virginia. You get lost easy."
There was silence for a few moments, as Ginny didn't want to talk and Draco obviously didn't know what to say.
"There's a house built out in space. And I can't see that thief that lives inside of your head. But I can beat some courage at the side of your bed. And I don't know what's happening, and I can't pretend. But I can be your, be yours." Ginny sung under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"And we cannot go home because it will not go away," Ginny continued with amusement and sighed.
"Make it home again. Make it home again. It's a long, long getaway." She whispered and traced a path on the windowpane with her finger.
"It's been five hours," she continued sadly, "and I miss Sid like he's been gone for five years."
"I know." Draco replied. Ginny looked up at him and smiled sadly.
"You don't. You don't know what it's like, to have to do something you don't want to. To have to live the nightmares of it. Then, have to lose everything you gave for it." Ginny sniffed and turned to look back through the window.
"You're right. I don't know." He moved slowly to sit beside her and rubbed her shoulders soothingly.
They stayed like that for a few moments, until Draco offered they go get something to eat. Virginia really wasn't hungry, but she took his hand and he led her on the way to the dining room.
"I don't want to eat anything…" Virginia said, trying to pull away. "I just want to sleep. Sleep now and sleep forever. Or at least until I find Sidney!"
She was making very little sense and she knew that. She was just so confused at how everything was just happening so quickly… She just wanted to curl up with Jude and sleep forever…
"You have to eat something Virginia." He sat her down beside him and handed her a glass.
"Some whiskey?" he asked for the second time that day. She shook her head.
"No thank you." Virginia pushed the glass away and saw a house elf scurry across the floor.
"You there. May I have a glass of grape juice?" Draco looked at her oddly.
"Grape juice?"
"That's Sidney's favorite," she responded. Draco looked at the little elf.
"Get her the juice." The little elf rushed away quickly, leaving them alone.
"Ron wants me to wait four months. What am I going to do in four months? Sidney could be dead by then! I mean, I know he's a very smart boy, but I don't think he could survive a kidnapper for four months!"
Draco looked down at his plate of turkey.
"Perhaps. I think you should try to find him yourself." Virginia looked up at him in surprise.
"W-what?" she asked, like a person just slapped into reality after a long nap.
"You should just go. Go and find him. Maternal instinct is all you really need! I mean, this would be a great way to prove to… I don't know, your mother perhaps that you're better than they think you are…" He bit a piece of carrot.
Virginia's face suddenly turned angry. "They never did believe in me… It was always 'Ron!' this or 'Charlie!' that. I'm going to get my son and I'm going to do it alone!"
Draco hid a grin behind his whiskey.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning!" He shouted to Virginia as she ran up the stairs.
***
Virginia began to pace.
"I'm going to get my son back. I'm going to hold him and kiss him… I have to have him back soon."
She held Jude up to her nose.
"He still smells like him…"
In all truth, most people would
just smell cinders, but a mother smelled her son.
At that, Virginia closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
***
A/N: PI- Well, what did you all think? The song at the beginning is "Be a Man" by Aqua, the song sung by Ginny while she was in her little sulking spot belongs to Our Lady Peace (Thief). Hope you all enjoyed that! Did it suck? Was it awesome? Was it blah? Why not drop a review and let us know?
MS- I don't think I like my initials… Oh sorry! I hope you all liked this! It took a few hours of arguments to finally get it to work, but we finally got it! See you next chapter!
Ciao!
Mystical Starlight – Pink Inspiration