Summary-After an attack on the Weaselys, Ginny and Ron are taken in by a relative they wish hadn't been on the tapestry. Ron leaves under fishy circumstances, and Ginny realizes the only one who can protect her from the man who ordered the attack is his own son. Disclaimer-All characters and situations are based on the septology in progress by JK Rowling. However the plot line is mine. Author's Note-Lethifolds are mentioned in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, aka JKR
Chapter One-Malfoy Manor
It had all come down to this, Ginny thought as she stood in front of Malfoy Manor with her brother Ron and two aurors, taking their trunks up to the doors. Just a week ago, she had been wishing her family had more money and better things, now all she wanted was her family back. The attack was awful, only Ron and she had survived. They had stayed with Tonks a few days before Dumbledore decided to have them stay with her mother's cousin by marriage, Narcissa. Ron was fuming, furious for being forced to stay with the Malfoy's. Ginny was equally angry, the last thing they needed was Draco and his parents making fun of her late family. She looked up with dread as Kingsley Shacklebolt rang the doorbell. It had been late at night, and no one stirred in the house that appeared as if held up by magic. That isn't to say that nothing stirred.
Ginny Weasely had felt something heavy drape across her feet. She assumed it was a blanket and turned over on her side. Her eyes shot open as she realized the blanket was slowly moving towards her. Carefully she reached across her lamp stand and clutched her wand. The blanket or whatever it was stopped moving and for an instant she thought it had all been a nightmare when it shot at her face, twisting around her legs so she couldn't move away. Ginny then screamed and flailed her arms so she could point her wand at the black shroud that resembled a cloak of a dementor. That's it, dementors, patronus. Come on, happy memory. The cloak wrapped around her face, trying to suffocate her as she struggled with the patrounus.
"Expecto Patronum!" Someone shouted from the doorway. An enormous, silver, hairy giant lifted a club and knocked the cloak away. Ginny pulled herself up and caught a glimpse of her brother Ron before he had thrown himself at her in a hug. "Are you alright?" he asked, releasing her.
"What was that?"
"Lethifold, there was one in my room as well." He answered.
"Where's Mum and Dad?" Ginny asked, and Ron's face was drained of the little color still in it. He ran out of the room and up a flight of stairs, with Ginny hot on his heels. Just as she was about to enter her parent's room, Ron caught her shoulder and turned her around. "I don't want you to look." He whispered in her ear. She broke down into tears, and buried her head in his chest, while he continued to stare at the gory mess. He remembered studying Lethifolds in class; they suffocated their victims, and then ate them. The one that had attacked his parents hadn't finished.
Ginny suddenly pushed her brother away and ran down the steps. "Ginny!" He had followed after her and nearly collided with her when she stopped in front of the old clock, telling where the Weasely's were. She put her hand to her mouth as she saw that everyone was pointed at mortal peril, except for Ron and her who were now at home. She then pulled her hand away and watched, helpless as her parents hands disappeared from the clock itself. Bill's disappeared next, followed by Fred, George, and Percy. Charlie's stayed at mortal peril a few more minutes and then disappeared as well. Ron gripped her shoulders and said, "Come on, we've got to tell the Order."
Ginny snapped out of her flashback when the enormous oak doors were opened. A tall man with a pointed chin and long silver blonde hair glared down at the now only Weaselys. "Well, well, well what have we got here?" he drawled, glaring at Ron, who glared back, viciously.
"Lucius!" A woman's voice rang out. "I told you that I would be taking care of the children! Severus is looking for you in the parlor." She said, dropping the hint quite severely that her husband was supposed to leave. Lucius gave a curt nod, glared once again, and swept away, his heels clicking on the marble floor.
Ginny looked up at Narcissa, who's own silvery hair was held back in a severe bun. She smiled down at them and said, "Come on in, you two." She snapped her fingers and a house-elf appeared next to them instantly. "Take their trunks to their rooms, Nellie." She commanded. The house-elf squeaked and disappeared with a resounding crack, along with the luggage. The two aurors, Kingsley and Tonks, hugged them goodbye and disapparated. "I'll take you to your rooms." She said, kindly.
Ginny caught her brother's eye and they mutely agreed; Mrs. Malfoy was a lot nicer than they had ever given her credit for.
She led them up a flight of stairs and turned left and said to Ron, "Here's your room, dear. I'll have someone come and get you when dinner is ready. You're welcome to take a look around." Ron nodded and went into the room.
Ginny heard a crash as she was led up to the next floor and winced; she knew immediately that Ron had broken something in his anger at Mr. Malfoy. Narcissa looked at the stairs behind her and muttered, "Poor boy." She led Ginny around the corner and opened a door to one of the many rooms. "Here you are, Ginerva."
Ginny spun around, "What did you call me?" she asked.
"Well, that's the name you're mother gave you, my middle name, in fact. We were close when we were younger. I assumed that's what she called you." Mrs. Malfoy said, in an almost apologetic manner. "Do you go by a different name?"
"Well, Ginny's my nickname; I just hadn't heard that for a while, it startled me." She explained.
"Oh. Well, I'll have my son come and fetch you when dinner's ready. Feel free to look around."
"Thank you." Ginny said, Mrs. Malfoy nodded. Ginny shut the door and looked around her room. There was a nice bed, a large vanity, and a diamond chandelier. Its cheerful glow didn't match her mood and she waved her hand at it, causing the light to go out. All that lit the room now was a few candles, scattered across the room. She looked incredibly out of place in her jeans and muggle tee shirt. Ginny glanced at her trunk and walked past it. There was a large wardrobe next to two glass doors, with white silk drapes. Ginny pulled up a corner of the silk and saw a balcony that overlooked the grounds. The sky was grey, rain just now starting to fall from the clouds.
Ginny sighed and turned around and jumped back in surprise. Draco Malfoy was standing with his black booted foot on her bed. "Is-is it dinner already?" she asked, not knowing any other reason for him being there.
"Not yet." He answered; his grey eyes matched the sky outside. "My mother wanted me to say hello, so here I am." He answered, raising his hand, in a bored gesture.
"Hello." She said, coldly.
"Wonderful, now I can go and say hello to the other Weasel." He drawled. He got up to go and while shutting her door said, "Dinner's ready at six thirty; I hope I won't have to remind you, no matter how sad your pathetic Weasely memory is."
"Get out!" Ginny shouted, throwing an enchanted snow globe at him, just as the door shut. It hit the wood door and exploded into a thousand pieces; the nymph inside screaming. Ginny tried to calm herself down as her hands shook with anger. The nymph flew out of the shattered globe and zoomed off. She heard several bangs from downstairs and knew that Ron had similarly lost control. I hope Ron throttles him! She thought, furious. She checked her watch. It was only ten past five. What was she going to do for an hour and a half?
She heard the thunder from outside and moved over to the wardrobe to look for a cloak. She gasped when she opened it; it was full to bursting with wonderful cloaks of every kind. Ginny pulled out a pale blue one and wondered if the wardrobe only carried cloaks. Ginny knit her eyebrows together and shut the door, I need boots. She thought, and then opened the door again. There were shelves now, lined with an assortment of boots. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and pulled out some plain black ones. Quickly putting on the cloak and boots, she went out into the hall and downstairs to the grounds. Ginny fastened the cloak tighter, but didn't bother pulling up the hood. She went and sat down next to the small lake, watching the ripples that the rain caused in the water.
Draco Malfoy was standing under a tree, being shielded from the rain by the tree and his black cloak. He watched as Ginny came outside and sat at the water's edge. Her fiery red hair was a mess of curls that cascaded down her back. He thought of what it must be like to, not only, lose your parents, but all your siblings, save one, as well. He felt horrible for what he had said earlier, but the pity didn't last very long. He now glared at her, bitterly. He had lost his parents in a way. He remembered his father being a kind man, his mother always laughing, that was before Lucius had sunk so far into the Dark Arts. In fact, he had been shocked at how kind his mother had been to the Weaselys. It must be because she was once friend's with their mum.
He shrugged these thoughts away and watched Ginny punch the water with anger. The rain falling around Ginny had suddenly turned to blood. Draco realized she had done magic without meaning to and watched as the blood caught on her cloak and hair. He had never done magic that could affect the weather before and was rather impressed that she could. Although it probably took a lot of grief to do.
Draco stepped out from under the tree and walked up to the girl. She didn't notice him, just the rain. Draco knelt down next to her and she became vaguely aware of him. "Come out to make fun of my family, have you?" she said, savagely.
Ginny felt his hand pull her chin up to look her in the eye. "No." he whispered, watching as the blood pattered onto his pale hands and slide down her cheek.
Her lip trembled and she turned to the clouds, "I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry." Ginny's voice was strained and he whispered, "No one's going to get angry at you for crying." At this, she completely broke down. Draco tensed as she leaned against him, and cried. She didn't even bother using her hands to hold herself up, she was full of misery and her shoulders shook even though she didn't make any noise while she cried. He patted her back and watched as the blood continued to fall on them. Draco sat there with her a few minutes before whispering in her ear, "Come on." He helped her to her feet and placed an awkward kiss on her forehead. Tears still falling, Ginny looked up in his eyes and then walked back to the Manor. He followed after her and noted with some pride that the blood had turned back to steadily falling rain.
