Chapter 1:
How many hours later it was, she didn't know. She got up reluctantly and for a moment thought she was in her warm bed at her apartment with the fire crackling. But that was only for a moment, because almost as soon as she thought it, she felt the coldness of the floor below her, and the aching of her ankles and wrists, all bound to by metal chains, and she realised that the cackling of the fire was nothing more than the scuttling of rats on the stone floor. Ginny was being held prisoner.
She moved a leg, trying to slip it out of its shackle. She twisted it, this way and that, always almost getting there but never quite slipping out. She tried harder, feeling the metal cutting into her foot. She bit her lip to hold back the pain. It was no use. She pulled at the chains holding her arms to the wall, so that her muscles ached from strain. She pulled with all her might, but nothing helped. And that was when the shock and fear of it all hit her all at once, she was being held prisoner. And at once she began to scream. It wasn't one of those high pitched screams, or the short screams of shock. It was a raw, animal scream of terror. She screamed until she almost went hoarse. And then there was a sound behind the door, a moment later it noisily opened. And Draco Malfoy entered forcefully behind it. His tall masculine frame darted inside, dressed in loose black trousers, and a buttoned-down white shirt that seemed to be put on in haste, leaving all except two middle buttons undone. His hair was thrown messily about, and his skin was so clean and milky it seemed to glow.
"Fuck all! Stop screaming, you were supposed to be asleep till another hour at least."
The informality he approached her with shocked her into silence. This was not how kidnappers acted, he had to be cool and calm, with an evil sneer, beating her into silence. He approached her with the same childhood annoyance he had back at Hogwarts.
"Untie me," she demanded.
He looked at her amused, "You're not tied."
She sighed in frustration, "Malfoy, let me go."
Slowly he inched towards her. Instinctively she crouched inwards, into the foetal position, unaware of what Malfoy would do.
He laughed, "Afraid of me, are you?"
"You sick fuck," she seethed through gritted teeth. "Let. Me. Go."
"Or what?"
"Or, I will personally tear your eyes out."
"With those chains holding your arms and legs?"
The anger building within her had flooded, taken over her terror, and before she knew it she was kicking and screaming "FUCK YOU MALFOY! FUCK YOU!" the chains holding her back clattering noisily around her.
Draco held his hands up in surrender, "Easy Weasley, easy. I'll let you go."
She looked at him in defiance, her red curls covering most of her eyes. She stood still, her chest rising and falling as she breathed. And one by one, Draco took her chains off. It would have been the perfect opportunity for her to run, and then to sneak out unnoticed out of wherever it was she was being held. But instead she fell, weak from the energy it took to fight and yell, and sore from the muscle strain she had from being held by the chains.
"Happy?" he whispered to her.
She stayed quiet for a moment and then to Draco's surprise, began sobbing uncontrollably, shaking violently as she cried and cried.
"Stop," He ordered. But she only cried harder. He waited, hoping that she would stop eventually, but she didn't. And then he sighed in frustration and with one quick movement scooped her off the ground and into his arms.
"What are you doing?" She asked him.
"I don't have to answer your questions," he replied coldly as he carried her out of the room.
She seemed to accept that as his answer, being too tired to question, and resumed her sobbing.
Breathing out his annoyance he finally gave in, "I'm taking you to see the Dark Lord."
It took a second for the words to register and when they did they paralysed her with shock, "The Dark Lord?"
"Yes, the Dark Lord," he was not even slightly out of breath from carrying her all the way.
Her voice was small and high-pitched when she asked, "Why?"
"Because while you are here, you are his and he likes to know what is his."
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Where am I?"
Draco's only response was to adjust her in his arms and continue walking at a quickened space.
"Answer me." She demanded.
Immediately he put her down, she wavered slightly on her feet. "Look while you're here you take orders from me. I don't have to answer your demands, and neither does anyone else. And even if we weren't here, I would never answer to a Weasley."
"See, that's your problem-," she began, but then her knees weakened beneath her and she fell.
Draco caught her in one swift movement, "No. My problem right now is you."
XX
They didn't talk the rest of the way, and Ginny was glad for the silence, as no doubt was Draco. Sometime in between the ten minute walk from her cell she dozed off, unaware for a moment of where she was, or what danger she could potentially be in. She realised exactly how much that could be when she heard a shrill, cold voice call out 'Bring her here.'
Immediately she opened her eyes. She needn't ask any questions. She knew exactly who her was referring to, and she knew exactly who – or rather what – was doing the referring. Struck with terror her fists clutched at Draco's shirt. Her eyes opened wide from fear.
Malfoy looked down at her and she wished that somehow, if someone out there was at all looking over her, if there was any hope for humanity he would take pity on her, he would let her go. But of course there was no one looking over her, and she knew almost all her life that there was no hope for humanity as long as humans existed. So she was hardly surprised when Draco smiled at her, his smug smile, and said 'With pleasure My Lord.'
"You bastard," she threw at him under her breath. The only sign he had heard it was a widening of the smile he held. "You sick prick. Fucker. You bloody-"
"Is she being resistant, Draco?" Voldermort called as she neared him.
He looked at her once more, a mischievous gleam in his eye, "Very, My Lord. She vows her life to the good side. She – She swears by her love to Harry Potter."
Her brain was flooded with the rush of blood, and she felt almost sure that this was the end of her life. This was where she would take her last breath. All because of a Malfoy.
"Let me see her," Voldermort called.
And finally, she came face to face to what Voldermort was. His skin held a hideous rusty colour, and it was severely wrinkled. His eyes were red slits; his hair on his head was sparse and dry. He looked almost helpless, sitting in his big chair, resembling a throne. He extended one long bony finger and traced the hem at the cleavage of Ginny's white dress, soaked with sweat and dirt. She felt the coldness as his skin touched hers, the goose bumps spreading in every direction. Still she kept still, afraid that any sudden movement she made would trigger an attack, like that of a snake.
"A muggle lover, this one?"
"Yes sir… living with them even," Draco offered.
"Interesting. Interesting. And her and Harry Potter then?"
"Dated. In school, your greatness."
"As you have told me."
"Yes. What will you have me do with her? Throw her back in the cell? Throw her out? Kill…her?"
"No. No. Keep her healthy. She will be very good use to us. Very good indeed."
She could almost hear the disappointment in his voice when he replied, "As you wish My Lord."
XX
"My first step," Draco told her later when he brought in a plate overflowing with foods of all sorts, "is to keep you healthy. Let you eat. As much as you like. Not too much though, you don't want to get too fat for your reunion with Potter now, do you?"
He inched the plate towards her, but she turned away.
"Go ahead now, eat it."
"I'm not hungry," she muttered, but the loud sound emanating from her stomach said otherwise.
"Listen to that," he replied, "You're starving from the sounds of it."
She adjusted her sitting position on the hard, stone floor.
"Weasley, eat it."
"No."
"Eat it."
"No."
"Eat."
"Why should I? To help you do what you-know-who wants you to?"
"To help you survive."
"No, to help you survive. I'd rather not."
"So what? You're going to starve yourself?"
She chuckled quietly, "Malfoy, I'd rather kill myself than help you in any sort of way."
"Suit yourself. Starve for all I care." But despite his uncaring tone, the uneasiness in his voice was all too clear.
Ginny smiled in satisfaction as she replied "With pleasure."
XX
