"Get up girly, yer comin' with me!" The harsh tone of voice snapped her awake just as someone latched onto her arm, yanking her upwards. She cursed and tried to fight back, but the Death Eater was much too strong. "Get on, get!" He snarled, giving her a hard shove towards the door. She nearly tripped but caught herself just in time- with a huff she went out the door, casting Draco one last look before the door slammed shut. "Lucky girl you are. Dark Lord himself is coming here to see you." The man said and Ginny blinked, true shock registering on her features. Voldemort… Here to talk to her?
The man steered her up a hallway and past the room they usually went to. It was two months into her capture- and though she was still doing her best to stay strong, it was getting much harder. And now the prospect of having to face Voldemort himself? Truth be told, she was frightened. They came to a stop before a closed door and he reached out to knock three times. After a moment, the door opened, and a cold voice called out to her. "Come in, Miss Weasley." The man pushed her inside and the door swung shut behind her. Whipping around, her hand immediately reached for the door knob, but she found it to be locked, just as she had suspected. "It's been quite some time," the same voice continued and Ginny felt the chills race down her spine. The voice, though it had been many years since she'd heard it, she still recognized it with ease. She slowly turned around, finding herself staring at the back of a cloaked man standing before the fireplace. He then turned himself, slowly, until he was finally face-to-face with her. A smile appeared on his snake-like features, warping them, and she shuddered, taking one step backwards. He raised his wand and behind her, a chair appeared. He waved his wand once more and she felt her body go rigid- she fell into place into the chair- and then the ropes began to wind around her limbs, keeping her in place. His laughter resounded as he watched her struggle against the binds- even if she weren't in such a weakened state, she'd never be able to escape. "There's much for us to discuss, Miss Weasley… No… Ginny.. I will call you by your given name, surely you don't mind…"
"I have nothing to tell you!" She snapped, brown eyes blazing, lips curved into a snarl. "Even if I did know something, I'd die before I told you!" At her words he began to laugh, lowering the hood of his cloak, his eyes flashing with genuine mirth.
"I have not come to discuss Harry Potter with you," Voldemort replied softly, stepping a little closer to her, his footsteps echoing in the silence. He came up before her, reaching a hand out, one finger pressing against her forehead. "I have come to discuss you," he continued, stepping away, walking around her in one, big circle. She followed him with her eyes, watching his every step, wondering just what the hell he was talking about.
"Me? Why me?" She questioned, her struggles abandoned, her brown eyes widening slightly. He was behind her now; she felt him a moment before his hands touched down upon her shoulders, as if he were a caring older man in her life- not the Dark Lord himself. She shuddered at his touch and he felt it. He smirked but did not speak, at least not right away. For a moment he stayed there until he released her, heading back around to the fireplace. He turned his back to her, his eyes staring deep into the dancing flames.
"Do you remember that day… That day you entered the chamber of secrets?" He asked suddenly, his back still turned towards her. She stiffened in the chair, her heart skipping a beat. She swallowed, waiting in silence until he turned back around, those red eyes finding her own brown ones. "Of course you do…" He murmured, shaking his head, as if realizing his question was stupid. He took a step forward, tilting his head to the side as he spoke once more. "Have you… Heard of a Horcrux?" He asked suddenly and she blinked, unsure as to why this was becoming a pop quiz.
In truth, she didn't really know. She had overheard Harry and the others discussing it, the night before the wedding. But she'd only caught snippets of the conversation, not enough to know or understand the term at all. However, she'd flipped through her textbooks to find the one little passage about the dark object. "It's a way to anchor your soul to earth." She said with uncertainty, her eyes never straying from his face. His lips curved with a smile and he nodded, coming to stand just before her.
"You are smart they say," Voldemort said, his eyes glowing in the shadows, his laughter bubbling over. "It is true, what you say… I suppose that's the textbook definition." He continued, taking yet another turn around her chair. Ginny's eyes darted around, following his every movement, her heart pounding. Just where was he taking this conversation, anyways? "I have been creating Horcruxes for many years now. That… That is why I did not perish the night my Killing Curse aimed for Harry Potter backfired. Though it left me severely weakened, I did not die." Well, that certainly explained things. "I have seven in all now… Seven different objects which tie my soul to this world. Objects that so long as they exist, I cannot die. Not entirely."
Ginny blinked, her mind trying to wrap around all these things Voldemort was telling her. What were these items? Was that was Harry was out doing, hunting and destroying these things? And more importantly, why was Voldemort telling her? "Why are you telling me this?" She asked finally, causing another wave of laughter to pass his lips.
"I never meant to tell you… It makes no difference, truly… But I thought it might make things more interesting. Harry Potter is out, gallivanting across the countryside, searching for the final few Horcruxes. I will admit, a few have already been destroyed… However there is one that Potter will never be able to destroy." He was smiling again, though maliciously, as if he knew something awful.
"He'll destroy them all… He'll destroy them all and finally defeat you!" Ginny snapped, pulling her head back as he reached out to touch her face. "Your end is close at hand."
Voldemort drew back his hand, as if offended by her drawing back. "He won't," Voldemort said, his tone harsher, angrier. "Because my seventh Horcrux is not an object, but a person. Harry Potter does not have it in him to murder someone, let alone someone he loves."
Someone… He loves…? Those words echoed within her mind and for a moment, the world was spinning around her. She didn't need to hear his next words, because she already knew. He leaned down close, his face a mere inches from her own; his breath was hot against her skin. "It's you. That day you opened the Chamber of Secrets… For that whole year, you'd poured your little soul out and it made me strong. You had no idea what was truly going on. The moment you opened the Chamber, your soul became mine, and I freed myself from the diary." She could hardly believe her ears, could hardly believe what was being said to her. And yet.. In many ways it made sense. "I didn't know you'd turn out to be such a good host. I had no idea you'd become so close to Potter. Having a piece of me within you put me just a little bit closer to him. Once I realized you meant something to him… Well, I knew I had won. He'll never sacrifice you… The war will be won by me and I will rule the whole Wizarding world. And if you behave, perhaps you can rule beside me…"
"Never!" She suddenly spat, her eyes narrowed in hate, her hands clenched into tight fists atop the chair arms. "I will kill myself before I let you win the war!" She cried out passionately, her head thrown defiantly to the side, eyes flashing. "I will die before you win."
Voldemort scowled and stepped back, his wand suddenly raised. The chair and bindings vanished from beneath her and she hit the floor, surely bruising her tailbone. Groaning, she looked up as he gave his wand a quick flick- she never the movements before hearing the words. "Crucio." The pain was unlike any of the previous torture sessions- Voldemort was renowned for his skill for the Cruciatus Curse. She had thought Lucius Malfoy was strong, but he was nothing in comparison to this. She could literally feel his hatred within the curse.
The curse left her sprawled out on the floor at his feet, panting, her red waves falling across her sweaty face. "Know this now, Ginny Weasley… You will never leave this manor. This is your fate. If you will not join me, then you are against me, and I will not stop my Death Eaters from doing whatever they please to you." This was no empty threat- they'd done quite a bit already, Ginny couldn't really imagine what might be worse. However, she wasn't about to say that. "You will never die… But you certainly will wish you had."
[ x x x ]
She woke with a start, panting, sweat dripping from her forehead. Reaching a hand up, she placed a tentative hand to her temple, sliding it across to rest against her forehead. It was warm and she felt the weakness associated with fevers. Not good. Sighing, she lay back, hands laying idly by her sides. Across the dungeon she could hear voices, reminding her that the day before had not been a dream. "Ginny?" Hearing her name she opened her eyes, staring up into Hermione's concerned features. The brunette was pale and her eyes were misty as she reached out, also to touch Ginny's burning forehead. She tossed a worried look over her shoulder, to where Ron and Harry sat with Draco, locked in discussion. "You're sick," the girl murmured softly, as not to attract the boys attention. Ginny mutely nodded, her hair falling across her shoulders, shielding her face from sight. "Just try to get some rest. We're working on how to get out of here," Hermione gave her a cheerful smile, reaching out to gently rest the girl back down on a folded up cloak. "Sleep."
When the redhead's eyes had closed and she was certain she'd fallen back asleep, Hermione rose, returning to join the trio of males. "It's not good, she's really sick." Hermione said softly, her eyes casting one last glance to Ginny's sleeping form. "And he's not much better, no offense," she added, shooting Draco an apologetic face. He shrugged, not denying it. "We don't have much time."
Harry turned his eyes to look upon Ginny's form, small and shivering, as she lay on the stone floor. His own body ached after one night of sleep upon it- he couldn't believe she'd made it as many as she had. "I think we've got a plan," Harry said after a moment, returning his attention to the group. His eyes flicked back from face-to-face, as each one nodded. "Once they come down, if it's just one, we can take him. They won't expect us to fight back without magic. We'll get his wand and use the bit of Veritaserum we have to make him tell us where our wands are. We just have to wait for the opportune moment." They were lucky that the potion had been in vial around Hermione's neck, tucked away, never once spotted.
They could only just hope that it came fast.
[ x x x ]
Blinking, she came back into consciousness to the sound of laughter. It was a strange sound… She had not heard such happy laughter in such a long time. She'd almost forgotten what it sounded like. And to her even greater surprise, it was Draco providing it. "We were such gits, Crabbe, Goyle, and I…" he was saying, leaning back on the wall, his stormy gray eyes calmer than she had ever seen them. "I was a git," he corrected after a moment and then silence descended.
"We all were," Ron spoke up, reaching out to clap him on the shoulder. "Look, we're different people now, all of us. You protected my sister the best you could in here… I owe you, I owe you everything." Ron, certainly not the sentimental note, struck a nerve and Draco turned away, his eyes closed.
"I couldn't protect her enough. Not from everything." He said, causing Ron to open his mouth, to press him, but Ginny interrupted.
"It doesn't matter. You couldn't protect me when you weren't there. I never expected you to anyways. You know that." She rose up, ignoring Hermione's protest. The redhead came closer to their group, her hand coming up to grip her injured shoulder. "You said something about an escape plan earlier?" She directed the conversation in another direction- the last thing she wanted to talk about was all the horrific things she and Draco had experienced.
"Yes…" Harry replied, his gesture of running a hand through his hair nervously forcing her to smile. "We just need to get him far enough inside the dungeon that we can get him from the sides," he turned to look at Ron, who nodded, flexing his arms with pride. They were obviously going to take down the Death Eater with brute strength.
"Oh, easy. Just leave that to me. Whenever one comes, just lure them in by telling them I haven't woke up since yesterday." Draco exchanged a quick glance with her but did not respond more than a nod, as if to say he thought it to be a good idea. "He'll come in to check, trust me. When he gets close to me, just come at him. I'll lay in the furthermost corner." She gestured towards the east corner, which was all the way across the room from the only door. One by one, everyone nodded their assent towards the plan. Ginny fell silent, chewing her lower lip in thought. She knew, like Draco surely knew, she wasn't going to be able to make it through a daring escape. She would only drag them down and slow the group up. But, she supposed now was not the time to speak of it.
[ x x x ]
It was almost midnight and the small group thought perhaps their plan would never get set into motion. "Do they really not come for days on end?" Ron asked Draco, turning towards him. When Draco nodded, he cursed, shaking his head in disgust. The thought of his little sister… Hell, even the thought of Draco starving revolted him. He hated himself for the hunger pains he felt- they had not eaten in 48 hours, but how long had it been for Draco and Ginny?
Silence fell but a moment later, footsteps.
Looking up, they all turned their eyes to the door. Ginny put a finger to her mouth, silencing the others before they could speak. She immediately then nodded, noting to herself there was indeed only one set of footsteps. At once, Harry and Ron took to the sides of the door, pressing themselves against the wall, hidden by the shadows. Ginny lay back in her spot, turned onto her side, facing the wall. She knew this moment might not go as easy as they hoped, she only could pray that Harry and Ron didn't spring into action too quickly. She hoped they heeded her words when she said "no matter what he does to me, wait until the moment is right."
She closed her eyes just as the door to the dungeon swung open, revealing the same nameless Death Eater that had been in attendance for the last week. "How's everyone doing?" He snickered, casting his glance from face to face. If he did not notice the two absences, he certainly didn't show it.
"Please… Ginny… She hasn't woken up since yesterday morning…" Hermione said, her voice whimpering, as if she truly were crying. Ginny heard the approaching footsteps as the man came towards her; she felt the pressure as he put one foot on her side, rolling her back and forth. She limply fell forwards, hand outstretched over her face.
"Faker," the man scoffed, pulling his foot back. He then kicked her, hard as he could, in her ribcage. Ginny felt the shock of pain, but forced herself to keep from crying out. She instead, allowed her body to roll forwards with the force of the kick, and remained limp on the floor. "Bloody hell," he suddenly spoke up, but before he could turn to call for help, Harry and Ron were on him. "Get off me! Get off me!" He shouted, but with one hard punch, Ron had knocked him out. They dropped his body to the floor and Harry immediately bound his limbs together with a bit of rope Ginny had been using as a makeshift belt.
Draco was at her side, assisting her, murmuring softly to her. Hermione was on her other side, looking panicked, her face pale, cheeks stained with tear tracks. "It's okay. I'm alright, really." She said, offering the group a small smile. "Shut the door. Let's get this going."
Within a few minutes, Hermione had administered a few drops of the truth serum, just enough to get the man talking. Settling him against the stone wall, Ron slapped his face a few times, then a few more, just until they'd pulled him back into the world of the living. "State your name."
"Matthew Bateman."
They all exchanged a glance; so far so good. "Are you a Death Eater?"
"Yes."
At that, Ron nodded to Harry, encouraging him on. It was clear the potion had done its job and done it right. "Where are we?"
"Malfoy Manor."
They all turned to Malfoy at that moment, who shrugged. "You never asked, you know," he said hotly, folding his arms over his chest, defiant as always. "I'm not the one on trial. Go on, keep asking." Harry returned his attention to this Matthew Bateman, wanting nothing more than to kick him once in the ribs again. His anger surged but he pushed on.
"Where are they keeping our wands?"
"In the main den, on the main floor."
"Are all of our wands there together?"
Matthew's foggy gaze swiveled from face to face, as if trying to remember. But then he nodded. "Yes, all your wands are there."
The group exchanged another quick look, hope rising up within the trio. "That's it. Knock him out. Let's get out of here." Ron said, moving to raise his arm once more. But then Ginny grasped it, preventing him from striking the Death Eater.
"Let it go, he's harmless now," Ginny said, reaching down to pick up the forgotten wand. She handed it to Harry and then turned away, as if fighting the urge to speak on.
"We have to go, they've bound to have noticed he's missing now." Hermione said, nervously glancing towards the door. The others nodded and they filled towards the door, though Ginny remained where she stood, forcing herself to look down. "Ginny, come on." Hermione called from the door, forcing the redhead to look up, her eyes dark, face shrouded in shadow.
"I can't go, I'll only slow you down." She stated, shaking her head. "They'll never kill me, its okay… Just get out of here. Send the troops in. You know where I am, after all." She said, her voice shaking slightly, turning to Draco, who was making a movement to come back to her. "No, go… You'll show them the way up there." She shook her head as he opened his mouth to reply, her eyes shining, but no tears gathering. "Go on, I'll be fine, just go before it's too late!"
In three great strides, Ron placed himself before her, shaking his head. "Do you think I'm going to leave here without you?" He asked, shocked that she'd even begin to think he'd leave without her. That Harry would leave without her. That Hermione would leave without her. "You think I can go home and face Mum and Dad and tell them, sure, I saw her, but I didn't save her?" He shook his head, not giving her a chance to respond before he turned around, kneeling down so she could climb up onto his back. "Get on and shut up." He commanded, typical older brother, typical Ron. No energy to fight, but secretly happy to hear someone fight for her, Ginny sighed softly and climbed onto his back. He was surprised by how nearly weightless she was- so much lighter than the last time he'd lifted her up. He could even feel the protrusions of her bones.. It was eerie and he couldn't wait to get her out of this hell hole. "Let's go," he said, letting Harry and Draco go first, Harry leading the way with the wand they'd stolen from Matthew. Hermione came beside him, her hazel eyes darkened with determination.
The group of five made their way down the winding hallway, full of sharp turns and confusing swirls,
Draco navigating quietly as they went. At the end of the hall was a staircase. They could already hear the voices and footsteps of approaching Death Eaters. "Bateman! Yo, Bateman, you down here?" One man called out as he began to descend the staircase.
"Quick, in here," Draco hissed, pointing towards a dungeon with an open door. Just in time, the group hid out in the shadows, eyes watching the door intently. They all watched as the two Death Eaters passed by; they waited in silence until the two took a turn, heading for their dungeon, in search for their comrade. When the coast was clear, they returned to the hall and began to make their way up the staircase. They made it with ease, but now on a main floor, the trouble was surely to begin. "This way," Draco murmured, gesturing for the others to follow him to the left.
They walked in silence for a few moments before the footsteps found them. "Oi!" A voice shouted and they all spun, coming face to face with a masked Death Eater. His wand was raised, prepared to strike, but Harry was quicker. Catching the man with a Locomotor Motis, his limbs sprung together and he collapsed to the floor with a thud. Hermione was on it in an instant, grabbing his fallen wand, uttering the incantation for a silencing charm. The man's shouts went silent and the group could move on, one more wand in their possession.
Moving on, Draco directed them down another hall, then another rising staircase. "It's the room at the far end," Draco said, pointing to the very last door, at the very end of the hall they stood within. "It won't be empty. My father and the higher ups… They'll all be there. Here, give me the wand," he said to Hermione, waiting for her to place it in his hand. "Get the wands, I'll distract them. We can get away by Floo. It still works here." They all nodded and Ginny held a little tighter to her brother, her stomach tied up in knots. She didn't like knowing she was a burden. Ron could not move as nimbly as he might have without her on his back… She could not begin to imagine the guilt she'd feel if he were to die because of her. Nodding himself, Draco led them down the hall, and reached out to grasp the doorknob. After several slow seconds, he threw open the door and burst into the room.
Like he had said, the room had a few occupants. Malfoy Sr, Fenrir Greyback, and a man only known as Yaxley. All three turned, wands raised, however Malfoy waved them down., laughter bubbling forth. "Ah so, you have escaped the dungeon. You've escaped a few idiot minions. Don't tell me you thought you'd actually make it past us, Draco," beside him, the other two roared with laughter, Greyback's eyes falling upon Ginny. He smirked and she flinched, causing Ron to turn his gave to the werewolf. "You have but two wands, wands that aren't even yours." Malfoy continued, drawing Ron's attention away from Greyback.
"Stupefy!" Harry called out, flicking his wand quickly. Malfoy blocked the spell, laughing aloud once again.
"I'll hand it to you, Potter, you can wield a wand." He commented, striding back and forth before the fireplace, where above on the mantle, stood five wands. Their wands. Kept out in the open, as if they were their trophies. Harry tore his gaze from them to rest instead upon Malfoy. There had to be some way to escape. Some way to fight back, even with a wand that wasn't his own. He shot a glance towards Hermione, hoping that big, beautiful brain of hers would be coming up with a brilliant plan. But she looked frightened, which didn't give him much hope. No, he supposed he'd have to be the one to figure something out.
Draco knew, without a doubt, what he needed to do. He passed the wand back to Hermione, knowing he wasn't going to need it now. Unarmed, he stepped forwards, placing himself between Harry and his father. He could, at least buy them some time. "You've been nothing but a disappointment, I won't regret what happens today." Lucius' cruel words exploded like a bomb between them and Draco lashed out- he had long since been bothered by any of the man's words. This merely gave him the reason to spring into action. Just as his hands made contact, he was brought down by the Cruciatus Curse. It hit him hard and he stumbled, falling onto the ground.
At once, Harry knew what Draco was doing; he was being the distraction they needed. He turned towards Yaxley and Greyback. Hermione at his side, she raised the wand, speaking the words loud and clear. "Colloshoo!" At once, the sticky substance appeared, adhering both sets of feet to the floor. Greyback, who had been in the process of stepping when struck, was able to free himself within moments, and he lunged. "Stupefy!" She and Harry cried in unison, the two spells colliding into Greyback, throwing him backwards several feet.
"Locomotor Motis!" Harry cried for a second time, forcing Yaxley's limbs down. He fell back, his shoes left behind, still stuck down by the sticky stuff Hermione's charm had caused. "Now, Ron, go!" Harry shouting, rounding towards the mantle. He grabbed Ron and Ginny's wands, tossing them to Ron who came hurdling forwards. "Accio Floo Powder!" Harry called with the foreign wand and the jar sped right into his waiting hands. He tossed a dash into the flames, watching as they turned emerald in an instant.
Catching the wands, Ron lifted Ginny a bit higher, whispering words of encouragement to her as he began to run. He dove headfirst into the flames, careful of Ginny as he went, shouting out the words. "The Burrow!" He wasn't sure how, but for some reason, he knew they'd make it through. It was rare that the Order ever used the Floo Network to communicate- but somehow he knew it would be open on the other side.
"Harry!" Hermione's shriek brought him back, as he had been staring at the emerald flames, hoping with all of his heart that they'd make it somewhere safe. He had heard Ron call out the Burrow- he just hoped they made it there in one piece. Brought back to reality, Harry turned just as Lucius Malfoy rounded on him, Draco left forgotten on the floor.
"Potter!" The blonde man snarled, lurching forward, his wand raised. "Crucio!" Harry deflected, throwing himself to the floor, rolling to avoid a second jet of light. He rose back up, body made nimble by the months of fighting and searching. "You'll regret what you've just done." Lucius continued, his wand still raised, his brow sweaty. Behind him, Greyback was still knocked unconscious, and Yaxley still trapped by the limb locking spell. Lucius scowled, throwing another curse, this time towards Hermione. She dodged just in time, racing back towards the mantle.
"Accio wand!" Harry called out, praying Hermione would forgive him for allowing her to be a distraction. With her back to him, Lucious caught her as she reached for her own wand; she fell to the floor with a cry, the curse stronger than she had ever experienced. Lucius gave a cry as he realized the wand was flying back into Harry's hands. There was no stopping it. He raced forwards, but Harry was too quick. "Hermione, go!" He shouted, his voice forcing the girl into action. She threw a handful of powder into the flames and then was gone. She too called out for the Burrow.
Now alone, aside from Draco, Harry knew he had to get out fast. Greyback could wake at any moment and the limb locking spell was only temporary. He cast a glance back towards Draco, who was trying to rise up off the floor, pale and weary. Harry turned back, emerald eyes focused on his target. Focused on the enemy. He tossed aside the spare wand, for Draco to pick up, which he did, finally finding his footage. He stood beside Harry, shoulder to shoulder, like on the front lines of an army brigade. Harry felt confident then, confident that they'd both make it out of this. "Two against one, Malfoy, maybe you should give up," Harry taunted, sounding a bit more cocky than he truly felt. He glanced at Draco, who nodded, as if he could read the dark-haired boy's mind. "Stupefy!" They cried in unison.
It was apparent though, that Lucius Malfoy would not fall so easily. He deflected, casting one of his own right back at the two males. They separated but Malfoy knew if his son got his own wand, some damage could indeed be done. Draco placed himself towards Harry right, a little closer to the mantle, with the one remaining wand. His. It had been months since he'd held a wand in his grasp… it felt like home, even without it being his own wand. Just having a wand once more reminded him that he was not so weak, that he could fight back. "Accio, wand!" He called but the wand backfired with a flash and Draco's wand remained up on the mantle.
"Accio, Draco's wand!" Harry called out, ducking as a Cruciatus Curse was tossed his way. As his fingers closed around the wand, he was hit; he fell to the floor, the wand sliding away from his grasp. At once, both father and son pounced, wanting to be the one to grab that wand. Draco, as weak as he was, was quicker. His fingers caught the wand and he was unleashing his fury in an instant.
"Crucio!" He called, aiming his wand directly for his father. It caught him, and then Draco hit him again, and then again. Harry forced himself up and then grabbed Draco by the elbow, forcing him down. Malfoy lay at their feet, hands over head, hurting but clearly angry. "This isn't over," Draco spat at his feet and allowed Harry to pull him away, back towards the fireplace. The flames flashed emerald and the two males jumped in, side by side once again, the words falling in unison from their lips.
"The Burrow!"
