Playing Dead
Chapter Two
IT wasn't the soft, squelching footsteps on the damp grass on a still night, or the way the air shifted with the presence of another that Harry new someone was nearing him. It was simply the flowery scent that he would recognise anywhere swirling towards him like a tangible mist that had his shoulders stiffening.
"You shouldn't be here." He sighed, without turning around the look at her.
How could he; when he knew if he did he would want nothing more than to take her in his arms and kiss her with a passion that seemed only to exist within him when in her presence. He did not know what it was about Ginny Weasley that made him feel like he had a monster in his chest that only she could control. A part of him was glad his feelings had only turned into more than friendly affection for her of late. He was certain that he would not have been able to give her up had they spent years together.
"Neither should you." She told him simply and he could hear the exasperation in her voice when he still did not turn to look at her. "I can't sleep with you here. I'm scared you'll run off alone."
His jaw flexed but he still refused to look at her. She did not impose herself on his vision and it was one of the many, many things he liked about Ginny. She knew when he needed his space, when she should let him come to her and when she should tell him off for isolating himself. He wondered if even Ron and Hermione, the only others who knew him as well as Ginny did, could ever handle him the way she does.
"You know that I'm leaving soon." Harry told her honestly. He had never lied to her and he never would. She knew this and if he could not answer her truthfully then he would tell her so. But he would never lie.
"I know." She said in a small voice. "Although then I'll be comforted knowing Ron and Hermione are with you. That you're not alone." He could hear her hesitation in that moment of silence but waited for her to continue. "That's why I had to come and see you tonight." She sounded almost unsure of being there, as if she were convincing herself of something and curiosity spiked at Harry's senses.
After Ginny had outgrown her crush on him she had been nothing but confident in his presence. Vibrant and humorous, witty and charming and he had been slowly enraptured by the real person hiding behind her shyness. He knew he was being a coward by not looking at her but he couldn't bear it. For even though she had accepted their break up he could see the hurt she tried to hide behind those amber jewels of hers. And he hated knowing that he was the reason for her pain and suffering. Unable to resist with her being this close to him and them being alone Harry strengthened his resolve.
Something within him told Harry this was the last night he would be at the Burrow. That was why he was standing outside in the middle of the night, taking in the familiar surroundings of the only other place besides Hogwarts that he had ever felt at home. So he turned around to face her with a heavy heart because he knew from the taste of home cooked meals, the smell of dewy grass and the sounds of peace and calm only interrupted by cackling chicken and grunting pigs; it was her that he'd miss the most.
What he saw before him made his heart fall like lead into his stomach. Nervousness fluttered in his tummy as it tried unsuccessfully to fly the dead weight back to his chest.
Ginny stood before him, a deep red blanket of wool held around her body. It seemed to be the only thing covering herself. Harry could see her pale shoulders bare where the blanket rested on her bosom and the curve of her calves that was not covered in clothing. Her tiny feet had no shoes on, her toenails charmed to glitter prettily. Harry trailed his eyes back up to her face and saw her hair looked tangled as if she had ran her hands through it many times.
"What are you doing?" His voice was hoarse betraying the fact that his seventeen year old body reacted to the sight of her. She looked breathtaking against the darkness of night bathed in the glow of the pearly moonlight that peeked between dark clouds. Harry knew that even if Fleur Delacour was standing completely naked next to Ginny right now he would not be able to take his eyes of the red head.
As if she had read some semblance of his thoughts Ginny moved her hands away from her chest more confidently and let the red blanket fall to the ground around her small feet. As Harry had suspected she was completely naked under the blanket. Yet she did not cower in shyness or modesty before him. She just stood there like a woman of the world looking to seduce him to his knees entirely. He was sure it was working too.
It was Ginny's calm attitude and the determined glint in her eyes, her fair skin free from any tinge of a blush that had Harry bravely drink in the sight of her. He took confidence from her and did not shy away from her naked self. He knew from the past five months they spent at school that she was no longer a young girl. Her body developing into what could only be described as womanly.
Although none of the innocent touching and raging hormone filled curiosity had prepared Harry for what he was currently looking at. Ginny's body was clearly filling out as she approached sixteen. Her breasts were plump and fuller, like they would fit in the palm of his hands perfectly. His hands clenched into fists at the thought.
Her tummy was flat but her hips flared out in a way that made him want to grip each curve and pull her against him. He felt his nails dig into the flesh of his palms.
Her legs were smooth and shapely and Harry wanted them to wrap around his waist as he …. Harry stamped down on that image as his body hardened at the thought.
He may have been a seventeen year old boy who's body demanded he fulfil his unruly fantasies, especially when the girl who had starred in all his naughty dreams for over a year now was standing stark naked before him. With not a stitch of cloth covering her virtue, not even a flimsy pair of panties, but he knew he would not. Because this was Ginny Weasley.
Harry did not want to take her because it would be the worst way to repay her family for the endless kindness and support they had always given him. Neither was it because just today when she had kissed him for his birthday, the best birthday gift he had ever received, he had later promised her youngest brother he would stay away from her.
It was because of her. Her alone. He cared for Ginny way too much to take what she was offering and then walk away from her without the possibility of returning. No, when he slept with Ginny Weasley it would be because he could do it again and again. It would be because they were both ready and he could love her.
Harry's mind spun at the sentiment yet his instinct was dead set in this notion. He always trusted his instinct. The aptitude had saved his life and the lives of others on numerous of occasions. After all the years of knowing Ginny, of the last five months they had spent together he knew that if they had more time with each other then he would find himself helplessly falling in love with her.
"Harry, I want this. Kissing you today made me realise that an interrupted snog isn't all I want you to leave with. If you can't take me with you, then Harry take a part of me."
"Stop." He demanded harshly. He was angry that she was offering a pure, precious gift to him when he could not even promise her he would come back to treasure it. Treasure her.
"No." She told him defiantly, taking a step towards him. She grabbed onto the front of his shirt, clinging onto it as she moulded her body against his.
He closed his eyes shut tightly as he felt her soft curves pressing into the lean bones of his body. He didn't dare touch her for doing so would cause his self resistance to crumble. A growl involuntary ripped from his throat as she pressed her soft lips to his.
What he wouldn't give to be someone else in that instant. To be anyone in the world beside Harry Potter so he could indulge in his one weakness. Ginny. However some part of his mind ridiculed that idea. If he was not Harry Potter then Ginny would never like him.
'No.' He told himself. That may have been true three years ago, but not now. Not today and not for the last three years. Ginny had become his friend, she knew him and understood him in a way that no one else did. Even if he had been some ordinary teenager Ginny would care for him. As if answering his doubts she spoke.
"Harry please, just for tonight be someone else besides Harry Potter the Chosen One. Please, be Harry, just Harry – for me."
He inhaled sharply. Only three people in the world knew he was the Chosen One and one was dead. The other two were not here with him tonight. Yet Ginny said it with such confidence and sincerity that he knew her words were more than trivial speculation or hope. Hers were raging with confidence. Not because he was the boy who lived, but because she had that much faith in him. Something swelled within him and Harry gave in to her.
He pulled her to him, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her arms as he kissed her with every being of him. He poured what he would not say to her in words and she moaned into his mouth as his tongue danced inside with her own. She tasted like completion and happiness and he wanted to drink from that well she represented forever.
As he felt when she had kissed him in her room earlier, he wanted her, all of her. His hands caressed her smooth skin, his fingers dipping in each indentation of her spine as they found their way to her long hair. She shivered, not from the cold night air he knew. He wanted to take her away with him. Elope, hide, run. Harry wanted desperately for it to be only them in the world. But he knew with all his heart that neither he nor she would forgive him for that. They expected nothing more or less from him than to do what he had been destined to do.
As thunder rolled around them and lighting flashed in the distance Harry pushed Ginny away from him gently. He heard her groan of displeasure but her eyes remained closed. He watched her face, taking in the sight of her arched eyebrows and small forehead, her button nose flecked with tiny freckles that he had only recently become so partial to. He took in her rosebud mouth, so pink and lush and desirable. Harry memorised the soft contours of Ginny's face.
"I won't." He told her softly so she was in no doubt to his meaning. He could, he wanted to. Merlin knew he wanted to. But he wouldn't. Not to her. Because as much as he was denying this for her, it was for him as well. If he gave in to her, to him, he would not leave her. He knew this as surely as he knew Voldemort wanted him dead.
He watched as her faced crinkled in pain before she opened her big, bold eyes. She stared searchingly into his eyes and nodded. But his heart clenched in pain as he saw the swirls of hurt shimmer there before she hid them behind a false smile. She nodded again before she took in a deep breath.
Thousands of images flashed before Harry. A conversation in the Hogwarts library that left them running and laughing from Madame Pince, the way their eyes met when they silently laughed at something only they found funny in a group of others. His jealousy at seeing her with Dean. That smile she smiled only for him, lighting his heart as if it were an everlasting candle that spread light and joy inside of him. Two months of watching her with someone else and another few months of uncertainty before he had just kissed her after a Quidditch match, finally followed by the months of bliss she had given him.
He sighed inwardly. Harry would never ask her to wait for him, but his heart begged him to do so for he needed to hear those words so desperately.
As he walked around Ginny he saw her shoulders shake as she held back a sob and Harry felt the back of his eyes sting. Fuck, this was hard. He piked up the blanket from the floor and wrapped it around her shoulders. She took the ends from him and held it tightly in her fists, close to her heaving chest. He covered her hands with his and pulled her against him. Inhaling the precious scent of her Harry turned her around to face him.
He cupped both her cheeks in his hands and lifted her face. Her eyes were full of tears but not one spilled over. "Look at me Gin." He told her and she stared at him bravely. "When we do this, it won't be for one night from rashness because we're in the middle of a fucking a war. It'll be forever."
He did not want to give her false hope but he wanted her to know what he felt for and how much she meant to him. She nodded again and then pressed her lips to his just as the first drops of rain landed on her cheeks. Harry lifted her to him and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
"Promise me you will try to come back Harry. That if you can, you will come back to me." She whispered in such a broken voice he felt the rain burn into him like it was acid.
"I promise." He whispered and he knew that he meant it with all his heart and soul.
She smiled at him, the first genuine smile she had given him in days and Harry felt his spirits soar. He felt hope blooming inside of him and he knew that he would do everything in his power to come back to her. "Then I'll wait till eternity for you Harry."
Those words curled around his heart like a protective band of hope and courage and Harry wanted to find those damn Horcruxes immediately. Because the sooner he destroyed Voldemort the quicker he could be home to Ginny.
Rain poured down from the sky and Harry took a step back from Ginny. Before he could offer her his hand however thunder rumbled in the distance and Ginny started moving away from him. Harry frowned at her as she looked down uncertainly at her feet.
Ginny was not stepping back voluntarily, her bare feet dragging against the grass outside as if on its own accord. "Harry." Ginny called in fear as she reached out to him while one hand clutched the blanket safely against her.
Before Harry could mover however he felt hands grab onto his arms and hold him away from Ginny. He made to jerk away from his captors but all he could hear was Bellatrix Lestrange's shrilly laughter in his ears as the rain poured down against him.
"No. Ginny!" Harry screamed. He wanted to scream for help but Bellatrix squeezed at his throat. Nothing was voiced from his mouth except gurgled spit.
"You didn't want her Harry. She was whoring herself out to you so willingly and you didn't want her. Greyback there, he'd never turn down willing flesh, Harry." Bellatrix cooed into his ear and her voice sent icy dread down his spine.
Bellatrix dropped him to the ground before she kicked him in the stomach. His wand was taken from him as rain pelted his body like lashes from a thick whip. Ginny screamed a most dreadful noise that chilled him to the bone worse than the cold night had and he wondered where the rest of the Weasleys were. Why could no one else hear her screaming like that? Harry tried to crawl towards Ginny but he kept getting kicked by Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy. His face was ground into the dirt by Lucius as Bellatrix cackled behind him and Harry lifted his hand towards Ginny. Too late could he see her naked body mauled so maliciously that Harry struggled to keep his stomach from roiling.
"No." He whispered. "No."
Fenrir Greyback knelt over Ginny's body as her deathly pale face looked at Harry, her eyes wide and unseeing as she lay there. Dead. Greyback threw his head back and cackled at the half moon, blood dripping from his fangs as he chewed hungrily at a piece of Ginny's flesh.
"No!" Harry screamed this time.
Hatred and loss pooled inside of him, sparking from his flesh and skin in black waves that gushed out of him. He snarled viciously as he heard Bellatrix's raw screams of agony while she begged him for mercy.
"Harry, please. Please stop it."
Only those weren't Bellatrix's screams.
Harry's torso shot up. His chest was heaving and his throat burned as if he had drunk poison. He looked around the unfamiliar room and immediately rolled of the bed.
The woman he had slept with tonight was floating above the matress by invisible threads as dark magic lashed against her skin. Cuts and gashes squirted blood against the white sheets. Shaking, Harry closed his eyes as he breathed calm into him.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Nightmare. It was just a nightmare. He told himself.
Harry reminded himself that it had only been a dream. When the rain had started to fall on them he had given his hand to Ginny. She had taken it, trustingly and they had ran back inside the Burrow. They had laughed at being caught in the rain and Harry felt his heart lighten, that even in those deadly times they could laugh together. He had made to kiss her and send her back to her room when she had shook her head at him. Leading him to Percy's old room he had spent the first night ever with Ginny sleeping in his arms. Unbelievably it had been the first and last night he could remember that he did not have a single nightmare without a dreamless sleep potion. The first time he had also broken a promise ever. Harry comforted himself with the fact that Ron would not mind today.
When he opened his eyes the girl whose name he could not remember was back on the bed. She had passed out from the strain of all the dark magic he had unwittingly used against her. Harry cursed himself for falling asleep with the witch. This was the first time it had happened in almost three years.
Harry quickly healed the battered body on the bed, cleaned the sheets again and then climbed over the unconscious witch. He concentrated his wand on her, delivering some of his magic into her so she would awake quickly. While she was still disorientated Harry delved into her mind instantly, planting a fake memory in place of the one she had just experienced. She was better of without the real one. Then he convinced her mind to lull her body into a peaceful sleep again.
He closed his eyes to calm himself for a moment when he immediately opened them again. Images of Ginny were burned into his retinas. He was ashamed to feel tears against his cold skin. Harry looked down at the red haired woman he was kneeling over. He immediately jerked off the bed as his position reminded him of Greyback and Ginny.
Right away the all too familiar scents of disgust rose within him and Harry reached for the water goblet on the night stand to wash away the horrid taste in his mouth. He got up quietly so as not to disturb the witch he had laid with. What was her name? Madeline, Gwendyline? He didn't know.
Harry dressed quickly and walked out of the room in the Sleeping Dragon. He did not look back once at the witch he left behind yet he remembered spending minutes staring at Ginny's sleeping form before he had forced himself to leave her that morning. It had been the day of Bill and Fleur's wedding, the day he had been forced to leave her on the hunt for the Horcruxes.
Harry sighed as he walked out the inn. He let the cool air blow away the remnants of his nightmare before disapparating outside of Grimmauld Place. He cursed his stupidity for falling asleep with a witch when his frustrations did not have the regular release of fighting now. Ever since his night at the Burrow he had made a concerted effort to compromise with Ron and Hermione more.
His night at the Burrow had actually been just what he had needed, although he would never tell Hermione that, and he was trying to deal with the past. However he had promised Ron and Hermione he would not visit the fight clubs for some time. They had agreed that if Harry still felt the urge after three months of abstinence then they would not try to convince him against it again. Hermione thought it was like smoking, it was just a habit that strong will could kick. Trying to mend his relationships with the only friends and family he had, Harry had agreed.
Neither had tried to talk him out of sleeping with different witches every week, but Hermione had tried to set him up with a witch she worked with. Eleanor had been a charming and smart female but Harry thought she was a bit to stiff for him. She was more like Hermione and he expected that Hermione would know him better than that. He sighed as he realised that maybe he should at least try with Eleanor. She definitely did not seem like the type who would jump into bed with him on their first date. The only way Harry could actually get to know someone was if they talked. Witches who slept with him easily because he was Harry Potter, never seemed worthy to talk to. After all, he could remember Eleanor's name at least.
With a wry smile Harry undressed and slipped into the comfort of his own bed. There was another witch he needed to see soon. Someone who could be dangerous and potentially curse him into oblivion but he needed to do it. He had shirked his responsibilities for far too long now.
A dark flash of green light streamed towards him and he waved his wand so that an overturned table nearby shielded him from the killing curse.
Harry shot a stunner at the Death Eater he was trying to capture before crouching low behind a broken pillar. He tried not to lean too heavily against the pillar as he was sure too much of weight would topple the blasted thing over and give away his hiding place.
He crouched backwards on bent knees into another room. The old Muggle house was being blown to smithereens and he did not wish the same fate for himself. His back met another back as he stood slowly.
"Did they tell us that we'd find close to fifteen fucking Death Eaters here?" Ron complained as he shot out a curse behind the wall.
"I've sent for back up." Harry told him as he hoped his stag would be received quickly by Robards back at the Ministry.
"Where's Conner and O'Brien?" Ron asked in irritation.
Harry shrugged. "No fucking idea. We were ambushed as soon as we came in. Those two split up."
Ron nodded. "Couldn't have given us a more useless duo."
Harry couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips. Ron always seemed to make missions much more bearable. Harry could handle his injuries, he could not handle boredom or monotony. Harry's arm was bleeding and he used a shield charm that Ron was reinforcing so he could mutter a quick healing charm at his biceps. He rolled his shoulder and circled his arm to flex his strained muscles before loud cracks were heard.
"No." Harry muttered as he and Ron turned to look at each other again. They nodded as they heard the flurry of movement on the other side of the wall they had been taking cover behind. They knew what that sound meant. The Force. "Fuck." Harry shouted as he moved back into the entrance hall.
He saw five figures dressed in full black robes, red masks hiding their faces and a blazing red 'F' on the right side of their chests and the back of their robes. Harry grit his teeth as he watched The Force stun the Death Eaters that were attempting to flee while creating portkeys so the villains who were willing to leave with them could escape.
"Great, that's all we needed." Ron screamed.
Harry nodded but made his way out with Ron. They joined the fray as they knew by now none of The Force members would hurt them. Yet they would fight each other for the remaining Death Eaters. Harry noticed only about seven Death Eaters remained. They chose to try and take out Ron and Harry with the help of The Force and hopefully then escape the notorious group too.
Harry strengthened the shield charm around Ron and watched as the hopeless Death Eaters started to scatter. Three Force members chased after them while two stood to stare at Harry and Ron.
Having no other option, Harry dropped the shield charm as he and Ron battled with the two remaining Force members one on one. Harry noticed that the small Force member he was battling with was lithe and agile. He dodged Harry's blasts easily if he could not cast a shield charm quickly enough. He was also able to throw well aimed hexes at Harry from very defensive positions. Harry watched in amusement as the Force member sent a flurry of quick spells at him. He was busy trying to ricochet some of the spells that managed to penetrate his hastily cast shield when he felt the air behind him move.
His body tensed as an all to familiar scent assailed his nose. Was that flowers he was smelling? Years of Muggle fighting however had honed his instincts to almost perfection. Harry ducked down before his opponent could wrap their arm around his neck and turned around quickly to aim a roundhouse kick at the Force member. Harry watched as the masked being jumped neatly in the air to avoid being kicked before he launched a quick punch at Harry. Harry swayed to his right as he caught the end of the black robe making to pull them towards him.
However the Force member twirled around gracefully and shook his hands behind him. The black robe slipped off his small shoulders and Harry frowned. Harry's gaze raked over the figure before him. Rounded bottom, hourglass hips and full chest moulded against black Lycra. It was definitely a her. That explained her feminine movements. A her with a flowery scent. Her hair was covered behind the red materiel she used to mask her face. She held her wand directly in his face.
Shocked Harry stood before her as well. He was about to shout a quick disarming spell when the chandelier above them rattled ominously. Upstairs it was obvious that the remaining Death Eaters were fighting off the other Force members. Instinct kicked in and Harry ran at the woman he had been duelling with.
He just managed to pin her against the wall when the chandelier fell behind him. He shielded her while ducking his head in the crook of her neck, glass splintering behind them. She gasped and her scent intoxicated him. Before Harry could move every never ending was aware of how close he was pressed against this woman. Her curves seemed to melt into him as if she were apart of him and not a separate being.
She clutched onto his shoulders with tiny hands as his own fingers scraped the wall she was pressed against, curling as his hands clenching into fists. The walls around them trembled as his mind began to withdraw into darkness. 'Fuck. No. Not now.' Harry thought as images flashed before him.
Harry grabbed her arm spinning her around in the process and pressing her against the wall. Her chest was heaving, her breasts brushing against his as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"You cheated." She scolded in disbelief. "You're supposed to be noble and selfless."
Harry chuckled into her neck and he felt her shiver against him. Taking advantage of the situation he placed an open mouthed kiss in the hollow above her collar bone. He could taste the light sheen of perspiration and vanilla on her skin and he pushed himself closer against her. She shivered delectably against him and parted her legs so he could nestle between her more comfortably while he kissed his way up her neck finding her racing pulse point. Her soft curves moulded against his as if she were melting into him. Soon their lips met in a frenzy of emotions and desire so strong that no teenagers should normally feel. When their tongues clashed he no longer felt like they were two separate individuals.
Harry jerked his mind out of the past when a loud crash sounded near him. He turned his head around, keeping the woman against him protectively pinned to the wall. He saw that the entire ceiling had fallen in. Bodies were rising from the rubble with spells being shot in all directions but Harry found himself unable to move. Where was Ron?
He was about to look for his partner when a black robe came into view. He heard the woman before him shout a loud 'no' but the tall figure behind him cast a jet of red light he couldn't shield himself against fast enough. The last thing he heard was the familiar lilt to a voice before he was stunned.
"You let seven Death Eaters escape from right under your noses." Robards bellowed as Harry, Ron Conner and O'Brien stood battered and bruised before him. "What a load of rubbish this is."
"Sir, we were outnumbered." Ron muttered. He did not want to sell his fellow Auror's out by saying that Conner and O'Brien had been taken out before they even reached the fray.
"Improvise Weasley." Robards shouted. "Why did you not place anti apparition jinxes and protective enchantments around the building while you waited for back up to arrive?"
"We did sir." Ron said.
"Then how the hell did all the other Death Eaters, except two, get free?"
Harry and Ron exchanged a dark look before they looked over at Robards' furious mug.
"The Force." O'Brien slurred through his blood clogged mouth with more than four teeth missing.
Conner reached into his torn and tattered robes placing the red 'F' The Force left behind after every interception on Robards' desk. Harry flinched as he saw that Conner's fingers were bent in odd angles.
"Fuck." Was all Robards could shout as he slammed his fists into his desks. "I want a full report on my desk before you four leave. Written in exact detail, not leaving a single fucking minute out. Get out."
"Prat." Ron muttered as he and Harry made their way to their own offices. O'Brien and Conner went to St. Mungos first.
Harry's thoughts raced as he thought about the day. The Force were a group of unidentified beings who interrupted Auror missions. They had been in operation for the last two years intercepting the Aurors and capturing Death Eaters for themselves. Why, was still the million galleon question.
No one knew of their intentions as they did not make any demands on the Ministry. As yet. At first of course they had suspected The Force was a band of rogue Death Eaters saving their own kind. Later it became apparent that this could not be the truth. The Force members could not be Voldemort supporters because they had never hurt an Auror with the intention to harm. While they may stun, hex, jinx or bind the Aurors not one had been killed by a Force member. They normally came in threes or fives, once or twice Harry had heard of seven during more complex missions which involved stronger Death Eaters.
He didn't understand them. They were obviously not evil but why would they save the Death Eaters. It wasn't to set them free because none so far had been sighted causing havoc after being captured by the Force. Some Death Eaters went willingly, choosing the unknown over knowing they would be shut up in Azkaban with the Dementors before trial if apprehended by the Aurors. And they knew that a fair trial that worked against them would result in the Dementors kiss. Some chose to fight the Aurors of with the Force members, which obviously disadvantaged the Aurors, before taking on the Force members not wanting to give in.
"Why the bastards don't just give in I don't understand." Ron groaned. "I mean they didn't fight at the final battle, choosing to run like pansies and now they still want to Muggle hunt and cause destruction.
The world was far from being safe. Three years on and mass numbers of Voldemort's supporters were choosing to cause trouble. Harry guessed they figured if they were going to go down they would rather go down fighting. They also believed in Voldemort's tyranny, like Muggles should bow to wizards and magical blood should be kept pure. Death Eaters knew that they would not be left alone. They knew as long as Harry Potter drew breath, he would hunt them down and bring them to justice. The Death Eaters were certain of what awaited them at the Ministry with Kingsley as Minister and Harry Potter in the Auror department.
Harry couldn't think of who would benefit from capturing Death Eaters. He thought back to the first time the Force had intervened.
They had shocked the Aurors with there presence as they had broken through masterful anti-apparation spells and powerful wards. They stunned as many Aurors and Death Eaters as they could. The Force immediately started turning large objects they could find in the rubble into portkeys to transfer Death Eaters away from the scene. Before they could be apprehended they had made a clean break for it. It was suspicious because they were obviously very skilled wizards and witches. What they were after though, no one knew.
A red message was left emblazoned on a wall. A large 'F' with the words: 'The force will return them to you when we're ready. We mean you no harm.'
No one knew what to make of it as not one of the Force members had yet to be caught. They were very skilled and they seemed to be extremely loyal to each other. Harry had watched once as a Force member called of a particularly nasty mission when one of them had been badly injured. The member who could have been the leader called of his troupe without a care that they had been leaving behind some very powerful Death Eaters. Harry could not imagine Death Eaters showing fellow maniacs that much of consideration.
As Harry and Ron reached the temporary holding cells in the DMLE Harry found the two Death Eaters they had managed to send back to the Ministry. He still hated the fact that six of the bastards had managed to evade capture and seven were taken by the Force.
Harry picked up the thin wizard by the scruff of his neck and he hovered a few inches above the grimy floor. Harry scowled intimidatingly at the Death Eater's bad breath before his other hand held the wizards face in a strong grip.
"Legilimens." Harry muttered as he invaded the mind of the Death Eater.
After minutes of sifting through the worthless thoughts of carnage and stupidity he dropped the wizard unceremoniously before picking up the other Death Eater. This one seemed to have fairly decent Occlumency skills but Harry's mind was too sharp for that. After watching horrid games of Muggle torture and a few bases that housed other Death Eaters Harry gripped the man's throat.
Harry squeezed at the Death Eater's wind pipe as his magic crackled around him like an aura of vibrant hatred.
"Harry." Ron called out as he placed a strong hand on Harry's shoulder.
Still feeling the rage swelling dangerously inside of him Harry shook off Ron's hand and rolled his neck around his stiff shoulders. However he calmed down reasonably and focused on the fearful, purple face of the Death Eater. Harry looked at the wizard with utter disgust and hatred before he flung the Death Eater against the wall. Ron flinched as the man's head smacked against the cell before he slid to the floor, blood streaming down his skull.
Ron wisely kept his mouth shut while Harry closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before walking out of the temporary holding cell. Ron kept a close eye on Harry. He knew that Harry had made a lot of progress in the last couple of weeks but that did not mean he was still in full control of his power. Yet the only person who could put a stopper on all that rage and hatred was Harry. So Ron decided to change tactics. "Find anything useful?" He asked.
"A bit. None of them knew anything about the Force that we don't. Neither of them had contacted the Force though. However the last one did have some interesting information on other Death Eater hide outs. We'll have to react fast though, I'm sure the Death Eaters the Force captured would have the same information by now."
Ron nodded. "It couldn't have been anyone here Harry, this was a check up remember. How did they know where to come? The only people involved were Robards, you and me. And it was us that got the tip off. We told Robards only moments before we left. Even if he's the leak we didn't tell him the location and he was fine with that."
Harry nodded at Ron as he pondered this. "They were called." Harry said wisely.
Ron nodded. "Yeah. But how did the Death Eaters manage to call the Force without us being aware of it? Patronuses?"
"Possible." Harry thought aloud. "Or the Force members could be Death Eaters."
"Harry, Death Eaters would never leave us alive though. Look at today, that one had a clear shot at killing you but only stunned you. You're Harry Potter mate, which Death Eater wouldn't want to boast about killing you and taking up Voldy's old spot?"
Harry could only nod at this again. "I know. It just doesn't make sense. Nothing about them fucking makes sense. How they break through some of my wards so easily is even more fucking annoying."
Harry was thinking about the woman he had had pinned against the wall today. Her bloody scent had aroused memories of Ginny in the middle of a mission and he had been stunned because of that. He was glad only Ron had been there to witness it and had covered for him during the report with Robards.
"Err, Harry. What happened back there? I was duelling this guy and he was pretty good. Fast too. He managed to apparate behind me and elbowed me in the back. He incarcerated me before I could even pick up my wand."
"Are you sure it was a guy?" Harry asked and Ron frowned.
"Yeah." Ron shook his head. "He grunted when he knocked me off my feet. He definitely sounded male. And he was wearing a wizards cologne."
This gave Harry's suspicions more clarity. Although from what he had felt he was pretty damn sure she had been a witch. "Mine was female." Harry confided.
"Really." Harry heard the surprise in Ron's voice. "She had given you a go then, didn't she." Ron joked.
"Yeah." Harry admitted appreciatively. "Yeah, she did."
"You're too afraid to attack me." Harry bellowed at her.
"Of course I am. You know I'm powerful, Harry." She smirked at him. "If I hit you with all my power I could harm you."
Harry rolled his eyes. "You challenged me to a duel, Ginny. I expect you to give it your all." He wanted to fight Ginny fairly. The prospect excited him more than it scared or worried him. He did not like that she was holding back on him. "If a Death Eater was using my face to lure you into not attacking him are you going to be weak and be fooled by that?" He asked her.
She narrowed her eyes at him before pointing her wand more forcefully at him. Harry smirked as he held his wand at the ready too.
"Ready?" He asked her.
Her reply was a stunning flash of yellow light that Harry quickly manipulated aside. He was thankful that he had done so as he watched the spell fly at the wall and create a small crater in the stone. Thankfully the room of requirement they had chosen was equipped to rebuild itself after any duelling damage done inside of it.
Harry was so engrossed at looking at Ginny's wand work that he barely had time to cast a shield charm as she advanced on him. He was placed on the offensive as flurries of light burst purposefully at him. He managed to deflect a charm cleverly as it rebounded off the wall. Quickly he closed his eyes as he requested the room to bounce the magic back at Ginny.
She was quick and agile though. Her Quidditch skills making her lithe, her petite frame dodging the spell easily. She did not have the time to react however as Harry grabbed her arm, spinning her around in the process and placing her against the wall. Her chest was heaving, her breasts brushing against his as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"You cheated." She scolded in disbelief. "You're supposed to be noble and selfless."
Harry chuckled into her neck and he felt her shudder against him. Taking advantage of the situation he placed an open mouthed kiss on the hollow above her collar bone. He could taste the light sheen of perspiration and vanilla on her skin and he pushed himself closer against her. She shivered delectably against him and parted her legs so he could nestle between her more comfortably while he kissed his way up to her racing pulse point. Her soft curves moulded against his as if she were melting into him. Soon their lips met in a frenzy of emotions and desire so strong that no teenagers should normally feel. When their tongues clashed he no longer felt like they were two separate individuals.
Ginny tangled her fingers in his hair holding his mouth greedily to hers. They kissed deeply, feeding of their exertion as if it were an aphrodisiac to their natural, potent chemistry. Their tongues duelled for dominance as they had battled magically moments ago. When they broke apart to gasp lungfuls of air desperately Harry could only bury his head in her hair as she sighed against him.
He was sixteen years old after all. His urges were normal. Yet he could feel that Ginny wasn't ready. She wanted him as much as he wanted her but now was not the time to indulge in those wants. She arched against him and he rubbed himself against her while he tried to calm his breathing, his fingers still playing with the bare skin of her midriff beneath her clothes.
"It would have been too embarrassing if Harry Potter's girlfriend beat him in a duel. Think of what Voldemort would say?" Harry grinned as he could literally feel her roll her eyes at him.
She had challenged him to a duel while they had been having supper in the Great Hall that evening. They had been daring each other to do silly things all week and Harry found their own form of competitive flirting exhilarating. And the rewards after, very much worth while. Her eyes had lit up when she had challenged him and although he did not want to be a victim of her infamously good bat bogey hex he wanted to spend time doing more fun things with Ginny.
"Is that so?" Ginny exclaimed thoughtfully. "You have to admit though, I did give you a good go though, didn't I?"
He smiled broadly down at her, his chest swelling with unmistakable pride that she was his girlfriend. "Yeah, yeah you did."
Smiling at his compliment happily she pulled his lips down to hers again. All he could think of was he could spend hours kissing her like that.
He complimented his team on a job well done. He knew they were almost there. There weren't many Death Eaters left and the one she wanted was in their sights. Soon he would be ready to make his mark in the world and take his rightful place amongst them once again. He would no longer live in shame, being shunned as if he were a mere peasant or commoner for being weak.
Not that he wasn't already doing so. However the final step would be the most fulfilling he knew. He had to admit though, he was actually enjoying already winning against old rivals and enemies without some of them even knowing it.
However, today had scared him. For the first time he had felt close to losing everything he had worked so hard to build in the last three years. That was not what had made him fearful though. He knew he would have sacrificed it all to keep ... Pushing those thoughts away he refused to give them any credit, he still had a mission to complete. One that was his own doing. Something that was all his hard work and success. And if things played out the way he wanted them to, then he would finally be able to call himself his own man.
Then he would finally be able to live with himself.
He took in a deep breath and smirked at the six people before him. It had not been easy reaching here but they all had. He trusted them more than he trusted anyone in the world right now. He trusted one of them with his life.
"Everyone except Red can leave." He dismissed them and they all filed out in an orderly manner, befitting their superior breeding.
Yet he could hear the excited murmurs of a job well done outside before the door was closed shut. Then he turned to face the only occupant still seated in their meeting room. She did not look at him and so he moved his chair away from the table and closer to hers. She always sat on his left and he would not have her anywhere else.
When their knees touched with their closeness he took her tiny chin in his long fingers and lifted her face to his. Her eyes met his and he raised an eyebrow at her. She rolled her eyes at him and swatted away his wrist.
"I'm fine." She told him standing up and making to leave.
Before she could go he grabbed her slender wrist and halted her. "If you let your emotions blind your good judgement again Red, then I'll have no choice but to leave you on guard duty with Astoria and Ren, when Potter is on sight."
He watched as her brown eyes flashed at his threat. "It won't happen again, Malfoy." She used his surname only when she was annoyed with him. He watched as she confidently pulled her hand from his hold and marched out the door with her head held high.
Draco Malfoy watched Ginny Weasley walk away from him with a sense of ominous foreboding.
Author's Note: I spent a lot of time working on this chapter because it sets up quite a lot for the future of the story. I'm really not one for dragging things out. Hope it was good. Please imagine that Harry and Ginny spent five months in HBP instead of a couple of weeks by the lake together before he dumps her at a funeral. *sigh*
So here Ginny spent only about two months dating Dean before realising she really didn't want to be with him and Harry spent only two months after that trying to work up his wonderful Gryffindor courage – without the help of Felix Felicius of course – to finally kiss Ginny. So even though he kissed her after a Quidditch match, that lovely Professor Snape kept him from it doesn't have to be the final.
Also, Harry is struggling to cope with controlling his dark magic (where it's coming from and why will be explained in time) because he can't overcome his anger and hatred, it's fuelling that part of him and while he may be doing dark things Harry will always be Harry and I'd never make our hero kill anyone or rape or torture people.
Yes, The Force(more details and identifications will follow in later chapters of course) is run by Draco and one of his recruits is none other than Ginny. I'm so excited about writing this part of the story that I introduced them to you earlier. So next chapter we will be going back in time because I have to give you much back story on why a prejudiced, pure blood would ever align himself with a Muggle loving, blood traitor.
Thank you for reading!