A/N: Many thanks to everyone who reviewed. While this chapter is a little slow, the next one will have a LOT of action. Also, thanks to Erin, who is more than just a beta to me. You are beyond amazing! Now, on with the story!
xXx
The cold from the dungeon seeped into Draco's bones, causing him to shiver slightly where he stood. Voldemort was looking over the parchment full of notes that Draco had taken while Arthur Weasley talked. Draco had wanted to make sure he didn't forget anything. The Dark Lord was always vengeful when a piece of information was lost, and Draco did not want to get on his bad side. Not now, not ever.
When the Dark Lord was finished, his black eyes came to rest on Ginevra Weasley, who was standing in the corner of the dungeon, far enough away not to hear the conversation between the two men. If man is what you could consider Voldemort.
"You have yet to take her back to that Manor of yours and clean her up, Draco. How inconsiderate." Voldemort's icy voice cut through Draco, and he had to force himself to look into those dark eyes.
"I apologize, My Lord, but I found it prudent to get this information to you as quickly as possible. I assumed that every minute I delayed in relaying this to you was another minute for the Order to plan." Draco stood stiffly, feet together, voice steady, gaze falling every time he finished speaking to the Dark Lord, as he liked his servants to do. Draco had not moved up in the ranks of the Death Eaters by ignoring any unspoken rules. There was a long pause while Voldemort assessed both Draco and Ginevra.
"I am pleased that, as always, you put the cause first in your mind. You have done well, Draco. I admit I was… concerned about your inability to partake in the joys of the flesh as my other servants do, but I am grateful now that you didn't. Still, I find myself wondering, how far would you go for me, young Malfoy?"
Draco stopped breathing momentarily. He was being tested, he knew it.
"My Lord, I would do anything for you, as always. Anything you ask of me." At this, Draco got down on one knee and looked up into Voldemort's face. He smirked at Draco, nodding his head slowly, his fingers now pressed together.
"Then, Draco, I ask once again a big task of you. I've been wondering for awhile now if we couldn't…bring the other side around to our way of thinking. Reform them, so to speak. That is your mission with Ginevra. I want to see some improvement by New Years. I know it will take time, but I want to see some of her resistance to listen gone. Now go, take the girl and clean her up. She needs it." With that, Voldemort went back to reading the parchment, and Draco took Ginny by the hand, Apparating her back to Malfoy Manor.
xXx
Over the course of a month, Ginny had learned to hide her emotions well. Letting them show did little to nothing for anyone… other than being a reminder of the misery that was ever present. Ginny had felt the ultimate pain at being betrayed by her closest friends. She had fought alongside them, helped plan escapes for their families, healed them when they were sick, and they'd returned the favour by serving her up as bait.
Ever since then Ginny had been hiding behind a façade of unresponsiveness, though her mind was far from that. She assessed everything, took in every detail of her surroundings, made note of every word that came out of someone's mouth. She was determined to find a way to escape. To where, she wasn't yet sure, but the answer would come in time if she was patient enough.
She knew what her father had been trying to do: help her escape from certain death, certain pain. As much as she hated Malfoy, it was nothing next to the hate she felt for the other Death Eaters who had been responsible for the death of her brothers. Malfoy was her best hope for life. And she would live. She would not give up.
She was aware of Malfoy's hand on the small of her back, guiding her through the yard to his Manor, this beautiful stone Manor, with so many windows and such a beautiful garden.
She wasn't surprised when she entered the Manor to see that it was full of cool colours and beautifully decorated, yet speaking of wealth and power at the same time. The Malfoys had always been showy and flashy.
"I will have a house-elf show you to your room so you can wash up, since you do need it. There are robes in there, though they may be a bit big on you… but we can always have the tailor come in and fix them. Barry!" Draco called out, and the house-elf appeared at once. "You know where to take Ginevra, correct?"
The house-elf nodded and proceeded to walk away. Ginny followed him, wondering at Malfoy's… well, he hadn't been nice, per se, but he hadn't been outright rude, either. This worried her slightly.
Ginny's room was up a flight of stairs, first door on the left. She was slightly impressed as she walked in, but lavish things mattered little to her now. There was a huge bed with hangings, an intricately carved wood dressing table, and the dark red walls had a beautiful cream and brown border across the top. The room was gigantic, and even had its own fireplace.
"This is to be your room," squeaked Barry, "and your lavatory is through that door." He pointed to a door in the corner of the room.
Ginny walked over to said door and opened it slowly. The loo was as big as the room. The vanity took up an entire wall; the marble top of the vanity seemed to sparkle. The walls were a light cream colour. The bath was big enough to fit three people, and the shower had two heads. The toilet looked to be made of porcelain.
Ginny noticed another door at the end farthest from the toilet and shower, closest to the vanity. She opened it and her jaw dropped. There was a walk-in cupboard, half the size of the lavatory. Ginny sank to the floor, glad that she was alone with her thoughts.
It took her a good minute to make sure the tears that were threatening to spill out didn't do so. Her heart was breaking knowing that here she was in the most amazing house, able to finally wash up, and the only family she had left was stuck in a cell in one of the many prison camps. The harsh truth that she had been fighting with finally forced its way through: They were going to die. Even after the information her father had given, they would be left to rot. They had saved her, sacrificing themselves in the process.
She could no longer fight the tears and they flowed down her face. She bit her lip to stifle the sobs that threatened to break free. Ten minutes ago she had been so strong, but even the strong can break down with just a simple truth.
Ginny strolled over to the door, locked it, and took her clothes off, stepping into the shower. She would've loved to take a bath, but she was too dirty for it. She fumbled with the knobs for a minute, her hands shaking as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She stood there for awhile, just letting the warm water rinse the loose dirt off her, enjoying the feel of water on her skin. She finally reached for the soap and scrubbed furiously at her skin. By the time she was convinced her body was clean enough, her skin had been rubbed almost raw.
She grabbed the shampoo and started on her hair. It felt amazing-orgasmic almost-to finally be washing her hair again. It took her three washings and a lot of conditioner to get it to an acceptable state. When she finally stepped out of the shower, Ginny felt cleaner then she'd ever remembered. She walked over to the mirror, grabbed the brush, and proceeded to comb her hair, thanking the Gods above for whoever had invented conditioner. She brushed her teeth and then turned to her cupboard.
She surveyed it, noticing that everything was in a small size, though she had bras of varying sizes. She grabbed her undergarments and a set of short-sleeved pyjamas. She walked to her room, crawled into her amazingly soft bed, and promptly passed out, despite the hunger pains in her stomach.
Ginny was awoken what couldn't have been more than an hour later by a light touch. She opened her eyes, only to see a pair of light green ones and an incredibly feminine face looking down at her. The woman wasn't insanely beautiful, but with those eyes, any imperfection could be overlooked. There was just something in her eyes.
"Hello, Ginevra. I'm Kora, and I've been hired to be your personal Healer. I know you need rest, but we need to address certain health issues immediately to prevent you from becoming deathly ill. Your immune system is probably pretty low right now from a lack of vitamins and nutrition. You need a thorough examination so I can assess any other medical condition that needs to be taken care of. Okay?"
Ginny nodded, enjoying the soft voice of the sandy haired woman. Her voice put Ginny at ease though experience told Ginny to be careful. The soothing tone could be a kind of magic.
"Here," Kora said, handing Ginny a small shot glass full of a potion. Ginny quirked an eyebrow, and the woman gave a small chuckle. "It's a vitamin potion, as well as containing enough nutrients as a whole meal. Those hunger pains will go away once you drink it. This will keep you from throwing up next time you eat, as you won't be piling food in your mouth to fill the hunger. Now drink," she commanded, and Ginny did. As soon as she drained the shot glass she felt the pains in her abdomen fade away, and she gave a sigh of relief. She felt as though she'd had a four course meal.
"Better, isn't it?" Ginny nodded in response, careful to not show much emotion with this woman. There was no way to know if she might go back to Malfoy and tell him everything she'd done or said.
"You did a great job cleaning up. I'll need you to strip down now, please." Ginny gave her a funny look and Kora sighed. "Please don't be difficult about this, Ginevra. I'm here for you. I have to keep you healthy. You-Know-Who wishes it. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. I just do as I am told." Kora tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Ginny slowly took off her clothes, feeling very exposed. Kora lifted her arms, spread her legs, dabbed a few creams on certain spots where Ginny had cuts or bruises, and then told her to go ahead and get dressed again. All in all, the process was quick and done very professionally.
"I heard you were in the dungeon with Draco and You-Know-Who," Kora whispered.
Ginny thought back. She had been in a dungeon, but she hadn't been able to see who or what was in there. Nor had she heard anything. Ginny just shrugged in response. Kora stared at her for a moment, and then nodded slowly.
"Here." She handed Ginny a vial of liquid. "This is going to treat any infection you may have in your body, as well as give a boost to your immune system. I'll be back in a few days to check on you. If you develop a fever, tell one of the house-elves immediately." Ginny nodded as Kora packed a bag and walked out of the room.
She laid there a moment before deciding that in order to figure out why You-Know-Who wanted her alive and how to escape from his rule, she would have to have a clear head. She drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
xXx
"Well, dear son, what did Kora say about Ginevera?" Narcissa was sipping her tea, her eyebrow arched delicately as she took in her son's response.
Draco shifted uncomfortably. He hated even bringing Kora up due to what memories came to mind. He looked into his mother's face, knowing she was waiting for an answer.
"She said Ginevra is in excellent health considering the conditions she'd been living in. Why are we calling her Ginevra?"
"Draco, darling, if you wish to be able to please the Dark Lord you cannot insult her by using her surname. I have some ideas for how to get her to come around. Now is not the time, though. We need to let her get her strength back. She's very fragile now and completely heartbroken." His mother looked down into her tea, her eyes thoughtful.
"Why do you no longer talk to her? Kora, I mean." At that, Draco shrugged. "You feel guilty… that your beliefs, that everything you stand for, caused your best friend to have her heart broken beyond repair. Isn't that it?"
Draco stared at the table, consumed with pain. She had been his best friend. She'd been forced to stay at the manor to be around at all times to care for his mother at one time, and they'd grown close. As close as Draco could possibly be to someone, that is. Back then Kora had been so full of life. Now, she was half dead. Draco's breathing deepened, trying desperately not to let his emotions get the better of him. He knew if he opened his mouth to his mother, he would break down.
"You know," his mother said quietly, assessing him, "Ginevra looks very much like Lia." Draco couldn't take anymore. He got up abruptly and left, planning to drink himself into oblivion, to forget his best friend, and to forget that people like him were the reason she would never be whole again.
Narcissa watched her son go, her heart breaking in the process, but she was determined to make him face the truth he tried so desperately to ignore. He needed Kora. He needed his best friend by his side again, and Narcissa was determined to make that happen. Her son very rarely got close to anyone, and Kora was like a daughter to Narcissa. She put her tea down and got up with a plan forming in her mind. She needed to floo Kora, and then she needed to pay a visit to Ginevra.
xXx
Ginny stirred a few hours after she'd dozed off, only to hear someone stomping past her room and slamming a door. Through the haze of being half asleep, Ginny's mind went out to her family, her family who was stuck in the prison cell and who'd looked at her one last time with happiness and sadness in their eyes.
She was close to sleep again when there was a small knock on her door. Ginny struggled to open her eyes, not wanting to leave the comfort of her bed. Before she'd even decided whether or not she wanted to open the door, a woman who could only have been Narcissa Malfoy strode in carrying a tray of food. Ginny's stomach rumbled in response to the sight of the food and Narcissa attempted to smile kindly, setting the tray down on the bed and sitting down herself as well.
"You've been asleep for awhile. You really need to eat. I flooed your Healer, and she told me that now would be a good time for a meal. And you do need to move around a bit, Ginevra. You'll never gain any strength back if you don't." Narcissa poured a cup of tea and shoved a plate of fried quail eggs into Ginny's hands, along with a fork. Ginny just stared at the food for a minute, and then back into Narcissa's face. She had no idea what to make of it.
"Ginevra, you will eat. You can lay there and pretend you do not understand what I'm saying, but we both know that is a lie. You are not catatonic at all, and you will not pretend to be. You are not the only person to lose everything they have in this war. Ask your Healer sometime. You might just learn a thing or two. Now eat. Or I will make you eat, and not with magic."
Narcissa's glare told Ginny she was serious, and Ginny forked the eggs into her mouth. She hadn't realized how much she missed the taste of food. Her eyes fluttered closed, savoring the taste of the eggs and wondering just what Narcissa had meant about Kora.
"Now, after breakfast we need to get you some new clothes, though not a lot as I'm sure you'll be gaining weight soon. You're too skinny as it is," she sniffed, and Ginny looked up, fork half-way to her mouth.
She looked Narcissa over, realizing for the first time that though she was small, she wasn't skinny. She had a gorgeous figure. Her stomach was on the flat side, but not excessively so. Ginny had always assumed the rich were supposed to be skinny, and she'd never questioned that, never stopped to see if it was true. She momentarily wondered what else she was wrong about as she forked the rest of the eggs into her mouth, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
"Ginevra, say something," Narcissa commanded.
"Something," Ginny murmured, her voice sounding dry and nasal as well as foreign to her ears. It had been so long since she'd talked, and she didn't know why she'd obeyed, other than that Narcissa had sounded so much like a mother. At this thought she had to close her eyes to keep the tears from spilling out, as memories of her own mother swirled through her mind.
"Sarcastic, much?" Narcissa murmured, waiting respectfully for Ginny to open her eyes. "Still, it is an improvement. You miss them, don't you?" Her voice was so soft, and Ginny nodded, feeling oddly at ease with her. "Well, I have an idea. From what I hear, the Burrow still stands. If your…behavior improves, I'll take you to go collect whatever of your family's belongings you would like. I know how much it can mean to have things that belonged to someone you loved."
Ginny felt the tears stinging her eyes, but she kept them from spilling out. How she would love to go home just one more time, but she wasn't sure she could bear the pain. She was also very suspicious now of Narcissa. What could make this woman show any sympathy for her? Narcissa's son stood against everything Ginny stood for. To show sympathy to Ginny was to turn her back on her son. The only explanation was that she had ulterior motives, and these motives were connected with whatever the Dark Lord was doing. Ginny was sure that his plans were the only reason she was currently living in Malfoy Manor. Still, she could learn a lot by playing along.
Narcissa passed her a small plate with toast and marmalade along with the cup of tea. Ginny sipped it, enjoying the taste, and took a bite of her toast. "Normally we have a bigger selection for breakfast, but I thought it prudent to start off with a little at a time. No need to pile too much in before you can handle it. Now-" Narcissa was cut off by a knock on the door.
Draco entered, blond hair disheveled and smelling very strongly of Firewhisky. He looked positively livid. Narcissa's lip turned up in disgust at her son, and Ginny was shocked by this action, wondering if it was, indeed, all an act.
"Mother dearest," Draco slurred, sneering drunkenly, "why is Kora in my house?"
"Your house?" Narcissa's voice was venomous. Ginny shivered at it slightly.
"Yes, Mother, my house. I am the man of the house, for now. Maybe forever," he slurred.
Narcissa stood up, walked over to Ginny's side of the bed where Draco was, and slapped him hard across the face, whipping his head to one side. Ginny felt a small thrill at being privy to such an intimate moment, no matter if it was an anger-filled one. Getting information might not be so hard after all, though what they were talking about was hard to understand.
Draco didn't say anything for a long moment, and his mother stood there, hands folded across her chest and rage in her eyes, while Draco simply stared at the floor. Then finally: "I'm sorry, Mother, that was completely out of line." Ginny was floored. She'd never thought Malfoy, of all people, was capable of apologizing.
"Good. Now, to answer your question of why Kora is here in our house: She is here because I asked her to stay with us. Ginevra was in deplorable conditions, as you well know, and many of the people who were auctioned off are coming down with a severe cough that has actually stopped some of them from breathing for a short period of time. One person has even died. I wanted to make sure that Kora was on hand to keep our newest addition to the household safe and healthy." Draco looked incredibly ashamed of himself, but his mother continued on. "It wouldn't kill you to talk to her, you know. She lost Lia. She shouldn't have to deal with losing her best friend too. Now out."
Draco got up without another word and left the room, very much subdued by his mother. Narcissa sighed deeply and look over at Ginny.
"I'm really sorry you had to witness that. He gets that way any time someone mentions Kora. He can be such a baby sometimes. You know, I think I'll just have a designer bring over some clothes for you to look at. You need something that fits. I'll just go take care of that." Narcissa hurried out the room.
Ginny sat there, questions racing through her mind. Who the hell was Lia and how did Kora lose her? And why did Malfoy act like that if Kora was really his best friend? Nothing made sense to Ginny, but she was determined to find out what the hell was going on, and what her role in all this was.