Chapter Three: Life Is Going On.

The following week was spent by Ginny in the same fashion. They woke up at seven, went to the office as she called it, then to breakfast, back to the office, to dinner, to the office, to the Dining Hall for the last meal and their last stop was the bedroom. Only when Malfoy went to bed did Ginny dare to use the bathroom not to disturb him. She didn't care about his peace of course, but his anger.

Her 'work' was mostly mechanic, so she didn't feel any interest towards it. Nevertheless, she still wondered how someone could receive so many letters. There were hundreds of them; the bin didn't stand empty for more than an hour. Ginny had read some English letters just to understand what was going on, but to her, even written in English, it all seemed to be hieroglyphs. There were mostly figures, but she didn't have the slightest idea about their meaning. She was an independent person by nature and liked to be in control of the situation she was in. Of course, now it was impossible to have any control, but to just know what she was doing wouldn't be that bad.

During her routine daily life, Ginny had a lot of time to observe the ones around her. Her main object was Draco Malfoy of course. The most striking detail was that he never wore Death Eater's robes or a mask. His robes were also black but definitely of higher quality. Ginny didn't touch them or anything, Merlin, or worse, Malfoy forbids, but the sparkling material talked for itself. When she asked him about it, Malfoy only said, "I prefer it more this way."

She thought of Malfoy as strange. The reason for it was that he wasn't like the person he was at school. He hadn't changed for good of course, but there was something about him Ginny couldn't comprehend. He intrigued her. They were living together for Gryffindor's sake! It was absolutely natural for her to know the man she was living with. Malfoy, on the contrary, showed no sign of getting to know her. She seemed to be only a bargain to him, something like a bigger House elf and nothing more.

Yes, she received three sets of clothing, but not because he cared about her appearance or about the disastrous state of her old clothes. He did it because she had a "right" to have them. She wasn't a slave, just a captured person so she had some privileges. Ginny wasn't ecstatic about this information, but felt a bit more alive in that castle of doom.

Ginny spent most of her time in the office and had plenty of opportunities to watch her observational object. Malfoy seemed to be on the edge all the time. He had three employees who worked through the English letters. He yelled at them almost every time they had any conversation. Ginny's sharp eye didn't miss the indifference of the workers. They didn't listen to their boss, as if they turned him off.

The overall opinion of the castle inhabitants about Draco Malfoy was utterly confusing Ginny. It wasn't openly spoken out – Ginny gathered it from bits of overheard conversations, sideways glances and whispers behind their backs.

Draco Malfoy wasn't welcomed in Voldemort's castle. It was absolutely obvious and nobody even tried to hide their negative attitude. Firstly, Ginny dealed with it like she did at school: nobody liked Malfoy there because he was an arrogant self-centered git, who ran to his daddy when he was in trouble. Why should she change her opinion now? Well, she didn't, but the others! Why did others dislike him so much? They are supposed to be his allies, not his friends, but at least not his enemies. He was one of them. He was a Death Eater like they were. Right?

She heard phrases like, "Why was she given to him? I could have so much fun with her! Instead she was given to that freak!" "One day that sucker will get what he deserves! And certainly not the post he is aiming at." "The Dark Lord surely overestimates him. He is nothing special."

And a lot more which black-mouthed him in every way. Once Ginny almost blew up when someone said, "What does he do to receive as such an honor? He just sits and does absolutely nothing!"

It was the last straw for Ginny. 'How can they say such things! He is working twelve hours for your damn Lord and you say he does nothing!' Fortunately, she didn't say that out loud because she was pulled away by Malfoy straight into their room and given a strict lecture.

"Don't say anything before you are asked, especially if you don't agree with them. This is a protest and a protest means trouble and only trouble. If you want to wake up tomorrow keep your mouth shut!"

Yes, Ginny kept her mouth shut, but she was boiling inside. When it occurred to her that she was so worked up because she wanted to defend Draco bloody Malfoy, she cooled down a bit. Why did she want him to be appreciated in the first place? The only explanation she found was that her beliefs ran too deep and she couldn't stand when someone worked so hard and didn't get any credit for it, even if that someone was Draco Malfoy, the slimy git.

And hard he worked. Ginny was with him all the time, she knew everything from the first hands. He had blood shot eyes from lack of sleep; a thin body because he ate quickly and only had short bites here and there and then ran back to work. Ginny wondered how he was doing it. Maybe he had some stamina potion to give him strength? He seemed to be always running somewhere or on the run from something, Ginny couldn't quite place it yet; moving from one map to another, marking something in this book or in the other one. Always moving forward. Ginny really wanted to know his destination.

It was Friday night when Ginny finally readied herself to ask some questions when she was dropped from the edge into a freezing lake by a simple statement, "I am leaving tomorrow." Ginny only stared. "I do it every weekend. The last one was spared because you came and everything went upside down. I am going out of the country."

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked casually, but inside felt strangely lost.

"This week – to Germany. I change the country every week."

"Have a nice trip then," she breathed out.

"But you are still in my hands."

"You mean, you'll take me with you?"

'Such a small thing and she is already shining.' But Ginny awaited another diving from a cliff. "No. You are staying here." Draco flopped down on her bed. "You have two options though: I can lock you in here or I'll leave the key for you."

A long pause followed his proposal. What to choose: small freedom or save being locked up? "I'll take the key."

"Are you sure? There are at least 500 Death Eaters with the Dark Lord in the lead behind this door, but nobody in here."

Ginny looked straight into his silver eyes. "I'll take the key."

"I told you that I am not your protector, especially if I am in another country. You will answer yourself for everything that happens with you out there."

"Why are you asking me to choose then? You could just lock me in without further notice."

"I want you to learn what the right choice is for you in this world." He tossed a small iron key onto the blanket. "Only you can walk in or out of this room. I will return on Monday. The work day starts at ten."

On Saturday she woke up late. What is the point of getting up at six if there in no need to go to work? Ginny lazily got out of bed, took a very long bath that at least partly took away the stress and pressure in her body. The Dark Mark hadn't burnt yet, so it wasn't past eleven. The moment the thought crossed her mind pain went through her left arm. 'You can get use to it after some time,' was her resolution.

After debating about whether to go or not to breakfast (she was informed that the food would be delivered to the bedroom if she didn't appear in the Dining Hall), Ginny decided to go. She was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix, so she could do a bit of sneaking around while she was alone. It was the main reason Ginny wanted to be able to leave the room. She hadn't given up on the thought that she could escape or be rescued. If not, at least she could get some inside information.

The journey to the Dining Hall was unadventurous for Ginny, she already knew the way very well. Sometimes she thought she was blind, counting turns and doors to reach one place or another. She took her place at the table, smirking once more at the thought that if they had been in Hogwarts they would've been sitting at the Gryffindor table. Draco Malfoy at Gryffindor table! That's gross! But Malfoy wasn't with her today.

'At least somebody was beside me.' She sighed heavily. 'Somebody, even if he is a crazy workaholic and not these gloating mugs, looking as if they want to eat me alive. Disgusting.'

Ginny noticed the man that was usually sitting to her right was already there, staring into the ceiling. She often wondered why he was here, but no word was shared between them. The place to her left remained empty until some bloke decided to sit there. "This place is already occupied," Ginny said with a sweet smile, but her eyes showed, "Move any further and I'll kill you." The seat remained empty.

Ginny mechanically did the ceremonial part of greeting Voldemort. She didn't put any meaning into the motion so there was no betraying of her Cause. At least Ginny thought that way.

After breakfast she planned to wander around to find some entrances at least. There was a possibility to be lost, but Ginny prayed it wouldn't happen to her. She had brains after all. Ginny started her excursion with a hallway nearest to the Hall. She walked for several hours, but hadn't found anything similar to an exit. She took a large piece of parchment and a quill with some ink, so after her walk she had a pretty decent map of the first floor, well any floor, where the Dining Hall was.

While looking at the walls, Ginny accommodated a strange feeling. Not only were they all the same, but some parts were covered with darkness. Literally. Not with black material, but with impenetrable darkness. As if somebody wanted to hide some passage or even a whole part of the castle. This discovery unnerved Ginny. Maybe behind one such place was the exit!

Another problem was that Ginny hadn't spotted any stairs even once. How did they move between the stores then? So many questions and no answers and moreover no source to get information from.

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming towards her. The hallway was completely bare: no armor or a statue to hide behind. 'What am I afraid of? He will pass me, I will pass him and each of us will be on his own way. I still know some below belt punches for which I don't need my wand, if he tries anything.'

And Ginny proceeded with her walk towards the sound of footsteps, keeping the casualness in the rhythm of her steps. After a few moments a black siluette of a figure came into view. 'The corridors are so purely lit that I consider myself more a mole underground than a human being sometimes. Ok, ten feet, eight, six. I've put my hood up, maybe he'll think I am just another Death Eater and won't notice me.'

But that day wasn't Ginny's. In a matter of seconds she was pressed to the wall with a large hand covering her mouth.

"I've finally got you. You are quite a runner. Skipping from corridor to corridor all day long. Bad girl. Very bad girl," he spoke huskily, pressing his body to hers. Ginny started to feel sick. "We can have some fun, right? Nobody is around, so no-one can interrupt us."

'Are you nuts!' Ginny screamed in her head.

"You won't get any fun with that caretaker of ours, he is so boooooooring. We can do things you've never imagined. Ditch that git and be with me."

His hand on her rear finally shook Ginny out of her motionless stupor. 'What the fuck is he babbling about?' "And take your hands off my butt!" Her cry was muffled due to the hand that was still preventing her from saying anything that she thought about him.

"You don't like the position, dear? Sorry, but I prefer to be on top."

His hand snaked somehow under her long skirt and was quickly nearing some private areas. All Ginny's female instincts kicked in with a straight kick at the attacker's groin. The move didn't give the needed effect because she didn't have enough space for a good swing. The man doubled over with a pained but enraged expression on his face.

"You bitch! You'll pay for this!" A sonorous slap was placed on Ginny's cheek. The hit was so hard that her head banged onto the wall.

'I still can't move!' Ginny thought frantically, trying to find a way to escape and finding none.

"So you want to do it the hard way, do you? I can easily grant you with such a pleasure," he slurred with a dangerous sparkle in his eyes.

'Merlin, why am I such a fool? He told me to stay in the room. Just don't leave the bloody room and you won't get into any uncomfortable situations, dammit. But nooooo, Ginny must get into top secret mode and sneak around for the bloody Order which don't give a damn about you and your capabilities. And now I will be raped. So stupid! In some hallway, by a crazy, ugly, smelly Death Eater who is pinning me to the wall. If only I had my wand! '

The said Death eater minded very serious business, grabbing her in inappropriate places. Ginny fought as much as she could, she was still a woman and her honor was precious to her. But her struggle was in vain, he was too big and strong for her. When she thought nothing could be done to prevent the horrible act, the man stiffened, made a disappointed grimace and threw her across the corridor.

"Must be kept a virgin, dammit. What the fuck for?" With that he stormed off, leaving panting Ginny to slide down onto the floor.

She hadn't even registered his words; she just sat there feeling dirty and disgusted with the whole ordeal. But not the raping made her feel sick again, but the shoving. Ginny understood that even if her attacker had succeeded, she would've been left in the same position: lying on the floor like a used thing which the owner has no interest in already. She stood up groggily and headed to the bedroom. No way in Hell she would leave it until Monday.