A Simple Gold Band

Chapter 4

Molly came down the stairs and heard Pansy and Harry's voices coming form the kitchen. The couple looked up as Molly walked into the room. Pansy stood in front of a shirtless Harry, cleaning the blood off his face and body, and patching up his wounds. She smeared some salve onto the cuts on Harry's forehead and stood back to see if she missed anything. Satisfied with she had cleaned and covered all his wounds, she brought the basin of dirty water to the sink and cleaned her hands. After doing that, she poured Molly a cup of tea and sat down beside Harry, holding his hand, never wanting to let go.

"How is she?" Pansy asked.

"She's still unconscious but she still has his ring in a death grip," Molly sighed. "I don't know how she's going to react when she wakes up. What really happened Harry?"

Harry sighed and proceeded to tell them the events that led up to his arrival at the Burrow.

A shrill shriek that pierced the silence of the cold night ended abruptly as the dragon claw crushed the poor soldier's head. His death cry alerted the rest of the on-duty troops of the sudden attack. They raised the alarm, waking everyone in the base camp. Harry and Draco rushed out of their tents with wand and sword in hand, just in time to see a dragon swooping down and breathing fire over a segment of the camp. Flame-covered soldiers ran screaming from the burning tents as they rolled on the ground to put themselves out. Harry and Draco quickly ran over to the battlefield, firing curses rapidly.

"Those bastards have dragon riders!" shouted Draco to Harry as he dodged a slicing curse. Draco brought his sword up and embedded it into the Deatheater's throat. The Deatheater's hood fell back and revealed a sandy haired boy of only seventeen. The boy gurgled as blood started to pour fro his mouth and he fell back, his eyes lifeless. Draco pulled his sword out from the dead boy and ran towards Harry, who was deflecting curses with his own sword. Draco arrived just in time to see Harry swinging the sword towards the Deatheater, slicing his head cleanly off his shoulders.

"We've got to tell the Ministry and Dumbledore about the dragon riders. They might tilt the scales over to Voldermort's side," Harry said as they jogged over to another group of soldiers who were fighting off Deatheaters. Both men entered the foray with wands firing and swords swinging. The runic incantations on the blade of the swords glowed red every time a curse flew towards them. From the corner of his eye, Draco saw more Deatheaters coming towards them.

"Potter! We have to pull back! We're being out numbered. Send out the signal out to pull back!" He shouted towards Harry. He saw Harry nod and lifted his wand up to the sky. A gold flash flew into the sky and exploded into a phoenix that circled the sky before break down into a shower of sparkles. All the injured and uninjured Ministry troops activated their portkeys and transported out.

As they were running, Draco saw Harry patting his pockets repeatedly. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I lost my portkey. I can't find it," said Harry.

"Here, share mine," Draco said slipping his wedding band from his finger. Both men ran into a wooded area, hoping to lose the Deatheaters who were chasing them. Draco held out the other end of the ring towards Harry. Once Harry held on to the ring, Draco activated the portkey.

Three…..two…..

Just then, Draco collapsed from a hex, flung his way but the Deatheaters, and let go of his side of the ring. Before Harry, who was still holding onto the ring, could help him up, the portkey activated, transporting him out. Harry landed in the Ministry portkeying area, still holding the ring tightly in his hand and the first thought that came to his mind was, how am I going to tell Ginny?

"It can't be true," came a rasped whisper from the door. The three inhabitants of the kitchen turned and found Ginny leaning against the doorframe, looking very pale.

"Ginny, you shouldn't be up," Molly said concern, helping her into a chair.

"Mama, I can't believe he's gone because I would know if he's dead. It would be like extinguishing a light in my heart. I just can't believe it," she said, her body racking with sobs.

"Oh honey," Molly said, hugging her crying daughter closely.

~          *           ~

In a secret underground location, Draco groaned and opened his eyes. A sudden wave of nausea hit him causing him to roll onto his side and throw up. Draco slowly sat up and wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his uniform before taking in his surroundings. He found himself in a dark, dank cell. The air was stale and humid, there was glowing moss growing on the walls. He heard water dripping from somewhere around him, making him realise how thirsty he was. He stood up unsteadily, bracing himself against the wall and tried to discern the direction of the water. He stumbled over the loose stones on the floor and landed on his knees in a puddle of water. He felt the water dripping onto his head rather rapidly. Tilting his face up, he let the water land onto his forehead, savouring the coolness of it as it trailed down his face.

Draco drank as much water droplets as he could as he tried to remember how he had arrived to where he was. While he was rubbing his face, he realised that his wedding band was gone and everything came rushing back to him, the attack, the retreat and the portkey. Ginny, please don't give up hope on me, he thought. He patted himself and wasn't surprised that he couldn't find his wand

The door opened suddenly, washing the cell with blinding white light. Draco had his hand up to shield his eyes that he didn't see two people coming in. Someone placed a full-body bind on him and covered his head with a bag. They floated out of the room. He tried to keep track of the turns but lost count after the twelfth left turn. After ten minutes or so, they stopped. They lifted the curse and ripped the bag of his head.

The light blinded Draco momentarily but when he could see again, he found himself kneeling, with his hands and feet bound, in a large room with a throne-like seat on top of a raised platform. Voldermort sat in the throne and to his right stood Lucius, who was smirking away.

"I present my son to you my Lord," Lucius said, bowing low to his master.

"Young Malfoy, you disappointed me by not joining my ranks. Not only that, you convinced most of your friends to follow you and join Dumbledore," the Dark Lord said, spitting out Dumbledore's name as he stood up and walked towards Draco.

"Yes well, it doesn't really make sense to follow a crazed half-Muggle –" Draco started but Voldermort interrupted him with a curse.

"Crucio!" Voldermort screamed at him. "You insolent brat," he continued, breathing heavily.

Draco fell to his side, twitching slightly in pain but refused to scream, biting his lip until he drew blood. He felt like his entire body was tearing to pieces, but it ended just as quickly as it started. He panted slightly and spit out some blood.

"That will teach to mind your manners in the presence of your betters," Voldermort said, his lips curling in a smile.

"Betters? All I see are a mad man and fools," Draco rasped. Another Crucius Curse hit him, knocking his breath out and making him see spots in his vision

"Take him back to his cell. We'll question him later," Lucius said when he saw that Voldermort might just lose his temper, and kill the only person who can tell him, where the Headquarters of the Order of The Phoenix was.

The two guards who brought Draco to the chamber put the bag over his head again and physically dragged him back to his cell. Draco regained enough consciousness to realise that they had arrived back at his cell. He heard the door open and thrown into the cell, landing on his side hard. Ginny, I love you and I hope you're safe. I WILL get back to you and our baby, was the last thought he had before succumbing to the darkness.

Back in the Burrow, Ginny shot up from bed and threw the covers aside. She sat on the chair by the window, looking out into the night sky at scattered stars and the brightly shining moon. Draco, I know you're alive somewhere out there. Please come back to us safely, she thought as she rubbed her rounding tummy.

~          *           ~

Three months passed and everyone except Ginny had given up hope on finding Draco alive. She sat by the fire every night hoping that he would come home. She had both hers and Draco's ring on the chain around her neck and she refused to take it off. Pansy would sit with her some nights and keep her company while reading pregnancy books. Pansy had finally accepted that she was going to have a baby and had settled into the role of the expectant mother very well. Under Molly Weasley's guidance, Pansy had taken up knitting and was always busy knitting away booties and mittens for both her baby and Ginny's when she wasn't at work.

One night as Ginny was sitting by the fire, reading a magazine, her mother sat down next to her with a look of concern on her face. "Honey, it's been months since we lost him. It's not healthy for you and the baby to be pining for him. Especially since I know, you don't go to bed until late. I'm worried about you Ginny," Molly said, stroking her daughter's hair.

"There's nothing to be worried about Mama. I'm fine," Ginny said.

"But Ginny, Draco –"

"Mama, I know it in here, that he's not dead," Ginny said, placing her hand over her heart, the two wedding bands in her fist. "It's just like you know when Dad is in danger or when he's sick. I just know it Mama."

Molly sighed. She understood what Ginny meant. She had the same connection with Arthur too. "Just don't stay up too late dear. I worry about you."

"I know Mama. Good night."

"Good night."

Once her mother had gone upstairs, Ginny moved to the window and looked up to the sky. Come home quick Draco, I miss you, she said silently, watching the stars twinkle.

~

In the underground lair of the Deatheaters, Draco sat in the cell with his back against the wall. His hair was matted and dirty, and his beard was making his face itch. He sat quietly, listening to the guards outside his cell talking about Voldermort's latest plan.

"The Dark Lord's latest plan would be fun," said one to the other.

"Yes. Striking them exactly where it will hurt most."

"It will be an easy kill especially since all of them are injured or incapacitated."

"I can't wait for the attack on St. Mungo's."

"When is it again?"

"In four weeks."

"It's going to be fun."

The two guards laughed with anticipation, not caring that their prisoner heard every single word they said.

They're going to attack St. Mungo's! I need to get out of here. I need to warn the Ministry. I need to get to Ginny, Draco thought. Draco leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to map out the place in his head. He had an escape to plan.

A/N: Another chapter updated. Ginny would be about 7 months pregnant about the time Draco heard about the plans to attack the hospital. Please read and review, and tell me what you think of the chapter.