A/N: To the usual disclaimer I want to add that the title of this chapter is a phrase taken from the movie "Bad Boys 2", which I absolutely adore.

Chapter ten: Shit Has Got Real

Life went on in the gloomy castle of Lord Voldemort. Malfoy did get promoted so they were sitting even further up than when Ginny arrived. Ginny's new colleagues worked efficiently and overall office work process began to run faster without loosing its high value.

Ginny watched as pleased Malfoy looked, like a father of children, when everything he put into their upbringing finally started to pay off. Although after two weeks of their collective work a frown crossed his peaceful features.

"Richard, come here," he order sternly.

Richard neared Malfoy's table with bewilderment and slight fear, having no idea why he was summoned.

"You can take her if you want," Malfoy said without lowering his voice so everybody in the room could hear him.

Ginny was the first to jerk her head up. They were obviously talking about her.

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Richard responded.

"I am not blind, Richard. Sideway glances, smiles when you catch her look, staring at her during meals… I am her rightful guardian. You can take my place if you want her so much. But you'll do it all on your own. Neither I nor Miss Weasley will interfere. Still Miss Weasley must decide herself on her future."

Only now Malfoy looked at her and Ginny instantly noticed tension in his glance. He didn't want to be in this situation. Especially not now when everything started to move upwards. Spirits and business alike.

"You understand what the problem we have here, I suppose?" he asked Ginny who looked lost.

"Can I think about it?" she managed to say, having no idea how to deal with the situation.

"Of course. And Richard," Malfoy turned back to the embarrassed looking man, "I hope Miss Weasley's choice won't jeopardize our relationship."

"I hope so too, sir." Richard took his place at the table and after taking a deep sigh returned to his work. Actually, he was sure that his affections wouldn't be noticed. He was not exactly a rookie in the Mortals, but still didn't know Malfoy enough to know that it was really hard to hide anything from him.

In the other corner of the room sat Miss Weasley, who was not only confused and scared, she simply didn't want to do anything. She didn't want to change everything again. She hardly knew the man in the first place.

Suddenly she felt tickling at her right wrist. She restrained a chuckle and looked at it – the scar was red. She pressed it two times and felt something entering her head. 'Tickling?' her first thought was.

'And you wanted a crucial pain that makes you want to cut her hand off?' Malfoy's sarcastic voice echoed in her head. 'Anyway, I know that you are not working, but thinking about Richard's proposal right now. Hm, it really sounds like a proposal…'

'You made it, not him,' Ginny interrupted.

'It doesn't matter. He is just too shy to make the first move so quickly.'

'Why are you rushing things then? He could perfectly do it on his own in a couple of weeks.'

'He was distracted. On the other hand, I can't stand it.'

'Can't stand what?' Ginny asked, realizing that there was much more about the ordeal than simple change of quarters for her.

'I advise you to move in with him. He is a good guy. Very…caring. You won't have any problems with him. He has a lot of fun on the weekends.'

'As if it is the deciding argument,' she thought with irritation.

'I heard that. You have time to decide till tomorrow morning.'

With that her mind was left contented only with troubled thoughts. Frankly speaking, the very first thought that came to her mind was 'Who would you choose a younger or an older one?'

'But they are both young! What are you thinking, Ginny?! You are not supposed to think of them like about choosing a date from two guys.

Let's look at the possibilities. If Richard wants me then he must at least like me in some romantic way. This is definitely a pro. On the other hand I met him only two weeks ago. It is too early to make such a commitment with him. Bugger, why couldn't Malfoy wait a bit? Wants to get rid of me that much? Damn him. I really should accept Richard. But I still want to hear it from him. Yes, we need to talk before I decide on anything. I must talk to both of them.'

With that in mind Ginny waited for dinner when she planned to converse with Richard.

"Can I talk to you, Richard?" Ginny asked, sitting in the Dining Hall. Only now she noticed that Richard always sat beside her at meals. Malfoy was impassively eating on the other side of her.

"Yes, of course," he replied, chewing on a chicken leg.

"Why do you want to be my guardian?"

Richard choked on his food. Malfoy smirked into his goblet.

"Why do you ask?"

"I think it is quite obvious. If you don't, then say so. Maybe Malfoy misinterpreted your behavior and we can just forget about the whole thing?" Ginny asked in a serious tone.

"Well, yes, I mean, no. I do like you, Ginny. I am just not ready to such commitment," he answered a bit shakily.

"Well, you are not marring me or something. It is just for a year or two. I'll probably fulfill my purpose by then and will be killed like just any other prisoner. So don't worry about it," she said absolutely evenly.

"Ginny, I… don't know what to say to that. I just wanted to take care of you, maybe even marry you someday. But now, it is just too soon and maybe we should get to know each other more - "

"What House were you in?" Ginny interrupted, her expression saying she had no interest whatsoever in what he was going to say next.

"What?"

"Were you studying in Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I was in Ravenclaw."

"Figures," Ginny stated, shaking her head. 'Handsome chicken.' Malfoy smirked again.

When the work day was over and Ginny with Malfoy reached the bedroom she decided to corner him needing an explanation of his actions

"Why did you interfere, Malfoy? Everything was okay and you decided to give a cold shower to poor bloke."

"Because it is what real men do. Take it or leave it."

"Relationships are not built up like that."

"There are no relationships here, Weasley. Here you are either single or engaged, nothing in between."

"But you and I are in between. We are neither single nor engaged."

'She is right, dammit.' "Don't make a fuss about it. Just go to him and finish this farce!"

"So eager to get of me, are you, Malfoy?!" Ginny yelled, finally loosing her temper. "I am just a problem for you, aren't I? Just a bargain that spoils your perfect Death Eater life! I know I mean nothing to you. I know I am just another task. I know that you'll forget me the moment I leave you. But, please, don't throw it into my face all the time! Be human just once!

I'll go to Richard just to prove you wrong! And I am sure he will take me in because he is a man. He won't leave me sleeping on the cold floor! Ready or not he will take me in, because you threw me out like some broken thing!"

Malfoy slammed the door so hard that half of the papers fell down onto the floor. He roughly pulled up his right sleeve and touched a big 'M' on his wrist with his wand. 'Blaise! Firewhisky! Now!' Ten minutes later he stormed into Blaise and Pansy's chambers where Blaise met him with an utterly astonished face and a bottle of Firewhisky.

"What happened, mate? You haven't drunk Firewhisky in two years. What's the occasion?"

"Weasley," Malfoy spat and took a large gulp from the very bottle.

Blaise watched him with wide eyes. He knew Malfoy for fifteen years and never saw him like that. "Calm down, Draco. Calm down," he led Malfoy to an armchair, taking the bottle from him, before he did another gulp. "Now tell me exactly what the problem is with the Weasley girl."

Malfoy learned into the armchair and closed his eyes. He felt the liquid was warming up his insides. He really needed that. "She is a walking problem as it is," he began much calmer. "You know about my new staff?" Blaise nodded. Malfoy didn't saw him because of his closed eyes, but continued without waiting for his answer. "From the first day, one of them, Richard, started to bat his eyelashes at Weasley. None of my business, of course. One day, two days, a week, another one. I couldn't take it anymore, so I told Richard he can have her and Weasley – she can choose.

I gave her a bloody choice, Blaise!" Malfoy exclaimed, locking his stormy gaze with Blaise's. "I could've just shoved her to him without any explanation! And that lover boy has chickened out! He didn't want to take any responsibility, just wanted to have a woman, that's bloody all! And we came to our room and that bitch has accused me of being a heartless bastard! Do you hear me, Blaise? That heartless bastard let her not be just a mindless thing in the office, bought her clothes without asking anything in return, trusted her with his most precious secrets and she calls me inhuman, because with giving her over to Richard I am throwing her out, getting rid if her like a nuisance! Bloody Hell! I just wanted to do what was better for her!"

"You bought her clothes?" Blaize inquired with a small smile.

"Were you even listening to me?!"

"Of course I did. And I think you are both overreacting. You just need to talk things through. And it was really silly of you to pose the question of Richard's guidance so drastically and so quickly. How was Weasley reacting by the way?"

"Reacting to what?"

"To his eyelashes' batting."

"She didn't have a clue."

"What was your reasoning then?"

"I don't know, Blaise. I don't know anything anymore," Malfoy groaned, taking his head into his hands.

"You are just jealous, that's all."

"Merlin, Blaise! Jealous of what? I don't want any romantic attention from Richard thank you very much!"

"No you idiot! You are jealous of Ginny."

"You are nuts, Zabini. Have you been drinking anything before I came?"

"Face it, Draco. You've become dangerously possessive of her. All this choosing between him and you was only for you to find out her feelings towards you. Quite selfish, I may say."

"Blaise, you've gone mutters. It is utterly impossible."

"Well, you don't have any explanation so I provided you with one. Now go back and apologize."

Malfoy made several deep breaths and stood up. With a tired gait he headed towards the door.

"You forgot to say 'as if!'," Blaise shouted at his retreating back.

"You know, it is pointless and, moreover, childish. All I know that it is she who must apologize and if she doesn't then her choice is clear. She will still remain where she is now. It is just a change in sleeping arrangements."

After Malfoy left Blaise poured himself a glass of Firewhisky. 'It is a lot more than change in sleeping arrangements, especially for you, Draco.'

On the other floor of the castle Ginny was sitting cross-legged on her bed, contemplating what had just happened. She has lost her temper, yes. It wasn't a good thing. Yes, she had a reason for it. A very serious reason, but she didn't want anybody to know it. She felt embarrassed about it and thought it was absolutely logical at the same time. The reason was simple – she was scared. Scared to be left out, not needed. Again.

She adjusted to this new contradictional world, trying to find her place there. All her life she was considered unimportant, not special, not worth noticing. Just one of the hundreds. When almost all Weasley men died in the War, Molly practically grounded Ginny in the Burrow. Yes, it was a motherly instinct to save her only child, but also an attempt not to remain alone.

Ginny loved her mother dearly, but she was twenty years old. She wanted to live, to see the world around her, even if it was being torn into pieces at that time. Ginny wanted to be a person of her own.

But today her wishes were neglected again. She was again only a thing which could be passed from one owner to another. She felt insulted, stripped of her honor and that's why she yelled at her guardian, who just wanted to… what? Get rid of her? But he did give her his Mark, showing his trust in her. Torture her mentally, knowing who Richard really is? Demonstrate his power over her fate? Ginny was again confused by the actions of strange Draco Malfoy.

Who at that very moment slammed the door open, making Ginny flinch. "I am sorry," she said right away, not wanting him to state his point, which will be certainly just to shut her up. "I didn't have the right to shout at you. I am just a prisoner and under your care. I must just follow your orders," she recited.

"Bullshit," Malfoy grunted. "You said it and you meant it. Yes, you didn't have any right but you did it anyway as you always do. Now go to sleep. You still must make the decision and time for thinking is wearing off."

"But Richard doesn't want me to live with him! He backed off!" Ginny exclaimed, confused why he was dwelling on the choice making. Especially if he perfectly heard her and Richard's conversation in the Dining Hall.

"And if he didn't?"

"And what is it to you?" Ginny asked, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Probably just damn man's ego."

"I don't know. It is really hard to choose. Pros and cons are equal for both of you," she said in a discussing tone.

"Oh, really… Strange, we are so different."

"Well, not in my eyes. Anyway, I am going to bed."

"Finally, you are acting rationally," he mocked with a smirk. Ginny glared in return.

Then out of thin air a parchment roll fell down onto Malfoy's bed. He frowned, but opened it. Ginny witnessed a lot of things in her life, but she had never seen somebody pale so quickly. As if in a single moment all life was drained out of Malfoy's face. He tossed it into her hands. She began to scan the contents.

Fairy Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am happy to announce that our Lord has finally obtained his human form and will greet you all tomorrow at 12 o'clock in the Main Hall.

Due to his transformation the Dark Lord will honor you, pureblooded witches of the castle, with the baring of his child, the heir of the Dark Lord's Empire. The Dark Lord orders all women mentioned below to attend tomorrow's meeting. The ones who will not obey will be severely punished.

'He just had to write the last sentence, didn't he?' "So?"

"Look at the list, dammit."

Ginny looked. She found a lot of familiar people there; girls she knew from her school years, slytherins and others alike. Shock paralyzed her when she reached the end though. 'Ginevra Weasley.' Black on yellow. As clear as day. She sat there, staring at the small piece of parchment that held for her the worst Fate imaginable in this world.

"Kill me", she said softly. When no reaction came she dashed forward and fell down onto her knees in front of Malfoy. "Please, kill me… Kill me, Draco. Please…" Ginny begged, hugging his knees.

Malfoy was rooted to the spot be her pleas. He knew it would come. Sooner or later. It could be the only reason why she had been dragged here. He suspected it from the very beginning, but why now it was so hard to except?

'She called me Draco…Must be from shock…' "I can't and you know it," he uttered at last.

"Why? Why me?" she sobbed. But then her eyes shined with sudden determination. "I'll do it myself." She took the dagger from her waistband, the same dagger Malfoy gave her. It wasn't asked back so Ginny kept it. And finally she has found the perfect task for it. She placed the dagger in front of her heart and pulled it forward. Malfoy just watched expressionlessly.

The dagger cut her shirt and slid down without leaving a scratch. "How?" Ginny murmured, gazing at her unharmed chest.

"You are impetratable till you fulfill your purpose," Malfoy stated.

"But I caaaan't!" she weaned, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Why? You were kept alive to do it. You were taken here to do it. You were given to me to do it."

"And where is your man's ego now, Draco?"

"This is not the problem of man's ego, Weasley. You don't have a choice but to go there tomorrow and do whatever will be ordered," Malfoy stated coldly. Too coldly for Ginny's liking.

"So I am not your concern anymore. You will finally get rid of me?" she whispered, still sitting on the floor and feeling absolutely hopeless.

"Hardly. You will probably stay here at least for another year. Child and everything."

Ginny cringed at the mentioning of the child. Only the thought of being in one room with Voldemort, sleeping with him repeatedly, having sex with him… It horrified her to the bone. He will touch her only through her dead body. Unfortunately, that option wasn't available any more.

'Isn't there a way to escape this nightmare? Probably not. Or I could've escaped days ago.' She started to get upfrom her fatal position and surprisingly was helped. "I will be there. I understand I have no say in the matter."

'That's it? No fighting? There are really important things at stake. Important for her at least. It must be the right choice. It is my purpose. Then why am I doing what I am doing? My actions are as far from my purpose as possible.

Strange situation. Strange feelings. Too strange for my liking.'

The Main Hall was full to the point of a crowd. Ginny counted at least forty women. The majority of them were sobbing on the shoulders of the men accompanying them. Some looked lost and with a trace of torture on their featured. Only a few looked glad and proud to be there.

Ginny stood impassively, surrounded by dozens of black robes, stunned to move or to react. Everybody was shooting impatient glances at the throne looking armchair where Lord Voldemort usually sat. They all waited for their Lord to emerge in his new form. That didn't interest Ginny in the slightest. To her didn't matter in which form or body he would be; no matter how good the appearance is it can't change the rottenness of the soul.

The grand entering was made at last and dead silence settled over the gathering. On the throne set… Harry Potter. Harry Potter not older than 35 but without the famous scar and glasses.

Ginny's knees started to weaken; she felt she'd fall down any moment. "Stay put, Weasley. Whatever the cost, stand," she heard Malfoy's growl through clenched teeth.

The Dark Lord was giving a speech but Ginny didn't hear a word of it. 'Why me? Why the world is so cruel to me? The whole evilness concentrated in the body of the man I loved.'

In the same she left, leaning onto Malfoy's arm. When they moved further into the corridor, Ginny couldn't help it any longer. She fainted.

A/N: So it started to get messy, didn't it? I bet nobody thought of that turn of events. Well, stay tuned, it will get even messier. And thanks for all your reviews, the last chapter had the largest number of them. But you can make another record, right?