(A/N: YAY! I LOVE EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! I am so grateful for the feedback I've gotten—thank you all so much! You have absolutely no idea how much I love to hear from all of you! I was so excited to read them, even more excited than seeing the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix trailer! Have you seen it? I am so freaking excited! It's only eleven more days until it opens in theaters. I think Dan Radcliffe shouldn't have gotten his hair cut that short…but he's still a cutie:D Hahaha! Anyway, enjoy the chapter, because I really enjoyed writing it!)
Chapter XI
Relocation
Tom stood unmoving for a moment in the darkness. He was still staring into the sky where Harry and Ron had just escaped. His breath was ragged and uneven in the cold air. Ginny was numb in terror. She stood frozen on the spot, unsure how to approach him and unsure if she should even approach him at all. More than anything, she was terrified of his silence. The only sound that could be heard was the soft chirp of a sparrow in a nearby tree. Slowly, he turned on the spot, fixing her with his vicious gaze.
"Would you like to tell me what Potter was doing here tonight?" His seemingly calm tone frightened Ginny even more. It would seem like the beginning of a pleasant conversation to an outsider, but she could tell by the murderous look in his eyes that he was absolutely livid.
Ginny choked on her words, desperately searching for a response.
"What were you doing out here at three-in-the-morning?" He asked, his voice growing lower as he stepped closer to her with an unpleasant scowl.
Ginny shrank against the wall, determined to avoid his gaze. "I-I needed…air…" She mumbled feebly.
"You needed air," he repeated, clearly not believing her lie. "And Potter just happened to be flying around on a hippogriff with your brother?"
Ginny cleared her throat, trying appear braver than she was feeling at the moment. "Well…"
"Have you forgotten everything I've told you?" Tom exploded. "Have you forgotten that we are married—that we are bonded? How did you ever think you could escape?" He fumed, gripping her shoulders roughly. He had lost his previous calm composure. The sparrow in the tree began to screech loudly.
Ginny squirmed in his arms at the sudden outburst, too frightened to speak.
"How did you contact him?" He demanded, shaking her slightly.
Ginny shook her head, unable to find her voice. Tom dropped her suddenly, raising his wand. Ginny recoiled in terror, but instead he pointed it at the bird, ending its screeching with a flash of green light. He turned to Snape, who seemed to flinch as he rounded on him.
"Severus, I believe there is a spy in the ranks. Clearly, she couldn't have contacted anyone outside this manor alone."
Snape nodded obstinately. "Yes, I believe so."
"I want you to begin brewing Veritaserum immediately. I want to question all of my 'loyal followers' before we move on to take Manchester," he spat, still seething in anger.
Ginny sank to the floor of the balcony, shivering in fear. She heard him mutter something about his 'traitorous wife' before storming away furiously. She released a breath, trying to calm herself. She was relieved he hadn't cursed her, but her heart was still hammering madly in her chest. She knew if Harry had stayed a second later than he had, he would have surely been killed.
It had been a very long night, and Tom's mood hadn't improved much by morning. He hadn't spoken a word to Ginny since the botched escape attempt. Ginny felt she was lucky—she pitied anyone who crossed him while he had this horrible temper. All through breakfast, she could hear screams and odd noises coming from the dungeons. He must be questioning his Death Eaters. She shuddered. For a moment, she almost felt guilty for causing such a panic. Tom didn't know who to trust anymore.
Finally, after hours of interrogating and torturing, Tom and Snape emerged from the dungeons. Tom looked positively livid. He passed her, refusing to acknowledge her, and continued up the stairs. Ginny sighed as Snape settled himself in a seat next to her at the table.
"I was so close…" She started, staring miserably out the window. "I could be at home right now."
Snape stared at her for a moment, debating whether to try to comfort her. "I am still not clear on what went wrong. I planned everything—every diminutive detail."
Ginny sighed. "I forgot to bow before climbing onto Buckbeak. I never rode on a hippogriff before—I didn't know—" Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes as she continued. "I almost got Harry killed," she choked.
Snape stiffened a bit at the sight of her crying. He wasn't experienced in comforting pregnant former-students.
"Why did you have your wand pointed at him? You could have helped him! You could have—"
"I couldn't risk it," Snape said as gently as he could. "If I had helped you escape, what do you think would have happened to me? My position and the Dark Lord's trust in me would be jeopardized. I would be the one tortured in the dungeons and force fed Veritaserum."
Having no one else to blame, Ginny wiped her tears in the sleeve of her dress. "Will they come back for me?"
"Yes, eventually. We have to wait a while before attempting it again, you understand," he said, noticing her disheartened expression. "It will be much more difficult next time. No doubt he will be keeping a closer watch on you."
Ginny nodded glumly. The last thing she wanted was to stay another minute with Tom storming about. She knew, however, that it would be best to wait before trying to leave again. It would keep Harry safe, the longer she waited. At the very least, she was comforted by the fact that she didn't have to worry about having Veritaserum slipped into her tea—Snape had told Tom that it could interfere with her pregnancy.
After a blissful afternoon of being ignored by Tom, Ginny was disappointed later to be called by a house elf to meet him in his study. Nervously, Ginny strode down the hall, preparing herself for Tom's rage. She had the horrible feeling that he was going to punish her for what she had done earlier. She shivered, trying to release her sense of foreboding, before knocking on the door.
"Come in."
Ginny turned the doorknob and stepped into the room, trying to look as though fear was not coursing through her entire being. She gave a weak smile. Tom's stony expression did not change. "Sit," he said coldly, motioning toward a large, tufted leather armchair. Ginny sunk into the chair, finding it harder to hide her uneasiness as he stared at her dismally. After a while, Tom rose from his desk and stood before the window, with his back facing her.
"After last night, I have to admit, you gave me a bit of a panic," he said crossly. "I've decided that it would be best if we left here. We're going to move somewhere with more…security. Somewhere Potter will never find us. I've cleansed those who were unfaithful to me from my armies, and all extra precautions have been taken," he said turning from the window and smirking triumphantly. Ginny sunk further into the chair, wishing it would swallow her up. "There will be no escaping this time. You will live with me forever, and you will learn to love it."
Ginny looked at him fearfully. Where would they be going? He is past the point of possessive and controlling—he's obsessed!
"It's very important that we leave tonight. We'll send for the house elves and the others as soon as we've settled in our new residence."
"Why?" Ginny shrieked, unable to conceal her dissent. "Why is it so important? Why can't we just stay here?"
Tom stared at her for a moment. "I…you—you belong to me! And I can't have my possessions running around getting lost or…stolen," he said darkly.
Ginny crossed her arms over her stomach huffily. She hated how decisions were always made for her now. If Tom wanted to move to Merlin-knows-where, then there was nothing she could do to stop him.
"We'll leave around 10:00."
Later that night, at exactly 10:00, Ginny met Tom in the foyer. She took one last look at the manor and sighed. She had grown quite attached to the place over the last eight months. Their new 'high security' residence surely wouldn't be as beautiful. There will probably be iron bars over all the windows…just like a prison.
"No one, except me, will be able to apparate directly to our new home, so it will be only us there for about a week while the others travel on broomstick," Tom said encircling her waist with his arms. "You're going to side-apparate with me."
Ginny, slightly relieved he was speaking to her again, gave a small smile in response. She closed her eyes and pulled Tom closer as the familiar unpleasant squeezing sensation of apparition came over her. Then, almost as quickly as it started, the feeling was gone. Ginny opened her eyes, and saw that she was standing in the entrance hall of a grand castle. She gave a quiet gasp as she unlatched herself from Tom's side and stepped forward.
"Tom!"
"Do you like it?" He asked, pleased at her reaction.
Ginny was lost for words. Tom's castle reminded her so much of Hogwarts, and the thought was comforting. It seemed as though at any moment Fred or George or Ron or Harry could come around any of the corners. She gazed around the entrance hall at the grand staircase and large, crystal chandelier. Soon, the old manor was out of her mind. She longed to explore all the rooms now—her sleepiness was long forgotten.
"It has as many, if not more, wards than Hogwarts," Tom said, taking her hand. "And since I have taken care of my disloyal Death Eaters, there is no chance of anyone disrupting us again."
Ginny nodded, trying to keep a blank expression. He hasn't caught Snape yet…
"Can you show me around?" Ginny asked, tugging lightly on his hand. Tom laughed softly.
"I will tomorrow. For now, I'll just show you to our bedroom. You need rest."
Ginny pouted slightly. "I'm not tired anymore. Bridget isn't either; she's been kicking me for the last two hours."
Tom sighed. "You know, I really shouldn't let you tyrannize me, like you do. The other Dark Lords will begin to talk…"
