The Daily Prophet was once again filled with rubbish from the Ministry. Ginny was tired of reading it, but she has been trying to look for indications of what Lucius' plans were. She tried to research the mysterious J.D. Jones, but information on him was sparse to say the least. She even considered that he was a fake, but why would they all go to such extremes to deceive her.

Ginny took a sip of tea and a bite of toast before turning another page of the paper. The news she read over the past two weeks had not been good. The magical population was protesting the new tax laws. Gringotts Goblins tightened security, and even refused to open on various days. The letter she sent them was responded to, but not the type of response she had expected. They said that they could designate the funds to help with magical families burdened by the new tax laws, but when they contacted the Ministry to set up a payment schedule, they were told that would be illegal. The Ministry had other plans to help the poor.

There have been several protests at various magical locations around England in the past two weeks. The Ministry sent members of the Magical Law Enforcement out to quell them. Ginny wondered if Ron and Kingsley were among the MLE's sent out. She could see them siding with the protesters.

Ginny sat the paper aside and picked up a letter that she received from Draco last night. He said that he had a birthday surprise for her, and she should come to the manor at eight o'clock tonight. It was the first correspondence that she received from him, since the dinner at the manor. She had Owled him to ask how his family was getting on, after the attack, but he never responded. The problem with his invitation was she was expected at the Burrow tonight for her birthday dinner. She can't be two places at once, and she needs to find out what his father was planning. Therefore, she will go to the Burrow early and leave to meet Draco.

She had wanted to tell her family or maybe Remus about what happened at the Manor, but she had nothing to tell them that they didn't already suspect. They believed the Malfoy's were involved in the murders of the Order members, and they were all next on the list. She couldn't tell them if Lucius came up with the money to hire that American, so that would be no help. The last remaining detail that has kept her from going to them was the fact that they don't trust her. At times, they seemed to think that she was helping Draco and his father. Nothing could be further from the truth, but there was nothing she could do to change their minds.

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Ginny looked into the mirror on her dressing table. She was once again staring at her hair, noticing how long it was getting. The bangs were now hanging slightly in her eyes and the sides and back are almost to her shoulders. She should leave it grow some more before trimming it again. She couldn't stand the thought of leaving it grow as long as it once was, but maybe a couple more inches more wouldn't be bad.

She looked at her robes and brushed away invisible dust particles. Her nerves were on edge, because she was going back to see her family. It may be her birthday, but she hasn't talked to them since Mad-Eye's funeral. She didn't really talk to them then, either. Part of her wanted to curse them for shunning her, and another part wanted to beg for forgiveness so they would talk to her again. She wasn't sure, which part of her will show up today.

Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the front door's stoop to Apparate. She had always liked walking up to the Burrow. The setting of her childhood home had always been one of her favorite sights. She wasn't asked to arrive until closer to four in the afternoon with guests arriving at five. She needed to leave to get ready for her date tonight, so she was going to arrive a little early. Three hours early to be precise, but it was once her home too. She wouldn't be able to spend much time with her guests tonight, which would be a shame. She had wondered whom they were inviting as guests. Maybe they invited her boyfriend, Draco, wouldn't that be a shock.

She stopped walking as she realized that she had for the first time thought of Draco as her boyfriend. This was supposed to be a relationship of convenience, an opportunity to gather information, not to fall in love, or even care for him. As she opened the door and stepped onto the stoop, she questioned her own feelings and motives in her present relationship.

After the sensation of being squeezed through a hosepipe ceased, the Burrow appeared in front of her, but it didn't look the same. Something was different about it. The wards seemed to have a slight shimmer to them surrounding the house and garden in a gleaming haze. The woods to the left of the property also looked different, what exactly was wrong she couldn't tell. They seemed to be darker and more foreboding than she could ever remember.

As she walked towards the front gate, she contacted the shimmering wards. A strange feeling passed through her. It didn't feel painful or controlling, forgetting about the wards strange affects, she walked to the front gate and opened it. Another feeling started to build in her; it was one of remorse for her father, brothers, and Harry. It was the one reason she doesn't like coming back here. Their loss seemed so real here as opposed to Grimmauld Place. She didn't know why that was, but every time she stepped onto this property she half expected to see her father looking out of the chicken coup to see who it was.

Blinking back tears Ginny knocked on the front door. Waiting several seconds without anyone answering, she opened it and walked in. Looking around the sitting room and kitchen, she saw that she was the only one there. She started to yell for her Mum, but the pictures on the fireplace mantle caught her eye. There sat pictures of her Dad, Charlie, Percy, and Harry. She had taken all the pictures of Harry down in Grimmauld place several years ago. It helped her stop thinking and grieving for him. Every time she would see a picture of him, all she would want to do was stare into those enchanting green eyes.

His eyes were the thing that mesmerized her the most. Something about the intensity of them, it wasn't just their brilliant colour. She could look into his eyes and see into his heart and soul. It was a place that she enjoyed going and always felt safe there, staring into his beautiful green eyes.

Ginny hadn't even realized that she had crossed to the mantle, picked up his picture, and was staring into his eyes, until her mother entered the kitchen and cleared her throat.

"You're early, dear."

"I – a – have some place to –a – go tonight…," she stammered "…so I stopped by early so I could spend time with everyone before I left." Ginny had a hard time looking at her mother while talking to her. She felt awkward and out of sorts here, and telling them that she wouldn't be able to stay made her feel even more distant.

"Where do you have to go? Why can't you cancel your plans, or have anyone you're meeting come here?" questioned her Mother.

"I – uh, it's complicated."

"You're seeing Draco," stated Mrs. Weasley icily. "Well, what time must you leave then? I'll contact everyone and see if they can bump up their schedule to make you happy."

"Six-thirty."

"Very well, then." She turned her back on Ginny and sent her hen Patronus out the back door. After doing that she walked over to the fireplace, threw in some Floo powder, and told Fleur that the dinner would be starting precisely at five not six as originally planned. Ginny watched her mother do these things and start bustling around the kitchen without realizing that she still was holding Harry's picture tight against her chest, until Remus spoke.

"Careful there, you'll break the glass. How are getting on, Ginny?" asked Remus, as he walked down the stairs. His words were soft spoken and they seemed to be filled with genuine concern.

"I've been better, and yourself?" She looked down at the picture again before placing it in back onto the mantle. She looked at her father's again, and then moved over to another picture that was sitting to the far left.

"I am doing fine. You caught us by surprise, stopping by this early." As he spoke, the sounds of pots and pans banging together in the kitchen filled the house. "I don't think your mother was expecting to start cooking this soon."

"Well that's me, always causing trouble." The words faded as she looked closely at the picture. It was of Ron and Hermione's wedding. She was the Maid of Honor and Harry was the Best Man. The four of them stood there in the garden behind the Burrow, their faces shining with happiness and wine. It seemed so strange that in the middle of a war, when they where being hunted by murders, they were able to be so happy. Ginny heard Remus say something again, "Excuse me, I didn't hear…"

"I think Ron and Hermione are coming, and their friend is with them."

Ginny turned to look out the same window as Remus, and her blood froze in her veins. J.D. Jones was walking with them. He was still here. Ginny didn't even think about what she was doing, and she ignored Remus as she ran out the backdoor towards her brother and sister-in-law. They stopped walking when they saw her flying out of the house with her wand gripped tightly in her hand with Remus running behind her.

"Stay away from them, you bastard!" she screamed, as she pointed her wand at the American. "I'll kill you!"

Ron jumped in front of J.D. and Hermione had her wand pointed at Ginny, while Remus wrapped his arms around her and pull her wand arm down to her side.

"You're bloody mental, Ginny," yelled Ron. "J.D. is our friend. You're not going to threaten him in front of me."

"Ginny try to calm down. Why are you acting this way?" pleaded Hermione.

"He has been hired by Lucius Malfoy to kill you!" As soon as Ginny yelled this, everyone seemed to stop moving. Remus let go of her. Ron stopped yelling and Hermione pursed her lips and stared at her as if she was deranged.

"How do you know this Ginny?" questioned Hermione.

"I heard them discussing plans at a dinner two weeks ago."

"How did you hear them discuss it?" plied Hermione again.

Ginny could feel everyone looking closer at her. "I was at the dinner, with Draco."

"You went to a dinner with Draco that his father openly discussed having us killed?" Ginny looked at Hermione when she said this. It sounded ridiculous, but it was true. "That must have been some pleasant conversation over pudding," Hermione added sardonically. "Why did you wait until now to tell us?"

"It wasn't at the table, Hermione," Ginny spat venomously. "They went to another room. I overheard them discussing his fee. He said that Lucius had to come up with four million Galleons in four days, or he was going back to America. Isn't that right, Mr. Jones?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are, darlin'. Except what Ron has told me about ya," said J.D. calmly.

"LIAR!"

"Ginevra! J. D. is a guest in this house. I will not have you speaking to him that way," demanded Mrs. Weasley. She had come out of the kitchen to see why Ginny was acting so strangely.

"Mum, he's …"

"I heard what you said. That Lucius has hired him to kill us."

"Yes!"

"For four million Galleons."

"Yes!"

"Well he must think we are very important to pay such a high price," quipped her mum. Ron, Hermione, and even Remus chuckled at the comment. "And you are telling us now, and still tonight you are planning to go out with Draco," said Mrs. Weasley with contempt in her voice.

Ginny felt like someone had pulled a rug out from under her feet. The realization of her going out with Draco, while his father plotted the death of her entire family looked bad, but it wasn't that way. "No, it isn't like that," she pleaded with her family.

"Tell us then, how it is?" stated her mother.

"I am trying to discover how they are involved. I need them to trust me," she pleaded with them.

"Is that why you are fighting with us? I thought that you just preferred the Malfoys company over ours, now that you are like them," snapped Hermione.

"What do you mean by that? I am sick of you chatising me because Harry left me all his money. It is not my fault."

"No it isn't your fault, but your attitude is. I am tired of having my head bit off everytime I talk to you, and of you putting your own family last and never speaking to us. You're not the Ginny that had been my best friend for years," stated Hermione, who now had tears in her eyes.

Ginny looked at her and the rest of her family. They all were looking at her like she was some indignant child. She was not wrong. They just refused to understand.

"Ginny, dear, please cancel your plans for tonight. Spend your birthday with your family," pleaded her mother.

Ginny thought about her mothers offer, but she couldn't destroy everything that she had built with the Malfoys now, when she was getting closer to finding the truth. "I'm sorry, Mum, but I need to go." She looked at her family gathered around her and noticed that J.D. had walked away from them. "I don't trust that ruddy American. I know what I heard and saw. Please, be careful, whether you believe it or not, I do care about you." She didn't give her family time to respond. She turned on her heels and walked away without lookin back.

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Ginny placed the last bite of cheesecake in her mouth and chewed it slowly. She looked over and at Draco to see him smile warmly at her. He had taken her to this lovely restaurant for her birthday. The evening had been rather pleasant, without any conversation about her family or the mysterious American.

"Would you like more wine?" asked Draco, lifting the bottle.

"No, I actually prefer coffee with something this sweet," she replied. "Thank you for the lovely birthday dinner, Draco." Ginny smiled with genuine affection at him. His kindness and courtesy made her forget about her earlier tribulations with her family. He was actually being sweet to her today. It was something that she was never sure if the gracious or the arrogant and sullen Draco would show up.

"I heard at the Ministry that you wanted to help the scrubbers pay their taxes," said Draco with a bit of arrogance in his voice.

His sudden change in dinner conversation caught her unaware, and him referring to the poorer people as scrubbers irritated her. "Yes, I did!" she replied with force. "It is unfair that bloody new tax."

"I think it is quite fair. Why should we pay for the services that those people use? Make them pay their fair share."

"If you want equality in payment then maybe they should have equality in representation."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If they are paying equally for their services than the people who make less than twenty thousand galleons a year should have equal representation on the Wizengamot to their percentage of population. I have noticed that the Wizengamot has only allowed the wealthy to sit in its chambers." Draco's attitude change had irritated her. He had told her many times in the past that she should reconsider how she perceived herself, now that she is one of the wealthiest people in England. She still acted as though she was poor with the way she spent her money, and her philanthropic ventures seemed to irritate him.

"Have them serve on the Wizengamot? That would be a joke, they are not qualified," responded Draco with a laugh at the thought that anyone who was poor could possible be smart and wise.

Ginny felt her face getting red with anger. She never thought that having money was a sign of intelligence. She always thought her father was an intelligent person, even though he was never wealthy. "I don't want to discuss this topic anymore. Not today," she said with a sigh. She had enough controversy for one day.

"I am sorry, dear," replied Draco softly, as he reached across the table and gently grasped her hand. "I wanted you to enjoy your birthday, not spend it talking politics." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Now are you ready for your birthday surprise?"

"You mean this lovely dinner wasn't it?"

"No, not at all," chuckled Draco. "You could go out and buy this yourself. What I had in mind only I can give to you," he said in a rather roguish voice.

"This sounds exciting."

"Oh, I can guarantee it will be" They stood up from the table and walked out of the restaurant after paying the bill and leaving a tip. Draco had not always done that before, but Ginny had always insisted that they tip the server. They walked out of the Muggle establishment and down the street to an alley where they could Apparate.

"Where are we going?"

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise. Would it?" he responded nervously. "Now close your eyes and wait until I tell you to open them."

Ginny gripped his arm and felt the familiar squeeze of Apparation. When the pressure disappeared, she could tell she was somewhere in the countryside away from the city. The breeze was rustling leaves and bathing her in a sweet smell of flowers, grass, and moss. They must be somewhere near woods, because all these scents reminded her of the Burrow when she would spend summer days exploring the woods by herself. She felt Draco release her, and she started opening her eyes.

"Incarcerous!" someone shouted.

Ginny opened her eyes and saw it was Lucius Malfoy, as magically produced ropes wrapped around her from shoulder to knees. She teetered for a second, as she tried to maintain her balance, before someone shoved her in the back. She fell forward and landed face down on the ground. Even though she had turned her head, the grass and dirt still filled her mouth and nose making her choke as she breathed. Feet were moving all around her, and she could hear familiar voices. As she lay there, she wasn't filled with fear of her predicament, but anger. She did not fear pain or death anymore. She had overcome that fear fighting alongside Harry against Voldemort.

As she was trying to figure out what was going on around her, and why they had left her laying here, someone kicked her in the ribs hard enough to roll her over on her back. If her arm hadn't been tied to her side, her ribs would have been broken, but the force of the kick still sent a shockwave of pain through her body and knocked the wind out of her. She now laid on her back staring at the darkened trees and the starry skies beyond them, when Lucius stepped into her view.

"Happy Birthday, Miss Weasley," said Lucius with his usual contemptuous drawl. Several people laughed at his sardonic humor. "I bet you are wondering why we have invited you here today. Let me answer that for you. You have something that should belong to us. The Black inheritance should have never gone to your former fiancé, but to the rightful members of the Black family."

"It did, and Sirius left it for Har…." Ginny's retort was silenced as a gag appeared across her mouth.

"Crucio!" shouted Lucius. Pain shot through her body making her shake and scream into her gag, but it suddenly stopped.

"Father, is this necessary," pleaded Draco.

There was a prolonged silence, as Ginny watched Lucius stare up at his son, who was out of Ginny's sightline.

"Yes, it is necessary," hissed Lucius at his son. "You know what is at stake here. Do you want to retain your status as a Malfoy, and all that goes with that?" Lucius stopped talking and waited a few seconds before continuing. "Then this is most necessary, son."

He pointed his wand at Ginny and again yelled, "Crucio!"

Ginny was twisting on the ground trying to not let the pain break her. Lucius suddenly lifted the curse, and leaned down to look her directly in the face. The gag disappeared with a swipe of his wand.

"If you don't want to feel pain again then it would be wise to agree to sign over all of your wealth to us the rightful heirs to the Most Noble House of Black."

"Piss off!" As soon as, Ginny said this, the gag magically appeared wrapping her mouth so tight she couldn't open or breathe from it. The pain of the Cruciatus curse started again. She tried to writhe and twist against the ropes, but they only dug into her skin making the pain even more intense. She was screaming, but the gag kept the noise from escaping from her mouth.

After the pain stopped she lay there, trying to breathe through her nose, but it didn't allow enough air to satisfy her lungs needs. The gag disappeared and she started to pant. Lucius once again leaned into view. "Well are you going to sign, or will we have to further persuade you?"

Ginny lay there panting for several seconds before speaking, "I will not sign. You can torture me. You can kill me, but you will never get your hands on that gold." She felt ropes tighten around her ankles and pulling her up suddenly until she was hanging upside down looking at Lucius, Draco, and several other wizards. Draco stepped in front of her his eyes looked conflicted, but with a wave of his wand the gag reappeared on her mouth.

"You will sign this tonight, my dear Ginerva" said Lucius mockingly. "Now, you will sign these papers giving all your gold to my family." He stepped closer to her, "did you think all that gold made you equal with us. You are nothing but a scrubber, just like your entire family. Crucio!"

Ginny twisted and turned against the ropes as she was being tortured. She could barely think because the combination of the curse, the rope, gag, and being hung upside down clouded her mind. Even through all this pain, she still knew that in the end she would end up dead. Even if she signed the papers, they would have to kill her to keep her silent. The torture stopped, but the gag was still in place. She could barely breathe. She had bit her tongue and the blood and saliva was running into her nose making breathing nearly impossible.

Suddenly the pain was back, it seemed to be worse this time. She had never been tortured like this before. Everyone had always made sure that she was protected. Voldemort and his cronies never captured her, but people who had been through this had told her that the pain increases as your ability to resist the curse weakens. The pain again stopped, and she felt herself falling. She still had the presence of mind to twist and land on her side and not her head. She felt almost every joint in her body twist from the impact, and a couple of ribs snapped. She felt herself getting sick and started to vomit. As she wretched, the gag was removed. This wasn't a sign of kindness, but it was to ensure that she did not choke and die too soon.

The vomit was magically removed, but they didn't clean her up, as the side of her face was smeared with blood, dirt, and now vomit. A large piece of parchment and quill were placed in front of her. "Sign this!" ordered Draco. "Imperio"

Ginny felt free of pain, as the ropes disappeared. She felt fine and it seemed like the most logical thing to do in the world was simply sign this piece of parchment. She picked up the quill, sat up, and started to move her hand towards the line to sign it, when another section of her brain screamed at her. Her hand shook as she fought with herself. One part of her told her to sign the document and everything will be good again. The other section told her that it would be stupid to do so and she shouldn't give these people anything. Finally, she threw the quill away and reached for her wand. She had her hand on it, before a boot collided with the small of her back sending her forward onto the ground. She felt her wand fly out of her robes, before the ropes bound her again.

"My, my, Draco, she is more durable than she appears," stated Lucius. "No matter, she will sign this piece of parchment one way or another. Bring her, everyone is in place."

Ginny felt someone grab her hair and drag her along the ground. Several times she thought that her scalp was going to tear lose from her head, when her clothes would catch on a root or rock. They finally let her drop and she felt her ankles being bound and lifting her upside down again. Someone walked over to her and turned her as she hung, until she could see the view he wanted.

She was on a hill overlooking the Burrow. They had hired that bloody American to kill her family. She hung there numb from the pain of the torture and the fact that her family was sitting in their home while it was being surrounded by murders. Tears started to drip from her eyes and run down her forehead and into her hair.

"Ah, she is so sad," mocked Lucius, while others laughed behind him. "You have finally figured out what we hired Mr. Jones for, haven't you." He stopped talking, walked in front of her, and stood with his back to the Burrow. "Right now, the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix are meeting down there. They are talking to Mr. Jones, about what they think are ways to fight against this nameless faceless evil overtaking the land." He stopped and chuckled at situation. "Unwittingly, they are trapped by the person that they now trust will help them in their fight. Rather ironic, don't you think? But, you could stop the massacre. All you need to do is sign over control of your vaults to my family. If you don't than I will send red sparks into the air and your family and friends shall all die. Don't think they will stand a chance against Mr. Jones. Do you know what he did in Mexico? He hunted down and killed forty wizards. The Mexican authorities want him dead, because the last four he killed while they were being held in a high security prison. Do you think your friends even stand a chance of surviving? Sign it! Now!" Lucius held his wand into the air.

Tears poured out of her eyes, as she thought about their predicament. If she didn't sign the parchment then her whole family would die. They are surrounded and have a murderous traitor with them. If she signs it, then she will die, but her family might survive. They might die anyway. If they did then all her gold would go to Narcissa or Bellatrix. Andromeda is most likely at the Order meeting. The only possibility of saving her family is to sign over the gold. She went to talk, but the gag prevented her from forming words. Draco waved his wand, and the gag disappeared. "I'll sign," squeeked Ginny, before she started coughing uncontrollably. Her voice was strained from the torture and tight from her emotional state.

The ropes holding her up disappeared, letting her drop to the ground. The jarring hit made white lights dance in front of her eyes. All of her bindings were vanished and the parchment was shoved in her hands with a quill. She touched the quill to the appropriate line and signed her official name, Ginevra Molly Weasley Potter. The parchment was pulled from her grasp and she collapsed onto the ground and waited for her death.

"What's the meaning of this!" screamed Lucius.

"I – I signed it," said Ginny.

"The document can't be magically registered; it must be taken to Gringotts and registered there. Very Well!" He shot red sparks into the air.

"No! I signed it. I did what you wanted. Please spare my family," pleaded Ginny.

She pushed herself up to a sitting position. The assault on the Burrow had started. Curses were being shot at the wards from all directions, as attackers closed in on her home. The wards quickly collapsed and then she saw her family run from the house, with the members of the Order. Curses and Hexes were being exchanged all around the Burrow. It appeared that the Order was up to the fight. She almost thought that they might actually prevail. Until the entire valley went black, it was the same blackness that engulfed Lucius' study. J.D. Jones had entered the fight.

"Did you think that your brave Gryffindor family stood a chance against the cunning of a Slytherin?" laughed Lucius. "They were going to die whether you signed this or not. I just wanted to have a little fun with you. That's all," he said.

Ginny couldn't even pick herself up off the ground to fight back. She had failed everyone. She had been deceived, used, and the worst thing was she now had to sit here and listen to her family die. Screams kept floating up the valley out of the darkness, accompanied with voices as wizard and witches cast curses at each other. How long the torturous battle went on, she couldn't tell. It seemed like an eternity, but it was probably a few minutes. Finally, all the noise stopped, the only thing she could hear was her own sobbing as she sat there on the ground supporting herself with her one arm.

"Oh look!" said Lucius joyously. "That's a sight I've wanted to see for a long time."

Ginny looked up. The darkness had been lifted from the valley. The Burrow was burning and large pieces of it had been blown away. As she looked around the garden, she could see redheads lying on the ground motionless. Tears flooded her eyes making it impossible for her to see. She didn't care to live now please let them kill her.

"What are you doing here?" asked a shocked Lucius. Ginny looked up, wiped her eyes, and saw the American standing with her childhood home burning behind him.

"Just came to tell y'all that the mission was successful," he said with absolutely no emotion.

"Well actually, it isn't, there is still one left," replied Lucius. He gestured to Ginny lying on the ground. "If you would please complete the mission," he said with a smug tone.

Ginny sat herself up as straight as possible. She wasn't going to cower in the face of death. She stared at her assassin as he stood there with his wand in his right hand and his cane in the left. He slowly lifted his wand and pointed it at her.