Chapter Twelve: Regret


"It's me, Ginny," Harry said, meeting her eyes with a bright emerald gaze. "We need to get out of here. Quickly."

Ron and Hermione stood on either side of him, Hermione watching Draco warily, while Ron was motioning for her to come to them. Ginny started to go to him, but was stopped by Draco's arm. He pulled her close to him, turning her to face him. She tried not to look too deeply in his eyes.

"You can't leave," he whispered desperately, "he'll kill her, Ginny. That's why Snape is there."

She looked down, whispering back, "What will they think if I refuse?"

"It's your decision. I don't want you to leave, but I know I can't make you stay," he said with a quiet finality. "What do you want me to do?"

Ginny looked back up at him, fully realizing that they were being watched. "Put on your best show, Draco."

He nodded at her and took her arm fiercely, pulling her close to him and holding her. Harry made a sudden move to grab her, but was pulled back by an anxious looking Hermione. Ginny closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to give anything away with anxious glances. She heard Ron yell suddenly.

"Get your filthy hands off of my sister!"

"Ron, calm down," came Hermione's soft voice, "We won't get anywhere if you keep yelling at him."

Harry laughed, "He's only stalling. He can't take on all three of us. I know he won't hurt her. He's not stupid."

"He's shaking," Ron added teasingly. "What a right cowardly bastard you are, Malfoy."

Ginny shivered as Draco replied, his breath tingling her neck, "I wouldn't say things like that, Weasley . . . it makes me think that you aren't worried about her."

She opened her eyes to look at Ron, who was seething, "Don't even think for a moment that you know a thing about my family."

Draco ignored this and turned his attention to Harry, "I see you're not too keen on the idea of hiding your emotions. Surely you wouldn't do anything reckless . . . I know you're not the sort to jump into things."

Harry's face turned bright red as Draco laughed derisively. Ginny felt horrible watching the scene play out, but she knew that she couldn't show any contempt toward either side, whether for fear of her being caught in a lie, or simply because she secretly wanted to stay with Draco a moment longer. Hermione was standing, her wand still raised, but no with a hand on Harry's shaking shoulders. She looked at Ginny in utter fear, trying to decipher what must have been a look of a thousand emotions displayed on Ginny's face.

"Just let her go," Hermione pleaded, "We've already caused enough trouble."

Draco's head snapped in her direction, "Shut your filthy mouth. I won't be taking any advice from the likes of you."

"I never," Hermione mumbled, her cheeks turning pink. "You are some piece of work!"

"That's enough insults for now," Harry croaked. "It's not getting us anywhere. Let's settle this like men, Malfoy."

Once again Draco laughed, "Like men?"

"Yes . . . I think a proper, all trickery aside, duel would work nicely."

Ginny felt her heart fall. Draco could never defeat Harry in a duel. She didn't care how determined he might be, Harry knew every curse and counter curse under the sun. His preparation for his summer and year away from Hogwarts had been told to her by Hermione, who said that the things that he had taught them in the DA would pale in comparison to the knowledge he had gained. Draco's grip on her was loosening. Ginny wanted more than anything to yell at him not to do it. She knew what the outcome would be.

"That's not too bad a proposition, Potter," Draco said slowly, as if thinking it over as he agreed. Ginny felt like she was going to be sick. "What are the conditions? And don't try to play me, I know you have rules already planned."

Harry smiled menacingly, "If you win, we leave without a fight. If I win . . . I take Ginny with me and leave you to die."

Draco laughed. "Leave me to die, will you? We'll see about that."

Ginny froze as Draco let her go, pushing her as gently as he could behind him. He turned back to Harry, his wand at the ready. Harry's green eyes glittered slightly as he looked at Ginny shortly. She tried to will him not to do it. She tried to tell him in one glance that she could go unharmed if only he would swallow his pride and walk away. Harry didn't notice her pleas and instead focused his attention on Draco.

There she stood, looking on at the scene helplessly. Harry and Draco bowed, honoring whatever tradition they could. Finally, the curses began. Ginny yelped as a missed curse flew by her head. Ron and Hermione were standing uneasily, as if trying to find a way to get around them. Harry ran forward, casting a quick and devastatingly shocking hex. Draco dodged it deftly and sent his own. Ginny couldn't stand evading curses any longer. She saw Ron sprint past Harry and Draco, running up to her and pulling her to him.

Hermione yelled at them hurriedly, "Get three things, Ginny!"

Ginny stared at her, "What? Three things?"

The curses bounced off of the walls as Hermione yelled impatiently, "Three of your things!"

"Oh!" Ginny yelled back, then looked at Ron, who was leading her to the wardrobe. She opened it hurriedly and grabbed her dress robes and a pair of jeans. She ran quickly to the bedside stand and grabbed her diary, then stared at Ron. He took the objects and stuffed them inside of his robes.

"Come on, they aren't paying us any mind right now."

They ran quickly around the duelists, Hermione grabbing Ginny and hugging her fiercely. Ginny ignored all of the hubbub they were making and stood to watch Draco and Harry anxiously. They were still sending rapid fire hexes, both red from frustration and exertion. Hermione stepped forward edgily, as if trying to make her mind up about something. Ron stood frozen, his face white.

"Give it up!" Harry yelled. "This has gone on long enough!"

Draco laughed as he ducked to dodge a curse. "Is that how you want to remember our duel? The one we've been trying to have since our first year? I think not."

Ginny screamed as he sent a curse at Harry. It grazed his right arm, tearing a hole in his robes and drawing blood. Harry cried out in pain, but moved quickly to react. Ron now took Ginny and held her, as if he were worried about her being hurt. If only he knew that Draco would never try to hurt her. If only they all knew . . . none of this would be happening. She felt like running in between the two of them, stopping this whole mess.

She heard Hermione whispering to Ron about something, turning her head in interest. Ron shook his head at her and continued listening. Ginny was outraged. Even in a life or death situation they still would not fill her in.

She did not have much time to stew in her annoyance, for Hermione now had her wand pointed at Draco. Harry and he were still dueling fiercely, ducking and running to evade various hexes and other spells. Hermione looked very torn. Ginny knew she did not like inflicting pain or anything of the sort, no matter who was the target. Ron was looking at Hermione, trying to egg her on. Ginny knew that the only reason he was not trying to do anything was because he felt like he had to protect her.

As soon as Harry ducked to the floor to escape the wrath of one of Draco's curses, Hermione sprung into action.

"Stupefy!" She yelled, hitting Draco directly in the chest.

Ginny watched in horror as he groaned and fell to the ground, his red face paling. She tried to break free from Ron, wanting to get to him. She didn't even stop to think of what Ron would do if she did run to Draco's aid. He pulled her back to his chest quickly, she still facing the scene in anguish. Harry stood, breathing hard. He put his wand in his robes and turned to Ginny.

She closed her eyes, tears sliding out. Ron eased up as she stopped struggling, letting her go. Ginny opened her eyes to find Harry in front of her, his own wide with curiosity. He took her and hugged her softly, stroking her hair and calming her. Ginny continued to cry silently, knowing that Draco would be left here at the mercy of Voldemort.

They left, running through chambers blindly. For what felt like hours, Hermione led them down passageway after passageway. The halls groaned inexplicably as they tried to find a way out. Ginny was not of much help to them, and Hermione was getting edgier and edgier, finally stopping to cry out in anguish

"It didn't take this long for us to get here!"

Harry looked around, "I don't remember any of this."

"It changes," said Ginny quietly, remembering her long trips to the bath from Bellatrix's room.

"What?" Hermione looked at her oddly.

"I think it's a defense charm," Ginny continued. "Until a week ago, every time I was taken out of the room, it was different. After that, they finally starting to just blindfold me. I guess it was easier than turning on and off the charm."

Ron punched the wall in anger. "How the hell are we supposed to get out then?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know . . . How did you get in?"

"Well, we heard about this place from Lupin. He'd been here once on a mission from the Order. It's an underground mansion. It was nearly impossible to find, but not that hard to get into once we did." Harry was looking around as he spoke. "There was a set of stone steps, and we went down those until we got to a cellar door. Hermione opened it, and then we were in a long hall . . . like this one."

"Remember that portrait?" Hermione asked him. "The one of the man and the witch?"

Ginny turned to her quickly, "What?"

"It was a wizard and a witch. They told us to go down the leftmost hall, then turn to the right, and then left, then right again. That's how we got to a dining hall."

"Did you meet anyone there?" Ginny asked quickly, looking at her with intent.

Hermione looked a bit worried, "Yes, actually . . . we met a man and a woman."

"What did they look like?"

"The man was tall and quite large. He drew his wand on us, but Ron stepped in and stunned him. The girl was quite tall and blonde. She led us to your hall, but left before we could thank her."

Ginny was shocked. Rebecca helping them was not something she would have expected. Though, her light and airy attitude and the way she acted toward Bellatrix should have told her otherwise. Hermione was looking at her with wonder.

"I think we should try to retrace your steps." Ginny looked around, then back at Hermione. "You said he told you to go left, then right, left again, and then right once more?"

She nodded. "Yes . . . but do you really think that it will lead us back there?"

"I think that it's worth a try. You can tell me if you see anything familiar on the way, alright?"

Hermione and Ron nodded, and headed further down the hall. Harry stayed with Ginny, who walked a little slower than the first two. Ginny stopped as they reached the turn and looked at Harry.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything . . ." she began, not looking directly at him, "but, why did it take you so long to find me?"

Harry looked a bit guilty. "Well, the twins sent us a post about your being taken a couple of days after it happened, but we were so busy that we didn't read it immediately. Hermione tried to tear us away, but we were so keen on getting what we needed . . ."

Ginny looked at him with a hurt expression. "Oh . . . I see."

"You have got to believe me, when I found out I felt horrible, Gin. I would never just leave you." Harry looked at her sincerely.

She couldn't help but get a little perturbed at his words. "Never leave me? What do you call what you have been doing all summer! Oh, I suppose you didn't leave me as much as you ignored me."

He looked at her with shock, wanting to protest. Ginny simply glared, silencing him, and went up to join Hermione and Ron. She did not care what he said. She had every right to feel hurt and neglected, and she was not going to stand there and listen to him say otherwise. Even if he did just succeed in making himself her hero yet another time.