Ginny pulled on her cloak to ward off the January cold and touched her cheek tenderly. The bruising had faded over the past week, but the memory of how she'd received the mark hadn't diminished enough for her liking.
She gave a deep sigh, allowing her emotions to take hold for a brief period. It wasn't easy to deal with the intense range of feelings that seemed to pull at her constantly. In fact, it was at times like this, during her daily trip to enjoy some solitude in the carriage house, that she almost felt overwhelmed by the emotions that she normally kept locked away.
Continuing her walk, she placed a hand over her stomach and thought of the son that she carried. The thought caused her to smile, albeit sadly. With Draco gone, the growing attachment she was feeling for her baby gave her the focus and the brief moments of happiness that helped her continue each day with her sanity intact.
The past three months of living in the manor with Lucius, Bella and Rodolphus had been somewhat tolerable. In many ways, her relationship with her husband over the past few months had settled into something that she could call civil. She'd managed it by almost perfecting the art of slipping into her emotionless alter-ego whenever he was around, making her feel like she was living most of her life in a dream-like trance.
Her ruse worked most of the time, but as this last incident had proven, there were still things that were beyond her control.
She'd discovered that, away from outside influence, she'd been able to appease Lucius, convincing him of being a loyal wife, at least. In return, he'd changed toward her, seeming less demanding, and, at times, almost affectionate.
But his attention toward her came with a price. Ever since Lucius found out about the baby, convinced that it was his, he had become fiercely possessive of her in an odd, insane sort of way. His moods were wildly unpredictable and frequently changed from comforting to jealous with little provocation. She quickly found that his worst moods seemed to be driven by some sort of insecurity, and, in particular, any mention of Draco by anyone in earshot. To worsen matters, Lucius's peers seemed to particularly enjoy provoking him. Apparently, it was quite the game among Slytherins to capitalize upon any weakness that they saw in each other, and Lucius, who showed almost no weakness in any other way, had given them a rare opportunity.
This latest incident had been sparked by Augustus Rookwood, who had delighted in cornering her when she became separated from Lucius at the last holiday party. Over the past few months, she'd come to realize that Rookwood's actions had nothing to do with him being particularly attracted to her, in fact, it was quite the opposite. She understood that he simply enjoyed making her uncomfortable, but recently he'd also discovered that his leering glances at her had made Lucius furious. No amount of pleading could convince her husband that she hadn't initiated any contact with Rookwood, and when they'd arrived home, he once again released his anger with physical violence. Fortunately, he seemed to restrain himself on account of the baby she carried, but that small reprieve brought little comfort to her.She'd long ago learned to accept his temper, but what had become even more disturbing was how he had taken to balancing his abuse with odd moments of tenderness.
She tried not to think about how he had started inviting her to remain with him to sleep each night, adding a disturbing feeling of intimacy to the relationship. Simply sleeping next to him felt decidedly wrong in some way. But what disturbed her most about the act was that he would frequently reach for her in the night, always calling the name "Cissy."
Overall, it had become quite a chore to maintain her facade, but she'd grown accustomed to accepting her actions as the only way to survive, for both herself and her child. She once again thought of the baby, and felt torn between her happiness at having a child, and fear about how she would protect him from becoming the Death Eater that Lucius wanted him to be.
Consumed by her thoughts about her baby's future, she decided that she was quite certain that madness would eventually overtake her, and wondered how long it would take her before she would join Bella and Lucius in some form of insanity.
The best she could do to postpone such a fate was to grant herself a few hours of solitude in the one place on the grounds that seemed to offer her some measure of peace and comfort. So, each day, she trudged down the path toward the carriage house.
The cold January air felt good on her recently healed skin while she wandered down to her haven, hoping to set her tightly reigned emotions free for a few hours. She entered the cozy structure just like she did nearly every other day, carrying a book and getting ready to settle herself on one of the chairs in the tack room.
Aside from her garden, now buried in the winter snow, there were few places at Malfoy Manor that held happy memories for her, and this was the one location that seemed to bring her any relief from the stress of her confinement. The smell of the leather and fresh hay in the room always comforted her, and that was a feeling which she desperately craved. Fortunately, with the exception of little Teddy, none of her house mates seemed to show any interest in disturbing her while she was there.
So, when someone moved out from behind a corner and grabbed her around the waist, she was completely unprepared. The shriek that started to emerge from her lips never got a chance to leave, however, as another figure came out of the shadows and a damp, strange-smelling cloth was placed over her mouth. She struggled violently for several long seconds, trying with moderate success to kick and punch at the figure that held her from behind.
She was satisfied when she heard her attacker grunt in pain when she stomped on the arch of his foot, but her triumph was short-lived. She drew in a breath and noticed a strange smell coming from the cloth that her attacker used to cover her nose and mouth, causing her to feel dizzy and weak. She became overwhelmed with a feeling of panic and fear as she realized that the smell was some sort of potion.
Then, everything went dark.
- - - - -
Harry Potter muttered a curse as he and Fred Weasley slowly lowered Ginny's unconsciousness form gently to the floor.
The men stared at her for a long moment, both looking more than a bit guilty. Harry was the first to break the silence. "I was hoping we wouldn't have to do that. Somehow knocking her out just seemed like a horrible way to say hello after four years."
Draco walked over the limp form, carefully checking her breathing to verify that she seemed all right before responding, "There was no other way, Potter. She likely would have started arguing and that would have jeopardized everything."
"But it feels more like a kidnapping than a rescue."
Draco stared back at the dark haired man in irritation before responding. "It should. I can't risk the magic of the contract interfering if she thinks of it as an escape. It's very specific. She's allowed out for brief periods under escort."
"Are you sure we count as an escort?"
It was an old argument, one that they'd covered several times over the last few weeks. Draco found himself losing patience. "We already covered this, Potter. Stop being thick. An escort is defined as a family member or designated friend. That's me."
"That's providing that your father hasn't officially disowned you yet," said Fred, in a tone that suggested a joke, but still held a bit of skepticism.
"Don't push it, and get to work. I have no idea how much time we'll have before that Muggle potion we used wears off," Draco replied, walking near the door and giving a nervous glance in the direction of the main house.
Fred dropped to the ground next to his sister, looking apologetic and decidedly uncomfortable as he reached to begin unbuttoning her dress. Draco moved to help him, his fingers loosening the fastenings quickly, despite the fact that his fingers were shaking. "No time for modesty, man. She's got knickers on, we just need the dress," he said removing the expensive garment from the girl's small frame.
The blond man paused and allowed himself a moment to stare at her as her brother moved to her feet to remove her shoes and stockings. For the first time in months, Draco got a glimpse of her skin, noticing the visible bump in her belly. It urged him to continue his work more quickly, removing his own cloak and then helping Fred to bundle her body into it.
Finishing the task, Draco grabbed her wand and the garment then turned to look for Potter, who had entered the room dragging along a rather large, heavy package, covered in a white shroud.
He turned to his former adversary and barked his command. "Leave that and get her out of here. I'll meet you both after it's done."
"Where will you put the...uhhh..." Fred asked.
"I'll move it to look like she was trying to get out and was overcome by smoke," he replied, his voice carrying an uncharacteristic amount of urgency. "Go!"
Fred picked up his sister, hoisting her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, and Harry threw his invisibility cloak over the three of them, leaving Draco to execute the plan.
As soon as the three exited the building, Draco felt a sudden wave of nervousness. No longer having the others with him, he was suddenly reminded about Gryffindor bravery and foolishness. Calming his thoughts, he reminded himself that his plan involved cunning and planning, and he set himself to work.
Casting those thoughts aside, he took a quick look around. Two horses remained inside in their usual places, so he assumed the other was likely outside grazing for the day. He immediately began to formulate the best way to complete his task, but time was short. He couldn't risk anyone coming out to check on Ginny before the proper time.
He decided that freeing the horses before he started his task would possibly attract attention and appear suspicious. Tossing the dress aside, he began unwrapping the package that the three had brought with them on this mission. As he unveiled the contents, he tried not to look too closely. It wasn't his first time seeing the dead woman contained in the wrappings, but that didn't quell his revulsion.
He had to give Granger some credit for doing her task of preparing the body well. The woman contained in the shroud was a similar body type and skin coloring as Ginny, but her hair had needed to be colored to the same vibrant red. Granger had done a good job of making it a close match. Unfortunately, the woman's facial features had not been very close to Ginny's, so Granger had been forced to damage her face beyond recognition.
He couldn't help but thing that the Mudblood had accomplished her grisly task more than adequately. Draco found himself repressing the urge to gag at the sight as he dressed the body carefully in Ginny's clothing. He silently thanked the woman for dying conveniently, knowing that they would never have been able to carry out the plan if it hadn't been for her loss.
The worst part of his task complete, he moved to the tack room and lit a Muggle match, setting the nearest flammable thing on fire. He verified that the flames began to spread before he hurried out of the room. A quick glance back showed him that the flames spread quickly, dry blankets and wood quickly turning the once comfortable little room into an inferno.
Fearing that he'd have less time than he'd planned, he raced to the first stall in his path. Twinkle was already prancing about nervously as the crackling sight and sound of fire alerted the animal's basic instincts. Pulling the small pony from the area, he held down his own rising sense of panic. Slapping it hard on its hind quarters, he sent the beloved beast outside and away from the danger.
Racing back inside to the next stall, he hauled Hans out almost forcefully, the gathering smoke making the horse shy back in fear. Flames had rapidly spread from the tack room to nearby hay and straw and Draco could feel the heat as he bullied the horse along, finally ripping off his shirt to cover the eyes of the horse in order to get it to the door. He found himself cursing as the fool beast tried to turn back in even after he'd brought it to the door, as flames now were licking the ceiling above him. Yelling and smacking the horse, he finally got it into the paddock area and ran back inside one last time.
His plan was to ensure that the fire reached the body of the unknown woman before anyone arrived to battle the fire. He was fully prepared to divert or damage any intruder who might discover the secret that the body on the floor was long dead. After the fire spread sufficiently to hide the woman's true identity, he planned to leave out of one of the building's rear windows, undetected.
As he analyzed the last details of his plan, he heard a sound coming from the back of the barn. It only took him a split second to recognize that it was a horse's scream of fear, and the sound cut through his soul. Looking back, he saw Barnabas, his faithful favorite, screaming and thrashing in the farthest stall.
Draco stared at the horse for a long moment in total disbelief, looking between the stall containing the horse, and the place that Barnabas was supposed to be occupying, noting that it was clearly empty. He swore and ran toward the horse, cursing the elves who'd put him away improperly. Their fear of handling the animal likely had left them to move him to a location that was easier for them, since Draco was no longer around to tend to him.
He flung open the door and moved inside, hoping to calm the animal before the large horse's erratic movements crushed him. Barnabas' eyes were wide with fear, showing a ring of white around the normally dark iris.
Draco spoke in calming tones despite his personal fear for both of them. He moved around the horse, hoping to either get hold of him or persuade him to move out of the stable. Unfortunately, neither effort was successful, as Barnabas refused to leave despite the fact that the door right in front of him was open. Still holding his shirt, Draco lunged and managed to grasp the halter of the panicked animal. He tried to cover the horse's eyes, but Barnabas jerked away from Draco's hold, the strength of the huge animal pulling him off his feet.
He was running out of time. The elves, at the very least, would be here shortly, and the smoke was getting thick. Draco needed to get out before he was seen or it would ruin the entire plan. It had to appear that Ginny had been alone and that she died while trying to rescue the animals. Any indication otherwise would cause them to suspect either foul play or a rescue attempt.
His desperation wasn't helping him try to control the horse, and Barnabas struck out, knocking him over and leaving a deep gash on his left arm. He didn't notice the pain as he got back up and tried to speak softly in an attempt to calm the terrified animal. It wasn't working. Barnabas' high spirit and strength were working against them.
It would have been so easy to raise his wand and cast a charm to shield them, or a blast of water to keep the way clear for just a few minutes longer but that also was against the plan. It had to appear that Ginny didn't have her wand with her, thereby preventing her from saving herself or stopping the disaster. He could leave no trace of magic in the area.
The fire was now out of control, engulfing the doorway almost completely. The area near the tack room had already started to collapse from the intense heat. The doorway was almost closed off. He gave one last attempt, pleading with his favorite mount to trust him just once more.
Then, above the roar of the flames, he heard the voices. They were coming, and he was out of time. Draco coughed, the smoke was filling his lungs. If he didn't get out soon, he'd be dead as well. A crash signified that one of the beams near the doorway had collapsed. With an overwhelming sense of dread, Draco realized that Barnabas' time had run out. He turned to look toward the door, seeing the body he'd left on the floor about to be devoured in flames. His work was done and it was time to go.
Running to the next stall, he hauled his body up to the open window, taking a quick peek outside to verify that nobody would see his escape. Then he turned back to Barnabas one last time, his last vision of his longtime companion clouded by a combination of smoke and unexpected tears.
"I'm sorry, old friend," he said, his voice hoarse with smoke and cracking with sorrow, as he dove out to safety.
- ~ - ~ -
He Apparated back to Ottery St. Catchpole feeling filthy, tired and emotionally torn, barely aware of the winter cold. In a way, Barnabas' death had solidified the scenario, but it didn't make him feel any better that his beloved horse had to die in such a horrible manner and, worse, by his own hand.
There was still no guarantee that they'd truly succeeded.
He was still shirtless, the remnants of the garment now wrapped around the gash on his arm. He hadn't taken the time to heal it, as he had other work to do, such as discreetly leaving Ginny's wand on the patio table to prove that she'd been defenseless in the stable. Then, he had to crawl through the gardens to avoid being seen while everyone's attention was directed toward the fire. By the time he'd reached the woods to Apparate, he was far beyond caring about his state of dress, the cold or anything else.
Running toward his destination, he could only pray that the others were already there. It seemed to take him forever to cover the few blocks to the small shop where he now lived, grateful that the street was relatively quiet so that nobody noticed his unusual state of dress. He raced around back and took the steps to the attic two at a time, only stopping to catch his breath as he reached the apartment's door.
Taking a deep, fearful breath, he took out his wand and lowered the wards that he knew were there. He opened the door slowly, despite his fervent wish to throw it open and race inside. The last thing he wanted was to startle them, if they were there, and get himself hexed.
To his immense relief, he was greeted by Fred and Potter, wands raised and ready to defend themselves.
Before he said a word, he verified that there was a third person with them, and that she was lying asleep on the bed.
"Is she all right?" were his first words. The state of the two men was inconsequential at the moment.
They both nodded, and Fred spoke first. "She's still asleep. I was waiting to give her the potion once we were all here. How did the rest go?"
"Almost perfectly to plan. The important parts, at least," he replied sadly, the others failing to notice the catch in his voice.
He walked over to the bed, sitting beside the sleeping girl. She was still wrapped in his cloak and he moved to brush the hair back on her forehead. Fred handed her the potion that would help her wake up and nullify any effects of the Muggle potion that they'd used in the stable.
"Ginny," he said softly, lifting the vial to her lips. "Ginny, girl, time to wake up." She managed to swallow a sip, and began to stir.
Blinking sleep from her eyes, she groggily focused her gaze on the blond, shirtless man in front of her.
"Wha... where am I? D..." she stopped, as if afraid to say more. He wasn't surprised. She was a smart girl and she wasn't going to say anything that might be incriminating, at least until she was sure it wasn't a trap.
"It's alright, Ginny. It's me. You're safe. Look who's here to see you," he said, smiling as he moved aside to let her get a view of Fred, who was standing directly behind him.
Her eyes opened wide with shock, "Fred?"
"You always were the only one who could tell us apart," her brother said, smiling. "It's good to know you haven't lost your touch."
She gave a small squeal of joy and sat up on the bed reaching out her arms to hug her brother. The movement jostled the cloak that had been covering her and she quickly pulled it back around herself. She looked at her brother in confusion. "Where are my clothes?"
"It was part of the plan. Sorry Ginny," Harry replied, moving forward to interrupt.
Her face brightened with unrestrained joy as she recognized him. "Harry!" Pulling the cloak around herself she reached out, completing the hug to her brother and reaching out to encompass Harry also. "I should have known!"
Ginny didn't see Draco's expression fall when she focused all her attention on the other two men in the room, seeming to forget about him entirely.
Finally releasing Harry from the hug, she looked into the hero's eyes. "I knew you'd come back. I knew you'd win eventually."
"I haven't won yet, and I missed you too," he said smiling, holding her warmly.
Her grin widened and she replied, "But you will. I know you will."
Still holding onto Harry's arm, Ginny looked away from him and around the room, taking in her surroundings for the first time since she woke. She'd been so focused on her companions that she'd hardly noticed that she was in an unfamiliar place. She shook her head as if to clear it, then looked alarmed as she looked at each of the three men in turn. Finally, her gaze settled on Draco, a look of panic on her face.
"Draco? Where are we?"
All three fell silent, with identical, slightly uncomfortable expressions on their faces. Draco looked at her evenly. "We're at my place, love. You're safe here, for now."
"I was attacked..."
Harry interrupted, looking guilty and apologetic. "I'm sorry about that Ginny. We couldn't risk the magic of the contract interfering with you thinking you were escaping. It was the only way to make it work."
Her mind took in the answers and tried to process them. She looked about the room again and understood clearly that she was no longer at the manor, and a deep feeling of panic started to overcome her as she thought about what Lucius would do to the lot of them once he discovered she was gone. She was certain they'd meant well, but she felt they didn't comprehend the danger that they all were in.
She reached forward and grabbed Draco's hand, her voice shaking with fear. "You have to take me back. He'll know. He'll come looking!"
"He won't come looking, Ginny," Harry interrupted. "He thinks you're dead."
"What?" She looked back and forth among the three, ready to bolt from the room.
Fred placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to explain in a calm voice. "Draco's idea, Ginny. It was brilliant."
She looked at Draco, and he looked down almost shyly, with a pleased smile coming to his face at the compliment. He was dirty, shirtless and looked oddly out of place. It was so unlike him.
"What did you do?"
Draco looked at her, but seemed at an unusual loss for words as he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Hermione was able to find a body in a Muggle morgue. We spent the last month trying to find one that might look like you. A week ago, she found a pregnant woman who was close to your size. We stole the body and put a stasis charm on it while we finished planning the rest."
Ginny looked mildly horrified at the morbid idea. "A body? You stole a Muggle body?"
Harry continued the explanation. "Draco knew you spent time in the carriage house, so we planned to set fire to the place and leave the body. Hopefully, it will be burned badly enough that no one will question that it was you."
She dropped back on the bed, looking shocked as she processed the information. "But, the contract... I'm not allowed to leave the grounds..."
"Except for short durations, under escort. In this case, me," Draco explained. "I looked over the contract and saw that he left it open so that you could leave for parties and socials, perhaps shopping, without him explicitly releasing you."
She relaxed slightly, no longer appearing as if she was about to flee, but still looking far from convinced that being away from the manor was a good idea. Draco didn't fail to notice Harry squeezing her hand in reassurance at his words.
She looked among her companions, worry still etched on her face. "But, how long would that be? A few hours, or days?"
Still staring at Ginny's hand holding onto his former rival's, Draco responded in an almost strained voice. "Not sure, so the next few days are going to be a little rough while we wait. But, the contract clearly states that, should anything happen to you, your body is to be returned to your family for burial. If he believes you are dead, he'll release your body to your family."
She gasped. "It was one of the few things I asked for that he didn't seem to mind compromising on." She looked about at the three men in the room, each of which meant so much to her in very different ways. They'd come together for her, and she found herself slightly in awe. She looked at all of them, allowing the realization to sink in slowly.
"You mean it. If this works, I might really be free of him."
They all nodded in unison, causing her to smile at the rather unlikely picture in front of her.
"It's not over yet, Ginny," Draco cut in, his voice and expression turning deadly serious. "We're hoping that's how it will look. We need to wait a day or so, to see if they believe it. We'll know when he signs the release papers and your family goes to retrieve the body."
Her smile dropped, but she nodded. "I understand."
An awkward silence for a moment before Ginny spoke again. "When can I see Mum?" she said, abruptly, looking at Fred.
Again, the three men in the room all looked uncomfortable with the question. Fred looked uncharacteristically solemn when he answered, "Not for a couple of days, sis. We have to let everyone react as if this is real, right through the funeral, at the very least. Maybe longer. This might be the hardest part of making this plan work."
She couldn't help herself from having a slight whining tone to her voice, but she pressed the issue. "But Fred, this is Mum and Dad we are talking about."
"We can't tell anyone. I haven't even told George."
"Wow, you're serious," she said, looking slightly amazed. It was impossible for Fred not to share everything with his twin. If he was going so far as to not even tell George, then she knew that they were being extremely cautious.
"I'm sorry, Ginny. There's no other way right now," Harry explained, sitting on the bed beside her again. Unfortunately, this is a Muggle place, so you'll have to put up with it for a few days. But I promise, as soon as we think it's safe, we'll move you back home."
His words triggered an old memory from what seemed like a lifetime ago, of how she thought it would be so easy to run away and hide among Muggles and escape the horrible fate she'd set for herself. Now, she would have a chance to run away, although she wasn't sure yet where. The idea wasn't so very difficult to grasp. Anything seemed easier than spending another minute in the manor and she was more than willing to try.
"Will I be staying here? Where is here?"
"We're in a Muggle village not far from The Burrow," Harry told her. "Draco's been living here since he left, or so he says," Harry said, he and Draco sharing an annoyed glance between them. They were apparently allies but that obviously didn't mean that they were willing to like each other. "You don't have to stay here but we thought you might want to be near your parents for now. It will only be a few days and then we can find something more permanent."
She took a moment to process Harry's words. "Draco lives here?" She looked over at Draco, taking in his ragged appearance, and wondering why he was in such a state. She turned to look at him and he gave an odd smile, looking almost abashed. The tiny room was hardly a place she'd ever imagined he'd live, but something about the little room was comforting to her.
"I want to stay here," she said simply. Harry's face fell and it hurt her to see it. She turned to Draco, who was still standing off to the side, looking uncomfortable.
"Draco, are you all right?"
"Let me find you something to wear," he responded, ignoring her question.
He dug out sweatpants and a t-shirt, handing them to Ginny, but still not saying anything. She remained confused but hurried into the bath to change.
The clothing was big but comfortable and baggy enough to hide her tummy. The three men were all staring at her as she emerged, each with various expressions of concern. She had been unprepared to be here and she needed some time alone to think.
"Harry, you should head back now and let Hermione know that, so far, things are going according to plan. I'd feel better if you were there when my parents get the news," Fred said.
Harry nodded, and reached for his cloak, looking at the others. "You shouldn't be alone, just in case anything goes wrong," Harry added. "Fred is going to stay with you tonight."
"Draco will be here, won't he?" she asked looking surprised.
"I'll be here if you want me. If you prefer to stay with Hermione, or anyone else, that's your choice," he said, looking annoyed, as he pulled on a fresh shirt. For the first time, she noticed the wrapping on his left arm, clearly stained with blood.
She hurried over to him, examining the wound carefully. "Draco, this needs to be cleaned."
He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her to prevent her from fussing over the injury. "It's fine. I'll take care of it in a bit."
She frowned, looking at him sternly. He responded by giving her a kiss on the nose.
"Hey, none of that!" Fred interrupted. "There are some things that brothers really don't want to witness."
Draco smiled, looking over at Fred, and taking in Harry's look of shocked annoyance with a smug smile. "As long as you don't hit me again. I suppose that's more than enough incentive to behave."
She turned to her brother. "You hit him?"
"Not recently. He deserved it," Fred responded simply.
"Ughh... boys," she sighed, feeling suddenly warmed with humor over Fred's casual remark.
She glanced over at Harry, who looked miserable. She felt guilty, but she'd come to terms with her feelings for him some time ago. He'd been gone for four years. She now had a baby to worry about and she was in love with the father of her child. She'd moved on.
"If it's alright with all of you, I think I'd like to get some rest," she said, hoping to avoid any further uncomfortable conversation for a bit. She wasn't tired, but she did realize that she was emotionally spent. She'd been unprepared for this and there was far too much to process.
The men all nodded. The next moments were almost amusing as she saw the three become overly accommodating. Draco pulled back the covers on the bed as Fred helped her in. Each of the three took turns making sure she was tucked in comfortably and gave her a hug and kiss. Despite thinking that she wasn't tired, she soon found herself in a deep peaceful sleep, knowing that for the first time in months, she was truly safe.
Walking outside to allow Ginny some privacy, Harry left to return to the Burrow, and Fred followed shortly after, giving Draco a concerned look.
"I'm trusting you with her," he said, his tone giving a small amount of warning.
"I know, and thank you. We have a lot to talk about."
Fred merely nodded in response, turning to leave.
Draco remained outside on the stairs long after the others left, thinking about the day's events, and hoping that they had truly succeeded. Regardless of the outcome, his life was likely going to change drastically and, as a good Slytherin, he wanted to have plans for every possible contingency.
The sun finally set and the coolness of the night forced him to move indoors. Realizing that he was still covered in smoke and soot, he quietly grabbed some fresh clothing and went to take a shower.
Clean, he looked over at the woman he loved, curled on her side in the bed. Suddenly, he realized how very exhausted he was. It had been a long, stressful day.
Moving slowly so as not to disturb her, he crawled into bed beside her and smiled at the memory of Fred sending Potter away, leaving Draco to have his time alone here with her. The twins weren't so bad after all, he thought.
A moment passed where he thought he might simply sleep on his side of the bed, leaving her alone, but he cast that idea aside quickly. They'd been apart for far too long. He moved close to her and she stirred.
"Don't worry, love. It's just me. Go back to sleep," he said softly.
She gave a small sound of agreement, as he moved his arm around her waist, his hand gently over her rounded tummy. His son was there. Both of them were with him now, safe, and there was no way that he was going to let them go.
- ~ - ~ -
She awoke in the middle of the night because of the bright moonlight pouring into the window near the bed. She'd had a long sleep and felt better than she had in a very long time.
It took a moment for her to remember where she was, but it was only a moment. Lying awake in the bed, she decided that if this was a dream, she was going to allow herself to enjoy it for however long it lasted.
She snuggled into the arms of her lover, enjoying the feeling of security and comfort when she was hit with a profound sense of deja-vu. She pulled out of his embrace quietly and took a quick look around the room.
She'd been here before.
It was small, a one room studio with a comfortable chair in the corner and a small kitchen area. The location of the lamp, the window, the door. It was exactly as she remembered it.
Perhaps she hadn't noticed earlier because it had been daylight and she'd been so overcome with seeing Harry and Fred again, along with processing her newfound freedom.
She quietly got out of the bed and padded around the small room, taking in details, trying to verify if she was imagining the similarity. Not that she'd been to many Muggle apartments but she was quite certain that not many of them would look quite so similar to this one.
Curiosity about the place got the best of her. She noticed some unopened mail and wondered if it might give her a clue. Moving over to the bright moonlight being cast in the window, she caught the name on every envelope: Derek Hanson.
It couldn't be.
A quiet, involuntary squeak escaped her as the memory assaulted her. She'd been quite drunk, but had sobered enough by the time she left to remember this room. Then, she looked at the man who had been sleeping next to her. A feeling of trepidation fell over her. She'd told him about her encounter. Had Draco found the man she'd met so many months ago? Could this possibly be the exact same room she'd spent the night in? Her hormones made controlling her emotions difficult enough, especially knowing that Lucius hadn't yet signed the papers releasing her body, but this new realization had put her emotions over the edge.
He stirred and took notice of her distress almost immediately. "Ginny, are you alright? The baby...?"
"Where are we?" she demanded.
He shook himself further awake, obviously concerned. "We told you before, when Fred and Potter were here. This is my place..."
She cut him off. "It is not, Draco!" She waved the incriminating mail at him. "Who is Derek Hanson? Do you know him? Is he coming back?"
"What?"
"Did you do something to him?"
She seemed frightened. He couldn't understand why the name would upset her and then, as the cobwebs cleared from his sleep-addled brain, he figured it out.
Getting out of the warm bed a bit reluctantly, he walked over to the window where she stood, taking the mail from her shaking hands.
"Ginny, relax, it's all right."
She was trembling. He hadn't wanted her to find out this way but he hadn't had the opportunity to address the subject earlier. Now she was upset and that wouldn't be healthy for her or the baby. Deep down, he knew it was time to explain.
"Ginny, Derek Hanson is me. It's the name I've been using while I live among the Muggles."
She stared up at him, looking as if she was trying to comprehend, but failing miserably. "Oh."
"I couldn't very well use my own name if I was hoping to hide," he explained.
She nodded, but it didn't stop her from shaking.
"You remember being here before, don't you," he stated.
She nodded again, looking up to meet his gaze. "You know?" she asked shakily. "I... I mean, how could you know I was here before?"
"I didn't want to tell you this way, Ginny," he said calmly, not wanting to upset her further. He managed to get her to sit down on the edge of the bed, and he was disturbed to see her looking at him fearfully.
He turned on the light switch and walked over to the dresser, opening the top drawer. Pulling out a wad of papers, he flipped through until he found what he wanted. He handed her a Muggle photograph.
She looked down at the picture, confused.
"It's probably easier if I showed you. Look at it more closely," he said.
The image showed four men, all smartly dressed and smiling proudly with a perfect-looking gray-colored horse, the horse sporting a blue ribbon on its bridle.
She looked at the faces, although none seemed familiar. There was an older man holding a trophy, another leaning against the fence, the third seated on the horse dressed in impeccable riding attire, and then her gaze fell upon the fourth. His light brown hair fell carelessly over his forehead, and his eyes were partly hidden by square-framed glasses. She swallowed nervously.
Draco took in her reaction, "Does he look familiar?" She nodded but said nothing.
Taking the picture, he turned it over. "Read the back."
She took in the neat handwriting.
Derek,
Congratulations on our first win together. Here's to many more!
Best,
Jack
"Derek..." she stammered.
"...is the man you met in the Black Bull Tavern last year," he finished.
She looked up, and looked back down at the photograph. If Draco wore glasses and darkened his hair...
She looked back up at him. "It was you." Her words were whispered so softly that she could barely be heard.
He nodded and gave her a small smile as she stood back up, still staring unbelievingly at the picture. He was about to say more but was interrupted by her hand making hard contact with his face, the loud sound of the slap echoed through the room.
She hit so hard that his head snapped to the side and he saw stars for an instant.
Stunned, he blinked twice to clear his vision and give him a moment to attempt to comprehend what had just happened. "What was that for?"
"Why didn't you tell me!" she demanded. "All those months and you never thought to say anything?"
"Would it have mattered?"
"Yes!"
He took her hands, partly to get her attention and partly because he didn't want to be smacked again. There was definitely something about Weasleys hitting him that was getting to be a tad annoying. "Ginny, you know my father wanted to know who the person was. It would have only made everything harder."
His words were true and, deep down, she knew it, but she wasn't quite ready to let go of her anger. "But you knew who I was that night! You tricked me!"
"I knew. But I didn't know why you were there and I didn't want to lose the anonymity I had here. I couldn't afford to let word get back about where I was trying to hide."
"But still..."
"Hey, you weren't fighting me, as I recall," he said defensively.
No, she definitely remembered he had given her more than one chance to back away. "I'm sorry," she finally said.
"I'm sorry for not saying anything. When I saw you there, at the manor for the first time, I was so angry with you. I didn't understand why you would choose to be with him instead of just leaving. Then later, it didn't seem to matter."
She didn't say anything, but she nodded, seeming to have finally understood.
He moved forward to wrap his arms around her waist. "I wanted to tell you so many times. I thought about that night so many times that it nearly drove me insane. If I'd had any idea what you were planning..."
"Don't tell me you would have tried to stop me," she said.
"Yes, I would have tried to stop you. Even then. Even though I'd just met you, basically."
"That was the reason I didn't tell anyone," she explained softly.
He took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. He understood now, after having spent months getting to know her, that she had reasons, but that argument was long past.
"C'mon, let's go back to bed," he said, tugging gently on her hands. "We can talk in the morning."`
The feel of her hands in his felt good and warmth of the bed was a welcome idea. As she thought about being back in the warm bed with him, the last of her anger dissolved. He was right for not telling her before. He had his reasons, just as she had her own reasons for keeping her plans to herself at the time.
He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled close in his embrace. For the first time in almost a year, she felt content.
- - - -
A/N – Thanks to violetjersey and jesscat for your preview work on the plot, and Special thanks to my incredible beta, Aerleigh. You are the best, hon!