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The Safe House

Chapter Three

Another two weeks passed in silence. During that time, Ginny learnt nothing of where she was or of the circumstances surrounding her kidnapping and subsequent rescue. She did hear Draco mumbling in his sleep a few times about Snape. It actually made her feel bad for him. She knew they were close, and she had not really let herself dwell on the possibility that Severus Snape had risked his life to save hers. She found some books downstairs in the room that functioned as an office, and she spent most of her time reading in her room. She discovered that the other upstairs room contained two bookshelves filled with magical books mostly from Snape, several boxes of miscellaneous items, and a box of old toys in the closet. In her closet, she had discovered a few clothing items, all Muggle men's apparel. Without a wand, or a willingness to ask for help, she would have to be happy with the ill-fitted wardrobe. Her own clothes were dirty, torn, and covered in blood. She decided to wait for a sunny day to wash and hang them out to dry.

Her room consisted of a single bed, a small bedside cabinet, matching chest of drawers and armoire, and window seat. The walls were painted a pale blue-grey that in the early morning light would remind her of Malfoy's striking eyes. Not that she spent any time looking at them. The bed was covered in worn white sheets and a patchwork quilt made in many different shades of blue. She often lamented to herself that her bed had only one pillow compared to the many on his bed. The armoire had contained a few more blankets that she had been very grateful to find after leaving the cold sitting room and sofa. The window seat was covered with a soft, green cushion where Ginny would often sit and read. From her window, she could see the chicken coup, and she noticed that Draco dutifully went into the coup to check on and feed the chickens. He did not use his wand for anything around the house except working in the greenhouse and with the chickens. She only knew this from seeing him carrying it with him in his hand upon exiting the two outdoor structures.

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Curiosity was beginning to get the better of her when, one morning, she decided to actually make breakfast instead eating tinned goods or dry cereal. Real milk was not available, but there was a limited supply of powdered milk. So she had learnt the answer to one question. It was the first sunny day, and she had started early in order to get her clothes cleaned and hung outside. She had decided to make pancakes and eggs and sausage. There were a lot of frozen meats in a freezer, but she had noticed that Draco did not ever cook them so she had not either. It had been almost like a standoff between the two of them when it came to preparing food. It was as if neither wanted to fix anything decent enough to encourage the other to join in a meal.

Draco entered the kitchen and noticed that Ginny had decided to cook. It appeared to be enough for both of them, but he remembered the large amounts of food her brother would shovel into his face at Hogwarts and decided not to hold out for any breakfast from her. He was getting tired of the silence, and it frustrated him. He had been living there for nearly eight months before her arrival. Severus had rarely stopped by, so most of his time had been spent alone. He knew he should be able to completely ignore her, but it was like a craving that just would not go away. He missed conversation, and he wanted information. She did not know that he was as desperate for news as she was for answers. With that thought, he headed outside to tend to the plants in the greenhouse.

Bringing in some more eggs and some vegetables, he noticed her laundry whipping around on the line outside. Well, I guess I could barter for some breakfast. Before he could talk himself out of it, he went over to her clothes and dried them with his wand. Upon taking them down and folding them, he noticed that there were many tears and stains that appeared to be from blood. He sighed. She really did not deserve any of this. He knew she was a good person and that she still had no idea of what awaited her on the outside. He also knew it was time to end the silence.

"If you would like to use my wand to repair your clothes, you can. I'm not very good at clothing charms so I didn't want to destroy them by mistake. I took the liberty of drying them and bringing them in. I hope you don't mind." His voice was soft and his tone was gentle. He looked at her with his head tilted forward, a small smile on his face.

She just stared into his eyes. She felt again the desire to believe he was changed, that he was not the man she knew him to be. She was lonely and scared. But years of hatred between their families did not disappear in one kind gesture, so she narrowed her eyes and turned back to her cooking. She heard him lay her clothes on the counter by the door and then sigh as he headed to the refrigerator to grab the cereal. Before she could stop herself, she quickly loaded a plate and set it down at his usual seat.

She jokingly said, "Did you really think I was planning on eating all of this food? I am not Ron." She smiled at him before turning back to fill her plate. He had smirked at the bit about Ron, but then he nodded his head in thanks as she smiled.

When she sat down across from him, she noticed that he hadn't begun to eat. She looked at him questioningly.

Gesturing between them, he answered, "I thought we could eat together…for a change." He smiled again, and it was starting to worry her. "I also thought that it was time for us to have a little chat." Then he jumped up and poured her a glass of some Muggle drink called Orange-ade that he was always making. There was a large supply of it in the pantry, but she had refused to take anything that she felt was his.

"Really, Weasley. I would have thought that Granger at least would have shown you Orange-ade by now."

She bit her lip in confusion. Did he actually just serve me? And did he just refer to Hermione as Granger? What happened to "Mudblood" and where was the sneer in his voice when he said it?

"I've not been around Hermione as much as you probably would have thought these last several years. And it's Weasley now. She married Ron almost three years ago."

"Oh. I wondered how long that would take." Another smirk.

"Umm…well let's eat. And thank you for the drink, and the clothes. I would very much like to use your wand. If you don't mind, I would also like to alter the clothes I found upstairs. They are rather large."

She blushed prettily as she spoke, and he remembered a time, many years ago, seeing that same blush from across the library. He had almost approached her that night, but her friends arrived, and she was surrounded until she left. It wasn't long after that when he had seen her on the arm of the boy-who-wins. She was practically glowing whenever they were together, and he thought that he couldn't hate Potter any more than he did when he saw them. He also had other more urgent problems that were quickly closing in on him at the time.

He replied, "Of course. And….thanks for the food. It smells wonderful." And then he quickly lowered his head and began eating.

After finishing the amazing food she had prepared, Draco almost didn't want to interrupt the warm and peaceful silence with the serious discussion that lay ahead of them.

"Weasley. The food was delicious. It's been ages since I ate so much for breakfast. And as much as I hate to say it, I think we need to talk." He had become the serious Draco again, and the smiles were gone. He stood up and gestured for her to follow him into the sitting room.

She, too, was dreading the information he had for her. She was afraid that he was going to tell her that her family had been killed. That she was never leaving this house. That she belonged to him and the Death Eaters. That this was just all some game he was playing with her before he began his turn at torturing her. Maybe she hadn't been raped so he could have her. These were the thoughts that had plagued her late at night, until she remembered Snape. She still refused to think that he was dead, especially because of her. She started to gather the dishes, delaying the truth for a little bit longer.

"Here, let me." He stepped up behind her and flicked his wand at the dishes. She tensed when his arm brushed across her shoulder and tried not to obviously inhale his scent. But just as quickly as he had appeared, it was over, and he headed back to the sitting room.

Ginny stood in the kitchen for a moment berating herself. Oh my God, Ginny. Are you actually getting all excited by his touch? What's wrong with you? Maybe you really are a whore. Harry was right all along. No wonder he never married you. He knows you are a pathetic little whore!

Draco paced around the room, agitated. Get a grip. She would stab you before she let you touch her. Did you feel her practically bolt away from you? He watched her enter the room and cross to the sofa. He stood by a chair, waiting for her to settle. She always went to the sofa; it must have somehow felt safe to her, being the place Severus had healed her. He could see some kind of internal battle written across her face. He wasn't foolish enough to think that she trusted him, not at all. He wasn't sure if he would ever get any information out of her today once he told her what was really happening.

With a curt nod, he started, "I will tell you everything I know, but I also have some questions for you. I know you don't trust me, and I can't make you believe me, but I promise you that I am not going to harm you. It is up to you how we proceed." He looked at her again, directly in the eyes, waiting for her response. He remained standing as if he couldn't move until she consented.

"Um well … I would prefer you to go first." At this, he sat down in the chair, but he did not recline or look at all comfortable, something he rarely failed at. She began slowly, "I …Where are we? Is this your house? Can you leave? Can I leave? Why was I captured? And my family…are they okay?" Her beautiful amber eyes had started to well up once she mentioned her family, and she clutched the old afghan to her chest as she spoke.

"Yes, as far as I know, your family is fine. I don't know all the details of your capture because Severus did not know much either. As for why you were captured, I will get to that in a bit." He saw her flinch at the mention of Severus and thought maybe that was a good place to start.

"Severus is my godfather. I don't know if you knew that. I'm assuming you know that he works for the Order, worked for the Order"

He had begun to look in the distance, and she knew what he was trying not to say. Her words were rushed as if to stop him from saying what they both knew. "Harry told me about the night Dumbledore died. He told me everything he knew about Snape," and then she quietly added, "and about his past." This brought his eyes back to hers.

"Good. I thought maybe he had told you something about that night. And Severus…he loved Lily so much. I didn't even know that until a few years ago. He was very private. In fact, I didn't even know about this place. This is his house, inherited from a distant relative on the Muggle side of his family. I do not know exactly where we are, but I know we are still in England. I had never been here before he brought me, almost eight months ago. He was planning on coming here to get away, had started stocking up on supplies, bringing some of his things. He visited me as much as he could, usually about every two months, and… and I am pretty sure that he is dead now. He knew how worried I was. He would have come back, even for five seconds, if he could."

She gasped, hoping he would never say those words out loud. Tears were running down her cheeks for the man who died to protect her, the man she never even knew.

Draco ignored her tears and continued, "He always liked you. You reminded him of her, had her fiery red hair and attitude to match. He also thought you were brilliant at potions. He secretly rooted for you in class. I think that he was glad to be able to save you. He called it his last mission. I will not let him down, Weasley. I will protect you, if it comes to that."

They sat for a few minutes in silence, letting this revelation sink in. Severus Snape was dead, and his death was worth mourning. Finally Draco said, "There have been rumours that the Dark Lord could not create any more Horcruxes. That to do so would actually cause him to become spirit again. He was very weak the last time I saw him. I'm not sure what magic was even left in him. Unknown to the Order, the rumours are true, and he has been slowly killing himself these last few years. He was becoming desperate for another plan. As Potter has been tracking down Horcruxes, he has been searching for something new. And he found it."

Her eyes widened in fear, and she sat up straighter, but she did not interrupt him.

"My father gave you a Horcrux in your first year, as you well know. He, on the other hand, did not know that was what he had given you. He was hoping to frame your father for possession of a dark object. It wasn't until the Dark Lord came to our home asking for the diary that father learnt of his mistake… I was there, but I was helpless to do anything…My mother was moments from her death. My dear Aunt Bellatrix was performing the Cruciatus Curse on her when my father gave him your name. He was grasping for anything to say or do to protect her. And I don't think he had any idea what this would mean for you. I am sorry. He has hurt you so much already."

She was angry that he was trying to defend his father, but she also couldn't imagine what she would have done to protect someone she loved from being tortured to death in front of her own eyes. And yet, how could he just stand there and watch?

Before he could continue, she blurted out, "What does this mean? Why does it matter if he knows I had the Horcrux? Is this why they took me? Were they looking only for me? And if you were there, this had to be months ago."

"It was years ago, and it means that my father found the right thing to say to save my mother, that is all. But to the Dark Lord, it was the missing piece of the puzzle. He believes part of his soul still resides in you. Not only that, but a very powerful, younger part of his soul, more powerful than any remaining Horcruxes – if there are any now. It means that he wants to either possess you or, from the last Severus had heard two months ago, he wants to create a child with you that he will then possess. He thinks it will allow him to start over with a new body and a new soul, or at least that original part of his soul. I am not sure exactly how he plans on doing this because I have been gone so long."

He had not been able to look at her directly during this last admission. It was too terrible; he couldn't even imagine what must be going through her mind. She looked pale and as if she were going to be ill.

"A baby? For him to possess? That somehow, the bit of soul I am supposedly harbouring will transfer to...I think I'm going to get sick."

She jumped up and ran to the loo. He followed her and tentatively stepped into the small room before crouching down next to her. She was crying as she hung her head over the toilet. He reached out and began stroking her hair away from her face and rubbing circles on her back. After a few moments, she calmed down and slowly stood.

"He's not in me! There is no part of that monster inside of me except the memories I have of him." She looked wild at that moment, as if she were daring him to argue with her. Her eyes were bright from her tears but also filled with rage.

"I know. I know he's not in you. He is insane, and he's desperate. This plan of his cannot work, and it will never come to that." He stepped forward as if to reach out to her, but kept his hand floating at his side.

Ginny stared into his grey eyes for a moment, searching for the truth behind his reassuring words. "I need to lay down for a while. I'm sorry. I know you have more to say, and I know you have questions, but I just need to be alone."

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A/N: Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoy it. More background and answers to come. It has not been beta'd.