Disclaimer: Always the same and you know it.
A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up. Oh well, here's
chapter ten.
Betrayed
"Oh no.
The Mudblood and Weasley stay here."
Draco
stood in front of Ron, Harry, and Hermione, and for once hoped he looked like
he was feeling – angry and irritated. He should've known Potter would spill the
beans to his friends.
"Listen, Malfoy, she's my sister," Ron said furiously. "I'm coming no
matter what."
"Mm-hmm," Draco said, and looked at Hermione. "And what pathetic excuse
do you have?"
Hermione put her hands on her hips and opened her mouth to say
something, but Harry cut her off. "Look, Malfoy, we're all coming. So get over
it. There's no way we're trusting you to get her alone."
"Fine,"
Draco snapped. But if you get killed it isn't my fault, he added to
himself. Then he noticed something. There were only two brooms, and four
people. "I hope you three can fit on one broom."
"One of
us is going to have to ride with you," Harry said firmly.
"I'll
ride with Harry," Ron said instantly.
Draco
smirked at Hermione's expression – she looked scared enough to whimper.
Seeing
Hermione's distress, Harry said almost angrily, "I'll ride with Malfoy. You two
can have my broom and the cloak."
"Cloak?
So they won't get cold?" Draco sneered.
"It's
an Invisibility Cloak," Hermione said matter-of-factly, as if expecting him to
be impressed.
And he
nearly was. "How did you get your hands on an Invisibility Cloak, Potter?"
"It was
my dad's," Harry said quickly, obviously not wanting to talk about it. "I
brought it just in case. So how far is the place where Ginny is?"
"It's
in Wales," Draco replied, mounting his broom. "About a day's flight from here."
"A
day?" Hermione repeated. "We'll get there in the middle of the night!"
"Scared
of the dark, Granger?" Draco said.
"No."
She stared darkly at him for a moment, then got on the broom behind Ron.
Draco
was not looking forward to sharing a broom with Harry. Fortunately, the
Firebolt Draco had gotten during fifth year was long enough for Harry to sit
far back and hold onto the handle. They didn't touch, for which Draco was
grateful.
Hermione
and Ron, on the other hand, looked a little cozy. As soon as they flew off the
ground, Hermione was squeezing herself awfully close to him and muttering, "I
hate flying . . . oh, God, I really don't like flying. . . ."
Draco was about to pick on her when Ron
demanded, "How do you know where Ginny is, Malfoy?"
"I have
ways," Draco answered in what he hoped was a mysterious tone.
Ron
scowled. "You are so full of it. I bet you took her there yourself."
"Then why
would I be showing you where it is?" Draco shot back.
"I'm
not even sure if you're going to take us to the right place," Ron replied. "For
all we know you could just take us to the middle of nowhere and kill us."
"That's
exactly what I'm going to do Weasley. How ever did you guess?" Draco asked.
"Ron,
put the Invisibility Cloak over you and Hermione," Harry said wearily, trying
to stop their arguing.
Hermione managed to unlatch herself from Ron long enough to drape the
Invisibility Cloak over them, and to Draco's relief they both disappeared.
Everyone was quiet after that.
Ginny
felt as if she was falling down very fast, but she didn't move. She wanted to
tear her eyes from Voldemort, but she couldn't make any muscles work. She felt
as if she'd been frozen into a statue.
What
does Voldemort want with me? she wondered frantically. The only reason she
could come up with was that she was a friend of Harry's. But really . . . Harry
didn't care that much for her. There were a lot of other people, like Ron and
Hermione and Sirius, that he cared for more. So if he's hoping to lure Harry
here, he's got it all mixed up. And even if Harry did want to save me,
he wouldn't be stupid enough to come alone. He'd tell someone. Not to mention
he has no idea where I am.
"Hello,
Ginny," Lucius said.
The
shock of hearing her name made her eyes start to work again, and she looked at
him in surprise. He chuckled humorlessly at her.
"Surprised?" Of course I am. "Would you like me to explain?"
Yes,
she thought as she shook her head.
"I will
tell you anyway," Lucius said. "First of all, maybe you should show some
manners to Lord Voldemort?"
Ginny
turned her eyes on Voldemort once more, but said nothing. Did this man
really once look like Tom Riddle? she wondered. Tom Riddle had been one of
the most attractive people she'd ever seen. How could his looks have gotten so
messed up?
Lucius
pointed his wand at her and hissed, "Imperio."
All at
once, all of Ginny's problems melted away. She was in a state of pure bliss,
and barely heard herself say, "Hello, my Lord Voldemort." But then, just as
quickly as it had come, it was gone, and she felt the weight of dread in her
stomach. She wanted to retch, having just said my Lord Voldemort. Yet
she managed to keep a straight face and only staggered a step backwards.
"Why
me?" she whispered. She didn't think she'd said it out loud until Lucius
chuckled at her again, and Voldemort sneered.
"Because you're the only one," Lucius replied.
The
only one what? Ginny wondered. What am I the only one of?
"You
will bring us Potter," Lucius added softly.
"No I
won't," Ginny blurted. "He doesn't even know where I am."
"But he
will," Voldemort said quietly, his voice giving Ginny the feeling that someone
was trickling cold water down her spine. "Once young Malfoy passes on the
information. . . ."
Ginny
blinked. Draco? Draco wouldn't be in on this. Unless . . . unless everything
he's ever said to me was just an act.
Then
he's one damned good actor.
Her
mind whirled as she tried to think of reasons why Draco wouldn't do this to
her. All she could come up with was that he'd kissed her. That wasn't a very
good reason . . . people kissed other people all the time and it doesn't mean
they loved them so much they would die for them.
But
practically send them to be killed?
She
watched as Lucius and Voldemort turned and left the room. The hooded men
followed them, shutting the door firmly behind them. Ginny collapsed against
the wall, sliding to the ground. They hadn't explained much . . . but she knew
all she needed to know.
It was
either her life or both Harry's and hers. If Voldemort had been telling the
truth, that Draco would actually lure Harry to his death, then it was all over.
Ginny
realized that if their roles had been switched around, and Harry had been
sitting there instead of her, then he would probably be wishing that she
wouldn't come. He'd be praying that he would die instead of her.
But
Ginny knew she wasn't that brave. She didn't want Harry to die . . . of course
not, she despereately wished he wouldn't come, either. She hoped that Harry had
done the right thing after Draco told him where she was and tell Dumbledore or
someone else. Of course he will, Ginny tried to assure herself. He's
not stupid . . . he wouldn't come without telling anyone where he was. That
would be suicide.
Ginny
knew right then and there that she wouldn't be leaving wherever she was alive.
Even if Harry came, Voldemort would kill her, too. At that moment, she had
never wanted anything more than to crawl in her mother's lap and just cry. She
raised her knees up to her chin and tried to fight tears. Don't cry, don't cry,
don't cry . . . she thought. Only a few tears escaped, and she wiped them
away hurriedly.
Then
she lay down on the hay and curled up in a ball, shutting her eyes tightly to
seal off any other tears.
Determination kept Draco wide awake. While Ron complained constantly
about being tired and about to pitch forward asleep, and Hermione slept with
her cheek against the back of his shoulder, and Harry nodded off behind Draco,
sometimes falling forward onto Draco's back before jerking upright again, Draco
remained alert.
Night
came and passed. By the time it was fully light Ron had moved on to complain
about how hungry he was. Draco gritted his teeth and tried to block his voice
out, but it was no use.
By the
time the sun was fully in the sky, Draco announced they were nearly there.
Hermione roused slowly, and Harry took of his glasses to wipe the sleep from
his eyes. Soon they were flying over a thick forest.
As soon
as the Malfoy's huge summer home came into view, Harry asked, "You have a
summerhouse in the middle of the woods?"
We're
not a normal family, Draco thought but didn't comment.
"This
isn't a summer place – this is a castle," Ron muttered as they landed on the
ground.
Draco
was very stiff from being in the same potion for nearly twenty-four hours
straight. As soon as his feet touched ground, he felt tired himself and his
stomach felt empty.
"You
sure she's here?" Hermione asked, yawning widely and stretching her arms above
her head.
"No,
I'm not sure. I just flew nearly a day for the hell of it," Draco retorted.
"I was
only asking," Hermione said, glowering.
"Then
let's go get her," Ron said, approaching the front door.
Draco
grabbed his shoulder to prevent him from opening it. "Hold on, Weasley. Didn't
your mother ever teach you not to open an unknown door before?"
Ron
stared at him.
"My
father is very famous for his hexes," Draco said with a smirk, releasing his
shoulder. "He reckons it's funny to put them on every door that leads into house.
The front door has over twenty hexes. Anyone who's not a Malfoy will feel the
wrath of them."
"What
kind of hexes?" Hermione asked timidly, as if trying not to give away how
interested she was.
"Just
about all the ones that cause you to lost a limb or an organ," Draco told her
casually with a shrug. "There's a side door over this way – it only has about
eight or nine hexes, I believe."
Draco
picked up his broom and started to walk around the house. "Only eight or nine?"
Ron repeated, right behind him. "Only?"
"Remember, the front door has over twenty," Draco said without looking
at him.
"I take
it you know how to disable these hexes?" Harry said.
"If not
Hermione can," Ron added.
"I can
disable them," Draco snapped, stopping in front of a rather small wooden door.
He twisted the knob and pushed the door open. Smirking, he said, "All the doors
are unlocked. My father likes to check the doorways every morning to see if he
can find any severed people."
"You're
father is a sick person," Hermione informed him.
"Like
father, like son," Ron spat venomously.
Draco
didn't comment, but set to work on the hexes. "This might take a little while,"
he said over his shoulder.
It did take
a long time. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat a few feet away, talking quietly.
After about an hour, Ron had fallen asleep with his head in Hermione's lap, and
Hermione was drifting off with her head on Harry's shoulder. Harry was amusing
himself by lazily turning strands of her hair various shades of purple.
"All
right," Draco announced nearly an hour and half after he started. "You can walk
through now."
He
stepped through first, and watched them slowly get to their feet, yawning. They
all hesitated before the doorway.
"I'll
go first," Harry said uncertainly, and stepped through.
Hermione grabbed Ron's arm as if she expected Harry to suddenly howl
with pain as his arms fell off. But nothing happened, and reluctantly they
stepped through after him.
"Do you
have any idea what room she'll be in?" Ron hissed as Draco started to lead them
into the house.
In
the same room they always put people they're about to torture, Draco said
to himself, but realized that wouldn't go too well with Ron. "Yes," was all he
said.
It took
about a minute to get to the room he wanted. He tried to knob and found it
locked. That means there are no hexes on it, Draco thought.
"Alohomora,"
he said, pointing his wand at the door.
It
sprung open with a bang.
Ginny
jumped when she heard a loud bang. Lifting her head, she saw the door had
opened. Then, walking through the door, was Draco.
Slowly,
Ginny sat up. To her horror, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Draco in. They
pushed past him and hurried over to her, all three of them talking at the same
time.
"How
did you get here –"
" –
were so worried –"
" – are
you okay? You look cold –"
Ginny
felt numb as they fussed over her. She stared at them in shock. Not only was
Harry in danger, so was Ron and Hermione. They would certainly be killed along
with her.
"What's
the matter, Gin?" Ron asked, some of the light fading from his smile. "Aren't
you happy to see us?"
"No. .
. ." She trailed off, then added, "I mean, yes . . . I mean – you can't –
you've got to get out of here –"
"Of
course, and you're coming with us," Harry said, grinning.
She
tried to smile back, but failed miserably. Maybe if we hurry quick enough
we'll be able to get out, she thought.
That
hope was dashed as soon as they started to usher her towards the door, which
was where Draco had remained standing. Behind him had appeared Lucius and
Voldemort, trailed by at least a dozen Death Eaters.
Lucius
stepped further into the room, and clapped a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Good
work," he said as Voldemort and the rest came in.
The
sound of the door shut behind their backs, over ten Death Eaters blocking their
escape and sealing their doom.
A/N: I'll try to write as much as I can, but I'm
afraid I won't have all the time in the world. Be patient and keep reviewing!