Chapter One: Innocent?
Ginny looked around the stark white room. She noted the smallness and lack of décor. The walls were painted white and the candles floating overhead gave only enough light to cast shadows into the corners. There was a small table and Ginny had neatly placed her notebook, quill and ink and recording device she had picked up at a muggle shop a few months ago, on top. Her bag was sitting against one of the table legs and she was seated in one of the two chairs. Across from her was the other chair, empty at the moment, and beyond that the only door that led into the room.
"Calm down." Ginny told herself, wiping her sweating hands on her robes.
Her hands began to shake slightly but Ginny produced a vial from her back and drank its contents. Slowly her nerves settled.
This was Ginny's big chance. Her once-In-a-lifetime chance. Her only chance.
She had been working at the Daily Prophet for a year, ever since she graduated from Hogwarts, and it was "Ginny get me coffee," or "Ginny, fetch me some more ink." And quite frankly Ginny was tired of being treated as if she were a common intern. She had excellent credentials. She had started and edited Hogwarts first student newspaper. She had interned for a summer semester at Witch Weekly and she applied at The Daily Prophet for a reporters job…not a Go-For job.
That's when Ginny had been fed up. She went to Harry for help for he often was there when she needed someone to vent her problems to. He offered to give her an interview, something he never did. Ginny was thrilled and after the interview wrote up a perfect article on The-Boy-Who-Lived.
At first her adviser laughed at what he thought was a joke, but Ginny was prepared for that. She brought Harry along with her and her vouched for the validity of the article. Needless to say they printed it in the next issue and Ginny was given command of one of the departments.
Ginny's memories stopped as she heard some rustling from behind the door, but whoever or whatever it was, it passed. She exhaled the breath she had been holding then reminded herself she needed to stay cool.
When her boss came up to her yesterday and told her of the assignment he had given her she could feel her heart drop and her blood run cold. This was one of the biggest articles out there and Ginny was given the responsibility. She almost refused to take it, but if she refused she'd be fired, and if she did badly she'd be fired.
She looked at her notebook and the first page had many scratched out article names. She knew the editor would choose title of her article, but she could always imagine those few perfect words, printed in black and white that would send chills down everyone's spine.
"Murderous Man Caught" had been first and quickly scratched out. "Thirty Two Dead: Man Caught" was next, but that wasn't good enough either. Many more titles were scratched out here and there and Ginny's eyes slowly rested on the last. "Draco Malfoy; Accused."
Every other article she had written she was able to separate herself from. She was able to keep cool when writing about the terrible accident involving Muggles and Witches in London. She didn't know anyone who had been hurt. She was able to be indifferent. But Draco Malfoy was different.
Ginny really didn't have a chance to get to know Draco when she was at Hogwarts. He was in a completely different crowd and if their paths ever met it was completely by accident. She had remembered how he acted her first few years. Very rude, very outspoken. But she did notice that his last two years of Hogwarts he had closed up. Stopped hanging with his friends, usually sat by himself. Never threw insults at how red her hair was as they passed each other in the halls. His eyes changed the most. Where once there was disdain and pride, there was now…nothing. No emotion, nothing to give away his feelings. It was as if he was a walking corpse, and the thought sent shivers throughout her body.
Ginny jumped in her chair when the door opened. A nice looking man came into the room and sat down in front of Ginny.
"Look, we're giving you one hour…you hear me?" The man said rather sternly.
Ginny nodded her head.
"I don't know why we're doing this. He should have been sent straight to Azkaban if you ask me. The Minister of Magic said the people need peace of mind…a little closure." The man sitting across from her was wearing black robes and his brown hair was curling all over the place. His jaw line was square and very chiseled, like he had been created by a master sculptor. Ginny raised an eyebrow as she imagined what it would be like to run her fingers through those soft tresses.
"Someone said something about a briefing…I'm assuming this is it?" Ginny folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair.
The man smiled. "They said you were biting." He cleared his throat. "The deal is we have him under a spell. Don't worry, he's conscious…it's just that in order to assure your safety and the safety of others we had to sort of tranquilize him."
"You did what?" Ginny sat up strait, her hands crashing on top of the table.
"Whoa, settle down." The man backed off. "He's ok, don't worry…you'll get your precious article." He paused. "Look, after this mess is cleaned up…I was thinking that you look like you need a night out."
Ginny smiled, "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Maybe I could take you to a Muggle Night Club. They have excellent music."
Ginny grinned, "Perhaps."
The man got up then walked out the door. Ginny began to laugh within herself.
"First an award winning article falls into my lap and now a date with a delicious man. Oh, Virginia, you're life is just falling right into place."
The door slowly opened again and this time two wizards came in carrying what seemed to be a limp body between them. The person's head was lolling back and forth, his unwashed silver hair falling over his eyes. They sat him down in front of Ginny then exited the room. She could hear them place locking charms on the door and wondered how she was supposed to get out if something happened.
She tore her eyes away from the door and she looked at the person across from her. She couldn't see his face, it was hanging down. Her heart beat quickened.
"You fool, you only have an hour!" She berated herself for the awful waste of time.
"Ahem." She said aloud. No responding. "Excuse me?"
The person slowly lifted his head then looked straight through her. His eyes came into focus and Ginny could feel his gaze on her as if it was heavy winter cloak. She looked into those eyes and she almost felt sorry for the boy. The emotion was gone…or was it?
"Hello, I'm—" Ginny was about to say but was startled when Draco spoke.
"Virginia Weasley." His voice was hoarse, as if it hadn't been used in days. "I remember you from school." His words were slurred but Ginny understood him in spite of that. But what he said next took her completely by surprise. "You have to help me…I'm innocent."
(A/N: Ok, i wanted to write this life altering fic...well for me anyway. I'm testing out my writing skills right now, so bare with me.
I love mysteries, intrigues and romance so I thought I'd try my hand at one. I would greatly apprecitae your feed back!)
Ginny looked around the stark white room. She noted the smallness and lack of décor. The walls were painted white and the candles floating overhead gave only enough light to cast shadows into the corners. There was a small table and Ginny had neatly placed her notebook, quill and ink and recording device she had picked up at a muggle shop a few months ago, on top. Her bag was sitting against one of the table legs and she was seated in one of the two chairs. Across from her was the other chair, empty at the moment, and beyond that the only door that led into the room.
"Calm down." Ginny told herself, wiping her sweating hands on her robes.
Her hands began to shake slightly but Ginny produced a vial from her back and drank its contents. Slowly her nerves settled.
This was Ginny's big chance. Her once-In-a-lifetime chance. Her only chance.
She had been working at the Daily Prophet for a year, ever since she graduated from Hogwarts, and it was "Ginny get me coffee," or "Ginny, fetch me some more ink." And quite frankly Ginny was tired of being treated as if she were a common intern. She had excellent credentials. She had started and edited Hogwarts first student newspaper. She had interned for a summer semester at Witch Weekly and she applied at The Daily Prophet for a reporters job…not a Go-For job.
That's when Ginny had been fed up. She went to Harry for help for he often was there when she needed someone to vent her problems to. He offered to give her an interview, something he never did. Ginny was thrilled and after the interview wrote up a perfect article on The-Boy-Who-Lived.
At first her adviser laughed at what he thought was a joke, but Ginny was prepared for that. She brought Harry along with her and her vouched for the validity of the article. Needless to say they printed it in the next issue and Ginny was given command of one of the departments.
Ginny's memories stopped as she heard some rustling from behind the door, but whoever or whatever it was, it passed. She exhaled the breath she had been holding then reminded herself she needed to stay cool.
When her boss came up to her yesterday and told her of the assignment he had given her she could feel her heart drop and her blood run cold. This was one of the biggest articles out there and Ginny was given the responsibility. She almost refused to take it, but if she refused she'd be fired, and if she did badly she'd be fired.
She looked at her notebook and the first page had many scratched out article names. She knew the editor would choose title of her article, but she could always imagine those few perfect words, printed in black and white that would send chills down everyone's spine.
"Murderous Man Caught" had been first and quickly scratched out. "Thirty Two Dead: Man Caught" was next, but that wasn't good enough either. Many more titles were scratched out here and there and Ginny's eyes slowly rested on the last. "Draco Malfoy; Accused."
Every other article she had written she was able to separate herself from. She was able to keep cool when writing about the terrible accident involving Muggles and Witches in London. She didn't know anyone who had been hurt. She was able to be indifferent. But Draco Malfoy was different.
Ginny really didn't have a chance to get to know Draco when she was at Hogwarts. He was in a completely different crowd and if their paths ever met it was completely by accident. She had remembered how he acted her first few years. Very rude, very outspoken. But she did notice that his last two years of Hogwarts he had closed up. Stopped hanging with his friends, usually sat by himself. Never threw insults at how red her hair was as they passed each other in the halls. His eyes changed the most. Where once there was disdain and pride, there was now…nothing. No emotion, nothing to give away his feelings. It was as if he was a walking corpse, and the thought sent shivers throughout her body.
Ginny jumped in her chair when the door opened. A nice looking man came into the room and sat down in front of Ginny.
"Look, we're giving you one hour…you hear me?" The man said rather sternly.
Ginny nodded her head.
"I don't know why we're doing this. He should have been sent straight to Azkaban if you ask me. The Minister of Magic said the people need peace of mind…a little closure." The man sitting across from her was wearing black robes and his brown hair was curling all over the place. His jaw line was square and very chiseled, like he had been created by a master sculptor. Ginny raised an eyebrow as she imagined what it would be like to run her fingers through those soft tresses.
"Someone said something about a briefing…I'm assuming this is it?" Ginny folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair.
The man smiled. "They said you were biting." He cleared his throat. "The deal is we have him under a spell. Don't worry, he's conscious…it's just that in order to assure your safety and the safety of others we had to sort of tranquilize him."
"You did what?" Ginny sat up strait, her hands crashing on top of the table.
"Whoa, settle down." The man backed off. "He's ok, don't worry…you'll get your precious article." He paused. "Look, after this mess is cleaned up…I was thinking that you look like you need a night out."
Ginny smiled, "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Maybe I could take you to a Muggle Night Club. They have excellent music."
Ginny grinned, "Perhaps."
The man got up then walked out the door. Ginny began to laugh within herself.
"First an award winning article falls into my lap and now a date with a delicious man. Oh, Virginia, you're life is just falling right into place."
The door slowly opened again and this time two wizards came in carrying what seemed to be a limp body between them. The person's head was lolling back and forth, his unwashed silver hair falling over his eyes. They sat him down in front of Ginny then exited the room. She could hear them place locking charms on the door and wondered how she was supposed to get out if something happened.
She tore her eyes away from the door and she looked at the person across from her. She couldn't see his face, it was hanging down. Her heart beat quickened.
"You fool, you only have an hour!" She berated herself for the awful waste of time.
"Ahem." She said aloud. No responding. "Excuse me?"
The person slowly lifted his head then looked straight through her. His eyes came into focus and Ginny could feel his gaze on her as if it was heavy winter cloak. She looked into those eyes and she almost felt sorry for the boy. The emotion was gone…or was it?
"Hello, I'm—" Ginny was about to say but was startled when Draco spoke.
"Virginia Weasley." His voice was hoarse, as if it hadn't been used in days. "I remember you from school." His words were slurred but Ginny understood him in spite of that. But what he said next took her completely by surprise. "You have to help me…I'm innocent."
(A/N: Ok, i wanted to write this life altering fic...well for me anyway. I'm testing out my writing skills right now, so bare with me.
I love mysteries, intrigues and romance so I thought I'd try my hand at one. I would greatly apprecitae your feed back!)