Disclosure: J. K Rowlings possesses the rights and privileges to Harry
Potter et al. and in no way do I presume that I do. Nor do I possess any
rights or privileges concerning the story of the phoenix, and I have cited
all websites from which I gathered my research in the prologue.
I would like to thank Uma, my Beta Reader. Without her genius, you would've had a difficult time understanding this chapter!
The Power of the Phoenix
Chapter Two: "Kill Her!"
A horrific scream vibrated through the confines of his mind.
Draco sprung from his pillow, gasping as the last vibrations of the scream dissipated. Sweat dripped wildly from his face to his damp nightshirt. He grabbed the edge of his bed sheet to wipe off the sweat. Putting his trembling hand to his face, he forced himself to breathe regularly. Screams not unlike this one tormented his dream nightly. He had heard the screams since childhood, but he had never grown accustomed to the sound. Most of the time, the screams were his. He could deal with it. He dealt with it by not dealing with it.
Lately, however he had been experiencing trouble. The nightly screams he heard within his head were only echoes of the horrific ones he heard daily. And he knew from whom they came. They came from her, Virginia Weasley.
Daily, he brought her to the Dark Lord for questioning, but it did not end there. Torture would ensue. He always stood outside with the guards, his back to the door enclosing her and the Dark Lord. Only his pride kept him from flinching with every scream. When silence would permeate through the door, the Dark Lord would stalk out and demand the removal of her. Draco always had the guards remove her. "Distance from the prisoner should always be enforced," his father would say. But, he was experiencing trouble with this issue, too. Only after he unknowingly volunteered himself to take responsibility for her did his mind catch up to him. He was an idiot, he knew. But, for some unknown reason, he needed to be near her. 'To do what, Malfoy?' he sighed as he asked himself. 'She is a Weasley! A poor, good for nothing, worthless beauty with gorgeous red hair that would caresses her small shoulders..'
He violently shoved the image of her away from his thoughts. He was definitely an idiot. If his father knew just what kind of thoughts he entertained, his own tortured screams would be heard throughout the halls.
He had to admire her for her determination and perseverance, though. Being trapped in a dark dungeon for weeks would break anyone.. But, she was just 'not' anyone. She was the Phoenix, the one who would either empower Voldemort or cripple him.
Draco shoved his sheets away and rose from the satin-covered bed. He paused in front of his full-length mirror, scowling at his reflection. Rolling his shoulders back to ease the ever-present tension in his shoulders, he stepped closer. His gray eyes showed stress, making him look older than his twenty-two years. He rubbed his hands over his face to release the exhaustion and sighed. Draco shook his head and turned his back at the unfamiliar man in the mirror. He had the distinct feeling that he would never feel at ease with himself. He pulled his clothes out of the mahogany dresser beside the bed and slowly dressed himself. He was due to escort Weasley to the Dark Lord for another "questioning." He had no clue what Voldemort asked of her-- he only heard the screams.
He grabbed his black clock and closed the door to his quarters. He schooled his handsome features into his customary glare and paused to throw the heavy material around his broad shoulders. Draco proceeded quickly towards the dungeons. Voldemort did not like to wait.
*******
Movement of any kind caused Ginny's muscles to tremble with pain, so she resigned herself to lying motionless on the cold floor of her cell. She had a broken rib and a broken ankle. Her white robe was now brown and her wild hair was limp and matted. 'What would I give for hot bath....with pink bubbles?' she thought longingly. A tiny tear escaped her swollen eye and slid down the side of the face, leaving a clear trail. Two weeks of torture! It surprised even her that she had endured for so long. Unfortunately, her endurance was running thin.
'Oh Matthew, I don't know if I can keep this up!' she thought desperately. She had first thought that the warriors of the Order would storm the fortress had they known where she was located. An overwhelming feeling that she recognized as guilt coursed through her heart. Her predicament was of her doing, but she had secretly hoped someone would save her-namely a Mister Harry Potter. But that hope died with the others as the second week passed. No one possessed the ability to save her. Now, she only hoped for death.
Ginny involuntary tensed as the oak door swung open. Two black-clad guards swiftly walked across the dark room, roughly grabbing her to lift her up. She gasped in pain and stifled a scream.
The left guard shook her. "Stand, witch!" he shouted, "The Commander doesn't have all day!"
"The Commander," she breathed, "can bite me."
She heard a deep chuckle and turned towards its source
"I bite pretty hard," Draco said, smirking. He walked towards her and lifted a finger to softly caress her cheek. "I doubt that you would enjoy it, Weasley."
The two guards laughed heartily. Ginny scowled and jerked her head away from his touch. She did not want to admit it, but his touch pleasantly unsettled her.
To cover her uneasiness, Ginny retaliated, " And here I thought you changed Malfoy, but I see you're the same arrogant git I remember."
"As I remember WEA-sel, you were dirt poor back then-are you still? Or has Potter finally shown mercy to your family?" he questioned sarcastically.
Ginny's faced turned red. "Sod off, Malfoy!"
His eyes narrowed. " I wouldn't mouth off, Weasel. Lord Voldemort wouldn't like it." His tone was matter of fact. He refused to allow the guilt grow within him when he saw her body tense. Draco had no doubt that Weasley would die within an hour-her death would be a horrible one.
"Guards," he said with indifference, "take her."
********
Ginny glared bitterly at Malfoy's back as he walked in front of her. The armed guards, who were practically dragging her, remained a few feet behind him.
'I wonder if I could burn holes in him with my eyes, like Hermione's fictional Muggle heroes,' she mused, still staring at the back of his sleek robes. But, her anger shriveled up at the thought of Hermione and died completely when she thought of Harry and Ron. Her heart dropped-she had everyone down. Not just Harry, Ron and Hermione, but the rest of her friends and family as well.
As he escorted Weasley closer to Lord Voldemort, he felt an ever-growing degree of uneasiness. He had not felt this uneasy since his initiation to the Death Eaters. He violently reproached his emotion. It defied everything that he had been taught! Draco took a deep breath to steady him as they approached the door. He firmly grasped the door handle and walked into the room with feigned confidence into the room, followed by the guards and Weasley.
A lone figure dominated the room-Voldemort. He stood by the window looking out at the grounds below. He seemed oblivious to their presence.
Ginny struggled against her guards, but failed to move an inch. The guards quickly deposited her with a thud behind the dark wizard. At the sound, Voldemort slowly turned, resting his beady eyes upon her. She willed herself not to tremble. She could feel the dark cold that radiated from him wash over her. It quickly chilled her bones.
Voldemort shifted his glare to the guards. "Get out," he ordered. His voice penetrated the body with darkness. The guards made haste towards the door. Draco turned to follow, but stopped as Voldemort said his name.
"Draco Malfoy."
Draco suppressed the sharp chills that threaten to race down his spine. He stopped in his tracks, then turned to face the dark figure.
"Yes, my Lord," he said, glad that his voice sounded steady.
"She is most unwilling to cooperate. I would like you to stay to watch her scream. I think you would enjoy it," Voldemort said, sneering.
Draco swallowed hard and nodded. He squared his tense shoulders, shooting a quick glance at Weasley. He found that she was staring at him with eyes full of fear, fear that shocked him. It was a familiar fear he saw within her deep brown eyes. Yes, he knew that kind of fear. It was the kind of fear he had felt every time his father beat him as child... 'Enough! Better her dead than me!' he justified.
Ginny heard the swoosh of Voldemort's wand. Ginny shut her eyes, breaking the strange contact with Malfoy. She awaited the inevitable.
But the inevitable never came. Suddenly, the door burst open and in rushed a tall man with blonde hair- Lucius Malfoy. His face was flushed and sweaty.
"My Lord," he gasped, "The Order is attacking. The situation demands your attention!"
Voldemort quickly looked from Lucius to Ginny and sighed. "Pity, really." He walked quickly to the door, but paused at Draco's side. Draco, who was still looking at the battered woman, tentatively turned to face him.
"Kill her!"
So..please review and tell me what you think. StarNight
I would like to thank Uma, my Beta Reader. Without her genius, you would've had a difficult time understanding this chapter!
The Power of the Phoenix
Chapter Two: "Kill Her!"
A horrific scream vibrated through the confines of his mind.
Draco sprung from his pillow, gasping as the last vibrations of the scream dissipated. Sweat dripped wildly from his face to his damp nightshirt. He grabbed the edge of his bed sheet to wipe off the sweat. Putting his trembling hand to his face, he forced himself to breathe regularly. Screams not unlike this one tormented his dream nightly. He had heard the screams since childhood, but he had never grown accustomed to the sound. Most of the time, the screams were his. He could deal with it. He dealt with it by not dealing with it.
Lately, however he had been experiencing trouble. The nightly screams he heard within his head were only echoes of the horrific ones he heard daily. And he knew from whom they came. They came from her, Virginia Weasley.
Daily, he brought her to the Dark Lord for questioning, but it did not end there. Torture would ensue. He always stood outside with the guards, his back to the door enclosing her and the Dark Lord. Only his pride kept him from flinching with every scream. When silence would permeate through the door, the Dark Lord would stalk out and demand the removal of her. Draco always had the guards remove her. "Distance from the prisoner should always be enforced," his father would say. But, he was experiencing trouble with this issue, too. Only after he unknowingly volunteered himself to take responsibility for her did his mind catch up to him. He was an idiot, he knew. But, for some unknown reason, he needed to be near her. 'To do what, Malfoy?' he sighed as he asked himself. 'She is a Weasley! A poor, good for nothing, worthless beauty with gorgeous red hair that would caresses her small shoulders..'
He violently shoved the image of her away from his thoughts. He was definitely an idiot. If his father knew just what kind of thoughts he entertained, his own tortured screams would be heard throughout the halls.
He had to admire her for her determination and perseverance, though. Being trapped in a dark dungeon for weeks would break anyone.. But, she was just 'not' anyone. She was the Phoenix, the one who would either empower Voldemort or cripple him.
Draco shoved his sheets away and rose from the satin-covered bed. He paused in front of his full-length mirror, scowling at his reflection. Rolling his shoulders back to ease the ever-present tension in his shoulders, he stepped closer. His gray eyes showed stress, making him look older than his twenty-two years. He rubbed his hands over his face to release the exhaustion and sighed. Draco shook his head and turned his back at the unfamiliar man in the mirror. He had the distinct feeling that he would never feel at ease with himself. He pulled his clothes out of the mahogany dresser beside the bed and slowly dressed himself. He was due to escort Weasley to the Dark Lord for another "questioning." He had no clue what Voldemort asked of her-- he only heard the screams.
He grabbed his black clock and closed the door to his quarters. He schooled his handsome features into his customary glare and paused to throw the heavy material around his broad shoulders. Draco proceeded quickly towards the dungeons. Voldemort did not like to wait.
*******
Movement of any kind caused Ginny's muscles to tremble with pain, so she resigned herself to lying motionless on the cold floor of her cell. She had a broken rib and a broken ankle. Her white robe was now brown and her wild hair was limp and matted. 'What would I give for hot bath....with pink bubbles?' she thought longingly. A tiny tear escaped her swollen eye and slid down the side of the face, leaving a clear trail. Two weeks of torture! It surprised even her that she had endured for so long. Unfortunately, her endurance was running thin.
'Oh Matthew, I don't know if I can keep this up!' she thought desperately. She had first thought that the warriors of the Order would storm the fortress had they known where she was located. An overwhelming feeling that she recognized as guilt coursed through her heart. Her predicament was of her doing, but she had secretly hoped someone would save her-namely a Mister Harry Potter. But that hope died with the others as the second week passed. No one possessed the ability to save her. Now, she only hoped for death.
Ginny involuntary tensed as the oak door swung open. Two black-clad guards swiftly walked across the dark room, roughly grabbing her to lift her up. She gasped in pain and stifled a scream.
The left guard shook her. "Stand, witch!" he shouted, "The Commander doesn't have all day!"
"The Commander," she breathed, "can bite me."
She heard a deep chuckle and turned towards its source
"I bite pretty hard," Draco said, smirking. He walked towards her and lifted a finger to softly caress her cheek. "I doubt that you would enjoy it, Weasley."
The two guards laughed heartily. Ginny scowled and jerked her head away from his touch. She did not want to admit it, but his touch pleasantly unsettled her.
To cover her uneasiness, Ginny retaliated, " And here I thought you changed Malfoy, but I see you're the same arrogant git I remember."
"As I remember WEA-sel, you were dirt poor back then-are you still? Or has Potter finally shown mercy to your family?" he questioned sarcastically.
Ginny's faced turned red. "Sod off, Malfoy!"
His eyes narrowed. " I wouldn't mouth off, Weasel. Lord Voldemort wouldn't like it." His tone was matter of fact. He refused to allow the guilt grow within him when he saw her body tense. Draco had no doubt that Weasley would die within an hour-her death would be a horrible one.
"Guards," he said with indifference, "take her."
********
Ginny glared bitterly at Malfoy's back as he walked in front of her. The armed guards, who were practically dragging her, remained a few feet behind him.
'I wonder if I could burn holes in him with my eyes, like Hermione's fictional Muggle heroes,' she mused, still staring at the back of his sleek robes. But, her anger shriveled up at the thought of Hermione and died completely when she thought of Harry and Ron. Her heart dropped-she had everyone down. Not just Harry, Ron and Hermione, but the rest of her friends and family as well.
As he escorted Weasley closer to Lord Voldemort, he felt an ever-growing degree of uneasiness. He had not felt this uneasy since his initiation to the Death Eaters. He violently reproached his emotion. It defied everything that he had been taught! Draco took a deep breath to steady him as they approached the door. He firmly grasped the door handle and walked into the room with feigned confidence into the room, followed by the guards and Weasley.
A lone figure dominated the room-Voldemort. He stood by the window looking out at the grounds below. He seemed oblivious to their presence.
Ginny struggled against her guards, but failed to move an inch. The guards quickly deposited her with a thud behind the dark wizard. At the sound, Voldemort slowly turned, resting his beady eyes upon her. She willed herself not to tremble. She could feel the dark cold that radiated from him wash over her. It quickly chilled her bones.
Voldemort shifted his glare to the guards. "Get out," he ordered. His voice penetrated the body with darkness. The guards made haste towards the door. Draco turned to follow, but stopped as Voldemort said his name.
"Draco Malfoy."
Draco suppressed the sharp chills that threaten to race down his spine. He stopped in his tracks, then turned to face the dark figure.
"Yes, my Lord," he said, glad that his voice sounded steady.
"She is most unwilling to cooperate. I would like you to stay to watch her scream. I think you would enjoy it," Voldemort said, sneering.
Draco swallowed hard and nodded. He squared his tense shoulders, shooting a quick glance at Weasley. He found that she was staring at him with eyes full of fear, fear that shocked him. It was a familiar fear he saw within her deep brown eyes. Yes, he knew that kind of fear. It was the kind of fear he had felt every time his father beat him as child... 'Enough! Better her dead than me!' he justified.
Ginny heard the swoosh of Voldemort's wand. Ginny shut her eyes, breaking the strange contact with Malfoy. She awaited the inevitable.
But the inevitable never came. Suddenly, the door burst open and in rushed a tall man with blonde hair- Lucius Malfoy. His face was flushed and sweaty.
"My Lord," he gasped, "The Order is attacking. The situation demands your attention!"
Voldemort quickly looked from Lucius to Ginny and sighed. "Pity, really." He walked quickly to the door, but paused at Draco's side. Draco, who was still looking at the battered woman, tentatively turned to face him.
"Kill her!"
So..please review and tell me what you think. StarNight