Forever With You
Chapter Eleven: (Untitled)
The air was hot and dry. The wind from the fans blew gently on her face. Kai was next to her, smiling, gently playing with her hair. Only he wasn't Kai any more, he was Draco, and she was Ginny.
"I don't know what's happening." Her voices was laced with fear.
"Shh," Draco brought his lips to hers. "I'll always be there for you."
~*~*~
Ginny awoke with a start, breathing irregularly. Just a dream.
The cell Ginny was in was beginning to stink. Ginny herself wasn't smelling so plesaant. She hadn't had a shower in who knows how long! Whenever she'd use the chamber pot, the, er, contents were disappear after a few seconds, but that didn't stop some smells from penetrating the air. And the ever present hunger was still there, gnawing away at her stomach.
"I'm going to die." Ginny said softly to herself.
She was laying down on the cot, her hands clasped together under her head, staring off through space. She somehow naively thought that she'd be rescued, taken home, properly fed, and that Lucius and his gang of Death Eaters would be severely punished. But days must have gone by, obviously under thirty days, seeing as Ginny wasn't dead yet. Every time that large, ugly man came in the prison hall, he'd have a plate of food for LIsbeth, but only a goblet of water for her. That goblets began to pile up, so the man demanded that she bring them to her. She merely glared at him, unmoving. He brought out a wand and thought for a moment, searching for a spell to bring the cups to him. After a few minutes he pointed the wand at the goblets and they came hurtling at him. He had missed one, however, it had rolled beneath the cot, but Ginny wasn't going to tell him that.
A small tear trailed down Ginny's cheek, causing a little water splotch to appear on the thick stained mattress. Drip, drip, drip went the water leak, somewhere. Ginny could hear Lisbeth making movement in her own cell. Ginny didn't have the energy to speak with Lisbeth, to tell her everythign was going to be alright, that they would be saved. She no longer had the energy to believe it herself. She vaguely heard teh sound of footsteps in the hall, echoing, coming towards her. They stopped.
"How long has she been like this?" Who was speaking?
"Ever since yesterday, sir." More than one person this time?
"Yes, well, I think it's time now." The first voice.
Ginny tried to focus, her vision was blurry. She could see legs, facing towards her. She trailed up the legs and to the faces; Lucius and the large man. Lucius walked away, leaving the other man.
"'ere's some food!" He said.
Ginny's eyes locked on the palte that was in his hands, filled with food and steam was coming from it. There must be a mistake, Ginny thought. They only served Lisbeth cold scraps, and she was given hot, steaming food? Ginny could now smell the meat ands teamed vegetables, and she tried to get up, but she collapsed.
"Take it or yeh don' get any!"
Ginny flung herself off the bed, but she only tumbled to the floor, bruising her elbow in the process. She crawled to the bars, her greasy hair matted to her face, the stones cutting against her palms. It took ages, but she finally reached the bars and she grabbed the plate just before he let go.
Ginny felt like crying! It was food! Real food! At first she could only take small bites, then allow her stomach to digest that, then more small bites. There was no water to wash it down with this time, but she didn't care. There was meat and carrots and potatoes with gravy. Ginny had never had such a wonderful meal in her life. She had nearly finished the whole plates contents when she felt exhaustion over take her, and she fell asleep on the stones in the front of her cell.
~*~*~
"Aee you feeling better now?" Lisbeth asked.
"Yes," Ginny replied, smiling to herself. "Much better."
After the first plate of food Ginny didn't know what to expect. What she got, though, was the same stuff given to LIsbeth. She slowly began to regain her strength, but she was still incredibly skinny, and she began to grow a sort of fungus on her left foot. She hoped it wasn't serious.
"I'm scared." LIsbeth squeaked.
"I know." Ginny didn't know waht to say.
It seemed that if anyone was out looking for her, they were obviously looking in the wrong palce. Where was she, anyway? She knew LUcius wouldn't be stupid enough to keep her and Lisbeth in or around his own house. Were they even in England? Britain? Europe? And how long had she been down here? She had come to realize that the meals were given two times a day. If she looked back and caluculated how often that was, approximately seven days...since Lisbeth came. Who knows how long she'd been there before?
It was then that GInny decided she'd have to get herself out of this place, but how? The locks were probably locked with magic, and there were possibly guards outside that door at the end of the hall. She had no strength to accomplish anything!
"Lisbeth, how are you feeling?" Ginny asked, suddenly.
"How-I'm feeling?" LIsbeth paused. "Good, I guess...what do you mean?"
"I mean, do you feel weak or sick?"
"No, I feel fine."
"If we had to walk miles, would you be able to?"
"Miles? I guess I could..." Lisbeth took a deep breath, then continued excitedly. "Are we going to get out of here? Do you have a plan?"
"Shh!" Ginny demanded. "You never know who's listening... Yes, I think I have a plan, but I need a few days to think over it. I need to build up some strength. What do they give you for food? Is it the same stuff, or different stuff each time?"
"Different...like they've given me the leftovers of their meals."
"Same here...listen, last time I got a roll, did you? Great, next time you get something that won't rot, like a roll or carrots or anything that could keep for a few days, hide it somewhere, ok?"
"Where?"
Ginny looked around her own cell...good question. She walked over to the cot to examine it thorougly. She only had one blanket and a sorry excuse for a pillow, with a dirty pillow case on top of it.
"Take the pillow case off of the pillow and put it underneath your cot as far back as it'll go. When they bring you the food, put the stuff you're going to save inside the pillow case."
"But won't they notice my pillow doesn't have a covering?"
"I doubt it."
Ginny began to do the same thing for herself. The pillow looked, if possible, worse than the case, but this was something she had to do. Once she placed the pillow case under the bed as close to the wall as she could, she backed away towards the bars. She couldn't see the case, which caused a small smile to spread across her face.
"Now what?" Lisbeth asked.
"Well, I think we want to leave under cover of night, so..." Ginny thought about the food they were given. It was always cold and looked as if it had been left out. Sometimes the food looked like it came from a breakfast, other time a dinner. "We'll leave after they give us our meal that has breakfast food."
Ginny had warned Lisbeth not to let any excitement show. She herself had trouble concealing her happiness. Every time that fat man came, she'd have to look down, because if she looked up she was afraid she'd smile, knowingly into his eyes. Then he'd just ask questions and possibly be put off food again.
Thankfully Lucius hadn't showed up again. She was afraid he'd come out of nowhere and discover her plot and hurt her...worse than she already was. But so far, so good.
Ginny would spend most her time sharpening her weapon. When she had placed the pillow case under the bed she had noticed the goblet that had been left behind. Later she brought it out and stared at it, with deepest concentratoin. The goblet was made of wood, and when Ginny bashed it against the wall it broke into three large pieces, and many tinier splinters. Her heart sank as she saw the scattered bits of wood. She had spent the better part of an hour gathering the many splinters and hiding them under her bed.
After that she studied the three large pieces. One was mostly the rim, the other was mostly the bottom, but the third was a large sliver that ran from the bottom to the rim. This was the piece she was currently working on. She was crouched against the wall, the large piece in both hands, and sawed back and forth against the stones. Slowly it was becoming sharp at one end.
"What's that noise?" Lisbeth had asked.
"It's our freedom." Ginny responded, and continued scraping and sawing until she was finally satisfied.
~*~*~
Everything was ready. Ginny took inventory of their food supply. After three days (according to Ginny's reckoning) she had accumulated three rolls, a hand full of carrots and other vegetables, and a few half eaten pastries. Lisbeth did more or less teh same. They could probably last two days, three at most, on this food. They still didn't have water...
Ginny's makeshift wooden knife was tucked into her pants, in the back.
"Today's the day, Lisbeth," Ginny started. "He's going to be bringing the morning leftovers any time now, and whatever you hear, don't scream or panic, ok? If I don't make this work, then just sit tight...someone will come and save you."
Lisbeth let out a soft sob, "Ok."
The place was silent, excpet for Ginnny's echoing footsteps and the drip of water. She was nervous and had taken to pacing back and forth. He should be here by now. She kept saying, over and over. Finnaly she heard the door open. She quickly sat down on her cot, pretending to be completely desolated that she was here instead of at home. She looked down at her hands and noticed how dirty they were. The first thing I'm going to do when I get out of here she said. Is take a bath!
"Ah, Virginia."
Ginny's heart stopped. It was him! She looked up and saw the evil sneering face of Lucius Malfoy.
"I think now is the day that I shall talk to you, yes."
Ginny found it hard to pay attention to what he was saying, the shock that he was here was too great. Finally she focused on his voice, and tried concentrating.
"So you see, the search has more or less been called off." He smiled. "But dear Daddy hasn't stopped...nor have your brothers. They've been searching up andd own the country-twice at my house-but have turned up nothing. Soon, though, I'll take them as well...they'll of course be reported as missing on ministry business...now links to me. And then, once I have them killed, you'll no longer be necessary to keep."
Ginny wanted to say something, anything, back. But she was at a loss for words.
"Nothing to say on your behalf? No pleas or bargaining? I did think you'd give up anything for your life...but, well, since is it your life, who could blame you for wanting it ended?"
"You're evil." Ginny found the words.
Lucuis curled his upper lip, "Certain means have to be sacrificed in order for a perfect world. I'm sure the Dark Lord won't mind my lack of morals once his order has been effected."
"You think you're going to be at the top, don't you? In his little circle. From what I've heard, he treats his 'friends' no better than his enemies. You'll probably be the first to go, once he gains complete power. He's not the kind of person that seems trusting."
"Shut up, you little girl. You don't know what you're talking about!" Lucius spat.
"Don't I?" Ginny stood up and slowly began to walk towards him. "I know exactly what's been going on. You tried to make me dependant on you by depriving me of food, then so generously giving me some. You use me as bait to get to my Father, Lisbeth as bait to get to her Father. You're such a coward you hide behind little girls!" Ginny began to laugh, a sort of maniacal sound coming from deep within. "You're such a little cowardly rat!"
"Shut up!" Lucius shouted, but Ginny couldn't stop the laughign.
He got up close to the bars and flung his arms through the squares, trying to grab Ginny. He got a hold of her left shoulder and he began shaking her, yelling at the top of his lungs incomprehensible things. Ginny felt his overpowering strength, her head bobbing back and forth, greasy hair flying every where. His face was anger personified, fit to kill...kill her. She reached with her left hand for the knife, and brought it up. He didn't even notice the object in her hand, didn't notice it until she brought it full force into his arm.
"What-" His grip loosened on her shoulder, and he brought his hand towards the wooden knife that was still sticking out of his arm. When he pulled it free, the blood began to stain his hands, and a dark splotch spread over his dark robes. He looked at the weapon in his hand, dripping with his blood, then fell to the floor in a faint.
~*~*~
Draco had some idea what was going to happen. He knew that everything the Ministry did was playing into his Father's sick hands. The search was put on the back burner, but Arthur wouldn't give up. Ron was taken out of school to look after his Mother, while his Father and brothers went in serach for Ginny.
He tried hard to concentrate on the ARthimancy in front of him, but the charts and numbers blurred. He couldn't focus or concentrate! That girl was with him wherever he went! First it was just when he was asleep, then only wh en he closed his eyes, but now...
He thought he could hear her over and over again, you were the one I loved. And he had brought her right to his Father. If only she would have taken his advice and left him alone. If only she would have never bothered him in the first place with that silly past live story. But then he realized it started with him.
It was him who started pestering her, pushing her down with physical force, as well as his cuttin gremarks. He still didn't know why he did that; to keep her away from him? No. To get back at her? What did she ever to do him?
Because you like her. A voice said within him. You've liked her for a long time, mixed with hate. "No, I just hate her...that's it!"
You like her and you were scared.
Draco narrowed his eyes and clinched his teeth. Even if he admitted he liked her, what good does it do him now? She's probably on the verge of death, if not dead already.
Only one way to find out, the voice said.
(A/N: I have no idea if the Prime Minister of England has a daughter, probably does, but my Prime Minister is fictional.)