AN: Another chapter! Aren't you guys proud of me? ^_^ A note of thanks to all my reviewers. I wantto thank you for your encouraging comments. Please feel free to make any suggestions or offer constructed criticism. When I was writing the story, everything made sense, but if you don't understand something, let me know so I can clarify. ^_^ hint hint, wink wink, REVIEW!!!
Chapter 2: Survival
"I thought you said that if we let you join the team, then you would ensure we'd win" Marcus Flint sneered. " You told us these Nimbus 2001's could outstrip any broomstick that Gryfindor had. I thought you said you were good!"
"I am good," Draco said angrily.
"But Harry's better," Marcus snarled.
Draco was going mad. He hear himself screaming, screaming at Marcus, screaming at Harry, and then he stopped. Icy coldness swept over him and he knew a dementor had stepped into his cell. Cold, clammy, dementor hands clasped his forearm, dragging him out of that cell. And then he felt himself being thrust into another pair of hands, human hands. Through bleary eyes, Draco recognized the man holding him as someone from Gryffindor during his Hogwarts days, but he couldn't remember the name, Sean maybe? Beside him was another man, one that Draco immediately recognized. The man's unruly black hair and bright green eyes were unmistakable, and the lighting bolt scar over his forehead was all too familiar.
"Harry Potter," Draco spat.
"Malfoy," Harry nodded coldly. "How nice to see you.
Draco looked around. "Surprise! Gasp! Revelation!" Draco sneered. "Where's Weasley and Granger?"
"Doubtless straining to prevent themselves from beating the pulp out of your own two friends, Crabbe and Goyle?" Harry replied, enjoying the look of confusion on Malfoy's face. "Right Seamus?"
The other boy nodded. "Poor Ginny, soon she'll be feeling the same way."
Draco tried to struggle out of Seamus's grasp, but he was too weak. And the fact that Harry's wand was pointed at his throat made it all the more difficult. "What are you doing?" he snarled. "Where are you taking me?"
Seamus smiled amusedly, "I thought it would be obvious that we're taking you out of Azkaban?"
Draco was so busy sneering at Harry that he hadn't noticed that the coldness of a dementor's presence was gone. Draco winced at the sudden bright sunlight as he stepped out of Azkaban. It had been so long since he'd seen sunlight, and the warmth and brightness was a wonderful change after his dark, dank cell.
"Get in the boat," Seamus said, jerking Draco suddenly into a little canoe-like boat. "And don't try anything funny or we'll make you wish you hadn't."
Draco was too surprised to say anything. He couldn't believe it. He was actually being taken out of Azkaban. No more dementors, no more haunting memories. Harry had actually come and saved him from that nightmare. However, Draco's relief and gratefulness for leaving Azkaban soon turned to suspicion. Has something happened that the Ministry's decided I'm not worth living? Maybe they're going to kill me, give me the dementor's kiss? Though even death is even better than staying in Azkaban.
It didn't take long before the little boat Draco was in pulled ashore. Draco looked up to see a welcoming party of grim wizards and witches, the majority wearing the silver-black robe of an auror, and they were all staring at him. Draco looked nervously at Harry and Seamus. Suddenly, an auror stepped out of the crowd and came towards Draco. She looked vaguely familiar, especially the red hair that was tied back in a tight, no-nonsense type of bun.
"Ginny," Harry said formally, thrusting Draco forward. "I put Draco Malfoy under your authority until the Ministry of Magic gives further notice."
Ginny glanced disdainfully at the filthy Malfoy before her. It looked like he hadn't washed in months, and he probably hadn't. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she hissed, glaring angrily at Harry.
Harry winked cheerily, all too happy to get Malfoy off his hands. "If it's any comfort, imagine how Ron is doing now. I don't know whether to pity him or Goyle."
Ginny sighed, "I wonder if I can survive this. Well, wish me luck." She waved her wand, and in a moment she had disapparated, Draco with her.
One moment, Draco had been standing on the shore, one arm taken firmly by Ginny. And then without warning, he felt himself being jerked violently off the ground as Ginny disapparated, taking him with her. When they apparated again, Draco found himself sprawled on a newly-mowed lawn in an awkward position with his face in the dirt.
"If I didn't know better," Draco heard a voice speaking icily over his head. "I would think you'd have never disapparated before."
Spitting out a mouthful of grass, Draco turned and glared at Ginny who was looking impatiently down at him from where she stood, looking immaculate after the transportation spell. "Of course I've disapparated before," Draco snapped. "But usually I'm given some type of warning or I'm doing the disapparating myself! And where are we?"
"In front of a muggle house, your new home," Ginny sniffed, then suddenly, without warning, she pointed her wand at Draco and cried "Stupefy!"
Draco, rendered immovable by the spell, stared at her in confusion. "Just making sure you don't try anything to me," Ginny explained, smiling sweetly. She grabbed his forearm and dragged him, in the most undignified way, through the doorway of the muggle house, Draco's new home.
"Phoenixes you're heavy," Ginny huffed as she dragged the stupefied Draco into the muggle house and left him leaning against a wooden chair in the kitchen.
"Perhaps if you performed the counter-curse to this spell, then I would be able to walk in here myself," Draco suggested, trying to control his temper and failing.
"First," Ginny snapped. "I want to establish some…rules. This is your new home, if I haven't mentioned that already. You are not allowed to leave this place under any conditions; and if you try, let me know because there are spells all over the house and I dearly would love to see how a combination of newly invented hexes will appear on you. I am your guard, your spy, however you plan to see it; the Ministry placed me here to keep an eye on you which means that I am also your superior. If you try to do anything to me, you will find yourself mercilessly hexed and beaten up until I find my anger appeased and then I will send you to the Ministry where a dementor will eagerly await to perform the Kiss. One toe out of line, and we'll ensure that you aren't sane enough to try to do it again."
Draco stared at the no-nonsense tone in Ginny's voice. Despite himself, he couldn't help feel a little apprehensive about his new living arrangements. I wonder if I'll get hexed just for breathing, Draco wondered sarcastically. Out loud he said, "I can't do anything wrong if you keep me stupefied like this."
"I just want to ensure we have a mutual understanding of what I just explained," Ginny said. "Otherwise, you can stay paralyzed like that for as long as I keep you there, it doesn't affect me in any way."
"I understand," Draco said, feeling his anger rising.
"Excellent," Ginny smiled sweetly, and performed the counter-curse.
* * * * * * *
"This is my room," Ginny said, opening the door. "If you need, for any reason, to talk to me or need my help, you may knock on the door, and if I'm in a good mood, I'll answer. Try to barge in and any attempts to attack me," Ginny's eyes darkened dangerously. "And you will regret it for the rest of your life."
Draco glanced in the room. Against the wall was a large bed with several soft, feather pillows and cushions, and a thick warm quilt. Beside the bed was set a mahogany desk with a bright, cheery lamp on top. The walls of the room were covered with numerous pictures and portraits, all waving and smiling.
"Your room," Ginny continued, closing the door and turning the another room down the hall, "is over here."
Draco stepped into his room. It was completely empty except for a single cot against the room with one pillow and two bed sheets. The closet door was swung open, but there wasn't anything in it.
"What," Draco asked, in mock surprise. "No paintings or pictures for me? I'm offended."
Ginny sniffed. "Well, I was suppose to get you new robes, but the ones you're wearing seems to fit you so well, I'm not sure I will anymore." She smirked at Draco.
Draco looked down at his robes. Once they were sleek-black and of expensive quality, but after six months in Azkaban they were dirt-stained, torn, ragged, more dull gray than black, and smelled.
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "On the other hand, they smell so bad that I might want to get you new robes after all." She smirked. "Or maybe you just need to take a bath."
Draco burned with anger and embarrassment. Since when did a Weasley look down her nose at a Malfoy! Well he'd show her!
* * * * *
Ginny woke up early the next morning, like she always did. The loud snores from the bedroom across the hall told her that Draco was still sleeping. She was reading the Daily Prophet when someone rang the doorbell. Startled, Ginny answered the door to find Hermione at her door step, wearing muggle clothing.
"What are you doing here Hermione?" Ginny gasped in surprise. She narrowed her eyes. "Shouldn't you be watching Crabbe?"
"Don't," Hermione threatened. "Don't remind me. You know how horrible it is looking after that brute? I don't know how Crabbe graduated from Hogwarts but that idiot is so stupid it took me two hours to teach him how to turn on the light switch!" Hermione exhaled loudly. "I begged Harry to babysit for me."
Ginny tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That's a good idea. Think I could find a babysitter for Malfoy?"
Hermione laughed, "I doubt it. No one wants to get anywhere near Malfoy." She smiled sympathetically. "Was it awful dealing with him?"
"Actually, no," Ginny said. "But that's be cause I stupefied him and screamed at him and threatened him that in the end, he was just too stunned to cause any trouble."
"Wish I could've been there."
"How come you're wearing muggle clothing?" Ginny asked, noticing the jeans and tank top Hermione was wearing.
"That's what I came to tell you," Hermione sighed. "Ministry commands it. They think that since we're living like muggles, we ought to dress like muggles. They don't want us to arouse suspicion. Here, I went shopping for you and Draco. You can shrink or enlarge the clothing if it's too big or small." Hermione handed Ginny and enormous shopping bag, filled with clothing. "Draco only gets one pair of jeans and khaki and the black sweater and t-shirt. He's a prisoner so I didn't buy him a whole wardrobe. The rest is yours."
Ginny looked through the bag, amazed at how much clothing there was. Pants of all kinds, jeans, black, kahki, flared, bell bottoms, and even a couple of skirts. And Hermione had gotten her shirts of all kinds and colors, some were thick, fleecy sweaters and some were really outrageous like a low cut halter top that left Ginny speechless with shock.
"Hope you like it," Hermione smiled. "I gotta go now. I told Harry I'd be back in two hours."
No sooner had Hermione left when Ginny heard footsteps down the stairs. Looking up, she saw it was Draco. But he looked different, cleaner, nicer, and not as smelly. Obviously Draco had taken a bath. His dirt-smudged skin had been scrubbed pink, and his greasy, dirty hair had been washed clean so that Ginny realized that his hair wasn't a dirty brown but a silver-blond color.
"You took a bath," Ginny noted.
Draco smiled wryly. "Even I don't like smelling like crap."
"Excellent," Ginny replied. "Then you can try on these new clothes that Hermione brought." She took out Draco's clothing and tossed them at him.
Draco looked at the two pairs of pants, sweater, and shirt with surprise, which soon turned to disgust. "These aren't robes," Draco told Ginny. "These are muggle clothing!"
"Very perceptive," Ginny said sourly. "The Ministry decided we're to wear muggle clothing so that people don't come to our door asking questions. We want to seem as normally muggle as possible."
"Are you wearing muggle clothing too?" Draco wondered.
Ginny showed him her bag. "Hermione got me a whole wardrobe."
"This is ridiculous," Draco said angrily. "There's no way a Malfoy is going to wear muggle clothing. This is completely degrading."
"You can do as the Ministry commands," Ginny said dangerously. "Or deal with whatever consequences that come to my mind. You're choice."
Draco took one look at Ginny's expression and decided that wearing muggle clothing couldn't be that bad. And they didn't smell either. Reluctantly he turned around and marched back upstairs to his room to change. Ginny nodded satisfactorily before going up to her own room. Personally, she wasn't excited to wear muggle clothing at all. But, she wasn't about to complain to Draco either.
Ginny stared at herself critically in the mirror and winced at the reflection. She had to admit the clothing looked good on her, but they were slim fitting and showed of her figure in a way that left Ginny decidedly uncomfortable. And she didn't want to look good for Draco either. Well, Ginny thought, Draco doesn't have to see me like this. I can just stay in my room all day. I need to report to the Ministry of my doings as it is. I can just to that right now." However, Ginny had no sooner taken out a parchment and quill when she heard an impatient knock on her door. "What," Ginny demanded in annoyance.
"I'm hungry," Draco's voice came muffled through the closed door. "I haven't had breakfast yet."
"Then go make your on breakfast," Ginny cried in exasperation.
"I can't," Draco retorted. "The cupboards, drawers, pantry, and refrigerator are all locked."
Ginny sighed. It was true, she had magicked everything in the kitchen so that Draco wouldn't be able to access anything potentially dangerous like knives and attack her with it. Ginny opened her room to find Draco waiting outside. But Draco looked different, almost unrecognizable. He no longer seemed like the prisoner who had been in Azkaban for six months. He was clean, and the muggle clothing looked good on him, really good. Ginny swallowed and tore her gaze from him. But unknown to her, was that Draco had also been scrutinizing Ginny. And although he hated to admit it, but the muggle clothing was really attractive on her. Draco gave himself a mental shake, not that he was attracted to her of course.
* * * *
"What do you want to eat?" Ginny asked.
Draco paused, thinking. "Treacle sounds good."
"Treacle," Ginny repeated.
Draco nodded. "Yes, you can make me some treacle for me."
Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me, you want me to make treacle for you. I don't think so. I'm not your servant. If you want to eat anything, you have to cook it yourself."
"Cook?" Draco asked haughtily. "That's what house elves do. Malfoys don't cook."
"Well guess what," Ginny snapped, walking up to Draco so that her face was only inches from his. "You're not a Malfoy anymore. You're a criminal and a prisoner of the Ministry of Magic. We don't have house elves to serve you. And if you think I'm going to cook to your every whim, think again. You don't want to cook, fine. Starve!"
Draco stood speechless, clearly dismayed by Ginny's news. He was tempted to run upstairs and sulk in his room, but the gnawing hunger pains in his stomach insisted to be fed. "I don't know how to cook," Draco muttered, hating himself for sounding so pitiful.
Ginny smirked. "Oh darn," she said cruelly. "I guess you have to starve." She plopped unto a chair and calmly began to read the Daily Prophet, oblivious to Draco's problems. A moment later, she put the newspaper down and got up. Unlocking all the cupboards, drawers, and the refrigerator, she began to pull all sorts of foods: coffee, eggs, bread, etc. With her wand, Ginny muttered a few spells and a moment later she returned to the table with a cup of steaming coffee, scrambled eggs, and toast. Draco watched, practically drooling at the mouth, as he watched Ginny savor each bite.
Finally, Draco couldn't stand it anymore. Going over to where the loaf of bread and carton of eggs stood on the kitchen tabletop, Draco grabbed a piece of cold, un-toasted bread and an egg. Ginny couldn't help but watch with amusement as Draco cracked the raw eggs over his frozen piece of bread and taking his breakfast, he marched over to the table and sat across from Ginny. To Ginny's horror, Draco picked up the bread with egg white dripping from the sides and began eating the mess ravenously.
The raw egg tasted horrible but Draco kept eating. After half a year eating Azkaban food, he learned not to be too picky.
Ginny winced as a drop of yellow egg yolk dribbled from Draco's mouth. "I'm not hungry anymore," Ginny announced abruptly. She pushed her plate of food away, looking decided green. Draco's eyes lit up eagerly and he snatched the food. In moments, the plate was licked clean.