The Dragon
She seemed to be flying. Her arms were out stretched as if reaching for unreachable things. She didn't recall if there was a broom, or if someone had enchanted her to fly. She just was.
But instead of the freedom she felt every time she lifted into the air, she felt a sense of foreboding. She resisted moving forward, somehow trying to move back. But she couldn't. She flew into a gray haze, obscuring her vision, making her eyes blur, confusing and frightening her. The haze engulfed her and suffocated her. She felt as if it was closing around her heart, tightening it's cold grip. There was a sudden pain as it suddenly gripped hard. She couldn't breath. She needed air, oxygen, anything to fill her lungs and push away the gray clutching her heart. She felt her breathing slow and stop. She didn't know how she was feeling her heart stop. But she was. She seemed not to be in her body now, but looking down at it. Her limp figure seemed to be falling through the gray and down toward oblivion. And just before she thought she was going to hit the ground she awoke.
Her eyes shot open, and she let out a muffled gasp. Her breath was ragged and sweat was pouring down her face. She had had the dream before. It always brought her to tears, and now the tears she knew would follow, fell. She blinked them, trying in vain to make them go away.
"Nightmare?"
Ginny whirled around to the sound of the voice. The low, menacing, seductive voice. She didn't see anyone in the room. The fire in the fireplace crackled in the quietness. The arm chair that was facing the fire, away from her, was occupied, but she couldn't see the person. She recognized the voice, but was unsure as to which of the two he was. She hoped desperately it was the younger, though ultimately she wished it wasn't happening the first place and that she was back at the burrow with Harry and Serena.
But she suddenly had doubts. Sometimes she wished Serena hadn't been born. Because if she hadn't been born, then this mess wouldn't have happened in the first place. She wouldn't be chased around by the Malfoy's looking for his daughter, or his sister. And though sometimes these dark thoughts filled her head, she loved the little girl none the less and always would.
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
"Now, now. You're in my house, I could make this much more difficult if I really wanted to," chains suddenly appeared and wrapped around her, strapping her to the floor where she had been lying.
"What do you want?"
"I want my daughter,"
"You will never have her Lucius!"
"Who said I was Lucius?" Draco suddenly stood up and leered down at her.
"You are clearly confused. The charm clearly said Lucius Malfoy was the father,"
He scoffed, "Charms can easily be fooled," he strolled around her and went to a little table where there was a bottle of amber liquid and several expensive looking shot glasses.
"What are you saying?"
"Do I really have to spell it out for you, Ginny love? Honestly, you're much smarter then that," he bent down in front of her, and tapped her on the cheek, much harder then a regular tap.
"Well I'm not. So please by all means... spell it to me,"
He stood up, holding up his glass as if examining it. It turned an even brighter color by the fire. Draco took a vile out of his pocket and held it out in front of her.
"This is veritaserum," he stated. He took the vile and poured 3 drops into the glass, "Now, what ever comes out of my mouth you will have to believe, because I know that if I said it without the potion, you wouldn't even consider a word I said true."
"Then how can i know it's veritaserum?"
Draco threw the rest of the bottle into the fire. It shattered against the back of the fire place and showered down on the fire. The fire turned a violent shade of purple.
"You're a smart girl, despite what you say. You know for a fact that veritaserum turns fire purple like that when it is doused in veritaserum,"
Ginny only turned her head away. A sudden dread came over her. Draco stared down at her.
"Ask me a question,"
She resisted at first, but curiosity got the best of her, "Are you the father of Serena Bethany?"
"Yes,"
"And how is it that you are so sure?"
"I found out before anyone that I was the father of your third child. But I was only 17 then as you well know. I didn't want to father a child. I was young, I was too busy achieving great heights, despite the War, to be stuck raising a child. So I tricked you into seeing a different outcome to the spell that tells who the father is. It wasn't that hard, considering that we shared the same blood."
"Why are you doing this?"
He smirked, "Because I want my daughter back. Because my mum is furious at Lucius and in turn is furious at me. Because I feel unsettled that my father is given the credit for something I created. Because I think she is beautiful and worthy enough to be a Malfoy. Because if she was my father's daughter, then she would be favored and receive the inheritance that I am about to receive. Because I need to pass the inheritance onto my own child when I in turn die. Because she's a pureblood. Because Voldemort's essence is in her veins. Because she is worthy to be called mine," he looked down at her, "and that's saying a lot considering you're the mother,"
She spat at him. But he only flicked his wand and he was spotless and neat again. He bent down again. He traced her face with the tip of his wand. She wasn't sure if it was supposed to be adoringly or threatening, "And still, I am very much pleased that you are the mother and not some brainless bimbo like Pansy. Merlin, that girl is a menace. And besides, I like her feistiness; just like her mother." His words were sickeningly sweet sounding. It made her even more pissed off at him.
"Did you ever love anyone?"
"No," he stated shortly.
"Did your father beat you?"
"Yes," he said through clenched teeth. He had by now realized his mistake.
"Does he still beat you?"
"Yes,"
"You are very stupid you know,"
"Yes," he said again. But he said it with such seriousness that Ginny believed that he willingly told her the truth even without the veritaserum.
"Are you a a deatheater?"
"Yes,"
"Why?"
"Because my father wanted me to be,"
"And do you always listen to your father?"
"Unfortunately," there was a hint in his voice that sounded like he deeply regretted it.
He didn't move away as she continued to ask questions about his life. He seemed happy to have an excuse to just spill out all the horrible things that had happened to him.
"Why did you hate Harry and Hermione and Ron and me?"
"Because you royally pissed me off,"
"What exactly do you think about Voldemort?"
"I don't want to be a deatheater," now he just sat listlessly in the chair, answering questions that he didn't even try to resist. He didn't run out of the room and avoid the answers. He wanted to tell her.
"What is one happy childhood memory before Hogwarts?"
"Getting my first broom. Flying is the only thing that could ever console me."
"What about during Hogwarts?"
"The first night there. I was lying in bed. My happiest memory was realizing I was safe from my father and Voldemort. At least for 9 months."
"Why are you named Draco?"
"Because that was my fathers nickname when he went to school at Durmstrang. When he became a deatheater he was able to transfigure his mark into different shapes, like a tattoo. He came to like the dragon so much that he permanently transfigured it in so that in place with the skull, it was a dragon with crossbones. He was fond of his old nickname and when I was born, he insisted on naming me Draco. He said that he knew I would make a loyal deatheater." Draco scoffed. Ginny lay there in disbelief, well that certainly was interesting information.
"Do you love Serena?"
"Yes,"
"Do you love me?"
"No," something in her heart sank, "I wouldn't call it love. More like a great respect and admiration. I would call it... a great fondness and likeness because you are the mother of my child. But not love."
"Well at least you're honest," she retorted sarcastically.
"Scouts honor," he said, almost lazily, "anything else?"
"Can I get a shot of that? I really think I should be drunk right now..."
He turned back to staring at the glass again. He put in a drop of veritaserum and held it out to Ginny.
She took it in her hands and cautiously took a sip.
"Now we are both on equal ground,"
"Hmm," she gave him a nasty smile that was more like a grimace. Then she downed the whole glass, and held it out to him. He refilled it and again she downed it and held it out. He gave her one more then took back the glass.
"Now, now. I don't think you want to be totally wasted yet."
"Oh, yes," she slurred slightly, "yes I do."
"No, I'm particularly sure you want to hear that I just saved your life. And Serena's for that manor,"
"What are you talking about?" She gazed up at him, her eyes slightly unfocused.
"Lucius was just about to go himself and kidnap you and Serena and kill you. He couldn't have another child, it was against the Mrs. and Voldemort. But I have you, and he is not the father, so he doesn't have to kill you. But now I will be needing his money, now that I have a daughter to raise," he snapped his fingers and the door opened. Serena was shoved in. She fell to the floor, and slowly glanced up.
"Mommy?" she whispered. She crawled over to her, and wrapped her arms around her, trying to find comfort and comfort her in return.
"Dragon, release me," and with a flick of his wand she was released.
Serena stared wide eyed at him, "Dragon," she breathed out the word. She knew this was her father.
"Well now, isn't this just lovely. Our whole family happily reunited at last,"
"If this is a happy reunion, bury me now," she rolled her eyes.
"Yes, indeed," another flick of his wand and her mouth was magically sealed shut.
"My dear Serena," he held open his arms, beckoning to her.
"NO!" Ginny screamed through her closed lips. She struggled on the floor moved to stop Serena.
"Dad? Are you my dad?"
"Yes, sweetheart I am. Why don't you give your father a hug?"
Serena hesitated. She looked down at her mother and back to the man who now claimed to be her father. She clutched the locket around her, seeking it's comfort, "You are not my daddy!" she screamed at him and flung herself at him, kicking and hitting, bitting and scratching. Draco simply lifted her up by the scruff of her shirt and dangled her. But she grabbed his arm and lifted herself to him and bit him.
He yelled in pain and dropped her and she rushed to her mother's side. She opened the locket, and screamed, "DADDY!"
***
Harry was suddenly surrounded by her scream. The locket around his neck had flung open and Serena's voice shook around him. He had been laying at the tree hopelessly, caressing the bracelet that had graced Ginny's hand only hours before. Crying and plotting revenge, trying to think up a plan. The Weasley's had been searching franticly around for Ginny and Harry had gone off by himself to search and had found the little bracelet on the ground. It gave him a slight hope.
Amidst the scream, he heard another voice. There was a sharp slapping noise and Serena's scream ceased. Then the locket on the other side slapped shut.
But Harry had recognized the other voice at the other end, and he knew where they were.
Without a moments hesitation or thought he disapperated.