Finding Beauty
Chapter 6: No Comprehension
~*~*~*~*~
The Weasley household was unusually subdued. It's members lounged around uneasily, reading, talking in quiet whispers or otherwise just staring off into space.
Hermione's sudden shriek brought them all out of their restless dazes.
"Look!" She cried excitedly as a beautiful owl swept into room and dropped a letter into her hands. "It's from Ginny!"
The reaction was almost comical. Ron fell out of his chair in his haste to get to Hermione, Harry bumped his head on an open cabinet as he twirled around, and both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley cried out in relief.
Hermione ripped open the letter and they all crowded around her as she read it aloud.
"Dear Dad, Mum, brothers, and friends," Hermione took a deep breath, "I am still at Malfoy's. The curse is real, and it seems that Draco is the only one who knows the counter-curse.because he made the spell himself. I'm fine, he's treating me all right; I'm just completely puzzled. There is some sort of funny business going on here. I don't think Dad and I are the only ones under a curse. I'm going to try and keep communicating with you. For now, that's all I have to say. I miss you all very much." Hermione paused sadly, "Much love, Ginny."
Mrs. Weasley collapsed in a new fit of tears, Arthur's face turned white, and Ron clutched his fists and muttered curses under his breath.
"I can't believe he- he's keeping my, my baby!!" Mrs. Weasley wailed through her sobs. "Arthur, what are w- we going to d-do!?"
Arthur stood in silence for a moment. "First we are taking this letter to the ministry . . . then we are going to find Ginny."
"That's right." Harry cut in, "Ron, stop muttering and let's go."
~*~*~*~*~
"Get up!"
A door was flung open, drapes were pushed aside, and sunlight filtered into Ginny's temporary bedroom. She opened her eyes groggily and immediately clutched the covers to herself.
Draco had just opened the curtains and was standing in front of the window. "It's a beautiful day, and we are going riding."
"Riding?" Ginny asked, somewhat perturbed at her interrupted sleep . . . sleep was a rare thing now.
"Horse-back riding." Draco responded as though she were stupid. "Get dressed, come on, let's go."
Half an hour later, Ginny found herself on the back of a purebred horse, riding down a beautiful path with Draco. The setting really was incredible. The sun shone brightly, and the ground glistened as the rays melted the night's frost. Flowers were everywhere, and the colors were magnificent.
"How do you keep your garden so beautiful, even during the winter?" Ginny asked out of sheer curiosity.
Draco scanned the land with one hand over his eyes and then turned to look at her.
"Before my parents died my dad cast a spell on the land. My mother loved flowers, and as a birthday present he performed the Evergreen Spell."
Draco showed no sign of emotion at the mention of his parents death, and Ginny decided to take the opportunity to ask more questions.
"Your dad died because of Voldemort? Right?" She asked.
At the sound of Voldemort's name, Draco's head turned sharply. Ginny could see the anger in his eyes.
"Don't speak of it!" He said piercingly.
"But- all I want to know is how your mother died!"
"I said, don't speak of it!" This time Draco had pulled his horse to a stop. He was glaring at Ginny with the most intense hatred. "My parents both deserved their fate, and I'm glad they are gone. I am the master of Malfoy Manor now, and you are nothing more than my prisoner."
Ginny felt the anger surge through her own veins. "You coward." She spat. "This must be quite fun for you, isn't it?" She narrowed her eyes in loathing. "Putting an irreversible curse on my father, demanding that he send me to you. What is this, Draco! Do you have no heart at all? I knew you were a prat in school, but I had hoped by coming here that maybe you had matured a little, and we could work out whatever misunderstanding you are going through. But now I see that you are nothing more than a spoiled child. Perhaps kidnapping me, because that's what it is, was nothing more than an exciting challenge to you. Perhaps you thought it would be FUN."
"You know nothing!" He shouted back at me. "You have no idea . . . no comprehension of my plans or my past! So do yourself a favor and shut the bloody hell up, before I shut you up by force!"
With that he turned his horse sharply around and trotted back to the stables. I watched as I saw him leave the stable on foot and head back into the house, slamming the door loudly behind him.
"Go on." I said quietly, nudging the horse into a slow walk back to the stables.
When I entered the house, Elf hurried over to me.
"Miss Ginny!" He squealed. It was easy to see he was going mad over Draco's angry mood. "Master requests you meet him in the study!"
"You can tell your master that I would rather eat dung than see him right now."
Elf squealed again and put both hands to his ears, covering them and shaking his head firmly. "Miss must not say such things! Master is upset. Master requests your presence!"
"Elf!" A new voice chimed in. Cally had approached and was now pulling his hands down and pushing him away.
"I'm going to my room Cally." Ginny said quickly. "I haven't had anything to eat, so a little something would be nice."
"Miss Ginny," Cally began, her eyes big and round and sad. "Please go see Master. Cally was just with him. Master is very upset about what happened between Miss Ginny and him. Do not worry, Master promised Cally he would not yell at nice Miss Ginny."
Ginny frowned down on Cally, but then sighed. "Alright Cally. I'll do it for you."
As Ginny stepped into the study, Draco looked up from the enormous desk he was seated behind. He stood and walked quickly to over where she was standing. Ginny placed an uncaring expression on her face.
Draco eyed her, almost uneasily, and then spoke.
"I have something to tell you."
"I hope it's an apology." Ginny said maliciously.
Draco looked taken aback, and then a little angry. "No." He stated defiantly. "I have nothing to apologize for."
Ginny opened her mouth to retort, but Draco cut her off.
"I'm laying down some rules. No going out of the house without informing me. No sending letter without letting me read them first. No speaking to me of any curses, my parents, Voldemort, or leaving my Manor."
Ginny stood speechless as Draco continued.
"You may go into any room of any wing of this manor except for through the two double doors in the west wing." He paused. "That's my room, and you aren't allowed in it."
Ginny glared.
"And finally, if you break any of these rules, I will confine you to the dungeon where you will be shackled and fed only bread and water."
She felt her jaw drop. Malfoy smirked.
"I am your prisoner." She stated quietly. "You are getting pleasure from this."
"Only a little."
Ginny spun on her heel and flung open the door.
"Oh and Ginny," Malfoy said her name with false harmony. "I'll bring dinner to your room tonight."
Ginny turned around and caught his eye. She didn't like what she saw there.
"Seven o'clock sound good for you?" He smiled sweetly. It made Ginny hate him more.
"What choice do I have?" She replied sarcastically.
"Good. Go rest up."
He laughed and it echoed in her head as she walked out and slammed the door. It was the most horrible sound. A sound of triumph and of desire.
Ginny wanted to go home.
~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 6: No Comprehension
~*~*~*~*~
The Weasley household was unusually subdued. It's members lounged around uneasily, reading, talking in quiet whispers or otherwise just staring off into space.
Hermione's sudden shriek brought them all out of their restless dazes.
"Look!" She cried excitedly as a beautiful owl swept into room and dropped a letter into her hands. "It's from Ginny!"
The reaction was almost comical. Ron fell out of his chair in his haste to get to Hermione, Harry bumped his head on an open cabinet as he twirled around, and both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley cried out in relief.
Hermione ripped open the letter and they all crowded around her as she read it aloud.
"Dear Dad, Mum, brothers, and friends," Hermione took a deep breath, "I am still at Malfoy's. The curse is real, and it seems that Draco is the only one who knows the counter-curse.because he made the spell himself. I'm fine, he's treating me all right; I'm just completely puzzled. There is some sort of funny business going on here. I don't think Dad and I are the only ones under a curse. I'm going to try and keep communicating with you. For now, that's all I have to say. I miss you all very much." Hermione paused sadly, "Much love, Ginny."
Mrs. Weasley collapsed in a new fit of tears, Arthur's face turned white, and Ron clutched his fists and muttered curses under his breath.
"I can't believe he- he's keeping my, my baby!!" Mrs. Weasley wailed through her sobs. "Arthur, what are w- we going to d-do!?"
Arthur stood in silence for a moment. "First we are taking this letter to the ministry . . . then we are going to find Ginny."
"That's right." Harry cut in, "Ron, stop muttering and let's go."
~*~*~*~*~
"Get up!"
A door was flung open, drapes were pushed aside, and sunlight filtered into Ginny's temporary bedroom. She opened her eyes groggily and immediately clutched the covers to herself.
Draco had just opened the curtains and was standing in front of the window. "It's a beautiful day, and we are going riding."
"Riding?" Ginny asked, somewhat perturbed at her interrupted sleep . . . sleep was a rare thing now.
"Horse-back riding." Draco responded as though she were stupid. "Get dressed, come on, let's go."
Half an hour later, Ginny found herself on the back of a purebred horse, riding down a beautiful path with Draco. The setting really was incredible. The sun shone brightly, and the ground glistened as the rays melted the night's frost. Flowers were everywhere, and the colors were magnificent.
"How do you keep your garden so beautiful, even during the winter?" Ginny asked out of sheer curiosity.
Draco scanned the land with one hand over his eyes and then turned to look at her.
"Before my parents died my dad cast a spell on the land. My mother loved flowers, and as a birthday present he performed the Evergreen Spell."
Draco showed no sign of emotion at the mention of his parents death, and Ginny decided to take the opportunity to ask more questions.
"Your dad died because of Voldemort? Right?" She asked.
At the sound of Voldemort's name, Draco's head turned sharply. Ginny could see the anger in his eyes.
"Don't speak of it!" He said piercingly.
"But- all I want to know is how your mother died!"
"I said, don't speak of it!" This time Draco had pulled his horse to a stop. He was glaring at Ginny with the most intense hatred. "My parents both deserved their fate, and I'm glad they are gone. I am the master of Malfoy Manor now, and you are nothing more than my prisoner."
Ginny felt the anger surge through her own veins. "You coward." She spat. "This must be quite fun for you, isn't it?" She narrowed her eyes in loathing. "Putting an irreversible curse on my father, demanding that he send me to you. What is this, Draco! Do you have no heart at all? I knew you were a prat in school, but I had hoped by coming here that maybe you had matured a little, and we could work out whatever misunderstanding you are going through. But now I see that you are nothing more than a spoiled child. Perhaps kidnapping me, because that's what it is, was nothing more than an exciting challenge to you. Perhaps you thought it would be FUN."
"You know nothing!" He shouted back at me. "You have no idea . . . no comprehension of my plans or my past! So do yourself a favor and shut the bloody hell up, before I shut you up by force!"
With that he turned his horse sharply around and trotted back to the stables. I watched as I saw him leave the stable on foot and head back into the house, slamming the door loudly behind him.
"Go on." I said quietly, nudging the horse into a slow walk back to the stables.
When I entered the house, Elf hurried over to me.
"Miss Ginny!" He squealed. It was easy to see he was going mad over Draco's angry mood. "Master requests you meet him in the study!"
"You can tell your master that I would rather eat dung than see him right now."
Elf squealed again and put both hands to his ears, covering them and shaking his head firmly. "Miss must not say such things! Master is upset. Master requests your presence!"
"Elf!" A new voice chimed in. Cally had approached and was now pulling his hands down and pushing him away.
"I'm going to my room Cally." Ginny said quickly. "I haven't had anything to eat, so a little something would be nice."
"Miss Ginny," Cally began, her eyes big and round and sad. "Please go see Master. Cally was just with him. Master is very upset about what happened between Miss Ginny and him. Do not worry, Master promised Cally he would not yell at nice Miss Ginny."
Ginny frowned down on Cally, but then sighed. "Alright Cally. I'll do it for you."
As Ginny stepped into the study, Draco looked up from the enormous desk he was seated behind. He stood and walked quickly to over where she was standing. Ginny placed an uncaring expression on her face.
Draco eyed her, almost uneasily, and then spoke.
"I have something to tell you."
"I hope it's an apology." Ginny said maliciously.
Draco looked taken aback, and then a little angry. "No." He stated defiantly. "I have nothing to apologize for."
Ginny opened her mouth to retort, but Draco cut her off.
"I'm laying down some rules. No going out of the house without informing me. No sending letter without letting me read them first. No speaking to me of any curses, my parents, Voldemort, or leaving my Manor."
Ginny stood speechless as Draco continued.
"You may go into any room of any wing of this manor except for through the two double doors in the west wing." He paused. "That's my room, and you aren't allowed in it."
Ginny glared.
"And finally, if you break any of these rules, I will confine you to the dungeon where you will be shackled and fed only bread and water."
She felt her jaw drop. Malfoy smirked.
"I am your prisoner." She stated quietly. "You are getting pleasure from this."
"Only a little."
Ginny spun on her heel and flung open the door.
"Oh and Ginny," Malfoy said her name with false harmony. "I'll bring dinner to your room tonight."
Ginny turned around and caught his eye. She didn't like what she saw there.
"Seven o'clock sound good for you?" He smiled sweetly. It made Ginny hate him more.
"What choice do I have?" She replied sarcastically.
"Good. Go rest up."
He laughed and it echoed in her head as she walked out and slammed the door. It was the most horrible sound. A sound of triumph and of desire.
Ginny wanted to go home.
~*~*~*~*~