A/N: Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter of the story. One of the reviews I received mentioned that the story was a bit sexist for making the women stay at home while the men went to war. I didn't mean for it that way. When I wrote the chapter, I had always like having all the Weasley women together to give each other support. I'm sorry if that sounds sexist. Anyway, read this chapter and tell me what you think about it. I really love hearing from you. I've gotten addicted to reviews so please help me out and drop me a review.

A Simple Gold Band

Chapter 5

Draco sat with his back gingerly against the wall of his cell as the cuts and welts on his body, have yet to heal fully. He rubbed his scab and scar covered wrists, remembering his last torture session with a smile on his face.

~

"You are worthless, not fit to be called a Malfoy. You disgrace the Malfoy name by joining up with the old fool, Dumbledore. Not only that, you got yourself married to that filthy, Muggle-loving whore of a Weasley," Lucius sneered at Draco.

"She's not a whore! She's a better person than you could ever imagine being!" Draco shouted at his father, fighting against the manacles that were preventing him from killing his father on the spot for slandering his wife. The blood from his wrists trickled down his hands, dripping off his elbows. "You're the one who disgraced the family by joining with that mad man!"

Lucius backhanded Draco, causing his face to snap back. His lips split and blood smeared his chin. "You're weak, just like your stupid bitch of a mother. She was nothing like Bella, strong, beautiful with an evil streak," Lucius said, giving the leather-clad, beautiful woman who was leaning casually against the wall, a loving sneer.

"You bastard," Draco whispered harshly. "You killed her just because she wouldn't join your cause."

"She was a liability, an inconvenience," Lucius shrugged, cracking his whip against Draco's body repeatedly.

Draco hissed with pain, his skin feeling like it was on fire. The torture was nothing worse than those he received when he was still a boy. Draco took a deep breath to ignore the pain and slick feeling of blood travelling down his body. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing to stop himself from feeling the pain.

"I heard that your whore is with child. I'm going to enjoy finding out what makes her so special to make you turn your back on your family. Then I will immensely enjoy killing her," he heard Lucius whispered to him.

Draco's eyes snapped open and saw that he was face to face with his father. How dare he hurt her? He will pay for that, Draco thought. He raised his leg and kneed Lucius in the groin causing him to gasp and double over, holding onto his family jewels. Draco took the opportunity to head-butt him, knocking him out cold. Everyone said I had a hard head. I guess it came in handy after all, he thought. Draco smirked at the prone body of Lucius and spit on him. He only saw Bella move from her spot against the wall before everything went black.

~

Draco smirked and rubbed his wrists gently. As he thought about his unconscious father again, his cell guards' words filtered through his mind.

"……attack tonight…….maternity ward at St. Mungo's……. get Potter's wife…."

They're going to attack the hospital tonight and their going to use Pansy as a bargaining chip with Potter, he thought. I have to get out of here and warn them. Thank Merlin Ginny's not due for another four weeks, so she wouldn't be caught in the middle of the attack.

Draco held his sharpened spoon so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as he listened to their plans in graphic detail. I need to get out of here tonight. I need to warn Potter that Pansy's in danger, he thought. Still gripping the spoon tightly, he began formulating an escape plan.

~          *           ~

At the Burrow, Ginny entered her room that she was sharing with Pansy and found Pansy dressing up for work. At four months pregnant, Pansy still looked svelte with barely a bump on her tummy. Compared to her, Ginny, who was eight months pregnant, looked like a beached whale.

"Where you going, all dressed up? I thought you're on leave today," Ginny asked, sitting down on her bed.

"I'm going into the office for a while. I have a few things that I need to finish up then I'll come straight home. What are you up to today?" said Pansy.

"Nothing much really. Mum's keeping such a close eye on me as if I'm going to give birth any minute. It's so infuriating."

"She's just worried about you. You're her only daughter and she doesn't want anything to happen to you."

"I know that but it gets a trifle stifling at times." Ginny sat quietly as she watched Pansy put the finishing touches to her make up. As Pansy gathered her briefcase to leave, an idea formed in Ginny's head.

"Hey Pansy, do you think I can go with you to the hospital? I'm tired of being cooped up in here."

"I don't know Ginny. Molly might not like it."

"Come on Pansy. I need a reprieve from her constant mothering. We'll take Hermione with us. I'm sure she could use the break."

"But Ginny –"

"Please Pansy. Please, please, please," Ginny pleaded, giving Pansy her patented feel-sorry-for-me look.

"Fine, fine. Tell Molly and Hermione before we leave. I'll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes and don't be late," Pansy said, giving in.

Ginny clapped her hands in glee and hugged Pansy before bounding off to find her mother and Hermione. Fifteen minutes later, Ginny, Hermione and Pansy were dressed up and standing in front of the fireplace, ready to floo to the hospital. Molly stood by, watching them with a worried look on her face and wringing her hands nervously.

"Mum, don't worry about us alright? Nothing's going to happen so don't worry," Ginny said, giving her mother a hug.

"Just make sure you watch each other's back. Hermione, you keep them safe you hear?" Molly said as she hugged each of the women tightly.

"Don't worry Molly, I will," Hermione said, putting on her jacket. After hugging Hermione, Pansy and Ginny again, Molly let the women floo to the hospital. Please keep them safe, Molly sent out a prayer as they disappeared through the floo network. 

At St. Mungo's Hermione, Pansy and Ginny stepped out of the visitors' fireplace with ease. They brushed off the soot that clung to their clothes and brushed the dust off their hair. Hermione and Ginny followed Pansy to her office and settled themselves down at the visitors' lounge while they waited for Pansy to finish her paper work. After a while, Ginny got tired of sitting around and reading backdated issues of magazines. She got up and waddled to the nursery to look at the newborns. She smiled to herself as she looked at each tiny bundle, wrapped in soft blankets.

"They're so beautiful aren't they?" Hermione asked, standing beside Ginny with her palms on the glass.

"Yes they are. I can't wait for this one to arrive," Ginny said, patting her tummy gently. "I'm sure he's going to look just like Draco. Draco would be so happy when he comes back."

"Ginny, Draco's –"

"Don't say it Hermione. He's not dead; I know he'll come back to me. Just wait and see."

Hermione sighed and turned to look at the babies again. No matter what Hermione or the rest of the family said, Ginny would adamantly say that Draco was alive. In the end, everyone stopped trying to convince her that Draco was dead and let her wait for him by the fireplace. I can't wait for the war to be over so that I can have some of my own, Hermione thought. I would love to have as many as I can.

"Makes you want to have a whole brood doesn't it," Ginny said softly.

Hermione sighed and said, "It sure does." They stood there for a few more minutes before turning back to Pansy's office to see if she was done.  As they were walking down the hallway, they heard an explosion and the emergency alarm went off.

"We've got to get to Pansy," Ginny said as she walked as fast as she could to Pansy's office. They nearly bumped into Pansy who was coming out of the washroom. Pansy quickly pulled them into a nearby storage room and closed the door with her wand drawn. She opened the door a tiny crack and saw the masked Deatheaters going into her office.

"Where is Potter's woman?" they heard him say. "Spread out on the floor and search. Kill everyone." The statement was done with such glee that it made the women's blood boil.

"The patients! They're going to kill them!" Hermione exclaimed, trying to open the door and stop them.

"Hermione stop. They can't get to the patients. There are wards protecting the patients, especially the babies. They placed them in the hospital after Voldermort's resurrection. Dumbledore knew that St Mungo's would eventually be a target so he made the Ministry put wards to protect the patients," Ginny said, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"But –"

"They didn't let it be common knowledge as they didn't want the Deatheaters to find out about it and figure out a way to counteract the protection. Just look," Pansy said, pointing to a Deatheater who was trying to get into the nursery. Evidently, the Deatheater wasn't very smart as he kept trying to walk through the invisible barrier, making him bounce back every time he tried. Hermione sighed with relief and leaned back against the wall. She suddenly looked up at Pansy with a very worried look.

"Pansy, they're looking for you. They're going to use you to get to Harry," Hermione whispered.

"I know. Harry warned me the last time I saw him. He said that Voldermort had something up his sleeve and that everyone close to him was to be careful," Pansy replied, rubbing her face gently.

"We need to inform the Ministry about this. Where's the nearest fireplace?" Ginny asked.

"It's in the lounge but that's at the other end of the corridor. We won't be able to make it, they might see us," Pansy said.

"We don't have a choice. I don't know how long the wards are going to hold," Ginny said. Outside, they heard curses and hexes thrown at the invisible barrier as the Deatheaters tried to get into the rooms.

"Ok then, both of you stay here. I'll go," Hermione said.

"No, we all go together. We'll watch your back for you," Ginny said.

"Damn it Ginny! Both of you are pregnant and if anything happens to either of you, I'm dead. I don't want to risk both of you so no more arguments. I'm going and both of you are staying here," Hermione said, with a no-nonsense tone and her arms folded across her chest.

Seeing the stubborn look on her face, both women nodded and wished her luck. They helped Hermione cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself and kept a look out for her as she got out of the storage room.  Using Pansy's compact mirror, they watched Hermione's outline walk slowly down the corridor and disappear around the corner.

The fifteen minutes that Hermione was gone felt like forever for Ginny and Pansy. They placed a few blankets on the cold floor and sat down with their backs against the wall. Ginny rubbed her tummy and sent out a silent prayer that Hermione was safe. Pansy was nervously picking at the edge of the blanket. Both women jumped slightly when they heard the coded knock that the three women had agreed.

"It's Hermione," Pansy whispered as she stood up to open the door. She opened the door just wide enough for Hermione to enter. Once she was safely in the room, she dropped the charm and hugged Ginny and Pansy in relief.

"I've informed the Ministry. It seems that they had found our about the Deatheater invasion earlier and was gathering troops for the counterattack," she informed them.

"That's good. I hope they hurry," Pansy said. "Did we lock the door? I can't remember."

Her question was soon answered when a Deatheater rushed in and closed the door before performing a silencing charm and locking the door. The three women were too shocked to react so they didn't offer any resistance when the Deatheater summoned their wands to him.

"Shhh… I'm here to help," he whispered as he took off his mask.

The women too one look at him and gasped collectively. All the blood drained from Hermione and Pansy's face while tears trickled down Ginny's face. She threw herself into his arms and whispered, "Draco."