Chapter 2
"Get off me!"
The tone of Malfoy's voice startled Ginny; it had held a distinct trace of panic. She tried to roll off of him, but her hair was caught in the clasp of his cloak. "What the?" She exclaimed. Her vision faded to gray, she felt a tug at her belly button and the sensation of flying. She could feel Malfoy beside her. It felt like traveling by portkey, but why on earth would there have been a portkey in the middle of Hogsmeade?
The pair hit the ground with a resounding crash. Ginny's head rebounded against the hard marble and she saw flashes of light that she was certain weren't actually there. Malfoy stood quickly, dusting off his clothes with quick practiced motions. He looked down at her, his expression a mixture of annoyance and confusion. "Come on." He said turning and striding down the corridor.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Ginny!" Ron yelled, scanning the crowded street, frantic for a glimpse of his sister. Neither she nor Malfoy had been seen since the fight had broken out. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air. But since that was impossible by Ron's standards he continued to scan the crowded street.
Hermione tugged gently at his arm, "Ron. I see Sirius and Harry, let's go over to them, maybe they saw something." She pulled again, gently, and he followed.
"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked. "She didn't get hauled off by one of the professors for jumping Malfoy did she?"
"No."
The strain in Hermione's voice registered with Sirius and he turned his entire attention to her. "You don't know where she is do you?" his voice was full of concern.
"No, and no one seems to be able to find Malfoy either. It's like they both disappeared. One minute they were there, and now they're nowhere."
"Wait a second. Both Ginny and Malfoy are gone?" Harry asked, stunned. "And no one has seen them?"
"What are you thinking Harry?" Sirius asked.
Harry shook his head, "I don't know."
"You have an idea what happened and I know it." Sirius looked heard at him, "Let's go sit down somewhere quiet so you can tell us what's going through that head of yours."
The group moved down the street, away from the crowd. "Alright Harry, spill." Ron said, turning on his friend.
"I don't know for sure," Harry began hesitantly, "It's just an idea."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Father!" Draco's voice echoed off the cold stone walls of the Malfoy Mansion. He was furious. Lucius knew that today was a Hogsmeade day. What was he thinking? The Weasley girl followed him mutely down the passage. At the door to his father's study he turned to face her, "Wait here."
The heavy cedar door swung open silently, and closed behind his with a soft click. Lucius sat behind his desk, scotch in hand. He motioned for his son to sit. "I have a job for you." He stated simply, his manner relaxed. Maybe he forgot about Hogsmeade Draco mused silently.
"What is it sir?" he asked aloud. Draco wasn't sure why, but he thought telling his father that the youngest Weasley had been transported here with him, and was, at that moment, sitting out side, was most likely a bad idea, so he didn't.
"I need you to go to Romania and bring me back a Welsh egg."
Draco pinched himself, his father wanted a what? A dragon egg? What ever for? "Sir?" he asked, certain he had misheard, or at least misinterpreted his father's request.
"You heard me." Lucius said, smiling coldly at his son. "I need it for a potion."
He's off his onion, Draco thought, amazed at how soothing that thought was. He's completely barking. Me? Go to Romania and get a Dragon egg? Sure dad! I'd love to. Right after I ravish Ron Weasley, shave my head and dye my bare scalp purple. Of course none of those thoughts were said out loud. "How exactly would you like me to do this?" He asked instead.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Out in the hallway Ginny amused herself by looking at the portraits of Malfoy's past. She knew that all the people in the pictured were Malfoys purely because they sneered at her as she passed. She was a little worried. After all she was in the Malfoy Manner, (at least she assumed that was where they were, since Draco had know his way around and the walls were lined with paintings of his ancestors). But despite the nagging feeling of worry she found herself captivated by the intricate décor. From what she knew of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy she had always assumed their home would be over decorated and horribly pretentious. Instead the stone and marble were decorated in a way that, despite being dark, was rich and elegant.
Ginny shivered, the stone walls and marble flooring were as cold as they were beautiful and consequently so was the air. She leaned her head against the icy wall next to the door Draco had left by. "What's taking so bloody long?" she asked the silent entryway.
She hadn't been standing there for more than a minute when the huge ornate door was flung open revealing not Draco, but Lucius Malfoy.
"Well, well, what have we here?" The cold cultured voice sent a sick icy sensation through Ginny's stomach and for a minute she worried that she might actually vomit. The tall blond man looked down on her, his expression one of distaste. "Explain." He commanded.
Ginny felt her throat dry over, she didn't have a clue what to say. She probably knew less about why she was there than he did.
"It was the ring father." Draco's voice cut smoothly through the silence. "She ran into me and her hair got caught in my cape and apparently that was enough contact to bring her with me when you summoned."
Ginny stared, why had he done that? First answering for her and then changing the truth to make it sound innocent. She swallowed, and waited for Lucius to comment.
"Very well," he said, no emotion given away in his voice or in his face, his expression had returned to the Malfoy practiced blank. "Come with me, both of you." He turned and strode quickly down the passageway.
Ginny scrambled to her feet and hurried after him, Draco behind her. Lucius led them through several dark and deserted corridors before stopping briefly at a set of beautifully carved doors. "Wait here." He commanded sharply before disappearing into the room.
"What was that all about?" Ginny rounded on Draco, her panic giving way to anger. "Why are we here?"
Draco let out a defeated sigh. "I don't know what that was all about, or why you're here. No one else has even been brought with me, but then again most people don't tackle me in the middle of Hogsmead either." A small smile danced across his lips, before he regained the practiced blank. "The only thing I do know is that Lucius doesn't trust you, so we're probably headed for the dungeons."
Ginny would have asked more but at that moment Lucius rejoined them. "Draco, I have an important client, if you could take Miss Weasley," he spoke her name as if it offended him, "to the tower, I will be there shortly." With that he turned and left.
Draco led Ginny through a maze of corridors and stairwells until he reached a small plain wooden door. "You go up here, wait for me at the top, there are a few things I need to get from my room."
Walking away from her Draco wondered whether she would be smart enough to take the escape opportunity he had just given her, or if she would follow his orders. He entered his bedroom quietly. If they were going to be in the tower he would need a few things, like an extra cloak and a warmer shirt. He changed quickly; hoping his father wouldn't notice the switch, filled his pockets with anything he thought might come in handy, and then returned to the place he had left Ginny.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"But the girl."
"Never mind her she will be useful in time. You don't think it was an accident that she came with him now do you?" The wintry voice was mocking. "Honestly if you can't even complete a task this simple." the voice tailed off suggestively.
"I'm sorry Excellency." Lucius bowed low, "I won't doubt you again."
"Good. Now, where are they?"
"Draco took her to the tower, and I told him to wait there." He smiled, "Of course Draco doesn't know that the door only opens from the outside, and that he is to stay there all night."
"They will not be out there all night just because you are in a vindictive mood. My plans will not wait that long for some childish bout of fancy. I want them on their way tonight."
"The girl as well?"
"Yes. You will bind her to him with that ring you used to bind Draco to you, and you will send them on their way tonight."
"Yes Excellency." With a final bow Lucius slipped off into the darkness.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"So you think.?" Ron stared at Harry open mouthed. "You think they're at Malfoy Manner?" he turned away, pacing distractedly, muttering under his breath.
"I think Harry's on to something," Sirius said, watching Ron pace with a good humored smile. "I know Lucius summons his boy at least twice a month, so it all fits."
Hermione nodded in agreement, "Think about it Ron, Malfoy's not the jewelry wearing type, but yet he's never without that ring. Maybe this is why."
"You're all mad!" Ron said, stopping his pacing long enough to stare incredulously at them all. "My sister has disappeared and all you can do is spin wild fantastical tales about summoning rings." he paled visibly. "Oh no."
"What?" Hermione was the first to ask, moving to his side.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," He lowered himself to the ground. "You're right. Oh no, oh no. She's. Oh no, oh no, oh no."
"RON!" Harry yelled directly into his friend's ear, snapping him out of his stupor. "What is it?"
"When they were fighting, I heard Malfoy get all panicky and he told her to get off him. And then." he began to rock distractedly, his eyes staring blankly into space.
"And then?" Sirius prompted patiently.
"And then." Ron seemed unable to continue.
"And then Ginny said something, I don't remember what. And then they disappeared." Hermione finished Ron's story. "I didn't see anything, that Bulstrode bitch had my head pinned, but I heard a popping noise, like the sound someone disapparating makes." She stopped and looked at Sirius her face puzzled, "What are we going to do? We can't exactly storm the manor and demand her release can we?"
Sirius shook his head. "I know you hate to hear this but there's nothing you three can do this time. I want you to go back to Hogwarts. If you see or hear anything about Ginny or about Malfoy then I want you to owl me, but other than that, do nothing."
"But." Ron tried.
"But nothing. You will do nothing. Understand?" he gentled his tone, "I have to go now, but I promise to find out what's going on, and as soon as I do I will owl you." He smiled at their woebegone expressions, "I'll be in touch, don't worry too much."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Ginny stood at in the doorway, her mind a mess of indecision. Should she do as Malfoy had told her to and wait for Lucius to come punish her, or should she take a risk and try to run? She watched Malfoy disappear around a corner in the corridor and made up her mind. Draco was most likely hiding just around the bend, just waiting for her to try and run, but she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. With a resigned sigh she turned, pulled open the door, and climbed the narrow staircase.
The air was dusty and hot. Obviously not the part of the manor guests are normally sent to Ginny thought dryly, imagining the prissy Narcissa Malfoy climbing these steps. The notion was so ridiculous that Ginny found herself smiling. She had only ever seen Malfoy's mother once, but the image was planted firmly in her mind. Tall, slender and blonde Narcissa Malfoy had all the potential for beauty. Unfortunately she had her face constantly contorted into a look of intense revulsion, which made her resemble an overgrown, spoilt child. In many ways Draco looked exactly like his mother, both were slender and fair, and both would have been beautiful had it not been for their facial expressions.
At the top of the stairs was a small doorway. Rusted hinges on one side of the opening attested to the fact that there had, at one time, been a door there, but not for some time. Ginny stepped through the opening and took in her surroundings. She was standing on what appeared to be the roof of the tallest tower of the manor. There were short walls, probably three feet or so tall, surrounding the flat circular space. The area was probably ten feet in diameter, not nearly big enough for Ginny's comfort, and paved with large granite blocks. Despite being terrified of being stuck up here for a long period of time Ginny stood for a moment to admire the view. The manor and its surrounding grounds stretched out at her feet, in the distance she could see a rushing river parting the forest. Off on the horizon sat a quaint little village, shimmering in the early evening heat. It was a gorgeous view.
The cawing of a crow startled Ginny back to the present. She turned back to the doorway she had come from, there was no way she was meeting with Lucius Malfoy and his son in this place. The wall where the doorway had been was solid and bare; not a single opening marred its pristine granite surface. Ginny ran her hands along it, hoping desperately that it was just an illusion but knowing that it wasn't. She reached inside her robes and grasped her wand firmly. "Alohomora" Ginny shouted, pointing her wand at where the doorway had been.
Nothing.
She pounded at the hard stone with her fists furious with herself for coming up here, for not knowing what to do, for being so scared. Finally, giving up, Ginny curled herself into a ball and cried herself to sleep.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Draco reached the top step and looked through the doorway, trying to catch a glimpse of Ginny. He saw her, curled up in a ball, fast asleep. "Ginny," he whispered fiercely, "get up!" when she didn't stir he moved to her side and shook her firmly. "Wake up!" She groaned and slowly opened her eyes.
"Draco," she groaned, "What.? Where am I?" She sat up and looked around in a panic, her memories slowly returning. "Oh no." she whirled around to face the wall that had once been a doorway. It was still solid stone. "How did you get up here?" she asked, bewildered.
"The doorway," Draco said, looking at her as if he thought she were insane. "You know the one." he trailed off in horror. "Oh shit. It's gone." He sat down heavily. "Good thing I brought this." He reached into his robes and pulled out a tiny blanket and his wand. Whispering a quick enlarging charm he spread the blanket over both of them. "Knowing my father we could be here a very long time." He said by way of explanation.
Ginny shifted quickly away from him, her mind still groggy from her nap. "Why are we out here?" Her voice was still thick from sleep, but it cleared quickly in her panic. "I thought you said he'd take me to the dungeons." She turned to glare at him.
"Normally he does," Draco paused to think, "Apparently he doesn't trust me any more than he trusts you." At Ginny's blank look he attempted to explain. "Ever since I was a child my father has used the dungeons as a place of teaching as well as a place of punishment. There isn't a cell I can't break into. And there is only one I don't know how to break out of. So you see, unless he traps us in the same cell."
Draco's voice trailed off and another, colder and more precise, picked up the broken sentence. ".There is no way he could keep either of you imprisoned for long."
Draco stiffened, his gaze fixed on a point beyond Ginny's head. "Good evening Father."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
It was with heavy spirits that the trio arrived back in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius had promised them he would make contact with them as soon as he knew anything, but the assurance did nothing to raise their gloomy spirits. Ron especially looked as though Quidditch had been cancelled on a permanent basis.
"He'll find her." Hermione said her tone reassuring. She knew it was hollow comfort, but needed to hear it as much as Harry and Ron did. Her stomach was in knots and she was certain she wouldn't breathe normally again until Ginny was returned. Completely uncomfortable with her own terror Hermione did the only thing she knew that would calm her nerves: homework.
There was a rather difficult Potions assignment due at the end of the month. The students were to research a natural poison, one from either a poisonous plant or animal venom, and its antidote. Then after the research was completed each student would brew his or her antidote and test it on either themselves or their pet, depending on how potent the poison was. Hermione had chosen the deadly poison that was formed when a Venomous Tentacula was combined with the deadly Aconite. The hybrid had fascinated her and she had already dedicated countless hours to researching the breeding process and stages of development. There were only three known hybrids, but since the hybrid plants looked no different than the original Venomous Tentacula - apart from the slightly larger and brighter flowers, which could only be seen if a hybrid was grown directly beside a normal plant - it was hard to get an exact number.
The plants venom was deadly and had killed more than one innocent Herbologist since its creation in the 1820's. The danger in its bite was not really the poisoning - the poison was slow to spread, sometimes taking as long as a week to reach its full effects. Instead the reason nearly all who were attacked by this plant died of its poison was that they did not realize which plant they had been attacked by and so did not bother to take the serum. By the time they had discovered that effects of the plants poison were wearing off relatively slowly, it would be too late to create the antidote. It was tragic really. The antidote was very simple to make, but it took five full days, and most people would not realize what they had been attacked by for a full four of the seven they had before the poison reached its full potency and threw them into a coma. Once in the coma there was little that modern medicine could do.
Hermione had attempted to get Ron and Harry as interested in the project as she was, but her every attempt had failed. Now, as she pulled out her books and curled up in a crimson arm chair to go over her notes yet again, she could feel their irritation as if it were a fourth person in the room. She ignored it for a few minutes, but finally gave up and, slamming her books shut, whirled to confront their accusing stares.
"What!?!"
Ron was the first to respond, Harry had wisely decided to abstain from the confrontation. "My sister is missing and YOU don't even care. All you care about is that stupid potions assignment."
Hermione could hear the angry beating of her heart as she absorbed Ron's hurtful words. "Excuse me?" she asked, he voice deceptively calm.
"You heard me!" Ron said heatedly. His eyes were narrowed into a glare and his face was glowing red indignation. "You don't care about Ginny as long as it doesn't upset your study tables and perfect scores. How can you be so insensitive?"
Hermione, if it were possible, grew angrier. She slipped her books calmly into the book bag that lay at her feet and rose slowly to a standing position. Her facial expression was deadly calm as she walked the three steps to Ron's chair. "Don't you EVER accuse me of being insensitive again you emotionally-stunted asshole." She said, anger lowering her voice's pitch by several pitches. With a single glare Hermione stalked out of the portrait hole.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. This is not happening, she told herself, refusing to turn and look at the man who she feared second only to Tom Riddle.
In front of her Draco sat silently staring at his father. Lucius Malfoy was an evil man to the core and Draco was sure he would be only too happy to dispose of his son right along side the Weasley girl if he had the chance. His father's face was set in the trademark Malfoy expression of blankness but Draco could tell from the set of his father's shoulders and the slight tightening of his hands that Lucius Malfoy had heard and deduced more than he was letting on.
"Don't tell me your parents didn't pause long enough to teach any of their offspring even a particle of polite behavior." Lucius' voice cut through the air, poison dripping from every syllable.
If Ginny heard him it didn't show. Her eyes remained resolutely shut, her posture tight and her lips pressed into a grim line.
"Look at me when I speak to you." Lucius commanded taking a step towards her.
Ginny remained where she sat.
With two long strides he was beside her. His left hand reached out to grab her shoulder and he pun her around so she was facing him. "I will not be treated in this manner!" His voice had not risen in volume at all but fury was evident and Ginny couldn't help flinching.
Draco watched the scene helplessly, cursing his own stupidity. He should have warned Weasley better or simply whipped off his father's stupid ring, grabbed her and run. This situation could not end in any way that would leave everyone involved alive and in one piece and there was nothing he could do to ensure that the Weasley would survive. Normally he wouldn't have cared either way about her, but if he were to ever escape his father's clutches he would have to attach himself to the other side, and that meant saving Weaslette's neck. His only consolation was that it was this Weasley and not one of her brothers. He had no reason, apart from her being a Weasley and the ever annoying Potter infatuation, to dislike her and from what he could tell she would be easily controlled. Possibly this was a good thing for him. If he could single handedly save the Trio's baby from untold horrors they would have to trust Sirius' opinion of his reform.
Lucius' voice cut through Draco's thoughts. "Draco. Take this," he pointed to Ginny with a sneer, "to the ivory room. And get her cleaned up. Dinner is in an hour I expect you both to be prompt."
Draco's mouth dropped opening an unattractive and uncharacteristic expression of shock; this wasn't at all what he had been expecting. What was his father playing at?
Lucius smiled malevolently and tossed a ring onto the stone at his feet, "Make sure she wears this." He then turned and stalked off through the doorway which had reappeared in the granite wall.
Draco continued to stare at the door long after his father's disappearance. He finally came to his senses and reached for the ring that glistened against he stone. "Here." He said, thrusting it at Ginny. "We would do well to not keep him waiting. I'll show you to your room." He rose and offered a hand to her.
Ginny took the ring - a beautiful gold band set with a single square ruby - and slid it onto her thumb. It fit perfectly. She stood up, ignoring Draco's hand completely and walked towards the door. She had planned to simply walk out of the tower and attempt to leave the place, but her ill- formed scheme was cut short when she ran into an invisible barrier in the door's opening. She narrowed her eyes and turned angrily on Malfoy. "What's the deal ferret?" She snarled, realizing belatedly that it might not be a good idea to insult her only ally.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Sirius let out a growl of frustration. He had never seen a place harder to get into than Malfoy Manor. He had expected wards, and maybe some type of guard, but nothing in his past experience or in his wildest imaginings could have prepared him for the challenge. Miles away from the supposed location of the untraceable Malfoy Mansion Sirius had already passed through two wards and now, looming ahead of him in the dusk was the first wall.
Twenty feet tall and made of solid granite blocks the wall itself would have been enough to discourage all but the most determined trespasser. But this was a wall protecting the Malfoy family, and as such was covered completely with a vine that looked distinctly menacing.
Wishing fervently that he had paid more attention in Herbology Sirius approached the wall. His first choice would be to just skip this whole adventure, but he knew that he would keep his promise to Harry. Up close the plant looked no less intimidating; in fact it looked much more dangerous. The spiky red plant writhed and reached out towards Sirius, causing him to shy backwards, wracking his brain for some memory of this plant. He was certain he'd seen it before. Meaning it was probably present in the greenhouses at Hogwarts.
"Venomous Tentacula" Sirius murmured, "Of course."
At its normal size Venomous Tentacula was fairly harmless, but with a simple swelling solution it could grow to be rather dangerous, and with the addition of an anti-aging spell the plant could be kept at the teething stage for years.
"Bloody brilliant," Sirius said, staring at the plant, "but how the hell am I supposed to get past it?"
Deciding that a simple stunning spell just wouldn't do the trick he looked around for an inspiration, his eyes fell on a rather large branch that had fallen from a nearby tree. Sirius walked over to it and, with a simple spell, transfigured it into a broomstick. Wondering why this solution hadn't occurred to him before Sirius kicked off into the air and soared over the wall.
Wind whipped against his face and Sirius smiled. He had always loved to fly, but lately finding the time had been hard. He looked down at the wall he had just cleared, a triumphant grin on his face. If the rest of the Malfoy wards are like this one he thought I'll be there in no time. This confident attitude lasted about six seconds, before Sirius felt a slap of cold and a tugging at his navel. The colors around him blurred and he cursed his own idiocy. Obviously the Malfoy mansion wouldn't be accessible from the air; he's probably hit a kind of portkey that would send him who knew where.
With a resounding thump Sirius dropped to the ground. His head was spinning from the unexpected journey, and it took him a moment to realize that he wasn't outside any longer. Walls of crudely chiseled stone surrounded him on all sides, their solid presence broken only once by a solid oak door. Water dripped from one side of the ceiling, forming a toxic looking puddle on the rough stone floor. He rose to his feet and paced a bit. This must be one of Lucius Malfoy's famous dungeon cells, meaning no escape would be possible. Groaning in fury at his stupidity Sirius collapsed against the door.
"Get off me!"
The tone of Malfoy's voice startled Ginny; it had held a distinct trace of panic. She tried to roll off of him, but her hair was caught in the clasp of his cloak. "What the?" She exclaimed. Her vision faded to gray, she felt a tug at her belly button and the sensation of flying. She could feel Malfoy beside her. It felt like traveling by portkey, but why on earth would there have been a portkey in the middle of Hogsmeade?
The pair hit the ground with a resounding crash. Ginny's head rebounded against the hard marble and she saw flashes of light that she was certain weren't actually there. Malfoy stood quickly, dusting off his clothes with quick practiced motions. He looked down at her, his expression a mixture of annoyance and confusion. "Come on." He said turning and striding down the corridor.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Ginny!" Ron yelled, scanning the crowded street, frantic for a glimpse of his sister. Neither she nor Malfoy had been seen since the fight had broken out. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air. But since that was impossible by Ron's standards he continued to scan the crowded street.
Hermione tugged gently at his arm, "Ron. I see Sirius and Harry, let's go over to them, maybe they saw something." She pulled again, gently, and he followed.
"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked. "She didn't get hauled off by one of the professors for jumping Malfoy did she?"
"No."
The strain in Hermione's voice registered with Sirius and he turned his entire attention to her. "You don't know where she is do you?" his voice was full of concern.
"No, and no one seems to be able to find Malfoy either. It's like they both disappeared. One minute they were there, and now they're nowhere."
"Wait a second. Both Ginny and Malfoy are gone?" Harry asked, stunned. "And no one has seen them?"
"What are you thinking Harry?" Sirius asked.
Harry shook his head, "I don't know."
"You have an idea what happened and I know it." Sirius looked heard at him, "Let's go sit down somewhere quiet so you can tell us what's going through that head of yours."
The group moved down the street, away from the crowd. "Alright Harry, spill." Ron said, turning on his friend.
"I don't know for sure," Harry began hesitantly, "It's just an idea."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Father!" Draco's voice echoed off the cold stone walls of the Malfoy Mansion. He was furious. Lucius knew that today was a Hogsmeade day. What was he thinking? The Weasley girl followed him mutely down the passage. At the door to his father's study he turned to face her, "Wait here."
The heavy cedar door swung open silently, and closed behind his with a soft click. Lucius sat behind his desk, scotch in hand. He motioned for his son to sit. "I have a job for you." He stated simply, his manner relaxed. Maybe he forgot about Hogsmeade Draco mused silently.
"What is it sir?" he asked aloud. Draco wasn't sure why, but he thought telling his father that the youngest Weasley had been transported here with him, and was, at that moment, sitting out side, was most likely a bad idea, so he didn't.
"I need you to go to Romania and bring me back a Welsh egg."
Draco pinched himself, his father wanted a what? A dragon egg? What ever for? "Sir?" he asked, certain he had misheard, or at least misinterpreted his father's request.
"You heard me." Lucius said, smiling coldly at his son. "I need it for a potion."
He's off his onion, Draco thought, amazed at how soothing that thought was. He's completely barking. Me? Go to Romania and get a Dragon egg? Sure dad! I'd love to. Right after I ravish Ron Weasley, shave my head and dye my bare scalp purple. Of course none of those thoughts were said out loud. "How exactly would you like me to do this?" He asked instead.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Out in the hallway Ginny amused herself by looking at the portraits of Malfoy's past. She knew that all the people in the pictured were Malfoys purely because they sneered at her as she passed. She was a little worried. After all she was in the Malfoy Manner, (at least she assumed that was where they were, since Draco had know his way around and the walls were lined with paintings of his ancestors). But despite the nagging feeling of worry she found herself captivated by the intricate décor. From what she knew of Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy she had always assumed their home would be over decorated and horribly pretentious. Instead the stone and marble were decorated in a way that, despite being dark, was rich and elegant.
Ginny shivered, the stone walls and marble flooring were as cold as they were beautiful and consequently so was the air. She leaned her head against the icy wall next to the door Draco had left by. "What's taking so bloody long?" she asked the silent entryway.
She hadn't been standing there for more than a minute when the huge ornate door was flung open revealing not Draco, but Lucius Malfoy.
"Well, well, what have we here?" The cold cultured voice sent a sick icy sensation through Ginny's stomach and for a minute she worried that she might actually vomit. The tall blond man looked down on her, his expression one of distaste. "Explain." He commanded.
Ginny felt her throat dry over, she didn't have a clue what to say. She probably knew less about why she was there than he did.
"It was the ring father." Draco's voice cut smoothly through the silence. "She ran into me and her hair got caught in my cape and apparently that was enough contact to bring her with me when you summoned."
Ginny stared, why had he done that? First answering for her and then changing the truth to make it sound innocent. She swallowed, and waited for Lucius to comment.
"Very well," he said, no emotion given away in his voice or in his face, his expression had returned to the Malfoy practiced blank. "Come with me, both of you." He turned and strode quickly down the passageway.
Ginny scrambled to her feet and hurried after him, Draco behind her. Lucius led them through several dark and deserted corridors before stopping briefly at a set of beautifully carved doors. "Wait here." He commanded sharply before disappearing into the room.
"What was that all about?" Ginny rounded on Draco, her panic giving way to anger. "Why are we here?"
Draco let out a defeated sigh. "I don't know what that was all about, or why you're here. No one else has even been brought with me, but then again most people don't tackle me in the middle of Hogsmead either." A small smile danced across his lips, before he regained the practiced blank. "The only thing I do know is that Lucius doesn't trust you, so we're probably headed for the dungeons."
Ginny would have asked more but at that moment Lucius rejoined them. "Draco, I have an important client, if you could take Miss Weasley," he spoke her name as if it offended him, "to the tower, I will be there shortly." With that he turned and left.
Draco led Ginny through a maze of corridors and stairwells until he reached a small plain wooden door. "You go up here, wait for me at the top, there are a few things I need to get from my room."
Walking away from her Draco wondered whether she would be smart enough to take the escape opportunity he had just given her, or if she would follow his orders. He entered his bedroom quietly. If they were going to be in the tower he would need a few things, like an extra cloak and a warmer shirt. He changed quickly; hoping his father wouldn't notice the switch, filled his pockets with anything he thought might come in handy, and then returned to the place he had left Ginny.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"But the girl."
"Never mind her she will be useful in time. You don't think it was an accident that she came with him now do you?" The wintry voice was mocking. "Honestly if you can't even complete a task this simple." the voice tailed off suggestively.
"I'm sorry Excellency." Lucius bowed low, "I won't doubt you again."
"Good. Now, where are they?"
"Draco took her to the tower, and I told him to wait there." He smiled, "Of course Draco doesn't know that the door only opens from the outside, and that he is to stay there all night."
"They will not be out there all night just because you are in a vindictive mood. My plans will not wait that long for some childish bout of fancy. I want them on their way tonight."
"The girl as well?"
"Yes. You will bind her to him with that ring you used to bind Draco to you, and you will send them on their way tonight."
"Yes Excellency." With a final bow Lucius slipped off into the darkness.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"So you think.?" Ron stared at Harry open mouthed. "You think they're at Malfoy Manner?" he turned away, pacing distractedly, muttering under his breath.
"I think Harry's on to something," Sirius said, watching Ron pace with a good humored smile. "I know Lucius summons his boy at least twice a month, so it all fits."
Hermione nodded in agreement, "Think about it Ron, Malfoy's not the jewelry wearing type, but yet he's never without that ring. Maybe this is why."
"You're all mad!" Ron said, stopping his pacing long enough to stare incredulously at them all. "My sister has disappeared and all you can do is spin wild fantastical tales about summoning rings." he paled visibly. "Oh no."
"What?" Hermione was the first to ask, moving to his side.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no," He lowered himself to the ground. "You're right. Oh no, oh no. She's. Oh no, oh no, oh no."
"RON!" Harry yelled directly into his friend's ear, snapping him out of his stupor. "What is it?"
"When they were fighting, I heard Malfoy get all panicky and he told her to get off him. And then." he began to rock distractedly, his eyes staring blankly into space.
"And then?" Sirius prompted patiently.
"And then." Ron seemed unable to continue.
"And then Ginny said something, I don't remember what. And then they disappeared." Hermione finished Ron's story. "I didn't see anything, that Bulstrode bitch had my head pinned, but I heard a popping noise, like the sound someone disapparating makes." She stopped and looked at Sirius her face puzzled, "What are we going to do? We can't exactly storm the manor and demand her release can we?"
Sirius shook his head. "I know you hate to hear this but there's nothing you three can do this time. I want you to go back to Hogwarts. If you see or hear anything about Ginny or about Malfoy then I want you to owl me, but other than that, do nothing."
"But." Ron tried.
"But nothing. You will do nothing. Understand?" he gentled his tone, "I have to go now, but I promise to find out what's going on, and as soon as I do I will owl you." He smiled at their woebegone expressions, "I'll be in touch, don't worry too much."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Ginny stood at in the doorway, her mind a mess of indecision. Should she do as Malfoy had told her to and wait for Lucius to come punish her, or should she take a risk and try to run? She watched Malfoy disappear around a corner in the corridor and made up her mind. Draco was most likely hiding just around the bend, just waiting for her to try and run, but she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. With a resigned sigh she turned, pulled open the door, and climbed the narrow staircase.
The air was dusty and hot. Obviously not the part of the manor guests are normally sent to Ginny thought dryly, imagining the prissy Narcissa Malfoy climbing these steps. The notion was so ridiculous that Ginny found herself smiling. She had only ever seen Malfoy's mother once, but the image was planted firmly in her mind. Tall, slender and blonde Narcissa Malfoy had all the potential for beauty. Unfortunately she had her face constantly contorted into a look of intense revulsion, which made her resemble an overgrown, spoilt child. In many ways Draco looked exactly like his mother, both were slender and fair, and both would have been beautiful had it not been for their facial expressions.
At the top of the stairs was a small doorway. Rusted hinges on one side of the opening attested to the fact that there had, at one time, been a door there, but not for some time. Ginny stepped through the opening and took in her surroundings. She was standing on what appeared to be the roof of the tallest tower of the manor. There were short walls, probably three feet or so tall, surrounding the flat circular space. The area was probably ten feet in diameter, not nearly big enough for Ginny's comfort, and paved with large granite blocks. Despite being terrified of being stuck up here for a long period of time Ginny stood for a moment to admire the view. The manor and its surrounding grounds stretched out at her feet, in the distance she could see a rushing river parting the forest. Off on the horizon sat a quaint little village, shimmering in the early evening heat. It was a gorgeous view.
The cawing of a crow startled Ginny back to the present. She turned back to the doorway she had come from, there was no way she was meeting with Lucius Malfoy and his son in this place. The wall where the doorway had been was solid and bare; not a single opening marred its pristine granite surface. Ginny ran her hands along it, hoping desperately that it was just an illusion but knowing that it wasn't. She reached inside her robes and grasped her wand firmly. "Alohomora" Ginny shouted, pointing her wand at where the doorway had been.
Nothing.
She pounded at the hard stone with her fists furious with herself for coming up here, for not knowing what to do, for being so scared. Finally, giving up, Ginny curled herself into a ball and cried herself to sleep.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Draco reached the top step and looked through the doorway, trying to catch a glimpse of Ginny. He saw her, curled up in a ball, fast asleep. "Ginny," he whispered fiercely, "get up!" when she didn't stir he moved to her side and shook her firmly. "Wake up!" She groaned and slowly opened her eyes.
"Draco," she groaned, "What.? Where am I?" She sat up and looked around in a panic, her memories slowly returning. "Oh no." she whirled around to face the wall that had once been a doorway. It was still solid stone. "How did you get up here?" she asked, bewildered.
"The doorway," Draco said, looking at her as if he thought she were insane. "You know the one." he trailed off in horror. "Oh shit. It's gone." He sat down heavily. "Good thing I brought this." He reached into his robes and pulled out a tiny blanket and his wand. Whispering a quick enlarging charm he spread the blanket over both of them. "Knowing my father we could be here a very long time." He said by way of explanation.
Ginny shifted quickly away from him, her mind still groggy from her nap. "Why are we out here?" Her voice was still thick from sleep, but it cleared quickly in her panic. "I thought you said he'd take me to the dungeons." She turned to glare at him.
"Normally he does," Draco paused to think, "Apparently he doesn't trust me any more than he trusts you." At Ginny's blank look he attempted to explain. "Ever since I was a child my father has used the dungeons as a place of teaching as well as a place of punishment. There isn't a cell I can't break into. And there is only one I don't know how to break out of. So you see, unless he traps us in the same cell."
Draco's voice trailed off and another, colder and more precise, picked up the broken sentence. ".There is no way he could keep either of you imprisoned for long."
Draco stiffened, his gaze fixed on a point beyond Ginny's head. "Good evening Father."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
It was with heavy spirits that the trio arrived back in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius had promised them he would make contact with them as soon as he knew anything, but the assurance did nothing to raise their gloomy spirits. Ron especially looked as though Quidditch had been cancelled on a permanent basis.
"He'll find her." Hermione said her tone reassuring. She knew it was hollow comfort, but needed to hear it as much as Harry and Ron did. Her stomach was in knots and she was certain she wouldn't breathe normally again until Ginny was returned. Completely uncomfortable with her own terror Hermione did the only thing she knew that would calm her nerves: homework.
There was a rather difficult Potions assignment due at the end of the month. The students were to research a natural poison, one from either a poisonous plant or animal venom, and its antidote. Then after the research was completed each student would brew his or her antidote and test it on either themselves or their pet, depending on how potent the poison was. Hermione had chosen the deadly poison that was formed when a Venomous Tentacula was combined with the deadly Aconite. The hybrid had fascinated her and she had already dedicated countless hours to researching the breeding process and stages of development. There were only three known hybrids, but since the hybrid plants looked no different than the original Venomous Tentacula - apart from the slightly larger and brighter flowers, which could only be seen if a hybrid was grown directly beside a normal plant - it was hard to get an exact number.
The plants venom was deadly and had killed more than one innocent Herbologist since its creation in the 1820's. The danger in its bite was not really the poisoning - the poison was slow to spread, sometimes taking as long as a week to reach its full effects. Instead the reason nearly all who were attacked by this plant died of its poison was that they did not realize which plant they had been attacked by and so did not bother to take the serum. By the time they had discovered that effects of the plants poison were wearing off relatively slowly, it would be too late to create the antidote. It was tragic really. The antidote was very simple to make, but it took five full days, and most people would not realize what they had been attacked by for a full four of the seven they had before the poison reached its full potency and threw them into a coma. Once in the coma there was little that modern medicine could do.
Hermione had attempted to get Ron and Harry as interested in the project as she was, but her every attempt had failed. Now, as she pulled out her books and curled up in a crimson arm chair to go over her notes yet again, she could feel their irritation as if it were a fourth person in the room. She ignored it for a few minutes, but finally gave up and, slamming her books shut, whirled to confront their accusing stares.
"What!?!"
Ron was the first to respond, Harry had wisely decided to abstain from the confrontation. "My sister is missing and YOU don't even care. All you care about is that stupid potions assignment."
Hermione could hear the angry beating of her heart as she absorbed Ron's hurtful words. "Excuse me?" she asked, he voice deceptively calm.
"You heard me!" Ron said heatedly. His eyes were narrowed into a glare and his face was glowing red indignation. "You don't care about Ginny as long as it doesn't upset your study tables and perfect scores. How can you be so insensitive?"
Hermione, if it were possible, grew angrier. She slipped her books calmly into the book bag that lay at her feet and rose slowly to a standing position. Her facial expression was deadly calm as she walked the three steps to Ron's chair. "Don't you EVER accuse me of being insensitive again you emotionally-stunted asshole." She said, anger lowering her voice's pitch by several pitches. With a single glare Hermione stalked out of the portrait hole.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. This is not happening, she told herself, refusing to turn and look at the man who she feared second only to Tom Riddle.
In front of her Draco sat silently staring at his father. Lucius Malfoy was an evil man to the core and Draco was sure he would be only too happy to dispose of his son right along side the Weasley girl if he had the chance. His father's face was set in the trademark Malfoy expression of blankness but Draco could tell from the set of his father's shoulders and the slight tightening of his hands that Lucius Malfoy had heard and deduced more than he was letting on.
"Don't tell me your parents didn't pause long enough to teach any of their offspring even a particle of polite behavior." Lucius' voice cut through the air, poison dripping from every syllable.
If Ginny heard him it didn't show. Her eyes remained resolutely shut, her posture tight and her lips pressed into a grim line.
"Look at me when I speak to you." Lucius commanded taking a step towards her.
Ginny remained where she sat.
With two long strides he was beside her. His left hand reached out to grab her shoulder and he pun her around so she was facing him. "I will not be treated in this manner!" His voice had not risen in volume at all but fury was evident and Ginny couldn't help flinching.
Draco watched the scene helplessly, cursing his own stupidity. He should have warned Weasley better or simply whipped off his father's stupid ring, grabbed her and run. This situation could not end in any way that would leave everyone involved alive and in one piece and there was nothing he could do to ensure that the Weasley would survive. Normally he wouldn't have cared either way about her, but if he were to ever escape his father's clutches he would have to attach himself to the other side, and that meant saving Weaslette's neck. His only consolation was that it was this Weasley and not one of her brothers. He had no reason, apart from her being a Weasley and the ever annoying Potter infatuation, to dislike her and from what he could tell she would be easily controlled. Possibly this was a good thing for him. If he could single handedly save the Trio's baby from untold horrors they would have to trust Sirius' opinion of his reform.
Lucius' voice cut through Draco's thoughts. "Draco. Take this," he pointed to Ginny with a sneer, "to the ivory room. And get her cleaned up. Dinner is in an hour I expect you both to be prompt."
Draco's mouth dropped opening an unattractive and uncharacteristic expression of shock; this wasn't at all what he had been expecting. What was his father playing at?
Lucius smiled malevolently and tossed a ring onto the stone at his feet, "Make sure she wears this." He then turned and stalked off through the doorway which had reappeared in the granite wall.
Draco continued to stare at the door long after his father's disappearance. He finally came to his senses and reached for the ring that glistened against he stone. "Here." He said, thrusting it at Ginny. "We would do well to not keep him waiting. I'll show you to your room." He rose and offered a hand to her.
Ginny took the ring - a beautiful gold band set with a single square ruby - and slid it onto her thumb. It fit perfectly. She stood up, ignoring Draco's hand completely and walked towards the door. She had planned to simply walk out of the tower and attempt to leave the place, but her ill- formed scheme was cut short when she ran into an invisible barrier in the door's opening. She narrowed her eyes and turned angrily on Malfoy. "What's the deal ferret?" She snarled, realizing belatedly that it might not be a good idea to insult her only ally.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Sirius let out a growl of frustration. He had never seen a place harder to get into than Malfoy Manor. He had expected wards, and maybe some type of guard, but nothing in his past experience or in his wildest imaginings could have prepared him for the challenge. Miles away from the supposed location of the untraceable Malfoy Mansion Sirius had already passed through two wards and now, looming ahead of him in the dusk was the first wall.
Twenty feet tall and made of solid granite blocks the wall itself would have been enough to discourage all but the most determined trespasser. But this was a wall protecting the Malfoy family, and as such was covered completely with a vine that looked distinctly menacing.
Wishing fervently that he had paid more attention in Herbology Sirius approached the wall. His first choice would be to just skip this whole adventure, but he knew that he would keep his promise to Harry. Up close the plant looked no less intimidating; in fact it looked much more dangerous. The spiky red plant writhed and reached out towards Sirius, causing him to shy backwards, wracking his brain for some memory of this plant. He was certain he'd seen it before. Meaning it was probably present in the greenhouses at Hogwarts.
"Venomous Tentacula" Sirius murmured, "Of course."
At its normal size Venomous Tentacula was fairly harmless, but with a simple swelling solution it could grow to be rather dangerous, and with the addition of an anti-aging spell the plant could be kept at the teething stage for years.
"Bloody brilliant," Sirius said, staring at the plant, "but how the hell am I supposed to get past it?"
Deciding that a simple stunning spell just wouldn't do the trick he looked around for an inspiration, his eyes fell on a rather large branch that had fallen from a nearby tree. Sirius walked over to it and, with a simple spell, transfigured it into a broomstick. Wondering why this solution hadn't occurred to him before Sirius kicked off into the air and soared over the wall.
Wind whipped against his face and Sirius smiled. He had always loved to fly, but lately finding the time had been hard. He looked down at the wall he had just cleared, a triumphant grin on his face. If the rest of the Malfoy wards are like this one he thought I'll be there in no time. This confident attitude lasted about six seconds, before Sirius felt a slap of cold and a tugging at his navel. The colors around him blurred and he cursed his own idiocy. Obviously the Malfoy mansion wouldn't be accessible from the air; he's probably hit a kind of portkey that would send him who knew where.
With a resounding thump Sirius dropped to the ground. His head was spinning from the unexpected journey, and it took him a moment to realize that he wasn't outside any longer. Walls of crudely chiseled stone surrounded him on all sides, their solid presence broken only once by a solid oak door. Water dripped from one side of the ceiling, forming a toxic looking puddle on the rough stone floor. He rose to his feet and paced a bit. This must be one of Lucius Malfoy's famous dungeon cells, meaning no escape would be possible. Groaning in fury at his stupidity Sirius collapsed against the door.
