Draco watched as his father turned to the other man, his grey eyes flashing in anger. "You said it would work without her having to participate,"
"I told you, if the powers are entwined then she must release it before you can take it," the other man calmly stated still looking at the girl. "She hasn't been aware that it was even there. She may be now though. You'll have to break her spirit and extract his power before she realizes that she can use it."
Lucius stared at the other man.
Draco had seen his fathers composed rage often enough to know that the man, whom his father had spent a considerable amount of time and money to get released from Azkaban, had better watch his step.
"Me? Why not you? "Lucius said.
"I am far from imposing," the man stated dryly. It was true. The man was very short and slightly built. "Besides I cannot extract it. A blood relation can easily, but since we are lacking one of those; the wizard who is responsible for it being there is the next best thing. You happen to be that wizard."
Lucius' anger deflated. He was keenly aware of whose fault it was that the power, the power of the heir of Slytherin, resided in a nineteen-year-old Gryffindor girl. The Dark Lord had been very displeased when he found out who had been the host of his sixteen-year-old self. He had punished him for putting his revenge against Weasley before the Heirs interests. Voldemort never imagined that the power had survived the destruction of the diary. The man seized on this, "Why you didn't give it to someone friendly to our cause is beyond me,"
Draco saw an amazing thing happened, his father slouched in defeat. "Draco, take her to the manor his father told him his voice flat.
Motioning Crabb and Goyle to follow him, Draco picked up the limp girl. With a crack he was in the sitting room of the manner.
His mother looked up from her book. "Oh hello, Draco dear," her voice seemed to come from far away. She didn't even seem to notice the girl in his arms. "The house elves don't seem to be listening to me. I asked Dobby for some tea but he's been ignoring me," she indicated a lamp beside her.
"Mother, the house elves are gone," he began to explain just as Crabb and Goyle crashed out of the fireplace.
"Oh, good, company," she crooned, "Dobby bring our guest some tea."
Draco headed out of the room followed by Crabb and Goyle but stopped in the hall and sighed. His mother had begun raging at the lamp. In a moment she would send it crashing to the floor. "Here, take her to the dungeon. I've got to attend to mother," he handed Ginny's limp form to Goyle and returned to the sitting room.
When he had calmed his mother and fixed her some tea, he went down to the dungeon. Before he reached the door, he could hear that Ginny was awake. He left his wand on the stand beside the door. Stepping inside he ducked a pair of shackles that smashed into the wall.
"Malfoy you slimy son of a bitch. What the hell is going on," she yelled. Her robe was tore and her shoulder was bare.
He looked accusingly at Crabb and Goyle and was reminded that the little Weasley was quite capable of defending herself. Crabb had long scratches across his cheek and the huge welt rising on his forehead looked suspiciously like a manacle. Goyle was in as bad of shape. His nose resembled a red-hot pepper and his eyes were watering uncontrollably. "What'd she do? Get a hold of your wand Goyle?" he asked choosing to ignore the girl for now.
"Nob, ib on da tand outdide" Goyle said holding his nose as pepper juice began to ooze down his face and burn his skin pink.
He considered this for a moment then looked at the girl on the other side of the room. Another set of shackles hung from one of her wrists and she swung it threateningly. Her face was red with anger. Did she realize she'd cursed Goyle without a wand? The idiot's, they shouldn't have provoked her. He turned to Crabb and Goyle, "Out! Now!"
When they had gone, he turned back to the seething girl. "Here let me take that off of you," he said kindly, a plan forming in his mind. She looked at him suspiciously then held out her arm for him. He advanced and took her hand gently and pressed three indentations on the manacle one after another. There was a soft click and it fell from her wrist. "Those buffoons should have never put this on you," he stated still holding her hand and looking into her face.
She looked confused for a moment, then angry and pulled her hand away. "What the hell is going on? Where am I? What was that all about with the Death Eaters?" she asked her voice raising more with every word.
He chose to answer the second question, "You are in the dungeon of Malfoy Manner."
She laughed un-mirthfully, "Your Manor has a dungeon? It figures. But why am I here?"
"My father wants you to say part of an incantation,"
Ginny considered this for a moment remembering the grey eyes through the mist. "What was that? What was he doing to me? What was that mist?"
"I can't answer that," he stated.
She regarded him for a moment. "Can't, or won't?"
He looked at her but did not answer.
"I see," she sighed, "You keep your mouth shut and so will I." She went to the cot, sat and studied the wall.
He stood looking at her for a long while. The redness of anger had gone out of her face replaced by the whiteness of fear that contrasted with the redness of her hair. "If you say the incantation, he'll let you go."
She looked at him, with her eyes narrow. "You really think so? I do what he wants and he just lets me walk out of here? So I can go tell the Order that the Death Eaters are active again and your father is defiantly not fulfilling the conditions of his release?"She stared at him for a moment then lay down on the cot with her back to him.
Ginny was right and he knew it. His stomach lurched with the thought and that confused him. Why would he care if his father killed her? She was not the first and probably not the last, so why would it matter? He quietly left the cell, locking the door with his finger touch.