A/N: I know it's been a long, long time since I did anything with this. I have at least three more chapters in my head and sometime on my hands.

Ginny paced the floor thinking about Draco's words. His anger toward his father surprised her most. He had always seemed to worship or at least fear the controlling man. She tried to find hope in his words that he would try to protect her, but feared he would not be able to do anything to shield her from the cruelty. For a moment she considered if it was worth it to resist. She sat on the cot and hung her head.

Draco watched her through the enchanted panel in the wall.

"Is she ready?" Lucius asked as he came beside his son.

"Soon," Draco answered without taking his eyes from the redhead. "She's started to show signs of breaking. She asked me to stay and talk and begged me to let her go." He looked at his father now and grinned.

Lucius looked at his son and chuckled.

Ginny put her head in her hands and began to sob.

"Go make a potion, son. Leave out the valerian and blue root. I don't have time for an 'episode' this afternoon and she'll be ready for you," Lucius uttered as he stared intently at the girl.

Draco turned on his heel and headed for the stairs.

His father stopped him, "Unless you'd like to take the polyjuice potion and conduct the episode yourself."

"No I think I'd rather wait for my taste."

Lucius nodded and gripping his cane entered the cell.

Ginny looked up, expecting that Draco had come back. She wasn't prepared for the older Malfoy to come through the door. She recovered quickly and rushed at him as she had the younger earlier.

"Petrificus totalus," Lucius drawled lazily lifting his cane in front of himself. Ginny stiffened in mid leap and crashed to the ground at his feet. "Tut, tut little Weasley," He stepped around her prone body looking down his nose at her. "I would expect more of you than resorting to violence," He nudged her with his toe then turned her onto her back with his foot. She stared up at him, hate burning in her eyes. Lucius grinned maliciously. "You are powerless, Weasley." He poked her with his cane, "Give me what I want, say the incantation, I'll let you go." To his surprise Ginny shook her head 'no' as she began to shake the spell. She was finding the power hidden inside herself.

He conjured ropes and bound her. As he tied the last knot, she had regained her movement and was struggling against the bonds.

"I'll never help you, Malfoy. You have no intention of releasing me. You might as well kill me now," she said in a braver voice than she felt.

Lucius moved her none too gently to the cot and knelt beside her. He looked her in the eye. He caressed her cheek, "There are things worse than death, little girl." Ginny closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Lucius chuckled as he ran his fingers down her neck and rested on the hollow of her neck. Goose pimples rose on her skin and she shuddered. He pulled his hand away and slapped her. She gasped and looked at him defiantly. Again he ran his fingertips down her neck but didn't stop when he reached the fabric of her robe. She gasped as he caressed her breast. After a moment he pulled his hand away and to her surprise, her body arched toward his receding hand. He chuckled and slapped her again. "Do you want to say the incantation or shall I continue?"

She clenched her teeth and turned her head away only to jump as he whispered in her ear, "I didn't hear your answer. Should I just let your body answer?" He trailed his lips from her ear down her neck and she shuttered again. "I think you like this Weasley. Perhaps I'm being too kind." Another slap.

She looked defiantly at him and spit.

"Such fire to match your hair." He ran his fingers through her hair gently then again trailed his fingertips lightly down her neck. As he began to unbutton her robe he began to smell hot peppers and his eyes threatened to begin watering. Again he slapped her and the sensations stopped. He continued with the buttons until he had exposed her breasts. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks but she still looked defiantly up at him. "Some things are worse than death, but some are much better. Which do you prefer?"

Lucius paused and waited for an answer that he knew wasn't forthcoming. He began again. Fingertips down the neck but this time they circled the breast. Lips next, but as they reached the nipple, his lips went numb. He reared back and slapped her again. His fingers encountered a shock the next time he touched her. He pulled his hands back and looked at her.

This isn't working, he thought. He stood and threw her to the floor. A well-placed kick broke her ribs again and the cane did its own damage.

Narsissa sat in the kitchen and watched her son yet again make a potion. "You forgot the valerian, and last time you put in blue root,"

Draco turned and looked at his mother in surprise. She sounded lucid.

"Don't look so shocked, I've been making healing potions for your father since before you were born. Who's the unlucky victim?"

"Victim?" Draco repeated, not sure how to answer.

"Don't play stupid, Draco. I know he's torturing someone in the dungeon. Who is it and what does he want from them? Or is he just doing it for fun?"

Draco was unable to answer truthfully or lie and too shocked at her lucidity to do anything but stare.

"Oh come now," she said as she came over to examine the caldron. "I know . . . it's that Weasley girl isn't it? Is it about the house elves or something else?" She thought for a second, "No, it's something else. I know you two met with what is left of the inner circle the other night and Alvin Flitwick was here . . . Has he extracted her powers?"

Draco looked at his mother like he had just been caught stealing sweets then he told her all.