Disclaimer- Nothing you recognize is mine. I wish though.
Authors Note- Wow guys, sorry for the long update...like, six months. I just totally lost interest in this whole plot but now I'm all hyped up for it again. Terribly sorry.
Chapter Three (finally)
Her fingers drummed the smooth tabletop, the impatient sound drowning out all others as she stared ahead. The freezing air from the wide-open window pushed at her face but she didn't blink, her blank brown eyes staring ahead, devoid of any emotion.
She shifted in the soft chair, pulling her knee up and resting her chin upon it, her foot perched on the edge of the seat. But no other movements. She was thinking. Thinking about him, quite obviously, and inside she was quivering with a molten mixture of anger, excitement, terror and confusion. She hated him. She had always hated him, how he completely captivated her mind with his liquid-like movements, his eyes like ice, his body that seemed to radiate a delicious cruelty.
And yet, how could she not love him? He had kissed her. He had made the move. It wasn't her fault she had somehow tripped over what she called a life and was now head-over-heels for the man she had left long ago. Or, he left her, really.
She heard the door open and close downstairs and the shuffling of feet across the warm carpet. Will was home. She heard the slam of his bag on the dining room table and the flop of his coat on the chair. A pause, then his footsteps on the stairs. Approaching. Still, she did not move. For the first time in what seemed like years, she blinked. He entered.
"Gin? Ginny, why are you up? It's three in the morning!"
She looked paralyzed, her chest hardly even rising with breath. He rushed over, stared at her for a moment and then wrapped her tightly in his arms. She hugged him back a bit but her mind was still elsewhere. He drew away and looked at her in the eyes.
"What's wrong? Why do you look so stricken?" he asked. She sighed, a great, deflating sigh and leaned against him. He looked relieved to see some reaction.
"I'm sorry, Will. I was just...worried. About you. That you would be all right," she murmured, eyes downcast, as though ashamed. He smiled softly and hugged her warmly again.
"You don't have to be, love. I can take care of myself. And sure, this 'war' as it's called now is certainly thickening but really, I'm trying to stay out of trouble." He kissed her cheek reassuringly and she forced a smile. "Come on now, time for bed. You have work tomorrow."
As though in a trance, she drifted towards the closet. She wanted to tell him. She loved Will so, she wanted to confide in him, for him to comfort her. But how could he, when she had been so treacherous? No, she wouldn't put this burden upon him. Not now. Not yet.
~*~
Miles and miles away, in a huge house on some grand estate, in one of the various living rooms, the air quivered in one spot for two seconds, and then, with a slight pop, someone appeared out of thin air. Draco Malfoy, of course. He looked around for a brief moment to make sure he arrived in the right place, and then nodded, tucking his wand into his pocket. "Bella!" he yelled.
Immediately a little house-elf raced into the room, slipping on the slick wooden floors. Without as much as a sideways glance, he tossed his long cloak into the Bella's arms, kicked his shoes at her and draped her scarf on the elf's head.
"Bella is happy to see you, sir!" she squeaked. Draco said nothing and, taking this a sign to leave, the elf hurried away. Draco collapsed into a sleek deep green leather chair and sighed heavily.
He hated life. Sure, he loved being a Death Eater and serving his Lord. He was high in rank among the Death Eater's too. The Devil's Minion, in some ways.
The fire crackled away, spilling heat into the room, though Draco felt none of it. He was too busy thinking. About what he had to do. Voldemort, (he obviously wasn't hesitant to say his name) had given him a task. The two of them had conversed, thinking of one way to hit Percy Weasley, that dimwitted Minister of Magic, in his soft spot. To take something that was of importance to him and pretty much the whole Ministry. Something that, if under some kind of influence, would break down and help them eventually. And Harry Potter. It had to be something that would weaken him. Something that he cared for, would risk his life for. Famous Harry Potter, with a weak spot.
It wasn't very hard to think of what this certain thing was.
Ginny Weasley, of course.
It was all so perfect, so beautiful. He knew Ginny still loved him. It had all been part of the plan for him to go to her house the night before, as surprised as he might have acted. Just to see how she was doing. Well, it seemed like she was doing fabulously, her little happy life glowing, her love with Will strong, her little stupid shop flourishing with that Julia. But she still had that soft spot for him.
But he didn't want to do it.
The door to the living room flew open and he turned his head to see his father standing, silhouetted in light from the torches in the hall. He marched grandly in and seated himself across from his son. He had aged, that was obvious, with the years that had passed. His once-smooth face was now creased with age, his hair all the more white with tints of gray in it. But his mouth was still in the same unchanging sneer and his cold eyes glittered with the type of malice he was known for.
"Draco," he said with a slight bow of his head.
"Father."
"Our...our Lord and I have been talking," he said slowly. His hand curled around the top of his cane, intricately carved with a snake winding up the length of it, its regal head forming the curved handle. "Do you think it will all work?" he asked.
Draco squinted at him. Who was he kidding?
"Father. She's married. She's protective of her bookstore, her friends, her husband. But certainly with a few Unforgivable Curses we'll break her down," he said, hating every word. Lucius nodded. "Besides. I told you how she used to have a thing for me. I bet she hasn't forgotten it. In fact, I know she hasn't. Last night, she showed the utmost betrayal to her husband and the Aurors by hiding me when they came. A reflex, really, but I didn't force her," he said.
He could tell Lucius was bored. "We've been tracing her life," he said. "You will abduct her, Draco, when the time comes," he said.
Draco nodded. He knew this. He didn't want to, but he did. Lucius continued. "I have more business to attend to, now, I just wanted to make sure that it went well, Draco." His expressionless voice was all too familiar to Draco. He stood and began to walk away but paused at the door, turning around again. "I'm proud of you, Draco. You have served your Lord and I very well."
And then he left.
~*~
She quickened her pace down the hallway, the sound of her high-heeled shoes covered by the life surrounding her. Witches and wizards swarmed at her sides, talking quickly, rustling papers. Doors slammed shut and opened again, hands lingered on wands protruding from pockets. Her eyes scanned the signs mounted on the wall. Yes, she was nearly there.
She saw his door open a bit and so she knocked lightly and peeked in. Percy, her elder brother, was standing, sifting through pieces of parchment on his terribly unorganized desk. And, standing in the room, was Harry Potter.
He looked stressed, the creases from lack of sleep around his eyes very visible, his hands hanging limp at his sides, his hair no more than a messy mop of hair, still no more orderly than it had ever been. But his bleak expression brightened slightly when he saw her enter.
"Hello, Harry," she said, embracing him and giving him an affectionate peck on the cheek. He smiled wearily.
"Ginny, how nice it is to see you again," he murmured. She nodded and then sighed.
"Still, I'm so sorry about Cho," she whispered. His smile weakened for a second and then stretched itself back as he patted her shoulder.
"Thank you, Gin. She was doing good, though, throughout her whole life." His eyes got a spacey look in them and her eyes went up again to the scar on his forehead. The skin around it looked raw, much like the scar itself. She reached up and touched it lightly, bringing him back to reality.
"I'm sorry." He turned to Percy, who was standing awkwardly still. "Thank you, Perc-er, Weasley, for your help. I'll be sure to follow through as soon as possible."
Percy nodded. "Stay safe, Harry. God knows we couldn't lose you in this hour," he said. And Ginny knew it too- the strength that Harry had maintained through these years was what was keeping them all going strong. Harry left, shutting the door behind him. Immediately Ginny rounded on her brother.
"Percy! The Death Eaters, they were so close to my house last night! I could hear them all. And I think that they're devising some sort of another plan, disgusting, no doubt, because Draco Malfoy came to me and-"
"Wait, slow down, Ginny. He came to you?" Percy said, squinting into his sister's face. She nodded fervently.
"Yes! I didn't want to tell anyone else this, and I haven't, but really, he came looking for protection, and..."
"But you didn't give it to him," Percy interrupted keenly. Ginny's mouth opened and then shut again before speaking.
"No! No, no, of course not, Percy, don't be silly," she said, forcing a laugh. Pathetic, but it looked like he'd bought it. "I just want to know...do you know what they're doing? Would there be a particular reason for him coming to me? Do you know if they want something? From me? From us?"
Percy looked deep in thought, scratching his temple lightly for a moment. Then he sighed and then sat back down in his chair. "Ginny, I really don't know anything. I wish I did, though. Our agents are working every waking hour and I really can't put any more stress on their shoulders, they're doing so much already," he said. "But please, please tell me if anything like this happens again. And we'll be sure to keep track on Draco's movements if we can, with that wonderful tracking device Hermione showed us, inspired by the Muggles," he said with a faint trace of a smile upon his lips.
The door suddenly opened and three men of high-ranking appearances marched in, talking loudly, their robes sweeping around in the small space. One of them paused when they saw her and the three of them burst into apologies and turned to the door again.
"No, sirs, it's all right, I'm finished here," Ginny said, making her way to the door. She saw Percy shake hands with them and immediately launch into conversation as she headed out the door. Well, that conversation didn't help her at all. She got nothing out of it. But perhaps, now, she felt better, knowing that her brother knew what was going on and would help her if he could.
~*~
Ginny stretched her arm up and pushed the book onto the top shelf back into it's place, scanning the titles to make sure they were all in order. She heard Julia open the door and come in, wand out, levitating another stack of books and setting them on the floor.
"Here's the next order," she said, tucking her wand back into her pocket. "Sorry for all the work, but I really have to run."
Ginny smiled. "It's all right, it's not that much." She eyed the pile of leather-bound books warily, trying not to betray her dismay. "Go on, I'll close up when I'm finished." She looked out the window through the spaces between the other shops to see the sky a peachy orange color, blending in with the indigo of evening.
Julia smiled thankfully and, without another word, raced out the door. The little bell jangled behind her.
A sigh escaped Ginny's lips and she turned around to put another book on the shelf. Sure, she could do it all with magic, but Will wasn't home anyways and she didn't want to be home alone. She'd rather be here with people bustling along outside the door. And surely, Draco didn't know exactly where her bookshop was...
She bent down to pick up a few more books when she heard a floorboard creak behind her. Whirling around, she saw him standing there, half hidden by shadow, a tall, dark figure with a glowing face against the black of his clothes. She slammed the books onto the ground, ignoring the fluttering papers.
"Malfoy! What are you doing here? Why are you following me around? I don't want to see you!" she shrieked, pulling out her wand and pointing it at him. He advanced into the light and almost smiled at her. Reaching out, he neatly plucked the wand out of her hand and placed it in her pocket. Her eyes widened.
"Give that back, damnit!" She lunged forward and attempted to snatch the protruding wooden wand but he caught her hands and pulled them towards himself so she could not move. He saw the fury boiling in her face. For a moment she struggled but soon identified his strength as quite unbeatable and stopped, still tense with anger. "What do you want?"
She felt him shrug.
"Merely to see you again." His voice was cold, ironic, frozen into the bonds of superiority.
"I hate you."
"At least it's mutual." He felt her muscles struggling and he applied more force, only to see her try to hide a whimper of pain. Immediately he lessened her grip. She didn't seem to notice.
"God, Draco, why are you always such an arrogant bastard? It's like you have a wand crammed up your ass all the time!" she yelled in his face. He laughed out loud, greatly surprising her. She hadn't heard that laugh for years. And how different it was from other laughs. It sounded so wildly released, like it had been held captive for so long and was now shooting out of him with immense force.
He laughed for a moment and then pulled her a bit closer to him, so their faces were inches apart.
His eyes looked like endless tunnels of ice.
Tunnels of ice with a bit of fire at the end. A hidden passion melting the ice as fast as it could.
And she was only making it go faster.
Leaning forward, he pressed a tiny kiss upon her lips and then let her go, neatly handing her back her wand. She stared at him, quite stricken with surprise.
"I want you, Ginny Weasley," he murmured. She was staring at his lips.
"What? Why?" she muttered.
He smirked. "You only wish you'll never find out."
~*~
Authors Note: So sorry for the whole updating delay. Olive was pestering me for a long time. I re-wrote this chapter three times before I actually liked it. Leave a review! PLEASE! Thanks!! ~Clare
Authors Note- Wow guys, sorry for the long update...like, six months. I just totally lost interest in this whole plot but now I'm all hyped up for it again. Terribly sorry.
Chapter Three (finally)
Her fingers drummed the smooth tabletop, the impatient sound drowning out all others as she stared ahead. The freezing air from the wide-open window pushed at her face but she didn't blink, her blank brown eyes staring ahead, devoid of any emotion.
She shifted in the soft chair, pulling her knee up and resting her chin upon it, her foot perched on the edge of the seat. But no other movements. She was thinking. Thinking about him, quite obviously, and inside she was quivering with a molten mixture of anger, excitement, terror and confusion. She hated him. She had always hated him, how he completely captivated her mind with his liquid-like movements, his eyes like ice, his body that seemed to radiate a delicious cruelty.
And yet, how could she not love him? He had kissed her. He had made the move. It wasn't her fault she had somehow tripped over what she called a life and was now head-over-heels for the man she had left long ago. Or, he left her, really.
She heard the door open and close downstairs and the shuffling of feet across the warm carpet. Will was home. She heard the slam of his bag on the dining room table and the flop of his coat on the chair. A pause, then his footsteps on the stairs. Approaching. Still, she did not move. For the first time in what seemed like years, she blinked. He entered.
"Gin? Ginny, why are you up? It's three in the morning!"
She looked paralyzed, her chest hardly even rising with breath. He rushed over, stared at her for a moment and then wrapped her tightly in his arms. She hugged him back a bit but her mind was still elsewhere. He drew away and looked at her in the eyes.
"What's wrong? Why do you look so stricken?" he asked. She sighed, a great, deflating sigh and leaned against him. He looked relieved to see some reaction.
"I'm sorry, Will. I was just...worried. About you. That you would be all right," she murmured, eyes downcast, as though ashamed. He smiled softly and hugged her warmly again.
"You don't have to be, love. I can take care of myself. And sure, this 'war' as it's called now is certainly thickening but really, I'm trying to stay out of trouble." He kissed her cheek reassuringly and she forced a smile. "Come on now, time for bed. You have work tomorrow."
As though in a trance, she drifted towards the closet. She wanted to tell him. She loved Will so, she wanted to confide in him, for him to comfort her. But how could he, when she had been so treacherous? No, she wouldn't put this burden upon him. Not now. Not yet.
~*~
Miles and miles away, in a huge house on some grand estate, in one of the various living rooms, the air quivered in one spot for two seconds, and then, with a slight pop, someone appeared out of thin air. Draco Malfoy, of course. He looked around for a brief moment to make sure he arrived in the right place, and then nodded, tucking his wand into his pocket. "Bella!" he yelled.
Immediately a little house-elf raced into the room, slipping on the slick wooden floors. Without as much as a sideways glance, he tossed his long cloak into the Bella's arms, kicked his shoes at her and draped her scarf on the elf's head.
"Bella is happy to see you, sir!" she squeaked. Draco said nothing and, taking this a sign to leave, the elf hurried away. Draco collapsed into a sleek deep green leather chair and sighed heavily.
He hated life. Sure, he loved being a Death Eater and serving his Lord. He was high in rank among the Death Eater's too. The Devil's Minion, in some ways.
The fire crackled away, spilling heat into the room, though Draco felt none of it. He was too busy thinking. About what he had to do. Voldemort, (he obviously wasn't hesitant to say his name) had given him a task. The two of them had conversed, thinking of one way to hit Percy Weasley, that dimwitted Minister of Magic, in his soft spot. To take something that was of importance to him and pretty much the whole Ministry. Something that, if under some kind of influence, would break down and help them eventually. And Harry Potter. It had to be something that would weaken him. Something that he cared for, would risk his life for. Famous Harry Potter, with a weak spot.
It wasn't very hard to think of what this certain thing was.
Ginny Weasley, of course.
It was all so perfect, so beautiful. He knew Ginny still loved him. It had all been part of the plan for him to go to her house the night before, as surprised as he might have acted. Just to see how she was doing. Well, it seemed like she was doing fabulously, her little happy life glowing, her love with Will strong, her little stupid shop flourishing with that Julia. But she still had that soft spot for him.
But he didn't want to do it.
The door to the living room flew open and he turned his head to see his father standing, silhouetted in light from the torches in the hall. He marched grandly in and seated himself across from his son. He had aged, that was obvious, with the years that had passed. His once-smooth face was now creased with age, his hair all the more white with tints of gray in it. But his mouth was still in the same unchanging sneer and his cold eyes glittered with the type of malice he was known for.
"Draco," he said with a slight bow of his head.
"Father."
"Our...our Lord and I have been talking," he said slowly. His hand curled around the top of his cane, intricately carved with a snake winding up the length of it, its regal head forming the curved handle. "Do you think it will all work?" he asked.
Draco squinted at him. Who was he kidding?
"Father. She's married. She's protective of her bookstore, her friends, her husband. But certainly with a few Unforgivable Curses we'll break her down," he said, hating every word. Lucius nodded. "Besides. I told you how she used to have a thing for me. I bet she hasn't forgotten it. In fact, I know she hasn't. Last night, she showed the utmost betrayal to her husband and the Aurors by hiding me when they came. A reflex, really, but I didn't force her," he said.
He could tell Lucius was bored. "We've been tracing her life," he said. "You will abduct her, Draco, when the time comes," he said.
Draco nodded. He knew this. He didn't want to, but he did. Lucius continued. "I have more business to attend to, now, I just wanted to make sure that it went well, Draco." His expressionless voice was all too familiar to Draco. He stood and began to walk away but paused at the door, turning around again. "I'm proud of you, Draco. You have served your Lord and I very well."
And then he left.
~*~
She quickened her pace down the hallway, the sound of her high-heeled shoes covered by the life surrounding her. Witches and wizards swarmed at her sides, talking quickly, rustling papers. Doors slammed shut and opened again, hands lingered on wands protruding from pockets. Her eyes scanned the signs mounted on the wall. Yes, she was nearly there.
She saw his door open a bit and so she knocked lightly and peeked in. Percy, her elder brother, was standing, sifting through pieces of parchment on his terribly unorganized desk. And, standing in the room, was Harry Potter.
He looked stressed, the creases from lack of sleep around his eyes very visible, his hands hanging limp at his sides, his hair no more than a messy mop of hair, still no more orderly than it had ever been. But his bleak expression brightened slightly when he saw her enter.
"Hello, Harry," she said, embracing him and giving him an affectionate peck on the cheek. He smiled wearily.
"Ginny, how nice it is to see you again," he murmured. She nodded and then sighed.
"Still, I'm so sorry about Cho," she whispered. His smile weakened for a second and then stretched itself back as he patted her shoulder.
"Thank you, Gin. She was doing good, though, throughout her whole life." His eyes got a spacey look in them and her eyes went up again to the scar on his forehead. The skin around it looked raw, much like the scar itself. She reached up and touched it lightly, bringing him back to reality.
"I'm sorry." He turned to Percy, who was standing awkwardly still. "Thank you, Perc-er, Weasley, for your help. I'll be sure to follow through as soon as possible."
Percy nodded. "Stay safe, Harry. God knows we couldn't lose you in this hour," he said. And Ginny knew it too- the strength that Harry had maintained through these years was what was keeping them all going strong. Harry left, shutting the door behind him. Immediately Ginny rounded on her brother.
"Percy! The Death Eaters, they were so close to my house last night! I could hear them all. And I think that they're devising some sort of another plan, disgusting, no doubt, because Draco Malfoy came to me and-"
"Wait, slow down, Ginny. He came to you?" Percy said, squinting into his sister's face. She nodded fervently.
"Yes! I didn't want to tell anyone else this, and I haven't, but really, he came looking for protection, and..."
"But you didn't give it to him," Percy interrupted keenly. Ginny's mouth opened and then shut again before speaking.
"No! No, no, of course not, Percy, don't be silly," she said, forcing a laugh. Pathetic, but it looked like he'd bought it. "I just want to know...do you know what they're doing? Would there be a particular reason for him coming to me? Do you know if they want something? From me? From us?"
Percy looked deep in thought, scratching his temple lightly for a moment. Then he sighed and then sat back down in his chair. "Ginny, I really don't know anything. I wish I did, though. Our agents are working every waking hour and I really can't put any more stress on their shoulders, they're doing so much already," he said. "But please, please tell me if anything like this happens again. And we'll be sure to keep track on Draco's movements if we can, with that wonderful tracking device Hermione showed us, inspired by the Muggles," he said with a faint trace of a smile upon his lips.
The door suddenly opened and three men of high-ranking appearances marched in, talking loudly, their robes sweeping around in the small space. One of them paused when they saw her and the three of them burst into apologies and turned to the door again.
"No, sirs, it's all right, I'm finished here," Ginny said, making her way to the door. She saw Percy shake hands with them and immediately launch into conversation as she headed out the door. Well, that conversation didn't help her at all. She got nothing out of it. But perhaps, now, she felt better, knowing that her brother knew what was going on and would help her if he could.
~*~
Ginny stretched her arm up and pushed the book onto the top shelf back into it's place, scanning the titles to make sure they were all in order. She heard Julia open the door and come in, wand out, levitating another stack of books and setting them on the floor.
"Here's the next order," she said, tucking her wand back into her pocket. "Sorry for all the work, but I really have to run."
Ginny smiled. "It's all right, it's not that much." She eyed the pile of leather-bound books warily, trying not to betray her dismay. "Go on, I'll close up when I'm finished." She looked out the window through the spaces between the other shops to see the sky a peachy orange color, blending in with the indigo of evening.
Julia smiled thankfully and, without another word, raced out the door. The little bell jangled behind her.
A sigh escaped Ginny's lips and she turned around to put another book on the shelf. Sure, she could do it all with magic, but Will wasn't home anyways and she didn't want to be home alone. She'd rather be here with people bustling along outside the door. And surely, Draco didn't know exactly where her bookshop was...
She bent down to pick up a few more books when she heard a floorboard creak behind her. Whirling around, she saw him standing there, half hidden by shadow, a tall, dark figure with a glowing face against the black of his clothes. She slammed the books onto the ground, ignoring the fluttering papers.
"Malfoy! What are you doing here? Why are you following me around? I don't want to see you!" she shrieked, pulling out her wand and pointing it at him. He advanced into the light and almost smiled at her. Reaching out, he neatly plucked the wand out of her hand and placed it in her pocket. Her eyes widened.
"Give that back, damnit!" She lunged forward and attempted to snatch the protruding wooden wand but he caught her hands and pulled them towards himself so she could not move. He saw the fury boiling in her face. For a moment she struggled but soon identified his strength as quite unbeatable and stopped, still tense with anger. "What do you want?"
She felt him shrug.
"Merely to see you again." His voice was cold, ironic, frozen into the bonds of superiority.
"I hate you."
"At least it's mutual." He felt her muscles struggling and he applied more force, only to see her try to hide a whimper of pain. Immediately he lessened her grip. She didn't seem to notice.
"God, Draco, why are you always such an arrogant bastard? It's like you have a wand crammed up your ass all the time!" she yelled in his face. He laughed out loud, greatly surprising her. She hadn't heard that laugh for years. And how different it was from other laughs. It sounded so wildly released, like it had been held captive for so long and was now shooting out of him with immense force.
He laughed for a moment and then pulled her a bit closer to him, so their faces were inches apart.
His eyes looked like endless tunnels of ice.
Tunnels of ice with a bit of fire at the end. A hidden passion melting the ice as fast as it could.
And she was only making it go faster.
Leaning forward, he pressed a tiny kiss upon her lips and then let her go, neatly handing her back her wand. She stared at him, quite stricken with surprise.
"I want you, Ginny Weasley," he murmured. She was staring at his lips.
"What? Why?" she muttered.
He smirked. "You only wish you'll never find out."
~*~
Authors Note: So sorry for the whole updating delay. Olive was pestering me for a long time. I re-wrote this chapter three times before I actually liked it. Leave a review! PLEASE! Thanks!! ~Clare