CHAPTER 2
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5 years after abduction
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Hermione glowed. It was her and Ron's engagement and she couldn't be happier, Ron was happy too, but he, like the rest of the Weasleys, was still haunted by Ginny's sudden death. There was a darkness in his eyes that she suspected would not disappear anytime soon, if ever.
The engagement party was held in the Great Hall at Hogwarts in the middle of the summer. It was a breezy warm night and the decorations and flowers were perfect, it seemed the only respite after all they had to go through. The dance floor that extended to a newly created veranda, was flooded with couples in beautiful Muggle evening attire. The ladies' dresses shimmered in the candlelight. Hermione sighed indulgently, soon everything would be as normal as it could be.
"Hermione!" Hermione turned to see her black-haired best friend rushing through the crowd to envelop her in a hug. Harry was grinning. "It's about time, you two." He gave Ron a manly hug as well. Ron grinned back at him.
"Thanks Harry, now all we need to do is find you your own Cinderella." Hermione jokingly started commenting on the women she saw in the room. Harry and Ron laughed.
"Don't bother Hermione, I'll know her when I meet her." He began to back away. "But until then, I'll dance with someone I saw on the way in." Winking, he turned to approach a chocolate-haired beauty in a sapphire dress.
"Hermione, dance with me?" She turned to Ron and nodded with a warm smile. He took her hand and led her onto the floor, and turning to her he moved her right hand to his shoulder and his arms slid around her waist as hers rested around his neck. She kissed his lips softly, with love. How lucky she was.
The wind picked up on the veranda, causing couples to press closer for warmth. Suddenly the pleasantly warm night became chilly. The moon was obscured by clouds and a howl sounded from the forest, the howl of a wolf it seemed, but not as natural. Ron and Hermione looked around in confusion, weather did not change this drastically, even in England.
The doors of the Great Hall opened and the voice of the announcer sounded loud and afraid as he called out the name of the man who had entered.
"Lord Draconius Talis Malfoy!" Everyone knew Malfoy and knew that he had disappeared a year after Ginny had, so when he strode into the Hall looking for all as though he belonged nowhere else, everyone was dumbfounded. He was wearing a silk black shirt that contrasted with his ever silver-blonde locks, his slacks were also of a jet black and clung to his hips, custom made no doubt. He looked just as devastating as he had four years ago, if not more so.
He walked to the middle of the Hall and spoke in a quite tone that was seemed to be a yell in the completely silent gathering. "Weasley." No one answered, until finally Ron stepped forth.
"Which one?" Draco smiled sardonically at Ron's remark.
"You." Draco stepped up to face Ron. "Now get ready for the biggest shock of your life."
With a smirk at the general public, he waved his hand around and instantly people were pushed back to give Draco a wide circle of space. He stood in the center, raised his arms and leaned his head back to look at the enchanted ceiling. He began to recite something Ron could not make out. His tone stayed at the same volume throughout the recitation. No one was speaking, they all heard different versions of what had happened before his disappearance, and no one would dare scoff at his queer behavior.
When he was done he took a step back and waited, as did everyone else, with bated breath. Up in the enchanted ceiling, a star was becoming brighter with each second, brighter and larger. It was like a portal opening, the light lit up the Hall. Then a tiny speck of color appeared in the mass of white light, it became bigger as though coming towards them.
Soon enough both Draco and Ron could make out the shape of a body. It floated down, slowly, gently. A mane of red hair encircled the delicate frame of a woman. When finally her face was uncovered several women fainted, gasps were heard all over the room. Ron choked on his own breath as his eyes searched the face of the woman lying stark naked and unconscious on the floor.
Draco took brought out his wand and a cloak appeared in his hands. A blood-red velvet cloak. He crouched down beside the woman's form and gently picked her up to drape the cloak over her. Her hair trailed after them, a long river of fire, as he strode toward the exit. He paused and without turning yelled back.
"Weasley! I suggest you come." Then he disappeared behind the door.
Ron's breaths were shallow and ragged. He felt as though he was hypervenelating, Hermione stood by his side in a state of shock, while Harry was already following in Draco's direction. Ron snapped out of the trance he was in and ran after his former enemy and best friend, Hermione's hand clasped tightly in his own.
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Draco stopped before a statue of what looked like a wear-wolf half-way through his transformation. He waited patiently until his three followers joined him, then he leaned toward the statues half-transformed ear and whispered. When he stepped back, the man-wolf howled and turned fully into a man.
"Who goes?" He growled.
"Your prince." Draco said with confidence. Ron, Harry, and Hermione exchanged looks of confusion. The man bowed his head slightly and moved aside to let Draco pass. When Harry tried to follow after Draco, a stone arm bared the way. Harry looked up into the face of the stone man and glared.
"Let me pass." He bit out. The man growled low in his throat and pushed Harry back. "Malfoy!" Gods above, how Harry hated to know that his enemy had more power than him with a damn statue!
"It's all right, they can pass." Malfoy's voice reached them from inside the chamber. The man growled once more but stepped aside. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the dimly lit room, they saw Dumbledore seated in a chaise by the fire. Ginny was under the forest green sheets of the canopied bed and Draco sat beside her, observing them.
"Professor," Hermione exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" Dumbledore smiled warmly at Hermione.
"All will be explained very soon, Ms. Granger." He glanced between Ron and her. "I must congratulate you on your engagement first."
Hermione blushed and smiled first at Dumbledore then at Ron. Ron meekly smiled back at her, then his gaze went back to Ginny. She was pale, almost iridescent. Her hair seemed literally aflame. Harry strode over to the bed and reached out a hand to feel if Ginny was really as cold as she looked. Another hand caught his a vice-like grip. He bit back a gasp and raised his gaze to meet Malfoy's.
"Don't touch her, Potter." Draco's icy gaze promised enormous pain if disobeyed. Harry tore his hand out of Draco's grip and faced the other man.
"I will touch her if I like, Malfoy." Harry spat. Draco rose from the bed, advancing on Harry.
"Would you like to test that theory." Draco stood nose to nose with Harry, daring him.
"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, that's enough from both of you." Dumbledore stood wearily and went to stand over Ginny's immobile form. "Harry, you will not touch Ms. Weasley for the moment." Harry glanced at his Professor in shock. Before he could voice his protest, Ron's hopeful voice broke the silence.
"You mean it's really her? She's alive?" Ron's eyes flitted between his sister and Dumbledore.
"I'm not capable to explain anything correctly at the moment, Mr. Weasley. I'm not even sure she could, is she were awake." Dumbledore seated himself once more and Draco took his place beside Ginny again. Harry gritted his teeth, wanting to punch the blonde.
"What happened to her, Professor?" Hermione stepped forth. "Where has she been all these years?"
"I cannot answer that Ms. Granger, for I myself do not understand. I know that she has been moved from dimension to dimension, by magic surpassing that of Merlin himself. I do not know how she lives, by all rights, she should be long dead."
"What do you mean she traveled through dimensions?" Harry asked. "She consciously took herself to all these dimensions, or was she taken by those mages you told us about?" Dumbledore looked at Harry, then his speculative eyes searched Draco's. Harry looked at Malfoy, wondering how he was involved in all this.
"Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore cautiously, probed Draco's mind. Since Harry had been trained by Dumbledore all these years, he could feel the mental connection and the happenings. Draco smiled coldly.
"Yes, Dumbledore?" Harry entered a state of shock. There was nothing in Draco's mind. No wait. There was something, amid all the darkness burned a small multicolored flame, giving this being before his substance, his breath, his very life. Dumbledore sighed with great sadness.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Malfoy." Draco's sardonic smile turned into a glare.
"I don't appreciate you and Potter over there rifling through my mind. What you saw does not concern you or him." He smirked once more. "What you saw was all I wanted you to see." Harry felt Draco's mind enter his own. He didn't worry he was able to block anyone and keep them permanently out of his thoughts and memories.
"I'm not just anyone, Potter." Draco kept peering at Harry's thoughts and visions, while Harry in vain tried with all his power to block him out. Oh, shit. Harry didn't get a chance to move before Draco was on him.
Draco held Harry up against the wall, his wand pressed to Harry's neck.
"You will never touch her." Draco's voice was low and dangerous. "Do we understand each other, Potter?"
"Stop it, both of you." Hermione told them, Neither listened. Ron caught Hermione's hand and shook his head. Harry was not about to cower. His knee came up hard to hit Draco's stomach but was blocked. Draco's grip loosened and Harry once again stood on his own two feet.
"Don't try Potter. You won't like the consequences." He made to go back to Ginny but his fist flew at Harry's face. Harry staggered. "That was a warning." Draco whispered.
Harry lunged at Draco using the technique he had been taught by the best fighters. After a few deflected kicks and jabs, his foot connected with Draco's jaw. Draco's lip split open, his blue eyes turned feral. He gave a growl and advanced at Harry with promise of revenge in his eyes. All his ferocity disappeared the moment he heard a moan from the bed. He turned to find Ginny's eyes fluttering open. Ron ran to the bedside with Hermione, Draco leaned over Ginny and Harry stood beside Ron. Ginny's eyes surveyed her surroundings, silently taking everything in. No recognition flowed over her features as she looked at each of them in turn. She blinked several times and seemed to go into a trance. Draco gently touched her shoulder and whispered her name. Her eyes focused on him and filled with tears.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to strain to hear her words.
"My baby." Ginny's eyes overflowed and she shut them again, turning her face into the pillow. To say they were in shock would be an understatement.
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"What the hell happened to her? Where has she been all these years? And she had a baby?" Charlie Weasley was once again in the same room with the rest of the family, Dumbledore, Harry, Hermione, and Draco Malfoy.
"Mr. Weasley, I cannot explain, only she can, and at the moment she is incapable of that." Mrs. Weasley rose.
"Dumbledore, please, I wish to see Ginny. She is my daughter and I have thought her dead for the last five years, and on the anniversary of her death she comes back to life. This is all too much." Mr. Weasley embraced her, comforting her.
"Molly, she is perfectly safe where she is. But before anyone comes to visit her we need to figure out something about this situation." He turned to regard Draco again.
"Mr. Malfoy, if you know anything, please tell us." Draco stared stonily at the old man. Harry and Ron both leaped up while Charlie menacingly glared at Draco.
"What do you mean?" Ron spoke up. "He knows about Ginny's kidnapping?" He joined his older brother, ready to attack. "I bet he even helped them capture her, the bastard."
"You will all desist this instant." Mr. Weasley spoke with authority. His sons looked at him in disbelief. "If he knows anything about Ginny, it's useful to us." Ron and Charlie agreed and reluctantly sat back down. Draco smirked. Molly looked at him and her eyes pleaded with him. His smirk instantly disappeared. When he spoke, he spoke to her only.
"What do you want to know?" His eyes focused on the wall.
"The baby. What happened to her baby?" Molly wrung her hands.
"There was no baby." Draco paused. "No real baby." Harry jumped up.
"What the hell does that mean!" He was glaring at Draco. Draco didn't even look at him.
"Draco," Molly whispered brokenly, "How do you know about this. Did you help them?"
"No, Mrs. Weasley," He looked into her eyes. "I did not help them in capturing your daughter."
"What are you to her then? How do you know about what happened to her?"
"Because I was with her." He paused again, looking away. "And so were two others."
"What two others? Where were you, what were you all doing there?" Draco sighed.
"I am not at leisure to say . You need only know that we were all there for a reason and the two of us have come back for a reason. The baby was part of the training…..for both of us." Everyone was silent.
A soul-shattering scream broke through the silence. Draco was gone, literally, in the blink of an eye. Everyone else followed, that is ran in the direction of the scream since they could see no visible track of Draco. They stooped dead in the hallway, hardly believing what they were seeing. Charlie was agape. Ron was holding Hermione tightly, but Harry was observing everything with calm discourse.
A sleek black panther was pacing the corridor, hissing and roaring viciously. Draco stood about ten feet from it, following its movements. He knelt down, to make himself smaller and less ominous. The panther began to circle him at a safe distance as if deciding whether to eat him or not, its glowing golden eyes gleaming dangerously in the dark of the hall.
"Mei anima." He whispered to the panther. It stopped in mid-stride. Its eyes seemed to recognize him. The panther stood alarmingly still for many moments until finally it came to Draco and acted like a house kitten. Draco smiled slightly and petted the large cat. After a few minutes, Mrs. Weasley came forward.
"Draco." He looked up. "Where is Ginny?" The panther stepped away from Draco, yawning widely. It stretched and its skin rippled, unnaturally. Everyone was mesmerized. The watched attentively as the body of the cat shifted. Slowly it became the shape of a human, standing upright, red hair flowing down her back. Ginny's warm golden eyes opened. She looked at each person in turn, while they all were entranced by her. An animal quality remained about her, still dangerous, still capable of roaring. Her gaze lingered on her mother, then slid to Draco, who still crouched on the floor. She frowned, concentrating hard, her eyes scanning his features. The she took them all in again. In a strong voice that echoed in the corners she addressed them all.
"Who are you?"
Mei anima my soul
Thank you to tose who reviwed, I appreciate it. :)