Chapter 9. Guilty
Draco had failed and he knew it. He had promised to protect Ginny, but now her stalker still had taken her away. How could he let this happen? He never should have left her alone. He must find a way to get her back, but first he had to inform her family. He had no idea how he could do this. He knew for sure that if he would go to the Burrow with this news, her brothers would kill him. He had to think of another way.
Suddenly he remembered the muggle machine were Ginny talked about. A telenoof or something like that. She had used it then to talk to Granger. He could also do that, couldn't he?
Quickly he went to Ginny's flat and saw that it was still one big mess. Quickly he dumped the bags with clothes in a corner and walked towards the phone. How worked this thing, he thought while he looked at it carefully.
He picked up the receiver and held it by his ear, just as he had seen Ginny do it.
"Granger, Hello? Are you there?"
All he heard was an annoying peep. Maybe he held the receiver upside down. He turned the receiver and tried again. Again all he heard was that annoying peep.
How does this stupid muggle thing work, he thought angrily. Suddenly he saw a book with telephone on the cover. Oh yes, that was the name of this stupid muggle thing. He picked it up and saw several numbers in it. He looked up the name of Granger and saw a number behind it.
He had no idea what he had to do with the numbers and decided to just say them into the receiver. This however didn't work. He decided to take a closer look at the telephone. He found buttons with the numbers on it. Maybe he had to use these. He pushed the number behind Granger's name in it and waited impatiently.
This time he heard a voice at the other end of the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello Granger, is that you?"
"Malfoy?", asked Hermione surprised.
"Yes, I've to tell you something. You have to come to Ginny's flat."
"Is everything alright with Ginny?"
"Just make sure you come here quickly!", and with those words Draco put the receiver down.
Not long after that Hermione stood, together with Harry and Ron, before the door of Ginny's flat. She was curious what Malfoy had to say, but she didn't want to come alone. And if there was something about Ginny, Harry and Ron had to hear it also.
When Malfoy opened the door, they were shocked about the mess they saw in Ginny's flat.
"What happened here?", asked Hermione.
"He has her", said Draco.
"What? Who has who Malfoy?"
"Ginny. The stalker has Ginny", said Draco.
"What! How!",said Ron. "An auror! They had sent an auror to protect her. Where is he?"
"I was that auror Weasley. I had to protect her. We don't have a relationship. That was just to fool you and Potter. And seeing your reactions it went rather well."
"What! I knew my sister still had some common sense. But if you were the auror... It's your fault Ginny is gone! What have you done to her Malfoy", yelled Ron angrily.
"I haven't done anything. Ginny was waiting outside while I went into a shop to get something and when I came back she was gone."
"But maybe she just went to another shop", said Harry.
"No Potter, she isn't just in another shop. I saw her apparating with her stalker and I was too late to save her."
"It's your fault she is gone", said Ron while he angrily walked towards Draco, ready to attack.
"Ron stop it! It isn't his fault", said Hermione.
"Hermione, it is his fault. He had to protect her so it's his fault that she is gone!"
"Ron, we can better find a way to get her back. Attacking Malfoy really isn't going to help you with that."
"I guess you're right", said Ron. "But it would make me feel a whole lot better."
"Ron!", said Hermione warningly.
"Alright, alright", said Ron while he gave Malfoy a last angry look.
"It's my fault that she is gone, so I will get her back", said Draco.
"And how did you want to do that? Do you know where she is?", asked Harry.
"I will find that out", said Draco while he walked away.
"Malfoy wait! We have a bigger chance to find her when we work together", said Hermione.
"She has a point", said Harry.
"Alright, but only to help Ginny."
Draco woke up the following day on a strange place. When he looked around he saw that he was lying on Ginny's sofa. Last night he had tried together with Granger, Potter and Weasley to locate Ginny, without any luck.
It turned very late and he must have fallen asleep. He looked around and saw that Granger, Potter and Weasley had already left. He stood up to make some coffee, when he heard the post coming. Carefully, trying not to fall over the mess, he walked towards the door where the post lied at the floor. Curiously he picked it up and looked at it. Most of them were bills. But, hmm, did he see that right? This one was addressed to him.
Curiously he opened the envelop and saw a picture of Ginny. She looked bad and lied tied up on the floor. There was also a text on the picture:
This time you were too late.
I think I'm going to win.
At that moment there was some knocking on the door. Draco opened the door and saw Granger, Weasley and Potter.
"Have you found anything?", asked Hermione.
Draco decided to show them the picture.
"Oh my god, Ginny! This is all your fault", said Ron angrily.
But Draco wasn't listening. In stead he watched at the picture.
"Give me the picture", said Draco without taking his eyes of it.
Harry gave the picture to Draco.
"That can't be...", said Draco.
"Hè what? Do you recognise it?", asked Hermione.
"This is Malfoy Manor", said Draco.
"But that's impossible. Your father died during the war", said Harry.
"The stalker wasn't my dad Potter", said Draco.
"Are you sure this is Malfoy Manor?", asked Hermione.
"I've lived there the greater part of my life. I surely can recognise my own house by then. This is one of the dungeons under Malfoy Manor", said Draco.
"But Malfoy Manor is your house now, isn't it?", asked Harry.
"Yes, that's why I'm very curious to whom holds her captured in there", said Draco.
Harry grabbed his robe and walked towards the door.
"Potter what do you think you're doing?", asked Draco.
"I'm going to get Ginny back", said Harry determinedly.
"And how did you plan to do that? Do you know how big Malfoy Manor is? You would never find her."
"Alright, and what do you suggest than", asked Harry a bit angrily.
"Let's split us up. You can go through the back and I'll go through the front. When you're inside you've to take the stairs and go down. There you have to go left and then the second door right", said Draco.
"And what about you?", asked Hermione curiously.
"I'll come through the other side."
Quickly they went on their way. Draco smiled, he had fooled them all. Ginny was in Malfoy Manor, that he had seen right on the picture, only he had sent Granger, Weasley and Potter to the other side of the Manor. He was the one who had lost Ginny, so he would be the one who fixed it. He didn't need Granger, Weasley and Potter for that.
When he apparated at Malfoy Manor he looked around. This was the house where he had lived his childhood. And what kind of a childhood. Of course, he always got everything he wanted from his parents, except for one important thing: love.
He remembered the first time he had to cry. His favourite Teddy-bear was broken. When his father saw him crying he immediately walked towards him.
"A Malfoy doesn't cry. A Malfoy doesn't show emotions."
His father had hit him then, and he started to cry even harder. When he found out that the hitting only got harder while he continued crying he quickly stopped. He never cried when others were around ever since. He swallowed when he thought back about it.
This stupid house only had bad memories. That's why he had decided not to live her when he became the owner. However, he didn't had the guts to sell it either.
Carefully he walked inside, trying to make as little noise as possible so the stalker wouldn't hear him. Quietly he walked to the dungeons. He was shocked when he saw how little had changed since the last time he had been here. He walked towards the dungeon in which he had seen Ginny on the picture. Slowly he opened the door with his wand at the ready.
"Well, well Draco, what a surprise."
In the next chapter you will finally know who the stalker is. (a) Don't forget to review!