Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter or any related material.
"I have to get them out of there!" She sobbed. Rick didn't say anything. "They can't spend even one night in Azkaban, not one."
"They murdered someone, Virginia." He said softly.
"They did it for me." She whispered. He lay in Percy's bed, she had soundproofed the door when they went in so she could get him set up for the night.
"Someone murdered your brother's girlfriend for you?" He pulled away a little.
"No. No." Ginny shook her head. "She was trying to take my place and they're loyal to me and so they …" She shrugged, taking in a long, shuddering breath. "You can't understand, Rick, don't even try." There was a long pause. "I have to get them out of there. Narcissa will be safe at Malfoy Manor, but Blaise will be hard to place. She probably won't be able to go home, her parents would want to cut off ties because they still are out in the open as good. She could stay at Headquarters, but I need her at Hogwarts, I swear to god."
"You'll figure something out, Gin." Rick touched her arm, she turned at him and smiled. "I'm not saying it's right to kill anyone, but I trust you, I think." He sighed and leaned back. "This has been the craziest day of my life."
"This is every day in my life. I have a boyfriend named Harry, whom you met, but I really think he's a sappy slob in every possible connotation. But I have to get him to fall in love with me because the Dark Lord has to kill him. And then there's Voldemort himself, which is a like, domestic nightmare. And then there's Draco." She paused and smiled. "That, everyday, with attacks and making decisions that I already thought that I made…" She shrugged. "It's beyond crazy."
Rick opened his mouth but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He stopped and motioned for her answer it. She did and Harry peered through. "You two okay in here?" He grinned jovially. Ginny refrained from rolling her eyes.
"Fine, Harry, we're just catching up on old times." He continued to smile until he saw that her eyes were wet.
"Have you been…" His voice dropped level. "Crying?" He tried to brush a tear from under her eye, but she ducked away.
"I really need to talk to Rick right now." Harry looked hurt for a moment before patting her on the back.
"I understand." He said. He winked at Rick, who smiled weakly. "Okay. Should I come up later?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Not tonight, Harry." She patted his cheek gently with her hand.
"Yeah…" He slid outside of the door. Ginny closed it and repeated the spell on the door and the windows just in case.
"Sappy slob… yeah, that seems to be about right." Rick cocked his head to the side and grinned. "You put up with this all so your boss can kill him."
"I'm a devoted employee." She sat on the bed. "I'm going to have to get out of here tonight. I have to free them tonight."
Rick rubbed her back and pulled her down to lie beside him. "You still paint?"
"I haven't done anything but sketches in a while."
"There are some canvases in my car. Paint me tonight, tomorrow I'll take you to the park to paint." Rick said, his eyebrows raised.
"You'd do that for me?" She hugged him. "Yes! Yes!" She gasped excitedly, Rick laughed. "Go get one of those canvases. I'll go get my paints." She stumbled with him down the stairs, eager to get into the door.
He passed her on the stairs and she shoved open her door and grabbed her bucket of paints. Maybe they would spend a night in Azkaban, but Ginny would make sure that it was only one. She glanced out her window to see Rick at his truck, so she started making a bag for the next day. She threw in the wand she had gotten from Azkaban last time and a big cloak. She heard someone coming up the stairs and grabbed her bucket, opening the door quickly. Her mother smiled at her as she started up the stairs.
"How is your friend?" She asked. Ginny kicked the bucket back into her room before her mother could see it.
"He's okay, but we need to talk to through a lot before he'll be able to return to everything. We're going to go out and paint tomorrow."
"I'm not sure that's safe."
"It is." Ginny said defiantly.
"Déjà vu." Ginny said dryly, crouching on the floor of Azkaban prison. She had gotten the invisibility cloak from Harry just in case Rick and she needed to "hide" from any evil wizarding fiends that would sneak up on her. A guard passed close to her with a meal cart. She sucked in her breath a little as he passed by and pressed her self against an empty cell. She followed him silently in her soft soled Uggs. He stopped in front of the door to the high security section of the prison. He opened the door with his wand and continued to haul the meal cart through the door. She slipped through the door as he struggled to pull it over the door jamb.
He stopped in front of one of the cells and rapped on the door next to it, these prisoners weren't allowed bars. "I'll be with you in a minute." Ginny watched him disappear into Narcissa's cell and then let herself into Blaise' cell.
Blaise was slumped on the bed, her face turned towards the barred window, her breath huffing with sobs. She turned towards Ginny and gasped, stumbling to her feet and embracing Ginny. She laughed and hiccupped.
"Are you taking me out of here?" Ginny nodded and slipped the hood back on. Blaise walked to the window and gripped the bars. Ginny wedged herself into a corner and waited. The guard didn't take long. He pulled in the meal cart smoothly.
" Good morning. Here you are miss." He nodded to her and held out her food.
"Thank you, Smitty." She took the tray and set it on her bed.
"I killed a man once. I didn't get sent to here only, I got honored because of it."
"Who'd you kill?" Blaise asked, taking a bite of her food.
"An old death eater. Never quite knew his name. Wish I had."
"You may soon know." Ginny held a wand on him as she pulled off the invisibility cloak. He stumbled back, but didn't reach for his wand. "But I'll give you a choice, you seem like a kind enough man. Follow us back to the Dark Lord's headquarters. Join us."
"I – I don't know, ma'am. I've got a little girl just a few months old, you see. Her mum was killed by the Dark Lord as it was."
"She'll thank you for it. She'll be a princess." Ginny smirked.
"I don't think there's nothing wrong with Muggle – borns."
"Nor do I. So what'll it be? An orphan or a princess?"
"Both." His hands trembled at his sides. "Make it quick." Ginny obeyed.
"We have to go quick, Blaise. They'll have detected the spell." Blaise nodded and shuffled out the open door. Ginny opened Narcissa's and was surprised as the perfectly composed woman simply nodded as they entered.
"Close the door, Ginny." She said softly. Ginny obeyed, she concentrated for a moment before she blasted out the window. She removed a piece of cloth from her pocket. It hovered in the air, wind from the window making it bob and spin a little. Ginny pointed her wand at it and it began to glow blue and spread out.
"Well, climb on." She shrugged, pulling herself on. Narcissa and Blaise obeyed. There were footsteps outside the door. Ginny covered them quickly with the invisibility cloak and guided them slowly out of the window.
"It doesn't cover the rug."
"It's not supposed to." Ginny suddenly put on a burst of speed and the sped up towards the morning sun. Narcissa calmly collected the invisibility cloak as it lifted back into her arms.
"Disillusionment charm?" She yelled over the wind.
"Please." Ginny handed the wand back to her. "I'm not so good at steering this thing, I don't want to try to multi-task." The wand rapped her on the head and then Blaise yelped behind her. Ginny looked around and was pleased to see that they were invisible on the air.
Blaise whooped. She leaned forward to whisper in Ginny's ear. "It wasn't as bad as all that. I grabbed Smitty's dog tags so that you can find his daughter."
"What's his name?"
"Joram Symthesson."
"Good. I thought it was going to be Smith. I'll get her after I take you to headquarters. I'm going to need a broom if I'm going to be carrying a baby." Blaise nodded and hugged her from behind.
"I'll take care of her."
"First we'll have to figure out what to do with you. You'll probably see them at Headquarters, but you won't be able to go home."
"You haven't asked about what happened." Blaise said. Ginny pulled up the rug a little as she saw headquarters flick into view.
"I'll hear about it soon enough." She stopped the carpet a few feet above the lawn. The establishment was huge, but most of the inner workings happened underground. Ginny took back her wand and they returned to normal. The door had already been taught to recognize the three of them, so it granted them entry without any trouble.
"Tom!" Ginny yelled as they entered the main hallway. "I'm home." He swept out of the small dining hall near the entry hall and strode elegantly towards them. Ginny giggled. "You've got mustard on your beard." She snorted. The Dark Lord looked flustered all of a sudden. She wiped it off with her thumb and onto her pants. He kissed her and then turned to Narcissa and Blaise who hung back a little. They curtsied deeply. He reached for Narcissa first, touching her face and examining her.
"You are still one of my finest servants. Thank you for your support of me and of our queen to be."
"My lord. No thanks is necessary, I am only thankful for your love and approval." Narcissa breathed, backing away.
"Food and clothing shall await you in your old room."
"My lord." She turned down the hallway, breezing away. Voldemort lifted Blaise from her crouch and patted her face also.
"One of my greatest tools. You have proved yourself an asset to us. You have my love." Blaise bowed away.
"I thank you, my lord."
"We may find you another way of showing your thanks. Go to your parent's room and settle down." She glanced at Ginny before steering herself away also.
"Does the word monogamy mean anything to you?" Ginny asked impatiently.
"You're a bloody hypocrite." He said. She rolled her eyes and then wiped more mustard off his face. She stuck her finger in her mouth.
"Have you been eating egg salad again?" She asked angrily. He didn't answer, staring at the floor. "I told you! Watch your cholesterol or you're going to drop dead."
"I am the greatest wizard alive."
"Your arteries may have molten lava or whatever flowing through them, but they can still get clogged up. No more egg salad." She scolded. He rolled his eyes.
"I have another errand to run and then I'll come back. But I'll need a broom, a good one that I can steer with my knees." He shrugged. She sighed.
"May I please use your broom, oh Tom, oh Dark Lord, oh greatest most evilest wizard of all time." She said sarcastically.
"Not with that attitude." He said, walking towards his rooms.
"Tom!" She whined, stumbling after him.
Ginny had killed the nanny and grabbed a box of pictures and a baby book. Hayley Rose. After a second of thought she grabbed the diaper bag and parenting books as well. She hung the basket she had brought on the back of the broom and cradled the baby in her arms. She pushed away from the window slowly, pulling the invisibility cloak close over them.
She went slowly all the way back. This had been a weird day. When she landed back at headquarters it had taken her an hour longer than it had to journey there. She slung the basket over her arm and argued with the door for a little while.
"It's just a baby!" She said, frustrated out of her wits and wincing at the basket's heavy handle digging into her arm.
"I don't recognize it." Garbled the knocker, a smiling devil straddling the ring.
"You recognize me. This baby is my business. So let me in."
"You know orders better than I do. No can do."
"Let me knock then, so that someone can introduce you to Hayley Rose."
"You know the rules, no knocking."
"I'm going to blast you in." She said, kicking the door. The smile grew on the knocker's face.
"Try it. It keeps me entertained for years." She sighed, slumping onto the doorstep. She turned around a little.
"Please?"
"No."
"TOM!" She bellowed. The baby woke and started crying. The devil suddenly seized up and the door swung open.
"Bitch…" He muttered as she went by. She frowned and shook the baby a little. It didn't help, it started yelping more loudly. Voldemort at the entrance to the hallway.
"An unfortunate loophole in the spell. The door opens to a crying infant."
"It's lovely." She sighed and set the basket down. "Take Hayley Rose and introduce yourself." He frowned and took the baby.
"I've never done well with children." He admitted.
"They must be scared shitless of you." She laughed. Hayley Rose actually stopped crying. There was a smudge of a smile on The Dark Lord's face.
"So like you, comfortable in the arms of evil and so beautiful." Ginny grinned.
"You're just inflating your ego. Evil, honestly." He was occupied. She pulled the blanket away from the baby's face a little. Hayley Rose was gurgling and smiling.
"Moldy wart." Ginny stretched a little and started to put her robes back on. Voldemort looked up from where he lay, his ugly skeleton like body stark against the dark green bed coverings.
"I like it. I've been using a completely embarrassing nickname this whole time."
"You going back to sleep, old man?"
"I think so. But I'll have a second wind."
"I'll probably be gone." She glanced at him. He was already breathing deeply. She put up her hair and padded down the hallway to Blaise' room. She opened the door quietly without knocking. Blaise was playing with the baby, who was lying on a blanket on the floor.
"I've been thinking." Ginny said. "About where to put you."
"I thought I was staying here." Blaise said softly. She looked down. "You know I can't go home."
"I need you, Blaise." Ginny said desperately. "I have an idea. The Dark Lord can easily draw you up a fake identity. We can dye your hair and there are spells to disguise people."
"So I could finish at Hogwarts?" Blaise asked, her face lighting up.
"I was thinking more along the lines of the new Potions teacher." Blaise paused. "And you most likely take Hayley Rose along, since that seems to be your new purpose in life."
"I could…" She looked down at the baby. "Isn't she just beautiful? I knew Smitty was a wonderful man, and I can understand all of what he did."
"I'm not sure that I do, but I'm glad to see you happy." Ginny smiled.
"I've needed someone like this. Not just for me, but to help someone."
"I'll be here for three more hours. I'm going to talk to a couple of ministry people and get you all set up. Any preference for names?"
"Oscar."
"That's a boy's name."
"I know. I thought you were asking about surnames… Elizabeth Oscar."
"Can you do any accents?"
"Kind of an eastern European thing and American, of course…"
"That's good! No one will know you if you're from America. Can you keep it up for a long time?"
"Sure." Blaise was getting excited.
"That's great. I'll be back." Ginny skidded out of the room, doing a victory dance. She almost ran into Narcissa. "I thought you were already back at the manor."
"Draco and I wanted to see the baby." She leaned forward secretively. "And to be rid of Lucius for a few hours. He probably won't notice, there are plenty of maids that have been keeping him occupied. Plus, if the authorities were to come to the house." Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Has it been rough?"
"Normal." Narcissa said dryly. "But I'm liking it better now that I have two girls at least a decade under me for confidantes."
"I'm honored I have your trust." Ginny put a friendly hand on Narcissa's shoulder. Narcissa grinned and patted her hand.
"I'm surprised you got it. You're so Gryffindor." She entered the room and then stuck her head out of the door. "Draco is getting food, of course. You two ought to go back to the manor if there is going to be any nonsense."
"I've got a quick errand and then I'll go see him. Hayley Rose. She's an angel."
Ginny stopped the kitchen before she went on her errand. Draco waved emphatically his mouth wrapped around a large sandwich. She smiled and sighed. He had mustard all over his face. "I've gotta make a call, but I'll be back in like fifteen minutes."
"Jerry!" The tired looking man who was reading his books looked up at the fireplace and grinned. "How are you, pal?"
"What do you need?" He pulled his chair to sit in front of her.
"I need you to make an identity. American, Muggle friendly teaching credentials, someone who isn't easily tracked down, by the name of Elizabeth Oscar. Give her glowing recommendations from someone that actually exists, but is impossible to contact." She grinned pleadingly.
"Anything else?" He grabbed a piece of parchment and started writing on it furiously.
"A daughter. Hayley Rose, but the name might need to be changed, so just get me some blank birth documentation. Oh yeah, Elizabeth Oscar has to be good at potions."
"Are we filling the new position at Hogwarts?" Jerry grinned. "That's great."
"Hopefully. How quickly can you get it to me?"
"By tomorrow. I'll go in tonight."
"Thank you so much." She smiled again. "We'll set up an interview at Hogwarts, then. This is so great. I'm in your debt."
"I'll remember that." He winked and she pulled her head out of the fire, cracking her neck.
"You're such an accessible person." Said a voice behind her. She wanted to frown, but didn't. Wormtail.
"I mean, anyone can talk to you, right?" He said anxiously. She smiled.
"Of course." She said warmly.
"I feel obligated to tell you that Fleur Delacour wanted to get rid of you. She actually wanted to start a revolution within the movement."
"It's a good thing she's dead then." Ginny patted him on the shoulder.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I wanted to but…"
"I understand." Ginny offered him another warm gesture and left the room. "You putrid monster." Draco stood outside the door, looking considerably cleaner and happier.
"You ready to get out of here?" He asked. Ginny nodded.
"Where's Lucius?" Ginny asked, stretching in front of Draco's mirror. "Do I look fat to you?"
"You always look fat to me…" He said reassuringly, coming up behind her. She rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure where dear old dad is. Probably diddling the cook."
"Lovely." She turned and smiled at him. "I don't have to be home until evening." He smiled and kissed her softly.
"So I've heard."
"We've gotten to see each other. I was afraid we wouldn't be able to. I haven't been able to get away from stupid Harry Potter."
"Dear old St. Potter." Draco grinned.
"Did your Mom tell you what happened? I got a little from Blaise, but she was occupied with the baby."
"She flooed away from school and came here like she usually does. Mum met her and we didn't get to talk or anything. They went in Mum's room and talked for a little while. My mum's never liked anyone nearly so much as you I might add. I kind of assumed they were in there the whole time, but I went to visit you, so I don't really know. They went to Fleur Delacour's and hid in the shadows while she was with your brother. Then he left and they killed her. The ministry caught them."
"How?" Ginny wondered.
"They're not sure, but Mum thinks she was pretending to be an informant, they must have been monitoring her house. Anyway, they apparated there even before her body had hit the ground and took Blaise and Narcissa in. Apparently they both cast the spell and so both were equally guilty."
"God. All that for me."
"You're not too shabby, Gin. And you got them out, which probably means that you're even higher now. You're good and loyal and brave-"
"And I don't want to hear about it." She kissed him again.
"Do you think that the ministry will come here?" He asked worriedly.
"I'll floo out your fireplace."
"They'll be monitoring them." He said, biting his lip nervously. "I'm so glad I can finally apparate."
"Rub it in." She sighed. "It would be so useful for me."
"So where are you today?"
"Painting with Rick in some swamps." She said, looking out the window. "It's a long drive, we'll be gone all day."
"The Muggle?" He frowned.
"He's a wonderful man. I can make distinctions. Don't think that you're so mighty and noble that you don't have to. They're not all the same."
"What about all those Azkaban guards you killed?"
"I didn't have time to make distinctions." She said simply, shrugging. He kissed her, kissed her. Long passionate kisses. She backed away towards the bed a little.
"We should probably wait until we're back at Hogwarts, it'll be safer." Draco said softly. She sighed, knowing he was right.
"Yeah." She whispered, grimacing. He sighed also, hating it.
"Do you love him?" He asked.
"Tom? Yes." She nodded him. "But it's made up more of admiration of his power and abilities. He's my friend."
"With benefits?" He said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes.
"Maybe for him. He's an old man, Draco. I -…" She stopped for a moment. "I love you." There was a pounding noise of footsteps downstairs. They were coming upstairs. Ginny grabbed her broom and pushed open the window, glad she had the foresight to bring it along. She kissed Draco and looked mournfully in his eyes. "I love you." She said, shivering a little.
"Go." He whispered. She pushed away from the window and rocketed above the Ministry representatives who were streaming in, who didn't even raise their heads. Draco would be the only one in house, with Lucius having to run. He could handle it alone. But she wished that Malfoy manor could be dark and abandoned and that firm hands grasped her waist behind her as she steered into the growing dark.
Ginny had to take the knight bus back to Rick's house, having had to return Tom's broom. She wore her cloak over her face on the ride and spoke in a deep gravelly voice. She knocked on his door.
"This was fun." She said. "We should do it tomorrow."
"You're exhausting me, Virginia." He sighed. "Did everything go well?"
"Better than planned."
"Did you have to kill anyone?" He joked.
"Two people." She sighed, glancing over at him. His face turned ashen as he blew out a breath.
"Sorry I asked."
"They didn't deserve it. But they saw my face and I can't have that. I don't feel as guilty as I did before. I threw up the first time I killed someone, it kind of took off the edge."
"How many have you killed?" He asked. She shrugged.
"Maybe 80."
"Jesus Christ, Virginia!" He gulped. She stretched and her back, shoulders and neck let out terrifying cracks.
"I'll ask you not use the lord's name in vain." She joked. He managed a chuckle.
"This is possibly the weirdest conversation I've had in a long time."
"How come?" She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder.
"I'm talking totally casually with a mass murderer and I don't care."
"Good." She snuggled closer to him. "I saved a baby if it makes you feel any better." He cleared his throat.
"Saved it?"
"Maybe not saved, but after I ruined her life I took steps to give her a new one."
"Great." He eased in front of her house. "So, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Right." She jumped out of the cab.
"So, why am I not in ultimate danger anymore."
"The woman that came to you is the woman that was killed." She smiled. "You're going to be fine."
"What time should I pick you up tomorrow?"
"Early. I'll probably won't need to be gone all day, so we can really go out and paint for a little while."
"The canvasses are in the back. The first two in the stack."
"Thanks." She ran around and pulled them out, along with her bucket of paints. Harry met her at the door. He kissed her, grinning. She smiled at him and then waved to Rick who was pulling out. "We're going to go painting tomorrow, but after that, I'm all yours." She said, feigning happiness. Inside, she was pleading the opposite.
"Do you want to hang out tonight?" He asked eagerly.
"Sure. Come up after awhile. Have they eaten yet?"
"Yeah, but I saved you some stuff." For this she was truly grateful, this meant that she would finally be able to eat, which she never had time for when she was working. She handed him the canvasses and they kissed for a moment, when she pulled away, she saw a spark of it, what could quickly turn into devotion, maybe even love. She smirked.
"Thanks…" She sighed.
"Weird." He opened the door to let her in and followed her inside.
"Huh?" She set eagerly towards the food.
"That smile. You look exactly like Draco Malfoy." Harry admitted.
"That is weird. I hope I don't really share any mannerisms with that evil cockroach." She said coolly, taking a bite of casserole.
"No." He shook his head. He looked over the canvasses, Ginny glanced. They were really bad. "Amazing." He breathed. She rolled her eyes.
"Sad." She ran a finger down the dry paint. "I need a lot of work on my painting."
"Nobody can do this, Ginny. Nobody."
"I think it's lovely too." Ginny turned to look at her mother, who entered in a night gown. "You are really very talented. Does Rick teach you very much?"
"He's taught me everything." She said, grinning. "I'm just glad; that I'm going out with him, he's still teaching me."
"Did you have fun?"
"Yeah." She stretched. "No trouble at all, in answer to your next question. We're going tomorrow and then, he's visiting family for the rest of the holidays."
"Oh, alright." Molly had blatantly ignored Ginny's not asking her for permission. She hugged Ginny a little and then held her at arm length. "Have you been having sex?"
"We were in a bog." Ginny said incredulously.
"That could be it." Molly patted her head and walked up the stairs. Ginny laughed. Her mother was really an odd woman. She had childhood memories of Bill, Charlie and Percy becoming teenagers and having her mother sniff through the rooms as Ginny dawdled in her wake.
"Percy smells." She would tell her mother earnestly, although he never failed inspection more than once. She didn't want Bill or Charlie to get in trouble, though she hadn't understood what she was supposed to be sniffing for.
"She's so weird." Ginny muttered to Harry.
"Do you want to go up now? I think she's gone to bed for good." Ginny scraped a little more food off of her plate and then dumped it into the sink.
"Okay." She frowned where he couldn't see her. She turned. "Do you still get your scar trouble?"
"Yeah." He said sullenly. "This afternoon he was pleased, he's been happy a lot lately."
"Really?" Ginny asked tearfully. She was making him happy?
"Did you see the prophet this morning?" He asked.
"No, Rick and I left really early."
"Bellatrix Lestrange was spotted. In Bulgaria." Ginny gulped. She was on a top secret mission in Bulgaria, she had been there for almost a year with her husband.
"Have they gotten her to Azkaban?" She asked.
"Nope. Just saw her, but as she's in the main circle, it was a pretty big deal."
"Yeah." Ginny said dully. She opened her door and Harry followed her inside. She closed it and he advanced towards her, pulling off his shirt. Ginny sighed, wondering what tomorrow would be like, after a day like today.
AZKABAN WALLS ONCE AGAIN EMPTY
Rahaad Khalid
In another shocking escape, Narcissa Malfoy and Blaise Zabini disappeared from Azkaban Prison, killing a guard in the struggle. His 3.month.old daughter was apprehended later that day. Authorities ask anyone with suspicions or knowledge of the whereabouts of these attackers or Hayley Rose Smythesson to report for a reward.
It was a short, embarrassing article at the back of the paper. There were three small pictures underneath, Blaise, Narcissa and Hayley Rose. Ginny finished her coffee and set the paper down as there was a knock at the door. She pulled on her coat and smiled at Rick. "You ready?" He asked her shortly.
"Yeah. MOM, I'M GOING!"
"SEE YOU TONIGHT!" Was the bellow from upstairs. Ginny gestured him outside. It was cold, she blew her breath on her clasped fists as the screen door slammed shut. She climbed into Rick's truck, and thrust her face forward into the heat as he started it.
"What time are you coming by?" He asked, fiddling with the radio.
"Uh… probably around five. I like this song." He stopped and pulled out of the driveway. She knelt and dug through her bag, pulling out her heavy cloak.
"You want to go from my place again?" He looked disgustingly alert. She nodded, settling back a little, yawning. "You okay?" He asked.
"Just tired. Harry kept me up most of the night."
"Mm." Rick rolled his eyes.
"How long will I be able to keep this up?" She wondered. "He likes to look in my eyes and tell me he loves me and that I'm an accessible person."
"If that's not the world's dirtiest pun…" Rick joked. Ginny laughed. He pulled up next to his place. She jumped out, pulling on her heavy cloak.
"Later, babe." She waggled her eyebrows at him. He laughed and sped off. Ginny adjusted the hood so that it covered her face and then, shivering signaled the Knight bus.
"What 'choo riding for again?" She moved forward and climbed the stairs up to the bus, slipping money into his hand.
"Dragon's Scale has mulled wine that could peel the skin off of your back." She said in the same gravelly voice.
"I figured you'd be one for blood." He said agreeably, helping her into a seat right next to the front.
"That's right. That's how they get to the blood." She glanced at him, nodding a little. He tapped on the front.
"Right to the Dragon's Scale. This hag's paid extra." With a BANG, they were rolling along a country road. They stopped in front of a little hut. Ginny wavered off the bus and walked slowly into the pub. She ordered a fire whiskey to go and sipped it as she started the long walk to headquarters, just over an hour. It was raining here, but her bones were warmed a little by the strong drink and her warm, heavy cloak.
She hoped that Draco had fared alright in the house, while his parents were gone. She also hoped that Lucius had diverted from his sexual haze long enough to escape to headquarters.
It started snowing halfway in. Her drink was gone and as much as she sprayed herself with hot air from the tip of her wand and stomped her feet, she couldn't take a breath she was shivering so hard. She was freezing by the time she had reached headquarters. Blaise met her at the door with a cup of hot tea, laced with her eternal ogden's. "I saw you coming." She said in explanation. "I thought you might need this. It's coming down pretty hard."
"Where's the little one?"
"Sleeping." Blaise said, her eyes softening. "Have you seen the prophet?"
"Yes."
"We'll have to change her name." She said sadly. "Such a beautiful name."
"Just her middle name." Ginny said.
"But if they have the same birthday…"
"Do they have to?" Ginny asked. "The actual day isn't as important as her name."
"Right…" Blaise said. "Anyway, I've been going through some baby name books that you had with that library you brought." Ginny laughed.
"I didn't know whether you would need all that. I didn't think that you'd ever taken care of kids before."
"I haven't. I'm grateful. I've been up all night reading. Hayley doesn't sleep through the night yet. She won't for awhile apparently, but it's okay."
"Good." Ginny, slightly warmed, embraced her friend. "Has Jerry come by?"
"Yes." Blaise said. "He filed some of the stuff in the hall of records at the ministry, but I've got all my references and IDs. He told me to fill in all the blanks on the birth stuff and he would come by later. Oh yeah, the interview is in an hour, so let's get this paperwork taken care of so we can do the appearance changing."
"We?" Ginny asked as Blaise opened her door.
"You're coming with me. Dumbledore asked me to bring my daughter. You're her nanny." Hayley struggled in her crib and fussed. Blaise picked her up and jiggled her a little.
"I bet you're hungry." Blaise cooed. "Grab the papers on the desk, Gin. There's some formula warming in the kitchen." They started back down the hallway.
"What are you thinking for the middle name?"
"Haley Virginia is what I wrote on the birth certificate already." Ginny glanced down.
"That's different." Ginny shrugged. "But it's pretty." She snorted. "Naming your kid after me, honestly."
"Who said it was for you?" Blaise joked, smiling.
When they came into the kitchen, Bellatrix Lestrange was making toast.
"Hi." She yawned. "You're Ginny, right? And Blaise." She shook their hands.
"It's nice to meet you." Ginny said softly.
"Likewise." Blaise added, picking up a bottle from a pan on the stove and testing it on her wrist. "Just right."
"The stolen baby." Bellatrix nodded towards Haley. "Never got a chance to have any of my own."
"She's going to move to Hogwarts, if we get a job there." Blaise said happily.
"So I've been told."
"So Bellatrix…" Ginny started.
"Call me Bella, queen." Bella bowed low. "I forgot myself there for a moment."
"You're forgiven." Ginny waved her hand impatiently. "What happened in Bulgaria?"
"I don't know." She shook her head unhappily. "They've been looking for the ten of us that escaped at first as much as they looked for my dear cousin. I didn't think I was spotted until I saw the article in the paper. I was surprised someone didn't make a big deal of it."
"It was Kingsley. He's your tracker. He was probably there on a mission for the Order of the Phoenix and lucked out seeing you. I know him. He's smart."
"Black?"
"Yeah."
"Attractive bloke in the gardens. Dressed very cleverly as a Muggle. I just went out for a cigarette."
"And you call yourself a Death Eater!" Blaise joked. "Those Muggle death sticks?"
"I happen to like them, and I know that our Lord happens to have a certain weakness for them too." She said, blankly. She was redeveloping her good looks, which had disappeared when she was in Azkaban. Now, she merely looked tired and a little gaunt. She finished her toast and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. "Well, ladies, I'm supposed to help you with the disguise spells. Are you about ready to start?"
"Yes. Are we going back to my rooms?" Blaise asked, from where she had been feeding and filling out the forms at the table. "I'm just about finished, so you can do Ginny first if you like."
"Excellent." Bella said.
"Urgh." Ginny stuck her tongue between the huge gaps in brown teeth. "Thith ith dithguthting." She ran her hands down her acne scabbed face and groaned. She lifted up strands of limp brown hair and let them fall again to her hunched shoulders. "You're a geniuth, I thwear."
"Yes." Bella said calmly. Blaise on the other hand, was drastically different but still just as attractive. She wore clean, business robes and her short, wavy blonde hair was cut stylishly. Her nose had narrowed and her lips had become more full and her eyes had widened. She applied lipstick and smiled.
"How long will this stay on?" She asked, experimenting with her American accent.
"As long as you don't say the code word. But remember it, especially Ginny. Gun."
"I won't forget it." Ginny said, staring in the mirror. "Don't worry."
"What's that you're thaying?" Ginny croaked. Blaise covered a laugh with a cough.
"It's best if you don't talk to her, Albus." She shrugged and stage whispered. "She isn't much of a nanny, tell you the truth, but I can't really afford much more."
"P- p-" Ginny looked as though she was gagging. "P- puh – pleath don't thp – p – peak as though I am unable to hear." Blaise giggled.
"I'm so sorry. She won't be following us to Hogwarts if I'm hired." She glanced at Dumbledore, who scratched his long, broken nose, and smiled in the little basket where Haley kicked around.
"She's a beautiful baby." He acknowledged. "We haven't had a child here in awhile."
"She's a doll." Blaise assured him. "I would love for her to grow up here at Hogwarts, after I had her, I couldn't return to the academy, it's so snooty."
"You can hardly say that of Hogwarts." Dumbledore said.
"I know. It's beautiful, and everyone is so friendly." She gazed around. "It might take me a little while to get to know this castle though, so big!"
"It doesn't usually take too long to adjust to it. You'll learn quickly."
"Does that mean…?" She looked at him hopefully. Ginny glanced over, trying still to leer a little crazily. She had to have Blaise here. Since they had arrived in the office, she was worried about the outcome of the interview.
"We'd be delighted to have you onboard. If you can start right away…"
"Absolutely." Blaise jumped up and put her hands to her face. "When can we move in?" Albus laughed and shook her hand.
"Sometime next week." He nodded. "I'll give you time to get everything settled and then you can call this place home. I'll owl you this weekend with the final arrangements." He walked them to the door, Ginny stumbled outside.
"Miss Zabini." Blaise twitched but didn't turn, the smile disappearing a little. "Miss Oscar!" She turned.
"You'll have a wand next time I see you?"
"Yes. Our dear nanny managed to destroy mine when she was attempting to cook, her name's Crow if you didn't remember." Blaise met his eyes and smiled, but the sweat beads that formed on her forehead made Ginny know that she was not letting him x-ray her.
"I'll owl you, then." He waved to them and they continued down the stairs.
"What an athhole…" Ginny hissed. "You don't think…" Blaise shook her head.
"I don't think so." She shrugged. "He didn't get into my mind, I know."
"I really felt ath though he had a gun to my head during that whole escapade…" Ginny gulped. Blaise froze and looked at her as footsteps echoed up the stairs towards the place that they stood.
"The password." Blaise whispered. "You said the password."