In The Absence of Light
by Inkblot-Crisis
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-Chapter One-
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"There, finished at last."
Nineteen-year-old Ginerva Molly Weasley smiled at the latest piece of art she was arranging inside her little shop. It took her half an hour to find the best placement to show the piece's beauty and elegance.
A small wire gauntlet that was made with fine sterling silver wire and round imperial jade stones, for a Noble-lady to boast at a friend's Sunday soiree, she figured best. She laid it on the slightly scrunched up black velvet clothe that she used as her display setting. It increased the silver's brilliance and the jade's softness with its contrast.
Though in her heart such colors made her blood turn cold, there was little she could complain about. The use of gold, rubies and bloodstones were limited to the treasury and not on fine works of art, by command of the High Wizard Council of course.
But, she had to admit it was a beautiful piece.
She carefully looked at the other pieces around her little shop, making sure nothing was sticking out or hidden for that matter. All the pieces were given a spot of their own, the shelves where the crystals were kept was easily reachable, even for her slightly diminutive height. The best of her unsold pieces were shown at the store's front window, where she had placed the wire gauntlet just now.
It was a little known fact where the pieces originated from, others speculated that they were part of the late Harry Potter's inherited fortune and it was trusted to the remaining member of the Weasley Clan. Others, only a handful at the most, knew where it really came from. They were the works of the shop's proprietor herself. She taught herself the fine art of Crystal Refining and Metal-Smith while she was in the War, how she found time to do so was another mystery altogether. Nonetheless the crafts deeply intrigued her and her dream after the Light's victory was to set up a shop with her works displayed in all its beauty.
At least a part of her dream lived on.
With a yawn she walked towards the stairs behind the shops register and up towards her living quarters. She had a quick shower while she heated some soup for her dinner. Her quarters didn't offer much space, but it was better than living out in the streets, she knew she was one of the lucky ones.
After her quaint dinner she would always slightly open her window to let the night's cool breeze in while she read one of her books. A calming ritual if she said so herself.
Just as she was about to read about Santiago's arrival to the Oasis, she thought she heard something by the window. "An owl?" she thought "It couldn't be." she knew the use of owls in the Slums was prohibited, another Law put out by the New Order. Curiosity got the best of her as she opened her window and looked outside. It was a typical night in the Slums, dark, almost pitch-black, quiet at first, the sound of a scuffle now-and-then, but the unmistakable sound of something ruffling outside was entirely new to her.
"H-hello?" she quietly called out.
No answer.
With her mind chalking it up to her imagination she went back inside and closed the window. She had a new day ahead of her tomorrow, hopefully her estranged customers, Noble-men and ladies who had heard or bought her works from before, would be making their weekly trip past her shop and see the latest piece. She knew of the Noble-ladies' competition to be chic and original, and what was more original than actual handmade pieces of jewelry and accessories that were made in the Slums, of course she knew that they would never admit it publicly, but the sense that her works made it past the Social Barrier made her some-what of a local champion among the people of the Slums.
With that thought she pulled the blanket closer to her form as she curled in her bed, dreaming about the past, as always, and trying not to cry to herself as she does every night.
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Outside. The sound of something, a cloak, ruffled as it moved from it hiding place was heard.
"So she is still here." this unknown person thought "Won't 'He' be pleeeased to hear of this..." the figure whispered wickedly to the night as he jumped from the rooftop to the street below, he was as silent as death...for in some twisted manner, he was.
.-.
"Another splendid piece." One of her more favorable Noble-lady customer said as she admired it on her person "This would look absolutely charming with my green silk dress..." she seemed to go on arbitrarily as she admired herself in the full length mirror. Hilge Hallion the sole heiress of the Hallion Fortune always had a thing for silver, and for her, the works of the unknown silversmith was certainly worth the trip to the Slums.
"I don't see what is so amazing about this shop..." a new face, probably a friend of the Noble-lady's, said with a sneer at the pieces "...for Merlin's sake, what would the others think, seeing our faces in the Slums."
"Ah, but there in lies the secret." Hilge said to her friend "No one would ever believe of this shop existing in such a place, and be honest, doesn't even one of these trinkets just scream out for you to buy them? If I could I'd buy the entire line of jewelry!" she said with a wry smile to Ginny, whose eyes seemed to widen at the prospect of someone buying her entire shop out.
"But you won't, because your dear old Flint won't let you buy anymore trinkets than you already have."
Hilge heaved a sigh "That Marcus is so hard-headed, what's the use of all that wealth if you don't spend it?" she seemed to mull her words over for a moment before nodding to herself "I'm buying it." she stated finally.
Hilge's friend only shook her head lightly "And there isn't any possibility of talking you out of it, is there?"
Hilge only smiled.
"Pfff!" she threw her arms in the air "Fine, fine...I'll buy that necklace that was next to it as well."
.-.
Ginny couldn't believe her luck. Only three hours since her shop opened and she sold two of her most exquisite (and highly priced) pieces, because Hilge was a frequent customer she offered a modest discount, this caused Hilge to laugh and instead increased the price by half "Because I can." The Noble-lady explained. It was now half-an-hour to noon and she was about to close the shop for a quick luncheon when the door's bell rang.
"Sorry, but I'm closing up for a while, come back at around one-thirty the shop will be open then 'till eight." she said as she did the inventory with her back behind the front of the store.
"Is that how you greet friends?"
Ginny turned and instantly smiled "Lav!" she went over and hugged her close friend.
Lavender Brown was one of the few survivors from the Light side that she had contacted with. She is also one of the Witches working in one of the numerous orphanages scattered throughout the Slum area. Ginny would lend a hand now-and-then to ease Lav's workload at times, she didn't mind as the children always liked to listen of her stories, and of course the orphanage was where ninety-percent of her earnings went to, though the donations were kept anonymous..
"The children miss you, Ginny." Lav said as they parted.
"I miss them too." the red-head said with a slump of her shoulders.
The taller woman pats her head "Don't worry, with Christmas on the way, you'll have plenty to help me with."
Ginny nods, happy that the prospect of Christmas would be slightly normal this year compared to the last one. She remembered the orphanage's first Christmas under the New Order, it was...unhappy. The younger children, still had want of their parents, and she knew it would take considerable time for them to accept the truth, she sometimes had a hard time believing it herself at that time.
"So, are the preparations ready?" Lavender asked.
Ginny made towards the door and turned the lock and key and changed the sign from 'Welcome, come in' to 'Out to Lunch, will be back at 1:30'. She shook her head "I still don't know anybody that could be our Saint Nicholas, and with three weeks left I don't think we can pull this off."
"Don't lose hope Ginny."
There was the sound of a scuffle from the outside that had caught their attention.
"Not again..." Ginny muttered as she laid her head on her hand.
"They always do this on Thursdays." Lavender commented.
.-.
"Please, M'Lord, I did nothing to offend the New Order!" an old wizard pleaded to the riders on their black stallions. All three of the riders were cloaked in pristine black cloaks, the crest of Voldemort embroidered at the chest area. Officers of the New Order...the Slum's own band of authorized murderers.
"You crossed our path, old man! That alone is reason enough for us!" one of them hollered from behind his obsidian steel helmet to the other two, they laughed at the old man on his knees, begging for his life.
"Please, I beg you, I have a granddaughter..." the old man sobbed "...I am the only one raising her, please M'Lord."
The Captain laughed, it was duly followed by his Lieutenants "And what makes you think that I care, you old worm?" the rider unsaddled and walked towards the trembling old wizard. The Captain drew out not a mere wand, but a Wand-breaker. The wand of a witch or wizard encased inside a crystal sword, the outside is then encased in metal to form a cutting blade where the inside of the sword is seen. It was formidable in spell casting as it was slicing through flesh. Many had died under this type of weapon, especially during the War.
"I-I'll give you all the money I have in the world, p-please, don't make my granddaughter an orphan." the old woodcutter was shaking now, tears streaming down his eyes as he knelt in the muddy snow. He didn't actually care if he died, just as long as he knew his little Lorelei was safe...but, if he died now then she would be sent to an orphanage with little knowledge of the demise of her old Grappy. He held out a coin bag, threadbare and almost useless in its tattered form.
The Captain seems to take this into consideration and takes the coin bag by stabbing it with the wand-breaker's tip. He shakes it a little in his hand and opens the bag "These are nothing but Knuts! My horse's daily feed costs much more than this...this little coin collection." he raised the wand-breaker in the air with much spectale and twirls "But none-the-less, you tried to bribe an Officer of the New Order, and for that you are hereby punished by execution." he grinned behind his helmet's visor.
There was a deafening silence as the Captain swung the blade down in a swift 'Swoosh'.
If only it met flesh instead of the sharp clang of tempered steel would it have been a true tragedy.
"What?!" The Captain raised his visor and saw a cloaked man hidden behind the hood and hems of an unmarked dark robe. The only thing seen from under the entire garment was the bottom half of a pale and slightly scarred face, and the jutting armored hand holding the opposing wand-breaker in place with the other.
"Is there a problem, Constable?" the man coolly asks in a deep velvety voice.
The Captain was livid "You insolent little...awk!" the movement of the unknown man's own wand-breaker was truly quick, in one swift move he caused the Captain's wand-breaker to fly a few feet away and now the end of the man's sword was now against the neck of the Captain.
The two Lieutenants were motioning to draw out their own swords.
That was when the man drew out another wand-breaker and pointed it at the two advancing officers "Stay." he ordered like they were dogs "Good boys." he even congratulated them as such. By drawing out the other wand-breaker the man had drawn back his cloak's hems, giving the three Officers of the New Order a view of a Commander's Armor. It was distinct as the majority of the armor wasn't the standard issue obsidian steel plating, and of course there was a snarling face of a dragon designed on the man's breastplate.
The Captain recognized the armor quickly and with haste, he knelt down on one knee and took off his helmet, revealing a balding man with so much fear in his eyes that they seemed to rattle in their sockets "Begging your forgiveness, Sire." he half-mumbled, half-spluttered.
The two Lieutenants, having been only promoted a week before hadn't actually done any fighting back during the War, and with this ignorance one of them asks: "Oi, Captain, who's the bloody bloke anyway?" his brackish voice slightly echoed from inside the helmet.
The man sheathed back both his swords at his right side and lowered his hood. The man's face was like a sculpture; it was flawless save for two scars at either side of his cheeks near the ears and a bit of stubble around his mouth. Shoulder length and arrow-straight blonde hair that seemed heavenly white gave the sense of gentleness, only to be drawn into deadly ferocity of his Steel-blue orbs.
The other Lieutenant made a guffaw "Why it's a pretty-boy, he is." he teased "Why' you scared of a pretty-boy Cap?"
"Silence you fools!" The Captain ordered to the two.
The Lieutenants were taken aback.
"This man is the Commander of one of the Death Serpent Corps' Regiments, the most feared War Unit during the War and the most deadly force in the Army. He has killed so many that he is known by the name 'Demon Dragon'." the Captain said in regal manner, hoping that the show of awe and respect now would save him from a demotion, or worst, death "He is the youngest Wizard in the High Council and is the most regaled member of the Army, second only to the Dark General. He is Commander Draconis Lucifer Malfoy. Generals have bowed down to him, and I suggest you do the same if you want to keep your heads."
The man gave a mocking clap with his gaunlets "Bravo Captain, you keep that up and maybe it will save you from the demotion I am about to give you..." the man drawled, "...but there is no need for more kneeling and bowing. On your feet." he ordered sharply.
The Captain clumsily got to his feet.
"Now tell me, why is it that you are not patrolling the Slums as ordered, Captain?" Commander Malfoy asked.
The Captain snapped to attention "We were carrying out our orders, Commander, when this bumbling old wizard..." he pointed to Grappy "...stopped us in our tracks and hindered our route, he kept sobbing about his granddaughter or some lot." he explained, fully blaming the old man who was still bowed down and he kneeling in the snow, sobbing.
The street seemed to have fallen silent as the sound of a backhand slap resonated.
"That was for letting a mere old man stop you, Captain." Malfoy said in a murderous tone "Go. Do your patrols and perhaps I won't tell this to your Commanding Officer." Death seemed to seep out from his seemingly unnatural silver-blue eyes.
The Captain gave a quick nod, picked up his wand-breaker from the muddy-snow, was helmeted and on his horse in two shakes of the horse's tail, the two Lieutenants gaining quickly behind him.
"Captain..." Malfoy called out "...I believe there is something that does not belong to you."
The Captain gave some sort of a whimper from underneath his helmet and quickly found the threadbare coin bag from inside his cloak's pocket. He threw it towards the Commander, who in turn caught it easily and with a tilt of his head the three rode off towards another part of the Slums.
He took slow steps as he walked towards the kneeling old man. The old man's senses were filled of death as he neared, he imagined.
Malfoy now stood next to the old man, his hands at his sides, he looked at the old man with a sneering face filled with disgust "Next time, watch where you're going." he spat as he threw the coin bag down at his feet. He pulls up his hood back up like before and wrapped the hems around him, again going back to a sense of anonymity. With that he walked towards another part of the Slums.
The old man, Grappy, sobbing and whimpering quickly picked up the coin bag, stood up and on shaking legs, ran back to the small shanty he shared with his little Lorelei.
.-.
"That was...strange." Lavender stated as both of them saw the entire drama from the shops window.
"Indeed." Ginny nodded "Poor Grappy, I do hope he's alright." she said in concern for the old man and the little girl.
.-.
"Grappy? Are you hurt?" Lorelei asked as she heard her Grappy enter the shanty "You sound a little weak, maybe you should lay down for a bit." a little girl of eight stated as she patted the rickety bed free of dust, it only caused even more dust to float in the air, but she meant well.
Grappy only pulled his granddaughter close and smiled, happy that he knew his granddaughter was now safe.
"Grappy?"
"I am sorry, dear child, I thought…I thought I had lost you..." he said as tears fell down from his dull brown eyes.
The little girl lets out a small laugh "But I'll never leave you Grappy." she stated in her innocent tone. Her own eyes dull, but not of age, disease or hardship...she was blind, blind since the day she was born.
"I know child, I know." Grappy lets out a laugh as well. Not only because he was alive and he was with the only family he and she had left, but also it would seem that it would be a very wondrous and filling Christmas and perhaps even the entire year for both of them.
Inside the old man's tattered old cloak wasn't an old threadbare coin bag.
Inside was a black coin bag made of the finest refined dragon-hide leather tied by a silver string, and inside the coin bag weren't the Knuts he had saved over since over a year ago...oh no...
...inside were Galleons. Galleons enough to feed, clothe and house both of them for an entire year.
There was also a note among the gold coins written in an immaculate script.
-Not a word.-
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-Chapter One End-
-Regale of Command-
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-/-.-/-.-/-
AN
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The book Ginny was reading in this chapter is indeed "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coellho. A great book and one of my favorites I might add. The next chapters will feature Draco's part of the story...as most of the plot begins with him. We will return to Ginny in later chapters still, so don't fret.
Read, Review, Write as you wish.