Undivided

Chapter 8: Beyond Ignorant

Author's jibberish: To Flavor of the Week and Sunflour...You two are sharp as a pin.

I also noticed some of those who read the German translation of "As Thou Being Mine" have been reading and leaving reviews. That always makes me smile, hearing what people think. Even if it's constructive criticism. Just don't ask me again about Ginny's name. I've been getting e-mails. I'm well aware it's Ginevra, but the original drafts for both stories were written and "As Thou..." was posted before OotP was released, and before Mrs. JKR said so in her site. For consistency, I shall leave it. I know I've said this before but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Chapter dedicated to KristiexxNguyen. Your e-mail made me smile and I appreciate that you like most of my other stories as well.

It was barely past sunrise when he arrived. He could smell the scent of breakfast as he appeared at the porch of the Weasley house. He knocked on the door three times; gently of course...any dignified man wouldn't ram their fist against the wood.

"Coming!" came a male's voice. The door flew open and a tall red-head man looked upon Draco with utter disgust and disbelief. "Malfoy..."

"Good morning, Weasley," Draco greeted. He waited a few moments, waiting for Ron to invite him in. "Is Potter here as well?"

"What's it to you?" Ron snapped.

"Ron, who..." Harry and Molly Weasley emerged from the kitchen. They saw the guest's face past Ron's shoulder. "Malfoy?" Harry glared.

Nice to see you too, Scar-head, Draco thought to himself.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" Molly asked. "The new teacher at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," Draco said. "Actually, I came here with news concerning your daughter."

"Oh dear," Molly approached the door. "Ron, let him in. Honestly," she huffed.

Obediently, but not without a murderous glare, Ron stepped back. Draco stepped in.

"Would you like some breakfast?" she asked.

Draco shook his head. "No thank you," he said, absorbing his 'low-class', mundane surroundings. So this is where Ginny grew up... He didn't expect anything less crude. "I can't stay long."

"Cough up, Malfoy," Ron demanded. "What business do you have with Ginny? If it were anything about grades, you wouldn't come personally."

"You're right." Draco took a breath before he told them. "Your daughter is gone."

Silence. "G-gone?" Molly asked.

"More like kidnapped...by the Dark Lord."

"That's impossible!" Harry exclaimed. "He can't get onto Hogwarts grounds, especially with Professor Dumbledore around."

"It happened before the term started. She never made the train."

"But, but Colin--," Molly stammered.

"—Waited for her until 11:00 when the train left. He never met her," Draco told them.

Molly weakened and sat upon the couch. "Oh, gods... It's my fault. She said she'll meet with him and I left her there. If...if only..." she began to weep and Ron sat beside his mother, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"But why? Why Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Because of what Arthur Weasley did this past summer. He accidentally destroyed an important part of the Dark Lord's plan. So, not only was she taken, but Crowe, Todd, and Towne's last borns as well," Draco explained. "The Dark Lord will take care of them."

Harry asked, "When do they plan to do it?"

"Today at Riddle mansion."

Harry turned to Ron. "You better take your mum upstairs. Make sure she gets some rest. Then we'll leave."

"Okay," Ron guided her to stand and helped her walk to her bedroom.

Harry made sure he was out of earshot before he began to talk. Even then, he kept his voice low. "Dumbledore flooed me and said you'd be coming. I didn't know why. But he said you needed my help. If it's to help those kids and Ginny, I got to ask why? What do you get out of this?"

Draco locked eyes with him. "It doesn't matter."

Swiftly, Harry yanked Draco's left arm and pulled up his sleeve. His eyes widened as he saw the dark burn marking his fair forearm. "You are..." Harry said, not being able to finish his sentence. "I thought it sounded like you knew too much."

Draco took his arm back. "So what?"

"So why the hell do you want to save Ginny?"

"That's not important."

"Dumbledore insisted I help you, but we're not leaving until I hear an explanation."

"Then you'll be responsible for her death," Draco sneered.

"I think not," Harry lowered his voice more. "Just tell me and I won't have to tell Ron about your deceit."

Draco snickered. "Deceit? You really are a laugh, Potter."

"Malfoy, why would you, a Deatheater, want to save Ginny Weasley?"

Draco took a moment. "The Dark Lord sent me to kill her. But because I couldn't, my father personally took her. Now, to prevent me from running away, the senile, mad Lord took my mother as well. There, satisfied?"

"Not really," Harry frowned. "Why couldn't you kill her?"

Draco didn't answer. Ron came down the stairs. "All right, so what's the plan?"

For a bit, Draco was relieved. He could never admit to Harry about what was really going on. That would mean admitting to events that happened last year. Would he ever quit with the questions? "It's simple; I go directly to him and you get everyone out."

"We have to call the Aurors," Ron advised. "We need backup."

"No!" Draco insisted. If anymore Aurors were involved, they would surely arrest him as well. It was bad enough Harry knew; he might turn him in eventually. But he knew he wouldn't do it now; Draco was the only way to Riddle Mansion. "It's a waste of time."

"Malfoy's right," Harry said. He shot Malfoy a quick, knowing look. "We don't know when he'll kill them. We can't wait and find out. We should get them quickly."

Ron looked at him, as if unsure if he heard Harry correctly. "Maybe...How about we call then and go anyway?"

Oh, why did I bother to work with these damn good Gryffindors? "I'm leaving now," Draco announced, walking out of the house.

Harry and Ron grabbed their robes and left the house with him. "Hold on, Malfoy!" Ron took hold of Draco's shoulder once they stood on the grassy front of the Burrows.

"What?"

"How do I know this isn't a trap?" Ron asked. "We weren't exactly friends last year."

"Good gods, Weasley, are you beyond stupid, " Draco complained. "Our personal vendetta is meager compared to what is about to happen."

"And why is that?" Ron said. "Why the hell do you care so much about others' safety anyway? You're Lucius Malfoy's son, lapdog of You-Know-Who. You'll be just like him: a cunning son of a bitch who cares and understands nothing!"

Draco lost it and swung his fist, connecting with Ron's jaw. Ron staggered back from the blow. "You are beyond ignorant, Weasley," Draco hissed.

"Both of you, quit it," Harry demanded, standing in front of Ron so he wouldn't jump and go medieval on the silver-blonde man. "Ginny and the others are in trouble. Truce, all of us," he advised, exchanging glances between his best friend and his school nemesis.

Ron, after rubbing his jaw, winced and then crossed his arms. "Truce," he grumbled.

Draco huffed. "Fine." He pulled out his wand. "Ready?"

Harry put a hand to his shoulder. "Let's go."

Ron, completely reluctant, held Draco by the shoulder as well. In a loud pop, they disapparated.

...to be continued...