A/N: Someone special (we've all been waiting for this) makes an appearance! Thank you for the lovely reviews. I'm sorry this update took so long, but I was unsure which path I wanted to take about this chapter…I've changed it quite a few times.
A Light in the Dark
Chapter 3
Draco Malfoy watched as the Dark Lord whispered to the barely conscious Ginny Weasley through the dungeon cell bars. His knee began to ache from the prolonged period of kneeling. He shifted to ease the discomfort, but his father tightly grabbed his arm.
"Don't show the Dark Lord any weakness, Draco. You are a Malfoy."
"I apologize, father," he replied stiffly.
The Dark Lord was a bunch of crock to Draco, and he didn't see why it mattered if he kneeled or stood before the near dead….thing…who stood before him and his father. Draco barely feared Voldemort. His father was certainly a far worse evil in Draco's eyes.
"Don't touch me!" screamed a female voice, drawing Draco from his thoughts of treason.
Voldemort hissed in pain as the Weasley girl violently scratched and swatted at his half-decayed arm. Draco internally laughed. He saw the pain and anger in the Dark Lord's eyes. Hopefully it would leave a scar.
"You stupid child! You have no idea what you've done."
"Actually," replied Ginny as she warily sat up, "I'm pretty sure that I've just scratched your God-awful rotten arm."
Voldemort's eyes flashed at the girl before turning back to the father and son still kneeling before him. It was true. His arm was slowly decaying into nothing, as would the rest of his body if he did not take fast action…
"Lucius, get off your knees."
The elder Malfoy respectably obeyed his Master.
"You know of my plans, correct?"
"Yes, my Lord," replied Lucius.
Suddenly, a flash shone throughout the small area of the Malfoy Manor dungeons as the Dark Lord used an Unforgivable on Lucius. Draco unnoticeably winced at his father's pain, remembering the so familiar experience. It was just the Cruciatus, it wouldn't leave a scar. Hopefully some adverse mental side effects, on the other hand…
After a moment, Lucius quickly regained his composure. "My Lord, I apologize."
"Good, my servant. Now, have you any idea as to why I felt so compelled to inflict such wonderful pain on you?"
Lucius lightly pondered the question, reviewing the past events of the day. The Dark Lord should have only felt pleasure from his most loyal servant. "No, my Lord, but I indeed feel regret to any misfortune that I may have cause your Highness."
"You are truly pathetic, Lucius. At times I feel you unworthy to be at my side."
"No, my Lord, I am strong."
"Well I suppose I might as well stop beating around the bush, as they say. I hurt you because the bloody girl hurt me."
"I will make sure the little wench is punished for her misbehavior," replied Lucius, his eyes gleaming with raw anger and hatred for the girl in the cell.
At this, Draco looked towards the Littlest Weasel. She seemed calm, but on a second glance, Draco saw the worry, sadness, and touch of rage in her eyes. He was surprised that she did not seem the least bit frightened.
"No Lucius, I do not believe I have instructed you to do anything of the violent sort."
"What do you desire, my Lord?" replied Lucius, the exhaustion tugging at the corners of voice. Sometimes being the right hand man of the Dark Lord was too ambitious of an undertaking. Especially when the endless nights come around…
"Tonight is just a warning. I have a feeling that her outbursts will be frequent during her stay here. You will be responsible for her actions and their consequences. Keep this in mind Lucius; she is your new assignment."
Lucius tried to hide his slight shock, but failed. His son, who had been reservedly watching the scene playing out before him with a vaguely amused look on his face definitely noticed the ever so hidden change in his father's demeanor. In fact, he had to fight the urge to snort at the ridiculous actions and words of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Dead and his Right-Hand Fuck-Buddy.
Voldemort left after giving further instructions to Lucius in a whisper. Once again, the father and son pair kneeled at the exit of their Master.
Draco rolled his eyes at the ludicrous repetitive "reverence" for the half-dead man that swayed his barely present hips as he walked away. He would have sworn that his father's tongue darted out to moisten his lips in a most aroused way for just a split second, but the poor lad was a wee bit tired and couldn't quite trust his brain to process reality to a tee.
Immediately after the dungeon door slammed closed in its heavy wonder did Lucius jump to his feet in a furious rampage and barrage into the cell, hardly phasing the red head who had taken a sudden liking to the hem of her shirt.
"You filthy excuse of a pure blood wench!" he snarled, pulling her up to a full stance. He circled her carefully, stroking his wand in a controlled manner. It was obvious he wanted to curse her into oblivion.
Ginny bit her lip and stared at the ground during the assault. Draco almost felt a pang of guilt for her. She didn't really deserve any of this.
"How dare you touch the Dark Lord! You blood traitors have no right to even witness the majesty of the Dark Lord, and you go and dare to touch him," spat Lucius in a low baritone the would give Voldemort a chill.
He raised his hand in attempt to hit the poor girl who shivered in fear, only to find himself out of order of his instructions. Draco was surprised. He thought the girl was a goner for sure.
With a flourish of his robes, the elder Malfoy glided out of the cell, grabbing Draco and opening the heavy exit in a fluid motion.
"Behave yourself child. I trust you will begin to take your place."
Finding a sudden amount of courage and distaste for life as it was, Ginny confronted him.
"And so what if there is another one of my little out bursts? Will the big bad Dark Lord put little innocent Ginny out of her misery and give her the killing curse? Oh golly gee, that sure would be a terrible horrible thing, wouldn't it Malfoy? Ginny sure wouldn't want to die when she has so much to look forward to here!"
Her face paled at her words. She hadn't meant to say anything at all, really. The composed façade of Lucius Malfoy dropped as Ginny mocked him… and his precious Master. He snarled in a way that rivaled a bull. His eyes flashed deadly for a moment as he bore deep into her eyes with his. Ginny almost fainted at the feeling of terror that coursed through her soul.
Draco shuddered at the iron hold his father had on his arm. Damn the Weasel. She was making things worse. Didn't she know to just shut up and obey? His arm's circulation quickly returned as the presence of his father's vice grip left.
He saw his father walk right up to the Weasel and lower to her level, his face mere centimeters from hers.
"Heed my words, girl," snarled Lucius, the hatred vibrating off of his voice. "You will not disrespect your powerful elders in fear that they may do things to you worse than dying."
At this, Lucius whipped out his wand and violently poked it at the intersection of Ginny's neck and chin and harshly grabbed her right hip and pulled it towards him.
"Do you understand?"
The cold brutality of his voice hardened her heart in fear. Tears threatened to pour down her cheeks as she realized his implications. She would not cry.
"Answer me, girl!" Lucius deafeningly yelled in her left ear, causing her to cringe away in pain.
The tears that once threatened to cascade down her dirt-smudged face froze in their tracks. The dread that coursed through her soul was all too powerful.
"Y-yes," she stuttered, "I understand."
"Good. Get on your knees."
His request rapidly spun her out of her fearful reverie full throttle. What?
"Merlin, damn girl, do you hear anything I tell you?"
Ginny stared at him blankly, reprocessing his request, and, out of fear, obliged. However, once she kneeled on both knees before him, she noticed the familiar flourish of thick, expensive black robes. He had left.
He ushered Draco out of the door while yelling back at the confused girl. "You must stay in this position until I order you to do otherwise."
--
It had been what seemed like hours since Ginny was left in her solitary darkness when she finally realized the acute pangs of pain coursing through her lower body and protests of her sore knees. She shifted slightly, allowing her behind to rest on the legs bent in back of her. Her eyes drooped as exhaustion took over her delicate body. She desperately fought the fatigue until she could bear the heaviness of sleep no longer.
She allowed herself to succumb into a world in which she knew not what to expect.
--
Meanwhile, Draco, Lucius and Voldemort sat in the Malfoy study.
"Lucius, I know that I have given you the assignment of assuming responsibility of the girl, but it seems as though our members have developed complications in the North."
"I am sorry to hear this, my liege," replied Lucius with the hope of reassignment hidden in his mind.
"It is quite a travesty, but stupidity does come with the fallibility of being mortal. Isn't that right my boy?"
"Yes, Master," replied Draco without the slightest hint of the disgust he felt. He hated when Voldemort spoke to him. Despised it, really.
"What do you plan to do about the mistakes of my brethren, my Lord?" queried Lucius.
"Your impatience really has been irritating me as of late, Lucius."
"My deepest apologies."
Draco couldn't get the repeating thoughts in his mind to stop. His father could really be such a sap sometimes. Maybe he was supposed to marry Voldemort. It certainly would let his mother off the hook of being married to a complete prick who just so happened to think the Dark Lord was the shite. Then she would be able to run away from the monster she called a husband.
Voldemort stared at Lucius as if he were to scold him, but stopped. "I digress. I see it fit that you travel to meet them and save their sorry lives. I expect you to leave within the hour."
"I gladly accept this task, my Lord. However, I presume I will be gone for quite some time as I have heard of the dire problem my peers face at this time. How will I look after the Weasley girl?"
"You won't, Lucius. I have decided to make the girl Draco's second duty, seeing as how the first did not turn out as planned."
At this, Draco inwardly cringed. He remembered the months of torture that had followed his inability to kill the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
"I am truly excited to fill this role to the best of my abilities," replied Draco. This assignment would be nothing compared to killing someone.
"Good," hissed Voldemort. The evil in his red slits of eyes was obnoxiously present. The Dark Lord was scheming.
--
Back at Hogwarts, Gryffindor Tower seemed to be in an upheaval. Ron had gone completely mental. He raged to the Seventh Year Boy's dormitory with a pure intent of showing Harry what it was like to be unconscious. Ron's irrationality was to be expected though, and Hermione had braced herself for it.
"Ron, really. Harry has been through enough today. Let him rest!"
"No, 'Mione, I'm sure he's responsible for the condition my baby sister's in."
"Ron please!" screamed the concerned girl without any avail. Ron was long gone up the winding staircase to his rooms.
Upon arrival, Ron stealthily crept towards Harry's bed. Letting loose all of his rage, he tore his way through Harry's bed curtains, only to find that he was violently assaulting a pillow.
"Bloody hell, Harry!" shouted Ron as he read the note left behind on his friend's nightstand.
Ron and 'Mione,
I know that you wanted to come with me, but after what happened to Ginny…I figured I should do some things alone.
I will be back, hopefully not empty handed.
Love,
Harry
P.S. – 'Mione, I told you about those visions I was having….turns out they were Ginny's nightmares…I don't think Ginny's really unconscious. I saw her in a dungeon cell somewhere in a vision I just had. I know you'll figure something out.
Oh, and Ron…I'm sorry mate. I should have looked out for her more or something… I'll make sure she'll be alright.
--
Underneath his invisibility cloak, Harry felt safe - safe enough to stroll to the, dark untrodden depths of the Forbidden Forest.