THE PERFECT STORY
by shiningbright

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. JK Rowling is old enough to drive! I am not (...sob...) so therefore there is no way I am her! Therefore I do not OWN Harry Potter! (...sob...)

A/N: You have no idea what a relief it was to be able to write this chapter in less than two days. The last few chapters have been bumpy and shamingly I did wonder why I wasn't just deleting the story altogether. As you can see, it is still here. I promised before and I will promise again- the story must go on! Despite writers' block, despite Ginny turning on Draco, despite the fact that Draco and Ginny will NEVER get together in the actual books. Lol. Anyway, I am proud to announce the namesake of thisstory, chapter seventeen!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE PERFECT STORY

Ginny was exhausted as she gingerly sat the lengthy roll of parchment onto her boss's desk. It was seven o'clock in the morning, and already editors and journalists were arriving to work. Ginny slumped into her desk chair, practically dozing off as she began her daily morning routine, reading yesterday's paper and jotting down the topics they circled. It had been a habit she'd started when she had witnessed Davison (her boss) doing the exact same thing. She had hoped to use it as a tool to get a promotion.

As she flipped open the section on weather and recent deaths (somehow the two always managed to get near each other), a hand grabbed her shoulder. Flipping around, Ginny stared up into the face of the Asst. Editor, Luke Lawson. "Ginny Weasley?" he asked incredulously. "You wrote this?" He shoved her parchment she had labored over for so long during the night into her face.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah," she said groggily. "I finished it about an hour or so ago."

"You have no idea what a fine piece of work this is!" shrieked Lawson. "I'll put in a good word for you to Davison. Meanwhile, this article is making front page."

"Front page?" Ginny asked. "You don't mean it."

"Of course I do. Especially now that Malfoy is in custody… Exactly what Shacklebolt was looking for! Not that he was looking for anything, of course…" Lawson murmured absentmindedly. "Ginny. Ginny Weasley. Wow! And to think before I never knew your name, but for those silly two-paragraph articles on the whereabouts of hardly threatening Death Eaters! Wait till Davison sees this… And, of course, you'll get a good amount of gold for this article- a bonus… And a pay raise too! And I'd be surprised if Davison didn't promote you! Finally…We may sell more papers…"

"You've got to be joking," chuckled a nonchalant voice a mere five feet away. Ginny glared into the eyes of Dennis Rockwell, her colleague. "Preposterous, really! A pay raise for someone who's been gone two weeks! Bah."

"Ah, but see here, Dennis," growled Lawson, "Ginny was kidnapped and witnessed far more terrible things then we dare write about. And she produced a story from such an awful experience! Front page worthy! Far better than your lengthy, repetitive gardening tips!" Lawson straightened his hat. "I am going to show Davison, the editor, your boss, this paper. Ms. Weasley, more stories like this and I can see you being head reporter by the end of this month!"

Lawson hurried off down the hall. Ginny turned to Dennis, beaming. "Ha. Lockhart wannabe."

Dennis simply rolled his eyes and left the room.

Feeling slightly more awake, Ginny stood, stretched, then hurried to the lounge. After making a nice cup of coffee, she sank down into the armchair, sipping the hot drink. She couldn't believe it. All these months trying to get a promotion. She ought to thank Draco for his part in it…


"…He was killed brutally and painfully. Of course, once the Dark Lord had gone, all of us were very, very angry. And Potty-Head was the thing with which to take our anger out on." Bellatrix paused, as though enjoying a rather pleasant memory. "He screamed your name as we tortured them, did you know that? He cried like a baby…"

A tear threatened to slip down Ginny's face at the monster's words, but she held steady, as emotionless as a stone.

"Of course, Potty is human, and only lasted so long. Eventually, his strength gave out and the game had to end. But like I said, I never got the chance to dispose of him." Bellatrix glanced over at Draco in the window. "Why don't you tell her who did, Draco?"

Malfoy stood rigidly, his body twitching as he watched the ongoing battle below.

"Draco? Well?" Bellatrix continued dryly, her impatience becoming obvious as her face turned a deep shade of violet. "Tell her! Now."

Malfoy didn't acknowledge his aunt whatsoever.

"Boy, you listen to me-"

"Get away from me, Aunt Bellatrix," Draco snarled, flipping around, his face contorted with rage. "Leave me alone! I should've listened to Weasley earlier! You are evil for making me what I am!"

Bellatrix lowered her eyes, fuming. Ginny sat up in her chair, still weak from the curse. Draco took a step back, his hand burrowed in his robes. Bellatrix ripped out her wand.

"For your disobedience you shall pay!" the woman shouted, flicking her wand at Malfoy. Draco blocked it lazily with his own wand. The jet of eerie purple light ricocheted off of Draco's shield and knocked out a Death Eater guarding the door.

"You may have killed everything I love," Draco spluttered angrily, pointing his wand at Bellatrix's chest. "But I will no longer allow you to force me to do your dirty work!"

Bellatrix smiled softly, her heavily lidded eyes lighting up. "Well, my dear nephew, say good-bye to your mother."

Draco jumped back. "No."

"Yes, Draco, dear, say bye." Bellatrix Black smiled even wider, revealing yellowed teeth.

"Ginny!"

"Ginny!"

"Ginny! Wake up!"

"Wha-, oh, what's going on?" Ginny opened her eyes groggily, staring up into the face of Davison, her boss. She spotted a clock in the corner. Two o'clock… "Oh no! I must have dozed off, Sir! I'm sorry, really!"

"Ginny, Ginny, calm down," Davison smiled. "It's okay. I read your article."

"You- you did?" Ginny asked nervously. "Oh…what did you-er, um, think?"

"It was the best piece of work I've read all year, my dear! Truly the perfect story!" Davison grinned. "We're selling loads of papers already! Everyone wants to read how cruel that evil boy was to an innocent muggle girl… Poor, poor Martha…"

"What do you mean, 'we're selling loads of papers already'?" Ginny demanded. "Bloody hell- you mean to say you've already published it?"

"Of course. It was so good we wanted it out immediately!" Davison answered. "Is anything wrong?"

"No…No…Of course not…" Ginny murmured softly. The dream was still fresh in hermind and Draco's voice seemed to ricochet around her skull. 'I will no longer allow you to force me to do your dirty work!'

"Yes," she said suddenly, changing her mind. "Merlin! Something is terribly wrong!"

"Whatever is the matter, Ginny?" Davison asked with concern. Ginny stood, hands groping in her pockets. "Haven't you heard? You've been promoted. You're the head journalist now. You cover all the top stories; you no longer have that cramped little cubicle! You get your own office… What is wrong?"

Ginny pulled out her wand and accio'd her jacket and bag. "I must go… I have made a terrible mistake…"

"Mistake? You're the best journalist in all of England! Tell me how that is a mistake!" retorted Davison, clearly insulted.

"I know, but it was all a lie… Draco was blackmailed! Bellatrix forced him to kill Harry! It isn't his fault after all!" Ginny smiled as she ran out the door, Davison calling out to her. "What do you mean, blackmailed? He's a bloody killer!"

shiningbright