Picking Up the Pieces Chapter Fourteen Awkward Moments with Voldemort and an Unexpected Visitor
Ron woke up the next morning--or at least he thought
it was morning. The glass ceiling showed the sky above
him, and it was a dusky red. He had slept horribly-
his back ached, and he felt a bruise forming on his
side where he'd fallen flat after being stunned.
He realized with a horrible shock that Draco was standing outside the cell.
"Watching me sleep, Malfoy?" Ron grunted, sitting up wearily.
"No, actually. I did make out with your little sister,
though." Draco said, looking at his fingernails with a
bored expression.
Ron snorted, closing his eyes to fight off a massive headache that was forming.
"Yeah, okay. Whatever."
"Ask her yourself."
Ron's head snapped up.
His face went instantly pale. Draco had unceremoniously pulled Ginny into view, in her pajamas, her hair messy and disheveled, and an absolutely miserable expression on her face.
"Go on, Weasley. Tell your brother what you thought of my stirring performance." Draco whispered in her ear.
Ginny grimaced, pushing against him.
He slammed her against the glass, Ron's cries of protest barely heard from within the glass encasement.
"Tell him." Draco hissed.
Ginny told him to do something very rude.
"Well, before I do THAT, I'll tell your dear brother.
You see, your little hero complex best friend left a
little blood behind in his daring escape from Malfoy
Manor. Blood that Snape and I happened to notice.
Blood that we used to make Polyjuice Potion. That's
right, Ronnie. I was your beloved Harry for a few
hours last night. And little Ginny here bought it...I
mean, we were practically rounding third base before
she figured it out." Draco smiled devilishly.
Ron was staring determinedly at the floor, trying to focus on the soft buzzing in his ears and tune out what Draco was saying.
"Look, Ginny, your brother doesn't even care. Maybe we should give him a live show?" Draco said, holding her upper arms tightly and crashing his mouth into hers in what could hardly be called a kiss.
The buzzing suddenly grew louder. Ron couldn't take it anymore.
"GET YOUR BLOODY HANDS OFF HER!" Ron stood up,
slamming his fists into the glass.
Draco laughed, releasing her and magically unlocking the cage, throwing Ginny in as if she weighed no more than a child.
She hit the floor next to Ron, swallowing a cry. Ginny had never felt more miserable or humiliated.
Ron was instantly at her side, helping her into a sitting position.
"Gin-" He said, feeling his voice choked. He couldn't stand to see her like this.
She suddenly hugged him tightly, like they hadn't done since they were young children.
"I'm so stupid, Ron. I'm so stupid." She cried into his shoulder.
Draco rolled his eyes, snickering and walking away,
"Gin, you are not stupid. Don't even think that." Ron said, stroking her hair.
She just cried harder, horrible, choking sobs that seemed painful.
"We're going to die, aren't we?" She finally managed to say.
"Do NOT even think that. We're not going to die." Ron said, doing his best to sound completely convinced of that.
"Harry can't save everyone, Ron."
"Harry and Hermione are two of the best wizards Hogwarts has ever HAD, they'll find us. And mum and dad will be looking, which means the whole ministry will be looking so...Gin, please don't cry." He said helplessly, as she swallowed a sob, forcing her bottom lip not to tremble.
"You're right. We're in this together...we'll be fine." She said shakily.
"Yeah. Whatever happens, I'm here with you." Ron said,
pulling her to his shoulder.
There was a long silence, as she started to regain her composure and stop crying.
"R-Ron?"
"Yeah?"
"I should've told you a long time ago...thank you."
"For what?"
She looked up at him with a tearful smile.
"For being the kind of older brother every girl wishes she had. For being one of my best friends. For not freaking out about me and Harry. For teaching me how to play Quidditch. For...I don't know, for everything."
Ron smiled, his ears slightly red.
"You're welcome. We'll get out of here, Gin. We will."
"I know we will." Ginny said softly, looking out the glass wall.
She looked down. All around them was complete blackness, as if they were floating. Above them, the sunset beat down on the glass, making it uncomfortably hot.
Harry and Hermione WILL find us, Ginny repeated to hersel.f.
Of course they would. The Boy Who Lived and the smartest girl to ever pass through Hogwarts would think of something.
She leaned against Ron's shoulder, and just listened to his steady breathing.
--
Kingsley Shacklebolt looked up from his desk, seeing Tonks walk through the door to the Auror's Offices.
"Tonks! Hey, Tonks-" He got up, jogging over to her.
She looked at him with an odd, detached expression.
"How'd it go with Snape?"
"I need to see Narcissa."
"Er...all right. Did you get Snape in custody?"
"Yes. He's in the holding cell next to hers."
"Really? I didn't see anyone new checked in."
"How about you just let me do my job?" She snapped.
Kingsley blinked. He couldn't remember her ever losing her temper with him.
"Is everything all right? That whole scene with you and Remus looked kind of..."
"I'm fine." She shrugged.
"All right...well, everyone else has basically gone home for the night. Just turn out the lights when you leave, all right?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Take care of yourself, okay?" Kingsley patted her shoulder, getting his jacket and going to leave.
She walked off to the holding cells. Kingsley watched her go, unable to shake the feeling something was off.
He followed her, waiting outside the door, listening.
"Mrs. Malfoy, you're coming with me."
"Where am I going?"
"Severus needs to see you."
Kingsley pushed the door open, shocked. Tonks was taking off Narcissa's restraints.
"Tonks, have you lost your mind? She's a high-security prisoner!"
Tonks looked at him for a long moment, that same vacant expression on her face.
"W-Where's Severus? You said he was in the next holding cell..." Kingsley looked around the room.
"Someday, you'll learn to mind your own damn business.
Sorry, Shacklebolt. Can't have awkward questions being
raised with the Ministry." Tonks said, taking out her
wand.
"What are you doing?" Kingsley was too shocked to even reach for his.
Before he could move another muscle-
"Avada Kedavra!" Tonks shouted, a blast of green light hitting him square in the chest.
He hit the ground, lifeless.
Narcissa looked at her, shocked.
"Perhaps I underestimated you." She said shakily.
"Perhaps everyone did. Let's go." Tonks took hold of her wrist.
--
Hermione and Harry sat in the wizarding library a few blocks from their hotel. Almost everything in Darkmoor was wizard-friendly. It was like the high-end Knockturn Alley, and Harry felt immensely uncomfortable. He had a feeling he wouldn't be too popular here.
"Harry, I've looked through this whole bloody library,
and there's nothing!" Hermione threw the next book
down, furious.
She got a very reprimanding look from the librarian and several "shhhs!" for her outburst.
"Hermione, we'll find it. Just check the rest of the books out, and we'll go over them at the hotel." Harry whispered, very much wanting to leave. More and more people who looked rather sketchy were watching them now.
Hermione buried her head in her hands.
"Did you write Ginny?" She asked, her words muffled.
"Yeah, I just sent it before I came. Told her about Ron. I can't even imagine what this is going to do to the Weasleys." Harry said softly.
"Maybe she'll think of something. we can do. Ginny's smart." Hermione looked rather manic when she lifted her head up, her brown curls wildly disarrayed, ink smudges on her cheeks from the book.
"Seriously, Hermione, let's just check these out. You
look exhausted, and I'm getting some very dirty looks.
It's not long before they start hexing me out of
here."
Hermione looked at her fellow patrons of the written word, who seemed to be all looking at Harry with looks of growing disgust and recognition.
"All right." She said a little nervously, gathering up her remaining pile of spellbooks.
--
"My lord, things are going uncommonly well at the moment." Severus said.
Voldemort had to admire the fact that he was the only Death Eater who seemed completely unflappable in his presence.
"Oh really, Severus? And why is that?"
"Draco and I have gained custody of Ron Weasley,
Potter's best friend, and Ginny Weasley, Potter's
girlfriend." Severus said with a cruel smile.
Voldemort's inhuman face twisted into something resembling a smile as well.
"Very good, Severus."
"And I've also acquired one Nymphadora Tonks, a Ministry Auror. She has already proved useful under the Imperius Curse."
"How so?"
"I've retrieved Narcissa Malfoy from Ministry custody."
Voldemort's expression darkened slightly.
"What possible use could Lucius' wife be? Get Lucius out of prison if you're going to get anyone."
"I'm working on that, my lord."
Voldemort looked at him for a long moment, trying with every Leglimens skill he possessed to see if Severus was lying. But, as usual, Severus' mind was maddeningly impenetrable.
"Very well. Is Narcissa here?"
"Yes."
"Bring her in."
Severus nodded, exiting the large, ornate room for a moment.
He re-entered with Narcissa at his side, looking exhausted but beautiful as ever.
She fell to her knees in Voldemort's presence.
"My Lord, it is an honor."
"Rise, Narcissa. Let me look at you."
She obeyed, shaking her long sheet of blond hair back.
Voldemort noticed Snape's eyes rest on her for a
moment longer than necessary as she rose. Just a few
seconds, but long enough to cause him to notice.
Voldemort found this amusing.
"It's good to see you again, Mrs. Malfoy. I assume you'll be assisting Severus in his effort against Harry Potter?"
"I will do anything the Dark Lord requests." She said,
looking subserviently at the ground.
"Well, that's what I like to hear." Voldemort smiled slightly, folding his thin fingers together.
Severus and Narcissa stood there, Snape looking up as if awaiting further instructions.
"Continue your search for the Horcruxes, Severus. I'm sure Narcissa and Draco will assist you. Rather a family affair, isn't it?"
Narcissa froze for a moment.
"You know, mother and son." Voldemort said casually,
fascinated by how strange they were acting.
"Actually, my lord-" Severus stepped forward.
"Yes?" Voldemort replied, his eyebrows raised.
"May I offer a suggestion?"
"Of course, Severus. I hold your opinion in the highest regard."
Snape looked at Narcissa for a brief instant.
"Well, I actually can't take all the credit for this."
"Do continue."
Severus took a small breath.
"Very well."
--
Mr. Weasley woke up the next morning to a blood curdling scream.
He raced down the stairs in his boxers and robe,
flustered.
His wife was sitting on the kitchen floor, crying like a little girl.
"Molly, darling, what is it? What's wrong?"
She didn't answer, pointing a trembling finger at the clock.
There were now two clock hands pointed at MORTAL PERIL.
Arthur's face paled, and he felt his knees start to shake uncontrollably.
"Ginny? GINNY?" He raced back up the stairs to his only daughter's room, throwing the door open.
It was empty, and her window was open.
"GINNY?" He raced all around the house, refusing to believe this was possible.
Their house was supposed to be so well-protected, no one could have gotten in without being allowed to enter, this was impossible...
All during his search, he tried not to listen to Mrs.
Weasley's cries.
When he had searched the entire house, he collapsed into the kitchen chair, feeling utterly helpless. He could barely even hear Molly ask him what they were going to do. He was soaked in sweat, and his heart seemed to be pounding unnaturally fast.
His little girl was gone.
--
Harry and Hermione entered the hotel through the glass doors, Hermione falling into the lobby's couch as Harry took their coats to the rack.
The wizard at the front desk looked up at them.
"Excuse me, sir?"
Harry turned to the man.
"Yes?"
"I showed your guest up to your room." The man said.
Hermione and Harry looked at each other, puzzled. They both seemed to be thinking the same thing. Some dark wizard had discovered they were here. Possibly the man at the front desk was a spy of some sort.
Hermione nervously picked up her books.
"Thank you." She said to the man at the front desk with a false smile on her face.
She and Harry stepped onto the lift, riding up to their room on the fourth floor.
"Harry, should we even see who it is? Should we just run for it?"
"What if it's Ron?"
"Harry, if it was Ron, he'd have no way of finding us."
"I have to check. You stay here."
"You're not leaving me alone in this place!" Hermione hissed, struggling with her huge stack of books.
"Fine. Come with me. Put those books down...get your wand out." Harry hissed as they made their way quietly down the hallway.
She complied, and Harry pulled out his wand as well.
He put the ancient key in the ornately decorated lock,
turning it cautiously.
The door to their room swung open, revealing the star-lit living room. Night had fallen outside.
In the twilight darkness, they saw a figure sitting next to the fire place, warming their hands.
It was a man's build. He turned to look at the door upon their entrance.
Harry and Hermione's wands clattered to the floor in shock.
"This place was as cold as a tomb. Hope you don't mind I put a fire on." Sirius Black said, grinning.
--
A/N- Yes, my friends, that's right! Black is back!
With an explanation, I promise. Keep reading--it's
coming next chapter. As is Snape and Narcissa trying
to navigate an office romance with their kid
constantly around, the murder in the Auror office
bringing up some questions from Scrimgeour, Lupin
finding out his ex-girlfriend has apparently lost her
mind, and Ron and Ginny playing "20 Questions" during
all their free time. Just kidding on that last one.
Kinda.