Disclaimer: I own neither Draco, Ginny, Hermione, Luna nor the Malfoy Manor. Xavier, the mausoleum and the 'creepy old guy' are all mine. :)
A/N: Second to last chapter. We're almost done, people!
Above and Beyond
Chapter 13a
……
"Ginny! Ginny? How are you feeling?"
A face swam in and out of Ginny's line of vision and her head felt woozy.
Why was she lying on the floor? The bushy headed face looked worried. Funny, but Ginny couldn't figure out what she was worried about. A pair of strong arms encircled her and lifted her off the floor. Weaving her hands around whomever it was the arms belonged to, Ginny settled against his chest for the ride. It was a rather nice chest, one she could get used to lying on. She could hear the thump thump of his heart and smell his cologne. It was a very nice, very expensive smelling cologne.
A blond haired face hovered somewhere above her and Ginny gazed up at the hard jaw line and porcelain skin. Who the devil was carrying her? She decided it didn't matter since she felt safer than she had in a long time. Grey eyes snapped down to meet hers and Ginny stared at the hand she hadn't noticed was tracing his cheek. Grey, she mused, was her new favourite colour.
Even though she was befuddled, Ginny detected a flash of something behind those granite orbs and felt a shiver of delight run through her. A moment later, however, she was being dumped unceremoniously on a soft bed and fussed over. She lamented the loss of her comfy chest and shoulder, but closed her eyes for a dreamless sleep.
……
When Ginny awoke, it was dusk outside. The sun was casting its last dying rays over the land like a fisherman casts a last desperate net. Her mind struggled to remember details of the past month, but all she found was an empty blank. She registered where she was in the dim light, a bedroom at Malfoy manor—not hers, this one was much too ostentatious. She began to panic as more and more facts eluded her. Unhelpfully, her mind strayed back to her first year at Hogwarts, the last time she forgot whole time periods, and her panicking escalated.
She took deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down and reached for her wand. It wasn't on the bedside table where she usually kept it and her mind faltered for a moment in the deep breathing exercises. She looked around the room. She could make out faint outlines of a chair, a desk, a fireplace, a bookcase and someone leaning against it. Her heart leapt into her throat and she fought not to scream.
It's probably just Malfoy, she told herself.
But why was he here in this room?
Unless it's his room.
Ginny didn't even want to think about the possibilities of why she would be in Draco Malfoy's bedroom of all places. She couldn't even dredge up an iota of disgust at the thought. The silk sheets felt heavenly against he bare legs—why were her legs bare? A quick check revealed that she was clad in an oversized button down shirt. She didn't think about who had dressed her, suppressing a shiver of delight at the notion that it had been Draco. What was wrong with her?
"You're awake."
Ginny jumped. She hadn't noticed he was watching her. She hadn't even known he was awake, as immobile as he seemed leaning against the bookcase. She nodded in his direction, realized he couldn't see her and mumbled,
"Yes, I am."
Her voice was raspy as if she hadn't spoken for a while.
"How long have I been out and what happened?"
"You don't remember?"
There was a note of incredulity in his voice. Just what had they done that she was supposed to remember?
"No, Malfoy, obviously I don't." Her tone was impatient.
"You've only been sleeping for a couple of hours, until the potion wore off."
Ginny frowned.
"What potion?"
She could sense him rolling his eyes.
"I suggest you get dressed and talk to Granger and Lovegood instead of me. You'll probably be wanting to chuck stuff at my head and I've had enough of a headache planning this ball and saving your arse."
Ginny stared, bewildered, at him as he crossed the room in three quick strides and opened the door.
'Hurry up, Ginny; we've got a lot to do."
He was gone before she could ponder the cryptic statement and she crawled out of the comfortable bed to what she hoped was the bathroom. She had pressing needs to attend to.
Fifteen minutes later, after finding a pair of shorts to go with the oversized shirt, Ginny found her way to the library. There was a fire roaring in the hearth and it gave light and warmth to an otherwise dreary room. She lifted a hand, almost drowned in too long sleeves, to rub at her tired eyes.
Gods, doesn't anyone in this house have a decent Pepper Up potion?
Not that Ginny was particularly fond of the vile stuff (she'd rather not have steam coming out of her ears, thank you very much) but she was in serious need of some kind of stimulant.
Her hair, she had discovered, resembled a rat's nest. Couple hours, my arse, she thought about Malfoy's remark. She had been out for much longer. What was he trying to do? Spare her delicate Gryffindor feelings? Ginny snorted.
Even though the red mop was cut short, it still managed to tangle itself into an unruly mass of curls. She didn't even bother trying to charm it right. Her top priority right now was finding out what happened to the last month of her life. And by golly, Malfoy better not have anything to do with it or his stint in Azkaban would be looking like a penthouse in Milan by the time she was done with this place.
Pausing by the door, she chose to observe the scene. She saw the heads of her two best friends—Luna and Hermione—sitting on the couch before her gaze flickered over to the man standing next to them. Ginny was suddenly accosted by the sheer feline grace and masculinity practically rolling off the man in waves. Why had she never before realized just how attractive Draco Malfoy was?
Probably because she had been sane then.
What was the matter with her now? Fancying her employer was not in the job description. Ignoring him determinedly, she walked into the room over to the couch where Hermione and Luna sat. Immediately they began fussing over her.
"Gin! Are you okay?" The bushy haired witch gushed with concern over her friend.
Luna peered at her keenly, misty eyes searching for whatever lay beneath the surface.
"Yeah, Hermione, I'm fine. Just a bit disoriented, that's all." And I can't remember what happened over the last four weeks.
Hermione continued to look worried. Luna sat back and stared at Draco instead.
"What happened?" Ginny asked.
Hermione's eyes darted to Draco before leaned forward to speak quietly, all business.
"Someone poisoned you, Gin—Dark Magic strength. It was a combination of an Imperius and a love potion. It was fairly harmless because it let you to go on with your daily life except it made one person to dominate and infiltrate your thoughts.
"Even Malfoy had a hard time figuring out what the enchantment was and he's the best at Potions I've seen since Severus. It turned out it was completely new, someone made it up. The person's lethal, Gin. I mean if he can outwit Malfoy, who knows what else he can accomplish." Hermione hadn't even paused for breath.
Ginny was having a hard time accepting all this information. She analysed it bits at a time. "So I got Imperiused by some wanker with a crush on me?" she asked, confused.
Hermione shook her head. "You were poisoned by a very dangerous wizard with a hidden agenda. He's after something and he's using you to get at it."
"What's the last thing you remember?" Draco asked suddenly.
Ginny shook her head like a dog trying to get water out of its ears, her red hair brushing the side of her face.
"I remember having dinner with Erin," her voice faltered. "He offered to get us drinks at some Muggle club with techno music blaring…"
She trailed off, looking at Draco stricken. He looked furious, and tired. She could see dark circles under his eyes, the evidence of sleepless nights' strain. She winced, thinking that it was all her fault they were in this situation. She had not only put herself at risk, but the children as well. What good was she if she was this easily dissuaded from her job? She couldn't protect four orphans even with the vast resources at Malfoy's disposal.
Well, at least someone was using the vast resources for a good reason.
Career dilemmas aside, Ginny had to focus on how to go about protecting the children from imminent danger. Now that she had her wits about her, thanks to Draco, she needed to plot a course of action to save the orphans and catch the nutters behind this elaborate scheme.
Draco was still angry. She cocked up, she knew, but she was willing to try to put things right. Was it enough?
"It was Erin," she said finally with total conviction.
Luna's eyes pinned Ginny with an inscrutable look. Hermione wrung her hands; she really was going t have to work on her friend's nervous habits.
"Oh, Gin," the brunette said worriedly "Are you sure?"
Ginny nodded, her gaze never leaving Draco. He seemed to withdraw behind a façade of indifference. Ginny shook her head and muttered to herself. She couldn't remember exactly what she had done, but it was evident she did something to piss him off greatly.
"We need a plan," she said confidently.
Draco's eyes snapped to hers, an emotion she couldn't identify sparking to life within the steely grey orbs. Luna nodded slowly, but her attention was beginning to drift. Hermione, perched on the edge of her seat, looked as if she was perched on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Ginny was going to leave them out of this.
"Why don't you go on home? Hermione, Ron'll be worried; tell him I'm alright. Luna, I think its time for one of your nights on the town."
The witches stood immediately, understanding why they were being asked to leave. Hermione fixed Draco with a warning look as she passed. Luna patted the top of his blonde head and murmured absent-mindedly,
"Take good care of her, Draco."
Ginny had to stifle a smile at the bewildered look on Draco's face. There was nothing to laugh about in their situation.
"How're the children?" Ginny asked without delay.
Draco looked surprised. That I remembered them or that I'm asking? Ginny wondered.
"They're excellent," he said with the trace of a smile. "Belle's brilliant, a Ravenclaw with Slytherin tendencies, her Malfoy traits can't help but shine through her cleverness. The twins have grown rather attached to my mother, to the point where she's the only one who can put them to bed and get them to bathe without any fuss." He gave a small smile.
Ginny smiled nervously in return.
Oh, this was ridiculous. She was a grown woman, a trained Hit Witch, and the possessor of cool under fire. Yet here she stood, ten feet away from her employer in his sitting room, with sweaty palms and a speeded up pulse. She must be suffering after effects of that nasty poison, yes that was definitely it.
"You have a plan," Draco pointed out.
She nodded.
"It's rather simple. We continue with everything as planned but instead of me helping the git, I trap him and any accomplices who might be here with him."
Draco snorted. Ginny glared at him.
"That's a very Gryffindor plan," he said dryly.
"Well, if the Prince of Slytherin can come up with a better one, he should do it right now."
Ginny was losing her patience with his snide remarks. If he thought her plan was rash, then fine, but if he couldn't come up with another one, then he should just shut his fat mouth then. She opened her mouth to tell him so but he cut her off.
"We should have some accomplices of our own. And I don't want the children to be present. We'll Polyjuice some persons into the twins and Belle, Lucas doesn't have to be there so that'll be fine."
Ginny said nothing, staring at the wizard in front of her. He was actually considering the risk to the children. This was not the same man who got stuck with four orphans four months ago. Draco had grown to care for the children, she realized and some part of her was sad that she hadn't been around to see it happen.
"Alright," she agreed, "Accomplices it is then. We'll need people we can trust, I can compile a list. Any suggestions on whom to Polyjuice into Belle, Addie and Adan?"
"The house elves will do fine. It's not like they'll be checking for enchantments, so they'll have to do."
Ginny nodded again. This might actually work. They had twenty four hours to make the necessary arrangements, Draco would Floo his friends and Ginny would Floo hers to inform them of the plan. The house elves would be told of the plans and Narcissa would take the children to the Malfoy safe house on the continent. Draco and Ginny talked into the early hours of the morning, exhausting their voices finalizing plans before making it back up to their bedrooms.
"I want to see them," Ginny said quietly as they passed the twins' rooms.
Draco nodded and gestured her to the opposing doors. Ginny pushed open Adan's first and walked quietly over to his small bed. Kneeling by the side, she inhaled as she looked at him. His sister, Adelaide, was curled up next to him in a ball and he had one arm thrown over her protectively. Ginny smiled a watery smile. The moonlight from the glass window shone on them both making their strawberry blonde hair look similar to Draco's in the near darkness of the room.
Ginny sighed and reached out a hand to brush stray tendrils of hair away from Adan's forehead. Her hand lingered a moment and trembled above his face. Delicately, she traced his nose and cheekbones observing the childish roundness of his features. Already he looked like Draco though without the pointy features his guardian had grown out of.
Ginny felt tears gathering and wondered why she would cry now, when the burden of the situation should have settled awkwardly on her shoulders. Why should she cry now, safely ensconced in a child's room where no evil should ever venture? Yet the tears fell freely. She withdrew her hand from Adan's face and hastily swiped at the offending moisture. Draco was at her side in an instant. His arms curled around her waist, pulling her from the room before her sobs awoke the children.
"I'm sorry," she said tearfully, "I'm not a crier really."
"You'd better not be, in your line of work," he said gruffly.
Ginny was leaning against a wall and Draco stood in the middle of the hallway watching her. It reminded her of another time, when their roles were reversed and Draco had been coming home drunk from some social function or the other. Her lips twitched at the sides and she wiped the residue teardrops from her face.
"I'm okay now," she said quietly.
Draco nodded brusquely.
"You can find your way back, right?" he asked, more out of courtesy than anything else. Ginny knew the way to her room better than she knew her way around the Burrow's garden. It was unsettling how easily she'd acclimated to living at the Manor.
"Yes, Draco, I know my way," she said, suddenly upset with him. She'd rather walk back to her room on her own now.
"Good." And without another word, the heir of the Malfoy fortune turned on his heel and left her standing in the half lit corridor.
……
The dank odour of rotting corpses permeated the air the men were forced to breathe. Regardless of their background one thought was common to all their minds: Why does this powerful man choose the filthiest places to hold court?
A low hiss came from a cauldron simmering gently atop the oldest marble tomb in the mausoleum. The marble was chipped in places but still retained its vanity, much like the wizard commanding this disloyal band of merry gentlemen. The potion within frothed a deep mauve and emitted orange sparks. The wizards closest muttered and swished their robes around but didn't move away from it.
Growing impatient and restless, the group stamped their feet and the sound of their whispers increased and carried across the heavy night air. One man stood apart in the shadows gleefully enthralled with his thoughts.
Erin Xavier was a happy man. Erin Xavier had a reason to be happy for the first time in the ten years since he had been released from wizard prison. This reason was a red headed witch that Erin had manipulated and controlled and who would play a great part in the execution of the Master's grand plan. Truthfully, Erin didn't care much for the master or his grand plan, but he was being given the opportunity to use his Potions skill again and that was incentive enough.
Erin resisted the urge to rub his hands together in nefarious delight. He would have something positive to report to the Master. The witch was right where he wanted her; giddy in love with him and willing, nay eager, to do anything he asked her to. When he told her to hand over the orphans she was so preciously safeguarding, she wouldn't even think twice. Such was the extent of the potion's power and Erin put great stock into his work.
There was no known antidote because it wasn't a known potion and he felt confident that no one else would even discover something was amiss. She spent all her time holed up at the Manor anyway and it wasn't likely that Malfoy would be concerned with such a chit, employee or no. Oh yes, Erin did his homework. He knew Malfoy didn't care for Weasleys and that the feeling was mutual. The enmity between their families was evident if you looked carefully enough.
That was why his plan was flawless. The Malfoy wouldn't find out something was amiss with the weasel if he didn't like her, would he? He could see the title of the Daily Prophet now: Erin Xavier, The Biggest Baddest Second-In-Command Since Lucius Malfoy. Well, perhaps not the Daily Prophet, as he rather thought that type of news escaped the front page more often than not. But he was confident that the rumours would spread soon enough. All his hard work was paying off.
A chill descended as the anticipated presence bore into the room. The leader of this ban of outlaws strode to the centre of the tomb with all the grace of an ancient reptile. Silence descended but the air was thick with hesitation and resentment for their adverse situation.
A throat cleared. A cat mewed. A raspy voice spoke.
"Comrades, we have gathered to implement the final phase of our movement. We will triumph at last!"
The men shifted restlessly, avoiding each other's eyes. Most of them had heard similar declarations from the Dark Lord before the final battle. Many wondered if pride would go before the old wizard's inevitable fall. As if sensing the reticence, he spoke again.
"The witch is under our control," he said, ploughing on determinedly, "And all that remains is to transport the orphans to this tomb. Once here, the sacrifices will be made and the New World Order will commence. It will be the day we have fought for, comrades, and each of you will have had a hand in revolutionizing the Wizarding World!"
A few slight coughs could be heard. Now that the hour of reckoning was at hand, many seemed unwilling to go through with the ritual involving the spilling of innocent blood. Not all were comfortable with 'revolutionizing the Wizarding world either'. Some were content with it just the way it was. Who was this man anyway? Where had he suddenly sprung from?
"The siege will begin at the stroke of eleven. This leaves enough time for the necessary preparations. Make the most of your last hours as common folk, for you will be common no longer. It is the time for a new dawn and we will greet it warmly. Disperse with you! Xavier, a word."
Amidst the pops of Disapparition, the man walked forward. His once unkempt hair now hung gleamingly around his shoulders and his eyes though retaining their shrewdness, glittered with a hidden life.
"All goes well." It was a statement, not a question.
"All proceeds as planned, my liege." The reply was delivered with no small hint of self satisfaction.
Harsh lips rose in a cruel smile. He waved a hand impatiently and Xavier too disappeared. Stroking the elegant feline behind his ears, the lone ageing wizard stared at the desolate greyness of his entombment.
A/N: Review, please! I'm toying with the idea of posting an epilogue, but I'm not sure yet. Let me know your opinions.