Of Stitches and Stalking

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Any characters, places, names, and things you recognize are not mine. The plot and characters unknown are mine.

-Chapter Four -

He was sitting there when she arrived on Monday for lunch. There was a folder in his left hand, which was free from stitches and completely healed and a cup of tea on the table. He seemed completely absorbed in the folder as she stopped in front of him and looked down at him.

"What?" He asked, eyes not leaving the page he was reading.

"Malfoy, why are you here again?" She asked annoyed.

"I like the tea and the chicken salad croissant is delicious," He replied, peering up at her almost warily.

"You're not here to stalk me?" She asked and he snorted.

"Why would I do that?" He replied, flipping through the pages. "You've made it quite clear that you don't want to go home. I'm simply enjoying my lunch break away from the ministry."

She made a noise of disbelief and sank into the seat across from him. He returned to reading and she observed him warily.

"Would you stop staring," He said before snapping the folder shut, "It's rather rude."

The redhead was caught off guard. His behavior had done an almost complete 180. What the hell was he playing at?

"Sorry," She muttered before flagging the waiter down and ordering her 'usual' and turning to the blond who now stared at her.

An amused expression crossed onto her features as he scanned her face with scrutiny.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," He said and she snorted in a very unladylike manner.

"You burst into my life all of a sudden and have me worried that you've told my family where to find me. I keep expecting them to burst right into my house at any given time," She said wryly.

"I haven't." He replied and she looked at him curiously, "Why should I?"

"To repay a debt," She retorted.

"Your mum saved my life. My aunt was set on killing me for betraying them. Your mum marched into the fray and started in on Aunt Bella. I've never seen anything more bloody frightening than your mum," He said and smiled faintly, "She was right there when my mother's body was found. Your mum… your family… doesn't see what they did for me then. Arthur has told me I was nonsensical over this owing a debt thing. He's the only person that knows I still actively search for you."

"The sins of the father shouldn't be place upon the shoulders of the son," She said, "I remember going home for Christmas that year and fighting with my parents. Do you… do you remember how you saved me from detention with the Carrows?"

His lips curled into a sad smile, "I only did it for Potter, you know, and I hated doing so. Trying to protect you so he could continue on… and weren't you a right bloody pain in the arse."

She flashed him a grin, "You weren't easy to deal with yourself, Malfoy."

"No. I suppose not," He replied and she laughed.

Their meals were brought out to them and they ate in silence with the occasional story being told by Draco about her family. He told her about Teddy Lupin pretending to be Victoire and the eight year old had nearly beat him to a pulp. He talked about the rest of Bill and Fleur's spawn – Louis and Dominique. Little stories about the children and moments he'd had with Bill.

She pretended not to care. He nearly believed her indifference except that there was a glint in her eyes that he recalled seeing in Molly's eyes when they first discovered Ginny was missing. The kind of glint that let a person know there was a deep ache in the owner's heart and a sort of emptiness in their soul. On that had often been reflected in his eyes as a student. He watched her carefully as he prattled on in a very un-Malfoy like manner watching her expertly schooled facial features.

Once he finished telling her about Victoire stealing Teddy's toy broomstick and taking it out for a ride without anyone knowing, he paid for their lunch – even though she fought him on it – and she stood rather annoyed.

That's how it went for the rest of the week until Friday. Lunch was on Malfoy, who talked incessantly about her family. They both knew it was a dirty underhanded scheme, trying to bribe her back by talking about the things she's missed out on. Ginny wasn't sure why she went there for lunch every day at the same time, but she did. She couldn't help herself.

But Friday is what changed things.

Friday he didn't show. It rained – quite hard – and Ginny ate her chicken salad croissant inside. She took her tea to go and disappointedly began her trek to the bus station, thankful she had only a half shift for work today. Draco had been caught up with reporting to Gawain, who had sat down and told him that he was retiring and asked the blonde if he was interested in being the next Head of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Sir, I would like to finish my last case, if that's okay," Draco told him, "This Parkinson case is really getting to me."

"I understand. Think it over this weekend and let me know on Monday," Gawain said and Draco nodded.

"Alright," He said before glancing at the clock.

Ginny was leaving the café when he strolled out of the alleyway across from their lunch destination. The dejected look on her face caused him to pause and just as he was about to call out to her, Parkinson stepped out from the shadows between the café and the shop next door. His heart stopped.

The words got stuck in his throat. Panic gripped at him as he watched them converse. He started running at that moment. Shaking the hysteria away. Malfoys did not panic. Aurors could not afford to do so either. He was both. It was at that moment the light on the corner turned green and a large red triple decker bus obscured his vision. Once traffic cleared, Ginny and the cloaked figure were nowhere to be found.

He disapparated without any regards to anyone who could be looking.

- Break -

Malfoy Manor had been relatively uninhabited for some time. Draco only visited when he needed something pertaining to a case. His father's belongings, books, notes, and journals usually pertained important details which had helped him solve cases in the past. He only hoped that the miserable bastard had some key to her location.

Ginny was missing. He knew Parkinson had taken her. He only hoped that the former Death Eater only thought she was a muggle. Merlin knew he would be in some trouble if it was otherwise.

The albino peacocks had long since died and the land around it had gone to hell. Malfoy manor was no longer tamed and regally beautiful. It was now a wild, uninhabitable land with feral beauty. It was imposing and eerie. The air was silent save for the calls of the raven in the trees.

The front door opened with a creak as he stepped into the place which was covered with inches of dust. He wrinkled his nose as he walked through the foyer. It was silent. The kind of silence that occurs when something is amiss. He pulled his wand out and held it before him.

Outside thunder rolled overhead before rain began pelting the old manor. He knew at that moment this was what he had missed. Parkinson had been his father's cousin. He had Malfoy blood and therefore could access this house still without setting off the failing wards.

What a fool he had been for neglecting this dark manor.

"Time to finish airing the family skeleton closet," Draco muttered to himself as he headed upstairs after disillusioning and silencing himself.

He crept through the house, avoiding the spots he knew creaked and groaned. He heard voices in the left wing of the second story. One sounded very much like Parkinson. The other was female and her cries set his heart aflame.

"-know who you are," Parkinson was saying and Draco's heart pounded in his chest as he crept closer to the door of his former bedroom.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" She shouted back and a dull 'thud' echoed through the manor.

"Lying snake! Filthy muggle bitch!"

Ginny's cries ceased and Draco peered into the room before tucking his wand into his sleeve. It looked as it had before he left for Auror school. Green and silver decorated with Slytherin emblems and Quidditch posters. He slid into the room and into the half open closet door and waited for Parkinson to leave. Ginny was crumpled in a heap on his former bed, her hands and feet bound. She looked unconscious on top of the silken black bedding.

Anger and panic filled his veins and he forced his body to stay crouched in the closet. He couldn't go to her or they'd both end up Parkinson's prisoners. Anxiety was not something he could afford to give in to. Ginny's life depended on it. Ginny's life. His heart raced as he gazed at her, watching the small trail of blood trickle from her temple.

Parkinson was going to die for this.

Parkinson turned with a sneer and left the room, slamming the door behind him. He heard it seal and grimaced. There was no escaping from the inside. He quickly ran over to Ginny, removing the disguise spells on him and knelt beside her. He checked for a pulse first and sighed in relief before healing the small cut on her temple.

"Gin? Ginny?" He called to her.

She didn't respond. He grimaced and pointed his wand at her before casting a diagnosis spell. He unbound her feet but left her arms bound and slid them around his neck. He scooped her into his arms and headed to his closet.

During the witch hunts, his ancestors had created secret passages to escape the Manor in case of an attack. His room held one of the passageways. He stopped at the back of the closet and felt around for the switch plate, jostling the redhead as he did. He spread his hand against it and closed his eyes.

"I am the heir of Malfoy. Open for me," He murmured and the closet back faded into nothingness.

His eyes slid open and he walked through. It closed behind him. The torch next to him flared to life, lighting the next torch. It sparked a chain and soon the whole passageway was lit with light. Draco started his trek. The passageway was even until the first curve. It went from simple wood to uneven stone. His boot caught on one such place and he stumbled, nearly dropping Ginny in the process.

The jerking motion caused the woman in question to stir. A moan escaped her lips and he watched her face for signs of waking up.

"Gin?" He whispered, "Ginny?"

"M-Malfoy?" She asked, slowly opening her eyes.

"Thank Merlin. Hold on," He knelt on the ground and set her down before pulled her arms from his neck and unbinding his wrists.

"What happened? Where are we?" She asked and he pulled her tight to his chest causing her to let out a noise of surprise, "What are you doing?"

"I'm so glad you're okay," he breathed into her ear.

She pushed him back, "What happened?"

"Parkinson kidnapped you. I'm such a fool," He said morosely, "I didn't think that he could follow me to – I didn't think he'd risk it. It's my fault you're here."

"Malfoy, calm down," She said, bewildered at his confession, "Where are we?"

"The abandoned Malfoy Manor," He replied hollowly, "In a passage that will take us out of the wards where I can apparate us to your house. I want to get you away from here before I send for back up."

"Why?" She asked with a frown.

He gave her a look that clearly said she was stupid as he told her, "You're supposed to be a muggle, you have no wand, and Ginevra Weasley is missing, remember?"

Her mouth formed a small 'oh' before she looked down the passage. She looked back to him.

"Why don't you send a patronus to the Aurors?" She asked and his cheeks tinged pink.

"I can't form a corporeal one," He admitted and she rolled her eyes.

"Surely you must have a happy memory," She said softly, "I know you have a heart. What about Christmas?"

"No, Ginny. I've nothing I can use," Draco said and her lips curled upward.

"Then… use this," She said before hesitantly reaching up and drawing his head down.

She softly touched her lips against his. He froze in surprise until he molded his lips against hers, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her body to his. She pulled back with a tentative smile.

"Thank you for saving me, my dark Slytherin Prince," She said softly and pulled his right arm from around her.

She placed his wand in his hand and smiled at him.

"Now, save us, Draco," She told him.

The butterfly feeling in his stomach made his knees weak, but he stood and reached down to pull her up to his side. His left arm wrapped around her waist, holding her steady. He looked down at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Expecto Patronum!" He cast the spell as he thought of the woman at his side.

From his wand exploded a silvery dragon that left Ginny gaping in surprise. Her arms wrapped around his middle.

"You did it," She said and smiled up at him.

"Thank you," He said in surprise before looking at the large dragon, "I need you to go to the Ministry of Magic and tell Head Auror Harry Potter Parkinson is at Malfoy Manor. He took a hostage, but I saved her. Take him dead or alive."

The dragon breathed a stream of silver fire before leaving the two standing in the middle of the dark. Draco let his arm fall away from her waist and told her to stand behind him. He wasn't sure if there was anything lurking in the passageway or not but didn't want her to get caught in between harm and the defense.

They started walking.

"Why didn't you show up for lunch?" Ginny asked ten minutes of climbing down stairs later.

"I was held up in a meeting," Draco replied as he motioned for her to stop, "I'm going to drop down first and then I'll help you down."

The last chunk of stair had fallen away some time since he'd last used the escape route.

"Okay," She said with a faint smile to her lips, "I'm not entirely helpless, you know Draco.

He shot her a dirty look before sliding down the four foot drop. He motioned her forward with a warning to be careful and reached up to help her down.

"Come on, Weasley," He drawled and she placed her hands on his shoulders before letting him lift her down, "There you go."

She rolled her eyes, "I told you I wasn't helpless. I'm not afraid, Draco."

He looked at her curiously for a moment until she said, "I was before, but I'm with you. I know you won't let anything happen to me. You didn't that time the Carrows almost caught me painting the walls."

"You were an idiot then and still are now," Draco drawled.

"This coming from the Slytherin who saved me from the bad guy," She retorted, "Very Gryffindor of you.

"Hardly," He countered, "I waited until he left to save you."

"He could have defiled me!" She exclaimed and he snorted derisively.

"I would have killed him on the spot," Draco replied.

She rolled her eyes before the torches began going out. She grabbed his arm in surprise and heard him chuckle.

"Relax. It's just the spell acknowledging that we're almost out. The opening is just there."

He could hear the rain pouring.

"We've got a bit of a walk to do before we're out of the wards though," He added, "We can't apparate until we're out of them."

"Alright."

"We might run into an auror," Draco said and Ginny swallowed.

"I-it's okay," She replied calmly, "Just get me home."

-Chapter End-

Note: I didn't mean to trick anyone on that last chapter, honest! Haha. I'm sorry, forgive me? *cheeky grin*

So we end in a slight cliffhanger. Dun dun dun. I do believe there are two chapters left! Although I may write and epilogue if you guys want... Hm... There's really only one loose end that I can think of that hasn't really been tied up by the end of the sixth chapter and that can be remedied with a few sentences IN the last chapter. Convince me and I'll write an epilogue!

This chapter, if I remember correctly, has very little to do with The Muggle Doctor and the Magical Policeman, but it furthers the plot and sub plots. I remember that I mentioned the Parkinson case a few times in the One-Shot, but never concluded it and decided that that was one of the BIGGEST flaws of the whole one-shot.

The Parkinson Case concludes in the next chapter. And some of it was sort of... well, inspired by a book called Ravenous by Sharon Ashwood. You can look it up if you're really curious or wait and I'll elaborate at the end of the next chapter. A whole day! You can wait, right, lovelies? Drop a review and I might update first thing in the morning. :D