We Walked this Road

Disclaimer: I completely acknowledge that I own none of these characters, except those of my own creation (but even they tend to get away from me) and I give full credit to the true master-mind: J. !

Without further ado, I give …
Chapter Four: Resurrecting Old Foes

The woman was cloaked in a dark shadow as she hurried through the deserted alleyway, her feet scuffing along the grey cobblestones, echoing eerily through the airy night. She paused for a moment and seemed to curse under her breath before slowly turning around to face the bleak mist and let out a short, hollow laugh.

'You've found me at last, I was beginning to wonder.' A sudden flash of light and she crumpled to the ground with a resounding crack! as her head smashed against the stone.

'Well done, Ismene, very well done,' a slippery voice, slithered across the silence as two more cloaked figures emerged from the mist. The shorter of the two turned away slightly at the sight of the crumpled body as if it were a scene sickeningly below her.

'Can we move on?' she asked, her voice betraying only a hint of disgust.

'The dark lord will be most pleased; the death of Alberta Bodkins is a most advantageous feat, young one.' The taller of the two showed no inclination of leaving as she bent over to examine the body. 'You are doing very well indeed.'

'It is no great feat till we bring down Dawkins too, otherwise the Order may still learn everything,' Ismene replied, a quiver of fear entering her voice as she voiced their intentions.

'Keep your voice down,' the first hissed, but she straightened up all the same. 'But you are correct of course, that is the Dark Lord's wish and it is most vital that we do not disappoint.' She let out a harsh bark of laughter, 'I can see your itching to get away, killing still does not sit well with you, but it becomes you most greatly.' Ismene blanched and the elder laughed again. 'You will see soon enough.'

'I know that, he wishes me to…but I don't think, even when the time comes…,' Ismene trailed off, looking beseechingly down at her hands, shaking slightly as she held up her wand.

'The Dark Lord has many plans for you,' the elder spoke softly, inclining her dark head slightly. 'For which you should be honoured- your brother failed him and for that he will pay most greatly, but you, my dear, you shall be exulted above all others.' Ismene looked away. 'Don't fret, the blood that runs through your veins will keep you strong, blood of the ancient magic, Trillian blood.'

Another crack and the two disappeared leaving the alley as deadly silent as before their arrival.

The burrow was in uproar. Nine of the Order members were gathered around the magically enlarged table that was groaning under the weight of various, maps, artefacts and weapons. Ginny was slumped in her chair, furthest from the head, cursing madly as her brothers continued to argue above- it had been going on for three hours.

'Enough!' Kingsley's booming voice reverberated through the clustered room and everybody fell silent. 'Dawkins' disappearance is most unfortunate and the little resources we have at our disposal have yielded very few results. Of course we will be sending a search squad to find him and I have also received intelligence that Alberta Bodkins was discovered dead by muggle authorities some seven days ago.' A definite hush settled over the table.

'Alberta Bodkins?' Dean asked from next to Ginny. 'Was she one of ours after all?'

It was Lupin who replied, 'Apparently she'd been working in the service of the Malfoy's for some time,' he paused to shoot a look at Draco who nodded for him to continue, 'but we have managed to ascertain that this was all in effect of her smuggling out information to one of our members, any guesses for which one?'

'Dawkins,' Tonks answered and Lupin nodded his ascent.

'Correct, which of course Dawkins kept secret from us for her own protection.'

'What kind of information did she get?' Bill inquired.

'We're not exactly sure,' Lupin replied, 'but whatever it was this time, it was big enough for her to risk contacting us.'

'So what's Harry really doing in London after all?' Ginny demanded looking around crossly at the other occupants of the kitchen.

'Sorry?' Lupin asked, looking confused as he turned to her.

'You told me last week that Harry was going off with Hermione and Ron to track down Dawkins, seeing as we now know that Dawkins is missing and I don't see any of the trio delivering this information….'

'That's classified,' Kingsley stated with finality. Ginny decided not to push it, the Order had been fairly generous with their information ever since she'd riddled out Flitwick's enchantment at the training session but Charlie had been subtly threatening bedroom confinement all week- it wasn't worth it this time.

'Maybe, we should tell her that,' Tonks spoke up from the other end of the table and Ginny's head shot up hopefully.

Lupin, Bill and Charlie all looked doubtfully towards Kingsley but he merely turned to Draco. Ginny rolled her eyes, any chance of her learning something new had just gone down the drain. But Draco merely shrugged.

'She's proven herself so far, and it's not exactly top secret,' he murmured by way of reply.

Kingsley nodded resolutely, 'If you trust her.'

Draco shot Ginny a look and she knew she was the only one who could read the hidden sardonic smile. 'For now.'

'Right, err well,' Lupin began looking a little harassed, 'they haven't actually all gone off together. Harry's to leave a false trail up north and Ron and Hermione are tracing the Trillian lineage.'

'Oh,' Ginny said surprised, 'Is that it?' Bill gave a gentle chuckle.

'That's it little sis, no dragon hunting, battles against giants or deadly missions to undertake.' The table laughed indulgently and Ginny huffed.

'Ha, ha,' she muttered and was then struck with another thought. 'If Ron and Hermione are tracing Trillian lineage that means we must have-'

'- a new lead? Correct.' Lupin interrupted with a slightly impressed smile.

'Who?' Ginny demanded eagerly. A hundred covert looks were shot around the room. 'Let me guess that's classified, right?'

'Actually, it's personal,' Draco answered his voice brusque but his eyes were open. Ginny understood that while they shared a basic level of mutual trust there were things he wasn't ready to share, he was asking her to understand that. Ginny backed off.

'Okay, well what can I do?' she asked, changing tact.

'You're in for a treat,' Bill winked, 'we have a covert task for you.'

'Really?' Ginny asked, her eagerness returning immediately. 'I just wish you could say that without making me sound like a three year old being offered candy.' Draco grinned behind his hand, but Ginny missed it; her eyes were trained on Bill's face which was cracking a smile.

'Ron and Hermione will be returning in a few days' time, to take the new recruits for a basic operation,' Bill explained, 'we want you to pick up the trail from there.'

Ginny was stunned into silence. 'Just to be clear,' she began with a slight stammer, 'you want me to track down an ancient, dark organisation that may or may not be involved in my disappearance?'

'Yep,' said Charlie and then he added with a sly grin, 'of course you won't be going alone.' Ginny's eyes flew hopefully towards Dean's but he shook his head.

'Tonks?' she asked but she too shook her head by response. Lupin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

'We decided it wasn't time to break up your duo,' he said with forceful resolution, shooting glances at Ginny's elder brothers in turn, 'Draco will be accompanying you.' George scowled and Fred clenched his fists ever so slightly, but both Charlie and Bill shrugged and looked mostly unconcerned. 'Are you up to it?'

Ginny looked around at the faces in the room and nodded with a confidence that took even herself off guard. Inside her emotions were a turmoil, but mostly she was excited; finally some action.

'Right, meeting adjourned till Hermione and Ron return,' Kingsley announced and Ginny smiled slightly at his formality; some things just never change. Draco motioned from the other side of the room for her to remain behind, no doubt to discuss the order of their operation and assert himself as mission leader.

'I know, I know, I'm to follow your every order, never forget my place and above all be punctual,' Ginny added with a sarcastic reference to their first training session. To her surprise he grinned, his eyes lightening from their dark brooding as he ran a casual hand through his hair. 'Just don't treat me like a kid, alright?' she looked up at him her expression part playfulness, part warning.

Draco's expression took on a serious air, 'You'll always be my equal, Ginny,' he murmured gently and then he added with a wry smile, 'even though you scare the hell out of me sometimes.' Ginny laughed, again surprised that their conversation could take such an amicable twist.

'So, partner,' Ginny began and Draco grimaced slightly at the endearment, 'where do we begin?'

Draco flashed a grim look, 'At the beginning.' Ginny slumped into her chair. 'But firstly, how much do you know about the Trillians?'

'Not much,' Ginny replied thoughtfully, 'I know the legends.'

Draco raised an eyebrow, 'And what does legend tell us?'

Ginny sighed; this was like History of Magic all over again. 'The Trillian organisation was founded by a descendant of Salazar Slytherin in the attempt to preserve his teachings for fear they would be forgotten in the glory of the remaining Hogwarts founders.'

Draco nodded, 'Did you know that Dumbledore himself discovered the founder of the Trillian organisation was a woman? A rough translation gives us her name as Ismene.'

Ginny shook her head, 'I had no idea, curious notion though.' Draco nodded and gestured that she should continue. 'Anyway, the founder- Ismene- set about an order of elite wizards to preserve the most ancient and darkest of magic. But they were corrupted by the power of such knowledge were consumed by their own desires, one by one the fell but not before they succeeded in creating an army from the souls of the lost.' Ginny broke off at this point to raise a sceptical eyebrow. 'Of course, this is just legends teachings, but it is said that a great massacre was led by a man called Alexander Peverell, supposedly Gryffindor's descendant, and the land was purged of their existence. Ismene, bound by a blood oath to Salazar was destroyed and her magic undone. However it is possible that magic of that magnitude could linger, I mean we already believe her descendants might still exist today.'

'One more question,' Draco said quietly, 'why do you think a descendant of Ismene Trillian would be such a threat.'

The answer struck Ginny in a sickeningly awful moment, 'Ismene was bound by blood to Salazar, if the same blood ran through the veins of another…they too might inherit her powers'

'There has never been a magical being like her until the Dark Lord,' Draco informed her darkly, 'if such magic could be resurrected I am sure the Dark Lord would be most interested in the wielder.'

'Do you know who the descendant is?' Ginny asked tentatively.

'I have my suspicions, none of them pleasant.' A dark mood settled over the kitchen and Ginny decided to remain quiet, waiting for him to dispel the hush.

'This is going to be a dangerous mission,' Draco warned her. The comment was just begging for a witty Ginevra Weasley quip so she was surprise when instead she asked,

'Why did the Order choose me? I mean, after all the shebang about not trusting me to now hand me possibly the most important task?'

Draco inclined his head in a gesture that said, fair point. 'It's all becoming very hard to depict- the Circle kidnapping you then releasing you back as a weapon-'Ginny glared cuttingly at him. 'Ahem,' he coughed, 'excuse me, possible weapon. And now searching for the descendant of an organisation that is most likely lost forever…'

'Did you ever think maybe I was just a decoy, to distract everyone from the real plot?'

'It's possible,' Draco acknowledged but Ginny could sense he didn't believe it. 'But why you specifically? There are so many other people they could have chosen, who would have been far easier to get to.'

'So, you reckon I'm still dangerous, then.'

That won her a full out grin, 'I don't doubt it one little bit. We'll start in downtown London, there's an old jewellers there that's been around for a long time. They deal particularly in family heirlooms, I want to know if they'd remember anything.'

'Good call,' Ginny said seriously. 'While we're there I can check old library records that may have printed something, even in the muggle news.'

'Oh and I almost forgot, our covers,' Draco added with a start, 'I was thinking, a soon-to-be-wed couple looking for my great-grandmothers wedding ring to explain our snooping in the jewellery store.' He said it with an amused curve to his mouth but his eyes held great depth and Ginny wondered if she accepted that it might resonate as more than just a cover.

'Sure,' she answered lightly, 'and country journalism might work for the library.'

'Alright, we'll leave at dawn tomorrow.'

'Can't wait,' Ginny tried in vain to disguise the squeal of anticipation in her voice.

'Pack lightly,' Draco added with a roll of his eyes, 'first time I went on a mission with Hermione, she packed half the Hogwarts library in her bag.'

A tinkling of laughter followed Ginny out of the room. Draco was alone once again.

…

'You're a fool Draco, and you will lose everything,' a hissing voice cut through the air. 'I have already taken the girl and I will tear her down so that she will hate your very name. You will be alone.'

…

Draco shook his head violently, 'I will fight this madness,' he swore under his breath.

...

'Betrayed by your own blood, I will bring about your downfall and you will watch as I take away everyone from you. You will be alone.'

…

'Enough!' Draco's voice bellowed as he shook himself out of the nightmarish coils of memory. He turned to leave when a small white envelope caught his eye from the table. It was sealed with nothing but a dark wax and it fell open in his hands.

I will take her from you as you took me from them.

Hi Guys! Hope you enjoyed that chapter might be a while before I update but please review and make me smile! xxx