A/N: This story is rated M. Content warning: Sexual content (erotica, kidnapping, humiliation), strong language
Chapter 2
Ginny and the others stepped tentatively out into the hallway and back to the enormous domed hallway. It had the grand appearance of a ballroom mere hours before some high class dinner event. All that was missing were the guests, some gentle music courtesy of a string quartet, and perhaps a view of some picturesque skyline just outside the window. Now that Ginny really took a look around, the long red curtains and tapestries did indeed appear to conceal tall windows exposing just the merest sliver of sunlight. But the blue light on the marble floor was guiding them in a different direction down a dimly lit corridor and, after seeing what happened to Parvati, Ginny didn't dare deviate from the indicated path.
Cho apparently felt differently. She was off like a shot, bolting toward the staircase that Ginny and Hermione had taken on their way down to the parlour. The precarious high heels didn't seem to impede her, such was her obvious desperation to escape. But she had hardly made it four strides when -snap- Cho went down in a heap, inexplicably hogtied on the marble floor. Ginny hurried to her side, and saw that her wrists and upper arms were bound by white ribbons that had apparently emerged from the lace of her gloves and shoulders. A third thin white ribbon extended from her upper arms all the way down to her ankles, binding them together tightly, leaving Cho helpless to do anything but wriggle and moan.
"I'm afraid that's what happens when you try to run," came the ominous voice. "It's a safety feature I built into the costumes whenever any of you move at a pace faster than a brisk power walk. Please don't do that again, Cho."
Cho sagged helplessly to the floor and gave a defeated nod. At once the ribbons retracted, unbinding her arms, wrists, and ankles. Ginny helped her to her feet. "I'm okay," Cho muttered. "Thank you for helping me up, Ginny."
"You aren't hurt?"
"No," she replied. "Just a little stunned. It's nothing."
"Good," Ginny told her, placing a hand gently on the girl's shoulder. "Listen, we're going to have to stick together if we're going to get out of this, okay?"
"Yeah... you're right. I won't lose my head again." Cho seemed genuinely appreciative of Ginny's support, but Ginny secretly doubted that all of them would be able to keep calm and collected for very long, not in these circumstances.
Ginny and Cho rejoined the group and the five of them continued to follow the path laid out before them.
The corridor shooting off the domed hall bent and twisted several times, and at last they came to a wide circular staircase that seemed to ascend endlessly. Hesitating for only a moment, Ginny led the procession upwards.
"What's our plan?" came Hermione's voice at her side.
Ginny was half-hoping that Hermione had concocted some idea herself by now, but chose instead to say, "Well, we still don't know who this guy is, and we obviously can't run. For now we'll have to do what he says until we can come up with something."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "I know, it really is horrible. But, Ginny, listen." And here Hermione leaned in close and lowered her voice. "You and I have children. If anyone is going to win this thing and go free tomorrow, it should be one of us or Luna. I've already spoken with her."
Ginny looked at Hermione and saw unflinching determination in her eyes. Ginny almost beamed with pride. It was the sort of thing she had always known she could count on from Hermione.
"If one of the three of us can make it out of here," Hermione went on. "Then we can come up with a plan to rescue everyone else and catch whoever this man is. I know we're all on the same side here, but I honestly trust either you, Luna, or myself to stand the best chance."
"I agree completely. Thank you for including Luna."
"Oh, of course!" Hermione responded defensively. "She's a Ravenclaw through and through, and she's your best friend."
"Thanks, Hermione," Ginny said with a smile. "I trust the both of you with my life."
Suddenly the bright blue line stopped at a landing partway up the staircase and veered left down a very long, wide hallway. By the time they crossed beyond it's threshold, the library was already starting to come into full view. Ginny stopped in her tracks to take it all in. The massive library seemed to stretch outwards and upwards as far as she could see. She had to crane her neck just to see a hint of the ceiling. Ladders and spiral staircases crisscrossed every which way. It was the most incredible display Ginny had ever seen. She glanced at Hermione, who was staring slack-jawed at the sight of such a beautiful display. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and her chest practically heaved with excitement, straining against the fabric of the uniform.
"Welcome to the library!" declared the mysterious voice. "And this is still just the Training Centre! If you think this is impressive, wait until you see the one in my mansion. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The next task might very well be the most physically demanding. I've sectioned off the library into five zones, one for each of you to dust as thoroughly as possible. This is, after all, how you'll be spending the bulk of your work hours in the mansion." As he said it, the blue light on the floor changed into five bright pink branching paths, each one marked with their names. "When I give the signal, simply grab one of the feather dusters on the table in front of you and follow the path with your name on it to your chosen zone. I'm afraid no one's been here for a while so the dust has accumulated quite a bit! Be sure to reach as many of those troublesome nooks and crannies as possible. You have precisely one hour. The maid who clears the lowest percentage of their zone's dust will be eliminated. And remember, no running! Begin!"
At once, the five of them stepped forward as quickly as possible without breaking into a run, snatched up a feather duster from the table and took off along their marked path. Ginny's led her up a spiral staircase on the far side of the library, onto a terrace that spread out wider than the domed hall, lined with several tall book shelves arranged in aisles. Tables with decorative ornaments were strewn about everywhere. She set to work as fast as possible, determined not to share Parvati's fate.
It was very tedious work. The dust seemed to be extra stubborn as it billowed and swirled around every surface, only coming loose after several vigorous sweeps of the feather duster. She targeted the tables and lowest bookshelves first, which were so low to the ground that Ginny had to bend and crouch, no doubt exposing her backside thanks to the insultingly short skirt. The demeaning nature of this task infuriated her. What would happen to the five of them that did not make it? Would they be forced to perform tasks like these in front of onlookers? Would any of their sinister host's guests look twice at them beyond pure sexualized eye candy and think to save them? Ginny refused to let her mind wander too far down that dark road, focusing all of her energies on clearing as much of her zone as possible. She wished she had something to tie her hair back to keep it from blocking her vision every time she bent over, but reminded herself bitterly that if their captor were interested in practical measures, he would have made them wear flat-heeled shoes. It couldn't be clearer that the ridiculous high-heeled pumps were good for little more than flattering Ginny's legs and backside. She wrinkled up her nose and narrowed her eyes at the swirling dust, but strangely none of it was causing her to sneeze. She wondered if that was one of the effects of this awful place. That made the most sense, she decided. This pervert wouldn't want his prized servants becoming sick on the job.
When she was satisfied with the areas below her waist, she set to work on the eye level bookshelves, working along the aisles in several efficient sweeps. From the corner of her eye, she spotted someone working one level above her. A quick look told her it was Romilda, working furiously to clear several mahogany tables arranged near a balcony. There was a determined fury in her eyes, and it occurred to Ginny that Romilda may well be her stiffest competition. She pried her eyes away and went back to her own work, refusing to concentrate on anything or anyone else for the remainder of the hour.
After what felt like a very long time, the voice called out, "Ten minutes remaining, ladies! Two of you are falling rather behind!" A cold panic set in Ginny's stomach. There was no way he could be referring to her, she told herself. Then again, she had barely reached anywhere in her zone that required a ladder to reach. What if she was simply doubling back over areas that she had already cleared? Had she missed a spot? Was the menial nature of the job dulling her focus? "No," she said out loud. "Impossible. I've got several aisles finished as it is." She told herself she was in the clear many times over, and that mantra carried her the remaining ten minutes in a whirlwind of blind determination.
"That's one hour, everyone! Back to the entrance if you please! Feather dusters back on the table and we'll proceed."
Ginny's arms dropped to her sides, the feather duster loosely in hand, and she made the long descent back to the ground level to rejoin her fellow captives. The five of them stood in a semi-circle before the table, upon which lay the five dusters heavy with filth from their hour's work.
"Wonderful job, ladies. You should be proud," the voice declared, clearly stalling for dramatic effect. "Unfortunately, one of you has come up just ever so slightly short. Who could it be, I wonder..."
None of them said a word. They only looked frantically at one another, knowing one of them was about to leave their midst. Ginny looked longingly at Luna and Hermione, eager to tell them something, anything, to reassure them that everything was going to be all right. It was all too much to bear.
After what felt like an eternity, a faint pink glow caught Ginny's eye at the far end of the semi-circle. Four sets of eyes turned, and there was Cho, standing bolt upright, hands folded delicately before her, a shy smile on her friendly face and her eyes darting around at the others. Ginny's heart went out to her, and she swore she would not rest until all six of them were free from this wretched place. When she was done with this creep, he'd be praying for the Bat Bogey Hex after what she vowed she'd do to him.
"I'm so sorry, Cho, but your dusting was a bit subpar. Don't worry, you'll have all the time you need to brush up on your skills! To the lobby, if you please."
Cho gave a small curtsy, turned sharply, and strutted confidently toward a wall near the library entrance. A section of wall slid open to admit her and shut firmly in her wake, leaving the four remaining girls standing helplessly behind.
"Now then, onward everyone!" The voice was unbearably chipper as once again a glowing blue light appeared on the marble floor, leading them out of the library, back to the circular staircase, and even farther upward. They climbed in grim, silence, the heels of their stiletto pumps clicking and echoing as they went. After ascending several floors, they arrived at a smaller landing that swung wide around the towering spiral staircase that led to oak double doors. Ginny was the first to reach the spot where the glowing path ended, and opened the doors to reveal a cozy sitting room with a blazing fireplace and four high leather stools next to an L-shaped bar. Several full wine racks were visible behind it, each bottle tempting to the eye. Ornate mirrors were hung on every wall and, as the four of them each took a seat, reflected back at Ginny the humiliating nature of their bondage.
The four of them sat in silence for several minutes, fidgeting here and there to futilely adjust their uniforms. Finally, Luna stood up and noisily dragged her stool next to Ginny, hopped back up to perch on top of it and say "I really hope you're doing all right, Ginny."
Ginny looked up at her best friend, into her friendly, silvery blue eyes. "I'll be fine, Luna. I just really can't stand the thought of being forced to strut around like they were. You saw the way they... the way he just took control of them like that."
"I know," said Luna with a small sigh as she fingered the small gold charm around her neck. "It really is awful. "That's why I'm happy we're a team. It's like a riddle. We can solve who this man is and then we'll rescue everyone. No one leaves unless all six of us do, right?"
Ginny felt a rush of affection for Luna. Peculiar as she was, nothing ever seemed to dampen her optimistic outlook on life. "You're right. I won't forget it." She put a grateful hand on Luna's shoulder as the blonde girl beamed at her.
"Yeah right," came a mocking voice from across the room. The pair of them looked up and there was Romilda, her legs crossed and her head leaning back against the wall. She stared down judgmentally at Ginny and Luna from her high stool. "You heard what that creep said. Only one of us is walking out of here tomorrow. We're all agreed that we'll do what we can for each other, sure," and here she uncrossed her legs and sat fully upright. "But there's no way I'm ending up like Parvati and Cho. No matter what little friendship pact you've all made, this is still a competition. And I intend to win."
The air went out of the room in an instant. Ginny, Luna, and Hermione looked at each other in fear and uncertainty. As awful as it was to admit to herself, Ginny knew in that instant that Romilda had to be the next to go. That would ensure one of the three of them would get out. Maybe they could even form a united front against their host and fight to free the others. They were almost there...
"Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies!" The voice broke the tension, for which Ginny was almost grateful. "Your third task is ready, so if you'll kindly stand..."
The three of them hopped down from their stools and walked tentatively to the center of the room. Ginny noticed that Romilda kept a fair distance from the others, as if she had not already made it clear that she fully intended to be the last maid standing.
"This is a physically-based challenge. If the last challenge was a marathon, this is more of a sprint," he explained. "You see, from time to time in your duties in the mansion, you're going to find yourself under certain... restrictions. This, for example."
All at once, -snap-. Ginny's wrists and upper arms were suddenly bound behind her back, thrusting her chest out as far forward as possible. Her ankles were forcibly bound together so she could do little more than hop. She lost her balance for only a moment but recovered quickly. Hermione was less fortunate and tumbled onto her panty-clad backside. Luna stood in bemusement, trying to turn her head to get a better look at her bindings. Romilda wriggled and struggled, grunting in a simmering rage. The four of them were only one hogtie away from ending up like Cho had been, lying helplessly on the floor when she had tried to run.
"The rules are simple," resumed the voice as a bright pink path illuminated the floor and led down the length of the sitting room and out another set of double doors at the far end. "The last maid across the finish line will be eliminated. Begin!"
The double doors shot open, and it was as if a starting gun had signaled. In a singular frenzy, the four of them were off, hopping as fast as their inconvenient bindings would allow. Ginny and Luna had the greatest advantage, as they happened to be standing the closest to the doors when the task began. That left Hermione half a hop behind them, and Romilda alone, bringing up the rear.
The double doors leading out of the sitting room revealed a very long corridor, wide enough to accommodate all four of the frantically hopping maids. Their heels clicked madly, echoing into a deafening chaos. Ginny had the lead, but in her periphery she could see Luna's blonde hair whipping wildly around her. The pair of them were hopping with all their might, but Ginny had to force herself not to look back to see whether Romilda had overtaken Hermione. No one spoke, only panted heavily as they forced themselves to stay upright.
The hallway stretched ever onward, but began to veer slightly to the right and up a slight incline. Ginny quickly glanced downward at the highly polished marble floor and saw three blurred reflections hopping behind her. She was in the lead! Emboldened with renewed confidence, she looked up and filled her mind with the thought of Harry's smiling face, and worked furiously to fight her way up the incline. At last the floor leveled off and, one slight left curve later, Ginny's heart leapt into her throat as she saw the spot where the pink path came to an end up ahead. A thick, bright golden line on the marble floor marked the finish line, and she had a generous lead on the others. She had no choice now.
Refusing to look back, trusting and praying that her friends were right behind her, Ginny was a blur of bright red-haired fury. The sound of three pairs of clicking heels followed her the rest of the way, but it was impossible to tell just how far behind the others were. With one mighty leap, Ginny threw herself over the threshold and landed hard on her right shoulder in a spectacular crash. In an instant, her bindings came loose and she was free again. She stood up and whirled around, intending to run forward to shout encouragements to Luna and Hermione. She stopped short, however, when she bumped hard into an invisible barrier right where the golden finish line had been. She stood near the side of the hallway to allow more room for the others, placed both palms on the barrier, and looked desperately, helplessly, at the three remaining competitors. Hermione had the lead, and Luna had fallen far to the back of the pack, neck and neck with Romilda. Ginny's breathing came rapidly in a cold panic. "COME ON HERMIONE!" she yelled hysterically. Relief crept slowly back into Ginny's mind when, at long last, Hermione was just a few short hops from the threshold. Throwing herself chest first across the finish line, Hermione's bindings were released just early enough for her to use her hands to brace the fall. She stood up eagerly and was at Ginny's side seconds later to join in her furious shouting.
"LUNA! YOU'RE ALMOST THERE!"
"HURRY LUNA! PLEASE HURRY!"
The two remaining girls were very close. If anything, Luna had a very slight lead. That gave Ginny a shred of hope as she held her breath in anticipation, wanting nothing more than to reach across the unyielding barrier, haul Luna across the finish line herself, and pull her best friend into a hug. The thought had barely entered her mind when Romilda launched herself sideways, delivering a crushing shoulder check to Luna and knocking her to the ground in a heap.
No one breathed. Ginny refused to believe it. A moment later, Romilda hopped across the finish line in a dark blur, but Ginny only had eyes for Luna. The blonde girl had very slowly risen to her feet, unable to use her arms to support herself, and resumed her futile hop toward the three maids who had beaten her. Ginny pounded violently against the barrier, screaming her best friend's name, her vision blurry with madness. She could see a pair of blue eyes mere inches from her now, as their captor had cruelly allowed Luna to hop as closely to Ginny as possible without crossing the finish line. Ginny could see her now, her face frozen in a warm yet robotic smile, her body unmoving. She may as well have been a thousand miles away. The voice announced something Ginny could not hear over her own screaming, and Luna Lovegood gave a curtsy, turned on her heel, and marched away through a secret opening in the wall and out of sight.