Rule Nine

Draco held his wand before him. He knew Ginny could handle herself but it didn't stop him from worrying about her. His mother and aunt stayed close to him. He was running out of venues of escape.

"Aunt Sabrina? Do you happen to know how the hell we get out of here?"

Sabrina looked at him funny. "Of course. We Apparate out."

Draco sighed in annoyance. "We can't, Aunt. Lucius is sure to have wards around to keep us from getting out."

"He's right, Sabrina. You know that."

"But are they still up?" she asked innocently.

Draco blinked. Were they? Or had Lucius dropped them? Was that what the explosion was?

"We'll try. But not until we get out of the manor."

Narcissa nodded. If they tried inside the manor and the wards were still up, it would be more than disastrous.

"So?" she began as he led them down the corridor to the back stairs. The stairs were the servant stairs.

"So?" Draco repeated cluelessly.

Narcissa sighed. "Oh, Draco. Tell me about this girl."

Draco looked back at her in disbelief. "Seriously, Mom? You want to talk about that? Now?"

His mom just looked at him and he sighed, paralyzing a random guard as they went. "Her name is Ginny…Ginny Weasley."

"…oh."

Draco looked back at his mom. She had a curious expression on her face. He feared the worse.

"Draco, I think it will be best if Lucius…disappears tonight," she finally said.

"Why's that?"

"Because your father would rather die than see you with her."

"And how do you feel, Mom?"

She smiled at him as he held open the door to the stairs for her. "I want you happy, Draco. I always have. And if she makes you happy, then so be it. Burying a few prejudices are an easy thing when the alternative is seeing your only son unhappy."

Draco reached out and hugged his mom. "Thanks, Mom. I'll see you and Sabrina to our rendezvous point."

"And you?" she asked softly.

He smiled but there was no humor in that smile. "I think I need to take care of my father."

888

Ginny danced back from the explosion, throwing up a shield as she did so.

The explosion only lasted a moment before the flames began to pull back in on themselves. As they did so, Ginny sped through the flames. The fire licked at her shield but she held it steady, aiming for the far staircase.

She made it through and sprinted for the stairs. She cast about for Draco as she ran. She could feel him on another staircase, nearly to the kitchen. She nodded to herself and took the stairs two at a time.

She blasted the door open. Coriander was in the middle of the room. Despite the fact that Ginny looked different, she merely held her arms up. Ginny scooped the scared little girl into her arms.

Without a word, she turned back to the door. She darted out and into the hallway. She was halfway to the stairs Draco had disappeared down earlier when the curse hit her in the back.

(A/N: Only one more chapter then there will be the epilogue.