Chapter 1

Notes:

All I ask is that my lovely readers read at least a few chapters before forming an opinion. This chapter can be quite off-putting. Trigger warning for underage and non/con elements.

Chapter Text

Arthur Weasley could not remember a time in his life when he wanted to end a human life.

He prided himself as a man of peace. A man of reason.

Well, for the most part .

There's that infamous Weasley hot-headedness… though as Weasleys go he seemed to have earned the mellower end of the gene pool in most respects.

And one couldn't compare his temper to his wife's for merlin's sake! Sure, here and there his voice roared and his rationality waned, but overall, he was quite a peaceful wizard. Yes, he was relatively reasonable.

But this was not a time for reason.

It was night. Rain came down in cascading torrents. Arthur stormed noisily through the trimmed wet grounds. He trod uncaring over several immaculate flower beds in order to reach his destination all the quicker. He was almost there, hardly noticing his robes were now sopping wet. He reached into the thick wet pocket for his wand.

Here, now, in this very moment, his hands and his wand held an unfamiliar desire.

A desire to kill.

His hands itched to raise to that boy's neck, pulsating with life and snuff it out . He didn't care how; he was determined to do it. He was going to do it. He didn't care if it was by wand, or by his bare hands.

He was going to end the boy's life .

The boy was an abomination , a wretched soul.

Blood lust consumed this otherwise peaceful man. No rational thought, no calming essence could possibly take up space in him now. The rage boiled in him, fire and flames licked his insides, and his itching hands shook with the wrath. The same wrath that had ended lives, destroyed civilizations, and summoned tyrants and devils right out of humanity for thousands of years…

Revenge.

The thoughts consumed him, but his legs seemed to know his mission and automatically carried him from the grounds of the large estate to the large ornate oak doors. He stood at the doors, wand aloft.

The boy was evil. It was unforgiveable what he had done. And someone needed to pay.

Oh yes, He would pay most dearly…

He would pay with his life.

Arthur Weasley was going to kill Draco Malfoy.

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(Earlier that Day)

"Leave him alone! He didn't want all that!"

Ginny Weasley found herself in an increasingly awkward position.

Flourish and Blotts was bursting at the seams with people, and the lack of airflow was stifling. The hordes of people in such a small space was forcing the occupants to stand much closer than usual. Ginny could feel rather than see Harry Potter and her brother slightly behind her. The rest of her family were scattered throughout the shop, voices drowning each other out. They had been picking up supplies for Ginny's first year and Ron's second. As the costs of the supplies rang up, tempers flared and tensions rose. Adding to the misery of being stuck in the sweltering shop, a certain blonde had made his way into the din with his only goal seeming to be to fan some flames.

And fan those flames he did…

Apparently, he was completely unable to resist his usual comments of fame and glory to Harry, and savoring contemptuous squalor jokes for her brother Ron.

And , she thought, but much too late to make a difference, they had bought right into it.

Herself included.

No wonder he couldn't resist the teasing and tormenting. Their reactions were admittedly predictable and more than likely comical. Herself and her family would immediately bristle, blood would fill their faces, and even her father, who she considered the most passive of the lot, would find his temper getting the best of him.

Now here she stood, making an absolute fool of herself, so red she probably looked like a tomato on a stick.

And in front of her, standing much too close, was Draco Malfoy.

He was sneering at her, his features stone cold.

She couldn't seem to find any hint of humor or amusement in his face, and it only disconcerted her further. She had been told about Malfoy from her brothers, but this was her first time seeing him in person. He certainly seemed to live up to his wicked reputation.

Cold, cruel.

Yes, that about summed it up perfectly.

His eyes were absolutely glacial, and at her blabbering comment, they fixed on her brown ones, and she felt a knot in her stomach. He could have been handsome if he weren't such an evil git. He was like a ghost… his hair was too blonde, his eyes were too gray, skin was too pale, and when he fixed his stare on her, it was like she had been doused with ice water. The chill crept downward from her face to her toes. The shop was no longer sweltering, it felt frigid under his gaze.

Ginny made up her mind immediately.

Something was wrong with this boy.

Very wrong.

He reeked of darkness.

She tried to set her jaw, appear fearless, but she couldn't help but take a step back, right into her brother and Harry.

He was still looking at her, and it was wrong… it felt so wrong. She couldn't identify his gaze, or read his face. Cold. That's all there was. Then he spoke and it did nothing to settle the tense atmosphere.

"So, the youngest Weasley?" He drawled, and a smirk appeared. She had heard about those too. Ron placed a protective hand on her shoulder.

"Ginny, don't talk to this idiot-"

"Ginny, is it?" Malfoy interrupted. His tone had a strong note of disgust in it. "What a very childish name."

"Actually, it's Ginevra."

She immediately regretted the words as they flew out of her mouth. Something like a hint of satisfaction flickered in Malfoy's gaze .

Oh, when would she ever learn to shut up?

The smirk widened, even as he narrowed his eyes at her, his gaze briefly glancing down her form and back to her eyes. Based on the way Ron's hand dug into her shoulder, the action did not go unnoticed.

"Ginevra, is it?" The smirk then morphed into a seductive smile that made Ginny shiver. He continued to stare her down, ignoring the bustle of the shoppers and a glowering Ron and Harry.

"How old are you?"

"Don't talk to her you bloody git!" Ron shoved his way forward between Malfoy and Ginny, using one arm to push her behind him. "Put your eyes back in your sockets and Keep your distance or I'll break your legs so you don't have a choice, and then ill break your jaw so we don't have to hear you crying about how you're going to tell your father!"

Malfoy backed up a few steps as Ron and Harry stepped forward. She could still see him between the two boys, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"It's just a question, Weasley," He smiled wickedly. "Or do I need your permission for that? That must be one of those archaic lower-class rules you know, I'm just not that familiar with them. You lot probably have all sorts of odd rules, like how you aren't allowed to buy robes made within the last decade or show any hint of class."

Ron had grabbed Malfoy's collar while Harry attempted to separate the two. Malfoy's eyes were flashing and Ron's face was growing more red. Soon shouts of Lucius Malfoy and Ginny's father joined the fray. But before she could potentially be trodden by the two feuding families, she felt Hermione clamp onto her arm and lead her out of the shop to the street.

"Oh Ginny, it's an absolute nightmare in there! I'm sure all of this ruckus is just devastating for poor Professor Lockhart's book signing. I mean really , look at them, it's like a boxing ring in there! I'm sure the staff has called someone, just you wait, they probably all just earned themselves a lifetime ban from Flourish and Blotts. And isn't Draco Malfoy just horrible? I mean, we told you he was but the way he was acting ? And how he stared at you and asked you how old you were? He was probably just trying to get a rise out of Ron. I don't know. Something is so off with him…"

But Ginny was only half-listening. She held tightly to her cauldron with one arm, the other arm holding her cloak closed in the light breeze.

From the street, she had dared to turn around and glance back at the shop. Through the window of Flourish and Blotts, she froze as silver eyes stared back at her.

That cold face, was twisted into a smile.

A wicked, evil smile.

Ginny found herself running towards her mother.

Draco Malfoy terrified her.

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"Are you alright Ginny? Ginny!"

"Oh, er, what mum?"

"You look faint, dear. I told you to finish your breakfast this morning. Everyone insists that they're full and once we get into the hustle and bustle of shopping all the sudden everyone is starving and wishing they'd had seconds like I insisted. It must be the heat. My healer says the women in our family all have low blood pressure which means you need to eat hearty meals and plenty of juice before coming out into the heat like this! All those people and the shop was absolutely stifling..."

Ginny broke away from her thoughts as her mother's voice monologued on. She hardly dared admit it, but she was feeling hungry. Her nose sensed a familiar smell wafting to where she stood. Across the street she could see a small food stand in between two of the shops. A man with a kind face was handing out Dutch baked goods, and the heavenly scent wafted towards her.

"Oh mum! Mum! Can I get a stroopwafel for a snack? Please? You're right I'm hungry, starving actually, I should have had more breakfast. Please? I've a few knuts in my bag!"

"Hush Ginny!" Molly glanced over at the food stand for a moment before nodding.

"Right, that's fine dear. I'll take Hermione and collect Fred and George. Oh dear, I'm not sure where Ron and Harry have wandered to... You best eat it before the twins see! And stay right by the stand until I come back, don't go wandering into any shop-"

"Right mum!" Ginny threw her heavy cauldron to her other arm and darted across the street before her mother could change her mind. Her mouth watered at the thought of the sugary, baked dough and the caramel filling. The stroopwafels were a rare treat that she hadn't indulged in since her father brought her back some from the Netherlands, and she could hardly believe her luck. As she neared the other side of the street, she saw something that made her stop dead in her tracks.

There was a boy standing in the alleyway directly behind the food stand.

That terrifying boy.

She stood frozen. Draco Malfoy was leaning against the brick wall of the alley, seemingly bored, picking at his fingernails. Was he waiting? Passing the time? Images of him robbing helpless little old witches and stealing goods from the little food cart while the owner wasn't looking ran through her mind.

She hesitated, debating on what to do. He hadn't spotted her in the crowd… she could go back to her mother, back to safety, but she wasn't sure where her mother was at the moment. She could stay where she was, risk her mother berating her for not being where she said she would be… but out of sight of Malfoy.

Or… she could pretend she didn't see him… ignore him completely… get her precious treat and wait for her mum. He would surely see her, but maybe he would ignore her, maybe he would remember Ron's threats… and surely, she would be safe, the man at the food stand would be right next her. Surely even Slytherin scum like him wouldn't try anything too evil in front of another adult… and even if he did, what's the most harm he would do? Tease her? Ask her weird questions? Stare at her?

No, this was getting ridiculous. She may only be eleven, but she certainly refused to be this terrified of a stupid boy. A stupid, creepy boy. No, she was going to ignore him, and enjoy a lovely snack and be perfectly safe.

Once again, Ginny shifted her cauldron, held her head high, and strode confidently across the street. As she approached the food stand, she fastened her eyes straight ahead of her and away from the alleyway.

She paid the man for her waffle, eyes not leaving the stand, and turned so that her back was to the alley as she stood close to the food stand. Holding the steaming pastry in her napkin, savoring the sight and smell, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

Ignoring this, she took a bite of the of the warm pastry, allowing it to melt in her mouth.

She felt a chill, and her skin prickled.

Arg! He was ruining this for her!

Choking down the bit of waffle, she tried not to acknowledge the unease creeping up. Every cell in her body told her that his gaze was on her back.

Ignore him, Ignore him…

Her stomach filled with dread, and the bite she had taken of her pastry now felt like lead in her stomach.

He's staring.

She felt her breath quickening. Was he still in the alley? Or was he right behind her? This would be a great time for her mother to move at the speed of light, but it was fine, everything was fine-

CLICK!

Ginny's head whipped towards the food stand. The kind Dutch man had closed the lid on his waffle iron and was stashing away knuts in a drawer.

Oh, gods he's leaving !

Why did the universe hate her right now? She could follow the man- no, that was ridiculous, she was perfectly fine .

She watched as the man rolled his food cart away, heart thumping wildly in her chest. She was suddenly convinced that at any moment, a wand would be at her throat. Despite people bustling down the street right in front of her, she had never felt more alone.

She felt her eleven-year-old logic and reasoning begin to falter, and each solution she was coming up with seemed more ridiculous than the last. She could scream. She could cast sparks. She could yell fire. She could go hide in a shop… and then what? Each scenario seemed to end with her mother yelling at her for something, which was almost as terrifying as being in close proximity to Draco Malfoy. Almost.

She gulped, and a roaring in her ears deafened the noise of the crowded street, and yet somehow, impossibly, she heard his footsteps on the cobblestones behind her.

Don't panic, don't panic.

But before her young mind could confirm a reasonable action, she felt a breath on the back of her neck.

She did shriek then, whipping around, dropping her cauldron, books and stroopwafel all in one go. So busy was the noise in the street and so packed with people, no one seemed to hear her shriek or the clatter of her cauldron hitting the cobblestones.

And he was there.

He was RIGHT THERE.

Draco Malfoy, staring down at her.

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"Did you hear that?"

Ron and Harry were trying to file through the throng of witches and wizards. They were trying to locate the rest of Ron's family when Ron suddenly skidded to a halt. All Harry could hear was the sounds of excited, though by now likely exasperated, parents and Hogwarts students.

"No, but how can you hear anything? It's so loud out here!"

Ron glanced at Harry nervously. "Harry, it kind of sounded like Ginny. She screams like a bloody banshee and unfortunately for me I have to hear it quite often. Didn't you hear her this morning when Mum said she had to use Charlie's old wand?"

"Well, she should be with your mum, right?"

Ron's eyebrows knitted together, and Harry could see his gaze roving across the street, searching the shoppers. Then he turned and looked at him.

"Nah, mate… listen. Somethings not right…" He trailed off. Then without explanation, he shook his head. "Rubbish, it's probably nothing."

Put off by his friend's odd behavior, Harry found himself eyeing his surroundings warily. The crowds seemed innocent enough, but what if there really had been a scream? Stupid gits like Malfoy were obviously here today… Harry remembered Draco's wandering gaze on Ginny.

He made up his mind in a split second and stopped his friend mid-stride.

"Ron, we should find Ginny and your mum. Now."

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Ginny Weasley was absolutely terrified.

On the ground beside her lay her school supplies, completely forgotten. But in front of her stood the boy with the cold face.

Distracted shoppers passed, unaware of her plight.

Don't panic, don't panic …

His stony features locked on her.

She was frozen in place, and he stood staring down at her.

Her legs refused to move. Her mouth refused to talk. Her fists refused to punch.

She wondered if he knew how afraid she felt, but if he did, he showed no acknowledgment.

His robes moved, and a pale hand reached out for her.

No no no!

Run! Scream! Do something!

Before the thoughts in her brain could connect and analyze them, it was too late.

His hand clamped down firmly on her wrist, and he began pulling her down into the alley.

As if in slow motion, she watched her legs allow herself to be led. She tried to open her mouth, but no sound came. She tried to yank her arm and yell "STOP!" but her entire body was being controlled by her fear. He led her deeper into the alley, nails digging into her wrist, not looking back at her. As they neared a large dumpster, her legs started to work properly, and she promptly dug her heels into the ground. Malfoy responded with a vicious yank of her arm and dragged her to the other side of the dumpster. The painful motion on her arm caused her to release a yelp. Her voice seemed to come back.

"Stop! No! Let go of me!"

In one swift move he clasped both her arms and roughly slammed her into the wall of the alleyway.

The impact took her breath away, her head flying back and hitting the bricks. For a moment, she found herself disoriented, and stars danced in front of her eyes.

Her vision began to clear, and she could hear her own pounding heart in her ears. She tried to move but her legs and voice again became useless. She turned her head helplessly towards the bustling street, but her vision was blocked by the large dumpster.

Malfoy grabbed her chin with one hand and forced her to look at him.

Her legs trembled as she met his silver eyes. Her breath came out in short gasps. Tears sprang to her eyes.

She had never been more scared in her life.

And all the things she could do, the things she should do, seemed impossible at that very moment.

"P-Please Malfoy, leave me alone! I won't tell anyone I swear, just let me go-"

"Shh." Not losing her gaze, Malfoy raised a finger to her lips to quiet her.

He looked deeply at her, moving closer, his silver eyes bright and boring into her. What she saw in his eyes her young mind didn't understand yet but it made her want to crawl into a hole and hide. He reached into his pocket, and held out his wand, pointing it to her chest. His other hand moved to her neck where the clasp of her cloak was. He undid the clasp with a swift movement of his fingers, and she let out a gasp. He moved his arm across her shoulder so that the cloak fell to the ground around her. She immediately hugged herself, skin prickling. Her own hands clasping the bare skin of her arms.

Her tears were turning to sobs.

He said nothing as he stared at her. Not even a smirk. Just a cruel mask.

His gaze flickered down to her chest, lingering there for a moment, and back up to her eyes. His face somehow darkened.

Ginny felt the need to retch.

Malfoy brought both his hands up to her, and with a powerful movement Ginny felt and heard the ripping and tearing of fabric. He had ripped her shirt apart, buttons scattering on the ground. She let out a cry as she felt the dank air of the alleyway on her bare chest. The remaining fabric barely clung to her shoulders. Before her mind could register her nakedness, his cold hands began moving the shreds away from her, exposing more bare skin.

His dark eyes widened in triumph as his gaze raked over the exposed flesh.

Self-preservation seemed to finally take over Ginny's shocked state. Suddenly, her brain started working again.

She screamed.

She screamed for help. She screamed for him to stop. She screamed for Ron, for Harry, for her mother…

She used her legs and arms to thrash, to kick, to punch.

She felt one of her fists make contact with his cheekbone, heard him swear, felt a force slam into her cheek as she collapsed on the ground. She crossed her arms in an attempt to cover up her bare chest. She felt his cold hands on her shoulders, her back, roving over her skin...

He said nothing but she could hear his rasping breaths as he tried to wrestle himself on top of her.

"No! NO! HELP!"

She shoved his hands away from her, continuing to thrash and kick like a wild hippogriff. Malfoy's hands tried to restrain her. She felt one hand clamp over her mouth and she bit it, a metallic taste filling her mouth. She heard him curse, and another force slammed into the side of her face, silencing her.

"Shut up!"

She felt another blow to her face, and the impact caused her to withdraw into herself. She knew she lay on her back, Malfoy trying to hold her down, but it was through a fog. Her vision seemed to fail her, and there was a steady roaring in her ears. As she fought, she could vaguely hear pounding footsteps and yelling voices around her. She felt the weight of Malfoys body on her legs. She was blinded by tears and deafened by her own screams.

Keep going. Keep fighting.

She felt a commotion in front of her, and the hands and weight of Malfoy's limbs were abruptly thrown off her body.

"Ginny!"

Still on the ground, she found a small piece of her shirt and held it instinctively to her chest, all the while never stopping her attack on Malfoy. She slapped the hands that reached for her, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Ginny!"

Her flailing legs and arms were suddenly met by soft material. She paused her barrage and realized she was being covered with a cloak. Eyes shut tight, she felt a hand on her shoulder and instinctively threw a punch. She heard a crack and an "Ow!"

Arms then encircled the cloak that covered her, momentarily stilling her movements.

"Ginny! Ginny, stop! It's me!"

He has me, oh no, he has me…

Despair began to overtake her. But then a warm hand touched her face.

Warm and gentle.

Ginny dared to open her eyes. Through her tears, she saw a boy with a kind face. No coldness, no stony features. A boy with green eyes…

"Harry?" She asked hoarsely.

"Yes, its Harry." He moved a length of her tousled hair out of her face. "You know me, don't you? I'm not going to hurt you."

"Wh-where are your glasses?" For some reason this question seemed important right now.

"Er… you broke them with your right hook. But its ok! You're safe!" He said gently.

She looked down and saw she was covered; she wasn't naked anymore.

Naked…

The panic began to creep back to her, and her voice shook with emotion.

"Wh-Where is he? Where'd he go?"

When Harry didn't answer right away, she grabbed his robes with both hands and shook him roughly.

"Where is he Harry? Where's he gone to? You've got to tell me now!"

"He, he ran. He's gone, Ginny, he's gone. He can't hurt you anymore, you're safe." He gently pried Ginny's hands off his collar.

She avoided Harry's eyes, unable to stop a wave of shame from bubbling up to the surface. Before another coherent thought could enter her mind, she dissolved into a pool of wet sobs, clutching Harrys robes with white-knuckled fists. She was still on the ground and Harry sat next to her, a comforting arm around her. Her vision was once again blinded by tears, and she closed her eyes and let the despair, the shame, and the sobs, consume her. She only vaguely noticed the painful throbbing on the side of her face, and her tears were beginning to sting a long thin cut on her cheek.

"Mr. Weasley! Ron! She's here!"

Hurried footsteps. Panicked voices.

"Oh my god! Is she alright?"

Ron's voice.

"Ron, get your mother."

Her father's voice.

"What happened to her?"

"Ron, just go!"

More footsteps.

"Harry, which way did he go?"

"He ran! I don't know he just ran down the other side of the alley."

"I need to take her to the hospital."

She felt herself being lifted off the ground to her feet. Felt her father's strong arms and inhaled his familiar smell.

"It's alright, Gin-bug, you're ok. You're ok. I've got you sweetheart. You're ok."

Ginny melted into her father's embrace. But if she were to be honest with herself,

She was ANYTHING but okay.