The sun beamed in through the window and directly into Ginny’s left eye. She tried to rub it away as she rose from the bed and sleepily shuffled her feet on the cold floor, searching for her slippers. Not bothering to reach for the robe tossed over the end of the bed, she made her way to the kitchen and twitched her wand at the container of coffee beans.
As the beans poured themselves into the grinder on the counter a voice hissed in her ear, “You were right about some things never changing. You’re still not a morning person, Red.”
Ginny shrieked and jerked herself around, wand already brandished in front of her, ready to do battle. “Bloody hell, Malfoy! What in Merlin’s name are you doing in my kitchen?”
Draco, who had backed away when Ginny screamed, held his hands up beside his head in a gesture of surrender that vaguely reminded Ginny of something she’d seen on a muggle T.V. show once. She had the fleeting thought that he’d just love that comparison when he smirked slightly and said, “I came for breakfast?”
Ginny just continued to stare at him. Long moments passed. Finally Draco sighed dramatically and said, “Red, do you think you could take the wand off of me? I need to speak to you and frankly, your hair trigger hexing tendencies makes me a bit nervous.”
“What? Oh, sorry.” Ginny looked down and saw she was still pointing her wand at Draco defensively. She tucked her wand into the pocket of her pajamas. “But you shouldn’t just creep into someone’s house like that. In fact, how did you get in? I know I set my wards last night.”
“You’re too trusting, Red. Those wards are far too simple for an Auror. Does it occur to you that you’ve captured several of my colleagues and there are wizards out there that would descend on you in a second if they knew you kept only the simplest of guards up?”
“I’m going to have to ask you not to call me that anymore. And I’m not afraid of your Death Eater friends, Draco. Coffee?” she asked, and shoved the mug into his hands without giving him a chance to answer.
She leaned back against the counter and studied him for a moment. “I suppose it’s too much to hope that you’re here to turn yourself in, isn’t it? I mean, Azkaban isn’t exactly your idea of suitable repentance for your crimes, is it?”
Draco smirked over the lip of his cup. “Not likely, love.”
Ginny sighed and pushed a mass of red hair out of her eyes. “So….why are you here, Draco?”
Draco snorted at hearing her mimic his tone as she threw his words to her last night back at him this morning. “It’s a bit complicated, Re-Gin-er, Weasley. It’s going to take a while to explain. Do you want to get dressed first?”
Ginny glanced down at her pajamas, which were flannel and really quite modest. “Have you got a problem with the way I’m dressed?”
“Well, you are a bit distracting, all rumpled and cozy looking. The last time I saw you like that-“
Ginny held up a hand to cut him off. “Not again in this lifetime Malfoy. Make yourself…well, have a seat. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Ginny made her way back to the bedroom and shut the door behind her. She sat down on the bed for a moment to collect her thoughts. She felt she was taking it rather well that the wizard on the top of the Ministry’s wanted list had broken into her flat. Oh son of Medusa! I have the most notorius Death Eater in Britain sitting in my living room and he’s seen me wearing flannel pajamas with yellow ducks on them. No wonder he wasn’t worried about me taking him in. What am I going to do, beat him into submission with my fuzzy pink slipper?
Ginny changed quickly into jeans and a tee shirt. She suddenly found herself standing in front of the mirror in her room, studying her reflection and trying to tame her unruly red mane.
“Don’t worry Dear. He already thinks you look lovely,” said the mirror knowingly.
Ginny put down the brush and looked indignant. “I really could care less about how he thinks I look.”
“Sure you don’t, Dear,” replied the mirror smugly.
“You’ll want to watch that sass if you don’t want to end up reflecting dust and cobwebs in the broom shed back at the burrow where you came from.”
“No need to get nasty!” cried the mirror as Ginny stalked from the room.
Ginny walked back into the room and caught Draco examining the many pictures on her mantel. “You should recognize most of those people.”
Draco glanced up at her as she spoke and then his eyes went back to the picture he held in his hand. “Yes. I take it from the looks of this picture that your brother, what was his name? The one with the glasses-“
“Percy.”
“Yes, Percy. I always did have a hard time keeping the older ones straight. I take it he married the Clearwater girl after all?” he asked, holding the picture out to her.
Ginny took the picture from him and set it back on the mantel. She glanced briefly at the many pictures of her friends and family, most in stages of either smiling and laughing or waving up at her from the frames. “Yes he did. And Bill-“
“The one with the long hair that worked for Gringott’s?”
“Yes. He married Fleur Delacour.”
Draco whistled appreciatively. “A veela. Nice catch. What about the one who wrangled dragons?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “Charlie. Charlie is still a bachelor but he’s been dating Nymphadora Tonks forever now. In fact, she’s related to you isn’t she? A cousin?”
“We don’t claim mudbloods and muggle lovers in my family, Red. Her mother was disowned years ago. Besides, doesn’t she sport pink hair?”
Ginny took great delight in shooting Draco’s own sneer at him. “Shows what you know. Tonks’ hair is purple right now…And don’t call me that.”
Draco snorted, turning back to the pictures. He glanced over them all and said in a far-off voice, “You’re very lucky, Weasley, that you didn’t loose anyone you cared about.”
“But I did,” said Ginny, picking up the picture of Seamus Finnigan that was winking cheekily at her. She stroked the frame with a sad smile and turned to Draco. “We lost many friends although I was lucky enough not to loose any of my family. Other people weren’t so lucky. I thought of you when I heard about your mother. I know that had to be hard. And then to lose Crabbe and what happened to Goyle…”
“I don’t want to talk about Greg.” He gave her a harsh glance and Ginny decided she didn’t care to travel that road at the moment and let it go. Looking again at the pictures, he picked another one up. “Ah, now I remember these two. And what are the identical devils up to now?”
“If you are referring to Fred and George, then they are up to the same thing as always, practical jokes and pranks. Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes is doing quite well. They’re both married as well. To the Patil twins. Fred married Pavarti and George married Padma.”
“Twins married to twins. Sounds like a practical joke in itself.” Draco snickered a bit and set the picture back in its place. “Actually I always secretly admired those two. They were brilliantly evil, and always managed to get away with it looking like heroes.”
Ginny chuckled. “Brilliantly evil, what an apt description of those two particular brothers. I guess you aren’t going to ask about Ron and Hermione, then?”
Draco made a face. “I don’t need to. I read about the wedding in the paper. I’d say they deserve each other but I’m sure you’d take it as a compliment. Is it safe to assume then that you have several nieces and nephews then?”
Ginny poured herself another cup of coffee. “Not really. Bill and Fleur have a son, and Percy and Penelope have two. Padma and Parvati are both pregnant, so we’ll be having at least two new additions in another few months. Sometimes I have to wonder about just how much togetherness those four indulge in, but I’m not sure I want to know the answer. Ron and Hermione don’t seem to be willing to accommodate my mother’s desire for grandchildren at the moment though.”
“What about you and Potter?”
The question was so out of the blue, Ginny choked on the sip of coffee in her mouth. Draco pounded on her back while she coughed. When she could breath again she sputtered, “Bloody hell, Malfoy, are you trying to kill me?”
“Not exactly what I had in mind, no, especially after seeing you in those duckie pajamas.” A glance at his face showed a rather perverted leer and wiggling eyebrows directed at her. Ginny’s face was suddenly very hot and she didn’t know who she was angrier at, Malfoy, for jabbing at her about the pj’s or herself for coloring up like a school witch.
Straightening up, Ginny leaned an elbow on the mantel and glared at Draco. “Ok, the little pleasantries are very nice, but it’s so not you, Draco. You’re ruining my image of the cold ruthless Death Eater. What would your colleagues think if they heard you asking about Weasley marriages and births?”
“Likely that I was trying to get into your knickers.” He replied, giving her a smirk. “In fact, I’m not sure that’s a bad idea. Your knickers always were more interesting off that on.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow and pinned Draco with an icy stare. Once again, long moments passed, and once again, Draco found himself giving in to the battle of wills and sighing.
“Voldemort is alive.”
Ginny stared at him blankly for a moment and then shook her head as if to clear it. “Excuse me; I thought I heard you say the Dark Lord is alive.”
“You heard properly. I was summoned to see him just last night.”
Ginny gave Draco a dark look, and settled herself in a chair by the hearth. “What sort of scam is this Malfoy? Whatever it is, it’s not going to work. Just because I let you walk yesterday doesn’t mean I’m an easy mark. I was there when Voldemort was destroyed, remember? I saw the puddle of green slime that was all that was left when Harry finished him.”
“I was there too, wasn’t I? I saw the same thing you did. I know it would be impossible for him to return yet again. And yet, the impossible has happened. He is alive. He is very weak, but that won’t last long, I suspect.”
Ginny set her coffee cup down and leaned forward, looking earnestly at him. “Look Draco, this is me you’re talking to here, not some Auror off the streets. Why don’t you just be upfront and tell me what this is all about instead of spinning this silly story? Even for you, this is too outlandish.”
“I swear Ginny, it’s true.” He cursed under his breath as Ginny just leaned back in the chair and tapped her fingers on the arm, all the while keeping that incredulous look on her face.
Running a hand through his hair, Draco turned his back to her. A few seconds later, he turned back to her and strode across the room to stand directly in front of her. “Perhaps this will make you believe I’m telling the truth.”
Ginny looked down at the arm he had shoved under her nose and suddenly she felt faint. There, on the inside of his forearm, was the dark mark. And it had turned from the normal black of the tattoo to blood red.
“No one can do that but him, Ginny, you know that. And he couldn’t even do this last night. I was summoned by owl. This means he’s already growing stronger.”
Ginny actually felt the blood drain from her face as it registered what she was looking at. She grabbed his arm and stared. She whispered, stricken, “Bloody hell, Malfoy .I…I don’t see how this is possible. Harry destroyed him. I saw it happen. It…it isn’t possible!”
“It is possible. It’s happening.”
Ginny suddenly shoved his arm back at him and let go of it as if it were a hot potato. The look of amazement was gone from her face, replaced with a glare directed at Draco.
“Even if it is true, and mind you, I’m not saying I believe you, but even if it is, why are you here telling me this? Why aren’t you dancing with joy over the fact that your master has survived? Doesn’t this mean you can start your efforts to take over again? All the terrorizing of muggles and muggle-borns?”
Draco rolled his eyes. This was the age old argument between the two of them, rearing its ugly head once more. He didn’t have time for this just now. He’d wasted enough time with the idle pleasantries, trying to make her feel more comfortable and not suspicious of his presence. To waste any time on this argument that would never be resolved between the two of them would be to lose valuable time. Time he didn’t have.
“You’ve never understood have you? How many times do I have to tell you? No one started out wanting to kill anyone. All we’ve ever wanted was for pure-blood to be protected, to receive the proper respect from those who aren’t. To not have to be afraid of muggles finding out about us. It doesn’t make sense for wizards and witches to have to hide.”
“Yes, I remember all your ridiculous arguments about pure blood and superiority. Hogwash, all of it. And if I remember correctly, despite all the protests you made about not wanting to hurt people, that’s exactly what it amounted to in the end.”
Draco clenched his fists in frustration. Leave it to Ginny to drive him beyond the ability to control his temper. “Damn it all, yes, it went too far. Yes, we did things we didn’t want to do. Our parents put all their eggs into Voldemort’s basket, and by the time we were all old enough to know what was going on, we found ourselves under the control of a madman. There were only a few who were blind to what a lunatic he was. But by then there wasn’t anything we could do but follow his orders or die ourselves.”
Ginny gave him a skeptical look. “I suppose there was no way any of you might have sacrificed a little hide to defy him, would you?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “No, none of us loved muggles and mudbloods enough to die, Ginny. You know better than that. It’s in the Death Eaters’ nature to survive at all costs.”
“Well then I guess you all must have been very glad that Harry destroyed him then, aye?”
“As much as it galls me to admit it, yes, Potter did us a favor when he vanquished the Dark Lord. There were at least a dozen plots through out the death eater ranks to do the same at the time. I was involved in one of them myself. He saved us the trouble, and knowing what I know now, probably saved our skins as well.”
“I’m sure he’d be thrilled to hear that.” Ginny said wryly.
“I’ll be sure to thank him when I see him.” Draco said sarcastically, “Listen, Red, I’m trying to tell you that Voldemort is alive and while he’s not well physically at the moment, I’m sure he’ll rectify that as soon as possible, although that is not our biggest problem at the moment.”
Ginny looked incredulous. “It’s not? Well, forgive me but I fail to see what could possibly be a bigger problem.”
“Well, how about the fact that he’s even more insane than he was before?”
“It’s not possible to be more insane. Enough beating around the bush, Draco. If you’ve something to tell me, then spell it out now, else I’ll go back to believing this is all some sort of elaborate plot and haul you in now.”
Draco sneered. She was as bold and confident as she’d ever been. “I hope you don’t think I’d go quietly, Red.”
“Don’t call me that! And what are you going to do Draco? You’re in my flat, within my wards. The only way you could get away would be to kill me. Are you going to Adavra Kedavra me in order to escape? Can you?”
Ginny knew as she met his eyes that she’d been lulled into a feeling of security by his affable mood. She’d forgotten this was Draco Malfoy she was talking to. She knew that once more she’d failed some inner test when his gray eyes iced over once more and he closed in on her. When he was so close to her that they were practically touching, she raised her face to the man who was looking down at her, refusing to back down or away from the challenge his body language was issuing.
“You of all people should know, Red, what I’m capable of in order to assure my own survival. I can do whatever I have to do, even to you. And I don’t intend to spend any time at all in the Ministry Dungeon. Understand? This is too important, even more important than you.”
“Well, as I said, some things never change, do they?”
His eyes pinned her with an even colder look and Ginny struggled to suppress the chill that ran down her back. Any question she’d had in her mind as to whether or not Draco would hesitate to harm her was answered. He would have never been as weak as she had been the day before in the pub. Had their situations been reversed, Ginny would have found herself looking through the bars of a cell right now.
They stared at each other for what seemed like an endless moment. Then she sighed.
“This is an endless argument between us, Draco, and I for one, don’t see a resolution to it. So, instead of spending the rest of the day debating semantics, why we just assume I believe you and you tell me what it is you want to tell me?”
Draco exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Hurting Ginny was not something he wanted to do today.
“You have to help me stop him.”
She nodded. “Of course. We’ll go see Harry now. You can show him the mark, and tell him what you’ve told me.”
“NO!” he shouted. “Don’t you realize that Potter will never believe me? He’ll throw me in the dungeon as soon as he sees me. Ginny, I don’t have time to convince him I’m telling the truth. He’ll think it’s a plot and by the time you’re able to get him to listen, it will be too late.”
Ginny knew he was right. The second Draco Malfoy stepped into Harry’s line of sight there’d be a duel of epic proportions.
“Well then I really don’t know how I can help you, Draco.”
Draco knew this was the moment of truth. He had to convince her to do something that he wouldn’t do himself in her shoes. Trust him.
He absentmindedly rubbed his arm and said, “I don’t have a lot of time. There’s something I need to do, right away. It will keep his eyes off me long enough for me to tell you everything and come up with some sort of plan. I need something from you, without too many questions in order to do that though, and you aren’t going to like it.”
Ginny twisted her mouth in the semblance of a smile. “I already don’t like this. But I suppose after having you in my flat all morning without notifying the Ministry means I have no choice but to go along. What is it?”
“I need you to get the Death Eaters out of Azkaban.”
“You can’t be serious!” Ginny exclaimed, but when she looked at him, she knew he was very serious, indeed. She sighed loudly and rubbed a hand across her face. “Bloody hell, Malfoy!”
As the beans poured themselves into the grinder on the counter a voice hissed in her ear, “You were right about some things never changing. You’re still not a morning person, Red.”
Ginny shrieked and jerked herself around, wand already brandished in front of her, ready to do battle. “Bloody hell, Malfoy! What in Merlin’s name are you doing in my kitchen?”
Draco, who had backed away when Ginny screamed, held his hands up beside his head in a gesture of surrender that vaguely reminded Ginny of something she’d seen on a muggle T.V. show once. She had the fleeting thought that he’d just love that comparison when he smirked slightly and said, “I came for breakfast?”
Ginny just continued to stare at him. Long moments passed. Finally Draco sighed dramatically and said, “Red, do you think you could take the wand off of me? I need to speak to you and frankly, your hair trigger hexing tendencies makes me a bit nervous.”
“What? Oh, sorry.” Ginny looked down and saw she was still pointing her wand at Draco defensively. She tucked her wand into the pocket of her pajamas. “But you shouldn’t just creep into someone’s house like that. In fact, how did you get in? I know I set my wards last night.”
“You’re too trusting, Red. Those wards are far too simple for an Auror. Does it occur to you that you’ve captured several of my colleagues and there are wizards out there that would descend on you in a second if they knew you kept only the simplest of guards up?”
“I’m going to have to ask you not to call me that anymore. And I’m not afraid of your Death Eater friends, Draco. Coffee?” she asked, and shoved the mug into his hands without giving him a chance to answer.
She leaned back against the counter and studied him for a moment. “I suppose it’s too much to hope that you’re here to turn yourself in, isn’t it? I mean, Azkaban isn’t exactly your idea of suitable repentance for your crimes, is it?”
Draco smirked over the lip of his cup. “Not likely, love.”
Ginny sighed and pushed a mass of red hair out of her eyes. “So….why are you here, Draco?”
Draco snorted at hearing her mimic his tone as she threw his words to her last night back at him this morning. “It’s a bit complicated, Re-Gin-er, Weasley. It’s going to take a while to explain. Do you want to get dressed first?”
Ginny glanced down at her pajamas, which were flannel and really quite modest. “Have you got a problem with the way I’m dressed?”
“Well, you are a bit distracting, all rumpled and cozy looking. The last time I saw you like that-“
Ginny held up a hand to cut him off. “Not again in this lifetime Malfoy. Make yourself…well, have a seat. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Ginny made her way back to the bedroom and shut the door behind her. She sat down on the bed for a moment to collect her thoughts. She felt she was taking it rather well that the wizard on the top of the Ministry’s wanted list had broken into her flat. Oh son of Medusa! I have the most notorius Death Eater in Britain sitting in my living room and he’s seen me wearing flannel pajamas with yellow ducks on them. No wonder he wasn’t worried about me taking him in. What am I going to do, beat him into submission with my fuzzy pink slipper?
Ginny changed quickly into jeans and a tee shirt. She suddenly found herself standing in front of the mirror in her room, studying her reflection and trying to tame her unruly red mane.
“Don’t worry Dear. He already thinks you look lovely,” said the mirror knowingly.
Ginny put down the brush and looked indignant. “I really could care less about how he thinks I look.”
“Sure you don’t, Dear,” replied the mirror smugly.
“You’ll want to watch that sass if you don’t want to end up reflecting dust and cobwebs in the broom shed back at the burrow where you came from.”
“No need to get nasty!” cried the mirror as Ginny stalked from the room.
Ginny walked back into the room and caught Draco examining the many pictures on her mantel. “You should recognize most of those people.”
Draco glanced up at her as she spoke and then his eyes went back to the picture he held in his hand. “Yes. I take it from the looks of this picture that your brother, what was his name? The one with the glasses-“
“Percy.”
“Yes, Percy. I always did have a hard time keeping the older ones straight. I take it he married the Clearwater girl after all?” he asked, holding the picture out to her.
Ginny took the picture from him and set it back on the mantel. She glanced briefly at the many pictures of her friends and family, most in stages of either smiling and laughing or waving up at her from the frames. “Yes he did. And Bill-“
“The one with the long hair that worked for Gringott’s?”
“Yes. He married Fleur Delacour.”
Draco whistled appreciatively. “A veela. Nice catch. What about the one who wrangled dragons?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “Charlie. Charlie is still a bachelor but he’s been dating Nymphadora Tonks forever now. In fact, she’s related to you isn’t she? A cousin?”
“We don’t claim mudbloods and muggle lovers in my family, Red. Her mother was disowned years ago. Besides, doesn’t she sport pink hair?”
Ginny took great delight in shooting Draco’s own sneer at him. “Shows what you know. Tonks’ hair is purple right now…And don’t call me that.”
Draco snorted, turning back to the pictures. He glanced over them all and said in a far-off voice, “You’re very lucky, Weasley, that you didn’t loose anyone you cared about.”
“But I did,” said Ginny, picking up the picture of Seamus Finnigan that was winking cheekily at her. She stroked the frame with a sad smile and turned to Draco. “We lost many friends although I was lucky enough not to loose any of my family. Other people weren’t so lucky. I thought of you when I heard about your mother. I know that had to be hard. And then to lose Crabbe and what happened to Goyle…”
“I don’t want to talk about Greg.” He gave her a harsh glance and Ginny decided she didn’t care to travel that road at the moment and let it go. Looking again at the pictures, he picked another one up. “Ah, now I remember these two. And what are the identical devils up to now?”
“If you are referring to Fred and George, then they are up to the same thing as always, practical jokes and pranks. Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes is doing quite well. They’re both married as well. To the Patil twins. Fred married Pavarti and George married Padma.”
“Twins married to twins. Sounds like a practical joke in itself.” Draco snickered a bit and set the picture back in its place. “Actually I always secretly admired those two. They were brilliantly evil, and always managed to get away with it looking like heroes.”
Ginny chuckled. “Brilliantly evil, what an apt description of those two particular brothers. I guess you aren’t going to ask about Ron and Hermione, then?”
Draco made a face. “I don’t need to. I read about the wedding in the paper. I’d say they deserve each other but I’m sure you’d take it as a compliment. Is it safe to assume then that you have several nieces and nephews then?”
Ginny poured herself another cup of coffee. “Not really. Bill and Fleur have a son, and Percy and Penelope have two. Padma and Parvati are both pregnant, so we’ll be having at least two new additions in another few months. Sometimes I have to wonder about just how much togetherness those four indulge in, but I’m not sure I want to know the answer. Ron and Hermione don’t seem to be willing to accommodate my mother’s desire for grandchildren at the moment though.”
“What about you and Potter?”
The question was so out of the blue, Ginny choked on the sip of coffee in her mouth. Draco pounded on her back while she coughed. When she could breath again she sputtered, “Bloody hell, Malfoy, are you trying to kill me?”
“Not exactly what I had in mind, no, especially after seeing you in those duckie pajamas.” A glance at his face showed a rather perverted leer and wiggling eyebrows directed at her. Ginny’s face was suddenly very hot and she didn’t know who she was angrier at, Malfoy, for jabbing at her about the pj’s or herself for coloring up like a school witch.
Straightening up, Ginny leaned an elbow on the mantel and glared at Draco. “Ok, the little pleasantries are very nice, but it’s so not you, Draco. You’re ruining my image of the cold ruthless Death Eater. What would your colleagues think if they heard you asking about Weasley marriages and births?”
“Likely that I was trying to get into your knickers.” He replied, giving her a smirk. “In fact, I’m not sure that’s a bad idea. Your knickers always were more interesting off that on.”
Ginny raised an eyebrow and pinned Draco with an icy stare. Once again, long moments passed, and once again, Draco found himself giving in to the battle of wills and sighing.
“Voldemort is alive.”
Ginny stared at him blankly for a moment and then shook her head as if to clear it. “Excuse me; I thought I heard you say the Dark Lord is alive.”
“You heard properly. I was summoned to see him just last night.”
Ginny gave Draco a dark look, and settled herself in a chair by the hearth. “What sort of scam is this Malfoy? Whatever it is, it’s not going to work. Just because I let you walk yesterday doesn’t mean I’m an easy mark. I was there when Voldemort was destroyed, remember? I saw the puddle of green slime that was all that was left when Harry finished him.”
“I was there too, wasn’t I? I saw the same thing you did. I know it would be impossible for him to return yet again. And yet, the impossible has happened. He is alive. He is very weak, but that won’t last long, I suspect.”
Ginny set her coffee cup down and leaned forward, looking earnestly at him. “Look Draco, this is me you’re talking to here, not some Auror off the streets. Why don’t you just be upfront and tell me what this is all about instead of spinning this silly story? Even for you, this is too outlandish.”
“I swear Ginny, it’s true.” He cursed under his breath as Ginny just leaned back in the chair and tapped her fingers on the arm, all the while keeping that incredulous look on her face.
Running a hand through his hair, Draco turned his back to her. A few seconds later, he turned back to her and strode across the room to stand directly in front of her. “Perhaps this will make you believe I’m telling the truth.”
Ginny looked down at the arm he had shoved under her nose and suddenly she felt faint. There, on the inside of his forearm, was the dark mark. And it had turned from the normal black of the tattoo to blood red.
“No one can do that but him, Ginny, you know that. And he couldn’t even do this last night. I was summoned by owl. This means he’s already growing stronger.”
Ginny actually felt the blood drain from her face as it registered what she was looking at. She grabbed his arm and stared. She whispered, stricken, “Bloody hell, Malfoy .I…I don’t see how this is possible. Harry destroyed him. I saw it happen. It…it isn’t possible!”
“It is possible. It’s happening.”
Ginny suddenly shoved his arm back at him and let go of it as if it were a hot potato. The look of amazement was gone from her face, replaced with a glare directed at Draco.
“Even if it is true, and mind you, I’m not saying I believe you, but even if it is, why are you here telling me this? Why aren’t you dancing with joy over the fact that your master has survived? Doesn’t this mean you can start your efforts to take over again? All the terrorizing of muggles and muggle-borns?”
Draco rolled his eyes. This was the age old argument between the two of them, rearing its ugly head once more. He didn’t have time for this just now. He’d wasted enough time with the idle pleasantries, trying to make her feel more comfortable and not suspicious of his presence. To waste any time on this argument that would never be resolved between the two of them would be to lose valuable time. Time he didn’t have.
“You’ve never understood have you? How many times do I have to tell you? No one started out wanting to kill anyone. All we’ve ever wanted was for pure-blood to be protected, to receive the proper respect from those who aren’t. To not have to be afraid of muggles finding out about us. It doesn’t make sense for wizards and witches to have to hide.”
“Yes, I remember all your ridiculous arguments about pure blood and superiority. Hogwash, all of it. And if I remember correctly, despite all the protests you made about not wanting to hurt people, that’s exactly what it amounted to in the end.”
Draco clenched his fists in frustration. Leave it to Ginny to drive him beyond the ability to control his temper. “Damn it all, yes, it went too far. Yes, we did things we didn’t want to do. Our parents put all their eggs into Voldemort’s basket, and by the time we were all old enough to know what was going on, we found ourselves under the control of a madman. There were only a few who were blind to what a lunatic he was. But by then there wasn’t anything we could do but follow his orders or die ourselves.”
Ginny gave him a skeptical look. “I suppose there was no way any of you might have sacrificed a little hide to defy him, would you?”
Draco rolled his eyes. “No, none of us loved muggles and mudbloods enough to die, Ginny. You know better than that. It’s in the Death Eaters’ nature to survive at all costs.”
“Well then I guess you all must have been very glad that Harry destroyed him then, aye?”
“As much as it galls me to admit it, yes, Potter did us a favor when he vanquished the Dark Lord. There were at least a dozen plots through out the death eater ranks to do the same at the time. I was involved in one of them myself. He saved us the trouble, and knowing what I know now, probably saved our skins as well.”
“I’m sure he’d be thrilled to hear that.” Ginny said wryly.
“I’ll be sure to thank him when I see him.” Draco said sarcastically, “Listen, Red, I’m trying to tell you that Voldemort is alive and while he’s not well physically at the moment, I’m sure he’ll rectify that as soon as possible, although that is not our biggest problem at the moment.”
Ginny looked incredulous. “It’s not? Well, forgive me but I fail to see what could possibly be a bigger problem.”
“Well, how about the fact that he’s even more insane than he was before?”
“It’s not possible to be more insane. Enough beating around the bush, Draco. If you’ve something to tell me, then spell it out now, else I’ll go back to believing this is all some sort of elaborate plot and haul you in now.”
Draco sneered. She was as bold and confident as she’d ever been. “I hope you don’t think I’d go quietly, Red.”
“Don’t call me that! And what are you going to do Draco? You’re in my flat, within my wards. The only way you could get away would be to kill me. Are you going to Adavra Kedavra me in order to escape? Can you?”
Ginny knew as she met his eyes that she’d been lulled into a feeling of security by his affable mood. She’d forgotten this was Draco Malfoy she was talking to. She knew that once more she’d failed some inner test when his gray eyes iced over once more and he closed in on her. When he was so close to her that they were practically touching, she raised her face to the man who was looking down at her, refusing to back down or away from the challenge his body language was issuing.
“You of all people should know, Red, what I’m capable of in order to assure my own survival. I can do whatever I have to do, even to you. And I don’t intend to spend any time at all in the Ministry Dungeon. Understand? This is too important, even more important than you.”
“Well, as I said, some things never change, do they?”
His eyes pinned her with an even colder look and Ginny struggled to suppress the chill that ran down her back. Any question she’d had in her mind as to whether or not Draco would hesitate to harm her was answered. He would have never been as weak as she had been the day before in the pub. Had their situations been reversed, Ginny would have found herself looking through the bars of a cell right now.
They stared at each other for what seemed like an endless moment. Then she sighed.
“This is an endless argument between us, Draco, and I for one, don’t see a resolution to it. So, instead of spending the rest of the day debating semantics, why we just assume I believe you and you tell me what it is you want to tell me?”
Draco exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Hurting Ginny was not something he wanted to do today.
“You have to help me stop him.”
She nodded. “Of course. We’ll go see Harry now. You can show him the mark, and tell him what you’ve told me.”
“NO!” he shouted. “Don’t you realize that Potter will never believe me? He’ll throw me in the dungeon as soon as he sees me. Ginny, I don’t have time to convince him I’m telling the truth. He’ll think it’s a plot and by the time you’re able to get him to listen, it will be too late.”
Ginny knew he was right. The second Draco Malfoy stepped into Harry’s line of sight there’d be a duel of epic proportions.
“Well then I really don’t know how I can help you, Draco.”
Draco knew this was the moment of truth. He had to convince her to do something that he wouldn’t do himself in her shoes. Trust him.
He absentmindedly rubbed his arm and said, “I don’t have a lot of time. There’s something I need to do, right away. It will keep his eyes off me long enough for me to tell you everything and come up with some sort of plan. I need something from you, without too many questions in order to do that though, and you aren’t going to like it.”
Ginny twisted her mouth in the semblance of a smile. “I already don’t like this. But I suppose after having you in my flat all morning without notifying the Ministry means I have no choice but to go along. What is it?”
“I need you to get the Death Eaters out of Azkaban.”
“You can’t be serious!” Ginny exclaimed, but when she looked at him, she knew he was very serious, indeed. She sighed loudly and rubbed a hand across her face. “Bloody hell, Malfoy!”
To Be Continued.
Grayecam is the author of 3 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 7 members. Members who liked Some Things Never Change also liked 486 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 7 members. Members who liked Some Things Never Change also liked 486 other stories.
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