A/N: I offered J.K. Rowling this very rare American penny, but she declined... at present time, the characters are still hers. With the exception of Jessica... and the baby.
***
The night after Voldemort’s visit, Ginny was very grateful that no one had come, and she hoped it would stay that way. Unfortunately, while she was thinking that, a black cloaked figure entered her room. Ginny quickly sat up from the cold cement floor she was sleeping on.
“It's only me,” came the gentle voice of her ally, and relief washed over her. She was safe; it was him.
“What's going to happen to me?” Ginny asked as he walked over to wear she sat.
“I'm going to get you out of here,” he said simply, as if it were as easy as saying the words.
“How? I've been here for months! I'm going to die in here!” Then a thought hit her and she began to cry. “I'm never going to see my family again.”
“Ginny,” he knelt beside her and took a hold of her shoulders. “I will get you out of here. I have made sure everyone that you love is alive so that, when you get out of here, you can go and be with them. I wouldn't have risked my own ass and everything I own just to let that bastard kill you.”
“Why? Why have you risked everything? Surely not for me?” The man beside her that was still holding her shoulders had become her friend over the past months, it was true. Sometimes when he was cleaning her wounds and giving her the potions to make her well, he would talk to her. He seemed to want to know everything about her, and seeing as she was so lonely, she told him everything she could think of. But when did that mean someone would stick
their neck out for you and ... well, save your life?
“You are quite wrong. I've risked everything only for you, Ginny Weasley.” He held one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers. Ginny sucked in her breath. Of all the times he has come in here, and as close as they have gotten, he had never physically touched her. She could feel the electricity that goes through you when someone who cares for you touches you. “I want you safe and with your family.”
“When?” Ginny asked, finally finding her voice. “When will I be able to see them again?”
“Very soon,” he replied. “But you must listen to me very closely. I can't get you out of here alone. I need some others to help me and you must trust me completely. These people will be disguised as Death Eaters. I will come in with two others tomorrow. One will be given Polyjuice Potion to look like you, the other, a Death Eater. Once you put on a Death Eater robe, we are safe to move you. You cannot speak or act suspicious in any way. It will be highly dangerous to all of us if we are caught. Do you trust me?”
“I always have,” Ginny answered. “Where do I go after?”
“We will take you to a safe Apparation point inside the building. They are set up so that only those with Dark Marks will be allowed to Apparate; you will Apparate with someone.”
“Apparate to where?”
“The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, where your father will be waiting you.”
“My dad?” Ginny asked, tears pooling in her eyes. She was so close to freedom, she didn't know if she would be able to sleep tonight.
“Do you trust me?” He repeated.
“With everything I am,” Ginny whispered.
“That is a lot. You have more courage than anyone that I know, Ginevra.”
“Seeing as most of the people you know are a bunch of cowards, who wear masks over their faces, that's not saying much,” Ginny smirked. He slowly tucked a piece of fire-red hair behind her ear.
“I know more than just Death Eaters.” He stood up. “Sleep, Ginny. Tomorrow, you will live outside of these walls.” While he was walking to the hidden door, Ginny called out to him and he turned to face her.
“Please, I have to know, why are you doing this?”
He chuckled softly. “You don't know by now? Because, somewhere, my heart thought my life wasn't mucked up enough, so it made me fall in love with someone I cannot have.”
Ginny slowly stood up and walked the four paces over to him and threw her arms around him. She could smell his cinnamon scent as he held on to her. This was so surreal to her. Here she was in a cell, held captive by Death Eaters and supposedly being killed at the end of the week. Throw in a friend working for the bad guys, who was going to break her out of here come tomorrow, and just admitted he loved her, only she doesn't know his name, and you have one crazy life.
“Will I ever see you again?” Ginny's voice came out muffled from her face being pressed to his chest.
“After tomorrow, no.” Ginny noticed his voice was a little deeper than it normally was, masking his emotions.
“What's your name?” Ginny asked one last time.
“It's not important.”
***
Ginny awoke the next morning with tear stains on her freckled cheeks. She usually woke up screaming when she had the nightmares, but that one was different. It wasn't a nightmare at all, but the beginning of her freedom. It always made her cry. What made her so sad was that she really never saw him again. Everyone had known that someone had helped her. Merlin, her father even talked to him a few times, but no one seemed to know who he was.
After he helped her out of there, she couldn't sleep without the Sleeping Draught. After five months of using it, she decided that she would just deal with it and stop taking the potion. Even though she had to relive the worst eight months of her life for the past seven years, Ginny found comfort in them because the dreams meant that she was alive now. They meant that, whoever that man was, he loved her enough to risk his life to make sure that she, like he often said, lived another day.
“Miss?” A squeaky voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Yes, Mipsy?” Ginny called tiredly. Was it really time to get up already?
“Master asks Mipsy to remind Misses that she must be gettings up if she wishes to start her new job on time.” The house elf looked like she was about ready to beat herself over the head with whatever she could find as her eyes found everyone in the room but Ginny.
“Thanks, Mipsy,” Ginny smiled kindly. She wondered why Draco had changed his mind on letting her get a job. After she showered, dressed, and met him downstairs at the breakfast table in the kitchen, she asked him.
“Because you would've whined about it until I gave in. As I didn't want to be driven insane on account of said wining, I was forced to agree. And Hermione…what?” Draco stopped as he saw Ginny's mouth snap open.
“You called her Hermione.”
Draco frowned. ”If I called her Weasley, it would be confusing because there are so many of you lot now. And if I called her Mudblood, I probably would be risking all of my body parts.”
Ginny thought for a moment. ”I suppose you are right,” she said finally, continuing to eat her muffin.
“As I was saying,” Draco paused to roll his eyes. ”Hermione said we have an appointment in two months. Supposedly, she will be able to find out what the sex is.”
“Do you want to know? I know some people choose not to,” Ginny stood up and brushed off a few crumbs, which had fallen onto her pants.
“Of course!” Draco stood also. “I already know it is a boy. I can already tell. So, do you feel any different?” Draco ducked out of the way as Ginny's hand went flying at his head.
***
“Wotcher, Ginny!” A young woman with blue, spiked hair greeted Ginny after Draco had dropped her off at the Auror department on his way to the Law Enforcement Squad. His office was a couple of departments down.
“How are you?” Tonks asked. She had become the head Auror after the war with Voldemort was over. Many Aurors were lost in the battle and, because Tonks was always in the front line during the battles, the Ministry said they couldn't find a more fitting person to take charge.
“Great. Glad to be here and out of the mansion.”
“Draco thought you would be. This is your desk,” Tonks motioned to a small wooden desk that had about ten perches for owls hanging off of it, a small ink bottle fastened to the top, and a large roll of parchment just waiting to be written on. “I'm afraid there isn't that much to be done, and it won't be the most exciting job, but I'm sure you'll love it.”
“Thank you so much,” Ginny hugged Tonks. After Ginny’s rescue, she had gone to visit Tonks and Remus Lupin, who married shortly after Ginny was taken. They were kind to her, and Tonks was a good ear when Ginny needed to talk. Ginny had actually told Tonks about being a surrogate witch before she told her parents.
“You're welcome, Gin. Now let me show you around,” Tonks motioned for her to follow.
****
“How is your new job going, dear?” Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny when she went home a couple of weeks later. Draco had decided to come along, much to Ginny's surprise. As she helped her mother in the kitchen, Arthur had taken Draco out to the shed to show him his plug and new rubber duck collections.
“I love it!” Ginny exclaimed. “Different than working at St. Mungo’s.”
“Yes, but the long term resident ward was very stressful and dangerous when the patients got out of hand,” Mrs. Weasley explained.
“I understand,” Ginny began to peel some carrots for the stew and place them in the large cooking pot. “It's wonderful to see Ron, Harry, and Tonks
everyday. Did you know that Harry is still getting fan mail for defeating Voldemort? And poor Ron -- the Chuddley Cannons are still trying to draft him to the team. He tries to hide them before Tonks can see because she thinks he's going to run off and leave her one Auror short.”
“She's got nothing to worry about,” Mrs. Weasley tapped the pot with her wand and warmed it immediately. “Ron loves his job.”
“Mom, do you think Dad knows who that guy was that saved me when the Death Eaters captured me?”
Mrs. Weasley was shocked at first because of the quick change in subjects. She knew that the thought of who the man was that helped her was always in the back of her daughter’s mind. “Haven't you asked before?” She set her wand on the table.
“Yes, but maybe he just didn't remember then and he does now?”
“Ginevra, if your father knew, I am positive he would tell you,” her mother reached out and touched her hand. “Maybe you should ask around at the Ministry. You could even ask the pardoned Death Eaters. Ask Draco.”
“Ask me what?” The blond appeared in the kitchen, followed by a smiling Mr. Weasley.
“Nothing, it's not important,” Ginny started to set the silverware on the table. Draco got some plates and placed them next to the silverware.
“Nonsense, Ginny. She wants to know who the Death Eater was that helped her,” Mrs. Weasley spoke to Draco.
Ginny looked at him when she heard a loud crash coming from the side of the table where he was placing the plates.
“Sorry,” he said to Mrs. Weasley and quickly repaired them with his wand. “I always was clumsy.”
“Maybe you’d better not hold the baby,” Mr. Weasley joked and Draco laughed a little too loudly.
“So, do you know anything about the man?” Ginny asked.
“No,” Draco said. “I could ask around the Law Enforcement Squad, though. Maybe they caught wind of him.”
“Thank you,” Ginny replied getting some bottles of butterbeer from the refrigerator.
***
The night after Voldemort’s visit, Ginny was very grateful that no one had come, and she hoped it would stay that way. Unfortunately, while she was thinking that, a black cloaked figure entered her room. Ginny quickly sat up from the cold cement floor she was sleeping on.
“It's only me,” came the gentle voice of her ally, and relief washed over her. She was safe; it was him.
“What's going to happen to me?” Ginny asked as he walked over to wear she sat.
“I'm going to get you out of here,” he said simply, as if it were as easy as saying the words.
“How? I've been here for months! I'm going to die in here!” Then a thought hit her and she began to cry. “I'm never going to see my family again.”
“Ginny,” he knelt beside her and took a hold of her shoulders. “I will get you out of here. I have made sure everyone that you love is alive so that, when you get out of here, you can go and be with them. I wouldn't have risked my own ass and everything I own just to let that bastard kill you.”
“Why? Why have you risked everything? Surely not for me?” The man beside her that was still holding her shoulders had become her friend over the past months, it was true. Sometimes when he was cleaning her wounds and giving her the potions to make her well, he would talk to her. He seemed to want to know everything about her, and seeing as she was so lonely, she told him everything she could think of. But when did that mean someone would stick
their neck out for you and ... well, save your life?
“You are quite wrong. I've risked everything only for you, Ginny Weasley.” He held one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers. Ginny sucked in her breath. Of all the times he has come in here, and as close as they have gotten, he had never physically touched her. She could feel the electricity that goes through you when someone who cares for you touches you. “I want you safe and with your family.”
“When?” Ginny asked, finally finding her voice. “When will I be able to see them again?”
“Very soon,” he replied. “But you must listen to me very closely. I can't get you out of here alone. I need some others to help me and you must trust me completely. These people will be disguised as Death Eaters. I will come in with two others tomorrow. One will be given Polyjuice Potion to look like you, the other, a Death Eater. Once you put on a Death Eater robe, we are safe to move you. You cannot speak or act suspicious in any way. It will be highly dangerous to all of us if we are caught. Do you trust me?”
“I always have,” Ginny answered. “Where do I go after?”
“We will take you to a safe Apparation point inside the building. They are set up so that only those with Dark Marks will be allowed to Apparate; you will Apparate with someone.”
“Apparate to where?”
“The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, where your father will be waiting you.”
“My dad?” Ginny asked, tears pooling in her eyes. She was so close to freedom, she didn't know if she would be able to sleep tonight.
“Do you trust me?” He repeated.
“With everything I am,” Ginny whispered.
“That is a lot. You have more courage than anyone that I know, Ginevra.”
“Seeing as most of the people you know are a bunch of cowards, who wear masks over their faces, that's not saying much,” Ginny smirked. He slowly tucked a piece of fire-red hair behind her ear.
“I know more than just Death Eaters.” He stood up. “Sleep, Ginny. Tomorrow, you will live outside of these walls.” While he was walking to the hidden door, Ginny called out to him and he turned to face her.
“Please, I have to know, why are you doing this?”
He chuckled softly. “You don't know by now? Because, somewhere, my heart thought my life wasn't mucked up enough, so it made me fall in love with someone I cannot have.”
Ginny slowly stood up and walked the four paces over to him and threw her arms around him. She could smell his cinnamon scent as he held on to her. This was so surreal to her. Here she was in a cell, held captive by Death Eaters and supposedly being killed at the end of the week. Throw in a friend working for the bad guys, who was going to break her out of here come tomorrow, and just admitted he loved her, only she doesn't know his name, and you have one crazy life.
“Will I ever see you again?” Ginny's voice came out muffled from her face being pressed to his chest.
“After tomorrow, no.” Ginny noticed his voice was a little deeper than it normally was, masking his emotions.
“What's your name?” Ginny asked one last time.
“It's not important.”
***
Ginny awoke the next morning with tear stains on her freckled cheeks. She usually woke up screaming when she had the nightmares, but that one was different. It wasn't a nightmare at all, but the beginning of her freedom. It always made her cry. What made her so sad was that she really never saw him again. Everyone had known that someone had helped her. Merlin, her father even talked to him a few times, but no one seemed to know who he was.
After he helped her out of there, she couldn't sleep without the Sleeping Draught. After five months of using it, she decided that she would just deal with it and stop taking the potion. Even though she had to relive the worst eight months of her life for the past seven years, Ginny found comfort in them because the dreams meant that she was alive now. They meant that, whoever that man was, he loved her enough to risk his life to make sure that she, like he often said, lived another day.
“Miss?” A squeaky voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Yes, Mipsy?” Ginny called tiredly. Was it really time to get up already?
“Master asks Mipsy to remind Misses that she must be gettings up if she wishes to start her new job on time.” The house elf looked like she was about ready to beat herself over the head with whatever she could find as her eyes found everyone in the room but Ginny.
“Thanks, Mipsy,” Ginny smiled kindly. She wondered why Draco had changed his mind on letting her get a job. After she showered, dressed, and met him downstairs at the breakfast table in the kitchen, she asked him.
“Because you would've whined about it until I gave in. As I didn't want to be driven insane on account of said wining, I was forced to agree. And Hermione…what?” Draco stopped as he saw Ginny's mouth snap open.
“You called her Hermione.”
Draco frowned. ”If I called her Weasley, it would be confusing because there are so many of you lot now. And if I called her Mudblood, I probably would be risking all of my body parts.”
Ginny thought for a moment. ”I suppose you are right,” she said finally, continuing to eat her muffin.
“As I was saying,” Draco paused to roll his eyes. ”Hermione said we have an appointment in two months. Supposedly, she will be able to find out what the sex is.”
“Do you want to know? I know some people choose not to,” Ginny stood up and brushed off a few crumbs, which had fallen onto her pants.
“Of course!” Draco stood also. “I already know it is a boy. I can already tell. So, do you feel any different?” Draco ducked out of the way as Ginny's hand went flying at his head.
***
“Wotcher, Ginny!” A young woman with blue, spiked hair greeted Ginny after Draco had dropped her off at the Auror department on his way to the Law Enforcement Squad. His office was a couple of departments down.
“How are you?” Tonks asked. She had become the head Auror after the war with Voldemort was over. Many Aurors were lost in the battle and, because Tonks was always in the front line during the battles, the Ministry said they couldn't find a more fitting person to take charge.
“Great. Glad to be here and out of the mansion.”
“Draco thought you would be. This is your desk,” Tonks motioned to a small wooden desk that had about ten perches for owls hanging off of it, a small ink bottle fastened to the top, and a large roll of parchment just waiting to be written on. “I'm afraid there isn't that much to be done, and it won't be the most exciting job, but I'm sure you'll love it.”
“Thank you so much,” Ginny hugged Tonks. After Ginny’s rescue, she had gone to visit Tonks and Remus Lupin, who married shortly after Ginny was taken. They were kind to her, and Tonks was a good ear when Ginny needed to talk. Ginny had actually told Tonks about being a surrogate witch before she told her parents.
“You're welcome, Gin. Now let me show you around,” Tonks motioned for her to follow.
****
“How is your new job going, dear?” Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny when she went home a couple of weeks later. Draco had decided to come along, much to Ginny's surprise. As she helped her mother in the kitchen, Arthur had taken Draco out to the shed to show him his plug and new rubber duck collections.
“I love it!” Ginny exclaimed. “Different than working at St. Mungo’s.”
“Yes, but the long term resident ward was very stressful and dangerous when the patients got out of hand,” Mrs. Weasley explained.
“I understand,” Ginny began to peel some carrots for the stew and place them in the large cooking pot. “It's wonderful to see Ron, Harry, and Tonks
everyday. Did you know that Harry is still getting fan mail for defeating Voldemort? And poor Ron -- the Chuddley Cannons are still trying to draft him to the team. He tries to hide them before Tonks can see because she thinks he's going to run off and leave her one Auror short.”
“She's got nothing to worry about,” Mrs. Weasley tapped the pot with her wand and warmed it immediately. “Ron loves his job.”
“Mom, do you think Dad knows who that guy was that saved me when the Death Eaters captured me?”
Mrs. Weasley was shocked at first because of the quick change in subjects. She knew that the thought of who the man was that helped her was always in the back of her daughter’s mind. “Haven't you asked before?” She set her wand on the table.
“Yes, but maybe he just didn't remember then and he does now?”
“Ginevra, if your father knew, I am positive he would tell you,” her mother reached out and touched her hand. “Maybe you should ask around at the Ministry. You could even ask the pardoned Death Eaters. Ask Draco.”
“Ask me what?” The blond appeared in the kitchen, followed by a smiling Mr. Weasley.
“Nothing, it's not important,” Ginny started to set the silverware on the table. Draco got some plates and placed them next to the silverware.
“Nonsense, Ginny. She wants to know who the Death Eater was that helped her,” Mrs. Weasley spoke to Draco.
Ginny looked at him when she heard a loud crash coming from the side of the table where he was placing the plates.
“Sorry,” he said to Mrs. Weasley and quickly repaired them with his wand. “I always was clumsy.”
“Maybe you’d better not hold the baby,” Mr. Weasley joked and Draco laughed a little too loudly.
“So, do you know anything about the man?” Ginny asked.
“No,” Draco said. “I could ask around the Law Enforcement Squad, though. Maybe they caught wind of him.”
“Thank you,” Ginny replied getting some bottles of butterbeer from the refrigerator.
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