The room itself was exquisite. High vaulted ceiling, white polished walls, large arches holding stained glass windows, and intricate molding. Coming from a very simple household, this was the sort of room she always fantasized about having in her own home. But at the moment, any joy she may have taken in the space was overshadowed by the intense pain traveling through her body, as she lay crumpled on the white marble floor. Twenty-year-old Ginny Weasley had been cursed many times, but the Cruciatus was one she’d never felt before today.
As her mind began regaining some of its senses, Ginny made out a sort of high pitched cackling laugh, before a deep male voice silenced the sound.
“Now, Miss Weasley,” the commanding voice said, “let’s try this again. Where can I find the Order headquarters?”
Ginny attempted to push herself up with her hands. Rising to her knees, she drew her head up and looked into the eyes of her foe. Then, she drew a deep breath and spat in his general direction. That was all the answer Lucius Malfoy would get from her.
“Very well,” he said in a deceptively calm tone. “Alecto, continue.”
The cackling laughter started anew, and Ginny felt the immense pain once again flooding her small body. She felt herself slam back onto the floor and let out a scream that would have rivaled any banshee. And then she could hear nothing, as all sound and sight faded from her conscious mind.
Her eyes squinted against the pain before they slowly opened. She saw nothing but black at first. It only took a moment before her vision began to adjust, though. The shooting pain she last remembered had lessened somewhat.
She didn’t know how long she’d been out. The tiny barred window, positioned at the very top of one of the stone walls enclosing her, made it easy to tell it was still dark. She'd probably been out for only a few hours.
Ginny slowly stretched her body on the ratty blanket, the only thing protecting her from the hard floor. She reached over and gently rubbed her right wrist. It was healing some, but the bruises and cuts remained from the shackles she’d been placed in when brought here five days ago.
When Ginny first arrived, she’d been dragged into the ornate white hall and questioned. The Death Eaters present at the time of her arrival were quite thrilled they’d managed to capture a Weasley. It wasn’t long before their joy died down and she was taken to a small cell, where she’d been left until today.
Ginny had expected her family would stage some dramatic rescue as soon as they realized she was missing. And each night, as she fell asleep on the cold dungeon floor, she hoped tomorrow would be the day she was freed.
Sitting up, Ginny leaned her back against the wall, staring at the stones in front of her. A ray of moonlight was the only thing that cut the darkness, causing even the slightest of movements to be echoed by grotesque shadows. Focusing straight in front of her, she watched as these distorted silhouettes seemed to hauntingly dance across the stones.
A light breeze from the window blew in to tickle her skin. The fresh bit of air seemed to help the nauseous feeling threatening to overtake her. Quickly taking a breath to squash the feeling further, she allowed her body to lie upon the blanket once more. Her eyes were getting heavy and gave in to the temptation to close. But before sleep could claim her, the clanking of a door, followed by the sound of footsteps descending the stairway leading to her prison, caused her eyes to open once again.
There was a small door made of metal bars allowing entrance and exit from the cell, and within seconds she heard that door clank into life as well. Had she been in her right mind, Ginny would have jumped up, ready to face whatever attack might be coming. But in her current state, she couldn’t bring her body to comply. She would deal with the trouble when forced.
She felt a hand wiggle under her head and another slide beneath her back. Her body submitted to the gently demanding hands as they guided her into a sitting position, then nudged her to lean back onto the body that had come to rest behind her.
She heard an almost soothing male voice but didn’t understand the words until she felt a bottle being pressed against her lips.
“Drink, Ginny,” the voice said. “This will help with the pain.” Once again she complied and parted her chapped lips to give the cool liquid entrance. Slowly, she felt her head begin to clear; her stiff muscles relaxed and the throbbing pains began to subside.
“I don’t know what that was,” she said, “but I just fell in love with it.”
The body she was leaning against vibrated with a laugh that was never quite vocalized. “I’ll be sure to give you the formula when you get out of here,” he whispered.
Sitting upright by her own power, she reached up and pushed her long auburn hair behind her ears, then turned so she could look at her savior. Her brown eyes met the light gray orbs of a man she’d spent most of her life considering an enemy.
Draco Malfoy sat there, the length of his black fitted robes pooling around him, his pale blond hair lying in smoothly combed strands; he looked completely out of place in the filthy cell.
He’d been there once before, on the third night she’d been held hostage. He came bearing a small bundle with bread, cheese, and pumpkin juice - a feast compared to the mushy substance that had been appearing next to the bars the previous days. It was still hard for Ginny to wrap her mind around the fact Draco Malfoy was now a “good guy”.
After the death of Voldemort, at the end of her sixth year at Hogwarts, it appeared the magical world could breathe a sigh of relief and begin rebuilding their lives. But within a month Death Eaters began creeping up and organizing attacks against those who’d stood against their Dark Lord.
Ginny managed to complete her seventh year, and as soon as she graduated, demanded admittance into the Order of the Phoenix (an elite fighting group commonly known as the Order) whose sole mission was to capture all remaining Death Eaters. Much to the protest of her mother, father, and brothers - all five of them; her sixth, Fred, being the only Weasley lost in that fateful battle - she’d been accepted as a member.
The Malfoy family had been given asylum due to some aid Narcissa Malfoy had given Harry, but she’d been killed less than three months later during one of the impromptu Death Eater attacks; a case of a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The death of the Malfoy matriarch hit the two men in her life in completely opposite ways. Lucius allowed his fury to manifest toward seeking revenge against the Muggles, since, in his mind, their existence was the reason the attack happened.
Meanwhile, Lucius’ son’s anger was directed toward the Death Eaters, whose random and pointless attack had caused his mother’s death. Days later, Draco Malfoy appeared at the gates of Hogwarts seeking an audience with the headmistress, Minerva McGonagall.
He declared his own private war on the Death Eaters and convinced McGonagall to allow him into the Order. How he’d done it, Ginny never knew, but he managed to win over McGonagall and other important Order members, and thus, was included in their ranks. Of course, it wasn’t an easy process by any means. But in the end, both Draco and his lifelong friend, Theodore Nott, were inducted into the Order and became spies for the cause.
Ginny herself had been slow to accept this supposed change in him. But with time she did. And while she didn’t think of him as a friend, she knew she could trust him with her present plight.
“Thanks for that,” she said, gesturing to the bottle in his hand. “Were you there?”
“I was,” he answered.
“Yeah, I figured as much. Do you know what they plan on doing with me?”
“Well,” he smirked, “getting straight to the point, aren’t we?”
“Would you prefer light-hearted small talk? If you came here for my pleasant company, you’re going to be sorely disappointed,” she sighed.
“The truth,” he said, his smirk fading, “is that I don’t know. When that raid was organized they hadn’t actually planned on taking hostages. They just wanted to cause some bother, strike a little fear; make sure everyone knew they were still around. But then someone saw that red hair of yours and couldn’t resist grabbing you,” he added, his smirk returning.
Ginny turned her body once more so she could lean against the stone wall. She shook her head as the memory replayed through her mind. She’d gone to Diagon Alley to try the new shop which had just opened, Gelda’s Gelato. Instead, she’d gotten gruel and torture.
“Does my family know where I am?” She asked.
“I was able to send word to the Order your first night here. They know you were taken by Death Eaters and that you’re okay for now,” he replied.
Her head quickly turned to face him, a frown creasing her forehead, “For now?” Draco didn’t reply. “Where are we anyway?”
“Wiltshire.”
“Wiltshire? You mean this is—”
“It’s not Malfoy Manor, no. But close to it.” Draco copied her stance, allowing his own back to lean upon the bit of wall beside her. “An older couple used to live here. They moved away when the Dark Lord was rumored to be returning. The house was never sold, but they haven’t been seen in over five years. My father figured it would be an ideal spot to hide Death Eaters.”
“Did you tell the Order that?” she asked. Draco shook his head slightly. “Why didn’t you tell them?” she questioned, an irritated note clearly audible within her voice.
“No point,” he answered. “There’s no way for them to get in. It’s too much of a risk when they can do nothing for you.”
“How do you know they can’t help if you don’t tell them?” she asked, but the anger in her voice only brought a chuckle and another smirk from the man beside her. “What’s so funny?”
“You, Weasley. Even locked up, barely free from a round of Crucios, and I can still get you worked up in a matter of seconds.” A huff was her eloquent answer. “I need to head back. Take this,” he said as he reached into his robe pocket to withdraw a vial, pushing it into her hand. “It’s a sleeping draught, designed for restful sleep after a person is cursed.” He turned then and walked out the cell opening.
She watched him proceed down the corridor and up the stairs, and once Ginny heard the familiar clang of the outer door she uncorked the vial and downed the liquid. It seemed like only seconds before sleep took her.
Author notes: This is the very first chapter, of the very first story I've posted at FIA! Sorta' excited.
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