She turned in time to witness the bride and groom as they swept across the dancefloor, their eyes on no one but the other. Fleur s golden hair swung around as Bill spun her around, his dark eyes shining brightly; the two were so in love. It was beautiful to witness. Ginny could only hope that this would not be the last nice thing they experienced for a long time. What with the nature of the world outside their protection charms and all One could not expect to have such wonderful moments happening on a daily basis. In fact, most of what this group in particular experienced lately had been anything but good
But such thoughts were for another time, another place! Nothing would be able to spoil this wonderful evening!
Time passed and Ginny found herself dancing with her newly married brother; his strong hands were around her waist, dipping her low, causing laughter to emit from her rosy lips. Be careful, Bill! Their mother called out, her nervous gaze locked on her children. At her side was their father, who touched her elbow, whispering into her ear something secret, something that made her smile. The golden gown that fit her so nicely shimmered in the lights that hung from the canopy above; her crimson locks, though once so beautifully curled, were now frizzy and disheveled from hours of dancing and good times. Though anything but vain, Ginny could not help but notice the pair of emerald eyes that had remained on her most of the night Though in his current disguise, she had to admit it was a little creepy.
It was just as the dance finished that the ball of silver light appeared in the middle of the dancefloor. A deep, booming voice began speaking just moments later. They re coming Two of the simplest words ever spoken and yet they caused so much pandemonium. Immediately, the adults around her sprung into action. To her left, the trio, so appropriately dubbed the golden trio apparated away. Harry Potter was part of that group and he was the key to their winning the war. She wished she might have had the chance to bid him (as well as the other two, one being her brother, the other a dear friend) goodbye. But, the Death Eaters would be coming after Harry, so of course they had to go.
Suddenly, flashes began to happen all around the perimeter of the canopy; Ginny saw them then, the figures dressed in black cloaks, masks perched upon their faces. One by one they came forwards, wands raised, malicious laughter freely falling from their lips. Where is Harry Potter? The front and center one called out, his voice familiar to her ears. Ginny stepped backwards, nearly tripping on the hem of her golden gown; all around her the adults were circling, their backs to her, forming a human chain to protect her. I know one of you here must know Especially that one there Lucius Malfoy went on to say, removing his mask and hood, silver hair falling to his shoulders. He pointed his wand between her father and Remus Lupin, his aim directly upon her. The men tightened the ranks, wands raised high, eyes shifting from side to side as the Death Eaters came closer. Where is he ? Tell me and I shall spare you all. Malfoy said, a smirk curving his lips upwards.
Silence was their response. No one would ever tell, no one would ever give Harry Potter s whereabouts away, even if they had truly known where he had just disappeared to. Lucius smirk disappeared and anger replaced his previous emotions. Fine, so be it. Attack! He shouted and the Death Eaters surged forwards just as the Order members did too. They clashed; spells and curses began to fly through the air and of course, Ginny did not have her wand. Why would she have needed it, anyways?
"Ginny, get back!" Her father yelled over his shoulder, as he noticed her still standing there, motionless. Jumping, she turned and lifted her skirts, and she began to run. She didn t get very far before someone hit her with a trip jinx, which sent her sprawling onto the grass. Groaning, she pushed herself up, but found herself kneeling before a tall, ominous figure in black. She sat back, hands propelling her slender frame backwards, but instead of finding an escape route, she was backed into a corner. Her back came into contact with a pair of legs and before she knew it, her hair was being tightly gripped by someone s hand, yanking her upwards with a quick, short tug. Crying out, she reached up, trying to untangle her hair from their fingers, but no such luck. Across the field she could hear the voices of her family as they fought against the Death Eaters, but she heard her father and mother in unison as they screamed her name.
But, it was too late, they would never make it to her in time.
"I can make this easy for you, Miss Weasley," Lucius said as he approached, gesturing at the Death Eater behind her to release her hair from his grip. They relented and instead grabbed her by the arm, keeping her from running away. "Tell me where Potter has gone, and I will spare you and your family. Choose not to tell me And the consequences will be dire." Lucius Malfoy was apparently unaware of the type of girl he was dealing with.
"I d rather die than tell you anything!" Ginny spat, trying to wrench her arm from the Death Eater s grip. The man held tighter, bruising her fair skin, his excitement levels rising at the spunk the girl was showing. "Even if I knew, I would never tell you a damn thing!" She went on, brown eyes narrowing as she stared at Malfoy, no fear in her eyes or her manners. Lips rounded and she spit at his feet,
Lucius blinked; he should have known better, his worthless son had told him before that Ginny Weasley would not be swayed so easily. She was not the same little girl that she had once been. Though petite and fragile looking, she was apparently a spitfire, prone to fits of anger and solving her problems with magic and not words. It was too bad she was born to a family of blood traitors. You will pay. He snapped, raising his wand, the curse leaving his lips a second later. Crucio.
Pain engulfed her; she writhed with it and would have fallen had she not been held up by the other Death Eater. Panting, with tears streaking her freckled cheeks, Ginny looked up, knees buckling beneath her weight. I ll ask you again Where has Harry Potter gone? Malfoy asked and she did not respond. Instead, her lips pursed and she turned her head away, silence falling between them. Fine. Malfoy said simply, his wand lifting yet again. Crucio. The curse hit her a second time, much worse than the first; she cried out in the pain, and the other Death Eater allowed her to fall forwards. Ginny hit the ground, hard, and her face was pressed down into the dirt. Her whole body trembled with the pain; there wasn t a single part of her that didn t ache. You will see in time that you should have told me what I wanted to know. Lucius said, reaching down to grab her by the wrist. Her eyes fluttered open and before everything went black, she felt the ground fall from beneath her, the sensation of apparation.
[ x x x ]
The darkness of the dungeon was a reflection of her mood. Of all of their moods. It was dark and dreary, cold and dank. Miserable. The days had turned to weeks and then had even turned to months since the night Lucius Malfoy had her unconcious body dumped onto the concrete floor.
"Ginny?"
Looking up, Ginny swiveled her gaze to fall upon the source of the voice. Her brown eyes met a pair of stormy gray eyes that bore deep into her, making her break eye contact for a moment. You re awfully quiet You re still in pain, aren t you? Draco went on to ask her, concern etched into his voice, his hand reaching out to gingerly touch her shoulder. Immediately she winced and Draco withdrew his hand, anger flooding his features. He could not believe how far they had gone with her the night before. Can I have a look, please Gin? She looked back up and blinked, before she finally sighed and leaned forwards; with no shame she slipped from her ragged t-shirt, exposing her bare skin to him. Draco came closer, gray eyes inspecting her skeletal frame.
The shoulder which he had just moments ago touched was marred by bruising and dried blood; there was a deep gash across the skin between her neck and shoulder, red and angry looking against the paleness of her skin. Merlin, he mumbled, fingers just barely brushing the area around the wound, causing her to flinch in pain. They really did a number on you this time Draco watched as she pulled her shirt back on, still silent, knowing full well if she opened her mouth that she would scream.
This had become their lives Locked away into a dungeon, deprived of food for days on end, tortured for information they didn t even know. Ginny was fairly certain that even the Death Eaters knew they knew nothing. How could they know anything, being locked away after all? It had just become a game to them now. And Ginny knew her life would never be ended, she was key to getting Harry Potter, and so Voldemort would never let them kill her. But, he certainly didn t care if they tortured her to the brink of death, or to the brink of suicide. I m fine, she finally muttered, turning away, red hair falling across her face, hiding it from his prying eyes. Don t worry about me.
What was even stranger, was the bond the two of them had formed. Draco Malfoy was a character like she had never imagined. He was not the person he had always made himself out to be during their time at school. Draco had been given one more chance to prove himself to Voldemort after his failure to kill Albus Dumbledore the year before and had purposely failed. Though it had landed him in a terrible place, Draco was pleased for finally being true to himself. His own father was the one to throw him inside the dungeon, the very night before Ginny s arrival. He had refused to attend the attack on the Weasley wedding, refused to take part in going after Ginny there. His job was supposed to have been kidnap her and bring her to where she currently was, to hold as Voldemort s prisoner until the time was right to use her as bait for Harry Potter. Though he had tried to protect her from her fate, his father had managed to capture her anyways.
Ginny leaned her head against the wall, reaching up to trace the marks she d etched into the wall, silently counting the days she d been trapped. Two hundred and thirteen Two hundred and thirteen days they d been tortured, starved, destroyed. She could still hardly believe they d made it this long. But, Voldemort wasn t going to let them die so easily. Only suffer as much as possible without them dying. Seven months had passed and Merlin only knew how many more were to come.
The first few months Ginny had remained strong. She had been herself; had fought back against her captors, had spit in their faces and had proved to be anything but an easy target. But as time passed As her weight dipped and the torture sessions increased, she began to lose faith. Two months turned to four and four to six. Before she knew it, she didn t even recognize herself anymore. Her hair, longer than ever, was dry and brittle from a lack of nutrients. Her always slender frame was completely emaciated, the clothes she d been given at the start of her captivity literally hung from her limbs. And Draco looked no better than she.
Now, they were nothing but ghosts of their former selves.
[ x x x ]
The sound of heavy footsteps and then a door swinging open. Three new voices filled the small dungeon, loud and ringing in her ears. She lay barely moving as Draco rose to stand beside her body, his stance protective. You lot can keep each other company until The Dark Lord arrives, one of the many faceless Death Eaters snarled, slamming the door behind him. She heard the turn of the lock in the door and then the retreating footsteps as he left them alone with a trio of newcomers.
Oi! Is someone there? A sharp, male voice called out through the darkness. A voice she recognized instantly. She silently groaned, shifting on the ground, forcing her aching body upright, into a sitting position.
Ron! Really? A female voice cut in, admonishing the male, her voice full of irritation. Another voice she knew instantly. Another silent groan. She didn t need to hear his voice to recognize the third member of the trio- she heard his feet as he rolled on the balls of them, a familiar gesture of his. One she could know anywhere. Is.. Is someone there? We re friends, I promise Ginny heard the tentative step forwards and then the small gasp as Hermione recognized Draco. Malfoy? Draco Malfoy? Her disbelief was evident and she watched as Hermione looked from Draco then back over her shoulder to the other two males.
Malfoy? Bloody hell you look terrible, Ron spoke up, now stepping closer as well. In the sliver of light that came through the bars on the door, Ginny could see his dark blue eyes narrowing as surveyed Draco. Who else is there His words died on his lips as he turned his gaze towards her instead. Their eyes met and despite the darkness, he knew it was her. Ron stepped up, his hands falling to hang at his sides, unsure what to do with them. Gin Her nickname fell from his quivering lips as he staggered forwards, dropping to his knees before her. His hands raised, one reaching out to gently cup her cheek with his palm. His eyes were taking her in, seeing how very small she d become How distant her eyes were. The sight of her both shocked and overwhelmed him. To have her right there, right where he could touch It had been so long So many months. Everyone had thought her to be dead. And yet here she was, looking close to death, but still alive. Still breathing. You re alive He made to reach for her but paused as she flinched, her gaze low, hand reaching up to tenderly touch her left shoulder. That was when he saw it- the angry, red gash across it, at the spot between her neck and shoulder. The tattered sleeve of her t-shirt had slipped over, exposing her pale flesh. His eyes flashed and he tore his gaze away from her to look at Draco. What the bloody hell has been going on here? What have they done to my sister?!
His voice rose nearly to a shout and Hermione dropped down beside him; she glanced his way first and was surprised to see the tears that had gathered in his eyes. Ginny meant the whole world to him- he had long since given up hope that they d ever find her But here she was. Hermione turned to Ginny then, taking in the sight of her. Now, she could see what Ron felt so angry. Ginny, always a small girl, was beyond skinny. Emaciated was the only way to put it. Her cheeks sunken, her collarbones protruding; her red hair was frizzy and brittle, longer than ever, but tangled and dirty. Her clothes, an old torn up t-shirt was battered and stained, her jeans torn and tied into place at her waist with a bit of string. I don t know if you want to know, came Draco s response, his voice hoarse and full of bitterness. Hermione looked up to him then, startled to see the difference in him as well. He too was thin and pale, his face bruised and marred with a scar over his right eye.
Behind the group, Harry Potter stood. He couldn t will his legs to move, no matter how hard he tried. His emerald gaze had long since left Draco Malfoy s face, and instead rested on her He had never quite given up on her, knowing her as well as he did, he was certain she d be able to make it. She was strong and smart and cunning, she would be fine, no matter what she came across. He had figured that if and when they found her, she d be a little different but not this. He had never expected to see her in such a state. She had not even uttered a single word since their arrival, she had barely even moved. Her eyes were half closed, her head bowed, as if even just sitting up was tiring. Harry felt his hands curl into fists, a fresh wave of anger surging through him; just what had they been doing to her all this time?
How How long ? Ginny finally croaked out, her voice dry, barely above a whisper. It pained her to even speak. How long have I been here? She turned her eyes from Ron to Hermione, then towards the wall with her many etches into the stone. She had tried to keep count, but after some time, she just couldn t keep up.
At the sound of her voice, all the bodies jumped, their gazes falling back onto her. Beside her, Draco shifted, clearly wondering the very same thing. It s almost March Hermione murmured softly, reaching out to gently grasp her hands. It s been almost eight months now She felt Ginny as she winced, as if struck, though in a way she just had been. The girl sighed softly, muttering something that Hermione could not quite hear. Please Tell us what s going on What have they done to you two?
Ginny tugged her hands away, scooting back slightly, her back against Draco s legs. It was apparent that she felt uncomfortable with them- but Hermione could not blame her. She d been isolated for almost a full year with no one but Draco- she d forgotten how to feel amongst other human beings. Draco dropped down beside her, reaching out to touch her hand. From where he stood, Harry felt a twinge of jealousy and hated himself for it. He longed to hold her himself but he couldn t even step close enough to touch her. His feet remained rooted to the dungeon floor, his emerald eyes fixed on her beautiful face.
Are you sure you want to know? Draco asked once more, his voice telling them he really did not want to speak of the horrors. But, he and Ginny both already knew the answer. He cleared his throat, not giving the others a chance to reply. They ve been torturing us. Starving us. Beating us. He said, very matter-of-factly, as if speaking of the weather. Hermione gave a little gasp and Ron murmured a curse. Draco could not help but to notice Harry Potter, skirting around on the edge of the group, unusually silent. They hurt her bad with a curse last week. He then said, nodding towards Ginny, pointing at her injured shoulder. I think its Sectumsempra. Snape must have taught it to some of the higher ups.
Snape
Harry felt his blood boil, the thought of that curse marring Ginny. He blinked fast, his vision blurring with his emotions. He held his breath, not hearing whatever it was that Ron was saying. He came back to earth as Draco responded. Every other day, usually Sometimes we got lucky though. They d do us one at a time, me one day, her the next Never together, never on the same day. Ron must have asked how many times a week, Harry realized, and his heart was pounding. The image of Ginny lying face down at Voldemort s feet suddenly flashed before his eyes and he staggered, nearly falling over as his scar burned with pain. All eyes turned towards him and he waved away their glances, forcing them to return their attention to the others. He took the moment to look around- the dungeon was small and dirty, cold and damp. He could see the marks Ginny had apparently been making to keep track of the days. He could almost see her, with her scrawny little arm, reaching up with a stone to try and etch another mark. His heart sank.
Draco fell into silence, like Ginny, he was tired. Too tired to speak on. As he glanced her way, he could see she was half asleep, if not half unconscious, already. Shaking his head, he turned to her, leaning in to whisper in her ear. She blinked, as if coming back into focus, a sad little smile toying with her lips. I m sorry We re so He trailed off, his hand resting on Ginny s good shoulder. At once Hermione sprang into action, reaching for her cloak which was tied around her waist. She gently draped it over Ginny, who tugged it closer, who had long since forgotten what it felt like to be warm. Harry caught her gaze, her brown eyes so sad So different from the eyes he d known and loved. He knew, without a doubt, that something more than torture had happened to her during her time in this dungeon. But he vowed He d set her free and destroy what had destroyed her.
[ x x x ]
It had been hours.
Not long after Draco and Ginny had drifted off to sleep, the others had as well. He wasn t surprised- they d been traveling for months. Sometimes they d go days without stopping. They were tired, hell, he was tired too. But he couldn t sleep. Not now. Not when she lay there across the dungeon, battered and bruised, her body so thin he swore he could throw her around without a problem. Rising, he strode across the stone floor, to where she lay asleep. He knelt down at her side, gently lifting her from the floor, to lay her across his lap, his movements easy, to avoid hurting her. To his surprise, when he looked down, her eyes were open, staring up at him. I m sorry, I didn t mean to He trailed off, thankful for the darkness, considering his cheeks were flaming red.
It s okay, came her soft response. She was surprised by his actions- but she supposed, she was thankful too. His presence brought back so many memories She had long since forgotten what his touch felt like, what his eyes had looked like The memory of him and the others simply hurt too much. She had hung onto them at first- like the way Hermione s voice hiked up a notch or so whenever she was mad. Or how Ron rolled his eyes when he thought no one was looking. Or the way Harry had looked at her, their first time locked in a private embrace No, such thoughts were too painful. She had never thought she d get to experience such things again, and so She d let them go. All of them. How How did you guys get here?
Surprised by her speech- as she d been so quiet, he thought for sure she d drifted back to sleep- he looked down, arching a brow. Snatchers. He responded, shrugging, unsure if she even knew what the term meant. She didn t ask so he assumed she knew- and really, being surrounded by Death Eaters, she probably knew a lot more than she was letting on. Said his name and they caught us almost immediately. He added after a moment, feeling her body shift as she turned her head away. He could not stop himself from reaching out and running a hand through her hair- messy and dirty as it was- it was still easily his favorite physical attribute of hers. I never Never thought I d see you again, his voice caught and he swallowed, blinking fast, ashamed of the tears filling his eyes. She turned her head back to him and her eyes They were so dark and sad, he had never seen eyes like those before He knew that if she had the energy, she d probably be crying. And she wasn t one to cry.
Though it pained her to do so, she reached a hand up, to gently cup his cheek with her palm. She could feel the wetness on his cheeks and a small smile appeared on her lips. Don t be sad, she murmured, her hand falling down, too weak to keep it raised any longer. We re together again All of us She could feel herself slipping away, but for once, she was not wishing that she wouldn t wake up. For once, there was a spark of something deep within her.
Hope.