Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for some crazy idea that made me write this fic.

The Game for High Stakes

By Lady Arabella Malfoy

"You understand, Ronald, that it is a very important case. Maybe the most complicated you've got so far. We've never managed to capture one of them alive. They were either too weak to be questioned or committed suicide before we could start. So be careful with this one. He is a very important person on the dark side, so get out of him as much as you can."

"Excuse me, commander, I understand the importance and difficulty of this task. Then why do you ask me to do it? There are a lot of other qualified Aurors."

"Well, the funniest thing, he requested it himself, 'No-one but Ronald Weasley will question me.' And, by the way, it wasn't a request actually, it was an order."

"Even so? We must know each other?"

"I think you know each other well enough. It is Draco Malfoy we so treasure here."

Ron grinned. "Oh, he? Thank you, commander, I am very glad you've given me this assignment." Ron even bowed for emphasize.

After he left the commander's office, Ron's right fist meaningfully connected with his left palm. "Oh, I'll question him alright. He will wish he never became a Death Eater or even a Malfoy."

Ron Weasley was never particularly fond of the lower levels of the Ministry of Magic, but today he felt unexplainable pleasure at being there. He made another few turns and stopped in front of an old door. It didn't look any more special than the others, but behind it was a very special someone.

Ron slammed the door open to meet a lonely table and a chair with a lonely figure on it. His head was drawn down, the hood covered the face of the tied person.

"So where is your mightiness now, Malfoy?" Ron began sardonically. "Don't feel so powerful?"

'Merlin, I hate him!' Ron drew out his wand.

"Before you Crucio me into oblivion, Weasley, I have a request," Draco half whispered half hissed.

"What? Your final wish?" Ron mocked.

"No. My final wish will be of another content."

"And why should I fulfill your request, especially if you are in no position to ask for anything!" Ron snapped.

"Because you want to Crucio me," Draco stated, still looking at the floor.

"I can Crucio you whenever I like. You. Are. My. Prisoner. I can do whatever I want with you, bastard."

"Let's make a deal: you fulfill my request and I answer one of your questions."

"What the Hell do you mean by that! You'll answer all my questions, and you'll do it now!" The tirade was ended with a flat slap across Draco's face.

Draco's eyes lit with a dangerous fire. "Ok, Weasley, let's do you it your way. You think you are all grown up. Think you can handle me and such an important task you were assigned to. Well, let's see how you manage." Draco gave Ron an arrogant smirk, which annoyed the latter to no end.

"What is your position on Voldemort's ranks?" Ron snapped in a commander tone, towering over Draco.

"You know yourself, I am a Death Eater," Draco smirked.

"Not that, you git." Another slap. "What is your position in his Inner Circle!"

"Oh, thaaat," Draco drawled in mock thoughtfulness, as if the slap hadn't happened. "Well you can say it is the eighth on the right from the door."

"What bloody door?"

"Well, you know, every room has a door, we always arrange ourselves according to it."

"You know exactly what I am asking about, you slimy ferret! How close are you to Voldemort!" Ron shouted at Draco's face.

"You mean, if I am close enough to him so he'll send a rescue mission to ravish the whole place to get me? No, I don't think so."

"So you run errands for him?" Ron couldn't help but laugh.

"You can think so, if you like. But it isn't in the Dark Lord's nature, if he even has one, to free the caught by the Ministry," Draco said, sounding carefree.

"I am asking you one more time," Ron's voice became dangerously low, "What is your exact position in the Inner Circle of Voldemort?"

"Why are you so interested anyway?"

"Damn it all! This is getting nowhere!" Ron groaned to the ceiling.

"You know the deal, Weasley, just agree to it," Draco said huskily.

"I'll show you the deal. Crucio!"

The whole of Draco's body tensed, but he made no sound. His hands were still tied behind his back. Now that not only gave discomfort, but the disability to move to somehow to ease the pain. Draco twitched a few times, his eyelids were shut tightly in fear for anybody to see pain in his eyes. After another thirty seconds, Ron removed the curse and was unpleasantly surprised and disappointed not to hear any screams from his prisoner. Usually, the Cruciatus curse was the last step in any interrogation for any nut to crack, especially with the Death Eaters.

Ron came to conclusion that the Auror who casts a Crucio on a Death Eater resembles Voldemort to the latter, thus the Auror is feared and could get something from the convict. But now, Ron felt the wanted effect wouldn't be accomplished – the nut was too tough. And it scared Ron to the bones.

"You know, I always thought," Draco began in a cracking voice, "That the more Crucios you survived, the higher the opinion of the Dark lord about you. A funny fact from the Death Eater experience," Draco chuckled.

Ron looked at him like he had gone mad. "For example, you are a cadet, just some lousy guy, who was initiated like three months ago. You are sent on a mission, you complete it successfully and think you can even get a promotion or even the blessing of the Dark Lord, which is far more important. You'll get both alright. You kneel in front of your mighty Lord with a satisfied smirk on your perverted mouth and what do you get? Firstly, you are crucioed like three times, if you survive and can say the words of gratitude, the next minute you are a lieutenant already."

Ron gawked at him. "But the funniest thing is, when you are through with me, according to this hierarchy, I'll be way higher than Voldemort," Draco finished, laughing madly.

"So even now you are pretty high, aren't you?" Ron asked, his eyes – slits. He didn't like the way the situation was unfolding one bit. Who is in control of the questioning? And what the Hell will happen now?

"You can think so if you like it," Draco answered with a sly smile, which made Ron sick.

"I'll come tomorrow and you won't like it," Ron threatened, but it felt it was done pretty lame.

"I won't like you either now or later, so don't bother."

The next day came for Ron sooner than he liked. He hadn't thought out a strategy for today's interrogation session. He understood than no classic ways could be used in this case. The picture that greeted him didn't differ from the day before. Draco was sitting on the same stool, tied with the same ropes.

"Will you be stubborn today as you were yesterday, Malfoy? Or maybe some sense came into your head?"

"Unfortunately, there is still no sense in me because I already have a headache from your girly voice," Draco snapped in return.

"The day isn't better after the night for you then."

"Why don't you just use Veritaserum? It would be much easier for you."

"I don't feel like it."

"The most adequate reason I've heard." 'Everyone has his own rules in his own game.'

"Wristo Twisto," Ron hissed, having enough of this pointless conversation. The next moment the crack of bones was heard and Draco's face was a mask of pain. "I'll use the methods you are used to. There is no point in small talk with you," Ron said, looking at Draco like a hawk on its prey.

Draco was in immense pain. He more felt rather than heard the crack of every small bone in his hands. He knew it would come sooner or later, he prepared himself for it, but damn, it still hurt so much!

"You know the deal, Weasley," Draco breathed out.

"Go to Hell with your deal!" Ron cried in frustration.

"I am already there, am I not?" Draco asked, locking his gaze with Ron's and Ron shuddered. Draco's eyes were full of suffering, but at the same time, determination; Determination to live, to have one last breath as a free man, to stand his ground whatever the cost. "You have no more than two days, Weasley. After that, I probably won't be here."

"Oh no, you will. You are staying here for a loooooong time. A very long time."

"This doesn't depend on me already. The Dark Lord always gets what he wants."

"And he wants you soooooo much," Ron mocked.

"Hasn't he all my life?"

Such a question confused Ron. 'What the Hell is he talking about? And there is still no progress what so ever. Well, I must use the only chance.' "Ok. I'll fulfill your request, but, of course, freeing you is not an option."

"Take my cloak off."

"What!" Ron was so taken aback by the simplicity of the task that he didn't think about Draco's reasoning.

"You heard me."

"But why in nine Hells…oh bugger." With a swing of Ron's wand Draco's Death Eater robe vanished, revealing a snow white shirt.

"Now you can ask."

Ron rolled his eyes. It was getting crazier and crazier with every moment. The game has gone too far. "What were you doing on Grimmauld street?"

"Walking."

"Walking? Who are you trying to fool, Malfoy? It is absolutely clear that you were spying on the Order! What else could you do there? Walking…walking my ass!"

"Then why are you asking if you know everything already?" Draco said as if scolding a small child.

Ron's fist soundly connected with Draco's jaw. "You slimy bastard, you are so near the edge. Stop talking nonsense or much more of my hooks will be introduced to you! Do you think that I'll believe this crap of yours! You were going up the street in everyone's view, walking straight to Grimmauld place Twelve. That is absolutely relevant information. I've never thought you could be so stupid: March in the Death Eater's robes on a street full of Aurors. Your father must've turned in his grave when such a lame idea appeared under your thick skull."

Ron hit Draco's temple for the emphasis. He did it so hard that the temple began to bleed.

"Don't bring my father into this," Draco hissed. 'Everything will end soon, just a bit more pain and it will finally end.'

"Oh, yeh! And what will you do about it?"

"I am not going to do anything about it. I killed him and there is nothing else I can or wish to do about it," Draco snapped, spitting some blood on the floor.

"You killed your own father? You must be a real monster then," Ron said with disgust.

"And you thought otherwise?"

"Not even for a moment," Ron paused and looked thoughtfully at his prisoner.

He knew him for ten years and he knew that Draco Malfoy was no fool. So what was he really doing there? It was the question every Auror and Order member asked himself. What was Draco Malfoy, a known Death Eater, doing walking in the bright sunlight with his hood down near the Order Headquarters?

Then an idea struck Ron. "You wanted to be captured so you could be brought here and spy on the Ministry."

"Well, there is some rationality in your statement, but how, do you suggest, I can spy on the Ministry being tied to this chair for twenty four hours a day?"

Ron again measured Draco with his sharp glare, he was a good Auror. Something wasn't right. 'He is hiding something, something big.'

"What is Voldemort's plan for the Final Battle? What is his key to victory he is so certain about?" Ron pressed.

"You want too much, Weasley, don't you think? I am still too sane to answer such a question."

"Crucio!"

The pain again found its way into Draco's body. 'Why haven't I tired myself when I was getting used to the effects of this damn curse? It really complicates things.' After the curse was lifted, Draco took a few deep breaths to somehow steady the blood circulation. Of course, it wasn't helping.

"I never thought you had it in you, Weasley. Maybe your loving family made a mistake somewhere during your upbringing. You use Unforgivables like some everyday charm."

Ron grabbed the collar of Draco's shirt and shook him a few times. "How do you even dare to speak about my family?" Ron asked, shaking with rage. "Do you know what happened with them? Of course, you know. Your friends murdered them. All of them. Do you hear me? My parents, every single brother, even my only sister! They all were killed! During Ginny's 20th birthday party. Harry and I weren't there because we happened to go to buy more butterbeer."

Ron went on with tears of anger and sorrow. "Hermione was there too. We were engaged! And your pals ruined everything. Everything! My whole life was destroyed that day. How I wished to die with them! But no! I was spared to live. To live and question you. Who were they, Malfoy! I find them on the battlefield and they'll have the worst of death." Draco remained mute. "Tell me!" Draco took his glance away. "It was YOU! You and your goons! You'll pay for it, you son of a bitch! For each of them!"

Ron punched Draco in the stomach then on the face and in the stomach again and again and again until Draco was literally beaten into a bloody pulp. After the first punch, Ron couldn't stop himself. All these day of frustration, worry, confusion, anger towards everybody: Death Eaters and colleagues alike. Even Harry couldn't help him because he was more interested in defeating Voldemort than the grief of his friend. His best friend, his only friend, because Hermione was gone.

"Hermione," Ron sobbed, leaving Draco and hitting the wall instead. It didn't give him the much needed relieve either.

"I am," Draco said softly with swollen lips.

"What?"

"It is the answer to your question. I am the key to his victory."

"So you need a good beating to say something at last," Ron said in a tone that showed he had no interest in what Draco was saying. The horrors of that night were reawakened in his head. The house, burnt to the ground, with corpses charred beyond recognition. Nothing was left in the life of Ronald Weasley.

Draco continued not noticing Ron's indifference to the subject. He worked so hard to awake a beast in Ron. He must finish this off. "Voldemort decided that Potter's blood isn't enough for him, now he is after mine. I am his future energy source, his new body. He would "honor" me with the final ritual in two days. I hope you understand that this step is not good for the Cause…your Cause."

"Who are you? A golden boy?" Ron asked, spitting in the floor.

"What would happen if the Golden Trio became one? Granger's brain, your strength and Potter's dueling skills?"

"It would never happen, Hermione is dead," Ron cut him off.

"This man would be unstoppable. Imagine if the most powerful wizard of the world could get a young healthy body. A body that went through thirty eight Cruciatus curses and only fifteen of them was cost by outsiders, a brain that is trained to survive in every possible circumstances and I don't even want to mention appearance! More to that, Voldemort will get a new start on life!" With every word Draco's voice went higher and higher until he was yelling at Ron, who in turn only blinked rapidly.

Ron looked at the person in front of him. The blond hair as well as the white shirt was soaked with blood, the face was swollen and red, but the eyes remained clear. Those infamous steal eyes that scared not only the first years, but some grown up Aurors. But there was a new feature in them – they were pleading.

"What do you want from me?" Ron choked up at last.

"How many have you killed, Weasley?"

"Twelve," Ron answered, taking a few steps back, not liking the way the conversation was going.

"So few?"

"Ok, thirty nine. I am not exactly proud of it." Ron made a grimace, showing his disgust to the mere fact of murder.

"I am giving you an opportunity to make this number even."

"You want me to kill you? But I can't…"

"Why, for Founders' sake, can't you! And don't give me this crap about not killing a defenseless person! Right now you are talking to the right hand of the Dark Lord himself! The most cruel and fearsome Death Eater ever! A man who tortured and killed more than a hundred muggles. The murderer of your family. Do you need any more reasons to kill me!" Ron shook his head. "Merlin, Weasley. I'll be just another Death Eater. Do it for the whole wizarding world, for your children, dammit!"

'Draco Malfoy is begging me to kill him. Draco Malfoy is begging me to kill him. This war turns us all mad. He wants me to kill him to save the wizarding world from Voldemort. I know it isn't a nightmare because my knuckles hurt like Hell. But everything is too unbelievable. He asked for only me to question him, he knew what would be my reaction to our past and my family murder. He came here to be killed by me.' The last thought sent shivers down Ron's spine. With a bit of an unsteady hand, Ron raised his wand to point at Draco.

"Wait. I still have my final wish."

Ron was too tense to say anything so he just nodded.

"There are two of them actually. Firstly, you must burn my body to ashes, so there would be no possibility to reincarnate me. Secondly, you must read a note in my left pocket. Your life depends on it," Draco finished with grave calmness.

"You do understand that you'll die just in few moments?" Ron asked incredulously.

"I died a long time ago."

"Avada Kedavra."

Draco's head fell onto his chest, nothing else changed in his position. The only signs of death were the absence of sparkles in his eyes and a content smile.

The note said:

Hermione Granger and Ginevra Weasley are hidden in 4 Grimmauld place. I was their Secret Keeper, but now you know their whereabouts and can retrieve them.

Strike not longer than two weeks after today, the Dark Lord will be quite weak already, but at the same time, he won't manage to reorganize his troops for effective attacks – his general is taken away from him.

Don't tell anybody about what happened in this room, especially to your sister. Your fiancée is pregnant, my congratulations.

Thank you for everything.

Sincerely yours.

To be, or not to be: that is the question.

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them. To die; to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to. Hamlet, W. Shakespeare

A/N: So that puts a lot of questions, doesn't it? I am very willing to answer if you ask them in your reviews. I think about writing the second chapter with a bit revealing, but only if you wish me so.