Chapter 18: - Back to the Manor
Ginny opened her eyes as a small beam of light caressed her face. After blinking several times, she squinted hard to see where it was coming from. A tiny window near the top of the room welcomed the radiance of the afternoon sun. She gently smiled and reached up to touch the warmth that it left on her cheek, yet drew her hand back in shock at the stickiness she felt. Ginny suddenly became more alert. As she tried to lift her head she took note of a thin, shabby blanket caught on her other cheek. She gave a feeble tug to release it and gasped. It was covered in blood. How long had she been bleeding?
Her body lay crumpled on a hard mattress that could just have easily been the stone floor. She struggled to sit up, using her hand against the wall for support, but her limbs burned as though they’d been on fire and she could hardly move. It rapidly occurred to Ginny that she had no idea where she was.
Her eyes traced the perimeter of the room. It was small and round and held nothing but the tiny window, the mattress and a large steel door that stared her in the face. It was mocking the fact that it held her within. She shook the image from her head, dismissing the idea that any of it was real.
But she couldn’t shake the cold or the hurt inside her chest and her thoughts were swift as she began to retrace them…
There was Harry…and then Neville’s toad. Draco stood patiently behind him. I saw Neville go through the barrier…
Her head felt near explosion as she struggled to remember what happened next.
Draco stood in front of me, anxious to get on the train so he could speak to me.
He smiled…
I kissed him. Then I ran for the train…
That was it. She remembered leaving Draco to head for the train while he waited for his friends. As hard as she tried to turn back the pages in her mind she never recalled seeing the Hogwarts Express. She’d hit the barrier at full speed, but something had grasped her waist before she could reach the other side. It felt as though she’d been jerked off a ledge and had plunged into someplace deep.
Red, snakelike eyes began to enter her last memory. Ginny took a slow, fearful breath. Oh Draco…he knows!
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The corridors were quieting down as Draco and Ron approached the Entrance Hall. Draco was of two minds about Ron following him to Professor Snape’s office, but he couldn’t get rid of him. Yet why should he? Ron had every right to be concerned. After all, his sister was missing. Draco only wished that he had more answers. Reality hadn’t begun to sink in. He was desperately hoping his return to school had been a nightmare and that he’d wake up any moment.
After crossing the Entrance Hall they entered a side door that led down to the dungeons. Several Slytherins attempted conversation with Draco, but abruptly stopped talking upon seeing Ron in his wake. Likely, they were surprised and annoyed at the Gryffindor’s presence.
Professor Snape’s classroom rested at the end of a dank hallway. Once inside, they walked up the aisle passing the row of laboratory style tables and knocked softly on the door to the Professor’s office. Snape’s low voice was heard through the door. “Come in, Mr. Malfoy.” Draco looked at Ron who carelessly shrugged his shoulders. His mother must’ve sent an owl to Snape, as well. How else would he know that Draco needed to see him?
Draco turned the knob and Ron followed him into the room. Snape was standing near the fireplace with a small clay basin of floo powder in his hands. He looked rather astounded to see Ron standing with Draco.
“Mr. Weasley, what are you doing here?” was all that the confused Potions Master could utter.
Ron spoke up before Draco had a chance. “I’m going with him. She’s my sister and I want to know what’s going on.”
Snape looked at Draco questioningly.
Draco nodded his head to agree. “Ron is aware of…the situation that Ginny is in.”
Snape nodded but continued. “You must know, Mr. Malfoy, that the Headmaster is also aware of the situation. He will want to see you upon your return to school and you must make your trip to the Manor brief. Your mother needs to explain some things to you, but you must not linger. Do you understand me?”
Draco, again, nodded his head to agree. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and turned to Ron, “We’re going to Malfoy Manor.”
Ron followed in Draco’s footsteps and filled his hand with the powder, as well. He waited for Draco disappear into the flames.
Snape held out his hand to stop Draco. “I will be waiting for you here. Remember to be quick, Mr. Malfoy. The Dark Lord could arrive at the Manor at any time.”
Draco’s blood began to boil at the mention of the Dark Lord. It no longer gave him a triumphant, powering feeling inside. It made him sick. Sick to know that he was once going to be a part of something that destroyed other wizards. He knew that he would never welcome Muggles or Mudbloods with open arms the way that Ginny did. He wasn’t raised that way. But Voldemort was destroying lives…taking people away from the people that loved them. For the first time in his life, Draco truly knew what this meant and he refused to refer to him as the Dark Lord. He was nothing but a murderer in his eyes now.
He took a breath. “Malfoy Manor!” The floo powder dropped to the floor of the fireplace and the scenery swirled about him in a flash. He stepped swiftly out of the fire to stare his mother in the eyes.
“Draco!” She ran to him and threw her arms about his neck, her sobs muffled into his shoulder as she clutched him tightly. He let his mother’s episode continue for a moment, owing to the fact that she was frightened and concerned. When he heard Ron’s arrival, his mother loosened her grip on him and she slowly took in the identity of their visitor.
“Mother,” Draco began, “this is Ginny’s brother, Ron Weasley. Ron, this is my mother, Narcissa.”
Several awkward seconds passed, as no one really knew what to say. It was Ron who spoke first. “Hello, Mrs. Mal…Malfoy.” Draco could sense the bitter frustration in his voice. He was certain that Ron had never dreamt of having to stand here in Draco’s house being kind to his mother.
Narcissa smiled to the best of her ability and held out a hand. Draco was relieved to see Ron taking it as she continued. “Please call me Narcissa, Ron. Formalities aren’t necessary. I know you’re here out of concern for your sister.”
Draco ignored Ron’s shaken expression as he put his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “What’s happened to her, Mother? Professor Dumbledore wants to see us and we were told to hurry.”
His mother motioned for them to follow her and he knew at once where they were going. His father had a secret room in the back of the library that was untraceable to all who didn’t know its whereabouts. He was certain that even Voldemort didn’t know of its existence.
Draco felt a cold draft hit him in the face upon entering the library. It was no longer warm and inviting with the many books and leather chairs, but dark and evil. The picture of Salazaar Slytherin gazed down at Draco with more hatred than he had ever seen. Of course, thought Draco. He must know that I’m a traitor now.
His mother stood in front of the fireplace and touched the left eye of a dark green serpent that sat on the mantel. “Alohamora,” she whispered. The fireplace, as if on hinges, swung inward just enough for them to file, one at a time, through the dark crevice in the wall. The silence on the other side of the wall was unnerving. It felt as though the room were full of invisible people holding their breaths. Once inside his mother whispered “Lumos” and their anxious faces were nothing but shadows dancing in the light of her wand.
As his mother continued to whisper into the eerie silence, the hair on the back of Draco’s neck began to stand up. “I will explain what I can as quickly as possible and then you and Ron are to take the floo in your father’s library back to Professor Snape’s. I delivered the owls to Snape and Dumbledore as soon as I got word, but from now on owl post will not be safe. You must not send anything here. If I need to speak to you I will send Blinka. If you need to get word to me, go to Professor Snape’s office and he will see to it.”
Draco and Ron exchanged a quick glance as Narcissa continued. “Your father sent word to me just as you were arriving at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord has questioned him about your relationship with Ginny. Of course, he had no idea so that is the only thing that has saved us thus far. The less your father knows at this point, the better. The Dark Lord will surely keep trying to penetrate his mind so this must be kept between us and Professors Snape and Dumble—
“Wait.” Ron and Narcissa both looked up in surprise as Draco’s interruption echoed throughout the tiny room. “How are you keeping in contact with Father?”
His mother hesitated momentarily, but reluctantly pulled a small purple flask from her robes. Draco immediately recognized its identity for this was what had gotten them into such a mess in the first place. Ron stared at the bottle questioningly and Draco directed his words at him. “This is…this is how I met Ginny in her dreams at night.” Ron’s hateful stare went from the bottle to Draco’s face, but he said nothing.
Narcissa began to explain to them both. “Lucius and I worked out a little scheme. We’re both aware that the Dark Lord watches the dream network from time to time and we needed to be discreet. We meet up on certain occasions at night to discuss simple things - things that the Dark Lord would find unimportant or routine. But a few times a week we’ve been speaking to each other at times that he wouldn’t suspect the network to be in use.”
Draco and Ron wore the same puzzled expression. Narcissa tried to put her explanation into better words. “Think of the days that you’ve been looking for me at the Manor and I’ve been in my room, Draco. I’ve been in there sleeping…visiting with your father. The Dark Lord would never suspect Lucius to be speaking with me through the dream network in broad daylight. By doing so, we can discuss more private matters.”
“What kind of private matters?” Draco knew once the words left his lips that his mother wasn’t going to tell him, but he couldn’t help inquire about it anyway.
Just as Draco suspected, Narcissa refused him an answer and continued with her explanation. “On the day you left for Hogwarts your father and I had a scheduled discussion and he told me what had happened.”
“Was he angry?” Sweat began to bead up on Draco’s forehead once again.
His mother hesitated for the second time. “He wasn’t pleased. He feels like you’ve been keeping things from him. He felt that you developed some sort of a motive for being with her.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said to Ginny.” It was Ron’s turn to interrupt and Draco was surprised at his outspokenness, yet appalled at his reaction.
Draco was disgusted. “See. This is exactly why we can’t tell anyone at school. They’ll never accept that what we had was real…what we HAVE is real.” Draco couldn’t believe he’d just said that. He’d scarcely discovered the news of Ginny’s disappearance and he was already writing her off as though there was no hope. His body suddenly fought back the urge to be sick. Standing here at the Manor, hearing the words come out of his mother’s mouth made reality sink in. Draco felt the walls closing in on him and the small room became unbearable. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stumbled around Ron toward the entrance so that he could breathe.
His mother must have sensed his emotional difficulties for she reached out to stop him. “Draco, take a deep breath. She’s going to be alright. I need you to be brave right now, my son.” Narcissa looked briefly at Ron, as though she were contemplating whether or not to continue when a sudden “pop” sounded next to them.
“Mistress!” Blinka’s breathless voice was urgent. “Mistress Malfoy…he is here! Quickly!” Blinka began to push the back of Draco’s robes toward the entrance of the tiny room. “Young Master, sir - you and your friend must go now! Must go back to the school!”
“Hurry, boys!” Narcissa ushered them through the small crevice one at a time and led them to the fireplace just below Salazar Slytherin’s picture.
“But Mother,” Draco gave his protest. “What about Ginny? How are we going to save her? You haven’t told us half of what we need to know! I need to know where The Dark Lord is keeping her!”
“There’s no time, Draco. You must get out of the Manor…back to Hogwarts where you’re safe.”
“But—“
“Draco, listen to me! He cannot find you here, do you understand? You must go.” Narcissa took up the floo powder and offered it to Ron. Ron took his leave quickly, obviously understanding the danger of the situation. The ashes barely hit the floor of the stone fireplace before Narcissa was shoving Draco into it. “Go, now. I will be in touch and everything will be fine.”
“Mother, come with us! I can’t leave you here—“
“Trust me, Draco. I will be fine and you will hear from me soon. It will be worse for all of us if I am not here. Go to Professsor Snape’s and he will take you straight to Dumbledore. Now hurry…go!” She held the floo powder out to him and he took a handful but stopped.
“Master, please…he is coming!” Blinka’s pleas were almost as strong as his mother’s.
Draco reluctantly dropped the floo powder to the floor of the fireplace and took one last look at his mother’s face before he disappeared within the flames…
Ginny opened her eyes as a small beam of light caressed her face. After blinking several times, she squinted hard to see where it was coming from. A tiny window near the top of the room welcomed the radiance of the afternoon sun. She gently smiled and reached up to touch the warmth that it left on her cheek, yet drew her hand back in shock at the stickiness she felt. Ginny suddenly became more alert. As she tried to lift her head she took note of a thin, shabby blanket caught on her other cheek. She gave a feeble tug to release it and gasped. It was covered in blood. How long had she been bleeding?
Her body lay crumpled on a hard mattress that could just have easily been the stone floor. She struggled to sit up, using her hand against the wall for support, but her limbs burned as though they’d been on fire and she could hardly move. It rapidly occurred to Ginny that she had no idea where she was.
Her eyes traced the perimeter of the room. It was small and round and held nothing but the tiny window, the mattress and a large steel door that stared her in the face. It was mocking the fact that it held her within. She shook the image from her head, dismissing the idea that any of it was real.
But she couldn’t shake the cold or the hurt inside her chest and her thoughts were swift as she began to retrace them…
There was Harry…and then Neville’s toad. Draco stood patiently behind him. I saw Neville go through the barrier…
Her head felt near explosion as she struggled to remember what happened next.
Draco stood in front of me, anxious to get on the train so he could speak to me.
He smiled…
I kissed him. Then I ran for the train…
That was it. She remembered leaving Draco to head for the train while he waited for his friends. As hard as she tried to turn back the pages in her mind she never recalled seeing the Hogwarts Express. She’d hit the barrier at full speed, but something had grasped her waist before she could reach the other side. It felt as though she’d been jerked off a ledge and had plunged into someplace deep.
Red, snakelike eyes began to enter her last memory. Ginny took a slow, fearful breath. Oh Draco…he knows!
The corridors were quieting down as Draco and Ron approached the Entrance Hall. Draco was of two minds about Ron following him to Professor Snape’s office, but he couldn’t get rid of him. Yet why should he? Ron had every right to be concerned. After all, his sister was missing. Draco only wished that he had more answers. Reality hadn’t begun to sink in. He was desperately hoping his return to school had been a nightmare and that he’d wake up any moment.
After crossing the Entrance Hall they entered a side door that led down to the dungeons. Several Slytherins attempted conversation with Draco, but abruptly stopped talking upon seeing Ron in his wake. Likely, they were surprised and annoyed at the Gryffindor’s presence.
Professor Snape’s classroom rested at the end of a dank hallway. Once inside, they walked up the aisle passing the row of laboratory style tables and knocked softly on the door to the Professor’s office. Snape’s low voice was heard through the door. “Come in, Mr. Malfoy.” Draco looked at Ron who carelessly shrugged his shoulders. His mother must’ve sent an owl to Snape, as well. How else would he know that Draco needed to see him?
Draco turned the knob and Ron followed him into the room. Snape was standing near the fireplace with a small clay basin of floo powder in his hands. He looked rather astounded to see Ron standing with Draco.
“Mr. Weasley, what are you doing here?” was all that the confused Potions Master could utter.
Ron spoke up before Draco had a chance. “I’m going with him. She’s my sister and I want to know what’s going on.”
Snape looked at Draco questioningly.
Draco nodded his head to agree. “Ron is aware of…the situation that Ginny is in.”
Snape nodded but continued. “You must know, Mr. Malfoy, that the Headmaster is also aware of the situation. He will want to see you upon your return to school and you must make your trip to the Manor brief. Your mother needs to explain some things to you, but you must not linger. Do you understand me?”
Draco, again, nodded his head to agree. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and turned to Ron, “We’re going to Malfoy Manor.”
Ron followed in Draco’s footsteps and filled his hand with the powder, as well. He waited for Draco disappear into the flames.
Snape held out his hand to stop Draco. “I will be waiting for you here. Remember to be quick, Mr. Malfoy. The Dark Lord could arrive at the Manor at any time.”
Draco’s blood began to boil at the mention of the Dark Lord. It no longer gave him a triumphant, powering feeling inside. It made him sick. Sick to know that he was once going to be a part of something that destroyed other wizards. He knew that he would never welcome Muggles or Mudbloods with open arms the way that Ginny did. He wasn’t raised that way. But Voldemort was destroying lives…taking people away from the people that loved them. For the first time in his life, Draco truly knew what this meant and he refused to refer to him as the Dark Lord. He was nothing but a murderer in his eyes now.
He took a breath. “Malfoy Manor!” The floo powder dropped to the floor of the fireplace and the scenery swirled about him in a flash. He stepped swiftly out of the fire to stare his mother in the eyes.
“Draco!” She ran to him and threw her arms about his neck, her sobs muffled into his shoulder as she clutched him tightly. He let his mother’s episode continue for a moment, owing to the fact that she was frightened and concerned. When he heard Ron’s arrival, his mother loosened her grip on him and she slowly took in the identity of their visitor.
“Mother,” Draco began, “this is Ginny’s brother, Ron Weasley. Ron, this is my mother, Narcissa.”
Several awkward seconds passed, as no one really knew what to say. It was Ron who spoke first. “Hello, Mrs. Mal…Malfoy.” Draco could sense the bitter frustration in his voice. He was certain that Ron had never dreamt of having to stand here in Draco’s house being kind to his mother.
Narcissa smiled to the best of her ability and held out a hand. Draco was relieved to see Ron taking it as she continued. “Please call me Narcissa, Ron. Formalities aren’t necessary. I know you’re here out of concern for your sister.”
Draco ignored Ron’s shaken expression as he put his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “What’s happened to her, Mother? Professor Dumbledore wants to see us and we were told to hurry.”
His mother motioned for them to follow her and he knew at once where they were going. His father had a secret room in the back of the library that was untraceable to all who didn’t know its whereabouts. He was certain that even Voldemort didn’t know of its existence.
Draco felt a cold draft hit him in the face upon entering the library. It was no longer warm and inviting with the many books and leather chairs, but dark and evil. The picture of Salazaar Slytherin gazed down at Draco with more hatred than he had ever seen. Of course, thought Draco. He must know that I’m a traitor now.
His mother stood in front of the fireplace and touched the left eye of a dark green serpent that sat on the mantel. “Alohamora,” she whispered. The fireplace, as if on hinges, swung inward just enough for them to file, one at a time, through the dark crevice in the wall. The silence on the other side of the wall was unnerving. It felt as though the room were full of invisible people holding their breaths. Once inside his mother whispered “Lumos” and their anxious faces were nothing but shadows dancing in the light of her wand.
As his mother continued to whisper into the eerie silence, the hair on the back of Draco’s neck began to stand up. “I will explain what I can as quickly as possible and then you and Ron are to take the floo in your father’s library back to Professor Snape’s. I delivered the owls to Snape and Dumbledore as soon as I got word, but from now on owl post will not be safe. You must not send anything here. If I need to speak to you I will send Blinka. If you need to get word to me, go to Professor Snape’s office and he will see to it.”
Draco and Ron exchanged a quick glance as Narcissa continued. “Your father sent word to me just as you were arriving at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord has questioned him about your relationship with Ginny. Of course, he had no idea so that is the only thing that has saved us thus far. The less your father knows at this point, the better. The Dark Lord will surely keep trying to penetrate his mind so this must be kept between us and Professors Snape and Dumble—
“Wait.” Ron and Narcissa both looked up in surprise as Draco’s interruption echoed throughout the tiny room. “How are you keeping in contact with Father?”
His mother hesitated momentarily, but reluctantly pulled a small purple flask from her robes. Draco immediately recognized its identity for this was what had gotten them into such a mess in the first place. Ron stared at the bottle questioningly and Draco directed his words at him. “This is…this is how I met Ginny in her dreams at night.” Ron’s hateful stare went from the bottle to Draco’s face, but he said nothing.
Narcissa began to explain to them both. “Lucius and I worked out a little scheme. We’re both aware that the Dark Lord watches the dream network from time to time and we needed to be discreet. We meet up on certain occasions at night to discuss simple things - things that the Dark Lord would find unimportant or routine. But a few times a week we’ve been speaking to each other at times that he wouldn’t suspect the network to be in use.”
Draco and Ron wore the same puzzled expression. Narcissa tried to put her explanation into better words. “Think of the days that you’ve been looking for me at the Manor and I’ve been in my room, Draco. I’ve been in there sleeping…visiting with your father. The Dark Lord would never suspect Lucius to be speaking with me through the dream network in broad daylight. By doing so, we can discuss more private matters.”
“What kind of private matters?” Draco knew once the words left his lips that his mother wasn’t going to tell him, but he couldn’t help inquire about it anyway.
Just as Draco suspected, Narcissa refused him an answer and continued with her explanation. “On the day you left for Hogwarts your father and I had a scheduled discussion and he told me what had happened.”
“Was he angry?” Sweat began to bead up on Draco’s forehead once again.
His mother hesitated for the second time. “He wasn’t pleased. He feels like you’ve been keeping things from him. He felt that you developed some sort of a motive for being with her.”
“Yeah, that’s what I said to Ginny.” It was Ron’s turn to interrupt and Draco was surprised at his outspokenness, yet appalled at his reaction.
Draco was disgusted. “See. This is exactly why we can’t tell anyone at school. They’ll never accept that what we had was real…what we HAVE is real.” Draco couldn’t believe he’d just said that. He’d scarcely discovered the news of Ginny’s disappearance and he was already writing her off as though there was no hope. His body suddenly fought back the urge to be sick. Standing here at the Manor, hearing the words come out of his mother’s mouth made reality sink in. Draco felt the walls closing in on him and the small room became unbearable. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stumbled around Ron toward the entrance so that he could breathe.
His mother must have sensed his emotional difficulties for she reached out to stop him. “Draco, take a deep breath. She’s going to be alright. I need you to be brave right now, my son.” Narcissa looked briefly at Ron, as though she were contemplating whether or not to continue when a sudden “pop” sounded next to them.
“Mistress!” Blinka’s breathless voice was urgent. “Mistress Malfoy…he is here! Quickly!” Blinka began to push the back of Draco’s robes toward the entrance of the tiny room. “Young Master, sir - you and your friend must go now! Must go back to the school!”
“Hurry, boys!” Narcissa ushered them through the small crevice one at a time and led them to the fireplace just below Salazar Slytherin’s picture.
“But Mother,” Draco gave his protest. “What about Ginny? How are we going to save her? You haven’t told us half of what we need to know! I need to know where The Dark Lord is keeping her!”
“There’s no time, Draco. You must get out of the Manor…back to Hogwarts where you’re safe.”
“But—“
“Draco, listen to me! He cannot find you here, do you understand? You must go.” Narcissa took up the floo powder and offered it to Ron. Ron took his leave quickly, obviously understanding the danger of the situation. The ashes barely hit the floor of the stone fireplace before Narcissa was shoving Draco into it. “Go, now. I will be in touch and everything will be fine.”
“Mother, come with us! I can’t leave you here—“
“Trust me, Draco. I will be fine and you will hear from me soon. It will be worse for all of us if I am not here. Go to Professsor Snape’s and he will take you straight to Dumbledore. Now hurry…go!” She held the floo powder out to him and he took a handful but stopped.
“Master, please…he is coming!” Blinka’s pleas were almost as strong as his mother’s.
Draco reluctantly dropped the floo powder to the floor of the fireplace and took one last look at his mother’s face before he disappeared within the flames…
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