Chapter 15
Emptiness filled the Great Hall save for a lone man eating his Christmas dinner illuminated by a few flickering candles. The remaining students had long since finished the small holiday feast leaving their professor alone. A few students wished him a Happy Christmas only to be greeted in return with silence. They knew better than to be around Professor Malfoy when he was in such a mood. Perhaps he didn't mind being by himself, they all thought.
Any other holiday Draco would have agreed. It was much better to feel sorry for oneself without company. Draco was used to spending the holidays without friends or family. This Christmas was supposed to be different. He could have been with Ginny. It should have been him watching Alex unwrap presents under the tree while Ginny sat on his lap, his fingers playing with her hair. Draco would hold her tight and never let her go.
"When the war is over, I want you to spend the holiday with me at the Burrow." Ginny said her hand caressing the pale cheek of her lover.
Draco shook his head as he looked down at Ginny's beautiful face, the cascade of red hair that was splayed enticingly on his pillows. Draco had buried his hands in her hair as he'd made love to her. Draco had touched and kissed her everywhere. But a few weeks ago at Hogwarts he felt nothing but hate for her. How odd yet how very right it felt to have Ginny Weasley in his bed. Draco wanted her when he wasn't supposed to want for anything except the victory of a cause he despised.
"Your parents and brothers would never let a Malfoy into their precious little burrow."
A small smile of enchantment touched her lips, "Because I love you they will love you." Draco wondered whether Ginny knew what a captivating picture she made when she smiled.
Draco traced her lips with his own, "Love me do you?"
"Yes, very much so." Ginny said as Draco lowered his body over hers, tucking her curves into his own contours.
Much later as their bodies lay naked and still moist from their lovemaking Ginny voiced the question he was avoiding answering. "When can I see my brothers Draco?"
Even he didn't know the answer. Every day she would ask and every day he would give her the same answer, "I don't know."
Charlie and Percy were being held in another wing of the prison overseen by none other than Lucius. Even Draco couldn't gain access to them. To attempt so was to raise suspicion. It was only a stroke of luck that the particular prisoner he had been assigned was Ginny Weasley. How could he tell her that they were tortured daily, their screams filling the entire corridor. Draco wouldn't. She would never understand that he couldn't interfere.
Had he done so and failed, the protection he offered Ginny would be gone. She would be at the mercy of the other Death Eaters. Draco saw the looks they had given his special prisoner. What frightened him above all was his father. Draco couldn't shake the feeling that Lucius knew more than he let on about his relationship with the female Weasley. Draco would go along with everything he was told to do. The other prisoners' lives were inconsequential. Draco couldn't help them even if he wanted to, all that mattered was the redheaded woman he had fallen for. He had to protect her.
What a spectacular failure that was. Draco poured himself another glass of wine, not enough to be drunk since he did have students to care for but enough to ease the pain.
Amidst the devastation in the middle of a street that was once Diagon Alley, Draco cradled an unmoving Ginny in his arms. She had almost been free. She had just been one prisoner. Why couldn't they have let her go? The Death Eaters had no need for her. Why did they have to hurt her? But Draco already knew the answer. The war was almost over. A lost cause, and the Death Eaters thrived on cruelty and revenge. They may be on the losing side but they would take as many people to the afterlife with them, before Dumbledore's Army came to throw Voldemort and his followers into Azkaban.
"I won't let you die." He smoothed his hand against her cool cheek, "I won't let you die." Draco knew then that without a doubt he loved Ginny and he loved the baby that she was carrying. Being faced with the possibility that he might not be able to save her forced Draco to admit his feelings. He loved her. Sweet Merlin, why did it take the horror of war to make him realize it?
Her breathing was uneven and ragged. "Ginny, please be ok, please be ok. I'm so sorry." For a split second Draco's heart stopped beating. He knew that if Ginny died, he didn't want to live.
Draco breathed a sign of relief as her eyes fluttered opened. Holding her tightly against his chest he flicked his wand at the night sky. "Mors Mordre." Draco's shoulders trembled as he tried to keep his tears at bay. They ate away at his insides, clawing at his throat until the tears finally flooded his eyes. "They'll be here soon Ginny."
"I love you Draco Malfoy." Ginny said weakly entwining her fingers with his.
Draco placed a kiss atop her forehead, "I lo……………." He was never able to finish his sentence.
"TRAITOR!"
At the sound of Lucius voice, Draco reached for his wand that Ginny still gripped in her hand. Too late. He felt his body being flung to the opposite side of the street, landing with a thud amongst broken pieces of concrete and brick.
"You'll watch me take your pretty little girlfriend." Lucius growled binding his son as he tore at Ginny's robe. "I lose, you will lose as well."
Draco could feel bile rise in his throat as Lucius claimed Ginny's lips against his, crushing her frail body to him. Draco cried along with Ginny when her attempts to resist Lucius were meant with a ferocious slam of her head against the cold, hard ground.
"Don't fucking touch her! Don't you fucking dare!" Draco's screams joined Ginny's. Draco could hear the sounds of the battle in the distance. The order was here, so close yet so far. They wouldn't get here in time and now he was defenseless.
How many glasses of wine had he consumed? Draco was beginning to lose count. Everything was a tad bit blurry, just as the memory of his father hurting Ginny was blurry. The Order had arrived just in time for Ron Weasley and Harry Potter to witness Draco kill his own father. But they had all been too late.
He could still hear her screams for him to help her. Draco finished off the bottle of wine, opening another bottle and pouring yet another glass. "You've always been mad at me haven't you Ginny." He muttered to himself, "I know deep down you blame me, because I blame myself."
A draft of cold air filled the Great Hall and a young boy started running towards him. "Father! Father you have to get out of here!"
Hallucinating, he must be hallucinating. Alex wasn't supposed to be here. He was at the Burrow with his mother and the rest of the Weasley's. As soon as he felt small arms wrap around him Draco knew he wasn't dreaming. Alex really was here. But something wasn't right. Alex's words were lost in cries that were muffled against his father's cloak. Draco hugged him in return. What had happened to bring Alex back to Hogwarts? "What's wrong? Is your mum ok?"
"Y-you have to go!" Alex shoved a broom in his hands. "T-They're c-coming!"
Alex hiccupped, crying only harder. The words coming out if his mouth were unintelligible. Draco set the broom aside. "Calm down and tell me what's going on."
"There's no time!" Alex said trying to pull Draco out of his chair. "Please Father……"
The doors to the Great Hall flew open, the shrill cry from Hermione echoed, "That wasn't necessary! I have students here! Dammit, there is no need for all these Aurors. He's not a Dark wizard!"
Draco immediately arose, knocking his wine glass over. He clutched his son closer as a dozen Ministry officials entered the hall. "Not in front of my son!" He said as he drew his wand. He couldn't think, he couldn't feel. Draco's only instinct was to run. "Not in front of my son!"
"Get away from him Alex." Harry Potter called out to him as Ron waved his wand dangerously at Draco.
"No!" Alex shouted. They were going to take his father away and he wouldn't let them. He would fight every last one of them.
Hermione tried to push Ron's wand arm down but she was no match for his strength. He resisted Hermione's attempts, "I should kill you for lying to me Malfoy! Can't believe I ever believed you. Following in Lucius footsteps, have you? Perhaps you were doing just that all along. Like Father like Son."
"I'm nothing like him!" Draco answered in a harsh raw voice.
"You hurt my sister and obviously this hasn't been the first time!" Ron said edging closer.
"Leave this to us." One of the Aurors stated to Ron realizing the danger of the situation.
"No, I don't think I will." Ron said urged on by his sister's cries and visions of his brother's deaths. A Quidditch player he was, but his stint as an Auror during the war taught him many things. One was a perfect aim, "Crucio!" he shouted.
"No!" Alex watched in horror as his father fell to the floor twitching convulsively. "Leave him alone!" Alex cried as the Aurors rushed forward. He pointed his wand at the evil men that came to take his father away.
"Put that wand down little one. We're just here to help." The lie came straight out of the Auror's mouth but Alex didn't believe him one bit. "We just need to ask your father a few questions."
Alex kept his wand pointed at the man, ignoring Uncle Harry and Aunt Hermione's pleas for him to put his wand down. Alex lifted his quivering chin, boldly meeting the Auror's eyes, "Will you let him go?"
"Y-yes we will. Now give me your wand." The Auror lunged forward grabbing Alex's wand.
"Liar!" Alex yelled snatching not only his wand back but the Auror's as well. "Expelliarmus!" he screamed. Another Auror stepped forward only to watch his wand go up in flames as Alex shouted, "Incendio!"
The weak voice of his father reached Alex's ears. "Alex please stop."
Keeping his wand steady he knelt down next to his father. "They'll take you away!" Alex's body shook as a steady stream of tears made their way down his pale cheeks. "I just found you, I just found you!" he sobbed.
Draco still shaky from the effect of the Cruciatus curse raised himself up wrapping his arms around Alex. Without Alex noticing, he took the wands from his hands, tossing them aside. "I love you." Draco said softly. "I love you."
*~*~*
Ginny stood in the back watching the events unfold. Draco held her son and although she couldn't hear him she saw the words his mouth formed. "I love you." It could have been a tender scene, one that would make most people smile or feel warm inside.
Instead it made Ginny want to cry as the Aurors rushed forward. One of them grabbed Alex who screamed, his arms outstretched towards Malfoy. "NO!" Alex cried struggling against the Auror's strong grip.
Magical bonds were immediately placed on Malfoy who offered up his arms to the arresting Aurors without resisting. Draco's voice cracked, "Take my son away, I - I don't want him to see….. this."
Malfoy looked tired and weary, she thought, noticing a tinge of red in his eyes. He met her eyes briefly before quickly glancing away. Those weren't the eyes of a person sorry for being caught but of a man filled with regret.
"Take my son away."
She realized that he wasn't speaking to the Aurors, nor Harry and Hermione. He was speaking to her. Ginny nodded to the Auror who held Alex releasing him into her arms.
"Please Mum, don't let them take him to Azkaban." Alex cried as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Ginny didn't know what to say, she did the only thing she could do. She held him close, her tears mingling with his. She grasped her hand tightly around Alex's attempting to lead him out of the Great Hall.
"No! I can't leave him!" Alex tried in vain to push away from her.
"Alex, stop! You have to come with me!" Ginny said struggling with much effort to hold onto him. She looked to Hermione for help but she was far too busy with Harry trying to restrain Ron.
Unexpected tears welled in Ginny's eyes, watching as the Aurors dragged a bonded and defeated Draco Malfoy towards the oak doors that would take him away from Hogwarts to Azkaban. That was the punishment he deserved, wasn't it? She shouldn't feel sorry for Draco Malfoy. Because of him she had been hurt, Alex was hurt and Ginny didn't know if she would ever be able to take his pain away.
"Can't you see how much he loves me! Can't you see how much he loves YOU!" Alex screamed stretching out his arms in vain towards his father.
In the black stillness of Ginny's mind was burned the memory of a man whose face lingered around the edges of her thoughts. Someone had loved her once and she had loved in return.
"Love me do you?" his lips brushed against hers as he spoke sending shivers of desire racing through her.
"Yes, very much so." Ginny gasped as he lowered his body over hers once again. It was flesh against flesh, man against woman. Ginny felt as if she was half ice and half flame as she welcomed him into her body.
"Listen to your mum." Alex immediately calmed down at Malfoy's voice but his crying did not cease.
Ginny smoothed Alex's hair back allowing him to cry for the man she thought she hated. Ginny was silent. She couldn't tell him everything would be ok, because it would not be true. She could only pray to the gods that Alex would forgive her and someday understand.
And Ginny hoped that one day she would understand why she was crying for the man that had given her a son so long ago in a dungeon cell.
*~*~*
Ginny sat in her father's Ministry office, holding Alex who slept snoring softly in her arms. She was thankful to Hermione for the sleeping potion that had finally calmed down her screaming and crying son. Ron meanwhile paced back and forth ignoring Harry and Hermione's request for him to sit down. Ginny felt a sense of comfort when her parents arrived, awaiting results of a test that Ginny already knew the answer to.
A Wizard dressed in a white lab coat entered with parchment in hand, "Miss Weasley, if you'll come with me, I can tell you the results privately."
Ginny twisted her hands nervously. She knew what would be said. But making it official was quite another thing. Alex indeed would be the son of a Death Eater. The blood that ran through him was from one of the most hated families in the wizarding world. Taunts that followed him at Hogwarts would not be easily ignored. Soon the whole wizarding world would know the whole horrific story. There would be no way to keep what would be revealed here in the confines of the Ministry a family secret. Too many ears had heard and too many eyes had seen.
"Whatever the results are, it won't change a thing." Molly said reaching out to rub a sleeping Alex's back.
Arthur nodded in agreement, "Nothing will change the fact that we love him, right Ronald?"
Ron stopped his frantic pacing to stare at the boy Ginny held in her arms. He slumped into the chair next to Ginny, his eyes watering, "How can anyone not love the little bloke. I love him………a lot."
The truth hurt but it had to be better than being fed half truths and lies. Addressing the wizard that would change not only her life but Alex's as well, Ginny cleared her throat, struggling to find her words. "Whatever is to be said to me can be said in front of my family as well."
Taking a deep breath the Wizard unrolled the parchment, "Draco Malfoy cannot be excluded as the father of Alex Weasley, with probability of paternity being 100%."
Ginny took another look at her sleeping son. She caressed the face that looked so much like the boy who had teased her, Ron and their friends mercilessly at Hogwarts. Alex shared the same facial characteristics as the boy who had grown to be a Death Eater. But Alex was neither Draco nor Ginny. He was his own person that Ginny was proud to call her own. Knowing who his father was wouldn't change how she felt. His nose, chin, cheeks, even his coloring were the same as the man who had fathered him. Ginny let her tears fall, for she loved Alex even more.
TBC
Thanks to all who reviewed!!!!!!!!! I can't thank all 500 + of you but I really appreciate the fact that you take time out of your day to read my little fanfic.
I know some of you didn't like Ginny's characterization last chapter. Just remember that Draco Malfoy did try to have his way with her even if he never intended to hurt her. She thinks Alex is a product of rape. Most rape victims ran the gamut of emotions from sadness and rage to trying to feel absolutely nothing. I hope this chapter starts to explain other reasons as to why she can't or won't remember. Also if you have any questions about my story pls feel free to email me.