I am incredibly sorry for the insane wait but it couldn't be helped. Anyway I'm back! Not for long, but I'm back! What a blow HBP was… now my story is all wrong! Aah well… anyway, a chapter up (sorry if you have to reread!) and hopefully a few more to follow before I start uni in Sept. I'm considering rewriting the story to 'fit in' with HBP though it will mean changing a lot that has been written - what do you think? The storyline will remain - if only slightly different… bleh well, here, another un-beta'd chapter. I disclaim!
First Betrayal
Eleanor frowned as she rushed to the door as the bell rung for the second time, Blaise always answered the door to their apartment… the fact that it had rung twice could only mean that he was out.
Opening the door Eleanor gasped, "Ginny!" she cried in surprise and instantly pulled her old school friend into a hug.
Ginny laughed, "Hello, Elle."
"Merlin, what a surprise, come in!" Eleanor released her friend and ushered her through the door before closing it behind them.
Ginny glanced around her and whistled, "Wow, nice pad."
Eleanor grinned as she led Ginny through to the spacious and well furnished living room, "Blaise's choice," she shrugged.
"So it's true that you moved in with him?" Ginny asked.
"Mmm, yeah, you could say that…" Eleanor replied somewhat guiltily.
"Luna told me, we've moved in together in a little flat in Diagon, you should come and visit us, when you have a moment," Ginny smiled.
"Look, Gin -" Eleanor started.
"I know you know I don't approve, but if he makes you happy then I'll not say another word about it, but don't ever say I didn't warn you," Ginny cut Eleanor off.
"Believe me Ginny, Blaise has nothing to do with that malarkey," Eleanor assured Ginny, grateful that her friend would cease her rants about Blaise and Slytherins.
"And can you vouch the same for Draco Malfoy?" Ginny shot back.
Eleanor stared at Ginny, her face faltered, "I - Ginny - well," she stammered and took a deep breath, "I don't know."
"You've seen him here," Ginny stated.
Eleanor looked to the floor and nodded in affirmation, "I have, but I've no reason to believe he's involved in anything and Blaise would have told me - whatever his connections are, Ginny, Blaise would never put me in danger."
Ginny sighed and shrugged, "Sorry, Elle, I only meant to come and pay you a visit, not to upset you with all this bull. So, how long have you been here then?"
Eleanor smiled, "Well practically right after graduation really, where are you staying?"
"Some muggle hotel Ron booked for me, it's quite nice really," Ginny grinned.
Eleanor chuckled, "I wish I had a big brother like Ron, but he shouldn't have bothered, if you'd said you could always stay here with us."
Ginny froze in her seat as her eyes fixed onto a spot over Eleanor's shoulder, turning to see what had caught her friend's surprise Eleanor gasped and immediately stood, "Sorcha!"
Quickly turning back to Ginny Eleanor paled as Ginny's eyes had hardened with anguished suspicion, she stood poised defensively with her wand in her hand, "What did you just call that child, Eleanor?" Ginny hissed.
"Ginny, please - I can explain," Eleanor said frantically.
"I think I understand already, Blackwood," Ginny spat.
Eleanor started towards Ginny but froze as Ginny raised her wand at her, "It's not what it seems," Eleanor whimpered.
"It could be many things," Ginny whispered, her voice hoarse. "What will you tell me, that this child who should've died a month ago in an orphanage miraculously appeared in your apartment?"
"Well - yes!" Eleanor said desperately.
"Tell me about Draco Malfoy and his relationship with your oh-so-perfect untainted boyfriend, Blackwood," Ginny snarled.
"There's nothing I can tell you, Ginny, he just comes and goes, sometimes he stays the night but mostly he just talks to Blaise in the study for an hour or two and leaves again. He brought Sorcha to us and asked us to keep her safe and secret," Eleaor whimpered.
Ginny glanced over to where the little girl stood staring at her and then glared at Eleanor, "I think I'll be taking her off your hands now, Blackwood, if she needs protection then her place is with the Order, not in an apartment with the likes of you, consorting with Death Eaters!" Ginny sneered.
"I don't think that will be possible, little Weaslette," a voice sounded very close behind her making Ginny spin around.
"Malfoy!" She hissed.
The familiar smirk played across his face, his arms were crossed pompously over his chest which fell to his sides as he strode towards Ginny making her back away slowly her wand still poised and ready for a fight.
"The girl comes with me, Malfoy, you try and stop me!" Ginny seethed.
Draco extended his hand towards Sorcha but his eyes stayed fixed on Ginny, "Come here, Sorcha," he muttered softly.
To Ginny's surprise the little girl ran towards Draco and took his hand, what happened next completely took her by surprise as Sorcha looked up at Draco, "Has mummy come back from the angels?"
Ginny's eyes widened as Draco's grey orbs pierced her own, "I cannot allow you to take this child, Weasley, she's safe here for the moment, or would you rather have her death on your conscience, your pitiful order will only expose her as a trophy." Turning to Eleanor Draco nodded slightly and Eleanor rushed forward and led Sorcha away through a closed door.
Ginny snapped out of her shock and scowled, "And how many deaths are on your conscience, Malfoy?"
"You and your family still roam the earth, Weaslette, so not enough," He sneered.
"Was it you or Zabini who put Eleanor under the Imperious?" Ginny retorted.
Draco laughed and smirked at her mockingly, "Believe me, little Weasley, your friend is in this by her own free will."
"Eleanor would never join the Dark Order freely," Ginny snapped hotly.
"No?" Draco's eyebrow rose inquisitively making Ginny doubt her own words, "She willingly took a Slytherins bed, isn't that just as bad, in your books?" he asked softly.
"Almost as good as, but you don't know her!" Ginny glared at him.
Draco smirked, "And you do?" he laughed. "Nothing is ever what it seems, and you pitiful Gryffindors always get the wrong end of the stick."
"And what end are you on?" Ginny snapped.
Draco smirked and pulled back the sleeves of his robes for her to see his unblemished wrists, "Make of it what you will, Weasley, I don't need to explain myself to you, the girl is safe here, you have my word."
Ginny glared hatefully at Draco and edged her way towards the door, her wand still pointing defensively at his chest. "I'll be back for her, Malfoy, mark my words," Ginny sneered.
Draco inclined his head slightly, his eyes still fixed impassively on hers, "Until we meet again, Weaslette, and I suggest you take the next train to London, it's not safe for you here," he said softly.
The minute the door closed Draco strode towards Sorcha's bedroom to find a tearful Eleanor trying to read Sorcha a story. "Tell Blaise I'll be back as soon as I've seen to Ginevra, and tell him to be ready."
Eleanor rushed towards the door that had just closed behind Draco frantically, "NO!" she cried, "Don't you dare do anything to her Malfoy!"
But Draco was gone, and Eleanor sunk to the floor in a flood of tears.
.
.
.
Ginny sighed heavily and stared out of the shabby café's window, she wanted to scream in frustration, this just couldn't be happening. Eleanor wouldn't have joined the Dark Order willingly, there was no way in Merlin's flaming beard she would have unless she was under the Imperious. Frowning Ginny rubbed her temples, she had a raging headache, today had been too much, and Malfoy's wrists were clean… groaning Ginny slid a fiver on the table and headed out the door, it was dark and she was tired.
She twisted and turned aimlessly down the streets of Glasgow, a taxi would've been easier but she didn't feel like it, coming to think about it she didn't feel like anything. All she wanted was to clear her brain of all the events that had taken place today, she wished she hadn't come.
By her own free will
She willingly took a Slytherins bed, isn't that just as bad, in your books?
Nothing is ever what it seems
Their spat drummed in her head like an annoying song, Malfoy mocking her, challenging her trust and friendship, making her doubt everything she believed in her friend. His words echoed over and over in her head, how well did she know Eleanor? Ginny mused, what was Malfoy's connection with Sorcha? Why had Sorcha implied that she was her mother returned from the angels? Who was Sorcha besides an orphan who had miraculously survived the massacre?
Ginny slowed her pace down to a standstill… it was too quiet, something wasn't right, the hair on the nape of her neck bristled as she glanced around her and shuddered, the dark alleyway was deserted, not even a stray cat or homeless tramp in sight.
The air was unusually calm, but foreboding and heavy as if it were about to rain, panicking slightly Ginny started walking briskly towards the end of the street where she could see the bright lights from the street lamps, all her senses alert.
As she approached the adjacent street Ginny let out a scream as a dark hooded figure stepped out blocking her path. Instinct took over in an instant as she haphazardly spun on her heel and bolted back down the way she came, her hand slipped into her robes for her trusted wand. Risking a glance over her shoulder Ginny's heart thudded with fear, the man was in hot pursuit and turning back to focus on where she was going she let out another scream of terror as another figure appeared from out of nowhere and cut off her escape. Without thinking she turned down a side street, her heart was pounding in her chest as her nightmares came flooding back to her.
There were three men last night standing outside her window, three men, her eyes travelled around wildly looking for the third figure, there had to be a third and he would not take her by surprise. She didn't have to look back over her shoulder, she could hear them thundering after her.
"Send a signal! We've got her now!" a familiar voice shouted from behind her as the dark alleyway lit up in red, no doubt one of the men had shot up red sparks to alert the other man.
Ginny came to a rapid halt as she found herself in a courtyard, a dead end, looking about her frantically for somewhere to hide or another street to escape her heart twisted and fear consumed her - there was nowhere to run. Knowing there was nothing else to do except stand her ground Ginny turned, her wand brandished and ready.
One by one the three figures emerged from the street and spread out, their cloaks bellowed out around them as they advanced on her, their wands drawn.
"Come, come now, Weasley," the middle figure sneered mockingly.
"Malfoy!" Ginny hissed as she recognised the unmistakable voice of Lucius, two Malfoys in one day was really too much.
"Ah, see, we're already acquainted," Lucius laughed as he threw back his hood, the other two figures remained hooded though joined in laughing, all three still advancing on her slowly, like lions closing in on their prey. Ginny snorted, lions indeed.
"Stupify!" Ginny shouted a stream of red erupted from the tip of her wand towards Lucius.
"Protegeo!" he sent up a protective shield that deflected Ginny's assault and laughed. "There's no point fighting, you foolish girl, you're outnumbered."
Ginny backed away as they closed in, to her surprise a shot of red light appeared from nowhere and hit Lucius in the back who let out a cry and dropped to the ground with a thud. The remaining two men whirled around to face the caster and Ginny gasped as she heard a 'crack' sound behind her and another sizzle of magic shot past her ear and knocked the other Death Eater out cold from behind. The remaining Death Eater stepped back in surprise and before he could even react he too was hit by a stunning spell and fell.
Ginny whirled around to face her rescuer but instead was enveloped by darkness, her face pressed roughly to soft fabric on a hard chest, and with a 'crack' they were gone.
When her feet registered solid ground Ginny opened her eyes that she didn't know she had closed and let out the breath she had been holding and took in another deep breath. A faint manly scent filled her nostrils making her realise that she had been rescued. Staggering backwards slightly as the man released her she glanced up at him only to find herself face to face with Draco Malfoy.
Her jaw dropped open in surprise.
"No need for any thanks, Weaslette," he smirked. "And close your mouth, gawking is very unbecoming."
"Malfoy?" Ginny said incredulously and almost laughed in disbelief.
"That was - you just," Ginny started.
"My father, and yes, I just stunned him," he said coolly.
"Yes but -" Ginny was at a loss for words.
"I don't answer to you, Weaslette," Draco said softly though his usually impassive eyes were amused. "So don't bother asking me any questions."
Ginny opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water as she watched Malfoy grab a glass from the tray and pour water from a bottle out of the fridge - since when did an anti-muggle Malfoy know how to use muggle appliances? Even if it was something as simple as the function of a fridge.
"Here," Malfoy muttered as he handed the glass of water to her. "Drink it."
Ginny accepted the glass because she didn't know what else to do, the situation she found herself in was baffling to say the least, questions and speculations churned in her mind like a frantic whirlpool as she tried to make sense of the days events leading up to this moment. Eleanor seemingly betraying her, a presumed dead child appearing a few hundred miles from where she should have died alive, Malfoy saving her by stunning his own father in the process and now standing in her very own hotel room offering her a drink.
"Return to London, Weasley," Draco said softly.
Ginny glanced up at him only to find him staring intently at her, his silver-grey orbs impassive yet she felt a great sense of urgency in his eyes, or maybe it was an almost undetectable edge in his voice that set off warning bells in her mind. For some reason Ginny understood how imperative it was for her to leave, and so she nodded slowly.
Ginny paled as Malfoy drew his wand and instinctively took a few defensive steps back earning a satisfied smirk from him.
"Only strengthening your pitiful wards, Weasley, one would almost think you welcomed unwanted visitors by the state of what you had in place."
Before she even registered his insult to her magical capabilities he was gone and Ginny found herself in a room that felt too empty. Contrary to what Malfoy had said, Ginny knew that her wards had been very strong and as she undressed, showed and got into bed her mind was in turmoil.