An Auror's Mission: The Never Ending Battle
Chapter Two: An Auror's Mission
TruthbeTold
AN: Hey there. Here's chapter two. One large order of Draco coming up. By the way Draco is twenty-three in this story. Ginny is twenty-two. The "Last Battle" lasted three and a half years and it started halfway into Draco's seventh year (Ginny's sixth) at Hogwarts. It's been three years since the war. Just so every one knows Harry lived, Dumbledore is still Head master of Hogwarts, and Fudge was killed two months after he left (was ran from) office by the Dark Lord he had so steadfastly proclaimed dead. Ironic. Some of my favorite characters will be coming into the story eventually (Harry Potter of course, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Blaise, Neville, Lupin, Tonks, Moody and no one can forget Albus Dumbledore). Enjoy. A row of (~) means I've changed POV and the words written in italics between (**) is what the characters are thinking to themselves.
Love,
CB
An Auror's Mission: The Never Ending Battle
Chapter Two: An Auror's Mission
Kingsley Shacklebolt and his much younger partner, Draco Malfoy rode the lift in a tense silence. The older man noticed a change in his normally cool and collected young friend.
"Nervous Draco? That's not like you." Shacklebolt said calmly rubbing his palms together and looking sideways at the tall blonde.
"Not nervous." Draco said defensively. "Excited, I guess. She knew me in my school days and before then actually. I haven't seen her in three years, since the last battle. Do you think she'll remember me?" He asked sincerely running a hand over his slicked back platinum hair, a nervous habit, if he ever had one.
"Well, I get the impression from most of your old school mates that you weren't one to forget easily and not in a good way, Drake." Kingsley commented using his partner's nickname. He'd grown quite affectionate of the kid.
"Thanks, Bolt." Draco replied dryly using his own nickname for the tall stately black man.
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"Council Abdonefas, I really don't think this necessary. Auror's have more important matters at hand than protecting Senators. They could be better used else where." Ginny told the High Council and head of the Wizzamagummet, Gleerus Abdonefas. The slim man turn to her his watery blue eyes filled with concern.
"Dear Ginerva. How could I sleep at night knowing you are not properly protected? It would break my heart to lose another Weasley, especially you. Please accept them for me and if not for me do it for Arthur and Molly. They wouldn't have wanted you harmed in anyway. Ginerva, please." The elderly man said pleadingly holding a thin hand out to Ginny. Ginny's eyes stung at the mention of her long dead parents, taken in the war to get at her. She nodded somberly and took his bony hand.
"Good, I'd hoped you would listen to reason." Gleerus said patting her hand.
"Who are they?" Ginny asked as Gleerus tapped a bell on his desk with his wand. *Please not Moody. I'll end up chained to his arm. *
"We, Ms. Weasley are Kingsley Shacklebolt and this unsightly, but familiar fellow is Draco Malfoy." a tall black man whom Ginny had seen before said entering the room, followed by his partner. He laughed in a low bass, clapping an extremely stiff looking Draco heartily on his back. Ginny smiled forcedly. *Do it for mother and father. * She extended a hand to each of them. Ginny looked Draco over quickly. He'd grown much taller and he'd become more built in the past three years * Auror conditioning, I suppose*. His gray eyes seemed a little steelier than they had at Hogwarts, but he wore no sneer. It had been replaced by what looked like a very very small almost non-existent smile.
"Hello, Draco. I haven't seen you in a while." She greeted as his hand enveloped her small delicate one.
"A long while." Was his only reply as he shook her hand wondering how someone could have such little hands.
"I believe you were friends with my parents." She said softly to Kingsley her eyes crinkling with tears against her will.
"Yes, I did. They were good people, both of them." Kingsley told her and she smiled genuinely. "You my dear, have Molly's smile and your father's eyes."
*And hair and nose and freckles. * Ginny listed to herself. She liked Shacklebolt and Draco seemed to have changed quite a lot since she'd last seen him, not that he'd been all bad then.
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LATER AT A GOVERNMENT FLAT
Draco muttered darkly on one side of a wall as Ginny slept soundly locked on the other side. Kingsley rounded a corner and entered the living room to find Draco pacing and mumbling to himself. "Silly girl." Draco imitated Ginny's voice rather badly. "I'd rather not have you watch me sleep." He ended his high-pitched monologue. "She'll get herself killed. We need Moody." He grumbled. "Sure could use that scary eye thing of his." Draco squinted one eye while rolling the other wildly and limping a bit. "Constant Vigilance!" He growled, chuckling quietly then shook his head. "Stupid girl."
Shacklebolt leaned against the wall completely unnoticed suddenly spoke.
"Not even four hours with Ms. Ginerva and you're already having fights with her?" Kingsley asked causing Draco to jump. "And mocking the head Auror, Alastor Moody, himself. Are you entirely sure Ms. Weasley has no effect over you?" Kingsley laughed.
Draco sighed leaning back on the door.
*No.* He admitted to himself while nodding to Kingsley. Shacklebolt smiled knowingly. Draco had thought it would be easier than this. He had thought of Ginny a lot more than would be considered normal by other people during the war and over the past few years. One night two years into the battle Draco was growing helpless. He needed a reason to do this. Saving people he didn't know just because they were good wasn't enough then for some reason. So he thought long and hard for good people in his past that he'd hurt. There were many to say the least, but Ginny Weasley stuck out the most. She had never once deserved what he said to her in anger and jealousy. She had never provoked him, never teased him, but she fought back when pushed to. Maybe if he just finished this to the end he'd make the world better for her and pay back the debt he owed her.
He thought about her for a moment, recalling her from earlier today. She didn't want them there. He was certain of that from the moment he saw her. He had a knack for reading people through their actions. It came with the Auror job. But she held no ill will towards them. For a second he had wished to make her smiles a real smile just for him, not the faltering forced one he'd been given earlier. He had deliberately kept his eyes stony as he admired her while shaking her hand. Her auburn hair had fallen in a silky sheet down her back. Her cheeks were flushed blending with the cream of her skin. Her amber eyes were not as bright as he remembered them to be, but she had lost so much during the war. She'd been such a youthful vibrant thing when he'd last seen her. Not that she wasn't beautiful now, no, she was radiant now. He groaned. *Get your mind back to business. Beautiful or not, she's work. You can't protect her if you're mind's not focused. Do your job and forget "her" in particular for the time being. * He groaned. *Yeah.. like that's going to happen any time soon. *
Draco sunk down in a plush green chair.
"I don't like her being in there without someone with her." Draco said worriedly.
"Don't worry Drake. She'll be fine. We've put up the proper security wards in her room. The only way to get in there is this door and we're guarding it.
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Ginny tossed and turned in bed.
"Tom…..don't I'll do anything. Please don't…." She mumbled thrashing. A shadow scurried across the dim floor. A beam of moonlight revealed the shadow to be a flat dark thing resembling a moving cloak. It slithered over the silk coverlet. It slipped up over the sleeping body. Ginny suddenly felt very cold. Her nightmare suddenly became very real. She tried to suck in a breath, but couldn't. *I CAN'T BREATHE!* She struggled to no avail, clawing at the dark thing. *I'M BEING SMOTHERED!* The more she moved the closer the thing clung to her. She tried to grab her wand, but only managed to roll it out of reach. *I'M GOING TO DIE LIKE THIS!* She felt herself go light and limp and the she rolled sideways as a last effort. A crystal vase was knocked from her nightstand and it fell, shattering on the floor.
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Kingsley assured the head of security that all was well and that Ginny was sleeping peacefully in the next room. The man left with a nod, though he seemed doubtful. Seconds after Kingsley had set down across from Draco there came the sound of breaking glass in the next room.
"That doesn't sound too peaceful to me." Draco called, vaulting over the couch and running for the locked door, followed instantly by Shacklebolt.
OBLIVIATE!!! He didn't bother with the unlocking spell preferring, as always, to blast the door off its hinges.
Ginny seemed to be being smothered by a black cloak thing.
"Lethifold!" Kingsley shouted.
EXPECTO PATRONUM! Draco's eagle Patronus erupted from the end of his wand. In silver fury it ripped the thing away with its talons and Draco rushed to Ginny while Kingsley battled the lethifold.
"She's unconscious, but breathing." Draco shouted to Kingsley as the other man disintegrated the lethifold effectively.
"Good." Kingsley breathed a sigh of relief and wiped his wide forehead." I'd hate to be out of a job
in one day and to think we though this would be easy."
AN:
Lethifold is a mythical creature that resembles a black cloak or blanket. It smothers its victims and eats them. The only thing that gets rid of it is the Patronus charm. Hope this was interesting
By the way if you haven't read the tiny Comic Relief Book by JKR Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them you might want to cuz I'm gonna use it a lot.