SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Thuban To The Rescue
Ginny sat in a parlor with Hermione, Parvati Patil Corner, and Luna Lovegood. Molly had invited them over in hopes of cheering Ginny up, and just maybe they could talk some sense into Ginny too. The women had been talking about their school years for an hour before talk turned to Ginny's marriage.
"I don't understand Ginny, marriage is built on love. No one can be happy in a loveless marriage," Luna advised her.
"We have much more than love, Luna. He has been a friend to me these past years. He works to make me happy," Ginny replied.
"Ginny, you only think you need him. Many people become attached to their captors. You need time," Hermione stated softly.
Ginny shook her head. "Hermione listen to me. I was never his captive. I was free to
come and go. I need him because he is a good husband and excellent father for our boys."
Lavender Brown Goyle walked into the room. She greeted Ginny. "It's so nice to see you, Ginny. Draco had Gary over to the Manor yesterday. Cam's doing fine, he misses you and his brothers, but he is enjoying being his daddy's best mate. Draco takes the boy everywhere he goes."
Ginny smiled at Lavender. "That's wonderful to hear. I knew Draco would keep Cammy close to him." Ginny sighed; she missed her second son but was happy Draco had someone to cuddle during this difficult time. She spent a number of hours herself cuddling one of their boys enjoying the peace and comforts their love brought her.
Thuban and Greggie Goyle, a dark haired 6 year old with Lavender's thin build, stuck their heads in the doorway of the parlor.
"Mummy," Thuban said sweetly. "May Greggie and I play in the bedroom upstairs? Serpens and Gary keep knocking down our castle." Ginny nodded and the boys ran off.
"I'm glad you came over and brought the boys, Lav. Thuban's missed playing with Greggie."
"I was happy to, Ginny. Greggie's been bothering me about Thuban, also."
"How's everything going with you?" Ginny questioned. She knew that Lavender had filed to annul her marriage with Greg Goyle. It was no surprise to anyone.
Lavender smiled at Ginny. "I'm doing all right. Living with my parents is a pain but it's only for a short time I hope. Greg's mother is talking him into giving me their Cambridge townhouse."
"I'm sure it's intricate, Lav, but it's better than remaining married to Goyle," Hermione interposed in a compassionate tone.
"Merlin, Yes!"
Hermione gaped at Ginny. "See, Ginny. Lavender's happy without Goyle. It could be the same for you if you leave Malfoy."
Lavender spun and gawked at Hermione. "Draco and Ginny's relationship can't be compared to mine and Greg's. Greg treated me like crap. I was nothing to him but a trinket to hold on his arm, a place to grow babies, and a person to raise his sons."
"That sounds just like Ginny and Draco's marriage too," Hermione quickly replied.
"That's not what I saw. Draco treated her wonderfully. He made sure she was the bell of every ball."
Parvati looked at her old friend. "We only saw what happened in public."
Lavender sighed, "Yes, that's all we saw but you forget two things, Parvati. First, Ginny and I had many private talks in the last year." Lavender giggled, "Plus Thuban saw some of what happened in private, and he is Greggie's best friend. According to Thuban, Draco's attentiveness to Ginny at the Saturday balls continued at the Manor." Lavender noticed that Ginny was blushing and she teased her. "You always left the dances around 11:00 pm, Ginny. Why did you and Draco need a lie-in on Sunday mornings?"
"We do enjoy our Saturday nights," Ginny giggled.
"You can't enjoy shagging Malfoy, Gin," Hermione said with disdain in her voice.
"I more than enjoy it. I look forward to it. Draco is very talented in that area." She looked at Hermione's face and then Lavender's. "Draco doesn't believe in quickies. He takes his time and makes sure we both thoroughly enjoy ourselves."
Hermione exhaled, "You can't build a marriage on sex."
"Really good sex you can!" Lav declared with a sinful smile on her face. "But sadly for me, I got one of the quick and uncaring Slytherins. Merlin, I was happy he had a mistress! Wanted to throw a party the day I found out my second would be a boy. I knew Goyle wouldn't touch me after that. Can't wait to get this annulment behind me and have a good shag again."
Parvati giggled and smiled at Lav. "Adrian Pucey has been bemoaning the fact he didn't request your hand for years. I'm sure he'll be flooing you after your annulment is final."
"I hope so, damn prat talked me out of my virginity, shagged me until he graduated and dumped me. Best shag I ever had. We'll have to go to his place. Can't have Greggie or Gary walking in on us." Lavender's face lit up. "Blimey, maybe I should let Greg have the boys one or two days a week."
Lavender had always been a randy tart in school but she avoided sex with Greg. She had once told Ginny that sex with Greg was like a job. There was no foreplay and Greg was done before she got started. It was fast and sloppy. Ginny could somewhat sympathize with her. Early in her marriage, when Draco came home from a night of drinking with his mates, he would climb in their bed, push her knickers to the side, and go at it for a few strokes before finishing. Ginny handed him a sobering potion the third time he approached their bed drunk. "Drink this or get out, if we're going to have sex it will be enjoyable for both of us," she informed him. From that day on Draco had a house elf place the potion on his nightstand the twice a month he went drinking. Ginny hated the idea of one-sided sex and wondered how Lavender dealt with it for seven years.
Luna whispered, "Teddy Nott wasn't bad but Ernie Macmillan was surprisingly incredible."
"Kevin wasn't bad, Eddie wouldn't take the time to learn, Terry only cared about his own release, but Michael is the best," Parvati added.
"Of course you would feel that way about your husband, Parvati," Luna laughed. "So Ginny, are you going to play it safe like Parvati and say Draco was the best?" Ginny nodded. "So, who was the second best?" Luna asked.
Ginny blushed as all eyes turned to her. "I've only been with Draco."
The women gasped and looked at each other. "Well then Ginny, we need to go hex Seamus, Neville, and Dean," Lavender affirmed.
"They didn't?" Ginny queried. All of the women nodded. Ginny looked at Hermione. "Hermione, if you are dead set on getting Draco out of my life, let him know those three lied about sleeping with me."
"Draco would use an unforgivable on them. I'm just not sure which one," Parvati confirmed.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Only Azkaban is going to keep you away from Malfoy? I don't understand you!"
"I have four children with him and he said he'd change to make our marriage work."
"He's good to you?" Hermione sighed and shook her head. "He was being good to you when he wouldn't allow you to bring your boys to see your family?"
Lavender moved next to Ginny. "Ginny, I remember the night Draco decided to forbid you from taking the boys to your parents. He was at my house for hours talking to Greg, Blaise, and Vincent." Lav looked at Hermione. "Ron is to blame too you know. It must have taken him hours to teach Thuban to say 'ferret.'"
Molly gasped as she walked into the room. "Ginny, did Ron teach Thuban to call Draco a ferret when he was two?"
"Yes and he taught him other things too," Ginny confirmed. "Somehow Ron made sure Thuban would say something to upset Draco every time we returned from the Burrow."
Molly placed the tea and pastries on the table. "If you would have told me, I would have stopped it."
"It was too late by the time I found out." Ginny looked down at her tea. She was to blame too. She should have known Ron was up to something when he started wanting to play with Thuban.
~~~~~*****~~~~~
Thuban and Greggie talked as they walked through the house and up to the third floor.
"Are you going to live here when your mummy and daddy get nulled?" Greggie asked.
"What's nulled?" Thuban looked perplexed.
"When your mummy and daddy live in different houses forever. We live with Grandma and Grandpa Brown now, but Grandmother Goyle said we'll be moving to a different house once my mummy and daddy are nulled." Greggie skipped next to his friend.
"My mummy doesn't want to null my daddy. Her family wants her to. We're going back to my daddy and the Manor, soon," Thuban said confidently.
"It's not bad being nulled. My daddy spent all Saturday with Gary and me. Grandmother Goyle said he'd be spending every Saturday with us. We're going to a Falcons match next week. He never took us to one before."
"My daddy has taken me to loads of Falcons matches and he already spends all day Saturday with us until it's time to go to a ball. Plus he comes home early on Thursday's and flies with Cam and me. He plays with us everyday for a little while."
"Blimey, your daddy does a lot with you. Sometimes, I don't see my daddy all day," Greggie said with envy.
Thuban stopped in front of a set of double doors. "Greggie stand here and keep watch for me. This is my grandparents' room."
"Are you looking for hidden sweets?" Greggie asked licking his lips.
"Yea, I'm looking for them," Thuban lied.
His heart raced as he crept into the room. He made his way into their dressing room, crawling into the deepest corner. He went through the shoeboxes one by one before he found it. He smiled with pride as he removed Ginny's wand from the box. The desire to wave the wand and do a little magic was overpowering, but somehow he fought it. He couldn't be caught. He placed the wand in the waistband of his pants and walked out of the room. "I didn't find anything," Thuban said after exiting, and the two boys walked back down the stairs to a second floor bedroom.
He and Greggie had been playing with magical toy knights and horses when they heard an apparition pop. They turned to the sound and saw an aged house elf.
"Kreacher has found the keys my real mistress' nephew needs," the house elf said and placed a chain containing a dozen keys on the bed.
Thuban smiled at the elf and started to walk over to him. "Which one opens the door and what color is the trunk?"
The group turned to the door at the sound of a knock and Hermione's voice. "It's time for tea boys, come downstairs."
Kreacher got a mocking look on his face.
"Don't go!" Thuban whispered, but the house elf disappeared. Thuban placed the keys in a drawer and walked over to Greggie. "Don't tell anyone you saw him."
"Sure, he was the ugliest elf I've ever seen," Greggie replied.
"He's ruddy ugly but he's dead helpful," Thuban retorted.
Hermione opened the door. "Get a move on, boys. Tea's getting cold."
They walked out of the room behind Hermione. Thuban whispered to Greggie with resentment in his voice. "That Mudblood 'causes me tons of problems."
~~~~~*****~~~~~
Three cloaked men walked down the unlit stairs into an old dungeon. The tallest man whispered a spell and the wall opened revealing a large room. The cloaked men lowered their hoods; they were Lucius, Charles Avery, and Rodolphus Lestrange. At the table sat Severus Snape. Snape poured the three men fire whiskeys.
"Lucius, Healer Mankey is the only person who comes and goes through the front door," Snape acknowledged. "I've had a couple of people watching the Weasley's home, the Burrow. Only the youngest boy and Miss Granger have appeared there the last three days."
Lucius took a drink of his fire whiskey. "According to the portraits, the boys and Ginevra are not allowed to leave the house, but Thuban is growing restless. He is asking the portraits directions to Diagon Alley and Kings Cross. I fear if he finds a way out of the house he will get lost on the Muggle streets."
Rodolphus chuckled. "I told you Thuban was looking at us yesterday, Avery."
"Spotted by a five year old, Rodolphus?" laughed Snape.
"Only because I wanted to be. Thuban knew I had Cygnus and the portraits informed him of his brother's well being. He would not inform the Weasley's of us. And now if he does escape he will come looking for me and not wander."
"Severus, Draco's lawyers have informed him that Ginevra will not be giving testimony in the trial. They are using a new method. The healers are providing the Interrogators with memories collected from Ginevra. It would be helpful to get a look at these memories before the Interrogators do," Lucius stated.
"I'm sure they are in Healer Mankey's offices. It will be no problem to view them," Snape boasted. "I shall go tonight. What do you wish us to do if Thuban escapes?"
"Grimmauld Place is not far from Kings Cross or Diagon Alley," Rodolphus replied. "I'd wager you a knut, Thuban could make it to either without a problem."
Charles laughed. "Are you fond of being at the business end of Bellatrix's wand? Your hex marks have just healed from Monday night."
"Bella is not as protective of Thuban. She and Narcissa coddle Cygnus," Rodolphus explained. "I'm used to her hexes anyway. A couple of spells and she is over her anger, unlike her sister." Rodolphus smiled at Lucius. "Still sleeping in your study, Lucius? Or perhaps a guest room?'
"If Thuban gets out, you will not let him wander," Lucius growled. "You will bring him to me right away. No chances are to be taken with the Malfoy heir."
-----*****------
The hallway was very dark; Thuban only had the small amount of light from the charmed nightlight his Grandma Weasley had given him. He knew the item he was looking for was in the attic. He quietly tried the keys Kreacher left in his room earlier that day. On the seventh key the door opened, he removed the key from the ring and placed it in his pocket. The attic room was not as dark as the hall. There were three small windows and the full moon shined in. There were many things in the room, a number of portraits mumbled under their cotton sheet coverings. A collection of broomsticks was in one corner and Thuban had a hard fight with himself not to run over and check them out. He needed to find a trunk. He was disappointed to see that there were five trunks in the attic, one brown, one tan, two black, and one gray. One of the black trunks and the brown trunk had the initials HJP on them, so he decided to try them first.
Thuban giggled when the first key he tried opened the black trunk. It contained black robes and gray jumpers trimmed in red and gold. He pushed the jumpers aside to see Quidditch pads and a Quidditch uniform that looked just like his mummy's. The owner of the trunk was a Gryffindor and because he next encountered school uniform trousers the owner was a male. Thuban heard a soft whistling coming from an old sock. He looked inside the sock to see what was making the sound and found a hand held sneakoscope. He closed the sock and placed it under a pile of jumpers to quiet it. A small mirror was removed next, followed by magical pictures of a couple with a baby, lots of pictures of Gryffindors, chocolate frog cards, and school supplies, which Thuban passed by quickly. He stopped and looked closely at three things. First a collection of letters from Hermione Granger to Harry Potter, there were over 50 letters in it. Second a collection of letters from Ginny Weasley to Harry Potter; there were about 20 letters in it. And last a magical picture of his mummy a lot younger kissing and hugging a man with messy dark hair and green eyes.
Thuban couldn't stop staring at the picture. His mother was kissing and hugging someone that wasn't his daddy. He saddened looking at the picture; maybe his mummy was going to leave his daddy. He never saw her kiss or hug his daddy the way she was this strange man. Thuban started to cry. He grabbed for a cloth to dry has face and removed the coverings off a portrait of his Great-Great Grandfather Pollus Black.
"Are you lost, Thuban?" the portrait asked. Thuban shook his head no. "Are you frightened of the dark?" Again Thuban shook his head. "Then why do you cry boy?"
Thuban turned and showed the picture to the portrait. "That's my mummy but that's not my daddy."
"It is an old picture. It was just a school girl crush it means nothing," the portrait informed him. "Photos are not like portraits. Photos capture one single moment in time. That picture shows how she felt when she was a school girl, not how she feels now."
Thuban dried his face and smiled at the portrait. "Good boy, now back to bed with you," the portrait ordered. Thuban placed the cotton sheet over the portrait. He placed the items minus the picture and letters from his mother back in the trunk and locked it. He moved to the brown trunk and started trying the keys.
"I told you to go to bed, boy," Pollus Black's portrait snapped.
"Be quiet or I'll place a thicker covering on you."
"Cheeky boy, your father will be informed of your disobedience."
"Good, maybe he'll come and get me then," Thuban finished before he placed another sheet over the portrait. It was the last key he tried that opened the brown truck. The first thing he saw was a wand box. He opened it quickly but wasn't surprised that it was empty. Wizards were always laid to rest with their wands. The next thing he saw did surprise him, it was a set of wedding robes. Thuban hadn't heard that Harry Potter had been married but here were the robes along with the marriage license. The moon had moved behind a cloud and Thuban was unable to read the name of Potter's wife in the darkness. He dug through the trunk feeling more than looking. He's hand felt something strange to the touch, like water woven into material and he smiled knowing that he had found it. He removed the cloak made of silvery gray material. Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak had been placed in this trunk years ago and forgotten by everyone in the house.
Thuban knew a lot about Invisibility Cloaks. His daddy had one. Thuban remembered the first time he saw it in his father's dressing room. He loved dressing up in his daddy's clothes and last year he tried on the funny looking item. He had used it for a number of mischievous adventures before his daddy found out. Thuban rubbed his bottom at the thought. Daddy had told him not to use an Invisibility Cloak again but Thuban knew his daddy wouldn't mind this time. He put the cloak on and strolled out of the attic.
His heart raced as he crept through the house. He had everything he needed to escape from the house. He hoped to make it back to his room. He exhaled and sighed with relief once he closed his bedroom door. He placed the cloak under the loose floorboard and climbed back into bed.
He grinned from ear to ear. If his mummy went with his plans they would be out of the house by 10:00 am. He was only hours away from hugging his daddy and that thought alone put him to sleep.
-----*****------
Severus stared at Ginny's memories. Getting into the Healer's offices was easier then he thought, but after viewing the memories he knew there was a problem. Once home he removed Ginny's memories from his own mind so he could view them at his leisure and solve this mystery. He knew the Malfoys well and Draco the best. Draco would never hit Ginny like the memories showed. And he knew Lucius had done a number of the things that the memories had Draco doing.
As he was viewing the memories again, there was a knock on the door. "Enter," Snape snapped. "Hello, Draco."
"Hello, Severus. What is my father planning?"
"Nothing that will bring harm to your family. We are watching Grimmauld Place."
"No plans of taking the boys away to another country?"
"Not in front of myself, but he did ask me to have a look at Ginevra's memories that will be displayed to the Interrogators."
"I'm not worried about them. I have never abused Ginny."
Snape frowned. "I believe you, Draco, but that is not what the memories show."
"What are you playing at? Let me see!" Draco approached the bowl at great speed. As he watched the memories play before him disbelief washed over his face. He fell back into an armchair, stared blankly at Snape and asked, "How?"
"I don't know," Snape replied passing a bowl to Draco. "Place your memories of the same events in here, Draco. After we see yours maybe I will be able to work this out."
"I never did those things," Draco repeated. "Does Ginny believe I did them?"
"I knew you didn't," Snape said. "I believe the memories have been changed, but we need to be able to prove it. We can only hope that the memories were modified after they were removed from Ginevra."
"She'll never come back if she believes I've done those things," Draco sighed.
"One thing at a time, Draco. Let's figure out how to prove the memories are false." Snape walked around his desk holding the bowl in front of Draco. "Your memories."
Draco placed his wand at his temple and removed a silver strand. He repeated this four times before he and Snape looked into the bowl.
-----******------
Ginny walked into the bedroom to check on Thuban. It was 9:00 am and he was still sleeping. Thuban had always been an early raiser to both Draco and Ginny's dismay. Thuban normally woke up around 6:00 am and played happily in his room for an hour. He would start pounding on Draco and Ginny's bedchamber door at 7:00 am. Which was better than what he did once. Their oldest son had taught them many things, two of the most important were; always use locking and silencing charms.
Ginny placed her hand lightly on her son's forehead testing for a fever, when she discovered there wasn't one, she caressed the boy's arms and quietly spoke to him. "Thuban, baby, Thuban." The little boy smiled in his sleep and spoke.
"Please Mummy. Let me and Daddy fly a little longer," Thuban replied from his dream.
Ginny's eyes filled with tears, which she quickly blinked back. "Soon, sweetheart. Mummy will let you fly for hours with your daddy soon." She debated waking her son. She couldn't give him his father right now, but she could let him continue his dream of him. Her deliberation ended when Serpens entered the room and jumped on his brother. Ginny attempted to stop Serpens but could only get a hold of him after the third bounce and she couldn't quiet the two year old at all. Thuban lunged at his brother in anger, but Ginny managed to get Serpens to his feet and he ran out of the room.
Thuban looked at his mother questioningly. "Mummy, do you still want to go back to Daddy?"
"Yes, Thuban," she said as she hugged the boy tightly.
"Close the door, Mummy. I have a secret to show you."
Ginny closed the door and Thuban went to the floorboard and removed the invisibility cloak. He showed it to Ginny.
"I know how to get out of here. After you see the healer, we can put on the cloak and follow him out the door. No one will know." He removed Ginny's wand from inside the cloak. "You may need this too. Uncle Rodolphus is watching the house so we can go to him as soon as we are out."
Ginny stared at her son in amazement. "You are brilliant, Thuban," she said and hugged the boy again. "Thank you for not trying to leave without me."
"It's my job to watch out for you when Daddy's not around. I couldn't leave you here."
She kissed Thuban's forehead. "Make sure Serpens is in this room with you at 11:00, we will have to move fast. Now, let's put this back and get you dressed."
-----******-----
Ginny quickly entered her sons' bedroom; she removed the floorboard and collected the cloak and her wand. She placed a silencing charm on Leo, who was in a carrier on her chest. She placed the same charm on her other two boys. She charmed Serpens to be feather light and put him on her back. She took Thuban's hand and threw the cloak over all of them. She hurried down the hall and down the stairs quickly and quietly. She barely caught up to the healer in time. Molly was walking him to the door. Ginny got as close as she could. She held her breath when she started out the door. She knew the doors and windows were charmed so only Molly and Arthur could open them. She hoped that was the only charm they had; if so she and her boys could make it out through the open door.