AN: I forgot to mention that none of the familiar people and places and other things are not mine. I only like to play with them. The original things are mine; such as Nex Domus and other things you'll see later.
Chapter 5
The sounds from the main meeting room reverberated up the stairs to the two friends that sat in an uncomfortable silence. Ginny still had tear stained cheeks as she looked down at her hands. The two had since separated from their embrace and now sat facing the door in silence. Each had something to tell the other but couldn't find the right words to say it. How can I tell her?
How can I tell him?
They sat in silence for a little while longer each glancing at each other and then looking away until soft brown eyes met grey.
"I need to tell you something. I have to go away for a while." The two said at the same time.
Draco and Ginny both took in what the other had said as they sat there looking at each other before Draco asked, "Where are you going?"
Ginny sat looking at her friend for a moment before her courage allowed her to speak again.
"Mum wants me to go with Luna and the children to the safe house. I'm supposed to be packed and ready to go tomorrow morning. They are announcing that they are upping the move tonight at the meeting; Mum is so worried that she insisted that they move it up after she found out about Penelope. Mum doesn't want to lose another grandchild and since Penelope is due in about five months Mum thought it would be better that she gets settled in as soon as possible."
Draco took in the news but saw the troubled look on her face and asked, "What's wrong, Gin?"
Ginny shook her head and smiled and said, "Nothings wrong. I'm still just a little overwhelmed. I'm going to be leaving my mum and dad and most of my brothers for the first time in my life."
Draco gave Ginny a knowing glance as he said, "Ginny I know when you're lying even with out using Legilimency. Don't lie to me. Tell me what's bothering you."
Ginny sat for a while and thought about her new duty to go along and to help the children. On one hand she would be there when her newest niece or nephew was born but it was essentially trading one day care center for another. She would be expected to do nothing but help look after the children. While it was noble to want to help protect them the safe house was strong enough that it would take a miracle to find it and to break into it. Being there would be a waste for Ginny; I would be a glorified babysitter until the end of the war…and if we lost…
Ginny shook her head free of her negative thoughts as she said, "I want to help Luna with the children but I can't stop the feeling that it's just my family's way of locking me into another gilded cage. I know they want to protect me but I can fight just as well as anyone else in the Order."
She paused to look at Draco with fiery determination in her eyes.
"I can help just as well as any other Order member and yet they still treat me as if I'm 11 years old. They seem to forget though that when I was 11 that I was the vessel for Tom Riddle to try to make his way back into the world. I'm not afraid to fight and I'm not afraid of him. As far as I'm concerned he is the sole root of all of my family's misery in this damned war."
Ginny looked at her friend with an almost sullen look and finished by saying, "I just want my chance to do what I can to help."
Throughout Ginny's entire tirade Draco's heart was beating a mile a minute. It wasn't usually this easy to make Draco nervous but he couldn't help himself feel a little overwhelmed by what she had said compared to what he had to tell her.
"I guess I should be grateful that I have a family who cares so much for me but I still think that they all see me as a little girl with pig tails who's too little to play with the big kids."
Draco stood and began to pace. He was to nervous to just sit. As he paced Ginny gave him a look of confusion as he started muttering to himself. Ginny had never seen Draco so erratic. After a few moments of pacing Draco stopped and turned to Ginny.
"How badly do you want to help end the war?"
Ginny raised a brow at the question and said, "Didn't I just tell you that I want to help. I'm sick of being on the sidelines."
Sighing, Draco nodded and asked, "Would you do anything to help?"
Ginny stood to face him searching his face for an answer to his odd behavior. "Draco what is this about? You know I'd do anything if the meant I could help put an end to his war."
When Ginny put out her hands to grasp Draco's he asked her a question that seemed to come out of nowhere.
"Ginny, do you trust me?"
Ginny stared into his intense grey eyes and saw his fear, worry and doubt. All she could do was nod. As she was nodding she was pulled into the familiar embrace of her best friend; her head resting on his chest.
His chest vibrated slightly as he spoke to her, "I'll never let any harm happen to you Gin."
Before she knew what was going on her vision blurred into darkness as Draco whispered reassuringly, "Everything's going to be alright."
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Ginny awoke as the sun was setting through a window that she had never seen before. She sat up fast on the bed and looked around the unfamiliar room in shock and awe. The room was lovely. It was done in all shades of blue, with white painted wooden furniture.
She stood and looked around the room and made her way to the one of the three ornate doors in the room. Her mind was spinning the whole time she made her way to the door and she began to panic when she noticed that her wand was missing.
Where the hell am I? Where's Draco? Is he alright? Did he bring me here? If he did I'm going to kill him for scaring me like this. Where the bloody hell is my wand?!
Meanwhile in another room Draco was once again pacing.
You're a bloody genius Malfoy! Trust me Ginny and then I practically kidnap her…well actually did kidnap her. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Yes, this was a great way to ease her into the bad news. Oh, sorry for taking you here without your permission oh and by the way…
Draco slammed his fist down on a nearby desk in frustration before he made his way out of the study.
Ginny had started to get a little frustrated that she couldn't seem to pick the right door to get out of the room. The first one was the large bathroom and the second was the massive walk-in closet. Before she even made it towards the third and final door Draco had made his way into the room.
As soon as Draco saw that look on Ginny's face he knew he was in a lot of trouble.
She advanced on him glaring up at him. "Draco, what the hell is going on?"
He placed his hands on her shoulders as he calmly told her, "Gin, calm down. It's ok."
Draco instantly regretted his words as Ginny angrily shrugged his hands off of her shoulders and began to yell at him.
"Don't you dare tell me to fucking calm down! I wake up in a strange place after my best friend assures me that everything is going to be alright and to trust him and then you go and do something like this. Where are we, Draco? What the hell were you thinking? My family is probably frantic wondering if I'm dead or alive!"
As she was yelling she backed him up to the now closed door. As Draco felt the door against his back he tried his best not to think about how badly he wanted to grab Ginny and put her back against the door and kiss her senseless. Being more sensible he instead did something he had never done before. He apologized.
He grasped her again by the shoulders only this time to move her back a little bit. He then dropped his hands to his side.
"Gin, I needed to tell you something important and when you told me you didn't want to go through with going into hiding I thought it would be easier to talk to you away from the Order. I've been charged by the Dark Lord with a mission and once I tell you about it if you want to return I'll take you back in a heart beat. I'm sorry I didn't get your approval first but I felt trapped in the house and I acted irrationally." He stated.
Ginny tilted her head in disbelief at her best friend of almost four years as all anger faded from her small frame. Sighing she walked over to the bed and took a seat and motioned for Draco to join her.
As he hesitated to join her she asked a little testily, "Well are you going to tell me what's going on or are you just going to stand there all day?"
Draco moved towards the bed and sat down next to Ginny. "So where are we Draco?"
He shrugged and said, "It's the Malfoy Chateau "Paix Retraite" in southern France. It's a retreat for the Malfoy heir to use. Malfoy's only ever have one child and it's always a male so years and years ago one of my ancestors got angry with his father and set this place up. He took a property of his father's and turned it into this retreat. It has old magic that hides it from anyone that the heir doesn't want to find it. When I turned eighteen it became mine to do with as I pleased. My father, even though this was his at one time, can't step foot anywhere near here without my consent. Actually, he can't even remember where it is unless I want him to. The only people who can come and go here as they please is myself and one day my wife and our children. Only Malfoys and their chosen confidants are allowed on the property."
Ginny nodded taking in all of the information. I can't believe I'm in France. It's lovely but there are more important things to be thinking about.
After a calming breath he started to tell her possibly the most difficult news he had ever had to deliver. "Well as I said, the Dark Lord charged me with a mission. He told me that he considers this mission as one of the priority missions. He's sure that when the war is over that he will reign supreme and therefore he has decided that he should get his affairs in order now so that when he takes the throne as supreme rule he can do so easily."
Ginny rolled her eyes at the presumptuous nature of Voldemort but continued to listen intently.
"Other Death Eaters have been charged to do other things to help the Dark Lord get situated but my task is to prepare the Dark Lord's future bride and queen."
Ginny looked at him with wide eyed curiosity. Who in their right mind would willingly agree to be that monster's bride?
"My job is to protect her and with the help of my mother, get her ready to take her place as the Dark Queen. He expects us at Malfoy Manor in two days. He wants her to be presented officially as his betrothed at the annual Yule Ball at Malfoy Manor. The day after the final battle is to be the wedding so I would still be in charge of her protection until then."
Ginny listened to the end of what he had to say as she looked at her hands sadly. I guess I'm not the only one who is going to be trapped in a gilded cage. I wish we could be together. I can't bear the thought of being away from him for so long…maybe forever.
Then all together as if a light had been switched on in her head Ginny had a brilliant idea. "Draco, why can't you just come with me to the safe house? It's a literal fortress. I know it won't be exciting but at least we won't have to say goodbye for an unknown amount of time."
Draco saw the excitement on her face and hated himself for having to crush it. I would love nothing more then to go with her but that would never work.
"Ginny, I can't. If I leave and fail this mission he threatened to kill my mother."
Ginny's eyes widened in shock and horror at what Draco had just said. Voldemort truly is a monster.
Draco took on of her small hands into one of his larger ones as he continued, "There's more that I need to tell you."
Ginny squeezed his hand supporting him to go on. "Go ahead, Draco. I'm listening."
He looked her straight in the eyes and said, "It's also my responsibility to get his bride to Malfoy Manor by any means necessary. You see, his future bride isn't one of his followers. She is actually a member of the Order and would not come willingly. She's a pureblood who he thinks will be an asset to his side for winning the war and her joining him would be the ultimate insult to two of the leaders of the Order."
Ginny looked at her friend in horror and started to shake her head. "Draco, please. Please, stop talking right now."
She stood up and hugged herself trying to convince herself against what she already knew to be true.
"Ginny, he wants you."
Those four simple words sent her to her knees crying. No, no, no, no! This is a nightmare. Wake up Ginny wake up! Wake up!
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I promised a little more action and I hoped I delivered it. I wanted to keep going but the next bit is going quite long so here seemed to be a good cut off point. Again please review. The next chapter is going to be intense so stick with it.
Paix Retraite means peace retreat in French.