Thank you Arnel for your help!
A tentative, but hopefully soon to be firmed up, release date for my book has been set for mid-January. This story will be done before then, but I hope you'll tag along for the sequel, which will jump forward in time.
Okay everyone, so tell me if you guessed correctly... :)
Also, if you'll go to my stories you'll see that I've made this a series, because I've already done a one-shot that captures bits of what will happen next.
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Category: Alternate Universe, Post-DH/AB Characters:All Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff, Romance, Tragedy Warnings: Dark Fiction, Death, Disturbing Imagery, Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Mental Abuse, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Negative Alcohol Use, Rape, Sexual Situations, Spouse/Adult/Child Abuse, Violence, Violence/Physical Abuse Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 357 Summary: The battle is over, there is life to be lived, peace to be enjoyed and trouble following close at their heels. Ginny hasn't seen Harry since the dust settled from the battles with Voldemort, but when an unexpected piece of news draws them together will they be driven apart or become bound? Follows Canon to the best of my knowledge. The warnings are just to be safe. I don't know that they're all needed, but I'm putting them up just to cover my bases. If you have any questions or concerns, please message me. Hitcount: Story Total: 139172; Chapter Total: 7249 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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Thursday September 24th Harry sat at his desk, his head in his hands as the nagging came back. There was something there. Something. “What’s up with you?” Ron asked, coming over to stand next to him. “I’m missing something,” Harry said. “There is something about our being poisoned that I should be able to remember. There’s a clue there. I just don’t know what it is.” “It will come to you,” Ron said without hesitation. “It always does.” Harry sighed and sat back in his chair. “It just seems like I’m missing something huge.” “Like what? We don’t know much about the poison, no one does.” Ron said, picking up one of his sneak-o-scopes and rolling it between his hands. He shook his head. “I guess not. Even Audrey didn’t know anything about it until that bloke came in poi…” his voice trailed off and he looked at Ron who just looked back, questioningly. “Poisoned. Did we ever hear who it was that was poisoned before?” “Not that I know,” Ron said slowly. “I don’t recall her saying, but there is patient and Healer confidentiality, so she wouldn’t have said.” Harry got to his feet. “We’re going to St. Mungo’s.” After quickly explaining where they were going to Robards, Harry and Ron made their way to the Floos in the Atrium where they could Floo directly into the staff room at St. Mungo’s. They arrived and found only one older man, his gray hair thinning on top and spectacles framing his watery blue eyes. He took one look at their Auror’s robes and balked. “May I help you?” He asked in a quavering voice. “I need Audrey Michaels,” Harry said firmly. “Do you know where she’d be?” “Who are-” then he froze as he saw Harry’s scar and nodded. “She’s down on Spell Damage doing rounds, fourth floor.” They left and went down the stairs. “You think this will help?” Ron asked him quietly as they made their way through the ward, as they both avoided the curious stares of the patients and family members. “It can’t hurt,” Harry said, and found Audrey as a large desk in the middle of the hallway making a note on a chart. “Audrey?” She turned her chestnut head and looked at him surprised. “Harry, Ron, what-” “We need a word in private,” Harry told her and to her credit, she adapted and nodded for them to follow her down to a room marked ‘Private’. She waited for them to pass before going in herself to the sparse office and closing the door. “The walls are warded, no one can hear anything. “What’s wrong?” “Who was poisoned before us?” Harry asked her, watching her face. She hesitated, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I can’t tell you. It’s confidential.” “We can get an order from the Minister if you need one,” Ron told her. “Harry’s got these… I dunno, he’s got these feelings about things. He thinks this is important.” “I don’t know how it can help you,” Audrey said, her brown eyes softening. “He died in the last battle.” Harry paced once, trying to calm his racing heart. He knew he needed the name. “It matters. Whoever poisoned him is probably who poisoned us.” “I… I mean, I agree, but he was a Death Eater, Harry,” Audrey said a little impatiently. “Anyone could have wanted to kill him. We did an evaluation of those around him, but none of them could have poisoned him. None of them had the skills.” Harry let out a slow breath and turned to her, staring hard into her eyes. “Audrey, I need his name.” Indecision played across her face painfully. “I could lose my job.” “You won’t lose your job,” Ron promised. “We have really excellent connections.” “Please,” Harry said only that one word and he watched her resolve break. “It… it was Milton Crabbe,” Audrey whispered. With that everything started to fall into place with such a horrible, sickening sense. He’d been there when her child had died. She probably blamed him, but… “Crabbe?” Ron said, dumbfounded. “I thought we’d ruled out…” “We need to get to Hogwarts,” Harry said walking to the door. He spun, hugged Audrey hard, and walked out with Ron following hot on his heels. They took the Floo back to the Ministry, made contact with the Headmistress for permission to come and used the Floo to get into her office all within half an hour. “Harry, Ron,” she greeted them warmly. “What brings you here?” “I need to speak to Slughorn,” Harry told her. “I have a question for him.” He glanced up at Dumbledore’s portrait, but the old Headmaster was faking sleep. Snape still didn’t have a portrait up yet, but he was working on that. “He should be in his office,” she told him, escorting them to her door. “Come back when you’re ready to head out again.” “Thank you for this, Professor,” Ron said as they hurried down the stairs. “Bloody hell, I’m feet from Hermione and I can’t even say hi to her.” He said with a grimace. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and run into her,” Harry said and then skidded to a halt. “Actually, we could really use her in on this.” Harry pulled out his wand and sent his Patronus with a message to Hermione to meet them in Slughorn’s office as quickly as she could. Ron laughed. “That’s going to be quite a shock to whichever class she’s in.” They arrived at Slughorn’s office just as an out of breath Hermione sprinted up to them, her brown hair flying in waves behind her. “Wha-” she coughed as Ron pulled her into his arms for a long kiss. Harry knocked and at the “enter” the three of them walked in. Slughorn stared at them in surprise. “Good gracious Harry. To what do I owe-” “We have some questions about a former student,” Harry told him as he closed the door and pulled up a chair. Ron and Hermione sat down in the seats next to him. “Ask then,” Slughorn said, getting comfortable, his hands on his large belly. Harry took a breath and looked at Hermione. “What was Crabbe’s Mum’s name again?” Hermione looked surprised, but answered immediately. “It was Isabella Greengrass.” “Ah,” Slughorn nodded. “Yes, I do remember her.” “How was she in potions?” Ron asked him excitedly. Slughorn’s shook his head. “She was a genius.” His voice was full of bitterness. “She was good at everything, but in potions she was the most natural student I have ever taught. But then she got pregnant and had to leave school in the middle of her fifth year. It was a horrible scandal, so shocking for her to have been so young and the man so much older. What a waste, especially for that idiot son she produced. I was hopeful at first when I heard he was here, but the second I met him I knew that he was just like his father.” The three friends looked at each other in horror. “Uh…” Hermione fumbled, looking back at him. “What about her sister?” “Hmm,” Slughorn leaned back and his chair creaked ominously. “She wasn’t very talented or bright if I recall correctly. She was a sweet girl, rather a shame that she was so dim when her parents were both so accomplished, but that happens.” “What did her parents do?” Harry asked. “Were they Death Eaters?” “The Greengrass family has always been on the fence,” Slughorn told them. “They are purebloods, but they also don’t always follow the pureblood line. Her father was a higher up in the Ministry, very powerful and influential man during You-Know-Who’s first rise to power. Her mother… let me think…” he absently rubbed his chin. “She was a midwife, I believe but they both died many years ago.” Ron dropped his head in his hands. “Bloody hell, Harry.” “Yeah,” Harry said gruffly. “Yeah.” No more needed to be said. They thanked Slughorn and walked from his room. Slowly they made their way to an empty classroom and closed the door behind them so they could talk. “So you think…” Hermione began but stopped at their nod. “Why?” “It was Crabbe’s father who was poisoned before Harry and Ginny,” Ron told her. “We asked Audrey about an hour ago.” Hermione groaned. “Why didn’t I think to ask that?” “She would know how the Ministry works,” Harry said, pacing. “She’d have access to materials that would tell her how to impregnate a witch. She clearly has enough skill to make that poison.” “And,” Hermione reminded him, “Remember Draco said that he thought he recognized the voice of the woman who was talking to Bellatrix. Of course he’d know Crabbe’s mum’s voice. They’ve been friends for years.” “Yeah, and if she’s crazy enough she might just blame you for what happened to her son,” Ron said falling into one of the chairs. “Bloody effing hell.” “She might want to take your child away from you,” Hermione whispered, her hands over her mouth. Harry closed his eyes, fighting back the grief. He needed to be clear headed. “Why did she poison her husband, then?” Ron asked suddenly. Frowning they both looked at Ron. “I don’t know,” Harry said honestly. Hermione’s face went sheet white. “Oh, God, I think I do.” ~*~ “What do you want for lunch?” George asked, popping his head into the store room. “I’m going to run down to The Leaky Cauldron and get Hannah to give me something.” Ginny raised her eye brow. “I didn’t think they did carry out.” “Yeah, well,” George said modestly. “Hannah’s an old DA friend. She’ll do it for me.” “Anything, then,” Ginny told him going back to counting the fake wands. “I’m not fussed.” George left and she got back to work. She’d nearly finished with the wands when she heard the curtain behind her ruffle. Ginny looked over her shoulder but didn’t see anyone. Frowning she started to turn, but the spell hit her before she saw who held the wand and she fell. ~*~ Harry and Ron made their way back up to McGonagall’s office after having said goodbye to Hermione. Both of them felt ill at her theory and didn’t discuss it. It was too awful to even think about. “Valor,” Harry said to the repaired gargoyle and it sprang to life, letting them up the spiral stairs. “Did you get what you needed?” Their old professor asked as they entered. “Unfortunately,” Ron muttered. Harry nodded. “Thanks a lot, Professor.” “Anytime,” she hesitated. “Harry, I was so sorry to hear…” Swallowing hard, Harry nodded and she let it drop. They went back to the Ministry and up to the Auror’s office to tell Robards what they’d learned. “Hang on,” he said, holding up a hand. “Let me see if the Minister is free. He’s going to want to hear this.” He went out and they followed him up to Kingsley’s office. His secretary jumped to his feet at seeing the head of the Auror’s office approaching. “I’ll see if he’s available,” he said and knocked on the door. “Come,” they heard Kingsley’s slow, deep voice. His dark eyes flitted between them as they entered and the secretary closed it behind them. “What can I do for you?” “Potter has some information,” Robards said curtly as they all took a seat. “I think you’ll want to hear this.” Harry laid it all out for Kingsley who watched him thoughtfully. “I see. You want to search her house, I’m assuming?” “We have no proof,” Harry said shaking his head. “We only have a theory about-” Harry broke off as a hyena Patronus burst through the wall and George’s frantic voice filled the room. “Ginny’s gone.” ~*~ “You were supposed to die,” a voice said above Ginny’s aching head. “Why didn’t you die with the baby?” Realization and understanding flooded through her, even as Ginny kept still, not wanting whomever it was to realize she was awake. She felt a slap to the face and tried not to flinch at the pain. “I know you’re awake,” the high pitched, agitated voice said. “You can’t pretend.” Ginny peeked an eye open and saw a pretty woman with dark brown hair staring down at her. Her eyes were a clear blue, and she would have said she was beautiful if she weren’t scowling. “Who are you?” Ginny asked her, trying to move and finding that she was bound to a table. “Never you mind,” the woman said clearly, going back over to a table across the room. The room was small and dark, with heavy wooden paneling all along the walls. Ginny tried to see if there was a window, but only saw a door at the far end. She tried not to groan at the idiocy of the whole thing. She’d been captured like a damsel in one of those wretched witch’s novels and now she was tied to a table. This was just great! Ginny thought sourly. There should have been fear, but Ginny felt none. There was no fear left in her anymore. Hope was dead, and this woman was the one who’d made that happen. If she didn’t kill the bitch with her bare hands, then she was happy to die trying for what this woman had done to her daughter. The woman came over with something trailing from her wand. It looked like bogies. “What’s that?” Ginny asked disgusted. “I’m going to impregnate you again,” she said laughing insanely. The first trickles of fear leached in at the laugh. “This time it won’t be Potter’s baby, though.” “I can’t be impregnated for a whole year,” Ginny lied evenly. “I took the birth control potion a few weeks ago.” She watched and was not sorry to see the rage cross the woman’s face. “Well!” She flicked her wand and the yellowish goo flew off and stuck to one of the walls with a sickening splat. “Well!” she said again, her robes flying around her as she stalked around the room. “I’ll just hold you for a year, then!” Ginny watched her back as she strode away, trying to think up a way out. She tried to shift again, but could only move an inch. She felt the galleon dig into her hip and relief flooded her. She had a way out if she could only get her hand into her pocket. Thank Merlin for Hermione and illegal Portkeys. She’d half considered calling Kreacher, but she was glad she didn’t have to. She didn’t want to endanger the poor old elf unless there was no other option. “Where am I?” Ginny probed. “Where have you brought me?” The woman went over to a cauldron and stirred something. “Somewhere that no one is ever going to find you.” “Why are you doing this?” Ginny asked her, trying to get her hand into her pocket and onto the Portkey while she wasn’t looking. Ginny froze when she spun back to her. “Because your husband took my son’s life.” Ginny licked her lips and tried to think. “Who was your son?” “I’m not telling you,” she spat and turned around again. “He took my son! My only joy in this horrible, bloody world so I took his child. I’m doing to him what was done to me.” Trying to move silently, Ginny wiggled her hand under her hip but she was so tightly bound that she couldn’t get her hand underneath. “Why did you use me?” “My nieces were gossiping about you and Potter dating,” she said still facing the cauldron. “Said that Potter was clearly smitten with you. Of course, I didn’t know then that I’d need that information.” The woman was insane. Ginny rolled slowly to her side, trying to budge the rope but it was tied well. “So you used me in hopes that we wouldn’t discover that I’d been magically impregnated?” She turned slowly, her eyes calculating, but then she giggled and it shot straight through Ginny. The sound was so wrong, so unexpected that she had to fight off a shiver. “I made sure that the snatcher used the blood boiling hex, just in case you were already pregnant. I couldn’t have a different baby already taking up your womb, now could I?” She clapped, before turning serious and guarded. The effect was startling and if Ginny hadn’t just seen the madness she’d have never guessed it was lurking just under the surface. “I knew that Potter would try to save you. Those hero types are always like that; always seeking more fame and glory. I knew that I could kill two Kneezles with one stone. I promised her I’d poison him for her. That was her price for the recipe. Then he’d lose you and the brat, then lose his own life. She wanted him to die a painful death and I wanted him to lose everything first, just like I did.” None of this made any sense to Ginny. She’d not asked Harry for all the details of what had happened yet and now she wished desperately that she had. The woman seemed to think that Ginny should know what she was talking about. Ginny watched her, too horrified to move. “I wanted you to suffer too,” the woman said, going back to the cauldron. “Your family protected you like mine never did! I knew there was a risk that you’d be happy with Potter, but then I thought it might be all the more enjoyable to know he was losing someone he loved. Just like I did. But then I remembered that men don’t really want to be married. They just want whores and sluts so I made him marry you, I made him hate you and beat you and rape you just like I was. I’d have the fun of watching you being abused by the man you love.” “What happened to you?” Ginny asked, feeling sickness roll through her. She wasn’t making any sense. “Who raped you?” The woman turned back to her, her eyes cold and her lip curled. “You don’t care.” She didn’t really care, but she wanted to know anyway even though she was sure the answer would haunt her. “I do care,” Ginny lied easily. The woman moved slowly over to her and stared down at her, her face uncomfortably close. “My father wouldn’t support You-Know-Who during his first rise to power even though he knew that we’d be taken. He was asked to join and he said ‘no’ so my sister and I were captured and raped until we were pregnant. You can’t say no to marrying the idiot if you’re already pregnant. I wanted to rid myself of the baby, but they had me tied up for months to stop it from happening.” Ginny watched the blue eyes go hazy. “I put up a fight, but my sister gave in. The Death Eaters we were given to weren’t very smart, but they were both mean, especially the one I was given to. I fought him and he beat me and raped me daily until I was too pregnant to beat anymore. After my son was born, it started all over again until I stopped fighting him. He wanted me broken.” There was no inflection in her voice. There was no emotion behind anything she said. “I learned to play the game and pretended to love the Dark Lord and when I played along, I was free to do almost anything I wanted. I could love my son. I could study potions and learn new spells. My mother had many books and I kept them secret so that I could read. I played dumb for my husband. But he got what he deserved in the end.” “You killed him?” Ginny probed, trying to swallow her horror and not at all sure she didn’t agree with this woman trying to off her husband. “No,” she said bitterly. “Some fool Healer figured out what was wrong with him and cured him. But he died in the last battle. He was too weak to really defend himself. But then… then my son died too and I knew I was going to make sure that Harry Potter suffered for what he’d done. The Dark Lord only came back because of Harry Potter. If he hadn’t come back my son would have never been made a Death Eater!” Ginny tried to move again and inched her hand behind her. “How did you get into the shop?” “That,” she said with a laugh, “was the easiest part of all.” With a flick of her wand on her head, she became invisible and moments later she was back. “I perfected that many years ago, never knowing I would need it to break in to St. Mungo’s with the Healers who were treating you. Being invisible and a very carefully executed Confundus Charm and I was in.” “How did you know I was in George’s shop?” Ginny said, trying to keep her talking while she moved her hand closer to her pocket. The revelations as to how this woman had gotten to her was very important, but at the moment it was more important to get all the information she could and get the hell out of there. “Enough questions!” The woman roared and Ginny jumped. She turned back to the potion. Ginny’s hand finally reached her pocket and she slid it in, trying to grasp the coin. In order to activate it, she had to have her thumb on one side and middle finger on the other and say ‘home’ or the coin would remain inert. She glanced once at the counter where her wand lay and sighed in regret, but wands were easy to replace and there was no way that she could do more to this woman right now. She got her fingers in place and waited, wanting a few more answers. “Please…” she begged, trying to sound frightened and thinking fleetingly that she ought to be scared. “Please tell me where we are!” “No.” “How did you know I was at the joke shop?” she asked, trying to pry a bit more information from the woman, although she didn’t know what she expected. Most of what the woman was telling her was contradictory and muddled. Growling she turned back to Ginny and for a second Ginny thought she’d gone too far. “I have been watching your brother’s shop for weeks, trying to find out where you were. When he went into the back I followed, and heard him talking to you.” Nodding slowly Ginny let out her held breath. “I see.” “It doesn’t matter, though,” she said with deadly calm. “Your husband will be wondering where you are and when I send him back to you with a bastard child in your belly, he will turn you away after he’s beaten you and raped you. He might even kill the child. He’ll still be stuck with a wife that he doesn’t want.” The relish in her voice was undeniable. The madness gleamed in her eyes and her wildly happy smile. There was no chance of that. She didn’t know much, but she knew that even if she came back in a year pregnant with someone else’s kid, that Harry was still going to love her and stand by her. He was just that kind of man. He’d never hurt her. Ginny felt a small glimmer of pity pass through her, but moments later it was gone because this woman was insane and intent on hurting her and she’d killed her daughter. Closing her eyes, and praying that the portkey would work, she whispered, “Home.” She felt the jerk behind her navel and the room around her vanished. |
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