Behind the Facade

Chapter 2

"Master, I have been keeping a secret from you." the kneeling Draco Malfoy dared to raise his head about a centimetre. "I have been...involved with Ginny Weasley for years now. I should not have hidden this from you."

Voldemort was silent for a long time. Draco hoped he wasn't trying to decide on the most apt death for a disobedient Death Eater.

"But it almost seems to have happened to coincide with my plans," mused Voldemort. "For I wanted you to take Virginia into your confidence. I was to inform you today. But it is already done, so time will not be wasted. Good. I assume you, then, have already asked her to join us, in accordance with my orders?"

"Yes master," answered Draco. He was extremely relieved that Voldemort hadn't killed him. It was quite sinister though how this had happened just when Voldemort had ordered the Death Eaters to get Ginny and convince to join them. But he still had no idea why he wanted Ginny Weasley, who came from the biggest pack of blood-traitors in this era. And to the Dark Lord, blood-ties and consorting with Muggles or even Muggle-borns, such as Hermione Granger (spit), were very important.

Two hundred miles away, Harry woke up, clutching his scar, knowing Voldemort was happy for the first time in a very long while.

Hermione wrapped her cloak more tightly around herself. Mountains were very cold, especially in winter. The wind seemed determined to get in any gap in her cloak it could find, and Hermione had wondered if it wasn't servant of Voldemort. The snow fell yet more thickly, as though determined to blind her. She squinted back down the snowy hill she had just climbed. The snow was falling so fast now that her footprints were almost all eradicated.

Germany. Thankfully she could speak the language. That was what had got her thus far, but now she didn't want to encounter any Germans, or anyone else. But she knew for a fact she was being followed. She couldn't see him (he obviously had an Invisibility Cloak) but she could see new footprints being formed about a hundred metres down the hill. He (or even she) was not going to attack her yet. She had been watching, and the follower had left her alone at night, when she was asleep and least likely to pose a threat. He had, however, put a Tracing spell on her, which would follow her if she Disapparated. She might be able to shake it off if she just levitated herself and went really fast, but that would be really hard uphill, and she couldn't keep it up for more than ten minutes or so.

Hermione was searching for Voldemort's base. They were clutching at straws back in London, and some idiot (probably Dedalus Diggle) had thought that maybe Voldemort was using one of those German castles as a base. So, on the off chance it was so, she had to go and find out. Hunt down every flaming castle in Germany and check it out. It did give her plenty of time to think, and one thing she had thought about a lot was Ginny, and her odd behaviour. Ginny hadn't been like that...actually, since before they left Hogwarts. Hermione frowned. Since she had left Dumbledore's watchful eye. She began to trudge on. The trouble was, Dumbledore was getting old, and he wasn't infallible. They had learnt that the hard way, in the sixth year, when Neville died in Dumbledore's presence. And he had managed to miss that there had been a mole in the DA, which, Hermione thought proudly, she had found. Snape was now leader-why was beyond her. He was a Death Eater in everything but name. Harry and Ron had been right about him. He still had the Dark Mark. He even still called Voldemort the Dark Lord, but-

The Dark Lord.

I'm sure the Dark Lord's pretty keen on meeting Harry in battle too...

Ginny had called Voldemort the Dark Lord.

Ginny was a Death Eater, or as good as.

And now, Hermione, the only one who had worked it out, who knew, was stuck four thousand miles away from the Order, unable to send an owl, to Disapparate, for fear of her shadow. Voldemort was not stupid. He would know Ginny was one of them, and he knew from her that Hermione was probably the only one who would guess. So he had her followed.

Ginny...

Ginny wasn't like that. But Hermione knew she had unwittingly answered her own question minutes before. But there was one thing she knew; Ginny was not evil.

Unless she had been persuaded. Ginny was gullible and trusted too much, which was what had happened in her first year.

Hermione blanched.

The Death Eater who was most brilliant at getting in people's good books alarmingly quickly, and who Ginny had known, albeit through enmity, was the most dangerous Death Eater of all.

Draco Malfoy.

Hermione forgot all about her mission. She turned on her heel and levitated herself though the snow, startling her shadow.

She hoped Ginny's situation was salvageable. She hoped more than anything that no one did anything that might push her over the edge before Hermione got back.

"Ginny, I'm curious, why do you want a peaceful agreement with them?" asked Ron.

"I'm fed up of the bloodshed. I don't want anyone else to die."

"But to negotiate with them... You're acting as if they were human, as if they had emotions and they too didn't want more pain. They live on pain. They thrive on pain. They love it. How could you consider talking to them?"

"I..."

"Don't you want revenge, Ginny? All the pain and hurt they caused us. All the times one of our friends or siblings have died. Do you not care about them, Ginny? Do you want them to have died needlessly?"

"They didn't."

"Why don't you see? They don't have hearts." Draco does, thought Ginny. He understands me. "They don't, Ginny. Don't you see? Don't you see? Did Charlie die for you to talk to his murderer?"

"Who killed him?" asked Ginny suddenly. Please no, she thought, not Draco...

"That Nott guy who was in my year. But Ginny, that's what you would be doing in being diplomatic. You would be talking to our brother's murderer. They are all murderers. DON'T YOU GET IT? THEY KILL! THEY KILL FOR THE HELL OF IT! FOR A THRILL!" Ron glared at her with something that scarily resembled hatred, and asked one more time, "Why don't you want revenge?" and then he left the room.

Because I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I don't want anyone else to die. Not you, not Harry, not Draco, especially not Draco. Ginny curled up in an armchair, sobbing quietly. Ron didn't understand. She didn't think Harry would. Hermione would, if she told her. But she couldn't, even if she wanted to. Hermione was in Germany, and wouldn't be back for two months at least. Harry came in as Ron left.

"Hi, Ginny," he said brightly. "I'm looking for the Marauder's Map. Have you seen it?"

"Hi, and no." said Ginny, as cheerily as she could. "Harry, what did you think about my diplomatic suggestion?"

"Wasn't that a joke? Ah, here it is. See you, G."

A joke.

Draco would understand. She needed to see him. That had been the last straw.