Saved

"Get up, slave! You know you aren't permitted to sleep later than six!" shouted the deep booming voice Ginny was so tired of hearing. She crawled out of her excuse for a bed and pulled on some raggy clothes. She cleaned her teeth as fast as she could without leaving them disgusting, and splashed her face with cold water to wake herself up. Before she climbed down the rotting old ladder that led to her attic room, she checked her appearance in the tiny mirror she'd been given.

She gasped. It had been a while since she'd seen her own reflection. Her eyes protruded from her face, encircled with large, dark bags. They used to glitter with life and mischief. Her cheekbones were gaunt, her lips cracked and dull. They almost matched her skin tone. They used to be smooth and full and rosy pink. But now they were dead. Like everything else.

Ginny sighed and dropped the mirror onto her bed. She found the ladder and descended, preparing for a good rollicking.

"Slave, I want you cleaning the windows. Every single one," Mr Marsh told her, smirking his horrible, evil smile. Ginny nodded.

"Yes sir," she answered, bowing her head.

"You'll find the cleaning equipment you'll need in the basement. Don't take all day about it - I've got other things lined up for you today."

Ginny shivered. She didn't like the sound of that.

***

With a sweep of a deep red cloak, he appeared before the huge front door of the muggle manor he was...visiting. He strolled purposefully to the door, and banged on it with the side of his fist three times.

There was no reply.

He banged again. He knew that Mr Marsh was in. Even if he wasn't, his servants always answered the door.

Sighing with frustration, he walked over the perfectly mown lawn to the magnificent bay window. Laying one hand on the glass, he peered in. There was no movement. He banged on the glass.

"For God's sake!" he hissed, dragging his fingers along the glass.

"Hey! You, pressing your hands against the glass! Get off!" a girl screeched. She came darting over to him, with a bottle of green liquid and a cloth. He pointedly looked down, to emphasize how tall he was.

"What on -," he stopped, "Weasel?" he gaped.

"Oh my God! Ferret!" the girl shrieked. They stared at each other in silence until Ginny spoke.

"I told you, get your filthy hands off my windows!" she told him. His hand dropped to his side, and a smirk slowly spread across his face.

"Well, well, well," he said slowly, "If it isn't good old Weaselette, now a slave girl!" he threw his head back and laughed.

"Shut your-!" she cried.

"Does the biggest Weasel know? Or Potty?" he snarled. Ginny narrowed his eyes, and stepped up close to him.

"Don't be getting too big for you boots - or lack of them - Weasley," Draco threatened.

Ginny said nothing. Just as Draco turned to go into the house, she squirted him with her cleaning potion. He spluttered.

"How dare you!" he yelled. Mr Marsh appeared.

"Mr Malfoy! What on Earth?" he asked. He looked at Draco, who was dripping with green liquid, and then to Ginny, who was holding the cleaning fluid up like a gun.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr Malfoy," Mr Marsh apologised, "I cannot believe that any under my command would dare be so rash. She will be punished severely!" he explained. Mr Malfoy regarded them both coldly. Mr Marsh had taken a hold of Ginny's wrist and held her firmly. She struggled, and Mr Marsh put his arms around her body, one around her lower stomach, his hand lying on her hip smugly and the other was brusquely over her breasts. He tightened his grip, and Draco noticed her wince and double over. He stepped forward, suddenly alarmed.

"Put that girl down at once!" he demanded. He could see quite clearly that he had harmed her, possibly grievously, and he knew exactly what Mr Marsh had been doing while harming her.

"I assure, Mr Malfoy, she deserves nothing less than a good flogging!" Mr Marsh told Draco, but still, he released his grip. Ginny slowly sank to her knees, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Leave her with me. I will punish her suitably once we have finished our business," Draco said coolly.

"Thank you, Mr Malfoy. Would you care to step inside? I'll pour you a large glass of brandy."

Draco followed Mr Marsh with a swish of his blood red cloak. Ginny shivered. She didn't want him to be anywhere near her. She jumped to her feet and ran to her attic room, pulling the ladder up behind her and closing the hatch. She blew out the candle that was burning and hid underneath her thin blankets.

***

"Mr Marsh, our mutual contact is not pleased by your actions," Draco said as he sat in an armchair in front of a crackling smile.

"Mr Malfoy, I promise you, I did nothing wrong against our master. He has not been in contact with me for months, nor I with him!" Mr Marsh told him hastily. He looked very shifty.

"No, but unfortunately for you we have heard of dealings with the enemy, Mr Marsh. And we don't like double-crossers and double-spies. Goodbye, Mr Marsh," Draco said icily, and with a slash of his wand, a green light hit Mr Marsh, and he fell to the floor, motionless.

Draco observed him. He was pleased that there was one less slave driver in the world.

***

About half an hour since Ginny had hidden from Draco, she crept out of her bed and down the ladders. She was positive that he would've gone.

But as she reached the bottom of the stairs, someone grabbed her by the wrists gently and pulled her backwards. Tears splashed down her cheeks silently.

"Mr Marsh, please! I beg you, don't be angry! I was just annoyed because-!" Ginny cried, but before she had the chance to finish she was spun around and came face to chest with Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy! You!" she gasped. He released her wrists, and she pulled the neckline of her thin dress close.

"Weasley. Don't panic, you're perfectly safe. In fact, you're coming with me, away from this place."

"What? What about Mr Marsh? And where on earth would we go?" Ginny asked as Draco frog marched her out of the house.

"I'm taking you back to the Burrow. You can go back to your family. I'm positive they'll be pleased to see you. They've been searching for you since you were kidnapped and sold. I just so happened to be visiting here anyway," Draco explained.

"What were you doing here?" Ginny asked as they walked to the gates of Mr Marsh's estate.

"I was sent here by the Order to assassinate him. Which I did."

"The Order?" Ginny gasped.

"Yes, Wealsey, the Order..."