Betrayal

Drip. Drip. Drip.

She could hear the sounds of her own footsteps as the rows of bars slowly passed her by. Somehow, she never thought her own footsteps would be so frightening, but tonight... they were.

She wanted, so badly, to turn and walk the other way. She was sure her feet would feel less solid in that direction. Her steps would be faster, swifter. Less daunting. In her mind, she knew she couldn't. In her heart, it was the only direction to go. This was the one task even Ginny Weasley was afraid of. After twenty-six years, and countless run-ins with Voldemort, Ginny should have been able to face anything. She was trained to face anything.

She couldn't face this. She could face anything but this.

The chill was seeping into her bones. Into her soul. She could feel it slowly invading her. She'd almost rather have had a dementor's kiss than this feeling. Her gut was betraying her. She was trained for this job.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The sounds were getting louder. Closer. The chills were getting colder. She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders in an attempt to shut the feeling out. Her eyes betrayed her. Her entire body betrayed her. How could she snub the darkness surrounding her when it was overwhelming every sense she had?

The dark stone path was shortening, bringing an end to her dreaded journey. The time would be soon, she knew. His time would be soon. She had no choice.

The last cell in the row. Draco's cell. She stopped just as it came into view. Taking a deep breath she tried in vain to collect herself and collapsed against the opposite wall. Weary eyes between the bars of the adjacent cell stared back at her. There was a gleam in them, she noted. They didn't seem unfriendly, but something just wasn't right. Something was missing. Something was always missing.

Was nobody in the wizarding world sane any longer?

Ginny wasn't sure she was. How could she do this? How could she take the next few steps and step up to that cell? She wouldn't. She couldn't.

She would.

A scream echoed through the corridor, causing Ginny to stand upright with a start. She couldn't let him stay here either. Maybe he was better off. Maybe she was being selfish. She knew he'd never have a chance to escape. Security had been upped since the mass Death Eater escape. The mere thought that anyone could escape from Azkaban had sent the entire wizarding world into chaos. What if it had been Lucius Malfoy or someone worse?

The low toll of the bell in the distance caught up to Ginny's thoughts, reminding her that she must move forward. Once again, she focused on the wall at the end of the corridor and began to move. Her legs were stiff. Her lungs inhaled cement instead of much needed oxygen. Her head began to swirl.

She didn't have any choice. If she didn't do this, someone else would. At least this way she knew he'd be treated in the manner he deserved, even if the thought of seeing him did make her stomach sick with betrayal.

"He's a Death Eater, Ginny!" she reprimanded herself harshly. Her voice barely made whispered status. She was close enough to see each bar across the cell clearly. The bars seemed to taunt her. Dare her to move forward.

Two more steps and she'd be there. She couldn't do it. The sheer terror of stepping up to that cell stopped her cold. They couldn't make her do this!

She was a Weasley. She had to do this. Her family counted on her to do this.

One more step and she'd be flush with the cell. She could already make out the stone bed attached to the side of the wall. The blankets were unkempt; the bed had not been made. She inadvertently wondered if even one small strand of his beautiful hair remained on the pillow. Surely she could keep that with her, just a small piece of him, without anyone knowing.

She was pathetic. She knew. If anyone else even suspected, she'd be a permanent fixture in St. Mungo's. One more step, she reminded herself. Get yourself together. Get this over with.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The toll of the bell rang once more in her ears. Time was out. It was now or never, and it had to be now. Finally, she mustered up the courage to step up to the cell. A cold glaze overtook her eyes, her lips settled into a grave expression.

"It's time."

He wasn't there! Her eyes opened in a mixture of excitement and wander. He was gone! She glanced over the untidy cell, a smirk hinting at her face as she noticed a widened area under the barred window, just large enough for his body to slip through. Water dripped down the wall, hitting the floor with audible drips as the outside weather made its way inside.

He'd escaped! Draco was free. The toll of the death bell wasn't his tonight. At least for one night, Ginny could rejoice that her love was still alive. She'd worry about tomorrow when it came. She allowed one more smile to shine from her face before fixing it with faux anger and running to the opening of the corridor. "He's escaped!" she screamed,

"Draco Malfoy has escaped!"

Azkaban went into chaos; no one noticed as a very small Ginny Weasley smiled to herself and slid out the side entrance.