For Us . . . All of Us

Chapter 9: Switchbacks

Ginny cursed herself for her slip. She frantically tried to think of a way to cover it up while Lucius said, "Emily, have you suddenly developed a liking for my Mudblood-loving son?" He paused then a small smirk quirked his mouth. "Or maybe you're not Emily MacNair at all."

Suddenly Lucius was uncorking a bottle or amber liquid that had appeared in his hand. He uncorked the bottle with a swiftness she didn't know he possessed and flung the liquid at her. She wasn't quick enough to dodge it all.

When it hit her, her skin bubbled and boiled painfully. In a few seconds she was no longer Emily MacNair, but Ginny Weasley Malfoy once again.

"Well, well, what do we have he-" Lucius started as Harry, still standing behind Lucius, exclaimed, "Stupefy!"

Before Lucius had even hit the floor, Harry stunned the two guards just outside the door. He quickly gathered all the wands and pocketed them. Ginny was still leaning over Draco, weeping softly.

"Ginny, come on we've got to get out of here!" Harry said gently. He whispered, "Mobilius Corpus," and Draco rose a few inches off the ground. Ginny wiped her tears and stood and nodded. They ran back down the corridor after locking Lucius and the two guards in the cell.

Harry reached the brick wall before Ginny and quickly tapped the bricks in the same sequence Lucius had used to get into the hallway. When the door opened, however, it wasn't into the room with the blue light, but one with a green light. But, when they tried to get back to the hallway, it simply opened up into another room.

"I think we've got a problem," said Harry as the latest archway closed leaving them in the green lit room.

"This place is a maze," said Ginny, looking around the room. "Unless with know the right sequences, which we don't, we could be stuck down here for days."

"He doesn't have that kind of time," Harry pointed out, looking at the beaten Draco. "We need to get him to a Mediwizard."

"But without the right sequence -- " Ginny started to report.

"We could be stuck I know," Harry interrupted. "But he's as good as dead if we just stand here."

Silence reigned in the air for a long minute. Then Ginny spoke up.

"Well, I guess the most logical thing to do would be to try to get back to Draco's cell. We could try a different sequence on the wall."

"That'd be a great plan Gin, if we knew which direction to go," said Harry gently.

"So, back to random tapping?" Ginny said and tapped the next wall over.

"That and pray," said Harry softly and followed Ginny into the next room.

After about ten minutes they were back in the room with the green light. "Hey, we've been here," said Harry. "If we can just get the right sequence we should be able to get back to the hall."

"Let me try," Ginny said. She stepped up to the wall and concentrated, casting about in her mind for any hint as to what the right sequence could be. Strangely enough, it was like a door opened in her mind. She could see Lucius tapping on the bricks and the room opening out into the study again.

Ginny's eyes flew open and without hesitation, tapped the sequence into the bricks. She waited breathlessly for the archway to finish forming. When it did she could have cried with relief. The gloomy lair of Lucius Malfoy lay before them in all its twisted glory. Her and Harry ran into the room, Draco floating along behind.

"Let's get out of here!" Ginny said, and ran over and flung the door open. Standing in the doorway was Lucius Malfoy.

"Going somewhere?" Lucius asked with a sadistic grin, madness glinting in his eyes.

Ginny slammed the door in his face and yelled, "Go Harry!"

"No," said Harry. "I can't leave you and Draco here to their mercy!"

"You'll get help, now GO!" yelled Ginny as the door burst open behind her. As she turned around she heard a loud pop behind her and knew that Harry had gotten out ok.

There was a loud "Stupefy!" and Ginny slid into blackness and left the world behind.

*~~~~~~~~~~~*

When Ginny swam back to conciousness, she found herself in a dark room lit only by a flaming torch corner set in a wall. Draco was slumped in the opposite corner, just starting to stir slightly.

Ginny crawled over to Draco and stroked his brow, willing him to wake up. She then heard something outside the dungeon they were in. A slat in the door slide aside and Ginny saw someone look in. Apparently not seeing what they wanted, the slat shut and footsteps faded away down the unseen hall.

Satisfied that they were safe for the moment, Ginny leaned her head back against the wall and shut her eyes to get rest, for she would surely need it to be ready for the fight to come.