The Lady's Apprentice

Chapter IV: A Fool's Paradise

Ginny had been taken to the Master Chamber, a vast room with elegant decor. Ferton had left her alone, going back to Draco, and she was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She couldn't recall the last time she had been alone like this, without at least one member of her family close at hand

Looking out the window, Ginny saw some sort of meadow bathed in moonlight. It seemed such a peaceful place, but she didn't feel at peace at all; in fact, she could not have been any less uneasy. Why was she here? She had only just begun to realise where she was, away from Hogwarts, wihout her family, without her friends. She stared out the window, feeling her chest tighten. What if she never found her way home? She wasn't even certain where she was, and from what she had heard, her situation did not seem real.

Ginny bit her lip as a single tear streamed down her cheek. She should have never wandered into the forest, she should have run away, back to Hogwarts, when she had had the chance. She felt extremely ridiculous considering she had passed up so many chances to tell somebody about that portkey she had come across. She could've told Hermione, who already seemed a little suspicious of something. But it was just Ginny's luck; she had a wont of getting herself into dark situations and not understanding until too late.

Her thoughts drifted to Harry, who had saved her the last time she had been in such a situation. He was safe at Hogwarts, unlike Ginny. He probably hadn't even noticed that she was gone, and he probably didn't care. But Harry should have been with Ginny, he should have been the one by her side through all this chaos, not Draco Malfoy. Although this dilemma could strictly be blamed on coincidence. The same coincidence which had made Harry The-Boy-Who-Lived, the same coincidence which had made Lucius Malfoy slip Tom Riddle's diary into Ginny's cauldron.

Presently, she stepped back from the window, wanting to think no more for that night. Maybe it was all as Draco had said: just a wild dream. But would she ever wake from this nightmare?

She forced her legs to take her to the large bed with its black covers and hangings and sat down on it, suppressing a sob. She hadn't felt this lost, this distant, in a long time, and she hadn't missed the feeling. She seemed to have no direction, and she most certainly could not fight the greatest evil, oras it was called, the Nargarorth.

But she would die one day anyway, so why not sooner? That is how it seemed at the present time; she would fail in battling the evil forces of Nargarorth, and die before her time had come, unless this was her time.

After a few minutes of pondering her thoughts, Ginny finally fell into an uneasy sleep, not bothering to draw the curtains about her bed, dreaming about bloody battles and cold wars and never seeing her family again. For some reason, a part of her palm)stung with miserable pain in every dream...

***

When Ginny awoke in the Master Chamber at Castle Perimonath the next morning, almost all memory of her nightmares had dissolved. Only one event stood out above all: Draco Malfoy uttering cold words to Ginny while they were still back at Hogwarts, "I only hope it kills you," he had said of the Portkey to Perimonath, and Ginny's heart had turned cold as she slept, for some reason thinking Draco's hope just may become truth.

The sun poured through the window, flooding the room with bright yellow light. Ginny blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the chamber. She still felt groggy, but ready enough for breakfast.

After readying herself to go to breakfast, Ginny floo powdered to the dining room, where Ferton had told her she would be expected. The dining room was seemingly empty, although Ginny felt a strange presence within the vast chamber. Its high walls, decorated with the portraits of many knights and beautiful women, held only one long table, which sat in the centre of the hall surrounded by grand looking chairs.

Ginny stood for a while, admiring the pictures on the wall, but when she could take the silence no more, she called out. "Is there anyone in here?"

A loud snap like the crack of the whip replied, and a small house-elf carrying a silver tray appeared before her. "Does you calls for someone?" it asked, bowing to Ginny. "We has your breakfast, my queen."

Ginny was taken aback by this name 'queen'. She had never thought of herself as a queen, nor had anyone ever titled her a queen. She stood before the house-elf for a moment, before clearing her throat with nothing to say.

The house-elf immediately rushed to the table, placing the silver tray down. It then pushed Ginny forwards toward the table, seating her in a large throne-like chair.

"We hopes you enjoys your breaking fast," said the house-elf. "You remembers to call out when you needs me and we comes as quick as we can."

"Oh, er, yeah," said Ginny, as the house-elf snapped its fingers, vanishing with a crack that sounded just like the one it had entered with. Ginny looked at the plate the house-elf had set for her: it was laden with delicious looking breakfast food; bacon, sausages, toast, eggs, and baked beans. It smelled even better than Hogwarts food, so she quickly began eating, not bothered by the fact that the food might be poisoned, eating as much as she could.

A silver goblet of some clear liquid had been set before the plate, so Ginny tasted it. It was like nothing else she had ever tasted before, refreshing and light.

Sunlight filtered in through tall windows lining one wall, and Ginny could see lovely meadows drenched in golden sunlight outside. She smiled at the sight, realising its serenity. How could this be a time of war? Was not war dark and painful? Yes, the beauty of the meadows almost caused an inner agony, and yes, the peace caused a deep ache of the heart, but not an evil hurt like the hurt of war, but an overwhelming, breath-taking hurt to the soul, opening up some unreachable desire.

A gentle breeze blew through the grass as birds could be heard faintly singing. Ginny longed to step on the grasses of the untroubled land, to feel the peace surge through her. She longed for a chance to play like a child without a care, heedless of wars or of disunity.

Ginny had forgotten completely about her breakfast as she watched the tranquil scene through the tall windows. She seemed to lose herself within her mind, remembering times when she would play in such places without apprehension, without a woe. Those times seemed so far gone, so long ago, in some other world. But in this place she sat now, she felt the memories flooding through her mind's tissue, breaking the barrier that Tom Riddle had set up only a few years ago.

***

When Draco awoke, he was not in a pleasant mood. For one thing, he had slept without wanting to, and for another, he had overslept and it was already light outside. Draco did not know the time, and had momentarily forgotten where he was, but he quickly remembered.

He dragged himself up from the chair he had dropped off in. The fire was still blazing in the hearth, strangely, so Draco decided he may as well endure one day in this Hell of a castle. Or perhaps he'd find some escape later in the day.

So he took his chances, going first by floo powder to the lavatory to make himself presentable, and then to the dining room, in which he was told breakfast would be served at eight o' clock, and whether eight o' clock had passed or not, Draco did not know.

Draco stepped out of the fire in the dining room, which was a sizeable room, containing a long table that would, at its capacity, seat thirty two men and women. The room already had an occupant: Ginny Weasley, who sat at the table, unmistakably absorbed in a day dream. Draco took a seat near the middle of the table, not far from Ginny, im patiently awaiting her return to reality.

The wait was longer than Draco had initially expected, so he ceased from dilly-dallying and called out, "Good morning!" as loud as he possibly could.

Instantly, there was a sound like a whip cracking and a house-elf appeared, carrying a silver tray. It placed the tray on the table in front of Draco, bowed, then disappeared with another sound like the first.)repetitive.

"Oh," said Ginny, breaking out of her reverie,. "hullo."

"How long have you been sitting there lost in a fool's paradise?" Draco asked.

Ginny blushed. "I was just waiting..."

"For what?" Draco asked.

Ginny looked down at the table. "I don't know," she mumbled.

"Ferton won't be here," said Draco slyly, "he said he had 'business.'"

"Oh, I know," said Ginny, blushing again, "but he might drop by."

"What are we supposed to do around here?" Draco asked. "You don't think they've got a Quidditch pitch? Broomsticks? Oh, hell, they probably wouldn't have anything made after 1799 in this place."

Ginny didn't reply.

"I'm leaving soon," said Draco, giving the food set out before him no heed. "I'll be gone before the end of today, so you'll have to face these lunatics by yourself. My father will definitely hear about this, and these mad people'll have to pay. Just wait until I get out of here."

"I guessed you'd be leaving long ago," said Ginny, seeming to have dazed off again. "I wouldn't have chosen you, had I known about any of this."

"I know," said Draco, picking up a fork at last and looking at it curiously before savagely jabbing it into an egg. "And I'll put you out of your misery."

"They won't let you leave," said Ginny, looking at Draco with disapproval. "You'll keep running, but never escape. And you won't be helping anyone, not even me."

"And how do you know?" Draco asked before shovelling eggs into his mouth.

"I've got this feeling," said Ginny, a worried look crossing over her face. "I've gotten trapped in this dark thing, and I can't escape. And now the same goes for you del, I've trapped yohere, and try as you might, you can't get away from it."

"Well thanks for that, Weasley," said Draco, bitterly. "I very much appreciate it."

"Even if I don't want you, maybe this is your fate," said Ginny, now looking Draco straight in the eye. "Has it not yet occurred to you that all this, everything that's happened in this past while, was supposed to happen?"

"Oh, I don't believe this," said Draco. "You, being the idiot you are, drew your own dirty blood and wiped it on my face, that's all there is to it. If you'd been a little brainier, you would've at least found Potter."

"But I didn't know," said Ginny, . "And maybe it was for the best, you and I are almost neutral, aren't we? Harry really hates the Death Eaters, and against You Know Who, but I don't."

"Don't you?" Draco asked with obvious interest.

Ginny shook her head. "Everyone would expect me to," she said, "but I don't. I can't, even if they have done me wrong so many times. I can never hate them, no matter how I try."

"But still, I'm not neutral," said Draco, making an irritating noise by scraping his fork on his plate. "I hate all the Mud-bloods and Muggles out there. And I hate the Muggle-lovers even more, and that means you, Weasley."

"Just because my dad's a Muggle-lover, doesn't mean I am," said Ginny. "And anyway, we might not have to ever bother with Muggles. Hopefully it doesn't get that bad, but we just might."

"Hopefully these people will open their eyes by then," said Draco. "Maybe they'll realise we can't depend on a silly little girl to carry the fate of the world against the Dark Queen. Or mae they'll make some real improvement and realise they're living in a storybook."

"Or maybe it takes just a silly little girl to carry the fate of the world," said Ginny,"and maybe it takes one cruel Death Eater's son to give her that last push."

"What last push?" said Draco, ceasing from grating his fork across his plate. "You're being completely senseless."

"Don't you see?" said Ginny, as a new light appeared in her eyes. "Whatever's happening here, and I can't be too sure what it is, the result depends on you and I. If we can put aside our differences, we can save the world. If not, we'll war against each other, and let the Dark Queen win."

Draco thought this over for a moment. "I can't unite with a Weasley," he said finally. "Never. It's not right. Malfoys and Weasleys just don't mix, everyone knows that."

"What, so you'll let everyone suffer just because of some cold war?" Ginny snapped. "We don't even know why we're expected to hate one another."

"Because Weasley's are stupid," said Draco, "and Malfoy's are not. Or maybe it's because Weasley's are poor, worthless Muggle-lovers with no pride."

"You're impossible," said Ginny. "You're just an immature brat, that's all."

"I don't see what you're complaining about," said Draco.

"Grow up," Ginny mumbled.

"Do you really want me to hex you?" said Draco. "ecause I will, you know."

"How about this," said Ginny, "if you escape from here, I'll stop bothering you. But if you don't, you have to take all this seriously and act the way you're supposed to. And you have a day to escape."

Draco sighed, blind to what he could possibly lose by simply agreeing in spoken words. "Okay," he finally said. "If I can't escape by the end of the day, I'll agree to join you

"That's all I wanted to hear," said Ginny. "Besides, what else could you do? Join the blunks?"

"I don't know yet," said Draco. "But if I chance to escape from this place, don't expect me to follow through with that offer. Who knows, I might be the one to kill you in the end."

"And so I wouldn't expect you to follow through," said Ginny. "Now go, try and escape. But when there's no way out, meet me outside, we'll talk then."

"Talk about what?" said Draco. "If I happen to join you, don't expect me to get all friendly."

"I wouldn't," said Ginny. "But we have to discuss plans, don't we?"

Draco didn't reply to this, instead, he rose to his feet and strode to the fireplace, where, like the other fireplaces in the castle, there hung three pails, each containing a different coloured dust. Draco took a pinch of the green floo powder and thrust it into the flames of the fire. "The stables," he said, stepping into the hearth.

Draco stepped out at the grate in the stables, where he was greeted by a boy of about seventeen with dark hair and dark eyes. This boy was dressed in armour like that of Ferton and Haltan. He smirked when Draco stepped out of the grate.

"I was told by Ferton a boy with blonde hair and grey eyes would try to make an escape from the castle," he said in a drawling voice. "You must be that boy with blonde hair and grey eyes, blessed beyond hope as the apprentice of the Lady of Perimonath, blind to his own good fortune, overcome with folly. Attempting another quick exit, are we?"

"I was told an idiot with dark hair and eyes would try to stop me on my escape," said Draco. "You must be that idiot, blind to the mirror, ugly as a troll."

"Yet you're quite the vision of beauty?" the other boy said. "You go by the name Draco Malfoy, don't you? Son of Lucius, servant of Voldemort."

Draco glared at the dark-haired boy, not liking him at all.

"I'm Giladon," id the boy with dark hair and eyes, "your new guard."

Draco scowled. He didn't like Giladon for many reasons, the first of which being his handsome looks, and the second being his sense of superiority and his seeming arrogance.

"I won't trail after you as I'm supposed to," said Giladon. "Firstly because I don't wish to, and second because I know I'll tire of you very quickly. But before I leave you be, I must tell you there's no escape from here, the walls are guarded with the strongest of charms, so stop trying to escape."

"Don't tell me what to do," Draco snapped.

"And don't you tell me what to do," Giladon said. "I'm off, leaving you to your own devices. I'll speak with you later." And then he walked out of the stables, leaving Draco alone with the horses.

"No use escaping," Draco muttered. "I'll show them." And he followed Giladon's steps out of the stables and onto a green meadow. From where he stood on the vast field of grass, he could see the castle, a huge stone place with many windows. Directly before him, he saw the long windows of the dining room he had not long ago departed from. He knew that Ginny could see him from where she sat, and he despised the thought.

He began walking across the field, able to see the walls surrounding the castle grounds very faintly. As he walked towards the walls, he began to feel the pointlessness of the action. He'd been told already so many times how useless endeavouring an escape would be, yet he'd been stubborn. But now he knew somehow that he had been wrong all along, that everyone else was exactly right: escape was impossible.

He stopped short in his tracks, looking about himself. So this was it, he'd just given up, surrendered to Ginny Weasley without words. He was going to remain here and join the rest of the world against Nargarorth. Perhaps it was the right decision after all, but to that, only time would tell. His father, had the man he had spoken with really been his father, had seemed to want this for him and he strived to pride his father.

Draco stood for a long while, staring over the grassy meadow at the large stone walls, seemingly so far away. He hadn't realised how long he had stood there until Ginny Weasley spoke to him from behind.

"So you've decided to stay?" she asked, a smugness in her tone. "You've been standing here at least half an hour, and haven't spoken a word or moved a muscle. I'm beginning to wonder if you're still here, or whether I'm just talking to some mirage of Draco Malfoy."

Draco didn't turn to look at her, or speak for a few moments. Then at long last, he finally spoke, still not turning his head. "I might just stay," he said.

Ginny took a step towards him sat she stood parallel to him. She gave him a sidelong glance, trying to read the expression on his face. "You know, you wouldn't be here if you weren't supposed to," she said. "You made the right decision."

"Did I?" said Draco, turning his face finally, giving Ginny a half questioning, half menacing look.

Ginny didn't reply.

"Where are Crabbe and Goyle when you need them?" asked Draco, looking away.

"Why do you need them?" Ginny asked.

"I didn't get much sleep," said Draco. "I need to sleep now, or never. I need someone to stand guard while I sleep."

"Oh," said Ginny, "I'll stand guard for you."

"You're defeating the purpose, Weasley," Draco snapped. "I need protection from you, and all your little friends at this freak place. Oh, and by the way, there's a fellow round here you'd like better than Ferton, he's a lot like Ferton, but with black hair, and we all know how much you like black hair. And he may not have green e but he has these unearthly blue eyes, like the sky during a thunder storm, or something to that effect. Of course, I don't speak the language of a little girl in love, as you do. But he doesn't have a scar, and his hair isn't quite so messy, although he's really stuck up and arrogant."

"He sounds more like you than anything," said Ginny coolly. "But of course, he's probably much better-looking because I pity any creature uglier than you, Malfoy." And she strolled off towards the stables without giving Draco a chance to reply.

Draco didn't care, though, and he walked towards a tall oak tree standing alone in the field. He slumped down, back against the trunk, knees up, and he rested his head against the body of the tree. It was only minutes before Draco drifted off into a dream, although that dream was never later recalled.

***

Ginny hadn't had a proper chance to look at the horses in the stable before, so she decided now would be a good time. She was a real animal lover, especially fond of horses, so she felt herself lucky to be here at the Castle Perimonath, where there were many of these creatures.

Inside the stable were a few horses, Ginny guessed most of the others were kept elsewhere. All but one of the horses were sleeping yet, and the waking one was but a pony. Ginny smiled as she crossed the stable to it, reaching her hand out over the short wooden gate to stroke its head.

(Suddenly, Ginny heard an unfamiliar male vobehind her.

"You like horses?" he said, sounding almost bored.

Ginny turned her head quickly to see a boy of about seventeen with curly black hair and dark eyes. He wore armour (as did Haltan, Ferton, and probably all the other Perimonath knights), displaying a large P with a pyramid shape behind it. He held no shield, wore no helmet nor sheath or sword.

"I'm Giladon," he said, "and you must be Ginny, if I assume correctly."

"You assume correctly," said Ginny, smiling.

"Unfortunately we couldn't have a proper formal introduction, but in the circumstances, I'm sure you'll understand," said Giladon. "But there just isn't time for such ceremonies in desperate times like these."

"I understand," said Ginny. "But I'm a little confused as to what's going on, exactly."

"The Dark Queen is once again rising," said Giladon, "and her army has waited hundreds of years for this. It's necromancy, if you ask me, but that damned ministry can't bothered, they're far too interested in capturing Voldemort. But this is what's important; this is the war in which Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin themselves would ally against the dark powers. But being clandestine as we are, the ministry, nor the rest of the world, save for a few people, pay much attention to us."

"Who are the few who do pay attention?" Ginny asked.

"A few Death Eaters," Giladon replied, "Dumbledore, though he keeps it hidden, and a few others. Lord Voldemort is an excellent ally, but Harry Potter's too bent on killing Voldemort. These mini-wars amongst themselves are completely useless, although the wars against Muggles are understandable."

"How are they?&qid Ginny. "There's no difference between these little wars amongst wizards, and these wars against Muggles."

"Says a true Muggle-lover," said Giladon. "Either that, or your father's been working over-time to convince you Muggles are good. But believe what you want, so long as you know who the enemy is."

"Nargarorth," said Ginny.

"And as long as you overthrow the Dark Queen," said Giladon, "I don't care that you're a Muggle-lover." And then he took Ginny's hand and kissed it.

Ginny blushed, as she did on so many occasions. "I'm not a Muggle-lover," she muttered, incoherently.

"Have you any plans for the day?" Giladon asked.

Ginny shook her head, eyeing the boy nervously. He had dark blue eyes, a very strange colour that Ginny had never before seen: they looked almost like dark grey blue rain clouds foreboding an angry thunder storm. Ginny realised this was the boy Draco had told her of, 'He's like a Ferton with black hair, and we all know how much you like black hair. And he may not have green eyes, but he has these unearthly blue eyes, like the sky during a thunder storm, or something,' he had said.

But Giladon didn't seem arrogant, exactly.

Presently, Giladon opened the gate closing the pony's pen, freeing the pony. "This one's Nimrod," he said, "he'll be a hunter some day, when he grows."

Ginny had no reply to this, not that she needed one of course.

"We can take him outside," Giladon continued. "Can you ride?"

"Well, no not really," said Ginny.

"Shouldn't be a problem yet," said Giladon. "But the Dark Queen is ever rising, and you're going to need to learn a lot these next few days. You'll have to learn how to apparate, how to perform the unforgivable curses, and probably a little sword handling."

"The unforgivable curses?" Ginny asked in shock

"It's our greatest defence," said Giladon. "Nargarorth plays brutal, but they don't have the unforgivable curses."