A/N: I don't own Harry Potter, sadly. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


Ginny:

I woke up with a start. My nightmares had been getting worse as the days went on.

The clock said that it was a little past midnight. I gave up any chance at falling back to sleep. I was too shaken up.

I quietly got up out of bed, not even caring to pull on something more appropriate. I was wearing a pair of sweatpants that was a few sizes too big and a tank top that was a few sizes too small, and left about 3 inches of my midriff exposed. I did pull my hair into a messy bun on the top of my head.

I headed downstairs and flooed over to George's flat. I knew that he'd be up.

After the battle, George went back to his flat because he didn't want to be around the Burrow that reminded him of Fred. George had been having a hard time sleeping (but honestly, who wasn't), so I knew that he'd be up.

I'd been going over to George's every night for the past week since we came home from Hogwarts. It was nice to get away.

I entered the messy flat to find George sitting at the small table in the kitchen with a large bottle of firewhiskey in his hand in front of him with two shot glasses.

I sat down wordlessly in the chair across from him. George looked up at me, his eyes glazed over. He was a mess, but so was I.

"You're here earlier than usual." He said hoarsely.

"Just give me the bottle." I said tiredly, and clearly annoyed.

He pushed the bottle towards me, not even caring that he was giving alcohol to a minor, but I needed it.

I didn't even pour myself a shot, I took a large swig from the bottle.

For the next couple of hours, we continued taking large swigs from the bottle, and eventually had to get a new bottle.

I was more than drunk. It was a miracle that I was able to stand up and floo home at a little after five in the morning.

I stumbled into the kitchen of the Burrow.

"Nice of you to show up." Bill said, he was sitting at the table with a cup of tea in between his hands.

"Well, I try." I managed to slur out.

"Where were you?" He asked, clearly annoyed, but didn't want to wake the other residences of the house, even though they were already most likely awake.

"Out and about." I said, sobering up a bit.

"You're underage." He stated.

"So."

"You shouldn't be drinking."

"Well, I don't give a shit."

"That doesn't matter. You shouldn't wandering around drunk at ungodly hours of the morning."

"Don't you have a wife to get back to and annoy?"

"She's asleep."

"Then you should be there incase she wakes up."

"Ginny, I'm losing my patience. You've been coming home drunk every night since we got back. Something could happen to you."

"Nothing that hasn't happened before." I mumbled, referring to the shitty year that I had at Hogwarts, which included me being raped, whipped, and hit with the cruciatus curse more times than I'd care to admit.

"Ginny-"

"I was fine. I went to George's flat." I said.

"George gave you firewhiskey." Bill said, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah. I'm a big girl, I can hold my liquor. It's not like I didn't have it at Hogwarts."

"You shouldn't be given liquor to 'hold'."

"Tell me that you haven't hit the bottle at least once since the Battle."

"I may've had something to drink one night, but I'm of age, you aren't."

"You know, I done with hearing this 'you aren't of age' crap that you've all been telling me."

"But you aren't of age."

"Okay, but I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"How am I not fine?"

"You're drunk out of your mind. You haven't been sleeping. You haven't been eating. And you've been working yourself until you drop during the day with cleaning and cooking. And- what's that." He said, looking at my midriff.

"It's nothing, just the lighting." I said nervously, my scars were showing.

"No, it isn't nothing." He said, walking over to me.

"It's noth-" I started, but he pulled up my shirt a few more inches and saw more of my many scars.

"Those aren't nothing, Gin!"

"Well, what do you want me to say? That the 'innocent' girl that you all knew so well didn't make it back from Hogwarts!"

"You should've told someone."

"George knows, and so does Neville and Luna."

"You should've told someone that could help with them."

"They're cursed… they can't be reversed." I managed to get out.

"How do you know for sure?"

"Madame Pomfrey. I was there when she visited Harry, and after he fell asleep, she tried to fix them, but they're cursed."

Bill remained silent, but continued to stare at my scars.

"Are there more?" He finally asked.

"Yeah." I mumbled, ashamed. I didn't want anyone to know.

"Ginny!"

"What?!"

"I'm getting Charlie."

"Why the bloody hell are you doing that for?"

"He knows a bit about scars. He might know a spell that Madame Pomfrey doesn't."

"It's fine. You don't have to tell him."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

"Ginny, please."

"He doesn't need to know."

"Yes, he does."

"Fine," I finally gave in, I was too drunk and it was too early, "but please, swear him to secrecy, I really don't want anyone else to know."

"Fine." Bill said, as he exited the kitchen and headed upstairs to the room that Charlie was staying in.

A few minutes later, Bill and Charlie came down the stairs. Charlie looked pissed.

"What the hell Ginny?! You should've told someone." Charlie said.

"I didn't want anyone to know. There's nothing that can be done anyways. They're cursed." I said, my patience wearing thin.

Charlie sighed. I knew that he understood where I was coming from, but that didn't mean that he fully accepted my decision. He asked, "Where are they?"

I took my sweatpants off and pulled my tank top over my head, so I was left in only my sports bra and underwear. I was so drunk, I didn't even care that I was standing practically naked in front of my brothers. And the sad part was, even then, they couldn't see all of my scars.

"Dear Merlin, Ginny…" Bill mumbled as he looked at all of my scars that were exposed. I was on the verge of tears. No one was supposed to see me this way.

"Are there more?" Charlie asked, he was furious.

When I didn't answer, he slammed his hand down on the table and said, "Ginny, are there more?"

"Yes." I muttered. I was on the verge of tears.

"Where?" He asked.

My silence spoke volumes. My hands were holding onto the edges of the bench for dear life.

Both of my brothers looked like they were about to start pulling their own hair out. Charlie pulled out his wand and started muttering various spells to help get rid of the scars.

After what felt like forever, Charlie stated, "They're cursed."

I quickly pulled my tank top and sweatpants back on. I said, "I'm going back to George's flat."

Neither of them tried to stop me.