Marriella Mabatu was not built in such a way that would draw the eye; she was slight and not particularly tall
Summary: Ginny Weasley is suffering the aftermath of the events of COS. This is the story of her anguish, told through her eyes.
Haunting Me
I sit up, again feeling his touch on my skin, again shrinking away from the cold fingers which aren't really there.
Why can't I just get one decent night's sleep?
I turn my head into my pillow and cry, feeling helpless and at the same time angry; I didn't ask for this, I didn't ask to get that stupid book.
My thoughts are chasing each other around inside my head again, the same thoughts that have haunted me since I came home after my first year at Hogwarts. That was nearly a month ago, and I haven't slept at all, at least not for more than a few hours, since I got back.
The tears flow faster, try as I do to stop them from coming, and I silently curse Malfoy and his plot.
The only good thing I can say about it is that it didn't work, at least not in the way in which he wanted it to; nobody died … not even me.
The only thing I can do to stop the awful memories of Tom is to think about Harry; how he saved me, how he risked his life to get me out of there. Ron did too of course, and I'm so greatful to both of them. I thought Mum would squeeze the life out of them and out of me, she hugged us so hard.
Poor Mum, poor Dad, my poor brothers; they're all trying so hard to make me feel better.
Mum fusses and worries and tries to get me to talk to her (and I do try), but there are bits I can't even remember, stuff I think I might have blocked out.
Dad and I sit and play chess; he says it's acting on me like a small sort of therapy, because I can focus on it and on nothing else, just for a while. I like this time, when we can just sit and be quiet and he doesn't ask questions (most of the time).
Fred and George try to make me laugh and keep my spirits up, but Im not sure they know what they're doing. They're trying to make me feel better, but they have a strange sense of humour and I feel worse after a lot of their jokes.
Ron and I talk a lot, and he tells me about how worried they all were about me when the subject comes up. When it doesn't, we just chat about general things, and he lets me practise quidditch with him, even gives me a go on his broom.
Percy worries about me, I know he does, but he's not great at showing emotions; he'd rather act pompous and annoying than show that he's actually human like all of us (though Ron told me he was really cut up about what happened to me, and I believe him too). He tries to interest me in what he's reading, but I honestly don't know how anyone can find "An In-Depth Discussion of Wizarding Politics" interesting!
Charlie's still in Romania, and can't get time off to come home, so I write to him all the time as usual and his letters make me laugh, sometimes make me forget.
As for Bill … I've always been very close to my eldest brother. I'd really love to see him so I can talk to him properly, maybe tell him something about all this, but we can't afford to go to Egypt, at least not now.
Dad say's we will be able to some day, but that money's "a bit tight" at the moment. I miss him.
So, I'll just lie here and try to go back to sleep, and hope that maybe soon I'll be able to forget, that I'll chase Tom out of my dreams.I just want to be free…
Finis