Ginny Weasley lay on the cold stone floor of the castle's dungeons. Her clothes, tattered and torn, hanging off of her small body which was now covered in bruises. How long had it been since her attacker left her there? A minute? An hour? She didn't know. Her mind was blank. Why hadn't anyone heard her cries for help, or her loud and agonized screams? Her muscles were tense, she felt exhausted, and the side of her face where he had struck her stung. She still felt the pressure of his body pressing against her, the grip of his fingers wrapped tightly around her wrists as he bound her arms over her head with his forceful hands.
She suddenly began to hear faint footsteps approaching, echoing through the dungeon halls.
'It's him!'
The thought struck Ginny, sending intense waves of fear throughout her body.Slowly, she brought her trembling hands up to her face and began to sob uncontrollably into them.
The footsteps drew closer and closer until they came to a halt a short distance from where Ginny lay.
"Oh my god," said a male voice. Ginny began to sob harder than ever. She heard a noise that sounded like heavy objects falling to the ground, sending a loud thud through the halls, as the person rushed over to her side and covered her with a soft, warm material. Ginny gradually removed her shaking hands from her face and looked up to see-
'Malfoy?'
"Weasley, who did this to you?" he asked, in a tone Ginny had never heard before, his face expressionless. Ginny stared up at him through swollen red eyes, unable to find her voice.
"Can you speak to me?" his voice, a tad more formal. Ginny slightly opened her mouth to respond, but no sound escaped her quavering lips. Draco tore his gaze away from Ginny and quickly scanned his surroundings, then looked back down her, covered only in Draco's robes, laying on the icy floor. He was so shaken up in his own little world, lost in his thoughts when all of a sudden he had hit reality only to find that a young girl had been raped and clearly beaten in an elongated dark corridor no one ever passed through. How long would she have been lying here if he hadn't come along? He shook it out of his head and extended his hand to Ginny.
"Come on, Weasley. I'm getting you out of here." Ginny stared at his hand for a moment before reaching up and taking it. Draco carefully helped her to her feet, her legs wobbling beneath her. His robes had slid off of her in the process. He picked them up off the floor and gently wrapped them around her small shoulders. He had been almost afraid to touch her. Ginny gripped Draco's robes securely, as he led her out of the corridor with a hand placed gently upon her upper back.
They walked along in silence for a long while. Draco was constantly inspecting every turn they took, Ginny clutching the robes wrapped around her. As they reached the top of the main staircase, Ginny spoke up.
"Malfoy?" she said. Startled, Draco turned to her. Ginny stared at the floor for a moment, then continued, "You won't tell anyone, will you?" Her voice, small and frail.
Draco was a bit taken aback by the question. He shook his head slightly and said, "No. I won't." Draco paused for a moment, then said, "I know I'm not exactly the first person you'd think of coming to about something like this, but whenever you feel ready to talk⦠I'll be here." Draco finished. Ginny nodded.
"Th-thank you, Draco," she managed to whisper.
"I'll take you to the hospital wing. Come on," said Draco. Ginny didn't move.
"I don't want to go to the hospital wing, I want to go back to my dorm." Ginny replied, a little louder. Draco opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it. This is what she wants, who am I to argue?
"Are you sure?" he asked. Ginny nodded. Draco heaved a sigh. "Alright. I'll walk you back."
Ginny smiled meekly and began to walk alongside Draco as they made their way up to the Gryffindor tower in silence. As they continued on in silence once more, Draco allowed his mind to properly comprehend the evenings events.
