The next morning Draco woke tired and un-rested. He'd tossed and turned most of the night once he returned to his own dorms, late into the night. The others had all been asleep, but his absence had been noted and that morning questions were flung his way. "Where were you?' "What were you doing?" "Was it an order from the Dark Lord?" "Nah, he's not that important." "Well?" He was pestered all the way down to the Great Hall, where he finally snapped an answer that left the others satisfied and silent. As he and the others took their seats at the table, he could not help but look for her. He didn't expect to see her so he wasn't surprised when her spot at the Gryffindor table was empty.
It was early and students were slowly trickling into the Hall, yawning and grumbling. The first years were the only ones alert, looking around at each other, bright-eyed and eager to begin their first day. Some looked nervous, giving off the impression that they were Muggleborns, still yet overwhelmed at the magic all around them. Draco was remembering his own first days when suddenly a hush fell over the Hall and he heard one of his fellow classmates muttering to the boy beside him. "Look!" Whispers were rising and Draco lifted his gaze, following the line of his friend's gazes. His eyes widened and he sat up a little straighter, watching in shock as Ginny Weasley made her way down the aisle to her table.
She had not even bothered to try and cover her bruises nor her cuts. No, she wore them proudly as she walked through the Hall, well aware of every pair of eyes upon her. She had woken early in the morning, long before any of the others, and so she'd kept the blankets over her face, feigning sleep when the girls had woken and dressed for the day. When the last of them had left and she was alone, she struggled out of bed and into her uniform. Her body ached and she knew it would be awhile before she felt normal again, especially if she had another night of "detention" to look forward to. She had paused before the mirror, taking in the sight of her face; bruised and cut, a swollen lump on her left temple. For a moment she had contemplated covering them up, thinking of the Muggle makeup Hermione had given her that summer, but she shrugged and then left. Let them see what they did to her. Let them see what would happen to all of them, should they disobey in any way, shape, or form.
As she took her spot at her table, beside Neville and across from some first years, she felt all the eyes still on her. At the head table, Snape was sitting forward, his eyes on her, surprised by both her arrival and her appearance. He should have known she'd pull such a stunt.
"Ginny, what happened?" Neville whispered as the empty dishes filled with food, his hazel eyes wide, his mouth taut with concern. "Bloody hell." He was taking in every inch of her bruised face, thinking of what her brothers would do if they saw her in such a state. It was only the first morning of classes! He watched as she reached for a piece of toast, her silence giving him all the answers he needed. His gaze swiveled from her to the head table, then back to her. "You should…"
"Neville, please," she responded, cutting him off, turning to face him with blazing eyes. "I should do nothing." Her tone was calm, her eyes gentling as she smiled slightly. "It's okay. I'm fine." She shook her head, letting herself turn away to where Snape sat at the head table. She smiled at him then, lifting her hand in a gesture of hello, her spirits clearly not broken by last night's events. Snape sat back, his face passive, though his eyes said it all. "This is what will happen if you disobey," she said to the first years seated around her as she pointed to her own face, all of whom were staring at her with wide-eyed expressions of shock and terror. "So, even if you don't agree with what they say or what they make you do, listen to them." The first years nodded simultaneously and Ginny smiled, hoping they would take her words to heart.
Across the hall, Draco could not help but to stare; she wore her marks with pride, and though she was pale and probably in pain, she was smiling. He watched as she said something to the first years sitting around her, and he watched as they nodded while she pointed to her face. It slowly dawned on him then just what she was doing. She was protecting those students, all of them who might have disagreed with the war, with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. She was telling them what would happen if they didn't listen to Snape. "Draco," the female voice pulled him back and he turned to Pansy, who was scrunching her face in dislike. "Why are you staring at her?"
"She's a mess," he replied with a shrug, as if it didn't matter all that much. "Got what she deserved, didn't she?" The others around him snickered and nodded, and soon breakfast returned to a level of normalcy. Though it certainly seemed like Ginny Weasley would become the center of attention and gossip for the next eternity.
[ x x x ]
Evening came and Ginny made her way back to the Potions office; the door was left ajar, as it had been the nights before, and she slipped inside. To her surprise, Snape was not there. Amycus raised his wand, pointing it over her shoulder and she heard the click of the lock. He and Alecto exchanged a quick glance and he came forward, his smile sending chills down her spine. "Where's Snape? You here to do his dirty work?" Her voice was sharp, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took one tentative step back from the man. She bumped into the wall and knew she had no where to go. The siblings shared a laugh and Amycus pointed his wand directly at her chest.
"I could do whatever I wanted." He told her, his smile suggestive, and immediately Ginny tensed. "I could kill you if I wanted." He tilted his head, staring her down, surprised by the intense stare she gave right back. If she was frightened, she was good at hiding it. "Snape don't care. The Dark Lord doesn't care." He turned to his sister, who was smiling slightly, as if she were enjoying the scene before her. "What do you think?" He asked her as she came forward, to stand beside him, her wand out as well.
"That's too easy, don't you think Amycus?" Alecto responded, looking from her brother to the girl standing before them. Amycus chuckled, turning back to the redhead, nodding in response. He lifted his wand and uttered the curse- it hit its mark and the girl went down screaming. He and Alecto came to stand over, watching as she writhed in the pain on the floor.
Slamming face first onto the stone floor, Ginny felt her lip split, could taste the blood as it filled her mouth. But she shut her mouth, silencing her screams- she would not give them the satisfaction of hearing them. The curse was only toying with her- the pain was not real. The after affects, the bruising and bleeding and physical pain all came from the kicks and jabs given once she was defenseless. That was why, though pained as she'd felt that morning, she'd been able to rise and walk about. She knew the same would be for the next morning. She just had to make it through this. The pain of the Cruciatus Curse drove some people mad- but not her. The first wave of the curse subsided and she pushed herself up, panting as she looked up into their faces, seeing nothing but the malicious intent behind their eyes. They lived for this. They enjoyed doing this to her and to all the others they'd done it to. Torturing students… It disgusted her. She could only hope there would be no one else. Lifting her hand, she wiped away the blood from her lips, her eyes not once straying from Amycus' eyes. He shifted suddenly, as if uncomfortable by her stare. Unsure how to deal with such a feeling, he was lifting his wand once more. "Crucio."
For the second time she hit the ground, turning just slightly to avoid hitting her face once again; instead she fell on her right side and curled up, forcing herself to not scream, to not even utter one single sound. Three rounds later she lay on the floor at their feet, head swimming, the darkness of unconsciousness threatening to claim her. This was worse than the night before. She had come to realize that of all people, Snape had been offering her a form of protection. The Carrow siblings could only go so far in his presence because he knew she was important. But without him being there, they were free to do as they pleased. "It's no fun if she won't scream." Amycus complained, reaching down to grab a fistful of her hair, yanking her upwards. Ginny could not stop the yelp that escaped her lips as she was pulled up by the length of her hair; Amycus gripped it tightly, bending down so he was face to face with her. She closed her eyes, feeling his hot breath on her face as he sneered at her. "I want you to scream!" He hissed, throwing her back down onto the ground, watching through narrowed eyes as she struggled into a sitting position. Beside him, Alecto put a hand to his elbow, as if she meant to calm him. He wrenched his arm away from her and took the few steps it took to close the gap between him and the girl. Ginny looked up as he came to stand over her, his wand pointed at her face. "Don't make me mess up that pretty face," he snarled, the tip of the wand pressed to her forehead. Ginny closed her eyes. Silence.
He hit her across the mouth, knocking her down once more, the hit opening her lip once more and leaving a bruise to begin forming. "Amycus," Alecto called out and the man turned to his sister, who said something that Ginny could not hear. Then she heard it, the knocking on the door. "Your detention is over." Alecto told her, her footsteps reverberating in her ears as she lay on the floor. Ginny listened as the door opened and she heard the steps that told her the siblings had gone out the door. More footsteps, this time approaching her, and she felt the eyes upon her a moment before a hand reached out to brush hair from her face. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself to be staring into a pair of stormy gray eyes- eyes full of hundreds of different thoughts and feelings. He was crouched before her, hovering really, his hand still outstretched.
"Draco," she greeted through gritted teeth, pushing her elbow into the concrete as she tried to prop herself up. He assisted her up and she pulled away, her hand gingerly touching her bloody lip, fingertips trailing across her bruised mouth and the knot forming on her temple. "Lucky you," she began, pausing as her stomach turned, threatening to expel her dinner onto the floor. The wave of nausea passed and she looked back up at him. "This is my last detention…." For now, the unspoken words fell between them and she chuckled in spite of her pain, in spite of it all. "Now what will you do every night?" This was their routine, he coming to get her every night that first week back.
"Sleep." He replied with a smirk, rising up, his hand still offered to her. She took it willingly, having come to reason that she really did need his help, as much as she didn't like to admit it. "Try not to get in trouble, eh?" He knew that was probably asking a lot. He'd come to know her a little bit better with each night and the day that would follow. To watch her walk the halls each and every day, covered in bruises and aching with the pain, with her head held high… It was amazing, honestly, not that he'd ever admit that aloud. She was doing exactly what annoyed Snape the most- to not play a victim. She laughed at his comment but he saw the flicker of pain that passed over her features. At least it was the weekend and she could rest for the following two days without interruption. Though, knowing her, she would be up that next morning as if nothing was wrong.
"I'll try," she promised with a grin as he slid his arm around her, giving him the ability to help her walk from the room. They went on in silence, as they usually did, but that night there was something burning within her, something she needed to ask. "Hey…" He turned to look at her, somewhat surprised by her speaking. Usually she kept quiet while they made their way up to the Gryffindor tower. "Why do you actually help me?" They passed beneath a torch and it lit up her face for a moment, the bruising and swelling a little more apparent now. "You could leave me down there to fend for myself, they'd be none the wiser."
Draco was more surprised by her words than he thought he would be. He was taken aback, unsure of what to say because he honestly wasn't sure. Why did he help her? She was right after all. Snape probably wouldn't even care if he did it or not. Part of him knew the answer- that he liked seeing her, so full of fierce determination even after a torture session. That he was impressed by her. He wasn't going to tell her that though. "Because that's what was asked of me." He replied tartly, turning his head back to face forward. "There's no other reason." He added, as if he needed to be certain she understood there was no ulterior motive to his actions. If she didn't believe him, she didn't speak on it, and instead they lapsed into their usual silence.
As they approached the portrait hole, Ginny offered him a small smile and pulled away, to stand before the painting that would swing open and let her inside. "I just hope you don't have to help anyone else," she said softly, more so to herself than to him. He watched as she turned to go, uttering the password that would let her inside. As she disappeared behind it, Draco felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Me too…" He murmured, before he turned and was gone down the hall.
[ x x x ]
He did not see her for the whole weekend.
Not that he'd expected to, of course, but a small part of him maybe had hoped to. He wondered if she was okay. His feelings confused him, left him feeling unsure and a little on the edge. By Sunday evening he'd snapped at five different people before he finally given up and separated himself from his usual gang of friends. Dinner had already passed and so there were a few hours before they would be forced to their dorms for bed. Draco took this time to escape the castle; the air was cool, the wind strong, telling him that winter would be on its way before they knew it. He was glad to have his cloak. September was hardly close to being over but the summer warmth had long since faded. He'd thought about returning to the castle when something caught his attention- the long red hair that danced along the breeze as the lone form walked down towards the lake. Without thinking about it, he followed after her, unable to stop himself once he got going. She stopped and took a seat beneath a willow tree (one that of course did not try to attack anyone who got too close) and Draco paused a short distance away. She had nothing with her, no bag, no cloak, no nothing. She was simply dressed in her uniform, her hair falling over her shoulders as she reached out to dip a hand into the lake.
It took him several minutes to gain the ability to move once more and he found his heart was beating wildly in his chest as he approached her. The sound of footsteps surprised her and she turned around, her eyes finding his as she stood up. Her face was still badly bruised, but the swelling had gone down a fair amount. He could see that she'd not bothered to go to the Hospital Wing and instead chose to wear her injuries like a banner. Her words from their last encounter rang in his head and he tried to find something to say. Anything. Say something, you git, he said to himself, but though his mouth opened, no words would come out. "Draco," her vocals were soft, her eyes even softer as she beckoned him closer. "Wanna sit?" She sat back down herself and patted the space beside her, a gesture for him to join her. For a moment, he debated, but something drew him closer to her. He took a few steps and then plopped down beside her, as if they were old friends, as if this was something they did every day.
"You weren't at dinner," he said and she then turned to him, arching a brow. "Not yesterday either." He went on, his hands a mess in his lap. "Aren't you hungry?" The words sounded lame and he immediately wished he could take them back.
Ginny could not help but to giggle at his expense. "Maybe a little," she said, sobering at the look upon his face. She was surprised, in all honesty, that he even seemed to care a little bit about her well-being. This was not the Draco Malfoy she knew. "I've been asleep," she admitted a moment later, that being her reasoning behind not being at any of the meals over the last two days. "How do I look? I haven't seen anyone to ask." She gestured at her face. Draco glanced her over and reached out a hand, surprising her yet again as his flesh connected with hers. His fingers ran over the bump on her temple and down her cheek, which was dark blue and green with a bruise. Her mouth was still yet swollen and he could see the faint outline of another bruise near her collarbone, which he caught sight of as she shifted before his scrutiny. What did he say to such a question? And why was his heart beating so very fast?
She was blushing beneath his fingertips and he drew them away, feeling his own cheeks begin to redden. "Are you in pain?" He asked, avoiding answering her question all together. She shrugged, turning away, the sun illuminating her as it sunk low on the horizon. Darkness was coming. "Are you going to cause them trouble all year?" He watched as a smile twitched on her lips and again she shrugged.
"Someone has to." She replied after a moments thought. "I have big shoes to fill, though," she continued, thinking of her troublemaking brothers who came before her. "Besides, if they pay attention to me, then maybe no one else will have to suffer." Her eyes closed and she drew her knees up to her chest, arms winding around them. That was it, that was all she could contribute to the war right then. Keeping the student body safe from Voldemort's lackeys. She supposed seeing her in such a state was enough to keep people quiet- besides, Voldemort struck enough fear into the world that she was certain even the most loyal of children would bow before him.
"You're brave," he said quietly, his eyes staring straight ahead at the sun that was about to fall beneath the horizon. The moon was rising above them, offering a soft, silvery glow across the land. "Braver than me." He added, even softer than the previous statement, so soft that Ginny wasn't even certain she'd heard him say the words at all. She was willing to put aside her own health and happiness all in order to protect the other students- to protect her friends that still remained in the castle. She knew it would not be long before Longbottom was saying something he shouldn't have, or that Loony Lovegood girl. It was only a matter of time before it was someone else. But she was willing to cause enough trouble that Snape and the other's paid no one else any mind. That was something he couldn't quite understand, but admired all the same. To care about someone else so much… Even just a friend, even just a classmate. He couldn't even imagine one of his own so-called "friends" to do such a thing for him.
"No one else needs to suffer." She said quietly, her voice drawing his gaze back to her face, her smile offering him a little hope. Darkness had fallen around them and he watched her shiver, the air chillier now that the sun had gone down. He gave it only a moment of thought before he pulled his own cloak off, extending it to her to take. She reached a tentative hand out, grasping the cloak in her hand, her eyes posing the silent question. He nodded and she took it, slipping it on. It was still warm from his body. "Thank you." Her voice was soft, her smile returning as they sat there, silence descending. Her heart was beating hard within her chest, her cheeks full of heat and she was thankful for the cover of darkness.
He merely nodded, unable to find any other words to say. She tugged his cloak closer around her slim frame and he resisted the urge to reach out and brush back a stray strand of her hair. They sat, side by side, for what could have easily been hours. But finally, one of them had to go. They would be missed and surely e nightly curfew had already passed. Rising up from the ground, Draco offered her his hand, thankful that this time it was not to get her up off a floor. They walked together back to the castle doors, where she made to shed the cloak from her shoulders, but he shook his head. "Wear it. You're still cold." He noted her slight shivering and she turned away, blushing, but she nodded all the same. "Good night," he said, smiling the first true smile he'd felt in a long, long time. She smiled too and then was gone, heading down the hall in his cloak, her disappearance up a flight of stairs leaving him empty.
Things were certainly changing.
