An unwilling damsel by Joy
A/N: Thanks for your reviews it helps so much.
Nightmares of all shapes and sizes
4.
Harry was woken out of a dreamless sleep suddenly one evening several weeks later. He sat straight up trying to ascertain what he woken him. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that all was not well with Ginny, so he slipped down the stairs to the common room.
Harry had made good on his promise to spend time getting to know Ginny...including finding out that the common room was her refuge at night just like it was for him. The irony of the situation was this left time for her brother Ron to fall for Hermione, but that was a different story.
Harry knew Ginny's schedule, what classes he could help her with, what she could help him with, who her friends were and oddly enough who the blokes were that would ask her to go to Hogsmeade. By now Harry knew each one by name, where they lived and threatened each that if Ginny wasn't in his eye- line at the time they said she would be back they were answering to him. This meant Ginny arrived back in front of Mr. Harry Potter many a Hogsmeade trip early, which appeared to be fine with Harry, who was known to spend the remaining time doting on her. Ron only ever teased Harry about finishing off all of Ginny's dates once. Ron apparently didn't like the silent treatment at all. This protection was amusing to Ginny, Hermione, the twins, Ron, and ironically Professor Snape who really did seem to be looking after Ginny in his own way.
Down the stairs Harry found Ginny shaking on the sofa. It was Saturday night...actually very early Sunday morning. "Gin...Ginny what's wrong?" he whispered.
"Nightmares," she said clutching herself tight. "Supposed to go away in time...hate them... hate all of 'em."
Harry sat himself beside her. "Did something happen with that guy from Ravenclaw today?" Ginny's body shook. "I'll kill him," Harry growled low.
"He didn't do anything," she said quietly.
"Rubbish...you're shaking like a leaf. He must have done something."
She shook her head. "He's just a boy that likes me, that I spent time with alone in an enclosed space. That's all. Nothing more or less."
Harry looked her over, "Something happened."
"It was a nightmare," she said moving away from him over to the window.
"Ginny..." he said following her.
She turned on him quickly, "Sometimes you're really thick Potter, ya know that?" She strode back to the hearth.
Harry stared at her a moment then knelt before the sofa she was sitting on. "Okay...I'm thick. Explain it to me."
Ginny grit her teeth, "I have nightmares about all the guys that take me out... even some that don't. It has nothing to do with them personally."
He was thick. Something had happened 'that night' and then the boys in the hall threatening her. Of course she had nightmares about guys. Then the idea that maybe he was one of her nightmares struck him hard. "I do?" he asked quietly not quite finishing his thought.
"Do you what?"
Harry's big green eyes met Ginny's. "Do I hurt you in your dreams?" Ginny could see how deeply the concept shook Harry. He took her silence to mean he did...which frightened him even more. "Oh god...Ginny," he muttered getting next to her on the coach. His fingertips gently brought her face to him. "I could never hurt you. Not in a million years. It would kill me to cause you pain," he said running his fingers over her cheek and jaw.
Ginny's emotions got the best of her and she shut her eyes to him, letting a tear fall from each eye. "You looked like you wanted to hurt me that day in Professor Snape's classroom." She knew it wasn't fair. She knew Harry would never hurt her, but having him vocalize it a little more would help her a lot so she had pushed.
"Open your eyes...please open your eyes," he commanded palm cupping one of her cheeks. Ginny's eyes fluttered open. "I love you and I don't want you hurt by anyone. I was not angry with you. I was frightened for you. I was angry with him. I thought he was responsible for whatever happened that night. I needed him to know I would protect you. I needed to scare him. I'm so sorry I scared you too. It was never my intension." Harry kissed her forehead before touching his forehead to hers, holding her close. "I would never hurt you...and I would kill anyone that did. Ginny, please, you have to believe me."
Ginny leaned back a bit from him. "I don't have nightmares about you hurting me...not like that," she stated carefully.
"But I do hurt you?" she nodded. "How? How do I hurt you?"
She swallowed letting tears fall. "You and I are close in my dream but the more you get to know me the more I disgust you. Eventually you get that look in your eyes you had when I was in Snape's class every time you see me. It just goes down hill from there."
Harry was devastated and shocked. He refused to let the devastated part get in the way of trying to reassure Ginny. Harry took Ginny's head in both her hands carefully and made her look at him. "Listen to me. Getting to know you over these last couple months has shown me what a supreme idiot I have been before now. I had all that time at the Burrow to get to know you and passed it up. For that I am sorry. You are one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Nothing of yourself could you show me that I wouldn't love."
Ginny tore her face from him and face the fire, "That is a lie."
"It isn't."
She turned back angry, "You don't know the future. You don't know how you'll react. There is darkness in me Harry. A deep black pit that I don't want you to know."
Harry hugged her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. "There's one in me too Gin. There's one in everybody. Ours are just deeper and darker than most, so we know they are there. We've also had the fun of someone exploiting that darkness...the same someone."
After a few minutes of silence, Harry reached for a throw pillow and put it at one end of the sofa before he gently laid them both down. He spooned her back but pushed up on his elbow playing with her hair with his opposing hand. "Sleep. I'll be right here." Ginny nodded a bit and shut her eyes.
Harry stared for a long time at her while running his fingers rhythmically through her Titan tresses. This was wonderful. Perfect. This is where Ginny belonged...with him. Not with some guy from Ravenclaw. Not with any other guy. She was his responsibility. She was his...'his girl'.
Harry lay down beside Ginny kissing her neck once, which caused her to snuggle into him. As he drifted off to sleep Fred and George came out from their hiding place.
"He's a bloody idiot," Fred said to George. "Ya know that right?"
"Like she's not. He said he loved her. Now he didn't say it in a romantic way but that's pretty damn obvious. I mean...look at them," George responded.
"She fancy's him whether she admits it or not."
George nodded, "I hav' to admit, he's the best out of the blokes that have buzzed round." Fred sighed, "So we can't begin to torture him until they get together. Don't want to run the boy off."
"So we have to be on our best behavior."
In unison they said, "This is going to kill us."
A/N: Before anyone asks Ron and Hermione will be making an appearance in this story soon. They even get their own chapter. Fred and George will be window dressings mainly.
A/N: Thanks for your reviews it helps so much.
Nightmares of all shapes and sizes
4.
Harry was woken out of a dreamless sleep suddenly one evening several weeks later. He sat straight up trying to ascertain what he woken him. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that all was not well with Ginny, so he slipped down the stairs to the common room.
Harry had made good on his promise to spend time getting to know Ginny...including finding out that the common room was her refuge at night just like it was for him. The irony of the situation was this left time for her brother Ron to fall for Hermione, but that was a different story.
Harry knew Ginny's schedule, what classes he could help her with, what she could help him with, who her friends were and oddly enough who the blokes were that would ask her to go to Hogsmeade. By now Harry knew each one by name, where they lived and threatened each that if Ginny wasn't in his eye- line at the time they said she would be back they were answering to him. This meant Ginny arrived back in front of Mr. Harry Potter many a Hogsmeade trip early, which appeared to be fine with Harry, who was known to spend the remaining time doting on her. Ron only ever teased Harry about finishing off all of Ginny's dates once. Ron apparently didn't like the silent treatment at all. This protection was amusing to Ginny, Hermione, the twins, Ron, and ironically Professor Snape who really did seem to be looking after Ginny in his own way.
Down the stairs Harry found Ginny shaking on the sofa. It was Saturday night...actually very early Sunday morning. "Gin...Ginny what's wrong?" he whispered.
"Nightmares," she said clutching herself tight. "Supposed to go away in time...hate them... hate all of 'em."
Harry sat himself beside her. "Did something happen with that guy from Ravenclaw today?" Ginny's body shook. "I'll kill him," Harry growled low.
"He didn't do anything," she said quietly.
"Rubbish...you're shaking like a leaf. He must have done something."
She shook her head. "He's just a boy that likes me, that I spent time with alone in an enclosed space. That's all. Nothing more or less."
Harry looked her over, "Something happened."
"It was a nightmare," she said moving away from him over to the window.
"Ginny..." he said following her.
She turned on him quickly, "Sometimes you're really thick Potter, ya know that?" She strode back to the hearth.
Harry stared at her a moment then knelt before the sofa she was sitting on. "Okay...I'm thick. Explain it to me."
Ginny grit her teeth, "I have nightmares about all the guys that take me out... even some that don't. It has nothing to do with them personally."
He was thick. Something had happened 'that night' and then the boys in the hall threatening her. Of course she had nightmares about guys. Then the idea that maybe he was one of her nightmares struck him hard. "I do?" he asked quietly not quite finishing his thought.
"Do you what?"
Harry's big green eyes met Ginny's. "Do I hurt you in your dreams?" Ginny could see how deeply the concept shook Harry. He took her silence to mean he did...which frightened him even more. "Oh god...Ginny," he muttered getting next to her on the coach. His fingertips gently brought her face to him. "I could never hurt you. Not in a million years. It would kill me to cause you pain," he said running his fingers over her cheek and jaw.
Ginny's emotions got the best of her and she shut her eyes to him, letting a tear fall from each eye. "You looked like you wanted to hurt me that day in Professor Snape's classroom." She knew it wasn't fair. She knew Harry would never hurt her, but having him vocalize it a little more would help her a lot so she had pushed.
"Open your eyes...please open your eyes," he commanded palm cupping one of her cheeks. Ginny's eyes fluttered open. "I love you and I don't want you hurt by anyone. I was not angry with you. I was frightened for you. I was angry with him. I thought he was responsible for whatever happened that night. I needed him to know I would protect you. I needed to scare him. I'm so sorry I scared you too. It was never my intension." Harry kissed her forehead before touching his forehead to hers, holding her close. "I would never hurt you...and I would kill anyone that did. Ginny, please, you have to believe me."
Ginny leaned back a bit from him. "I don't have nightmares about you hurting me...not like that," she stated carefully.
"But I do hurt you?" she nodded. "How? How do I hurt you?"
She swallowed letting tears fall. "You and I are close in my dream but the more you get to know me the more I disgust you. Eventually you get that look in your eyes you had when I was in Snape's class every time you see me. It just goes down hill from there."
Harry was devastated and shocked. He refused to let the devastated part get in the way of trying to reassure Ginny. Harry took Ginny's head in both her hands carefully and made her look at him. "Listen to me. Getting to know you over these last couple months has shown me what a supreme idiot I have been before now. I had all that time at the Burrow to get to know you and passed it up. For that I am sorry. You are one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Nothing of yourself could you show me that I wouldn't love."
Ginny tore her face from him and face the fire, "That is a lie."
"It isn't."
She turned back angry, "You don't know the future. You don't know how you'll react. There is darkness in me Harry. A deep black pit that I don't want you to know."
Harry hugged her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. "There's one in me too Gin. There's one in everybody. Ours are just deeper and darker than most, so we know they are there. We've also had the fun of someone exploiting that darkness...the same someone."
After a few minutes of silence, Harry reached for a throw pillow and put it at one end of the sofa before he gently laid them both down. He spooned her back but pushed up on his elbow playing with her hair with his opposing hand. "Sleep. I'll be right here." Ginny nodded a bit and shut her eyes.
Harry stared for a long time at her while running his fingers rhythmically through her Titan tresses. This was wonderful. Perfect. This is where Ginny belonged...with him. Not with some guy from Ravenclaw. Not with any other guy. She was his responsibility. She was his...'his girl'.
Harry lay down beside Ginny kissing her neck once, which caused her to snuggle into him. As he drifted off to sleep Fred and George came out from their hiding place.
"He's a bloody idiot," Fred said to George. "Ya know that right?"
"Like she's not. He said he loved her. Now he didn't say it in a romantic way but that's pretty damn obvious. I mean...look at them," George responded.
"She fancy's him whether she admits it or not."
George nodded, "I hav' to admit, he's the best out of the blokes that have buzzed round." Fred sighed, "So we can't begin to torture him until they get together. Don't want to run the boy off."
"So we have to be on our best behavior."
In unison they said, "This is going to kill us."
A/N: Before anyone asks Ron and Hermione will be making an appearance in this story soon. They even get their own chapter. Fred and George will be window dressings mainly.