Chapter Four
Whispers. That was all she heard. If it wasn't whispering, it was the constant stares from fellow students. Judging, always judging. She knew they heard about what had happened that day before she was brought to the Hospital Wing. She didn't know how they knew about it though and she was now beginning to feel paranoid about everything. Every time she walked down one of the hallways, it felt like someone was following her, closely. Silently.
Sighing, Ginny dodged into the Charms classroom and took her seat at the back of the class. She just hoped she could keep the whispers at bay, but she knew she wouldn't be able to, let alone make the other students stop whispering about her all together. Taking out her books and parchment, Ginny prepared for the class ahead.
Watching Professor Flitwick move silently around the room as everyone settled into their desks, she got lost in her thoughts.
'How did everyone find out about the incident? I know for sure that I didn't tell anyone.'
Sighing, she heard the Professor start the Charms class, by introducing a new spell. Copying down the notes that were on the board, she put all thoughts of the incident too the back of her mind, at least for now.
Using her wand half-heartedly she attempted the spell being shown by the Professor. Paying little attention to what she was doing, Ginny thought about what Severus had told her about his daughter. She wished that he had told her more about his daughter, but she couldn't force him to tell her his past. Sighing, Ginny did the spell properly and sat back down putting her wand away waiting for Flitwick to come by and check her progress.
Hearing the bell ring, Ginny packed up her belongings and got ready to leave the class when she heard someone call her name. Turning around, she noticed that it was Professor Flitwick. Sighing again, she walked over to his desk and stood there, waiting for him to begin speaking.
"Miss Weasley," he stated. Nodding for him to continue, she heard him say, "I've noticed your marks, Miss Weasley. They've been dropping down quite low lately. Is there anything you would like to tell me?" he asked, calmly.
She looked straight into his eyes and noticed a warmth that she wished she would be able to give, shaking her head, she said 'no' to him before straightening up.
She watched him raising an eyebrow, before shaking his head and speaking again, "Alright, Miss Weasley. I'm going to have to inform Professor Dumbledore about this. Also, I'm sure he'll have to inform your parents about this as well."
She nodded, before turning around and leaving the class in a daze. 'I'm failing Charms. I can't believe I'm failing Charms.' She thought over and over again.
Walking down the hall, she just let her feet lead the way. Going back to her thoughts,
'I need to find a tutor somehow. There'll be no way I'll ask the Dream Team to help me. Maybe I should get Severus to find someone. He knows someone good in all subjects. God, I can't believe I'm actually failing a subject. Charms at that!' Shaking her head, Ginny continued walking.
Stopping to lean against the wall for a short rest, she took in her surroundings. Right away, she realized that she was in the Dungeons, but where in the Dungeons was a good question.
Sighing, Ginny straightened up, and made her way to what she hoped would be Severus' classroom. Realizing she wasn't even close to his classroom, she turned back around, but not before bumping into something hard; or more like someone hard.
Falling to the ground with 'oof' Ginny shook her head before looking up to see who she had bumped into. Seeing black robes that had the Slytherin House crest on the left corner, she continued to look upwards toward the persons face. Finally looking at his face, Ginevra noticed that she had bumped into none other than Blaise Zabini. Sighing, she stood up, and dusted off her robes.
Feeling his eyes on her, she ignored him for now, and continued to dust her robes before she finally looked him straight in the eyes.
Sighing with irritation, she asked, "What do you want, Zabini?"
She watched carefully as he raked his eyes over her body, and his eyes flickered with uncontained lust. It was gone before she was certain that it had really been there. She watched as he smirked that annoying 'Slytherin' smirk before degrading her with his foul comments and sauntering off. She just watched him walk away, not saying a word.
Sighing, she took out her dagger, and moved into the cover of darkness that the shadows provided. Running her fingers down the blade of the dagger she looked over the smooth cold metal longing to feel its razor edge on her vulnerable flesh. Lifting her shirt up to her ribs revealing old wounds, she dragged the dagger sharply across her stomach. Feeling the slight sting of pain from the cut she watched the blood slowly seep out.
Smiling cynically at the bloody lines marring her stomach, she reminded herself that she was not fat. Turning around she pulled her shirt down covering her stomach and walked out of the shadows. She walked the rest of the way to the Potions classroom. Once there, she opened the door, not bothering to knock first and entered stealthily.
Closing the door, she looked around for the potion master' presence, finding no one she walked over behind his desk. Dragging her hands along the stone wall she was feeling for a little catch somewhere. After what seemed like a life-time, when in reality was only five minutes, she felt something click. Pulling her hands away, she waited until the wall moved aside to allow her entrance. Ginny knew where this would lead her She had been here before many times when she was a little girl.
Walking quietly into the room, she found the common room full of books of every shape and size. There were two comfortable looking couches with a large fire place lying idle in the centre. Walking over to the fireplace, she took out her wand and lit it up. She then walked over to the couch and lay down, hoping to rest if only for a little bit. Closing her eyes, Ginevra fell into a fitful nights sleep.
Severus was walking too his classroom after he was stopped by Blaise Zabini. After a quick word with the Slytherin he was worried by what he heard. According to Blaise, he and Ginny had gotten into a confrontation; after words were exchanged Ginny had walked away. What worried Severus was that Ginny was seen not seconds later entering the shadows, knife in hand.
Severus Flashback
Walking down towards my classroom so I could make a potion for Madame Pomfrey, I saw Mr. Zabini making his way towards me. In a hurry come to think of it. Frowning, I walked towards him and stopped him in mid-step.
"Mr. Zabini, aren't you supposed to be in your dorms now?" I had asked the young man in front of me.
Blaise looked up at his head of house through shocked eyes.
"Sir, you've got to listen…Weasley. I bumped into her, and I was about to do my usual bit of insults, but she didn't even say anything. In fact, she just stared, no emotions at all!" he shouted before continuing.
"I mean, normally, Draco would have an emotion flicker in his eyes once in a while. But, Weasley, she had nothing. It was as if she was dead! I didn't know what to do. So instead, I just insulted her, and turned around quickly. I was going to just walk away. But…"
"But you didn't." Severus guessed before motioning for his student to continue.
"Right!, before I started walking, I watched her out of the corner of my eyes. I saw her taking out a knife of some sort before she walked into the shadows. I knew what she was going to do, but, I didn't want to walk up to her and take away the knife. I have my reputation to uphold and everything would be ruined if I had helped. I was afraid she would've told someone that I'm not as much an Evil Slytherin as people believe, or if someone saw me helping her. Please, Professor, you have to do something! She wouldn't listen to me anyway even if I tried, I am a Slytherin after all, But, she would listen to you because you're like a father to her. Please, Professor, I don't want her to get hurt!" he all but yelled the last sentence, breathing ragged.
But, he knew what Blaise was saying. He also knew that if Ginny cut herself, she must have been in some kind of trouble or something, because she would never cut herself unless she's upset, Or if some one had actually upset her. Frowning, he turned to the boy in front of him.
"Mr. Zabini, by chance, what insult did you throw at her?" I asked him calmly.
I saw shock in his eyes before it turned into confusion.
"I just said that it looked as if she had gained weight. Nothing big, sir." He said shrugging the insult off.
Severus' eyes had then widened as the realization of what Blaise had said sunk in.
He then yelled, "YOU WHAT!!" outraged.
He saw the boy wince at the volume of his tone, but he didn't care, he had to find Gin soon, before it was too late and he could lose her forever.
Reigning my temper in I sighed, I told Zabini to go to his dorms before I sped off towards the classroom, thinking that she just might be there and not in her own dorm room.
End of Flashback
Hoping she was there waiting for him, He opened the door and walked in. Not finding her in the classroom, he walked over to the wall behind his desk and touched a certain part of it before waiting impatiently for the wall to open and give him entrance to his private quarters.
Walking into the room, he felt heat coming towards his living room area, walking over toward the fireplace; he saw a foot sticking out at the end of one side of the couch. Frowning, he walked over to the couch and noticed a patch of red hair. Sighing in relief, he walked over to her, and put two of his fingers on her neck to check for a pulse. Feeling her pulse, he sighed in relief again, glad that she was safe and alive.
Taking out his wand, he lifted her shirt up, and carefully accessed any damage done. Sighing again, he said a spell to stop the bleeding, but left the cut there, because he knew she would have his head if she found out that he had healed her cut. Pulling her shirt down, he produced a blanket with his wand, and placed it gently on top of her body covering her from shoulder to her feet.
Sighing again, for what felt like the hundredth time, he stood up and walked over to his room, and entered, leaving the door open in case she called him. He wished that she wouldn't do this to herself, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop her. This was a part of her; this is what happened from the beginning. Sighing, he changed into his pajamas, and climbed into bed. Hoping that one day, one day she would stop hurting herself, and trust that she could eat, and not think herself as a fat girl, when instead, she is a beautiful, young woman, who needs time to heal.
A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to post this. But I've had a hard time trying to figure out how I want this chapter to take place. But I have finished it finally, so do please review! I'm sorry about the spelling mistake that I have been making with Ginny's real name. I only just realized that I have been spelling it wrong all my life. Anyway, do please review! I'd also like to thank my beta Mrs. T. Felton for checking the chapter over! So if you see any mistakes, I guess I'll take the fault lol. Review please! :)