Chapter Eleven

What They're all Thinking...

Things came to a head three days after the girls returned to classes.

Ginny knew it would and she was prepared. She was sitting in the common room with Hermione, working on homework for Potions. All their professors were understanding but for once Ginny needed no prompting to do her homework. It got her mind off things. She knew that helping her would help Mione too.

She looked up with a smile as Harry came into the room. Stormed was more like it.

Hermione gave him recognition first with a quavering smile. Ginny was sorry Hermione would have to be here for this. Luckily almost no one else was in the room. She would have preferred to be alone with him for this, but she didn't want to put it off any more.

She touched Hermione's arm and whispered in the older girl's ear. Hermione frowned.

"But Gin-"

"Please?" Ginny begged. Hermione looked at her friend for a few moments longer. Then she nodded. Giving Harry a quick hug, she left the common room.

Ginny remained seated as Harry came to stand before her.

"Harry." She saluted calmly.

He was trembling now. "Ginny. How can you just sit here?" He growled.

"What do you mean?" She asked, remaining calm. She didn't need to have a breakdown here.

"Aren't you going to do anything?"

"What would you have me do?" She retorted. Her fingers sunk into the soft pillow she sat on. She clung to the soft fabric and fluff in a vain hope to keep herself controled.

"Cry, yell, rave! Anything!" He shouted. "Get mad! Get upset! Stop sitting here like nothing happened!"

"Why?" She demanded harshly. "Maybe it's easier to pretend."

"Was this your attitude that night?" He came back. "No wonder you lost-"

Ginny was on her feet in an instant, her hand whistling through the air to leave a red print on his cheek. Harry's head fell to the side and Ginny trembled with ill concealed rage.

"How dare you!" She hissed through clenched teeth. "How DARE you!? I was raped. WE were raped. You honestly think we just let it happen? You think we didn't try?"

Harry brought his face back to hers. There was a deep sorrow in his eyes and he realized he'd broke what he could not repair. "I'm sorry, Ginny." He whispered.

Ginny relaxed a little. "I understand. You were just saying what everyone is thinking." She studied him for a minute. "You blame yourself don't you? You think if you had been there you might have been able to stop them."

He didn't need to answer. A moment later he crumpled to the ground, his face in his hands, crying. She knelt and wrapped her arms around the Boy Who Lived as he apologized over and over.

(A/N: This chapter gets me every time. I still love it though. Sorry I haven't updated in forever. Things came up. good news is, I shouldn't have any more problems updating (except around test time) because I got a flash drive for xmas! Ohh! For more exciting news, check out my profile, where it says (duh) EXCITING NEWS. You can't miss it!