A/N ~ I don't know how much we're going to go into, but I have to put: Trigger Warning!
There will be references to depression and self harm.

~ December 3rd, 1993 ~

As the months passed, George noticed Garnet had been talking less and less when their friends were around. She put on a smile most of the time, but when they were alone, she'd let her guard down. He tried to talk to her, but she would quickly shake it off and put the fake smile back on. She was running off randomly with one excuse or another, or she'd be late to a class. She always seemed tired. They barely held hands anymore, and he couldn't recall the last time he had gotten to give her a proper kiss instead of a kiss on the forehead.

Tonight Fred, Garnet and George sat in the Potions classroom after dinner and just hung out quietly, and George watched her. The emotions that played across her face in the span of twenty minutes was astonishing. She wouldn't talk to him about it, so he stopped saying anything. More upsettingly, he had begun noticing marks on her arms and wrists. He tried to brush it off, and that if something was seriously wrong, she'd talk to him about it. But tonight, tonight he couldn't let it go. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her in for a hug, and he began to cry.

"George?" Garnet gasped, shocked at his sadness. She looked up at Fred, who had tears in his eyes as well.

"Please..." George cried into her neck, "Please just talk to me. I hate seeing you like this. It tears me up inside. If there's something I can do to help you, please, just tell me and I'll do it."

"We'd both do it." Fred sniffed and wiped his face on his sleeve.

'Oh God, I'm doing this to them.' she thought to herself.

"George, Fred, I..." she stuttered. Garnet pulled away to look at George's bloodshot eyes and red face. She placed her hand on his cheek. She had tried so hard to keep them from having to deal with her sadness, her pain, the horrible thoughts she had of self harm, but her plan was backfiring. She was hurting them more by not talking to them.

George looked down at her sleeve and saw a small stain, that looked an awful lot like blood. He felt sick to his stomach. He grabbed her wrist and pushed up her sleeve. "What is this, Garnet?" he asked.

Across her arm were not only bruises, but cuts.

"George..." she teared up. Fred got up from the desk he was sitting on across from them and looked.

"Garnet!" he exclaimed, eye wide in horror.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "It...it helps relieve the pain."

"By cutting yourself?" George choked back a sob. "Please, love, don't do this. I am always here to help you, to talk, to just be there for you. You don't need to do this, to torture yourself. Bloody hell, look at the bruises."

Garnet nodded, and wiped the tears that had rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't tell them the bruises weren't intentional, it just happened sometimes.

"Promise me you're going to quit." George looked her in the eyes and wouldn't look away until she nodded.

"I promise George, I won't hurt myself anymore." she said quietly. And she planned to keep that promise.

"You three know there's a murderer on the loose in this school, right?" Professor Snape entered the classroom, then stopped when he saw Garnet and George's tear streaked faces, and Fred's red eyes. "What's wrong?" He was suddenly on edge.

Garnet turned away and pushed her sleeve back down, then turning towards him smiled at him. "Nothing Sev...Professor Snape." she took a step in his direction.

"This doesn't look like nothing." he looked towards the Twins, both wiping their faces.

"We were just talking, Severus," Garnet said quietly, "Talking is what I need right now." she looked to the floor.

Snape's demeanor relaxed slightly and he nodded. "Very well. But it is almost curfew, I will walk you all to your Common Rooms." he walked towards the door and waited.

George put his arm around Garnet and they followed Snape, with Fred walking beside them.

They left Garnet off first in the dungeon corridor.

Snape held back as the Twins said good night.

Garnet gave Fred a hug first, and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you for breakfast, 'aight?" she smiled up at him. He nodded, and headed for the stairs near Snape, giving his brother and her a little privacy.

George held her hands between them. "Promise me, again, please?" he whispered to her.

"I swear, George, I'm done. I won't do it again." she whispered back to him.

George watched her eyes, and was satisfied with her words. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

Garnet melted into the kiss. God she had missed this. The reasons for depriving herself of this physical connection she needed escaped her.

Then Severus cleared his throat, and Garnet stepped back smiling. George was grinning.

"I'll see you in the morning, love." he kissed her on the forehead and walked towards Snape and his brother.

They watched her go down around the corner, then Snape ushered them up the stairway.

The three of them walked in silence, until Snape finally broke it.

"I would assume if something is seriously wrong, the two of you would tell me, am I right on that assumption?" He asked, trying to seem emotionless, but failing.

"Of course sir," the Twins said in unison.

He nodded to them as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs, allowing them to make their way to the entrance of their Common Room.

~ December 19th, 1993 ~

After breakfast that morning the majority of students were leaving on the Hogwarts Express for Christmas Holiday, Garnet, George and Fred were goofing off in the secret passages around Hogwarts.

"I think it's nice that you gave Harry the Maurader's Map. Heaven knows he needs it more than we do. We've got all the secret corridors memorized by now." Garnet hugged George, and he leaned down to give her a gentle kiss.

Fred made a gagging noise, and jumped just far enough before Garnet could swat him.

They ran around laughing, enjoying themselves for hours. George was relieved to see Garnet acting her old self again. He did see the sadness begin to creep up on her once in a while, but he knew it would take time for her. He would just squeeze her hand and smile at her.

By the time lunch rolled around, the Trio was exhausted. They made their way to the Great Hall with their friends that staid for the holidays.

Garnet looked over at the Slytherin table. Flint was sitting there.

"Rumor has it his parents split and neither wanted him home for the Holidays." Adrian whispered to Garnet as he stood behind her.

"Adrian! I thought you were going home for the Holidays?" Garnet smiled.

Adrian shrugged, "Last minute change of plans." Then he addressed the Gryffindor at the table. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

Garnet's eyes were wide, but she grinned and looked expectantly at her friends. Everyone just looked around at each other and shrugged.

"Sure, mate!" Fred finally said.

Garnet thought she heard George grumble something but she ignored him.

"So is that the truth, or just a mean rumor?" Garnet asked her friend.

Adrian shrugged, "A mean rumor," he smirked, then looked away, "but it's okay, he's been spreading rumors about people also."

"That doesn't surprise me." Garnet she sighed, "Who is the unlucky student now?"

Adrian looked her straight in the eyes. He said nothing.

Garnet knew then it was her. "Wh-what kind of rumors is he spreading?" she looked worried.

Adrian looked around at everyone conversing, his eyes landed on George, who was trying hard to pretend he wasn't listening to what they were talking about, and shook his head.

Garnet huffed and stood up. "Excuse us." She kissed George on the cheek and grabbed Adrian by the upper arm, hauling him up and away from the Gryffindor table so fast, everyone was shocked.

"Ow! Leggo! You're hurting me!" Adrian laughed. "You're a strong one, aren't you?"

She didn't let go until they were in the corridor alone.

Garnet crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "Spill it."

Adrian rolled his eyes, "It's just a rumor, most people know not to listen to anything Flint says."

She wasn't budging, she just raised an eyebrow at him.

Adrian shook his head, then stopped when he saw a bruise peeking out from under her sleeve. He reached for her hand and pushed her sleeve up a bit.

There was a newer bruise on her arm she didn't notice earlier.

"Bloody hell...it's true, isn't it?" he looked her in the eyes, horrified.

"What are you t-talking about?" she tugged against his grip but he wouldn't let go. She was afraid.

"He hits you..." he whispered, now he was angry.

Garnet's eyes were as big as saucers, "Is that what he's telling people? That George hits me?" Adrian nodded. "That is utterly ridiculous! Do you really think I'd put up with that?"

"I... no, I suppose not." he relaxed a little, turning her arm to inspect the large bruise. "Then where did this come from?"

"That's what I want to know!" Garnet jumped. George came out of the Great Hall and walked up to them. "What is this Garnet? You promised me you'd quit hurting yourself!" he said in a tone that made her cringe.

"Keep your voice down, please George." She looked around.

"You've been hurting yourself?" Adrian was aghast.

"No! I-I mean, I quit, I quit George, I promised and I stuck to my promise." Garnet insisted, she held her arm up to George, "See! No new marks!"

He turned her arm over to the bruise. "What's this then?"

Garnet was having trouble breathing but held it together, "Adrian, could you give us a moment."

Adrian looked from Garnet to George and back, then nodded. He started to walk away, but stopped and hugged Garnet. "If you need to talk, I'm here. You know that."

Garnet hugged him back. "I know." He let go and walked into the Great Hall.

"George..." Garnet started but he cut her off.

"You PROMISED, Garnet. You looked me in the eyes and promised! TWICE!" he threw his hands up in frustration.

"And I kept my promise! This was an accident! I tripped and must have bumped into something." She explained.

"Hard enough to cause a bruise like that?" George shook his head, not believing her. "I should go to Professor Snape."

Garnet began to shake, "No, please. I kept my promise!" she insisted.

"I thought..." he hung his head, shaking it.

"You thought what?" she touched his hand, but he pulled it away.

"I thought you'd never lie to me." he looked here in the eyes.

Garnet made a strangled cry. "But I..." she stopped talking. He didn't believe her. But she was stubborn and didn't want to tell him what happened.

She saw Fred watching from the doorway to the Great Hall, he looked anxious.

She shook her head and wiped the tears from her face. "I didn't break my promise." She stated with confidence, then turned and walked away. Now all their friends were standing in the doorway watching things unfold.

"Where are you going? We need to talk about this!" George was on the verge of tears.

But Garnet didn't stop.

George fell to his knees.