After casting as many spells as she could find to hide her bruises, Ginny collapsed into her four-poster bed, listening to the animated discussions below her in the common room.
"Yes… Zabini was looking rather strangely at you, Harry." She couldn't tell for sure, but the voice sounded an awful lot like Hermione Granger's.
"What do you think his problem is, anyway?" Those were definitely Harry's tones, slyly concealed so they didn't sound like the dark, malevolent words that Harry directed at Ginny.
"Dunno, Harry. Maybe it has to do with Ginny? Zabini might be talking to Malfoy.. Maybe they're planning something?" That was Ron. Ginny stood up, pacing around her room and working the blood back into her stiff arms. She could feel a dark mood hanging over her head, threatening to rain down on her. This was all going too fast.. She wasn't sure if she could handle Harry.. and Draco.. Emmy.. Hermione.. Ron…..
How? Why? Why would Harry feel the need to threaten me so much, and go so far, hiding everything from his friends? I wonder what Lily and James would say.. Lily and James. They would find a way to put a stop to this. This might not have even happened if Harry's parent's were still alive.
And now Ron, Harry, and Hermione would be poking their noses into Draco and Zabini's lives.. Emmy's too, most likely. They might find something out.. especially if Blaise had told someone. Ginny hoped to god he hadn't.
Feeling a rush of vulnerability and desperate thoughts, Ginny flung herself back onto the bed, drawing the curtains and slowly falling into a rather fitful sleep.
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After an uneventful month, Ginny woke, going down to breakfast as soon as she could, tying up her hair, which was quite unusual, and not bothering with any makeup. Who was there to impress anymore, anyway? Draco despised her, Harry was an evil, conniving, misguided prick, and no one seemed really appealing to her any more.
The Great Hall was almost empty. There were only a few Gryffindors seated at the table, and only maybe a dozen students scattered amongst the house tables. Not seeing anyone she recognized, Ginny sat down, taking a bit of toast and a goblet of orange juice and chewing meditatively.
The girl couldn't be quite sure how she would get through the day without Harry, but it was something that had to be done. If it meant she had to skip lunch.. Well, no one would miss her anyway. The doors to the Great Hall creaked open, and Blaise, Malfoy, and Emmy walked in quietly, Emmy looking around bleary-eyed and not quite awake. Ginny ducked down, eating her breakfast, cursing her easily recognizable red hair. She was quite sure she could feel Draco, Emmy and Blaise staring at the back of her head, probably wondering what she was doing up so early, and without her boyfriend.
Most sounds were magnified in the almost silent Great Hall, and Ginny heard someone approaching Gryffindor table. She almost wished it were Harry. Harry wouldn't try anything in front of even the few scant people here.
"Hey, Ginny." She turned slowly, looking at Zabini, who was standing behind her, looking rather awkwardly at the other Gryffindors at the table, who were giving him blank stares.
"Zabini. What is it?" Ginny darted a glance at the Slytherin table, where Emmy and Draco were sitting, with their backs towards her. Blaise caught her glance, giving her a worried smile. He looked her up and down, then nodded, sitting down next to her.
"Well, it seems you look.. better. Are you doing alright?" Ginny blushed, remembering what she had looked like after Harry had gotten to her. It was frightening, really, how much he had done to her in such a short time.
"Yes… but that doesn't matter, does it? He'll just see me talking with someone he doesn't like, and come at me again."
"That's why you're here early, isn't it? So you can avoid Potter?" Ginny shushed him, looking around at the Great Hall, wondering if anyone had heard.
"You can't say that, Blaise! Someone might hear.." His face went dark, and Ginny shrank back unconsciously, the look reminding her of Harry every time he was angry.
"Why shouldn't they hear, Ginny? They deserve to know what Potter is doing to his own girlfriend.. They deserve to know what kind of person he is!" He hissed back, closing his eyes and taking a breath, trying to calm himself. "You cant let him do this to you, love. It's just not right.. from what Emmy says, or what she used to say, you're a sweet girl, and I don't want to see someone innocent getting hurt because of some.. bloody liar!" Ginny smiled sadly at him. Couldn't he understand? This was the only way everyone would stay safe. At least from Harry's wrath.
"Blaise, you don't understand. This is the only way." She got up, taking her books and walking quickly out the door, looking back at the Slytherin table and catching Draco watching her. They both looked away quickly, and Ginny went a round-about way towards her class, escaping the slowly filling Great Hall, and Harry in particular.
For once, Ginny actually paid attention in Defense Against the Dark Arts; it's not that Professor Moontide was boring, it was just that she had had other things to think about. He had a smooth, calming voice, letting Ginny forget about her conversation with Blaise and all of the things that had happened with Harry for a bit.
Professor Moontide was in the middle of explaining about Protego and it's properties. It was quite boring, so instead of listening to the words, Ginny listened to his voice, explaining the details of Protego, it's inventor, etc. His class was the equivalent of a nap time for most students; she saw Colin Creevey asleep with his head on his desk, and Luna Lovegood was looking her usual mad self; she knew that the blonde girl wasn't paying the least bit of attention. She even saw a Ravenclaw boy drooling all over his desk; Professor Moontide didn't seem to notice any of this.
The class ended quickly, and Professor Moontide assigned a 2 and a half foot essay on the properties of the spell Protego. Ginny knew she could have it done quickly, then perhaps give it to Hermione for a quick check. If she could get to Hermione without seeing Harry..
The rest of her classes, Ginny drifted in a kind of stupor, staring out the windows and thinking, daydreaming; what ever she wanted.
Then came the problematic period of her day; Potions. She decided she would be the first out of the class, therefore not having to endure seeing Draco talking to Emmy. Emmy sat as immovable as always, ignoring Ginny as she sat down. This class was bearable with Emmy speaking to her, but now had become another process of torture.
They were making a potion today; Ginny hadn't even payed the least bit of attention to Snape at all. Emmy normally took charge, anyway, usually making the potion silently, but perfectly, then turning it in to Snape.
"Ginny.. is it true that Harry.. well.." Emmy seemed a bit out of place, probably having been used to ignoring her potions partner during classtime. It shocked Ginny, too, making her jump a bit and almost knocking over the potion.
"Emmy.. please.. we cant talk about it here.. I really shouldn't talk about it at all." She sighed heavily, returning to the potion.
"Zabini told you, didn't he?" Ginny said, after a few minutes of silence between the two. Emmy bottled the potion, labeling it and giving it to Snape, returning back to Ginny rather quickly.
"Yes, he did. I don't understand why you would hide something like that from everyone.."
"You don't? Don't you get it? Harry has been everyone's only hope of defeating Voldemort for so long.. It would crush the whole wizarding world if they found out Harry was just as bad as Voldemort." Emmy sat, shocked for a moment, realizing the enormity of Ginny's situation.
"Oh." The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and Ginny left quickly, opening the door. She walked out a few steps, spotted Draco, then stopped, turning and looking for Harry. If he saw Ginny anywhere near the Slytherin boy..
Harry wasn't anywhere in sight, and Draco was already walking slowly, almost painfully, towards Ginny.
"Ginny…" He looked around, probably looking for Potter, as well. Ginny saw Emmy start to walk out of the class, then she spotted Draco and Ginny standing uncomfortably together, and walked back into Snape's classroom, probably claiming she had forgotten something.
"Look, Draco, I'm sorry if I.." He put a finger on her lips, putting a shiver through Ginny that she hadn't felt since the last time she and Draco had talked. Suddenly, he yanked her into a dark niche in the wall, indescribably close to Ginny. She could hear him breathing, and he still had a hand on her arm, staring out darkly over Ginny's head. It was starting to get warm.. really warm, until Ginny could barely stand it. When she thought that she would just drop down and faint from being so close to Draco, he let her go, still looking over her head and narrowing his eyes.
"Sorry.. it's just that.. Harry was coming.. and last time.." He was back to being Draco, and Ginny almost ran off, crying, but she managed to control herself.
"No, it's alright.. so you know, too?" He nodded wordlessly, looking down at with a sad expression.
"Look, can you meet me out in the Quidditch stadium tonight? I need to talk to you about something.." After Ginny nodded quickly, he waved, stalking off to potions as the bell rang.
Now Ginny, what are you getting yourself into? Still, Ginny went off to Transfiguration with a giddy smile, feeling, for the first time in over a month.. actually happy.
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Hahaha. This one is really long. Oh well. I guess it makes up for my shoddy chapter seven.