Chapter 8: Not So Perfect

Ginny wandered down to the Great Hall, her stomach leading her more than her mind. Her mind was going over the conversation she had with Draco the previous night. He had been so hurt, and Ginny felt like screaming at the top of her lungs knowing that she was the one who had caused that pain.

Suddenly, a hand shot out of nowhere, grabbing Ginny by the wrist and yanking her into a nearby classroom. Before Ginny could realize what was happening, she was pinned to the wall by Christian.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Ginny?" he seethed at her. Ginny tried to pull away, but he only held her there tighter. "Do you?" he asked again, his voice rising.

"N-no-," she murmured flinching when he leaned in.

"Good answer," he glared at her, releasing Ginny from his grip. "Then why, may I ask, did you feel the need to sneak around behind my back and see Malfoy?"

Crap Ginny screamed in her mind. How the hell did he find out? She stared at him, fear oozing out from her eyes. Before she knew it, his hand came flying out from nowhere, making contact with her cheek. She turned away from him, her cheek stinging from the blow.

"I'm not stupid, Ginny," he yelled at her, "and the next time you see him, I won't let you off so easily!" He lifted his hand one more time, and Ginny turned away. "Don't," he warned, lowering his hand, "underestimate me."

He grabbed her arm and linked it with his own. "Now," he said through a forced smile, "you'll let everyone see how happy you are with me!" They stepped out of the classroom, arm in arm, and waltzed into the Great Hall.

As she walked in, Ginny could feel all eyes on her. People turned to their neighbors and whispered at what they saw: Ginny Weasley with Christian Lander.

"Smile," he ordered her, digging his elbow hard into her side. She cringed but didn't do anything; Ginny wanted everyone to see how miserable she was. "Don't make me put a Cheering Charm on you," he threatened. She glared at him but put on a small smile despite herself. Glancing over at the Slytherin table, Ginny saw Draco determinedly not looking over at her and Christian. What she wouldn't give to just run over there and kiss him in front of everyone. Maybe once Christian got sick of her, she could go to Draco, and she'd let everyone know that she loved him…if he ever spoke to her again.

"Hey guys!" Christian said enthusiastically sitting down next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They looked quizzically at Ginny and Christian, as they sat side-by-side, arms still linked.

"Are you two…?" Harry began but was cut off by Ron's outburst.

"Are you two going out?" Ron blurted out. He looked hopefully from Ginny to Christian and back again.

"Yeah, Ron, we are," Christian said with a grin. He looked to Ginny and nudged her lightly. "Aren't we dear?" he asked.

She looked into his face, a threat only she could see coming from his eyes. "Yeah," she said with a tiny smile. "We are."

"Wow, Gin!" Hermione said enthusiastically. "That's just great! You guys are perfect for each other!"

The four jumped into conversation about all sorts of things. About how Christian had asked her out, how long they had actually been dating, and more nonsense. Ginny didn't pay the slightest bit of attention. She kept looking over to Draco who was talking animatedly with Pansy. Ginny felt a surge of jealousy flood through her. She was about to get up and smack that stupid smirk off Pansy's face, but a hard step on her foot from Christian told her to not even think about it.

Ginny spent the rest of the day attached to Christian. He'd walk her to every class, kiss her on the cheek goodbye, and show up when the hour was done. She would always try to escape him, but he'd never let go of her arm. He wanted the whole school to know that they were together. So, Ginny spent the whole day being showcased around to the entire school.

"Now," Christian said through gritted teeth at the end of the very long day, "be a good girl, and don't do anything I wouldn't want you to do." He smirked at her and walked away. Ginny stuck her tongue out at his receding back. Then she sunk miserably to the floor, her mind void and blank.

Finally, Ginny returned to the Gryffindor common room. Wrought with exhaustion, Ginny sank into a comfy armchair, near the glowing fire.

"Are you alright, Gin?" came a voice from behind. Tiredly, Ginny turned around to see Hermione walking towards her. With grace, she sat gingerly in a neighboring chair. Ginny looked sadly at the bushy haired brunette, her misery about to seep from her mouth, but she stopped.

"I'm fine, Hermione," she said with a depressed sigh.

"Come on, Ginny," Hermione said in a hurt voice. "I can tell you're not yourself."

Ginny snorted. What would she know about how I normally am? She didn't pay me the slightest bit of attention to me until Christian showed up.

"I'm fine," Ginny assured her. "Can we please talk about something else?"

"Alright," Hermione agreed determinedly. "Let's talk about you and Christian!" she suggested brightly.

Ginny groaned, but Hermione didn't notice at all. She slouched lower in her chair as Hermione went on about how perfect she and Christian were for each other, how wonderful and amazing Christian was in general, and how lucky Ginny was to have him as her boyfriend.

"Hermione," Ginny interrupted bravely, "maybe Christian isn't as perfect as you think he is."

She stopped and stared at the red head. "What do you mean, Gin?"

Ginny sighed, wishing she had never spoken up. Christian would kill her if he could hear her now.

"Ginny?" Hermione persisted.

"All I'm saying," Ginny said quietly, "is maybe Christian's not so perfect…"she trailed off, gazing into the blazing fire. "Maybe he has some faults."

"Ginny," Hermione began seriously, "Is there something-"

"Hello, ladies," Christian interjected. He smiled fondly at Ginny, but she could see the anger bubbling up inside of him.

"Oh, hi!" Hermione said, slightly startled, but everything that Ginny just said flew from her mind. "How's it going, Christian?" she asked with a girly grin.

Ginny sighed and turned away. No one could see what Christian really was: a monster. All they saw was his pretty face and easy going smile…not the anger that flooded out through his eyes or the dread that seeped from his very core.

"I actually wanted to talk with Ginny," Christian said with a charming grin that fooled Hermione but not Ginny.

"Oh!" Hermione said, slightly flustered. "I'll just be on my way then!" she waved farewell brightly.

"Come with me, Gin," he glared at the meek girl.

"I don't want to go anywhere with you," she spat back at him. This wasn't smart, and she knew it. If Christian got really mad at her, who knows what he'd do, but she was sick of him, and she was going to let him know it.

"Oh yes, you will," Christian snarled, grabbing Ginny by the arm and yanking her up. As he pulled her out of the common room, not one other person noticed or saw what was going on. They were all blind to Christian's true demeanor. Pushing her hard into an empty room, Christian turned on her angrily. He slapped her across the face before Ginny had time to even blink.

"Going to open your big, fat mouth, were you?" he shouted at her. Ginny backed away, the sting from the blow still aching.

"I hate you," she muttered darkly. The statement hung in the air; the words deadly weapons aimed in Christian's direction.

"What was that?" he yelled at her, taking a step in her direction. Ginny backed up distinctively, still afraid of what Christian could do.

"You heard me," Ginny said. "I. Hate. You." She pronounced each word clearly, her bravado growing as each moment passed.

"I can change that," he growled at her, and before Ginny knew it, his hand was at her throat. She could feel her breathing slow and almost stop. She kicked her feet weakly as Christian lifted her whole body off the ground. Ginny wiggled lamely as she gasped and wretched for air.

"Do you still hate me?" he asked in triumph. Ginny shook her head quickly, and Christian threw her to the ground. Ginny lay on the cool stone ground, breathing in the refreshing air. "You keep pushing me, Ginny," Christian stated, still glaring at her, and Ginny returned the glare. "But if you push me too far," he warned her, "You are the one who will face the consequences."

He walked to the door, and Ginny glared daggers at his back. How she hated him.

Turning around he added, "If I were you, I would just keep my mouth shut. That way we won't have any of these little problems, and everything will be okay."

He waltzed out the door, like he was the king of the world, and Ginny wished she had the courage to call him back in there with a smart remark.

"No," Ginny muttered to the empty room. "Everything won't be okay."

When Ginny got back to her room, an owl was perched serenely on her bed. She grabbed the parchment tied to its foot, her heart racing fast.

Tonight, same time, same place.

Ginny dropped the parchment to the floor. She already knew she wouldn't go and meet Draco. Of course she wanted to, but with Christian breathing down her neck, it was way too dangerous. Ginny decided to skip dinner altogether, and instead, she walked down to the lake for what she hoped would be a peaceful evening.

This time, she had enough sense to dress warmly. Fall was ending, and soon the first snow would be upon them.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" came a familiar voice, right behind Ginny. She whipped around to find herself face to face with Draco. He looked sad but determined.

"D-Draco," Ginny stammered. He must've seen me walking out to the lake on his way to the Great Hall. Ahhh! This kid's going to get me killed! Ginny thought miserably.

"Please," he begged her. "If you just tell me why you've been avoiding me, why you're now with Christian, then I'll let you go…then I'll be able to forget you." He looked up at her, his gray eyes connecting deeply with hers.

Ginny shuddered. She knew the lie she would have to spin for Draco to leave her alone. "I…I've moved on, Draco," Ginny began weakly, turning away so she wouldn't have to see his face. "What we had was great, but who were we kidding? Something between us could never have worked out." She turned to him now, making sure he saw how completely unaffected she was pretending to be, "And now I'm with Christian. He's great and amazing, and I'm really happy," she finished with a forced smile.

"You're right," Draco agreed sadly. "Something between us could never have worked out, but not because of the circumstances," he said staring straight into her eyes until Ginny had to look away. "A relationship requires effort on both parts, Ginny, and if you weren't ever going to work for us to be together, then we would've never worked out."

He stood up, and Ginny did too. His face, which was covered with anger and pain, told Ginny her lie was working. Now she just needed to finish it off.

"Good," she began. "I'm glad we both realize that everything's through between us. Now we can both go on our own ways, and we don't need to meddle in each other's lives." She held out her hand and said, "Goodbye, Draco."

"Bye, Gin-" he stopped in the middle of shaking her hand. "Ginny, what happened to your wrists?" he asked pulling the sleeve of her robe up farther. Before she could pull away, Draco snatched her forearms. Around her wrists were purple finger marks, like someone had grabbed her really hard.

"Oh that," Ginny said, trying to sound unconcerned. "I…" she trailed off, not being able to think of an excuse in time.

"Who did this to you?" Draco demanded looking into Ginny's scared, brown eyes.

"No one," she stammered, trying to take her arms back, but Draco wouldn't let go. "I don't know what-"

"Lander," Draco growled, suddenly realizing what was happening. "He's been doing this to you, hasn't he?" He looked at Ginny, but she turned away, not able to deny his accusation. "That's why you're with him, isn't it? He's been hurting you!"

"No, Draco!" Ginny cried weakly, and he finally let go of her hands.

"I'm going to kill him!" Draco yelled in anger.

"Don't!" Ginny said fiercely this time. Draco turned to look at her, still angry at the new revelation. "I have to deal with this," she stated.

"But Ginny-" Draco protested, but she cut him off.

"Draco," said Ginny seriously. "I need to handle this. I need to deal with Christian on my own."

He looked at her, unsure of what to do. Half of him wanted to beat Christian into a bloody pulp, but the other half of him wanted to let Ginny do what she needed to do.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked hesitantly. He didn't want her to get hurt anymore than she already was.

"I'm sure," she said stepping closer to Draco. He had made her realize that she could do this. She could step out of the shadow that Christian had cast over her. She had the strength to stand up to him. "Thank you, Draco," Ginny whispered, her lips moving closer to his. Draco's breath caught in the back of his throat. He leaned forward, ready to embrace Ginny once more.

"Gin," he said stepping back and shaking his head. "I can't. Not when you're still with him, and I need time to think things over anyway."

Ginny looked at him, pain evident on her face.

"What do you have to think over?" she asked incredulously. "I like you, and you like me. Like you said earlier, a relationship between us can work out if both of us work at it, and I'm determined to make us work."

"I don't know anymore, Ginny," he said stepping back again. "You hurt me more than I can even explain."

"But, it was all because of Christian!" she cried out. Ginny couldn't believe this was happening.

Draco looked at her skeptically. The first girl he truly let close to him had broken his heart like no one else ever had, but looking into her eyes, he saw how much she cared about him.

"Okay," Draco sighed, embracing her in a hug before she even realized what was going on. "Just end whatever is going on between you two, and then we'll talk. Okay?" he asked pulling away.

"Okay," Ginny whispered into his shoulder, breathing in the scent of him. She smiled up at him, and then skipped away, ready to confront Christian.

She took one step in the school, deciding to look in the Great Hall first, but a hand pulled her back. She was shoved roughly into the wall, sharp pain flashing through her head, and then she was being dragged away. Ginny felt herself being tossed roughly into an empty room, and when she looked up, she saw a very pissed off Christian, standing above her.

"I warned you!" he shouted at her, kicking her in the gut.

Ginny crumpled up on the floor, pain searing through her stomach. He leaned forward, grabbing Ginny by her hair and yanking her up into standing position. She yelped out in pain, almost collapsing onto the floor again. Christian raised his hand, and Ginny flinched. Pain attacked Ginny once more as Christian's hand made contact with her cheek. She went sprawling to floor once more, where Christian kicked her again.

"Don't ever," he seethed at Ginny, "disobey me again!" Ginny curled up in a little ball, but Christian yanked her up again. Pushing her against the wall, he glared right at her, "Do you hear me?" he yelled.

Ginny looked at him as she felt all her courage and strength diminish. She nodded quickly, and Christian hit her one more time before letting her drop to the floor.

What was I thinking? Ginny thought as the pain surged through her. She watched in fear as Christian stalked out the door, and she was finally able to breathe freely. Ginny sat in pain on the floor for only a few minutes before getting up, and walking out the door.

Every part of her body ached. She could barely get her feet to move, but the prospect of a nice, warm bed, made her keep going. As she was rounding the corner she ran smack dab into a group of people. Barely managing to stay on her feet, Ginny looked forward to see three people staring incredulously at her.

"Ginny!" Hermione screamed. "What on earth happened to you?"

Her heart quickened as Ginny saw Hermione, Ron, and Harry staring at her in disbelief. Then she noticed Christian behind them smirking at her. After he glared at her, he took up his protective act as the concerned boyfriend and made his way to Ginny.

"Ginny!" he cried, concern splashed all over his face. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

She stared at him, not able to speak. He looked at her, and she saw the warning flash across his eyes.

"Someone did this to you?" Ron cried out. "Tell us who did this to you, so we can go and beat the crap out of them!"

Ginny hesitated. What was she supposed to say? That the guy standing before them did it? That he had been threatening and abusing her since they had been 'going out'? Of course she couldn't. He'd beat the crap out of her later.

"It was Draco!" Ginny blurted out before she could stop herself. Her hand flew to her mouth as she realized what she had just said. Oh no she thought.

"What?" the trio asked incredulously, and Ginny saw Christian smirk in victory.

"Malfoy did this to you?" Harry asked angrily.

"I can't believe that bloody git!" Ron shouted, his face turning bright red. "Let's go," he said to the others and they set off.

Ginny remained in her spot, watching them walk away.

"Oh no you don't," Christian whispered angrily at her. "You're going to see this." He grinned evilly.

"Please," Ginny argued, as he dragged her after the trio, but Christian threw her a threatening look so she shut up.

As they were about to walk into the Great Hall, the trio stopped. Peering out into the semi-darkness, Ginny could see Draco sitting peacefully on the bank of the Black Lake.

"Malfoy!" Ron shouted as he set off across the grounds. Draco turned around and glared as he saw the trio walking towards him, but he froze as he saw Christian dragging Ginny along behind them. Christian smirked at him, and Draco got up, ready to beat Christian into a bloody pulp as he saw Ginny's face contort in pain from his grip.

"What do you want, Weasel?" he asked, not taking his eyes off Christian and Ginny.

"I want you to pay for what you did to my sister!" he yelled angrily, and Draco turned to face him for the first time.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said evenly as Ron stepped right up to his face.

"Like hell you don't know what I'm talking about!" he shouted. He grabbed Ginny, bringing her forward to face Draco. "Look what you did to her!"

Ginny looked at Draco pleadingly, but he showed her no sympathy in his steely gray eyes.

"So that's the clever story she's spun for you, is it?" Draco turned to glare at the other four. They all hesitated for a second, but Ron fired back almost instantly.

"Story?" he yelled angrily. "It's the truth! You're the one who beat her up!"

"No!" Draco shouted back at him, and Ron stepped back. "That's not the truth. That's what she has told you!" He yelled pointing a finger at Ginny. With that Draco pushed past them and stalked back towards the castle. He was gone before any one of them could fire a curse at him.

"That prat!" Ron shouted angrily, and then he turned to Ginny. "What was he talking about Ginny?"

Ginny backed away, and lifted a hand to her mouth, afraid of the awful lie that could escape her lips at any moment.

"You know Malfoy," Christian said, stepping in, and putting a comforting arm around Ginny's waist. She shuddered at his touch.

"He's always coming up with stupid lies and excuses," he assured the trio. "We can kill the piece of scum later." They looked comforted by his words and eventually made their way back up to the castle.

"Good work," Christian whispered to Ginny with a smirk. "I couldn't have come up with a better lie that would screw up your life if I tried."

Ginny's heart sank as she remembered Draco's face. What have I done? She thought dismally. She just ruined any chance she could have had with being with Draco. Christian's arm was still around her, and Ginny had the urge to smack it away, but she didn't. She knew she had no choice now. Draco would never speak to her again, and Christian would always be there, watching and making sure Ginny didn't disobey him.

On the way back to the common room, Christian yanked Ginny in an empty classroom once more. She closed her eyes and turned away, waiting for the blow that she knew was coming. But instead of hitting her, Christian wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his mouth greedily to hers.

Ginny felt like she was going to vomit as Christian's tongue flew into her mouth and as his hands groped at her body…but she didn't do anything. She gave into him. She let him kiss her and let his hands go where they pleased. What was the point anyway? She couldn't escape him.

A/N: Keep reading and reviewing to find out what happens next!

Thanks for the reviews!