Chapter Ten: Salvation at a Price.
Ginny could hear nothing. She had stopped breathing and wished Penny would wake up. Small, scurrying footsteps crept closer. Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A cold numbness was taking its grip, but Ginny did not shiver in the cold crisp night. She counted to three under her breath then forced her eyes opened wide. Before her stood a rat. It was standing up upon it's hind legs and holding a large twig in it's paws, snapped neatly in two. It was smiling at her in a most frightening way. All of it's vicious teeth were bared in it's grin.
"Please help me." whispered Ginny hoarsely.
"Trade?" rasped the rat in a scratchy, manevolent voice.
"What? Please just help Penny. Please!" Ginny was starting to getting hysterical. The rat smiled, throwing away the twig and bounding up to Ginny's bonds. With it's sharp teeth, it splintered Ginny's binds. Ginny collapsed, exhausted, to the floor.
"Fine?" rasped the rat. Ginny nodded wearily.
"Penny... Can you help her please..." begged Ginny.
The rat considered this. "Trade?" it smirked.
"I have nothing on me, but I promise to help. If you help Penny free... Please?"
Noiselessly, the rat bounded to Penny. It muttered and the brambles retracted carefully yet quickly from Penny. The rat then devoured the wooden binds. Ginny was up and over in time to catch Penny as she slid from the tree. Ginny saw Penny's beautiful new robe was in tatters, but thankfully seemed only scratched by her ordeal. Ginny laid Penny down, fighting the urge to cry or be weak as Penny needed her to be strong. Penny was breathing fine, and was groaning in a fitful sleepy state.
"Thankyou." sighed Ginny. But looking up, Ginny saw the rat had gone.
"Ginny?" groaned Penny. "Oww. I feel terrible." Penny was sitting up and examining her many scratches. "I feel sick. Let's go home Ginny.
"Come on, we should get back." smiled Ginny, relieved that Penny seemed fine.
The fear and numbness had sub-sided now and a terrible anger gripped Ginny. "No, let's go find Professor Trelawney first. I want Malfoy expelled for this!" Ginny helped Penny upright and supported her tattered and bloody body against her.
"No, really Ginny, Let's get home eh?" Penny grimaced.
"Penny, we should get help. I can't carry you home on my own!" But Ginny stopped ranting when she heard Penny's sobs. Penny loved Draco and Ginny knew that no matter what he did to her, Penny would remain loyal to him.
A pair of watchful eyes followed Ginny as she dragged her best friend clear of the dark copse of trees and back into Hogsmeade.
Ginny could hear nothing. She had stopped breathing and wished Penny would wake up. Small, scurrying footsteps crept closer. Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A cold numbness was taking its grip, but Ginny did not shiver in the cold crisp night. She counted to three under her breath then forced her eyes opened wide. Before her stood a rat. It was standing up upon it's hind legs and holding a large twig in it's paws, snapped neatly in two. It was smiling at her in a most frightening way. All of it's vicious teeth were bared in it's grin.
"Please help me." whispered Ginny hoarsely.
"Trade?" rasped the rat in a scratchy, manevolent voice.
"What? Please just help Penny. Please!" Ginny was starting to getting hysterical. The rat smiled, throwing away the twig and bounding up to Ginny's bonds. With it's sharp teeth, it splintered Ginny's binds. Ginny collapsed, exhausted, to the floor.
"Fine?" rasped the rat. Ginny nodded wearily.
"Penny... Can you help her please..." begged Ginny.
The rat considered this. "Trade?" it smirked.
"I have nothing on me, but I promise to help. If you help Penny free... Please?"
Noiselessly, the rat bounded to Penny. It muttered and the brambles retracted carefully yet quickly from Penny. The rat then devoured the wooden binds. Ginny was up and over in time to catch Penny as she slid from the tree. Ginny saw Penny's beautiful new robe was in tatters, but thankfully seemed only scratched by her ordeal. Ginny laid Penny down, fighting the urge to cry or be weak as Penny needed her to be strong. Penny was breathing fine, and was groaning in a fitful sleepy state.
"Thankyou." sighed Ginny. But looking up, Ginny saw the rat had gone.
"Ginny?" groaned Penny. "Oww. I feel terrible." Penny was sitting up and examining her many scratches. "I feel sick. Let's go home Ginny.
"Come on, we should get back." smiled Ginny, relieved that Penny seemed fine.
The fear and numbness had sub-sided now and a terrible anger gripped Ginny. "No, let's go find Professor Trelawney first. I want Malfoy expelled for this!" Ginny helped Penny upright and supported her tattered and bloody body against her.
"No, really Ginny, Let's get home eh?" Penny grimaced.
"Penny, we should get help. I can't carry you home on my own!" But Ginny stopped ranting when she heard Penny's sobs. Penny loved Draco and Ginny knew that no matter what he did to her, Penny would remain loyal to him.
A pair of watchful eyes followed Ginny as she dragged her best friend clear of the dark copse of trees and back into Hogsmeade.