Wherever You Will Go
Gwen woke up in the corner of her tiny bedroom, her body aching terribly. The sun was streaming in on her through the only window in the room, making her blink. Her breaths came in short gasps, for she couldn't breathe deeply without a searing pain in her broken rib.
Crawling over to her bed so she could support herself, Gwen pulled her body up. Her father had never beat her this bad before. She couldn't believe the information she'd learned in his drunken state, but these clues only made her feel angry and unsafe. Her mother wasn't somewhere with another man because she hated her daughter, she was buried six feet under because father had lost his temper over a disagreement.
Nothing in Gwen's life had been fair, and she'd had enough. Gwen decided that the only place she could go was the Burrow. Ron would make her feel better, he always did. After carefully and slowly packing up her school trunk, she pulled out her wand. She really didn't care if the Ministry got angry because she'd used magic while underage. There was no non-magical way she could carry her trunk downstairs without fainting from pain.
Feeling slightly dizzy from lack of oxygen, Gwen pointed her wand at the trunk at the end of her bed. "Wingardium Leviosa," she said, directing it down the stairs. She imagined the Ministry looking down at her in disgust for breaking the rules. They'd probably punish her for she felt she wasn't special. Sure, she did well in school, but she usually didn't have special circumstances made for her like Harry did. She almost felt a pang of jealously for Harry, but stuffed it deep down inside again. She couldn't be jealous.
After slowly making it down the stairs, she reached into her pocket for Floo Powder. Ron had asked his dad to put her fireplace in the Floo Network as a gift. After telling him multiple times she couldn't leave the house all summer for the Burrow because her dad was "strict", they made plans for her to visit them four days before Harry and Hermione came, so they could have alone time. There were still four days before she was to originally visit, but she thought that maybe his parents would understand. You know, with the whole evil-father-who-is-going-to-kill-her excuse.
"Incendio." She threw the Floo Powder in, turning the flames a bright emerald green. After stepping in, she directed herself to the Burrow.
She felt herself spinning madly, making her incredibly dizzy and somehow making her ache more. She felt nauseous as she halted to a stop.
Fred and George looked at her strangely, covered in ash and breathing rapidly. Tears were pouring down her cheeks in a defeated manner, the left side of her face a deep purple bruise. Fred sat there on the couch with his mouth hanging open, and George darted his eyes towards the staircase before running up it.
"Ron! C'mere! Hurry!" Gwen heard footsteps get farther away as George called up for his brother.
Fred walked over to her as Ron came into sight. Ron's face registered immediate concern, and Gwen threw herself into his arms at once, finally letting the sobs that had built up rack her body.
"God, Gwen, what happened? Gwen..." Ron led her over to the couch, sitting her down. She was so tired, and she felt so awful. Ron kissed her hair and her forehead, and his eyes were glistening. "Who did this to you?"
Gwen heard Fred and George run to call Molly Weasley down, but soon the majority of the Weasley's came into the living room, shocked to see Gwen sobbing into Ron's arms.
"My--dad---he--did--" Gwen stated in between sobs, unable to form a complete sentence.
"Ron, please, just take Gwyneth into your room. She needs rest." Molly led them into his vibrant orange room, and she laid down on the bed. Ron's mum grabbed his shoulder, trying to steer him out of the room. "Just let her sleep, Ron. She needs to, let her sleep." She left the room, and Ron stood there at the doorway, his eyes filing with tears.
As Gwen drifted into sleep, she heard Ron whisper, "I love you." He descended the stairs slowly, quickly wiping at his cheeks. He hardly ever cried... He turned to the kitchen table, where everyone sat eating their lunches. No one talked, not even Fred and George. All of their thoughts were with the beaten girl sleeping upstairs.
Gwen woke up in the corner of her tiny bedroom, her body aching terribly. The sun was streaming in on her through the only window in the room, making her blink. Her breaths came in short gasps, for she couldn't breathe deeply without a searing pain in her broken rib.
Crawling over to her bed so she could support herself, Gwen pulled her body up. Her father had never beat her this bad before. She couldn't believe the information she'd learned in his drunken state, but these clues only made her feel angry and unsafe. Her mother wasn't somewhere with another man because she hated her daughter, she was buried six feet under because father had lost his temper over a disagreement.
Nothing in Gwen's life had been fair, and she'd had enough. Gwen decided that the only place she could go was the Burrow. Ron would make her feel better, he always did. After carefully and slowly packing up her school trunk, she pulled out her wand. She really didn't care if the Ministry got angry because she'd used magic while underage. There was no non-magical way she could carry her trunk downstairs without fainting from pain.
Feeling slightly dizzy from lack of oxygen, Gwen pointed her wand at the trunk at the end of her bed. "Wingardium Leviosa," she said, directing it down the stairs. She imagined the Ministry looking down at her in disgust for breaking the rules. They'd probably punish her for she felt she wasn't special. Sure, she did well in school, but she usually didn't have special circumstances made for her like Harry did. She almost felt a pang of jealously for Harry, but stuffed it deep down inside again. She couldn't be jealous.
After slowly making it down the stairs, she reached into her pocket for Floo Powder. Ron had asked his dad to put her fireplace in the Floo Network as a gift. After telling him multiple times she couldn't leave the house all summer for the Burrow because her dad was "strict", they made plans for her to visit them four days before Harry and Hermione came, so they could have alone time. There were still four days before she was to originally visit, but she thought that maybe his parents would understand. You know, with the whole evil-father-who-is-going-to-kill-her excuse.
"Incendio." She threw the Floo Powder in, turning the flames a bright emerald green. After stepping in, she directed herself to the Burrow.
She felt herself spinning madly, making her incredibly dizzy and somehow making her ache more. She felt nauseous as she halted to a stop.
Fred and George looked at her strangely, covered in ash and breathing rapidly. Tears were pouring down her cheeks in a defeated manner, the left side of her face a deep purple bruise. Fred sat there on the couch with his mouth hanging open, and George darted his eyes towards the staircase before running up it.
"Ron! C'mere! Hurry!" Gwen heard footsteps get farther away as George called up for his brother.
Fred walked over to her as Ron came into sight. Ron's face registered immediate concern, and Gwen threw herself into his arms at once, finally letting the sobs that had built up rack her body.
"God, Gwen, what happened? Gwen..." Ron led her over to the couch, sitting her down. She was so tired, and she felt so awful. Ron kissed her hair and her forehead, and his eyes were glistening. "Who did this to you?"
Gwen heard Fred and George run to call Molly Weasley down, but soon the majority of the Weasley's came into the living room, shocked to see Gwen sobbing into Ron's arms.
"My--dad---he--did--" Gwen stated in between sobs, unable to form a complete sentence.
"Ron, please, just take Gwyneth into your room. She needs rest." Molly led them into his vibrant orange room, and she laid down on the bed. Ron's mum grabbed his shoulder, trying to steer him out of the room. "Just let her sleep, Ron. She needs to, let her sleep." She left the room, and Ron stood there at the doorway, his eyes filing with tears.
As Gwen drifted into sleep, she heard Ron whisper, "I love you." He descended the stairs slowly, quickly wiping at his cheeks. He hardly ever cried... He turned to the kitchen table, where everyone sat eating their lunches. No one talked, not even Fred and George. All of their thoughts were with the beaten girl sleeping upstairs.