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Chapter 5
"Hey, Mari, wait up!" Ginny called over to her friend as she walked out of the Astronomy Tower a few weeks later. Hermione stopped where she was, shifting her crammed shoulder bag to her other shoulder. Hermione had chosen to aide Astronomy that night, and Ginny was grateful to get help, which Hermione was happy to provide.
Ginny ran over to where Hermione was standing and smiled.
"Hi. How was your winter break?" Ginny asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Boring as all. My parents used the excuse that I had Holidays to grill me on everything I knew about Ron. They just won't accept the fact that I am seventeen-bloody-years old, and I can pick a significant other just fine on my own!"
"Yeah, I understand. Ron had to go through pretty much the same thing with our parents."
"So I've heard.hey. What's that really good smell?" Hermione asked as the two continued down the stairs from the Tower.
"I'm hoping my perfume," Ginny laughed, and brought her wrist up to 'Mione's nose.
"Yep, that's it. I'm going to have to get some of that." Hermione said with a laugh.
"Yeah.OH!" Ginny gasped as she slipped on the icy staircase and tumbled down.
"Ginny! Are you alright?" Hermione hurried down the stairs.
Ginny stood up and smiled grimly. "Has to be all of the Weasley clumsiness genes." She then noticed her knee had a gash in it where it had struck the stone steps. Hermione clicked her tongue.
"Let's get a bandage on that. Madame Pomfrey's isn't far." She helped Ginny up and gathered all of Ginny's textbooks, which she carried as she walked the redhead to the Healer's wing. After taking her books from Hermione and assuring the older girl she'd be fine, Hermione left.
"Madame Pomfrey?" Ginny asked, opening the hospital wing door, which responded with a soft creaking sound. The healer was closing the curtain around a bed and turned towards Ginny with a glass of water in her hand.
"Ah, it's always one of you Weasleys," the Healer said with a smile. Ginny returned it sheepishly.
Madame Pomfrey sat her on a bed and examined Ginny's knee. She said, "Oooh. Nasty scrape. Let me guess. You slipped down the Astronomy Tower stairs." Ginny nodded.
Madame Pomfrey made an exasperated sound. "I've told Professor Sinastra about this thousands of times, and does she listen to me? No!" The healer took out her wand and tapped Ginny's knee. Instantly, the blood vanished, and the skin came back together.
"That should do the trick. Don't hurry down those steps next time, yes?" the Healer said as she disappeared into her office.
Ginny took that as her cue to leave, and stood, testing her knee. It felt fine, and she turned to leave, vowing to learn that spell.
"No.God damn it! Leave her alone! I'm over here!"
Ginny frowned. Where was that coming from? With a wary glance towards Madame Pomfrey's office, she approached the bed that Madame Pomfrey had been leaving when Ginny had come in. The yellow hospital curtains were drawn around the bed, but there was a gap in them wide enough for Ginny to slip in between them. It was dark, and she could just make out a body curled up in a ball on the bed.
"Lumos," Ginny whispered, and the corner of the room was illuminated with the light from her wand. She knelt beside the form to see something that shocked her.
It was Draco Malfoy. But not the Draco Malfoy that Ginny was used to seeing; the arrogant, sneering, snobbish seventeen-year-old man who loved to torment her and her brother about their faults. No, this Draco Malfoy looked like a lost little boy, almost angelic-looking with strands of white-blonde hair falling over his face and closed eyes. He was curled tightly into a ball under the light blue blanket, his knees touching his chest, and tears were streaming down his face.
"No.stop it.leave her alone," he groaned softly, and then turned his back to Ginny, the blanket falling off its place around his upper chest.
Ginny gasped. His bare back was almost completely black and blue with bruises, and his shoulders had various scars on them that didn't look like he fell off his broomstick.
They looked human, like someone had been hitting him intentionally.
Ginny hadn't even realized she was shivering, and not from the chilly late- January air coming through the propped open window nearby. Her first impulse was to hug him, touch him in some way to reassure him, and actually got as far as touching his pillow, but realized how strange it would be for him to wake up seeing Ginny Weasley, family of his supposed sworn enemy standing over him.
She slowly backed away from the bed, but knocked something over, making a not-so-quiet bang in the silent hospital wing. Draco stirred, and Ginny braced herself for the outraged boy to wake up and start hexing her.
But, thankfully, he didn't wake, and Madame Pomfrey didn't come out of her office. Ginny hurriedly picked up whatever had fallen from Draco's night table and shoved it into the deep pocket of her robes. She quietly moved out of the curtains, whispering "Nox," somewhere along the five feet from the curtain to the wall. She turned on a dime and quickly walked out of the hospital wing, deeply disturbed by what she had seen. But what was it that she had stolen? She stopped just outside of the darkened library and pulled the object out of her pocket.
It was a notebook. Without thinking, Ginny opened it, expecting it to be blank, but was half full of writing.
Against her better judgement, she sat down and started to read. When she did, she found it was not a diary, but more of a songbook. The first one read:
* He's drunk again; it's time to fight
She must have done something wrong tonight
The living room becomes a boxing ring
It's time to run when you see him clenching his hands
She's just a woman... never again*
"Whoa, Malfoy. What the hell have you gotten into?" She murmured as continued reading.
*I hear her scream from down the hall
Amazing she can even talk at all
She cries to me... "Go back to bed"
I'm terrified that she'll wind up dead in his hands
She's just a woman... never again
Been there before but not like this
Seen it before but not like this
Never before have I ever seen it this bad
She's just a woman... never again Just tell the nurse you slipped and fell
It starts to sting as it starts to swell
She looks at you... she wants the truth
It's right out there in the waiting room with those hands
Lookin' just as sweet as he can... never again*
Ginny had to wonder at that point if that's what happened to Malfoy; somebody beat the hell out of him, and then lied about it. Why would he lie about someone abusing him?
*Seen it before but not like this
Been there before but not like this
Never before have I ever seen it this bad
She's just a woman... never again*
The next part of the song was what shocked Ginny the most; it was not anger anymore, but pure hate and rage:
*Father's a name you haven't earned yet
You're just a child with a temper
Haven't you heard "don't hit a lady"
Kickin' your ass would be a pleasure
He's drunk again, it's time to fight
Same old shit, just on a different night
She grabs the gun, she's had enough
Tonight she'll find out how fuckin' tough is this man
Pulls the trigger fast as she can... never again
Seen it before but not like this
Been there before but not like this
Never before have I ever seen it this bad
She's just a woman... never again*
Ginny was stunned. She had taken Draco to be a cold, heartless son-of-a- bitch, but that's not was reflected in what he (she was assuming that he) wrote. When she pictured him now, all she saw was the person that was lying on the hospital bed. Ginny sensed now that she was on thin ice; if Malfoy ever found out she knew about him, he would sure as hell not say, 'Okay, Ginny, now that you know, wanna be friends?' But something else in the back of her mind was curious. Malfoy had a hell of a talent, that was for sure. She wanted to know more about him, and more about his songwriting.
She continued to read, and felt like she had just stepped into Malfoy's mind. A lot of his songs were like the first one, talking about how much he hated his father and such, but many talked about love, and the way he felt love should feel like. One chorus stood out in her mind the most:
* There is so much a man can tell you So much he can say You remain my power my pleasure my pain (baby) To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny
Won't you tell me is that healthy babe
But did you tell me is that when it snows My eyes become large
And the light that you shine can't be seen*
She heard a soft beeping sound and looked at her watch, only to realize that it was two in the morning, and if she sat here any longer, Filch would surely find her. She hurried put the notebook in her pocket again, and hurried off to Griffindor Tower. When she got to the Fat Lady, she hurriedly gave her the password ("Butterbeer") and quickly walked up the stairs to her dorm, where she got into bed and fell asleep.
*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 5
"Hey, Mari, wait up!" Ginny called over to her friend as she walked out of the Astronomy Tower a few weeks later. Hermione stopped where she was, shifting her crammed shoulder bag to her other shoulder. Hermione had chosen to aide Astronomy that night, and Ginny was grateful to get help, which Hermione was happy to provide.
Ginny ran over to where Hermione was standing and smiled.
"Hi. How was your winter break?" Ginny asked. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Boring as all. My parents used the excuse that I had Holidays to grill me on everything I knew about Ron. They just won't accept the fact that I am seventeen-bloody-years old, and I can pick a significant other just fine on my own!"
"Yeah, I understand. Ron had to go through pretty much the same thing with our parents."
"So I've heard.hey. What's that really good smell?" Hermione asked as the two continued down the stairs from the Tower.
"I'm hoping my perfume," Ginny laughed, and brought her wrist up to 'Mione's nose.
"Yep, that's it. I'm going to have to get some of that." Hermione said with a laugh.
"Yeah.OH!" Ginny gasped as she slipped on the icy staircase and tumbled down.
"Ginny! Are you alright?" Hermione hurried down the stairs.
Ginny stood up and smiled grimly. "Has to be all of the Weasley clumsiness genes." She then noticed her knee had a gash in it where it had struck the stone steps. Hermione clicked her tongue.
"Let's get a bandage on that. Madame Pomfrey's isn't far." She helped Ginny up and gathered all of Ginny's textbooks, which she carried as she walked the redhead to the Healer's wing. After taking her books from Hermione and assuring the older girl she'd be fine, Hermione left.
"Madame Pomfrey?" Ginny asked, opening the hospital wing door, which responded with a soft creaking sound. The healer was closing the curtain around a bed and turned towards Ginny with a glass of water in her hand.
"Ah, it's always one of you Weasleys," the Healer said with a smile. Ginny returned it sheepishly.
Madame Pomfrey sat her on a bed and examined Ginny's knee. She said, "Oooh. Nasty scrape. Let me guess. You slipped down the Astronomy Tower stairs." Ginny nodded.
Madame Pomfrey made an exasperated sound. "I've told Professor Sinastra about this thousands of times, and does she listen to me? No!" The healer took out her wand and tapped Ginny's knee. Instantly, the blood vanished, and the skin came back together.
"That should do the trick. Don't hurry down those steps next time, yes?" the Healer said as she disappeared into her office.
Ginny took that as her cue to leave, and stood, testing her knee. It felt fine, and she turned to leave, vowing to learn that spell.
"No.God damn it! Leave her alone! I'm over here!"
Ginny frowned. Where was that coming from? With a wary glance towards Madame Pomfrey's office, she approached the bed that Madame Pomfrey had been leaving when Ginny had come in. The yellow hospital curtains were drawn around the bed, but there was a gap in them wide enough for Ginny to slip in between them. It was dark, and she could just make out a body curled up in a ball on the bed.
"Lumos," Ginny whispered, and the corner of the room was illuminated with the light from her wand. She knelt beside the form to see something that shocked her.
It was Draco Malfoy. But not the Draco Malfoy that Ginny was used to seeing; the arrogant, sneering, snobbish seventeen-year-old man who loved to torment her and her brother about their faults. No, this Draco Malfoy looked like a lost little boy, almost angelic-looking with strands of white-blonde hair falling over his face and closed eyes. He was curled tightly into a ball under the light blue blanket, his knees touching his chest, and tears were streaming down his face.
"No.stop it.leave her alone," he groaned softly, and then turned his back to Ginny, the blanket falling off its place around his upper chest.
Ginny gasped. His bare back was almost completely black and blue with bruises, and his shoulders had various scars on them that didn't look like he fell off his broomstick.
They looked human, like someone had been hitting him intentionally.
Ginny hadn't even realized she was shivering, and not from the chilly late- January air coming through the propped open window nearby. Her first impulse was to hug him, touch him in some way to reassure him, and actually got as far as touching his pillow, but realized how strange it would be for him to wake up seeing Ginny Weasley, family of his supposed sworn enemy standing over him.
She slowly backed away from the bed, but knocked something over, making a not-so-quiet bang in the silent hospital wing. Draco stirred, and Ginny braced herself for the outraged boy to wake up and start hexing her.
But, thankfully, he didn't wake, and Madame Pomfrey didn't come out of her office. Ginny hurriedly picked up whatever had fallen from Draco's night table and shoved it into the deep pocket of her robes. She quietly moved out of the curtains, whispering "Nox," somewhere along the five feet from the curtain to the wall. She turned on a dime and quickly walked out of the hospital wing, deeply disturbed by what she had seen. But what was it that she had stolen? She stopped just outside of the darkened library and pulled the object out of her pocket.
It was a notebook. Without thinking, Ginny opened it, expecting it to be blank, but was half full of writing.
Against her better judgement, she sat down and started to read. When she did, she found it was not a diary, but more of a songbook. The first one read:
* He's drunk again; it's time to fight
She must have done something wrong tonight
The living room becomes a boxing ring
It's time to run when you see him clenching his hands
She's just a woman... never again*
"Whoa, Malfoy. What the hell have you gotten into?" She murmured as continued reading.
*I hear her scream from down the hall
Amazing she can even talk at all
She cries to me... "Go back to bed"
I'm terrified that she'll wind up dead in his hands
She's just a woman... never again
Been there before but not like this
Seen it before but not like this
Never before have I ever seen it this bad
She's just a woman... never again Just tell the nurse you slipped and fell
It starts to sting as it starts to swell
She looks at you... she wants the truth
It's right out there in the waiting room with those hands
Lookin' just as sweet as he can... never again*
Ginny had to wonder at that point if that's what happened to Malfoy; somebody beat the hell out of him, and then lied about it. Why would he lie about someone abusing him?
*Seen it before but not like this
Been there before but not like this
Never before have I ever seen it this bad
She's just a woman... never again*
The next part of the song was what shocked Ginny the most; it was not anger anymore, but pure hate and rage:
*Father's a name you haven't earned yet
You're just a child with a temper
Haven't you heard "don't hit a lady"
Kickin' your ass would be a pleasure
He's drunk again, it's time to fight
Same old shit, just on a different night
She grabs the gun, she's had enough
Tonight she'll find out how fuckin' tough is this man
Pulls the trigger fast as she can... never again
Seen it before but not like this
Been there before but not like this
Never before have I ever seen it this bad
She's just a woman... never again*
Ginny was stunned. She had taken Draco to be a cold, heartless son-of-a- bitch, but that's not was reflected in what he (she was assuming that he) wrote. When she pictured him now, all she saw was the person that was lying on the hospital bed. Ginny sensed now that she was on thin ice; if Malfoy ever found out she knew about him, he would sure as hell not say, 'Okay, Ginny, now that you know, wanna be friends?' But something else in the back of her mind was curious. Malfoy had a hell of a talent, that was for sure. She wanted to know more about him, and more about his songwriting.
She continued to read, and felt like she had just stepped into Malfoy's mind. A lot of his songs were like the first one, talking about how much he hated his father and such, but many talked about love, and the way he felt love should feel like. One chorus stood out in her mind the most:
* There is so much a man can tell you So much he can say You remain my power my pleasure my pain (baby) To me you're like a growing addiction that I can't deny
Won't you tell me is that healthy babe
But did you tell me is that when it snows My eyes become large
And the light that you shine can't be seen*
She heard a soft beeping sound and looked at her watch, only to realize that it was two in the morning, and if she sat here any longer, Filch would surely find her. She hurried put the notebook in her pocket again, and hurried off to Griffindor Tower. When she got to the Fat Lady, she hurriedly gave her the password ("Butterbeer") and quickly walked up the stairs to her dorm, where she got into bed and fell asleep.
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