Ginny let the door close behind her and looked around the room. She sighed when her eyes fell upon a skylight. As much as she didn't want to, she would have to cover that. Luckily the window had curtains she could pull across. The room was pretty simple, it was painted white and had a large bed. She slipped out of her robes and decided she could sleep in her undergarments. The room was equipped with what she recognized as a television and thought it might be fun to try and watch it. She went up to the large black box and looked at the bottom. There were five buttons, 'Volume +' 'Volume -' 'channel +' 'channel -' and 'power'. She tried them all in order and was shocked when the T.V. went on suddenly with the last button. She then realized that the sound the TV made was too loud, so she immediately thought of pressing the volume- button so as to quiet it down. To her relief, the TV got quieter. It didn't take long for her to become engrossed in the program, and it also didn't take her very long to be glad she lived in the Wizarding world, if the muggle world was anything like this movie portrayed. The program was about a guy named "James Blond" or something, and he seemed to be constantly shooting people. Did men in suits really walk around muggle Britain shooting people? It also gave her a chance to see why her father was so interested in the muggle world. From the looks of it they had come up with things using electricity to rival anything that could be done with magic. As soon as her energies transferred from her worries to those of James's she became very tired. Climbing out of the bed where she had perched to watch the television, she turned off the T.V. (but only after a few trials and errors, who would have guessed the 'power' button turned it on and off?) and went to bed.

She awoke to a knocking at the door. Where am I? she wondered, who's knocking at my door? and then it all came back to her, the escape, seeing Malfoy flying, coming to the inn, and asking for breakfast to be served at nine a.m. A glance at the clock on the bedside table revealed that it was indeed nine o'clock. Throwing on her robes on the way to the door, she got out of bed and opened the door to see Mrs. Ladd standing holding her tray.

Normally Mrs. Ladd had her staff bring up breakfast to people, but this little girl in flight from her abusive boyfriend had struck a soft spot in her. In fact, another look at her revealed something that she should have noticed right away last night. The girl had a row of what were unmistakably bite marks on the side of her neck. Her sympathy for the girl grew larger with the realization that not only was her boyfriend abusing her, but sexually harassing her too.

Ginny caught the woman looking at her neck and her hand flew there to try and cover it, "I uhhh-" she stuttered. How was it that after weeks of lying to Malfoy she couldn't come up with a suitable story now?

"You should go to the police dear," the woman, said, "I don't know why you haven't yet. You shouldn't protect a boy that's abusing you." Ginny couldn't believe her luck; she didn't have to come up with a story. Mrs. Ladd had done it for her.

"I want to get home first, I don't trust him not to come after me if I'm out in the open," she lied with ease.

"Oh child, where do you live? Do you need bus fare?"

Bus fare! she thought, The Knight Bus. Now of course it seemed so logical. Why hadn't she thought of it before? The problem was the Knight Bus only worked at night. Oh well, she could stay inside and leave tonight. If Mrs. Ladd thought Ginny was being abused she would never let anyone who fit Draco's description up.

"Oh no," Ginny said to Mrs. Ladd, "My parents won't be home until tomorrow morning. That's why I didn't go home in the first place, being in an empty house seemed more dangerous than going to an inn. I'm going to travel tonight though. Thank you for the offer."

"Of course sweet heart. Just promise me once you get home you'll report the boy who did this to you."

"I promise I will," she said honestly.

"What did you say this boy looked like?"

"Oh very pale, blond hair, gray eyes. But his father might come looking for me to, he looks just like his son only taller."

"Oh the father approves of his action enough to come looking for you too? That's such a shame, but it's no wonder. If the father allows this sort of thing the son is destine to turn out bad."

"Yeah, I'm glad I got out."

"I'm happy for you too darling." Mrs. Ladd said, "Well I must be going. Enjoy your breakfast Luv."

"I will, thank you." she replied taking the tray and turning from the door.

"Oh wait," she called.

"Yes?"

"What is your name?"

Ginny hesitated, but then again, what would be the harm in telling this woman her real name. "Ginny Weasley," she replied.

"Well Ginny, you can stay here for free for the afternoon."

"Thank you," she said again.

"Yes of course. Well, have a good day."

"I will. Thanks." and Mrs. Ladd finally left.

Ginny ate her breakfast then proceeded to spend the rest of the day as most muggle teens her age would, watching the television. Mrs. Ladd brought up all her meals and Ginny, desperately calculating how many dollars she had compared to how many galleons she had started with, decided to give her a bill with a small '10' on it. She insisted the food was free but nonetheless she accepted the note. Only after Ginny had watched another James Bond movie (as the box seemed to be calling them) four hours of American sitcoms, slept for lack of anything better to do, and watched a very odd yet somehow funny show with a title like "Flying Circus", did it finally grow dark and did she dare to leave her room to hail the Knight Bus.

~

After flying around all night Draco had finally given up and was ready to return to the Manor. He was quite certain his father would be able to work something out and he had given it his best effort. He had decided to turn around at around dinnertime when his stomach started to make loud noises of protest of having to skip another meal. At nine o'clock he was almost home.

~

She walked quietly down to the ground level and was just stepping out the door. Last night she had stashed the broom in a alleyway across they way. She planned to grab the broom then hail the bus. She had just turned the handle when Mrs. Ladd caught up with her.

"Miss Weasley" she yelled, and Ginny, barely suppressing a groan, turned around to face her.

"Are you leaving so soon?"

"Er- yes, I was just going to walk to the bus stop."

"Surely you can't be serious. I thought you didn't want that boy to find you."

"I don't, but I don't think he's uh, still looking for me," she said.

"Never have I heard such nonsense! I'm giving you a ride."

"No Mrs. Ladd, really that isn't-"

"Necessary? Of course it is. Besides, it's no trouble. Now you just wait right here while I go get my keys."

"Yes ma'am," Ginny mumbled as the woman disappeared into the back in obvious search for her keys. Waiting there she had half a mind to bolt but the woman had been so nice to her that she couldn't possibly. She would just simply pretend to get onto a bus, and if worse came to worse, she could always get on a bus, get off at the first stop and hail the Knight Bus from there.

"Come deary let's go," she said and ushered Ginny out to the car. Ginny was glad she had ridden in cars numerous times so she wouldn't look out of place. They drove the three kilometersto the bus stop. Ginny watched the scenery rush past in a blur. Mrs. Ladd tried desperately to try and accompany Ginny to her bus but Ginny insisted that Mrs. Ladd had already done enough and that she didn't wish to trouble her anymore. Bidding Mrs. Ladd one final thanks and goodbye Ginny walked towards the ticket counter, disappeared into a crowd and fled all the way back to the alleyway where she had hid the Firebolt, ran back into the street to hail the Knight Bus.

"Help!" she said sticking her right hand over the road, and the Knight Bus appeared. Ginny never imagined a violet bus to be so alluring but this one, and the safety it encompassed was.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Stunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening. Where may we take you tonight?"

"Ottery St. Catchpole," Ginny said looking around anxiously and being certain to stay in the shadows.

"Yes Miss that will be two galleons." Ginny felt her stomach drop.

"I've only muggle money!" she cried desperately, "but this is an emergency. I promise I'll pay you as soon as we arrive at my home."

"Well, now we'd be broke if we bought that every time," the young man said.

"No. You don't understand. I've been kidnapped and I transfigured all the galleons I stole from my capturer into muggle money so I coul-"

"Kidnapped?" Stan interrupted her, "Come Closer," he said, beckoning towards the small amount of flickering candlelight emanating from the interior of the bus. Ginny stepped into the light.

"Blimey! You're Ginny Weasley!" he said his eyes growing wide, "The ministry's been lookin' for ya!"

"I know! So can't you let me on the bus and I'll pay you when we get there?"

"Well," Stan said hesitating, "we're not supposed to..."

"Please Stan, please!" Ginny pleaded.

"Oh alright!" he said, "I suppose we'll take you home first."

"Thank you Stan!" Ginny said and rushed onto the bus.

~

Draco was close to home and equally close to sleep. His head was drooping onto the handle of his broom. BANG A loud sound suddenly jolted him from the promises of sleep. He looked down and saw that in his tiredness he had flown directly over the muggle town. However there was also something very un-muggle, a big purple bus and a redheaded girl in green robes dashing into it. He froze and hovered in mid-air, watching the purple bus as it BANGED away. Ginny was on her way home. He needed to tell his father.

~

Ginny hardly had time to find a bed to sit on before the bus had "BANGED and they were in front of the Burrow. She had numerous homecomings from Hogwarts, each time returning as homesick as the last. She never thought she'd welcome the sight of the ransacked Burrow as much as she did after a day long journey on the Hogwarts Express, but after her thirty second journey on the Knight Bus, the Burrow had never looked so appealing.

"Thanks Stan." she said quietly staring at house. It was almost too good to be true, she was still waiting for Draco to shake her awake and try and cuddle with her. "Umm I'll go and get the money shall I?"

"No," Stand said giving her a wink, "it's free."

"Thanks," she said quietly and walked off the bus. Like a dream, she walked into the Burrow. "Hello, " she called into the silent house.

~

Harry was now looking forward to Hogwarts more than he ever had on Privet Drive. In the last day Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's fighting had reached an all time high. No longer did they bother to try and hide their arguments when in view of their children. The fact that it was the eve of their children's departure for Hogwarts did little to quell their arguments. In truth, it seemed to fuel their yelling matches.

"Why haven't you done anything?!" Mrs. Weasley was yelling again.

"Molly," Arthur said calmly, "THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE! WE CAN'T GET HER BACK UNTIL LUCIUS DECIDES TO GIVE HER BACK OR SHE GETS OUT ON HER OWN!"

"Well it's a fine time to develop a sense of wisdom over that ruddy family. WHEN YOUR OWN DAUGHTER IS IN THEIR CLUTCHES."

"You know MAYBE I could think of something to do if you weren't hounding on me all the time telling me what a failure I am!" Arthur returned.

"You know if you had accepted those promotions MAYBE you wouldn't have to be so scared of Lucius. MAYBE you'd have a bit more say at the Ministry, and MAYBE we wouldn't all have to go around donning second hand robes!"

"How DARE YOU?!?!" Arthur yelled standing up, his chair scraping the floor, "You were the one who encouraged me to stay in my job. SAID you didn't CARE what kind of money we had so long as I was happy. Stupid me BELIEVED you."

The yelling was so loud no one heard a loud BANG outside the house.

"YOU KNOW WHAT?" Molly said, "LET'S NOT SAY A WORd SINCE YOU ARE CLEARLY INCAPABLE OF BEHAVING LIKE AN ADULT." Mr. Weasley opened his mouth as if he might want to say something but stopped. He was too tired to argue and didn't care if Molly had the last word. A tense silence fell over the house, only to be broken by a voice calling, "Hello?"

A/N: I hoped you all liked chapter 18. If you want an e-mail update review! Please review each time I post another chapter because it's much easier to reply to reviews from the time I updated chapter 17 than to go all the way back. Make sure you leave your e-mail. Review replies are also in the e-mail update. By the way, does anyone have any ideas for a sequel name?