~ In Harm's Way~
A/N: Hey there, sorry for the long wait for this chapter.
Chapter Two: The Mute Victim
Ron laid in the dark of the cozy dormitory, unaware of the recent discovery. Scabbers the rat scrambled around next to him. Sleep was just overcoming him when-
" Ron!" Harry nearly tripped upon his horrified entrance, " Ron, wake up!". While Ron was alert after nearly sending his pet flying across the room, Harry couldn't notice (the only light was dim from the lanterns outside the open doorway). " Wake up! Wake up! It's Ginny!".
Ron peeled Harry's arms from him. " What?" he grunted, angry from being disturbed during a peaceful bliss.
" It's Ginny!" he repeated, breathless.
" I heard you. What about her?" he grumbled, trying to get comfortable again.
Harry lost all resistance, grabbing Ron by the collar of his pajamas, forcing him upright. " Listen to me, someone's attacked her, I found her in the library, she's hurt really bad".
Ron broke from the grip he was in, scrambling to the end of his bed, muttering several curse words under his breath. He was out of sight.
Harry gripped at his hair, eyes tightly shut, almost like he was hyperventilating. Falling to his knees, forehead against the floor. It was overwhelming enough to make his stomach turn. Ginny Weasley, so innocent and alone in the first place. Someone hurt her, something so terrible. The mental image of the terrifying look in her eyes had Harry in tears on the dormitory floor.
Hermione came into the dorm room after daybreak, finding Harry asleep on his stomach, seeming to have had a painful night. Kneeling next to him, gently patting back to wake him.
After a moment or so, he snapped his eyes open in shock, looking up at her.
" Good morning" she greeted him with a warm smile, " you only missed the bed by a few feet".
Harry slowly propped himself against his bed frame, revealing the blood on his shirt, Ginny's blood. " How's Ginny? Is she alright".
Hermione shrugged, gazing at the floor, then at him. " I don't know, I haven't seen her and Ron hasn't said anything. George and Fred are grateful that you found her, they think she would have died if you weren't there".
Harry was still stunned, " you should I have seen the look on her face, I mean, the look in her eyes was just, indescribable".
" She's lucky you were there".
Just then, Ron walked into the room, looking worn down and exhausted. Hermione and Harry jumped to their feet.
" How is she?".
Ron sighed, " Promfrey said she'll be fine as soon as the wounds heal. Nothing more than scraps, bruises, and a fractured wrist".
Harry was relieved.
" Does she remember anything?" Hermione asked.
" No clue" Ron shrugged, " hasn't said a word, she's too scared to speak. But we know she can" he paused. " Hang on a second. Harry, why not try talking to her? If anyone, she'd talk to you!".
Harry was astonished by the idea, " I'm not her brother".
" She doesn't give you that weepy eye look to everyone, just you" Hermione said.
He didn't know how Hermione noticed such a thing, and he didn't want to know either.
" Alright".
He was scared to see her. After the previous night, he didn't know how to look at her. But, Harry had to remember that what was happening, was worse for her than anyone else, and if he was the person to make her feel better, so be it.
Ginny laid curled under the blankets, her tired eyes wide open, staring down at her knees with no interest. Her face still had small hints of blue and red, same with her hands.
" Harry" her voice whispered when he sat down.
" Hi Ginny" he smiled like she was a two-years-old, " are you alright?".
She looked down again, " I guess".
He leaned closer to her, " what happened?".
Ginny sigh trembled, " I was in the common room, all I remember is being dragged out, and then you found me". Tears slowly threatened her eyes and words.
" It's okay" he told her, " do you have any idea who it was?".
She shook her head, " I didn't see him".
" You're sure it's a guy?".
All she could do is nod.
He knew there was something she wasn't telling him, but couldn't say. The last thing he wanted to do was force it out of her.
" I was raped" se softly cried.
Harry's mind went into shock, he couldn't believe what she had just said. She wasn't beaten, that was not the only thing that was done.
" Oh my god" he gasped.
Ginny forced herself to sit up, crying a river by the time she did. Harry wrapped her in a soft embrace, letting her muffle the cries on his shoulder. Very gently, he caressed her back, feeling the tremors in her spine.
" Ginny, I am so sorry".
" Don't tell Ron" she cried, " please, don't tell any of them. I don't want them to".
He hesitated. Ron was his best friend, this was his sister.
" Promise me Harry, please, promise me that you won't tell. They can't know".
What else was he suppose to do? Ginny was begging him, in tears, still in his arms. He couldn't betray her.
" I won't tell anyone, I promise" he whispered.
After laying her back down on the bed, she let exhaustion take over, and closed her eyes. Harry quietly stood up to leave her to rest, but a hand holding his stopped him.
" Don't go" she whispered.
" What?" he wanted to make sure he had heard her, her voice was so soft.
Ginny was near slumber, " just stay".
Harry laid down next to her, placing his stomach against her back. He felt her slow, deep breaths and he knew she had fallen asleep. Sliding an arm around her waist, holding her close. Still not understanding what happened.
A/N: Hey there, sorry for the long wait for this chapter.
Chapter Two: The Mute Victim
Ron laid in the dark of the cozy dormitory, unaware of the recent discovery. Scabbers the rat scrambled around next to him. Sleep was just overcoming him when-
" Ron!" Harry nearly tripped upon his horrified entrance, " Ron, wake up!". While Ron was alert after nearly sending his pet flying across the room, Harry couldn't notice (the only light was dim from the lanterns outside the open doorway). " Wake up! Wake up! It's Ginny!".
Ron peeled Harry's arms from him. " What?" he grunted, angry from being disturbed during a peaceful bliss.
" It's Ginny!" he repeated, breathless.
" I heard you. What about her?" he grumbled, trying to get comfortable again.
Harry lost all resistance, grabbing Ron by the collar of his pajamas, forcing him upright. " Listen to me, someone's attacked her, I found her in the library, she's hurt really bad".
Ron broke from the grip he was in, scrambling to the end of his bed, muttering several curse words under his breath. He was out of sight.
Harry gripped at his hair, eyes tightly shut, almost like he was hyperventilating. Falling to his knees, forehead against the floor. It was overwhelming enough to make his stomach turn. Ginny Weasley, so innocent and alone in the first place. Someone hurt her, something so terrible. The mental image of the terrifying look in her eyes had Harry in tears on the dormitory floor.
Hermione came into the dorm room after daybreak, finding Harry asleep on his stomach, seeming to have had a painful night. Kneeling next to him, gently patting back to wake him.
After a moment or so, he snapped his eyes open in shock, looking up at her.
" Good morning" she greeted him with a warm smile, " you only missed the bed by a few feet".
Harry slowly propped himself against his bed frame, revealing the blood on his shirt, Ginny's blood. " How's Ginny? Is she alright".
Hermione shrugged, gazing at the floor, then at him. " I don't know, I haven't seen her and Ron hasn't said anything. George and Fred are grateful that you found her, they think she would have died if you weren't there".
Harry was still stunned, " you should I have seen the look on her face, I mean, the look in her eyes was just, indescribable".
" She's lucky you were there".
Just then, Ron walked into the room, looking worn down and exhausted. Hermione and Harry jumped to their feet.
" How is she?".
Ron sighed, " Promfrey said she'll be fine as soon as the wounds heal. Nothing more than scraps, bruises, and a fractured wrist".
Harry was relieved.
" Does she remember anything?" Hermione asked.
" No clue" Ron shrugged, " hasn't said a word, she's too scared to speak. But we know she can" he paused. " Hang on a second. Harry, why not try talking to her? If anyone, she'd talk to you!".
Harry was astonished by the idea, " I'm not her brother".
" She doesn't give you that weepy eye look to everyone, just you" Hermione said.
He didn't know how Hermione noticed such a thing, and he didn't want to know either.
" Alright".
He was scared to see her. After the previous night, he didn't know how to look at her. But, Harry had to remember that what was happening, was worse for her than anyone else, and if he was the person to make her feel better, so be it.
Ginny laid curled under the blankets, her tired eyes wide open, staring down at her knees with no interest. Her face still had small hints of blue and red, same with her hands.
" Harry" her voice whispered when he sat down.
" Hi Ginny" he smiled like she was a two-years-old, " are you alright?".
She looked down again, " I guess".
He leaned closer to her, " what happened?".
Ginny sigh trembled, " I was in the common room, all I remember is being dragged out, and then you found me". Tears slowly threatened her eyes and words.
" It's okay" he told her, " do you have any idea who it was?".
She shook her head, " I didn't see him".
" You're sure it's a guy?".
All she could do is nod.
He knew there was something she wasn't telling him, but couldn't say. The last thing he wanted to do was force it out of her.
" I was raped" se softly cried.
Harry's mind went into shock, he couldn't believe what she had just said. She wasn't beaten, that was not the only thing that was done.
" Oh my god" he gasped.
Ginny forced herself to sit up, crying a river by the time she did. Harry wrapped her in a soft embrace, letting her muffle the cries on his shoulder. Very gently, he caressed her back, feeling the tremors in her spine.
" Ginny, I am so sorry".
" Don't tell Ron" she cried, " please, don't tell any of them. I don't want them to".
He hesitated. Ron was his best friend, this was his sister.
" Promise me Harry, please, promise me that you won't tell. They can't know".
What else was he suppose to do? Ginny was begging him, in tears, still in his arms. He couldn't betray her.
" I won't tell anyone, I promise" he whispered.
After laying her back down on the bed, she let exhaustion take over, and closed her eyes. Harry quietly stood up to leave her to rest, but a hand holding his stopped him.
" Don't go" she whispered.
" What?" he wanted to make sure he had heard her, her voice was so soft.
Ginny was near slumber, " just stay".
Harry laid down next to her, placing his stomach against her back. He felt her slow, deep breaths and he knew she had fallen asleep. Sliding an arm around her waist, holding her close. Still not understanding what happened.