Chapter 13: Ginny's Room
Percy could hear Ginny still sobbing from outside her door. He quietly knocked. After hearing no words, only continued sobs, he gently turned the doorknob. He gingerly stuck his head around the corner.
"Ginny?"
The only response was the most gut wrenching sob one could imagine.
A bit more forcefully, he queried again. "Ginny?"
He entered her room and quietly, but forcefully shut the battered door. To insure their privacy, he pulled out his wand and placed a strong locking charm on the door and a silencing charm over the room.
"Ginny, I know Draco did nothing to you. I heard you. Talk to me, Ginny. Please."
Silence.
"Ginny, please."
He heard a small sniffle followed by an unladylike hiccup. Ginny raised her red, sorrow-wracked brown eyes to Percy's concerned, blue ones. She wiped her hand across her eyes to remove the remaining tears, took a deep breath and spoke.
"I'm afraid. Percy, I'm only 16. I have dreams. Things I wanted to do before having to settle down. I mean, really, who am I? I have only experienced the world through the eyes of all of you. I wanted that experience for myself too. Now, I will never get the chance. Not to mention, that I have believed myself to be in love with Harry Potter for the last 6 years. Now, I'll never know if I was right or not. I'll never even get the chance to kiss him, let alone love him. Oh Percy, what am I going to do? I thought I could handle this. I thought I was ready to take on the world."
Ginny resumed sobbing, much to the despair of her older brother. He quickly pulled her into a warm, comforting hug that only an older brother could give.
"Ginny, I know this is hard and I won't say that I understand, because I don't. Yet, I do know that in the end, things will work out for the best. What I also know is that tonight, you did not give Draco Malfoy a chance. You ran."
"Percy-"
"Hang on a second, Gin. Let me finish. You ran and Weasley's do not run, from anything, and certainly not the likes of a Malfoy. I'm not going to sugar coat this, this is going to be very hard--for all of us, but we will survive. And perhaps, one day, we will even love."
Ginny squeezed Percy harder. Percy responded with a kiss to her cheek. He pulled back, looked into her red-rimmed eyes, pushed her hanging hair behind her ears and gently smiled at her.
Ginny returned the smile. It was enough. Percy was right. It would work out. It had too.
Percy could hear Ginny still sobbing from outside her door. He quietly knocked. After hearing no words, only continued sobs, he gently turned the doorknob. He gingerly stuck his head around the corner.
"Ginny?"
The only response was the most gut wrenching sob one could imagine.
A bit more forcefully, he queried again. "Ginny?"
He entered her room and quietly, but forcefully shut the battered door. To insure their privacy, he pulled out his wand and placed a strong locking charm on the door and a silencing charm over the room.
"Ginny, I know Draco did nothing to you. I heard you. Talk to me, Ginny. Please."
Silence.
"Ginny, please."
He heard a small sniffle followed by an unladylike hiccup. Ginny raised her red, sorrow-wracked brown eyes to Percy's concerned, blue ones. She wiped her hand across her eyes to remove the remaining tears, took a deep breath and spoke.
"I'm afraid. Percy, I'm only 16. I have dreams. Things I wanted to do before having to settle down. I mean, really, who am I? I have only experienced the world through the eyes of all of you. I wanted that experience for myself too. Now, I will never get the chance. Not to mention, that I have believed myself to be in love with Harry Potter for the last 6 years. Now, I'll never know if I was right or not. I'll never even get the chance to kiss him, let alone love him. Oh Percy, what am I going to do? I thought I could handle this. I thought I was ready to take on the world."
Ginny resumed sobbing, much to the despair of her older brother. He quickly pulled her into a warm, comforting hug that only an older brother could give.
"Ginny, I know this is hard and I won't say that I understand, because I don't. Yet, I do know that in the end, things will work out for the best. What I also know is that tonight, you did not give Draco Malfoy a chance. You ran."
"Percy-"
"Hang on a second, Gin. Let me finish. You ran and Weasley's do not run, from anything, and certainly not the likes of a Malfoy. I'm not going to sugar coat this, this is going to be very hard--for all of us, but we will survive. And perhaps, one day, we will even love."
Ginny squeezed Percy harder. Percy responded with a kiss to her cheek. He pulled back, looked into her red-rimmed eyes, pushed her hanging hair behind her ears and gently smiled at her.
Ginny returned the smile. It was enough. Percy was right. It would work out. It had too.