Chapter 6
He raced through the graveyard, heart pounding. The gravestones were all marked "Ginny Weasley." Harry reached the open grave, but it was too late. Ginny was already in it, read hair covering her face.
"Ginny," whispered Harry in disbelief.
"I did it Potter, I did it. I killed her, my master will be pleased."
Harry turned around. "Malfoy!" He said with disgust.
"Yes it's me and you'll be joining her next Potter and soon."
Harry saw a flash of green light and he down next to Ginny.
Harry sat bolt upright, scar throbbing. He quickly got dressed then ran to the hospital Wing. It was 4 in the morning, but Harry didn't care if he got caught out of bed. He just needed to see Ginny.
He slipped inside the hospital wing. Curtains were drawn around one bed. Peeking inside, he saw Ginny lying there peacefully, her auburn curls fallen about her face.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and then got the shock of his life when Mr Weasley poked his head through the curtains.
"Hello Harry, shouldn't you be in bed," he whispered, sitting down in the other seat, cup of tea in his hand.
"Yes Mr Weasley, but I had a dream about Ginny so I thought I should come and see her."
Mr Weasley nodded his head. "That's understandable."
"How is she?" Harry asked.
"Not as bad as we thought, but still bad enough not to be able to use magic on her."
Harry was a little confused. Mr Weasley, seeing his expression elaborated.
"You see Harry, some parts of the human body cannot cope with excess amounts of magic; they reject the healing process and sometimes get damaged a little more. The diaphragm is one such part of the body. Too much magical interference and the muscle tears a little more. Bones are particularly hardy and love magical intervention, that's why they heal quickly."
"So it was her diaphragm?" enquired Harry.
"Yes, lucky for her the broom missed her liver and kidneys."
Harry spluttered. "But Ron said."
Mr Weasley chuckled. "You know Ron, always jumping to conclusions. Our Ginny is a tough one. She has had a fair few of her own scrapes and broken bones. She'll pull through, I know she will."
Harry nodded his head. "Well, thank you for reassuring me Mr Weasley."
"No problem."
"All right then. Goodnight Mr Weasley."
Harry left the hospital wing and went back to bed. He slept more soundly than he had in a long, long time.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Awake and dressed, Harry went to visit Ginny in the Hospital Wing. She too, was awake, Mrs Weasley feeding her soup from her bedside.
"Mum, please, I can feed myself. Harry!" cried Ginny a little desperately.
Harry flashed her a smile. "Hey Gin, how are you feeling?"
Ginny grimaced. "Like I have a tone of bricks on my chest. Mum, please!"
"I only want you to get your strength up sweetie, " Mrs Weasley sighed resignedly, putting the soup the down. "Well then, I leave you two to talk while I speak to Dumbledore."
"About what?" Asked Ginny.
"The Malfoy boy of course." And Mrs Weasley left.
"What do you think will happen Malfoy?" Asked Ginny.
"I don't know, hopefully expulsion," he said fiercely.
"Harry! What has got into you?"
He stood up and started to pace. "I don't know. I just don't like the how Malfoy treats you, it's disgusting."
Ginny looked down at her hands. "Ron came to see me this morning. He told me how you beat up Malfoy for me."
"Of course I was going to beat up Malfoy. Look what he's done to you. Your lying injured in the Hospital Wing while he's nursing two black eyes and a sore stomach. It's not a totally fair trade, but a trade none the less."
Ginny giggled, but winced in pain. She breathed slowly for a moment. She looked up into his eyes and gave him a weak smile.
Lost in those warm chocolate eyes, Harry walked over to Ginny's side. "Ginny, there's something I want to tell you."
"Yes."
"I-"
The hospital wing door opened as Mr and Mrs Weasley, Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and Draco came in.
"Miss Weasley, Draco here has something to tell you," said Dumbledore.
Draco looked at the Professor with his swollen face. Dumbledore nodded.
"I'm sorry Ginny, for hitting you in the stomach. It was an unfortunate accident and I apologise." Draco actually said it with sincerity.
Before Ginny could open her mouth however, Harry jumped forward.
"Apology not accepted. Do you know how much pain you've caused her?!"
"Harry-"
"Or how long she'll miss school and Quidditch practice because of you."
"Harry! That is quite enough. You already have detentions, don't make me suspend you like Master Malfoy here," said Dumbledore sternly.
Harry went to leave the hospital wing but turned before he exited. "I'd watch your back Malfoy," said Harry coldly.
* * * * * * * *
Harry was back at school after spending the last few days in detentions. McGonagall had him working hard, cleaning out spare classrooms and putting the desks in the right positions.
He visited Ginny in the spare time that he had, but couldn't seem to find the words to tell her he liked her.
However, as the weeks were counting down to Christmas, so were the days to the Yule ball. The list went up just before the list to go home went up. There were no older students names on the list to go home.
Also I that week, Ginny was released for the hospital wing. She was sitting in a seat by the fire when Harry got back from Quidditch practice.
"Ginny you're back! I'm so happy!"
She turned around and smiled at him. "You're happy? I'm happy! Do you know how good it is to get out of that place? It's like heaven on earth here."
Harry laughed. He sat down opposite her in the matching chair. "So did you here about the Yule Ball?" Asked Harry.
"Yes, Hermione told me, but I probably won't be able to go. Madame Pomfrey will say it's too strenuous."
Harry looked disappointed. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to go by myself."
"Harry? Were you going to ask me?" Said Ginny, a little surprised.
"Well of course, you're my friend aren't you?" Harry exclaimed.
"Oh yes, of course," said Ginny, her eyes down.
Harry stared longingly at Ginny. "I wish we were more than friends though," thought Harry. "Well I'd better go take a shower, then probably bed, I'm knackered. Goodnight Ginny, don't stay up too late."
"I won't Harry, sweet dreams."
And Harry walked all the way to the showers kicking himself.
He raced through the graveyard, heart pounding. The gravestones were all marked "Ginny Weasley." Harry reached the open grave, but it was too late. Ginny was already in it, read hair covering her face.
"Ginny," whispered Harry in disbelief.
"I did it Potter, I did it. I killed her, my master will be pleased."
Harry turned around. "Malfoy!" He said with disgust.
"Yes it's me and you'll be joining her next Potter and soon."
Harry saw a flash of green light and he down next to Ginny.
Harry sat bolt upright, scar throbbing. He quickly got dressed then ran to the hospital Wing. It was 4 in the morning, but Harry didn't care if he got caught out of bed. He just needed to see Ginny.
He slipped inside the hospital wing. Curtains were drawn around one bed. Peeking inside, he saw Ginny lying there peacefully, her auburn curls fallen about her face.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, and then got the shock of his life when Mr Weasley poked his head through the curtains.
"Hello Harry, shouldn't you be in bed," he whispered, sitting down in the other seat, cup of tea in his hand.
"Yes Mr Weasley, but I had a dream about Ginny so I thought I should come and see her."
Mr Weasley nodded his head. "That's understandable."
"How is she?" Harry asked.
"Not as bad as we thought, but still bad enough not to be able to use magic on her."
Harry was a little confused. Mr Weasley, seeing his expression elaborated.
"You see Harry, some parts of the human body cannot cope with excess amounts of magic; they reject the healing process and sometimes get damaged a little more. The diaphragm is one such part of the body. Too much magical interference and the muscle tears a little more. Bones are particularly hardy and love magical intervention, that's why they heal quickly."
"So it was her diaphragm?" enquired Harry.
"Yes, lucky for her the broom missed her liver and kidneys."
Harry spluttered. "But Ron said."
Mr Weasley chuckled. "You know Ron, always jumping to conclusions. Our Ginny is a tough one. She has had a fair few of her own scrapes and broken bones. She'll pull through, I know she will."
Harry nodded his head. "Well, thank you for reassuring me Mr Weasley."
"No problem."
"All right then. Goodnight Mr Weasley."
Harry left the hospital wing and went back to bed. He slept more soundly than he had in a long, long time.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Awake and dressed, Harry went to visit Ginny in the Hospital Wing. She too, was awake, Mrs Weasley feeding her soup from her bedside.
"Mum, please, I can feed myself. Harry!" cried Ginny a little desperately.
Harry flashed her a smile. "Hey Gin, how are you feeling?"
Ginny grimaced. "Like I have a tone of bricks on my chest. Mum, please!"
"I only want you to get your strength up sweetie, " Mrs Weasley sighed resignedly, putting the soup the down. "Well then, I leave you two to talk while I speak to Dumbledore."
"About what?" Asked Ginny.
"The Malfoy boy of course." And Mrs Weasley left.
"What do you think will happen Malfoy?" Asked Ginny.
"I don't know, hopefully expulsion," he said fiercely.
"Harry! What has got into you?"
He stood up and started to pace. "I don't know. I just don't like the how Malfoy treats you, it's disgusting."
Ginny looked down at her hands. "Ron came to see me this morning. He told me how you beat up Malfoy for me."
"Of course I was going to beat up Malfoy. Look what he's done to you. Your lying injured in the Hospital Wing while he's nursing two black eyes and a sore stomach. It's not a totally fair trade, but a trade none the less."
Ginny giggled, but winced in pain. She breathed slowly for a moment. She looked up into his eyes and gave him a weak smile.
Lost in those warm chocolate eyes, Harry walked over to Ginny's side. "Ginny, there's something I want to tell you."
"Yes."
"I-"
The hospital wing door opened as Mr and Mrs Weasley, Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy and Draco came in.
"Miss Weasley, Draco here has something to tell you," said Dumbledore.
Draco looked at the Professor with his swollen face. Dumbledore nodded.
"I'm sorry Ginny, for hitting you in the stomach. It was an unfortunate accident and I apologise." Draco actually said it with sincerity.
Before Ginny could open her mouth however, Harry jumped forward.
"Apology not accepted. Do you know how much pain you've caused her?!"
"Harry-"
"Or how long she'll miss school and Quidditch practice because of you."
"Harry! That is quite enough. You already have detentions, don't make me suspend you like Master Malfoy here," said Dumbledore sternly.
Harry went to leave the hospital wing but turned before he exited. "I'd watch your back Malfoy," said Harry coldly.
* * * * * * * *
Harry was back at school after spending the last few days in detentions. McGonagall had him working hard, cleaning out spare classrooms and putting the desks in the right positions.
He visited Ginny in the spare time that he had, but couldn't seem to find the words to tell her he liked her.
However, as the weeks were counting down to Christmas, so were the days to the Yule ball. The list went up just before the list to go home went up. There were no older students names on the list to go home.
Also I that week, Ginny was released for the hospital wing. She was sitting in a seat by the fire when Harry got back from Quidditch practice.
"Ginny you're back! I'm so happy!"
She turned around and smiled at him. "You're happy? I'm happy! Do you know how good it is to get out of that place? It's like heaven on earth here."
Harry laughed. He sat down opposite her in the matching chair. "So did you here about the Yule Ball?" Asked Harry.
"Yes, Hermione told me, but I probably won't be able to go. Madame Pomfrey will say it's too strenuous."
Harry looked disappointed. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to go by myself."
"Harry? Were you going to ask me?" Said Ginny, a little surprised.
"Well of course, you're my friend aren't you?" Harry exclaimed.
"Oh yes, of course," said Ginny, her eyes down.
Harry stared longingly at Ginny. "I wish we were more than friends though," thought Harry. "Well I'd better go take a shower, then probably bed, I'm knackered. Goodnight Ginny, don't stay up too late."
"I won't Harry, sweet dreams."
And Harry walked all the way to the showers kicking himself.
