Chapter 17: Collision

The Girl All The Bad Guys Want

Author's Note: I really enjoyed reading all the reviews that you left me! They really help me out! Anyways, there is quite a bit of sadness right now and obviously, since it is a Draco/Ginny story, they will be together but it's not going to happen right away because as I'm sure that you've all noticed, this is not a fairytale. Even once things get fixed, everything will not be perfect right away. It's just a warning!! Anyways, please continue to read and leave me reviews!!

Enjoy yourselves!

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Ginny never would have thought that Colin would actually physically abuse her, but it began with the slap across the face the night of the dance and it didn't stop. Ginny wanted more than anything to end it.

She began wearing sweatshirts and jeans all the time. The redhead's arms, back and stomach began to look like one big bruise. She still hadn't eaten and looked deathly skinny. Not only that but she began to cut herself up. Not all the time though, Colin triggered it.

Little did she know there were five very worried people below her in the common room.

* * *

"You guys, there is something really wrong with Ginny. She is always up at night and I don't remember the last time I witnessed her eating a meal." Chloe told Harry, Hermione, Ron and Lavender.

"No kidding, plus she always wears things that hide her entire body." Lavender pointed out.

"Hey! There nothing wrong with that!" Ron shouted defensively.

"There is if she's hiding something." Harry pointed out to Ron.

"But what's she hiding?" Hermione questioned. "It can't be a hickey, because her neck is unblemished. That's nearly the only thing [I]not[I] hidden."

"She can't be pregnant because she's [I]losing[I] weight rather than gaining it." Chloe reasoned.

"I wander what's going on then." Ron asked puzzled. If it was none of those things then what was left? Surely she would have come to him if it were too serious.

"I'll talk to her about." Chloe said finally.

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, no one wanted to be the one to provoke the redheaded anger.

* * *

Draco was growing worried about Ginny. Not too worried but he hadn't seen her at a meal in over a week. Oh well. At the moment he had other things on his mind. He was late for Transfiguration and McGonagall would not be very happy with him.

Draco was rushing through the hallways, not watching where he was going at all when he collided with something - or someone rather.

He grabbed the person's elbows to steady them and he realized that the elbows he was grasping were skeletal, nothing that he wanted to touch. He was about to make a snide remark when his eyes traveled up to the person's face.

He found a very gaunt Virginia Weasley staring back at him. He was shocked at the resemblance she held toward a skeleton. She was bony and fatigued. He also noticed that she was wearing some huge disgusting sweatshirt and some baggy jeans.

"Well Weasel, I see your tastes have as good as diminished. What happened? Father get demoted or is that even possible, as low as he is already?" Draco sneered.

Ginny looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"Like you'd care Draco." She said softly.

She still used his first name and it still brought shivers down his spine.

"You better watch where you're going from now on. Or your family will have to buy you glass and I am most certain you cannot afford that. Unless you got some crappy ones like Pothead's." He smirked infamously.

At this Draco squeezed her arms lightly, surprised by the look of pain that crossed her face.

"What's wrong?' He asked dropping the façade but still in a demanding tone.

"Nothing, just tender." She replied as he pushed back her sleeves to reveal her cut up and bruised arms.

"Then what's this?" He asked, referring to her cuts and bruises.

"You of all people should know how clumsy I am. I've been running into a lot of things lately, yeah." She said, avoiding eye contact.

"I see," Draco said disbelieving, "So have you been eating lately?"

"That is none of your business. For somebody who never wanted to see me again you sure seem concerned with my well-being." Ginny retorted. Draco should never know about what she was going through right now.

"You're right. I should ever care about you again. Frankly I wouldn't care if you dropped dead." He said icily and sarcastically, stalking away from her. He decided this was serious, if she wasn't eating she really could drop dead and he really didn't want that to happen. He ran to Transfiguration and made up some lame excuse about Snape wanting to talk to him.

As he got settled into transfiguring his saucer into a clock, he saw Thomas.

He remembered that Dean had been taking pictures of every couple that came into the dance that night. It dawned on him he had zero clue about who Ginny had come with. Who [I]was[I] the guy she had dumped him for.?

"Thomas, could I see the pictures from the dance the other night?" Draco half asked, half demanded.

"Uh, I guess but don't get fingerprints on then Malferret." Dean threatened, handing him the large stack of photographs.

Draco flipped through them quickly, knowing which one he was looking for. He was looking for Ginny's firstly and fore-mostly.

"Oh crap! Dean shouted, receiving a very severe look from McGonagall. "Malfoy, give 'em back, there's one in there that I'm not supposed to show anyone." He said frantically.

But it was too late - Draco was staring at the picture.

Creevy?

* * *

"[B]Frankly, I wouldn't care if you dropped dead."[B]

Those words echoed through Ginny's head all day long. He really didn't care if she lived or died. And she didn't either. She knew she was starting to dwindle away. She was always really weak and very tired.

There was something wrong with her. She knew that much, but she really didn't care right now because she was supposed to be meeting Chloe outside the Herbology greenhouse number 5.

* * *

As much as Draco "hated" Ginny right now, he knew something was very wrong and someone, besides him, needed to know.

Sure, she'd broken his heart, but if she was in danger, something should be done right? He'd just have to pick up the pieces and put it back together again.

He was beginning to wander more and more if he was really a Malfoy after all.

Draco did one of the most uncharacteristic things, aside from dating Ginny, he'd ever done just then and walked up to the Gryffindor Tower. He planned on waiting for someone like Longbottom to come along so he could threaten the password right out of them but he found that there was someone already there.

He recognized her as Chloe Lynch. He'd seen her hang around with the little Weasley often and decided that he would talk to her about Ginny.

"Uh, wait. We need to talk." He managed.

Chloe spun around and glared icily at him.

"Buzz off Malfoy." She snapped.

"Can't."

"I'm sure you can." She said, folding her arms in front of her.

"I have some information you might be interested in."

"What could [I]you[I] possibly know that I'd be interested in knowing?" She smirked.

"About the Weaslette."

"Ginny?" the blonde asked wide-eyed.

"Yes, unless of course, you'd rather not know." Draco replied turning away.

"No, no of course I want to know. Come inside. On one's in the common room." Chloe gestured, forgetting all about her and Ginny's meeting.

Draco followed her into the common noting that it looked similar to the Slytherin one, only cozier.

"We've been really worried about Gin lately, she's been acting so strange and she's losing a lot of weight." Chloe sad solemnly taking an armchair and motioning for Draco to take the one across from her.

"I think I know why." Draco said cautiously taking a seat.

"Why then?" Chloe asked doubting very much that Draco Malfoy could possibly know more about Ginny than she did.

"Creevy." He said simply.

"Colin? But they're so happy together." Chloe said unconvinced.

"On the outside maybe but on the train ride here I walked in on him sort of forcing himself on her. And she wasn't quite as happy then. She absolutely fears him, I'm pretty sure of it." Draco said.

"Then why would she date him?" Chloe asked.

"Maybe she didn't have a choice. That's all I know. I don't understand why else she would br - " Draco stopped suddenly realizing what he was about to say.

"Why else she would do what?" Chloe questioned.

"Nothing."

"No - you started to say 'break'!" Chloe said, a devious smile spreading across her face.

"I said no such thing." Draco said, beginning to blush. "Anyhow - I've said what I came to say and I think it's time I should go. Just talk to her about it and don't tell her that it was me who told you this." Draco said clearing his throat and walking out. At least he'd done is good deed for the day.

* * *

When Ginny walked in the Gryffindor Tower, she was very ticked that Chloe had "stood her up" and she wanted nothing more than to just go straight to bed but was met at the door by Harry, Hermione, Ron, Lavender and Chloe. Chloe was holding a plate of food.

"Hey, Gin, mind if we have a little talk?" Tock asked, guiding his sister to the couch in front of the fire.

"Chloe has some things she'd like to say to you." Harry told her, receiving the death glare from Chloe.

Chloe stepped forward and sat down next to Ginny.

"First of all, we got you some dinner." She said, hopefully.

"Not hungry." Ginny said pushing it away.

"That's what we need to talk about. We've decided to take you to Madame Pomfrey. It's not healthy to skip so many meals." Chloe said, getting nods of agreement from the rest.

"You can't do that!" Ginny screamed, jumping up.

But they could, seeing that as soon as Ginny stood up in protest, she passed out.

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There you go! Please don't hate me for the cliffy that I put in there. The next chapter will be up very soon but until then please review for me!