Disclaimer: See chapter 1, and the song belongs to Nickelback.
A/N: Sorry this took so long. I've had it written for a month, but I lost my notebook about 3 ½ weeks ago (I had left it at my friends house, where I was having her edit it). I just found it this morning. Anyway, here's the next chapter.
Life's Troubles Chapter 3: Problems With Harry
"Ginny?" questioned a concerned voice from outside the locked dormitory door. When no answer came the voice knocked and asked, "Ginny? Are you in there?" slightly louder. Exasperated, the speaker knocked again, louder, and declared, "Ginny I know you're in there. Open the door." When the voice was rewarded with even more silence, the person drew their wand and said, "Fine. Alohamora." And pushed open the door, strode inside and over to the only four-poster bed with its curtains drawn, which the voice's owner knew belonged to Ginny. Pulling back the curtains the voice's owner say Ginny sitting up on the bed, staring into space. Sitting down next to her, the voice's owner placed a hand on her shoulder. Still receiving no response the person snapped their fingers in front of Ginny's face. Ginny snapped her head over toward the intruding person, and then went back to staring into space. "Ginny are you alright?"
Turning her attention back to her guest, she softly spoke, "Go away Hermione."
"Ginny please tell me what's wrong," said Hermione.
"Hermione NOTHING is wrong! Now please leave me alone." Begged Ginny with pleading eyes.
"You can't tell me that. I know when something is wrong. Does it have something to do with Harry?"
"WHAT!?" Ginny nearly yelled from surprise, and then lowering her tone, "No, of course not Hermione It has nothing to do with HIM."
"See Ginny? You just admitted something was wrong." Hermione stated, narrowing her eyes with suspicion at her tone and sudden denial.
"I hate you." Ginny mildly replied with humor. "Don't worry yourself over it Hermione. It's nothing, really. It's nothing for you to get involved with, even if you are a prefect. Trust me, please. I can handle him." Replied Ginny with a solemn expression.
"Him? Ginny, tell me what's wrong. It does have something to do with Harry and don't deny it. I could tell just by the reactions at lunch earlier," replied Hermione, her eyes glistening with concern.
"Aright! Harry is my problem ok!? Are you happy I finally said it?!" shouted Ginny, her face turning red form anger as she faced Hermione. "He's been my problem since August ok?"
Concern evident in her voice Hermione asked, "Ginny what did he do? Actually, what is he doing? If he's hurting you Ginny you must tell me. I'll turn him into Professor McGonagall if he wont talk to me about it. He's not hurting you, is he?"
"Hermione please!" pleaded Ginny, tears spilling form her eyes.
"Tell me Gin."
"I can't Hermione. Please understand. I'll tell you if anything bad happens ok?"
Though reluctant, Hermione responded, "Well if you're sure, then alright."
"Thanks Hermione, you're the best." Replied Ginny, throwing her arms around the older girl in a hug. "And yes, 'm sure. Do you want to go to the library with me? I have some herbology work to finish and we can work together."
"I'd love to Ginny." Replied Hermione, standing up, then suddenly remembering something she groaned and replied, "But I can't Gin. I have detention with Professor Snape tonight in about an hour. But I suppose I can for about 45 minutes, then I'll just have to run to the dungeons. Lets go."
"Ok, let me get my book." Replied Ginny, then jumped up and grabbed her book from her trunk.
As they were walking out of the common room Hermione leaned in close to Ginny and whispered so nobody else could hear, "Don't tell Ron or Harry, but whenever those two aren't around Snape is pretty much indifferent toward me. He's actually tolerable."
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"Drakie!" came the screech of Pansy Parkinson, as she entered the Slytherin common room. She spotted Draco sitting on one of the many couches, playing wizards chess with Blaise. (A/N: For those of you who want to know, Blaise is supposed to be a male name, so Blaise is male in this story.)
Seemingly ignoring her, as had become routine, Draco said, "Knight to F6," succeeding in capturing Blaise's bishop.
"Drakie-poo!" wined Pansy again as she deposited herself in his lap. "Aren't you going to say hi to me? After all I am you girlfriend. And what were you doing with Weaselette earlier?"
Pulling an appalled look, he said, "Hello Pansy. Let me make this clear. You never have, nor will you ever be my girlfriend. Weasel has a better chance than you ever will. As for Weaselette I don't believe that's any of you business. Now sod off and get you fucking fat arse off of me," clarified Draco, giving her a hard shove and causing her to land roughly on her rump on the cold, hard, dungeon floor.
"Draco Alexander Malfoy!" shrieked Pansy's high-pitched voice, "That hurt you prick! Is that any way to treat a lady!?"
Laughing bitterly he replied, "You're the farthest thing form a lady I've ever seen. If you're anything it defiantly has to be the school slut. No, wait that's Millicent. You have to be the whore."
"You can't speak to me like this! Wait until your father hears about this! You're going to be in so much trouble!"
"Pansy, haven't you heard? Our fathers are no longer on good terms. You see, you father botched up a mission. Now Lucius no longer demands I be nice to you. Queen to C4. Checkmate. Now, if you would kindly go and bother somebody else, I'm going to go start my rounds, just to get away from you," barked Draco, storming out of the common room.
The last thing her heard before making it out of the room was Blaise saying, "How'd he do that? I never saw that move."
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Ginny and Hermione sat in a secluded section of the library where they were nearly surrounded on all sides by books, and the noise being made by the others in the library was being drowned out. After working in silence for nearly half and hour, Ginny let out a frustrated growl and threw down a quill declaring, "Why does Professor Sprout make homework so difficult? I swear I'll never get enough information for her five-foot essay on the properties of gillyweed. All there is to know is that it allows you to breath underwater. End discussion."
Looking up from the potions book she was reading through for information on the properties of dragons blood in an invisibility potion she said, "Actually Ginny, there are more uses for it than that. I think Neville has a book with information on it, but I can't remember what it was called. Maybe you should ask him." Seeing Colin heading in their direction, she called out to him, "Colin! Colin come here!"
"Hey Hermione, Ginny. What are you two working on? And where were you all afternoon Ginny?"
Ginny sighed and turned back to her essay saying, "I'm working on that damn essay Sprout assigned us this morning. I don't see how she expects us to write five feet on the properties of gillyweed. And I wasn't feeling well earlier. That's why you didn't see me earlier."
"Neville lent me a book earlier to help me with that. If you want, we can work on it now, together if you want. That is if you aren't too busy at the moment."
"You're a life saver Colin. Hey, what time is it anyway? It feels like I've been here my whole life."
Setting his things down and pulling out Neville's book, along with his herbology things, he replied, "It's ten after seven."
Hermione's head shot up for a second time that night and she frighteningly questioned, "Ten after seven?"
"Yeah, why? They didn't change curfew did they?" Colin asked curiously.
Jumping up out of her chair, Hermione began frantically stuffing her potions work and books into her bag while muttering loudly to herself, "I'm late, I'm late!"
"For a very important date?" supplied Colin, knowing full well that Hermione had yet to ever date, but feeling like adding a little humor to the situation; although he was only rewarded with a death glare from Hermione and a few giggles from Ginny for his hard work. Hermione threw her bag over her shoulder and bolted out of the library. "What did I say?" questioned Colin to Ginny.
" 'A very important date'? Seriously Colin. Considering why she ran out of here and for where, I highly doubt that would EVER happen."
"Well where did she go?" asked Colin, sitting in Hermione's vacated chair.
"She's heading for the dungeons. She had detention with Snape today at 7:00 for helping Neville with his potion today," answered Ginny leaning back in her chair.
"Snape? No wonder she glared at me. I would have glared at me too. Although I wish I could have seen Snape's reaction if he had heard me."
Debating on whether or not to tell him, Ginny decided to say, "Hermione made me promise not to tell Harry or Ron, but she never said anything about you. Apparently when Harry and Ron aren't around Snape is actually nice to her. Well, as nice as Snape can be anyway."
"You're joking! Snape isn't even civil with the other professors except Dumbledore." Replied Colin, thoroughly shocked.
"No, I'm serious. I was just as surprise as you."
"Who would have thought? Snape fancies Hermione. Well maybe not fancy, but it does seem that he des have a soft spot for our 'know-it-all Gryffindor'."
"Well, lets start on that herbology essay. I'd rather not discuss Snape's love life, even if it does concern Hermione."
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"Good practice everyone!" Harry shouted across the quidditch pitch to the rest of the players. "Lets head in. Remember, the next practice is Saturday morning from five till nine. Be ready." Descending with the rest of the team, Harry waited for Ron, who was collecting the balls from factice. When he had them back in the case the two followed the rest of the team into the locker rooms and Harry left Ron to start changing while he took the balls back to Madame Hooch's office. Returning shortly Harry noticed Ron was lost in though and not paying attention to what he was doing. "Something bothering you Ron?"
Snapping out of his thoughts Ron replied, "What makes you think that Harry?"
"You putting your shirt on backwards and inside out. That's what makes me think that."
"Oh, right," replied Ron, pulling his shirt back over his head and fixing it. "It's just… I don't know Harry. I guess I'm just worried about Ginny. Colin said he didn't see at all after she left the Great Hall. You're her boyfriend Harry. DO you have any idea what her problem is?"
"I'm sure she's fine Ron. But I'll go find her and ask her alright?" replied Harry smoothly, pulling on his sneakers.
"Yeah. Thanks Harry. I'm sure she'll tell you, as I think it was more than just her run in with ferret boy earlier. I wonder if he'd be a ferret as an animagus?" answered Ron.
Laughing Harry replied, "He probably would be. I'll talk to you later Ron. I'm gonna go find Ginny," replied Harry, walking out of the locker room with Ron.
"Yeah ok. I told Luna I would meet her in front of the Ravenclaw common room after our practice," replied Ron and they both split ways in the entrance hall. As Harry walked toward the common room, where he told himself Ginny was SUPPOSED to be, he couldn't help but think about what Ron just said to him. 'I cant let him figure out anymore than he already seems to know. But it's not Ron I'm worried about. It's Hermione. I really can't believe she and Neville continued to take potions!' Harry thought to himself.
Reaching the portrait of the fat lady Harry gave her the password, "Faerie dust." And entered the common room. Upon looking for her amongst the other student he felt the rage boiling inside after ten minutes and he realized she wasn't where she was SUPPOSED to be. Spotting Marissa, one of Ginny's' friend and one of his conquests sitting with her boyfriend, he walked over to her and said, "Hey Marissa. Have you seen Ginny?"
Smiling seductively up at him, she replied, "Yeah. About an hour and a half ago she left the common room. If you looking for her your best bet to find her would probably be to look in the library because she was with Granger when she left."
"Thanks Marissa. I'll remember your help later." He replied, heading toward the fat ladies portrait.
Understanding what he meant, she replied so he could hear her but not to make her boyfriend suspicious, replied, "Of course Harry. Anytime."
Harry was seething as he headed toward the library. 'That little bitch, I told her to stay in the common room! She's gonna get it tonight. Especially after I herd the teals of her run in with Malfoy.' Walking into the library Harry headed toward the back of the library where he know Hermione usually studied, but when he got there he felt his rage boil over even more at the sight that lay before him. Colin was standing behind the chair Ginny was sitting on, his left arm sling over her and his right hand resting on the table while his head was down next to hers while talking to her. Not bothering to see what was really happening, Harry stormed out of the library and headed toward the owlry. Climbing the starts and finding Hedwig, Harry pulled out a spare piece of parchment and scribbled a note and tied it to Hedwig's leg saying, "Give this to Ginny when she goes into her dorm." After Hedwig flew off Harry headed back to the common room and to his dormitory, all the while thinking of ways he could educate Ginny.
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"Finally," declared Ginny, slamming shut her herbology book and throwing it in her bag. "You don't know how much I appreciate you help Colin. I probably would have ended up begging Hermione for the answer. I probably should see how her detention went. For that matter we both should be getting back. We have ten minutes before curfew and then the prefects and teachers will be making their rounds."
"Don't worry about it Gin. You really should be thanking Neville. And you right. It is almost ten. Lets hurry back get back, then you can see how Hermione made out with lover boy." Seeing Ginny glare at him he added, "I'm sorry but it's hard to think of Snape being nice to anybody except the Slytherins." After reaching the common room they saw it was deserted, probably because of the quidditch match tomorrow (11:00 am). Saying their good nights Ginny headed up to her dormitory, finding Hermione sitting on her bed, her dorm mates getting ready for bed.
"Hey Hermione," said Ginny, walking over to where her bed was and sat down next to Hermione.
"Hey Ginny. I want to talk to you but lets go to my dormitory. Lavender and Parvati are 'staying' somewhere else tonight, so you can stay with me if you want."
"Sure." Ginny replied. Hearing taping on the glass of the window, Ginny looked over and say Hedwig with a note tied to her leg. "You go on ahead and I'll be there in a moment." Ginny told her, to which Hermione headed out the door. Taking the note and giving Hedwig a treat, Ginny sent her back to the owlry and grabbed what she would need to stay in Hermione's dorm, then headed there. Upon arriving she saw Hermione changed into her pajamas reading a book. Setting her stuff down on the bed she usually slept in, she grabbed her nightclothes and headed to the bathroom to change. After coming back out Ginny asked, "So how was you detention?"
Forgetting what she was going to ask Hermione replied, "It went just fine. It shocked me when Professor Snape didn't say anything to me about being late. All he said was to get started on making a batch of de-swelling potion for Madam Pompfrey while he graded homework. I think I sort of enjoyed detention for once. Maybe I should get it more often. Anyway what did Harry want in that note and did you get your essay done or will I be telling you the answers?"
"You know maybe Colin was right," responded Ginny and seeing Hermione's questioning gaze, quickly said, "It's nothing. Never mind. Now to answer you questions. One, I don't know I haven't read the note. Two, Yes I got the essay done. And three, no you don't need to give me the answers."
"I see. Well read Harry's note; it may be important."
"Alright, alright. Don't get you knickers in a twist Herm," replied Ginny, scanning the note.
When Hermione saw Ginny pale, she immediately asked, "What is it Gin?"
"Harry wants me to meet him in the common room at 10:45, and judging by the note he's angry about something."
Standing up, Hermione walked over to Ginny and took her by the shoulders. "Look at me Ginny. I know you wont want me to go down there with you because I'm not exactly sure what your problem is with Harry anyway, but please, BE CAREFUL. I know all to well what Harry's temper is like. Do whatever you can to keep him from becoming irked, ok?"
"I will Hermione. I should head down now. Don't wait up for me."
"Ok. See you tomorrow Gin," Hermione responded, crawling into bed and putting the candles out after seeing Ginny nod and close the door. 'I hope she knows what she's doing.'
Walking downstairs, Ginny sat inform of the fire for ten minutes before seeing, rather hearing Harry come down the starts. As she stood, she asked him, "What did you want to see me this late for?"
~He's drunk again, it's time to fight~
Stomping over to where she was standing, Harry grabbed a hand full of her hair, pulling her toward him saying, "You little bitch don't you ever learn? Time and time again I warn you!" he hissed out throwing her hard toward the mantel of the fireplace, smiling inwardly when he heard her gasp in pain.
~She must have done something wrong tonight~
"Harry stop! I didn't do anything. Please! Tell me what I did wrong!"
"Oh I don't know Ginny. How about when I told you to stay in the common room?" he said, roughly grabbing her by the shoulders.
"You never said that Harry." Ginny tired to reason with him.
Shoving her against the wall roughly and hearing her head crack against the stonewall, he grabbed her by the hair again and hissed out, "You I did you fucking bitch. I know hat I say. What else have you done you want to know? How about grouping Malfoy in the middle of the hallway this afternoon huh?!"
~The living room becomes a boxing ring~
Still trying to reason, Ginny said, "Malfoy threw himself a-" but was cut off by a scream of pain as Harry wrapped his fist tighter in her hair and threw her down roughly by the hair, rejoicing in the sound of her body hitting the floor.
"Bullshit! You were groping him and you know it!"
~Its time to run when you see him~
~Clenching his hands~
"And what about you and Colin in the library? How do you explain that?!"
"He was helping me with my e-" but was cut off again with another yell of pain as Harry kicked her in the stomach, upon which she began to crawl backwards away from him, heading toward the portrait hole.
"Like hell he was. All he was helping you with was getting a shag. You were all over each other, I saw it with my won eyes!" yelled Harry pulling Ginny back to her feet and he began to pummel her with his fists and after knocking her down again said, "You're starting to rival with Parkinson for the role of schools whore. You'll sleep with anything that has a dick."
"Harry please stop! You don't know what your doing!" Ginny shouted, in attempt to make him stop.
Ignoring her, he delivered a sharp kick to her spine and tailbone, and pulled her back up, this time pummeling her midsection until he herd the satisfying crunch of a few of her ribs breaking and shoved her back onto the floor, five feet from the portrait hole, savoring her cries of pain. "Don't worry about anybody finding out because I placed a silencing spell on the dorms."
~She's just a woman~
~Never again~
Gathering what strength she had left, with tears streaming down her face, Ginny pushed the pain aside, quickly stood and stumbled out of the common room before Harry hid more damage then he already had and headed toward her safe haven as quickly as possible. The lake.
Back in the common room Harry used his want to clean the blood off his hands. "Let the slut go. I have more important things to do," he muttered. As he walked out of the common room he said out loud to himself, "Time to go to the Astronomy tower and give Marissa her well earned reward," and pulled on his invisibility cloak as he rounded the corner.
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Hey guys. I felt I should wire and longer chapter and I did. BTW, the rest of the lyrics to Nickelback's "Never Again" will be in later chapters, as I'm using it for the basis of this story. The next chapter will be entirely D/G interaction for all you who like it. I know Harry's VERY OOC, but it's important to the story. If he weren't this story wouldn't exist. Also, school starts Monday, so the next chapter may be a while.