Abandon
Ginny Weasley looked around her surroundings, frowning immensely. She was stuck between two rather massive people, and was trying to peer over their overly-large heads. It was a difficult process; as someone had just pushed her from the back, where she toppled into someone else. Grumbling, she brushed herself as she let go of the person's arms.
"Sorry," she mumbled. "Someone pushed me." She tried a smile, pushing wisps of her red hair into the back of her ears, then looked up. Her heart leaped. Her mind was numb. Her legs and arms were completely paralyzed and frozen. She blinked once more, her smile vanishing.
"Devon," she stuttered. Devon was in black robes, only his brown hair visible. His face was almost hidden by the beaming sunlight. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight of her. His nose twitched.
"Hello, Ginny," he greeted with a sadistic smile. "How is our little princess doing today?" Devon reached up and touched her hair lightly. She cringed, wanting desperately to recoil, but couldn't. She wanted to scream for help; but she couldn't get her lips moving. He brushed his forehead against hers, and it was only too soon that she realized he had his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. "Stop," she whispered. "Or I'll scream."
He laughed. "You will scream, Ginny, I love when you scream."
"You son of a bitch," she murmured. "Let me go. I swear to God I am going to scream."
"Go ahead," Devon said, waving his hand dismissively. Ginny tried to release herself from him, but he had far too much of a tight grip.
"Someone help me!" she yelled. "Someone, please!" Ginny felt her knees buckle underneath her. Nobody even gave her a glance. The crowd around her seemed to be frozen. The air seemed to be, as well. Everyone's expressions were imprinted on their faces, not moving. They were all stone.
She looked back at Devon. "What..."
He smiled, and took his wand out of his robes.
"No...stop, stop it," she said, struggling against him. He grabbed her wrists, twisting them painfully, a look of fury on his face.
"Stop moving you little bitch! Don't you love me anymore, Ginny? Don't you love me anymore...?" he mocked her...she closed her eyes...wishing for the scene to wash away...wishing for her eyes to wake up to him gone...
And when she opened her eyes, he was.
~*~
"Who is she?" Ron asked, amazed and awestruck at the person before him. Mindy gave him a small wave, one finger twirling dreamily in her hair.
"This is Mindy," Draco introduced. "I've already asked your parents. They say she can spend Christmas with us."
Ron, however, was clearly not hearing a word he was saying. Instead, he grinned, dazed at Mindy, who looked fairly fearful of him.
"Hey, Ron, do you have any - who is this?" Ginny's voice turned from friendly to inspecting in one swift movement of her tone. She had her arms full of white sheets, and she was clearly not happy nor delighted to see a pretty girl standing beside Draco, twirling her hair floridly, with Ron gaping at her at an uncannily manner.
"Hi," Mindy spoke, her voice low and hoarse as she offered a hand. "I am Mindy. You must be Ginny."
Ginny bit her lip, arms still full of laundry, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "And?"
Mindy backed away several inches away from her, her face pale. "And...nothing, I guess," she mumbled.
She smiled at Mindy, blinking innocently. "So, are you the new house elf my mother hired?"
Ron's gaze slowly went from Mindy and fixated on Ginny. "Ginny!" he sputtered, his eyes wide.
"Draco, can I speak to you please?" Ginny asked sweetly, ignoring Ron, who was protesting wordlessly.
"Err...actually, I was going to show - OW HOLY MOTHER OF SHIT!" Draco cried, his hands around his injured foot, where Ginny had severely cracked him with hers.
She eyed him narrowly. He grumbled under his breath as he limped beside her.
~*~
"What were you thinking?" Ginny hollered in a shrill voice, all bed sheets on the floor of her bedroom. Her hair was waving back and forth as she talked, her hands on her hips, utmost fury unleashing upon her face.
"Ginny! It's not what you think," Draco stammered. "I met Mindy in Deja Vu..."
"Deja Vu?" she said, her voice lower, but still flowing with loathing. "Is that a strip joint?"
Draco fought down the laughter down his throat. "No, it's not."
"Then what is it?" she whispered, her arms now folded across her chest, red curls pouring over her face like a veil of auburn, her brown eyes glowering angrily.
"It's a shop."
"A shop?" she repeated. "Well, that's very specific, Draco," she said sarcastically.
"Look, I was just picking up a gift," he protested meekly. 'For you,' he almost added, but pursed his lips.
"Look, it's none of my business anyways who you're dating," she retorted curtly. "But this is my house and..."
"She doesn't have anywhere to go, Gin," Draco answered. "I invited her over for Christmas."
"You what?" Ginny felt a forbidding chill go through her spine.
"Your parents met her - they absolutely love her, they said it's fine..." Draco stammered.
"Oh, really? Did they say she's the daughter they never had?" Her eyes flashed.
"Listen..."
"Just get out of my way, okay," she snapped bitterly. "Go with your little Mindy house-elf and leave me alone."
Draco started to argue, but then his lips moved in a prim, firm line. "Fine," he replied coldly, and walked out, not bothering to close the door behind him.
~*~
"What're you doing with him?" Devon asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Ginny. Ginny furrowed her eyebrows at him.
"I was just talking - he's from school, his name's Colin," she chided, glancing at him fearfully. "He's just my friend, Devon."
"I don't give a damn if he's your friend, Ginny!" Devon shouted. "Why was he touching you?"
"He was barely touching me!" she exclaimed. "He was just patting my shoulder - what the hell is with you? It's Christmas, let's just go home, I've got ..."
"Don't try to distract me..."
"Devon, let me go, let me go, you're hurting me! Stop it!"
Ginny pulled her legs up to her chin, her eyes tightly shut. She could feel the tears pouring, splashing over her cheeks. This always happened, the pang in her chest, the tears, the frustration whenever she thought of him. And to think, she had seen him right in front of her just a few hours ago - it seemed as if she couldn't comprehend the difference between fantasy and reality. When she was with Devon, she was always in a fantasy - convincing herself that he was right for her, that he really loved her, that his overprotective side only came out because he didn't want to see her get hurt. But she was wrong. He only wanted to be the one to hurt her, to take advantage of her, to own her...she belonged to him.
No matter how many times she told herself that she had forgotten him; no matter how many times she tried to cry it all out in one night; no matter how much she talked or dwelled on the memories, drowning herself into it, hoping it would go away if she did, she knew she belonged to him. She opened her eyes, taking a deep, shuddering intake of breath before she pulled off her sweater, looking down at the bare skin of her chest where her garment did not protect her.
There was a severe pain that reached her as she ran her fingers through her neckline, where the burning never stopped. It was a single, heart-shaped mark that lingered on her skin, where Devon had imprinted it with a knife. She thought if she hid it; or concealed it; it would go away.
She remembered the isolation he had put on her; the insomniac isolation he had covered her with in her prison...he would put marks on her, he would kiss her tears away and tell her that it was only him, and that she needn't be afraid...and there she sat sobbing, knowing that this was all because Devon was jealous - he thought of her as property. And yet Devon had cheated her several times - and she had pretended that those moments never existed...and yet those memories stuck in her mind...she was imprisoned by him, she was a trademark...a copyright...
But it never did. The mark never went away, and burned into her flesh like thousands of stinging flames licking at her neckline. She touched it, feeling dazed and dead-prone.
She belonged to him.
And she always would.
~*~
Christmas came at late arrival, it seemed. The days blurred by without any melodrama except Fred and George's boxes being pushed around the Burrow, or Harry and Hermione helping make decorations on the tree, whereas they discovered a mistletoe, and Harry, blushing, had gave her a quick kiss on her forehead, or Mindy coming over the day before to help Mrs. Weasley with the dinner that they would all be eating tomorrow, and even let flustered Ron eat some of the gingerbread cookies, while Mr. Weasley owled Bill and Charlie several times to wish them a Merry Christmas, since they would not be able to make it back home this year. Ginny and Draco were the only ones that were not visible across the many encounters of decorations, caroling, presents and among other things. Ginny stayed in her room, either reading quietly to herself, or sleeping. Draco sat quietly, his eyes poring over the Weasleys and their guests. He suspected that his parents were having a much more expensive, divine Christmas served for them, but the Weasleys were having a cozy, comfortable Christmas, which he had never experienced before.
On Christmas morning, Draco Malfoy was woken up by Ron, who looked particularly disheveled at seeing Draco with only his shorts on.
"Wake up, you evil senile bastard," Ron snarled in an unfriendly tone. He had clearly not forgiven Draco yet for being a useless, evil spoiled brat at Hogwarts. "It's Christmas."
"Really?" drawled Draco sarcastically. "Because I thought the green and scarlet decorations was to make a castle for me, and the tree downstairs was a throne."
"Shut up, will you? You suck. Oy, Harry! It's Christmas, Harry, it's Christmas! Christmas! Remember? CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! Get dressed!" Ron said, his voice changing abruptly from extremely annoyed to excited at one swift range.
Draco rolled his eyes, pulling the covers off of him, and started dressing.
~*~
Ginny Weasley woke up in a more serene, peaceful manner. The first thing she did was look outside; it had started snowing, but only enough to fill an inch or two on the ground; but she opened the window, and felt stinging, cold air unleash itself onto her face. Shivering, she closed it shut.
The door opened, revealing a full-dressed Hermione, who had an old Gryffindor scarf around her neck. "Hey, Gin..."
"Good morning. Merry Christmas," Ginny greeted her, buttoning the top two buttons of her loose, lavendar-colored nightgown.
"Listen, Mindy and your mother are still putting finishing touches on dinner - want to go outside?" Hermione's face was flushed with anticipation.
Ginny shrugged. "Alright....but isn't the snow a little thin to make snow angels?"
Hermione grinned slyly at her, her eyes twinkling. "Who says we're making snow angels? Come on! Get dressed!"
~*~
After a rather enjoyable two-person snowball fight, Ginny and Hermione both crashed into the front door, laughing, both faces flushed from the cold wind, sported in mittens, long overcoats, and scarves.
"Ah, you girls are back." Mrs. Weasley said, smiling warmly at the two girls. "Mindy and I were just setting the table."
"I'll help," Hermione quickly offered, pulling her mittens off, as well as her coat.
"Ginny?" Mindy spoke in a barely audible voice, looking at the girl with a small smile. Mindy was dressed in a green skirt, green boots, and a matching sweater that glittered the words 'Merry Christmas from the Deja Vu,' in silver embroidered letters, which Ginny highly suspected one of the few clothes she owned, as it was ripped in several corners and looked shriveled from many years of being worn.
Ginny hesitated, glancing at Mindy with an apprehensive look. The brunette was awfully pretty, and seemed sincere - and Draco's silent denial that there was anything going in between them didn't seem like a lie.
Why would you care, anyways? About her and Draco dating? said a small, suggestive voice at the back of her mind. Ginny squirmed, feeling unsettled. Why should she care either way? Mindy seemed sweet. And Ginny had no right to be jealous - she had no feelings for Draco...right? The closest they had ever gotten was that one, small, well, lovely kiss. But she could push that out of her way for now.
"I'll help too," Ginny said, smiling back, and tugging off her mittens.
~*~
"I really hope I get the broom I asked for last year," Ron said, excitement visible in his voice. Harry patted Ron's shoulder reassuringly.
Draco rolled his eyes - he was very annoyed by Ron and his childish antics.
"God damnit, Weasley," he found himself saying. "You're twenty - and you're asking for a frigging broom?"
Ron looked deeply insulted by this. "Shut up, bastard. This is a classified Firebolt 2000 we're talking about."
"Whatever. I have higher ones," Draco notified him lazily.
"Yeah?" Ron said in a challenging voice. "Not anymore, eh?", referring to Draco's slight problem of being disowned.
The silver-blonde stopped dead in his tracks. To Ron's surprise, Harry nudged him, giving him a 'look'.
"No, not anymore," Draco said as calmly as possible, and walked past them to the kitchen.
"Why the hell did you do that?" Harry hissed at Ron, who was cowering away, looking vaguely uncomfortable.
"What? He's Malfoy. He'll get over it," the redhead replied desperately. "Why do you care, anyway?" Ron flashed Harry a suspicious look.
Harry stood upright, trying to look dignified. "I don't care." But it seemed very clear that his green eyes were saying differently.
~*~
Dinner was the important occasion. Mrs. Weasley occupied herself in asking Mindy questions about the store she owned, Mr. Weasley talked energetically about his work to Fred and George, who were not paying attention, but talking in whispers about the great move that would occur the next morning, Harry and Hermione avoided each other at all costs; blushing to the tips of her ears. Ron stuffed his mouth with food as usual, and Draco and Ginny sat next to each other, each silent. Mrs. and Mr. Granger were talking in murmurs, at the end of the table.
"Draco was my first customer, you see...nobody really comes in. But I have fun - I usually close down the store during midnight and go out for long walks; I am just so glad to be here for Christmas, really, your place is wonderful - all those extra chimneys, really endearing, did you bewitch them?" Mindy was saying in a dreamy voice, her hair strewn over her face, grinning at Mrs. Weasley at admiration.
"Yes, yes," Mrs. Weasley replied faintly, although very pleased.
"Yeah, and one time," Ron interrupted so that Mindy would look at him. "One time one of them was going to fall over, so I helped put it back," he announced proudly, his chest sticking out, as well as his full stomach.
"Really?" Mindy said politely, her eyebrows raised.
"Yes...and, and, one time, I helped Harry save the world," Ron said casually, obviously smitten with the older brunette.
Harry snorted with laughter; Hermione seemed to be pursing her lips. Ginny let herself laugh freely, knowing her laughter would affect a certain person - and Draco gave her a silent look of both appreciation and annoyance of his favorite sound being heard that bluntly stated 'you're doing this to torture me, aren't you?', in which she smiled sweetly and innocently back.
It was a few moments later that Ginny was sipping water that it promptly came out of her mouth in surprise.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, looking at her with narrowed eyes.
"Umm..." Ginny mumbled. "Nothing, nothing...oh, my...nothing at all..." She felt Draco's fingers brush against hers from underneath the table and tucked it into his hand. A gasp caught in her throat. A tingling, electrifying sensation reached her, and she was speechless, not to mention shaken. He grasped her hand delicately, leading it past the soft surface of his jean-covered thigh and into the front of his pants...
She withdrew her hand sharply, while Draco's shoulders shook in silent laughter, and sat up, her chair making a loud smash as it slid backwards into the nearby wall.
"Ginny!" Ron had his mouth full with bits of turkey, but wiped his lips, looking alarmed. "What's wrong?"
"I am...uh, sick," she said, excusing herself quickly. Everyone either looked after her or looked at the chair that she had left neglected.
"I'll go see if she's okay," said Draco coolly. Ignoring Harry and Ron's glares, he sat up gracefully from his seat, flashed Mindy a small smile, and followed after the ferocious redhead.
~*~
Ginny was in her room, her face, neck and shoulders bright red from embarrassment, huddled in the front of her bed, her eyes closed, refusing to look at him as he entered. Draco laughed.
"Oh, come on, it was just a joke - you distracted me with your laugh," he reminded her.
"Oh come on, Ginny, it was just a joke...don't take it seriously..." Devon grazed her cheekbone lovingly, his eyes boring into her disbelieved ones.
"Just a joke?" Ginny repeated stonily, her eyes still closed. "Just a joke, is it?"
"Yes, it was," Draco answered, a bit annoyed at the way she was handling this. "Oh come on, Ginny, you're nineteen, do you have to take things so seriously? Especially a little thing like -"
Prison. Rape. Blood. Knives. Damage. Suffocation.
"-this?"
You belong to me. Don't you love me anymore, don't you, don't you, don't you, don't you...
"Alright," she replied. "Why don't you just kill me? Then you can call it a joke." She had opened her eyes - and Draco was shocked. The depths in her eyes were like pitiless holes; cold and harsh, uninviting, and it was very clear Draco would not be ever welcomed into her essence.
"What kind of sick thing is that to say?" he asked, when he had managed to speak.
She didn't answer. She sat up in a proper position, and stared at him blankly, as if focused on something that was not there at all.
"Oh come on," he drawled, unsatisfied at this movement. He sat next to her on the bed, keeping a safe two-inch distance. She grimaced, but didn't move, didn't meet his eyes.
"Look at me," he demanded.
"Don't give me orders, like a slave, Draco," Ginny said, her voice expressionless. Nevertheless, her eyes pondered into his. It was exactly like falling - Draco could feel his body floating out of reach, and he couldn't stop looking at her, not observing her, just seeing her, as if she had suddenly become a different person. This was a different person. A person that had never escaped, a person that had been hidden. This was pain.
And he felt intoxicated to pain. Going completely on impulse and his own lack of sanity, he grabbed her shoulders, pulling her forcefully against him. She stiffened, but he whispered a calm 'relax' to her before his lips brushed against hers. This was the second time they had kissed - and yet it felt different, new, refreshing. It felt like burning, drowning, and heaven all at the same time. Burning because his fingers touched her, and even through her clothing she could feel his touch stinging into her flesh and running through her veins. Drowning because she was feeling like she couldn't stop this, drowning in disbelief, in pleasure and in complete need, stop kissing him, because if she didn't, she would regret it. Because drowning was wanting to die - and she wanted to die into him. Heaven because it was wonderful. Excitement and fear clouded her intentions as she carefully touched his shoulders gently with her hands. His lips trailed away from hers, and she moaned at the loss, tipping her head back just a bit so his lips could trail upon her neck, and he explored her most sensitive areas with his soft, gentle lips. Their upper-bodies pressed against each other greedily, and his face drew away from her as they parted.
The intensifying bliss was gone.
Several moments of silence followed this kiss. There was nothing left to say. They were both breathless.
There was an audible knock on the door. Draco jumped and toppled off the bed in a standing position, as if he had been pushed, and the door swung open, revealing Hermione.
"Hi, are you okay?" she asked Ginny, not caring to glance at Draco.
"Umm..." something like liquid rose in her throat, refusing to go away. She cautiously reached up and felt her swollen, pink lips before taking back her hand, nodding at Hermione.
"Well, your Mum wants both of you to come downstairs. To open presents. Both of you," she said, staring pointedly at Draco now, who's cheeks were tinted red.
"Okay," he only muttered, pushing past Hermione and exiting.
"I'll be downstairs soon," Ginny chided, trying to smile, but she felt as if this was all a dream, not real, and it would never be real, no matter how much she wanted it to be.
Hermione gave her an inspecting look before smiling back, and shutting the door quietly as she left. Ginny clutched her chest, gasping and shuddering at the same time, her hand going down her green turtleneck sweater until it touched the heart-shaped scar on her neck, and she gave a small whimper as she touched it, falling back on her bed, her whole body quivering with weakness.
~*~
Downstairs, everyone but Ginny was waiting, circling around the Christmas tree, meddling with extra decorations, fiddling with presents, tugging at their clothes self-cautiously, or preoccupying themselves with carols, songs and food (especially Ron, who had now stuffed leftovers straight into his mouth). Outside, fresh wind was blowing from the open peeks of the windows, and snow was blowing, making white havens of ice on the grounds around the Burrow. It seemed that everyone was enjoying this, except Draco, who was drowning in his thoughts about Ginny and exactly what his parents were doing this Christmas - they either had a dinner party, then had a small dinner of their own once everyone had left.
"I wonder who this is from?" Hermione cooed, rocking a small box that imprinted 'Hermione Granger' across it excitedly.
"Just open it, will you, Granger?" Draco interrupted in a bored tone.
She scowled at him furiously before unwrapping the package. "Oh, Harry!" she breathed, after reading the card and examining the present with awe, now looking at Harry, who blushed quickly.
"It's beautiful," she said, smiling as she took out a glittering necklace with the letters spelling out 'Hermione', and was bewitched to flash several different colors.
Draco looked around - everyone seemed to be concentrating on opening gifts - he felt strangely out of place among the redheads and brunettes that were Weasleys, Potters, and Grangers. He sat up, and backed away quietly from the pleasures of Christmas, and walked out of the room with ease, and looked back only once - nobody had noticed that he was gone. His chest pounded at this thought. He walked upstairs, his hand searching in something in the pocket of his green robes - he pulled out the box. He hadn't wrapped it, but he was sure that she would love it. As he walked upstairs, he knocked on the door.
"Who's there?" finally replied the quiet voice that was Ginny.
"It's me."
"What do you want?" she inquired.
"Can I come in?"
She seemed to hesitate before answering. "If you want to." He entered the room, seeing some discarded clothes scattered around it, and Ginny was facedown on the bed, her arms enveloping her face in a protective way.
"I wanted to give you your present."
She looked up, her face softening. "You bought me a present?"
He nodded, sure that his cheeks were tinted red. "Here." He put it on her bed, and waited patiently for her to open it. She reached for it, and opened it with silent anticipation. Her lips parted, as she picked up the necklace, grazing a finger through the enormous diamond that read her name.
"It's - pretty," she said softly, her eyes meeting his. He felt his lips stretch into a small smile.
"Thank you," Ginny told him, pulling the necklace on.
"I'll help," Draco offered, coming behind her. She stiffened slightly as his hands grazed her neck, but sat with her arms to the side. He pulled it around her, locking it in side and brought it to the front. He could feel his fingers stumble through something - several bumps, a wound...?
She pulled away from him, alarmed, with a look that said 'you weren't supposed to find out'.
~*~
When Draco headed downstairs again, everyone was still opening gifts.
"Hermione, could you go check on Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley prodded sweetly.
"Sure," Hermione said, grinning at her as she sat up, brushing off dirt from her dress. As she passed by Draco, she gave him a searching look before she went upstairs.
"Oh, it's from Ginny!" Harry's voice said loudly.
Draco turned his head swiftly, something rising in his chest as Harry happily proceeded to open the gift.
~*~
Hermione stood in shock, reading the note she had found in Ginny's bed. Not in Ginny's handwriting...but in someone else's...
I have my princess.
~*~
Draco felt himself choking back a laugh as Harry pulled the gift out -
a pair of black boxers.
~*~
Tee-hee. The longest G/D chapter I've ever written, I think. Don't you guys complain! This took me a week to write!
Love,
-S.A.