Chapter Three: Save Me
Ginny's next day went far better than the day before. She received her grade on her Muggle Studies report and found that she hadn't done as badly as expected. She also felt she aced her Potion's test so when she sat at lunch with Drew and Vicky, Ginny was all smiles.
"What has gotten into you?" asked Vicky. "You'd think you'd just won the lottery."
"I'm just having a good day," said Ginny defensively. It was then she received the owl that spoiled her good mood. She was to have detention with Professor Snape in the dungeons at eight o'clock.
"So much for a happy Ginny," said Drew.
"And we have Astronomy tonight," said Ginny, groaning.
"At least its Thursday," said Vicky. "The week is almost over."
Ginny walked down to the dungeons herself that night. It always made her uncomfortable to imagine the Slytherins walking behind her. She wrapped her robes more securely around her – the dungeons were chilly and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck rise as a draft slipped down her spine.
"Well, well, well," came a malicious voice from behind her. "If it isn't baby Weasley. You shouldn't be down here by yourself you know. You might get hurt." The speaker laughed cruelly. Ginny just lowered her head and kept walking, picking up her pace a little. She heard more laughter. "No big bad Gryffindor like your brother? At least there's one Weasley who knows their place," the voice continued. Ginny just blocked it out. Unlike her brother, she was skilled at cost-benefit analysis: there was more than one set of footsteps behind her. All she could do was pretend that she was invisible and that maybe they'd leave her alone.
"What's the matter, Weasley?" asked another voice, female this time. "Basilisk got your tongue?" Ginny couldn't control herself. She whirled around to face her taunters.
"What did you ask me?" she asked quietly – in a voice most people knew meant they'd be facing a whirlwind of arms, legs and red hair shortly. However, Ginny found herself face to face with Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle. She tried to regain self control.
"I asked you if the basilisk had control of your tongue," explained Pansy. "It's a simple question. A yes or no would suffice."
"Don't be stupid Pansy," said Malfoy. "It was Riddle that had control of her not the basilisk." Pansy looked strait into Ginny's anger filled eyes.
"Silly me," she said. "How could I forget?" Ginny ran forward and slammed the other girl against the wall, pinning her in place with one forearm across Pansy's windpipe.
"Taunt me all you like," said Ginny fiercely. "But if you ever mention him to me again and I'll do more than just pin you to a wall with one arm." Pansy looked down at her almost afraid but her eyes darted to the sides giving Ginny just enough warning to prepare herself for what happened next. Crabbe and Goyle each grabbed one arm and pushed her up against the wall. The impact of her head with the rough stone caused her vision to blur momentarily. Just as her vision cleared she felt a sharp sting on her right cheek as Pansy backhanded her, hard.
"And don't you ever threaten me again or I'll do more than just hit you," said Pansy and she stalked off leaving Ginny in the possession of the three boys.
"Well boys," said Malfoy. "What should we do to her?" Ginny began to feel nervous but was spared real fear as Pansy noticed that no one had followed her.
"Draco!" she snapped. Malfoy just glared at her, nodded to his two oafs and they followed Pansy down the corridor leaving Ginny in a pile on the floor.
"Count your blessings, Weasley," he called to her behind him as he walked towards Pansy. Ginny did just that as she dusted herself off and jogged the rest of the way to her Potion's classroom.
"Miss Weasley," said Professor Snape as Ginny entered the classroom. "Promptness is obviously not your forte." However, he did not deduct points from Gryffindor or give Ginny another detention so Ginny breathed a little easier.
"I'm sorry Professor," said Ginny, but she gave no explanation.
"Get to work," he said and motioned to the cauldrons stacked in the corner of the room. "And hand me your wand; I want to be sure you don't cheat. You may leave once you have finished."
"But Professor, I have Astronomy tonight," Ginny stammered, looking at the large pile of cauldrons.
"Then I suggest you get to work," said Professor Snape. Ginny sighed and started attacking the dirty cauldrons. Ten minutes later, Professor Snape got up and went into his office. He reemerged a few minutes later with a cloak and some jars and locked the door behind him. "Your wand is in there; however I will return before midnight. If you have finished, wait here until I return." He swept out of the room and closed the door behind him.
"Great," Ginny muttered to herself. She looked at the first cauldron. The inside was burnt and it had a green substance in it that smelled vile. She got to work, scrubbing away at a cauldron that almost certainly contained a failed potion. A few cauldrons later, the door opened. "Professor, there is no way I'm going to finish all of these by midnight," Ginny began. However, turning around she saw that it was not Professor Snape who had opened the door but a Slytherin sixth year by the name of Peter Eden. He was the Keeper on the Slytherin Quidditch team and Ginny never failed to score on him. She supposed he could be considered good looking, if snake-like troll was your type.
"Hello there Weasley," he said. "Trying to earn some extra cash?"
"What are you doing here Eden?" asked Ginny, going back to cleaning the cauldrons. "Come to gloat at my detention? I hope you realize that it's rather juvenile. Besides, don't you have anything better to do?"
"No, not really," said Eden, standing over her, looking at the cauldrons that had yet to be cleaned. "I've come to share my new Quidditch strategy with you."
"It's not going to help, you know," said Ginny. "I'll still get it past you."
"Not after I tell you my strategy," said Eden, looking viciously smug. Ginny stood up and faced him.
"Alright then tell me your strategy. I'm dying to know," said Ginny sarcastically. To her surprise he reached into his pocket and brought out not his wand but a dagger as long as her forearm. Ginny laughed, not knowing why but thinking it was the appropriate thing to do.
"Strip," said Eden, holding the dagger to Ginny's throat.
"What?" asked Ginny, disbelieving, glancing down at the knife. "You've got to be kidding me."
"I told you to strip," said Eden. "This is my strategy. Now either take off your clothes or I'll slit your throat."
"That's real clever," said Ginny sardonically. "Killing me is a great way to insure that I won't get the quaffle past you."
"Shut up Weasley," said Eden. He pressed the knife harder against her throat and her breath tightened.
"Alright, you win," said Ginny, shakily. She shrugged off her robes and prayed that Professor Snape would walk in and see everything before Eden had a chance with her. Ginny knew it was impossible – Professor Snape was probably a hundred miles away. As she reached her undergarments – knife still to her throat and beginning to dig into the skin – Ginny began to hope for anyone to walk in which was less likely to happen than her previous fleeting thought. No one ever used the dungeons after dinner except Professor Snape for detentions.
"Now," said Eden. "Get on the desk." He advanced on her with the knife so Ginny had no choice but to sit on the cold stone desk. Eden unzipped his fly and grinned maliciously. He grabbed Ginny's arms and forced her down on the desk, pinning her down with her arms over her head. Ginny squeezed her eyes tightly shut and waited for the worst to come.
The moment before Eden thrust into her felt like an eternity of surrealism. Ginny felt vulnerable, hoping that she would wake up and it would all be a terrible nightmare. She found herself thinking the oddest of thoughts about the most mundane things to take her away: Percy's reports for the ministry, the charms she had performed on her O.W.L.'s, the things she had gotten wrong on her Potion's test earlier that day. She thought of anything that would relieve the anxiety of waiting.
And when it finally came, Ginny had to fight not to cry out in pain. Eden had no regard for her as he violently thrust in and out. Ginny bit down on her tongue, her lips, anything to keep from making a sound. She wouldn't have given him that satisfaction for the world. It was over after a few minutes, but those few minutes felt like a lifetime to Ginny. The pain between her legs, the faint dribble of blood down her leg, the shame, the weakness – all of it made her feel worthless and used. If she was a better person she could have fought him off. She should have just let him kill her. She would have been able to help herself if she had her wand. Could have, should have, would have – none of it changed the horrible truth of what was happening.
When Eden finished, he backhanded her with all his strength. Ginny rolled off the desk clutching her cheek and crumpled into a ball. He threw her clothes at her, and Ginny clutched them to her, trying desperately to cover her violated body.
"If you tell anyone," said Eden, zipping his fly. "I'll kill you and then I'll kill your whole family. I'll see you at the match on Saturday." He flicked his wand at the cauldrons and half of them cleaned themselves. Ginny found her voice as Eden headed towards the door.
"Gee thanks," she said, dryly. "Because surely that makes up for everything that just happened." He just smirked and walked out the door. Ginny sat alone in the Potion's classroom, clutching her robes to herself. She tenderly felt her cheek – it was bruised for sure. She felt her neck and when she pulled her hand away there was blood on it. All Ginny could do was sit on the floor in a ball, shivering in shock. She had no idea how long she sat there, but after a while the door opened again. Ginny stopped shaking and tried to disappear into the floor.
"I guess she left right after Snape, wand or not. Typical" said a male voice. She heard footsteps walking around the front of the room. Ginny's breath caught in her throat as she struggled to at least cover herself up a little bit as the footsteps neared and she tried harder to evaporate into thin air.
"Draco, she's obviously not here, can we go?" asked a female voice from the door. Ginny let out an involuntary whimper. Malfoy. He was captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and had probably suggested to Eden that he rape Ginny. Moreover, he was a prefect and would probably deduct points from Gryffindor for some stupid reason or other. However, that involuntary whimper was loud enough to be heard by Malfoy who was standing not five feet away on the other side of the desk.
"Weasley?" he called. He rounded the desk, "Why are you cowering back here when you should…holy fuck. What happened to you?" Ginny just looked at the floor and didn't say a word.
"Draco, what is it?" asked the female voice.
"I don't know," said Malfoy, snidely. "She won't tell me." Ginny heard another set of footsteps approach her. She looked up to see Pansy Parkinson and quickly looked back at the floor, pulling her robes up to her chin.
"Jesus Weasley, did I do that?" asked Pansy kneeling down beside her. Ginny just squeezed her eyes shut and looked away. "I am damn good." Malfoy grabbed her arm and pulled her up.
"Pansy, I don't think this is the best time," he said quietly. Ginny heard him, though, and she glared at him.
"I don't need your fucking sympathy, Malfoy," said Ginny.
"Ah, she's found her voice," said Malfoy. "Now Weasley, what happened here?" Ginny just looked at the floor again.
"Yes Weasley, if you could just help Draco here fulfill his one good deed of the day we could be on our way," said Pansy. "We're late."
"I was unaware that Malfoy did any good deeds," spat Ginny. "And what are you late for? Going to go shag in an empty classroom?"
"You look like you could use a good shag," snapped Pansy, who flushed hotly. Ginny paled and then turned a very pale shade of seaweed.
"If you'll excuse me I have to finish cleaning these cauldrons," said Ginny, making no move to get up from her curled position on the floor.
"Come on, Draco," said Pansy. "Let's just leave." Malfoy shot Ginny a penetrating look from which she shrank and left with Pansy. Slowly, Ginny got up, and trembling she put her robes back on and went back to scrubbing the cauldrons.
"You struck me down like radium, like Peter Pan or Superman" – Aimee Mann
A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I meant to upload this weels ago but I didn't edit it so I took it down and then my mom confiscated my computer. I forgot to mention that the song in the previous chapter was Night Shift by OAR (I hope you're starting to understand that the quote at the end of the chapter comes from the song that's the title but if not I'll still clarify at the end…) and this chapter is Save Me by Aimee Mann. Yes, so that's chapter three. I'll try to get the next one up soon but I'm having slight issues with Ginny's coping process...
THANKS:
Ginny123456 - yay! you keep reading! so sorry this took so long i feel really awful about it...
Celestial Secrets - COOL NAME!!! glad for the support.
Sarah - i'm glad you like harry - i'm glad you got that he was brotherly and not in love with her because that's not what i was going for. yay!