Chapter 3

Once he got Hermione seated on the end of his bed, Ron went to fetch some tissues to dry her eyes. As he dabbed her face and cheeks, whispering words of comfort and assurance that she could tell him anything, Hermione couldn't help but briefly smile at her boyfriend. He finally admitted his feelings (and in a particularly inarticulate way, though at the time, Hermione had been so happy he was finally opening up that she hadn't noticed) in the middle of their seventh year at Hogwarts. They fought side-by-side with their best friend, all equals, during the last battle, and surviving it together only brought their relationship even closer. They had sort of agreed to become engaged a week or so ago, but hadn't told anyone, and it wasn't strictly official (Ron was still looking for the perfect engagement ring, though Hermione didn't know that was why they were holding off finalizing it).

In any case, that was what distracted Hermione from her sad thoughts about Ginny long enough for her to stop crying. Ron noticed this immediately, and took this as an opportunity to ask what had happened. "'Mione? Is it Ginny?"

At the mention of her dear friend's name, Hermione gave a deep, sad sigh. She was the only one who knew how badly Ginny had been in the past year or so. Ron knew about it to the extent that she would get blind drunk at least twice a week, but Ginny had forbade Hermione from telling Ron, or anyone else (especially Harry), that in actuality she got drunk every afternoon and night of the week, except for Thursdays. Ron had only come across her once, right before she passed out. It was not something he had wanted to experience again (in fact, he, too, had tried to talk with Ginny about it soon after that; but, because he was her brother and she had no inhibitions about hurting him, it had only resulted in Hermione coming home that night to find Ron hexed, tied, and gagged on their couch). Ron's second inclination was to either beat Harry to a pulp for making his sister feel this way, or to talk to Harry, and get him to talk to Ginny about how she felt, but Hermione quickly warned him that Ginny had already threatened to "spay" (Ginny's words exactly) Hermione if she said anything, and the same went for Ron (except, for him, Ginny used a much nastier phrase). After this, the two of them were forced to give up on helping Harry and Ginny get together, and just had to hope that they would figure it out on their own, without Ginny being hurt any more than she already was. Sadly, her drinking had already affected her in one of the worst ways possible for a girl.

Hermione was the only one who knew that Ginny had lost her virginity, and didn't remember any of it. There was no way for either of them to tell if she had been raped, or if it was drunkenly consensual, and Ginny had refused to go to St. Mungo's to find out any further. Being a Healer-in-training herself at the time, Ginny had been able to assess that she was not pregnant or otherwise physically hurt at the time, but what haunted her, late at night on the occasional day she got the night shift (thus not being passed out), was that she had lost that special moment of her life forever, and couldn't ever really get it back. That knowledge followed Hermione around too, but she never mentioned it to Ginny, afraid it would set her off.

At any rate, Hermione, out of her memories and back on the bed with Ron, sighed deeply again. "Yes," she said, very simply.

Ron, too, sighed. He didn't need to ask for any further information or details of what had gone on, nor did he want to. "Because of seeing Harry?"

"I would suppose that was what triggered it. But, oh Ron! It's so awful... you should have heard some of the things she said... I don't think I've ever felt sorrier for someone in my life... well, not in recent years, anyway." She gave a furtive look towards their living room, where Harry sat (still confused as to what was happening inside the bedroom). Sighing again, and to Ron's slight surprise, she continued to tell him what had happened. "She was despondent at first, I don't think I should tell you what she said exactly, but when I came out of my room after packing for tonight, she was so... so angry! And, it seemed like it was really directed at me this time, not like she was displacing her anger like she's done before." Hermione let another teardrop fall onto her clothes.

Ron firmly took her chin into his hands, gently wiped away the remaining tear with his thumb, and made her look him right in the eyes. "'Mione, none of this is your fault. You and I both know we have no control over this, really."

Hermione sighed, for what seemed the umpteenth time in ten minutes. "I know, but I just... I feel so helpless, because she's drifting away right under my nose, and I can't seem to do anything to stop it." They looked sadly into each other's eyes, silently thinking of what might become of Ginny if this were to continue.

Outside in the living room, Harry gave up on them coming out anytime soon, and went searching for something to do. He suddenly had the urge to find a couple of very interesting magazines that Ron had brought home a few days ago (he only wanted them for the articles, of course). Searching everywhere, Harry was unable to find head or tail of them. Sidling up to the door of Ron's room to see if it were okay to intrude upon their "moment," he heard no sounds coming out at all. Deciding that it was safe, Harry called through the door, "Ron, do you know where those magazines are that you brought home a few days ago? The ones with the... the pictures?" Harry finished quite lamely, not knowing if Hermione knew about them or not, unwilling to get Ron in trouble.

Little did he know, but Hermione knew very well that Ron had brought those magazines home. They had a little agreement between the two of them regarding reading material – Hermione would let Ron stare at whatever dirty magazines that he wanted, if he didn't make fun of her re-reading Hogwarts, A History as many times as she pleased. In fact, Hermione knew where they were, too. "Ron left them at my place, Harry!"

Had Ron been outside to witness Harry's look of surprise at hearing Hermione's (albeit a little hoarse, but nonetheless very clear) voice respond to his question, Ron would have been in hysterics for weeks. Harry quickly recovered, and still determined to be able to read them, he shouted back through the door, "Thanks! I'll just pop over to your place to pick them up," and disapparated.

Hearing the distinctive 'CRACK' through the door of someone apparating, Hermione and Ron stared at each other in horror at what they dearly hoped was just Harry knocking over a lamp or something. They simultaneously leapt to the door and ran outside to see if Harry had just done what they thought he had done. Seeing no sign of him, they were left to only one conclusion, and they both turned to each other in terror. "Ginny!"

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