Chapter Seven
Ginny rolled over in her half-sleep in the morning and stretched grandly. Her elbow hit something firm and in her ear she heard a mild "Umpf."
She turned and saw Remus grimacing and rubbing his ribs. "Sorry, I think I forgot you were there," she said yawning.
He sat up and stretched as well and scratched his chest. "How could you?" he said in disbelief.
She shrugged and rolled off the bed onto the floor. She looked up at the window and saw sunlight streaming through. She looked disdainfully at the still-locked door. Would this be the day they were rescued? She shook the thoughts from her head and began washing her face in the water in the bowl on the table. She would kill for a hot bath, but this would have to do.
Remus, meanwhile, watched her and his thoughts drifted to their intimate conversation from a few nights ago. He'd said she was beautiful and perfect, and in turn, she'd admitted to once having a crush on him and called him sexy. They hadn't discussed it since, and he hoped it wouldn't come up again. It had embarrassed him. He stood and began pacing around the room. He did this to think, but also to give himself something to do.
Ginny watched him and rolled her eyes. "Remus, for the love of God, please stop pacing. It makes me nervous," she said irritably.
He stopped and looked at her with a bemused expression. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."
"There's only one side of the bed, you idiot," she retorted.
Now, Remus rolled his eyes at her. For some reason, this girl could get under his skin no one else. Sometimes, like this morning, he hated it. Other times, he liked it and regarded her in the same way.
"Ginny, please let's not argue, okay? You're all I've got right now," he pleaded.
"Fine," she grumbled.
They sat in silence for a long time before Ginny threw herself back onto the mattress. Remus watched her bury her face into the mattress, and he wondered if she was hurt or didn't feel well. He was about to ask when he heard her crying quietly. He rushed over to her and gently placed his hand on her back. "Ginny?" he whispered.
She turned quickly and allowed him to pull her into his arms. She cried against his chest and he stroked her hair softly, murmuring in her ear. He hoped to soothe her, but he wondered if he was making false promises. He bent down to kiss her head and wrapped his arms tighter around her.
Ginny let her tears run dry and reveled in being held by Remus. She felt so safe in his arms, and she pressed a kiss to his chest. She pulled back and looked at him apologetically.
"I'm sorry, Remus," she said. "It's been two days since everyone left. I'm just scared."
"I know you are. I am too," he said ruefully. "It will all work out. It will be okay."
"But how, Remus? How in the hell is it going to be okay?" she asked angrily.
"They'll come for us, Ginny. We have to believe that." Remus' face was adamant.
She pulled away and turned from him. She wanted to believe him, but if they hadn't come by now, she didn't think they would. Besides, she and Remus didn't know what was going on outside. What if all the Order had been killed? What if Voldemort had won?
These were the thoughts that floated not only in Ginny's head but in Remus' as well. He was afraid. But he knew he had to be strong for both of them.
Remus and Ginny didn't say much for the rest of the day. She remained curled up on the mattress, staring off into space. Remus paced and sat and watched her throughout the day. He wanted to do something for her, to ease her pain, to comfort her. As the sun began to set, a memory came to his mind.
"Ginny," he said tenderly.
"What?" she asked, not looking at him.
"Come here," he asked. "Please?"
She sighed heavily and stood. "What do you want?"
He smiled weakly at her. "Dance with me?"
She laughed. "I wondered which of us would go mad first."
He laughed with her. He reached for her, taking her hand. "When I was a boy, whenever my mum would get frightened or upset, my father would dance with her to quell her fears."
She could sense his need to help her and she returned his warm smile. "Um, you do realize there's no music, right?"
"Yes, I know," he said. "Trust me. You do, don't you? After all we've been through?"
"Yes, Remus, I trust you," she replied warmly.
He put one arm around her waist, letting her hand rest on his shoulder. She rested her free hand in his. He drew her close, and they began to sway to the nonexistent music.
Very quietly, Remus began to sing to her in her ear. It was a particularly good singing voice, but it was soft and sweet- just what Ginny needed.
"Memories like the corner of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were."
They finished their dance and held each other for a while. "Thank you," Ginny whispered to him. He responded by gently pressing his lips to hers.
They sat down and leaned against the wall, and she reached for his hand. "What was that song? I've never heard it before."
He smiled at his memories. "It's a song by a very popular Muggle singer. My dad's Muggle-born, you know. It was my parent's wedding song. And it was the one he sang to her when they danced." His eyes filled with tears.
Ginny felt her own tears trickle down her cheeks as well, yet she reached up to brush Remus' away. "Please don't cry, Remus. I can't bear to watch you cry," she said.
"I'm sorry, Ginny," he said sadly. "I tried to be strong for both of us."
She pulled him to her in a warm embrace. "I know you did. Thank you for that," she said. She held him for a while, until his emotions were spent. When he pulled back from her, he smiled.
She swallowed and looked into his eyes. "Remus, I want to tell you about what happened with Malfoy."
"Are you sure?" he asked, eyes widening. "Because you don't have to."
She shook her head. "No, I want to. I need to get it out," she said firmly.
She took in a deep breath and spoke through her tears:
"Malfoy dragged me into a bedroom and tied me to the bed. Blaise tried to stop him, but Malfoy hexed him and kicked him out. He came over to me and ripped my clothes off. He started kissing me hard and biting me. He was hurting me, and I was screaming." Remus nodded. He'd heard her screams, but was helpless to do anything. He put his arm around her as her tears fell freely. "He reminded me of Tom. Everything he did reminded me of Tom," she wailed.
"Then, just as he was about to...to..." She looked away from him. "Lucius came in and told him the battle had started, and they left." She shuddered at the thought of what he might have done if his father hadn't come in. "His hands, Remus, they hurt me. I don't ever want to be touched like that again."
Remus, shocked at her ordeal, held her close to him. "You never will, Ginny. I'll never let anyone hurt you like that. I promise." He held her for a long time before she spoke again.
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?" she questioned him.
Silently, Remus shook his head. "I don't know, Ginny. I honestly don't know anymore. But whatever happens, I'm truly privileged to be with you in the end. I thank the gods every day that you came for me."
She smiled at his confession. "Well, I couldn't leave you here," she said truthfully. "You were so good to me my second year, after the Chamber. You were patient and kind and were always there for me. I wanted to repay you. Besides, you're like a member of my family, you know."
He beamed at her comment. "No, I didn't know."
She rested her head on his shoulder for a while and watched the sun fade into the darkness of night. He watched her and felt his heart ache for her. He wanted to get her out of there; he wanted to make her safe again; he wanted to make her forget the terrible ordeal she'd suffered. He was trying desperately to think of something when she brought his hand to her lips and kissed it.
"Remus, will you do something for me?" she asked with a furrowed brow.
"Anything, Ginny. Anything you want," he replied.
She looked into his hazel eyes, searchingly. "Will you make love to me?" she asked seriously.
Remus was quite astounded at her request. "What?"
"Please," she begged. "I don't want to die with the memory of Tom so fresh in my mind and knowing that the last hand to touch me belonged to a Malfoy."
Remus' head swam. On the one hand, yes, he wanted to fulfill her request, but on the other hand, he feared what would happen if they did. But he wanted to take the memory of Tom away because deep down, he knew this request was more about the Dark Lord than Draco Malfoy.
Looking into her dark brown eyes, seeing the sincerity of her plea, he kissed her lovingly. "Yes," he whispered.
Between their fervent kissing, they managed to crawl onto the mattress. That night, Remus and Ginny ravished each other. They were afraid. Afraid of not being rescued; afraid of dying; afraid of having been so close to each other for days without giving in to their own physical needs. They needed this release.
Remus was a patient lover. He made sure to stifle the wolf inside him as he made love to Ginny. He wanted to show her sweet, gentle touches. She savored his touch. His hands, though roughened over the years, were soft and tender. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but compare him to Oliver. Making love with Oliver often reminded her of a Quidditch match- tense, hard and fast. But Remus Lupin, even with the wolf hidden deep inside him, was quite the opposite. He took the time to kiss her deeply and slowly, and he paused to caress every inch of her body.
Ginny's mind swirled with the wrongness of their current activities, but if they were to die, she wanted to have something pleasant to remember as she left this world. Remus made the experience wonderful as he whispered how beautiful she was as he kissed her neck. When Ginny began to cry, he stopped suddenly, afraid that he'd hurt her or that she'd changed her mind. Through her tears, however, Ginny pulled him back to her and told him that her tears were ones of ecstasy and pleasure, that he was perfect and incredible.
When it was over, they held each other, both spent of all the energy they had left in their bodies. Ginny laid her head on Remus' chest, listening to his heartbeat, and Remus buried his face in her hair, savoring her sweet scent as he drifted off to sleep. He murmured in her ear that he could die happy like this. She whispered back that his wish might come true. For some strange reason, this thought comforted them both as they slept.