Author: RavenEcho
Summary: Ginny hurts. And no one knows. It's not easy being a number. Her number is zero, because that's how many people understand her…may become a Draco/Ginny or a Ginny/Severus, or a bit of both, depending. Some Ginny/Remus.
Disclaimer: If I owned this stuff, would I really be on typing away?
Touch Me
Chapter 5: Chance Meetings
Ginny dug her fork into her chicken casserole and opened her Transfiguration textbook. She needed to read the chapter they had gone over in class so she could do that essay tonight after her detention. Once the redhead finished her dinner, she scooped up her books and headed off towards the dungeons for her detention with Snape.
When Ginny got to Professor Snape's classroom, he was standing there waiting for her impatiently. Ginny didn't see what his problem was; she was actually about ten minutes earlier than she was supposed to be.
"Weasley, your detention has been rescheduled until tomorrow night," Severus Snape sneered.
"Why?" Ginny asked.
Snape glared. "I have a staff meeting," he said, clutching his left arm.
Ginny nodded in comprehension. He was telling her that he had a Death Eater meeting. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow night then Professor."
Snape didn't respond, so she left the room in silence and started in the direction of the library, grateful that she didn't have detention after all.
Ginny normally didn't study in the library, preferring to do her work in the common room in front of a roaring fire. Unfortunately, earlier in the night, she had heard Ron, Harry, Seamus, and Dean talking about having a party in the common room that night, so she knew there was no way she'd be able to get any of her work done there.
Ginny pushed open the heavy library doors and glanced around. There weren't many people there, only a few Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff or two. Ginny walked around to the back of the library, where there was an empty table. It was actually her favorite table, because she was usually isolated there. It was rare that someone would ever interrupt her while she was working there; most people never even noticed her studying away at the sheltered little table.
The teenage Gryffindor sat down at the table and spread out her books. She had four essays to write, all of them due the next day. She had one for Transfiguration on Animaguses, one in Charms on color-change spells, an essay about theory for Arithmancy, and also and essay for Herbology that had been assigned the day before. She had put it off for the next day, hoping she wouldn't have that much homework. Obviously, her desires had not been met.
Ginny pulled out a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and her ragged quill. Opening her Transfiguration textbook, she began to write in her neat, even cursive.
Sighing, Ginny blew on her Transfiguration essay so the ink would dry. After a moment, she tested the writing with a finger. The ink didn't smear, so she tucked the essay into her textbook and started on her Arithmancy essay.
"Weasley, wake up," a familiar voice whispered. Whoever it was poked her in the side.
"Five more minutes," the girl moaned. "And it's Ginny."
"If I have to call you Ginny, then you have to call me Draco."
Ginny's head shot up and she started at the smirking blond Slytherin. "No way in hell am I fucking calling you Draco!"
"You just did, Ginny," he sneered. "Anyway, you need to get out of here. It's 11:00; the library closed two hours ago. I suppose Madam Pince didn't see you, so she left."
"No one ever sees me," Ginny muttered under her breath.
"What was that, Ginny?"
"Nothing, Malfoy," Ginny scowled, grabbing her books and shoving past him and out of the library.
Once she was in the hallway, Ginny started towards her alcove. She didn't want to go back to the common room yet- the party would still be on. It probably wouldn't end until at least three in the morning, at the very earliest. When she had reached the alcove, she stepped inside, pulling her books in after her. She dug through her bag so she could work on her Arithmancy essay some more, but it wasn't there.
"Damn it," she murmured to herself. She had probably left it in the library. She would go back and get it the next morning and finish it during lunch.
Ginny didn't really feel up to working anymore. Steeling herself for a few more hours of homework, she flipped open her Herbology book and struggled through yet another essay. When she finally reached the required length of thirteen inches, she threw down her quill in exasperation and pulled out her wand.
"Cortarme," she whispered the cutting spell, with the wand point pressed against her wrist. Cutting with the wand wasn't as fulfilling as with the knife, but it worked when she really needed the release. She cast the spell again and again until her eyes drooped and she feel asleep, with the cuts still oozing blood down her arm.
Draco was walking down the hall when he heard a desperately pleading voice near by.
"No, Tom, don't, stop it, please. Stop it, Tom, what are you doing? NO, please stop it, stop it, stop it," the voice raised in pitch slightly with every word. "Gods, Tom, please don't do this, not again, I'll be good, I'll listen to you, just don't do it again, please, please, please."
Draco's eyes widened. This girl was being raped. He hurried towards the noise, pulling out his wand as he went. The voice was coming from an indent in the stone wall. He looked inside, and saw Ginny fitfully sleeping. She was shaking, trapped in a nightmare. He gasped. She had said that she was scared of her past: Ginny Weasley had been raped.
Draco poked Ginny awake for a second time in one night. When she came to consciousness, she immediately recoiled in fear. "Don't touch me, please don't hurt me again, please, please, please."
"Ginny," he said soothingly. "It's just me; it's just Draco. I'm not going to hurt you; you just had a nightmare."
Ginny straightened, still trembling slightly. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to take his attention off her dreams.
"You left your Arithmancy essay in the library," he said, handing her some parchment.
Ginny looked down at the paper. The essay had been completed, and it was written in her handwriting.
"Did you do this?" she asked.
He nodded. "I have excellent forgery skills. I saw how many books you had. I figured you could use a hand, and since I'm in Arithmancy, I could do that paper easily. So I did."
"Why are you being so nice?" Ginny asked, sliding the essay into her bag.
Draco didn't answer. "Who's Tom?"
Immediately Ginny's eyes narrowed. "I didn't ask you to write my paper. Don't think you can pull that questions shit again."
Draco frowned. "Whatever. Come on, I'll walk you back up to Gryffindor."
Ginny sneered. "I can find the way myself, thanks."
"I'll tell Dumbledore about your little habit if you don't let me walk you up," he said, looking pointedly at her bloody arms.
"Fine," she said, jumping out of the alcove and starting towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, totally ignoring Draco.
Draco followed behind, smirking. He would never actually divulge Ginny's secret, but he had known that would force her to relent. The girl was so easy to aggravate.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm really sorry about the delay! A lot of stuff has been going on lately: two teenagers from my school died in a car wreck recently, so I wasn't really in the mood to write. But I'm back: I hope you all are still there!
REVIEW RESPONSES: Thanks to: EternalEcho, oRouth, dakangl (I always respond to reviews…because I know I love it when I get thanked too!), Medicated Drama Queen, sarah