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…probably a Draco/Ginny waiting to happen. Some Ginny/Remus.
Disclaimer: If I owned this stuff, would I really be on this computer typing away right now? No… I would be eating some rich-people-food in my gigantic English manor…
Touch Me
Chapter 15: Answers and a Nightmare
For a few minutes, there was silence in the Shrieking Shack as both men considered their shared dilemma. Finally, Remus spoke in a careful tone that demonstrated his concern for his young friend.
"Ginny has one- well, I wouldn't call it a weakness, but," he stopped, hesitating.
Draco nodded eagerly, gesturing for him to continue.
"You could probably guess it, actually," Remus said, "if you knew what to look for. Ginny has this need for touch, for feeling. You can see it in what she does- she starves herself, and she can feel the gnaw of hunger and see herself grow more thin. She cuts herself, and she can feel the cut and see the blood. She burns herself, and she can feel the burn and see her flesh smoking. You can see it in her eyes- the desire, the need. For pain. For feel. For touch. When you kiss her, she trembles all over, and she puts all she has into it. It might be an effect of having been so overlooked as a child that she throws herself into every feeling, and it's probably also because of Tom. I think that she went through so much with him that she was tuned into every single touch and still is and always will be.
"Yeah," Draco said quietly, his eyes glazed over in thought. "It makes such perfect sense now; it all does. Thank you, Remus," he said suddenly, sheepishly.
Remus grinned at the Slytherin. "It's okay, Draco, you don't have to be all nice and entirely Gryffindorish with me now. Slytherins are okay too, even if not many other Gryffindors seem to think so."
Draco scowled at Remus. "Excellent, I'm glad I got you approval. It makes my night, Wolfie."
Remus glared at Draco before glancing at his watch. "Morning, actually. It's 2:07. You should get back to the castle before someone realizes your absence. I'll walk you out."
Draco nodded. "Lead the way."
At the exit, Draco pulled up his hood again. "See you later, Wolfie."
Remus smiled at him, shaking his head. "Good morning, Dragon," he said as the black figure faded into the night.
It was 2:00 when Ginny woke up gasping in her bed. She had had another nightmare about Tom. That was happening more and more often lately, or so it seemed. Ginny pushed her covers aside with shaky hands, knowing from experience that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep tonight.
Instead, Ginny dragged herself out of her warm bed and pulled her robe on to cover her bare skin. Looking around to make certain that her roommates were still sleeping, she crept from the room. She passed through the portrait hole without a word from the Fat Lady, who was used to her nighttime wanderings by now. Then she quickly made her way to the Great Hall doors and outside into the cool black air of the early morning. She made her way to the gardens to the left of the school with the speed of someone familiar with the path.
Once she reached the garden, she dropped to the ground and huddled against a stone. She began searching her pockets for her knife or her wand, and cursed when she realized that she'd left both back in her dormitory. Ginny angrily plucked a flower from a bush and slowly shredded it, pulling the petals off one by one.
"A petal for pain. A petal for love. A petal for blood, and a petal for scars. Last petal for knives." She opened her hand and let all the petals flutter out of her palm and settle to the ground.
Ginny's head jerked up immediately when she heard footsteps.
"Who's there?" she called out into the dark.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: there you are, a tasty little cliffhanger. Hehehe. Review and tell me who you think the person should be. Hurry your comments in though if you want them to be heard, because I should start writing the next chapter soon. I don't know when the next one will be up: it could be late this week or early next, depending. I think I forgot to tell you guys that I went camping this past weekend, but I did! It was awesome, even though it was forty degrees farenheit and snowing and my feet were numb. I can't wait to go again, but preferably in a bit warmer weather! In fact, I'm asking for backpacking gear for my birthday in July! Alright, see you!
REVIEW RESPONSES: EternalEcho, Dione Shadow (aww that's sad: well advertise my little story as much as possible then! ), diamondgurl, sarah, Eternal Dragon101, moonlightwitch (aww! I hope you're feeling better now! Being sick sucks… what did you have?)