Hermione dragged Ginny from store to store insisting that she buy new robes of every color.
"Oh, Gin! Look at this green one! It'll look charming on you!" Hermione exclaimed and pushed Ginny into the dressing rooms.
After slipping the dull gray dress off of her body, she pulled on the small green garment and frowned.
She was practically swimming in it. She gazed at her image in the mirror, the green oversized gown barely grazing her pale skin.
She looked like a child. A lost little girl trying on her mother's clothes, she looked away in disgust. This is what she'd become.
"Gin? Did you try it on? I want to see." Hermione's voice was muffled on the other side of the door.
She ignored her friend and watched as her brown eyes filled with tears. What was she doing? She wanted to go back to the manor and crawl into her king sized bed and lose herself in the fluffy silk pillows.
"Gin?"
She would be safe there. Away from prying eyes and the questions of the people she cut out of her life, they would never understand, they couldn't.
"Ginny are you alright?"
With a sigh of resignation she unlocked the door and opened it.
Hermione's smile disappeared at the sight of Ginny in the green dress. They widened in horror.
The weight she'd lost hadn't been noticeable in the plain dress she'd been wearing before, but now standing in the gown that would have fit her previously, it was obvious that something was very wrong with her friend.
Hermione's eyes darkened.
"Not a word Hermione. I just need a smaller size." Ginny whispered and Hermione decided not to push the matter.
They left the store several purchases later and Hermione managed to persuade Ginny into a muggle hair salon and beauty spa.
Several shillings later, with a new haircut, manicure and wardrobe, Ginny looked like a new person.
Her face was still pale and her frame was still frail looking, but it didn't seem as bad with her hair framing her face in layers, the red shining brightly with new robes that clung to her form and accentuated the little bit of curves she had left.
"Well. I- I suppose I should go back to the manor. Draco should be home from work in a bit." Ginny said and Hermione shook her head.
"No, Ginny please don't just go. Look, Harry's twenty seventh birthday is in a couple of days and Ron is having a party at his flat for him tonight. Please come home with me and we can go together." Hermione said pleading softly. She held on to Ginny's wrist afraid that if she let go her friend would disappear forever.
Ginny hesitated, looking back to the entrance of Diagon Alley with longing.
"Everybody misses you." Hermione whispered and Ginny nodded.
"Alright Hermione, I suppose I could go for an hour or two." She said and Hermione hugged her friend close.
"Don't worry, you won't regret it!"
Ginny stood in front of Ron's flat several hours before the party was supposed to begin and she was already regretting it. She felt nauseated at the fact of even seeing her brother again, much less Harry.
Merlin, she was terrified.
Hermione opened the door without so much as knocking and strode in.
"Ron! Where are you?" Hermione yelled through the spacious living room, dropping her bag and purse onto the coffee table.
Ginny glanced about the flat and frowned. Although she'd been here several times before the place seemed unfamiliar to her. On the mantle were pictures of Ron Harry and Hermione during their Hogwarts years. There were newer ones of them in the flat and at the burrow and her breath caught in her throat when she noticed there were several pictures of her.
There was one where she stood with Harry a month after he'd defeated Voldemort. She was smiling with a mischievous glint in her once sparkling brown eyes. She remembered having given Harry one of Fred and George's new candies and waiting to see what would happen.
Harry stood beside her looking slightly sick.
"'Mione, have you seen my new black robes. They were on the floor in the living room yesterday but you decided to clean and now I can't find the bloody thing. Furthermore-" Ron stopped suddenly as he came into the room and his eyes fell onto his only sister.
She tore her gaze away from the pictures and smiled at Ron.
His eyes widened and his mouth was slightly parted in shock.
"Hello Ron." She said and the room went silent.
"I'll kill the bloody bastard!" Ron exclaimed striding forward and taking Ginny's hands in his own inspecting her from top to bottom his face red with rage.
"Dear God Ginny, what has he done to you?" He said and Ginny pulled away roughly.
"I-I don't know what you mean." She said shakily crossing her arms over her stomach in a protective gesture.
"I'll tell you what I bloody well mean!" Ron sputtered furiously, "You don't answer our owls for two years, you won't talk to us, and Malfoy avoids father at the ministry saying you're well when you bloody well aren't! We've been worried sick about you and mother has been downright depressed!" he exclaimed angrily.
Ginny looked down sheepishly and felt tears burn the back of her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Ron. I just- I couldn't face you." She said and chocked back on a sob.
Ron pulled his sister into his arms and stroked her hair which was so much like his own.
"What happened Gin? What about the baby?" he asked and Ginny felt her throat constricting, dear Merlin but she wanted to forget. She didn't want to think about what she'd lost.
She felt the memories of that horrible night resurfacing and the pain she'd endured.
"I don't want to talk about it. Merlin Ron please don't make me talk about it." She said brokenheartedly, her voice hoarse with emotion.
He held her as she cried both him and Hermione gazing at each other helplessly.
When she finished crying the tears she'd refused to cry since the event she hiccupped softly her eyes burning from the tears she'd shed.
"Gin, are you alright? What am I saying, of course you aren't alright!" He exclaimed gazing at her tearstained face.
"Look, are you going to stay here for the party? I know Harry would like to see you. Then we can talk later." He said and Ginny nodded, drained emotionally.
"I think perhaps I'd like to rest my eyes a bit before I face anyone." She said tiredly and Ron nodded.
"Sure Gin. You can sleep in my room for a bit, Harry should be here in a bit. I'll go and wake you then." He said and led her to his room.
The room was large and expensively furnished.
Ron played for the Chuddley Cannons as keeper and she supposed after living in poverty his entire life he liked to surround himself with only the best.
She smiled thankfully and fell onto the bed instantly falling asleep.
Ron closed the door gently behind her and sighed as he walked slowly into the living room. He ran his hand through his red hair in frustration. Hermione was sitting on the sofa nervously wringing her hands. She stood up instantly at the sight of Ron.
"Where did you find her?" He asked shakily.
"She was in Diagon alley this afternoon. Merlin Ron you should have seen her. She was pale in the ugliest dress I've ever seen. She's like a frightened little mouse, terrified of her own shadow!" Hermione roared out furiously. Expressing the anger she'd felt at her first impression of Ginny.
"I'll kill the ruddy bastard for what he's done to her!" Ron bellowed furiously before falling to the sofa in a frustrated heap.
"Has she told you anything?" He demanded and Hermione shook her head.
"Not a word. Every time I mentioned Malfoy she got upset." Hermione said sadly and Ron was appalled.
"Harry isn't bloody well going to like this." Ron said shaking his head.
It was no secret between the trio how infatuated Harry had been with his red-headed sister after the war.
However, Malfoy and Ginny had fallen in love and it had seemed that Malfoy had changed and was equally infatuated with her. Harry had graciously backed down, cursing himself for not having noticed her before.
He'd been especially desolate after having learned of her pregnancy. Blaming himself, like he always tended to do, when she cut herself out of the family.
They had all sent several owls, questioned Malfoy who'd skillfully evaded their questions, even gone as far as going to the manor where Ginny had refused to see any of them.
They'd given up and were shocked at her sudden reappearance.
"I don't suppose Harry will like it at all." Hermione responded several minutes later glancing towards Ron's bedroom nervously.
"You don't suppose I'll like what very much?"
They both swiveled around in shock and Hermione gasped at the sight of Harry leaning against the doorframe with a half smile on his face.
"Harry! I hadn't heard you come in!" Hermione said her face flustered in embarrassment.
Harry smiled.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you two were hiding something." He said and raised his eyebrow inquisitively.
He chuckled then strode into the room.
They both followed his movements with their eyes and Harry stopped and frowned.
"What's with you two? What happened?" He asked with concern glancing at both his best friends.
"Harry, mate, Ginny is here." Ron blurted and Harry stopped his face lighting up in stunned surprise.
Hermione sighed.
"Very smooth Ron." She stated sarcastically.
"She is? Are you joking?" Harry said and gulped.
"No. Hermione bumped into her in Diagon alley, Harry she's not doing well." Ron said and Harry's face darkened.
"What do you mean she isn't doing well?" He demanded rooted to the spot.
"Harry, she looks terrible. She's pale. She hasn't been eating. Look when you talk to her don't mention the baby." Hermione said and Harry looked pained.
"Why what's happened?" he asked with worry and Ron and Hermione glanced at each other knowingly.
"We don't know, she lost the baby and every time we mention it she starts crying." Ron said and sighed.
Harry's fists were clenched furiously and he was trying very hard to control his anger.
"Malfoy is going to die." He stated spitefully.
"Get in line." Ron muttered.
"Where is she right now?" Harry said glancing about.
"She's sleeping in my room." Ron said. Harry nodded and strode that way, Ron and Hermione wouldn't have been able to stop him if they'd wanted to.