Chapter 23 Understanding
"In
our mutual
Shame we hide our eyes
To blind them from the
truth
That finds a way from who we are
Please don't be
afraid
When the darkness fades away
The dawn will break the
silence.."
-Evanescence
"Good to see you're finally awake, dear," came the voice of Madame Pomfrey.
Ginny let out a soft groan as she slowly sat up. She winced as she felt the sharp pain of the cut across her stomach. She looked around the room to find that she was in the hospital wing. What had happened after they came back? How did she get here? Why couldn't she remember?
"I see you seem to be confused about why you are," she began noticing the expression on Ginny's face, "I think the whole ordeal overwhelmed you a bit too much and you seemed to have fainted on Mr. Malfoy."
"Did he tell you what happened?" Ginny asked hesitantly.
"Only partially. He left rather quickly when he saw to it that you were taken care of. I assume it was to inform Dumbledore of what had happened," the witch replied, "I noticed a few rather large cuts, are you alright?"
"No, I'm not alright," Ginny snapped. How stupid did you be to ask that kind of question? She was beaten, tortured, chained to a wall, desecrated with a knife, and almost raped and killed. Of course she was not alright.
"I didn't mean mentally, child," she snapped back, "I meant do you wounds hurt badly?"
"They hurt when I move, but they're bearable," she said with a sigh.
"And what about the other wounds?" the nurse asked.
"What other wounds?" Ginny asked with a suspicious glance.
"Don't play stupid with me, child, I'm talking about the scars. The ones that seem to cover your arms and legs. Surely they are not from tonight. Some of them, I can tell, are quite old. So would you please enlighten me now or shall we wait until the headmaster, you mother, and you brother arrive?"
"You told my mother?" she said with a small gasp of shock.
"Of course I did. Do you honestly expect me not to tell a mother her child is in the hospital?" Madame Pomfrey replied.
"Where is Draco?" Ginny asked suddenly as she began to pull back the covers.
"I assume he is still at the headmaster's office or in his common room. Where do you think you are going young lady?" she asked as her eyes flashed dangerously, "You are not leaving this bed until your mother has seen you and I am positive that you are in the correct mental and physical state to leave."
"I'm fine," she said trying to push her way around the nurse.
"A few minutes ago you said you weren't. Not get back into that bed. Now!" the nurse shrieked when Ginny didn't so much as budge.
"Listen here Virginia-"
"No, you listen! I don't care what mental state you think I'm in, I'm leaving this damn infirmary if I have to curse my way out of it. If I don't talk to Draco, things that should be said tonight will never be said. Now you move."
"Don't make me tie you down to this bed Ms. Weasley. I will see to it that you stay here and I wouldn't want your stay to be unpleasant. So get back in that bed this instant." Madame Pomfrey snapped.
Ginny rolled her eyes and with a loud sigh sat back down into the bed. She was too tired to get into an argument at the moment. All her energy had been drained. Just getting out of the bed had caused her pain and she felt too weak to go very far.
"I want you to take this sleeping potion and when you wake, your mother and brother will be here. Okay dear?" The witch said sweetly.
She must have slept for a few hours because when she awoke it was the middle of they day. Ginny slowly sat up in bed and was greeted by the nurse.
"Good to see you're awake now. Your mother and Ronald are in the waiting room, I'll just go get them," Madame Pomfrey said and turned toward the doors to the waiting room.
"But I don't want to see-," Ginny began but was cut off when the nurse turned and gave her a harsh look.
"They are family and you will see them," she said and turned back toward the waiting room.
As she opened the door Ginny could see the worried faces of her mother and brother. Although she knew she should be feeling sad it was the exact opposite. One look from her mother and Ginny could feel anger coursing through her veins.
That was the woman who betrayed her. That was supposed to be the woman who protected her from danger and loved her until the end. But she wasn't that woman, she was no mother.
"Virginia is doing better, Mrs. Weasley. I would like to keep her in the infirmary for a few more days, for her own safety. But she is awake now so you may visit her," the nurse said promptly.
"Ginny, baby!" Molly shrieked as she ran into the infirmary, tears streaming down her face.
She ran to give Ginny a hug, closely followed by Ron, but let out a gasp when she was pushed back.
"Don't touch me," Ginny snapped coldly.
"Baby, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" she asked.
"What's wrong? Is that all you can say? Is that all you can ask? I think you know perfectly well what's wrong. And you know what the worst part is? You knew! You knew all along and you didn't do a damn thing to stop it! You're just as sick as he is!" Ginny shrieked as she watched more tears fall from her mother's eyes.
"But there was nothing I could do! Ginny you must believe me! I couldn't do anything! We needed money and a good provider! We couldn't end up on the streets!"
"That's it? That's your fucking excuse? He almost raped and killed me, but all you can think about is money? You would jeopardize your only daughter's life just for some money? I can't even call you my mother anymore!"
"Ginny don't say that. I love you and I'm sorry. Please baby I'm begging for your forgiveness. Please accept and let me make things right," Molly began.
"No. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you. You hurt me Molly, this entire family hurt me, and I don't know when I'll be able to forgive you all."
"It's mother. Don't call me Molly, I'm your mum."
"Not anymore, you left me all alone, to defend myself. Not one single person in this family was there to back me up. The only person who was there for me was the one who helped me get through it all. And the worst part is, you would spit on his name if you knew who he was."
"No we wouldn't, Gin. If he helped you, he helped all of us. And that means the most no matter who he is," Ron said jumping in.
"Us? So now you consider me part of the family? Don't you dare fucking lie to me, Ron! You know you wouldn't think twice about punching him in the face if you knew who he was."
"Virginia, I don't care who this boy is at the moment. What I care about are these scars," Molly said rolling up Ginny's sleeve," Care to tell me what these are about?"
"You wouldn't understand," she said pulling her arm back from her mother.
"Oh, but this boy understands? This complete stranger knows why you carve into your flesh and leave scars?"
"Yes, actually he does," Ginny snapped," And I'm pretty damn sure he understands better than you ever will. I don't want to talk about this any more. Just leave me alone."
"I'm not leaving, Virginia, until we get this all figured out. So start talking."
"I'm not talking to you. I don't know when I'll ever be able to talk to you. Just leave and maybe we can start talking when I get home from Hogwarts. Now please, both of you, leave I need to rest."
"No, Ginny! I am not leaving!" Molly shouted.
"Fine! If you won't I will!" Ginny shouted back.
She pulled back the covers and stormed toward the exit.
"Ginny wait!" Ron called out and she turned before she opened the door.
"What?"
"I don't get it. Why would you do this to yourself? Did you want to kill yourself?"
"See that's what you two just don't understand!" Ginny screamed as a lone tear fell onto her cheek, "I wasn't trying to die, I was trying to live."
And with that she turned her back and left the infirmary in hopes of finding Draco.
A/N: Don't worry! This isn't the last chapter. There will probably be one more maybe two depending on how the next chapter goes. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for all the great reviews. And I also know the Ginny's real name is Ginevra but I'm using Virginia in this story and I'm just gonna stick with it until the end. Just wanted to say that because people keep telling me what her real name is..