Chapter 4: The promise
Ginny was lying by the lake watching the clouds float by when Draco found her. At first he said nothing just stood looking down on her his shadow crossing over her face. He studied her; noticing how her red copper curls blended in with the falling leaves around her. She looked small and vulnerable as she lay there. She was pretty; not striking enough to attract the male population of Hogwarts, but pretty in an innocent pure sort of way. Her freckles which had once occupied over half of her face were now only a sprinkle over her nose. But there was a darker side to her face. Bags under her eyes showed her lack of sleep and cuts near her wrists vaguely showed where the second hand jumper failed to reach. Ginny frowned at the object that was blocking the sun from her and turned her head towards Draco's cool grey eyes. Ginny sat up as their gaze met.
"We need to talk" said Draco simply. Ginny nodded. After a while Ginny broke the silence,
"Someone should probably say something before one of us graduates"
"Right. How long have you been cutting yourself for and why?" Whatever it was that Ginny had been expecting him to say to her, that was not it. Those were personal questions that Ginny wasn't sure she wanted to tell anyone yet, let alone a Malfoy. Playing for time Ginny replied,
"What do you mean?"
"How long have you been taking a blade and cutting your skin open with it" he said harshly. Ginny hesitated for a few moments.
"How long" Malfoy demanded.
"Two years" whispered Ginny. "But it's not what you think. I'm not dependant or anything. I'm just looking for a little release every now and then. Look, please don't tell anyone, I promise I'll do anything just please don't tell anyone."
"Anything?"
Ginny hesitated slightly before clearing her throat and adding firmly, "Anything."
"Give up."
"What?"
"Give up cutting yourself." Draco explained. Ginny stared at him for a while. She weighed up her options and realized that Malfoy would never know whether she had given up or not seeing as she would hardly ever seem him. She decided to play along. She could always cut when she needed to, she just couldn't miss meals to do it. She could do it in the bathroom instead, when everyone was asleep.
"Okay." Ginny replied, thinking that this was going to be easier than she had thought. Draco noticed a slight smile on her face and knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Come here" Draco said. Ginny, slightly confused, rose to her feet and took a couple of steps towards Draco. Draco reached for Ginny's arms and took out his wand. Without explaining what he was doing, he waved his wand over her arms muttering a spell, and then he released her. Ginny stood back with a weird look on her face.
"What was that?" She asked her voice shaking slightly for she had a vague suspision what that spell had been about.
"A spell to tell me if you've been cutting yourself. Even if it's a scratch, even if it happened accidentally during a Quidditch match, I'll know about it."
Ginny stared at him open mouthed and she knew he'd beaten him. Then she stopped to think. He hadn't asked for anything that would help him. He'd done something that he thought would help her. But it's not going to help her she argued to herself. Take away her blades and there was nothing she could do to help her. To make her feel human. To punish herself for the things she did. She stared at the lake and felt tears well up in her eyes. She turned back to Draco again and knew she had no choice, "Okay." She said. That one word had condemned her.
Draco looked at her through his piercing gaze and saw that she would give it a go. He'd have to keep an eye on her to make sure she was okay, but it looked as though she would at least try and stop. He noticed she was near to tears at the mere thought of letting go of her blade and he realized that she would find it harder than he had. She was weaker than he was and he was sure she'd need his help. But first he wanted to give her a shot on her own, see how well she could cope. He took one more look in to her tortured eyes before turning around and leaving.
Ginny watched him go before turning back to the lake and letting her tears run free. She pulled her knees up to her chest like a lost, little girl and cried for all she was worth.
Authors note: This chapter is for Cinnamon Angel as she wanted another chappie before my exams. Sorry it's not very long but I can't do anymore at the moment as I have to catch a plane back to England in a couple of hours and I haven't even begun to pack! Hope you enjoyed this chappie everyone! Please Review!
Ginny was lying by the lake watching the clouds float by when Draco found her. At first he said nothing just stood looking down on her his shadow crossing over her face. He studied her; noticing how her red copper curls blended in with the falling leaves around her. She looked small and vulnerable as she lay there. She was pretty; not striking enough to attract the male population of Hogwarts, but pretty in an innocent pure sort of way. Her freckles which had once occupied over half of her face were now only a sprinkle over her nose. But there was a darker side to her face. Bags under her eyes showed her lack of sleep and cuts near her wrists vaguely showed where the second hand jumper failed to reach. Ginny frowned at the object that was blocking the sun from her and turned her head towards Draco's cool grey eyes. Ginny sat up as their gaze met.
"We need to talk" said Draco simply. Ginny nodded. After a while Ginny broke the silence,
"Someone should probably say something before one of us graduates"
"Right. How long have you been cutting yourself for and why?" Whatever it was that Ginny had been expecting him to say to her, that was not it. Those were personal questions that Ginny wasn't sure she wanted to tell anyone yet, let alone a Malfoy. Playing for time Ginny replied,
"What do you mean?"
"How long have you been taking a blade and cutting your skin open with it" he said harshly. Ginny hesitated for a few moments.
"How long" Malfoy demanded.
"Two years" whispered Ginny. "But it's not what you think. I'm not dependant or anything. I'm just looking for a little release every now and then. Look, please don't tell anyone, I promise I'll do anything just please don't tell anyone."
"Anything?"
Ginny hesitated slightly before clearing her throat and adding firmly, "Anything."
"Give up."
"What?"
"Give up cutting yourself." Draco explained. Ginny stared at him for a while. She weighed up her options and realized that Malfoy would never know whether she had given up or not seeing as she would hardly ever seem him. She decided to play along. She could always cut when she needed to, she just couldn't miss meals to do it. She could do it in the bathroom instead, when everyone was asleep.
"Okay." Ginny replied, thinking that this was going to be easier than she had thought. Draco noticed a slight smile on her face and knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Come here" Draco said. Ginny, slightly confused, rose to her feet and took a couple of steps towards Draco. Draco reached for Ginny's arms and took out his wand. Without explaining what he was doing, he waved his wand over her arms muttering a spell, and then he released her. Ginny stood back with a weird look on her face.
"What was that?" She asked her voice shaking slightly for she had a vague suspision what that spell had been about.
"A spell to tell me if you've been cutting yourself. Even if it's a scratch, even if it happened accidentally during a Quidditch match, I'll know about it."
Ginny stared at him open mouthed and she knew he'd beaten him. Then she stopped to think. He hadn't asked for anything that would help him. He'd done something that he thought would help her. But it's not going to help her she argued to herself. Take away her blades and there was nothing she could do to help her. To make her feel human. To punish herself for the things she did. She stared at the lake and felt tears well up in her eyes. She turned back to Draco again and knew she had no choice, "Okay." She said. That one word had condemned her.
Draco looked at her through his piercing gaze and saw that she would give it a go. He'd have to keep an eye on her to make sure she was okay, but it looked as though she would at least try and stop. He noticed she was near to tears at the mere thought of letting go of her blade and he realized that she would find it harder than he had. She was weaker than he was and he was sure she'd need his help. But first he wanted to give her a shot on her own, see how well she could cope. He took one more look in to her tortured eyes before turning around and leaving.
Ginny watched him go before turning back to the lake and letting her tears run free. She pulled her knees up to her chest like a lost, little girl and cried for all she was worth.
Authors note: This chapter is for Cinnamon Angel as she wanted another chappie before my exams. Sorry it's not very long but I can't do anymore at the moment as I have to catch a plane back to England in a couple of hours and I haven't even begun to pack! Hope you enjoyed this chappie everyone! Please Review!