Disclaimer: No I don't own any of the HP characters. If I did I wouldn't be writing on fanfic...duh!

Chapter 11: Help

"Let me out."

"No."

Ginny blinked as though not quite comprehending Draco's response. Slowly Draco stood up and led her back towards the bed.

"You've lost a lot of blood." He said, "You should rest."

He handed her a sleeping potion that Professor Snape had given him for himself and she drank it without question. She fell asleep almost instantly.

Draco tucked the covers around her and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. Then without a word he left the room.

Back in the Hospital Wing, Ron's sobs had died down until his breathing had evened out and his body had fallen limp indicating he had fallen asleep. Gently Harry and Hermione laid him back on his bed and covered him with the duvet.

Hermione nodded towards the door of the Hospital Wing and both teens made their way there quietly to avoid waking the sleeping redhead.

"So what do you think?" Harry whispered after a moment of silence.

Hermione sighed. "I don't understand why."

"I think I might."

Hermione looked sharply at Harry before indicating that he should continue.

Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "In the Chamber of Secrets..." he paused trying to find the right words, "the way Tom talked...it was as though he'd talked Ginny in to doing all that stuff. Hermione," he said looking directly in to her eyes, "I don't think Ginny was possessed when she opened the Chamber of Secrets."

Hermione gasped. "Are you saying she did it of her own free will?" she said appalled at the idea.

"I'm not sure. I think Tom brainwashed her. He said that she confided in him things she couldn't tell anyone else. I think Ginny began to love him...but now that he's gone and she knows who he was I think she's trying to -"

"-Punish herself" Hermione finished softly.

"Harry we have to tell someone."

"First we need to find her. Hermione, stay here incase Ron wakes up. I'll go look for her."

Hermione nodded and Harry swiftly left the Hospital Wing.

Draco strode down the corridors in the dungeons towards Snape's office deepily in thought. He still was not sure if he was doing the right thing. But he did not know what to do for Ginny and he could not bear to watch her suffer.

As he reached the door to Professor Snape's office he raised a hand to knocked. He hesitated slightly before knocking twice.

"Come in." called a cold voice from within.

Draco entered, slightly nervous. Although he cared greatly for the other man and saw him as a kind of mentor, he shuddered at Snape's reaction to finding out he was coming to care for a Weasley. But he would do this, if only for Ginny. The thought still scared him but he knew that now was not the time to dwell on this matter.

Professor Snape looked up from the parchment he was writing on and sat back in his chair when he noticed it was Draco.

"Yes, Draco?"

"Sir..." Draco stopped. He really wasn't sure what the best way to break this news to his head of house was. "Sir..." he tried again.

Snape leaned forward a slightly concerned look on his face. "What is it Draco?"

"It's about Ginny Weasley, Professor."

Snape sighed loudly, "If you are simply here to complain about Gryffindors again -"

"No!" Draco interrupted. "Sir would come with me for a minute please." He said feeling that the best way to tell him would be to show him. Snape looked at him curiously and a bit impatiently before rising to his feet.

"This had better not be a waste of my time Draco." He warned the teen as he followed Draco out of his office.

Harry made his way to Gryffindor Tower wondering what he would do when he found Ginny. He himself had once tried self mutilation to take his mind off the burden that was his life but it had not worked. He had thought it would be an escape but for him it had not really worked.

He muttered the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady distractedly and headed straight for his dorm and his trunk where the Marauder's Map lay.

Severus Snape followed Draco through the corridors of the dungeon. As they walked he observed the young slytherin. He saw the confident long stride and the emotionless mask that the boy wore, but he also noticed the worry hidden in the depths of his stormy, grey eyes. The Professor could not help but wonder what Draco was so worried about and how it affected the youngest of the Weasleys. He did not wonder for long.

The slytherin head of house was slightly puzzled as to why Draco was leading him to his room, but he did not question it. He would find out when he arrived. Draco whispered the password a portrait of some slytherin and entered the room not even checking to see if his professor was following.

Snape's jaw dropped as he noticed the young Weasley tucked in Draco's bed. However his surprise quickly vanished and his face was wiped blank of any emotion, for to show emotion was to show a weakness, something he could not show in the face of anyone especially this boy who was likely to follow in his father's footsteps.

His sharp gaze followed Draco as he made his way to the Weasley's side and checked she was still sleeping. Then slowly he withdrew her arm from the many sheets tucked around her and slid the sleeve up. Severus fought hard to keep his face expressionless as he saw the carvings on the girl's arm.

"Draco..." he looked to the boy for an explanation.

Draco did not look at Snape but instead gazed down at Ginny. The mask he usually wore had long been dropped and Snape could feel the anxiety rolling off the youth in waves.

"Sir...she needs help"

"I gathered as much" Snape bit back a little harshly, "What I want to know is why she needs help, for how long this has been going and how exactly you got involved?"

Draco's gaze still didn't drift from Ginny's face and he realized that he was still unaware as to why she cut herself. He'd asked her that day by the lake but she had somehow sidestepped the question.

Snape's gaze softened slightly at the look of desperation on Draco's face. He saw that he genuinely cared about the girl and his illusions about the boy completely shattered. He had not lost Draco Malfoy to Voldemort yet.

The silence in the room lingered and when Snape had begun to think Draco would not answer his question he did.

"She said two years but she never said why. I knew something was wrong a few days ago and I was going to find out what it was and tease her about it...but I couldn't..."

"...Because it reminded you of your own situation" Snape finished softly for him having been the one to help Draco through his own difficult time. "Well there is nothing for it but to wait until she wakes up." Snape said lowering himself in to one of the chairs next to the bed. "Am I right in thinking you gave her a sleeping potion."

Draco nodded and lowered himself in to the other chair, once again settling himself for the long wait until Ginny Weasley woke.

A/N OMG I am sooooo sorry it's been so long. I completely forgot about my story (ooops) anyway please don't stop that from making you review.