I do not own Harry Potter

A/N: I have fallen just the littlest bit ill and that is the cause of my delay for posting. I am still working, just very slowly so please be patient. I also had to finish another story for a contest (For A Wish) and that is why you might have seen that posted, it also caused a few delays.

Thanks to my GREAT Beta, oomahey.

Chapter 7: Bears and Bruises

"Parry again, My Lady- NO!" Eric flicked his sword in an arc and knocked hers easily from her hand, as if she were not holding it at all. "You need to keep a firm grasp on the grip or I'll be able to knock it from your hand every time. You are not concentrating today, My Lady!"

Ginny bit her lip and felt it tremble, along with her whole body. Only this morning, she had seen Neville for an hour and it had felt wonderful. She was surrounded by people now but still felt as if she was constantly alone. Sweat dripped down her brow as she retrieved her fallen sword and prepared to fight again.

"En Garde," Eric said, in his deep, resounding voice that carried all throughout the empty hall. He thrust his sword at her and Ginny quickly parried but he was on her again, moving the blade in a downward arc towards her. She raised her sword attempting to block him but the man slipped past her and stopped the blade about an inch away from her ear. "You're dead, My Lady."

Ginny shut her eyes, trying desperately to stem the flow of tears but to no avail. She swore loudly, before swiping the tears from her face and holding her sword at the ready position. "Again," she told Eric sternly and they went again.

This time she went on the offensive, thrusting with a lunge towards the big man, which he easily sidestepped and came in for a blow to her side. This time the blade actually hit her side and Ginny felt a sharp sting just below her ribcage, and realized it would probably bruise. She gasped and finally let out a laugh. "Well, that's one way to get me to learn quickly. It's a good thing these blades aren't sharp."

Eric smiled at her. "You left your side open and vulnerable. It is an easy mistake to make."

She shook her head. "No, it was a stupid mistake and one that I won't be making again." Ginny straightened and tried not to wince at the pain in her side. If I don't get better, I won't be able to walk soon. "I'm ready," she told him, although she wasn't entirely sure that she was.

OoO

Ginny walked slowly back to her room, wishing desperately to crawl into a hot bath. Eric had hit her at least twenty more times before she had finally gotten a hit on him and by the time that had happened, she was too sore to care. Eric had called a halt to their lesson and sent her back up to her rooms.

She was in the last hallway, walking softly down the stone pathway, dragging her heavy sword behind her when she chanced upon Draco and his entourage. Ginny quickly raised her sword and pointed it straight at his throat. Draco froze, as did the women with him. "Hello Ferret Face," she grinned when his white face paled even further. It really was too easy to intimidate him. His Adam's apple bobbed dangerously close to the edge of the blade as he swallowed hard at the proximity of the sword and his delicate throat.

"What do you want, blood traitor?" He seemed to be trying to intimidate her but she was the one with the sword, after all, so it was a squeak that actually came out.

"Go," she moved the sword towards the women and they all scattered quickly, leaving Draco alone, as they melted off into other parts of the castle. The moment they were gone, Malfoy jumped back, away from her.

Draco frowned sullenly. "I was just walking here, no need to threaten anyone."

Ginny laughed, a derisive, hollow laugh. "I can do whatever I like and I told you to stay out of my way!"

"This is my castle and I am the prince!" he shouted.

"Yes, but I'm the one holding the sword," she flicked the sword up and over, as if slashing his neck and Draco jumped, even though she was several paces away. It was killing her to hold the sword after the long work out, but she wouldn't show any signs of weakness in front of him.

"You are a-" but before she could come to know what exactly she was, he was cut off by a very large, older woman coming down the hallway, shouting.

"Sire," she kept moving, almost floating, although it looked odd for a woman of her size to be able to do so. She was tall and wide, with iron colored hair that was pulled into two buns on the sides of her head. Her voice had an odd accent that Ginny could not place.

"What?" Draco turned towards her, obviously exasperated.

She reached him and glared hard down at him. "Don't you speak to your Nanny that way!"

Whether it was her immense size or the intimidating way her eyes looked, but Draco bowed his head and sighed. "I'm sorry, Nanny Alarice. Did you need something?"

"Yes dear, you've forgotten your bear." Nanny Alarice shoved an ancient, tattered bear into his hands.

"I told you that I don't want to carry this thing around!" Draco attempted to push it back at her but she simply crossed her arms and glared down at him, completely unmoved by his show of temper.

Ginny couldn't help it, she giggled madly at the picture Draco made, holding the stupid bear. I can't imagine that a bear is accurate for the time period. "You look so grown up, Malferret."

"Don't you call him that!" Nanny Alarice bellowed, turning her considerable personage towards Ginny. "I don't care if you are the King's niece, you don't call him that!"

I'm the King's niece? That was an interesting piece of information that Hermione has not shared with me. Rather than feeling intimidated by the other woman's threat, Ginny simply grinned. "I am the one holding the sword, here. You don't order me around."

Nanny Alarice spluttered for a moment but Draco was the one who spoke. "You put Granger up to this, didn't you?"

Ginny glanced quickly at him. "What?"

"She showed up and told me that my childhood Nanny would be keeping an eye on me, to make sure I behaved! Now I am stuck with this woman following me around, trying to get me to hold this bear constantly and-" Draco stopped suddenly, seeming to realize whom he was confiding in.

Ginny shook her head, "Stay away from me or I'll rip you and your bear to shreds."

"You can't!" Draco yelled. "I tried ripping it up!"

"I mended it," Nanny Alarice said, obviously proud of herself. "He always did that as a baby, when I was his nurse maid. He was so sweet as a baby, such the cutest, littlest bottom, but he did know how to soil his nappies." Her eyes glazed over as she reminisced.

Ginny chuckled softly. "I'll leave you your bear and your Nanny, and stay out of my way," she walked over to him and flicked the sword to that it cut through his shirt. She ignored his yelp of surprise and the other woman's protests as she walked away from them, desperate to get to her room, and a hot bath.

OoO

"Rebecca?" Ginny called to the maid, as she soaked in her tub. The water was still warm, but the bubbles were beginning to pop. Absently, she ran her finger through the bubbles, leaving a trail of clear water as she waited.

"Yes My Lady?" The small, mousy haired girl came into the room, holding Ginny's robe. She was otherwise pleasant looking, with a heart-shaped face and vibrant blue eyes.

Ginny tried not to flinch in embarrassment but it was difficult getting used to a stranger seeing her unclothed. "Do you know how I could find Robin Hood?"

Rebecca froze for a moment, before holding up the robe for Ginny to slip on. Ginny stood carefully and donned the robe, acutely aware of every ache in her body. She had several welts and twice as many bruises and although Rebecca had seen them, she didn't comment above saying that she had a salve that would ease the pain. "Lay on the bed and I'll tend to your wounds."

"I can do it," Ginny protested instantly but the other girl gently pushed her towards her canopy bed and she did not argue further. She lay down on her stomach, flinching as a few of her aches gave a scream of protest.

Rebecca parted her robe and immediately began to work a sweet smelling paste into Ginny's wounds. It was instant relief from the pain and stinging. "You will have to let this sit overnight or you will still hurt badly in the morning."

"Thanks," Ginny mumbled, getting sleepy.

The other girl let out a sigh. "I know you are trying hard to learn to fight but you should leave it to Robin to save you from your marriage."

"Not bloody likely," Ginny muttered, so tired that she felt like she could sleep for a week. "I don't sit still while others come to rescue me. I did that once and it nearly got several people killed. No, I want to be able to help myself when the time comes and…" her thoughts drifted off to something Nanny Alarice had said. "Rebecca, this might sound odd but… am I the King's niece?"

Rebecca stopped rubbing for a moment and Ginny regretted her question, wishing she would resume tending to the bruises. As if Rebecca could read her mind, she kept applying the healing salve. "You are the daughter of the King's brother, Prince Henry."

"So who is Prince John in all of this?" Ginny asked her, suddenly alert.

"He is the King's brother." Rebecca replied evenly.

Ginny glanced over her shoulder at her and Rebecca grinned at her. "So that's why he is a prince then?"

The smile fled her face. "I can't talk about that or I'll be-"

"Whatever you are afraid of, don't be because I certainly won't be telling anyone what you told me and I nearly made Prince John wet himself today when I threatened him with my sword, so you don't need to fear him." Ginny studied her, watching the emotions play across her face.

Finally she decided to answer. "He decided to take over when our beloved King Richard went off to fight in the holy war. We fear that King Richard is never going to return to us!" Rebecca let out a sob and a voice from above spoke.

"Ginny, you shouldn't be asking these questions." Ginny looked up to see Hermione watching her. Rebecca walked out of the room and Ginny sat up slowly, pulling her robe closed.

"What's it to you if I ask questions? I can't marry Prince John, you know. He is my relative in this story, actually he is my uncle!" Ginny felt herself shudder in horror. "That's just sick."

"He's not your uncle, he's your-" Hermione looked over as something in her cloud, that Ginny could not see. "Oh dear, I must have read that wrong. That, or the game is mutating and I can't see the point in… well, I must have read it wrong."

Ginny could see that she was blushing hard. "The great Hermione, wrong about a fact. That's brilliant, truly note worthy. But still, it's incest and I won't do it."

The bushy haired girl shook her head, obviously still stunned at having been wrong. "No, I don't want you to have to marry him either. I trust you are training hard?"

"Yes, of course. I just spent all afternoon with Eric learning swordplay and tomorrow he is going to teach me archery. Hermione," Ginny said quickly. "How do I find Harry and the others?"

Hermione studied her and Ginny felt rather like a book she was trying to read. "You won't be going after them. They have things to do and you would only distract them."

"But I'm…" she stopped speaking, afraid to admit what she felt. If she said it out loud then it was there and surely true.

Hermione sighed, sounding resigned. "I know. It's hard for me being stuck up here sometimes and you are a prisoner here in your ivory tower with only Malfoy to actually talk to. The fact remains that you can't leave the castle or the castles grounds but if you go on a walk in the gardens tomorrow then you might have someone join you. I can't promise anything because he's got a lot of work to do if he's going to rescue you but, I'll try."

Ginny closed her eyes and felt a huge sense of relief. "Thanks, Hermione. I really appreciate it. I just can't stand not knowing how they all are."

"I know," Hermione smiled, "Now go to sleep. You need to continue practicing too."

"I will, I intend to kick Malfoy's butt," and with that, Ginny fell back to her bed, soundly asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

It is very possible that I will be banned from for responding to reviews and if I am, please go look for me at BOOK MARK IT! Thanks ywg

THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING! You guys are awesome!

These are responses since the last time I didn't respond… so a few chapters:

Coveret: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Miliardo Peacecraft: Teddy Bear, check! Weird attendant, check! LOL WT is GREAT! I love it there.

forbiddenlight: To be honest, I don't know how long it will be but probably like 20-30 chapters. I was mad about it (no reviews) and now I'm just expecting to get kicked off. We'll see.

Black is the New Pink: I really shouldn't laugh over it... but I had fun writing this chapter! He's just the perfect one for the preacher.

CreativeQuill: Well, absolute power and all that, I'm sure Hermione would have fun!

Maykwa: She couldn't think of any other title name, but I really found it amusing!

Strangely Sirius: A lil bit of Ginny... more to come soon. Oops, well you got the more of Ginny in this one but the church thing, I tried to make it mostly amusing but yes, much of it was dull to read, I know.

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