"What?"
How did he know? Crap. Oh Merlin. Malfoy was going to kill her family.
Harry stared right at her. His stare was nothing like Malfoy's. Harry's eyes were full of warmth and concern, the intensity intimidated her and she was the first to look away. When Malfoy had stared at her Ginny felt scared, with Harry his stare did scare her, but for a different reason.
"Ginny, look at me." Harry raised his hand to lift her chin, trying to make eye contact, but all Ginny saw was the hand. The violent flinch told Harry everything he needed to know.
"Merlin." Harry ran his hand down his face. He pushed himself off the edge of the bed and paced for a few moments whilst Ginny watched. The sting of tears returned again, and again Ginny blinked them away. Harry turned towards a wall.
"Damn it. Not again!" and he punched it. And again. And again. And again.
Before Ginny could no longer take it, she threw herself at him and shoved him away from the wall.
"STOP." A few seconds silence punctuated only with Harry's ragged breathing. "How did you know?" she whispered and he turned away from her. She couldn't understand it. Rape would be the last thing on her mind when a girl stayed out all night, but Harry had gone straight to the right conclusion.
"Harry? H-How did you know?" she repeated.
"Because it's not the first time he's been in this place, Ginny." Hermione's voice floated softly in the air around them and stirred a memory in Ginny's head... Talk to the mudblood.
"What do you mean, Hermione?" the brunette had pushed herself away from the sleeping boy, before slowly walking towards Harry.
"Give me your hand," she instructed, it was only then Ginny noticed the small cuts on his knuckles and watched as Hermione slowly ran her thumb over them, checking the scratches. "You're fine, we'll get some essence of murtlap later, but for now," Hermione let Harry's hand drop before turning to Ginny. "I guess, we've got some explaining to do for you."
Hermione glanced at Ron's sleeping form. "Maybe we should go somewhere else." And with that a door popped into existence behind Harry.
"After you, girls." He held the door open for the both of them. The inside of the room was warm from a burning fireplace on the opposite wall, directly in front of it was a huge cushioned sofa, which all three settled down upon. Hermione sat in the middle and faced Ginny.
"So... I'm not really sure where to start." Hermione stated, slightly awkwardly. Both Harry and Ginny watched her. "Right, okay if I start this, I need to get through it. No interrupting, understand?"
"Hermione, don't. You really don't have to... I think - I, um, I understand."
"Yeah. I agree, don't do this to yourself." Harry stared at Hermione, concern etched into his face. He glanced towards Ginny, before she realised she was staring.
"No, Ginny needs to hear it. And we can't just keep burying it Harry, it happened." She nodded resolutely to herself, "Nothing is going to change that."
Harry gazed at her, his eyes full of a mixture of worry and admiration, gently he leant over to squeeze Hermione's knee before allowing her to start.
"Well, last year, myself and Ronald argued. Something stupid, it over was Crookshanks. I mean, it was nothing really. But we ended up not talking for a couple of weeks. During that time, Harry was flitting between the two of us, trying to get us to give up being so stubborn." Harry's jaw tensed and his knuckles turned white at this.
"If I had just stayed with you-" But Hermione cut him off.
"Shush, we've been over this. It wasn't your fault Harry. It wasn't anyone's, and anyway, I said no interruptions, please."
"One night it had gotten relatively late in the library and Harry was getting restless sitting with me, so I pushed him to go to bed whilst I stayed to read. I was relaxed in what I thought was an empty room, just re-reading Hogwarts: A History when I looked up and suddenly Malfoy was sat with me. Obviously I was on edge at the beginning, expecting some taunts etc. But he surprised me, he asked for help with our Herbology homework. One of my downfalls... I always liked helping people with their work, it gave me a new perspective on what I was learning, so I couldn't resist."
"Anyway, we'd be sat for an hour or so before he mentioned that he was thirsty and pulled two pumpkin juices from his bag. He offered me one, I'm guessing he drugged me. He probably did the same to you too. And before I knew it, we were here. There was a bed. And I suppose you can work out the rest." Harry reached for Hermione's hand and gave it a small squeeze before leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs and buried his face in his hands. "He decided to leave Ron and Harry a note, Ron found it. And if he hadn't come to find me, I think I'd still be in that bed now."
"And it happened again, the next day." Hermione stared into the fire without talking, for how long, Ginny was unsure, before the most horrible words were uttered so quietly Ginny was sure she had misheard them. Ginny wanted so badly to have misheard her.
"He killed my father, Ginny." she began to cry silently as her story continued. "Malfoy, or should I say Malfoy's father paid someone, to kill him. He warned me, and I still told him, I told my dad what had happened to me. The worst is, they put a memory charm on my mum... She can't remember him at all." Hermione's whispered words twisted Ginny's insides.
"I felt broken." Hermione looked away from the fire and stared down at her twisted fingers in her lap. "I wasn't strong like you, Ginny. I couldn't even think about leaving the room, let alone lying to protect people... That's what he told you to do, right?"
Ginny hesitated.
"Well... he said I could tell you."
The brunette's laugh was short and bitter. The room remained silent until Harry spoke.
"I'm sorry I didn't stay. I am so... so sorry Hermione." he whispered into his palms. Hermione wrapped one arm around his torso from behind.
"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, it wasn't your fault Harry." But Harry was shaking with anger. Anger at himself, anger at Malfoy, anger at the entire situation. "Harry, calm down."
Harry flew up in to the air.
"Calm down? Yeah. Sure. I will. I'll just bow down to Malfoy, shall I?" his whole demeanour had changed, Ginny didn't think she had ever seen someone this furious. "What you went through... Your dad! And Ron. Both of you, you fell apart-"
"And I can't thank you enough for holding it together for us Harry, but-" interrupted Hermione.
"No Hermione! That wasn't me holding it together. The three of us! We changed! And now Ginny, is this fair?! Well is it?!"
And finally, Ginny allowed her tears to flow over. Slowly, they cascaded down her face whilst Harry continued his speech. Gradually Ginny's sobs became loud enough to attract the attention of the others. After a moment two hands clutched Ginny's left hand, whilst one arm came around her shoulders and pulled her back to rest on a hard chest.
"It's okay, you're okay, I promise. You'll be okay," Hermione whispered to her. Ginny was affectionately reminded of her mother. "It gets easier."
Rocking back and forth in Harry's arms whilst Hermione whispered comforting words to her, Ginny couldn't help but think this was wrong. She should be consoling Hermione, after what she had been through... it was enough to reduce Ginny to body wrecking sobs.
.
When Ginny awoke, her head was in Harry's lap, his hand resting just behind her ear nestled into her hair. His head was resting on the back of the sofa and he was breathing evenly. Ginny guessed he hadn't long fallen asleep.
She sat up slowly, placing Harry's hand on a cushion instead and scanned the room. It was empty apart from the two of them. She decided to look for Hermione and Ron and headed for the door through which she had entered earlier, before she recognised their voices. The debate they were having was obviously heated.
"She's my baby sister, what else am I supposed to do Hermione?! Leave it alone, and let it happen again, like we did for you?!" Ron sounded furious, but no matter how angry he was Ginny knew that was a low blow.
"I know Ronald, I realise that! But, unless you want one of your family members to turn up dead, then yes! I do think we should leave it alone!" Hermione sounded just as furious as Ron. "Obviously I don't want her to go through the same, getting raped nearly every night isn't something I'd wish on my worst enemy." Hermione's voice went cold at the end. But nowhere near as cold as the pit of Ginny's stomach.
"Every night?" Ginny repeated as she opened the door in front of her. "That happened to you... every night?"
Author Notes; Short one today, hope you like where its going! Again, any review will do, please? Criticism, negative, or even slightly positive ones, possibly! Thank you! :)
