Seeing how it was about mid December, and the black lake was frozen over, not many people came to visit this part of the grounds in the cold. Ginny herself had only occasionally been to the lake on the grounds, and not once been in winter. She wound her scarf tighter around her face and took in her surroundings. A thin layer of frost and white powder covered the grass and paths surrounding the lake, and fragile snowflakes continued to fall from the sky.

She wasn't sure she had ever seen anything so beautiful.

Ron, Hermione and Harry all knew exactly where they were going as they all naturally wandered towards the large birch tree on the side opposite the castle. Hermione conjured some of those blue flames in a jar for each of them, whilst Ron used a spell to rid the floor under the tree of snow and leave it dry.

The foursome huddled under the tree, close to each other. Ron had his arm wrapped around Hermione as she leant back against his chest, head nuzzled into his the crook between his shoulder and head. Ginny sat next to Harry on the end, neither of them actually touching until Ginny shivered enough to accidentally brush elbows with him. Harry glanced at her, then shifted until the whole left side of him touched the whole right side of Ginny.

"You cold?" and he held his arm up, suggesting Ginny to slide underneath it.

"No, I'm okay, thanks though." Harry shrugged.

They sat in comfortable silence, until-

"So Hermione, when did you start dating my brother?" Ginny's outburst seemed to startle the trio. Each stared at her in turn relatively shocked. Harry was the first to respond with a nervous chuckle as he glanced at Hermione and Ron. This seemed to rejuvenate Hermione and Ron's state as they leaped apart away from each other.

"Uh... uh- what," Ron choked on his words.

"Um, we- we aren't... We're not, together, Ginny," Hermione laughed nervously, her cheeks slowly beginning to turn the shade of Weasley hair. "We are just friends," she insisted.

"Oh, I just presumed, sorry," embarrassed for the two of them, as well as her own outburst, Ginny slowly lifted herself off the ground. "Sorry," she repeated as she began walking towards the edge of the lake, hands stuffed in her pockets. She stood there for a minute, berating herself silently.

"Hey," Harry spoke softly, no matter how faintly this was spoken though, Ginny still jumped half a mile and almost slipped on the wet snow beneath her, however Harry grabbed her elbow just at the last moment.

"Sorry," apologised Ginny as she righted herself.

"No, it's okay... you'd think I'd have gotten used to that reaction by now," he sighed quietly to himself and looked away from Ginny and back up to Hermione and Ron. "She still does the same sometimes."

She leaned over and squeezed his wrist softly. Harry allowed her to do this, but didn't glance her way. Ginny followed his eye line and found Hermione and Ron in an intense conversation.

She pulled softly again on his wrist, and finally he looked across at her.

"Let's take a wander," she let go and hoping he would follow, she began to walk around the edge of the lake, slowly feeling Harry's presence slightly behind her. Once they were a large enough distance away, Ginny slowed down and peeked back towards her brother and friend.

"How long have they been like that?" Harry seemed momentarily confused until he looked back towards his best friends. "I mean, is it because of everything that happened?"

"Like what?" Ginny produced a small laugh, which stopped almost as soon as it began. Harry blinked at her, his face blank.

"Well, you know... like a couple?" Harry still looked bewildered.

"I suppose they are slightly touchy-feely..." Harry began. "But I am with Hermione too, I mean... what with everything, she wouldn't touch either of us at first. She was scared by any movement we made... then after a while... I think she got comfortable around him. He made her feel safe, she told me once. I think we both do, but Ron... Ron more so."

Harry seemed nervous about coming to these conclusions.

"Forget it, that makes sense," Harry's brow remained creased. It was obvious that the idea of his best friends being anything more than that freaked him out slightly. "Harry... forget it," Ginny emphasised.

Harry shook his head slightly and turned to face Ginny, a boyish grin claimed his face, eyes bright.

"Can you skim stones?"


Ginny was incredible. Of that Harry was sure. She was funny, intelligent, feisty, sarcastic, energetic, and strong. They spoke mostly pleasantries to each other at first until, quite inexplicably, their two barriers just broke.

"I'm not scared, Harry," stated Ginny softly. The two of them sat on a stump, back to back. They had spent most of the day together, after Ron and Hermione told the two of them they were going to head back inside. At first Harry was surprised Ginny felt comfortable enough to stay with him, however the more he thought about it the more he realised, he was completely comfortable around her too. Even whilst silent, Harry felt just as relaxed as he would around Hermione and Ron.

"I know," he said. He rested his head slowly against the back of hers. "I know."


Ginny was sure she had a broken rib.

"He'll kick you a lot when you're down, so try to stay on your side with your arms curled up and wrapped around your head, protect your ribs."

And she was certain that both her wrists were covered in burns.

"He'll tie you up once he's done with knocking you about."

But what Ginny was most positive about was the cuts on her back. They were still bleeding heavily.

"Ginny, d'you mind if I come in?" Hermione's voice came from the crack through the door.

She stumbled forward, looking for something to wrap herself in, the nearest thing being the bed sheet.

"Just you," Ginny croaked, her throat dry.

"Hey," Hermione took one glance at her and hesitated. "You okay?"

"It's my back... he- um- he whipped me," Ginny cleared her throat. "There's a lot of blood and-"

Ginny fainted.


Pain. Sharp stinging pain. Fire. Cooling. Cold. Pain. Sharp stinging pain. Fire. Cooling Cold.

Calm voices, soothing calm voices.

Dark whispering. Two faces.

Help. Help. Help me, Ginny.


"I think she's waking up."

Ginny blinked slowly, clearing the bleariness from sight and realised she was lying on her front, as she tried to turn around to face her friends her back flared with pain.

"Don't move, Gin," she heard Hermione say. "You can turn your head."

Ginny did as he said. She glanced around her surroundings and soon presumed she was in the room of requirement still, as she had never seen this place before. The room was mostly white, and eggshell. It reminded Ginny of the rooms at St. Mungo's, clean, bright, and slightly uncomfortable. Just as Ginny decided that, the room became completely eggshell blue. Yes, definitely the room of requirement.

Hermione was staring at her intently. Well... focused on her back. Right. That. Hermione seemed to be smearing something on it, although Ginny could feel nothing. Harry and Ron had glanced her way when she had awoken. Ron now turned his back to her again as the two of them sat on the sofa across the room. Harry, however, held her gaze for a few seconds. Those seconds seemed like hours to Ginny as she delved in to all the emotion visible. Relief, guilt, fury, sympathy, compassion and overwhelming sadness.

Hermione uttered peeking at Ginny from the corner of her eye whilst maintaining focus on her back. Ginny couldn't respond, instead her eyes filled with tears as she buried her face in her forearms folded beneath her head and began to sob quietly in to the chair.

AUTHOR NOTES:

A quick apology, listen, Malfoy is horrible, and this is an alternate universe. Harry, Ron and Hermione do actually choose to let this happen, because in the end.. they're scared kids, and Hermione's dad was killed. They allow it to happen, and I can't say for how much longer or whether or not Malfoy gets away with it, because then there is no point in you reading it! So if it's too much for you, honestly, give up now. Sorry that it doesn't please everyone. Hope some of y'all enjoy this, hope you had a good Christmas, or holidays if you don't celebrate it. Much love!