Chapter 2: Healing
How does one heal? How can someone come back after so much pain, so much evil? My family did not have these answers either. They seemed to circle me all summer, coming close enough to see me but never close enough to listen, to hear me. My Mother felt particularly guilty, she hadn't written, she had left me to Slytherin, to the monster living in me. She started by trying to make things better; dresses she had made appeared on my bed every morning. Sickly sweet things with frills and pink. They made me look like a doll, like Tom's doll. Being his doll made me feel sick, a raging black hole of despair growing in my stomach. I tried to shove this thought away and wear it to make her happy, but the black hole reappeared during breakfast and I threw up all over the frills and the pink. Soon, the dresses stopped. Mum tried again, bowls of blackberries and painting supplies finding their way into my hands as I sat, staring into nothing, hoping the nothingness would gobble me up. My fingers and mouth would be stained with the purple black of the berries, looking like ink. Mum had a heart attack, entering my room to discover that I had used the paints to cover the walls in runes. The faded pink of the walls looking dull next to the shimmering silver and blood red of the protection runes etched on every surface. Ice blue ruins for strength placed in every corner. An emerald green peace rune brushed above the bed to help with my sleep and a giant gold rune of healing shimmered underneath it, my attempt to protect my consciousness. Instead of yelling, or demanding that I clean up my mess, she Mum stood, shocked. She said nothing, just looked at me like I was a stranger and closed the door quietly behind her. Tom had taken my memories of my Mother. I was different, colder, but I was trying. I felt the distance between us push and pull, the tension stretching like a rubber band, close to snapping. She felt my distance and responded by adding to the space between us. She had a hard time being alone with me, a hard time looking at me. I made her feel guilty and uncomfortable, yet I tried to appease her, appease them all. A small, lifeless smile sat on my lips at all times. My eyes stayed blank, not drenched in the despair that I felt threatening to drown me.
Dad won some money and we took the opportunity to flee our problems and visit Bill in Egypt. Bill, with his ponytail and fang earring, thought he was the black sheep of the family. It became very clear to him upon my arrival that I had beaten him out for that title. He may have been the kindest in Egypt. Bill always had a hand on the small of my back, a guiding grasp on my hand as we toured the ancient burial grounds of Egypt. He seemed to keep one hand on me at all times, to make sure I didn't slip away again. I let myself be pulled throughout ancient pyramids and listen with an interested numbness as Bill lectured us. It wasn't until we reached Alexandria that I awoke. We were touring the hidden library, the library that ancient witches and wizards had died to protect and hide from the rising Christian hordes. This place spoke to me, an ancient hidden hall, which smelled of ink and parchment, and walls themselves seemed to secrete wisdom. I lagged behind in our tour and I trailed off on my own. My feet taking me where they would, my mind begging for the peace this place seemed to offer. I walked and walked until it seemed the air smelt older. Down aisles of books and further down tunnels I drifted. The stones gave way to softer dirt floors, the stone walls turning into packed dirt.
"Ginevra?" an elegant voice simultaneously broke me out of my reverie while drawing me further into it. I found myself in a small circular room, vines crawling up the walls leading to a perfectly domed ceiling. The ground was covered in jars with scrolls pouring out of them. I felt the peace in this room, the strength in the walls, the subtle power at my feet. A vine curved its way to me and brushed my ankle in greeting. I could stay her forever.
"Ginevra. It is good to meet you. I am Hypatia and I have been waiting for you, my Lady." She was beautiful. Thick brown hair and intelligent, sage eyes stared at me. She seemed steady in all of her surroundings. A light linen tunic wrapped around her lithe body and her bare feet rested on the dirt ground. "She has taken her time to bring us you." She said. She reached out one hand and I grasped it. Her strength seeped into me, giving me life and stability once more. I sighed and she chuckled.
"I am sorry for what you have lost, Ginevra, but your journey is far from over. Sometimes, we must give all we can." She looked around the room in pride. "I gave all I had to save this." She gestured to the scrolls, "They came and they burnt it, they burnt us. Our knowledge was a threat, our worship of the olde ways was a crime." Pain and anger was building in her voice. "They did not understand and so, we were punished. Betrayed by those we trusted, we had to give everything." The floor started to shake around us and the earthen walls creaked under the pressure. I squeezed Hypatia's hand and she seemed startled to remember that she was not alone. The shaking stopped. "But we can always rebuild, Ginevra. We can return to the earth what it is owed and we can harvest once more." She twisted her wrist and a single vine snaked out of the ground and twisted up to my hand, a pure white flower bloomed in my hand. "Those who are lost can always be found, a little shaken but wiser from the pain." She plucked the flower from my hand and I watched as it turned into parchment, the soft white petals turning into starchy yellowed paper. She rolled up the scroll and handed it to me. "This will give you wisdom," she whispered, "and this-" she plucked a small pebble off of the ground, turned it in her hands and it became a solid, silver ring with an obsidian stone set in the middle, "This will give you stability." She slipped the ring on my finger. I felt the power immediately. It was like she gave me a bit of herself, a bit of this room. "Our time is brief, but I am here to help you, to guide you. You are not alone. You matter, my Lady." With that she let go of my hand and she seemed to fade out of existence. The room started to fade back, I reached for her but it was like she and the room flew backwards from me, her shining, sage eyes shone with kindness and hope.
I was back on the main corridor, lagging behind my family. I shook my head to free myself from the luring cobwebs, to free myself of those startling eyes. On my finger sat a beautiful silver ring, the obsidian center glistening in the light, offering me strength, and in my left hand was a soft parchment. I unrolled it and saw that it had my name inscribed at the top in calligraphy. Slowly, words began to appear, spells for healing, spells for protection, spells for attacking, ancient, powerful spells soaked into the parchment and into my soul. I instantly remembered them; more than that, I knew them.
"Ginny? Come on then!" Ron's voice called. He seemed irritated to have to come fetch me. I jumped I was so startled. "She's just reading something!" He called to the group. I rolled up my parchment and put it in my bag. He gestured and I jogged to catch up with the rest of the group, my fingers continuing to play with the bit of silver and obsidian on my finger. Ron rolled his eyes at me, but the ring was already giving me strength, the stone beneath my feet recognizing me and becoming soft. I imagined a vine rising up my spine, curving its way around my pain and my insecurities and pulling until I stood up straight, until I could raise my head and look Ron in the eye. He shifted on his feet and cleared his throat, "We- erghh- we were just worried you got lost." He mumbled before turning and walking away. I felt a small, genuine smile on my lips.
Things seemed to get better from then on. I tried to enjoy my time with my family. Bill was thrilled when I took an interest in the ancient witch Hypatia. He told me all he knew about the young savant, telling me of her scientific discoveries, her philosophies, her struggles to save the library, and of her murder. I spoke to Charlie about Quidditch and dragons and he turned into an excited little boy again. He talked my ear off and promised to show me some signature moves on a broom. He also showed me how to throw a proper punch. He said that he didn't like how some of the wizards in the library were looking at me. I sighed; I was only 12! But, I thanked him, thinking of Warrington's lingering leer. Percy, who had been afraid that I would come after his precious Penelope again all summer, softened up when I began to speak to him about advanced Charms theory. Fred and George were willing to crack any and every joke to make me laugh and I felt the weight drop off of my shoulder every time I managed to giggle. Fred and George would occasionally squeeze my hands in sympathy, but never said a serious word. Every word was intended to make me laugh. Ron still looked at me with his lion eyes; he simply could not understand me, yet he felt he had to protect me. He seemed to growl at people who looked at me too long. I listened as he padded past my room every night, making sure I was safe before he could fall asleep. Dad watched me with serious, sad eyes while Mum simply seemed to grow further away from me. As I tried to get back to normal, she seemed to grow more suspicious of my actions. Her eyes seemed to glare Slytherin at me as I passed by.
Back at the Burrow, Fred and George attempted to play a joke on me one night, the blanket they passed me shaking and releasing little fireworks every 5 seconds. I threw my hands into the air and my father grabbed me by the wrist to pull me away from the sparking blanket. I gasped in pain as my skinny wrist creaked where Tom had broken it. Dad apologized but didn't let go. He looked down and saw the scar, the long vertical line showing where I had attempted to end it, end him. He traced it with his finger as his thumb felt the rune on my other wrist.
"Oh, Ginny…" he whispered, his voice breaking as he witnessed the evidence of my broken-ness, my wrongness. I twisted out of is grasp, pulled my jersey over my wrists and tried to shrink away. Mum made a strangled gasp and fled the room. Looking around, the family watched me with heartbroken eyes, the forgotten blanket still sparking on the floor. Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Dad, Ron; I was surrounded by their weighty judgments. I was broken, taken by him. I was female surrounded by male, different in a painful way. I was Slytherin in a house of Gryffindor, I was wrong. The panic grew in me to a startling amount. I felt myself hyperventilating, turning every direction and seeing disappointment reflected in so many eyes. My eyes brimmed with unshed tears. I didn't want to be here, I didn't want to see this. The door flew open at my thought and a strong wind pushed into the room, flooding my senses with fresh air. I closed my eyes, a single solitary tear sliding down my cheek, took a deep breath and flicked by wounded wrist; it started to rain. Not a drizzle, but a dousing downpour. I turned and ran into it, the hurricane of emotions matched only by the storm outside. No one followed me, any calls to stop lost in the howling of the wind.
Within seconds, I was soaked to the bone. My own tears lost in the battering rain. I ran blindly into the storm, searching for anything that could ground me. The ring tinged on my finger and I trusted it and ran full speed in the direction in pointed. I found myself in the eye of the hurricane, dripping wet in a dry circle. The air whipped outside of the circle, but inside it was calm, a heavy, overpowering calm. I was in a circle of trees, evenly set apart and powerful in their strength. Something that sounded like Hypatia inside of me nodded and said, the sacred ring of trees. I fell to my knees and buried my fingers in the soft dirt. I yearned for the earth's strength, the earth's healing. And the earth granted me grace. I curled myself into a fetal position and the earth around me seemed to create an embrace of soft grass and dirt. It held me as I wept, and when I, exhausted, could no longer hold up my head, it granted me a pillow of soft moss and flowers. Pixie's appeared out of the storm, and instead of attacking me, they softly braided sweet smelling flowers into my hair, the petals grazing my cheeks and sweeping their gentle love into my pores. The pixies curled up in my earthen bed, snuggling next to me, gently wiping my tears and drinking the drops. Their sharp teeth peaking through their smiles as they comforted me.
When I awoke, I felt different. The sun peaked down at me through the canopy of leaves above me. I looked around and saw the bed I had created for myself. Soft moss and grass supported my body while strong but soft flowers pillowed around my head. A tribe of pixies slept near my legs while one pixie continued to slowly braid long grass and flowers into my hair. She screamed as I moved, and then she grabbed my nose and held on to it in a tiny embrace. I picked her up gently and thanked her. She curtseyed and kissed my cheek, a small green spot appearing once her lips had left it. She ran up my arm, glancing at the scar that my father had gasped at the other night. She gently pulled up some moss and placed it on top of the scar, she then raised her little arms to the sky and called out in a language that I didn't understand. She then fell to her knees and then her face as she kissed the scar through the moss. The moss glowed golden and fell off. The scar, once ugly was now barley visible. The little pixie smiled at me and I smiled back. I thanked her again and placed her down next to her tribe and she curled up among the others.
I was in the woods bordering the Burrow, I knew that much. The storm had appeared to destroy the areas around me, everything was covered in green, branches had fallen, but inside this circle everything was as it should be. Everything was perfect. I placed my ear to the ground and listened. The earth beneath me mourned for the loss that the storm had brought. Trees wept for their lost limbs, plants cried out to the loss of their budding flowers and fruits. Yet, the branches and buds called out that they would be back, they would absorb into the earth, and give their strength back to the trees and the plants. Their loss would make them stronger. Ginny breathed in the power of the earth, and stood. She left her sacred circle and moving debris out of her way and listening for where it felt it should be placed. Animals began to crawl out of their homes, I nodded in acknowledgement and they seemed to nod back. As I passed the garden, I reached down and planted my hands into the dirt next to the vegetables and herbs. I pushed some of my energy into the ground and watched as the vegetables' buds began to grow, tomatoes growing plump before my eyes. The apple tree next to me seemed to groan as the fruit grew. It sighed its thank you and graced me with the sweetest apple I had ever had. I felt stronger. I felt more at peace.
I walked into the Burrow and saw Morrigan waiting at the window. She had another letter from Draco tied to her feet. She nudged my palm with her head as I unrolled the letter and I stroked her long, inky feathers. I offered her some of the apple and she gladly bit into it. Draco had written about his recent vacation to France. He had picked up some new books for me in French, so he warned me that I better brush up on my French. I sighed at his thoughtfulness. Then I sighed at his foolishness. Brush up on my French? I giggled. But I thought of my scroll and had a sneaking suspicion that it would be able to help me. I walked into the kitchen and started to make breakfast for the family when Mum came down the stairs.
"Ginny! Good Merlin! What happened to you?" Dad followed behind her quickly, "Gin? Oh, honey. Where did you go yesterday? That storm was so—" he stopped short at my appearance. I did not realize that I was finely covered in dirt, with flowers and grass braided into almost every strand of my long red hair. My cheek and my scar were still glowing green from the pixie's kisses. My skirt was torn and I was barefoot. My blue t-shirt was ripped along the abdomen and bits of moss had gotten stuck inside. My hands were covered in deep, dark, healthy dirt from the garden, but I saw that the pixies had slipped moss around the entirety of my ring, giving the heavy silver a soft cushion.
"Did the Faeries get you, Gin?" Dad joked. He chuckled and looked at Mum, but she only looked soberly at me. "Molls?" He asked. Still, Mum's eyes wouldn't budge. He nudged her with her elbow and she seemed to break out of her reverie.
"Eggs are done and bacon's on." I said, not ashamed of my appearance but proud of it, grateful for the gift it had given me. I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat at the table, watching as my brothers tumbled down the stairs and wiped the sleep out of their eyes. They looked at me oddly, but stayed silent on the subject. My vibrant braids fell over my shoulder as I ate my apple and a slice of bread with jam. Dad sat at the table and cleared his throat, "Gin, we—hmm—we wanted to apologize. We did not mean to gang up on you last night, but, you see—well…"
"We're sorry, GinBean-"
"Couldn't be more sorry, really." Fred and George finished for him.
I smiled my thank you. Just then, the fireplace gushed with flame and a voice called out for my Dad. He rushed over and spoke in hushed tones. Despite his attempt to be quiet, we all heard. Harry Potter had run away and Sirius Black was on the loose. Mum, Dad, Charlie, and Percy all paled.
"Who is Sirius Black?" I asked. Mum balked and said, "You're too young to understand, dear."
"Mum, I had him in my head for a year. Who is Sirius Black?" at this, the whole table flinched. There was a painfully long silence as Mum began to play with her fingers, refusing to look at me.
"He was a Death Eater and a traitor. He turned over the Potters to You-Know-Who-" Charlie answered. At the mention of Tom he nodded towards me, as if to say, I-Know-Who, "and then he killed Peter Pettigrew, his friend who was loyal to the Potters, and killed 13 muggles. He's been in Azkaban ever since."
"And so it begins…" I muttered. Dad raised a red eyebrow at me. "So what are they doing about Harry?"
At Harry's name, Ron perked up. "Yeah, can he stay here? Please?"
"Actually," Dad started, "He's at the Leaky Cauldron, and I think we should go meet him. We can leave for Hogwarts from there! Be ready to leave in an hour!" with that the peaceful breakfast turned into chaos. Food was being thrown around, Ron was already complaining, and Fred and Percy began to fight over who would shower first. I calmly got up and walked up the stairs to the shower before Percy or Fred even got up. I took out the braids and the flowers, but I kept every strand of grass and flower. After showering, I braided the flowers into a small crown that I put on top of my head; this gift would stay with me all day. I walked into my room and found a flowy, simple white dress. I reminded me of the dress Hypatia wore, so I put it on. It fell to my knees and made me feel like her. I walked to my windowsill and looked over to the ground. I focused and twisted my hand the same way I saw Hypatia twist hers. I was amazed to see a vine slowly crawl its way up the side of the burrow to my room, I brushed the leaves of the vine and it seemed to sigh in my hand. I gathered my things and placed them in my trunk. I scribbled off a quick note to Draco and sent Morrigan on her way. She would find me at Hogwarts. Taking my wand, I placed a weightless hex on my trunk and made my way down the stairs, my trunk following behind me.
Mum looked at me oddly and touched my flower crown. She retreated from me as if I had hurt her. "You look like a Queen." She muttered. Now it was my turn to look at her oddly. Before I could reply, there was a mad stomping as four boys with their trunks and Dad and Charlie joined us at the floo.
"All right, all! Let's go!" Dad shouted before shrinking our trunks and placing each in our pockets.
"Hermione is going to meet us there!" Ron bellowed excitedly. Fred and George started to tease him about his crush and he turned bright red.
Draco will probably meet us there too. I thought to myself.
Just like that we were in Diagon Alley. Charlie said his goodbyes and went on his way, reminding me of his punching lesson before leaving. "This is the years the boys will start to come for you, Gin." It was true, I was starting to develop, and could easily pass for 15 instead of 12. I shook my head at him and laughed before hugging him and saying goodbye.
Seeing Harry made me blush an unappealing shade of red again. I was over my crush on him, but I could not forget that he saved me. I could not forget waking up to those emerald eyes and I was grateful to see that he was okay, despite the Black's escape. I owed him my life. And I would repay my debt. I shot him a small smile when he looked in my direction. I asked a house elf for some chalk and began drawing protection runes on everyone's trunks, Harry and Hermione's included. Dad noticed and shot me a small look, asking what I was doing. I showed him the runes and he pulled me aside.
"Ginny, you don't need to do that. The Ministry will catch Black soon and everyone will be okay."
"Dad, this is only beginning." I whispered. I looked him in his eyes, "He will come for us all before it's done." The weight of this prophecy rung throughout my whole body and Dad seemed to shake upon hearing it.
"Now, Gin. We'll catch him soon enough. Not to worry." He wandered off to speak with Fudge and I went back to placing runes on everyone's belongings. Hoping to use some of the strength that I had received the night before, I placed my hand on every trunk and whispered a quick charm over each. My small handprint glowed before being absorbed by each trunk. I smiled, pleased with my work. If only I could charm something they wore, so they would always be protected. I started to think about it when Ron broke my chain of thought.
"GINNY! What did you do to my trunk? You did it to Harry and Hermione's too? What is WRONG with you?!" He roared. Harry looked puzzled at both me and his trunk, meanwhile Hermione was tracing the runes with her fingers.
Ron's rumbling had distracted the Minister of Magic and he plodded over towards us.
"Minister." I nodded in acknowledgment. He looked at me sharply. He took me in, and then chose to ignore me. He shuffled over to Harry.
"Harry, my boy, I see you've decided to protect your things against tampering and theft. Smart, my boy, smart indeed. That'll keep troublemakers out, won't it?" He clapped Harry on the shoulder hard and continued "That's the type of ingenuity we like to see, my boy. Yes it is. Oh look! There's Lucius!" his giant mustache wiggled as he spoke. He straightened up and walked over to Lucius Malfoy, who was glaring at my father.
"Lucius!" Fudge called. Lucius looked over and greeted the Minister with a sickly smile. He made eye contact with me. I felt the ground beneath me offer their strength, their revenge. I felt the fire within my eyes, my fury at him growing. Harry stepped in front of me, trying to look Malfoy in the eye. Lucius broke eye contact first. He nodded in my direction, sneered at Harry, and shot Draco a look.
Draco sighed and walked over. Hermione had pulled out a book and was looking up the runes on the trunk. Ron was trying to scrub the rune off and was complaining when it wouldn't budge. Harry had turned to me.
"Ginny. Are you alright?" I nodded and sent his a small, lifeless smile. "What did you do to my trunk?"
"It's for protection. Hermione can explain once she's finished reading." I explained. I turned to go up the stairs. Harry grabbed my wrist.
"Is it like this?" he asked, pointing at the rune carved into my wrist.
"Hands off, Potter." A voice growled behind Harry.
"Malfoy." Harry replied. He dropped my wrist and turned to face Draco. Instantly the Golden Trio gathered, Harry at the head, Ron and Hermione flanking him, heckles raised. There was a growing tension in the air. I saw Lucius and Fudge observing from the corner and chose to intervene.
"Draco, please." I walked around the Trio and placed a hand on his arm, "Not here."
"Of course, Ginevra. Let's free ourselves of such-" he sneered at my family, "riffraff."
I sighed but took his offered arm and allowed him to lead us away from the Trio.
"What's she doing talking to that snake?" Ron voice was rising.
We stopped at the adults, Draco flipping his features from a sneer to an angelic smile.
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, I presume." He said, shaking my mother and father's hands. "Minister Fudge, how good to see you again. Father, I would like to introduce you to Ms. Ginevra Weasley, a second year Slytherin, top of her class." Draco pivoted me towards his father. Lucius seemed to be sizing me up when my father interrupted.
"He knows who she is." He seethed. Mum grabbed his arm and squeezed him.
"Yes, young Ginevra. Draco has said such- nice- things about you." Lucius replied. I nodded at him, lifted my chin and turned to Draco. I lifted an eyebrow, "Draco, I thought we were freeing ourselves of the… riffraff." I sized up Lucius as I said "riffraff" and he sneered evilly. Dad smiled at Lucius and Fudge broke the tension by chuckling.
"Such an elegant little lady, Arthur!" Fudge said. "She's even got a little crown, doesn't she?" he added. He reached out one finger, to touch my crown. I did not want this man touching me. I glared at him. I grew angry and my arm clenched in Draco's grasp. His eyes grew wide as the floor began to shake. Only a small tremor, yet Fudge managed to topple to the ground. Ron, behind us, did not fair much better.
"Hahaa! It appears I've taken a tumble! Tom, A fire whiskey for my disposition!" He called out to the barkeep as he struggled to stand. Lucius kept his eyes on me, he stared intensely as I closed me eyes and breathed out my anger. The flowers and vines in my crown began to grow, to bloom, to twist further into my hair. Draco's eyes widened and he said, "Excuse us, I believe I owe the Lady some ice cream." He nodded at his father as he left. Lucius' eyes did not leave me.
Outside Draco immediately rushed me down the street. As we turned a corner, he pushed me to the side. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing!" I said, pushing him off of me. I did not like being pushed.
"You need to be more careful, Ginevra!" He started to get worked up, stomping around me. "His spies are everywhere. You can't just- just-" He looked me in the eye and stepped close to me. His voice got quiet as he placed one hand on my cheek, "You just need to be careful. Please." I felt confused and he sighed, placing his forehead against mine. "You know, I actually missed you. I've never read so many letters before." He smiled and stepped back. He picked up my hand and placed it in the crook of his arm once more.
"I've got a proposition for you, Ginevra. There is only so much I can do for you inside Slytherin. Warrington and Flint will be gunning for you this year, and I would rather not have a repeat of last years… incident." He lead me down the street towards the ice cream parlour. "Warrington will back off, if he sees you as- well, as claimed. I can offer you my protection."
"At what cost?" I asked as I settled into a seat across from him.
"Well, not at a cost, per se. But, if we are going to trick Warrington, we will need to trick the whole school. They will all need to see you as, well, as mine."
"But I am not yours. I am my own person. I will not be owned."
"I know that. But I am willing to pretend if you are. I can promise that I will not hurt you or force you into anything, but, there will be things that will be said about you, and we would, of course, need to spend a lot of time together."
"How long do I have to think about it?" I asked as the waitress took our order.
"Until school starts, I would say." He smiled and took my hand in his as the girl brought out our ice cream. He tossed her a sickle, took my hand and led me back to my family as we ate our ice cream cones.
"Til school then." He said as he gave me a small bow in front of my father. "Think about my offer, Ginevra." He whispered under his breath as he brushed past me.
Dad glared at Draco as he past, and sent me a suspicious glance as I went up to our room to prepare for dinner. On the stairs, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting for him.
"You seemed rather chummy, didn't you?" Ron spat.
"Not that it's any of your business Ronald, but we are friends." I stated.
"FRIENDS?!" Ron exploded. I rolled my eyes and pushed past Ron. Harry once again caught my wrist, "Are you okay, Ginny?"
"I'm fine, Harry. I'll see you at dinner." I walked past them and into the room I was sharing with Hermione. I opened my trunk and grabbed my scroll. The words that poured out were theory on protection and emergency alarm hexes. I read until dinner, and then I continued to read it throughout dinner.
I originally sat in Ron's compartment on the train, but between him fighting with Hermione about Crookshanks, him throwing digs at me about Draco, and the strange sleeping man on the train, I quickly left to find Draco and Theo. Harry stopped me before I left and once again, grabbing my wrist, he asked me, "Are you okay, Ginny?"
Before I could think, I snapped, "You know, there are other things you can ask me." Harry seemed to deflate at my response. I sighed deeply. "I'm fine, Harry. Thank you for asking, but I can take care of myself. And you're the one who should be careful, Harry. Promise me you won't go looking for him."
"Who?" He feigned ignorance.
"Don't, Harry. I owe you my life. Don't make me repay you so soon." Harry's hand slipped down to my hand and he started to play with my ring.
"Where'd you get this ring?" he asked, changing the subject. His eyes zooming in on my obsidian ring, some moss still stuck around its edges.
"Bye, Harry." I said as I twisted my arm out of his grasp.
I made my way down the corridor, passing the trolley and the line of pretty fourth years, all tossing their hair in Harry's direction. I rolled my eyes as the prettiest, Cho Chang, giggled behind her hands. Poor Harry didn't stand a chance. I thought as I watched her gaze at him.
I turned the corner and ran right into Warrington.
"Well, Marcus. Look who we have here." He marched forward and picked up a strand of my long red hair, twisting it in my fingers. "Look who's grown up a bit during break."
"Warrington, Flint." I nodded at each and pulled my hair out of Warrington's fingers. He walked even closer to me, until we were almost touching.
"To think I let you get the one up on me, Weasley. It won't happen again." Marcus sneered behind him, his horrid teeth sticking out in every direction.
I rolled my eyes at him and said, "If you think last year was bad, Warrington," I looked up into his eyes, "You don't know who you're dealing with." I threatened. Flint gulped but Warrington met my glare and held it.
"Ah, Ginevra." A hand wound its way around my body and pulled me away from Warrington. It was Draco, Crabbe and Goyle constantly flanking him. Draco made eye contact and raised one delicate eyebrow. Silver met gold in silence, Warrington still glaring at me. I took a deep breath and nodded at Draco.
"Yes, Draco." I said aloud. I agreed. I would pretend to be his. He could protect me in his way, and as long as it was pretend it was worth it.
Draco sneered and he pulled me to his side, his hand pushing my hair behind my shoulder, "See, Warrington, Ginevra here has decided that she would like to spend her time with a man with real prospects." I kept my eyes on Draco as he busied himself touching random parts of my body as Warrington seethed. "If you ever bother her again, I will know it and there will be-" Draco made eye contact with Warrington, "consequences. She. Is. Mine." Draco seethed back at Warrington.
"For now, Malfoy." Warrington spat back. He and Flint turned and stormed down a hallway.
"Come now, Ginevra." Draco said coldly. He tucked my hand in his arm and we went into his compartment. Theo was already inside. Draco nodded at Crabbe and Goyle and they shuffled away.
"Well, that was exciting." I said as I brushed Draco off and sat down. Draco sat down and took my hand pointedly. He looked to Theo and said, "Theo, Ginevra has agreed to be mine. I hope you understand." Theo nodded, his eyes clouded as he stared at our hands.
"Draco, I am not anyone's. I am my own." I sighed as I rolled my eyes. Theo looked at me with a questioning glance, and Draco squeezed my hand in his. Just then, the train screeched to a halt. Immediately, I thought of Black.
"Oh no. Harry." I muttered, then my senses slammed back into my body, "Harry!" I jumped out of my seat and took off running down the corridor, Draco and Theo right behind me. I ran full speed down the corridor until I reached Harry's compartment, I did not even notice the cold until I had my wand drawn and was inside Harry's compartment.
"What's happening?" I asked Harry. No one knew. Draco grabbed me and pushed me behind somewhat behind him. "Potter." He nodded at Harry and then glared at me. Then something happened. Something entered the halls. Dark, torn robes sucking in the light, the warmth, the happiness. Things so black that they took you past the sweet abyss into your own hell.
Dark, dark dank devastation. I fell to the floor, grasping at Draco's robes, choking on the air. Harry was grabbing his scar and screaming, but I was silent. The loneliness, the self-loathing, my prison, Tom.
Time for a lesson. His voice echoed in my ears. He was back. Let's dance. My family's eyes judging me. You did it. You don't matter. The eyes of all the petrified students, glassy in their accusations. See what you've done. Tom's eyes, cooing as I burnt Warrington. I will keep you. My doll. My Queen.
I was wrong. I am wrong. I scratched at my almost healed scar, nothing but a slightly white line up my wrist, and tried to reopen it with everything I had. I dug my nails into my arm. He was back. Not again. This time, I would die. I pulled my nails down my arm, scraping off layers of skin. I started to bleed again when the sleeping man woke up and scattered them with a patronus charm. A silver wolf returned to the room and dispersed into thin air. I was still in the darkness. I swayed and fell completely down. Draco, himself just coming to, caught my head. I could hear Draco, grabbing at my wrist to stop the bleeding; he was panicking.
"She needs help. Now. Do you hear me? I will tell my father about this. Help her. NOW." He continued to yell at the man, I squeezed his hand. I found the dark nothingness inside myself, a sweet, sultry voice whispering, Come, Lady. Come and let me comfort you.
Velvet voices and velvet thoughts. I embraced the darkness and passed out.
In the darkness, I spoke to the dark Lady, the power of the night. She kissed my wounds and kissed my lips. Thick. Thick, soft darkness. I felt like I was swimming in her. Strong, otherworldly power filled me to the brim. Come back, my child. She cajoled me, she surrounded me with her embrace, filling the emptiness inside of me. Come back to me, Lady. She called as I floated up, high on her power, back to the world of the consciousness.
Silver.
I woke to Draco; he called to someone and then hovered over a man with amber eyes. He seemed old and haggard. Wolf. The Lady whispered in my ear.
"Wolf." I whispered groggily. My head flopping down. The amber eyes looked alert.
"Yes-" he struggled "a wolf patronus." He looked at me until I nodded, then he sat me up.
"She needs medical help!" Theo screamed, pointing to my bleeding arm.
"Hush, Theo. She can help me." I was still floating. The Wolf turned to help Harry sit up in a chair.
"Are you high? Who can help you?" Draco asked as I removed his clutched hand from my arm. I licked two fingers and pushed them down my arm. A black flame appeared behind my fingers and when it disappeared the skin was fresh and clean. I returned my fingers to my mouth and sucked on them.
"She can always help me." I muttered, "Dementors should not be here." I was floating again. "Draco," I said as I ran my fingers down his face, "are you okay?"
Theo huffed behind me, but the Wolf was back. He gave me some chocolate. He gave some to Theo and Draco too.
"Eat this. You should probably go to the Hospital Wing about the blood-"
"What blood?" I asked grinning cheekily.
"Is she okay?" The Wolf asked Draco and Theo.
"I'm right here, Wolf. You can ask me if I'm okay. And I'm okay. She helped me." My fingers floated up and touched Theo's hair. I snorted. "Theo," I laughed, "your hair is so black."
Theo claimed one of my hands and Draco claimed the other. "She's fine. Come, Ginevra, let's go back to our carriage. You've seen Harry is okay, let's go." Draco said as he and Theo pulled me up.
"Oh! Harry!" I said, reminded of why I came here. I walked over to Harry, struggling to free my hands from Draco and Theo. Harry did not look good. He looked pale and sad; he sat, withdrawn from himself. "Harry," I called, "Harry, look at me." He did. His emerald eyes were drowning in pain. I wound one hair in his scruffy hair.
"Ginny? What are you doing?" Ron exclaimed, jumping up to stop me.
"Hush." I pushed one finger on Ron's mouth, and he fell back into his seat, silent.
"Ginny?" Harry asked, confused. I put my other hand on his cheek and pushed some of what the Lady had given me into him. Velvet to soothe the sharp broken edges of the Dementors.
"Velvet thoughts, Harry." I whispered and exhaled, pushing more energy into Harry.
His eyes grew brighter, his complexion came back. Color rushed to his cheeks and he smiled, "Velvet thoughts, Ginny." He whispered. I unwound my hand from his hair and stepped back, more sober now that I had shared with Harry, but still floating. Harry started to giggle. I turned to Draco and Theo, "I'm ready to go boys."
"How did you do that?" said the Wolf eyeing me suspiciously.
"Goodbye Mr. Wolf." I said as I took Draco and Theo's hands and led them out of the compartment. Draco was scowling at me while Theo simply followed in awe.
Once we returned to our compartment, I slouched down on a seat and Draco began his questioning.
"What did you do to him? Why did you have to touch him? You are not Potter's, you said you are no ones. Well, you are more mine than his. What is going on with you? Why did you rip yourself open? What was with those flames?" He continued to berate me as I merely watched him, pacing in front of me. The Dementors affected him too. I could see it in his aura; he was in pain. I grabbed at his hand and he stopped talking. I pushed myself off of my seat and pushed my forehead against his.
Flashes of a cane swinging at him, his mother crying, his father yelling, his father's face red and spittle flying from his lips, a sharp slap on the face.
"Oh, Draco." I whispered. I wound my hand through his thin golden locks and placed one hand on his face. Another push, softer. "Velvet." I whispered. A gentle push was all he needed. The dark energy in me doused the fiery pain in his heart and left him warm and comforted.
"Velvet." Draco responded. I pushed away but Draco pulled me back and buried his face in my hair. "Velvet." He cooed.
Theo helped me sit Draco down. Draco refused to let me go. I sat down next to him. I looked at Theo, he was surprisingly fine. I grabbed his hand and pulsed some of the energy into him too. "Velvet, Theo." I said. Theo sunk down next to me in the seat.
The three of us sat staring into nothing, occasionally giggling. Theo sat, stroking my arm, while Draco nuzzled my neck. I sighed contentedly. Soon, I fell asleep, the Lady still blocking the horror of the Dementors from me, curled up with my two friends.
The Wolf was my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a Professor Lupin. Ironic name. I thought to myself. He was a better Professor than Lockheart. I watched as he corrected wand movements and showed us some pixies. I frowned seeing them in a cage. At the end of the class, I stayed behind, moving slowly to pack up my things. Lupin seemed to know what I was doing. Once everyone had left the class, he closed the door and walked over to me.
"Wolf." I said.
He sat down across from me. "Yes. I am."
"Wolfsbane?" I asked, cocking one eyebrow.
"Religiously." He answered. "How did you know?"
"I could sense it." I answered. He looked at me with suspicious eyes.
"I can smell something on you, but I don't know what it is."
"You will learn what it is when it is time for you to know." I answered vaguely.
"What did you do to Harry?" he asked.
"I helped him. He was in pain. Dementors tend to rip open the scars that never truly heal." Lupin looked down at my arm at the mention of scars.
"You did help him. I just don't understand how. What happened to you?" he asked.
"Not today, Professor. Maybe someday." I answered. I returned to packing my bag.
"They said the youngest Weasley was possessed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." He said this nonchalantly, as if he wasn't destroying me. My head snapped up. I quickly put a silencing charm on the room.
"That is none of your business, Wolf." I seethed. My ring tinged as my anger grew and the ground began to shake. Lupin grabbed a hold of the table with one hand and grabbed my arm with the other.
"Please, Ms. Weasley, I just set up this room." His joke worked. I laughed and the anger dispersed. The ground was soft once more. "I apologize, Ms. Weasley. I did not mean to make light of your… incident." He struggled to find the words. "I know of the pain of things you can't control."
I sized him up. He was offering his friendship. I nodded. "It's Ginevra."
"I'm Remus, Ginny." He smiled.
"I won't tell anyone, Remus. But you must promise to be careful with your wolfsbane. Especially around Harry."
"What do you want with Harry?" Remus asked.
"I owe him my life. I will repay my debt." I stood up from the table. "What are you going to do with the pixies?"
Remus seemed surprised by my question. "Um, I don't really know."
"I would like to release them in the forest."
"They might hurt you, Ginny." Remus said, yet he gave me the cage.
"No, they won't Remus." I opened the cage and gathered the pixies in my hands. They looked at me and nodded, slipping into my pockets and hiding in my hair. I grabbed my bag and smiled at Remus. "Good day, Professor."
A new friend. He was older, but perhaps he could help me with the light magic that Tom dreaded. I struggled to carry my gigantic Advanced Charms book without hurting any of the pixies. I walked outside and straight into the forest, the pixies chattering next to my ear and braiding my hair.
Friends change everything. I thought. Last year, I sat in this same spot in the library, drowning in my loneliness. Now, I sat with Theo across from me and Draco next to me, his arm draped across my shoulders. They talked Quidditch while I corrected their essays on the essence of dittany. Draco's hands played with my hair subconsciously.
I had only recently forgiven him for his fake Dementor stunt at the Quidditch match. Afterwards, I pulled him into my room, Warrington and Flint making lewd comments after us. I had transfigured the room so it had a giant King sized bed and an elegant vanity table next to it. The wood was etched with runes and the fabrics had runes stitched into every seam. I conjured a divan across the room, near the bathroom. A giant desk and bookshelf sat across from the divan, covered in my notes and extra books. Draco's French books sat on my nightstand. They were an interesting read and Draco always smiled when he saw his books there. It was my safe haven, a place where Draco, Theo, and I could hang out without Warrington and Flint bothering us, or without the Golden Trio eavesdropping.
Draco immediately began explaining that he needed to remind Potter of his place, as lesser than him. I sighed, "Draco, did you not think about what I would feel when I saw one of those things?" I shuddered at the thought of them. He became quiet and gathered me in his arms.
"I'm sorry. I didn't think about it that way. I just- I don't like how he looks at you." I leaned into his chest and sighed. Harry was just a friend, a friend who I owed a life debt to, but just a friend. This was a fight Draco, Theo, and I had quite regularly. Especially after I refused to coddle Draco after Buckbeak "attacked" him.
I simply shook my head at him causing a scene in the Hospital Wing. I spoke to Madame Pomfrey about different healing methods and snuck Draco a new bone mending potion that I had created. "It tastes like blackberries." Draco smiled at me and held my hand as he healed. Lucius stormed into the Hospital Wing once he heard and shouted his head off. He glared at me as I stood beside Draco's bed. I refused to leave, the image of the flying cane sharp in my mind. Lucius nodded at me before leaving, he was continuing to size me up. The then caused a scene at the Ministry and with the Governors and now Buckbeak was on death row.
Draco's hand yanked playfully on my hair. "Ginevra, are you even reading the essay or are you just day dreaming?" I smiled at him and Theo. This seemed right, I was still healing but I was content with them. Sitting in this library, Hypatia's ring heavy on my finger, my confidence growing, my friends secretly thoughtful and kind. Things were great during the day. But at night, Tom entered my dreams. His voice echoed throughout my psyche. I had grown a slight dependency on dreamless sleep potions, one that I kept well hidden. I couldn't stand him having control of any part of me, my dreams included.
I continued to study hard, throughout the school year. Advanced Charms required me 2 hours of intense studying a night, something Draco complained of to no end, but I was going to come away top of my class the in the Year 6 and 7 class! I would take my NEWT for Charms this year and I was confident that I would receive an Outstanding. I was once again top of my class in every subject. I spent my spare time researching, reading, and experimenting with new magics, but with some extra special sessions on the side. Remus agreed to help me with light forms of protective magic. It started with the patronus charm, the memory of the pixie braiding my hair and kissing my cheek created a startling bright orb. I did not turn into any animal. Remus was worried, but I shook him off. Remus and I had become close. I told him some of what Tom had done to me, about the isolation, the self-loathing and Remus told me about the Marauders and the betrayal and his perpetual loneliness. We could relate to each other's betrayal and subsequent pain. It was difficult to talk about it, but it was nice to get it off of my chest. I wanted to give Remus a gift. Hypatia's voice whispered into my ear and I smiled.
"When is the next full moon, Remus?" I asked.
I had two weeks to prepare. I studied the scroll daily, reading advanced theory in Transfiguration.
The next full moon came and I met Remus in the Shrieking Shack. He begged me to leave but I merely smiled and focused. First, I transformed my legs, then my torso, my arms, and finally my face.
I nipped in greeting to Remus. Before him sat a red fox. He laughed until the first pain hit him. I sat with him through his painful transformation and then we ran throughout the forest. It was freeing to run with him, to be an animal. Hypatia had whispered that I could turn into any animal if I focused hard enough.
I awoke in the forest, naked and human once more. Remus laid next to me, sleeping soundly. The pixies I had freed had joined us last night and now laid in my freshly braided hair. When I sat up, the pixies flew up to my eyesight. The screeched and pointed, and I followed them further into the woods. The forest floor was soft against my bare feet and I felt comfortable with my nudity. In the center of the forest laid a perfect circle, the trees merely saplings, but the sacred ring was taking root in the forest. I smiled at the pixies and sat in the center of the circle. I buried my feet in the dirt and pretended I was a sapling, growing stronger every second. I poured myself into the roots of each sapling, my energy turning into thick bark and green leaves, into rings inside the trees. When every ounce of energy was expelled, I collapsed and opened my eyes. I was surrounded by full-grown, sacred Willow, Oak, and Yew trees. I felt the earth sigh in contentment and the trees give thanks for their strength. I felt the Lady inside of me, velvet in voice and in thoughts, send her approval of my work. I smiled.
"Girl, you should not be here." Said a harsh voice. It was a centaur, his chestnut tail was tangled and he seemed to be angry at everything. "This place is off limits to your kind."
I gazed at him, my head cocked. I giggled at his anger. "Centaur, this place is no less yours than it is mine. This is a place of worship." The pixies giggled and flew around my head.
"Girl-" started the centaur.
"Bane. Do you not see?" A new centaur, this one blonde and kindly cantered into view. The one called Bane scowled, but looked closer at me, a twelve year old lying naked, surrounded by pixies. "I must apologize for him, my Lady. I am Firenze. Thank you for your gift of the circle." He bowed low to me. Bane scowled but followed in a stiff bow.
"Pleasure, Firenze. I am Ginevra. What happened to the former circle?"
"They cut it down." Bane spat. "The humans came and they took our place of worship. The heathens."
"We can always rebuild, Bane. We can return to the earth what it is owed and we can harvest once more." Hypatia's words echoed throughout time and flew from my mouth. I giggled. The pixies began to manically laugh at the sound of my laughter. They fell to the ground, clutching their stomachs, their sharp teeth gnashing at this bottom lips. Firenze words sobered the pixies.
"The Wolf comes. It was good of you to run with him. Would you like some clothes?"
I sighed. I had forgotten I was naked. "I suppose." I answered Firenze. The pixies began to chatter excitedly and flew to the branch of a yew tree. They called to other creatures; hinkypunkies, faeries (who looked at me with hungry eyes), even blast ended skrewts, came with an offering of moss or grass woven finely. The pixies flew and chattered above me until the appeared with a green dress. It was simply moss and grass woven together, but it fit like a glove. It was a one-shoulder dress, a long reed pulled beneath my breasts and the rest hanging straight around me to my knees. The pixies quickly pulled the already braided hair into an elaborate bun, the flowers appearing at the top. I looked in awe at the creatures around me. I bowed low to them and offered them my gratitude. The pixies chattered away and buzzed around my head with pride. The faeries who appeared approached slowly, "You remind us of one of ours; Morgaine Le Fae. You could be one with us. We will see you soon, my Lady, for we have much to discuss." With that the faeries disappeared.
Remus appeared, led by Firenze to the circle. He had found his clothes and brought me my robe. "Ginny?" He called, his eyes closed in case I was nude.
"Remus, you can open your eyes." I called. I bowed to the creatures in the woods, and blessed the circle before leaving it. Remus and I walked out of the woods, smiling at the memory of the freedom of the previous night. I saw a bushy ginger cat sneak by me and I stopped and smiled. "Hello, Crookshanks" I purred. "Hermione's been looking for you." A big black dog appeared behind Crookshanks, its eyes sized me up. "You aren't a dog." I said. "Who are you?" The dog quickly ran away. Crookshanks meowed at me in protest. Remus jogged back to me.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Something is hiding here." I said cryptically. I put on the cloak Remus offered me and walked straight to my Common Room. Warrington sat in the corner and sneered when I entered.
"Look at the littlest Weasel. Parents can't afford shoes now?" he started to chuckle and stand from his seat. He walked over to the windowsill and leaned against the frame. "So dirt poor that you're actually dirty now, Weasley? What a shame that you ended up in this house." I took a deep breath and curled one finger. Warrington shot me a look. "What is that, Weasley? Is that your 'come hither move'? It might work on Malf-" He was cut off by vines that had spread from the windowsill, around his chest, around his neck, and blocked his mouth. He screams were muffled beneath the vines.
"Warrington, I thought we agreed that you wouldn't speak to me. Draco won't be happy to hear about this." I sighed. "I know your father was hoping to sign that contract with Malfoy Enterprises. I truly hope that your actions don't jeopardize such a big deal." Warrington's eyes narrowed and glared at me in horror. I snapped my fingers and the vines began to retreat. "Don't forget your place, Carl." I spat at him. Then, I walked up to my room. I took off my cloak and jumped onto my bed in my new dress. I daydreamed happily until Draco and Theo walked in.
"Did you threaten Warrington with contract problems?" Draco asked as Theo asked "What are you wearing?"
I smiled at both of them and said, "I love pixies." Then I sat up, kissed both of their cheeks and went to shower. I would keep the dress, a simple preservation charm and I could wear it with my flower crown from this summer.
Christmas morning I awoke to no Weasley sweater, but a nice letter from my mother. Instead of the sweater, she bought me some nice fabric, she suggested I could make something I like over the summer. It seemed a little cold, but I appreciated the sentiment. I had two packages next to the letter. The first was from Theo, a book about ancient rune casting. Perfect. Draco's box was small with a silver ribbon tied around it. A delicate silver tennis bracelet. I was surprised at the refined elegance of it. I immediately put it on. Draco and Theo were so pleased that I liked their gifts; they did not mind my gift of homemade treats. Draco laughed and told me that he would consider giving me a presents allowance.
I heard about Blacks' attack on Gryffindor Tower at Breakfast the next day. I followed the Golden Trio and cornered them in a random alcove. Theo stood behind me as a bodyguard and look out.
"What happened?" I asked. I grabbed Ron's face and looked him over. "Are you hurt?" Ron shrugged my hands off of him.
"Get off, Gin." He mussed up his hair. "What's he doing here?" he shrugged in Theo's direction.
"It's hard to explain, Ron." Ron huffed and turned away from me. "Hermione? Can you tell me what's going on?" Hermione looked close to tears.
"Well, Ron won't talk to me, but someone has attacked the Fat Lady and she swears it was Black." At Black's name, I turned towards Harry.
"Harry, are you being careful?" I asked. Harry dipped his head.
"Yes, I am." He was avoiding making eye contact with me.
"Well, its this whole thing with this broom Harry got and it could be jinxed and-"
"Shut up, Hermione!" Ron whined.
"Harry." I said. He finally made eye contact with me.
"It's a Firebolt, Ginny! A real Firebolt!" he was clearly very excited.
"Harry, you need to give it to Dumbledore. Is it safe?" I asked.
"She just doesn't want Gryffindor to win the Quidditch Cup, Harry. Stupid Slytherin."
Ron replied grumpily. Theo growled low in his throat. I sighed.
"Be careful, Harry."
I walked out of the alcove; Theo glared at the Golden Trio before following me. I joined up with Draco in the hallway. "Are you done with them?" Draco asked haughtily.
"I don't like how they talk to you." Theo scowled.
"What did they say to her?" Draco asked, hoping for a reason to start something.
"Draco," I placed a calming hand on his arm, "I'm okay." He smiled at the sight of his bracelet and placed an arm around my waist.
When Black officially broke into Gryffindor Tower, all of the students were pulled into the Great Hall. Draco and Theo were worried, "There is no walls to protect you, Ginevra." Draco huffed, "You need to sleep next to me and as far as you can from Warrington." Theo nodded in agreement. We positioned ourselves in a corner of the Great Hall. Pansy positioned herself near us so she could coo at Draco. Crabbe and Goyle acted as the outer most defenses against Warrington or any cronies. Before going to sleep, I walked over to Remus.
"You need to tell Dumbledore, now. Remus, he needs to know that Black is an animagus. Ron was almost hurt." Remus sighed and agreed to talk to Dumbledore the following day. "Watch them, Remus. Please take care of them." I begged, my golden eyes imploring him to do what I couldn't. Warrington approached behind me.
"Sorry, Professor. Is this Second Year bothering you?" he sneered, "Let me get her out of your way." He reached to grab me.
"No, Mr. Warrington, we were simply discussing Ms. Weasley's essay. Ah, Professor Snape! I believe Mr. Warrington, here, was hoping to help round up students." Warrington groaned and shuffled behind Snape as Snape snapped directions at him.
I smiled at Remus and crawled back to our corner. Draco held me possessively in his arms as he looked around the room. I could not sleep until I felt Draco and Theo slip into their own dream world. I kept one eye on the Golden Trio until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.
Time for a lesson. My doll. My Queen. You did this. You don't matter. Let's dance.
I woke up with the sound of Tom's cold laughter ringing in my ears. My head still swam in circles, as if he had just finished swinging me in large circles, our waltz having just stopped. Draco's arm hung limply over my back. I slipped out from under him and stood up. The Professors sat in various states of sleepiness. Flitwick sat, snoring, in a corner. McGonagall seemed to occasionally shake herself awake every five minutes. Remus laid, curled up, by the Golden Trio's feet. Snape stayed vigilant but refused to move from his perch, his eyes the only thing that moved. He caught my eye and raised one greasy eyebrow. I chose to ignore him. Dumbledore stood, looking at a sleeping Harry. His arms were clasped in front of him as he watched Harry breathe in and out.
I walked over to him on tiptoe, careful to not stir a single hair of anyone sleeping beneath me. I did not breathe until I stood next to Dumbledore.
"It's just beginning. He will come for them. He will come for us all. I can feel it." My voice was quiet, gentle, yet stern and dark. Dumbledore jumped a bit in shock.
"Now," he cleared his throat, "Ms, Weasley, we will find Sirius Black shortly, I am sure of it. Hogwarts is the safest place for your brother." He patted my back subconsciously.
"I wasn't speaking about Black, Professor." I sighed loudly. I turned ran directly into Snape's chest.
"Ms. Weasley, all students are to be sleeping. I'm sure Mr. Malfoy would not want to wake to see you're missing." Snape slithered. Dubledore's eyes widened. I watched as I went from a Weasley to a Slytherin in his eyes. Dumbledore's hand slid from my shoulder. Anger filled my chest at his prejudice. I sharply turned my head and looked directly into Snape's beady black eyes. I pulled a vial out of my sleeve, chugged it, and returned to my sleeping bag.
"I am always watching, Ms. Weasley." Snape muttered as he swooped past me. His robes fluttered as he went past me.
"Wings like my Morrigan." I muttered as the potion pushed me back into the abyss.
How they did it, I'll never know. Trouble follows those three around at all times. Ron was in the Hospital Wing for dog bites. Harry and Hermione were in the Hospital Wing too. I arrived to the Hospital Wing to check on Ron. Draco stayed waiting at the doorway.
"Ron, are you okay?" I asked, my fingers reaching to brush his wound.
"What is he doing here?" Ron asked, his eyes never leaving Draco.
"Never mind Draco, Ron. What happened? Tell me none of these are from Remus."
"I won't talk to you while he is here." Ron's face was bright red, "In fact, I have nothing to say to you as long as he is around."
I felt my anger growing, but tamped it down. I looked in his cornflower blue eyes; they were hardened with hate.
"Fine, Ronald." I spat as I turned on my heel. Draco stayed leaning against the wall, sneering at Harry.
"They freed the damn Hippogriff. I don't know how, but they did it. I know they did." Draco muttered, never breaking eye contact with Harry.
"I know, Draco. I know." I muttered dejectedly. Draco grabbed my chin between two elegant fingers. Silver met gold and I felt the air snap around us. He tilted my head up and smoothed my hair behind my ear. Then he broke eye contact, made eye contact with Harry and sneered.
"Draco…" I warned. "I am not a puppet." My stomach was boiling like a pit of lava. The anger in me was rising. I could hear the Golden Trio complaining behind me.
"Can't she see he's using her?" Hermione whimpered.
"He needs to take his hands off of her." Harry voice was dark.
"No Weasley would behave this way." Ron growled. The Lion was back. He stomped over to us and yanked my shoulder hard. I gasped in pain and fell to the ground. "No Weasley would ever associate with the likes of him." His voice was gravel, sharp rocks gnashing through his clenched teeth. His nostrils were flared, his eyes wild.
Draco's eyes flashed. "And no Malfoy would harm a woman." He sneered. He pushed Ron's shoulder with his own as he walked over to my side. He made a grand gesture of offering me his hand and I tried to stand up. "Are you alright?" he asked as I winced.
"I think my shoulder is bruised." I muttered, kneading at the offending muscle. Draco's eyes went cold.
"He hurt you?" Draco's wand was out before I could even react. Ron, Harry, and Hermione's wands quickly joined him.
"Let her go, you snake." Harry threatened, his eyes flashing an alarming shade of green.
"I'm not the one who hurt her." Draco hissed.
"Draco," I put one arm on his extended arm, the silver of his bracelet jingling on my wrist. "I just want to go."
"If you go with him, we're done." Ron growled, "Do you hear me? DONE."
I winced at his words. "Draco, please." I whimpered. Draco huffed and slipped his wand back up his sleeve. He grabbed me hand, kissed it, and grandly turned, leading me out of the room.
"You're nothing but a dirty Slytherin. You don't matter." Ron yelled behind me. I froze. A small stream of air hissed between Draco's teeth. "Ron-" Hermione warned. But it was too late. I felt lost. Tom's voice bounced around my brain. You don't matter. You don't matter. The hot anger boiling inside of me was washed over with an ice-cold panic. Let's dance, my Queen. My nightmares began to play before my eyes. I raised both hands to my temples and closed my eyes tight, begging to stop seeing the flashing images.
"Ginevra?" Draco asked beside me. His voice was hard steel, his anger palpable.
See what you did. My world was spinning out around me. Time for a lesson. My wrist ached in phantom pain. All of my muscles tensed, in preparation for the coming cruciatus. "Ginevra?" Draco asked, the steel cracking with alarm.
"Not again." I whispered. Let's dance. A cold laugh. "Never again." The anger inside of me was ripping at my insides, the panic freezing my very muscles. I tried to breathe, but between the pain and the immobility, I could only moan in pain. My wand hand started to spasm. You don't matter. In his voice and in Ron's, taking turns tearing me down. I clenched my fists and every piece of glass in the room shattered.
The windows, the potions vials, the muggle therm-meters. Everything shattered. Glass rained down from every direction. Hermione screamed. Draco ducked, his hands instinctively covering his head. As the glass rained down, like some sad attempt at confetti to celebrate the breaking of my heart, I felt the door close on Ron and my relationship. You don't matter.
I felt a sob catch in my throat and I buried it further down until it reached the very pit on my stomach, now blissfully cool since the eruption.
The floor sparkled and twinkled with broken shards of glass. "Draco," I turned my head, my eyes shining with unshed tears. He didn't need me to say another word. He brushed the glass off of my shoulders, pulled an arm around my waist. He opened the door and led me through it, to the other side, glass crunching beneath our feet. No more Ron, no more Gryffindors, no more hurt. I told myself. Just Draco, just Theo, just Slytherin.
Madame Pomfrey ran past us, screaming. "Who did this?! Who is hurt?!" Draco simply continued to guide me away from the wreckage.
Once we reached my room, I sat numbly on the bed as Draco fumed. He swore revenge as I stared at nothing. I felt old, I felt so tired. But, I knew who waited for me in my unconscious mind, ready to torment and torture me. I let Draco seethe and plot and wear a hole in my carpet with his endless pacing. I let him kiss my cheek softly and listened as he swore to never leave me. "I will never leave you, Ginevra." He whispered next to my ear, a gentle offering of support. I will never leave you, Ginevra. A cold threat. You don't matter. You don't matter.One tear slid down my face. Draco caught it in his finger and kissed the spot where it fell. He bid me goodnight and let himself out. As soon as the door closed, my hands were rummaging through the drawers in my vanity table, searching for a vial of sweet release. I shoved the dreamless sleep potion into my mouth and sighed upon tasting the cold, bitter taste. It tastes like metallic copper, blood and ice. I thought as I collapsed into bed. There was still pieced of glass, stuck in my hair. Thick, dark red strands tangled over the shining pieces. Blood and ice. I thought. At lease they're shattered too, just like me. I focused on the twinkling piece before sliding into my dark, empty unconscious.
I sat in Draco and Theo's compartment. Theo's icy eyes stared through me, asking so many questions. I stayed quiet, simply braiding, combing through with my fingers, and then rebraiding small sections of my hair. Draco watched me with concerned eyes. He left with Crabbe and Goyle half way through the train ride to torment Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I didn't care anymore. It felt good not to care, not to worry.
Theo sat next to me and took my hand in his. We sat in silence, comforting each other with our presence alone. Draco returned victorious. The Golden Trio was all riled up. He sighed and flopped down besides me. He picked up one of the many braids and twisted it around his finger. I reached up my unclaimed and laced my fingers through his as my hair fell back to my side. He kissed my thumb and I leaned back. I gathered strength from my two friends, strength I would need this summer. My head fell on Draco's shoulder and Theo rested his head against my shoulder as we sat, intertwined together.
"Write me everyday." Draco whispered in my ear before we departed the train. I watched as a cold mask fell over his face, as he prepared himself for the mental torture of spending the summer with his father. Theo squeezed my hand in departure before walking gracefully to his mother. She greeted him with a soft nod. I walked to my family, Fred and George were lost in their fantasies; Percy was lost in a book. Mum made uncomfortable by my presence alone and Ron refusing to make eye contact and gnashing his teeth whenever I was mentioned.
I took a deep breath and prepared myself for a summer of uncomfortable silences.