Chapter 4 – Escape

The sounds of drawers slamming shut woke Ginny the following morning. Harry was moving around the room, muttering under his breath. She opened her eyes and looked at the clock. 9:00 am! He should have been at work by now. She wondered what had kept him at home, and fear began to fill her. Her mother was due to message her in an hour, and she had no way of warning her not to send an owl to her house.

She got up and behaved as normally as possible. She was surprised to find James and Albus already up, dressed and fed. She supposed Harry must have done it, but she couldn't imagine why. He hadn't had much to do with their care over the last few months, telling Ginny that raising children was the woman's responsibility.

She dressed quickly and joined in her sons game. Time moved quickly, the minutes seeming like seconds. At every glance of the clock her anxiety increased, and she wondered if she should just fess up to everything before word came from her mother. Better to confess than to let him discover her betrayal another way. She stood up to speak, but Harry was rushing around the house, not pausing for her attempts to start a conversation. After the third try she gave up and sat back down, mentally preparing herself for his reaction later.

At long last, Harry found what he was looking for and put on his shoes. She breathed a sigh of relief as Harry left the house and glanced at the clock. 9.55am. As she peered out the kitchen window and watch his figure disappear around the corner, and owl flew silently past and landed on the front porch. She hurried outside and gathered the letter, and quickly disappeared into the house as the owl took flight again. In her haste to open the letter, she didn't realise something funny about the way the envelope was sealed.

My Dearest Ginny,

We've set up a room for the boys to stay in, and your father is currently putting protective enchantments around the house and after you arrive with the boys, we will be blocking the house off from the floo-network to prevent Harry from entering. Why don't you come along at 1pm? Arthur will have finished the wards by then, and you'll have plenty of time before Harry is due home.

I love you, my sweet girl

Mum

She went through the morning routine anxiously, the hands on the clock moving painfully slow. She packed her sons bags as they played with their wooden blocks, and sent them ahead to her mother's place. As they sat down to eat lunch, cheese sandwiches with fruit and yoghurt, Ginny looked around her kitchen. Photographs decorated the walls, showing her and Harry on their wedding day, their first photo with James in the hospital bed, Ginny pregnant with Albus. Tears formed in her eyes when she saw the first every Valentines card Harry gave her in its frame.

Ginny quickly cleaned up the kitchen and sheppard the boys into the living room. She took the floo-powder from under the floorboard where she had hidden it and unstoppered the jar. She threw a pinch into the fire place and shooed the boys in, stepping in behind them.

'So it's true. My wife has decided to leave me' Ginny spun around as Harry's voice filled the room. One look at his face and she was filled with dread. His eyes were red and wide and she knew that he had been drinking again. She stood rooted to the spot, aware that Harry could see the floo powder in her hands and the emerald flames in the fireplace behind her.

She raised her chin. "I've decided that we need a break, Harry. I cannot put up with your abuse anymore and the boys and I deserve better'. The strength in her words surprised her, and she stared at Harry defiantly.

'Oh, is that right? And did you honestly think that you could just walk out of here and take my sons with you?' His voice was soft and Ginny felt her courage waiver, for while he wasn't yelling, she had never heard him sound so angry.

"Our sons. They are our sons." The barely audible words made Harry colour, and he stepped

towards her.

'You get them out of there right now!' As Harry reached out to pull the boys out of the flames, Ginny felt her protective instincts kick in. At that moment she didn't care what Harry did to her, but she wasn't going to let her harm the boys. She launched herself in front of him and shoved his chest, causing him to lose balance and take several steps backwards. Ginny felt a hand clutch her own, and looked down to see James standing at her side. She squeezed his hand affectionately, and shield Harry from his vision.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you, you bitch!" Harry launched towards her, his wand raised, and Ginny fell to her knees, her arms wrapped around her son. Harry stumbled and fell heavily into the wall, hitting his head and sliding to the floor. While he struggled to get back up to his feet, Ginny seized her chance. She hurried James back into the fire with her and threw some floo powder into the grate. 'THE BURROW" she screamed wildly, and the flames turned emerald again as hands grabbed hold of her ankles. Ginny twisted, trying to break free. When she couldn't, she put Albus's hand into James as the magic started working. Ginny screamed as Harry pulled her out of the fireplace, causing her to fall and smack her face on the bricks. She looked up and watched helplessly as her boys were whipped out of sight, heading safely towards the Burrow. 'I LOVE YOU" she yelled after them.

She turned and looked at her husband, his face contorted with fury. Blood streamed down her face, running into her mouth. She coughed and spat, seeing several teeth mixed in with the blood. Harry watched it happen, and for the briefest moment, Ginny saw remorse in his eyes.

'Please, Harry. Stop. I'll do anything.' Harry stared at her, his face relaxing slightly. He dropped his hand and let his wand fall to the floor

She looked into her husbands face, and saw his eyes were bright with tears. Her heart went out to him. Despite everything, she still loved him dearly, and it broke her heart to see him so upset, so vulnerable.

' I will go get the boys. We will take them far away. I'll never tell anyone, I promise. Just let me go. Please, Harry.'

Harry put his hands to his ears and shook his head viciously. Torment lined every inch of his face as he struggled with some unseen demons, and for a few seconds Ginny thought he would allow her request. Then something shifted and the green eyes turned cold and remorseless once again.

'LIAR!'

His voiced echoed around the room, and he picked her up and threw her roughly to the floor. He tore her clothes off as she struggled, and dug his fingers into her eyes, causing waves of pain to tear through her body. Harry crouched between her legs and forced himself into her. He thrust slowly and deeply, his lips crushing hers to stop her from crying.

'Please, Harry. Please stop' her voice was small as she pleaded with her husband, but it only made him increase his pace. He sunk his teeth into her flesh, biting her skin with every thrust. She closed her eyes and starting counting in her head.

'One, two, three'

Harry moved his position slightly so her legs were resting on his shoulders.

'Twelve, thirteen'

He was pounding her viciously now, he eyes closed and his breath coming in short, sharp puffs.

'Thirty-three, thirty-four'

Harry groaned and shuddered, and with two more thrusts pulled out of her. He dropped her legs to the floor and stood up, adjusting his belt as he did so. He look at his wife, lying bleeding on the floor, and spat at her.

'Stupid bitch. You deserve all of this' he muttered, and swept out of the room.

She sat up as he left the room, using the couch to help her into a standing position. Her legs trembling and barely able to support her weight, she inched her way to the fireplace. She reached out to grab the jar of floo-powder, knocking it over, so it covered the mantle piece and floated down to the floor. She desperately tried to scrap some of it up, enough for the journey to her mothers, when she heard Harry return. He coughed deeply and she turned her head slightly to face him.

She felt the knife before she saw it. Harry plunged it deep into her chest between her ribs, and the blade was stained dark red when he withdrew it. She sunk to her knees, unable to stand, and put her hands out in front of her as she lay on her side. Harry kicked her onto her back, pouring hit liquid into her mouth. She spluttered, trying to spit it out, but he held her firm. Her airways blocked, she swallowed the unknown substance and inhaled deeply.

'Harry. Help me' she breathed, but Harry didn't seem to hear her. She saw his gloating smile, heard his smug chuckle, and then he turned around and fled, slamming the door behind him.

As Ginny lay on the floor, her life-blood flowing and covering the tiles, she thought of her sons wrapped in her mother's arms, waiting for her arrival. They wouldn't understand why she didn't follow them, and she deeply regretted that she wouldn't be around to see them grow up and have families of their own.

'It never should have ended like this', she thought to herself. She closed her eyes as dizziness overtook her and saw her sons smiling faces, heard their sharp laughter and shouts of glee as she chased them around the yard. She thought of the day they were born, and the happiness that had tighten her chest when she looked into their perfect faces. A small smile formed on her lips, and the world went black.