Ginny was released from the hospital wing after Madam Pomphrey convinced her it was right. The matron had told her that by now all the pain she was feeling was psychological, and if she didn't face the problem it would never go away. Though dreading she agreed to such a thing, Ginny had left the day after that discussion. It was only one week after Hermione had caught Dean, and the school still wasn't over it. So when Ginny sauntered into the Great Hall, her heart pounding, an astounding quietness overtook the hall. The students stared at her and whispered behind their hands, talking to their friends while shooting sympathetic looks at Ginny. She walked over to her friends.

"Tell me right now," she ordered. "What are they saying about me?"

Her friends looked in between each other. Sabol sighed and spoke first. "Well," she said. "The word is that you got raped by Dean and he beat the living hell out of you. Then it's rumoured that Ron and Harry heard something coming from the dormitory and went up to go check it out and found you. Is it true?"

Ginny looked down at her empty plate and knew that it would stay that way for a long time. "Yes," she sighed. "It is true."

Reece put her hand on top of Ginny's. "Why didn't you tell anyone, Ginny?" She asked. "Why did you just let that jerk do that to you?"

"He monitored everything I did," said Ginny, clearing her throat. "so it was difficult to tell anyone without raising his suspicion." She poured some pumpkin juice into her goblet. "What about Professor Dumbledore? What's he been doing about this?"

"Making sure no one pesters you about it," said Reece sheepishly. "He wants to make sure you stay comfortable. It's a big scandal, you know. Nothing like this- nothing like this has ever happened before."

"Great!" exclaimed Ginny. "So I'm the big freak that let this happen to her!"

Reece and Sabol exchanged a look. "Ginny, this isn't your fault," said Sabol. "Nobody has ever tried to- you know- anyone in the history of Hogwarts."

"Yeah," Reece agreed. "It's Dean that was the big freak that wanted to rape someone. You just- happened to be that someone…"

Ginny rolled her eyes and stared down the table. Everyone seemed to be staring at her out of the corner of their eye. She stood and excused herself to go get her books. Although she was fully aware someone was following her, she didn't look around to see who it was until they called her name.

"Ginny!"

It was a girl's voice, and she knew it. Tears welled up in her eyes, and Ginny didn't fight them, knowing that she was safe to cry now.

"What, Hermione?"

"Where are you going?"

"To go get my fucking books so I can go to fucking class so I can just- leave me alone, Hermione!" Ginny roared, stamping her foot.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think I will. There's something I need to tell you. Now might not be the ideal time, but-"

"Nothing can upset me more right now, so just spill it," Ginny sighed.

"Dean is going to have an expulsion hearing to see if they are going to snap his wand or send him to a different school. You're- you have to testify, Ginny, they won't-"

"I know, Hermione," Ginny sighed. "Can I wear a bag over my head?"

"Ginny," Hermione chided. Tears came to Ginny's eyes and she buried her face in her hands.

"What am I supposed to do, Hermione? I want to forget about this but I'll never be able to! It took all my power and the twins to stop Mum from coming down here and smothering me, and it took Mum and me both to stop my brothers and my father from personally killing Dean! What am I supposed to do?"

Hermione put her hand on Ginny's shoulder. "I wish I could answer that."

The rest of the week was spent with Ginny getting stared at everywhere she went. Her teachers let her slide by easier than the rest of the class. Her classmates whispered to each other about her behind their hands. Ron and Harry could be found sleeping in the common room each night until McGonagall was able to get the new mattresses they demanded. The former had walked into his dormitory one night to find blood all over his sheets. When he found out that night that it was his sister's blood, he never wanted to sleep in that room again. Harry was terrified at what might have happened on his bed.

But at least they were sleeping. Ginny could not get to sleep at all, and when she could, she would awaken screaming from a nightmare. These came to the point where she placed Silencing charms on her bed every day so she did not wake up her roommates. She quickly grew used to the rumours and staring and pointing and whispering. Her main developing habit was easily daydreaming. She would randomly stare into space and completely forget anything going on around her.

None of her professors minded, under the impression that Dean had only once succeeded in rape, or, in McGonagall's case, knowing how serious the problem had been. So she often let her thoughts overtake her consciousness until Sabol shoved her to inform her that the bell had just rung. She quickly finished her work, also, which allowed her more time to daydream.

As the hearing pulled closer and closer, Ginny turned into a completely different person. She became jumpy and panicky. At any sudden sound, no matter what the volume, she would jump halfway out of her trainers and huddle backwards. No one wanted to know why the latter action was performed so ritually, but it was. All the time.

And finally, the day came. The day that they had all dreaded. Ginny was allowed to skip every single one of her classes that day and the next to be taken to the hearing, along with Hermione, who was an important witness. McGonagall escorted them to the Ministry, where the school governors had assembles and where numerous concerned parents had taken roles as onlookers.

Ginny really wished Hermione had let her bring the bag.

a/n sorry for the short chapter and long wait, but I am homeless and unemployed. Writing is not exactly my top priority as of late.