CHAPTER NINE SECRET WOUNDS
Draco burst through the door to Ginny and Harry's bedroom and noticed that for a wedding bound couple, a certain scent was not even remotely present. He smirked to himself as he let Ginny cross in front of him so she could remove the blankets from the bed, leaving only the crisp white linen underneath. Draco set Harry's limp body down, perhaps a little harder then necessary, and within moments the sheets where seeping with deep maroon.
"Oh my God, Draco. Where is all of this blood coming from?" Ginny was frantic trying to find and close up every crack and tear along Harry's form. It seemed every time she found one, two more sprung open to let the blood continue flowing.
"Don't bother with the little ones, you'll have to get his clothes off to find all of them as I'm sure something has been ripped clean off, but that's something you'll have to do when I'm not here. There is nothing I find more revolting then the thought of Potter naked. Besides, it's the side of his head that's the worst of it. It looks as if a scar has ripped open down the side." He looked up to see if there was any recognition in her eyes for that scar, but she was too panicked to think logically right now.
Hermione barged in carrying two smoking potions and an arm full of ripped linen and pushed her way in to become Harry's chief physician. "He'll need one an hour of the blood potion until he comes too, and these bandages will only help if they're not deep. We may have to take him to St. Mungo's. For God's sake, were you two just going to let his brains fall out. You should have closed this one first off." Hermione began shouting orders and making the repairs as Ginny and Draco became her bedside tables. She took out her wand and touched it to the side of Harry's head and the bleeding ceased immediately. "Now maybe he'll have a chance. Here Ginny, I've got three more with open cuts down in the kitchen, do you think you can handle this one?" She looked over at the raised eyebrows on her friends forehead. "Well, I thought you could, I just wanted to help. I'll just be downstairs." She began to back out of the room quickly as Ginny covered Harry's legs with a blanket and removed his shirt.
"He better still have pants on," came Draco's disgusted drawl from in the darkness. With the door shut now, Ginny realized they hadn't even turned on the lights and flicked on a few nearby candles to illuminate the ghastly scene. Harry looked even paler by comparison when surrounded by the crimson sheets. Ginny pointed consecutivly at each of the purpling patches on Harry's chest, looking over the many gashes and bruises that mangled his greying frame.
"Hey while we're at it," Draco looked up and lifted Ginny's chin with his wand, "want me to get that one too?" He tapped against her cheek and gave a knowing nod as she looked sneakily down at the bedding. "I'd leave it too, if I were you. The plan will go much smoother if he's reminded every day why we're making him suffer, right?"
"No, that's not the reason....I mean it was to begin with but....well don't you think maybe he's suffered enough?" She pointed at his unconscious body as she tried for a second time to repair the obvious break in his rib.
Draco moved her hand and took one swipe as the bone snapped loudly back into place. "I think that ought to do it, eh? Anything else you see?"
Ginny looked closely over Harry's body for anything that they might have missed and came across the yellowing bruise that so closely matched her own on the back of his left hand and the purple lump that used to be his right knuckles. Draco noticed her hesitation and passed a wand over the purple, clearing it up before moving over the other to darken it to a puke green. "He doesn't need anymore reminding of his own stupidity, but I'd hate to think he could leave the house and not still have to look at that mistake."
Ginny rubbed lightly on Harry's chest and felt that his breathing had indeed evened out and was coming easier. "I don't know if I want to go through with this anymore, Draco. I mean, it sounded like a good idea when it came out of Hermione's mouth..."
"Yeah, anything that comes from Granger's mouth normally sounds like a good thing at the time, right?" Draco smirked.
"Well, after seeing what Ron's done, I think that he might have been punished enough." Ginny dropped her voice, hoping that Harry's coma was so deep that he wouldn't hear that she had treasoned against him.
"This? You think this is enough? Well I might say that it's punishment for what he did to you. An eye for an eye, eh? But I didn't think that you were out to punish him. I thought your whole plan was purely to redeem him."
Ginny looked up into Draco's face and for one of those rare moments, she saw understanding and compassion. He seemed to be much more mature than his years since the war. She saw in him someone that was in her position. Who had lost everything, including the ones that they loved, and now was forced to live alone. "I didn't watch you and Hermione nearly kill yourselves over saving his life just to have him repay you like this. He owes you a life debt, Ginny, and one way or another he is going to have to pay it back." Ginny looked up confused at this remark. "If I have to be the collector for his debt I will. I don't mind. In fact, did you see his face when he walked through the door and saw me sitting between you two. I live for moments like that. This is the happiest I've been in years, knowing that I'm gonna get paid to torment Potter, something I'd happily do for free. If you don't do this for him, then at least don't take that pleasure from me. It'll be fun to watch, even if Granger's plan doesn't work out. I don't understand it anyways. She seems to forget that love is the strongest, and should be his first, not his last, but hey...she married Ron didn't she? Maybe she doesn't know about true love."
"Ron and Hermione love each other." Ginny was insulted that someone could think otherwise.
"Oh yeah, sure they do. You have been out of the loop haven't you." He pointed at his nose tip with his wand in a know it all manner. "Married couples track a lot of dirt and Ron always has been a very loud whiner." Ginny looked at him questioningly, but saw that he didn't think now was exactly sewing circle gossip time.
Harry stirred warily in his sleep. "Well, I'm going down to see if Hermione needs any help repairing the kitchen floor. You might want to see if his wedding tackles are still attached. There must be some reason you want to marry him, but I don't need to know, thanks." Draco stood to cross the floor. "Don't stay up here long. If he makes it through the night, he'll be fine." She turned quickly to look over him to make sure that he was still breathing. "He'll be fine, Ginny. Come down soon."
Out in the hallway, Draco heard the raised voice of a wild Granger as she tore into anyone within a twelve mile radius. "You could have KILLED him, Ronald. And YOU TWO! Fighting at your age. Your supposed to be the reasoning older brothers." Her voice only got sharper as he entered the kitchen to the scene of two woman beating the life out of the potatoes on the stove as three men cowered at the tables.
"Fighting is so primitive. There are so many other ways to come to an understanding with people. Why do men have to act like Snockback-Ridgehumps? I've read that when they become threatened by others they just simply wait until the threatening party falls asleep and then they suck their brains out through any hole that they can get too." Luna stated matter of factly as she tenderized the steaks.
All five present turned to stare at Luna as if waiting for her head to spin around. "Anyways...I swear that if I have to send Howlers to both of your wives Fred and George, I won't be the last woman to chastise you for this. And Ron, Harry is your best friend! No understanding? No talking it out? You just jump to the conclusion that he enjoyed what he's done and feel like murdering him?"
"I did it for Ginny, Hermione, and I'd do it again." Ron regreted opening his mouth almost at once.
"FOR GINNY?! You think what she wanted most when she invited you over here today was for you to KILL her fiancee? Why do you think she didn't tell you first off? It took you long enough to even notice that she was hurt, and now you want to act all noble like you're the worlds greatest brother? What is wrong with you men? You think that woman can't fight their own battles? That the only way to teach someone is by force? Just get out of here. I can't look at you right now." Hermione was herself crossing to leave the kitchen when she was inadvertently blocked off by Draco. "Move, Malfoy."
"Now, Granger. I only came here to help. Is that any way to treat a guest?" He side stepped and let her cross haughtily from the room, slamming the door just inches from Draco's back. The kitchen rang with silence as even Luna had stopped to watch Hermione's exit. Fred and George picked at the splinters coming off the aging table as Ron pounded heavily against his chair with his fist. Draco took in the sight and couldn't help but be reminded of three children who had just been scolded by their mothers. "Harry will be fine. Unfortunatly. If your going to kill a man, you might want to take out your wands as even all three of you seem to be a little weak in the fisticuffs department." Ron shuddered at this and picked at a piece of lint that had landed on his chair.
"See, I told you that you couldn't kill him Ron."
"Yeah, great Luna." Ron's voice was thick, like he had swallowed an entire vat of molasses. "Where's Ginny?"
"She's upstairs. She'll be down shortly. Perhaps you should think of a better excuse for the mess you made upstairs before she gets down here." Draco turned and walked quickly out the door to catch up with Hermione as she topped the stairs. "Granger," he called and she turned to glare at him, "get your bushy head down here." He held open the front door and waved his hand as if to usher her out.
"How dare you talk to me like that, and it's Weasley now. Of course it's always been Hermione if it's too difficult for you to admit that I'm married now." She practically flew off the staircase, but obliged to meet him out on the porch. "What is it, Draco? I have things to get to..." she began but was caught off guard as a look of fear crossed over his normally stone face.
"She doesn't know." He said matter of factly as she should know exactly who and what he meant. "You never told her about what happened to..."
"No. I thought we agreed that it wasn't necessary. He's fine right? She doesn't need to remember what she's been through." Hermione began to open the door before she was grabbed harshly by the top of her arm.
"But he's not fine now, is he? I knew that it was a bad idea at the time. 'He'd never be the same.' You remember me saying that now, don't you? I warned you, and her, and now it seems I was right. I look up in that bedroom and I see two people who have no idea why this is happening to them, and then I watch as their 'so-called-friends', who know exactly..."
"Now we don't know that that has anything to do with his...condition...."
"Who know EXACTLY why this is happening to them, tap dance around the subject as if we're protecting them, protecting her, from this. I'm only going to go along with this for Ginny, but I can tell you for damn sure that I'll do everything in my power to break that fucking memory charm that you performed on her that night. She's going to know that this is our fault. That's all I have to say. Get back inside before your missed." He basically threw her through the door before shutting it behind her. She stood in the cold alcove rubbing the top of her aching arm as a tear that had nothing to do with the pain fell silently down her cheek.
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Chapter 10 Teaser
"Why didn't you tell me that you and Draco used to date before we got married?" Ron was glad that the attention was shifted from his fight, but knew that he wouldn't be in the lead for long.
"There is a huge difference between dating someone and going on a date with someone, Ron."