Chapter 9
Bill stood in the distance, his hands restraining Harry. Ginny saw Harry looking at Draco Malfoy, his face contorted with a mix of fear and rage, looking as if he would break free from Bill's hold at any moment. Bill stood silently; his face grim but determined. He stared at Ginny intently, looking at her with fire in his eyes that Ginny could never recall seeing before. He never spoke the words, but she had never received a message so clearly.
You can do this.
Ginny took a deep breath.
I can do this.
She turned back to Malfoy, the disgusting, stupid boy who had his hands on her, holding her, restraining her, leaving whispers and kisses on her neck. She swallowed her fear and clenched her jaw.
With a grunt, she lifted her knee and thrust it with all her might into Malfoy's groin. He doubled over in pain, releasing his hold on her, his breath rushing out in a groan. Ginny reeled her arm back, and clocked him on the side of the head with a right hook, and he fell to the ground.
In a slight daze, there was a pounding in her ears as the adrenaline rushed through her.
I did it. I hit the bastard!
Coming out of her reverie, she knelt down quickly to Malfoy's fallen form.
She began pawing his robes, as he lay on the ground immobilized and moaning. She searched several pockets for her stolen wand. Finally feeling the familiar object in his side pocket, she clasped her hand around it. As she moved to lift the wand from his pocket, Malfoy's hand darted out to her. He clamped down fiercely on her wrist, holding her in place. She looked at him. A large red mark was beginning to form on the side of his face. His hair was now disheveled, his cheeks were flushed, and his breath was coming out in quick painful pants. She had to suppress a shiver when she saw that he was smiling.
The bastard was smiling...
"Well, princess," he panted, using his grip on her wrist to pull her closer, "this just keeps getting better and better."
A hunger took over his features. He yanked on Ginny's wrist, pulling her down to him, his lips crashing onto hers. With a fierce growl of rage, she shoved him away and slapped him, her hand tingling from the force. The sickening smile did not leave, despite the growing red mark on Malfoy's cheek. Instead, he forced her hand down to his lips, kissing and licking her fingers as she struggled and shrieked in fury at him.
She wrenched her hand from his grasp and used it to punch him in the nose. Blood immediately began dripping down his face.
She stood and backed away from him, not sure if she was out of breath from the exertion or the boiling ferocity that was consuming her. Huffing, and feeling he was sufficiently subdued, she walked up to where he lay on his back, stopping at his head.
She pointed her wand at him as he looked up at her, that goddam smile still not leaving his bloodied face. She drew back her foot and kicked him in the abdomen, and he grunted and recoiled only slightly. She was now restraining herself from the tempting thought of repeating the kick over and over until he lost consciousness...
"You sick bastard!" she spat, her limbs and voice shaking, "Don't ever touch me again! Don't you dare ever come anywhere near me!"
His smile grew wider, which only infuriated her further.
"Leave!" She screeched.
He sat up on his elbows, looking at her appraisingly. He spoke calmly, as if they had just finished having afternoon tea together.
"As you wish, Princess."
Siphoning the blood off his face with his wand, he lifted himself to a sitting position, slowly making his way to his feet, as Ginny backed away from him. She didn't drop her wand from its position, in fact, she didn't dare blink. Malfoy eyed her a moment longer, before turning around and looking over at Harry and Bill.
He smiled menacingly at Bill, seeming to be very pleased about something. His eyes moved to Harry, turning to narrow orbs of ice.
"Didn't feel like playing the hero today then, did we, Potter?"
Harry didn't move, though it appeared he was barely holding it together.
Malfoy's gaze moved back to Bill.
"As for you... I've been meaning to chat with you. You're the fool who swept Ginevra off to Egypt, aren't you? That was a big mistake. But never you mind that now, look how times have changed... never thought I'd see the day when a Weasley would stand by idly while I had my way with his precious sister."
"Not what it looked like, Malfoy," Bill retorted, "it looked to me, like my precious sister just beat the shit out of you."
Bill began slowly walking towards Malfoy, wand drawn.
"Looked to me," he continued, "like the infamous, pompous, arsehole, Draco Malfoy, was in the fetal position, moaning on the ground, at the mercy of a seventeen-year-old girl."
Malfoy allowed his mouth to widen in a feral smile.
"Maybe... but not before I got to reacquaint myself with some of the more... delicious parts of your sister. Tell me, did you and Potter enjoy watching me run my hands all over her? Is that why you just stood there? You both were probably just jealous, had to get off on watching me touch her-"
"Fuck you, Malfoy!" Harry snarled. A curse erupted from his wand that Malfoy easily shielded with a casual flick of his wand.
"Just another memory to look back fondly on, eh, Potter?" His silver eye was glittering with delight now. "If you want, I can tell you what she feels like. How smooth her skin feels... How soft her breasts are-"
"Shut up!"
"ENOUGH!"
Bill shouted the word just as Harry had raised his wand to strike Malfoy again, but Bill held a hand up to him, halting the words. Harry was visibly shaking, and for a moment Ginny worried he would combust into flames. Bill however stood very still, seemingly calm. She knew Bill saw past the taunting, and that Harry's temper erupting would be nothing but favorable for Malfoy.
"How did you get here?" Bill asked simply.
"What?" Malfoy smiled, "worried I'll come back for an encore performance?"
"Not exactly," Bill stated calmly, "I think Ginny has proven she can take care of herself. I daresay if you come back, and she gets you in the groin like that again, you may have trouble retrieving your testicles. No, she can pummel you again for all I care. What I want to know is how . How. Did. You. Get here?"
The emphasis on each of his last words were the only betrayal of the underlying emotions that Bill was trying to hide.
"A gentleman never tells." Malfoy smirked.
"Oh, then, by all means, do tell!" spat Ginny.
Malfoy turned to her in surprise.
"Have I ever told you I admire your spirit, princess?" he asked.
"Have I ever told you that I hate you?" she growled.
"Oh, now, you don't mean that." Malfoy suddenly looked down at his watch.
"As much as I've enjoyed you, love, I must go. The Dark Lord needs me. He trusts me, you know. When it's all finished, I'll be greatly rewarded. He's very much supportive of my own ambitions. He's going to help me, you see. He's going to help me with everything. He is going to grant me power and control. The ministry will be at my feet, as it will be his. I will have anything I could want. No one gets in the way of what I want. I don't care who I have to hex, to kill, to torture, to disembowel, I will do it." his face darkened, his eye staring lustily at Ginny, licking his bottom lip.
"Nothing will stand in the way between me and my... desires. "
Ginny felt a revolting wave of nausea rise up within her when the word 'desires' left his lips. Like Harry, she was now trembling with the effort to keep her temper from exploding. Her wand hand was visibly shaking. She thought about that day, so many years ago in Diagon Alley, and every horrifying encounter with him since, how her life was upheaved, how her entire family was entwined with his psychotic behavior, how Harry had found her, broken and bleeding, seeing her weak again and again, and now enduring the horrible things Draco Malfoy was saying to them now.
All the horrible things that had happened because of the boy in front of her...
Without planning, without thinking, she cried out and made a slashing movement with her wand. Malfoy jumped and raised a shield, but not quick enough. Her curse grazed the side of his shield, slicing through the robes on his arm. The fabric split, and it was with grim satisfaction she saw blood begin to drip from a gash in his arm.
Malfoy lazily lifted his arm to examine the wound.
"That wasn't very nice." he drawled.
He raised his wand, lowering the shield. He pointed it to his arm and the bleeding stopped. He raised his wand again, looking as if he were about to disapparate. Ginny was taken aback for a moment.
He can't apparate, the wards don't allow it...
"I suppose I don't have time for a goodbye kiss, Ginevra?" he sighed glumly.
Ginny glowered at him. She wished a tree would fall on him.
Malfoy turned back to Harry.
"Have your fun, Potter," He said menacingly, "It won't last. We both know who she belongs to."
He turned back to Ginny and gave her a wink with his silver eye.
Instead of a crack of apparition, the grove was suddenly engulfed in a cloud of black smoke. Ginny was suddenly blinded. She couldn't even see her hands in front of her. Trying desperately not to panic, she felt around in the darkness for Bill and Harry.
"Ginny!" Bill shouted, "Harry! Where are you?"
"I'm okay," Harry called in the distance, "Where's Ginny?"
"I'm here!" she called back. She coughed and sputtered on the thick black fog, finally feeling a hand on her arm. She found herself being swept up into Bill's embrace, and he was positively crushing her.
"Thank god," he said in a pained voice, "thank god! For a moment, I thought he... never mind. Its ok, I've got you. You're safe. Forgive me, forgive me, Gin, I thought I was doing the right thing. I was stupid, I put you in so much danger. Forgive me, please."
"Bill," she said gently, squeezing him as tight as he was squeezing her, "you were brilliant, Bill, he was trying to work you up the whole time, and you were so calm. When you looked at me, I knew I could do it, I knew I could do what you taught me."
Bill pulled back from embracing her and looked at her intently.
"You did it, baby girl," a smile somewhat reluctantly making its way onto his face, "You did it. You were incredible. I knew you could do it, and I just... I wanted you to know that you could do it."
He grabbed her once again in a crushing hug.
"But, Gin, I don't think I could ever stand by and do that again. That-that scared the shit out of me!"
Ginny chuckled, content with letting Bill hold her. The fog began to lift, and Bill pulled away from her.
"Malfoy! The wards- I've got to check... stay here!" and he ran through the dissipating blackness.
Harry reappeared, looking weary. As he walked closer, she could see he looked as tired as she felt. He reached out and touched her shoulder, and she felt the slightest tremble in his touch. She knew Harry, like her, was feeling the adrenaline of what had just transpired rapidly deteriorating, leaving her feeling weak and shaky.
"Are you alright?" He asked softly.
She was beginning to feel light headed, and recognized the now familiar feeling of shock. She swayed on the spot.
"I... I need to..."
Fighting the blurriness that was encroaching her vision, and the darkness that was threatening to overtake her, she sank to her knees and fought to stay conscious.
Harry sank down with her, a gentle hand on the small of her back. New waves of nausea overtook her, and she promptly leaned forward and retched on the ground.
As she heaved up the contents of her last meal, she was vaguely aware of a warm pair of hands coming to her neck and gently pulling her hair away from her face. Despite her inability to control her rolling stomach, she noted that she was once again in a completely mortifying situation with the boy who lived.
Once her stomach seemed sufficiently empty, she felt, rather than saw, Harry wave his wand, all evidence of sick disappearing.
Kneeling on the ground, she kept her hands in front of her, worried she might keel over if she dare sit up. She took a few deep breaths, and looked up at Harry, who was watching her closely.
"Thank you." she croaked.
He gave a weary smile and nodded. His hand returned to her back, rubbing small soft circles, the motions which she found immensely comforting.
"So much for being tough, huh?" she smiled weakly.
Harry laughed incredulously.
"Are you kidding, Ginny?" He moved his hand to her shoulder. His green eyes fixed on hers, filled with warmth.
"You were bloody brilliant ."
She smiled at him. Then inexplicably, she started laughing. Harry looked at her confused.
"It's just," she tried to explain, stifling more laughter, "why can't our lives be normal?"
Harry's green eyes widened for a moment, then he too began laughing.
"It seems like a reasonable request, but after eighteen years of nothing but trouble, I have no answers to that one."
They both turned to see Bill heading back towards them. He jogged up to the pair, out of breath.
"He's gone."
X
"Ginny, you're brilliant, absolutely brilliant."
"My sister! My baby sister kicked Draco Malfoy's ass!"
"I can't believe you let her on her own Bill, that was completely irresponsible-"
"She broke his nose?"
"She kicked him in the bollocks? Maybe she rendered him infertile as well!"
"Well, we can only hope..."
"Ginny, you were incredible! Tell us what he said!"
"Did he beg for mercy?"
"Kicked. His. Ass."
"He cried, didn't he?"
"Single-handedly ended the Malfoy line!"
"Ginny! Ginny! Did you tear his other eye out?"
"Ginny, he didn't put his hands on you, did he?"
"ENOUGH!"
Bill's loud voice broke through the din of excited Weasley shouts.
"Thats enough, you lot," he commanded, as only the eldest sibling could, "leave her alone."
Harry's eyes were on Ginny who sat on the couch, face blank and eyes glazed over. She was sitting by Bill, who appeared to be trying to physically shelter her from the rest of the Weasleys, who were eager to hear every detail of what had transpired in the little grove near the house.
Harry stood away from them, pacing the floor in front of the fireplace. He didn't much feel like celebrating with the rest of them. He saw Bill's comforting arm around Ginny's shoulders, and wished it was his own. He wanted to go to her, hold her, comfort her... he shook his head to rid the thought.
He knew it. He fucking knew this would happen...
As he brooded to himself, lost in his own thoughts, he snapped back to attention when the conversation among the Weasleys moved on and he heard the words 'send her back.'
Just as he processed the meaning of the spoken words, the furious voices of the Weasleys erupted once again in the living room, shouting over each other and arguing.
"We should send her back to Egypt-"
"What good would that do?"
"No, she needs to go to Hogwarts-"
"Are you insane? She should stay with mum and dad!"
"He knows where we live! He got passed the wards somehow-"
"Well, he knows about Egypt too!"
"She'd be on lockdown if she stayed here."
"What about her NEWTS though?"
"I say we go to Malfoy manor and let her beat the shit out of him again."
"You're barmy! I'm surprised mummy and daddy Malfoy haven't already tried to throw her in Azkaban!"
Harry's temper was on edge already, and he found himself turning around to tell the lot of them to shut their traps when Bill interrupted once again.
"It's Ginny's choice." Bill said loudly, and once again the room quieted. He looked down at the girl underneath his arm, giving her a squeeze. "She's an adult now, and it's not up to any of us to decide for her. Can't we take two seconds and ask her what she wants?"
Ginny turned her head to Bill, seeming to come out of her stupor. Her glazed eyes cleared, and she took a steadying breath. She looked straight over at her mother and father, like she was about to deliver a blow.
"I'm going to Hogwarts." She said clearly.
A few family members gasped. Mrs. Weasley clutched her apron with white fists but did not cry. Mr. Weasley let out a sigh and gave a sad smile.
"If you think that's best, Gin-bug, then so be it."
"I do." She said firmly. "Besides, I'll have Ron with me, and Hermione and- and Harry."
She looked over at Harry just then, her face unreadable. He tried to ignore the quickening of his pulse.
"I'll be well-protected." Ginny continued. "It'll be fine. I'll finish my NEWTS, and start my journey to become a healer..."
She paused.
"It's what I've wanted for years."
X
Despite the warm August evening, Harry saw Ginny sitting close to the fire, a shawl wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She watched the flames with a blank expression. Most of the family had gone to bed. Bill was walking the perimeter, reinforcing the wards on the Burrow. He had clearly taken a personal offense to the fact that Malfoy had been able to somehow get so close to the Burrow, defying its well-constructed defenses.
Harry watched Ginny quietly. The firelight was dancing in her stony gaze, and the flames reflected hues of orange and red in her long hair. She was shivering. He thought about putting an arm around her shoulder like Bill had done but doubted his intimate embrace would be near as welcome as her brother's had been. He had embarrassed himself enough already.
He stepped up beside her and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ginny?"
She turned and looked at him.
"Harry?"
He hesitated before opening his mouth, wondering if what he had to say would just end up doing more harm than good.
"I just... I just wanted to apologize to you. I was completely unprepared when we apparated, and I thought it was safer for you to go first and I'm just...sorry."
Sorry that he kissed you.
Sorry that he touched you.
Sorry that prick got anywhere near you...
"Harry, stop." She put up a hand, silencing him. "If anyone is sorry, it's me."
"What?" he asked.
"I froze, Harry." She said sadly, before looking away. "I was so terrified, I let it completely take over me, and I froze."
Without thinking, he moved to her, sitting down next to her. When she didn't move away, he reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. To his relief, she did not flinch.
"Well, I mean, no one could hardly blame you," Harry said. "When one is faced with something as hideous as a one-eyed Malfoy, anyone in their right mind would have frozen in terror."
Ginny chuckled lightly.
There was a sound of small commotion, and they both turned towards the back door of the Burrow as they heard a scuffle outside.
There was a rustling of bushes in the yard near the garden, and then a long yowl of a cat.
"Oh damn, that'll be Crookshanks." said Ginny, rising. "He's made a new friend in the garden, but I've got to make sure he doesn't end up eating him!"
She rushed past him towards the gardens outside, leaving him confused. Harry stood as well, and decided to find Bill and help him finish with the wards.
He ventured outside, near the front of the house. The night was, in Harry's opinion, deceptively peaceful. The calm yard betrayed no evidence of the disaster just a few hours prior. There wasn't even a light breeze on the air.
He saw Bill standing near where the grove was. He was very still, wand drawn and pointing into the darkness, as if he expected something to pop out of the bushes at any moment. Harry made his way over, standing next to Bill and peering into the night.
"I don't understand." Bill spoke without breaking his gaze.
Harry looked at him questioningly. "You mean how he broke the wards?"
"Thats just it," Bill said quietly. "The wards weren't broken, they're still intact."
Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.
"If the wards weren't broken, how did he apparate?"
"Thats just it, he didn't. He blasted us with that dark fog and... disappeared. All the wards are still intact, there is no way he could have disapparated this close to the Burrow. The wards would have blocked apparition, or a broom or even if he ran for it... I even have alarms for port-keys."
"How did that bastard get here in the first place?" Harry thought out loud.
Bill chuckled darkly, still staring intently across the grounds.
"Harry, I can honestly say that I have no idea."
X
Ginny knew the damned cat would eventually go after Sneaky. But she could hardly be too mad at the cat when it had successfully de-gnomed the garden, and her and the trio were spared the annoying chore.
As she approached the garden in the dark night, she saw Crookshanks jump with a hiss, and run off into the yard towards the Orchard, angry meows in his wake. Rolling her eyes, she walked over and sat on the stone garden wall, and looked for the tiny snake, or whatever might be left of him.
In the darkness, a little green head rose out of the vegetables, tongue licking the air. Ginny smiled and held a hand out, beckoning the snake forward.
"Hello, little one." She cooed. "It looks like I wasn't the only one who had an adventure today. I thought you might be chewed to bits by now."
The snake reached her hand, and curled around her wrist. She held it out in front of her to get a closer look, and the snake began uncurling from her wrist.
"I had another run in with a nasty boy, Sneaky." she whispered, ignoring how ridiculous she must look, talking to a snake in the dark.
The snake lifted its head, seemingly very interested in her shoulder.
"I almost mucked it all up too." She sighed miserably, shaking her head. "I couldn't even speak... I was mortified. Even after everything Bill taught me, even after all the dueling and being prepared I just... was completely useless."
The snake ignored her, slithering around the shawl on her shoulder.
"But not to worry, he's just a stupid boy. It all turned out alright in the end. Luckily, Bill was there... and Harry, of course."
A small hiss escaped the little snake's mouth as it continued up her shoulder towards her neck. She stopped Sneaky's ascent and held him out to look at him.
"My goodness," she giggled. "You really don't like him, do you, little one?"
The little snake tilted its head and looked at her curiously.
"Well, be safe now," she said, placing the little snake back in the garden. "Crookshanks is on the prowl. Though, hopefully all the garden gnomes he's chased has worn him out."
She looked back at the house. Her warm bed suddenly sounded very inviting.
X
The tiny green snake watched from the garden as Ginny Weasley, wrapped in a shawl, made her way through the night, back into the old house. As the snake watched, a light briefly lit in the window of one of the upstairs bedrooms, and after a few minutes turned dark.
The snake briefly considered going into the house, but with a flick of its forked tongue, turned away and started slithering out of the soft garden bed.
The snake traveled on its belly, slithering towards the distant meadow near the back of the boundaries of the Burrow. The snake made its way past the meadow, traveling contentedly.
Finding itself well outside the boundaries of the Burrow, the Snake increased its speed.
The snake began to stretch and contort, its body elongating as it moved. It grew limbs, first feet, then arms. Within mere seconds, the form that had once been serpentine, was now the form of a teenage boy. The boy wore a long, dark, cloak, and the moonlight was reflecting off a head of blonde hair.
The boy turned and looked back towards the rickety house, which he could barely see in the distance. He smirked in satisfaction.
"Sleep well, princess."
x
A/N
"She wished a tree would fall on him."
Inspired by a similar quote in I'm Yours by rrabbit.