A/N: CW for this specific chapter: sexual assault and implied sexual violence.
The Laws Have Changed - Chapter 12
She had just finished her last round of DA recruiting graffiti when she heard footsteps clacking against the worn stone flooring.
It had been a couple of weeks since she and Draco had brought their two closest friends into the fold and she had become emboldened by that knowledge. They looked out for one another, began meeting in Draco's room more, and, generally, became closer than she had thought possible.
She had to admit that her boyfriend was probably right about his friend. In the comfort and relative safety of the Head Boy room, she watched Blaise Zabini come alive. He was just as cutting, if not more so, than Draco ever could be, with an annoying habit of understanding situations and people better than she expected. Her new friend may have not been as integrated into the Dark Lord's rank as some of his Housemates were, but he could see more of the chessboard than any of them could.
He had, surprisingly, sensed that their new Headmaster was walking on a very thin tightrope well before Draco had come to that conclusion and knew that their best chances at harm reduction when it came to punishments was to be caught by Snape, if they were caught at all. She initially thought it would be a good idea to have one of them trail her on her graffiti runs as a safety precaution before Luna reminded her about keeping the two boys in the dark on their more rebellious activities.
She thought she had become adept at identifying how far away any impending patrollers were, as well as who they might be based on their gait, but she realized too late that her boldness was going to be her downfall on this particular night.
Draco had told her to cast a Disillusionment Charm anytime she wandered the castle close to curfew, but she thought her path was easy enough to navigate through that she could simply hide if she heard someone coming. So when she rounded a corner and ran into Alecto Carrow, she knew she was deeply fucked.
"Ah," the older woman began, giving her a look that always left her unsettled. Both Carrows considered her to be some kind of trophy; a way to show the Dark Lord that she could be tamed with a little nudge in the right direction. But there was always something about Alecto that made her feel as though the "professor" had more than just torture in mind for her and the only thing holding the Death Eater back was the fact that the other professors, even Snape, would kill her before she even had a chance.
"It looks like my favorite troublemaker is all by herself." Carrow ran a long, blood red nail across her jawbone, hoping to get her to flinch. She wasn't about to give the other woman the satisfaction. She could feel a wave of nausea crash against her stomach as Carrow's finger continued a trail down her neck before placing her hand around the base, squeezing gently as reminder of who was in control. "You've evaded punishment thus far, Miss Weasley, but there's no one here to protect you now."
The hand that was on her neck lazily moved to the back of her head; those red nails deceitfully caressing her the way Draco would, causing her to involuntarily shiver at the intimate touch. She could feel her frustration manifest in tears waiting to be unleashed, but again, she wouldn't give Carrow the satisfaction. She was silent when her head was pulled back, even though the gesture caused a sharp, stinging pain to radiate from the source. She remained silent when the older woman brought her lips close to her ear, hoping to get some kind of reaction at last, but she couldn't give in to her pain or her terror. People like the Carrows thrived off of the knowledge of how their attempts at power made others feel. Alecto Carrow wanted to see how scared she made her, had thrived off of it and, most disturbingly, got turned on by it. She was sure that if Amycus felt the same way about her as his sister did, then she would be feeling something firm pressing against her stomach or thigh at that very moment.
Carrow had placed her wand under her jaw now and she could feel her mind almost shutting down in self-defense. Draco had described the feeling to her once. It was how he compartmentalized during stressful situations, but he also said he couldn't always handle the kind of out-of-body experience it created. Luna had called the sensation "disassociating;" something she saw in some Muggle book on the human mind. That seemed more fitting for what she was currently experiencing than her boyfriend's carefully practiced Occlumency. Her brain was blocking everything else out to prevent her from feeling anything that Carrow was about to hit her with.
She sharply sucked in a breath when the crazed brunette pulled back and uttered "Crucio."
She dropped hard to the ground, knowing that there would be blood smeared on the stones from her knees scraping against the cold surface. Her fists clenched beside her, almost immediately drawing blood from the perfectly shaped crescents left by her nails. She gritted her teeth and locked her jaw to prevent any kind of sound from escaping her lips.
This wasn't enough for Carrow as she flicked her wand, uttering the curse again; a smile curling her lips at the anguished cry her target finally let out.
Everything hurt so fucking much and fucking hell, why didn't she just listen to Draco? He had warned her so early on of what the Death Eater siblings were like, but she didn't want to accept that she couldn't handle them. She didn't want to acknowledge that they were more dangerous than the one time she had previously fought them with the help of liquid luck.
A third wave of pain passed through her and she could vaguely sense that she was squirming on the ground now, crying so hard that she thought she would stop breathing from the lack of air her wails were causing. She could hear Carrow laughing in the background before her steps echoed in her ears as the older woman slowly, languidly strolled over to her.
"You're very lucky the Dark Lord still has a fondness for you, Weasley," Alecto purred, stroking her cheek with the backside of her hand. "I doubt he'd let me play with you the way I want to." A pause to cast another round of the Cruciatus. "I'd have you begging, pleading for help, as I brought you to such pleasurable heights before watching the light drain from your eyes." Another curse. "Maybe the Dark Lord will let me have you as a present once he kills Potter. You'd be so much more delightful if you kneeled before me willingly."
She was curled in on herself now, gasping for every breath, trying to will her body into motion. She had blocked out Carrow's presence completely; ignoring the words mumbled from her lips, ignoring the way her eyes roamed over her shaking form, ignoring the trail of filth her free hand left as it brushed against her breasts and thighs. She consoled herself with the knowledge that the woman herself had said that she wouldn't follow through on her disgusting desires unless Tom gave her permission to. It was strange, she conceded, knowing that even after all these years, the part of Tom that she got to know still liked her in some capacity. It was strange knowing that most of his sycophants would only dare to cause her pain, but no more lest they evoke their master's wrath.
Carrow stopped when she heard two sets of feet running towards her. She bolted away, probably not wanting to get caught by Snape or McGonagall.
She almost laughed in relief when she cracked her eyes open and saw Blaise and Luna running towards her. Instead, she finally let go and relaxed as her world went black.
He knew something had gone wrong when his wards alerted him to the incoming presence of the trio that was about to burst through his door. The day that Zabini and Lovegood had agreed to help them, he had added them to his wards, making it easier to tell who was going to be stopping by.
He had been getting ready to shower and was unbuttoning his white Oxford when they stormed through; Blaise carrying his girlfriend bridal-style as she lay limp in his arms.
His emotions sprung forth from him, unbridled in their intensity. He felt anger so hot, it nearly made his blood boil. Panic compounded the ringing in his ears as his body began to shake. Finally, terror made him lose all sense as Ginny was laid on his bed, her shallow breaths being the only thing that prevented him from doing something he would probably regret.
"Who did this to her?" He could only whisper the words as he let a hand rest on her cheek. If he spoke any louder, he knew he would break down in front of their friends.
"Alecto Carrow," Blaise replied, furrowing his brow as he watched what he knew his friend considered to be an uncharacteristic show of emotion. He couldn't fault him though. Their parents had drilled into them the need to conceal and that emotions were both a luxury and a weakness for those too stupid to hide them. He also knew that his friend cared. In his own way, he had come to care for their small group.
"I knew Ginny was going to be posting her recruitment messages tonight, but she told me that she'd be safe," Luna whispered, wringing her hands together.
Before he could reassure her that it wasn't her fault, he watched with confusion as his normally-closed off friend placed an arm around the blonde Ravenclaw. His confusion turned into surprise when she let him encircle her in a hug, her hands brought up to her chest as she tried to stave back tears.
"It's not your fault, Lu," he heard Blaise whisper, running a hand along her back in comfort.
"He's right, Luna," he stated, hoping his voice sounded more even. "I'm just grateful that you were able to find her before Carrow did too much damage."
The blonde lifted her head up from her position on Blaise's chest to look at him. Her eyes seemed larger than normal, with her blue irises almost going as light as his own pale grey as she let her tears fall.
"Draco?"
He whipped his head around to see Ginny squinting at him, trying to discern where she was.
"I'm here, Gin. I'm here." He knelt in front of her and grabbed onto her left hand, pressing a kiss to it as reassurance.
"I should've listened to you." Her voice was raspy from how much she had screamed during her torture, but he could hear the small waver in it all the same. "I thought I was invincible," she continued, this time letting her sorrow and frustration take over. "I'm so sorry, Draco. I'm sorry."
He quickly moved to be next to her on the bed and helped her roll onto her side so he could cradle her to him. Her tears began soaking through his shirt, but he didn't dare move. She had been there for him during his worst moments last term. She had come back to him this term. It was now his turn to be a safe harbor for her as she risked her life to rebel against the Dark Lord in the only way she knew how.
"Malfoy, I'm going to make sure Luna gets back to Ravenclaw Tower safely. Let me know if you need anything."
He could only nod at his friend's words, his attention too focused on Ginny.
"I don't want to be by myself anymore," his girlfriend whispered once she heard the soft click of his bedroom door closing. She looked up at him and he swallowed hard at the panic that lingered in her expression. "I want to stay here with you."
He silently nodded once more, exhaling deeply when he felt her relax into his embrace.
"She said things to me, Draco. Things I don't want to think about if I had to be by myself. She kept touching me too. Said the only thing stopping her from doing more was Tom's fondness for me." She shuddered in his arms. "I've never felt so disgusted by my own body before."
He sucked in a breath at her words. He had never understood bloodlust in the way his aunt did, but he couldn't help the sick thrill coursing through him at the thought of killing Alecto Carrow for the audacity she had to make Ginny feel this way. "How can I help?" was all he managed to say. He wouldn't do something that could bring more attention to their relationship without his girlfriend's express consent.
"Can you take a bath with me?"
He strained to hear her words as she burrowed even further into the fabric cocoon he had created for her comfort. "Are you sure, Gin? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable…" He trailed off, scared to outright remind her of the fact that neither one of them had seen the other completely naked before. It was a huge concession of vulnerability that they hadn't reached yet.
"I'm sure. I want to get rid of the feeling Carrow gave me and I want you to be there to help me."
"Okay," he breathed out, slowly moving off the bed to stand next to her. He pressed his lips to her forehead, wanting to let her know through his actions how much he cared for her. "I'll get the bath going and I'll come back to help you walk."
She gave him a little hum of approval and he made his way into his personal bath. He was grateful that the large space provided him with an equally large tub, similar to the one he had used as a prefect. He turned on the taps and began scrounging through the various bath concoctions his mother had provided him at the beginning of the year. Potions for extra warmth during the winter, a satchel of bath salts for muscle aches, a potion for stress-relieving bubbles, more powders that would mirror the effects of a hot spring. He grabbed the bath salts and the bottle for bubbles and added them to the water swirling in the tub. They were both practical, but crucial in helping both of them feel like they had some kind of modesty should they need a moment to get used to each other's bodies.
Since he already had his shirt mostly unbuttoned, he removed it first, hoping that Ginny wouldn't shirk away at his slight frame. He was eating more thanks to her, but it didn't magically make his body look strong again. His pants just barely hung on to his hipbones and if he moved a certain way, he could see the elastic waistband of his underwear. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It was the first time someone other than his mother had seen at least his full chest and torso since he had taken the Dark Mark; he could only hope that his insecurities didn't stop him from enjoying a peaceful moment with his girlfriend.
"Are you okay?"
He turned to see Ginny standing in the doorway, her robe already removed, along with her shoes, socks, and tie. He felt frozen in place as she walked over, eyes wide as she took in the sight of his bare chest. She ran her fingers along the scar that spanned across his chest — a reminder of what Potter had done to him. Her gaze drifted back up to his face, maintaining eye contact as she removed her shirt and, eventually the satin bra that he liked so much.
Their faces flushed as they both removed their remaining clothes, trying not to feel awkward over the strangeness that could be the teenage body. She stepped back when she was done and he could feel his entire body turn pink at her assessing gaze. What if she didn't like how he looked? Has she seen any other boy naked? Why did being naked in front of Ginny feel so different from being naked around Pansy? Is it because he actually loves his girlfriend?
"I'm sorry for staring," she murmured, finally bringing her head down. "Sometimes I forget how handsome you are and seeing you like this makes me wonder how someone could look so beautiful." She brought her hands up to her face as her entire body went red at the proclamation. He couldn't help but laugh at her words, his anxiety slowly running out of him like a deflating balloon.
He closed the space between them and grabbed her hands, bringing them down to her sides. He cupped her face, letting his calloused thumbs brush across the smooth skin of her cheeks. He could accept being called "handsome," but she was infinitely more beautiful than he could ever be.
He saw now that her myriad freckles weren't just a light sprinkling across the bridge of her nose, but she had ones of varying sizes across her arms, hands, and even some on her legs. The larger ones felt like bright stars amongst an endless array of constellations. He brought her palms up to inspect them further and he was surprised to see three large dots on her right hand — one in the middle of her pinky finger, and two on opposite ends of her palm.
His eyes drifted down to her breasts, a light pink tinge blooming wherever his gaze lingered, and she even had a dusting of freckles there. He refused to let his eyes freely roam, but what he had seen had been enough to quench his thirst. Whenever she was ready, he would come to her as a willing supplicant, genuflecting before he proceeded to worship her to her heart's content.
He held her face again, this time letting his desire release itself in his kiss. He was slow and gentle, knowing that she needed the reassurance of safety during this defenseless moment. They both felt exposed in more ways than one, but he wanted to show her how comfortable he was starting to feel around her. Being naked in front of Ginny truly felt special and the more he thought about why, the more he realized that it all came back to his love for her. He almost thought it silly, having such profound feelings at seventeen, but he had already died and come back to life, so he wasn't willing to question it any further. All he could be certain of was the fact that he felt like a better person when he was around his girlfriend and he refused to let himself be killed again.
When they finally broke away, he guided her over to the waiting tub, helping her get in first before lowering his body in.
As soon as he was mostly submerged, Ginny nestled herself against his chest, sighing when his hands draped across her stomach. She let her own hands settle on his and they let silence overtake them once more.
She would speak when she was ready, but, for now, he was going to close his eyes and enjoy this brief moment of uninterrupted peace.
A/N: Thank you for reading! The beginning of this chapter was a bit hard to write tbh, so I appreciate you if you were able to push forward to the end. Thank you, as always, for any comments, subscriptions, favorites, recs, etc y'all have been giving this story. I greatly appreciate it and I love hearing what y'all think!
As a heads up, the chapters on this story may be coming out a bit slower than normal as I haven't finished chapter 13 and I'm currently working on a fest fic (which I'm very excited about!), as well as getting ready to co-host a Drinny fest that will be taking place soon. More details on that last bit closer to the end of this month.