Moonlit Grounds

Chapter 10

"Well? How's she doing?" Draco didn't even think of hiding his worry this time.

"She's not good." Hermione just kept walking right past him. Without thinking he followed her right into the middle of the Gryffindor common room. Several boys also walked in at the same time.

"What the bloody hell?!"

Hermione and Draco stopped in their tracks. Standing before them was a furious Ron and an equally angry Harry.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!?" Ron shouted again. He started towards Draco, but found Hermione in between them. Harry stood back in shock.

"Hermione? What are you doing?" He tried to brush her out of the way, but she stood her ground.

"Ron, just listen to me. Draco was helping Ginny. He knew she needed help and he got me here to see how she was-"

"Helping Ginny? Why were you around her? Don't you dare put your hands on my sister!" He started forward again, forcing both Hermione and Draco to push him back. Of course, this only made him angrier.

"Damn it Ronald Weasley! Just listen! He wasn't trying to hurt her! It was Voldemort!" At this Ron flinched and Harry finally spoke up.

"Voldemort? How?" A sudden look of realization passed over his face.

"Tom," he said simply.

Ron stared from Harry to Hermione and back again.

"That's impossible! The diary was destroyed! Ginny's been doing great!" He kept shaking his head, not even allowing himself to entertain the idea that Ginny was keeping secrets from him.

"That's not true," Draco piped in.

"I know my own sister, Malfoy." Ron glanced at him. "Get out of here anyway. You don't belong."

"Now Ron, he's been a great help to your sister. Be nice," Hermione reminded him.

"I'd better go anyway. I have work to do. Tell Ginny I was here, ok Granger?" He left through the Fat Lady before anyone could put in another word.

"Explain what's going on," Ron demanded.

Hermione took a deep breath and began to explain all that Ginny told her, except for a few incidents that she knew Ginny wouldn't have wanted her brother to hear. She told them about Ginny's depression and consequent self- inflicted wounds, her dreams of Tom, the physical abuse her real body was taking, and how Draco came to be involved. By the end Hermione was in tears again and Ron was bleary-eyed. Harry kept his eyes on the ground.

"I need to owl Mum and Dad. I should also tell Dumbledore, I suppose. Is she asleep again?" Ron immediately started for the girls' dormitory.

"Yes, she is, don't wake her. Tell Dumbledore, but don't owl your Mum just yet. Let Dumbledore do it, if he feels it's necessary. Harry, let's go find the headmaster. Ron, get your broom so you can get up the stairs. It's the fifth door on your left. Be quiet." They all split up then, each with a very heavy heart.

*

Draco paced back and forth in his room. He couldn't stand it. She was being hurt. He wanted to do something. What, he didn't know. A gift perhaps. He thought long and hard until he came up with something that would help her. He grabbed his cloak and money bag, and headed off to Hogsmeade.

*

Upon entering the headmaster's office with Professor Flitwik's aide, Hermione and Harry saw Dumbledore having quite an animated speech with one of the paintings. Apparently the former headmaster Phinneas Black disagreed that Knockturn Alley should be forbidden territory to the students of Hogwarts.

"Now if the parents give their written and oral consent for the child? Is that still unacceptable?"

"The child should be guided, but given free reign. However, free reign does not mean letting the child out of sight."

Hermione cleared her throat loudly.

Professor Dumbledore turned to them and smiled.

"I saw you two there, I just had to complete my thought to dear Professor Black before it slipped from my mind entirely." He walked towards them, and waved his hand so that three chairs magicked themselves over to the trio. "Now, what distresses you so greatly?" he asked with his usual knowing glance.

"Ginny Weasley's not well, Headmaster," Hermione said.

"I take it this isn't a sickness of the body."

"No sir. She's...well...she's seeing Tom Riddle. In dreams, but not really dreams. When she wakes up she's actually been hurt. He's hurting her through her mind or something," Hermione explained as best she could.

"Tom Riddle?" Dumbledore's eyes clouded over. He sat silently for quite sometime, stroking his beard. "Where is Miss Weasley now?" he finally asked.

"In her bed. I gave her some Dreamless Sleeping Draught, so she should be fine at the moment."

"Headmaster," Harry piped in, "how could Riddle be back? It's very powerful magic to get into someone's mind, but to actually transport them? But he's not even transporting her as far as we can tell. How's it possible?"

Dumbledore let out a great sigh and gave him a measuring glance. He stood up, quickly and quietly flooed some other professors and the nurse, and then said to Harry, "I don't know, Harry. Not yet."

*

Ron hesitantly pulled aside the curtains to his little sister's bed. He wasn't sure what he'd see, but nothing could've prepared him for the sight of her. Her hair was tangled and spread out all over the pillow and her face. She had an ugly bruise on her left cheek. There appeared to be some dried blood on her lower lip. She stirred, murmuring. She looked as if she had been crying.

Ron gingerly took her hand and held it. Then he noticed the bruises and scars on her wrists. He stifled a sob. This was his baby sister. She shouldn't have to hurt like this. He held her hand tighter. After all, that was the only thing he could do for her now.

*

His kisses were harsh. This time when he drew back she felt a bit of blood trickle down her bottom lip. She weakly lifted her hand to it, feeling the burn against the cut. He had taken her identity again. Now she didn't even spill her own blood. He did it for her. His cold laughter sliced through her.

"You have the loveliest blood, Virginia. So ripe, so pure." He wiped the blood off her chin and licked it from his fingers. She felt sick. Yet sicker still when his lips touched hers once more.

*

Draco knew exactly where to go. He had accompanied his mother on many occasions, so it would be no problem finding the shop. He entered the dusty store with his usual arrogance, trying to act nonchalant, even though Ginny's image kept taking over. He could almost feel her lips again. He snapped his attention back to the task at hand. There, right in front of him, appeared the gift fitting for a beauty. Draco had seen this piece for many years, and no one had bought it an all that time. He called over the owner and had it taken out of its case. The owner couldn't suppress his own look of surprise when Draco handed over the money, plus a generous tip for prompt service and promised silence. Draco hurried out of the store, not wasting any time in getting back to Ginny.