The Long Day Is Over

Feelin' tired

By the fire

The long day is over

The wind is gone

Asleep at dawn

The embers burn on

With no reprise

The sun will rise

The long day is over...

Hermione snapped shut her Arithmancy book and sat up. She hadn't noticed how badly she was slouching over her book on the table in the common's room; she also hadn't noticed that it was two A.M. She sat and did all her homework for the weekend since eight o'clock so she'd have the weekend open.

She arched her back and stretched her arms to either side of her. Slowly, she stood and collected all the books she had sprawled across the table. The fire was still lit by embers and a small flame still blazed. No wonder she had been slouching so badly- she couldn't see the words in her book otherwise. She crossed the common room, admiring how her engagement ring glinted in the firelight.

Hermione made her way to the staircase but stopped suddenly. There was a strange sound coming from somewhere in the room she hadn't noticed until now. Now that she brought it to her own attention, she wondered how she could have possibly ignored it.

Enn...

tsh...

Hermione turned from the staircase landing to where she thought the sound was coming from. She was now facing the fireplace. No one in the fireplace though...

"What is that?!" she yelled in a whisper to herself.

Myy...

It sounded like it was coming from behind the furthest wing-backed chair from her, closest to the fireplace. Cautiously, Hermione clutched her books tightly to her chest and tip-toed over where she believed the sound to be coming from. She rounded the side of the chair and peered behind. She definitely did not expect what she then saw.

Ron was leaned up against the chair with his arm around a girl, who was also sleeping. His head was tiled back, his mouth hanging open. Hermione surmised the sound she heard was Ron talking in his sleep, since he continued to do so as she looked at him. The girl he was sleeping next to had her head resting neatly on Ron's chest, and Ron's arm curved gently around her back. Hermione leaned over toward the sleeping people closer, her mouth more agape than even Ron's now. However, when she leaned over far enough to see the girl's face, she realized the girl was Ginny. Ginny's arm was tucked around Ron's waist, as though she was gripping a giant teddy bear instead of her brother whom she seemed to dislike most of the time.

Confused, Hermione tilted her head to one side. This was not a familiar look on Hermione's face and it didn't stay on her for long. Soon, confusion turned into a slight grin. They both looked so comfortable sleeping there, despite being on the ground. Hermione then wondered why they were there in the first place. She thought it would be best to wake them so they could sleep in their own beds and avoid questions in the morning.

"Stay up for me?" Hermione whispered, hoping that she wouldn't have to raise her voice any further. Ron woke immediately; Ginny only stirred a little and then resumed her peaceful sleeping pose.

"Hermione! What are you still doing down here?" Ron yelled in a whisper.

"Why are you so surprised to see me? Didn't you realize I stayed up?" Hermione felt somewhat stupid asking this since it seemed so clearly incorrect.

"Err... yes... We'll talk about it more tomorrow. I think we had better all get to bed."

"Alright. I'm pretty tired myself," Hermione said, finally loosening her grip on her books and lowering them to her side. Ron noticed how gently they rested against her hip, which protruded rather elegantly. He dismissed his attraction to his fiancé though, mostly due to the sleeping Ginny sprawled across him still. Hermione ignored that Ron was checking her out and tried to wake Ginny.

"Ginny," Hermione cooed.

"Hmmm..." Ginny stirred again.

"Come on to bed," Hermione recommended. Ginny sat up slowly. This was when Hermione saw the side of Ginny's face that had been hidden by Ron's chest. There was a large gash from the inner-most corner of Ginny's eye to the tip of her ear, twisting with the curvature of her cheek. Hermione couldn't help but gasp at the sight of it. Hermione then noticed the dried blood on Ron's hands. The dim light hadn't permitted her to see when she wasn't looking for it.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"It was some curse that we don't know how to reverse. It's rather painful. Nothing I've tried helps. She came back to the common room at about eleven o'clock..." Ron explained but was cut off by Hermione.

"Why didn't you get me? I would have tried to help," Hermione still stared at Ginny's face. Ginny seemed embarrassed but did not look away.

"I don't think there's much you could have done... and she wouldn't let me get you..."

"Ron..." Ginny tried weakly.

"Well, I was going to wait till tomorrow to tell you but, I'll just tell you now..." Ron gave in despite Ginny's look of disapproval.

"Harry did this to her," Ron alleged.

"Harry? Why?" Hermione was rather confused, for obvious reasons- Harry often spent time with Ginny instead of Ron and Hermione, as of late. To Hermione, they seemed to be, perhaps, in love.

"Well... I don't know..." Ron shrugged. Hermione then noticed Ginny had begun to silently weep.

"Let's get up to bed," Hermione suggested again. Ginny nodded her head and then allowed Hermione to guide her upstairs; Ron went to his own bed.

Harry Potter woke up on Saturday morning without being able to move his feet. He pushed himself up with his arms, found his glasses on his nightstand, and put them on. The reason he couldn't move his feet because the blanket was taught around him since two people, a witch and a wizard he knew very well, were sitting on his bed.

"What happened?" Hermione asked immediately. She didn't want to believe that one of her dearest friends, and what was supposed to be everyone's hero, had abused his girlfriend. Ron only sat silently with an expression that Harry couldn't quite read. He wasn't used to not being able to read Ron's expressions. This made Harry plainly scared.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. He honestly didn't know what she was asking about; he was still half asleep. Then, he remembered what happened the previous night and wished he hadn't acted like he didn't know what was going on. "Wait," Harry said quickly. Hermione was about to speak when he said this; he thought it would be better to stop her.

"Go ahead," Hermione allowed.

"I didn't mean to do that to her," Harry said. Then he realized that this wasn't the best thing to start out with.

"Didn't mean to? So you did it?" Hermione asked quickly, disbelieving.

"Right... let me explain..." Harry said, trying to sit up more, but not being able to since his feet wouldn't move. Harry was unable to explain at that very moment because Colin Creevy came bursting into the room. Colin had become a good friend of Ginny's over the years since they both had a fascination with Harry and they were in the same year.

"Harry! How could you do that to Ginny?" Colin was at Harry's bedside before you could say Quidditch and looked as though he were about to cry.

"Well..." Harry began again. But then he realized there was no way he could tell them what happened. Not without Dumbledore's permission, which he most certainly did not have yet. "I cannot tell you. Please just trust me. It's not what you think..." Harry met Colin's eyes. Colin looked at Harry as he never had before: as though he wanted to kill Harry.

"Right..." Ron managed. Harry looked over at Ron. The sight of him made Harry feel as though his heart would break with pain and frustration.

"Look Harry, it's obvious that you're used to violence, but that doesn't give you any right..." Hermione said carefully.

"It's NOT what you think, okay? I didn't mean to!" Harry willed himself not to scream. "I love Ginny. I would never intentionally hurt her. You must believe me..." Harry tried.

With that, Ginny walked into the room. No one dared to speak. Her face was still left untreated and was black and blue around the edge of the crescent-shaped gash in her face. She walked to Harry's four-poster unhurriedly. She sat down next to him with her back to the three others in the room, facing Harry. Still without words, she leaned over and hugged him for a long time. He shut his eyes to fight back tears and tenderly hugged her back. Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. Colin was utterly perplexed.

Finally, Ginny let go of Harry and stood. She faced Hermione, Ron, and Colin and spoke.

"Will you excuse us, please?" She asked simply. Colin and Hermione left without another word. Ron looked as though he wanted to say something to Ginny, then looked at Harry and finally gave up and left as well. The room was now completely silent as Harry and Ginny only gazed at each other. Neither knew what to say.

"I'm so sorry, Virginia," Harry shook his head, tears leaking from his eyes.

"It's alright Harry." Ginny pulled back Harry's sheets and crawled into bed beside him. She laid the unbroken side of her face on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, cradling her, and kissed her forehead lightly.

"I love you, Ginny," Harry whispered.

"Thanks for saving my life again," Ginny whispered back.