Torn

DISCLAIMER: anyone you don't recognize belongs to yours truly while everything else is owned by the lovely and ingenious Ms. Rowling.

WARNING: suggestive rape is in the first bit. It's not graphic. It's just a big topic in this first bit of the chapter involving the kidnapped girls. Sorry if anyone is offended.

A/N: And they are finally together. Now we can all heave one big sigh. But will it last? Hmm, one way to find out. Thanks ever so much for the great reviews. They completely made my days of stressful studying for exams so much better. Got one more to go and I'm done school. Strange how I managed to get another chapter out, but hey, it's fun and the feedback you all give is just so completely awesome. Now that the two love birds are together we can actually take a look into the plot. So it's back to Petra and friends. If anyone is offended by this first bit I offer my sincere apologies. And sorry as well if the last two chapters were a bit graphic..ish. Well on with the story.

*****

The first time he took her, she screamed herself hoarse. She had earned many scrapes and bruises but had managed to give some in return. When he threw her back into the dim lit room they held her through the sobs that wrecked her body and left her shaking. When he came a second time, she had earned her first black eye and he had lost a finger. The third time sent her screams echoing around the marble halls for help that would never come. The fifth time he took her she had almost escaped. It was then that she had her first taste of the Cruciatus curse. The eighth time brought her back into the dim lit room, semi conscious, every inch of her body aching. By the twelfth time she had stopped fighting. The fifteenth time had stopped her screaming. On the night of the twentieth time he took her and tossed her back into the candle lit room with a gleeful “ `appy anniversary, pet.”, she no longer responded to their whispers of comfort, their tears, or their arms. She only lay on the floor, eyes wide open, listless, silent.

The girl named Petra approached her and kneeled. “Orla?” she said gently. “Orla, love, you have to eat.” Her statement was answered with Orla's blank stare.

“She's not going to eat. She's not going to speak. That wanker finally broke her,” Emma said in a hard voice, though her eyes were focused worriedly on the silent Ravenclaw.

“She has to eat. Orla, you have to eat. Don't do this, Orla. You have to eat.” Met with no response, Petra took the older girl's head in her hands and shouted, “Damn it, Orla! Eat the sodding food or you'll die!”

“Then let me die,” she answered steadily in a quiet voice.

Petra froze. “You don't mean that.”

“What did she say?” Emma asked, but they ignored her.

“Just let me be, Petra.”

“I absolutely will not.”

“What did she say?” Emma repeated from her post against the wall.

“There's no point in any of this, Petra. I'm going to die anyway, and if that sodding bastard won't kill me first than You-Know-Who will.”

“Will you two shut up for a moment and tell me what's going on?” Emma said.

“No one is going to die, Orla. They'll come and get us. I know you're hurting but-”

“Oh what the hell do you know about pain?!” Orla shouted, startling Petra, Emma and the silent girl in the corner. She winced as she pushed herself up with her arms and looked Petra in the eye. “It wasn't supposed to happen like this,” she continued. Her voice was tinged with desperation. “It was supposed to be romantic and- and wonderful and- I was supposed to be in love!” Orla looked at her and continued in a voice that reeked with barely contained rage, “Every. Night. Petra. He takes me every fucking night,” she spat viciously, her eyes blazing.

Emma swallowed.

Petra just looked at Orla who trembled violently under their stares. Despite the desperation and fury in her voice, Orla's eyes welled up in tears and they spilled over her bruised features.

“I want it to end,” she whispered. “I want it all to stop.”

Emma blinked back her own tears and continued to watch the girl who had so drastically changed.

“No one is going to come, Petra,” Orla continued and sank back onto the floor. “We're alone.”

She ignored the fire that spread a dull ache in her injured arm and closed her eyes. They remained closed when she felt arms wrap around her. They stayed shut when scuffling sounds reached her ears. Her eyes stayed closed when the smell of warm soup reached her nostrils and sent pangs to her stomach. Orla didn't even open them when she felt a spoon by her closed mouth, or even when she gratefully swallowed the substance spreading warmth through her body. Her eyes remained shut tight even when the helpless tears began to fall.

****

“Did you see Ginny?” Neville asked and Hermione shook her head.

Ron looked over the heads of the customers that packed Honey Dukes. “She was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago,” he said.

“I'm sure she's fine, Ron. She must have lost track of time,” Harry said.

“Yeah, well we're not exactly supposed to be here so loosing track of time isn't really and option is it?” Dean said popping a red bean into his mouth and making a face.

Seamus fished into Dean's bag and grabbed a fistful of beans. He offered some to Hermione who shook her head. She was busy eyeing the door. She rose on her toes and a sudden smile graced her lips. Seamus looked at her; whatever she had seen must have been interesting. He turned in the direction of her gaze when Hermione suddenly spoke up, “Look there she is.”

Cheeks flushed, Ginny breathlessly rushed over to the group. She absentmindedly glanced behind her.

“Go on, buy a bag we'll wait here. It's not like we have to be anywhere right?”

Ginny looked over at Ron who was eyeing her and sighed. “I'm sorry. I saw something I liked and I lost track of time.” She ignored Hermione's watchful eye.

“Yeah, well let's get going.”

Moments later they were in the tunnel making their way back to Hogwarts. Hermione fell into step beside Ginny. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yeah, I think I'll get it at the next Hogsmead trip.”

Hermione pursed her lips at this answer and looked at the youngest Weasley. “So how long has this been going on?”

Ginny looked at Hermione questioningly. “I believe you've been sneaking out since first year Miss Head Girl.”

Hermione flushed and fiddled with her badge before lifting her chin up at the taller girl. Ginny noted the strange glint in her eye and grew wary.

“Yes, but you've been sneaking around quite a lot this term.”

Ginny laughed, “What, you're not going to turn me in, are you?”

They stepped out into the empty corridor.

“Of course not,” Hermione said nonchalantly and she reached up to pick something in Ginny hair. Ginny looked at the piece of hay that Hermione briefly glanced at before tossing it away. “If you want to talk about it, I'll be my dormitory,” she said gently with a hand on her arm before she waved goodbye to everyone and walked away.

Ginny stood frozen to the spot, blinking.

She knows.

Ginny was on her in a flash. “You-You're not angry?”

“Of course not, why in the world would you think that?”

“Well, you're not really on good terms with Draco.”

They climbed through the portrait hole and headed up the stairs.

“Ginny, I'm not Harry or Ron.”

“Oh, god, Ron.”

“You're going to have to tell him,” Hermione said as she closed the door behind her and sat on her bed.

“Are you mad? He'll murder him. Besides, it's none of his business.” Ginny took a seat beside Hermione and crossed her arms over her chest.

“That is the truth, but I still think that he has the right to know. It would be better for the relationship,” Hermione said.

Ginny only looked at her then she suddenly threw her head back and uttered a bitter laugh. “Relationship. Me and Malfoy. Oh god, what have I gotten myself into.”

“Well it is a relationship isn't it?”

“To be totally honest, I'm not quite sure,” Ginny said looking at her hands. Her ears were tinged with red and her cheeks flushed.

“Whatever to do you mean by that?”

Ginny sighed and pushed her hair over her shoulder. “It's…complicated.”

Hermione only stared at her open mouthed then she placed a hand on her arm saying, “Ginny. Do you like him?”

“I…” her voice faltered and she smoothed her hands over her robes. “I… I like the way he looks at me. I like how his voice changes when we're completely alone. I…” she her eyes wandered around the room and her face soon came to grow almost as red as her hair. “Yes, I…I think I do…like…Draco Malfoy. Oh, god. Draco Malfoy. Ginny Weasley likes Draco Malfoy.” Ginny looked at Hermione and almost said laughingly, “My family's going to disown me.”

Hermione wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, Ginny. They'll do no such thing. It will just take them some time to get used to the idea.”

“And Fred and George? Ron?”

Hermione hesitated before saying, “It will take a considerable amount of time.”

Ginny buried her face in Hermione's shoulder with a groan.

“But that's not what counts,” Hermione said. “Does he make you happy?”

Ginny let go of her and grinned.

“Ecstatic.”

“Well then, there's your answer. No need for you two to be sneaking around or hiding in any broom closets.”

Ginny giggled. “But that's the fun part.”

Hermione laughed. “You are impossible.”

“You won't tell Ron or Harry until I'm ready, will you?”

“You're secret is safe with me. I promise you that.”

Ginny nodded and thanked her with a hug.

“So how long has this been going on exactly?”

“Oh, about three months.”

“You're serious?”

“Completely.”

“You've been carrying this secret affair for three months without managing to have anyone catch on?”

“Trust me dear, if by some miracle you hadn't sniffed us out, I would have carried this on for much longer.”

“Enjoying every minute of course.”

“Naturally.”

Hermione shook her head in amazement. “How did it happen?” she asked.

“I don't know. It just did. I wasn't planning it or anything. I wasn't even expecting it. He was just everywhere and one thing led to another and…” Ginny trailed off.

“Now you're a couple.” Hermione still couldn't believe that they were talking about Draco Malfoy of all people.

Ginny flushed. “I wouldn't really go so far as to call it that.”

“So what would you call it?” Hermione asked. When Ginny didn't answer her she said, “Gin, please don't tell me this is just physical.”

“And what's wrong with that?” Ginny said but before Hermione could answer she continued, “No. No it's…more than that,” she sighed. “I'm just not sure what to call it just yet.”

Hermione nodded but didn't say a word.

Wanting to cast off all seriousness Ginny suddenly turned to face her friend and said, “So, now that we've covered my sex life, why don't we chat about yours?”

“You don't honestly expect me to divulge in any of that, do you?” Hermione said.

Ginny only grinned at her wickedly. “I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

Hermione laughed and stood up. “You are absolutely horrible, Ginny Weasley.”

“Oh come on, Hermione. You can't seriously tell me he's not a tiger in the sack.”

“A tiger in the-What?”

Ginny burst into a fit of giggles. “You two were two hours late this morning. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy every second of it.”

“Why does this conversation seem so familiar?” Hermione said while she rummaged in her trunk for her books.

“Alright fine. Be horrible and leave me in the dark,” Ginny said crossing her arms.

“Thank you, I will.” Hermione placed rolls of parchment into her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

“Not even one little-”

“No, Ginny.”

Ginny laughed. “Where are you going?” she asked.

“I've got some work to do. I'll see you later. Oh, and Ginny? If you're going to tell him, make up your mind to do so before he finds out the hard way.”

The hilarity fell from Ginny's features and she nodded.

When Hermione stepped through the portrait hole she took a deep breath and shut her eyes for a moment. This certainly was a day of revelations. And they're certainly not going to end just yet. She waved a hello at Eran Lot as she made her way to the room of requirement recently dubbed her Room of Relaxation. This however was definitely not a moment to relax.

She closed the door behind her and the two boys by the fireplace looked up in her direction. She smiled thinly at them. Hermione only hoped that Ginny wouldn't decide to let Ron know about her current relationship with Draco Malfoy today. Ron's heart probably wouldn't be able to take the shock. He warily eyed the load of books in her arms, probably thinking that this was some meeting about school. But it was far worse.

Hermione sat across from the two boys seated on the floor; a wizard's chess board sat in between them. After the events from this morning Ron thought that nothing would be able to surprise him. Oh how wrong he was. For Ron Weasley was definitely in for many surprises, and how he would take them, Hermione could only guess.

She set the books on the table and placed her bag on the seat. Harry nodded encouragingly at her, and Ron gave her a questioning look.

“So what's this all about then?” Ron asked from his spot on the floor.

“You wanna sit down, mate?” Harry asked apprehensively.

“No, I'm good here. What's going on?”

“Ron?” Hermione said tentatively. Ron looked up at her expectantly. “There's something you should know.”

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