Title: Missing Chapter Title: Tourniquet Rating: R (for angst, violence and self-inflected pain) Disclaimer: I own Jack Squat. That’s right, I own him…but nothing else on this page. Well, ok so I own my own little imagination and the angst that comes with it, so have fun and read on kiddies if you are braves. Again the thanks will be on the bottom! ________________________________________________________________________________________________ When Draco awoke several hours later, the night time had taken over, a blanket of stars covering the endless midnight sky. His eyes blinked for a few moments before he could focus, looking around. He turned his eyes to the side, seeing Ginny asleep next to him, his arm slung over her side as they spooned in the small hospital bed. Turning his eyes across the room, he caught the sounds of Madam Pomfrey snoring lightly in her office and a chuckle escaped his throat. She’d obviously fallen asleep at her desk again and that’s why he was still here. Moving quietly, he stood careful not to wake the exhausted redhead beside him and moved across the floor to the connecting bathroom. Draco leaned his palms against the porcelin of the sink and sighed heavily, his head falling to his chest as he took deep breaths in and out, calming his wrought nerve endings. Turning his head upwards, he stared back into the silver-grey eyes that blinked tiredly at him. There was no way he was going to go back to the Slytherin common room tonight, even if he did, he would not get any sleep for the questions that would bombard him. Instead, he’d wade the night out at the delicate redhead’s side, making sure that she was okay before even considering leaving. He knew that Pansy planned on coming back at some point, but probably got caught up in doing something else and would most likely be back in the morning to check on them both. Though Slytherin, both her and Draco had conciences and those very morals would not allow him to leave her as Pansy’s would not allow her to forget about Draco and Ginny the next morning. Turning on the water faucet to a warm flow, Draco rinsed his sweaty hands in the clear liquid, brushing away the stains of the days events and bringing some of the water up to brush against his face as he once again sighed into his hands. This day was going to take it’s toll on him. He wondered briefly if Professor Snape would come back at some point and nodded to himself, sure of it. Turning, he made his way from the washroom and back out into the open Hospital wing. Stopping in his tracks, his eyes widened at the sight before him, then shook his head as he rushed forward. The last thing she could remember was Draco Malfoy holding her to him like she was made of glass, his soft cries echoing her own as they fell into a deep sleep. Her eyes crusted as she opened them cautiously, feeling the weight of his arm leave her side and his footsteps echo away from the bed they had shared. Once she heard the door to the washroom shut, Ginny sat up slowly, her head still spinning tightly, winding up into a headache that clenched behind her eyelids. She closed them again, pressing the heels of her hands against her eyes, pushing into cease the pain with a secondary source. Finding that this did not work, she took her hands away and sighed heavily, looking around the room. It had to stop. The pain had to stop, in her head, in her body…in her heart. She’d told him and soon, he would tell her family. And then….oh then… She could see it now. Her mother would yell and cry and call her a whore, her brothers would call her weak and stupid and her father would look at her with that disappointment in his eyes she’d seen with Percy when he’d betrayed the family. Just as she had done. She’d practically given herself over to the dark lord disguised as a beautiful boy willing to listen to her problems. And she’d fallen for it, all of it. She hadn’t even taken the time to see if he was real, to see if he was tricking her, she’d just jumped strait into the pool, head first and now she was here alone and hated. She’d betrayed them, she knew it. She didn’t deserve to live… Turning her head to the left, she eyed the table of utensils again. There had to be something…then she spotted it. The knife Madam Pomfrey used to cut the healing wrap she placed around Harry when he’d broken his wrist that time in Quidditch… Moving slowly across the room, she grabbed it up, holding the blade up to glint in the light of the stars, shining through the large gothic windows in front of her. She twisted it for a moment, eyeing the way it looked in the light, the way it’s reflection shadowed her, the way it gleamed so prettily in the night lights. The way it looked so sharp, if only she brushed it across her skin. Moving the knife down, she slid it lightly across her palm, watching the crimson blood clot and flow from the wound, slipping in trickled streams down the lines of her hand and off of her wrists, blotting the ground with red drips of her blood. Her blood. The blood she would shed to rid herself of this life, of this betrayal to her friends and family. She brought the knife down again, touching it this time to her wrist and pressed down lightly, moving downward against the vein that rested just benieth her skin. Hands grabbed her suddenly, pulling her hand and the knife away and back. She struggled, twisting her body against the invasion, kicking out roughly. She felt the hands grab the knife from her, tossing it across the room at the windows, clattering in front of the large sill. That hand then wrapped around her wrist bringing it back against a chest as the other hand grabbed the bleeding wrist and clenched it tightly, abruptly stopping the flow of the blood from her wound. Ginny cried out in fury, lifting her body against his as she kicked her feet out, flailing wildly and knocking the tray over completely. The utensils went flying through the air, the metal tray clashing against the stone floor loudly, echoing through the large hall. She screeched out as she was lifted and watched through hazed eyes as Madam Pomfrey came running out of the office, her eye wide and her hair askew from sleep. “Ginny! Stop! Ginny!” she heard from behind her, the voice vaguely familiar in her rage as she continued to struggle, the plead only egging her on as she wailed and headbutted him, her skull cracking against his chin. “Oh my goodness!” Madam Pomfry cried out, pulling her wand from her robes. “Petrificus Totalus!” The spell hit Ginny with force, knocking her for a loop as she was forced to straiten out, falling back stiffly into Draco’s arms. He dragged her to the bed, lifting her with ease and placing her on the sheets. Madam Pomfrey came rushing over to Draco, brushing her hair back. “What in the world happened?? “ she cried then turned her eyes on Draco, her hands clenching and slapping on her sides. “And just what are you doing here, Mister Malfoy?” she asked, flabbergasted against the scene she’d just witnessed. Draco opened his mouth to reply, but she only waved him off and moved around the bed, brushing a warm cloth against Ginny’s forehead. “What brought that on? Why were you holding her like that and…” she frowned and touched at Ginny’s wrist, still trickling lightly. “What is this?” she said quietly. “She..” Draco looked at Ginny again and sighed sadly. “She had a knife, she was trying to hurt herself. I grabbed her and she nearly knocked me for a loop.” He said, his hand moving up to his jaw, finally taking notice of the pain there. Pulling his hand back he tapped his lips, finding a small amount of blood there from where she’d split his lip. Madam Pomfry tisked her tongue against the roof of her mouth then looked over at him. “Well she just needs to stay like that until she calms down then. “ she said quietly as she bandaged the wrist and hand that had been the source of blood. She turn turned to Draco. “Let’s have a look at that mouth, Mister Malfoy, then I can send you on your way back to your dorm room.” She huffed. Draco backed up as she came near. “I’m not leaving her.” He said quietly. Pomfrey looked like she was going to put up a serious fight, then glanced back at Ginny, then at Draco. “Oh alright, but if you get me in trouble Mister Malfoy.” She tossed her finger at him and he grinned as she moved forward, ready to heal him. Ginny blinked as the spell was removed, her head shaking. She looked down at the ties holding her hands down as well as her ankles. “Of all the!” she started before she caught Draco’s eyes, sitting across from her bed on another one. He sat, his elbows braced on his knees, his fingers steepled in front of his mouth, his eyes burning into hers. “She didn’t want you to hurt yourself. I didn’t want her to put them on but… well.” He grinned lightly, the mirth not meeting his eyes as he continued to look at her, a sad expression taking over. “Ginny…why did you do that?” Ginny looked away, her eyes tearing up. “You wouldn’t understand-“ “Well maybe I would if you would tell me!!” he yelled and stood, pacing back and forth. “I’m trying to help you here, something that, believe me, is not something that I would normally do. But here I am, doing my best and you go and try to bloody cut yourself open! Why?!” he turned to her, crossing his arms in a very Malfoy gesture. Ginny looked over at him and tried to get up, then stopped when the restraints held her back, reminding her of her predicament. “Why do you want to know? Why do you care? Why can’t you just let me go!?” she hissed at him through her tears. “Because I do! Because maybe some of us know what your going through, maybe because some of us give a damn!” he said in a rush, kneeling down to her level beside her bed, his hand reaching out to grab her arm. “Tell me. Tell me why and I promise that I will do everything I can to help you.” “You can’t help-“ “Maybe I can! Give me a chance, Weasley, for god’s sakes, just give me a chance already! Don’t think that just because someone says they care they are lying. Tell me, Ginny.” He said softer, his voice near a whisper. “Tell me why. And I promise I will help you. I won’t give up, even if you do.” Ginny stared at him for a moment, blinking. “Malfoy…” “The name is Draco if you don’t mind.” He grinned at her rakishly. Ginny blinked again then let the smallest of smiles grace her face. “Okay…” Draco himself smiled brightly back at her, his hand moving down to take her own, wrapping her fingers into his. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ TBC!... Okay okay I know this one wasn’t much longer, but its 3 am and I still have to finish a HP scarf for my sister for xmas! Eep! Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed and I will continue this next week most likely. Who knows, maybe I’ll even get a small chappie out this weekend if you lucky. *wink* Happy Christmas and Merry Yule guys!!! THANKS: WashoopiCandi : Review #1: (lol) Well, I experienced a severe suicidal period so I just put what I remember into the story. Thank you, I appreciate all your comments ^_^ glad you likes it! Review #2: Wow! I'm...flattered! I'm happy that you both enjoy my story so much so far and I hope you stick with it. ^_^ I promise to finish this one. My new Years resolution lol. pst...don't let me forget. Eve Granger: Good to hear from you again! Thankies, I appreciate it and here is the update! countrygirl125: Thanks! I try to stick to the way I think the characters would react. ^_^ Celi: I'm glad you liked it ^_^ I hope you liked this one. Come back and read more! lol Tigerfanfrv: Thanks! Yah, the sadness riegns as of late. Chapter 3 Chapter 5