Touch Starved

We Really couldn't impose

You sat on the couch at the Potter manor. Ginny waved her wand, healing the gashes on your legs. You just stared into the void. How did this happen? Who would do something like this? You never did anything to anyone, you just didn't understand.

'y/n, come with me. I will show you the bathroom. You need to get this ash of you" you felt bad that you may be leaving dark ash stains in her couch, but you couldn't move. Ginny reached out her sweet hand to you, you looked at it for a second before taking it.

She walked you to the bathroom, she helped you undress. Turning on the hot shower, you thought maybe you should be embarrassed, for the way you acted? For being naked in front of her? But she didn't care, the mothering instinct in her took over. You were grateful for that.

Stepping into the shower you closed the curtain, the hot water ran black as it rolled off of you and down the drain. Ginny waited here, outside of the shower in silence. She knew you wouldn't want to talk, but more than anything you didn't want to be alone either.

"You're going to make an amazing mom" you spoke, even though your voice was horse and graveling from inhaling all that you had. It came out in more of a harsh whisper.

"Thank you y/n, I hope so" You could hear a smile on Ginny's face. She began to hum, a chorus song from Hogwarts. Somehow she made you feel safe, protected.

After a long while of you just washing and enjoying the heat from the shower there was a faint knock on the door. You didn't move, Ginny got to her feet from the chair she had sat in reading a book, opening the door.

"Is she ok?" You heard Draco's voice hum through the air.

"She's... alive" while she was right in the true meaning of the word, you weren't sure if you were fully alive anymore. You leaned heavily on the wall of the shower. One of the best things about magic is constant hot running water. You had been clean for a while but didn't want to leave the warmth and security of that place. Here you could pretend nothing happened. That waiting for you at home Elenore was baking bread or helping another refuge. Your heart sank somehow further. You pushed it away as hard as you could, sinking to the ground, there you wrapped your arms around your legs, the hot water beating down over you.

"I can wait here, Harry asked to see you in the living room" was all you heard from Draco, you wished you could hear their tragic whispers, but the sound of the shower was too loud. You had to admit that you were grateful for this.

"I will bring her some clothes, I couldn't bring myself to get her out. Maybe you can try, she needs to eat something" Ginny instructed Draco. You'd have wondered if she hadn't started playing Quidditch professionally if she would have become a nurse of some kind, she would be good at it.

"y/n?" Draco asked, standing on just the other side of the curtain. You didn't speak, you couldn't speak. Even if you did what could you say? He opened the curtain slowly, he knew as much as you may want to you couldn't stay there all night. He leaned in, turning the water off. You winched at the sudden rush of cool air from the rest of the room. Draco grabbed a towel Ginny had laid out for you, wrapping it around your shoulders. The towel was large and covered you nearly entirely, or maybe you just felt small. "Darling, you need to stand up." He pulled on your arm, you listened, relying heavily on him to help you stand. You thought again maybe you should feel silly, standing here draped in a while plush towel. Water rolling down your body. Draco had changed shirts, he was wearing a button-up that didn't quite fit him right. It must be Harry's. He had gotten covered in soot trying to pull you from the ground earlier. You felt more guilt, for maybe ruining his shirt? For making him see you like this? For Elenore?.....

You stood before Draco, facing away from him, he got another towel and started drying your hair. He had watched you do this a million times now, and almost mimicked your exact actions. After lightly knocking on the door, Ginny walked in. Holding some clothes for you. She observed as Draco finished drying your hair, now grabbing a comb smoothing it out. He had become so much more than she ever would have thought. That day of the battle when he walked over to the dark side, she was angry. And while he hastily walked away from Hogwarts after Voldemort had been killed, she had to admit she wished bad things onto him. For him to feel the pain she was feeling, haden just lost her brother and so many friends. But now seeing him here, combing your hair and helping you to dry your body, her heart ached, he really wasn't evil at all. Was he.

She left you two behind in the room, his tender hands helping you into the shorts and jumper Ginny had found for you.

"You should eat" He whispered to you after the long silence. You nodded, although you didn't even know if you could. You walked alongside him to the living room. Where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were deep in conversation. You felt more guilt there, had Harry called on Ron and Hermione and pulled them away from their Holiday plans? They all turned to you and Draco as you came into the room. No one spoke, no one moved. She watched you like you were a small, broken thing, and at this moment you were just that. Standing in Harry Potter's home, draped in one of one of The Weasley's famous family knitted jumpers you felt safe, and this you were thankful for.

As you approached them Hermione reached out, pulling you into her arms. You thought maybe you'd cry, seeing her here, but you didn't. Instead, you just sighed into her, she smelt like fire and pine. But not the kind of fire smell you were just reeking with, but a nice one with marshmallows and ghost stories.

"Come on in all, I made soup" Ginny called from the kitchen, she was fast. Although growing up with that many brothers I am sure she aided her mother in the kitchen quite a bit, so feeding the 6 of you was a task she could easily take on.

You all sat around the table, which was long, made of light wood. You could imagine they needed all this space for their massive family. The smell of rich soup filled the air, your stomach growled, you hadn't even noticed how hungry you really were. You lifted your spoon, your hand still shaking from its lightweight. You tried hard to hold yourself together, trying hard to steady your hand before anyone could see you. Draco caught your eye, he was stirring the bowl before him, sipping lightly at the spoon he held to his lips. He moved his hand to yours, helping you bring the metal to your lips.

"Ginny, this soup is excellent. Thank you" he peeked over at you, locking your eyes. "For everything" he finished. You got the spoon to our mouth on your own after that, the hot liquid rolled down into your empty stomach, filling something missing inside of you for a moment. It was incredibly good, a dark savory broth braced with pieces of potato and carrot. You thought for a moment that you'd have to ask for the recipe.

"Thanks, Draco. It's my mother's recipe" could she read your mind? "She makes it when someone is..." she trained off.

"Sad." Ron finished her sentence when she couldn't "She calls it her heart healing soup." you could see why the light hint of tarragon kissed you as it rolled into you.

"I would love to meet her someday" you finally spoke, your voice was hoarse. They all looked at you with surprise, wondering if you'd ever speak again.

"Well... you just may. They're due to be here in the morning" Ginny nodded, sipping her soup now. You felt Draco stir in his seat, he hadn't seen the Weasley parents since the battle. Where they lost their son. "You all can sleep here, in the guest room."

"Then after that at ours while Arthur, Molly, and George are here, at Harry's" Hermione spoke, had they planned all this out.

"We can get a hotel room. We really couldn't impose" Draco spoke up, he knew exactly what you would say, had you been able to get the words out.

"No, of course, you'll stay with us. Ron and I live just next door. Besides" Hermione spoke, insisting but stopping.

"The Auror will be here in the morning as well" Harry stole the sentence from Hermione, "And they don't believe you two are safe just yet. That is why the Weasleys are coming. We will all be here to protect you two until whoever took your home as been caught"

Were they all really coming to protect.... You? That seemed entirely unreal, these people didn't owe you a single thing. Yet they offer their home to you and their protection. And oh did the world know that The Potter and Weasley family was not one to be reckoned with.