| Girl on Fire |

110

VERONICA MALFOY

It grew dark and my eyelids grew heavy. I didn't want to sleep. I was scared. I was scared and cold and I couldn't connect with Draco. But eventually, I couldn't help it and I dozed off.

I don't know how long I had been asleep when the door opened. I quickly looked up and Ron walked in with his wand drawn. I froze. "Muffliato-" he whispered after he shut the door behind him. Then I was truly worried. The door was shut, the room was silenced and I was helpless. "Weasley- R-Ron- what are you doing?" I asked. "You need to pay for what you've done." he said darkly. "Harry said-" I started. "Harry isn't here. Draco isn't here. Mattheo isn't here. Nobody is here to save you." he said. "Don't do this- please, you don't understand." I said. "Oh, I understand. I understand perfectly." he spat. He grabbed my chin and forced me to face him. He gripped my flesh so tight it left bruises. "You are just a dirty death eater whore." he spat. My eyes filled with tears as I yanked my head away. "And you are just a self righteous prick with an inflated ego." I spat back. His eyes went dark. He drew a knife and the moonlight reflected off the blade. I stared at it as he stepped closer. "You are going to regret this. Trust me," I said. I should have said something, anything. I should have said, I saved your sister. I protected your friends at school. I'm a spy for your side. But I didn't. I was frozen in fear and I said nothing. He gripped the fabric of my dress and sliced it down the middle. I gasped as the cold air hit my skin. He stared at me in my bra and knickers. I was trying so hard to force a connection with Draco but nothing was happening. Then I closed my eyes as he cut. He sliced a long deep cut into my chest. Blood seeped down my skin and I gritted my teeth. Then he sliced my ribs, one side, then the other. Tears streamed down my cheeks. "You won't break me. I've been through far worse. I'm stronger than you know." I said in between gasps of air. He smirked at me. "We'll see," he said. He sliced through the ropes and I was free. I looked at him and stood up. He waved his wand and the rest of my dress disappeared. The only thing covering me was my bra, my underwear and the blood that covered my body from the wounds he inflicted. I made a break for the door and he grabbed the back of my neck and threw me to the floor. I hit the ground with a thud and it knocked the wind out of me. Before I could inhale, I felt a kick. It hit my back. Another kick to my ribs. He landed kick after kick and punch after punch. He bruised every inch of my body. The blood from the cuts on his knuckles mixed with my blood and he wiped it on his shirt. He stood over me and looked down. "Not so tough now, huh?" he said. I looked up at him and I could barely see through my swollen left eye. "You'll regret this," I said. He knelt down and gripped my throat. "Will I? Why would I ever regret this?" he asked. I just looked at him and exhaled a shaky breath. "Because I saved your sister from being raped." I said quietly. His face dropped.

All of the sudden, Harry, Hermione, Bill and Fleur came bursting through the door. They saw Ron standing over my body and it was chaos. Bill ran over and started to drag Ron away. "What did you say to me? No-wait! What happened? You're lying. You better not be lying. What happened?" he yelled as he fought against Bill. Harry and Hermione ran over and knelt down next to me. "I'm fine," I said. "Ron, I told you to leave her alone!" Harry said. "What happened to Ginny?" Ron yelled. Then Bill and Ron froze in the doorway and everyone looked at me. "What do you mean? What did she say?" Hermione asked. "She said she saved Ginny from being raped." Ron said. Harry looked at me in shock. "Is that true? Did- Did Ginny? Is she alright?" he asked. "We need to heal her, Harry." Hermione said. "I need to know what happened to Ginny." Harry said. "She can't tell us anything if she's dead. Let me heal her and then you can talk to her." Hermione said. "Mione's right. Let us heal her." Fleur said. Bill dragged Ron away and Harry walked out too. I looked at Hermione and Fleur and I could barely stay awake. "I'm sorry, Veronica. You didn't deserve this." Hermione said quietly. "This is exactly what I deserve." I said. Then I passed out.

HARRY POTTER

Once Bill had Ron in another room, I went back to Veronica. She was laid on a bed while Hermione and Fleur healed her. "Is she going to be ok?" I asked. "She has a few broken ribs and bruises. It's the cuts I'm worried about." Fleur said. "But she won't die, right?" I asked. "No." Hemrione said quickly. I just nodded. While she laid on the bed, I saw something. A mark on her neck. I remembered what she told me it was. A mark, from Mattheo. It protected her, and connected them. But it could also summon him. Then I made a reckless, stupid, crazy decison.
I drew my wand and pressed it to her neck. The magic lit up and began to pulse. Within a few minutes, I heard a crack of apparition and yelling. "Veronica!" I went outside and saw him.
Mattheo saw me and we both drew our wands. "Potter? What did you do to Veronica?" he said. "I'm the one who called you here." I said. "Is she- is she dead?" he asked as his voice cracked. "No," I said quickly. "Then where is she?" he asked. "How do I know you won't kill us all the second you have her back?" I asked. "You don't" he said with a smirk. I glared at him. "You don't trust me?" he asked. "Why the hell would I?" I snapped. "She didn't tell you, huh?" he asked. "Tell me what?" I asked. "Wow, do I have one hell of a story for you..." he said.