Love never fails

Dumbledore's office

Moments later Ginny was being frog marched in the direction of Professor Dumbledore’s office. She didn’t dare look behind her but she knew that Severus was walking slowly behind the pair of them.

As they walked McGonagall kept glancing at Ginny nervously and squeezing her shoulder comfortingly, at the same time she kept looking over her shoulder and shooting daggers at Severus.

Eventually the three of them stopped outside a giant statue of a stone gargoyle.

“Fizzing Whizbee.” McGonagall said clearly. A spinning spiral staircase immediately revealed itself to them.

“You jump on first Miss Weasley.” McGonagall said with a smile that reminded Ginny of her mother. She stepped on and felt herself be brought upwards. She quickly stepped off the stairs when she saw a gleaming oak door ahead of her.

Once again she felt McGonagall’s hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t be frightened Ginny, you didn’t do anything wrong.” She said in a soothing voice before grasping the brass knocker in the shape of a griffin and banging it against the door three times.

“Enter.” Came the voice of Albus Dumbledore from behind the door.

Ginny tried to hang back but McGonagall firmly steered her into the large circular room. She had only been her two other times in her life. In her first year, and that was just after she had almost been killed by Tom Riddle, and then again at Christmas just passed when she had been told that her father might be dead. She had a feeling this visit wasn’t going to be much more cheerful.

“Minerva what is going on?” Asked Dumbledore, glaring at them all over his half moon spectacles.

Ginny looked at the ground guiltily and out of the corner of her eye she saw Severus walk over to the far wall and slide down it, putting his head in his hands once again.

“Oh Albus.” McGonagall said, her voice wavering slightly. Within seconds Dumbledore had conjured a squishy armchair out of thin air and McGonagall was able to safely collapse into it.

“Would either of you two care to explain what is going on here?” He asked them, his sparkling eyes darting between Ginny and Severus.

“Please Professor, it wasn’t his fault…” Ginny began, but McGonagall interrupted her.

“Miss Weasley none of this is your fault.” McGonagall repeated.

“Now really Minerva I need to know what is going on here!” Dumbledore said impatiently.

McGonagall took a deep breath. “I walked in on Severus raping Ginny.” She said in a strangled voice.

“He didn’t rape me!” Ginny cried. She looked between Dumbledore and McGonagall; both of them were looking at her with looks of intense shock.

“Darling you are only 15 years old, that makes it rape.” McGonagall said. It shocked Ginny momentarily to hear McGonagall call her darling but then she realized that that didn’t matter, there were more important things going on here.

“Severus what on earth were you thinking?!” Dumbledore shouted. Ginny had never seen Dumbledore so angry and it was a terrifying sight.

“He wasn’t thinking Albus!” McGonagall sneered, the disgust clear in her voice.

“She is a young girl Severus! And you took advantage of her!” McGonagall spat.

“Minerva, please calm down.” Dumbledore said in a soothing tone.

McGonagall turned away from Severus as if she could no longer look at him. Was she right? Had Severus groomed her? Of course he hadn’t, she had wanted this as much as him, what McGonagall was saying was a lie, all of it.

“He didn’t groom me Professor! He didn’t do anything I didn’t want him to!” Ginny cried.

McGonagall walked over to where Ginny stood and guided her over to the plush armchair and forced her to sit down. McGonagall crouched down in front of her.

“Ginny. Did he have sex with you?” She asked. Her voice was calm but Ginny could see the little vein in her neck throbbing anxiously.

Ginny flashed a quick glance at Severus, looking for guidance but he was looking at the floor.

“No.” She lied quickly. Her face must have given her away because McGonagall recoiled in horror.

“Oh my dear!” She said anxiously, throwing her arms around Ginny protectively.

Ginny tried to wriggle free but McGonagall was surprisingly strong.

“Severus. Have you got nothing to say?” Dumbledore asked him, not bothering to mask the disappointment in his voice.

“I’m sorry.” He whimpered. Ginny had never seen him look so vulnerable, all she wanted to do was comfort him, but she knew she would never be able to.

McGonagall ignored his apology, obviously not believing a word of it.

“Right then, from now on Ginny will be coming to me for her potions lessons.” McGonagall said. Ginny hadn’t even known that McGonagall liked potions, never mind that she was talented enough to teach it.

“Professor there is no need.” Ginny said anxiously, she didn’t want to be kept away from Severus.

“Miss. Weasley there is every need. It is my job to protect you and I am going to do that by not letting you anywhere near this vile man ever again.” McGonagall said passionately.

In a way Ginny understood this, but that didn’t mean that she liked it.

McGonagall started to guide Ginny towards the door but stopped suddenly before she reached it. She turned to a distraught Severus and asked,

“Why did you do it?”

Ginny watched as Severus lifted his head to show pearly tears falling heavily down his face.

“Because she looks so much like Lily.”