I headed to breakfast with Harry, Ron and Hermione the twins both still fast asleep. Ron's fear of that the house-elves would send substandard food up to the Gryffindor table because Hermione had insulted them proved false; the bacon, eggs, and kippers were quite as good as usual. When the post owls arrived, Hermione looked up eagerly; she seemed to be expecting something.
"Percy won't've had time to answer yet," Ron said. "We only sent Hedwig yesterday." they had decided to write to Percy for any information about Crouch.
"No, it's not that," Hermione said. "I've taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. I'm getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins."
"Good thinking!" Harry said, also looking up at the owls. "Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck" A grey owl was soaring down toward Hermione.
"It hasn't got a newspaper, though," she said, looking disappointed. "It's -"
But to her bewilderment, the grey owl landed in front of her plate, closely followed by four barn owls, a brown owl, and a tawny.
"How many subscriptions did you take out?" Harry said, seizing Hermione's goblet before it was knocked over by the cluster of owls, all of whom were jostling close to her, trying to deliver their own letter first.
"What on earth -?" Hermione said, taking the letter from the grey owl, opening it, and starting to read. "Oh really!" she sputtered, going rather red.
"What's up?" Ron said. "It's - oh how ridiculous -" She thrust the letter at Harry, who saw that it was not handwritten, but composed from pasted letters that seemed to have been cut out of the Daily Prophet.
YOU ARE A WICKED GIRL. HARRY POTTER DESERVES BETTER. GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM MUGGLE.
"They're all like it!" Hermione said desperately, opening one letter after another. "'Harry Potter can do much better than the likes of you' 'You deserve to be boiled in frog spawn' Ouch!" She had opened the last envelope, and yellowish-green liquid smelling strongly of petrol gushed over her hands, which began to erupt in large yellow boils.
"Undiluted bubotuber pus!" Ron said, picking up the envelope gingerly and sniffing it.
"Ow!" Hermione said, tears starting in her eyes as she tried to rub the pus off her hands with a napkin, but her fingers were now so thickly covered in painful sores that it looked as though she were wearing a pair of thick, knobbly gloves.
"You'd better get up to the hospital wing," Harry said as the owls around Hermione took flight. "We'll tell Professor Sprout where you've gone "
"Come on Hermione I'll walk you" I say standing up leaving my plate of food still untouched.
"Thank you Rory" she says through tears.
"Aww has Potter dumped you" we see Pansy standing there laughing.
"Why don't you just shut up" I spit out.
"Oh didn't see you there under that hideous scar. Moved on to the final Weasley boy now. I mean I thought he'd be a bit young for you but guess you can't afford to be picky can you" I manage to ignore her comment by placing my hand on my arm under my sleeve and burning it slightly. Having learnt the physical pain takes away the feeling of the emotional pain even if its just for a moment. I just wished the release lasted longer.
Hermione continued to receive hate letters for weeks and eventually stopped opening them. The whispering about me continued alone with the taunting of the Slytherins. I'd barely spoke to Charlie and the scars on my legs from burns were all the proof needed to see I was struggling but I couldn't talk to anyone, I didn't want to burden them with my problems. I'd also pulled away from the twins barely speaking or spending time with them opting to just hang out in my dorm alone. The end of the Easter holidays is coming around far to fast meaning back to lessons and being able to avoid people less. The rumours around Hermione seemed to have nearly stopped but mine were still in full swing as I walked through the corridors heading towards the forbidden forest with my head down hoping to not get noticed.
"Rory" I heard Fred call but I tried to ignore it as he grabbed me turning me to face him.
"Oh hey Fred. Where's George?"
"Detention" he says as he guides me towards one of the secret corridors to Hogsmeade.
"Fred I was kinda in the middle of going somewhere"
"The forest. I know that's where you go so does George. This isn't healthy, shutting yourself away this is what you did last time and we've let it go on too long"
"I'm not shutting myself away. I've just been busy with homework and things"
"You don't do homework. Plus Charlie wrote to us. You haven't been writing to him and he's worried. You never shut him out that's how we know it's time to step in"
"I have been talking to Charlie"
"Yeah 2 words every so often isn't really talking is it Rory. When was the last time you spoke to Remus or Sirius. Hell you won't even talk to me and George and we're your best friends" he continues to lead us further down the corridor until we reach Hogsmeade.
"What are we doing here Fred"
"You won't talk to me. But you'll talk to him" he points at the ginger I hadn't noticed leaning against a wall. "Charlie" his head snaps up to look at us.
"Hey Fred thanks for the letter" he says walking over to us. I walk straight into him wrapping my arms around him as he does the same. I didn't realise how much I needed this.
"Help her. I'll see you later Rory" Fred says as he walks away leaving me with Charlie.
"What are you doing here" I mutter against him.
"You needed me" he says holding me at arms length so he can examine me properly.
"I'm fine Charlie. You shouldn't of come"
"Others might believe you but I know you Nova" he looks at me "I read the article"
"I swear I don't feel that way about any of your brothers" I say quickly.
"I know that. Did you really think I believed what she'd wrote?" I nod slightly "Nova"
"I'm sorry" I whisper.
"Hey you don't need to be sorry"
"I do Charlie. I shut everyone out including you"
"Nova look at me" my eyes meet his "talk to me please"
"I'm really struggling Charlie. The whispers, the stares it's too much and I'm struggling. I constantly feel like I can't breathe and that I'm weak" I take a deep breath before telling him the worse part "I've managed to find a way to deal with it but it's not healthy and I don't want to hide it from you or do it anymore but I don't know how to stop"
"Come on you can tell me anything"
"The only way I've been able to stop the emotional pain I've been feeling is by replacing it with physical pain" I glance down at my hands as he places a hand on my chin making me look at him.
"Show me please" I slowly take off my jacket so I can pull the sleeves up of my hoody revealing the burnt handprint scars. "Nova that won't help" he runs a hand over them gently. "These all look old does that mean you've managed to stop?" I shake my head lifting my top slightly to reveal the latest ones on my stomach. "Shit Nova"
"I know I'm sorry I know I shouldn't but it was the only way I could get the pain to stop" he pulls me to him as I let the tears finally fall.
"Shhhh it's going to be okay, I'm here Nova"
"They're on my legs as well" I manage to whisper knowing he heard "they started off small and I realised how much it helped and it just got worse and I want to stop but I can't when I can't go anywhere without someone staring at me or whispering about me"
"Baby" he says putting a hand on the back of my head as his other one rubs circles on my back. I don't know how long we stand like that "you need to get back to school and talk to the twins and I need to get back to work. Don't hide things from people especially me you can tell me anything"
"Thank you"
"You don't need to thank me Nova. I'll always be here when you need me"
"I love you Charlie"
"I love you too Nova" his lips find mine but he pulls away too soon. "I'll see you soon okay"
"Okay Charlie" his lips meet mine once more before we walk away from each other. I have the first genuine smile on my face I've had in a while. As I get back through the tunnel to school I find Fred and George waiting.
"Rory" George pulls me to him.
"Hey guys miss me"
"See Charlie worked his magic"
"Thank you for that. I didn't realise how much I'd cut everyone off"
"Rory we'll do anything to see you smile"
"I love you Georgie you know that right you too Freddie" they both smile as Fred pulls me into a hug. "Can you guys become like walls again"
"I have no problem with that what about you Georgie" Fred says looking at George.
"Me either" we all head back to the common room and I feel happier than I have since the article.