Rory 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. Both Isaac and Logan sent Rory a smile as they sat down at the Slytherin table which she returned before looking down at her drink. 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" Rory said standing up leaving her plate of food still untouched.
"Thank you Rory" she says through tears.
"Aww has Potter dumped you" They see Pansy standing there laughing.
"Why don't you just shut up" Rory spits 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" Rory manages to ignore her comment by placing her hand on her arm under her 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. She just wished the release lasted longer.
Hermione continued to receive hate letters for weeks and eventually stopped opening them. The whispering about Rory continued along with the taunting of the Slytherins. Logan and Isaac were threatening any one they heard talking about her as were Fred and George. Rory had barely spoke to Charlie and the scars on her legs from burns were all the proof needed to see that she was struggling but she couldn't talk to anyone, she didn't want to burden them with her problems. She'd also pulled away from both sets of twins barely speaking or spending time with them opting to just hang out in her dorm alone. The end of the Easter holidays was coming around far too fast meaning back to lessons and being able to avoid people less. The rumours around Hermione seemed to have nearly stopped but Rory's were still in full swing as she walked through the corridors heading towards the forbidden forest with her head down hoping to not get noticed.
"Rory" She heard Fred call but she tried to ignore it as he grabbed her turning her to face him.
"Oh hey Fred. Where's George?"
"Detention" he says as he guides her 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 them further down the corridor until they 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 Rory hadn't noticed leaning against a wall. "Charlie" his head snaps up to look at them.
"Hey Fred thanks for the letter" he says walking over to them. Rory walked straight into him wrapping her arms around him as he does the same. She didn't realise how much she needed this.
"Help her. I'll see you later Rory" Fred says as he walks away leaving Rory with Charlie.
"What are you doing here" She mutters against his chest.
"You needed me" He says holding her at arms length so he can examine her properly.
"I'm fine Charlie. You shouldn't of come"
"Others might believe you but I know you Nova" he looks at her "I read the article"
"I swear I don't feel that way about any of your brothers" She says quickly.
"I know that. Did you really think I believed what she'd wrote?" She nods slightly "Nova"
"I'm sorry" She whispers.
"Hey you don't need to be sorry"
"I do Charlie. I shut everyone out including you"
"Nova look at me" Her 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" She takes 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" She glances down at her hands as he places a hand on her chin making her look at him.
"Show me please" She slowly takes off her jacket so she could pull the sleeves up of her 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?" She shakes her head lifting her top slightly to reveal the latest ones on her 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 her to him as she lets the tears finally fall.
"Shhhh it's going to be okay, I'm here Nova"
"They're on my legs as well" She manages 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 her head as his other one rubbed circles on her back. Rory didn't know how long they stood 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 hers but he pulls away too soon. "I'll see you soon okay"
"Okay Charlie" his lips meet hers once more before they walk away from each other. She had the first genuine smile on her face she'd had in a while. As she gets back through the tunnel to school she finds Fred and George waiting for her.
"Rory" George pulls her 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 her 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" They all head back to the common room and Rory felt happier than she had since the article.