The Swamp Within

“Show me,” he whispered.

“Show you what?” I glared pushing a swinging coat back.

“The scars,” he responded before ordering his wand to create light “Lumos.”

“Why?”

The light glowed over my head as his arm rested against the coatroom we were in, softly bouncing off his freckled face.

“I want to see how many times you needed me this summer,” he answered miserably.

My heart ached for him.

“Don’t do this,” I begged placing my hand on his cheek.

His green flecked eyes tucked behind eyelids as he leaned into my touch.

The few moments we were able to steal were never enough to heal the wounds of loneliness and longing for each other.

“Just show me.”

I pulled my hand away from his soft face and shrugged off my jumper. He steadied me with one hand on my shoulder as the train swayed unbalancing me.

“My mother insisted that I learn curses and how to deflect them over the summer. They didn’t abuse me or anything, I just had to learn and well I made a few mistakes as I learned but I’m healing really well.” I untucked my black shirt from my skirt and unbuttoned it slowly.

Somehow I wished we had lost track of time and had now arrived at Hogwarts, unfortunately for me we still had over two hours left.

The shirt soon joined my jumper on the floor exposing the vast markings of various curses. My abdomen was covered in different levels of healing bruises. Some were yellowish green while others where dark blue and purple. Scattered about were a few pink scratch-like welts where I had bled from. Those were the worst.

“He stopped her,” I said quickly seeing the red deepening on his cheeks. “Draco stopped her when she went too far. He never left me alone with her.”

“Your mum did this?” he asked pulling me in to him.

“My aunt,” I didn’t want to tell him but knew I had to “Bellatrix, she visited a lot during the summer.”

“Lestrange?” he asked constricting his arms around me.

“Please don’t tell anyone, please,” I wrapped mine around him as well.

“If Dumbledore knew, he could notify the Ministry.”

“No, if you tell anyone and they find out,” I paused “he’ll kill me and my entire family. Please.”

“Shh,” he cooed as he gently rubbed my back.

His bare hand was blissful against my skin, it soothed the aches and made me forget their origins.

“Not a word, I promise.” He whispered against my hair.

“I can try to heal you before we get back,” he offered.

“It won’t work,” I admitted “My mum already did, but the curses were too strong.”

“My brother breaks curses and hexes for a living,” he said pulling away “I’ll write to him, he’s home now so answers shouldn’t take so long.”

“Would you just kiss me George?” I was touched by how much he tried to take care of me “I’ve thought of nothing more all summer, fell asleep imagining what it would be like to be in your arms, woke up hoping to see you next to me.”

“Obsessive, are we?” he joked before leaning in.

The train fell silent leaving behind all students which once where running around. His lips comforted me in ways that nothing ever could, soft and slow was our kiss. words could never reach the level of affection he showered me in.

His hand moved behind my ear guiding my head gently to the side, I could feel his wand tightly wedged between my head and two of his fingers. My own fingers slid under his shirt and over the crevasses of his spine, up and down.