One and Only 3 ; George Weasley

217

I didn't understand why...

Why did I have to be involved with a guy like that? Why did I let him in when he started talking to me back in late January? Why couldn't I just have given him a simple answer instead of smiling. I should've said no when he asked for my help with his homework.

"I heard your brother brag that you're on sixth year level in potions."

I guess I had felt proud of myself that a sixth-year student wanted my help with their homework. I was only in my forth year at the time. I really shouldn't have agreed to help him. Now I hated myself, which I didn't do before.

He had been so charming and he was so sweet over the next couple of months. Around April or so, he started becoming possessive. I couldn't talk to boys I wasn't related to and he'd get pissed if he saw a boy look at me. He would take that anger out on me. He'd yell at me after having pulled me into an empty classroom or a broom closet. He wanted us to be a secret because he didn't want to be seen with a filthy Weasley girl. His words... not mine.

But... never did he hit me. He had never laid a hand on me until now. I was scared. Terrified. How was I going to hide this? My lip was blue, swollen and a dark coloured cut was spread over my bottom lip vertically. The blueness from my lip was spread to my cheek and my jawline. I looked like shit and now I had to come up with some excuse.

If my brothers knew the truth, they'd definitely go find Luke and I couldn't risk that. Now that I knew he was violent, I was scared of what he'd do if I told anyone. He threatened me. He hit me and then he threatened me.

My parents would be so disappointed in me. They raised me to believe in myself, to not let guys throw me around like a rag doll and that was exactly what I was letting Luke do. They'd be so fucking disappointed. They could never know. They would both look at me with the we-raised-you-better looks.

I didn't believe in myself anymore. I didn't like myself anymore. Once, I did but now... I hated myself. I hated what I saw when I looked in the mirror.

"Have you gained weight?" Luke asked, holding my hand up as he stepped back to look at me. "How much?"

"What?" I frowned. "I don't know. I don't think I–"

"Maybe you should lay off the pizza for a while." he told me, pulling me close again. "Eat some more vegetables, baby."

I wanted to cry. He was right. I had gained weight so maybe I should eat vegetables instead of pizza. The only problem was that I really liked pizza.

"I'm only saying this because I love you." he said and kissed me. "I just don't want people to be disgusted by you."

The memory of it made a tear slip down my cheek. I bit onto my lip in an automatic reaction but hissed at the pain. I had forgot about the cut in my lip. I placed my hands on the edges of the sink, tightening my grip so hard that my knuckles turned white.

There was no spell to heal bruises like these. There was to heal split lips, broken noses and such but not for a small cut in a lip plus some blue and purple bruising. I cleaned up my face, washing off the dried blood that had run down to my chin. I wanted to go home. No one would hurt me there. I did wish I could tell my parents. I wished my mum would hold me and tell me it was okay while my dad would tell me I was strong enough to get away from him.

"Vivi?" Emery called from the other side of the toilet stalls. Her voice echoed through the room and shortly after I could see her through the mirror, staring right at me. "Vivi, what the fuck!"

She rushed over and turned me around to face her before she cupped my face. I flinched at the contact and the sudden soreness that shot through my cheek. "Careful. It hurts."

"What happened?"

"I fell on the stairs." I lied. "Hit the side of my head and apparently I bit my lip pretty harsh."

"It looks fucking painful." she said. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." I nodded, letting out a small laugh. "I'm glad I was alone though. It would've been awkward if anyone saw."

"I'm sure it looked fun." she laughed, shaking her head at me. "You clumsy girl."

"I know." I looked at myself in the mirror. "Dad says I've got it from my uncle Ron."