The Day of Silence

By Mell8

A.N. Today is the Day of Silence and in accordance with the mission of our silence, to promote awareness of the difficulties and discriminations gays and lesbians face every day, I am posting this. Please be aware that what I have written are real situations that a number of my friends have found themselves in (minus the magic, of course) and please understand that while this is a work of fiction based in J.K.R.'s beautiful world, I am basing this on real situations. Eventually this does branch out into a threesome D/G/B, but the pain and harassment are very real.

Also, as a straight but very firm supporter of LGBT's, I felt that it is important to focus on Ginny's role as a supporter herself and the hardships we face because we openly support all relationships.

Today I am being completely silent, but even though writing is a form of words, I am posting this anyway. I feel that the message is more important than the actual act. I feel that posting this is another way to bring about awareness and I hope that everyone agrees.

Please feel free to tell me your opinions and personal experiences about this day, good and bad, and I will try to get back to you tomorrow when I will be speaking again.

Thanks,

Mell8

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"Harry! Hermione! You won't believe what just happened in the Great Hall!" Ron scrambled through the portrait hole and over to the fire where Harry, Hermione and Ginny were studying.

"What is it Ron?" Hermione asked with a tired sigh. "I have to get this astrology chart done before I go to a Head Girl meeting with Dumbledore."

"Malfoy's a poofter! He's gay! He likes boys!" Ron tumbled into an armchair and laughed until tears began to streak down his face.

"What do you mean, Malfoy's gay?" Hermione asked slowly over Ron's chortles.

"I mean," Ron gasped as he fought down his mirth enough to speak, "that he admitted it in the Great Hall just five minutes ago. Everyone heard!"

"Calm down, Ron. I think you had better explain what happened from the beginning." Hermione pushed aside her astrology homework and tuned all her attention on Ron.

"Right then," Ron took a deep breath. "So I was sitting at the Gryffindor table finishing dinner when Parkinson suddenly screams: "Why, Draco, why won't you go out with me?" and of course everyone's looking at her now." He snorted and forced down another bought of laughter before continuing.

"So Parkinson stands up and points her finger at him, and she's livid. "Are you gay, Draco? Cause that's the only reason anyone would deny me!" and then Malfoy stands up next to her and does his usual awful sneer-snarl sort of thing and says, "that's right Parkinson. I prefer a man to any girl I've ever spoken to.""

Ron gasped for breath. "And then," he giggled, "and then Malfoy glares around the Great Hall and says, "Yes, that means that I'm a queer!" and then stomps out of the room!"

Ron dissolved into laughter again and Harry let out a few chuckles of his own. Hermione turned back to her homework with a huff.

"Well I think it's wonderful that he's decided to tell everyone the truth. Good for him!" Hermione said absentmindedly as she pulled her star chart closer.

"But, but Hermione-!" Ron laughed again and couldn't finish his thought.

"Actually," Ginny said coldly, "that puts a new spin on every conversation you've ever had with him. Just think," she gave the boys an evil smile, "those various insults might have been his way of hitting on you."

Ron's face went green and Harry shut his mouth with a hard snap. Ginny just gave then an innocent smile and went up to her dormitory for the night.

III

Ginny sat alone at a very early breakfast the next morning and watched as students slowly began to fill the Hall. The name on everyone's lips was Draco Malfoy. The Great Hall was full of laughing students when the large doors were pushed open one last time.

Silence reigned as the man in question walked in and settled unconcernedly into a seat at the Slytherin table.

He didn't even flinch when nearly twenty people, all of those he had just sat near, stood and left the Great Hall. Nor did he do anything when a bowl of scrambled eggs was thrown at him. He just calmly used his wand to clean his robes and continued eating.

"How comfortable would someone have to be with that type of horrible abuse to become immune to it?" Ginny wondered under her breath.

Draco Malfoy sat alone surrounded on all sides by empty seats and half eaten breakfasts and still managed to look calm and haughty.

Ginny felt horrible for him.

Lunch was just as bad for the blond but dinner was even worse.

When Ginny walked into the room Malfoy was facedown in a bowl of mashed potatoes and the Slytherin who had just shoved Draco was getting high fives from his mates.

She had heard the rumors of everything that had happened to him today. So many pranks, two trips to the hospital wing, his cauldron exploding in Potions, and all of his belongings thrown into the lake. Ginny knew that tomorrow would be even worse for the boy.

A spell shot across the hall and hit his goblet of pumpkin juice causing it to send its contents all over Draco.

Teachers rushed to confront the spell caster and Ginny watched as Draco pulled out his wand and vanished the potato and juice before pulling a Shepard's Pie onto his plate. He pushed his fork in and his dinner promptly exploded in a wash of steaming green goo.

He let out a small cry of pain as his skin began to smoke.

"I've had enough of this!" one of the Slytherin boys snarled. "Leave Draco alone!"

A handsome black boy, Blaise Zabini, Ginny thought, stood and walked over to where Draco was gently cradling his hand. He kissed Draco on the cheek, helped the blond stand, and led him out of the Hall.

"So that's him!" Parkinson screeched. "Zabini is the boy who Malfoy's corrupted!"

"We have to save Zabini from being turned Gay too," another Slytherin shouted. They quickly fell to plotting.

"How can they be so bigoted?" Ginny whispered under her breath. "Torturing him just because he's of a different sexual persuasion." She stood and threw her napkin onto her plate in anger.

"And you can't turn someone gay," she added as she stomped out of the Hall.

"Blaise, why?" Malfoy's voice was pained and sad. "I'm protecting you from them. Let them focus all their hate on me, because as long as I know that I'm protecting you, I can survive."

"No! Draco, why don't you understand? Your parents have disowned you, the Slytherins are torturing you, and the other students are keeping a blind eye to the whole fiasco. You need someone on your side."

"But, Blaise," Draco murmured softly.

"Draco," Blaise growled, "I told you, we can weather this together. I don't want you to protect me, I want to you be with me."

Ginny stood just around the corner with her hands over her mouth and tears in her eyes. They loved each other, truly loved, and the bastards who where torturing them were going to tear them apart!

"No," Ginny snarled to herself. "I won't let that happen."

She stomped her feet a few times to tell the boys that she was coming their way so they could get control of their emotions again before rounding the corner.

"Weasley," Blaise said warily. He stepped protectively in front of Draco, who was still cradling his burnt and blistered hands.

"Zabini," she nodded back with a small smile. "Well come on then," she gestured up the hallway. "He needs to get to the hospital wing and I know a passage that will get us there without anyone noticing us."

"Why would you help us, Weasley?" Malfoy hissed coldly, but Ginny could hear the pain and exhaustion slipping through his facade.

"Because I think that you need my help," Ginny said sadly. "Because I think the rest of the students are the worst bunch of intolerant, narrow-minded idiots I have ever had the displeasure of knowing, and because I want to." The vehemence in her voice was blatantly obvious, as was the compassion she felt for both boys.

"Lead the way, Weasley," Zabini said softly.

She led them behind a tapestry and through a passageway that Fred and George had shown her. They entered the hospital wing without meeting anyone else. Draco's look of gratitude made Ginny's heart warm so she stayed in the wing while Madam Pomfrey tutted over his hands.

"Third time today, Mr. Malfoy. Is there something going on that the Headmaster should know about?"

"No," Draco answered coldly. "There is nothing going on that he cannot see for himself. Tell Dumbledore that I don't want his help." The matron looked taken aback for a moment but quickly caught her stride and began berating him for his rude tone.

Ginny just shook her head and wandered over to the window. What she saw made her gasp and tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"What's wrong Weasley?" Zabini asked and when she only shook her head he hurried over.

"Are those Slytherins?" he asked after a quick glance outside.

"I think so," Ginny said softly.

"Then they're probably just throwing my belongings into the lake like they did with Draco's," Blaise said with a tired shrug that broke Ginny's heart because they weren't throwing his things into the lake.

"Blaise," she whispered. "That's not what they're doing." She pointed to a flickering red bonfire. "They're burning your things and probably what's left of Draco's things."

Blaise sank to the floor with a pained sigh. "So all we own now are the clothes on our backs?"

She could only nod.

"So be it," Draco said with a sigh. "We'll make do somehow."

"Draco," Blaise gasped, "your father cut off your access to your Gringotts account when he disowned you for being gay and my mother has been trying to kill me for years, ever since she found out I was gay." He stood and started pacing in front of the hospital bed Draco had been forced into by Madam Pomfrey. "We don't even have two knuts to rub together, let alone enough to buy new robes and school supplies. How can we make do with nothing?"

"And anything you do buy will be destroyed by those harpies," Ginny added sadly. "Listen, I'll help you as best I can. My mum can send a set of old schoolbooks and some supplies. You can transfigure some of my brother's old school robes into Slytherin robes."

"Thanks, Weas- err, what's your first name?" Blaise asked.

"My full name's Ginevra but everyone just calls me Ginny," she answered. "And you're welcome." She had expected them to sneer at her measly offer, especially Draco, but instead was met with thanks and relief. "You might want to find somewhere else to sleep though," Ginny said gently. "If they got into Blaise's locked Head Boy rooms it's likely that they'll try and come back when you're sleeping."

"That's true," Draco said with a sigh. "That's where I slept last night but now…" He shook his head. "I can't think of anywhere to go."

"Me either," Blaise whispered.

Ginny closed her eyes and turned her head away. "On the seventh floor, about two corridors away from the Gryffindor portrait there is a painting of a giant by a lake. Tell the mermaid in the lake that you need a safe haven and she'll let you in." Ginny stood and edged to the door.

"Let us in where?" Draco asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"My private room," Ginny answered as she opened the hospital wing doors.

"Weas- Ginny, why do you have private rooms? Granger is Head Girl." Blaise was standing next to Draco, but all of his attention was now on the shifty-eyed red head.

"I'm alone," she whispered as she slid out the doors. "Always alone."

Draco and Blaise exchanged startled looks. She was a spitfire girl, impulsive but caring. They knew that she had a few boyfriends over the years and that her brother and his friends were always around. Why would she think that she was alone?

Madam Pomfrey bustled back into the room with a number of potions vials in her hands.

"Mr. Malfoy will have to stay here overnight so his burns can be monitored. Mr. Zabini, you are welcome to stay as well. Miss Weasley, oh, where did she go?" The woman glanced around the room. "She needs her dreamless sleep potion. I guess I'll just have a house elf bring it to her. Poor girl." The woman shook her head sadly as she soaked some bandages in a fizzy blue potion.

"What's wrong with her?" Blaise asked carefully.

"Oh, the girl has frightful nightmares," the old matron hedged. "Just…you should take a look at her in the Great Hall for breakfast. See who talks with her and who doesn't."

She wouldn't answer any more of their questions and bustled off moments after Draco's hands were wrapped.

"See Draco," Blaise said with a smirk before loudly crunching a piece of bacon in his mouth. "This is why two heads are better than one." He poked the shield charm with the bitten end of his bacon. "See, if I hadn't thought of this, you'd be eating a soggy rasher of bacon again. I have to say that I'm not fond of Pumpkin Juice flavored bacon."

Draco's eye twitched.

"And sure," Blaise continued, oblivious to his friend's annoyance, "when we dissolve the charm we'll have to duck away from all the food stuck to it, but at least we can eat in peace." He stuffed the rest of the piece of bacon into his mouth and started on his eggs.

"Blaise, will you clear off a space in the muck on the shield charm so we can see the girl Weasley when she comes in?"

"Her name's Ginny and yes, I can." Blaise pulled out his wand and vanished all the food covering the shield.

She walked into the room five minutes later looking tired but steady. Her gaze slid over their protective bubble with a small smile before she took a seat at the end of the Gryffindor table. Colin Creevey immediately stood up with the lame excuse that he needed to speak with his brother. The fear in his eyes was barely concealed, but the look of relief as he settled into another seat at the other end of the table was obvious. The sideways glances she got form many of the other Gryffindors, the subtle shifting of their seats so they would not be sitting near her, the complete ostracization from everyone; and she ignored all of that with practiced ease. Only one person stopped to speak with her and Dean's eyes never left her chest as he said hello before moving on to sit with his friends.

"She's just like us," Draco whispered. "All alone and hurt by people who should be her peers. I wonder why?"

"But it's different for her. She's a Weasley who still has the complete support of her family so they can't blatantly attack her. Everything has to be done so that her older brother won't notice."

"I thought Gryffindors were terrible at subtlety. I guess they do have the ability if they hate someone enough." Draco ran a hand through his unkempt hair. They had been able to use the hospital wing showers and had cleaned their robes with spells, but combs and hair gel had not been supplied.

"Well tonight I think we'll find out," Blaise said quietly so no one would overhear them. "We can't stay in the hospital wing again. Parkinson will catch on to that soon, which means we'll have to stay with Ginny."

"And while we're there we can figure out why her own house hates her!" Blaise finished and smiled sadly with Draco.

III

Ginny's room was small. She had a twin sized bed, a desk, and a closet. Her personal bathroom was tiny as well.

She kicked the last dirty shirt under the bed when she heard the portrait creak open and turned to greet the boys as they entered the room. They were out of breath but otherwise seemed unharmed even with all the torture they had endured throughout the day.

"I know it's small," Ginny said softly, "but I can conjure you a bed." She grabbed a large package off her desk and handed it to Draco. "This is the stuff I had my mum send. I need to go to the Gryffindor common room for a while, but feel free to make yourselves at home."

Ginny smiled and grabbed her homework before leaving the boys behind. She walked down the corridor to the common room but was stopped in route by Parkinson.

"Weasley, have you seen those fags?" the brunette snarled as she pushed Ginny into a wall.

"No, why are you looking for them?" Ginny said innocently as she pulled out of Pansy's grip.

"Oh," the other girl said sweetly. "I have a spell that will help fix them! You know that being gay is amoral and I think I can get them back to normal! So if you've seen them…" she trailed off ominously.

"First of all," Ginny began with a hiss, "there is nothing wrong with being gay."

Before Ginny could continue with her point Pansy began to cackle. "You're one of them too! You're a lesbian!" she hissed and lifted her wand. "I'll have to fix you too!"

"Ginny!" Ron poked his head out of the portrait hole and when he saw Pansy he jumped out and brandished his wand. "What are you doing to my sister?"

"Nothing," Pansy said in a sickly sweet voice as she slowly backed away from Ginny. She caught Ginny with a warning glare before turning and rushing down the corridor.

"Are you alright, Ginny?" Ron asked as he rushed over to his sister.

"I'm fine, thank you Ron," Ginny said as she finally took a full breath. "Lets go study."

Ron grimaced but followed Ginny into the portrait hole. "I hate studying," he grumbled as he settled into a seat across from Ginny.

"What happened, Ron?" Harry asked as he and Hermione began pulling out their homework.

"I just caught Parkinson attacking Ginny," Ron answered with a growl. "I don't mind her attacking Malfoy or Zabini. They deserve it. But no one hurts my sister."

"Ron!" Ginny snapped. "No one deserves to be hurt like that! It shouldn't matter if it's me being attacked or anyone else! If you see someone being hurt you should go help them."

Ron hit the table with his fist and glared at his sister. "After all that Malfoy has done to us you say that he doesn't deserve his comeuppance? He tried to get Hagrid sacked! He's gotten us so many detentions! And you remember what his father did to you in your first year, Ginny!"

"Anyway," Harry added gently, "it's not as if we're the ones attacking them."

"No," Ginny said softly as she gathered her homework together. "What you're doing is even worse! You watch and laugh while they are tortured and do nothing to stop it. It doesn't matter whether they deserve what they're getting or if this is "comeuppance"," she hissed. "All that matters is that they are human beings who are in pain!"

Ginny gathered her belongings and angrily stomped out of the room.

III

Draco sat up quietly in bed and gently moved Blaise's arm from around his waist.

The whimper sounded again and Draco turned towards Ginny's bed with a lifted eyebrow.

She had stomped back into the room not even a half hour after she left and before either of them could speak with her she had grabbed her pajamas, gotten changed in the bathroom, and had slipped into bed.

Blaise had just opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when she pulled out a dreamless sleep potion and chugged it.

Draco had watched her fall asleep under the strong, drugging effects of the potion, yet somehow she was still having a nightmare.

He slipped out of bed and went to her side. "Ginny," he whispered as he gently shook her shoulder, careful not to wake Blaise too. "Ginny wake up."

She cried out and rolled over to the other side of the bed so Draco climbed onto the bed to follow her. "Wake up, Weasley." She began to sob in her sleep and fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

Draco gathered the poor girl in his arms and was relived that even though she clung to him, her tears slowed and she slipped back into peaceful sleep. Draco lay next to her and closed his eyes. It felt nice to hold her in his arms, even though she was a girl, which confused Draco somewhat.

He heard a rustle of sheets as Blaise left his bed and felt Ginny's bed dip as Blaise climbed on across from Draco.

"You know," Blaise said softly. "I still like girls even though I'm with you."

Draco looked confused so Blaise continued. "It's possible to like both boys and girls, not just one gender. I think I'm beginning to like Ginny too."

"I'm not sure what I'm feeling about her. Grateful, definitely; protective, yes; but is she girlfriend material…I'm not really sure. Besides, I have you, Blaise. Why would I need her?"

"She needs us," Blaise answered softly. "And I am willing to give her what she needs. Can't I be with you and her? Can't you be with her and me?"

"I suppose," Draco answered softly. "I'll stay with you whatever you choose but I'm going to need more time before I decide whether I like Ginny enough to be with her like I am with you. Lets go to sleep for now."

The morning came quickly and Ginny did not seem upset to wake sandwiched between two boys.

They got dressed and ready for the day, but before they left Ginny stopped them with a soft apology.

"I'm sorry that I woke you because of my nightmares," she whispered softly and looked sadly down at the ground.

"Oh, Ginny," Blaise sighed softly as he went over to hug her. "Your nightmare didn't bother us at all."

"Not at all," Draco echoed. "Incidentally," he continued, "why do you have nightmares anyway?"

Ginny buried her face in Blaise's shoulder so her voice was muffled when she answered.

"I still dream about the Chamber of Secrets," her voice was sad and Draco and Blaise nodded to show that they understood. "Sometimes I would wake screaming and my roommates got fed up with it. They unanimously asked McGonagall to have my room changed so I was sent here." She sounded so sad and broken that Draco joined Blaise in wrapping his arms around her.

"But it was because of your single room that you are able to help us," Draco said gently. "So some good came out of this."

She nodded and pulled out of their arms to wipe the tears from her face. She smiled softly up at them and both Draco and Blaise felt their hearts thump.

"Lets go down to breakfast. We can eat together."

They entered the Great Hall together and the boys steered Ginny to the Slytherin table.

"There'll be plenty of empty seats," Blaise said with a shrug to answer her inquiring glance.

He was right as a large number of students left their breakfasts when the three of them chose a spot at the table.

Uncharacteristically, a few Slytherins stayed seated.

"What!" Pansy screeched. "Have you lot turned gay too?" She pointed angrily at those who had remained seated.

"No," one of them answered angrily. "I still have a girlfriend and everything," he said as he motioned to the girl sitting next to him. "We're just tired of leaving breakfast when we're not done eating. What Malfoy and Zabini do is really none of my business, but I've had enough of your childish antics, Parkinson."

Draco looked around the room and saw some people nodding their heads and others glaring at the boy.

"And stop with the harassment, Parkinson!" Potter stood from his seat at the Gryffindor table but his eyes were on Ginny as he continued. "Hurting people like you have been is wrong and if you don't stop I will personally report you to the teachers."

Ron Weasley nodded although he still glared at Draco and Blaise for being so close to his sister. Hermione leaned in and whispered something in his ear that calmed him down somewhat.

Pansy opened and closed her mouth like a puffer fish before sitting down angrily.

"This isn't over," she hissed but Draco ignored her.

"Yes, it certainly is!"

The entire Great Hall looked up to the teachers' table where Dumbledore was standing and glaring angrily around the room.

"I have watched you over the past few days and I have to say that I am appalled with the behavior exhibited by the students of Hogwarts. Therefore, I am taking away fifty points from each house, and extra fifty each from Miss Parkinson and Mr. Flint of Slytherin. Additionally, many of you will be receiving detention notices today as punishment for your harassment."

Dumbledore glared around the room at many shocked faces and three faces at the Slytherin table that nodded their thanks.

"I am awarding Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini of Slytherin and Miss Weasley of Gryffindor fifty points each for standing strong in their convictions and for showing you that different is still okay."

Again Dumbledore's glare swept the room. "And lastly, because I have found that hatred and bigotry is a terrible thing to endure and is essentially one of the main factors that Voldemort himself bases his campaign on, I will be instigating awareness classes. Every student will attend this class once a week until they graduate at the end of their seventh year and I hope that you will learn tolerance for everyone else around you!"

Dumbledore sat down and the Great Hall erupted in chatter.

"That won't stop all of it," Blaise said sadly.

"But at least now they can't be so open with their tortures," Ginny added with a smile.

"As long as we stick together we can survive whatever they throw at us." Draco finished with his own smile. "Besides, this new class should prove to be interesting."

Ginny pulled over a dish of pancakes and loaded her plate. Perhaps they would always be harassed, Draco and Blaise because they were gay and Ginny because she supported them, but at least for now they could eat breakfast in peace.

A.N.

Remember,

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

You can tell someone what you think and believe, but that doesn't mean they will automatically accept those views. Every human has the ability to make their own decisions and sometimes it doesn't matter how much you try to influence them in your particular direction, they will still do what they wish in the end.

This is my view and my belief; All humans, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Straight should be allowed to interact with and to love whomever they wish. It is entirely up to you whether you are willing to embrace what I have said or whether you reject it.

Just be who you are and be happy with yourself!

Lots of Love from me to you (no matter what your gender),

Mell8