Mr. Sprock had come into Three Broomsticks before Brody was even really open for the day and announced there was a girl in the road. Brody had gone to check and had swore a blue streak upon seeing her. He'd thought someone had left another dead body in his village until she moaned. He probably should not have moved her, but Brody gingerly lifted the willowy thing from the dirt and hurried to Healing Hands.

"GIN! NEVILLE! HELP!"

Mr. Sprock was behind him. "I canna believe she's alive!"

Ginny rushed, as much as she could, from the back of the clinic. The last time Brody had yelled like that, he'd been carrying her nephew. Her eyes widened when she took in the body in his arms. She wasn't even sure if it was a man or a woman, it was covered in so many bruises. The hair flattened against her forehead, stiff from the blood caked in it, hinted to it being a woman. "What the hell happened," Ginny asked, already turning and headed for an exam room. She could hear Brody following her. He was getting pretty good at just knowing where to take emergencies to now, he was in often enough.

Brody laid her down as gently as he could on the exam table. The girl moaned. He could not even believe she was still alive.

"I found her in the road," Mr. Sprock announced.

Brody turned to look at the old man. There was a sense of horror on Mr. Sprock's face that Brody was certain he was mirroring. Who would do such a thing? He could feel her bones just under the skin. She was drastically underfed. She'd felt so frail. Who would beat such a frail woman?

"I thought she was dead," Brody whispered. "I thought..."

Ginny wasn't worried about where she'd been found as much as she was worried about fixing this. Her wand was flashing through the air, diagnostic spells spilling off her tongue. She wouldn't have actually been able to tell you everything she'd said, so much of it was just automatic by now. She knew the girl had several broken ribs, several that were fractured. One of her lungs was punctured. One broken cheek bone, a dislocated shoulder, a concussion, and enough cuts and scrapes on her body to warrant the blood that was covering her.

She looked over at Brody, her training shutting out every other part of her mind. "In the cabinets under the shelf there, you need to grab me out some blankets. Wet them with your wand, cast a cooling charm, and have them ready when I ask for them. Understand?"

Brody just nodded and started doing as he was told. Mr. Sprock was watching with wide eyes and gripping the door frame. When he had finished the task set before him, Brody waited for further instruction.

She was going to have to heal the fractures. It wasn't easy. Breaks were simple, fractures were more difficult. More painful. This was only going to get worse before it got better. Ginny was the type of healer that, if possible, knew things healed better on their own. She'd usually heal it to a point, then let nature do the rest. That couldn't happen here. Everything would need to be taken care of.

It'd been a while since she'd used this spell, and she looked over at Brody with slightly wide eyes. "When I cast this, you need to throw the cold compresses over her body as quickly as possible, or she'll spike a fever high enough to do permanent damage. Understand?" When he nodded, Ginny turned back to the patient, using her wand to cut away the woman's shirt. There were bruises covering her torso, some were purple, some were green, and they all looked angry.

"Fervefacio!"

Daphne screamed. She had died. She had died and now she was on fire. Then she was cold. And wet? Well, scratch that, now Daphne was confused.

Brody had not been expecting the sound of pain from the woman. It was grotesque and odd too. Likely because of her injuries. Blood bubbles came out of her mouth when she did it. But he'd gotten that cold and wet blanket over her. Mr. Sprock was gripping the door frame so tightly his knuckles were beyond white. The bruises... Brody was horrified.

Ginny had long ago realized that sometimes to heal, you had to hurt first, and she kept that in mind while she did this each fractured rib, all four of them. Brody looked pale, and the man in the doorway looked like he might faint and any moment, but she wasn't able to worry about them right now.

Once the fractured ribs had been taken care of, Ginny's training led her to the punctured lung. The woman wouldn't be able to breathe properly until it was inflated, and more than that, Ginny needed her to be able to breathe. She held her wand above her head, thanking the Gods that at least this spell wasn't painful. "Inflo cunctus!"

Daphne no longer felt like she was drowning. She took in deep breaths. Yes, it hurt, but she was beginning to think she had not died. She must have made it. Charlie must be making them help her. Daphne couldn't see, but it had to be him.

"Charlie," she rasped.

Brody's eyes were already pretty wide, but they went a bit wider at that. It could be a coincidence, but Brody only knew one Charlie.

Ginny's wand stilled over the girl's body as she breathed her brother's name. This was the second person that had been brought into her clinic on the brink of death who'd said one of her brother's names. She wasn't sure how this woman knew her brother, but at the moment, she couldn't stop to wonder.

The broken ribs were next. Her lung had been inflated, but if she moved the wrong way, a shard of her broken ribs could undo it all. Again, this part was going to hurt. Not as much as having to fuse bones back together with heat, but still painful. Ginny pressed the tip of her wand against the woman's chest where she knew one of the two bones was broken. "Aptus concero!" She used her wand to direct the shard to where it belonged, muttering "Colligo!" once it was in place to bind it.

She could tell the woman was in pain, her moans an easy indicator, but once this second rib was in place, the rest were secondary injuries. They were painful, of course, but they were secondary. She repeated the spell, using her hand on the girl's stomach to hold her in place.

Brody was not certain when it had happened, but he was holding the woman's hand. She was gripping his back very tightly. Her grip was strong for someone as bloodied and battered as she was.

"Is she goin' to be all right?"

Daphne stiffened. She didn't recognize that voice. It wasn't Charlie.

"Where am I," she managed, trying not to panic.

"Easy, lass," Brody said. "You're in Hogsmeade. Healer Weasley is settin' ya to rights."

Healer Weasley? On no. No. "I think... I think I'm... going to be sick." This isn't happening. This isn't. Please no. I can't do this. Not her. Not after what I did.

Ginny's wand flicked over her shoulder, summoning the a sick pan and holding it next to the woman's head. "You've had some major damage done to your body. By the look of the injuries on your face, you've probably swallowed a bit of blood. With that much blood in your stomach, it's very normal to feel sick." She grabbed one of the extra towels Brody had wet and carefully tried to clean some of the blood around the woman's eyes. "Do you have anymore pain in your chest? Any troubles breathing?"

She was having trouble breathing, all right, but not for medical reasons. Her guilt was choking her. At least she suspected it was guilt. Daphne had never felt particularly guilty about anything before, not even when her father blamed her for her sister's death, so she couldn't be certain.

"N-no."

Weasley should have let her die. If she knew, oh if she knew, she probably would have.

"Your right cheekbone is broken, and you have a dislocated shoulder. I need to work on those next, but I can stop for a few minutes if you need a rest."

"Don't deserve a rest." Not from you. "Go on and do it. Just get it all over with. If I pass out then I pass out."

Brody exchanged an alarmed look with Ginny.

"I'll be right back." Ginny took a step away from the woman and grabbed Brody's arm, gently leading him and the other man that had come in with him into the hallway. She lowered her voice, trying to make sure the woman didn't hear. "I'm going to have to heal her cheek, but the shoulder dislocation I'm going to have to fix by hand. With all the magic already going into her body for healing, I want to limit it as much as possible. I'm going to need one of you to help with the shoulder."

Brody looked at Mr. Sprock. The man was probably ninety years old. There was really no point in it even being a choice.

"Just tell me what needs to be done," Brody said.

Ginny nodded, walking back into the exam room and smiling down at the woman, pretty sure she wouldn't be able to see it through the swelling. "We're going to work on your shoulder next," she said in a soothing voice, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "Brody's going to help us put it back into place, alright?" The woman nodded, and Ginny looked up at Brody with a calm determination on her face. "Brody, I want you to go on the other side of her. Good." Ginny nodded at him, "now, you just need to keep her left arm pinned to her body. Don't let it move. Use your other arm to keep her body as flat on the table as you can, yeah?"

After he nodded again, a grim look on his face, Ginny grabbed the other arm, bending her elbow so the arm was at a ninety degree angle. "Alright. This might hurt a bit, but the comfort should be instant when I'm done." Nodding once again, more for her own confidence than for anyone else's, Ginny slowly bent the arm towards the woman's stomach until it formed an 'L' shape, resting it there for a second. Taking a steadying breath, Ginny pulled the arm back towards her own body in a fluid motion, feeling the joint with her left hand while her right pulled.

The woman's scream of pain was cut off when the shoulder popped back into place, Ginny's fingertips feeling the realignment. She let out the breath she'd been holding. "Better?"

"Just like I remember. It's happened before. Never feels good getting mended though. I think I prefer this method to having it reset with magic though."

Daphne's head was reeling. She wanted to be able to see. She recalled Healer Weasley referring to a Brody before when she had thought Daphne was Charlie. He felt like a large man.

Brody was getting pissed off. Several things she was saying were convincing him this woman was trapped in an abusive relationship. There was nothing he hated more than a man who'd beat a woman. Unless it was his sister, but Mac could take it. She was the MacDougal. She was made of sterner stuff than most lasses. He heard a sniff and looked at Mr. Sprock. The man's eyes were a bit bright. Looked like he had figured it out as well.

Nodding, more concerned with the broken cheek bone, Ginny bent over the girl, examining her face. "I'm going to heal your cheek now. That'll help with some of the swelling, and then we'll worry about the bruises, alright?" Using the same spell she'd used to heal the broken ribs, Ginny worked on the cheekbone, helping bind the bones back together. This helped the swelling in her face substantially, but it was clear those both eyes were black, along with a split lip and cuts and scrapes from where she'd been hit.

Wand moving, saying the easier spells that were ingrained in her brain, Ginny worked on the wounds slowly. This was easier magic, less of a drain on her already drained magical core. When the last cut was healed and all that was left was a litany of purplish-black and green bruises, Ginny used a washcloth to wipe most of the dried blood from the girl's face, smiling when she was finally able to look her in the eyes. "You had us scared for a second there."

Daphne looked at the woman she had tried to kill, the one who had just saved her life. The irony was not lost on her. She had used Charlie in trying to kill his sister, then his sister had brought her back from the brink. Daphne's eyes watered. It burned a little.

"I'm so... s-sorry."

"Shush now," Brody said. "Gin set ya to rights. Yer in our village now, lass. We take care of our folk here. Can ya tell us yer name?"

"Tra-" No. "Daphne. Daphne Greengrass."

"Did ya want us to be flooin' for an Auror?"

"No. I mean... why?"

"Someone tried to kill ya, lass. Tha' much is obvious."

"No, please. I... no. Just please no."

Brody scowled. She must be in deep with whoever had done this. Well, she was not going back to him, whoever he was. "Can I owl someone to let them know yer all right then?"

Daphne considered long and hard before answering.

"I volunteer at the Welsh Dragon Reserve. I suppose you can owl Charlie Weasley and tell him not to worry."

Daphne's eyes darted to Ginny in slight panic.

"Charlie's not yer... boyfriend, is he?"

"What? No. Gross." Daphne's eyes had shot to Brody for that, then she looked at Ginny again and blushed. Or she supposed she did. It probably couldn't be seen under all her bruises. "He's just a friend."

"Well, Charlie's a good bloke," Brody said, wondering if Charlie knew this one had some arse around beating the fire out of her. Likely not, but Brody was about to let him know. "I'll see to it, lass. Charlie will know yer all right. Just dinna be surprised when he shows up to check ya for hisself."

"You're going to stay here with me tonight." Ginny held up a hand to stop whatever words had been about to come out of Daphne's mouth. "I'm your healer and I'm telling you right now you're staying here overnight for observations. I want to make sure you're alright, and I don't think it's safe to have you go anywhere. I have a very comfortable cot I'll set up for you. In the morning, we'll see how you feel."

Ginny turned to Brody. "You'll owl Charlie tomorrow morning, not tonight. If you owl him tonight, he'll be here, and she needs her rest. If he gives you any gruff about it, tell him he'll be answering to me. And not his sister, me, but Daphne's healer, me."

She brushed past him out of the exam room, moving to gather the cot and enough blankets and pillows to make Daphne comfortable.

"What are we going to do about that one," Sprock asked.

Brody scowled. "What do ya mean?"

"I mean that girl's been beat on, and more than once," Sprock hissed, angry as Brody had even seen the wiry little old man. "She can't go back to where she came from. Next time she might not be able to be mended. Anyone who'd do that to a thin thing like her ought to be taken out in the streets and hexed until their arsehole turns inside out."

Ginny was walking back and had obviously heard Mr. Sprock.

"I'll handle it when the time comes," Brody said, then looked at Ginny. "Dinna let her go before I have a chat, aye?"

Nodding solemnly, Ginny motioned to the front door with her head. "Go on, now. I'll see you both in the morning, more than likely, and she needs her rest." She smiled at them both. "She'll be alright tonight. I'll see to it." She walked into the exam room, arms full of fluffy blankets and pillows. She set them on the counter before pulling the shrunken cot out her pocket and resizing it. She busied herself with fixing a comfortable bed before reaching into the cabinet and grabbing a sling.

She walked towards Daphne, grinning slightly. "We're going to have to put your arm in a sling to make sure you don't stress the ligaments anymore than they already are. You'll have to sleep on your back all night, but hopefully it won't cause you too much pain. I have pain relief potions if you'd like, made by the best brewer in Great Britain."

Daphne snorted. Best brewer in Great Britain, her bony arse.

"I'd rather be in pain rather than drink anything HE brewed," she said before she could stop herself.

Ginny rose an eyebrow as she bent forward, putting Daphne's arm in the sling and tightening it so it'd hold her arm securely. "I'll be sure to send Blaise your regards." She took a step back, holding out a hand. "Let's get you situated in bed so you can rest. I'll just be in the other room, so if you need anything, all you have to do it yell."

Daphne groaned in pain as she moved. Or maybe it was her guilt weighing on her. If Ginny Weasley knew who she was helping... Daphne almost could not stand it. She had made many mistakes in her life. Usually she did not care, but something about this one was bothering her. She suspected it was due to Charlie. He never should have helped her that first night on the reserve. He never should have saved her - because now she didn't know what to do with herself.

Ginny helped her into the cot and tucked her in. Like she was a child. In many ways Daphne felt that was true. She had been acting childish. She had been selfish and childish and out of control. She had harmed people who did not deserve to be harmed. She had sworn to herself once she would never be like her parents and here she was taking the worse in both of them for her own. She was harming the innocent as Devlin Greengrass had, and not caring about anything had been her mother's specialty.

"Thank you, Weasley, and if I were you, I wouldn't mention me to Zabini. He and I are not what you'd call friends. Same with Malfoy." Same with all of them in that little Slytherin clique save Tracey.

"Hey, I don't care what they think about you. You're my patient now. If they even try to hurt you and undo all that work I just put in, I'll be very upset. An upset Weasley is never a good thing. Trust me, I know." She walked to the door and put her finger on the light switch, looking back at Daphne with a smile. "I'll see you in the morning, Ms. Greengrass."

"Can you please call me Daphne? Ms. Greengrass was my mother." She knew she had no right to ask anything of Ginny Weasley, but it was such a small thing.

Ginny's smile brightened. "Sleep well, Daphne." She flipped the light off, bathing the exam room in darkness before pulling the door shut. She stared at the doorknob for a bit with a frown on her face before setting a locking charm on it. She knew the signs of abuse when she saw it, and she wasn't going to take the risk of Daphne leaving in the middle of the night. She went to her office, leaving the door opened before pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill. She needed to owl Draco, let him know she was staying here with a patient. He'd worry otherwise, and she really didn't want him to worry.

Daphne knew she should rest, but she didn't know if she would be able to. She was hurting, and she had a lot to consider. She also should get out of here, but she was fairly certain Weasley had placed a locking charm on the door. Even if she did go, there was nowhere to hide. They knew she knew Charlie. It wouldn't be that terribly difficult to track her down. Daphne sighed and stared at the ceiling - even though she could not really see it in the darkness.


{SUMMARY} A battered and broken Daphne is found on the road into Hogsmeade and is taken to Ginny for healing.