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Percy rolled away from the repeated moving on his right shoulder. Something kept pushing at him, the motion trying to wake him up. He sleepily muttered "Go away" but the connection between his half-asleep brain and mouth was tangled. Percy wasn't sure if he actually said the words he wanted to, or if they were more like vowels half strung together. He moved his hand up to shove away whatever was pushing at him, and he was met with tiny baby hands. Percy groggily opened his eyes, as realization entered his brain. Why were there tiny baby hands pushing him?
He rolled back over to face his waker-upper, blurrily making out his little sister's face. She had turned on the lamp on his bedside table and he could see her identifying long hair. Percy brought his hands up to rub at his eyes. It was hard to see when one was half awake and without the aid of their glasses.
"I'm scared, Perce," Ginny spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. She looked over her shoulder at the open door to Percy's room, light leaking in by way of a small sliver. Percy looked at his sister's face closely and saw redness surrounding her eyes and nose. He sat up.
"Gin, what happened?" He leaned closer and added, "Are you okay?"
Ginny looked down at her hands, worrying at her nail beds. "There's- monster. In my closet. I can’t sleep, it’s scaring me."
Percy pulled his blanket off of him and sleepily made his way over to the door, closing it fully. He walked back over to his bed and sat down on the edge, in front of his sister. He reached his arms out for her and she leaned into the hug. He felt her little baby hands grip the back of his pajama shirt, her nails almost digging into his skin, and he squeezed her a little tighter. She cried softly, wetting the front of his shirt.
Poor Ginny, he thinks. She must be so scared.
Percy leans his head on the top of Ginny's, his cheek to her hair. He closes his eyes and speaks in a soft tone of voice, "It's okay. Monsters aren’t real, but if they were, I wouldn't let them hurt you. I'll protect you from the monsters."
Ginny sniffled and responded, "Promise?"
"I promise."
Percy feels her pull away from the hug. He looks down to see her holding out her right hand at him. All of her fingers were curled down in a fist, except for her pinky. "Pinky promise?"
Percy smiled and held up his hand, matching her form. "I pinky promise to protect you from monsters. Whether they're real or fake."
Ginny grinned up at him, her tear lines catching the light from the lamp. She locked their pinkies together.
Percy moved to lie back down when Ginny spoke again.
"Can I sleep in your bed?"
Percy sighed and nodded, his baby sister smiling at him again before climbing up. She immediately went for the spot between Percy and the wall, the most protected spot in the bed. Ginny tugged at the blanket until it was up to her neck, curling down until her head rested on his pillow. Percy patted her head, half comfortingly, half annoyedly, before reaching to his bedside table and turning off the lamp. He scooted down and pulled the blanket up to his neck, too.
Ginny whispered to him, “It was real. I heard it talking to me.”
Percy went still, racking his brain for an explanation. It took him a moment, but he remembered the muggle toy their father had gotten Ginny, a red fuzzy thing shaped like a person but not. It had a voice box and would ask whoever was nearest to play. He shuddered slightly, at the memory of walking into the family room and seeing it on the floor, watching him, asking him to pick it up.
“It was probably your talking red thing,” Percy whispered back.
Ginny didn't reply. Percy looked over at her but couldn't see anything in the dark. He listened, though, and could hear soft, even breaths.
Percy quickly fell asleep soon after, too. They were safe here, from monsters or talking red dolls hiding in closets.