A/N: This was not submitted to Rowan-Greenleaf's Ginny Draws Draco Challenge but was inspired by it and I consider it to be a step-child of the Challenge family. But definitely a half-blood, not a Muggle born at all. No, it's practically pure-blood if you look at it from a certain angle.
Disclaimer: JKR would never claim this, I can barely claim it as mine.
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A MIND DARKLY DRAWN
CHAPTER ONE
Ginny leaned back against the tree, and let the warmth of the sun wash over her. It may be near winter outside, but in the Room of Requirement it was a lovely spring day.
She picked up her sketchbook and charcoal, and let her imagination flow freely. Flowing lines began to appear on the parchment, and she lost herself to her creative inner world. Ginny was so immersed she didn't hear another person entering the room.
Warm, strong fingers caressed her cheek from her right, and she jumped a little at the touch.
"Draco! How many times have I told you not to frighten me like that?" Ginny disliked the small quiver of real fear in her voice, knowing he heard it.
Over these last few weeks, that was one thing she was sure about with Draco Malfoy; he noticed everything. She couldn't hide a thing from him. The ironic thing was she didn't really want to...But there was that deep layer hidden inside of her that she didn't think anyone should see.
What would Draco do if he knew of her fear that Tom was still somewhere inside her? She was not afraid that Tom could do something to Draco or herself, but that Draco might leave her before Tom even got the opportunity to ruin her chance at love.
"Gin love, don't be like that. I just wanted to see you, and once I did, I couldn't help but touch you." He spoke softly, so as not to draw her ire. "I called your name but you didn't answer. I thought you knew I was here. Who else could get in the room to be with you? Only I know what you require when you come here to draw."
Platinum hair hanging just to his perfect brows which arched over eyes shining silver like a moonlit sun; Draco embodied all the precious metals and jewels the Malfoy riches could buy. Ginny was humbled by his icy beauty yet her entire being was warmed with the knowledge that he really was the only person who knew what she required.
Hesitant to believe the vision before her was real, she reached out her hand to his, pulling it back to her cheek. "I'm sorry. You just startled me. You know I get caught up when I'm drawing." Ginny was quietly trying to close her book so he couldn't see.
She wasn't sure what she had been drawing, and if it was something she couldn't show to Draco she had to be careful.
When she found sketches that were dark and full of misery, she threw them into the fire. Since Ginny had started seeing Draco, she wanted to embrace the light that could be in her life. He was helping her to push Tom out of her being, but he had no idea he was doing it.
"Draco, do you ever find that time has passed, and you weren't aware of what had been happening?" She couldn't look at him directly as she asked, and kept her face tilted towards her lap. "I mean, sometimes when I'm drawing…" Ginny seemed unable to complete what she was trying to convey to Draco.
"It's like I pick up the chalk and the next thing I know my book has pages of pictures I don't remember drawing. That's not too normal, is it?" As Ginny looked up to see what Draco's reaction might be, she was a little disconcerted to see that he seemed to not be paying attention to her. He had a far off look in his eyes, and seemed focused on some unknown object in the distance.
"Ginny love, I've lost too much time in my life to unknown actions." Draco's voice was deep and sombre as he seemed to be remembering something. "I don't remember much of my sixth year. Most of the memories are vague with only emotions showing clearly. Fear, anxiety, and even a little guilt, if you can believe that." He seemed to be trying to make light of something that was truly dark.
"Looking back, I think those memories are vague because they were only living in darkness." Draco was absently running a finger over a scar on the top of his hand as if remembering something that had happened in the darkness he spoke of. "If you stay in a dark room you will remember only emotions you felt, or physical things that you may have experienced. There are no visual senses to remember. You feel a bit lost, I suppose." He leaned in a bit towards her, and looked into the pools of amber that were her eyes.
Draco loved her eyes; they were truly the window to Ginny's soul. She was an open book to him, and he revelled in the fact that she gave him that power with no doubt, or fear. He had her total trust, and he had never been more serene to be this close emotionally to another person. He knew he had never been this open to someone before; not even his family had known this part of Draco. It was a frightening rush that filled him with an unexplainable bliss. The urge to kiss Ginny was overwhelming to Draco as he reflected upon the fact that they had yet to kiss.
It had been over a month since Draco had figured out that Ginny was watching him -watching and drawing- and about two weeks since they had mutually decided to make an effort at becoming something. That seemed like an eternity to be with someone that he felt such affection for, and not show it physically.
He had always had his way with the girls he dated. They were more than willing to provide physical companionship. But Draco didn't want just lust with Ginny; he wanted the whole package.
Oh, he'd been frustrated these past few weeks, no doubt about it. (Blaise had threatened more than once to lock him in a cold shower until he became human again.) But she was so beautiful and so fragile, that he didn't want to break her spirit just for a few minutes of pleasure.
For the first time in his life he had respect for a girl, and it was quite a daunting feeling. He was on unsteady ground, and he didn't want to push her away.
Ginny cleared all of his doubts at the moment by acting first; Draco was shocked to feel her soft, warm lips upon his. She was so sweet and open. His still open eyes looked at her and he was finished.
She seemed to be glowing, and he heard a little sigh come from her. As his eyes drifted shut, Draco began kissing her back carefully; if he showed too much excitement, she might feel intimidated, but if he didn't show enough of the passion he was feeling, she might mistake it for disinterest. No, best to go slowly, and let her choose the level of innocence they would maintain.
The kiss was chaste. Sweet and pure, and flowing with the trust they felt for each other. They both knew they had a lot to lose, and this was somehow a big step for them for being such a simple kiss.
They broke apart and looked at each other.
"Why haven't we done that before?" was all Ginny got out before she again pressed her lips upon his.
This time the kiss went deeper. She nibbled at his tongue, and Draco had never had such a thing done to him before. Kissing Ginny seemed new and exciting, as if he had never felt passion before. Perhaps he hadn't; this feeling was intense and exhilarating.
Draco had never really liked kissing the girls he dated. It had seemed too intimate for such casual affairs. In the pure-blood society he was raised in, casual sex was practically expected, and Draco had never worried that physical intimacy endangered the sanctity of his inner self. Sex was just that, sex. Nothing more than physical fun and release.
Ginny was humming against his lips and the soft vibration was driving him to madness. Did she want him to go crazy on her? Was she aware that she was doing unspeakable things to his self control?
She had put her hands along his jaw line, and he felt a glow of warmth that seemed to be increasing, as if the contact was building up a charge of electricity that was ready to burst.
Draco didn't really know the extent of Ginny's experiences with the opposite sex. He knew she had dated a few fellows, including Potter, but he didn't really consider that as experience. He had no doubt that Potter was clueless about women in general, and he knew Potter didn't care enough about Ginny to really know her at all.
Regardless of her level of knowledge about other men, she obviously knew just what to do to push Draco to the edge.
"Draco…" Just a gasp was heard as Ginny pulled back.
She was flushed, and Draco knew his eyes reflected the same as hers; confusion and unbridled desire.
"I… I'm scared." Ginny was so quiet and honest in what she was feeling.
Draco didn't know what to think of a girl being honest in this type of situation. They had always been coy or manipulative, never honest. He was buzzing physically from her contact with him, and his heart seemed to be beating like a hollow drum. It was almost a painful feeling in his chest, and he realised he was scared as well.
"Scared of what? I'm not going to do anything to you Ginny!" Draco snapped out, regretting his outburst immediately.
It wasn't Ginny's fault he feared a negative response from her. Draco knew Ginny hadn't meant she was rejecting him, but he wanted to drive her away before she could push him away.
In just those few moments of unguarded emotions with Ginny, Draco had felt passion and fear as well. But he couldn't tell her; he could only fall back to his old ways, and build up his protection.
It seemed his cold words pulled her back to the Ginny of just a few months ago, and she simply turned and walked out of the room.
If Draco thought that her possible rejection was painful, then to see her walk away hurting because of him was excruciating.
He wanted to call after her but he couldn't. His throat seemed tight, and his tongue felt twice its normal size.
Ginny didn't turn back to see Draco standing in the door watching her leave him.
Draco firmly closed the door behind him, shutting out Ginny's conjured beach of tranquillity. He put his mask on, the one that betrayed no emotion, and pointedly strolled to the dungeon before anyone could see that he was upset.
There were plenty of breakable things in his room he could take his frustration out on.
