Chapter 1

COLD GREY EYES

She ran through the corridors and climbed the stairs. Tears streaked down her cheeks and her light brown hair whipped all around her face. She reached the seventh floor. Her heavy heart was racing. She gazed at the tapestry of Barnas the Barmy who was trying to train the trolls for ballet. A genuine smile bloomed in her dark lips. Then she thought of how others would laugh at her if they came to know about her insane obsessions and ambitions. Tears welled in her eyes again. She walked across the corridor, aspiring a place to hide herself and her thoughts. A book was clutched tightly against her chest. It was wet with tears. Then the door appeared. She was astonished because she didn't expect it to turn up. Last year, she overheard Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott talking about this room when she was sitting by them in their common room. But she didn't give it much of a thought until tonight.

She pushed the door open with great effort and headed air was stale with a scent of dust and magic. She found herself standing in a large, high-roofed room with tall windows. It was full of hidden room was barely lit by a thin axle of light from the windows. There were hundreds of shelf with piles of odd things. She walked towards the tallest pile and found pink coloured quills. They were broken. She picked one and twirled it between her fingers absent-mindedly as she surveyed the room. Her eyes fell on very old books, broken wands, claws of animals, damaged cauldrons, oddly colored necklaces and rings, etc.

Suddenly she felt a scathing sensation in her fingers holding the quill. The jagged edge of it was pierced deep inside her finger. She pulled it out with great effort and dropped it at once. A greenish fluid oozed from the opening followed by blood. 'Episkey' she whispered pointing the wand on the wound. It was mended. For a moment she forgot about all her worries as she stared at the cupboards then she became aware that she was carrying a book. The book's cover read "The Color Purple by Alice Walker".It brought her the memories of her family, especially her little brother. She dissolved in tears. No one knew about her mania with these muggle-books in Hogwarts. Even her best friend Mandy Brocklehurst. Usually she never shared everything with her. It was her parents who forced her to be friends with Brocklehurst, a Ravenclaw. They believed that if she had a Ravenclaw for company then she will become more productive in academics and later on become a successful Healer like her them. When she and Brocklehurst get together, the talk about nothing but their subjects.

She rambled towards the wall and plopped down against it. She opened her book and started reading it. This was the only way she could calm herself down. She always disappeared into a different world whenever she read a book. This helped her relax and escape the burdens on her read for a long time. Her stomach churned in hunger as she missed the dinner in The Great Hall. But she did not care. Later, she plunged into her own thoughts.

She was considered as an intelligent Hufflepuff. But it was because of her parents. If she ever considered knowledge as her soul then she would have been sorted into Ravenclaw, like her parents. But she was not. Others of her house considered her as a gift because they do not usually get someone who is efficient in academics. But it was the pressure from her parents that gave the results. But even after these struggles she is never the top of the year which greatly disappoints her parents. She cannot be someone else. Then her thoughts drifted to her dear grandparents. How nice it would be if if they were with with her now?

Her peace was disrupted by the creak of the door opening. Her heart skipped a beat. She held her breath. She peered through the gap between a cracked sneakoscope and a huge opal stone. A tall, pale figure was advancing towards her. She shifted in fear. 'Who is in there?' the voice boomed. At once she knew who it was. Draco Malfoy. How can she forget the cunning voice which insults her blood-status every time she is in it's presence? Before she could make any movement a jet of red light hit her as she heard Malfoy yell 'Expelliarmus'. The book that was clasped in her hand struggled away and hit Malfoy squarely on bridge of his nose. 'AARRGGHH' he bellowed in pain. Meanwhile, she managed to grab her wand from the pocket. Before she could decide between hexing or jinxing him, 'Crucio' he shouted and a jet of light raced from his wand and hit her right in the forehead as she tried to duck.

She felt her whole body become sore and there was a pricking sensation in the joints. She knew pretty well that The Cruciatus Curse was not supposed to feel that way. The pain should be intense and excruciating. 'He was not evil and able enough to inflict such a pain.'she thought.

She searched for his eyes. They were tired and bloodshot. 'You are not bad enough' she said with a small smile playing in her lips. 'What do you mean by that? You filthy Mudblood!' he spat. She decided that it is better to stay calm and said 'I am not a muggle-born Malfoy. And will you please stop wasting your energy by trying to cause me immense pain? It is nothing more than a mere tickle.' Her voice was steady though her hands were sweaty and cold. 'Stop it Spark! You are no better than a Mudblood. Having Mudbloods for parents. Don't you feel ashamed?' he asked as he withdrew his wand. She noticed tears forming in his eyes. Her heart did a flip. She never thought that a boy so rude could ever cry. Then she thought about herself and how everyone else seemed to consider her as an intelligent girl just because her parents were Mediwizards and she managed to scrape an O.W.L in every subject she chose only due to her parents' compulsion. Soon she realized that he was also in the same boat as hers.

'I do feel ashamed of them. And also yours.' she declared.

'What are you blabbering Rae Stark? Your parents are nothing compared to mine' he barked. His eyes glistened with tears as he said so. Something told Rae that she was right about his feelings.

'You would not be who you are now if it weren't for you parents. Don't you think so?' she questioned. More tears filled his eyes. He slopped through the ground, drowned in his own misery.

Her heart seemed to snap into two. She didn't want to offend him. But she also knew that she was right. Then she sat down beside him and patted his back. 'It is okay. You can always change your ways. You always have a second chance.' she whispered. He didn't slap her hand away like she imagined. He allowed her to comfort him. 'Everyone has a choice' she sighed. All of a sudden he sprung to his legs and roared 'I don't have one'. She lept back. She didn't expect him to agitate. But she didn't feel like leaving him. Some strong force seemed to pull her towards the boy who was soaked in his tears and misery.

She advanced towards him. He looked at her. His eyes were a pale shade of grey. A bit lighter than her grey eyes. She sensed so much battle and anguish beneath it. One moment he was almost a feet away and the next he was only an inch apart. She beamed into his eyes. They were magnetic. She felt as if she was reading a book again- Dreaming with her eyes open.

He gazed back. He gave her a feeling being scanned. 'How come you can understand me better than I understand myself?' he asked. His voice was sore from crying. 'Because I think I see myself in you' she replied. 'No, you don't.' he exploded. She was so shocked at first. But she knew better than to shout at him back. 'Or maybe I see a fragment of me in you' she said. Her voice hinted cheer. He smiled. She has never seen him smile like this before. Whenever she thought of him smiling, it was always a sneer. But this smile was undiluted. He looked like an angel in devil's clothing.

They stared into eachothers eyes for minutes. But it seemed like hours for Rae Spark. She wanted it to last forever. It was like escaping into a new world. The air around her seemed to thicken and become misty.

'Rae Sparks. You are the most soothing Mudblood I have ever seen' he breathed. His pale lips were arced into a smile. The words were full of exhaustion. He embraced her around the neck and buried his head in her shoulders. His hair brushed her skin. She was dazed by his move. A boy who was so eager to fire her with insults minutes before was in her comfort inched back gently and sat against a cupboard and his head on her lap. She bent a bit to look at his face. He was asleep. He looked like a Pale angel to her. His face was twisted in a confused expression.

She began to dream about what was happening. Her thoughts drifted from him to her parents and the letter she got that evening. Fat tears slipped from her eyes. It fell right on Draco's head. He didn't twitch or show any sign of acknowledgement. She glanced another look at him and sighed, thinking of how things change over a short span of time. Her eyelids drooped. She slipped into a world of grey.