Black Stained
Chapter 21: Old and New Scars
Stalking back and forth Draco remained silent, and tried to ignore the Weasley, not even sparing him a glance in his direction. The red head brought up this overabundance of irritation, which he couldn't shake. Something about him...-
His thoughts got interupted as he heard two voices whisper behind his back. He never liked it when people whispered around him, he always had this feeling they were talking about him.
At the moment his feeling was right. Charlie was speaking to his boss, mr. Draggan, about the young man. Draggan told him to keep an eye on him, since he wouldn't come with him to his office, and he had other matters to attend to. He added some words about him not trusting any of his 'sort' and that Charlie should inform him if anything happened, relating mr. Malfoy or miss Potter. Charlie responded that he would do so.
Charlie took a possition of leaning against the wall opposite of the infirmary, drumming a rithim with his fingers, Draco kept pacing around the narrow corridor. He took the time to inspect the building, though almost everything around the reserve was built like tents, they had built the hospital with solid brick walls.
Charlie almost wanted to tell him to stop pacing around like that, when Draco indeed stopped on his own accord, and stood still facing a window. His demeanor poised and black suit unwrinkled.
They felt a mutual disdain for each other, both didn't know why, though there were obvious causes, they couldn't pin point the exact reason.
The silence proceeded and the heavy tension filled the air. Draco was still feeling snappy, though Charlie had calmed down more and felt more civiliced towards the other. He didn't feel like apologizing first though, not wanting to talk first.
And he didn't have to.
'You must understand I really care for her.' Draco spoke with difficulty. Admitting his feelings to another was hard for him, even more so the person he was talking to not being considered as a friend. He had done it twice now already in one day, admitting it to Charlie and Harry.
Charlie was surprised by his comment, not expecting him to say anything at all, let alone this.
'Not here on bussiness for the dark side then?' He joked, with a blank voice.
But Draco hastily turned round and looked at him angrily, quickly he raised his hands in an apologizing manner.
'Sorry, wrong moment to drop a joke.'
'Believe it or not, I'm here for her well-being.' He said sternly.
'Yeah, about that...' Charlie began, he pushed himself off of the wall and stood opposite to Draco. 'I've talked to her about... things. And it seems that she's still troubled by... her dark past.'
Draco turned round again and scowled.
'Her dark past.' He imitated Charlie. 'First Harry and now you... You have absolutely no idea of what you're talking about!'
'First Harry? You've spoken to Harry?' Charlie urged.
'Yes, of course, I have! And he is as blind and dumb as you are!' He pointed an accusing finger towards him.
Charlie stayed still and looked at Draco who was pulling a face, brows furrowed in a confused way.
'Unbelievable.' Draco muttered, turning away to face the window again.
'Than make me see.' Charlie took a step forward.
Draco frowned at this bizarre statement, not understanding its meaning.
'Tell me, show me. What she has seen and felt. If you showed me trough your experienced eyes-'
'Show you?' Draco quirked a brow, he couldn't believe his ears. 'You won't understand.'
'But if you helped me understand, I can help her!' Charlie was being very persistent.
'You won't understand! You can't!' Draco frantically whirled around.
'You can't! What she has seen and felt, the pain and utter loss... Even through my 'expierenced' eyes you won't be able to see her pain, not even half of it.'
He felt the need to breath and dearly wanted to blast a hole through the window, but upon reaching for his pocket he remembered his wand had been taken form him by the elderly witch and he cursed under his breath.
'What the world has done to her...' He shook his head. 'The pain and suffering is uncompared to anything anyone has ever seen or felt. It was absolutely inhumane and savage. She was living hell on earth.'
Charlie remained silent still, wanting to hear what Draco had to say and eager to find out more about the misterious young woman only one door next to them.
Draco's thoughts were jumping from one to another. He remembered things about Aral and about their horrible summer, but also heard himself think about the Weasley family and Potter and the rest with their noble deeds.
'You're just like the rest of them. Trying to save everyone. Trying to save the day.'
Draco huffed.
'It's funny actually that the people who need saving were probably not even on your side. Like you described mine so neatly, the 'dark side' doesn't deserve saving. Because we're the baddies,' he retorted childishly, 'and bad people aren't worth your time.'
'That's not true!' Charlie stepped in.
Draco shifted to face the red head fully and straightened his back.
'Tell me, how many times have death eaters and their families have received mercy, real mercy?'
Charlie yet again refrained from answering, knowing the answer would be frightingly close to zero.
'I thought so.' Draco stepped aside and strode toward the other side of the corridor and faced the door.
For a moment he imagined Aral behind it, on her bed probably scolding at the treatment of the lady. He wondered if she wished him to take over and tend to her wounds, like he always had. But he tore his gaze away from the door and forced it to the ground, banishing any thoughts about the witch trying to concentrade on the on-going conversation.
'I'm not saying they deserve to be treated better, we have all done our bad things in voldemort's benefit, but some of us... My parents and I may have been pardoned, but still we are treated like scum, and my parents are forced to hide because of the angry people who have lost their families, and I'm not saying they don't have the right to do so. They have every right. But my mother...'
He paused for a moment and stared down to his own hands, turning the heavy ring, bearing the Malfoy crest, around his finger. Charlie listened intently, starting to feel sympathy towards the sad Malfoy.
'She never joined his ranks, only standing beside my father, because she had to. Because all of her family and connections were there and she had to obey. Of course she believed pure-bloods to be supperior to others, but she never agreed to all the other stuff, the dark and horrible things.'
He stepped away from the door and faced Charlie, with a beaten and tired expression on his face. Charlie's eyes were slightly widened, listening intently to him.
'I'm sorry about that.'
'Yeah, well, nothing we can do about it now.'
Charlie sighed again. Now he turned to face the door.
'What can I do? If not understand her.'
Draco saw the sincere concern in his eyes, and couldn't help but feel gratitute. At least someone was there to be with her when he couldn't.
'Help her move on.' He said with a blank voice.
'And how do suppose I do that without knowing her past?'
Draco sighed.
'I don't want her to go down that road for a second time.'
'It's very complicated.' Charlie stated to which Draco could only agree.
They fell silent once more, both drowned in their own thoughts. Charlie tried thinking of a way to help Aral, without hurting her. But after a moment he found himself wandering to the moments when he had noticed how Draco acted around her. He faguely remembered her muttering 'Malfoy' when he had carried her to the infirmary, now probably knowing why. But other moments peaked his mind too. The small touches and protective behaviour from Draco towards Aral, was... surprising. Charlie became curious, but also felt a strange knot form in his stomach, he chose to ignore it.
Something else sprang up in Charlie's mind, something that he didn't quite understand.
'Malfoy,' He turned to look at him seriously. 'How did you know she was here?'
Draco sighed.
'I'm afraid that's not something for me to tell. But I can tell you that she has been writing letters. Saying she is okay, but you should know; Harry has reported her missing.'
Charlie rubbed his face with his hands and sighed.
'Damnit Harry.'
'Pain in the arse, isn't he?'
Charlie chuckled lightly, but quickly remembered it was Draco who he was talking to, and just a moment before they were on the brink of fighting.
'He is a good brother, but he has absolutely no idea of what he's doing. Like a blind person trying to read.'
'You know they have invented braille.' Charlie joked.
'Well, he bloody doesn't use it.' Draco growled.
'Harry means well.' Charlie commented.
'But he is making things worse! For her, for me and for everyone else!' Draco was starting to get irritated like moments before.
'What if she was lost to you? What would you have done then?'
'She was lost to me, Weasley! The moment she gave up and that bloody mark was imprinted on her skin!' Draco exclaimed, clencing his fists and angrily raising them in the air.
Charlie was aghast, and took a step back. He swallowed and lowered his gaze to the ground trying to proces what Draco had just said. He suddenly was back at the hills with a dragon behind him and Aral's dark eyes staring up at him, while she whispered words he wished he had never heard.
'Kill me...'
'What if it is too late, already?' He muttered sadly, his face contorted in dispair.
Draco was breathing heavily and his suit started to wrinkle, breaking his poise.
Before either of them could answer an agonizing scream filled the air, followed by a loud thud. Their heads shot up to the door and after processing the sound they sprinted towards it and Draco, who had reached it first, wrenched open the door. They gasped at the sight before them.
Alina was laying on the ground, fallen most likely, explaining the loud thud they had heard. Charlie rushed over to her side and helped her up, he immediately looked towards Aral, but a fague shimmer in the air blurred his vision. Draco didn't hesitate and with quick paces crossed the room. Untill he quickly stopped, right in front of the shimmer.
Charlie turned his head towards the witch. 'What happened?'
She straightened her back and took a few deep breaths.
'I had decided to start with non-magical treatments, I reckoned her still vulnerable to magical contact. But after I had given her a sleeping potion... She seemed so calm and peaceful, I believed she was ready for the magical treatment. I now know I was wrong.'
Draco sighed disapprovingly. Alina ignored him however and continued.
'When I spoke the first spell and was about to cast it on her it backfired and blasted me away.'
She indicated Charlie she was able to stand on her own and walked towards the bed, but also stopped before the shimmer. Charlie took a few steps and halted also, but after looking at it he thought nothing of it was harmfull and was about to step through, when a hand held him back and he heard Draco.
'I wouldn't do that if I were you. I've seen a lot of powerful man trying to walk through it, and it doesn't exactly tickle.'
Charlie took his former place again with a distance between him and the strange magic.
'I'm not familiar with this sort of magic. What is it?'
Before Draco could answer Alina spoke up.
'A powerful shield, conjured to protect its anchor.' She was intrigued by it and the powerful young witch behind it. It had formed a globe around her and the bed, while she lay there peacefully.
Alina turned to Draco.
'You seem to know and understand her magic best. How could she summon this in her sleep?'
Draco opened and then closed his mouth, thinking briefly and formed a sentence.
'She can't always control it. It's trying to protect itself.'
The witch nodded and pressumed watching the girl.
'Well, what are we going to do?' Charlie asked curiously.
'Always the man of action.' Draco muttered, then added; 'You are doing nothing, while I will try and reach her.'
'If it means you're going to stick your hand through it and try to poke her, be my guest.' Charlie retorted.
'Boys.' Alina said sternly. 'Not now.'
Draco bit back a sharp comment and snarled instead. Charlie wisely listened to the witch.
'Can I have my wand back, please?' Draco asked nicely, to which he received his wand from the witch.
He raised his hands and began chanting and muttering words. Charlie nor Alina knew any of them, though they both knew how to read and speak ancient runes. They both listened intently to him, trying to figure out what exactly he was doing. Which reminded Charlie he had to send word to mr. Draggan about what had happened, though he deemed it not really necessary and made a mental note to do it later. Aral being his first priority, though there was nothing he could do.
Draco pulled a face and groaned, as if performing the ritual hurt him. His hands began to lower, and tremble.
'Oh, come on.' He muttered cranky.
'Weasley?' He called, to which Charlie responded by standing next to him. 'I need your help.'
He hated he had to ask him for help, but he wouldn't want to bring this upon the elderly witch either. He held out his hand.
'Hold my hand.'
'What?' Charlie was baffled, he thought he maybe had heard wrong.
Draco sighed annoyed and grapped Charlie's hand.
'Just bloody stay still. If you want to help her, you'll have to lent your energy to me.'
Then Charlie felt something inside him move, it pulled towards his arm and floated through his hand into Draco's. Charlie had heard of this before, it was difficult magic, sharing your energy or magic source with another, this way the other has more capabilities. It seemed to be helping, for the shimmer started to weaken. But then out of nowhere a powerful source hit both Draco and Charlie. They grunted in pain but held their ground. The elderly witch quickly stood opposite them, examening what was wrong.
'Whatever you are doing, I suggest we find another way.' She said boldly.
'There is no other way. I know, I tried.' Draco managed to get out through gritted teeth, concentrating with all his and Charlie's energy on the force field.
The transparant shimmer started to colour, and for a moment Charlie was able to see the world in colour. Real colour, the colour of magic. Beautiful and yet dangerous. But as quick as it had come it was gone. He blinked and he felt his muscles stiffen once more, almost all of his energy flowing to Draco. Alina stood disapprovingly in front of them, shaking her head. He felt like he couldn't breath anymore, and wondered if this would actually work when at long last the shimmering globe broke in millions of pieces to the ground, like a mirror. The shards falling to the ground and making a lot of noise. Draco let go of Charlie's hand and staggered towards the bed, his hands seeking support on the railing. Though Charlie felt really exhausted and numb he too walked over to Aral and stood by her side. Alina quickly started checking her, non-magically of course.
'I don't understand.' She muttered and kept examining her.
Draco took a few deep breaths and leaned over her, checking a few things on his own. Charlie wondered when he had learned to take care of someone like that, he knew Draco had an office job and didn't exactly pass as a healer.
All three of them startled and took a step backwards when Aral's eyes suddenly flew open and she inhaled a deep breath, as if she hadn't breathed for a long while. Immediately her face contorted in pain and she rolled to her side, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around herself. She didn't even notice the two men and the woman standing besides her bed, she could only feel the pain.
Alina raised her wand to try and ease her pain, but Draco grapped her wrist.
'No.' He quickly stopped her.
'She's in pain, she needs treatment.' She exclaimed.
Draco didn't answer, but walked around the bed and bent down.
'Hey, hey. Aral it's me.' He tried to talk to her, but she was whimpering in pain and ignoring him.
He straightened his back and held up his wand once again.
'As long as the shield was around her no magic of any sort was able to come into contact with her, she was in some sort of coma. That's why she's reacting so heavily.'
He began to chant and mutter. His wand tracing the wounds on her body, without direct contact. Her body started shaking and she rolled on her back. Charlie stepped forward and grabbed her hands, trying to comfort her. He had seen a lot of things, but he hated this the most. Another person in pain, without the power to do something about it. Her eyes kept staring at the ceilling, watery from her tears. She whimpered and cried, because of the pain.
'You won't understand! You can't!'
The words echoed through his mind.
'What she has seen and felt, the pain and utter loss... Even through my 'expierenced' eyes you won't be able to see her pain, not even half of it.'
Charlie finaly understood his words, not only did she seem to be in unimaginable pain, but also shattered in millions of pieces like the force field. Broken and afraid, of the past and the future, constantly trapped in the present. He held her hand and traced circles on the back, soothing her.
Draco's spells seemed to help as her muscles relaxed and she laid more still. But still small shocks shot through her, he could even feel them through her hands. Draco bent down and turned her head in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumb.
'Shhh. It's okay.'
Charlie slowly let go of her hands and stepped back. He let the two of them have a moment. He watched as Draco soothed her and whiped away her tears. One hand cupping her cheeck, the other holding her hand. Though Charlie didn't know why he turned his gaze away, not being able to watch them. Alina noticed him avoiding the display infront of them, but said nothing of it. Instead she walked forward to the other side of the bed.
'Now, how is my patient?' She asked.
'Oh, Merlin. I'm- I'm so so sorry, Alina! I didn't-' Another wave of tears threathened to stream down her face, but Alina interupted her.
'It's okay, my dear. I live on a dragon reserve, I have lived through worse.' She assured her.
The words brightened Aral, though she was still sad and weak.
'I feel- okay I quess. Merlin, I don't know.' She sighed, her eyes still puffy and covered her face with her hands.
'Aral, it's okay.' Draco pulled her hands down, but at the movement she whimpered in pain.
Her body started to ache again and her wounds re-opened. She hissed as a burning and prickling pain stabbed her everywhere. Slowly and gently Draco guided her down on the pillows and rolled her on her side.
'I will need your help.' He told Alina, who nodded in response and stood ready.
With one flick of his wand Draco cut the fabric that covered her back, only her bra left to cover her skin. Charlie instinctively wanted to look away, but couldn't. Her pale back not only being covered by her bruises and burns received from her fight with the dragon, but also covered by old wounds, cuts and scars told him a grave story, far too grave for a girl her age. Far too grave for any human, wizard or muggle. With his lips slightly parted and breath caught in his throath he watched the wizard and witch work on the broken body of the young witch. For a moment his gaze wandered up to her left arm, the dark mark only partially visible.
'Merlin, what has the world done to you, Aral?' He muttered, unheard by the others.
Author's note:
Hey guys!
I'm sorry for the delay, I'm writing as fast as I can. (Hope you don't mind, waiting;))
I actually don't really know how I feel about this chapter. I keep thinking something is missing.
We are in the hospital for three chapters already and in the next one I really want to get out. But there are so many plot holes and I'm having a hard time to find them all and piece them together, I'm trying my best though.
If there are things you don't quite understand or believe you found something that doesn't really fit in the story or have something that would fit in perfectly, write me, so I can change things and make the story better for everyone.
I'm thinking about doing a shirtless Charlie next chapter, not sure though, depends on your enthusiasm. ;)
Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and will enjoy the next one,
have a nice day!
- J
