((Xakk Zimph: I'm updating as quick as I can:)
Dracos Gal: Alright, I've done my best. Here's an extra-long chapter, just for you and your dolphins~_*
Chocolate Muse: Glad you're enjoying the story:)
RoseBookends: Sorry! Usually I try to torture my characters, not my readers;).))
Disclaimer: Not mine.
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Smiling at Silver's obvious relief, Ginny lightly stroked his fur through the bars. It was a rather bold move, considering her limited knowledge of his demeanor, but he seemed more fearful than angry. His tiny ears flicked instantly forwards, and he nearly flinched away. His deep eyes rested on her for a moment, almost as if he were considering her, then he very slightly leaned into her fingers. Though it was quickly overshadowed by her pleasure at his acceptance, a white-hot rage swept through Ginny. She hadn't been blind during her Care of Magical Creatures lessons, and she knew where Silver's reaction must have come from. Hagrid was in the habit of taking in animals, magical and muggle, who had been abused. Though she outwardly calmed her reaction, so as not to startle him, inwardly she was vowing that if whoever had done this to Silver got within range of her wand, they would be very sorry indeed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
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Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Mentally, Draco cursed himself. It had been so quick, so instinctive, he had almost ruined it all. As it was, he still knew that his entire frame had briefly jerked away from her, and he'd been within the barest seconds of bolting. Even more to his surprise, she had not seemed offended - rather, her touch gentled further. He lay still for a moment, a bit lost as to what was happening. For so long, long as he could remember, whenever someone had touched him, it was to cause pain. Fighting down his father's image, looming angrily in his mind, he turned his muzzle, very slowly, to nudge the stroking fingers.
/\_/\_/\_/\_/\
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As the tiny, velvet soft nose touched her hand, elation swept through Ginny. He must have been abused, she was sure of it - but with that tiny contact, she knew what Silver was trying to tell her. He trusted her. He knew that she would never cause him pain. How he could do that mystified her. She had been preparing to spend long hours, coaxing and patient, trying to get through to him, but with that delicate touch, she knew that what might have taken so long to find had come in an instant. In a way, Ginny understood. It was why she had hazarded her fingers inside of his cage, ignoring his earlier hisses. Somehow, each knew to trust the other. And Ginny felt, as she softly rubbed the silken fur, that they always would.
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They stayed that way for a moment, silver eyes held by misty green, before Ginny almost regretfully withdrew her hand.
"Mum'll be up soon. Do your eyes feel better?"
He nearly nodded, but suppressed it quickly, in favor of blinking inquiringly up at her. He wasn't sure, exactly, why he didn't want them guessing who he was. The obvious reason was that, if bookworm Granger said a spell couldn't be removed, he was inclined to believe her, and the Burrow wasn't the best place for the heir to the Malfoy family, in ferret form, to be discovered. (He had a sudden vision of Potter's sidekick re-enacting the second part of Moody's punishment.) But part of him couldn't help realizing that if Ginny knew who it truly was who had shared that long, understanding regard with her. ..she'd never forgive him, never trust him, again. 'But after all', he silently argued with his subconscious, 'once the year's up, I'm gone anyway, and good riddance to her! I just don't want her to know before the spell fades. That's all.' His subconscious remained smugly silent.
/\_/\_/\_/\_/\
((Any 'Acorna' fans out there? See if you can spot one of Aari's quotes in this chapter!))
Dracos Gal: Alright, I've done my best. Here's an extra-long chapter, just for you and your dolphins~_*
Chocolate Muse: Glad you're enjoying the story:)
RoseBookends: Sorry! Usually I try to torture my characters, not my readers;).))
Disclaimer: Not mine.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
~*~*~*~*~*~
Smiling at Silver's obvious relief, Ginny lightly stroked his fur through the bars. It was a rather bold move, considering her limited knowledge of his demeanor, but he seemed more fearful than angry. His tiny ears flicked instantly forwards, and he nearly flinched away. His deep eyes rested on her for a moment, almost as if he were considering her, then he very slightly leaned into her fingers. Though it was quickly overshadowed by her pleasure at his acceptance, a white-hot rage swept through Ginny. She hadn't been blind during her Care of Magical Creatures lessons, and she knew where Silver's reaction must have come from. Hagrid was in the habit of taking in animals, magical and muggle, who had been abused. Though she outwardly calmed her reaction, so as not to startle him, inwardly she was vowing that if whoever had done this to Silver got within range of her wand, they would be very sorry indeed.
~*~*~*~*~*~
/\_/\_/\_/\_/\
Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Mentally, Draco cursed himself. It had been so quick, so instinctive, he had almost ruined it all. As it was, he still knew that his entire frame had briefly jerked away from her, and he'd been within the barest seconds of bolting. Even more to his surprise, she had not seemed offended - rather, her touch gentled further. He lay still for a moment, a bit lost as to what was happening. For so long, long as he could remember, whenever someone had touched him, it was to cause pain. Fighting down his father's image, looming angrily in his mind, he turned his muzzle, very slowly, to nudge the stroking fingers.
/\_/\_/\_/\_/\
~*~*~*~*~*~
As the tiny, velvet soft nose touched her hand, elation swept through Ginny. He must have been abused, she was sure of it - but with that tiny contact, she knew what Silver was trying to tell her. He trusted her. He knew that she would never cause him pain. How he could do that mystified her. She had been preparing to spend long hours, coaxing and patient, trying to get through to him, but with that delicate touch, she knew that what might have taken so long to find had come in an instant. In a way, Ginny understood. It was why she had hazarded her fingers inside of his cage, ignoring his earlier hisses. Somehow, each knew to trust the other. And Ginny felt, as she softly rubbed the silken fur, that they always would.
~*~*~*~*~*~
/\_/\_/\_/\_/\
They stayed that way for a moment, silver eyes held by misty green, before Ginny almost regretfully withdrew her hand.
"Mum'll be up soon. Do your eyes feel better?"
He nearly nodded, but suppressed it quickly, in favor of blinking inquiringly up at her. He wasn't sure, exactly, why he didn't want them guessing who he was. The obvious reason was that, if bookworm Granger said a spell couldn't be removed, he was inclined to believe her, and the Burrow wasn't the best place for the heir to the Malfoy family, in ferret form, to be discovered. (He had a sudden vision of Potter's sidekick re-enacting the second part of Moody's punishment.) But part of him couldn't help realizing that if Ginny knew who it truly was who had shared that long, understanding regard with her. ..she'd never forgive him, never trust him, again. 'But after all', he silently argued with his subconscious, 'once the year's up, I'm gone anyway, and good riddance to her! I just don't want her to know before the spell fades. That's all.' His subconscious remained smugly silent.
/\_/\_/\_/\_/\
((Any 'Acorna' fans out there? See if you can spot one of Aari's quotes in this chapter!))