Chapter Five - Sleep
Well, I could sleep forever
But it's of her I dream
If I could sleep forever
I could forget about everything
Sleep by The Dandy Warhols
Gwen had been having a recurring dream since the day at the lake with Hermione up until the Halloween Masquerade Ball. For a few mornings when she woke up she could not recall the details of the dream. But one night, as Gwen tossed and turned in fitful slumber, the dream was more vivid than ever. It wasn't so much a dream as a memory that was slightly warped.
She could see her pale haired friend standing on a wall in his garden about four feet from the ground. It looked as though he was going to jump; whether or not he was the crimson haired eight year old couldn't be sure. She was some three or four yards away from him and she began to walk towards him slowly.
Gwen stirred in her sleep but did not wake up.
The boy did not hear his friend walking behind him for he was deep in thought. Though he was only eight there was still a lot that plagued his little mind. Gwen stopped when she was only three feet from Draco, merely watching her friend. He looked so far away, like he was in another world. Gwen was a carefree child and could not understand the moods Draco sometimes got into, but she always managed to put a smile on his face. She could tell that faraway look was in his eyes now and decided she would call out to him.
"Draco!" Gwen called out in her most cheerful voice.
Draco turned to see Gwen, who had startled him from his thoughts when she had called his name. But he had turned too quickly and lost his footing. He tried to regain his balance by flailing his arms about but it didn't work and the next minute he was gone from view.
Gwen hadn't expected she would startle him so much that he would fall and was momentarily in shock. It only took her a few seconds to gather her wits and she ran over to the garden wall and knelt to look over. Though he had only fallen four feet, it was enough to hurt him badly. Gwen was so horrified at the sight before her eyes! Draco looked so broken…
"Help! Somebody, help!" Gwen called out and soon Draco's parents, who had been having lunch in the Gazebo, came running.
Gwen was still kneeling, but now quietly sobbing. It was all her fault Draco was hurt. Narcissa was comforting her and Lucius had gone down to where Draco was lying.
Gwen woke with a start, covered in sweat. She remembered the day from her dream vividly. It still made her uncomfortable to call to mind the vision of Draco lying so helpless and broken on the garden floor. She still blamed herself. Of course, Draco had been alright, nothing a Medi-Wizard couldn't fix, but she shuddered to think what would have happened if he had been standing on a taller wall.
Away, in the Slytherin Dungeon, Draco was also dreaming of his childhood friend.
It was the night of the Halloween Masquerade Ball and Draco scanned the occupants of the Great Hall for his friend, and the holder of his heart, Gwendolyn. His heart flipped in his chest when he saw her. She was breathtaking. Even beneath her mask there was no doubt in his mind who he was looking at. She was wearing Dress Robes of black, silver and deep forest green. Her crimson hair was hanging loose in brilliant red ringlets. Her mask was also green and only covered her eyes, coming to points at the top corners. Draco pushed his way through the crowd and tried to get to Gwen. He knew he was moving but he wasn't getting any closer, or maybe Gwen just kept getting further away from him. He couldn't tell. He tried to call out to her but he couldn't find his voice, all that came out was a squeak. He tried again, with more effort, and managed to shout out to her.
"Gwen! Wait!" She didn't seem to hear him. She just walked away from him and in the direction of another young wizard, also dressed for the masquerade ball: Potter!
Draco now fought frantically to reach Gwen but everyone seemed to be pushing him back. He looked up at the faces of the students and each one's face was concealed by a hideous mask. Draco's breath was now coming in short gasps but he still fought to get to Gwen. There was something he needed to tell her only he wasn't sure what it was anymore. Did he have to apologise? Well, that was part of it, but there was something inside of him, a deep seated feeling that was struggling to come to the surface just as Draco was struggling to get to Gwen.
The room began to spin out of focus and Draco found himself sitting alone in a cold, dark room with his father and a young boy. When Draco looked more closely at the two people he realised it wasn't his father, it was him in the future, and the young boy was him as a lad. Both were beckoning him to follow them, the man promising wealth and glory and never ever to feel pain. The young boy could not promise there would be no pain if he followed him but that he would have happiness.
Draco looked at the two figures in front of him. The man looked ruthless and cold, but not happy whereas the pale haired boy was full of life and joy. Draco couldn't remember feeling the way the young boy looked any other time then when he was with Gwen but thinking of Gwen now caused pain. He considered both options a minute longer and followed the man. He was led through an open door that opened into black. Draco felt suffocated by the black surrounding him, and somewhere he could here the cold, sinister laugh of the man who had led him there.
Draco fought to wake himself from his dream and sat upright in bed. He knew he must try to apologise to Gwen again, the sooner the better.
Disclaimer: You know the drill. JK Rowling owns all the characters except for Gwen.