Chapter 2
"It's stress! All these extra lesson, exams, quidditch practice, late nights and un unhealthy diet. Takes its toll. He should take better care of himself."
Ginny nodded vaguely at Madame Pomfrey as she watched her tend to Draco, chattering away.
When she had finished she turned to Ginny and said "He'll be fine. You can stay with him if you want. He might want someone to talk to."
"OK" replied Ginny as she watched Madame Pomfrey retreating to her office at the other side of the hospital wing.
Ginny moved her chair closer to the bed where Draco lay, still unconcious, and touched his hand lightly. She looked at him closely for the first time in her life. He had clear, translucent skin, well-defined cheekbones and hair that resembled smooth silver silk. He looked like an angel. Ginny chuckled to herself - a fallen angel more like! His eyes started to flicker and Ginny realised she still had hold of his hand. She let go quickly as Draco let out a groan. His eyes opened fully and flicked around the room, finally landing on Ginny.
"What happened?"
"You fainted. From stress. How are you feeling?"
"Tired. Why are you still here?"
"I.. I don't know" Ginny stutterred, blushing as she looked in Draco's deep, stormy grey eyes.
"I'll go"
"No! Sorry, I didn't mean.I just wondered."
Ginny's eyes widened at Draco's outburst. He never lost his cool. Something must be really wrong.
"Do you want me to stay?"
Draco dropped his eyes but nodded glumly.
"So, do you want to talk about why you're so stressed? It might help to get it off your chest."
"You have to promise not to say anything about this to anyone. Not even Potter" he said through gritted teeth, wishing it wasn't Ginny he was going to tell his secrets to but trusting her for some reason he couldn't explain.
Ginny thought about this and then curiosity got the better of her and she agreed.
"I promise."
Draco began to tell her about his father and becoming a death eater against his will. He told her that his father had beaten him when he questioned his motives or actions. He looked into her chocolate eyes showing her the pain and confusion hidden inside of him as a solitary tear rolled down Ginny's cheek. It amazed her how he had bottled it all up, keeping cool and calm on the surface while feeling completely trapped in a loveless world he didn't want ato be a part of. Just as Draco finished, Madame Pomfrey came back in, bustling around and scolding Draco for not taking better care of himself. She told him he was free to go as long as he went straight to bed to rest. Draco nodded and began to get up. Ginny noticed he only had his trousers on and she quickly turned away, blushing at the sight of his muscular chest and arms. She began to walk towards the door but Draco's hand grabbed her arm and spun her back rond.
"Erm.Ginny.I just.Well.I want to say.That is I."
Ginny watched him squirm as he tried to think of what to say. She quite enjoyed the fact that the usually eloquent Malfoy was lost for words. Finall he managed to spit it out.
"Thanks."
"Your welcome."
She smiled at him and he smiled back without the faintest trace of a smirk. She walked out of the hospital wing and towards the Gryffindor common room with a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"It's stress! All these extra lesson, exams, quidditch practice, late nights and un unhealthy diet. Takes its toll. He should take better care of himself."
Ginny nodded vaguely at Madame Pomfrey as she watched her tend to Draco, chattering away.
When she had finished she turned to Ginny and said "He'll be fine. You can stay with him if you want. He might want someone to talk to."
"OK" replied Ginny as she watched Madame Pomfrey retreating to her office at the other side of the hospital wing.
Ginny moved her chair closer to the bed where Draco lay, still unconcious, and touched his hand lightly. She looked at him closely for the first time in her life. He had clear, translucent skin, well-defined cheekbones and hair that resembled smooth silver silk. He looked like an angel. Ginny chuckled to herself - a fallen angel more like! His eyes started to flicker and Ginny realised she still had hold of his hand. She let go quickly as Draco let out a groan. His eyes opened fully and flicked around the room, finally landing on Ginny.
"What happened?"
"You fainted. From stress. How are you feeling?"
"Tired. Why are you still here?"
"I.. I don't know" Ginny stutterred, blushing as she looked in Draco's deep, stormy grey eyes.
"I'll go"
"No! Sorry, I didn't mean.I just wondered."
Ginny's eyes widened at Draco's outburst. He never lost his cool. Something must be really wrong.
"Do you want me to stay?"
Draco dropped his eyes but nodded glumly.
"So, do you want to talk about why you're so stressed? It might help to get it off your chest."
"You have to promise not to say anything about this to anyone. Not even Potter" he said through gritted teeth, wishing it wasn't Ginny he was going to tell his secrets to but trusting her for some reason he couldn't explain.
Ginny thought about this and then curiosity got the better of her and she agreed.
"I promise."
Draco began to tell her about his father and becoming a death eater against his will. He told her that his father had beaten him when he questioned his motives or actions. He looked into her chocolate eyes showing her the pain and confusion hidden inside of him as a solitary tear rolled down Ginny's cheek. It amazed her how he had bottled it all up, keeping cool and calm on the surface while feeling completely trapped in a loveless world he didn't want ato be a part of. Just as Draco finished, Madame Pomfrey came back in, bustling around and scolding Draco for not taking better care of himself. She told him he was free to go as long as he went straight to bed to rest. Draco nodded and began to get up. Ginny noticed he only had his trousers on and she quickly turned away, blushing at the sight of his muscular chest and arms. She began to walk towards the door but Draco's hand grabbed her arm and spun her back rond.
"Erm.Ginny.I just.Well.I want to say.That is I."
Ginny watched him squirm as he tried to think of what to say. She quite enjoyed the fact that the usually eloquent Malfoy was lost for words. Finall he managed to spit it out.
"Thanks."
"Your welcome."
She smiled at him and he smiled back without the faintest trace of a smirk. She walked out of the hospital wing and towards the Gryffindor common room with a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.
