Chapter Two: Fall and Break

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine.

Grab a cup of coffee; it's going to be a long chapter. J

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The weeks had come and gone, seeing the development between Draco and Gemini. Sneers in the halls slowly turned to half-smiles, when no one else was looking. Feelings of hatred and disgust turned to warm tingling in the stomach, and meetings away from the student body became ever frequent.  If there was one thing that a Malfoy could do better than anyone else, it was to hide or conceal something. Therefore, no one knew about his and Gemini's growing relationship.

It was Saturday night. Gryffindor had just won their game against Ravenclaw, and were celebrating long and hard over a late dinner. It had gone on for an extra hour than it should've. Draco, after finding out that Gemini was on the team (the previous week) promised her a celebration of their own.  After they had both slipped away from the feast, they retreated to the Gryffindor common's room, which was totally and completely deserted. They ate a conjured meal, and sat down in one of the plushy armchairs, talking and just sitting in each other's arms.

Then they fell asleep.

Ron, stomach full from a magnificent feast in his house's honor, entered the Gryffindor commons room before anyone else had left the hall. He noticed that Gemini hadn't been present, strange, considering that she was a chaser on the team. Ron, captain and fellow chaser, hadn't even noticed that she had disappeared, but he had the feeling that she was hiding up in the Tower, for whatever reason she may have had. As the portrait swung shut, Ron walked through the maze of furniture. Frowning, he stopped beside the fireplace to peer closely at two empty, crumb-ridden plates. Then he looked up at the armchair on the other side of the table. To his dismay and horror, Gemini and Draco were curled together, asleep. He fought the urge to hit something and shook Gemini, who awoke with a start.

"What the hell?" Beside her, Draco stirred. She stared up at the young redhead watching her. "Ron?" Gemini sat up, startling the Slytherin awake. "Oh no…"

"Luv—what's wrong?" Draco asked sleepily. Gemini looked at him, then nodded to Ron. Draco's eyes widened, and he sat up as well, smoothing his hair with one hand.

"He's got to get out of here!" Ron said furiously pointing at Draco, who still had one arm around Gemini. "Everyone's on their way back from the feast! You'll be caught!" Ron looked at Gemini worriedly. "He can't be found up here, Gem!"

"Stop pretending as if I'm not here!" Draco said haughtily. Glaring at him, he lightly kissed Gemini's collarbone. She half-sighed.

Ron's clenched jaw twitched. "Well you are here, aren't you, and that's the problem!" He shook his head. "Too bad we can't just throw you out a window…"

The low mumbling outside the portrait door reached the three teen's ears. With a flick of his wrist, Draco flung a jug of fruit juice across the room. It shattered near the tower entrance, and spread in all directions.

"What are you doing?" Ron hissed.

Draco opened his mouth to make a smart retort, but Gemini grabbed him by the arm. "Diversion, Ron!" Leaving her friend to deal with those arriving in the Tower, she led Draco in the direction of the dorms. "We'll hide in my room, come on." They disappeared up the stairs just as the first wave of Gryffindors came into the room, led by Harry Potter.

"What happened here?" Harry asked curiously, stepping carefully around the puddle on the floor.

Ron turned in a circle by the fire. "Uh…tripped…" Neville, coming in right behind Harry, slipped on the floor.

~

Gemini kissed Draco swiftly, as he bobbed outside of the window. "Leave my broom in the Gryffindor locker rooms – on top of the third row—I'll get it later." He nodded, and nudged the broom. "Wait!"  Draco glanced at her. "Be careful..."

He smiled slyly. "Always am…" He then turned and flew off into the night, school robe fluttering behind him.

Gemini leaned over the window banister, watching as her blonde boyfriend slowly vanished from sight. Her heart was still pounding from the scare she had gotten when she woke up to find Ron standing over them. Ron. Gods. What was she going to tell Ron?

The dorm door swung open and then slammed shut. Gemini spun around with a short yelp, stomach in her throat. It was Ron. His bright blue eyes were wild, and he quickly strode over to where she was standing near the ledge. "What were you thinking, Gem? Draco Malfoy?" He collapsed onto the bed nearest her. "You know that he's bad news! Think about his father! He had ties with the Dark Lord!"

"I know that, Ron." Gemini said quietly, watching as the young man raked shaking hands through fiery red hair.

"But…" He looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Why Malfoy of all people?" He hesitated before going on. "Have you changed that much?"

Gemini sat down beside Ron with a sigh. "He's not all that bad, you know, Ron. He was just born into a bad family." She took his hands into her own. "I really do like him for the good that he has inside."

"Good inside?" Ron said with a quirked look. "What is he, a diamond in the rough?"

"That's exactly what he is." Gemini insisted. "He is trying to find a hold on life." She leaned on Ron's shoulder. "I want to be that."

"Gem…" Ron trailed off.  "I don't want to see you hurt…guys like him, they treat people like trash. What makes you any different?"

"He likes me." Gemini said firmly. "He loves me."

"Do you love him?" Ron asked with some difficulty.

"Of course I do."

~*~*~*~

For the next three weeks, whenever Draco and Ron one another, there would be a stiff silence and then a small nod. Ron, for the most part, stayed out of the way, and Draco, for his part, held back on his insulting and endless teasing. Sneers escaped once and a while, but they were kept to a minimum.

Gryffindor's Quidditch game against Slytherin rolled around near Halloween, and Gemini found herself getting a personal pep talk from Ron in the locker room.

"You have to remember that no matter what happens out there, Slytherin is still the other team." Ron said in a low voice as Gemini fiddled with the laces on her robe. Seeing that she was having some trouble with them, he laced them up for her, letting her tie off the bow. "Draco is your opponent now."

Gemini rolled her eyes. "Ron, he's a seeker; I'm a chaser. He's hardly any of my concern right now."

Ron handed her her broom. "Don't just brush me off, Gem! If you are on the field, and you see a bludger heading for his skull, you let him figure it out! This isn't a time to help the other team! You must remember that he's the enemy!" The fanfare sounded outside, and the rest of the team were already heading for the exit. "Just stay focused on the game, all right?"

"Fine, fine…" Gemini grumbled.

~

It was a perfect day for Quidditch, really. I can sit on my broom without really worrying that I'll be blown off course or suddenly thrown into a tree by a strong gust of rain and sleet. I've played in weather like that before. It's a bitch looking for the bloody golden ball when it's like that.

"Evans scores! Score is now forty-forty tie! The Quaffle goes to Team captain Ron Weasley, and they start off to the goals once more…"

So. She's as good as her broomstick model implies. Very nice. I ducked under an oncoming bludger, and dipped out of Potter's flight path as he flew in my direction. As much as I love Gemini, I still can't stand Potter. I don't see what's so great about the 'Golden Child.' Feh.

"Pay attention, Draco!"

A gust of wind blew my hair back as Gemini sped by on her Nightshade 10. She was still looking at me as my eyes followed her. Vaguely I saw a red blur heading her way. A warning slipped from my lips as she turned to face the approaching danger.

"No!"

"And Harry Potter has spotted the—but what's this? Chaser Gemini had been knocked off her broom by a bludger! Someone catch the girl!"

"Blast it!" I tore off after Gemini's form, edging my broom on, and wishing that I had a faster model. The ground was approaching ever faster, and I could see Gemini's face clearly. Her eyes were closed. Gods, no. "Gemini!"

"Harry Potter has the snitch!"

"Leviosa Forberi!" A pale pink cloud appeared underneath Gemini, slowing her down considerably. I reached out and managed to wind on arm around her waist. I pulled up sharply, feet barely brushing the ground. With a heave, I lifted Gemini's limp body over the shaft of my boom. Of course, in my haste, I tilted the whole other direction. We tumbled off the broom and into the turf grass of the pitch.

Ow. "Gemini…" I hugged the girl closer to me. I could hear her breathing, and I could feel her heart pounding next to mine. Gods. I had her. She was all right.

"Let her go!"

"No…" No! She's mine!

"Let her go, dammit!" A fist appeared out of nowhere and hit me. Gemini was torn out of my arms, and I reached for her. My hands were knocked away. I squinted up at a furious Ron Weasley. He gripped the collar of my robes and jerked me to mere inches away from his face. "Damn you Malfoy; this is all your fault!"

"I saved her!"

"You distracted her!" He snarled. I have never seen him this mad before…even at me. Was there something more between him and Gemini than I had thought? "If she didn't turn to yell at you, she'd be fine!" He pushed me away, disgust written across his features.  

"Gemini…" I sat up, looking for her.

Harry Potter was suddenly nearby, turning to glare at me from another small circle to my left. "Leave her alone, Malfoy. Her friends will take care of her."

Leaning on my broom as I stood, I suddenly felt sick. Gods, Gemini, I didn't do anything wrong…

~*~*~*~

It took a while for all of Gemini's friends to clear out of the hospital wing, Ron being forcefully removed by Madam Pomfery as the last of them. It was then, when she was trying to keep him out, that Draco sneaked in, taking up a spot by Gemini's side.

Draco smoothed the dark raven colored hair away from her face, carefully avoiding the four stitches along the side of her left jawline. She's so pale… He blinked, eyes blurry. Aghast at the thought that he might cry, Draco blinked several more times until his eyesight was clear. "I'm…sorry." There was no reply, but Draco continued on. "I am so sorry…" It was hard to say at first, but he found that it was easier when no one was there to listen to him. "Maybe…maybe this was a sign." He paused, as if waiting for a reply. Draco leaned closer to Gemini, chin resting on the pillow beside her head. "You're so beautiful…" He breathed. Jerking back, he sat straight on the bedside. "I wish you were awake…then I could talk to you…"

"What makes you think that she would want to talk to you?"

Draco's head lifted just in time to see Harry and Ron appear out of thin air. "How did you get in here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Harry said frostily. He was folding a long sheet of glimmering fabric over one arm.

"Of course…an invisibility cloak…" Draco grinned impishly at them. "I always wondered how you did it…"

"Cut the act Malfoy." Harry said shortly. "Why are you here? To finish the job?"

Draco frowned. "Finish the job, Potter? I don't follow you."

Harry sneered. "On the pitch."

Draco stood, eyes narrowing. "I did nothing." He hissed. "I tried to save her! Where you even watching? I dived to catch her!"

"Hermione's floating charm saved her, not you." Ron said. "I don't know what you're playing at, but we'll figure it out. We'll find out what you're up to, and why you need to involve Gemini."

"You bloody idiots!" Draco growled. "I am up to nothing! I'd never hurt her! Gemini is all I have anymore."

Harry scoffed. "I saw you, that day, along with all the rest of your 'fellow wizards.' Remember? At the end of the Triwizard Tournament?"

Draco gasped, eyes darting to Gemini's sleeping form. He'd almost forgotten about that. "Shut up, Potter. You don't know what you're delving into."

"You haven't even told her, have you?" Ron asked quietly. For once, he was playing the calm collected one, and Harry was the enraged friend. "She doesn't even know that you are keeping secrets that big from her."

Draco drew a deep breath. "What is this, an interrogation?"

"Are you afraid of what she'll think of you when she finds out?" Ron asked again, his blue eyes direct.

Draco scrambled to gather his composure. "You blasted git, of course I do."

Ron stepped closer to Draco. "Then end it."

"Never."

"End it," Harry said, "Or tell her and forever remember the look of horror and disgust in her eyes." His voice was low, deadly. For a moment, he was undeniably Slytherin, emerald eyes as hard as agates. "Then see the fear, then uncertainty, and then mistrust. She'll never look at you the same."

Draco blinked, bracing himself against he sides of the bed. He felt a single tear slide down his cheek. To see horror in her violet eyes…fear…disgust…that was something that could break him…it could shatter his soul. A long moment passed in silence as the tear landed on Gemini's face. Her eyelashes fluttered. Then they opened.

"Draco?"

Oh Gods… The soft inquiry was almost enough to break his resolve. "Hello, luv…"

She reached up to touch his face, but he pulled away. She frowned, hurt in her eyes. Draco almost broke down. He had to do this. "What's wrong, Draco? Are you all right?"

Am I all right? Oh Gods…this is so hard… "Gemini, I think…" His voice worked to speak. "I think that—"

"What is it?" She looked up at him, trust shining brightly in her violet eyes.

Draco's face crumbled, but he turned it into a deep frown. "We shouldn't see each other…anymore…" She gasped, the sound almost a low cry. Draco turned sharply, striding away quickly. A dry sob escaped his throat adding to his clenched teeth. He pushed harshly past Harry and Ron, pausing only long enough to spit out one phrase. "You tell her anything, and I swear I will kill you."

Harry and Ron watched him storm out, surprise and revelation on their faces. A quiet weeping reached their ears, and they went to comfort Gemini.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Dabs her eyes* Poor Draco, how I love him so…he has such a hard life! WHAAAAHHH!!

Lol. I know that Harry and Ron sound like the bad guys in this thing, but think about it from their point of view. Ron was just waiting for Draco to screw up, and Harry knew how evil this kid was. What were they to assume? Oh well…don't worry about it, they get a chance to be the good guys again later.

See ya around!

OracleVortex

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~