Chapter Three: Withdrawal Symptoms

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Disclaimer: No. I don't own it.

Angst and pain and also confusion in this chapter, but it's all for the good of the relationship. Read on and see!

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Draco sat on the Quidditch Pitch bleachers, staring dully across the pitch to the other side. He barely registered the sound of several footsteps drawing ever closer to him.

"Draco, we need to talk."

Draco slowly looked up. It was Nicholas Markstone, the captain of the Quidditch team for Slytherin. "What?"

Nicholas glanced at the rest of the team that stood behind him. "We talked, and unanimously agreed that you need to get your priorities in order."

"My priorities." Draco repeated.

"We lost the game yesterday! Potter caught the snitch while you were diving after the Evans girl!" Nicholas waved an arm looking at Draco threateningly. "Is there something going on between you and that Gryffindor that we should know about?"

Draco stared up at him. "Between us?" He repeated hollowly. "I assure you, yesterday was a temporary bout of insanity. There is nothing between me and her." His voice lowered a fraction of a level. "And there never will be."

Nicolas nodded, satisfied. "Good. Then let's practice. We need to slaughter Ravenclaw next week."

Draco stood. "You know what…I don't feel so good." He started down, out of the bleachers. "I don't think that I'll fly today…"

~*~*~*~

"Oh come off it Gem, it's been two weeks now; you have to come out for things other than classes!" Marci Watson, a fourth year and beater on the house Quidditch team, banged on the door again. "The team needs you for practice! We have no backups!"

Ron appeared at the bottom of the stairwell. "She still won't come out?"

Marci nodded, throwing her bouncy brown curls over her shoulders. "She specifically said that she had no reason to come out on the weekends anymore." She leaned against the stone pillar. "Do you know what her problem is?"

Ron shrugged vaguely, crossing his arms over a tan sweater. "Let me talk to her." He pushed open the door, and closed it firmly behind him. Gemini was sitting with her knees updrawn to her stomach, on her bed. Violet eyes were bloodshot, and her jaw was set in a straight line; it was an expression that she hadn't dropped for days.

"Gem?"

"Go away Ron." She looked away from him.

"Gem, you have to forget about him."

She snorted. "As if."

"Gem, please." Ron stood in front of her, expression worried. "You have to get over him."

"I-I can't." She sobbed, her careful demeanour falling away. Ron wrapped her in a long armed hug. "Dragons, Ron, I need him!"

"I know," Ron said soothingly into her hair. "I know."

"No, you don't." She shook her head. "He completes me, Ron! He's everything that I'm not! I mean, even with…" She rested one hand on Ron's chest. "…With him I am whole. I become the yin to his yang. We are in complete balance. I thought that he…" She leaned back into Ron again. "I thought that that was how he felt too…"

Ron sighed painfully, guilt screaming stronger than ever in his mind. It was his fault, his and Harry's, but… "There's something that you should know about him, Gemini…"

"What?" Her voice was mumbled and unclear, spoken into his shoulder.

Ron hesitated. Should he? "He's…he's a…a death eater, Gem. I'm sorry." There was a long, uncomfortable silence. "Gem?"

"I know." Came a quiet response.

"You know?"

Gemini pulled away from Ron, sitting back on her pillows. "I'm not stupid, I've seen signs of the Mark on him."

"You have?"

She nodded. "It's fading, but… Besides, Hermione told me what happened in fourth year." She looked down. "Even if you didn't."

"I promised Harry that I wouldn't tell anyone." Ron said. "Or I would have."

"I know."

Ron examined the girl again, finally sighing once more. "If you promise to at least wander in the commons room, I'll talk to Malfoy."

This brought a quirked eyebrow. "You talk to Malfoy?"

Ron smiled. "I know…but I will…for you, if you want me to."

Gemini thought about it for a moment. "Well…I guess so…"

"Do you still love him?"

"Yes. Even if he doesn't love me back."

~*~*~*~

What is this blasted slop that I'm eating?

All right. So I'm not in the greatest of moods right now. Do you really want to take me on? Dinner, as disappointing as it is, is the only reason I would stay so long in the Great Hall undisturbed. I am practically one of the last left lingering over dinner. Good. I very much dislike people right now. I prefer to be cynical by myself, where I can jeer and cheer and brood over the past without any helpful commentary.

Heartstrings, what does Weasel want now? Yes-I have returned to his former mode of address. I have decided that that is what he really is; a weasel. A bloody, life ripping, girl stealing, heart-breaking weasel.

Don't even get me started on Potter, the 'Golden Child.' Golden Child my ass!

Look-he's within firing range. "What the hell do you want?" There, that ought to let him know what grounds we are fighting on. "And will I really care much?" Ha- an added bonus of venom. Want more Weasel? There's plenty where that came from…it pours from the wounds that you gave me.

"Make up with Gemini."

"Break up, make up…will you bloody well choose one?" This sort of sounds likes a cease-fire, but I'm not in a forgiving type mood. He made me tear out my heart and cut it up with a dull butter knife.

"I'm not joking around here, Malfoy. She needs you."

"Needs you, won't heed you… You are certainly one for opposites aren't you?" I must be on a roll today. I never was much good at rhyming. I'm starting to feel better. Verbal sparring was always one thing that I was good at.

"She already knows your little secret."

Gods. And Weasel throws out his trump card. Dammit, I need a trump card. "Sh-she does?" Blast it, I'm stammering.

"Yes. And she doesn't care."

Loves me. Gods. What is he trying to do to me? "I'm no fool, Weasel. What woman wouldn't care that her former boyfriend was a Death Eater?" Some heads turned my way as I stood from the table. Maybe I said that a bit too loudly. Oh well. Too late now.

"She loves you, Malfoy."

Heartstrings…she still loves me. "I hate to break it to you, but I never did."

"What?"

Better to end this now, before she gets too involved. "I never loved her." Imagine that. It's so much easier to say things like that about Gemini, when I pretend that it's for her own good. "Be sure to tell her that." I went back to my slop for food. Gods, it's disgusting.

I think that Weasel stood there for a good five minutes staring at me before he left. Good. Tell Gemini that I am the slimy, sneaky, rotten little liar that treats girls like diamonds until he gets bored and throws it away. Good. Keep her away from me. Away from what I am. I'm dangerous. You keep her safe Weasley.  I know you will.

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Being cynical with Draco is so much fun to write!!! See ya later for another exciting chapter. Will Gemini and Draco ever get back together? Find out in the next instalment or two!!

~OV

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