Chessie – Thanks yet again for the fantastic beta and review! You're the best.
DragonSweetie13 – Thanks for your words of encouragement. This chapter isn't quite as lengthy as the last two, but I hope you like it all the same. :)
xkaren03x – Surprising twists…they are so much fun. There's a BIG one in this chapter.
EmmeralCho – There's a reason why Roger joined Voldie. It may not be obvious, but read on to find out!
aZnGurLy02 – Thanks for the encouraging reviews!
Ophelia Winters – Yeah, Draco is a prat. He thinks he's above everyone else and could never imagine sparing any of his own time learning about others. I would be annoyed if I were in Cho's shoes. The pompous prat. But I still love him!
nunce – Yes, the near-kiss…the sexual tension…it's all good.
Ferret Boy – I applaud Pamela for being able to get Draco's shirt partly off. She should be proud!
dusty.wings – Mwuhahahahahaha! It's so fun to be evil…just ask Draco and Voldie.
Cordy Says Hi – Thanks so much for the great review. I do try my best to keep them in character, but it's not always easy.
sardonicsmile – I'm furiously blushing right now. Someone recommended my silly fic? Gosh…that's the biggest compliment I've received. And, I'll try to keep the intensity and the characterization on the same level. :)
Disclaimer – I don't own anything except for this silly Post-Hogwarts plot.
Chapter 8 – Sense and Sensibility
The lush lawn, colorful tulips and irises, and well-manicured hedges that made up the Malfoy Manor gardens were truly a sight to behold. If anyone had asked Cho just a few months ago whether she could ever envision a day where she would be able to feel the green grass under her feet, smell the crisp cool air, or hear birds merrily chirping again, Cho would have despairingly answered 'no.' Never, not even in her wildest dreams, did Cho believe that such a day could actually come to fruition. But here she was…outside with the birds and with nature for the first time since she had been taken captive all those months ago.
She looked down at the broomstick in her hand. Roger had chosen a beautiful day to go flying. When Roger first made the suggestion, she had laughed at him. Surely he wasn't serious? But he certainly was and it felt great to be outside.
At first, she wasn't sure how Roger would be able to manage such an outing. She didn't think that Voldemort allowed his Death Eaters to just go out and play if the mood should strike them. But Roger had assured her that it was perfectly all right. It wasn't until after Roger asserted that it was a rather common practice for Death Eaters to be able to take a much-needed moment to themselves, was Cho able to relax somewhat and actually indulge in the blissful moment.
But besides the bliss she felt from just being outside, Cho also realized that it was a golden opportunity. Images of Harry and her other friends' overjoyed faces upon seeing her return safely swam before her. Escaping Malfoy Manor seemed entirely possible and even imminent and she unconsciously gripped the shaft of the broomstick harder. Once she kicked up into the air, she would fly away. Away from Malfoy Manor and away from this nightmare that she had been living for several months now. She would be on her way home. To Harry and all of her friends. The nightmare would be over.
But something was nagging at her. She desperately tried to ignore it. But it was annoyingly persistent and it was unfairly robbing her of some of the happiness and thrill she felt at the thought of returning home. Try as she might, she couldn't ignore it.
Did she dare face it and admit the obvious? Although far from welcoming or warm, Malfoy Manor had become her home for the last several months. In due course, Cho had grown accustomed to it and to the daily routine she lived each day within its confines. She had grown familiar to the large room and its lavish bath. She had grown used to assisting Madame Hinze with her duties. She had grown rather fond of her weekly visits with Narcissa. She had grown to the idea of having her old friend, Roger, around again. But most surprisingly, she had even grown comfortable again while in Draco's presence, even if just a little.
After their near-kiss, Draco slowly seemed to change his demeanor towards her. He was actually pleasant during the few occasions they had been in the same room together. He was far from friendly or kind, but at the same time, he wasn't constantly sneering or hostile either. Cho supposed that his relative pleasantness was attributable in large part to how agreeable she had become even though her predicament as his prisoner had remained unchanged. She no longer stubbornly starved herself and she had even resigned herself to assist Madame Hinze with the ailing Death Eaters. Still, her good and amiable nature had its limits. As a result, she spent most of her time in the medi-ward brewing healing potions and preparing salves rather than actually tending to patients.
"You ready, Cho?" Roger asked, his voice breaking through her thoughts.
Cho looked over at Roger and smiled. He was wearing some old Quidditch uniform he had managed to find and he seemed quite pleased with himself. Quidditch was so much a part of Roger that she seriously thought that he would die if he didn't have it.
"Are you sure you feel up to this?" Cho asked, slightly worried.
"For the tenth time, I feel fine. Besides, you were the one that discharged me. Remember?"
"I know. But, I discharged you so that you could rest and recover completely. I didn't discharge you so that you could come out here and fly around on a broom and hinder your recovery."
"Cho, don't worry about me. I know what I can handle and what I can't. Has anyone ever told you that you mother your patients too much?"
"If you're going to complain about my care, maybe I'll just let Madame Hinze tend to you the next time you get hurt," Cho quipped, staging mock indignation.
"Kidding, Cho! You know how much I prefer you over that old lady. Come on…let's not waste any more precious time down here. Are you ready to kick up?" excitement apparent in his voice.
Cho laughed at her friend. Roger was truly something. Because of him, she had learned to laugh again. Besides befriending Narcissa, rekindling her friendship with Roger was the next best thing that had happened to her since she came to Malfoy Manor. It felt good to share laughs with her friend again and she always made sure to spend some time with him each day even if there were those that disapproved of their reunion.
Both Madame Hinze and Draco had expressed their misgivings. Madame Hinze had curtly pulled Cho aside one day and voiced her misgivings, "I would remind you that you are here to help me see the men and women get better. You are not here to make friends. If you do not curb your friendly relations with him instantly, I will be all too happy to report you." In response, Cho merely gave her an unmoved look before she obstinately walked back to Roger to continue their conversation.
Draco, on the other hand, never mentioned his misgivings. Nevertheless, Cho knew that his cold grey eyes told her otherwise. She could sense the displeasure and disdain everytime his eyes passed over them and this simple unspoken act unnerved her a hundred times over Madame Hinze's blatant remark had, if she ever cared to admit it. In the end, however, she didn't let Draco dampen her reunion with Roger either.
So, the two Ravenclaw housemates carried on. They always spoke of and reminisced about their time at Hogwarts. Cho noticed that for some reason Roger didn't like to talk about the war and the fighting. Cho never pressed Roger on the matter so their conversations were almost always inevitably about Quidditch.
All of a sudden Roger dropped hold of his broom and clutched his left forearm, his face contorting in pain.
"What is it Roger?" exclaimed Cho, frightened from the look on Roger's face.
"It's the Dark Mark. The Lordship is summoning us," said Roger through clenched teeth.
"Does it hurt much?"
"Of cou…wait a second. Isn't your mark burning also?" asked a confused Roger.
Cho didn't want to lie, but she had unwisely let Roger carry on all this time thinking that she was also a Death Eater or at least had changed sides.
"Um…I haven't received it yet…Vol…the…the…the Lordship wanted to wait," Cho tried to play it off, hoping Roger would let it pass.
"The Lordship wouldn't wait on something as important as branding his followers with the Mark. Let me see your arm!" Roger demanded.
Roger then grabbed Cho's left arm and pulled up her sleeve. It was bare.
"You're not fighting on the Dark side are you, Cho?" Roger's voice had calmed down, but the glint in his eyes began to scare her.
Cho just looked at Roger. She could tell that Roger was getting more upset by the second, but she couldn't offer any explanation.
"You want to know what I think, Cho?"
Cho shook her head, her eyes wide with fear.
"I think you're a spy! You were sent here by that bloody Potter git to spy on us. He knew that I was here so he decided to send you here to get close to me and spy for the Light side! It all makes sense."
Shock now joined the fear in Cho's eyes. Roger's conclusion couldn't have been further from the truth.
"Your silence confirms my suspicions. How could you Cho? How could you use me like this? I thought we were friends! I feel so stupid! I would have never pegged you for a spy, Cho. You're so sweet and so nice. But, I suppose that would make you the perfect choice, wouldn't it? No one would suspect sweet, innocent Cho Chang of being a spy, especially that idiot Roger Davies!"
Before Cho could protest, he had pulled one strong arm back and slapped her soundly across her face. The impact was so hard that Cho fell to the ground. She raised a hand to rub her smarting cheek and felt a small pool of blood at the corner of her mouth. With tears rapidly rolling down her face, Cho shook her head and finally managed to get out, "No…no, Roger. You've got it all wrong! I'm not a spy. I…I don't think you're an idiot!"
"Now you try to deny it? What's wrong, Cho? Can't take a little pain?" Roger sneered down at her. He made another lunge for her and pulled her back up. He drew his arm back again and slapped Cho even more severely across the other cheek.
Cho couldn't do anything but repeatedly plead with Roger, "No, Roger…I'm not a spy…please…you don't understand."
"Not a spy? Then why are you here, Cho? Explain it to me if I don't understand. If you're not a bloody spy then why don't you bear the Dark Mark, Cho?"
Cho couldn't answer. For some foolish reason, she didn't want to reveal the fact that she was a prisoner and that Draco had brought her here against her will.
"Don't have anything to say, huh? Well, we'll see what you try to deny once you're in front of the Lordship!" Roger then belted another backhand across her face before gripping her wrist painfully and dragging her back to the Manor.
Cho couldn't believe what was happening. Just moments before, she and Roger were talking of old times and sharing laughs. Now, he was dragging her off to go see Voldemort. The trauma of his recent abuse and the mere thought of seeing that horrible monster caused Cho to faint dead away.
*****************
Cho opened her eyes expecting to finally experience what death would be like or at the very least be greeted by the dreariness of the cold damp cell she had first called home when she came to the Manor. Cho was shocked when she saw the familiar four-poster bed and the rich green velvet bed covers. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes as a sense of relief washed over her. It had been a nightmare…a horrific nightmare. Roger was a warm and caring friend and he would never hurt her.
But as Cho made a move to sit up, agonizing pain coursed through her body. Almost instantly she removed the bed covers and peered under her clothes. Large angry bruises and abrasions blemished her arms and legs. Unsightly red welts marked circles around her wrists. And her cheeks…she could now feel a dull throbbing ache from each cheek. Even without a mirror, she was positive that her face was now adorned with nice purple and black blotches to match those on the rest of her body.
Cho began to sob. It had been a nightmare…a nightmare that was all too real and the angry bruises and welts were all too painful reminders of what had happened. She could almost feel each brutal slap all over again and unconsciously rubbed her cheek.
Suddenly an almost irrational thought occurred to her. What if Roger was still here? What if he was lurking around in the room? She frantically cast quick furtive glances around the large room and pulled the covers protectively over her. But it was soon apparent that there was no one else and she was very alone.
She didn't know where Roger was and frankly she didn't care as a surge of anger began to build within her. Roger had no right. Cho had been fortunate enough in her life to have never experienced such physical abuse from anyone. Even Draco, as hurtful and violent as he could be, had never physically abused her. The most physical abuse she had ever experienced was the inevitable physical strain from playing Quidditch, particularly, that horrible incident that had benched her until she was able to fully recover and play again in her fourth year at Hogwarts.
Without warning, the doorknob to the room rattled and startled Cho. She immediately stared wide-eyed at it. Crazy thoughts of a livid lunatic Roger coming to deliver what he promised flashed through her traumatized mind. The anger she felt coupled with the panic sent a rush of adrenaline through her and she steeled herself to do whatever was necessary to defend herself.
Only it wasn't Roger, but a familiar blond Death Eater who had opened the door.
"Draco!" Cho exclaimed as her relieved but frenzied state of mind forced tears to cascade down her face. She quickly and desperately tried to stop them and bowed her head. She didn't want Draco to find out what had happened between her and Roger.
Draco made his way closer to where she lay in his bed.
"I see that you've awoken."
"Yes…um…you must be wondering why I'm not downstairs helping Madame Hinze. I…I'll be down in a couple of hours. I don't feel very well right now."
"Well, I should say not. After getting slapped around, I dare say that you wouldn't be up to the task. It's just as well. Madame Hinze can spare you very well for the next several days."
Cho was shocked. "You know…but how?"
"I know a good deal that happens around this Manor."
Cho shrunk a little bit, upset and mortified over the fact that he did in fact know that Roger had beaten her.
"I never trusted Davies. When he showed up three years ago claiming to want to become a Death Eater, I had my suspicions. A Ravenclaw following the Dark Lord? You must admit that it was unheard of. When pressed by Father to give a reason for siding with the Dark Lord instead of Saint Potter, Davies couldn't. All he could offer were his pathetic and ineffective services as a spy to the Light side. To this, Father scoffed. I was sure that Davies would breathe his last breath at that moment. But the Dark Lord spared him. To this day, the reason for the Dark Lord's decision has eluded me. To my Father's and my own dissatisfaction, the Dark Lord allowed him to join and Davies subsequently pledged his full allegiance. He never really caused any sort of real trouble, but it was quickly apparent that he had quite a temper about him. Regardless, I have kept my eye on him and took special note when I saw that you two had rekindled your friendship."
"Roger and I are only friends, Draco," Cho said a little too quickly and defensively.
"I didn't accuse you of anything, Cho. Besides, I know where your heart belongs, and I doubt that fool Davies could stake any sort of claim to it."
Cho inwardly sighed and waited for Draco to bring up Harry and possibly force her to yet again confess her undying love for the famous Boy Who Lived, but no reference to Harry was made, much to her surprise.
"When Davies came to me yesterday inquiring about any old Quidditch robes that I might have, as one would expect my curiosity piqued. It piqued even more when he told me that he was taking you out to go flying. Naturally, I had to keep my eye on you two. I couldn't take the risk of my prized bait attempting an escape, now could I? When I felt the burn on my left forearm, I expected Davies to call a halt to your special outing. Imagine my surprise when he not only called a halt to it but proceeded to…well, you were there. Why didn't you just tell the sodding fool why you were here at the Manor when he discovered you without the Dark Mark?"
New tears sprang to her eyes as she thought of Roger and his incensed maniacal eyes, "I…I…didn't want him to get upset at me for lying to him all this time."
"Well, I can clearly see how well that tactic worked."
Even though his sarcastic remark hurt, Cho tried her best to ignore it, "When he had discovered me without the Dark Mark, he kept accusing me of being a spy and using him to get information for the Light side when I couldn't offer him an explanation. I kept denying it, but it seemed like the more I denied it, the more his suspicions grew, the more upset he got and the more he beat me."
There was a prolonged silence before Draco responded, his tone denoting an awkward tenderness that betrayed his usual detached demeanor, "Well, what's done is done. You don't have to worry about Davies anymore."
Cho looked up from her hands as Draco mentioned the last part. Although Cho didn't know what Draco meant, she decided against pressing Draco for an explanation and remained silent. In all honesty, she didn't want to know. She was very well aware that Draco had enough autonomy as one of the head Death Eaters to do anything he pleased. Whether Roger was still alive or whether he was now dead, she didn't want to know.
Draco reached into his robes and proffered a small jar. "Here…I brought you some of that healing salve that you're so fond of." After placing it on the table beside the bed, he continued, the same awkward tenderness now present in his words, "After I leave, you should make sure that you mend your wounds. I wouldn't want Potter to think that I don't treat my guests hospitably, now would I?"
With the mention of Harry, Cho wanted so much to confront Draco of what he knew of Harry and whether Harry was made to believe that she was dead. But, she stopped herself. Draco was actually being pleasant and somewhat kind. She didn't want to ruin his mood or the moment by being antagonistic and bringing up a subject he didn't much care for. Through the awkward tone and words, she could tell that it was taking him great effort to reveal his carefully guarded caring side and remove himself from his usual cold façade. His efforts made her smile inside.
"I must go and attend to some other matters. You should also take a bath after you heal yourself. I'll have Madame Hinze come up and help you."
"Please don't bother Madame Hinze, Draco."
Feelings she had thought were forever gone…feelings she had fought so hard to bury were gradually beginning to resurface. As a result, foolish and silly notions began to fill her head and she very much wanted to call out for him to stay behind to take care of her instead.
"I can manage very well on my own," she added as her senses finally came to her. She inwardly scolded herself as she had unwisely and nearly taken her sensibilities too far for it was quite plain to her that Draco still intended to use her as bait to lure in Harry and there was no point in trying to unleash her feelings.
"Very well. Perhaps, if I have a free moment later in the evening…well, we'll see." The last part was spoken so softly that Cho barely heard what Draco had said. But she did hear and the small smile she had felt inside crept onto her face.
Before Draco was able to escape the room, Cho said softly, "Draco, thank you."
Draco lightly smirked and only offered a "Good evening, Cho," before he opened the door and vanished.
A/N: Oh my…quite a change in mood from the ending of chapter 5, don't you think? This is why chapter 8 was sooooo difficult for me to write! You don't know how hard it is for me to write Pleasant and Kind!Draco…and he's not even being that nice! Merlin help me with the later chapters. And, I made Roger to be quite the prick, didn't I? I apologize to all you Roger fans out there, but there has to be another evil person besides Draco. And last, but not least, a mini-tribute to Jane Austen. Please remember to review if you liked this chapter! Thanks!