A couple of days went by before Eili and Draco met on the ground called 'happy medium' once again. Eiliethyia wasn't expecting it either. She was sitting out in the garden with that leather bound book when the messenger dart came. She sighed and muttered something to herself... She didn't have enough time to take the book back to her room and meet him in the Ghost Garden.
She should have known better than to bring the book out into the light of day. She could only hope that Draco would think it to be a library book and nothing more. She gathered her things and went to the place where the Ghost Garden lay hidden. She pushed on the wall and went through the opening that appeared. She set the old leather book off to the side in a corner, hoping that Draco wouldn't notice it.
Draco was at his wit's end. Between classes, the Great Greek Mystery and his own personal demons, he was in a very stressful place. Hence why he'd sent the dart to Allie Cat. She might have been part of the problem, but he needed some time away from the people that expected him to be the malicious young man that he had been. It was all getting to be far too much.
He should have known that something was up from the look on her face. She had that almost fearful, cat ate the canary look in her eyes. To add to that, her usual nervous countenance was even more so than usual... However, he had chosen to ignore the signs... Perhaps it was foolish, or perhaps he'd just had too many other things on his mind to read the warning signs.
"Have you come up with a plan yet, little Allie Cat?" He asked as he took a seat. She merely sighed and shook her head, looking a little apologetic through the haze of other emotions that were darting over her face.
"I am sorry, class work has not given me much free time to work on it."
"I see, well please, try to soon. I'm not sure how much longer I can lead this double life. I don't know how you do it." He sighed.
"What do you mean?" She asked nervously and almost defensively, even more fear hiding in the depths of her nearly black gaze.
"The life between the girl and the cat. How you can keep it together, is nothing short of amazing." He replied. However, all the while, he was making mental notes about her replies and reactions. She breathed a sigh of relief...
"Oh... well I suppose I am just used to it. I don't even think about it anymore."
"Must be nice."
"You will reach that point too Draco. Do not worry so much." She said softly, trying to be supportive.
"If I don't, sooner or later, something is going to have to give... Hopefully I won't snap if it does. That would be most unfortunate – don't you think?" He inquired.
"It would be. But it will not happen. You are stronger than that Draco." She said softly. She sighed and leaned back against the stone wall. She risked a glance over to the book, hoping that Draco didn't notice.
However, Draco was an observant young man. He could also pretend that he wasn't paying attention, even though he was. He waited until she looked away before stealing a glance at the corner that had previously occupied her attention. He noticed the book and casually glanced away before she could catch him.
Now this was an interesting development. What was it? By her reaction to it, it couldn't be something for an assignment. Besides, it didn't look like any of their class books, nor did it appear to be one from the library either. Also, why had she put it over in the corner? It was as if she was trying to hide something... but what?
Some puzzle pieces were starting to fit together. Though, even as they did, many more questions were surfacing. Perhaps that book was the key. With her reaction to it, he was inclined to believe so anyway. His mind began racing to work on a way to get his hands on that book. However, if it did hold the answers he sought, he was sure she wouldn't bring it out around him again... nor would she willingly hand it over.
He must have caught her at a time when she couldn't take it back to her room. So, this meant he probably only had this chance to get it. He still didn't know how though. He would figure something out, he was sure... but what to do in the mean time? Keep her distracted and study her reactions and see if there were any clues in that he supposed.
She kept looking over to the book every so often when she thought that Draco wasn't looking. It made her nervous that it was here with him. She didn't like it at all. But she couldn't do anything about it. If she drew attention to the book, it would all be over. He'd know something was up and he'd hound her or use his powers of persuasion to make her tell him. So she was stuck. She wanted to run, but she couldn't leave the book. Damn it. What could she do/
What should he do? Allie Cat was becoming a nervous wreck and he was almost positive that book had a lot to do with it. The fact that the book was here with them and not lock up somewhere in his room he guessed. He was becoming more and more convinced through her nervousness that the book indeed held the answers he was looking for. Why else would she be so afraid of him and the book being in the same place?
So, should he just confront her now then? No, in her current nervous state it would only make her less sure of him. So, how to get the book? He still couldn't think of a way that wasn't entirely obvious. He kept hoping that an opportunity would present itself. He shouldn't be doing this. He wanted her to relax and trust him and here he was up to old tricks and against her no less. Damn it all to hell. A different tactic then...
"What's wrong Eiliethyia?" He asked, trying to push his curiosity out of the way enough for his concern to show through.
"Nothing, I am fine."
"You're more nervous than usual Eiliethyia, so what's bothering you?"
"It is nothing Draco, just leave it alone." She sighed. Why did he have to keep using her name? Why was he using her actual name all of the sudden anyway?
"Well now that most certainly doesn't seem like nothing. It rather sounds like something... What is up?" He asked more intently, watching her closely.
"Why must you do this? Why can you not just leave me alone?" She nearly whimpered.
"I'm just trying to help. You're upset – obviously distraught. You've helped me, but you won't let me help you. You refuse to trust me, you refuse to relax around me. You misunderstand my intentions and you keep running away and hiding... Why?"
"No... stop... Just Stop Draco.... Please."
"Not until you tell me why. Give me a reason Eiliethyia... just one."
"It is none of your business." She cried as she stormed out of the Ghostly Garden. She ran far and away from the castle. Stumbling by the tree line, halfway past the lake. She was crying, shaking and scared. She'd also left the book behind... but she didn't care about that... right now she just wanted to get away.
Draco was torn. Should he chase after her? Or should he seek out that illusive information he was now almost positive was contained in that book? He'd rather get her to tell him, but after this most recent encounter it seemed even less likely... However, once he got the information, she'd know where it came from and then she'd never trust him... Damn his growing conscience.
If he hadn't been a Prefect, if he hadn't been trying so hard to gain her trust and prove he wanted to change, he might have just given into temptation and just read the book. However, even he had to admit that that course of action was counter productive... However, there was another option now... he only hoped it would work and that she wouldn't hate him for it... He also hoped that she hadn't gotten herself hurt while she'd run off... he took the book and ran off in the direction she had gone...
She should have known better than to bring the book out into the light of day. She could only hope that Draco would think it to be a library book and nothing more. She gathered her things and went to the place where the Ghost Garden lay hidden. She pushed on the wall and went through the opening that appeared. She set the old leather book off to the side in a corner, hoping that Draco wouldn't notice it.
Draco was at his wit's end. Between classes, the Great Greek Mystery and his own personal demons, he was in a very stressful place. Hence why he'd sent the dart to Allie Cat. She might have been part of the problem, but he needed some time away from the people that expected him to be the malicious young man that he had been. It was all getting to be far too much.
He should have known that something was up from the look on her face. She had that almost fearful, cat ate the canary look in her eyes. To add to that, her usual nervous countenance was even more so than usual... However, he had chosen to ignore the signs... Perhaps it was foolish, or perhaps he'd just had too many other things on his mind to read the warning signs.
"Have you come up with a plan yet, little Allie Cat?" He asked as he took a seat. She merely sighed and shook her head, looking a little apologetic through the haze of other emotions that were darting over her face.
"I am sorry, class work has not given me much free time to work on it."
"I see, well please, try to soon. I'm not sure how much longer I can lead this double life. I don't know how you do it." He sighed.
"What do you mean?" She asked nervously and almost defensively, even more fear hiding in the depths of her nearly black gaze.
"The life between the girl and the cat. How you can keep it together, is nothing short of amazing." He replied. However, all the while, he was making mental notes about her replies and reactions. She breathed a sigh of relief...
"Oh... well I suppose I am just used to it. I don't even think about it anymore."
"Must be nice."
"You will reach that point too Draco. Do not worry so much." She said softly, trying to be supportive.
"If I don't, sooner or later, something is going to have to give... Hopefully I won't snap if it does. That would be most unfortunate – don't you think?" He inquired.
"It would be. But it will not happen. You are stronger than that Draco." She said softly. She sighed and leaned back against the stone wall. She risked a glance over to the book, hoping that Draco didn't notice.
However, Draco was an observant young man. He could also pretend that he wasn't paying attention, even though he was. He waited until she looked away before stealing a glance at the corner that had previously occupied her attention. He noticed the book and casually glanced away before she could catch him.
Now this was an interesting development. What was it? By her reaction to it, it couldn't be something for an assignment. Besides, it didn't look like any of their class books, nor did it appear to be one from the library either. Also, why had she put it over in the corner? It was as if she was trying to hide something... but what?
Some puzzle pieces were starting to fit together. Though, even as they did, many more questions were surfacing. Perhaps that book was the key. With her reaction to it, he was inclined to believe so anyway. His mind began racing to work on a way to get his hands on that book. However, if it did hold the answers he sought, he was sure she wouldn't bring it out around him again... nor would she willingly hand it over.
He must have caught her at a time when she couldn't take it back to her room. So, this meant he probably only had this chance to get it. He still didn't know how though. He would figure something out, he was sure... but what to do in the mean time? Keep her distracted and study her reactions and see if there were any clues in that he supposed.
She kept looking over to the book every so often when she thought that Draco wasn't looking. It made her nervous that it was here with him. She didn't like it at all. But she couldn't do anything about it. If she drew attention to the book, it would all be over. He'd know something was up and he'd hound her or use his powers of persuasion to make her tell him. So she was stuck. She wanted to run, but she couldn't leave the book. Damn it. What could she do/
What should he do? Allie Cat was becoming a nervous wreck and he was almost positive that book had a lot to do with it. The fact that the book was here with them and not lock up somewhere in his room he guessed. He was becoming more and more convinced through her nervousness that the book indeed held the answers he was looking for. Why else would she be so afraid of him and the book being in the same place?
So, should he just confront her now then? No, in her current nervous state it would only make her less sure of him. So, how to get the book? He still couldn't think of a way that wasn't entirely obvious. He kept hoping that an opportunity would present itself. He shouldn't be doing this. He wanted her to relax and trust him and here he was up to old tricks and against her no less. Damn it all to hell. A different tactic then...
"What's wrong Eiliethyia?" He asked, trying to push his curiosity out of the way enough for his concern to show through.
"Nothing, I am fine."
"You're more nervous than usual Eiliethyia, so what's bothering you?"
"It is nothing Draco, just leave it alone." She sighed. Why did he have to keep using her name? Why was he using her actual name all of the sudden anyway?
"Well now that most certainly doesn't seem like nothing. It rather sounds like something... What is up?" He asked more intently, watching her closely.
"Why must you do this? Why can you not just leave me alone?" She nearly whimpered.
"I'm just trying to help. You're upset – obviously distraught. You've helped me, but you won't let me help you. You refuse to trust me, you refuse to relax around me. You misunderstand my intentions and you keep running away and hiding... Why?"
"No... stop... Just Stop Draco.... Please."
"Not until you tell me why. Give me a reason Eiliethyia... just one."
"It is none of your business." She cried as she stormed out of the Ghostly Garden. She ran far and away from the castle. Stumbling by the tree line, halfway past the lake. She was crying, shaking and scared. She'd also left the book behind... but she didn't care about that... right now she just wanted to get away.
Draco was torn. Should he chase after her? Or should he seek out that illusive information he was now almost positive was contained in that book? He'd rather get her to tell him, but after this most recent encounter it seemed even less likely... However, once he got the information, she'd know where it came from and then she'd never trust him... Damn his growing conscience.
If he hadn't been a Prefect, if he hadn't been trying so hard to gain her trust and prove he wanted to change, he might have just given into temptation and just read the book. However, even he had to admit that that course of action was counter productive... However, there was another option now... he only hoped it would work and that she wouldn't hate him for it... He also hoped that she hadn't gotten herself hurt while she'd run off... he took the book and ran off in the direction she had gone...