Authors notes: Yeah, this one's long, and doesn't have much to do with the actual plot, but it's all good!
Oh, and Draco's not as evil in this one.......... Give me your oppinion on that too!
Chapter Ten "What is it?!" Draco asked, leaping into action as I strode so quickly toward my dormitory things should've gone flying in the winds of my passing. He followed at my heels a bit, asking me over and over, but I was terrified into silence, and when I reached the stairs, he walked instead toward the door, intending to see for himself.
"Don't open it!" I cried, "They'll come in if you open it!" I stopped at the foot of the stairs, reduced to pleading for secrecy.
"Who'll come in?!" Draco shouted, turning around, "What are you talking about?!" But he didn't open the door. His head tilted slightly as he noticed that I'd broken out in a cold sweat, and he was before me before I could register whether he'd ran there or just did an appearing act. "Who is it, Terra? Is it the idiodoms? The Kadahoes?" He was trying to be as gently creative as he could, I could tell, but it truly wasn't helping much. I was still panicing. I just nodded, "B-both- we have to get out of here, we have to escape, we have to-" I silenced as a hand went to my cheek, gently stroking away the sweat drops. His other hand was on my arm, trying to calm me down from there too.
"We will." He stated softly, "Come here." He took a step toward me, moving the hand on my arm so he could take me into an embrace. Naturally, I stepped away, staring at him as if he were crazy. "Trust me." He whispered, so quietly I almost thought it was my own subconcious at first, though it didn't take long for me to realize it wasn't. I stood perfectly rigid as he kept coming towards me, and eventually slipped his arms around my waist, and pulled me close into him. I could hear the door fly open, and over his shoulder (as I'd found that he'd lifted me ever so slightly) I could see that the idiodoms had swarmed in, covering the entire room with their all consuming blackness. I saw a rather plump, gray skinned creature with a dragon head dangling from one hand, and a butcher knife in his other hand, before it all gave way to warm blackness.
I didn't know how long the blackness lasted. I slipped in and out of conciousness uncountable times, but the final time, I awoke in what looked like a treehouse. There was no furnature. There was no bell, or food, only for fencelike barriors that served as walls. I was lying in the center of it, and Draco was in a corner, leaning between the walls, watching me. One leg was bent at the knee, and his elboe rested against it. It was night time by then, and the moonlight reflected off of his hair so vibrantly he seemed to glow. Green and brown plants, probably trees, sprouted high around us, though they looked like overgrown bushes to me. So much for school.
"You ok?" Draco asked blandly, shifting his gaze away from me as if he'd only happened to glance at me in the exact moment that I awoke. I knew better. My hands immediately went to my head in dizziness, and I sat up, and crawled to join him.
"I'm alive, if that's what you mean." I stated, "Thanks." I didn't fully understand why he'd helped me, but I knew well enough that he had. In fact, he'd rescued me, never mind helped.
"Yea, I guess that's what I mean.." Draco muttered, not acknowledging my thanks, though he draped an arm over my shoulders as I leaned against the wall next to him, and I rested my head on his shoulder. I'd've cursed myself for it under normal circomstances, but as it was, I wanted to just cling and never let go- I thought I was doing well by just laying my head down. "Guess we're kind've suspended for a while..." He looked down at the plywood.
I nodded quietly before asking, "Where are we?" I couldn't help but be curious, after all, I'd never seen trees like these, and I was intensely interested. Besides, I had a right to know where we were. He didn't really need to make me disappear from myself, did he?
"Somewhere in Asia. It was the farthest I could take us at the moment. We'll go farther tomorrow." His gaze darted to the ground as he heard a twig snap, but he didn't pull away from me to examine the source. We were safe enough up here for the night, as I'd noticed that there were no ladders leading down to the ground. "We'll be in Germany by noon tomorrow, I'll wager. I've an uncle there who can give us a place to stay until things calm down at school."
"So we're going to play house." I muttered, trying not to sound huffy, but I really wasn't pleased with the idea. Here I was trying my damndest not to pounce on him and give him a 'run for his money' and he was suggesting playing house. In the same house. Without supervisors (most likely, though he hadn't said as much)
"There a problem with it?" He asked, "I could always just take you back to the school NOW and let those creatures rip you into shreds.." He smirked as I rocketed away from him, and backed up a bit, "Shhh, don't worry, I won't do it."
I was silent for a moment, though I stayed on the other side of the structure. "What time is it?" I wasn't about to admit that he actually frightened me more than he usually did. "I'm not usually this tired..."
"Somewhere around midnight." He stated, letting his head fall back and hit the wood, "You have a right to be tired, after everything that happened today. Random curses. Leaving the body. Teleporting anywhere and everywhere- it's all very destressing." I could tell that something in his tone wasn't really what you'd call 'serious' but I curled up in my little corner anyway. If he was going to give me the opportunity (even if he did it sarcastically) to sleep unraped- I was taking that opportunity.
It was shocking how I quickly I really did fall asleep.
--Morning-
The sun was shining.
Pole shaped shadows lined the wooden structure, and formed stripes of red and black over my closed eyes. Draco was above me, shaking me, trying to get me to wake up, though, I didn't want to wake up, really. I wanted to sleep and be left alone. Ha. Like that was going to happen.
"Come on, Hamilton, it's morning!" Ah, back to the last names, I noted as he poked me in the forearm. "You can't sleep all day! We have to go before someone realizes we're here!" he might as well not have been saying anything. I wasn't listening anyway. "Get up! It's almost noon!!" Well look at that. Almost noon. How wonderful.
I let out a startled yelp as cold water splashed over me, and rocketted to my feet, dripping wet, my hair soaked. Draco was still standing there with his wand pointed down at where I had been laying, no bucket anywhere. "Well." He began conversationally, though I could tell he was pleased with his clever spell, "Now that you're up, I suggest we go." He smirked, flipping the wand back and sliding it into his robe pockets.
I glared, "How -dare- you!?! See, look, I'm all wet now!!" I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest, and beginning to shiver, "And cold!" He chuckled, redrew his wand, dried me with a flick of the wrist, put the wand BACK in his pocket, and spred his arms. He'd done it all so silently, and so calmly, I was almost in shock. How DARE he! In fact, I was so shocked, that I didn't fight when his arms went around me, and we disappeared with that same dizzying unconciousness.
It wasn't long until we were in the middle of a mansion, smack dab in the center of a huge hallway. Standing on a marble floor, right under a crystal candalier, and an ceiling which had been charmed into the midnight sky. Red carpets rolled down the double stairs, one staircase on either side of the room, and there were six doors- one on other side of us, one behind us, which I assumed was the way out, one under the balconey which the stairs went up to, and three up there. Everything was spotless, and if I looked carefully enough I could see houseelves running around cleaning up dust that appeared in the last minute or so. Draco looked right at home in the grand environment. I, on the other hand, stuck out like a sore thum. My robes were dirty. My hair was matted and there was mud on my skin- though I hadn't the slightest clue how it'd gotten there. And then I saw the figure. There, in a corner, a silent sentinel stood watching us with an unmoving gaze. In fact, nothing but the house elves moved, and they were so fast I could hardly glimpse them. But the doors in the center of the balconey opened, and a man, extremely richly dressed came through. His hair was white- whiter than Dracos, though it was do more to age than bleach, and his face was one big wrinkle. A blue tunic adorned his wiry figure, and his green eyes were everything but kind.
But the woman behind him was a completely different story completely. She was in a red ball gown, for christs sake, and her brown and graying hair was in a high bun. Her skin was only slightly wrinkled- she was probably in her fifties- and her brown eyes were warm, and welcoming, and regal in their own way. I couldn't understand why this beautiful woman had taken this evil looking, cruel, decrepit old man for her husband. It must've been a child out of wedlock deal when she was a teenager. She most certainly couldn't have fallen in love with.. with.. it. I felt even more out of place.
"My my! Rupert, Draco is here!" She exclaimed, coming to the edge of the balconey and resting her black gloved hands on the railing as she stared down at us, "And he brought a little friend- oh my, my, you do need to be cleaned up, don't you?"
"Leave her alone, Sarah." Draco hissed venomously, "I didn't bring her here to be disrespected." Well at least I knew where Draco got his less likeable habits from now.
"What -did- you bring her for, then, Draco?" The old man croaked, stopping a bit behind his wife, "There is no welcoming sign for beggers here!" Yeeep. I definately knew where Draco got his less likeable traits.
"There are monsters roaming Hogwarts. They sent us home for safe keeping. My parents are in Russia on vacation, and hers are in Japan." His tone wasn't the kindest one, especially with the lies, and I could see the woman recoiled ever so slightly, as if Draco were suddenly a bright light that burned her eyes.
"And so you did a disappearing trick and came here." The man finished the statement, "Fine. You can use the barn, but you're going back to school as soon as they'll let you. I don't need little punks roaming my halls at two o clock in the morning." He scoffed. Draco was taken aback. How dare he suggest that Draco Malfoy, wizard royalty, sleep in a barn...without hair gel?! Oh cruel, cruel world!
"We're not sleeping in a barn." Draco stated outwardly, "I'm sure you can spare one of your eight mansions for a week to your beloved nephew and his lady." My eyebrow lifted. The old dudes eyebrow lifted. The womans eyebrow lifted. Since when was I 'his lady?
The man shifted and grumbled a bit at the accusation, "Fine. Fine." He mumbled, making a wide sweeping motion, "But I'll not be held responsible for anything that happens to you two!"
"I wouldn't expect it." Draco stated in a polite tone that even I could see through, "Just set up your little private floo line, and we'll be out of your hair in less than an hour." He smirked coldly as the man mumbled something under his breath, and one of the little blurs of motion sped off through one of the doors.
I was instructed to follow, so, follow I did. Through this hall, and that cooridor, until we came to a grand fireplace, twice my height, and at least as long as my entire common room wall had been. Malfoy walked right in, and proceded to throw green floo powder down, announcing some name or another. I mimiced the actions, thankfully saying the name correctly, and found myself in what I convinced myself must've been the most richly decorated mansion of all the before mentioned eight, at least it was more set to my likings, then the other one. The walls and ceiling were black, creating the illusion that the room went on for eternities, and the sofa was black leather, quite like the ones in the head room, with green throws draped elegantly over one arm. There was a picture over the fireplace, of who may've been Draco's father or grandfather- I couldn't quite tell from a distance, and sconces lined the two parrallel walls, each flaming fully. Looking down, the floor seemed to be a sea of stars, though I knew it was charmed to look that way, and the door, directly ahead of me, was huge. In the middle of the room was a wrought iron table with a slab of glass over it, on which was a crystal bowl of some kind of royal candy I hadn't yet been introduced to, and various wizard magazines. Everything, as in the other house, was spotless.
Draco noticed my stare, and smirked as he walked toward the doors, "Sarah was right." He stated blandly, "You -are- filthy." My wide eyed gaze went to him, and my hand went up to shut my mouth. I simply nodded, though, under most circomstances I would've yelled at him for saying such a thing, I was too far wrapped up in staring googly eyed at everything. His smirk broadened ever so slightly, and I almost knew that he was wondering if it was a sign of obediance. It wasn't. It was a sign of shock, was what it was.
I followed him through a marble hall. There was a door on each wall, but I didn't have time to examine it, as Draco was still walking, so, I followed him into the door directly across from us. There, the whole decor changed. The carpetting was the crimson color of blood, with gold accents about it. Griffindor colors, I noted, but I also noted that the sconces were busts of dead lions- they REALLY didn't like Griffindors... Here, the cooridor split into two halls, one of which faded slowly into green, until the dead lions turned into, quite alive, snakes. In fact, they were so alive, that they were hissing at me. On the other side the gold accents turned silver, and the lions, into bears. My jaw dropped and I stopped dead in my tracks. I had known no one who had ever so much as heard of my house, nevermind knew its house colors and mascot.
"It reacts to the personality of whoever enters it." Draco explained rather calmly, seeming to understand my shock, "Most of the house does, you see. However, a good portion more readily reacts to my presense, as it is my veigns which the Malfoy blood runs through, but that half of the house has been designated for visiters."
"Oh." I stated, feeling incredably stupid saying it, but it was all I could get out at the moment. Besides, what was I supposed to say?
"Your room and a bathroom is through there." He continued as if I hadn't said a thing, "Once your cleaned up you should find some clothes in the closet... The room should be to your liking, technically, you designed it..." He paused for a moment, as if in thought, "I will be in the study if you get lonely." He turned to walk the other way, "It won't be hard to find, this mansion is painfully small.." It wasn't small compared to -my- house, that was for sure.. However, I decided to be a good girl, and strolled through the beared hall, and through the door. Indeed the room -was- to my liking. The walls were a warm red color, and the bed was at least a triple king- seven grown men could have easily fit, and was canopied by a sheer red material, lined with silver glitter. There were two windows, one on either side of the bed, though they both opened up to darkness. There was a bureau by the door into the hall, though when I checked it, it was empty, and on the other side of that was a grand door into a grand bathroom- I'd check that out last. Parallel to that door was double, cherry doors into the closet. Thinking that I'd like to have a change of clothes before I actually took these off, I swung the doors open. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped at the assortment of dresses I'd been provided. There were white dresses, there were black dresses, there were green dresses, there were red dresses, there were blue dresses, there were yellow dresses, there were short dresses, there were long dresses- but not a pair of jeans in sight. Damn.
I shrugged and picked a dress- long, black, made of a sweater material with a slit in the front that came well up to my thighs, before entering the bathroom, and preparing a bath.
--Draco's POV-
I walzed into the library/study as I'd told Terra I would, and collapsed into one of the chairs, a bit heavier than I'd meant to. Immediately my elboe went to the arm, and my head went to my hand. What was I -thinking- to bring her here? Why hadn't I just left her in the common room and ran for my own bloody life? Why did I insist on rescuing her from anything and everything? I didn't understand, at least, I didn't want to, truly.
But she was an.. enticing little thing, wasn't she? Just the way she walked, the way she pouted, even the way the tears lingered on her pale face, like tiny diamonds, magnifying any and all beauty around them.
Oh I -knew- I should've killed her when I didn't care. I'd've saved myself all this trouble, and I probably wouldn't have even had to have run away from the school.
But then I wouldn't be alone in a mansion with her either, would I? Ah the irony. That I should find myself alone in my study contemplating my feelings for a meer witch, who may be a mudblood for all I knew. A Malfoy.. DRACO Malfoy, of all people, contemplating feelings for someone who's blood he hasn't even confirmed! Contemplating what could've been love, for crying out loud!
Love The word sounded odd, even in my thoughts, though it'd never sounded that way to me before.
Was that why I was acting this way? Did I truly love her?
I didn't want an answer, regardless of the fact that I spent the entirity of the time that Terra was away to consider it.
When she came in, I could tell that she hadn't realized that her clothes would change the moment she left her quarters, to something I prefered. A gown, this time, luckily for her. A forest green, flowing skirt, and a darker green bodice, with just the faintest whisps of silver about the arms and skirt. The bodice was a bit small for her, I noted, and that was probably how she discovered the change.
--Terra's POV-
I was choking.
Whatever atrocity my dress had morphed into was choking me.
I stared in what very well could've been shock at Draco, "What the bloody hell is this?!" I roared, but the shout only recieved a grin from him. He enjoyed my rage. "If you had to randomly change my clothes, the least you could've done was put me in something that fit!!" I watched as he, rather gracefully, in fact, went into a box of cigars, and extracted one as if he'd been smoking them for over twenty years. I half gawked as it lit with a flick of a finger, and my gaze followed as the smoke drifted and twisted lazily above him.
"Is it not to your liking?" He drawled, bringing his gaze away from the cigar, and to me as the hand holding the object was set leisurely onto the arm of his chair, "I thought it rather elegant, myself." He chuckled, bringing the cigar back to his lips, "In my house colors, no less.."
"Slytherin isn't your house anymore!" I snapped, having nothing better to argue with, "You're head boy now, the colors are black and silver!" I sighed as he just kept chuckling, and shifted my gaze toward the books, reading as many titles as I could from a distance. There were so many. The books seemed to go all the way up to heaven, though, I wouldn't have been surprised if that was just a charm. I looked back at him, an exclaimation coming to mind, "Do you enjoy torturing me, or something?!"
"Oh very much." He chuckled, conjuring an ash tray, and dropping the cigar into it as he stood. "You always react so.. passionately." He went on, strolling toward me, and circling me, "So wholly." He stopped behind me, and with a gentle sweep of his hand, pushed my hair away from my neck. His arms snaked their way around my waist, pressing me to him, and I did not fight. It was hopeless to try anyway. "I wonder..." He whispered, so close I could feel his breath on my neck and ear, "Is rage the only thing you have passion for?"
"Mostly." I responded quietly, not really comfortable in the position, but not quite as nervous as I'd've been at the start of the year- hey, at least we were both wearing clothes... "It's been like that for years." I added after a moment of silence.
"That's what happens when you're entagled in the boy who lived?" He questioned delicately, slowly pulling away from be and taking a step back.
I didn't turn, instead, my gaze went to the floor, "That's what happens when you have a family like mine." I corrected, trying despirately to hide the bitter tone in my voice. I felt his eyebrow lift. Eyebrows usually did when I came anywhere close to talking about why I was the way I was. I didn't feel like dealing with it today. "I don't want to talk about this." I turned to leave but Draco was still in front of me. He wasn't letting me through.
"Explain." It was more a statement then an order, or a suggestion. His tone was warm, comforting, even, and it astonished me to hear it coming from a Malfoy. "There are chairs." He added, motioning to the chair he'd previously been sitting in, "And firewhiskey if you want it."
"I don't drink." I commented blandly, but sat in the motioned to chair. If I wasn't going to be able to escape, I might as well take any comfort offered to me.
"Your choice." Draco stated, conjurring a chair for himself, and placing it directly in front of mine, "Now, what was it we were about to tell me?" Oh I hated that tone. It was the tone that the psyco docters took when they were talking to their patients. I got that tone a lot.
"So you're a psyciatrist now?" I hissed, resorting to rage in an effort to divert the subject, as I often did. I stood, but he just pushed me back down. Oh I saw the game. We'll pretend to treat Terra like an actual human being but when she tries to act on her own she's just a mudblood slave again. I didn't like this game. I was pureblood, dammit! Pureblood! "I'm leaving." I growled, staring him dead in the eyes, though, as usual the look faultered as he, as usual, took in a sharp breath, "Bloody hell will you -stop- that?!" I stood again, but, again, he just pushed me back down.
"You're not going anywhere." He stated through clenched teeth, not answering the unofficial question, "You're going to finish what you're saying if we have to sit here all day and all night."
"Then we'll be here for a while." I stated stubbornly. I half expected myself to try to get up again- it's an odd feeling when you can't predict your own movements- but instead, I leaned back in the chair, propped an elboe on the arm of it and brought my left foot up to the seat, an eyebrow lifted as if to ask how long he was planning on waiting.
Malfoy sighed, aggitated. "I -tried- to be nice." He muttered, "Why is it that when I -try- to be nice, you just get more stubborn?" He shook his head and stood, grasping ahold of my raised wrist, and easily dragged me off the chair, through the library and out the door. Down the hall- I had no chance of escape, I knew, even if I'd tried to struggle his grip would only tighten- Into this room, and that room- it was a maze. I stopped trying to follow where we were, and consentrated on moving without falling. We came to a room. The door was heavier than the other doors, and there were no lights inside. He pushed me against the wall, stripped me of my wand, pushed me inside the room, and shut, and locked the door. The slat slid open, letting in a strip of light, "Nothing can get in or out of that room," He hissed, "Without my permission. I'll be right outside. Tell me when you're ready to talk." And the slat closed.
I didn't know how long I was in there. It was too dark to tell whether my eyes were opened or closed, and I may've fallen asleep at some point. Every once in a while Malfoy looked in at me to make sure I was okay, or to ask me if I would talk yet, but I always refused. I didn't know why he wanted the information so much. After about the twentieth time he checked on me, I decided that night must've fallen. The newly put gel in his hair had worn off, and it fell in his face in places, and he looked weary. "Are you ready -yet-?" He asked, resting his forehead on the door to stare at me through the hole.
I glared up at him from my spot on the floor, "No I'm not ready yet- do you honestly think we're going to have a deep, heart to heart conversation after you lock me up in this- this- oubliette for god knows how long?!"
"It's not an oubliette." He defended, "It's a room without a window."
"It's a dungeon." I growled, scooting so my back was to the door, and I pulled my legs to my chest. I frowned as I heard the slat closed, and let my head fall to my knees. My resolve was dying. However, it was only seconds until the door was opened out, and I found myself lying face up on the floor, staring past Malfoy's grim looking face to the ceiling. I didn't fight as he bent over me, and lifted me up, and into a nearby chair. I was too weak to do it myself anyway.
"Are you hungry?" He asked me, almost sounding concerned.
"Are you stupid?" I growled, as if he were, indeed quite idiotic. He chuckled, and placed a tray of fruits, and cheeses, and chocolate frogs on the marble table beside me. Naturally, that's where my gaze went, but he directed me back to look at him.
"You can only have the food if you talk." He stated conversationally, before pulling up a chair and sitting before me yet again.
I glared, "You -do- enjoy torturing me." I muttered, glancing again at the food before looking at him. I sighed, "Ask me anything. We'll 'talk'."
Authors notes: Yeah, yeah, you know the drill. Read and Review, flamers welcome, I'll go get the invisable prize now.
Oh, and Draco's not as evil in this one.......... Give me your oppinion on that too!
Chapter Ten "What is it?!" Draco asked, leaping into action as I strode so quickly toward my dormitory things should've gone flying in the winds of my passing. He followed at my heels a bit, asking me over and over, but I was terrified into silence, and when I reached the stairs, he walked instead toward the door, intending to see for himself.
"Don't open it!" I cried, "They'll come in if you open it!" I stopped at the foot of the stairs, reduced to pleading for secrecy.
"Who'll come in?!" Draco shouted, turning around, "What are you talking about?!" But he didn't open the door. His head tilted slightly as he noticed that I'd broken out in a cold sweat, and he was before me before I could register whether he'd ran there or just did an appearing act. "Who is it, Terra? Is it the idiodoms? The Kadahoes?" He was trying to be as gently creative as he could, I could tell, but it truly wasn't helping much. I was still panicing. I just nodded, "B-both- we have to get out of here, we have to escape, we have to-" I silenced as a hand went to my cheek, gently stroking away the sweat drops. His other hand was on my arm, trying to calm me down from there too.
"We will." He stated softly, "Come here." He took a step toward me, moving the hand on my arm so he could take me into an embrace. Naturally, I stepped away, staring at him as if he were crazy. "Trust me." He whispered, so quietly I almost thought it was my own subconcious at first, though it didn't take long for me to realize it wasn't. I stood perfectly rigid as he kept coming towards me, and eventually slipped his arms around my waist, and pulled me close into him. I could hear the door fly open, and over his shoulder (as I'd found that he'd lifted me ever so slightly) I could see that the idiodoms had swarmed in, covering the entire room with their all consuming blackness. I saw a rather plump, gray skinned creature with a dragon head dangling from one hand, and a butcher knife in his other hand, before it all gave way to warm blackness.
I didn't know how long the blackness lasted. I slipped in and out of conciousness uncountable times, but the final time, I awoke in what looked like a treehouse. There was no furnature. There was no bell, or food, only for fencelike barriors that served as walls. I was lying in the center of it, and Draco was in a corner, leaning between the walls, watching me. One leg was bent at the knee, and his elboe rested against it. It was night time by then, and the moonlight reflected off of his hair so vibrantly he seemed to glow. Green and brown plants, probably trees, sprouted high around us, though they looked like overgrown bushes to me. So much for school.
"You ok?" Draco asked blandly, shifting his gaze away from me as if he'd only happened to glance at me in the exact moment that I awoke. I knew better. My hands immediately went to my head in dizziness, and I sat up, and crawled to join him.
"I'm alive, if that's what you mean." I stated, "Thanks." I didn't fully understand why he'd helped me, but I knew well enough that he had. In fact, he'd rescued me, never mind helped.
"Yea, I guess that's what I mean.." Draco muttered, not acknowledging my thanks, though he draped an arm over my shoulders as I leaned against the wall next to him, and I rested my head on his shoulder. I'd've cursed myself for it under normal circomstances, but as it was, I wanted to just cling and never let go- I thought I was doing well by just laying my head down. "Guess we're kind've suspended for a while..." He looked down at the plywood.
I nodded quietly before asking, "Where are we?" I couldn't help but be curious, after all, I'd never seen trees like these, and I was intensely interested. Besides, I had a right to know where we were. He didn't really need to make me disappear from myself, did he?
"Somewhere in Asia. It was the farthest I could take us at the moment. We'll go farther tomorrow." His gaze darted to the ground as he heard a twig snap, but he didn't pull away from me to examine the source. We were safe enough up here for the night, as I'd noticed that there were no ladders leading down to the ground. "We'll be in Germany by noon tomorrow, I'll wager. I've an uncle there who can give us a place to stay until things calm down at school."
"So we're going to play house." I muttered, trying not to sound huffy, but I really wasn't pleased with the idea. Here I was trying my damndest not to pounce on him and give him a 'run for his money' and he was suggesting playing house. In the same house. Without supervisors (most likely, though he hadn't said as much)
"There a problem with it?" He asked, "I could always just take you back to the school NOW and let those creatures rip you into shreds.." He smirked as I rocketed away from him, and backed up a bit, "Shhh, don't worry, I won't do it."
I was silent for a moment, though I stayed on the other side of the structure. "What time is it?" I wasn't about to admit that he actually frightened me more than he usually did. "I'm not usually this tired..."
"Somewhere around midnight." He stated, letting his head fall back and hit the wood, "You have a right to be tired, after everything that happened today. Random curses. Leaving the body. Teleporting anywhere and everywhere- it's all very destressing." I could tell that something in his tone wasn't really what you'd call 'serious' but I curled up in my little corner anyway. If he was going to give me the opportunity (even if he did it sarcastically) to sleep unraped- I was taking that opportunity.
It was shocking how I quickly I really did fall asleep.
--Morning-
The sun was shining.
Pole shaped shadows lined the wooden structure, and formed stripes of red and black over my closed eyes. Draco was above me, shaking me, trying to get me to wake up, though, I didn't want to wake up, really. I wanted to sleep and be left alone. Ha. Like that was going to happen.
"Come on, Hamilton, it's morning!" Ah, back to the last names, I noted as he poked me in the forearm. "You can't sleep all day! We have to go before someone realizes we're here!" he might as well not have been saying anything. I wasn't listening anyway. "Get up! It's almost noon!!" Well look at that. Almost noon. How wonderful.
I let out a startled yelp as cold water splashed over me, and rocketted to my feet, dripping wet, my hair soaked. Draco was still standing there with his wand pointed down at where I had been laying, no bucket anywhere. "Well." He began conversationally, though I could tell he was pleased with his clever spell, "Now that you're up, I suggest we go." He smirked, flipping the wand back and sliding it into his robe pockets.
I glared, "How -dare- you!?! See, look, I'm all wet now!!" I pouted, crossing my arms over my chest, and beginning to shiver, "And cold!" He chuckled, redrew his wand, dried me with a flick of the wrist, put the wand BACK in his pocket, and spred his arms. He'd done it all so silently, and so calmly, I was almost in shock. How DARE he! In fact, I was so shocked, that I didn't fight when his arms went around me, and we disappeared with that same dizzying unconciousness.
It wasn't long until we were in the middle of a mansion, smack dab in the center of a huge hallway. Standing on a marble floor, right under a crystal candalier, and an ceiling which had been charmed into the midnight sky. Red carpets rolled down the double stairs, one staircase on either side of the room, and there were six doors- one on other side of us, one behind us, which I assumed was the way out, one under the balconey which the stairs went up to, and three up there. Everything was spotless, and if I looked carefully enough I could see houseelves running around cleaning up dust that appeared in the last minute or so. Draco looked right at home in the grand environment. I, on the other hand, stuck out like a sore thum. My robes were dirty. My hair was matted and there was mud on my skin- though I hadn't the slightest clue how it'd gotten there. And then I saw the figure. There, in a corner, a silent sentinel stood watching us with an unmoving gaze. In fact, nothing but the house elves moved, and they were so fast I could hardly glimpse them. But the doors in the center of the balconey opened, and a man, extremely richly dressed came through. His hair was white- whiter than Dracos, though it was do more to age than bleach, and his face was one big wrinkle. A blue tunic adorned his wiry figure, and his green eyes were everything but kind.
But the woman behind him was a completely different story completely. She was in a red ball gown, for christs sake, and her brown and graying hair was in a high bun. Her skin was only slightly wrinkled- she was probably in her fifties- and her brown eyes were warm, and welcoming, and regal in their own way. I couldn't understand why this beautiful woman had taken this evil looking, cruel, decrepit old man for her husband. It must've been a child out of wedlock deal when she was a teenager. She most certainly couldn't have fallen in love with.. with.. it. I felt even more out of place.
"My my! Rupert, Draco is here!" She exclaimed, coming to the edge of the balconey and resting her black gloved hands on the railing as she stared down at us, "And he brought a little friend- oh my, my, you do need to be cleaned up, don't you?"
"Leave her alone, Sarah." Draco hissed venomously, "I didn't bring her here to be disrespected." Well at least I knew where Draco got his less likeable habits from now.
"What -did- you bring her for, then, Draco?" The old man croaked, stopping a bit behind his wife, "There is no welcoming sign for beggers here!" Yeeep. I definately knew where Draco got his less likeable traits.
"There are monsters roaming Hogwarts. They sent us home for safe keeping. My parents are in Russia on vacation, and hers are in Japan." His tone wasn't the kindest one, especially with the lies, and I could see the woman recoiled ever so slightly, as if Draco were suddenly a bright light that burned her eyes.
"And so you did a disappearing trick and came here." The man finished the statement, "Fine. You can use the barn, but you're going back to school as soon as they'll let you. I don't need little punks roaming my halls at two o clock in the morning." He scoffed. Draco was taken aback. How dare he suggest that Draco Malfoy, wizard royalty, sleep in a barn...without hair gel?! Oh cruel, cruel world!
"We're not sleeping in a barn." Draco stated outwardly, "I'm sure you can spare one of your eight mansions for a week to your beloved nephew and his lady." My eyebrow lifted. The old dudes eyebrow lifted. The womans eyebrow lifted. Since when was I 'his lady?
The man shifted and grumbled a bit at the accusation, "Fine. Fine." He mumbled, making a wide sweeping motion, "But I'll not be held responsible for anything that happens to you two!"
"I wouldn't expect it." Draco stated in a polite tone that even I could see through, "Just set up your little private floo line, and we'll be out of your hair in less than an hour." He smirked coldly as the man mumbled something under his breath, and one of the little blurs of motion sped off through one of the doors.
I was instructed to follow, so, follow I did. Through this hall, and that cooridor, until we came to a grand fireplace, twice my height, and at least as long as my entire common room wall had been. Malfoy walked right in, and proceded to throw green floo powder down, announcing some name or another. I mimiced the actions, thankfully saying the name correctly, and found myself in what I convinced myself must've been the most richly decorated mansion of all the before mentioned eight, at least it was more set to my likings, then the other one. The walls and ceiling were black, creating the illusion that the room went on for eternities, and the sofa was black leather, quite like the ones in the head room, with green throws draped elegantly over one arm. There was a picture over the fireplace, of who may've been Draco's father or grandfather- I couldn't quite tell from a distance, and sconces lined the two parrallel walls, each flaming fully. Looking down, the floor seemed to be a sea of stars, though I knew it was charmed to look that way, and the door, directly ahead of me, was huge. In the middle of the room was a wrought iron table with a slab of glass over it, on which was a crystal bowl of some kind of royal candy I hadn't yet been introduced to, and various wizard magazines. Everything, as in the other house, was spotless.
Draco noticed my stare, and smirked as he walked toward the doors, "Sarah was right." He stated blandly, "You -are- filthy." My wide eyed gaze went to him, and my hand went up to shut my mouth. I simply nodded, though, under most circomstances I would've yelled at him for saying such a thing, I was too far wrapped up in staring googly eyed at everything. His smirk broadened ever so slightly, and I almost knew that he was wondering if it was a sign of obediance. It wasn't. It was a sign of shock, was what it was.
I followed him through a marble hall. There was a door on each wall, but I didn't have time to examine it, as Draco was still walking, so, I followed him into the door directly across from us. There, the whole decor changed. The carpetting was the crimson color of blood, with gold accents about it. Griffindor colors, I noted, but I also noted that the sconces were busts of dead lions- they REALLY didn't like Griffindors... Here, the cooridor split into two halls, one of which faded slowly into green, until the dead lions turned into, quite alive, snakes. In fact, they were so alive, that they were hissing at me. On the other side the gold accents turned silver, and the lions, into bears. My jaw dropped and I stopped dead in my tracks. I had known no one who had ever so much as heard of my house, nevermind knew its house colors and mascot.
"It reacts to the personality of whoever enters it." Draco explained rather calmly, seeming to understand my shock, "Most of the house does, you see. However, a good portion more readily reacts to my presense, as it is my veigns which the Malfoy blood runs through, but that half of the house has been designated for visiters."
"Oh." I stated, feeling incredably stupid saying it, but it was all I could get out at the moment. Besides, what was I supposed to say?
"Your room and a bathroom is through there." He continued as if I hadn't said a thing, "Once your cleaned up you should find some clothes in the closet... The room should be to your liking, technically, you designed it..." He paused for a moment, as if in thought, "I will be in the study if you get lonely." He turned to walk the other way, "It won't be hard to find, this mansion is painfully small.." It wasn't small compared to -my- house, that was for sure.. However, I decided to be a good girl, and strolled through the beared hall, and through the door. Indeed the room -was- to my liking. The walls were a warm red color, and the bed was at least a triple king- seven grown men could have easily fit, and was canopied by a sheer red material, lined with silver glitter. There were two windows, one on either side of the bed, though they both opened up to darkness. There was a bureau by the door into the hall, though when I checked it, it was empty, and on the other side of that was a grand door into a grand bathroom- I'd check that out last. Parallel to that door was double, cherry doors into the closet. Thinking that I'd like to have a change of clothes before I actually took these off, I swung the doors open. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped at the assortment of dresses I'd been provided. There were white dresses, there were black dresses, there were green dresses, there were red dresses, there were blue dresses, there were yellow dresses, there were short dresses, there were long dresses- but not a pair of jeans in sight. Damn.
I shrugged and picked a dress- long, black, made of a sweater material with a slit in the front that came well up to my thighs, before entering the bathroom, and preparing a bath.
--Draco's POV-
I walzed into the library/study as I'd told Terra I would, and collapsed into one of the chairs, a bit heavier than I'd meant to. Immediately my elboe went to the arm, and my head went to my hand. What was I -thinking- to bring her here? Why hadn't I just left her in the common room and ran for my own bloody life? Why did I insist on rescuing her from anything and everything? I didn't understand, at least, I didn't want to, truly.
But she was an.. enticing little thing, wasn't she? Just the way she walked, the way she pouted, even the way the tears lingered on her pale face, like tiny diamonds, magnifying any and all beauty around them.
Oh I -knew- I should've killed her when I didn't care. I'd've saved myself all this trouble, and I probably wouldn't have even had to have run away from the school.
But then I wouldn't be alone in a mansion with her either, would I? Ah the irony. That I should find myself alone in my study contemplating my feelings for a meer witch, who may be a mudblood for all I knew. A Malfoy.. DRACO Malfoy, of all people, contemplating feelings for someone who's blood he hasn't even confirmed! Contemplating what could've been love, for crying out loud!
Love The word sounded odd, even in my thoughts, though it'd never sounded that way to me before.
Was that why I was acting this way? Did I truly love her?
I didn't want an answer, regardless of the fact that I spent the entirity of the time that Terra was away to consider it.
When she came in, I could tell that she hadn't realized that her clothes would change the moment she left her quarters, to something I prefered. A gown, this time, luckily for her. A forest green, flowing skirt, and a darker green bodice, with just the faintest whisps of silver about the arms and skirt. The bodice was a bit small for her, I noted, and that was probably how she discovered the change.
--Terra's POV-
I was choking.
Whatever atrocity my dress had morphed into was choking me.
I stared in what very well could've been shock at Draco, "What the bloody hell is this?!" I roared, but the shout only recieved a grin from him. He enjoyed my rage. "If you had to randomly change my clothes, the least you could've done was put me in something that fit!!" I watched as he, rather gracefully, in fact, went into a box of cigars, and extracted one as if he'd been smoking them for over twenty years. I half gawked as it lit with a flick of a finger, and my gaze followed as the smoke drifted and twisted lazily above him.
"Is it not to your liking?" He drawled, bringing his gaze away from the cigar, and to me as the hand holding the object was set leisurely onto the arm of his chair, "I thought it rather elegant, myself." He chuckled, bringing the cigar back to his lips, "In my house colors, no less.."
"Slytherin isn't your house anymore!" I snapped, having nothing better to argue with, "You're head boy now, the colors are black and silver!" I sighed as he just kept chuckling, and shifted my gaze toward the books, reading as many titles as I could from a distance. There were so many. The books seemed to go all the way up to heaven, though, I wouldn't have been surprised if that was just a charm. I looked back at him, an exclaimation coming to mind, "Do you enjoy torturing me, or something?!"
"Oh very much." He chuckled, conjuring an ash tray, and dropping the cigar into it as he stood. "You always react so.. passionately." He went on, strolling toward me, and circling me, "So wholly." He stopped behind me, and with a gentle sweep of his hand, pushed my hair away from my neck. His arms snaked their way around my waist, pressing me to him, and I did not fight. It was hopeless to try anyway. "I wonder..." He whispered, so close I could feel his breath on my neck and ear, "Is rage the only thing you have passion for?"
"Mostly." I responded quietly, not really comfortable in the position, but not quite as nervous as I'd've been at the start of the year- hey, at least we were both wearing clothes... "It's been like that for years." I added after a moment of silence.
"That's what happens when you're entagled in the boy who lived?" He questioned delicately, slowly pulling away from be and taking a step back.
I didn't turn, instead, my gaze went to the floor, "That's what happens when you have a family like mine." I corrected, trying despirately to hide the bitter tone in my voice. I felt his eyebrow lift. Eyebrows usually did when I came anywhere close to talking about why I was the way I was. I didn't feel like dealing with it today. "I don't want to talk about this." I turned to leave but Draco was still in front of me. He wasn't letting me through.
"Explain." It was more a statement then an order, or a suggestion. His tone was warm, comforting, even, and it astonished me to hear it coming from a Malfoy. "There are chairs." He added, motioning to the chair he'd previously been sitting in, "And firewhiskey if you want it."
"I don't drink." I commented blandly, but sat in the motioned to chair. If I wasn't going to be able to escape, I might as well take any comfort offered to me.
"Your choice." Draco stated, conjurring a chair for himself, and placing it directly in front of mine, "Now, what was it we were about to tell me?" Oh I hated that tone. It was the tone that the psyco docters took when they were talking to their patients. I got that tone a lot.
"So you're a psyciatrist now?" I hissed, resorting to rage in an effort to divert the subject, as I often did. I stood, but he just pushed me back down. Oh I saw the game. We'll pretend to treat Terra like an actual human being but when she tries to act on her own she's just a mudblood slave again. I didn't like this game. I was pureblood, dammit! Pureblood! "I'm leaving." I growled, staring him dead in the eyes, though, as usual the look faultered as he, as usual, took in a sharp breath, "Bloody hell will you -stop- that?!" I stood again, but, again, he just pushed me back down.
"You're not going anywhere." He stated through clenched teeth, not answering the unofficial question, "You're going to finish what you're saying if we have to sit here all day and all night."
"Then we'll be here for a while." I stated stubbornly. I half expected myself to try to get up again- it's an odd feeling when you can't predict your own movements- but instead, I leaned back in the chair, propped an elboe on the arm of it and brought my left foot up to the seat, an eyebrow lifted as if to ask how long he was planning on waiting.
Malfoy sighed, aggitated. "I -tried- to be nice." He muttered, "Why is it that when I -try- to be nice, you just get more stubborn?" He shook his head and stood, grasping ahold of my raised wrist, and easily dragged me off the chair, through the library and out the door. Down the hall- I had no chance of escape, I knew, even if I'd tried to struggle his grip would only tighten- Into this room, and that room- it was a maze. I stopped trying to follow where we were, and consentrated on moving without falling. We came to a room. The door was heavier than the other doors, and there were no lights inside. He pushed me against the wall, stripped me of my wand, pushed me inside the room, and shut, and locked the door. The slat slid open, letting in a strip of light, "Nothing can get in or out of that room," He hissed, "Without my permission. I'll be right outside. Tell me when you're ready to talk." And the slat closed.
I didn't know how long I was in there. It was too dark to tell whether my eyes were opened or closed, and I may've fallen asleep at some point. Every once in a while Malfoy looked in at me to make sure I was okay, or to ask me if I would talk yet, but I always refused. I didn't know why he wanted the information so much. After about the twentieth time he checked on me, I decided that night must've fallen. The newly put gel in his hair had worn off, and it fell in his face in places, and he looked weary. "Are you ready -yet-?" He asked, resting his forehead on the door to stare at me through the hole.
I glared up at him from my spot on the floor, "No I'm not ready yet- do you honestly think we're going to have a deep, heart to heart conversation after you lock me up in this- this- oubliette for god knows how long?!"
"It's not an oubliette." He defended, "It's a room without a window."
"It's a dungeon." I growled, scooting so my back was to the door, and I pulled my legs to my chest. I frowned as I heard the slat closed, and let my head fall to my knees. My resolve was dying. However, it was only seconds until the door was opened out, and I found myself lying face up on the floor, staring past Malfoy's grim looking face to the ceiling. I didn't fight as he bent over me, and lifted me up, and into a nearby chair. I was too weak to do it myself anyway.
"Are you hungry?" He asked me, almost sounding concerned.
"Are you stupid?" I growled, as if he were, indeed quite idiotic. He chuckled, and placed a tray of fruits, and cheeses, and chocolate frogs on the marble table beside me. Naturally, that's where my gaze went, but he directed me back to look at him.
"You can only have the food if you talk." He stated conversationally, before pulling up a chair and sitting before me yet again.
I glared, "You -do- enjoy torturing me." I muttered, glancing again at the food before looking at him. I sighed, "Ask me anything. We'll 'talk'."
Authors notes: Yeah, yeah, you know the drill. Read and Review, flamers welcome, I'll go get the invisable prize now.