Draco shut the door of the bedroom and shut his eyes as he leaned against the inside. Silence! He was glad to be away from Pansy and the others. Their incessant badgering about the condition of his arm was really starting to grate on his nerves. Compared to that, the silence of his bedroom was blissful.

"What did the nurse say?" Draco's eyes slammed open in surprise at the sound of Etean's voice. 'Was he here a minute a go?' He looked over to see him sitting on his bed with a book in his hand.

"She was a little confused that her treatment didn't work," he let out a quiet, hollow laugh, "It seems that I have a rare resistance to the remedies for this kind of injury. There is nothing more she can do for me. Apparently only one in ten thousand people are like me." His tone turned to pure sarcasm. "I'm very unfortunate." Etean laughed.

"The number is closer to one in fifty thousand according to what I read." he shrugged, "At least she didn't notice the glamour. How does it feel?"

"The same, I didn't even feel the spell hit."

"Why would you? It didn't."

"What?"

"The spell hit the glamour, it took the full force of it. Well, just about, Flitwick is quite a lot stronger than he looks." Draco was surprised at how bad he felt that their little ruse had required him to think that the injury to his hand was his fault.

"I've never seen Flitwick so upset. He didn't stop apologizing the whole time I was in the infirmary. In the end Madame Pomfrey had to send him away." Etean sighed.

"I know, it's unfortunate but what choice did we have? It was the only way to explain your injury. Well, the only way without resorting to the truth anyway." Draco lifted his arm out of the sling Madame Pomfrey had given him and held it up. The glamour Etean had cast on it had started to fade. His skin was returning to its previous sickly purple colour. He could see the scar starting to reappear beside his thumb. He frowned at the sight of it, the thought of anyone learning about it horrified him.

"The truth…right. I wouldn't even know how to begin to tell them that."

"My neither, so you'll just have to continue you are, wearing the glove and working on learning to use your hand again."

"Why can't I just keep using the glamour? I know you said it would be too hard for you to maintain the illusion, but I don't see why you don't just show me how to do it myself."

"Because Draco, it is a far too complex spell for anyone to maintain permanently. Even if you were only to cosmetically hide the damage, it would be too much of a drain on you. And you'll need all the strength you've got to get ready for what's coming." Etean stood up and shook his head, "No, its better for you get used to using your real hand as it is. The glove will hide the evidence well enough once you can do that."

"But now everyone knows I can't use my hand, I don't have to worry about it."

"This is still only a temporary fix Draco. Madam Pomfrey knows she can't make you better but she is wrong about why. She thinks it was Flitwick's curse that paralysed your hand," Etean stood up and waved his hand in the air, out of nowhere a silver goblet filled with what looked like Pumpkin Juice appeared. He caught it and took a long drink. "Still, even if she can't make you better, she will expect you to get better on your own. Without treatment, the spell Flitwick hit you with can only cause paralysis for a month, six weeks is the absolute limit. We have bought you time to regain the use of your hand that's all." Draco knew he was right, sighing, he nodded. Etean drained the goblet and dropped it, it vanished before it hit the floor, he turned to Draco, "Have you been trying?"

"Of course I have, the exercises Lord Poliakov showed me aren't working."

"You have to give it time Draco."

"That's what you keep saying but…I…just…can't…do…it," Draco's voice turned to a snarl. Etean remained calm.

"Show me."

"What?"

"Show me how you've been trying." Draco raised his arm again. He tried to clench a fist. His face screwed up with concentration as he stared at his hand. Nothing happened for several seconds, then his fingers twitched, slightly.

"You see? All that effort and all I get is a twitch." Etean paused before he spoke again.

"Believe it or not, that's good Draco. According to Poliakov, the exoskeleton needs time to get used to you, to figure out what you want it to do. Keep trying, I promise it will get easier as time passes," he reached into his pocket and drew out Draco's leather glove and handed it to him, "Come on, it's time for dinner, I'm starving." Draco pulled the glove on and settled his arm in the sling before they left and headed to the common room. Pansy jumped to her feet and ran over to Draco the second she saw him.

"There you are Draco, I was beginning to worry."

"What for, I'm fine Pansy."

"No, you're hurt. Flitwick is a menace, the old fool should have been put out to pasture years ago."

"It wasn't Flitwick's fault Pansy he just…just got a bit too excited that's all."

"Excited? He could have killed you."

"Oh come on Pansy, it isn't that bad. I'll just have to do without my hand for a while." His voice nearly caught in his throat as he said that, but he kept his tone even. He tried to push past Pansy and leave but she clasped onto him and turned to walk with him. She stuck to him all the way to the Great Hall and insisted on sitting beside him at dinner.

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Etean sat opposite Draco and Pansy, trying hard not to laugh at the scowl on Draco's face as she cut his food into bite size pieces for him. She had tried to spoon-feed him at first but he had insisted that he could manage some things for himself. Etean could sense Draco's irritation rising with each sorrowful lament she made about his arm. Pansy seemed oblivious to this, she flat out ignored his requests to change the subject. Etean was baffled, could someone be this insensitive? Curious, he looked into her mind, yes was the simple answer. Her mind was busy erasing whatever argument they had been having, along with her attempts to make him jealous by flirting with Etean. Draco's injury had reset the board as far she was concerned. In her head, she was playing the dutiful girlfriend, no, it was more than that. She was happily settling back into the role she had built a role for herself in Draco's life and future, she had it all planned out. The only word Etean could come up with to fit the image she had in her head was…wife! Etean was curious as to what reaction Draco would have if he knew how far ahead her plans for the two of them stretched, or how detailed her fantasies were. She was already picturing their wedding! Etean shook his head slightly and returned his attention to his food, this girl was definitely crazy.

Then he felt Hermione walk in! Despite his best efforts he found his eyes drawn to her as she entered the room and sat at the Gryffindor table beside Potter. As he watched her, he felt the wave of hatred rise up inside him again. The bile rose in a wave from his stomach, just as it had on the train. Again the years of society training kicked in, the mask went up and he split in two. Outside, public facade of Etean continued eating in silence, his attention fully fixed on his meal. Inside the real Etean screamed and raged. It took all the control he had to stop himself from leaping up and blasting her into oblivion once and for all, it would be so easy. Too easy! The anger got worse and worse until he was sure it was visible on his face. He shut his eyes and lowered his head into his hand. 'Get a grip on yourself Etean. Focus on what you're here for. You knew the situation before you arrived. You knew she was here. You knew you would have to look at her, to be in the same room as her…DEAL WITH IT...The plan, focus on the plan. It is too important for anything else to get in the way.' Grinding his teeth he fought the anger down. Slowly it receded, he grew calmer. Only then did he notice Draco speaking to him. He looked up, Pansy had stopped mothering Draco, she had her back to him, and was now fully engrossed in conversation with Millicent. Draco had been joined on the other side of the table by Blaise Zabini, newly elected captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Both of them were looking at him with confused expressions.

"What?"

"Are you alright?" Draco sounded concerned. Etean shook himself back to reality.

"I'm fine. What did you say just now?"

"I was asking if you've ever played Quidditch?"

"Oh…," he paused. 'What?' he thought, he shrugged, "Yes of course I have, why?"

"Well...we were just wondering because, you see, I normally play seeker but now, he pointed to his arm, "so…"

"So we need a replacement." Blaise jumped in impatiently, then seeing the glare in Draco's eyes, he added, "Just till Malfoy recovers. Really we only need someone to play Gryffindor in a couple of weeks." 'Where did this talk of Quidditch come from?' Draco shrugged.

"Well, maybe Draco will have recovered by then…" Etean started but Draco interrupted.

"That's just what we were talking about. Weren't you listening?"

"Apparently not, fill me in."

"Well, it's true that there are a few weeks till the match, but as it stands I can't train. This means that even if I am able to play, I'll be so out of practice that I'll be about as much use as a blind doxy."

"Can't they just reschedule the game to give you more time, given your situation?" Draco shook his head.

"Blaise tried that. Madame Hooch said that we have enough time to find a replacement so the game goes ahead."

"She did agree to let us have extra practice sessions to train our new player. So, will you play or not?" Etean shrugged, this wasn't why he was here.

"I'm not sure if I'll have the time."

"You'll manage it somehow, it's just till I get better. We need a seeker." Draco sounded pretty genuine. Etean was actually surprised for once. Did he actually give a damn about Quidditch with everything else that was going on? He looked into Draco's mind, it seemed that he really did care about the team. Etean sat back and thought about it, he hadn't intended on playing the student that much. Still, he hadn't planned on doing a lot of things that he had wound up doing. Could it hurt? Not really. Could he do it? He supposed he could.

"I'll think about it," he said.

Blaise scowled as he stood to leave them, "Think fast, our first practice is Thursday night."

Etean looked at Draco again as she left. He leaned forward on his elbows, "What the hell do I want to play Quidditch for?" he whispered, "More importantly, why do you want me to?"

Draco shrugged, "Simple really, I want to win the Quidditch cup?"

For once it was Etean who was at a loss to follow the conversation, "You want to try that again?"

Draco leaned down, bringing their heads very close together. He too spoke quietly, so as not to be overheard, "Look, I've been thinking. The way I see it, this as my last year here," Etean opened his mouth to object but Draco stopped him, "Don't worry about them, they aren't listening. Look, my point is if this is my last year here, I want to enjoy it. I'm going to do all the things that I always planned to do before I left. Winning the Cup is one of them. I really don't want Potter and his buddies to beat us again," he looked around again to make sure no one was listening, "I won't be ready before the match against Gryffindor, I know I won't. But if you fill in for me, with all your skills, we are bound to win!" He grinned and sat back.

Etean didn't respond for a while, he just sat there considering what Draco had just said. Thinking long term, Draco's certainty that he was doomed to die was going to be a problem, he would have to shake him out of it somehow. But Etean understood his attitude, even if he didn't agree with it. From where Draco stood, there was nothing to look forward to except death. Were he in his place, Etean would be trying to enjoy himself as much as possible before the end. If that was Draco's goal, then who was he to stop him from achieving it?

"Alright, I'll do it," he said, "But only the Gryffindor game, you had better recover in time for the others. I mean it Malfoy" Draco grinned. He turned and looked down the table to where Blaise was sitting, he called him and gave her a nod. Then he turned back to Etean.

"Hold on, do you even have a broom?" he asked,

Etean shook his head "No, not with me, I'll send word for one to be sent here. It should arrive before Thursday."

"Oh don't bother," Draco dismissed him, "you can use my Nimbus…can you fly? I mean are you any good?"

"It's a bit late to be worrying about that don't you think? Of course I can fly, it's in my blood." Etean smiled, though he knew Draco wouldn't get the joke. Draco just shrugged and returned to his food. Etean took one more look across the room at Hermione, he wasn't quick enough to stop himself from tensing as he saw at her. 'Snap out of it Etean!' He shook his head, it was no good. He needed to get out, to get away from her. He stood up to leave, Draco looked at him.

"Where are you going? You've barely touched your food."

"I know. I'm not as hungry as I thought I was. I'll see you later." He put enough emphasis on that last sentence to make sure Draco wouldn't argue the point. He sent him a private message so that he knew where he meant to meet him, and he left. No one notice him as he marched through the corridors. Moving through public places undetected was a skill he had learned to master by his eighth birthday. He travelled down the stairs to the dungeon and along the dark corridor with hardly an upward glance. He reached the training room and entered.

Circle training rooms are far more complicated than they appear. They have many uses, countless uses and Etean knew them all. More importantly he knew what he wanted to use the room for now. He walked to the centre of the room and closed his eyes, the room around him swirled as his thoughts pushed out. Etean pulled and tugged at the Ether until it was in turmoil. He let his thoughts drift, his mind expanded and was lost in the storm. Gradually he grew calmer and more focused as his thoughts emptied into the maelstrom. Then he pulled back and focused. He imagined what he wanted to happen, who he wanted to see, the face he wanted to destroy. He pictured her in his mind as he remembered her, the room did the rest. He opened his eyes and there she was exactly as he pictured her, with her long curling auburn hair bordering on frizzy. She stood there, her slender figure not disturbed by the chaos surrounding her. Her face bore no expression. The rage rose inside him again, he didn't resist it this time. It grew and grew until his mind was as chaotic as the room around him. He reached out with all his strength and pulled the Ethereal magic to him. His skin tingled as he raised his arm and pointed at her, energy swirled and surged down to his fingers. A glowing ball of energy started to form as he closed his fingers into a fist. She didn't move. She would if he wanted her to, he controlled her. He knew that, but the fact that she just stood there enraged him further. The energy sparked and flashed along his arm, the green fire in his hand grew bigger and brighter as he pulled more and more energy into it. He looked at her, into her eyes.

All it would take was a thought, just release it and she would be gone. This would be the last time he would ever have to see her. Still she didn't move. He stared into her eyes. She stared back. More and more power flooded into the ball, the light started to obscure her. Holding it in place was starting to hurt. He revelled in the surge of pain he felt as the spell burned his hand. Still he held it, still she didn't move. The pain grew more and more, fuelling his anger. Tears stung his eyes as he screamed at her. Still she didn't move. Again and again he roared at her until his throat hurt but still she didn't move.

With a final roar he released the ball and collapsed to his knees on the floor. The spell flashed past her head and exploded against the wall. He looked up at her. Through the tears that now flowed freely from his eyes he could see her still standing there. The spell flamed and burned on the wall behind her framing her.

"Why?" he asked hoarsely. She didn't answer, she couldn't. Gradually she faded away, leaving him alone. He curled into a ball on the floor, lost in despair. He lost track of how long he lay there but it was a long time. It wasn't until his senses told him that Draco was coming that he was able to snap out of it. How long had he lain there?

Etean looked around as he stood up, the room around him was a mess. The walls and floor had been singed by his tantrum. The wall directly in front of him was marred by a smouldering crater. Draco was getting closer, heading down the corridor. 'Pull yourself together Etean.' He shut his eyes and took a deep, slow breath before he brought his hands together and clapped three times. The room flashed and shimmered as the damage faded. By the time Draco opened the door, there was no trace or clue of what had transpired. Etean turned to look at Draco as he entered.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming," Etean retreated behind his mask again. Draco shrugged.

"I had to wait until Pansy left me alone didn't I?"

"Managed to get rid of her at last did you?" Etean's lips curled into a grin, Draco scowled.

"Yes…finally. Can you teach me how to make her disappear?" Etean laughed.

"No…well, not yet anyway. We have a lot to cover before we get to anything that complicated." He clapped his hands and vacated the centre spot. "Right then, we have to show you how to communicate…"