The eyes of Winter

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****Dear readers, thanks for your wonderful reviews, and as for the people who flamed me, SMEG OFF...no one asked for your negative opinion.
I feel like if I do this for free and for fun I can do anything I want
with the characters I choose. Isn\'t that what all the fic authors do on this site? Isn\'t that why we write and read here? We\'re all fans of the Harry Potter
world, and anyone who has the testicular fortitude to write fics for our happiness should be praised. Not condemned, brought down, insulted, and raked across the coals. No one makes you come to this site, and certainly no one enjoys your futile attempts to run every new author into the ground. It doesn\'t help, and is negative to everyone who enjoys AFF...no one else wants to read your bullshit either...Anyway to the fans of my fic, and to the others who have given me CONSTRUCTIVE thoughts and feelings..Thanks... please excuse any mistakes. I’ll be back soon to fix everything...Amidda Buddha...Shaolin****
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***(A/N) Spell was taken straight from Merlin\'s mouth in the last chapter..
had it in my head since I was a kid...good use now...Any references
pertaining to The Wall belongs to Roger Waters..Oh and if you hate
the music reference, just deal OK?...I\'m a DJ not an author!***

Chapter 20...

Draco opened her portrait door with little trouble, Winter\'s wet
body pressed heavily against his. She was so cold, and breathing
rather shallow. He took one final look, no one in the deserted hall.
Yet, he seemed to sense someone or something watching. No time to
find out now, he had to warm her cold skin. They entered and he set
her down by the mantle.

Taking off her dripping cloak, he started the fire with his wand.
Eyes widening as her nakedness caught him off guard. Hurrying to
remove his clothes, now wet in front from carrying her.

Both now bare he picked her up, heading for the shower. Holding
her so close he could feel her heartbeat, weak against his own.
Stepping into the hottest water he could stand, he put her head
under the stream for a moment. Washing the cold rainwater out of
her hair, and she stirred in his arms.

Her arms moved weakly around his neck, and she nuzzled into
his chest. Sobbing softly in her delirium. Winter was not awake,
she was somewhere in her dreams. He watched as her eyelids franticly
moved back and forth. The shower had returned her to normal temperature
but not to consciousness.

After the warming shower Draco dried her, and put her into bed. She
was still almost completely limp as he lowered her, and she moaned
as he took her arms from around his neck. Covering her with every
blanket that he could find.

He borrowed her green Slytherin bathrobe, wrapping it around
him. His own clothes were drying by the fire that was now warming
the dank room.

He had watched her many times use what she called a \"CD player\",
and he fumbled for a moment but finally got it to play the silver
disc he had put into it. Music he was not used to quietly filled
the room, and as she heard the soft melody her sobbing stopped.

Draco watched her as he sat by the fire letting his hair dry
as she mumbled to herself. Sometimes hearing what she said,
other times it wasn\'t to clear. Catching here and there what
she was saying.

He chewed his fingernails, watching her and listening to the
music. Mulling over what had transpired in the last two hours.
His nerves pulling him apart inside.

\'Oh Merlin, what happened?\' The thought of not knowing what
had happened to Winter burned through his gut like a red-hot
poker. He hadn\'t wasted time to ask Dumbledore.

He had been finishing his night rounds, coming from the second
floor when he saw Dumbledore run from the castle. Watching in horror
as he came back with Winter limp and wet in his arms. Barely able
to keep his composer as he asked Dumbledore to give her to him.

In that second, that moment, Draco came to a frightening conclusion.
He knew he truly felt love for her. Love for someone beside himself,
it was unnerving, and not like him. The possibilities were also
disturbing.

What would happen if Father found out?

What would happen if anyone found out?

What would happen if Winter found out?

These questions ran circles in his mind as he looked over her as
she continued to fuss about in her sleep. He remembered her words
quite clearly and they echoed in is head.

If you want love, you will not find it with me.

But he had, the feeling was new to him, and he was almost sure that
was what it was. He had never been around love; his father only tolerated
his mother. They had only married to join two pureblood families, a somewhat
arranged marriage. Neither one really caring for the other, but they were
young and they listened to their parents. Only sleeping together to make
an heir, and Draco was it. He was the only child of the Malfoys, they stopped
doing it after he was born. Now his father indulged in senseless acts of sex
and violence. Draco winced as he remembered that he had also.

\"Sitting in a bunker, here behind my wall.\"

He jerked out of his thoughts as he heard her. She was trying to sing along
with the music. Faintly in her dream state. He moved onto the bed and
stroked her hair.

\"Winter? Can you hear me? It\'s Draco.\"

She stirred again, still sleeping and smiled. \"Mmmm, my beautiful one.\"

\'Beautiful one?\' He shook his head at her answer.

\"Mistress?\" he questioned, trying to bring her back. \"Where are you?\"

Her eyes fluttered trying to open, \"Bunker..wall..tearing it down.\"

He let his head fall is his hands. She was making no sense, and he had
a feeling that she wouldn\'t for hours. The music had her anyway, he listened
more carefully, as her body responded to the beat now getting more intense.
Acting out in her almost hypnotic state, lost somewhere between sleep and
awake, following the music through her dreams.

\"What wall?\" he tried again. Even if she was talking nonsense at least
she seemed to be coming around.

She sighed with a hint of annoyance and mumbled, \"Emotional wall..tearing
it down for showing feelings.\"

\"What feelings? Tell me Winter.\"

\"No, it\'s too late,\" speaking dreamily.

Draco roughly got off the bed, and turned off the music. Harshly
pushing the buttons until it stopped. Frustrated by his failed attempts
to wake her. Even madder at the nonsense she was spouting.

\"Damn it!\" He cursed in the now silent room. \'What kind of stupid
music was that anyway?\'

She had settled now, and he propped her up slightly as he lay down
behind her. Cradling her him his long arms, pulling the blanket up
on her now warm body. Trying to bring her any form of comfort possible.
Fumbling slightly, he had never held anyone like this. Not even her, until
now.

Her skin was now warm under his touch, smooth as glass. Almost as pale
as a Veela, without the silver shimmer. Unless you counted the silver facial
jewelry that seemed to shimmer in its own way. Malfoy played with her
hair as he reminisced on the last month. So short a time, but so long for
him. Drastically changing in the presence of her company.

He felt constantly drained. Living two lives, his public and his private.
Always feeling like two people, theirs and hers. His reputation preceded him.
Thanks to the elder Malfoy, and his actions with others also helped. Almost
numb sometimes with his exploits, like he was expected to act cruel. People
knew him to be, and after awhile he expected it out of himself.

Not that he wasn\'t a nasty little git sometimes, but not to the degree that
it was taken. To hear people talk he was Voldemort\'s lap dog, but that was his
fathers job. He knew his father wanted him as a Death-eater, but had played it
off. Now it was down to less than a year, and he wasn\'t the only one they wanted.
He knew they wanted her, and her power.

Winter wasn\'t the only one who kept secrets. He longed to leave with her to
run from everything. Go somewhere quiet and beautiful. Where he could fly and she
could ride till their hearts content. Living in secret by themselves. Only this
was a pipe dream. They could not go anywhere safely, they would be found
and in all probability be killed for their betrayal.

Draco moved a little, propping himself on the headboard and pulling her closer
to him. Letting her head fall back on his shoulder. Cheek to cheek, he rocked
her slowly back and forth. Humming softly in her ear, being sure her sobs
did not return. Feeling almost content for the first time in a long time.
Finally holding her as he longed to hold her for so long felt so good, so
right. Not caring about anything else until she woke up.

Somewhere in the wee hours of the morning he slept. Moving next to
her and from somewhere she reached out and cuddled into him. Her heart
beat now stronger against his as he drifted off.

She hadn\'t moved from his side when he woke. Not knowing what time it
was, and not really caring. She had kicked off most of her blankets and
his eyes swept down her porcelain body, he only wished to wake next to
her everyday like this. Free from the powers that drew them ever closer
to their clutches.

He looked down and smiled as her eyes were open, looking at him with a
very strange expression.

\"Winter?\" He had sat up and was trying to get her to come around. He
stroked her hair as she blinked a few times.

\"Draco? What are you...How did..what the fuck!\" Her thoughts were cloudy
and confusing. \"Oh Merlin, my head.\"

He smiled in relief, and partly her use of wizarding terminology. She
had picked up quite a bit from the time she had spent here.

\"It\'s alright, relax. You\'re awake that\'s all that matters now.\" He
had many questions but figured they could wait a little longer.

\"I can\'t think! I feel like I raved all night.\"

\"Huh?\" She rolled her eyes at the thought of having to explain
so she didn\'t.

\"Never mind that. What are you doing here? You\'ll get us busted
for sure by Snape.\"

\"Don\'t worry, just calm down. It\'s all all right. Trust me. Now lay
back. Your weak and people are worried you know.\" He shot her a look
as not to try his patience. She knew she was caught and obliged him.

He got up, and found her black velvet robe hanging on the bed frame.
He tossed it to her, and she realized she was naked, but not really
caring at the moment. Staring at Dracos masculine frame as he paced
around her room. Checking the freshly burning fire, and moving
around nervously.

\"I suppose you want to know what happened.\" Her head throbbed,
and her fingertips still felt a little numb. She could see the
worry that lined his face, and felt like she owed him a least an
explanation.

\"No, not necessary. I\'m only glad you’re alright.\"

She wasn\'t satisfied with his answer. Neither was he really, but
Draco didn\'t want to upset her in this state.

\"I had to release. I couldn\'t risk you getting hurt by something
I wasn\'t sure wouldn\'t hurt me. I couldn\'t bear the thought of me
really hurting you.\"

He stopped aimlessly moving about, and met her eyes. \"Release?\"

\"Yes, what ever is inside me. I have to give it back to the elements,
or it will tear me apart. The magic at Hogwart\'s is just too much for
my body to handle it.\" Her voice was wavering slightly, on the verge of
tears. The weakness in her body making it worse. \"I\'m sorry I didn\'t
tell you, but it\'s my curse to deal with.\"

\"I don\'t understand, but I will leave that until later. Now you must rest.\"

She sighed as she laid back. Pulling her soft robe around her, and
trying not to close her eyes. She wanted to watch him, his naked form
before her as he dropped the bathrobe on the floor and began to put on
his now dry clothes from the night before. She tried in vain, her
eyelids feeling like bricks, so heavy and she couldn\'t fight it.

\"I have to leave for a few minutes. I\'ll be back shortly.\"

\"Hurry back, my love.\" She was falling into darkness again, and hadn\'t
realized what she said.

\'Love? Had she just called me her love?\' He had heard her plainly
as she had spoken it. It defiantly put him in a better mood, as he slipped
out her door. Checking the surroundings and going to try to get some things
straight.