The eyes of Winter

***Dear readers..sorry if you hated the musical reference..
I\'m a DJ, not an author..HA! Also, my spell-check is on
the fritz, so please bear with me. Please R&R, i\'m dyin\' here!
Shaolin***

chapter 21...Reality Daw

\"MISTRESS!\"

The words echoing from the fog she ran into. Frightened,
and not knowing for what, but searching franticly. Someone was calling
her. Maybe chasing her, voices from all sides seemed to surround.
Slipping through the blackness, violating her senses. Bouncing off
of invisiable walls. Nothing but fog around her, strangely not feeling
solid ground underneath her.

\"Mistress!\" Again echoing, seeming to break apart around her.
Splintering into a hundred voices, all the same. She ran again
toward the voice, but was it really away from it? She strained
to tell, frantic to find or maybe escape the many shades of voices
that called her.

\"WINTER!\" She fell to the ground. Sobbing with fear and the
confusion that ran rampent in her mind.

\"Where are you?!!\" She knew it to be his voice, calling from
somewhere urgently to her.

\"Mistress.\" A whisper low in her ear, and then a brush of her ch
S
She quickly turned her head to face it, but it was gone.

\"Winter.\" In the other ear now, and just as quickly gone again.

\"Damn it!\" Winter threw her hands up in frustration. Crying
to the heavens. Only there was nothing but blackness, eternal
night, neverending.

\"The time has come to choose my lady. Your time grows
short.\"

Draco was before her now, stepping through the fog that had
hidden him from her eyes. Winter at his feet, crumpled in a heap.
Frightened child that lived within her now very apparent on her tear
stained face.

\"CHOOSE!\", Draco shouting down at her, and he waved his arm.
Blackness sweeping away reveiling the large wall behind him.
Out of the darkness, and looming over them as she shook in
its shadow.

\"Will you live in this shadow forever? You relize you may not
keep both. Tear it down or lose me forever!\"

In this strange dream she knew exactly what this apperision ment.
Her emotional wall, her protection from the outside world. Both
helping and hindering. She could not love with the wall up, nor
could she love without him. A horrid choice to make. It ment all
defences would be down, and completly open to any and all attacks
of the heart and soul.

\"Please no.\" She pleaded with her mind, looking into
her dreams\' version of Draco. Stunning to behold, and looking
down on her impaiently.

\"Choose wisely. Their is no turning back for you, or for
me.\"

She stood shakily meeting his dream eyes, and spoke softly to
him. \"I choose you, my love.\" Kissing him intensly.

The ground began to quake slightly as the bricks came crashing
down around their now entwined bodies. So many years of hurt, and
pain falling down. Her private barrier, and the only thing that kept
him out. He was kissing her as he had never before, slow and
passionate. Sighing into her mouth, as she pressed into him.
Clutching him tightly afraid he too would crumble.

Then from somewhere above she heard his voice again, but this one
different somehow. More real.

\"Mistress, where are you?\" Full of worry, but trying not to
sound like it. Everything began to fade, and she tried futily to
keep ahold of her lover, but the dream faded. She was left alone
in the rubble.

Her worst dream come true.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If Malfoy c of of looked into her head at the time he was
watching over her, that\'s what he would of seen. Her dreams
brought on by weariness and her internal conflict. Neither one
knowing the other was struggling with the feelings they had.
Both stubborn and unwilling to admit how they truly felt about
the other.

Draco thoughts raced as he did, hurring through the corridors.
Sunday brunch was almost over as he entered the hall, making a
beeline for the staff table. Walking briskly, and not caring about
the confused faces around him. Not even caring as Professor Snape
glared daggers at him when he passed his chair and headed for
Dumbledore.

\"Sir, a private word. If you please.\" Draco murmuring
softly in the old wizards ear.

\"Certainly Mr.Malfoy. Follow me to my study.\"

They left the hall followed by the gazes of perplexed students
and facilty. They walked in silence to the winding staircase with
the huge stone bird protecting it\'s entrance.

\"Magic marshmellow munchie!\" Dumbledore called and the stone
stair began to creak and move up. They rode up still in silence to
the top, stepping out into the Headmaster\'s office.

Dumbledore sat heavily into his padded chair behind his desk,
and motioned for Draco to sit down. He pulled out his pipe, lit it
and puffed on it, looking a little nervous.

\"Now, how is the patient?\" his eyes sparkling behind
his smuddgy glasses.

\"Sleeping.\" Draco wasn\'t sure how to act. He knew he must
keep up his front, if however vaguely. His father had many
spies throughout the castle, and they reported his almost every
move. Draco never knew just who was listening. Even here he did not
feel comfortable.

\"Excellent! The best thing for her. She has woke, hasn\'t she?\"

\"Yes, for a moment. She is weak, but her strength is returning.\"
Draco had many questions, but held back. Still turning owhatwhat
he knew and what he had been taught about this man.

Seeming to know his mind, Dumbledore took a long puff and
questioned the younger Malfoy. \"I\'m sure you have something to
say on this matter. It\'s eve everyday you find your girlfriend
drenched and unconcious in the arms of your enemy.\"

Draco sucked in his breath harshly at Dumbledore\'s bluntness.
\"You are not my enemy sir, you are my father\'s. And Winter is not
my girlfriend...not yet.\"

\"Yes, but you are lovers. Are you not?\" Again with the bluntness.

Draco met his eyes. Not backing down for one second from
the truth. \"Yes, sir. We are.\"

\"Hmm, so I was told.\" Dumbledore stayed casual about the whole
thing. Sex had been going on in the castle for a thousand years.
He himself had been part of it not so long ago. \"Can I speak
openly with you, Draco?\"

\"I thought you had been.\" Not too full of sarcasm, just a little
suprised. Never having been in a one-on-one conversation with his
Headmaster, it was almost scary the way he worded things.

Dumbledore chuckled, \"Yes, well. Draco I know things are
far from being understandable.\" He took another puff, and
continued. \"No doubt you have many unanswered questions. I
know things are changing for you.\"

Draco snapped his head up to meet the other wizards gaze.
Dumbledore waved a hand at him as if to say...\'Don\'t start
with the macho shit.\' Draco opened his mouth to protest, but
figured it a lost cause. Lucius had always called him stupid,
but Draco could tell now the man was far from it.

\"Draco, you have found yourself a unique lady friend. As
much as we both wish, we could never begin to understand what
that poor girl goes through.\"

Draco looked down, hurt by any thought of Winter in pain,
whether it was physical or emotional.

He continued as he blew out a couple smoke rings, \"Miss
Van isn is a strange case all around, my boy. She is one
of the most dominating women I\'ve ever met. Hardened beyond her
years by her childhood, and later her lifestyle. Now on
top of that brought unsuspecting into our world.\" He raised
an eyebrow at Malfoy. \"And now something else threatens her
does it not?\"

Draco about fell off his chair. \'He knows, by Merlin.
He knows.\' The one his father called \"the old fool\" had
just proved he was anything but that.

Sir?Sir?\"

He looked over his spectacles again with a look of knowing,
and Draco knew he was caught.

\"We are here for Winter, not our own shortcomings,
Mr.Malfoy. Your father is not the only one with eyes
and ears that bend to his own needs. I suggest you
think about what would happen to her if your father
gave her to Voldemort. Would you have her in your arms
or the arms of some Death-Eater? Maybe the arms of the
Dark Lord himself?\"

\"Never!!\",spat Malfoy. Hot rush of blood coming to the
surface, turning him pink at the thought of the things they
would do to her body and mind. He had seen it first hand, hell
he had helped. He pushed it out of his mind quickly.

\"Know this young Malfoy. We will not let her be taken.\" His
voice dropping to a severly serious tone. \"Whether you are
with us or against us. In Voldemort\'s hands she could be the
ruin of all we know. Through no fault of her own. You must
soon decide if your are her protector or her betrayer. I
trust you to make the right choice. Your love could be her
only way out.\"

\"Love?\"

\"Yes love!\" Slamming his fist on the desk, sending papers
flying. \"You try my patience! This is serious. Do you understand
what repercussions we could recieve if she was to fall into the
hands of evil!\"

Draco had never seen Dumbledore mad. Well not really mad,
maybe overly passionate about his cause. \"No I don\'t.\" Inside
he knew he did, but was not about to give him an idea he had
partisapaded in some Death-Eater outtings with his father.

\"Put it this way lad. They could drain her, in turn drain
the elements. Giving Voldemort all the power he needs to
begin another attack on the wizarding world. Sustaining his
power almost indefianatly. Until she dies, along with all
living things.\"

Dumbledore sighed. The thought of it made him weary. If
Voldemort got her, she would have no will to resist. He
would break her magically, then emotionally finaly
breaking her body too. Then she would be at his mercy
completely.

Draco\'s eyes were hard, and cold. The thought of Winter
being sacrificed made his blood absolutley boil. \"I would rather
die than see her harmed. She is mine, Not Voldemorts.\"

Dumbledore was silently impressed that Draco had used the Dark
Lords given name. Most grown wizards didn\'t even dare. The fear
of the past, and the inevitable battle before them, kept his
name off their tos.
s.

\"Young Malfoy, you must choose someday soon. The light and dark
are coming to a end. It must be one or the other, you may no longer
live in the gray.\"

Draco nodded his head, and turned. Not wanting to let Dumbledore
see the fear in his eyes. He knew he was right, and for the first time
that he could remember the pang of guilt rang through his heart.