The eyes of Winter

Chapter 25.....Tea Talk

Dumbledore stared at her intenly as she tried to figure out where to
begin. So much to take, in such a small amount of time. Anymore it just
made her head spin, and today was the final straw. Her only lover, not a
sex toy, had pretty much called her Mistress Mudblood. If it would of been
one of her boy toys, she would of beat him mercilessly. To the brink of tears
and the fear that followed. Only those days were gone. Now she was at
Hogwarts, and things were too different. It couldn\'t be done that way this time.
Damn Malfoy,damn him for all eternity.

\"Winter,\" Dumbledore cleared his throat. \"Is this by any chance something
to do with Draco Malfoy?\"

She nodded behind her tea cup as she sipped it slowly. Trying to not let
her eyes bug out in suprise. Dumbledore seemed to know much more about
things around the castle than he ever let on. \"I guess so, sir.\" Winter grumbled
it out behind her tea cup once again.

\"I figured as much.\" Dumbledore sighed heavily. \"Poor boy, Draco. Your youth
is very similier come to think of it. Parents having all the money in the world, but never enough to buy the thing you wanted most....Love. Of course you both carry that scar with you. Is that not true, Miss VaShawn?\"

\"Yes, sir.\" Winter was at a loss for words. Blast! Did he have to know
everything?

\"Yes, his father too.\" The old wizard spoke with a heavy heart, and far off eyes. \"Cruel man. Everything he touches turns to shit.\" Winters eyes flew up
and she smiled at her Headmaster. Not expecting to hear anything like that come from his mouth. \"Sorry, I didn\'t mean Draco.\" He smiled back. \"But until you came into his life, I was beginning to wonder if such a thing had happened.\"

\"OK Dumbledore. Cut the dramatics, and give me the bottom line.\" She shook
her head at him, and pulled another large puff from her Marlboro. \"What are you getting at?\"

His beard shook as he laughed. \"Not an inch, my girl! Not an inch can I get
in on you! Ever thought of being an Auror?\"

\"Huh?\" Winter crinkled her nose in confusion.

\"Nevermind,\" he waved the hand that held his pipe at her, \"I\'m getting off the subject. You must understand our Mr.Malfoy must live two lives. His own and the
one his father wants for him.\" Winter ran cold again with just the thought of his fathers voice, and had to take another sip of hot tea. Dumbledore\'s face got
serious for a moment, and he lowered his head closer to hers. \"Do you know what
a Death-Eater is?\"

\"Um, vagely. Not a good thing to be one I understand.\"

\"To say the least, my dear. That is what Draco has lived with all his life. Lucius,
his father, is one of course. One of the best...well in their eyes at least. Draco is
the only heir. Not only to their family fortune, but Lucius\' legacy as a Death-Eater
as well.\" Winters eyes widened. \"o hao has always known he has a terriable
decision looming, and until you came here, I was sure he had alreadye ite it.\"

\"You mean?\" Winter sputtered out.

\"Yes, Winter. I was sure the Dark Lord had another coming into his
minions. But now,\" he sighed, \"I\'m just not so sure.\"


\"Meaning?\" She was trying to get all this, but could *her* Draco truly be
a future killer? Even Winter had to draw the line somewhere.

\"Meaning I\'ve seen more emotion in Draco in the last month than I have
seen in his last seven years here.\" Dumbledore smiled once again. \"Emotions
that do not befit a Death-Eater. Even the most meanial of the group won\'t
show emotion. They have to be hard, ruthless. Some are just cunningly evil,
others are brainless followers, but all are killers of anything pure and good.\" Dumbledore looked her straight in the eye and continued, \"They are also
thieves of anything with power they do not hold for themselves.\"

Winter almost dropped her cup. Now, now it all fell into place. Why she
was here. Why Draco had said those things to his father. Now she could
understand his words as they echoed in her head.

\'Anything I said, I said it for love.\'

He had done it to protect her. She had read loud and clear what Dumbledore
had said. The Death-Eaters wanted her, and they wanted Draco too. She knew
now why Draco had asked her to be silent. If Lucius knew she was in his
bedroom he would know they were lovers. Maybe thinking them to be a
package deal. Her face ran white as a sheet thinking how close Lucius had
been to catching them. Two minutes earlier they had been...well together.

\"Dumbledore I\'ve made a horriable mistake. I have taken for granted
everything Draco has told me.\" Now she really felt like crying, but that
would surely come later tonight.

\"Tell me what has happened. I myself have some things I think you
should know.\"

Winter told him about Lucius in the fireplace. Thank Merlin he didn\'t ask
why was was in his Head Boy chambers to begin with. She figured he already
had that part worked out. She told him about Draco and his harsh words,
calling her Mud-blood and then trying to explain. Only she wouldn\'t let him.
Her anger having got the best of her, once again.

\"Yes,\" Dumbledore agreed, \"A most unfortunate incident. Hard for both
of you I\'m sure. Tell me, do you doubt Draco\'s feelings for you?\"

Winter exhaled another cloud of smoke, and sighed. \"I don\'t want to doubt
him, but sometimes it\'s hard. He makes me feel like I\'ve never felt before.
Only there is always this nagging voice. Tells me to give it up, it won\'t last. Hurt them before they hurt you!!! I grow tired of fighting it. I\'ve been hurt before,
and the past sometimes repeats itself.\"

\"Yes true, but sometimes it does not.\" His words were often simple
enough to knock you over with their wisdom. \"There may be something to
put your doubts to rest. Although I believe that you don\'t harbor as much
as you say.\" His eyes twinkled. \"Do you remember much after you released
with the spell of the ancients?\"

\"No, not a lot. Snippets here and there. I remember Onyx talking to that
centaur, and the cold air because I was wet from the rain. Other than that, I just remember waking up with a splitting headache, and Malfoy. He was right
beside me. He took care of me.\"

\"And do you know why he took care of you, Winter?\" He lit his pipe again, and
sat back into his chair. Exhaling with an almost smile. She shook her head no. \"Because my dear, he wanted to. The moment Draco saw me bring you
into the castle in the state you were, something changed in him. I saw it on
his face. I could almost hear his heart break when he saw you limp in my arms.
He took you from me with a tenderness I would of never thought was within
him.\"

Winter tried to let his words soak in. She tried to respond but the words
caught in her throat. \"I-I d-don\'t understand.\"

\"I know you have only been here a short time, but if you could truly
understand the transformation that Draco has gone through since you two became....an item. If you could of only seen him before. All these years
spent at Hogwarts, hating all that were unlike him. I\'m not saying he is
perfect now, because we both know he is not , but never has he shown
any regard for another. To him self preservation was above all, but when
he saw you. All that crumbled. \"

\"Oh my god,\" Winter moaned. \"What have I done?\"


\"Done? My dear you have done what no one ever thought could be done. You
have won the heart, and I dare say, the love of a Malfoy.\"

Winter jumped up from her seat. \"I have to fix this, I have to fix it now!\"

\"Hold up there, my dear. You may need this.\" Dumbledore reached for his wand
and wrote this lightly across her left hand: W.V. 2C S.H.B A.D.

\"WHAT is that!\" She was staring at the letters that now shone silver on
the top of her hand.

\"Hall pass. Winter VaShawn to see Slytherin Head Boy Albus Dumbledore
Just in case Professor Snape is on watch tonight.\"

\"Thank you, sir. For everything. \"

\"You\'re most welcome. Anytime you need to please stop by the office. offeoffer of lemondrops still stands.\"

Winter was walking toward Onyx who stared at her in his boredom. She
gave him a sugar cube she had taken from the table and he seemed
apeased. Pulling his mane so he would neal she mounted and was beginning
to ride off when Dumbledore called her back.

\"As much as I hate to say it. You need to exercise caution in the coming
months. Please stay alert, and remember just because they are your
housemates, not all can be trusted. Understand?\"

\"Yes, sir.\"

Winter rode off urging Onyx to run back to the stable. She had to get back
to Draco. To lay the stitches, to heal the wound she had inflicted upon him.
Surely she couldn\'t go back to his room. The fear of Lucius still hung around
inside, and it was too risky. Only for some reason she just didn\'t care.

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Dear readers,
Thanks for the wonderful reviews as of late. Great to see new readers
enjoying my fic. Keep reading, and I\'ll keep writing!! Please review
with comments or questions. I hope you don\'t think Dumbledore is too
OOC, but I figure he really dosen\'t think of Winter as much of a student.
She is there more for protection, and to learn more about her hidden
abilities. She is a student, but not the norm....as you have found out.
LOL...Hugs...Ammida Budda....Shaolin****