The eyes of Winter

Chapter 33....Shock to the System

Winter walked slowly back to her room, half dazed from the pain and
the thoughts that whirled around in her head. Bare feet making soft
padding noises in the empty halls. No sign of Draco either. Unknown to
her he was still rapidly making his way around the castle. He was still searching
the upper floors when she passed the Great Hall and stopped.

She looked in and a pang of guilt overtook her. How could she have ever
hurt this beautiful place? Eif iif it wasn\'t planned. Winter let her eyes pan
over to the small crack that had remained in the ceiling. It\'s only imperfection.

Moving slowly before she really knew she was moving, Winter made her way
to look straight up at it. The ceiling was in its night sky, and not a cloud could
be seen. Clear with bright stars that sparkled in their celestial clusters. The
illusion was perfect except for the crack. If you knew where to look you could
find it easily.

\"?\" ?\" A tiny little house elf had emerged from a side cubboard. Very
petite and dressed in a light blue Hogwart\'s towel. Staring with her big yellow
eyes at Winter who looked down at the tiny voice.

\"Yes.\" Winter\'s reply came out more like a sigh.

\"P-Pardon, but Libby came to retrieve yo-your garment.\" The little house
elf stammered. \"Needs some w-washing up it does.\"

\"Yeah alright.\" Winter let it drop absently to the floor. Looking again at
the ceiling. Losing herself in the stars.

Libby the house elf snapped her little fingers and held the mangled
dress in the air. \"Is Miss alright? Can Libby be of service?\"

\"No, I\'m fine.\"

Only Winter didn\'t seem fine, she was crawling her way on top of the
Slytherin table. Laying down to face the stars, just to be a little closer. The
slick oak wood was hard, but she was too numb to care. The black skirt tangled
around her long l and and her hair falling in a splash over the table.

Libby knew this was not right, and was about to ask the girl again if she
needed anything, but a dark figure stepped silently from the walls\' shadow.
Catching her off guard and almost making her drop the dress. He used one
hand to put his finger to his lips to tell her to be silent, and the other to wave
her away with. She scrambled back to her cubboard, and shut the door with
a soft thump.

\"Miss VaShawn,\" Severus Snape stepped forward slowly, taking in the
situation. \"As Head of your house, even if you don\'t think of yourself a student,
I must ask you pray tell what you are doing?\"

\"I used to love the stars.\" She droned, ignoring his question. Still glassy
eyed, and hollow toned. \"As a child I watched them thinking only some great
form of magic could of made them. Only then to be told magic dosen\'t exist.
Living a lie someone handed to me. For years I lived that lie, only to find out
now what magic truly is....power over the weak.\" Her voice wavered for a
moment. \"I saw it, you lived it.\"

Snape very slowly lowered himself to sit on the common house bench. He
could still smell the blood on her, and the infection. \"Indeed. I know much
about living a lie.\"

\"How could something so beautiful release so much pain? \" A silent
tear rolled down her eyelashes and landed on the table. She did not sob.

\"It is neither black or white until a hand it touches. Do you understand?\"

Snape was speaking in an almost calming manner. Her meeting with Voldemort
had shaken her to the core. She had retreated back, shut down. The only way
she had not truly lost herself. Lost inside, seeking the answers she needed to
know.

\"The hand it touches\", she repeated softly.

\"Miss VaShawn,\" leaning forward closer to her ear. \"You must understand
inside you resides great magic, old magic . A power that because of some
has been kept from you. Tonight, I again saw their mistake in not informing
you. Think of yourself as a living wand. Your core would be powerful enough
to make even the heavens change themselves.\"

Winter kept looking up, unmoving silent.

\"And that is why you are hunted. It is why you are here, and why it is so
imperitive we keep you within the safety of these walls.\" Professor Snape
folded his hands and let them rest on his forehead, praying to no one. \"I
failed to realize how strong the Dark Lord has become. I never thought he
would come after you in your sleep, and for that I failed you.\"

Winter turned her head and another tear spilled on to the table. \"I
know your secrets. You have many.\"

He stiffened at the intrusion into his mind. Advanced occlumency was no
good against mearly a simple push from her. \"Yes, a great many.\"

She was probing him with her eyes, glassy but still
pushing into him with a feirce rush. His remorse was running
rampent. Severus had never before seen a student tortured, let alone
one of his own house. In a way they were the children he never had. He
was hard on them not to be mean but to get them ready for the fight that
surely was to come. Even he had to admit he was harder on the other
houses, but never outloud.

A loud pounding broke the silence, footsteps coming quickly toward the
Great Hall. Making Snape snap back to attention. He stood up quickly, and as
they passed the hall he shouted, \"Mr. Malfoy!\" He would know Draco\'s scent
anywhere. Years of potions had given him the nose of a canine, and for months
Winter had reeked of him.

An abrupt sound of shoes skidding on the floor, and then Draco poking his head
around the door frame. Thinking for sure Snape was wanting him for something
he had no time to do right now. Only Snape was standing by the Slytherin
table, arms folded in his bat like robes.

\"Draco,\" he sidestepped and brought Winter\'s body into view of his grey
eyes. \"I think this is what you are searching most desperately for.\"

\"Oh Winter!\" Draco ran to her side in great bounds of his long legs. \"Winter?\"
He could see her vacent expression, and turned his worried eyes to Snape.

\"She is in a mild form of shock. Take her back to the dungeons, I will
send a house elf with some dreamless sleep draft.\" He leaned closer to
Draco. \"There is no need to speak of what he have all seen tonight. It will
only hinder her recovery. Not until she is ready. Understand?\"

Draco nodded as he stroked her face. \"Wint"
"

\"Beautiful one.\" She murmered and smiled faintly.

Snape raised a questioning eyebrow at Draco. He shrugged, \"Mus
h
her delerium.\"

\"I\'m sure it was Mr. Malfoy.\" Snape turned after Draco had picked her
up and held her close to him once again. Calling back once to Draco, \"Do
not let her sleep until she drinks the draft. Make sure to do it, she will be
open to danger if she dosen\'t.\"

Draco nodded and headed for the solice of her room, quietly moving in the
shadows. Winter was not limp in his arms, but still as the night. Looking up at
him with vacant eyes that questioned him painfully. He had never seen her
normally bright eyes so dim. She was still silent when they made it to her
portrait door. He opened the door when she made no effort to do it herself.
The unicorn scowled at Draco, but let them in anyways. The blonde boy
came and went as he pleased these days.

He left Winter sitting by the renewed fire. Staring into it hypnoticly,
entranced by the bright flashing flames that swirled and dived in the hearth.
Draco made busy cleaning up the now drying blood in the bathroom. Using his
wand to scourify the abismal mess.

His mind raced with thoughts of guilt, things huld uld of never prevented,
and her now strange state of shock. Noke Wke Winter at all, not his Winter.
Suddenly from behind him he heard her. A word from her lips clear as a bell
and quick to echo in the silent dungeon room.

\"Scar.\"

He was in front of her in a heartbeat, kneeling down. Searching her face
for any signs of emotion. Her eyes were hard and expression stern, jaw
clenched with ange he he spoke again through her teeth. \"I saw his scar.\"

\"Who? Potter?\" Draco was confused. What had she seen?

She snapped her neck quickly to be eye to eye with him. The fire now
coming back to fill her vacant eyes, breathing heavily and grabbing his
shoulders roughly.

\"YOU, Draco Malfoy saw my blood spilled, and Harry Potter will be the
key to avenge that blood. I know now what must be done. Unity of all! The
next generation will not fall at his feet! We will take his future minions and
we will unite under one pur alo alone. The death of Lord Voldemort!\"

Winter had come back suddenly. Shock obviously over, replaced by her
immediate rage. Draco tried to calm her but she was shaking with anger as
her memories flooded back full force. Before they had felt far away, only
now they were before her. Flashing images in her mind of blood, pain, and
power.

\"Your death will come! You will die in the hands of the young!!\" She was
screaming at a Voldemort was was no longer there.

\"Winter, STOP!\" Draco for the first time raising his voice to her. \"It\'s over,
It\'s gone! They can\'t hurt you now.\" He grabbed her by both wrists and pulled
her into him. \"Come back to me!\" His tone wavering with fear, and anger for
those that had done this to her. He let out a long sigh of relief as her arms
came around his waist. Her muscles relaxed as her surroundings came back,
and Draco\'s wide eyes set her down into reality.

\"I saw your eyes, Draco. Tears of the dragon.\" Winter whispered into
his ear as her heavy head fell on his shoulder. The macabre pictures
stopping in her mind, exhaustion and pain taking over.

\"I know you did. It was everything I had in me not to fight for you. I can\'t
stand to see you in pain. After tonight I know there is no way I could get
through this world without loving you.\" She was stroking his long hair as
she began to tremble against him. \"I know you saw me, and I\'ll never
deserve your forgiveness for being a witness to your torture.\"

She buried her head in the crook of his neck, taking in the warmth, and
ignoring the pain it caused her face. \"There is no need, your eyes told me
all. Just like they always do.\"

A small shift in the wood paneling brought them back to their feet.
Winter wavered slightly, and grabbed Draco\'s arm. Another house elf set
down a silver tray with two potions, and a small note. Winter broke the seal,
and read its contents.

Miss VaShawn,
Dreamless sleep draft will be delivered nightly from now on. I need not
tell you it is with utmost importance you take it. This is no time to be
stubborn, which I\'m sure you will be. In time you will learn to brew it yourself
no doubt, you hold the talent. Until then you must learn to accept help from
unexpected sources. Also have sent second potion for infection and pain.
Very much needed for that abomination of metal that resides in your face.
And if this is Draco reading this, meaning she has not come around, send for
me immediately.

Professor Snape

Winter eyed the potions suspiciously as the house elf retreated behind
the panel once more. Curling her lip up in discust. She had brewed potions,
but never drank one willingly. Draco narrowed his eyes at her until she picked
up the red pain potion, and gulped it with a sneer. But it soon vanished as the
warm tingle rose through her body. The painful wounds began to dull almost
immediatly. She looked at the other purple mixture with contempt.

\"And the other one, Winter.\" Draco was not taking an eye off her until it
was all gone. She swallowed the bubbly purple potion and it thickly oozed
down her throat. The effect was suprisingly fast, rushing waves of sleep
began to push at her eyelids. Pulling her down with its churning effects.

Draco was behind her, walking her toward the bed as his strong arms guided
her. He pulled on the soft fabric of the dress, and it slid softly over her hips.
She moaned and pulled him in for a soft kiss, clinging to him as he attempted
to lay her down in the bed. Urgently needing to know that he was real, that
he would stay next to her.

Forgiveness never crossed her mind. Where would they be now if D
w
would have spoken out, fought for her. Something told her neither one would
now be back at Hogwart\'s. Here in her room, where they had changed in each
others arms. Learned to love, and be loved for the first time. Where domination
and submission had fallen and now ment little, the only time in her life when it
didn\'t rule her.

\"Don\'t leave me, Draco.\" A plea that barely ever crossed her lips. Winter
grabbed his arm after he had set her down, fighting the sleep that came to
overtake her. \"Stay with me.\"

Draco pulled the blanket up to cover her chest, and sat down silently at
the edge of the bed. Watching her drift slowly into slumber as her eyelids
began to close and not reopen. She was too tired to fight now, it had all but
drained her. He could not think of anything to say to his now sleeping witch.

She burned him inside like no other ever had. Like a phoenix rising from the
ashes she had shown him who he really was. Not a cruel little boy, but a man
with feelings that ran deeper than he could of ever known. Brought on
strangely by a muggleborn who never had any idea about his world. She had
treated him differently.

She didn\'t care about the Malfoy name or the fortune that came with it. Even the
threat of her life had not kept her from his side. Winter hadn\'t seen the snarky
little git he had been in his first years at the castle. She had found the person no
one would have ever thought resided in Draco Malfoy. Even if it wasn\'t seen by
many, it was still there.

Draco let his head rest in his hands as he looked at the floor. \'What in Merlin\'s
name had she ment?\' He questioned himself silently. \' Unity of whom? Why was
Potter\'s scar so bloody important? More importantly, what now?\' He looked
again at Winter, finally at peace after her horrific evening. Draco sighed heavily,
\'Somewhere inside, I know you know what lies ahead. You have to know.\'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whew...took me a long time to get this one out. Don\'t worry smut
will be served soon...piping hot! You know i\'m afraid Draco is a little OOC,
but we\'ve never really seen anything Draco REALLY cares about. Aside
from his broomstick...i\'m trying to get him to soften a little...not all the time just
when Winter is involved...i\'m seen the most crass punk rockers slow dance with
their girlfriend just to make them happy...if you have ever seen that you would agree Draco could be a little soft when it comes to his Lady Fair...hehehe...Please keep reading and reviewing, It makes my day...As always spell check is dead...still don\'t know why, but it\'s getting worked out...Amidda Buddha...Shaolin