Just Red

Just Red

She was sitting alone in a back corner of the library. So rarely travelled was this nook, she had been lead to believe that not even the bookworm that was Hermione Granger ventured here.

A thin layer of dust covered everything; from the old tomes stacked haphazardly on the shelves, to the Doxy infested curtains that hung limply, but emitted a soft buzzing noise, from the lone cracked window. A strange smell permeated throughout the area - one that required a certain type of person to tolerate it. She was not one of those people.

Nervously, she ran a hand through her long chestnut hair before returning to drumming her fingertips anxiously on the tabletop. The Potions text in front of her lay unread; the anxiety wracking her body too much of a distraction.

She knew what they were all doing right now. What she should be doing. Thus was the beginning of the end for her now; the first part of her final stand. She knew what they were plotting and planning. She knew what would happen, who would be involved. She knew that she just couldn't do it anymore.

There would be no more hiding behind a façade. No longer would she cover up who she really was. Her blood was just as red, just as pure. But not to them. Not if they found her out.

She knew it was him when she heard the footsteps approaching. It was the gait of a man with a purpose. And Draco Malfoy always had a purpose. Her back was to him as he neared, but she could hear the falter in his steps when he spotted her. She could sense him putting on the cold charade with a shaky exhale of breath. Her own breathing had sped up and she gripped the one arm of the chair tightly with her right hand. The knuckles had turned a pale, ghostly white against her subtly tanned skin.

His voice broke the tension filled air and she winced at his words. "Where have you been, Tracey?" he asked, void of emotion.

Tracey forced herself to mirror his mask of indifference. "Right here," she stated simply.

She could hear him move closer towards her then. She felt the indentations of his fingertips as he gripped at the back of the old chair. Suddenly she found herself whirling around to meet him, Draco's face looming merely a few inches in front of her as he leaned over. His hands now grabbed painfully at her arms, resting on the sides of the seat.

"Did you perhaps forget we had a meeting?" he spat through clenched teeth.

"Of course not, Draco," she replied calmly to her Housemate. Tracey raised an eyebrow at him and allowed her gaze to flick from his menacing stare to where his hands clenched at her. She then looked back up at him seemingly unimpressed. Inside her mind was screaming at her of the forcefulness of his grip.

Giving her arms one final squeeze, Draco pushed away from her and instead perched himself on the table to her left.

"Then why weren't you there?" he inquired.

Tracey leaned back in her chair, pretending to be relaxed. Slowly she crossed her right leg over her left. "I decided it would be in my best interest," she cocked her head slightly at him and paused, "to not attend."

If it were physically possible, Tracey could have sworn that his eyes narrowed even more after her statement. "What do you think you're playing at, Tracey?" he snapped.

She shot him an innocent doe-eyed look. "Whatever do you mean, Draco?" she asked. She knew she wasn't fooling him at all; that had never been her objective for this meeting.

Draco sighed in exasperation at her. She couldn't help but smirk, knowing that Draco couldn't keep up his emotionless charade with her anymore.

"I'm not going to play these games with you, Tracey," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Just tell me; have you changed sides? Do your loyalties lie elsewhere?"

Tracey reached forward and touched his hand, feeling his body tense at the contact. "Believe me, Draco," she said softly, looking him straight in the eye. "My alliance has not changed, nor my loyalties."

He recoiled from her then, pulling his hand away. Draco scrunched his nose and crossed his arms. "I don't understand," he said with a scowl. Tracey wanted to laugh; he looked just like a disgruntled child. "Then why weren't you absent from today's meeting?" he finished.

She sighed, knowing it was time. "My loyalties haven't changed, Draco, I've just decided to act with them instead of against," Tracey explained. She began to mentally brace herself for the inevitable onslaught.

Draco looked at her with horrific realisation written across his face. "You're one of them?" he spat in disgust. "I never thought you of all people would sink to the level of Potter and his gang!"

Immediately Tracey sprung to her feet in anger. Her eyes glittered in rage towards Draco. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing as that!" she cried.

"Then I am afraid I do not quite understand what you are saying," he remarked coldly rising to his feet as well. He was now able to stare down at the petite girl. "It is my understanding that you are not loyal to your housemates - to me. Who else is there then but Potter?"

"Just because I am not with your cause does not mean I am fighting against it," Tracey replied matching his frosty tone.

"There is no middle ground," he stated.

Tracey's eyes saddened, she knew that but she had to fight against it. "No, Draco, there isn't," she remarked.

"It's impossible," he tried again.

"Then I'm the impossible," she commented with a sad smile. "Draco, I may not be your ally, but I will never be your enemy."

"I can't trust you anymore," he said flatly.

"I don't expect you to."

"But if you are not with us and the Dark Lord, you must be with the Light," Draco reiterated, his voice regaining its angry edge. "You cannot disagree with both sides."

She shrugged at him. "I don't agree with the senseless slaughter of Muggle-borns or following a power hungry leader. But nor do I want to join forces with the side established just to counter the Dark." Tracey's voice began to rise hysterically. "Don't you get it? I don't want to fight. I don't want to be a part of this! And so I am not going to get involved."

"You can't do it," he stated.

"I can try," she said simply, her voice returning to normal. "As I said, Draco, I'm not your ally, but I am not your enemy. I'm not Dark, nor am I Light. I'm not black, but neither am I white, Draco." She looked up at him and saw his gaze directed out the window.

"Look at me," she asked. "Look at me," she said again more forcefully and this time he complied. "I'm not black and I'm not white." Her eyes bore holes through him. "I'm red. Just red."

Quietly she turned away and picked up her books from the table. Draco looked on silently as she began to exit the little alcove in the back of the library.

Just as she was about to round the corner, he spoke. "You're fighting a losing battle," he said quietly.

Still facing away from him she replied. "That may be so, but the war is not mine to fight." Squaring her shoulders and raising her head, Tracey took a few more steps and was gone.

-Fin-