Silver and Cold

Silver & Cold

Chapter Four

Sublimity

Draco was sitting by Ginny's unconscious body. He slowly stroke Ginny's head, while gazing at her pale and peaceful face. Malfoy patiently waited for Ginny to open her eyes.

I'm not like my father!

Draco turned his attention to the torch on the opposite wall. The flames were engaged in a rhythmic dancing. He was slightly amused and for a few minutes forgot about the present issue. Yet, all this time, Malfoy had not stopped caressing Ginny--his actions were unnoticed by him, but not by the person who had suddenly opened her eyes.

At first, Ginny was dumbfounded, but then she looked up at his pale eyes. Yes, Ginny could perceive profound sadness and a deep melancholy.

In the silver and cold, I've seen your true resplendence.

Quickly, Draco shifted his attention from the flames to the face that was attentively observing him.

Malfoy was taken by surprise. "Gi--Weasley!" Draco mouthed, while retreating his hand from Ginny and getting to his feet with full force.

"No." Ginny managed to say in an inaudible voice. She tried to reach for Malfoy's fleeting hand, but failed to do so.

"Please," Ginny said; this time louder.

"Weasley, you must be delirious." Malfoy glowered at Ginny's abnormal behaviour.

I better feed Weasely my side of the story and an apology before she regains her strength.

"Look," Malfoy started with klutzy hand movements.

"I'm sorry about strangling you...." He noticed when Ginny frowned and lowered her head.

Yes! He was willing and able to kill me.

"I didn't mean to, really, just that your audacity to barge in without knocking was really testing the waters," Draco had started talking while Ginny remembered with horror the pain, the fear, his cold eyes and twisted lips.

Draco stood there, waiting for a response. He felt two huge logs replace his bony legs.

Malfoy saw Ginny forcing herself to rise from the dingy mattress that made her patched-up robes look brand new. Ginny finally stood in front of the man who tried to kill her. She could only think of one thing.

Ginny took one step forward and launched with all her might one powerful blow at Malfoy's pale face. Draco flinched and raised an icy hand to his left cheekbone.

Draco was bewildered. His eyes were out of focus.

"You ought to have more, Malfoy," Ginny said with a stern look.

"Undeserving bitch, I told you I was sorry!" Malfoy growled feeling his usual self- streaming back through his veins.

Then, Draco noticed the dark red finger marks around Ginny's neck. Merlin's beard!

Ginny took notice of Draco's stare, but instead of questioning, decided to give him a piece of her mind.

"Malfoy, you are just like your father---a murderer!" Draco's face hardened.

"But, I guess you would aspire to such a rotten human disgrace." Ginny's voice resounded across the empty room, and penetrated with piercing force Draco's heart.

Ginny scowled at Draco, and swiftly turning on her heel, she stormed out of the room slamming the classroom door behind her.

Ginny had already left, but Draco continued to stare at the spot she had stood not too long ago.

"How dare she insult my father? I hate you Ginerva Weasley!" Draco said huffing.

Draco lay back on the old and torn mattress holding his temples. He sensed an acute migraine approaching. Malfoy rolled over; his hand touched the cold stone floor. He felt like dirt--worthless and pitiful.

I, I wish I-I were ...dead. No, no...mum doesn't deserve to suffer more; I won't make her cry like Lucius did. Besides, I have to get back at the Weasley girl.

Malfoy's thought only made his headache even more intense. He decided to go to his room and get some rest, if that was possible.

*

Ginny ran--ran. Tears poured down her delicate face. She ran so much that her side muscles pained, but Ginny continued her path.

Crowd after crowd emerged from the Great Hall after dinner, and infested the corridors. Ginny, while still running, fought her way through the masses of young wizards, until she bumped into Hermione.

"Sorry... Hermione." Ginny attempted not to meet Hermione's eyes. The youngest Weasley didn't want her friend to notice her fear.

"Ginny, for Merlin's sake, what's wrong!" Hermione's distressed tone made her voice squeaky. She had immediately noticed Ginny's bruises.

"Nothing, gotta go." Ginny's voice cracked while trying to suppress the tears that were fighting their way out once again. Without looking back, she kept on running, leaving behind a bewildered Hermione, until she reached her bed.

In the silence and coldness of the room, Ginny broke down. She cried until she heard a small voice whisper in her ear:

Do you still love him, anyways?

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