Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Tender Beast
An awkward silence filled the room. The night promised to be endless. Draco added some wood to the fire and poured the last remains of the wine into glasses. For several minutes, they were sipping the drink quietly, and when that ended, Draco continued, "Why were you avoiding me? Can't you understand why I act like this?"
"Of course, I do. You hide behind aggression and anger."
"Then why?" It was too much to understand that she knew everything but that she still preferred to ignore him. "Am I so unbearable to you? I could have understood if that was happening only while others were around. But why when no one sees? Spit everything you've got in my face, but don't you dare ignore me!"
"That's what I did today, and look what happened!" Both their voices were rising; they were panting, and, in a few seconds, they were standing and yelling at each other.
"Oh, don't worry about that, my dear. I am not planning to kill myself. So, please, stop pretending that you care. Take care of your problems, then continue your pathetic attempts to screw with my brain!"
"Go to hell, Malfoy! My life is not your concern!"
"Seriously? Do you still miss your rapist? What has he done to fuck up your brain?"
"Screw you, Malfoy! It's none of your business. Get the hell out!"
"Did he teach you how to kiss? What else?"
Elvein was flaming with anger. She turned around and ran towards her room. She almost made it, but the door was shut in front of her nose. Draco turned her around and slammed her into that same door. He caught her palm in the air and spoke through clenched teeth.
"Never! Ever! Try to hit me AGAIN! The fact that you caught me drunk does not mean you are allowed to!"
Elvein was panting. Her lips twisted in anger, but she closed her eyes, breathed through her nose, and said:
"You are right. You are drunk. Let GO OF MY HAND; you are hurting me."
She pulled her palm out of his hand roughly and returned to her seat. For Draco, it was not enough. The dragon in his chest was breathing fire, demanding hurting her, to humiliate her. And Malfoy lost his mind.
"So you're telling me you have scars. Is that, right?"
She only nodded.
"Show me."
"What?!"
"You heard me. What were you saying? Wear scars with pride? So, show me!"
Elvein was already shaken with anger. Draco could have sworn that he saw blue flames in her dark pupils for a second. But she moved her skirt a little, exposing her left hip, where the notched long white knotwork of the scar was crossing its whole length.
"Is that it?"
"No."
"Show me, then." She rolled up her sleeves, revealing angry pink branch-like scars that were winding around her limbs.
"Is that also from the Hogwarts Battle?"
"No. He was holding me. I was fighting my way out."
"Is that all?!"
"No!"
"Show me!"
"Why are you doing this?!"
"SHOW ME!" Draco roared. Who was he angry at? Elvein? The faceless man? Himself?
With shaking hands, she unbuttoned her shirt, partly revealing her chest, where between her breasts, a strange rune-like scar was shining with silver light.
"What the FUCK is that?!"
"His mark! He branded me like an animal! What can YOU say or do to me to make it worse? Do you have ANY idea what it is like to feel every single emotion of the person whom you hate the most? How is it to know that this damn link works both ways? What does it feel like to realize that there is nothing MINE left in this world? How does it feel to know that every single emotion I experience is shared with HIM? When I am happy, scared, or even in pain, he feels it. He knows it! How is it to carry a person you hate under your skin every damn day! And do you know what? I am ready to drink not only wine but the living death brew if it MAKES IT STOP! "
"I know!"
"What?!"
"I know how it feels to carry the person you hate under your skin! I had a fucking dark mark on my arm! Did you forget? "
The tension disappeared like someone sucked every single molecule of oxygen out of the room. Neither of them could breathe. Elvein opened a window.
"Why is this cursed night not ending?" She sucked in the air with an open mouth.
"Sit down. Please." Draco sat on the sofa, trying to calm down. Once more, unbearable silence. They were breathing slowly and loudly.
"Is it possible to take it off?" He asked.
"In St. Mungo's clinic, I was told that the only one who branded me could remove his mark. And since he is not planning to do it..." She paused. "Dumbledore once told me that for every evil, there is an equal and opposite kindness and my curse is not an exception. I want to believe it's true. Till then, I have nothing else left." Her emotionless eyes bore into the window. Her breathing calmed down, her face returned to its paleness, and she once again turned into her empty shell.
"So it's because of this scar that you poison yourself and suppress your emotions."
"I bear responsibility for things I have done in the name of feelings and emotions. I guess it is logical." The ghostlike girl was again distant and impervious. Her sparkle has disappeared. Draco looked at her for some time, then remembered:
"How did you find me in the owlery?"
"I followed you. Your eyes were too empty. "
"You said you broke up with him because you found true love. But it was not him. "
"That's right."
"Do you still love him?"
"Yes, I do."
"Who do you love, Elvein?" Draco was scared, but he had to know who had stolen this girl's heart.
"The sun is rising." said the shadow of the girl who was still looking at the window. December's cold sunlight fell on her face. Almost black eyes regained the familiar emerald color. The girl continued, "Looks like this horrible night is finally over. I don't know about you, but I will visit the hospital wing, then sleep the whole day."
For the first time in his life, Draco hated the sun. Elfy stood up but immediately fell. Her knee was the size of a bludger.
"I will carry you," said Draco as he stood up.
"No, no! I can do it myself." She stood up once again but crashed onto the carpet with the same result as earlier. The tender creature bawled out so vigorously that Malfoy, caught by surprise and comicality, burst out laughing. Elfy gave up her attempts and looked at Draco, doubled up with laughter.
Malfoy picked her up and strode towards the hospital wing.
"I have not laughed like that for so long." He whispered in her hair. A satisfied young man held the girl's light body tighter and closer than he needed to and walked dimly lit corridors. Portraits followed them with whispers, waking up their sleeping fellows, so others would not miss an exciting scene as well.
Madam Pomfrey scolded Elvein for not seeking her help earlier but generously pumped her with different potions and let her leave the hospital. She was only slightly leaning on Draco's hand on their way back. When they approached the great hall, he asked,
"Do you want to go in and have breakfast?" Early students were already arriving for a morning meal.
"No way! I will not survive another interrogation today."
Draco nodded, and they went back to the common room. The cozy common room treated them with calmness, as if oblivious to the previous night's gale. Pale madam has finally returned to her portrait. Charged up with Christmas celebration alcohol, she was calmly snuffling in her seat.
When Elfy started climbing the stairs to her bedroom, Malfoy recalled something. He grabbed his present and gave it to her.
"Take it. It's not from him."
"How do you know?"
"It's from me." Answered the young man as he disappeared into his bedroom, leaving the surprised girl with her thoughts.
"Of course, I do. You hide behind aggression and anger."
"Then why?" It was too much to understand that she knew everything but that she still preferred to ignore him. "Am I so unbearable to you? I could have understood if that was happening only while others were around. But why when no one sees? Spit everything you've got in my face, but don't you dare ignore me!"
"That's what I did today, and look what happened!" Both their voices were rising; they were panting, and, in a few seconds, they were standing and yelling at each other.
"Oh, don't worry about that, my dear. I am not planning to kill myself. So, please, stop pretending that you care. Take care of your problems, then continue your pathetic attempts to screw with my brain!"
"Go to hell, Malfoy! My life is not your concern!"
"Seriously? Do you still miss your rapist? What has he done to fuck up your brain?"
"Screw you, Malfoy! It's none of your business. Get the hell out!"
"Did he teach you how to kiss? What else?"
Elvein was flaming with anger. She turned around and ran towards her room. She almost made it, but the door was shut in front of her nose. Draco turned her around and slammed her into that same door. He caught her palm in the air and spoke through clenched teeth.
"Never! Ever! Try to hit me AGAIN! The fact that you caught me drunk does not mean you are allowed to!"
Elvein was panting. Her lips twisted in anger, but she closed her eyes, breathed through her nose, and said:
"You are right. You are drunk. Let GO OF MY HAND; you are hurting me."
She pulled her palm out of his hand roughly and returned to her seat. For Draco, it was not enough. The dragon in his chest was breathing fire, demanding hurting her, to humiliate her. And Malfoy lost his mind.
"So you're telling me you have scars. Is that, right?"
She only nodded.
"Show me."
"What?!"
"You heard me. What were you saying? Wear scars with pride? So, show me!"
Elvein was already shaken with anger. Draco could have sworn that he saw blue flames in her dark pupils for a second. But she moved her skirt a little, exposing her left hip, where the notched long white knotwork of the scar was crossing its whole length.
"Is that it?"
"No."
"Show me, then." She rolled up her sleeves, revealing angry pink branch-like scars that were winding around her limbs.
"Is that also from the Hogwarts Battle?"
"No. He was holding me. I was fighting my way out."
"Is that all?!"
"No!"
"Show me!"
"Why are you doing this?!"
"SHOW ME!" Draco roared. Who was he angry at? Elvein? The faceless man? Himself?
With shaking hands, she unbuttoned her shirt, partly revealing her chest, where between her breasts, a strange rune-like scar was shining with silver light.
"What the FUCK is that?!"
"His mark! He branded me like an animal! What can YOU say or do to me to make it worse? Do you have ANY idea what it is like to feel every single emotion of the person whom you hate the most? How is it to know that this damn link works both ways? What does it feel like to realize that there is nothing MINE left in this world? How does it feel to know that every single emotion I experience is shared with HIM? When I am happy, scared, or even in pain, he feels it. He knows it! How is it to carry a person you hate under your skin every damn day! And do you know what? I am ready to drink not only wine but the living death brew if it MAKES IT STOP! "
"I know!"
"What?!"
"I know how it feels to carry the person you hate under your skin! I had a fucking dark mark on my arm! Did you forget? "
The tension disappeared like someone sucked every single molecule of oxygen out of the room. Neither of them could breathe. Elvein opened a window.
"Why is this cursed night not ending?" She sucked in the air with an open mouth.
"Sit down. Please." Draco sat on the sofa, trying to calm down. Once more, unbearable silence. They were breathing slowly and loudly.
"Is it possible to take it off?" He asked.
"In St. Mungo's clinic, I was told that the only one who branded me could remove his mark. And since he is not planning to do it..." She paused. "Dumbledore once told me that for every evil, there is an equal and opposite kindness and my curse is not an exception. I want to believe it's true. Till then, I have nothing else left." Her emotionless eyes bore into the window. Her breathing calmed down, her face returned to its paleness, and she once again turned into her empty shell.
"So it's because of this scar that you poison yourself and suppress your emotions."
"I bear responsibility for things I have done in the name of feelings and emotions. I guess it is logical." The ghostlike girl was again distant and impervious. Her sparkle has disappeared. Draco looked at her for some time, then remembered:
"How did you find me in the owlery?"
"I followed you. Your eyes were too empty. "
"You said you broke up with him because you found true love. But it was not him. "
"That's right."
"Do you still love him?"
"Yes, I do."
"Who do you love, Elvein?" Draco was scared, but he had to know who had stolen this girl's heart.
"The sun is rising." said the shadow of the girl who was still looking at the window. December's cold sunlight fell on her face. Almost black eyes regained the familiar emerald color. The girl continued, "Looks like this horrible night is finally over. I don't know about you, but I will visit the hospital wing, then sleep the whole day."
For the first time in his life, Draco hated the sun. Elfy stood up but immediately fell. Her knee was the size of a bludger.
"I will carry you," said Draco as he stood up.
"No, no! I can do it myself." She stood up once again but crashed onto the carpet with the same result as earlier. The tender creature bawled out so vigorously that Malfoy, caught by surprise and comicality, burst out laughing. Elfy gave up her attempts and looked at Draco, doubled up with laughter.
Malfoy picked her up and strode towards the hospital wing.
"I have not laughed like that for so long." He whispered in her hair. A satisfied young man held the girl's light body tighter and closer than he needed to and walked dimly lit corridors. Portraits followed them with whispers, waking up their sleeping fellows, so others would not miss an exciting scene as well.
Madam Pomfrey scolded Elvein for not seeking her help earlier but generously pumped her with different potions and let her leave the hospital. She was only slightly leaning on Draco's hand on their way back. When they approached the great hall, he asked,
"Do you want to go in and have breakfast?" Early students were already arriving for a morning meal.
"No way! I will not survive another interrogation today."
Draco nodded, and they went back to the common room. The cozy common room treated them with calmness, as if oblivious to the previous night's gale. Pale madam has finally returned to her portrait. Charged up with Christmas celebration alcohol, she was calmly snuffling in her seat.
When Elfy started climbing the stairs to her bedroom, Malfoy recalled something. He grabbed his present and gave it to her.
"Take it. It's not from him."
"How do you know?"
"It's from me." Answered the young man as he disappeared into his bedroom, leaving the surprised girl with her thoughts.
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