Bitten

Bonds, Breaking Bonds

Draco looked at Riley like she had three heads. Riley blinked at him in response.

"What? That's what I need to do. There's something allowing you to be entered, for a lack of a better term." Riley said. Draco looked like he was going to be sick. Riley frowned.

"It's impossible." Draco murmured. He felt like now there was just no way. How could this girl, whom Draco barely knew, sever the bond he had? Riley sighed loudly, drawing Draco's attention back.

"Let me see your hand." She said. Draco narrowed his eyes at her.

"Relax. I'm not going to bite." Riley chided. Scowling, he offered his left hand to her. With a curt nod, Riley carefully grasped his fingers. She placed his hand palm up in her left hand and traced a pattern on his palm. A shiver ran up Draco's spine. He felt his hand going numb, the numbness traveling up his arm. He glanced down and saw faint, silver vein-like lines beginning to crawl slowly along his skin.

"What are you doing?" he hissed. Riley didn't look up, her eyes glued to the delicate lacework of appearing lines.

"Trying to find your point of bonding." She whispered. His forearm suddenly started to burn like he'd been branded. Cursing loudly, he jerked his arm away. Riley looked up, startled.

"Draco?" She asked softly. He grimaced, cradling his arm. Riley frowned again.

"It's on your arm. Isn't it?" Riley didn't even have to ask. Her lines had become a sedated sort of pale blue, similar to the colour of her eyes. Draco was silent. He didn't bring his gaze up to meet hers. Riley stared at Draco.

"I can't do anything unless I see the mark." Riley said carefully and slowly. Draco stood, shoving his chair away. It toppled over and clattered to the ground. Riley jumped from the banging of the fallen chair. She watched him stalk across the room. He stood in front of the long, domed window. The stained glass cast colours across his pale skin and hair. There was no sound until Riley rose from her seat, the legs scraping delicately against the wooden floor.

"Draco, I di-" she began. Draco turned and glared at her with such venom she flinched a bit.

"This is ridiculous." He growled. He began to storm towards the door.

"Draco, wait!" Riley called as he passed her. She reached out and grabbed onto his forearm.

An audible snap emitted from the contact and forced both Riley and Draco to the ground from the aftershock. Riley opened her eyes and looked at Draco. He was curled up on his side, holding his arm against his body. He was shaking violently and gasping for breath. Riley crawled towards him on her knees.

"Draco?" She whispered. She reached out. He wheeled around and slapped her hand.

"Don't touch me!" He yelled. "Gah!" He choked and was bent over again. Breath escaped through his lips in sharp hisses. Riley watched. It was really all that she could do. Draco was letting out muffled screams that made Riley closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her ears. But she could still hear his pained noises. What was happening? She opened one eyes a bit and inhaled sharply. Dark, forest green lines were beginning to slither up from under Draco's collar onto his face. His eyes widened then became half-lidded as his iris' became dull. Sitting back on his heels, as he was kneeling, his arms lowered. The backs of his hands barely brushed the floor. He blankly stared ahead of him. Riley saw the lines intertwining and crawling down his arms and around his face. They settled just around his eyes, branching off to different parts of his face. Riley felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

"Draco?" Riley asked again. There was no response. Riley inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. She reached forward again. When her fingers touched Draco's hand, nothing happened. She followed the faint remnants of her own lines on his skin. As her touch feathered just under his forearm, his right hand shot out and grabbed her wrists. She yelped in pain.