The Boy Behind the Grey Eyes

Chapter 19- The Ball

Elsie's POV

The hours stretch into days. I haven't seen Narcissa again since she brought me food, since then they bring me just enough to keep me alive and weak.

Thankfully, I haven't been summoned by Bellatrix since I was brought here, perhaps her threat of torture was just that, a threat.

For the first few days I cried relentlessly, Draco wasn't who I thought he was. Mortifying as it was my heart still ached to wake up with our limbs entwined, sleep thick in his already raspy voice. But that was a distant memory. I sleep on the cold stone floor in the unforgiving dampness, I feel sickness settling into my body, if my mom was here she would be feeding me hot soup and making sure I was warm enough.

After the tears came the worst of it, the emptiness. Nothing. No joy came from recalling fond memories. No sadness came from the loneliness. No anger from the betrayal. Nothing.

My spark had died, and I wish I would too.

After counting what I believe to be 8 days of isolation, I finally saw Narcissa again. She came and woke me from a fitful sleep.

"Elsie, darling."

"Mhm." I groan. Not yet aware of my surroundings.

"Come on, let's get you showered."

I didn't say anything, out of confusion or out of the fatigue that had eaten away at my brain. But I obediently followed her up the stairs and in through a door on the left.

A bath was drawn and I was signalled to get into it, again I obliged.

The water was hot, but I was thankful for the warmth after a week and a day of the nagging chill of the cellar.

Narcissa began to wash my hair as I ran a cloth along my skin, it had become pale and grey in the time I had spent alone.

"Why are we here?" I ask her, I had wanted to stay silent to force her to speak, but my impatient curiosity bested me.

"Your presence is required at a ball for the Death Eaters tonight, I'm to fix you up so you look presentable for Him."

"Him?" I gulped, "surely you don't mean," I couldn't bring myself to let his name escape my lips but I drew my left forearm out of the water to reveal the brandishing on it.

"Yes, Him." She spoke back bluntly.

Upon getting out of the bath and drying myself I was presented with a gorgeous gown of emerald silk, spaghetti straps and a neckline of a plunging V shape all the way to the band that sat along the hips, from there down a slit from thigh to ankle down the left side.  This dress would have accentuated my body brilliantly, I had curves in all the right places and the colour was the perfect compliment to my skin tone.

As I put the dress on, a grim reality hit me, I wasn't the girl I was 8 days ago.

The dress sagged around my waist, too big for it to sit where it should. It bunched awkwardly around the curve of my chest. The colour made me look as if I was suffering from a violent wave of nausea. I looked worse than I had anticipated. 

Next came the makeup, the sharp angles of my face had become too harsh, my once high cheekbones now sallow, hollow caves in my face. My eyes, once full of youth, mischief and love now empty orbs, lacking depth reflecting the crippling numbness beneath them.

My ice hair, had lost its shine it was painfully dull and dry. Narcissa scraped it into a high bun, to hide the condition of it I'm sure.

I slipped my feet into the black stilettos provided for me and found it as easy to walk as I had remembered, at least I still had that.

Walking into the grand room that I had first been brought into a week ago I'm hit by a wave of nausea at the memory of my body colliding with the marble floor and having my heart ripped out of my chest and stood on. But I hold my head high, I look like shit and I know I do but I can't afford to let them see the internal damage.

Narcissa hands me a glass of champagne and gives me a slight smile, I can tell she pities me and perhaps I was harsh on her that first time she came to the cellar.

"Tonight you are here as a guest Elsie, you are welcome to the food, drinks and festivities of the night. This party is for Death Eaters, you included." She says as she hurries off into the crowd of people.

I tip my head back and empty the glass given to me, the liquid feels hot in my throat and the bubbles go straight to my head, the lack of food makes the effect of the drink hit harder than I am used to. Regardless, I find myself another drink, and another, and another.

Sure enough, my vision begins to blur and the many conversations happening around me become distorted noise, as two of my senses drift away from me, another picks up the smell of mint and apples from behind me.

I know that smell. Draco.

I turn quickly on my heels to face the blonde haired boy, he is dressed in an all black suit with a snake pinned to his tie. God he looks good.

"Hello, little one." He says as his lip curves upwards slightly.

"What."  I snap.

"Oh come on, you're not mad at me are you." He teases.

"Go to hell Draco." I sigh, unable to muster the strength for a fight.

As much as I hate the sight of him, I face the betrayal of my traitorous heart. I love him. I can't help it boy I wish I could but seeing him here I can't ignore the feeling.

He turns to walk away but once again my curiosity gets the better of me, encouraged by my obvious intoxication.

"Tell me why." I breathe lowly so that only he can hear.

"Elsie, not tonight."

"Don't give me that shit," I say louder time as the alcohol induced confidence takes over. "Which parts were real."

"Few of them, but do you really want me to go into them in front of everyone." He laughs.

I turn my head to notice Bellatrix standing in front of the rest of the party goers, and I realise this is part of my torment. Relive my heart break, relive the pain.

"Time for a dance, don't you think," Bellatrix cackles.

Draco's arm engulfs me and leads me on to the dance floor. I squirm as I try to resist.

"I would rather cut off my own feet than dance with you, Malfoy." I spit.

"As you wish, I will leave you to sulk the night away." He whispers as he leans in to kiss me on the cheek, another power move to embarrass me in front of everyone.

"Two days, little one."

The words were so softly spoken I wasn't sure they were even there at all. But before I had the chance to react, he was gone.

I looked around the room for Narcissa to tell her I wished to leave, my cellar was a darling alternative to this hell. But as I spotted her in the crowd and began to make my move a pain reverberated through my body, knocking all of the life and breath from my body.

I fell to the floor with a grim thud.