Érase una vez que vivía en un pequeño pueblo una niñita muy bonita. Todos decían que era la más bonita que jamás se hubiera visto. Su madre y su abuela eran muy orgullosas de ella, y por eso la madre cosió para su hija una caperucita roja. Y todos del pueblo, arrebatados de ella, la llamaban Caperucita Roja.

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And she sat on the small cot next to the man with the shattered mind – the boy who had lost all his hopes and dreams under the bitter pain of the evil he was forced to do, and the madness that had consumed his mind.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, in that oddly childlike voice. "Are you crying for her?" His voice turned more menacing, and Essie heard Draco shift behind her. "She was supposed to save me, but she left, the traitorous bitch." Essie looked up at him, feeling as though she finally understood.

"Yes, I'm crying for her," she responded, and watched as his eyes narrowed. "But I am also crying for you." Blaise looked away, he unfocused eyes looking at the wall again.

"None of them have ever cried before," he spoke softly, in a deceptively sane voice. "No one has ever cried for me before."

"Why shouldn't they?" she responded, not knowing what else to say.

"What shouldn't they? Why shouldn't they?" he practically sing-songed, his eyes taking on the mad glint again. "I don't know, Malfoy, why shouldn't they? You know."

Essie imagined Draco was probably pursing his lips, but he said nothing.

"Who are you?" Blaise suddenly snarled, but knew better than to move towards her, even though she could sense he wanted to put his face close to hers. The closer the eyes, the better he could steal thoughts from her mind.

"You know who I am," she responded at a near whisper, the tears still choking her voice. "You gave me my name." He cocked his head with a thoughtful look. She watched him scratch the side of his face and knew it was something that he had done even before his soul had been torn apart. The gesture sent a pang of sadness through her.

"My name is Esperanza," she said. "Esperanza—it means hope." Slowly, he brought his hand up to her face, running his thumb along her cheek, his eyes narrowed in unusual concentration.

"I had a Hope once, but her mother took her away, they went away." He took his hand away, and went to stand by the window. After drying her eyes on her sleeve, Essie rose and stood behind him as he stared out at nothing, feeling as though her heart were breaking into a million pieces.

"We went away, but I came back to you," she said slowly. He made no move that he had heard her. After a few minutes of silence, she turned and walked out the door.

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So I'm at it again. Got attacked by a rabid plot bunny and this is what came of it. Basically, I had thought of the premise for a great D/G story, but instead of writing that out I decided to write the second half, which is by far easier. Likely will be writing both at once, but this part won't have much (or any) D/G action. We'll see how fast it gets done. So as this scene is one that I envisioned for the first part, you'll be seeing it again towards the end. Right now you know none of the reasons why Essie is visiting a crazy Blaise Zabini – that is in the first half. This part is to explain just what happened to make the characters in the first half do what they do in it. So it's very interlocked, and sounds pretty confusing, I'm sure. But if you want to get un-confused, then stick around. Oh and I'm writing the Spanish story myself for various reasons, so if anyone is a native speaker and wants to beta that, I'd be much obliged.

It will all make perfect sense in time, I promise!

-Lyndsie