Light & Dark

Windows.

The windows of my family's home had once been my favorite aspect of the architecture. Despite the dark walls, Gothic moldings, and ominous faces of Malfoys long since dead...the windows had been the Manor's saving grace, letting light shine in. It had been said by many that there were more windows than wall, more glass than stone, and I'd taken pride in that. The way the sun illuminated every room made up for the eerie shadows cast by clouds on stormy days.

At least, it used to.

Now, it was darkness. Always.

Despair and dread seeped from the walls as long black curtains blocked out any trace of natural light, as was the Dark Lord's preference, of course.

If there were shadows, they could barely be seen as one walked from room to room, as if night had taken over. Not even my bedroom was safe. What was once my sanctuary was becoming a dungeon, as the blackout curtains turned my canopy bed into a cell. Gone was the beauty that came with having arguably the best view of the entire estate.

From the east wing of the fourth floor, I had once been able to see the sunrise over it all: the maze, the gardens, the pond, the orchard, the vineyard, the stables, and countless trails leading into the surrounding forest... How cocky I'd been to think I'd be able to keep such a pleasant view; how idiotic I'd been to believe I'd be able to maintain any sort of pleasantry while living with and serving the Dark Lord. This was his home now. His fortress.

Like a fool, I escaped the confines of my room, traveled through the dark halls, down the stairs, and out the back doors...desperate to find peace in the daylight. Instead, I was greeted by a sun so obstructed that it could hardly be considered day. I'd been stupid to think the horror that came with the Dark Lord's presence was restricted to the interior.

Determined to make my escapade worthwhile, I walked between the excessively tall hedges that divided each section of the estate towards the stables. Stepping through the rose garden and around the pond, I knew something was off. Something was missing. Pressing forward, I walked past the herb garden and the maze across the pasture, with a great unease building in the pit of my stomach. Upon entering the stables, I knew.

Noise, that's what was missing. Movement, there had been none. I had not seen a single creature.

Gone were the peacocks that loved to wander through the rose beds; absent were the swans from the pond, and empty were the stalls of the stable that had once been filled with thoroughbreds. I didn't need to walk to the small owlery on the west end to know that it would also be devoid of life.

My thoughts of finding refuge among the Manor's various creatures were futile, and dead were my beloved pets; murdered by the Dark Lord's hand, I had no doubt.

Withdrawing beneath my walls and burying my sorrows, I looked up across it all, finding the windows of my bedroom. I thanked Salazar for one thing.

I had not been able to see through the windows.

I wandered aimlessly through the grounds until night set in.

"Lumos," I muttered, exiting the maze and heading back in.

Voices caught my attention as I grew closer to the doors. As I came around the corner of the hedges' border, I spotted two figures.

"We are putting together a new regime," Pius Thicknesse boasted to Father.

"Is that so, Pius, do tell," Father responded with a sneer, eyeing me as I approached.

"We are going to use the resources of the Ministry to bring down the Muggles, put them in their rightful place! There are decrees being drafted at this very moment by my associates for the annihilation of muggleborn witches and wizards and their parents. Now that we're in control, we have an entire database of information on the whereabouts of these undesirables at our fingertips!" He smiled proudly. "We are even having a statue constructed for when we take over the Ministry. Any day now, we should begin our hunt for the unworthy!"

I continued, eyes focused on the doorway, eager to pass them. Fuck...

"That is excellent, Pius; the Dark Lord will be thrilled. Don't you think so, Draco?" Father asked, forcing me to pause.

"Oh yes, wonderful," I muttered with a nod, trying to seem enthusiastic.

Approving my response, Pius and Father nodded back to me.

Leaving them, I stepped inside, up the stairs, down the hall to the east wing. Upon entering my bedroom, I locked the door and fortified the area with every spell I could think of. Above all, I guarded my thoughts.

When I felt it was safe, I turned to the bookcase, my hiding spot.

It was cliché, yes, but I tried to be creative. I used a spell to fix the magical parchment to the underside of one of the shelves, hidden by its edge and the tall books below. Then, I'd used a camouflaging spell to blend the color of the parchment with the shelf. Lastly, I used a bit of dark magic to bind the spells with my blood.

Only after spreading a bit of Malfoy blood across the underside of this shelf would one be able to reveal and then unstick the parchment.

Taking a sharp quill from my desk, I pricked my finger. I smeared my blood across the necessary spot, being careful not to leave any evidence on the books beneath it. I cast the appropriate spells, and I removed the parchment.

The Ministry has been compromised. Locations will be divulged. Muggleborns and Muggles will pay the Dark Lord's price.

I wrote cryptically, knowing she'd understand. Hoping, for her sake, that I wasn't too late. She would be a prime target, after all.

Draco's note confirmed my fears and reaffirmed my decision. I knew my parents would never be safe; if I was being hunted, so would they. If the Voldemort lived and breathed, they were in grave danger.

I bought them each a one-way ticket to Sydney, Australia; now, all that was left was to make them forget about me, all of me.

It took me an entire seven days to get up the courage. I spent every waking moment with them. I tried to remember everything I could: how they smelled, every wrinkle, their voices, and their favorite things. I cried myself to sleep each night as I thought about what had to happen. This was it; this was war. I needed to prepare myself for the feelings that came with loss.

Dumbledore had only been the first. Countless people were going to die; that was the unavoidable truth.

When I finally uttered that fateful word, "obliviate," I robbed them of their memories, and I destroyed a bit of myself.

Leaving them there, blissfully unaware of any loss, I moved ahead into the unknown.

"Draco," Mother whispered as she knocked on my door. "It's time."

Today was the day I had been dreading all week. Today, the Dark Lord would host a meeting of Death Eaters at the Manor, one of many this summer.

Sullenly, I followed Mother as we made our way down several flights of stairs and into the drawing room.

"Narcissa, Draco, Welcome." The Dark Lord called to us, eerily cold and heartless. "Please, take your seats while we wait for the others."

It was an order, that was certain, but there was something else, something in the way the corners of his mouth twitched upwards between words.

Avoiding his eyes at all costs, I sat down; something was wrong.

Aligning my spine with the tall back of the chair, I settled my eyes on the table before me. Focusing on the patterns in the wood, memorizing and rememorizing it over and over, a voice broke my concentration. Someone, who until now, I had not noticed was in the room, said my name…

"Draco..."

Following the pained whisper, my head tilted upwards slowly… My stomach clenched, and I clung to the wards around my mind, stabilizing my facial features. This was a test.

Locating the source, I found her hanging there; Charity Burbage strung like an abused puppet, not 8 feet above us. Recognition hit just as my eyes met hers…begging for any bit of help I could give her…

"Draco...please...help me..." Professor Burbage whispered once more, almost inaudibly.

With carefully measured breaths and a blank façade, I returned my eyes to the table, seemingly unphased by her presence.

There was no saving her.

"Do you know this woman, Draco?" The Dark Lord sneered, continuing the sadistic twitch of his mouth.

This test could only go two ways. Show any hint of emotions, and I will both please the Dark Lord's lust for pain and give him the sick satisfaction of demeaning the Malfoy name further. 'Weak' that's what he would call me. I couldn't give him that. I refuse.

I stood firmly beneath my protections and indifference.

"Only of her, my Lord." I mused, looking towards him, maintaining composure, carefully looking near his eyes and not directly into them.

The corners of his mouth dragged down his face into a scowl of disappointment just as the other Death Eaters arrived: Father, Bellatrix, Severus, Pettigrew, Yaxley, Dolohov, the Carrows, Rowle, and a few others whose names I didn't care to know.

Still, as stone, I sat, staring at the table as they discussed the takeover of the ministry. I waited, knowing the meeting couldn't last forever, hoping it wouldn't last much longer.

My ears perked up when the subject of Harry Potter came up. Wherever he was, Granger would be too.

"It is settled then; we will attack the boy and anyone who is helping him escape on the 27th of July. I do not need to remind any of you pathetic fools that he is mine to kill, and I will do so."

"Yes, my Lord." We all muttered, some more enthusiastically than others.

The rest of the meeting went on as it usually did. The Dark Lord continued to humiliate the Malfoy family by taking my father's wand as his own. Typical.

Father, sickened with shame, turned an ashen shade of green as he was berated, yet found new life in the possibility of redemption. I could see it in his eyes a mile away, he thought Potter's capture would be his saving grace.

Mother took on the form of a pristine porcelain doll, eyes affixed in front of her; only moving when it was expected of her.

My aunt, Bellatrix, clung to every one of his words as if each syllable enabled her to breathe. Pathetic, really.

Severus, adept at the art of deception, showed no emotions. Nothing but vague indifference.

I continued my lazy study of the woodwork, ignoring the teardrops that fell from above. Choosing to pretend the only thing hanging above us was an extravagant crystal chandelier.

Just another day under the Dark Lord's reign.

When the meeting finally came to an end, the Dark Lord spared no expense, showing us all the strength of his pet and the depth of his sadistic nature. Charity Burbage's form fell on the table with the irreverent crack of multiple bones; she splayed out before us, crying out in pain. Her tears expressing the hopelessness that comes when death is near, and it is certain.

Forced to sit in place as Nagini glided across the table, eyes locked on her prey, we waited for it to end.

As was her nature, Nagini surrounded the professor's body, tightening her grip until blood seeped from every orifice.

I didn't have to look to know what was happening. I could hear it all; I could feel it. The crumbling of her body. Her shrill screams of agony. The shaking of the table as Nagini crushed her. And worst of all, I could feel her blood dripping down into my lap.

The snake swallowed her whole, spilling most of her fluids over the long table in the process. My ability to control my thoughts was nearly lost as I fought to keep the contents of my stomach down. Breathing hard, I restrained the overwhelming urge to gag, knowing that doing so would attract the Dark Lord's wrath.

Once Nagini was finished and we were finally dismissed, I exhaled carefully through my nose and averted my eyes. I carefully avoided the grotesque remains as I made my way towards the exit. I needed out; I needed air.

So close, I was so close…

"Leaving so soon, Draco?" The Dark Lord sneered, licking his lips with his forked tongue.

"My Lord?" I responded cautiously, pausing my exit but not looking back.

"Clean this up."

Before I could respond, as if he would allow it, he apparated away.

Even with magic, cleaning what remained of Charity Burbage was no easy task. Her blood had dripped off the table onto the chairs and the floor. The Death Eaters had stepped in it, pushing the bile and blood into the rug and tracking it across every surface. Twice, I heaved and created an even greater mess to clean.

I'd never truly known her; I didn't know who would be mourning her loss. Fuck, there wasn't even anything left of her to bury. I only knew that, at this moment, my intentions were clear.

Voldemort would pay for this and every atrocity he had committed. I would make sure of it.

I fought back the only way I could. I wrote to Granger. It was a long shot, but it was worth a shot.

Lacewing Flies. Powdered Bicorn Horn. Fluxweed. Leeches. Knotgrass. Shredded Boomslang Skin.

She would recognize the ingredients, I was certain of that, but whether she would understand my intentions…only time would tell.

On the morning of July 27th, the Dark Lord gathered his Death Eaters once again. He lined us up and examined us once, twice, three times, keeping us all on edge as he made his decision.

Never had I been so willing, so eager, for him to say my name.

"...Selwyn, Bellatrix, Travers, Shunpike..." The Dark Lord drawled as he looked around the room. "Severus, Dolohov, Rowle, Greyback and… Draco. You all will join me tonight as I finally kill Harry Potter. We leave at sundown."

She'd be safe. I'd make sure of it.

Sunset. DM

Later that night, we all flew towards Surrey. Some of us flew through strange dark clouds; that was the way of only dark wizards; I, however, used my Firebolt X. I knew I could beat out any of these Death Eaters with it; I could fly circles around them the entire way there.

In fact, as we flew through the night sky, I struggled to maintain a slow enough pace to stay with the pack.

I watched him as I flew; the Dark Lord drew his wand and turned a beautifully clear night sky into an ominously powerful thunderstorm.

The clouds provided the perfect cover as we stalked our prey.

The Order of the Phoenix and no less than 7 Harrys flew through the night sky in pairs on one motorbike, 2 thestrals, and several broomsticks.

We chased them up, over, under, and through the storm clouds gaining on them, our clothes soaking through to the skin with condensation. The cool wind ripped at my cheeks as I flew, my eyes searching for any hint of recognition…any trace of her.

It didn't take us long, but their reactions were fast; they scattered, each pair going a different way.

Merde. They weren't going to make this easy.

I flew frantically, vigorously, and skillfully, dodging spells as I looked for her.

I came upon MadEye Moody flying alongside a Harry Potter on a thestral.

"STUPIFY!" he yelled, throwing the spell in my direction. I barrel rolled left, dodging his spell before swirling back in their direction; I moved underneath their steed, surprising them on the opposite side as I tried to get a closer look at the Potter on the thestral.

My target pointed his wand, preparing to speak his curse, stopping only to convey the undeniable face of recognition.

Thinking fast, my eyes darted; this person knew me, but could it be?

It took just a moment to spot the glint of silver on this Potter's wrist to know for sure.

I pulled up and over, trying not to give away her position. I was too late; Stan Shunpike, the acne-covered fool, had caught on, setting his sights on MadEye.

Strategically, I backflipped on my broom, flying beneath Granger's threstral as MadEye engaged with Shunpike.

"Expelliarmus!" Madeye grunted, missing Shunpike.

"Avada Kedavra!" Shunpike cursed back.

"OBLIVIATE!" Granger yelled back at him.

Her spell hit Shunpike, but his curse landed too, nailing Madeye in the chest and sending him barreling back off his broom into Granger's steed.

She held her bracelet-clad arm in the air to protect herself, but it did no good. MadEye's body hit the thestral's backside hard, flipping it over and knocking Granger off its back.

"AHHHH! She screamed out as she disappeared into the clouds below.

I dove through the dense mist after her, not caring if the Dark Lord himself saw me. She was falling so fast, but I was fast, too.

Stretching my arm out, I reached for her as we plummeted towards the ground. Come on, just a little closer, come on…

Mere seconds before her body collided with cement, I grabbed hold of her wrist, swooping my broom forward and up with a painful abruptness, jerking my neck back.

She grabbed onto my wrist with her other arm as I regained stability and brought us back to solid ground.

Once her feet hit the pavement, she fell on her hands and needs, ragged breaths tearing through her as her features began to shift back into her own.

I rubbed my neck and dismounted next to her.

"You alright, Grange?"

"Yeah, thanks to you. I wish I could say the same for MadEye." She choked out, moving back to sit on her knees. "Fuck."

"Fuck is right…And Stan, that blithering idiot, fell off his broom. I imagine he's dead too, not that I lose much sleep over it."

"No, but I might. I didn't mean to…I just threw out the first spell that came to mind…" She breathed heavily.

"War, Granger, this is war. They aren't the first to fall, and they won't be the last." I spoke solemnly, reaching for her hand.

I check the skies for signs of the others, grateful to see nothing but heavy storm clouds.

"You're right." She sighed, taking my hand and standing up. "This is only the beginning. Godric, I hope Harry made it safely."

"You should go; it's not safe here."

I turned to face her, only to be torn in every direction.

Every inch of me was tugged and twisted involuntarily as she apparated us away.

Landing among tall reeds and marshlands, it was my turn to fall to my knees, dropping my broom beside me. Aggressively, I fought the urge to hurl that came with side along apparition.

"Merlin, Granger! You couldn't warn me?" I cursed, getting to my feet.

For the first time since we last met in the Room of Requirement, I looked her over. Taking in every detail, not knowing when or if I would ever get another chance.

She didn't speak, wrapping her arms around me as I wrapped mine around her, holding her to me like she was my very life force. Perhaps she was.

Protected by the privacy of the plants, she kissed me passionately, reminding me of every bit of joy and pleasure I had been missing over the past few months… I took her lips in, suckling her tenderly, savoring every caress of her tongue.

Voices in the distance brought me back to reality.

Granger, I can't be here." I urged, regretfully breaking away from her lips.

"Stay, Draco, please." She pleaded, moving her hands to either side of my jawline.

Those eyes, those brown fucking eyes of hers…they could convince me to do just about anything. But not this.

"You know I can't do that, love."

"Yes, you can, you absolutely can. Safety is just a hundred meters that way, at the Burrow." She pointed behind her. "The Order will protect you, I'll explain everything." She tried, urgency rattling her voice.

"And leave Mother at the Manor? You know I wouldn't. Father is one crucio away from losing every ounce of humanity he has left, he's already a bloody sadist. Not to mention my aunt and every other psychopath that walks through the gates on a regular basis…Bella…the Dark Lord…" I trailed off, scanning my surroundings nervously.

Clenching my wand, I relaxed my hold of her, moving my hands to sit on her hips. Faint sounds of movement and speech trailed over the reeds with a warm breeze.

"I know, I just..." She sighed, resting her hands on my chest. "I don't know how many more times I can say goodbye to you, Draco."

"It never does get easier, does it?" I agreed.

We kissed once more, neither of us ready for what had to happen next.

"Just find the Horcruxes. I will help you in any way that I can." I relented, kissing her on the forehead.

I let her go, backing away and looking down, separating our bodies as swiftly as I could before I changed my mind.

"I love you." She whispered as I prepared to apparate.

"I love you too."

The Dark Lord's plan had failed, but there was one thing his Death Eaters could be thankful for. MadEye Moody was dead.

"My nephew here has brought his darling mother, Cissy, and his useless father back into the Dark Lord's good graces! He has not only killed an Auror, but a member of the Order, no less!" Bellatrix screeched as she drank to my "success."

Only my Mother and Granger knew what truly happened...

As summer came to an end, the Dark Lord was absent from the Manor more often, and so were his followers. Recruiting and plotting for whatever came next. With them on the move, things had quieted down.

Needless to say, when Father and a stumbling drunk Mulciber entered the drawing room, it more than interrupted the silence.

"We did it! We finally did it!" Mulciber slurred loudly, bumping into the grand piano. "Rufus Scrimgeor is dead!"

"Yes, you blithering fool, the Ministry is at our command now." Father groaned in annoyance, attempting to move his accomplice away from the valuables.

"And any second now, any second, we will attack those blood traitors! Those Weasels! Crash their little wedding! We'll show them!" Mulciber yelled, falling to the floor with a laugh.

"Yes, yes, we will. Crucio."

While Father tortured his friend, sending his screams ringing through the halls, I snuck away. Out the doors, into the tree line, out of sight.

I had to move quickly; perhaps I was already too late.

Chest panting, I waved my wand, breathing the necessary spell.

"Expecto Patronum"

To my relief, the smoky form of a fox escaped from the tip of my wand and hopped around me.

Attempting something I'd only seen Dumbledore do, I sent my patronus on a mission.

"Go to the Burrow, tell them 'The Ministry has fallen. The Minister for Magic is dead. They're coming.'"

With a flick of my wand and a nod of understanding, my hare disappeared into the forest.

Fighting every urge to apparate to the field of reeds I'd been in just weeks before; I headed back to the Manor. Leaving and joining the fight, without specific invitation by the Dark Lord, would not go unnoticed. We were all the Dark Lord's pawns, played at his discretion.

All I could do was wait and hope my message made it on time…

The wedding was a success. We were all dancing and enjoying ourselves, forgetting for a moment that our world was on the brink of chaos.

I watched as Harry danced with Ginny, and Ron sweetly danced with 14-year-old Gabrielle Delacour. I even let Viktor Krum take me for a turn or two around the dance floor, for nostalgia's sake.

Things were good; everyone that I could see had a smile on their face. Everyone seemed happier than I could remember seeing them in a long time.

As I watched, something caught my eye, something out of place yet very familiar.

A silvery fox swirled around the room and then through the crowd to the center of the dance floor, grabbing everyone's attention.

The music and everyone in the tent stopped.

" The Ministry has fallen. The Minister for Magic is dead. They're coming."

I recognized his voice and his patronus before I understood their meaning.

"Hermione, we have to get out of here!" Harry yelled from across the room.

The pop of apparition, screams, and clatter of breaking glass filled the room as we came under attack.

This was it.

"Accio beaded bag!" I exclaimed, grabbing my purse and running towards Harry and Ron.

Taking their hands, I apparated us away.

After we escaped Dolohov and Rowle, I apparated us to 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius was more than happy to have us stay with him for a while. He and Buckbeak were desperate for the company.

We were seated in the salon now, huddling around a hot fire; Harry had just finished explaining the Horcruxes and the locket to Sirius.

"May I see it?" Sirius asked, referring to the locket.

When Harry removed it from his pocket, Sirius' eyes widened with recognition.

"Wait, I know this locket, this is mine; I mean, it belonged to my family…" Sirius exclaimed in disbelief, taking it in his hands and opening it up. He unfolded the note within and began reading aloud. "'To the Dark Lord, I know I will be long dead before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B….' Regulus Arcturas Black…"

I gasped, realizing Sirius' own brother had written the note. Harry and Ron were just as dumbfounded.

Before any of us could form words, Sirius cried out angrily.

"KREACHER!"

Crack.

"Yes, Master Black." Kreacher croaked after apparating into the room.

"Do you recognize this?!" He demanded, dangling the locket in front of Kreacher's face.

"Master Regulus told Kreacher not to speak a word. Kreacher lives to serve the loyal house of Black."

"Kreacher, I will mount your head on the wall if you do not answer me right now! Tell me everything you know about this locket!"

The house elf flinched at his threat but relented.

"Kreacher tried to destroy the other one… but no matter what Kreacher is doing… it would not break…" Kreacher mumbled, staring at the floor.

"Where is the other locket?!" Sirius demanded.

"Kreacher is not wanting to anger, Master, but Kreacher doesn't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Harry demanded of Kreacher.

"Filthy half-blood!" Kreacher spat at Harry.

"Kreacher! Enough with your bile; tell me what happened to the locket!" Sirius yelled at the small elf.

"Master Sirius won't be liking this, but while Master was flying that wretched animal with feathers and hair, someone is breaking into the Black family home," Kreacher said, ducking his head down, preparing for punishment.

"WHO!?" Sirius screamed, throwing the fake Horcrux at Kreacher.

"Mundungus Fletcher." Kreacher whispered.

"FIND HIM!" Sirius yelled, his face red as blood, "BRING HIM TO ME!"

I woke up a few days later to the sound of Sirius yelling at the top of his lungs again.

"WHO DID YOU SELL THE LOCKET TO MUNDUNGUS!? WHO!?" Sirius bellowed as I ran down the stairs to see what was going on.

"I, uh, I dunno her name. She is a very pink woman; she is portly, too. Hey, wait a jolly tick, that's her right there, in the paper, that is." Mundungus muttered, referring to a picture of Dolores Umbridge.

My heart sunk deep into my stomach as I realized what this meant. We would have to sneak into the Ministry of Magic and steal the cursed locket from Umbridge…

Over a month had passed, and there had still been no luck in the hunt for the Golden Trio. I thanked Salazar that my Granger was safe. Wherever or however they were hiding, it was working. From within the dark walls of the Manor, I imagined them on the run, destroying the Dark Lord's horcruxes. Secretly and quietly changing the odds in this war.

Or so I thought until I spotted the The Daily Prophet.

The paper, dated for this morning, September 9th, read:

Harry Potter Infiltrates Ministry of Magic

None other than the Ministry's No. 1 most wanted wizard, Harry Potter and his two accomplices, managed to enter the Ministry yesterday, September 8th. It is not yet known why they came but investigations are underway to discover how and why this happened. The Minister for Magic assures us that this type of safety violation will not happen again. The head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission says that due to the security upheaval caused by Mr. Potter, four Muggleborns who were previously in custody are now at large. There is no word yet on how the Ministry will handle their recapture or about the whereabouts of Mr. Potter and the two others…

I didn't need to read more to know what had happened. The only reason Granger would risk going to the Ministry was the chance that there was a Horcrux there…

Months and months passed by without a single sighting of them; I was thankful for her safety, but things were escalating. The Death Eaters were recruiting vigorously, preparing for a battle that was in our not-so-distant future. Witches, wizards, and Muggles alike were dying every day; the Dark Lord had given his followers the freedom to kill whoever got in their way.

I kept myself busy, discretely passing food and water to the few prisoners that came and went; I made sure not to get too attached because when a prisoner left, it wasn't willingly, or alive for that matter.

I read the paper every day, knowing no news of her was the best news.

One day, as I made my rounds to the dungeon, I noticed a new prisoner. She had long blonde hair and a certain airy demeanor. I recognized her from Ancient Runes class, Luna Lovegood.

She wasn't a Muggleborn, she wasn't even a half-blood. She couldn't possibly be of any use to the Dark Lord. She was just…Loony Lovegood.

Losing almost all sense of propriety, I drew my wand to send the other prisoners to the opposite side of the dungeon. Then, I spelled the immediate area so that only she and I could hear our conversation.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

She didn't look surprised at my words; in fact, she answered as if this wasn't the first time we had ever spoken.

"I imagine it has something to do with what my Father has been writing in The Quibbler." She mused, positioning herself with her legs crossed near the bars of the cell.

"What did your Father write? What do you know?!" I demanded thoughtlessly.

If she was surprised by my question, she didn't show it.

"I'm afraid I don't have the answers to your questions. I haven't heard from the one you seek in quite some time." Luna mused with cool understanding.

How did she? What the… She couldn't know… She couldn't possibly know.

"Legilimens" I whispered, desperate to find answers.

I'd only ever delved into one other person's mind, and Luna Lovegood's was nothing like it. Her scattered thoughts and memories flashed in odd, choppy increments, like disjointed or misaligned pieces to an impossible-to-solve puzzle. I pressed forward, looking for something, anything, that made a fleck of sense.

Snow.

There we were, Granger and I, walking through the snow. I could see us from above, from a window in the castle. My Firebolt X was in one hand, and Granger's hand was in the other.

She knows.

Exiting her mind, I stormed out of the dungeon, leaving Luna faint and nauseous, looking in her cell. I'd have to stay away from her.

Clearly, the Dark Lord had either not used Legilimency on her, or he had not come across this information in her head; I was still alive after all.

How had we been so careless? How many others could know?

We hadn't eaten in days, things weren't going at all as planned, and Ronald was leaving us.

"Fine then! Leave, just like you always do! Go! And don't bother coming back this time; I'm just fine without you! You fucking coward!" I yelled at Ronald, losing my temper and control over my emotions.

My memories and feelings pooled together, and tears poured down my face as I knelt on the forest floor. I knew he wasn't Draco, but I felt so betrayed. How had we gotten here? Seemingly abandoned by all.

Worst of all, I wanted to leave too. I wanted to run away, forget this war. I wanted to be with Draco.

On Christmas, Mother orchestrated a great feast, nothing but the best for the Dark Lord and his followers. The filthy Death Eaters stuffed their faces in a manner that would make Ron Weasley hurl. I sipped my wine and watched them in disgust, trying to drink away my sorrows.

Only the shattering of glass mid-feast shook me from my pity.

Wine spread across the floor as the Dark Lord apparated away. Mother grabbed my hand as we watched a few others, including Father, follow in suit... Something was happening, and by the looks of things, it probably wasn't good.

It could only mean one thing: Harry Potter had been sighted.

Nagini lunged at Harry and me as we fell backward through the window pane. With Harry's wand, I threw one last curse at the snake before apparating us away from Godric's Hollow.

"Reducto!" I yelled before the snake's open mouth disappeared. I knew as soon as the curse hit the snake that it rebounded. I could feel Harry's wand shattering in my hand.

"Just forget it, Harry," I yelled across my shoulder as I stormed out of the tent.

"No. I won't. I deserve an answer." Harry demanded, following me out into the snow.

"An answer to what Harry?!" I lashed out, turning around. "All you've done is make assumptions and accusations; you haven't bothered to ask a single fucking question!"

"When are you going to forgive me for what I did to Malfoy? I know you haven't. I know you still hold it against me. Hell, you even still dream about it. I hear you, you know." He answered after a long pause.

"What?" I asked, chin dropping. What had I been saying in my sleep?

"I hear you say his name. I hear you begging for help. And every time I've brought his name up since the night Dumbledore died, you've…well, I can see it plain on your face: you're angry. So angry, Hermione. It was a stupid mistake!! How can you possibly care about him? After everything he's done, to you, to me, to Hogwarts? He's vile!"

I gawked back at him, physically shaken by his words… what was I supposed to say back? Had I pushed all my anger onto Harry?

"I…I have nightmares; I can't help it. You know what it's like, Harry, when you can't fight away the dreams. All I wanted to do was save him, and I…I couldn't. I was helpless. I know he's fine now…but as long as we are at war, I can't help but relive the fear I felt that day. People are dying every day, and there is nothing I can do. What if it were you, or Ron, or… someone else I care about, dying before me, and I had no power to stop it?!"

"It's all my fault, I suppose. Everyone is dying for me, waiting for me to resolve this! Waiting for me to kill Volde-"

"Stop it, Harry," I cut him off before he could foolishly utter that godforsaken name. "This is bigger than you; it's bigger than all of us!"

He paused for a moment, and I watched his chest rise and fall.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I really am; I'm sorry if I have displaced my anger on you. I promise that it's not you that I am angry at; it's…I'm…I'm just scared. That's all…" I breathed, moving towards him. "Here. Give me the locket. I'll take the first watch."

He nodded and let me remove the gold chain from around his neck.

"Feel better?" I asked, putting the necklace on.

"Loads." He admitted.

"Good. You're my best friend, Harry. Don't forget that."

"I know, I'm sorry 'Mione."

Once he had gone back inside, I retrieved a quill and my magic parchment from my beaded bag. We need help.

Not only was our "Golden Trio" down to two people, but our mission to destroy a horcruxes was hopeless. We had the locket but nothing to destroy it with. We needed one of two things: the sword of Gryffindor or a Basilisk tooth; neither of those was going to show up anytime soon. I wrote to Draco out of desperation.

Write when you can. HG

I felt it, just like I always do…a message from Granger. Fortunately for us, the Dark Lord was away… I put up the necessary ward around my bedroom, then wrote to her freely.

I told you not to write unless it was an emergency. What is going on out there? DM

Ron is gone. We have a Horcrux, but we have absolutely no way to destroy it. We have no hope of completing our mission without something like the sword of Gryffindor or a basilisk fang. Please, if it is at all possible, send help; we are in the Forest of Dean for the next couple of weeks. And be careful. I love you, Draco. HG

I waited for the opportune time to talk to Mother; she was one of the few people I could trust.

"Mother, I need your help for her."

She quickly used her wand to prevent others from overhearing, but I knew for certain that we were alone.

"What is it? Is she hurt?" Mother asked, worry showing on her face. She knew I wouldn't be asking unless it was serious.

"They have a you-know-what but have no way to destroy it. They are in the Forest of Dean. Is there anything we can do?" I told her, running out of breath as I spoke.

She didn't answer she simply whipped out her wand and pointed it to the sky.

"Expecto Patronum" She whispered.

I watched as her Patronus, a graceful swan, circled around her and then landed on her wand.

"The fireplace, your office 5 am sharp." She whispered to the swan before sending it away.

"Thank you, Mother."

"Of course, my dove. Come along now; the others will be back soon."