I just kept running the crumpled letter tight in my fist.

If it ever gets too bad, just go to Grimmauld Place. That's all I can tell you, but there will be help for you there.

Harry

I sincerely hoped he was right because I really didn't have much of a head start before my brother told my parents what I was doing and I needed to be far enough away so they couldn't find me when it happened.

By the time I saw the street sign that said Grimmauld Place; I was out of breath and clutching a stitch in my side. I sat down across from a tree and decided to catch my breath while I waited for someone to find me. I barely had time to sit down though before there was a flash of red light and everything went black.

"Why do you think she's here?"
"I don't know. How did she even know where to go?"

"She's his daughter! Why on earth would she come running into the Headquarters of Order members?"

I groaned and sat up rubbing my eyes. "What the heck did you guys stun me for? I was just sitting there waiting for someone to find me. I wasn't doing anything bad, and I don't appreciate the accusation." I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by several different 'Order' members. Remus Lupin, Nyphmadora Tonks, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody and notorious mass murderer Sirius Black.

They all seemed too shocked to speak and I considered myself accomplished.

"Is she awake? Let me through!" I smiled recognizing the voice and couldn't help the familiar jump in my heart at my boyfriend's concern. "Emily, are you all right?"

I nodded, "I would be a lot better if someone hadn't stunned me." I said glaring accusingly at the people around me.

"You guys stunned her? She wasn't doing anything wrong!" Harry turned back to me and placed his hands on my face feeling for any injuries. "Are you sure you're all right?"

I placed my hands on top of his and squeezed them. "Harry, I'm fine. I got out before the real trouble could start."

"What the hell is she doing here?" I heard Ron Weasley say as he came up behind Harry followed by Hermione Granger.

I turned back to Harry. "You haven't told them I suppose?" I asked him.

"Well you haven't either." He retorted.

"Ah, but if I told my family, I would be murdered. I think that's a pretty good excuse." I told him smiling so he knew I wasn't mad.

"Tell us what?" Everybody seemed to chorus.

Harry looked at me for and I stood up beside him grabbing his elbow for support. "Harry and I- well," I took a deep breath.

"Emily's my girlfriend," Harry said as my hand slid down to entwine with his.

Everybody stared at us mouth's open for a moment before the yelling started.

"Harry what were you thinking!"

"Her father's a Death Eater!"

"Her brother is a filthy cockroach!"

Now if it was anyone else was being talked to like that they would probably have burst into tears, but I was fine. I had been hearing those things all my life. Harry didn't take it too well though as I knew he wouldn't.

"SHUT-UP!" Harry yelled, "You guys don't even know her! You're just judging her based on her family! She's different! I wouldn't be dating her if she wasn't! Sirius, you of all people I thought would understand that you can't judge a person by their family."

Sirius looked exceptionally guilty.

"I trust her, and if I'm able to trust her, you should definitely be able to." Harry said squeezing my hand.

It was silence for a moment as everyone looked at us until Remus finally said something. "What is she doing here though?" He asked.

Harry turned to me realizing he didn't know the answer to that question, and I sighed before answering. "My Dad told Draco and me we were starting Death Eater training tonight." I said. I caught Harry's gaze and kept it before continuing. "I don't want to be a Death Eater."

"And your father is not very happy about that." A familiar voice said and Snape walked in followed by Professor Dumbledore. "Neither was the Dark Lord."

I clenched Harry's hand tighter.

"It is definitely not safe for you to leave this house Ms. Malfoy." Professor Dumbledore said. "Voldemort has sent his spies to search for you. Thankfully, you and Mr. Potter seemed to have kept your romance a very good secret. No one suspects that you came to us."

"Draco told your Father you ran off while he was sleeping."

My eyes widened, "he did?"

Snape nodded, "was he not?"

"Well I thought he was, but I guess he wasn't." I covered up quickly knowing Snape was a Spy and I wasn't going to tell him anything. Thankfully they let it go.

"Like I said you have to stay here. You will be protected here and from this moment forward you are officially under the Order's Protection." Professor Dumbledore said looking around at everyone who was surrounding me. "Now, if you all will excuse me, I have some work to do at the office."

Without another word, Professor Dumbledore just turned and walked down the door, Professor Snape following behind.

Everyone just stood in silence for a moment staring at Harry and I before the Order people decided to go get dinner ready and Ron and Hermione stomped up the stairs still looking angry. I sighed after them. "Is there anything I can do to show them I'm not like Draco?" I asked Harry when we were finally alone.

Harry shook his head still angry. "They'll get over it eventually." He took my other hand in his and started pulling me down the hall. "Come on, let's go upstairs and you can tell me what's really going on."

"What makes you think I didn't really tell you what was going on?" I asked him.

He looked back at me for a moment and shook his head before pulling me into a bedroom. He pulled me over to the bed and gently pushed me into a sitting position before bending down in front of me and taking my hands in his. "Now tell me what happened."

The position we were in now reminded me of one similar last year.

I was sitting outside at the lake. It was nearing midnight, and I would most likely get in trouble when I finally wandered back into the castle, but I didn't really care. Why did my life always have to be so complicated? Why did I have to start liking the one person that my family would disown me for? Why did he have to care about me? Couldn't he have just dismissed me as the slimy git's sister like his other friends?

"Emily?" A familiar voice said.

"Go away Harry," I said cruelly burying my face in my knees.

I heard the swish of fabric as Harry took his invisibility cloak off and sat down beside me, "no."

I groaned, "Why do you have to make this so hard on me?" I asked.

"Because I don't want you to make the wrong decision," he answered.

"Do you realize there is no right decision here?" I lifted my head to stare into those green eyes I had gotten lost in so many times. "Either I ignore my feelings and spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been married to some Death Eater-" I ignored Harry's angry look, "-or I get murdered for dating Harry freaking Potter. It's a lose-lose situation."

"Those are not the only options." Harry said placing both hands on the sides of my face so I had to look him in the eyes.

I laughed without humor. "Of course Potter, you have the answer to everything right? So tell me this option I missed that doesn't end in me being miserable."

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that." He wiped away my tears with his thumb. "It reminds me of your brother."

I grimaced at him.

"We don't have to tell anyone." He finally said. "This-" He brushed my cheek again. "Can be just between us. No one has to know we're dating, and if no one knows your family won't find out."

I stared at him for a few minutes thinking it over. "You think you can keep a secret from Ron and Hermione?" I asked.

He nodded, "for you."

I smiled at him and placed my hands on top of his before bringing them away from my face to entwine our fingers. "We seriously have to be careful Harry, if anyone sees us just once-"

"All right, all right," he let go of my hands and grabbed his invisibility cloak before throwing it over both of us.

"What are you doing?" I asked laughing as he squeezed closer to me.

I saw Harry look at my lips, "well, I'm about to kiss you." He looked back to my eyes, "and you said we couldn't be seen."

I smirked at him, "you know the polite thing for a boy to do is ask if he can kiss a girl before he does."

He smirked back leaning forward, "I guess it's a good thing I don't feel like being polite tonight."

I couldn't help but smile at the memory.

"Em?" his voice brought me back to reality. "What happened?"

"Can we talk about it tomorrow?" I asked him. "I am completely worn out. I ran must have run at least five miles Potter! Could you have not made the Headquarters a little closer?" I asked collapsing on the bed I was currently sitting on.

Harry shoved me over playfully to climb in beside me. "I don't think they wanted to set the Headquarters of an Anti-Voldemort organization next to a known Death Eaters house." He said. "I'm glad you made it here all right though."

I curled up against Harry's chest and he wrapped an arm around me, "me too," I said. After spending my whole life with my path chosen for me, it felt good to stray to a different one. Even if that path was leading me into more danger than I could ever know, laying here looking into Harry's eyes made me feel like maybe it was all worth it.