Disclaimer: We all bow down to J.K., Ruler and Creator of the Potterverse. Long may she live in peace and prosperity, with a staggering amount of people worshipping her for her mind and unutterable brilliance.

Title: I Swore.

THIS STORY IS CREDITED TO Republic-Of-Heaven FOR GIVING ME THE IDEA FOR IT. Thank you.

Chapter 1: The Command

I can still hear his words ringing in my ears as I stare at him. My mind seems to cease functioning- I must not have heard him right. But no- he never makes mistakes like that. Then he must mean it.

Slowly I bring myself back under control, letting the rather… personal… nature of his request faze me for just a second. He waits patiently for me to acknowledge him, allowing me time to gather myself. He will not be magnanimous for long, I know, but I cannot seem to collect the scattered shards of my brain into one identifiable whole.

He is getting annoyed, I realize, and I allow a servile smirk to cross my face as I incline my head to my Lord and Master. But instead of answering him, I turn to look over my shoulder at the one behind me, bound, gagged, and defiant.

Time seems to slow as I see her past the curtain of my hair. She is bloody, my love, and bruised. But not broken. Though her body may be at the mercy of my associates, her will is not and she stares at me with a fearless gaze.

My heart clenches to see her thus. This is not who she is supposed to be! She is supposed to be the beautiful weapon, the loyal servant, the haughty noble. She is not supposed to kneel before her Lord in yesterdays clothes, covered in yesterdays blood, radiating hate and rebelliousness!

Her own sister kicks her in the side, sending her sprawling, but her clear silver gaze never leaves mine. I know she can see the hidden depths of my soul, I know she can read there what the Dark Lord cannot, and yet she remains silent. I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to rail against Fate for doing this to me but I cannot.

My fist spasms, the only outward sign of my conflict, and she knows that I will do it. That I will obey. And she just closes her eyes! She just… closes them…

The thought chokes itself off as I swing around to face my Lord, and I bow. Mockingly, but he never was clever enough to catch that.

"Of course, my Lord," I say finally as I remain in the deep, subservient bow. "Of course."

I stand and gaze into that creatures eyes and know that I hate him. He was never supposed to touch her, he- he smiles at me. And I, surrounded by the lies that have blanketed my life and made me who I am, smile back.

It will take but a second to turn around, another to finger my cane, another to release my wand.

Three seconds. Three seconds is all I have…