Disclaimer: Sadly, I did not have the brilliant idea to write a wonderfully enchanting story of a young wizard and his journey, so none of the Harry Potter characters are mine. I also did not write the awesome song, Just The Way You Are either . . . that was Billy Joel. So that's not mine either. And as Corinne is one of my bestest friends, I didn't invent her either . . . that was God. Anyways . . . enjoy!!!!

Corinne Gardener paced around the dark dungeon classroom nervously. She didn't know what to do. She had been hiding her relationship with Lucius Malfoy from everyone for the past two years; they would never understand. Most of the time even she didn't understand what she saw in him, especially lately. Now, with graduation next week and the wizarding world on the brink of war, Corinne was lost. All of her friends were planning on joining the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's secret organization to battle the Dark Lord. Lauren and Sirius were already active in the Order, along with Peter, Remus, James, Lily, and Pam. Alyssa and Lindsay had already joined Severus Snape undercover as Death Eaters, that's how Corinne had heard about Lucius in the first place . . . that's why she was here, waiting for him tonight.

Corinne had thought she was going to join the Order too, but now after finding out about Lucius, about how he was fighting on the opposite side, the dark side . . . but that's how it had always been, after all. He was a Slytherin, she was in Gryffindor. In a way, they had always been on opposing sides, and she knew that. But this was different, this was real. This wasn't some petty school division, this was the real world. He was working for the Dark Lord . . . how could he? Could she? More importantly, would she? She wanted to remain loyal to her friends, but that would mean turning her back on Lucius. But isn't that what he had done to her? All this time, and he hadn't told her . . .

As she was trying to sort out her thoughts and come to some sort of conclusion, Lucius walked in. Beforehe could say a word, Corinne strode towards him and pulled up the left sleeve of him robes. As soon as she did she gasped and took an involuntary step back. She had known it would be there, but seeing the Dark Mark up close like that made it seem even more black and white. Good and evil. Which was she?

"Corinne . . . I don't know what to say . . . I was going to tell you . . ."

This was the first time in her life that Corinne had seen Lucius stutter, look uncomfortable and not totally sure of himself.

She looked into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me, Lucius? What am I supposed to do now?"

His reply shook her, "I didn't know how you would react. I'm working for the Dark Lord, he's going to give me more power than I could ever get otherwise. Corinne, don't you see? He's going to gain full control, once Dumbledore is out of the way. You need to decide what to do, I can't tell you, but I need to know. Are you with me?"

Corinne glanced away, unsure. Would she throw her whole life away for him? Before she could even begin to respond, he said,

"Don't go changing

To try and please me

You never let me down before

I don't imagine

You're too familiar

And I don't know you anymore."

What was he saying? He knows we're two different people, on two different sides . . . She couldn't change, couldn't betray her friends, not even for him. He was the man she loved . . . or was he just the man she thought she'd loved?

"I would not leave you

In times of trouble

We never could have come this far

I took the good times

I'll take the bad times

I'll take you just the way you are."

He was wrong. Once the war really started, there would be no way they could protect eachother. The bad times would tear them apart.

"Don't go trying

Some new fashion

Don't change the color of your hair,"

Corinne smirked in spite of herself, just for a second. Her red hair was her trademark.

He continued,

"You'll always have my

Unspoken passion

Although I may not seem to care."

Just like her red hair, his cold demeanor was his trademark. But when they were together, that had always seemed to just melt away. She didn't want to lose him . . .

"I need to know that you will always be

The same old someone that I knew

What will it take 'til you believe in me

The way that I believe in you?"

This was it, and Corinne knew it. She wouldn't ever fully believe in him. She never could. He was working for the Dark Lord. She was working for Dumbledore. There was no way she would ever betray her friends. Lucius knew that, that's why he was doing this. He had lost her, and he knew it. He had never really had her.

He finished, speaking the last sentence he would ever say to her.

"I said I love you

That's forever

And this I promise from the heart

I couldn't love you

Any better

I love you just the way you are."

His cold blue eyes searched hers. Without a word, she walked out of the room and out of his life.

Two months later, Corinne sat in on the Order meeting, tucking her now dark-black locks behind her ears. She had changed her hair as an effort to forget Lucius, to rid herself of his memory.

It hadn't worked.

But seeing the ruthless man he had become, that had. It was her fault he was so ruthless. After she had left, he'd fully devoted himself to the Dark Arts and Voldemort. He had also found Narcissa, the polar opposite of Corinne. This was his attempt to forget her. It hadn't worked either.

He loved her. That's forever.

The End

So Corinneyness, and everyone else out there . . .what did u think? Please R&R!!!!!!!!