Chapter One: The Aftermath

News of the fall of the Ministry burned like wildfire through the Wizarding community. Many families huddled close that night, afraid to venture out of their houses, and listened to their radios, hoping for a bit of news. The Daily Prophet wasn't due to come out until the morning and it was barely supper time for most families. Most talked in hushed voices, not comfortable raising them above a whisper. Many wondered what this news would mean for their daily lives. Surely the New Ministry would give the day off to all surviving employees to honor the dead, wouldn't they?

The families of the fallen were interrogated by Death Eaters who were "Upholding the new regime." Everyone knew that they were just trying to weed out the troublemakers; get it out of the way sooner rather than later. Wanted posters where put up everywhere for the known members of the Order and anyone associated with them. The New Ministry wanted to stamp out any uprising before it started. They knew that the Order had lost just as many men if not more during the battle and smiled about it behind raised glasses of the best fire whiskey the Wizarding world had to offer. Life, on their terms, was good.

Once the dust had cleared and it was safe to descend Draco left the old Minister of Magic in more capable hands. He was also on clean up duty and had to get on it. Once the elevator doors opened he set to work sifting through the bodies and sorting out the dead from the wounded. He started near the fountain because it was the part that seemed to hold the least bodies. As he approached he thought he saw a familiar face and made his way closer to it. Underneath a pile of dust and debris was a mass of long black hair. His gut dropped and he began to pull the pieces off the body.

"Jezzy?" He breathed.

No, this couldn't be happening. She couldn't be dead. He couldn't tell his father that she was dead. He couldn't tell his siblings. He began to panic as he brushed the dust off her face and put his ear close to her chest. For a long moment he didn't hear anything and he felt like he was going to throw up. And then, after what felt like a lifetime, the unmistakable sound of her heartbeat reached him. He wanted to cry out, but he kept his face calm and lifted her to a sitting position.

Jezzy's eyes fluttered open and her dry lips parted.

"Severus?"

Draco frowned at her. "No, it's Draco." How could she mistake the two?

A tear escaped her eye. "Is he dead?" She croaked.

"I don't know yet. Why?" Their conversation was hushed so that the others wouldn't hear.

"I was supposed to kill him." Another tear fell.

Draco shook his head in denial, but his face remained passive. "I'll look. Can you stand?"

Jezzy nodded and slowly got to her feet. She swayed but kept her feet under her and followed Draco around the perimeter of the fountain. Severus should have been there, but they found no body. Draco asked a Death Eater that was close if any bodies had been taken from the area. The Death Eater shook his head.

"But… but I hit him. I saw it."

"Maybe it wasn't strong enough." Draco whispered.

Jezzy nodded, hoping that was the case. She hadn't wanted to kill Severus in the first place. Suddenly her Mark burned and she turned her frightened gaze to Draco.

"I don't want to go back. I want to go home."

He hugged her tight. "Go or you might not be alive long enough to see them."

Jezzy swallowed her tears and composed herself before she Apparated out. Draco stared after her for a moment before heading back to work. It was going to be a long day from the looks of it.

It wasn't until midafternoon that the students of Hogwarts heard the news of the Ministry's fall. Several students were immediately taken out of school and sent home to their families. Dru noticed with a sinking heart the Grace wasn't at her table. She turned worried eyes to Xanthus and he shook his head.

"We'd hear something." Was his answer.

She nodded and leaned into Reign. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head. Lith and Sebastian hadn't bothered to show up at breakfast that morning, and were curiously absent for lunch. Dru thought she had an idea of what was up, but with what was happening in the wider world she figured she had no choice but to interrupt them. She kissed Reign's cheek, told him she would be right back, and set off for the common room.

She found Lith's room empty and knocked quietly on Sebastian's door. She blushed when Lith cried out in passion and started to back away from the door, suddenly feeling very bad for trying to interrupt. When the sounds of skin on skin reached her she did leave, her blush deepening and heating her entire skin. She forgot what she was dong and sat on the couch furthest from the fire and stared.

Sebastian rolled over, his breathing labored but the smile on his face was wide. He pulled Lith close and kissed her softly. They couldn't seem to get enough of each other since the first time. He told her he loved her every time and sometimes randomly throughout the day, but never once had she answered him in kind. He knew that she wasn't ready to admit it, but it was starting to bother him a little. He brushed these thoughts aside and kissed her again before standing to pull his clothes back on. Lith had her eyes closed and he smiled down at her. She was so beautiful like this, with the after sex glow flushing her cheeks and that tiny crooked smile on her soft lips. He was tempted to get back in bed with her and never leave, but they had class, and he still hadn't eaten lunch.

"We should eat, Lilith."

"Mmhmm." She groaned as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

Every time with him was amazing, the best she had ever had. Granted she hadn't been with anyone other than Vinny, but she was happy. As soon as they were dressed he pulled her closer for one more kiss and opened the door. Dru was on the couch staring into the fire when they reached the common room.

"Dru?" Lith asked.

Dru jumped up and blushed again at the site of her friend's disheveled hair and her brother's large grin. She composed herself and took a deep breath.

"Guys, something happened. The Ministry was attacked this morning."

The grin fell from Sebastian's face. "What happened?"

"We don't know everything yet, and won't until we either get word from home or Uncle Sev. But he's not here so I… I don't know yet."

Lith looked between brother and sister. "Did anyone die?"

All of them had been thinking it, but only she had voiced it. Dru nodded.

"Kids have already left to be with their families. Grace is gone." She added as a side note.

Reign, Xanthus, Sidra and Vinny walked in with a group of people.

"Classes have been canceled for the rest of the day." Sidra said and took off to her room.

"Maybe we should head up to the room. Keep ourselves busy while we wait for some more news." Xanthus suggested.

"Good idea." Reign said.

Vinny offered to grab Sidra and the group of them set off to busy themselves for the remainder of the day.

Jezzy returned to the house she had been held captive in for so long with much reluctance. The Dark Lord was waiting for her in the receiving room. He was pacing and speaking in low tones to Death Eater she had never seen before. When she entered the room the Dark Lord dismissed the man and turned to her.

"They have yet to find a body." He said simply.

Jezzy didn't know how to respond to that so she didn't say anything.

"So either you didn't complete your job, or you turned him to dust." He was so close to her now that she could smell the staleness of his clothing. "So which is it, my dear?"

"I hit him with the curse, my Lord. But I was knocked out with a stunning spell. I didn't see what happened after. Perhaps they took his body."

The Dark Lord nodded and paced away from her before turning back and holding out his hand.

"Your wand, my dear."

Jezzy handed it to him, assuming that he was going to check the last spell used with it. He did, satisfied that she had spoken the truth, and set it on the table in the room.

"You may return to your room." He said quietly.

Her face remained passive, but he could feel the hatred and anger hit him like a solid wall. He smiled at her, loving the feel of her anger as it washed over him. Jezzy turned and headed back up the stairs to her room. Her Prison.

A/N Whoops Forgot to start this one up ^^; I hope you all enjoy the final book, and I'll try to update regularly.

~Lady I