A/N: Hello to all of my lovely readers. I'm sorry that I've been absent so long! I swear I am working diligently on more stories; but I've been working longer hours at work, and then have to come home, work out and cook dinner; so sadly, how quickly I'm writing has been severely diminished. But this one shot came to me and since I don't have to worry about regular posting, I was free to put it straight up!

There is an alternate ending. When I originally had the idea for this story, one of the endings was what I intended; but while writing, the other came to me and I couldn't decide. So I wrote them both and decided to let you all decide!

Let me know how you like the story! - Casper

WARNING: THIS IS RATED T BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THIS STORY IS MORE VIOLENT THAN ANYTHING IN THE ACTUAL HARRY POTTER BOOKS. BUT THERE IS DEATH IN THIS STORY.

I slid to a stop and stared at the person in front of me.

"Get out of my way."

"You know I can't do that."

I raised my wand and jerked my chin up.

"And I can't let you stop me."

Although she raised her wand, I could see the hesitance in her movements.

"Do you ever think about how we got here?"

"Aislynn! Look!"

I glanced up from the book I was reading to see Isabelle standing at the foot of my bed with a broomstick in her hand. Instantly forgetting my book, I jumped to my feet and rushed towards her.

"Oh Merlin. It's the Nimbus 1700. Is it for us?"

"Not entirely."

My excitement faded slightly and I frowned at Isabelle as she handed the broom to me.

"We've each got one."

She rushed to my door, reached outside and pulled inside an identical broom to the one I was holding. I grinned broadly and I saw the same expression mirrored on the face in front of me.

"Let's go!"

Isabelle called out as she rushed out of the room.

I chewed on the edge of my quill as I skimmed through my potions book; I had been working on this essay for over an hour and I was struggling to lengthen it. I needed at least 2 more inches before I could write a conclusion.

"You keep that up and you won't have a quill left."

I didn't even look up as Isabelle sat down at the table.

"I need another two inches for this essay."

"And you're about 10 minutes from needing a new quill. Seriously Ash, this is a result of your sugar quill addiction."

"It's not an addiction; I just happen to really like sugar quills."

"Which that is not."

"Thank you for that helpful insight."

I retorted before pausing and then glancing up. I could feel eyes staring at me and the sensation was making me uncomfortable. Looking around I found the source of my discomfort.

"Potter and Black are staring again."

"Let them stare."

"They're your friends. I'm pretty sure you're alienating yourself by talking to me."

"They think that because you're a Slytherin you're automatically some crazy Dark Arts loving bigot. But honestly. They should have some faith in me. If I thought that's what you were, I wouldn't hang out with you."

Isabelle ended her rant with a huff and I rolled my eyes.

"So idealistic you Gryffindors."

"So pessimistic you Slytherins."

She shot back; I grinned and let myself sink into the comfortable banter.

I glanced up from my book when conversation around me fell silent. Frowning, I looked around and saw what had halted all conversation. Standing in front of us was a group of Gryffindors. I watched silently as their group seemed to come to a consensus and began to draw their wands. Lazily, I flicked my wand, which I had pulled behind my book; and watched as all of their wands flew to me. Another quick spell and all of their wands were stuck to the wall down the corridor.

"The wands will come down as soon as you touch them."

"Too scared to take us on in a fair fight?"

James Potter sneered at me and I shrugged.

"Scared, lazy, indifferent. None of it really matters to me. If you were trying to provoke me into a fight you chose the wrong target Potter. I'm a Slytherin. I don't care what some Blood Traitor thinks of me."

"Pureblood bigot."

He hissed as he stormed by me. I watched, bored, as the entire group followed. Finally one of them stopped in front of me.

"Was that necessary?"

Isabelle asked me with a disapproving glare.

"Was his behavior necessary?"

I arched one eyebrow and grinned sardonically as she walked off without another word.

I was barely able to repress a gasp when I felt my arm being grabbed and I was subsequently pulled into a broom closet. Grabbing my wand I jabbed it into the person in front of me.

"Let go of my arm."

When my arm was once again mine, I backed up as much as was physcically possible given the tight quarters and I brought light to the room.

"Isabelle."

"Aislynn."

After a few minutes of silence I sighed.

"What do you want Isabelle? I doubt you dragged me in her just to stare at me."

"Are you really going to do it?"

I frowned.

"Really going to do what?"

"Take the mark. I know the people that you hang around with are followers of Voldemort. Up until recently I never thought that you'd be one too. But now..."

"You don't know. How cute, over here trying to save my soul from the dark?"

I mocked quietly.

"Don't joke. This is no laughing matter. This isn't you!"

"Who are you trying to convince? Me? Or you?"

Isabelle inhaled sharply and I smirked at the distress that crossed her face before delivering the final blow.

"Face it Isabelle. We both know that we're on opposite sides; we both know that you know there's nothing you can do to change my mind. You're just here to be able to say that you tried, in order to appease your conscience."

I sent her a triumphant grin before turning on my heel and leaving her alone in the darkness.

I jerked myself out of my memories and lifted my chin imperiously.

"None of that matters now."

"Despite the last few years; I know you. And I know that you don't believe that."

"It can't matter now."

A knowing look entered into Isabelle's eyes and in that moment I hated her for making me doubt. I couldn't doubt; there was no room for doubt.

"Don't you dare pity me." I spat at her. "I don't need or want your pity."

"It's not pity. And whether or not you want it or not, it's yours."

I hated the shaking in my hand. This was not my first fight, not my first time proving my loyalty, and yet my hand shook like a leaf.

Hating myself for my weakness; but unable to use a different spell, I silently shot a stunning spell at Isabelle. Shock, followed by a grisly determination graced her face and then we were fighting.

I didn't think, I let the battle flow over me and I moved from one spell to another in dance-like movement. As the fight continued on, bruises appeared and blood flowed; and I lost myself in the familiar feeling of a duel.

I barely managed to dodge the bombarda spell tossed at me; and without thinking, without hesitation, I ended the duel.

"Avada Kedavra!"

I shouted and I watched in both awe and shock as a green bolt of light flashed towards Isabelle. There was an expression of shock, and then nothingness as the spell hit her. I lowered my wand slightly as I walked towards her unmoving body. Blood from the slicing hex that I had hit her with, pooled around her hand and I crouched down next to her body.

I slowly reached my hand forward and touched her face. I was shocked at how cold she was and I cocked my head, marveling at the difference. Footsteps sounded behind me and I jumped to my feet and into a fighting position. I found myself facing Martha Prewitt whose eyes quickly found Isabelle's body behind me.

I watched as fury rushed through her and a gaze filled with hate spun back towards me.

"How could you?!"

"How could I not? She wouldn't let me through. I have a job to do."

The person in front of me trembled in outrage and their mouth gaped open, as if unable to find any words. Another pair of footsteps alerted me to another person's presence and I watched the corner warily. When Severus Snape rounded the corner, I relaxed slightly and returned my full focus back to Prewitt.

When Henry Jones popped around the corner, I didn't even hesitate as I sent the killing curse towards them and watched as they dropped to the ground. Prewitt let out an enraged yell before she tossed a stunning spell at me, I easily blocked the spell and Severus and I slowly began to wear down our opponent.

Severus and I had been succeeding by alternating our attacks, one of us would play defense while the other one played offense. If Prewitt ever switched who she was attacking, Severus and I adjusted accordingly. So when I slipped on Isabelle's blood that had started to spread around us, it threw our entire rhythm out of balance.

Severus had already cast a spell towards Prewitt, but she was able to deflect it and I watched in horror as it moved towards me. Having dropped my wand when I slipped, I was defenseless as the spell moved towards me. In a last ditch effort to avoid the spell, I spun to the side, slipping as I did so. Instead of hitting my chest, the spell sliced right into my neck and I fell to the ground, blood gushing out of my neck.

I watched as my blood mixed with Isabelle's blood and I looked over and saw that I was lying directly next to her. I was losing blood too quickly and my vision was fading, making my next movement extremely slow and clumsy.

I managed to grab Isabelle's hand and as my eyes closed, I watched our hands become coated with our blood.

- Alternate Ending -

Severus and I had been succeeding by alternating our attacks, one of us would play defense while the other one played offense. If Prewitt ever switched who she was attacking, Severus and I adjusted accordingly. So when I slipped on Isabelle's blood that had started to spread around us, it had the potential to throw our entire rhythm out of balance.

I let myself fall to the ground, but ensured that I held onto my wand. So when Prewitt deflected Severus's spell towards me; I deflected it back at her. Since I had fallen to the ground, she wasn't paying enough attention to me, and my deflected spell hit her square in the back. She stared down in shock at the blood that began to gush from her chest before falling to the floor.

Severus walked over and held out his hand. Gratefully, I took it and he helped me to my feet. The two of us stared at Isabelle's body for a moment.

"I'm surprised you killed her."

"Doubting my loyalty?"

"No. But you loved her."

"I did, do." I amended before continuing. "I have a job to do."

I saw the disbelief on his face so I elaborated.

"I didn't mean to kill her. It just happened. And it's something that I'll live with for the rest of my life." I gave myself one last look down before turning around. "But I have a job to do. And I will not disappoint."