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New Beginnings, Strange Surprises and Dangerous Assignments
Summary: She barely even knew him. Draco Malfoy was just one of those kids she passed in the halls between classes or asked to borrow a piece of parchment from when she had none. Thanks to the Dark Lord, however, Aurelia Finn and Draco Malfoy will soon find out they have a little more than just age and house in common. And maybe a little bit greater of a task than just "that Charms essay due next period" underway.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my made up character and plot. J.K Rowling owns all else.
Warnings: Sexual Situations, Violence, Character Death, Substance Use/ Abuse, Adult Language, Book 7 Disregarded, Book 6 Events Slightly Altered
A/N: I would just like to say thank you to Kiyla for my very first review! It encouraged me to actually sit my arse down and write this chapter.
After two months of being a Death Eater, some people began to worry about Aurelia's strange disappearances. Every other week or so, Aurelia had been summoned to a Death Eater's meeting in various parts of the country.
She could be sitting in a Charms class writing notes about the importance of proper wand movements in a spell or battling to stay awake in a History of Magic class when all of a sudden, her arm experiences an insane tingling sensation and she has to make up an excuse to leave the room. It also tends to be rather difficult for Aurelia to get there and she's usually the last person to. Aurelia has to run all the way off of the grounds without being caught (she'd taken to using a broom) and only then can she Apparate to where she was being summoned.
Many teachers began questioning her as to where she kept going off to and so had her friends. Issac, being the only person that knew of her secret, often had to cover up for her and she could tell that it was wearing her friend out. Lucky for her, though, Issac was a good liar and it paid to have a witness to confirm her alibi.
On Halloween it had been exactly one week and four days since Aurelia was last called to a Death Eater meeting. Rumor had it that the Dark Lord ran into some trouble with the Order of the Phoenix. Aurelia wasn't quite sure what exactly happened.
Aurelia was still new to the Death Eaters and was still very young, according to them. Therefore, while she did attend all the meetings, she didn't have knowledge of everything going on with the group. It was rather exciting though, being the youngest Death Eater. The Dark Lord seemed to have taken a liking to her ambition and the others felt it their duty to raise Aurelia to become powerful.
Her father never seemed to be more proud of his daughter. Having been a Death Eater since before Aurelia was born, he was quite happy to see his only daughter following in his footsteps. Aurelia and her father were always on good terms but ever since Aurelia was inducted in the Death Eaters, he father began paying extra attention her. He sent her almost daily parcels to school with sweets and letters asking how she was doing. He would also do things such as slip her Fire Whiskey filled chocolates or pour Butterbeer into grape juice bottles, writing her that she should go party and live life.
Aurelia couldn't help but feel friendlier towards everyone as well, ironically. She thought becoming a Death Eater would turn her sour and mean but it seemed to lift her mood, especially on days following a Death Eater gathering. Everyone who was pleasant to her she seemed to be extra pleasant back to. In a way, this was a good thing because no one would suspect her of being in league with You-Know-Who if she was so nice.
Aurelia always had to make sure she kept her arm covered well. Her father helped her by sending her parcels of clothes. Long-sleeved shirts, arm warmers etc. No one seemed to really notice her change in wardrobe though. During school hours, she would simply keep her cloak on and when she wore her muggle clothes she dressed regularly as she always would, thankful that it was fall. The only thing that bothered her was when she had a class like Charms or Transfiguration in which the rooms were always hot and stuffy, Aurelia would be just about the only person to never take off her cloak. In Games, she tried to do as little as possible so that she wouldn't get hot and sweaty.
It was a little bit of a challenge but life without risk bored the living hell out of Aurelia anyway.
"Aurelia! If you don't hurry up, I'm going without you!" Issac called from the Common Room.
Aurelia rolled her eyes and yelled that she was coming as she pulled her gray fleece sweater over her head. She always enjoyed dressing in muggle clothes. They were so interesting. All the different styles, colors and combinations of outfits. Not to mention they looked really good on her.
Aurelia, satisfied on her appearance, left her Dormitory and joined Issac in the Common Room.
"Merlin, it's about time! I thought for a moment you just left me to another one of your 'dark' meetings."
"Shh!" Aurelia hushed him. "Are you crazy?! Someone might hear!"
"Relax, unlike you and me, everyone's already gone to Hogsmeade," he whined sarcastically.
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "Besides, there are second and first years."
"Meh, they'll get over it," he shrugged.
Aurelia hit his arm playfully and he laughed. Linking their arms, the two of them proceeded out of the school and to Hogsmeade. They walked around all of shops looking at random things. They went into Zonko's Joke Shop where Issac bought a new packet of stink pellets, they stopped by Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop in which Aurelia bought herself a new quill when she remembered that her old one was broken and finally they visited Honeyduke's Sweetshop to stock up on candy. Issac filled his pockets with Pepper Imps, Chocoballs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum while Aurelia only bought an Acid Pop to suck on as she was still getting nearly daily packages of sweets from her father.
"Are you all set? Have enough sweets?" Aurelia laughed at the mounds of candy Issac had bought.
"Shut up. Some of us don't have daddy dearest sending us entire boxes every other day," he sneered.
"That's also true but some of us aren't best friends with said persons," she joked. "I do share you know."
Issac just shrugged as he pulled out a light pink Every Flavour Bean.
"Three Broomsticks?" Aurelia suggested shortly.
"Sounds great," he said. Then a look came over his face as if he'd just remembered something. "Oh! I was supposed to stop by Dervish and Banges to buy my cousin a Remembrall. I'll meet you there."
Aurelia shrugged and began heading in the opposite direction, towards the Three Broomsticks. Aurelia had been walking with her head down, watching the movement pattern her feet created as she made her way down the road. She had not really been watching where she was going and, apparently, neither had the person she ran into. They both collided and nearly lost their balance. Aurelia looked up to see a very flustered Draco Malfoy in front of her. She stood still for a moment, unsure of what to do.
Aurelia hadn't spoken to Draco Malfoy in a few weeks now because the last time she did, it didn't end well. Draco had obviously just had another row with his dad and Aurelia just wanted to comfort him.
"Draco, are you alright?" she asked, concerned because he had seemed a bit distant in all their classes that day.
"I'm fine" Draco snapped.
"You seemed troubled today, did you and your dad go at it again?"
"Leave me alone," he shooed.
"Draco," she sat next to him on the ground in front of the Black Lake. "You can tell me, you know. I can help."
"I don't need your help."
"Well you seem like you need someone's help and I just don't see why it can't be mine," she said in a low voice. "I bet I know quite exactly what you're going through."
"Merlin woman!" Draco burst out. "You just can't leave it alone can you?! For Christ's sake! You can drive a person mad! I said I don't need your help that means I don't want your help! So just let it go and leave me alone! I'm obviously not about to tell you what's bothering me because thank you but you don't know what I'm going through! So how about you keep your nose out of my business because you're really starting to tick me off!"
The blond now stared at her, seeming to be at a loss for words. Not having spoken to each other for over two weeks seemed to put a little bit of awkwardness between them. There wasn't even a "hello" or "you dropped your pencil" or "pass the potatoes" between either of them for seventeen days.
"Erm, I'm sorry," Aurelia finally got out.
"Yeah, me too."
Aurelia nodded and was about to walk off when she felt Draco grab her arm and spin her back around.
"For everything," he added. "I'm sorry for bumping into you but mostly I'm just sorry for yelling at you. I know you had only been trying to help. I know it's a little late, but still."
Aurelia stood for a few seconds drinking in the fact that Draco Malfoy was being nice enough to apologize to her. She nodded with a smile and just as she did so, she felt a prickling on her left arm.
"I have to go," Aurelia said hastily.
"Right. Me too," Draco agreed and they both ran off in different directions.
Turning a corner into a deserted street, Aurelia looked around to be sure no one was watching and Apparated away.
Next moment, she was in a large field. It seemed no one had tended to or even been on this field in a very long time because the grass was extremely long and unkempt. Aurelia was now in her black robes and Death Eater mask.
On her left stood a man whom she knew to be her father. On her right stood someone she didn't recall. It was a man, she could tell by his build and posture, but he was just about four or five inches taller than her, unlike the man that usually stood to her right which was a good ten inches taller. She soon saw that the man which used to occupy Aurelia's right hand, was to the right of the new man next to her.
Any thought or worry of who the new guest may be soon dissipated from Aurelia's mind as the Dark Lord stood before them and began to speak.
"It's been too long, it seems," he cooed to the crowd around him. "Nearly two weeks. I'm sure you've all heard rumors about my encounter with the Order of the Phoenix."
Everyone around her shuddered in disgust at the mention of the name. Aurelia felt a strong rage build up in her at the thought of the Order. Goody-Two-Shoes the lot of them were. Always trying to kill off the Death Eaters and, most importantly, the Dark Lord. It pained her.
"The rumors, of course, are true. I was in an uncomfortable encounter with the Order. But as you all can see, I've come out unharmed!"
The circle around her let out small laughs of pleasure and interest. Aurelia chuckled along feeling content with the thought of Order members suffering at the hands of the Dark Lord. What fools.
"I do have a small bit of business I want to attend to before we continue. We have a new member in our midst!" Aurelia assumed it was the man next to her. "However, with the heaviness of the previous events, he was failed to have received theā¦proper initiation. So, Mr. Malfoy, if you please."
The man next to her stepped closer to the Dark Lord and bowed respectfully. Malfoy? Aurelia thought. It couldn't be. The Dark Lord lifted the man's mask to rest on the top of his head, making his hood drop and Aurelia saw the unmistakable white-blond hair of Draco Malfoy. Believably, Aurelia wasn't surprised.
"I think that instead of having Lucius do the honors perhaps we should have our preceding new member, induct Draco in properly." Aurelia's heart sank as she knew he was talking about her. "Miss Finn."
Although Aurelia couldn't see it, Draco's eyes got extremely wide at the mention of her name. He couldn't believe that all this time, he had been pushing her away and not wanting to even be her friend because he thought she was too "nice" and here she stood, a Death Eater even before him!
Aurelia walked up next to Draco and bowed to the Dark Lord. He removed Aurelia's mask in the same way he had Draco's. He motioned for Draco and Aurelia to turn and face each other. They did as they were told and Aurelia gave Draco a sarcastic "fancy meeting you here" look. He simply looked shocked beyond all reason.
"Seems like you two know each other," the Dark Lord grinned as he saw the two exchange looks. "Maybe your girlfriend will go easy on you, Mr. Malfoy."
"Not to be rude, sir," Draco said carefully. "But her, my girlfriend? As if."
The Dark Lord simply gave Draco a devilish smirk. Aurelia was enraged.
"You know, I was going to go easy on you," she whispered but just barely loud enough for everyone to hear. Then she raised her voice as she stepped back, wand pointed at Draco. "Welcome to the Death Eaters, Mr. Malfoy."
"Hey, what are you--"
"Crucio!" Aurelia yelled, cutting him off with an intense pain that escalated through his entire body.
Everyone around them watched as Draco screamed and writhed in pain, a devious smile planted on Aurelia's face. Suddenly, You-Know-Who began to clap slowly. If one didn't know better they could have guessed that it was going to be one of those things that started out in a slow dramatic clap and built into thunderous applause. No such thing happened. Oh no. Instead, everyone in the crowd began to mimic the clapping. It sounded like a chant only not a single person spoke. The clapping lasted for about a minute, Draco's screams still heard above the noise. Then, as quickly as it began, the clapping stopped and Aurelia removed the curse from Draco.
Draco began to collect himself as Aurelia bowed low and slowly stepped backwards into her place next to her father, pulling down her mask and picking up her hood. Once Draco was able to stand without whimpering, he too bowed to the Dark Lord covered himself and stepped back into place next to Aurelia and his own father.
"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful," he applauded. "Very well done Miss Finn." Aurelia smiled. "Now, the other reason I called you here today was because I have a task that needs to be complete. I need two of my faithful followers to go on a journey to meet with the Dementors. The Head Dementor is expecting someone this weekend. So, who would be up to the challenge?"
He scanned the crowd quickly, waiting for a victim. Aurelia saw this as an absolutely perfect chance to prove herself to the Dark Lord.
"I would be willing to do it, My Lord," Aurelia spoke proudly. He quickly snapped his head around to look at her and grinned.
"Excellent, Miss Finn," he hissed. "And I'm sure Mr. Malfoy would be more than happy to accompany you."
Aurelia could almost sense Draco's mouth dropping open underneath his mask. Aurelia was smirking.
"Dismissed!" he barked. "Finn! Malfoy! I want the four of you staying behind."
At his words, everyone except for Aurelia, Draco and their fathers Dissapparated and were out of sight.
"Aurelia, Draco you two will be leaving tonight. I am giving each of you an hour to go home and pack in which time both of your fathers will be writing to your school and informing your Headmistress that you will be leaving until midnight on Sunday. Understood?" he barked.
All four of them nodded and he motioned for them all to leave. With one final bow, they were gone.
Aurelia and her father Apparated back to their Manor. Aurelia was back in her jeans and fleece sweater. Her father was booming with pride as he embraced his daughter in a heartfelt hug. Aurelia hugged him back and he sent her off to her room to pack.
Aurelia picked out two muggle outfits, two sets of robes, a bag of make up, a hairbrush, a toothbrush and paste, shower things, some muggle and wizard money and undergarments. She cast an Undetectable Extension Charm on her knapsack and stuffed all of her things into it.
Five minutes later, the doorbell rang. Aurelia rushed to the front door and opened it. In the doorway stood Draco Malfoy, carrying a knapsack of his own and looking quite impatient.
"Well, are you coming or not?" he groaned.
"Of course I'm coming!" Aurelia defended.
"Let's get going then!"
"Daddy! I'm leaving! I'll see you on Sunday!" she yelled into the house, hoping her father would hear.
"Good luck sweetheart!" she heard him call back.
Draco rolled his eyes and the two of them proceeded down the front walk of Aurelia's home.
"How exactly are we getting there" Draco inquired.
"In style," Aurelia smirked.
A/N: Chapter four is finito! I wanted to keep going but a. I thought "in style" was a pretty cool way to end and b. I'm pretty tired as it's 1 am. Also, I've had a thought...I'm going to hold a review contest. Everyone review my story now and whoever's review I like the best, I'm going to put them in the story! So you better hurry up and get to it! Go Go Go!
