Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: So, big turn of events in this chapter. Just want to say thanks so much to all those that read and stick with this story. You guys are great.


I was simply passing when I heard a string of vulgar curse words pass from the door of Blaise's room. The voice wasn't his though. . . . No, the voice was someone else's because he, Blaise, was laughing. . . . That voice could only belong to. . . .

Rydal came bursting through the door bumping into me. I grabbed her arms to keep us both from falling.

She was crying. That was the first thing I noticed. But mostly, I noticed the fact that my hands were wrapped her bare skin. Her soft, bare skin.

Though in the past couple of months, Rydal and I had come to something you might refer to as friends, I had yet to actually touch her. I suppose you could say I had prejudices still left over.

But as I held her by her arms and realized how soft her skin felt underneath my fingertips and that I wasn't bursting into flames, something happened to me. I couldn't actually say what it was, but I just sort of felt it.

Rydal's eyes caught mine and I could see her anger and her fear. There was something else though, directed at me.

Betrayal.

Rydal tore away from my, her dress billowing slightly as she ran down the hallway. Blaise moved forward, leaning against the door frame as he sneered after her.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"Nothing," Blaise said, shrugging. "Just proving our superiority."

"In what way?"

Blaise turned towards me, smirking. "We're going to kill her."

I paused for about the second of heartbeat, turning towards him. "Excuse me?"

Blaise shrugged again. "She's disobedient, disrespectful, and –"

"And she's also my slave," I said, angrily. "I am the only one who is allowed to decide when to dispose of her."

"You are not the only one. The Dark Lord gave her to you meaning she is actually his slave. And I've already got permission to dispose of her."

"Without my permission to ask him in the first place! What gives you the right?"

"Why are you taking this so seriously? She's a Muggle, Draco. She's a nothing, a waste of space. Besides, like I've said so many times before, she's crude. I don't know how you could stand having a woman like her around." He clapped his hand down on my shoulder, grinning. "Trust me, I'm doing you a big favor. You'll thank me later. I'll kill her for you if you don't want to do it."

Still grinning, Blaise walked off.

I was struck at how I felt at this whole situation. I was angry, I was upset. . . . This was Rydal! Not some faceless Muggle. . . .

I was confused, I realized. And it scared me because I was always so sure about everything. The Dark Lord had given Blaise permission to kill Rydal and what the Dark Lord says is law.

But when I thought about how Rydal had looked at me, with such anger and passion and how she probably thought I was the one who wanted to kill her, it hurt, surprisingly.

I leaned back against the wall, annoyingly in a dilemma. If I kept them from killing Rydal, I would most definitely be killed in her place for defying the Dark Lord.

But if I let Rydal die, I had a horrible feeling that I would never feel the same way about myself again. . . .

I ran my fingers through my hair, looking up and down the hallway.

What to do?

What on earth was I going to do?


It was one in the morning, seven hours until Blaise would kill Rydal.

I reached down and shook her awake. She sat up, glaring at me through half-closed eyes. "What are you doing 'ere?"

"Here," I said, handing her a cloak. "Hurry up and change clothes."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just get –" I turned towards the door as I heard footsteps coming towards the door. They must have changed the time without notifying me. I looked back towards Rydal, who had gotten out of bed, a sheer white night gown clinging to her frame.

I swallowed, pulling my wand from my cloak pocket. "Put the cloak on and come stand behind me."

"What are you doing?" she asked again.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I moved quickly towards her, grabbing her by her wrist. "Just . . . just trust me, okay?"

The footsteps soon stopped outside of her door. The locks clicked, the doorknob turned. . . .

"Stupefy," I said, quietly.

The Death Eater, whoever it was, crumpled to the ground. I pulled her over him, running up the stairs. They'd wonder, in a second, and they'd come to check. They'd know I was behind this.

My shoes pounded on the cement floor as we ran, echoed only by Rydal's bare feet and the whip of our cloaks. I stopped, suddenly. Rydal crashed into me as I pulled her into a tight slit in the wall. Someone walked past.

When I was sure they were gone, I pulled her out of the wall and we continued to run. If I could just get her to the front door, we could get out of here. . . .

"She's gone!"

There were too many twist and turns to this damn Mansion!

I could hear the Death Eaters gathering, the Dark Lord's hissing voice, his snake. . . . They were all heading in our direction.

But the front door was in view. I stretched out my hand, gripping onto the door handle and throwing the door open. A blast of freezing rain hit me in my face. Rydal and I rushed outside, reaching the end of the Apparation wards.

I faced Rydal, the rain making my hair droop into my face as I pulled her closer to me. "Just hang onto me and I'll –"

"Draco."

I froze, my heart stopping in the progress. Slowly I turned my head to face the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. My father stood out next to the Dark Lord, his face flushed with fury and embarrassment. Blaise stood on the Dark Lord's other side, confusion written all over his expression.

But the Dark Lord. His eyes were narrowed into even deeper slits, his nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath. "You betray me, Draco? To save a filtly Muggle?"

All I could do was stare at him, my breath visible in front of my face. If possible, the Dark Lord's eyes narrowed more.

"Very well than," he hissed. Turning he looked to Blaise. "Kill them both."

I looked at Blaise, whose confusion had turned to anger. My best friend raised his wand to me, along with my father, and a few others.

Flashes of green light came flying toward me and Rydal. Rydal screamed.

I Apparated.