Draco's POV:

"CRUCIO!"

The pain took over my body. It felt like a million knives were being pushed into every inch of my skin while a pack of dogs were attacking my flesh. I heard myself screaming. I didn't know if I was thrashing all over the place or completely still, all I knew were the waves of immeasurable pain consuming me.

"PLEASE – PLEASE STOP IT. STOP! STOP! STOP!"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

I heard a laugh, "Stupid Girl!" And then a **pop** - and then nothing.

I woke up later on and instantly curled into a tiny ball. I felt like a foolish child. The pain had faded, but the soreness slowly took over me. I heard Theo's voice and felt his hand push me up into a sitting position. "Draco, mate, you feeling better?"

My eyes opened slowly, the light blinding me, and I found myself in one of the dungeons at the manor, sitting next to a crouching Theodore. Lucas was in front of me, placing a blanket over a girl's body. I rubbed my eyes and managed to stutter out, "Wh- Who is that..?"

"He put a full body binding curse on all of us.. I dunno how she managed to break free, but she did. She begged him to stop.. and he.. he.. you know.."

I forced myself to crawl towards the body, pulling the blanket off. Gabrielle. I put my hand over my mouth, trying to cover up my shocked expression.

"We were shocked too. Couldn't believe it. She had always been a crazy one, your cousin. Always been selfish. But she died for you… the way the Dark Lord cursed you like that, we thought you were going to die."

I closed my eyes and tried to remember the curse, but it was all a blur now. All I could remember was the pain, and the voice of an angel who saved me. After all the years and all the teasing and the constant rowing – she saved me.

I started pounding on the floor and screaming. Why had I been so stupid? She told us that our plan to kill Dumbledore before the break-in was a foolish plan. She was right. She was right all along. And because we didn't listen to her – she was dead.

Early March, we imperio'd Slughorn to give poisonous mead to Dumbledore. Idiot Weasley accidentally drank the damn thing and because of that, people were starting to get suspicious. I still had no luck with the vanishing cabinet and Potter and his stupid friends were on to me.

It was now Easter Holiday and Voldemort had summoned us. I didn't see it coming. He used legilimency on me and discovered everything we had done. He was angry – sending curses left to right. The last thing he told me before the pain occurred was, "Well Mr. Malfoy if you think it's okay to disobey my orders I think it's time I give you a lesson." The demonic smile that followed will be etched in my mind forever. "The new order I will give you will cost you your life if not obeyed. YOU will be the one to kill Dumbledore." And then, "Crucio!"

xxx

Voldemort had gone to the Lestrange Lodge and told them that Gabrielle had been attacked by a mud blood while innocently taking a stroll down the street. Aunt Bellatrix and Uncle Rodolphus came to our house and moaned in agony over her body. I didn't even know the two of them were capable of feeling any type of emotion.

A Day before we were to return to Hogwarts was Gabby's funeral. I had been looking down into her coffin, she still had that ugly smirk on her face. My Aunt Bella came beside me and grabbed my arm, whispering to me, "this is why we have to get rid of all of them Draco."

She was wrong. And for the first time, I began to question and doubt the Pure Blood supremacy ideals.

Daphne's POV:

I can't believe it has come down to this. They told us a muggle born had killed Gabby, and as stupid as they thought we were, we weren't that stupid. We knew. Our knowledge, along with our fearfulness was evident at this funeral. Lilith and I sat next to each other; Lucy, Tracy, Pansy, and Milly quietly weeping behind us. I felt tears falling down my face, feeling warm as it rolled across my cheeks. Gabrielle wasn't our closest or dearest friend – she was cruel and vile and very intimidating; the perfect Death Eater. We wept because if the perfect Death Eater had been disposed of that easily, what would become of us?

I looked around the room, it was filled with Death Eaters – and here we were. 16/17-year-old girls in a room full of masked figures.

After the ceremony, one of them approached me, holding my hand and pulling me to follow him. We walked towards a tree across the large lawn; he pulled off his mask and pulled me close to him.

I was frozen in place – I didn't know if I should start sobbing into him or hold my calm. Before I could do either, I felt his warm breath run up my neck and into my ear. "He's taken me out of the task. I'll be safe. I'm safe."

"What task? What are you talking about?"

"Just.. Trust me. I'll be safe now."

"Theo.." I gently pushed him back and smoothed a piece of his hair back, "It's just begun. You need to realize that. It's far from over."

"But just for now.." I felt my stomach drop as I remembered the last time he told me that. It hasn't even been a year, and yet, so much had already happened. I don't know how Theo could remain so calm and ignorant to what was going on around us. I wanted to yell at him and make him realize everything his eyes weren't open to. But I held my tongue. Just for now. I let out a deep breath.

"Okay Theo. Okay."

Astoria's POV:

I watched Theo and Daphne embrace each other from a distance. I turned my head back to Alex, who hadn't said a word the entire day.

"I've missed you. I hope you've been doing okay." Of course he's not okay… why did I even bother pretending when both us knew better? He smiled at my portrayed naivety, "I'm strong, Stori. And a really good dueler and I've got plenty of experience, and he likes me. I'm always on top of things." At least Alex's arrogance and confidence hadn't wavered. He started talking to me about Quidditch statistics and new player recruitments and I couldn't help but smile. Just as long as my Alex is okay. In my peripheral vision, I saw a flash of platinum blonde/white hair. I moved my eyes and met the stare of Draco Malfoy. I hadn't spoken to him in months but I had been paying attention to his dodgy antics. He pulled his lips up to a small smile, never breaking eye contact. His grey eyes were no longer filled with pride and nerve. No. They now held the vacancy of an empty Great Hall.

I broke the stare and looked at the floor. Months of denial and giving him the cold-shoulder had left me oblivious to our deteriorated friendship. His empty eyes just proved that not only was I attending the funeral of Gabrielle, but it was also the funeral of the Draco I once knew.