The ground hit Serena's feet harshly and she felt her knees give to the force. Cathan caught her around the waist and helped her up. He looked at her with those twinkling hazel green eyes and Serena looked away.

"Thanks," she muttered.

Kendra had broken from Cathan's grasp and was looking around the field they were in. Her good arm was holding her bleeding shoulder.

"You Apparated a field over," she whispered. "Come on, the house is over that hill."

"Let me look at your shoulder before we continue," said Cathan.

"No," Kendra said. "It's fine. It can wait until we get back to the house."

Kendra marched on over the grass with a firm stride in her step. Serena blinked at her sister for a moment then slowly, she and Cathan followed. Surprisingly, Kendra looked strong and well for everything she had just gone through. She was covered in blood, bruises, and mud; as Serena looked at her baby sister, she saw the dried blood on Kendra's clothes, particularly on her pants. Serena bit her bottom lip and rubbed her forehead, glancing at Cathan who was walking next to her. She saw his eyes look at Kendra, and then away into the distance forest. She wondered what he was thinking.

Before Serena knew what hit her, a rush of emotions washed through her with such strength that she grabbed her chest and fell to the ground on her knees. She could hear Cathan's voice in her head…as if he were talking right next to her…

She should not have seen such cruelty…I should have been there to stop them…I'll never forgive myself for letting harm come to her…She's so beautiful and delicate…she deserves more…

They were his thoughts—what he was thinking right then about Kendra, after glancing at her. Serena was so confused. She hadn't entered his mind with Legilimency. She hadn't tried to anyways, and wouldn't he know how to block her? What was more confusing was the feelings bursting from Cathan that Serena was picking up on. How could he possibly love Kendra this way when he just met her?

"Serena," said Cathan near by with concern.

Serena could barely hear him as glowing love filled her body and poured out of her heart. She grabbed her chest, over her heart; the love was so strong it hurt. She gasped for breath and looked up at Cathan, and then to Kendra who was briskly walking back to them.

"How do you love her?" Serena managed to say before Kendra arrived by their side.

Cathan looked at Serena with great surprise and helped her up slowly. Before he could say anything Kendra arrived by their sides.

"Serena," she said a little out of breath. "Are you okay? What did you see?"

"Nothing," Serena shook her head. She glanced at Cathan. "I saw nothing…I just fell."

"Oh," Kendra said looking at the pair oddly. "Well, can you make it to the house, or do you want Cathan and I to help you?"

"No," Serena shook her head. "I can walk fine."

Kendra gave her a skeptical look, but Serena moved forward, walking over the long grass with large strides. She left Cathan and Kendra behind her, puzzled and confused about what had just happened. How did she feel that? She didn't use Legilimency…unless she did it unconsciously which was possible.

She looked over her shoulder and saw the pair walking up the hill behind her. She watched them as they talked slowly. Cathan was looking down at Kendra with true caring eyes and Serena rubbed her chest feeling his emotions again. She turned and began to make her way down the hill towards her yard…the sun was beginning to rise and Parrish was no doubt waking up to her note right now.

When Serena opened the back door she was surprised to see Parrish and Sirius sitting at the kitchen table. Both men jumped up and started talking immediately at the sight of her.

"Serena!"

"Thank Merlin you're okay! What were you thinking? Going out there on your own—"

"You're crazy, we were so worried—"

"You'll be lucky if we forgive you—"

Then all conversation stopped as Kendra entered the kitchen, followed by Cathan. No one seemed to question who he was, or really pay him any mind.

"Kendra," Sirius finally said. He was across the kitchen in a flash and had her in his arms. "Oh thank god." He kissed her forehead and looked at her face. "Are you alright?"

"Yea," Kendra nodded her head slowly.

Serena felt a weakness from Kendra that she did not recognize and glanced at her bloody pants again. She frowned and rubbed her eyes, leaning against the counter.

"Hey," said Parrish. He was next to her. She felt his lips on her neck and couldn't help but smile. "You alright? You look like you're nearly dead."

"I almost was," she whispered. "If I hadn't…" Her voice caught in her throat. If she hadn't killed Amelia she would have died, is what she wanted to say.

"If you hadn't what?" Parrish tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at her with the most gorgeous purple stare he could muster. Serena could see the love in his eyes, and as she looked she felt it in her heart too. She bit her bottom lip…what was this new thing…feeling other peoples feelings?

"If I hadn't killed Amelia."

Parrish looked at Serena very seriously as tears filled her eyes.

"What?" Sirius said pulling away from Kendra and looking at Serena. "What did you say?"

"I-I killed Amelia," Serena said. Tears were running down her cheeks slowly, but she wasn't sobbing.

Kendra moved forward first, and took her older sister in her arms tightly, embracing her. Serena felt her heart swell and her cheeks flushed red as she hugged her sister. How could Kendra, bruised, broken, beaten and abused possibly standing stronger then her right now? She rubbed her cheeks as she rested her head on Kendra's shoulder and thought about what had just happened. Suddenly, Kendra seemed older and wiser—having experienced more then Serena.

"You did the right thing," Kendra whispered.

"No," Serena shook her head and pulled away from her sister. "I didn't have to kill her."

"You acted on instinct," Adhara said. "Any of us would have done the same."

Adhara had the odd habit and ability to appear in a room and butt into a conversation at any given moment. No one ever saw her coming—not even Serena. Serena looked at her Aunt with dark eyes.

"I shouldn't have thrown the knife back at her."

"She should have ducked faster," Adhara said.

Serena shook her head.

"Either you can accept that you killed her Serena or you can let it eat you away," Adhara said. "I know you don't want to feel that guilt, that pain of killing but you don't have the choice now. Either deal with it or let it destroy you. It's your choice."

"Do you have to be such a bitch about it?"

"Serena," said Sirius crossly. "Don't speak to your Aunt that way."

Serena rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, wiping her cheeks quickly.

"I don't think any of you get it," she whispered. "Amelia is dead…any hope for her…any chance that she was good is gone. She won't ever…she's just…she's gone and you're all here telling me to suck it up."

"We aren't saying it shouldn't hurt," said Cathan. Serena had forgotten he was still in the room. "It should Serena, that's what makes you human—that's what makes you good. It hurts, and you feel guilty for it. Say a prayer and ask for forgiveness, but you have to move on. Adhara is right it will eat you away."

Serena rubbed her eyes. They stung from crying. She didn't want to look at anyone anymore. She felt Parrish's warm touch on her arm and part of her relaxed.

"You did the right thing, Serena," he whispered. "You killed a Death Eater. That's one less out there."

Serena looked at him with some surprise.

"Parrish," she whispered. "Have you ever killed anyone?"

"Yes."

She was surprised by the answer.

"How did you get over the guilt? And was that person a complete stranger or you twin sister?"

"You forget I killed my Father."

"That's different."

"No," Sirius said. "It's not."

"He hated Page."

"You hated Amelia in your own way," Kendra shrugged.

"And hate does not make murder right Serena," Adhara said. "Self defense is the only acceptable reason for murder…no other choice is the only acceptable reason, and still it doesn't make it right. Murder, killing, is never right. Unfortunately, sometimes it's the only choice we have."

"No," Serena shook her head. "There is always another choice."

Serena pushed past Parrish and Sirius, and marched by Adhara down the hall to the stairs. She dashed up them and into her bathroom and locking the door behind her. She found comfort in her shower; she climbed in fully dressed only removing her shoes before turning on the water. The heat from the water warmed her skin, and washed the blood from her clothes. She pealed off the clothes slowly and threw them into a pile in the corner of the shower, and slowly sunk to the ground, sitting and pulling her knees to her chest as the water ran on her skin and hid her tears.

Something inside of her felt very wrong. She felt like a monster, and she felt like the people downstairs, all of them were monsters too…worst monster then her because they were okay with her kill.

Serena lifted her right arm and looked down on the Dark Mark that was tattooed into her flesh. She traced her fingers across the black squiggly lines, and the details of the skull and snake. She bit her bottom lip and stared at it more wondering if she was any different then a Death Eater now.

I know you're frightened Serena.

It was a small voice, slithery and sly sounding, that made her look up in the shower from her arm. She froze for a moment debating if she had just heard the voice in her head or if there was someone really in the bathroom with her.

Do not be ashamed of what you did. You did the right thing…feed off of that pain. Feel the joy from the death of your sister.

Serena leaned forward and wiped the fog from the shower door, looking out into the bathroom. She saw no figure standing in the room. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath. Now she was hearing voices along with feeling other peoples' emotions?

Feed off of your emotions; welcome the hatred you felt for her and the joy that is beaming from you now that she is gone; now that you got rid of her. You are the more powerful of the twins, take pride in that—you destroyed Amelia. Be proud.

"No," Serena snapped loudly. Her voice echoed in the shower and she felt tears in her eyes. "Go away…go away…"

"Serena?"

The voice came from beyond the door, in the bedroom. It was Parrish, and slowly the bathroom door opened. Serena wiped her cheeks as he came into the room and opened the shower door slowly. He was standing in his pants, looking down at her as she sat soaking at the bottom of the shower. He said nothing, and didn't bother to remove his pants, but stepped into the shower and closed the door behind him.

He sat down next to Serena and wrapped his strong arms around her as she began to cry against his chest.

"I'm going crazy Parrish," she muttered against his chest. "I'm going crazy…"

"No," he whispered calming her and brushing her hair as the water splashed off of their skin. "You're not."

"I'm hearing voices…and feeling peoples feelings…I don't know what's the matter with me…all of it just started too after I—" She stopped and took a long breath. "After I killed her."

Parrish was quiet for a few moments and Serena was afraid that he was going to say she was going insane.

"You're mental powers must be growing," he whispered. "Perhaps the emotional and mental shock of killing Amelia has caused new powers to form."

"I don't know about that…"

"Don't worry about it now," he whispered to her kissing her head softly. "We'll worry about it tomorrow."

Serena nodded.

"You should get out of the shower and go lay down."

"I don't think I want to move."

Parrish nodded. He stood up slowly and turned off the water of the shower, then helped Serena up. He lead her out of the shower and back into the bedroom where the air was cold on Serena's skin. Once she was dressed and lying in bed, he went into the bathroom and cleaned up her clothing and the blood splatters that hadn't made it down the drain.

Serena lay awake in bed while Parrish worked. Every time he walked by her she would close her eyes to make him think she was sleeping, and finally when he left the room she moved, rolling over and staring up at the ceiling. Everything that had happened in the last couple of hours was rolling through her mind…what Darren had said about her still being hunted, Amelia's death, Cathan's feelings for Kendra, Kendra's bruises and bloody pants, the voice in the shower…

Something that frightened Serena more then anything else was what the voice had said. She had a strong suspicion that it was Voldemort's voice she had been hearing…and if that were true then what Darren had said was true. Voldemort still desired Serena on his side and was calling to her. All of the events of the past hours seemed to be pieces of a puzzle, a puzzle that was going to define Serena's role in the war of the time, her life and even her death.

Serena had foreseen death. It was something that haunted her almost every night since she was thirteen. Pain and strife were not knew things to her—she recognized them, and she recognized death like it was a close friend always coming to call. Death was not something that often bothered her—she had seen strangers die in her versions, her own Mother and Aunt, even Parrish...even as deaths happened she accepted them as they came. Death was a part of life to Serena; she had learned to accept it.

But she had never been the one to kill—the one to murder or throw the knife, and suddenly the view of death changed for Serena. It was something that she could control. It was a choice she could make. To Serena, not only had she foreseen Amelia's death but she had allowed it to happen. She chose to let it happen. She could have caught the dagger and dropped it to the ground…she could have done many things to prevent Amelia's death, but she hadn't. Everything was happening so fast she let reaction and instincts take over, like she had while training with Adhara, except Adhara had ducked the blade, or caught it. Amelia didn't.

But there was no turning back. Serena rubbed her eyes and then her forehead. She was going to live with the choice she made for the rest of her life. A part of her would never be the same. With a sad sigh, Serena rolled over in bed and tucked her hands under her chin. Before she could drift off into sleep a calming sweet voice cooed to her from the emptiness of the room.

You will learn, Serena.

The words caused Serena to open her eyes. They were puzzling, and gave her chills. She waited to hear the voice again, thinking the voice would explain what it meant. But it never did. There was only silence, until Parrish entered the bedroom quietly.