CHAPTER 21-ESCAPE

Lilah looked around a final time at the longest room she had ever stayed in. A room that had belonged to her and her alone. Not everything at the Malfoy Manor had been worth grieving over but this room, her room, would be missed. Lilah doubted she would ever return to this place. She silently slipped her bag over her shoulders and crept from the room and down the stairs. When she peeked into the front room she saw Draco waiting for her before the fire. He motioned her forward and Lilah complied, stopping before him. She could see the beginning of dawn peeking through the windows and knew she couldn't linger long.

"You remember the plan?" Draco asked.

"Yes," Lilah replied, hugging herself as she looked over at the fire. "Are you sure they'll help me?"

"They'd help Voldemort if he just asked kindly enough; the whole lot of them are barmy. But they will be cautious because of who you are and your ties to us."

"What if they turn me away?"

"Their conscious won't let them; their hero complex is too big for that. You don't have time to contemplate this now, Lilah, you have to leave before we're discovered."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I don't know."

"I'm sorry I'm not brave enough to stay," Lilah said, shaking her head. "I'm a coward and I'm leaving, even knowing what will happen."

"You have to go," said Draco, sounding desperate. "Before you can't."

Lilah took some of the powder from the top of the fireplace and threw it into the fire.

"Diagon Alley," she said as clearly as she could, enunciating the words. The fire lit up green, ready for her to step through and never return. Lilah took one moment to step forward and rise to her tiptoes to kiss Draco. A brief touch of her lips against his and then she stepped into the flames, her last image of him touching his lips as he watched her disappear. When the world righted itself she was in Diagon Alley.

People were already bustling about and Lilah followed them as they headed towards the shops. When she hit the busiest section she took a moment to stop and look around. From her previous visits she recognized the shops and knew where it was she needed to go. She kept going, reading each shop name and staring briefly upon the contents inside. When Lilah stopped if was only because she had reached her destination.

She looked up above her as the large sign on the shop front, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. This was the place she was supposed to go to speak with the twins. She saw that the shop still seemed slightly dark and no one else was inside at the moment. It was still early and Draco hadn't thought it would be open but she had to leave early before everyone was awake but late enough to not wait long. She walked a few paces from the shop until she found a bench and sat down heavily with a great sigh. The minute she could slump into the seat she put her head in her hands and tried to calm down. It was all done now; she couldn't go back to Malfoy Manor.

She left them and made the choice to allow them to be tortured or killed because she wasn't willing to kill an insect or hurt Bellatrix. Lilah condemned them, she should have had the strength to let her conscious go and just do what she needed to help everyone. She would never see Narcissa again, the goodnight she had given her before bed was their last words. Bellatrix teasing her about her improper pronunciation of spells was their last conversation. The taste of Draco's lips and the last look on his face were the last memories she would have of him. She hadn't even said goodbye to the portrait of her father or any of the house elves.

It didn't matter now, not anymore, she was gone and she couldn't go back. All she could do was live with the guilt and hope beyond hope that no one would lose life or limb over the selfish decision she had made. She was surprised when she looked back up to see how much busier the shops has gotten. It couldn't be much longer before the joke shop opened if it wasn't already. Lilah stood up and walked back to the previously quiet and dark shop to see it was now alive with activity.

She followed a group before her as they stepped into the shop and scattered to go to all different products around the place. She went through the shop looking at what everyone else was doing and seeing some interesting objects displayed before her. She followed the shop around, touching things here and there. Everything in the magical world was still amazing for her to see and she wondered if she would ever adjust and have it seem normal. As she was looking in on a pink poofy looking creature she spotted Fred, or was it George? He was behind the counter at the front of the shop taking sales and cashing people out. Lilah waited in line like a good girl until her turn approached open handed.

"I need your help," she said.

"Lilah, glad to see you again, are you looking for something specific?" he asked.

"I'm sure this isn't what you want to hear but I need protection from Voldemort and I have no where else to go."

He frowned and walked to Lilah, wrapping a comforting arm around her and motioned to someone who was stocking shelves and he came to the register. Lilah was then led to the back of the shop and he opened a door and she saw the other twin inside the room behind a desk.

"Oi, Fred, you could knock!" the twin said.

"No time, George," Fred replied, shutting the door. "Lilah is in trouble, she's here to get our help."

"Why'd you come to us?" George asked. Fred has gone over to George and they stood in front of the desk and Lilah stood before them.

"You know I'm Lilah Leavers and until a few months ago I had no idea I had magic," Lilah replied. "It was only when Severus Snape came to my orphanage in America that I learned the truth. I'm the daughter of Rodolphus Lestrange but my mother is not Bellatrix. I have been living with the Malfoys but then Voldemort came. He was displeased that I didn't know the unforgivable curses and he used the cruciatus curse on me. Then he told us that if I didn't know all of them by the time he returned that there would be dire consequences. I didn't want to stay and learn them and I couldn't run, there was no one I knew to run to. But Draco told me to find the Weasleys and something called the Order of the Phoenix would protect me."

"You've been with the Malfoys, when we take you to the Order they're going to interrogate you and it probably will be harsh," Fred said seriously. "They have to make sure you're not doing this to learn their location."

"I'm not a spy, I'm not here to cause any trouble," Lilah replied. "I just want to feel safe again, if I could go back to the orphanage I would but that isn't an option. If I go back out there then he will find me and I don't know what he'll do. I am all alone in this world now, no one cares about me anymore."

The twins whispered to each other briefly, hushed voices that rose on occasion and Lilah waited patiently.

"You said Severus Snape found you?" Fred asked.

"Yes, he's who brought me to the Malfoys but I haven't seen him in a few days," Lilah answered. Fred nodded at George and left and it was just George and Lilah now.

"Who's your mom if it's not Bellatrix?" George asked.

"I don't know, no one does," Lilah replied. "Rodolphus is dead and he's the only person who knew."

"Why would Draco tell you to come to us? He hates us."

"He more or less said that, not quite so nicely though but he also said you wouldn't turn me away if I needed help."

"Sounds like a Malfoy. Would you show me your forearms, please?"

Lilah blinked a couple of times in confusion but pushed the sleeves back on her shirt and held out her arms and George nodded and she let her arms fall to her sides.

"You don't know why I asked that?" George asked, surprised.

"No," Lilah replied.

"Voldemort's followers, the Death Eaters, they have dark marks on their forearms."

"Dark marks?"

"A tattoo of a skull and a snake, a symbol of their devotion and it can be used to summon him or for him to summon them."

Lilah thought back a moment to Narcissa, Draco, Bellatrix, and Snape. It never occurred to her that they always wore long sleeves, even in the cold she had found herself in short sleeves from the clothes provided for her. Then she remembered Draco grabbing his arm when he told her he couldn't get away from Voldemort.

"I've never seen one," Lilah said, her arm twitching subconsciously at the thought of how she might have gotten one had she stayed. "They didn't tell me about all of this until Draco took me to meet Lucius and they said that Voldemort knew of my existence after that. That's when they told me about the wars and they made it seem like they were on the good side. He came not long after and that's when I found out the truth and Draco helped me escape."

"George," came Fred's voice and both George and Lilah turned around to see him in the doorway. "They said to bring her, Snape is vouching for her and they all want to talk to her."

"Ready to apparate again, Lilah?" George asked.

"It was such fun last time," Lilah asked.

"At least you can still make jokes in this situation."

George held out his hand and Lilah slipped her fingers through his to get the best grip and closed her eyes. She needed to concentrate on keeping her grip on George and she didn't want to see what was going to happen next, it hadn't been pleasant last time.