*Quick Note* Sorry the delay it was not intended I ended up working 50 hour work weeks for a month followed by being sick for a week followed by being on vacation out of the country for 2 weeks. Its been pretty busy! Not to mention I have had a really hard time trying to get this chapter wrote the way i wanted it to turn out. Please review.

Chapter 24:

I had been at the Malfoy's house a week now. Marking two weeks before my seventh year was suppose to start. Voldemort had not requested my presence. Odd considering the fact that he wanted to meet me not to long ago. Draco's mother had been very kind to me. Much kinder then I had expected her to be considering the man that she had married. Lucius Malfoy still disliked me, but he seemed more accepting of me. I am almost convinced that the man has seen the light and only dislikes me because It is easier to dislike someone else then one's self.

Draco however has been distant. Though we share the same room, apparently an order given by Voldemort to keep me under watch, he kept his distance. Part of me thanked him for it since I was still grieving the loss of my mother. But part of me hated it because I just wanted someone there to comfort me through this as well. I wanted that someone to be him.

Yet I could leave any time I wanted. Draco wouldn't stop me. He didn't want me here and I am sure his mother and father wouldn't stop me either. No one was really stopping me but myself. There was less Death Eaters around then when I had arrived and I knew that Voldemort had not been around because The Malfoy's were looking less dead. Though still looking rough with Bellatrix around.

But I couldn't bring myself to leave. A part of me, I feel a very selfish part of me, wanted to stay to make sure nothing happened to Draco. It was selfish because I knew there were people out there that was worried about me. If there was just a way that I could contact them they would not have to worry.

I was currently sitting on Draco's balcony looking out over the hills that lead to my home. I sighs sadly I missed it. I missed my home, Tharc, my father, my mother. I sigh trying to stop the fresh tears that came. I know my grandmother said not to grieve I couldn't help it. I tried to muffle a sob, I knew Draco had to be getting annoyed with hearing it by now.

I hear the door to the bedroom open and close. Draco was leaving. I knew he wouldn't be able to take my crying for much longer. I felt oddly rejected by this. Without having to worry about Draco I start to cry again letting the sobs escape me.

He knew Rey was in pain. It hurt Draco that she was in this much pain. He knew he had to do something for her. So he came up with a plan, quite possibly a suicide mission. But if it made her happier, just for a moment, then he would risk it.

"You want to do what?" His father asks him in exhausted shock.

"I want to retrieve and brings Rey's cat here." Draco says calmly.

"They will kill you at the sight of you." His aunt says.

"I have to at least try." Draco says.

"I will not allow it!" His father says.

"Let him go." His mother says calmly.

"Sissy are you willing..."

"They will not harm him Bella." She says with a bit of authority. Draco kissed his mother's cheek. Before his father or aunt had anything else to say he walked out the front door. He briskly walked to the front gates of the manor and once crossed them he disapperated.

Draco was met with ringing in his ears when he landed just outside the Weasley's property line. In a matter of seconds he was met the the twins who were glaring at him their wands pointed at him.

"Drop your wand!" One of them says. Draco not wanting conflict in his mission complied. He knew the vulnerability he was putting himself in. The twins looked shocked at his movement. They were clearly ready for a stand off. Other red heads came running out of the crooked old house that looked like it would topple over any minute.

After the red heads came a man with black hair with gray peppered in it. Draco remembered him from when he was younger. It was Rey's father. The man stopped in his tracks when he seen the pale boy. Undoubtedly knowing that Draco was the one that took his daughter away the night he lost his wife.

"Lower your wands." Rey's father yells and order.

"Jeremy do you know who that is?" Mrs. Weasley says.

"Yes I do now drop your wands. I will take care of him." Rey's fathers says. Something in Draco's stomach drops at this. Was it possible that he was mistaken by the characteristics of the blood traitors. Were they not suppose to be about kindness and peace. Perhaps they would kill him. Everyone but one of the twins, the one with an ear missing lowered their wand.

"George." Arthur says to his son.

"He took Rey and turn her over to him. Letting them hurt her. Give me a reason I should hurt him." The twin George says.

"Come on Georgie. Her dad will take care of this. Rey wouldn't want you to do this." The other twin says to him and places his hand on his shoulder. Draco still standing cautiously still. If the Twin was to shoot a curse at him he would be ready to dodge. George finally relaxed after a moment. George walks up to Draco. His glare still just as deadly.

"She trusted you. But your no better then your father. Your slimy and selfish and you took her to appease someone you blindly follow. Your pathetic." George says so just Draco could hear. Draco wanted to say something back, but he knew better. Being in enemy territory saying the wrong thing could get him killed.

George turned and left as Jeremy Nethers walks up to Draco. Draco couldn't read the man's face. It was hard to tell his emotion which was a very dangerous thing. Jeremy waited for the Weasley's to enter their house, though Draco was still not sure he should call it that, before he spoke.

"Pick up your wand boy." Jeremy tells Draco. Draco bends down and picks up his wand. Perhaps the man was honerable and couldn't kill a disarmed opponent. When Draco stands up again Jeremy puts his hand on his shoulder. "In the future, no mater who tells you to, do not drop your wand. Do you understand me? That is your protection against your enemy." He asks him. Draco nods uncertain of what to make of this man. Jeremy was after all the enemy, why would he advise not to drop his wand?

Jeremy leads Draco to a stream that runs past the Weasley property. The sun shinned down on them and the heat of the day was blistering on them. Draco was not sure what to say to the man. He was very on edge waiting for the man to strike. He wanted to convince himself the sweat starting to form on his forehead was caused from the heat and not his nerves.

"I would like to thank you Draco. For being the one to take my daughter away from here." Jeremy says. Draco was confused.

"I don't understand sir." Draco says formally after a moment.

"Draco, you were acting on instinct that night. You knew you had to be the one to take Rey. Anyone else and who knows what would have happened to her." His father says. Draco was still confused. Why did this man, who didn't even know him, trust him with his daughter?

"Why me?" He asks.

"When you first took her, and I had lost my wife I was devastated. I thought I had lost both of the women I love in the same night. A few days later I had come across a unopened letter that was addressed to my daughter. It was wrinkled so I knew that my daughter had it for a bit and was keeping hold of it. The curiosity got the better of me and I opened it and read it." Jeremy says as they walk.

Draco realized instantly that it was the letter that he had wrote to Ray at the end of last year before he had let the Death Eaters in. She didn't know anything that he had wrote in that. She had never seen it.

"So you know." Draco says.

"I do, And I know the lengths that you will go through to protect my daughter without hesitation. No one is going to protect her as much as you will Draco. That is why I am now glad it was you and I have faith that you have kept her safe."

"She doesn't love me back." Jeremy laughs a little at this.

"What makes you say that Draco?" He asks the boy curiously.

"Because of what I did, everything bad that has ever happened to her is because of me. She realized this and she seems to move away from me now. It's like she doesn't even want anything to do with me."

"You bullied her when you were younger, but you got past that. Rey seen that and befriended you again." Draco looked at the man again. "Yes I know you bullied my daughter, Cedric was not pleased about it and occasionally tied to get you kicked out for it." Jeremy took a deep breath and sighs. "Other then that you have not caused anything else that was bad."

"But she is afraid of me." Draco says.

"She is grieving Draco, she is not afraid of you. She is probably afraid of hurting you since her emotions are out of control at the moment. That means she can lose control of her powers and she doesn't want you to get hurt so she may subconsciously be avoiding you. I don't think my daughter is afraid of you." There was a pause as Draco thought about what was just said.

"I don't know sir." Draco finally answers.

"How many people are guarding your manor?" Her father asks. Draco knew that this could just be a way for them to try and get information out of him. For him to give information on how to break her out.

"Does it matter?" Draco asks. Draco could see something cross the mans eyes. He was sincerely just asking a question not trying to gain information. "There are no guards. Just my family." Draco decides.

"And wards?" He asks.

"I was able to leave." Draco says. Jeremy nods his head before the corners of his mouth turns up just a little.

"Well Draco I think you have your answer there." Jeremy says. Draco looks at him confused. "Rey isn't staying because she is being held prisoner. She can leave any time she wants. No offense to you and your family but her powers are strong, if she really wanted to leave she would."

"Why would she stay?" Draco asks.

"I think she is trying to keep you safe." Jeremy answers the boy. "She is risking her life for yours, just like you are risking yours for hers. Why would she do the same for you if she did not love you the same way back?" He asks. Like a bucket of ice had been dropped on him at the realization that Rey did love him his heart stopped for just a moment. Then like fire spreading he could feel his veins heating up and his heart pumping fast. For a moment he could see himself with Rey them being happy and together.

"Now I am sure you didn't come here to discuss my daughters feelings for you. I do believe Tharc is who you came for." Jeremy says interrupting Draco's thoughts. A black blur leaped into Draco's arms and rubbed its face against his and meowed happily. "It seems as thought Tharc has missed you as well." Jeremy says with a sad smile. Tharc wiggled in Draco's arm's and moved so that she was wrapped around the back of his neck and purred in his ear.

"Draco's help Rey, I know she hurting. She needs you. Take care of her for me." Jeremy says to Draco.

"I will." Draco says.

I had fallen asleep crying again. I was laying in the chair on the balcony still. I felt something jump on me and something fuzzy rub against my face. I scrunch up my face and move my head trying to get it to stop tickling me, I wanted to stay asleep. It was easier then being awake and crying. Then there was a loud crying meow.

"Tharc be quiet mummy is trying to sleep" I mumble to the cat. It took me a few moments register what I had said. My eyes fly open and I sit up with Tharc falling into my lap. A serge of happiness runs though me that I had not felt for days.

"Tharc!" I say scooping up the cat and hugging her tightly to me. She struggles in my hold.

"I suppose she didn't miss that." I hear Draco from the doorway a little amused. He is looking at me with a small smile as Tharc adjusts herself on my lap.

"How did you get her?" I ask Draco amazed.

"I went and got her from the Weasley's." He says coming over and kneeling down next to me and petting Tharc. My brows frowned. If he went there they didn't just give him my cat. But he seemed to look okay.

"They could have hurt you." I say, if he didn't appear hurt then he must not be.

"I am pretty sure that George wanted to. Only validates his feelings for you." Draco says a spark of jealousy crosses his eyes.

"I am sure George care's as much for me as he does for Ginny." I state looking down and petting Tharc. "How is my father?" I ask and look back up at Draco.

"He is okay. He is staying strong." Draco says. Before I could say anymore I hear Draco's bedroom door open.

"Rey." I hear Mrs. Malfoy say I pick up Tharc and carry her into the bedroom. Draco follows behind me. Mrs. Malfoy looks grim. "The Dark Lord requests your presence." I place Tharc on Draco's bed. I go to walk over to her when Draco grabs my hand.

"Don't." He says. I half turn and look at him.

"I will be okay. He wont hurt me." I say.

"You don't know that."

"Just trust me. Please." I ask him. He pulled me into him and hugged me. I hugged him back, relieved that he was not keeping his distance now. He was right, I didn't know if Voldemort would hurt me or not. I was scared but I couldn't let it show.

After a few moments I pull away. I walk over to Mrs. Malfoy and she tries to hide the sympathy in her eyes. I step out of the room and wait for her to close her sons door. I push back the nerves I feel and silently follow her to the main level of the house. She opens a set of double doors to show me Voldemort siting in a chair behind a desk. Bellatrix was standing next to him whispering something to him. When the doors open the both looked at me.

I was terrified, but my face did not show it. The scowl on Voldemort's face vanishes and is replaced by the creepiest smile I had ever seen in my life.

"Come in child." He says. Bellatrix, knowing she was dismissed at this point left her masters side and gave me a wicked glare before leaving. I walk in and the doors behind me shut. "Take a seat." He says gesturing to a chair across from him. I do as I am told, keeping my eyes on his face the entire time. I feel a pressure at the entrance of my mind, I mentally fight it.

"What are you wanting from me Tom." I ask him addressing him by his birth name. The creepy smile he had faded to a scowl.

"That is not my name." He says.

"It is your name, no matter how much you try and hide behind the false one you have created. My grandmother knew this and you allowed her to call you by such name. Even on the day of her death." I could see the anger growing on his face at the mention of my grandmother.

"You know nothing of the past child." He says the pressure to get into my mind was increasing. I held strong though. My father had taught me how to keep people out of my head. He was brilliant at it, I wasn't as strong as he was but he made sure I was strong enough.

"I know everything of her life. She showed me." I state. The pressure suddenly stopped.

"How is it possible shes dead."

"Apparently she hasn't fully crossed yet." I say.

"I didn't bring you in here to talk about her." He says and the pressure on my mind returns. I fight it just as hard as I did before.

"Try all you might Tom but your not going to get anything out of me." I say. The pressure vanishes again.

"I see you have been taught well. No matter I am sure an underage child like yourself has nothing of importance for me."

"Then why keep me?" I ask.

"Because you are of great value. Your powerful and I need powerful allies." He says.

"I would never fight for you." I say strongly.

"We will see." He says a bit confidently. "But I didn't bring you in here to try and get you to join my army. No I brought you in here since you lack a parent to tell you what is to transpire in a week. And to also try and probe your mind but apparently your are to stubborn." he says. I was a bit curious as to what he meant.

"The way the pure-blood society does thing is going to... change slightly. As you know pure-blooded families make contracts with each other to keep the lines pure. Well I have come up with a way to make things more interesting." He begins to explain. "Each year there will be a tournament held for the pure blood children ages sixteen and seventeen. The children will be placed in an arena where they will fight for the win. The winner will receive any reward they desire, with the exception of the young ladies, you and they cannot change who they are contracted to." I listen to his explanation for what was to come.

"You, being a pure blood child and of the proper age, will be entered into this tournament." he says peering at me to see my reaction. I did not give him one.

"So we will fight to the death then?" I ask.

"Of course not. Every spell but the killing curse is allowed. Do you really think I am stupid enough to kill the next generation of my army? No this is just a test to see how well the will do once they join me. But I will make it interesting for you girl. If you win, You can go to Hogwarts for your final year." There had to be a catch to this but I wasn't going to try and dig for it. I had no choice but to be in this tournament of his.

"I will need my wand then." I finally say. He laughs like I had just told him the funniest joke in the world. His laugh was just as creepy as his smile.

"No you wont. You are dismissed." He says. I was a bit shocked by this sudden ending of our conversation. I get up slowly. I turn and walk towards the door then stop before opening it. I turn to look at him.

"My grandmother asked me to do an impossible task. She asked me to remind you of her. But I cannot do it." I say. He doesn't say anything as he continues to watch me. "She loved you more then life itself. If Bellatrix would have not killed her, the world would be a different place." I say.

"You think that whore would convince me to be good?" He says amused. I shake my head.

"No, she would have joined you." I say. I turn and open the door and walk out of the office.