A/N: This chapter's dedicated to Luna4816.

Chapter 28: The last of the veela.

Skye's POV

"That actually hurt my ears, Skye." Draco said. I opened my eyes – we'd arrived. A loud pop sounded in my ears.

"Oh, shove off."

"Come on, you two, get to the castle." Dumbledore said – he'd been waiting for us. Dad was already gone.

"Where to, sir?" I asked.

"Severus' quarters, for now."

For some reason the forest was pulling me.

"Can I go to the veela first, sir?" My voice sounded eerie, even to me.

"Of course, Skye, I'll be in my office if you need me." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he strode off. His robes moving oh-so-slightly in the soft wind.

I took Draco's hand.

"Brace yourself." I warned him.

"For what?"

I started to run. Draco lifted off the ground – this made it easier for me to pull him with me. I stopped a few meters from the veela tribes' habitat, an unexplained feeling of dread caught ahold of me. I left Draco right there and bolted away towards them.

"Laud! Lila!" I called to them. No answer came.

I stepped forward; not expecting what I saw. The huts were all burned to the ground… blood was smeared on the floor. There lied a dead body… bloody and mangled… No!

I heard soft sobs…

"No! Why? Why Lila? Why?" The sobs said. I went towards the sound. The sound was tortured and inconsolable… as if a heart had been ripped out…

"Laud?" I asked in surprise. The veela male was sitting under a tree, clutching the dead body of Lila… Lila was dead? No! Lila can't be… Tears were rolling down the veela's cheeks.

"Empress!" He sounded horrified and relieved at the same time. His eyes were puffy and red, his pupils were the largest part of his eyes… his clothes were torn, his hair dirty and full of twigs… his hands were smeared in blood…

"What happened?" The sound brought me back to my surroundings, and it seemed to have the same effect on Laud.

"Death E-eaters… they c-came h-here… asking… asking for our h-help… and we said n-no and th-they k-killed Lila a-and th-the others…"

I put my hand on Laud's shoulders. Tears burned in my eyes.

"And i-it w-was just after I asked Lila t-to m-marry me."

I closed my eyes and allowed the tears to roll. My veela were gone… and Laud was heartbroken…

"Laud, come on, we have to go." I pulled in his shoulders. He simply refused to let go of Lila. "You can't stay here!"

"She died trying to protect me." His voice was level now. "They were torturing me…and she stepped in."

I crouched down beside him and looked at Lila. Her eyes were still open. I reached out and closed them.

"She looks as if she could be sleeping." Laud whispered. I looked around. The other four veela were there, too. Or their bodies were. One was bloody and mangled with an expression of horror on his face… I didn't want to see the others…

"Don't let her die in vain." I whispered. Lila had an expression of pure anger on her face…

"But… why us?" He looked at me hopefully.

"Because you're not wizards."

"Why save me?" He asked me.

"Because you weren't supposed to die yet, Laud."

I don't know where the words came from, they just did.

"You really are the Empress." He said softly.

"I am."

"Can you bring them back?"

"No magic can bring back the dead, Laud."

He lowered his eyes and looked at Lila.

"She'll always be in your heart."

"I have no life without her."

"Don't let her sacrifice go in vain, Laud!"

"Skye, I… I can't go on without her…"

"You can, and it will make you a better veela."

He looked around at me.

"Can… can I bury her… them?"

"Go…" I said, noting the authority in my voice.

123

"How is it possible?"

"Oh, it's very possible, sir, and if you don't do anything so protect the Hogwarts grounds, I will take it into my own hands."

I didn't wait for him to finish. I was already on my way back to the Dark Forest. To Aragog's cave. Hagrid had only ever told me about the spider's cave once, but he neglected to give instructions.

Following my gut I closed my eyes and ran, only stopping to turn or in front of a tree, which my senses told me to do too.

I found the cave – littered with spiders of all shapes and sizes, Aragog's children.

"Who is it?" A haunting voice called.

"I'm Skye, and I have a favor to ask of your children!"

"What makes you think you can control them?"

"Oh, I know they will obey my commands. I can kill them by only wishing it." Okay, I knew that what I'd just said was a bunch of bull. And rather egotistic. But I was powerful, and would not pretend otherwise with false modesty. Arrogant little girl – a voice in my head chastised.

Aragog spoke briefly to his children.

"They will help you – they know who you are."

"Come with me." I turned heel and headed for the outskirts of the forest, very much aware that a rather large number of spiders were following me.

"You have to safeguard this forest, is that clear?" I yelled over my shoulder. "We lost the veela tribe because we weren't secure!"

"Yes, Empress!"

"As you wish, Empress!"

I nodded and helped them choose their certain points.

"What if they are too many?" One of the spiders asked me.

"You send the little ones to me." I answered.

As soon as they were settled, I went to find Draco, who was still waiting for me where I'd dropped him off.

"Sorry, it's just…"

Then it hit me full in the face… the veela were dead… except for Laud, but he was no use to me with a broken heart. I gasped as realization took ahold of me. Lila had been a best friend to me… Laud an older brother… the others had been my family… and now they were gone. Dead.

Never to return again.

Draco's arms were around me.

"Shsss…" He hushed me. "It'll be fine."

I pulled back, furious.

"It will not be fine, Draco! The veela were killed! Torn from limb completely, bloody and distorted… they were so bloody afraid before they died!"

Draco stared at me in utter disbelief.

"Laud's heart is broken because Lila is dead!"

Draco's eyes started to water.

"He'll never be whole again, Draco! He'll always miss her and long for her! Do you realize that?"

He didn't say anything.

"He's a broken soul." I breathed out, my voice shaking from my sobs. Strong arms pulled me into an embrace from behind.

"I'll fix myself." It was Laud. He was still shaking and his tears didn't seem to have an end. "I'll be fine. All I need is time and love."

123

I went to the Room of Mirrors. I needed to see Storm – badly, to make sure she was still okay. That she was not dead, like Lila and the others.

I stood in front of the mirror and saw her.

"Where are you?" I yelled at the mirror. She looked thinner and her eyes looked tired.

She only looked sadly at me.

"I want to help you! Where are you, Storm?"

No reply.

"What, don't you want to be saved?"

She shook her head, no, she didn't want to be saved.

"Not now or never?"

She mouthed a 'now' at me.

"When, then?"

She tapped her wrist.

"When the time is right?" I questioned. She nodded.

"How do I know when that is?"

This time she tapped her forehead. I understood, I'll just know.

"But where are you?" I yelled hysterically at the mirror.

She smiled and pointed to her ear – where an earring with a snake charm was dangling.

"Eden?" I took a wild guess. She rolled her eyes and repeated her actions from before.

"Hell?" She huffed soundlessly.

"What, in the Slytherin Common Room? The Chamber of Secrets?"

This time she glared at me.

"In the house of the heir of Slytherin?"

She nodded fearfully, almost as if she was afraid of someone seeing her.

"That narrows it down." I said sarcastically. Who the hell was the air of Slytherin? I mean, I knew Voldemort was, but I knew for a fact that he did not have my mother as prisoner. She lifted her shoulders helplessly before disappearing into the darkness with a terrified expression of fear on her face.

123

"Are you ready?" Dad asked me. I nodded. "You sure?" Once again I nodded.

"What color hair would you like?"

"Brown."

"Light or dark?"

"Dark."

"Eye color?"

"Black."

"Facial features?"

"Nose – longer. Mouth – fuller."

Dad tapped Draco's ring with his wand before handing it back to me.

"Have you heard anything from Laud?"

I shook my head and lowered it in the same movement. If I couldn't eve save my people, how could I be expected to face this… this empress thing?

"He's grieving now, Skye. Give him time."

"I know… it's just… ugh!" My hands hit the mirror in front of me.

"Calm down, sweetheart."

I slipped the ring onto my finger.

"Draco, it's your turn!" Dad called. Draco entered the room. School would be starting soon, and we had to get our Glamours right now, so we can get used to them.

"I want Black hair and blue eyes; what you do with the rest is your problem." Draco said with a smile.

"As always."

I took the silver bracelet from my arm and gave it to dad.

"Use that to center his glamour."

Dad and Draco smiled at me. I shrugged and went to the living room. I hadn't been feeling up to anything since the veela died, and Laud was still grieving – while he was in the Hospital Wing.

A black haired boy approached me in the living room.

"What, Draco?" I hadn't meant to shout, and I could see that I'd hurt him. "Sorry."

He reached for my hand and brushed his lips against it.

"You know, I've been thinking of asking McGonagall to train me to be an animagus."

"Draco," I sighed, we'd talked about it before. "just because you're a shape-shifter of any kind does not make us mates. Lycan and I weren't mates, nor were Remus and I or Sirius and I."

Blood rushed to his cheeks. He lifted my chin to face his new blue eyes.

"I can hope, can't I?"

I gave him a quick kiss before dad entered and took a seat in the comfy armchair.

"You do realize you two can't go around acting like that when you've been sorted again, don't you?" He asked pointedly.

"Yeah, yeah, otherwise the plan would fail and yada yada yada." I groaned, pulling myself away from Draco.

I had a feeling that this year wouldn't be quite that quiet…

123

The first of September came quickly, and the new DADA teacher failed to show up beforehand, but that was good, otherwise Draco, or Sev, and I might have been discovered. We were going to pretend to be English students from Durmstrang, and our parents made us switch schools because our headmaster was M.I.A.

Only dad and Dumbledore, of the teaching staff, knew about the Glamour Charms.

Laud was going to go undercover as a student too, as Laud Wolfe, my twin brother, also under Glamours. His hair was dirty blonde and his eyes were brown – almost my exact opposite, we didn't want to be fraternal twins. He'd decided that since his tribe was gone, he was going to put all of his energy into keeping me safe. I tried to refuse, but it made him happy, it seemed to give him purpose.

Dad, Draco, Laud and I arrived at Platform nine and three quarters, dad under Polyjuice Potion – he had stolen hair from an innocent muggle just before he left Spinner's End.

"Have a great year, sweetheart." He said before bestowing a hug onto me.

"You too, Laud." He gave Laud a hug too, but a brief one. Draco was just standing there, looking awkward. Dad turned to him, too. I noticed a member of the Order watch us, I softly poked dad and pointed them out to him.

"Now, your father asked me to bring you, but you be good, too, all right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and the headmaster told me to tell you to go into the small boats with the first years – he wants you to see Hogwarts as the first years saw it."

I groaned inwardly, but nodded.

"Okay, dad. We gotta go now." I grabbed Laud's arm and pulled him onto the train. Our luggage already taken care off. Luar (Rumi) was safely in his cage under my arm.

"Are you coming, Sev?" I called to Draco. He rushed onto the train after me. I leaned out a window waved at dad until we rounded the curve. Draco in the window next to me.

"Let's go find a compartment." I suggested. They followed me to a compartment at the back, seeing as all of the others were full.

People stared at us, or the older students did – mostly the fifth years. Who were we? Had we been there the whole time?

We stopped in the door of the compartment, because, to no surprise, it wasn't empty. Harry and Neville were there, Neville holding a horrible plant that squelched and burped.

"Hello." I greeted them with a smile. Harry looked up at me and put a forced smile on his face. Neville smiled brightly at me.

"Hi."

"Can we join you?" I asked. They both nodded.

I stepped in, Draco behind me and Laud bringing up the rear. He looked terrified, so I took ahold of his arm – sisterly support.

"I'm Cissy Wolfe." I extended my other hand to them.

"Harry Potter." Harry shook my hand.

"Neville Longbottom." Neville copied Harry.

"And this is my brother, Laud."

They shook hands.

"I'm Sev Drake." Draco said, also offering his hand to the boys.

"Sev? Is that short for something?" Neville asked.

"Nah, my parents were just… sentimental and gave me my godfathers' name." Draco said with a smile – he was trying hard not to sneer at Harry.

"Oh."

The three of us sat down on one side after I put a sleeping Rumi on top. I noticed Harry eye the snake.

"Are you new?" Neville asked. "We haven't seen you around."

"Yeah, we are."

"What year?"

"Fifth."

"So are we!"

"Cool."

"Where do you guys come from?"

"We're from Durmstrang, but we were brought up in England."

"Oh, why were you transferred?"

"Our headmaster went missing, and my dad wanted me and Laud closer to home. I don't know Sev's story, though."

"It's basically the same, Mr. Wolfe just volunteered to bring me while mum was at work."

"Oh. Do you guys have to be sorted ?"

"Obviously." Draco sneered. He was sitting low in the seat, his hands crossed angrily.

I rolled my eyes.

"What houses to you hope to get?" Neville asked. He'd been speaking the whole time, Harry just watched each of us in turn as we spoke.

"Um… we don't know."

"I'll probably get Slytherin." Draco muttered. Neville heard it though.

"Why?"

Draco suddenly grinned.

"I have no idea."

"What about you, Cissy?"

"I don't know." I shrugged.

Neville looked expectantly at Laud, but he was staring out the window.

"Don't mind him; he lives in a little world of his own." I tried to sound lighthearted, but his reflection in the window showed me sad eyes. I absentmindedly covered his hand with mine. He looked around at me and smiled. A small, sad smile, before turning back to the window. I looked past his head to see what he saw. Nature at its best. Beauty defined as the trees, evergreen, and flowers, a rainbow of colors, passed. The clouds in the sky only brightening the idea of beauty.

After a while Ron and Hermione showed up, they'd been made prefects. Dad had talked about that to me and Draco, apparently we'd been chosen.

"The Slytherin prefects didn't show up, though." Hermione said to Harry after we'd introduced ourselves. Neville was squeezed next to Draco while the three friends sat next to each other.

"Who'd been chosen, Hermione?" Neville asked her.

"Skye and Malfoy."

Draco and I looked at each other, each looking smug at the other.

"I've wondered about that, what happened to them? The Prophet was very vague…"

"We don't know either. Apparently they ticked Voldemort off; they were brought to the headquarters of the Order…" Hermione stopped talking – afraid she'd said too much in front of us, but I feigned being in a very interesting conversation with Draco while Laud kept on staring out the window. I saw Hermione motion for Neville to sit next to her, and she went on.

"… and when we went shopping for school supplies, they went off with Lupin, he left them for a second and they were kidnapped." She finished in a rushed whisper.

"Do you know what they did?"

"No, only Dumbledore and Snape know."

"Snape?" Neville's voice quivered a bit.

"Yes, he's in the Order, too." Harry said.

"Git." Ron said. I pointed my wand at him from an unseen place and whispered 'Langlock' – and I watched his tongue stick to the roof of his head, amused, but I kept a conversation with Draco going to appear innocent.

Not even Hermione knew the counter curse, and that was when she drew my attention for help. Harry and Neville were laughing their butts off, Harry desperately trying to stop.

"Hm?" I asked, seemingly confused.

"Do you know what's happening to Ron?"

"Hmm…" I pretended to think about it, "Looks like he's been hit by… well… I don't know what it's called."

"But you've seen it?"

"I come from Durmstrang, what do you think?" I asked, implying it was a stupid question. She blushed furiously.

"Well, do you know the counter-curse?"

I pointed my wand at him and whispered the counter-curse.

"Who the bloody hell did that?" Ron splattered as soon as his tongue was unglued.

"Probably some passing Slytherin, Ron." Harry said, "They're bound to hate me, too."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Have you read the Prophet lately?"

"No." I shook my head. "They're spreading lies."

"Lies about what?" Harry asked cautiously.

"They spread lies, period." I shrugged.

"Oh."

"So, why'd they hate you?" I asked him. He looked at his friends before answering.

"Voldemort's back."

"Oh. Well, that sucks." I said. Next to me Draco snickered.

"You don't think I'm lying, do you?"

"No. I believe you." I said, Harry's eyes widened, along with his two friends' eyes.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"And what's your theory on what happened to Draco Malfoy and Skye Night?" Hermione asked me.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"They went missing out of Diagon Alley."

"Oh. They're probably being tortured, held captive or went abroad." Draco piped up.

"Maybe they're closer than you think."

The rest of the trip went by in silence. At some point I pretended to be asleep, just to lie on Draco's shoulder. Laud must have seen it, because he took of his muggle jacket and threw it over me and Draco, who looked appropriately shocked to have me on his shoulder, but under the jacket I held his hand.

Later we pulled our school robes over our muggle clothes, but no ties – we hadn't been re-sorted yet.

123

"First years this way!" It wasn't Hagrid's friendly voice that greeted us in Hogsmeade, but another, very female voice.

Draco, Laud and I went up to her too.

"Ma'am?" I said. She looked up at me.

"You three the new students?" She asked curtly.

"Yes." I answered hotly. She was being extremely rude.

"You can go up with the carriages, Professor Dumbledore okayed it."

Without another word I followed the hustle of students to the carriages that drew themselves. The three of us shared a carriage, along with a Ravenclaw girl.

We waited outside the Great Hall for McGonagall, where she was also waiting for the first years. She nodded at us.

When the first years arrived, she gave the same speech she'd given us, and we were led into the Great Hall. The three of us walking in the back.

"To our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back!" Dumbledore spread his arms wide. "This year we have a bit of an exception, these three students have been transferred to Hogwarts, and now they have to be sorted. We shall start with them." He looked pointedly at me.

"Miss Cissy Wolfe shall go first."

I gulped (theatrically) and sat on the stool while McGonagall lowered the hat onto my head. It didn't go over my eyes, which meant I'd grown quite a lot since first year.

"Haven't I sorted you already?" A voice whispered in my ear.

'Well, yeah, but don't yell that bit of information out.'

The voice chuckled.

"Dumbledore warned me about it. So, the question is which house?"

'Hopefully a good one.' I teased.

"My, how you've changed."

'Thank you.'

"I have some idea to sort you into another house."

'No, I believe I'm a Slytherin through and through.'

"But you're also as intelligent as any Ravenclaw and as brave as any Gryffindor."

'Yes, that may be true, but I remain a dark and evil person.'

The voice chuckled again.

"If that is what you wish… SLYTHERIN!"

The hat was lifted of my head and I headed for the Slytherin table. I sat next to Pansy, who ignored me. Just like in First Year – until she found out I didn't give a damn about her status and money, and became my friend.

Next it was 'Mr. Sev Drake's' turn. He got into Slytherin too. I held my breath as Laud was being sorted. I knew he was a real Ravenclaw, but I wanted him near me to keep an eye on him.

The hat seemed to think long and hard about it, and I watched the tear open… I held my breath…

"SLYTHERIN!"

I breathed a sigh of relief. Yes!

I cheered with the rest of Slytherin, they'd gotten three extra students.

"He wanted to put in Ravenclaw." Laud told me quietly as we watched the rest of the sorting.

"But?"

"You wanted me near you."

"That's true."

"Thank you." Laud's voice was soft. "You don't know how much that means to me."

Under the table I briefly grasped his hand.

"You are my brother, Laud."

"Only pretending."

"No, you are my brother, Laud, forever."

Draco smiled at me from his position across us. He noted that Laud was depressed, and he hated it.

At the head table dad and Dumbledore were talking seriously and in extremely low voices. I managed to catch that they were talking about – putting Laud and Draco in the same room, to make sure Laud didn't do anything stupid.

The new DADA teacher was there – and she creeped me out. Really. Dressed in nothing but pink and bows… with her high voice and speech, that consisted of words that more than half of the student body didn't comprehend.

Hm… I had a new Bella to torture.

Afterwards, in the Slytherin Common Room, dad was waiting.

"Welcome to our three new fifth years and all of our first years." He said drily. "Miss Wolfe, you will be in Miss Parkinsons' dormitory." I nodded to him. "And Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Drake will be sharing with Mr. Zabini."

More nods.

He explained the school rules to us, warning us about the Forbidden Forest – mentioning that the spiders were all riled up now.

I went to my new (old) dorm room and settled down on my old (new) bed. My luggage, along with Luar, Rumi, was there, next to it.

"Where's Skye?" Pansy asked. I opened my eyes, and she, along with the other three Slytherin girls that would share the dorm, were staring at me imploringly.

Oh, gosh, no. Pansy was doing it again. Annoying me, I mean.

I wasn't going to make friends with her this time; because she was a real pain in the… well, one gets the idea. Blaise was another thing, I always liked him, but Pansy… she only wanted to be friends with a certain group, and I had an odd feeling that she'd take Draco's place in the Dark Lord's plan… whatever plan he had.

"Who?" I asked, playing dumb.

"Skye Night, that's her bed."

"Skye went missing, Pansy." Millicent said, "Don't you read the Daily Prophet?"

"No, what happened?"

"I don't know, do I?" Millicent said, "All I know is that Skye and Draco went missing together, someone said they saw them kissing the one moment, and the next they were pulled into an alley and were taken away by disapparation."

I stood up.

"I'm very sorry to hear that." I said, trying to sound sincere.

"I'll miss her."

"Don't bloody lie; Pansy, you were only friends with her because you had, sorry have, a crush on Draco."

"That's not true!" Pansy yelled, but it was obvious she was lying by the blood that was rushing to her cheeks.

"You're lying." I said. "You should learn to control your emotions, that way when you lie, no one can tell."

I never liked Pansy, or maybe I did, but I never trusted her. But it hurt, still.

"Oh, like you?"

"I can control my emotions entirely." I knew I was lying, but Cissy would be able to control herself, even if Skye couldn't.

"Oh, and what is between you and that Laud guy?" Pansy asked. Even Millicent stared at her stupidity.

"He's my twin brother, you nitwit."

She blushed again.

"And Sev Drake?"

"Friends."

I saw her eyes twinkle – Draco was in for a surprise, and a bad one. I felt sorry for him, which was why I couldn't do it to him. That, and the fact that she was making me mad.

Draco. Was. MINE!

"That all?" She asked, to make sure.

"Our families have an agreement." I said. Her eyes lost their shine. I didn't need to say which 'agreement' our families had; she assumed it meant we were betrothed. And I wasn't lying. There was an agreement between my family and his family – and it was to keep him safe.

At midnight I snuck down to the Common Room. Draco and I had promised to meet one another. He was sitting on font of the fire, and I joined him.

"You came." He whispered.

"Was there ever a doubt?" I replied.

"Anything changed?"

"Pansy hates me."

"Why?"

"She thinks we're engaged."

"Why?"

"Long story."

"Tell me."

"She's still got a huge crush on you."

"Oh. Thank you, then, love."

I froze. He'd just called me 'love'.

He'd frozen too.

"Well. THAT came out of nowhere."

He laughed and looked at me. The fire played games on his new black hair, it in turn cast odd shadows on the wall. Before I knew it he was kissing me again.

"I'm yours, for as long as I possibly can be."

I kissed him again. He was such a sweetheart. I put all of the emotions into this kiss… all of the emotions that I couldn't explain… This time I licked his bottom lip… I felt him smile against my mouth as he took over… his tongue explored my mouth…

I pulled away.

And the sight that greeted me stunned me.

123

A/N: Oh… evil cliffie! Am I not evil? Do you not hate me? Do you want to throttle me? Especially after these annoying questions? Well… there's a way to let me know!

Yeah, that was my incredibly creative way (note sarcastic tone) in asking for reviews. Now… onwards!