Thirty-Seven

"Detention, Miss Yavari."

McGonagall.

Lena spun around and looked at the professor. Behind her was Draco and his goons, casually taking points from Hufflepuff.

"For what?" Lena asked earnestly.

"Loitering."

"WHAT?"

"Ten points from Slytherin. You know, I really would expect better from someone like you. So brilliant, talented. Yet you squander your time away with these trouble-makers."

"Since when is loitering punishable?"

"Section 78, paragraph three, article four of our school constitution, of course..." Professor McGonagall passed by Draco as he took points for loitering from a younger Gryfinndor. The professor scuffed and hurried on.

The Trio did not stop pestering Lena. As if her last lesson wasn't enough, they continued to follow her around, either chanting some dreadful song about her, or shooting harmless curses. She ignored them. If she was caught dueling with other students she would be expelled. She couldn't risk that.

She felt it wasn't in their normal nature and she grew suspicious after a few more weeks of it.

"Tom," she said into the empty dormitory.

She waited a moment before she heard a hiss in reply.

"Yesssssss?"

"What is going on with Potter and his friends?"

"Why, for such a clever little girl, did it take you so long to ask? You know I'm here for you..."

Tom transfigured in front of her in a Hogwarts uniform, older and a different style than hers.

"What did you do to them?" she asked casually, not losing her cool at being called a little girl.

"Why... I'm not sure, but perhaps you'd better focus on Draco for now. He needs training desperately."

"Why don't you train him then? Master of Darkness and all?"

Tom was disappearing into a snake on the floor and hissed only one more thing:

"Because I didn't ask myself to."

Lena pouted and hurried to find Draco.

The sun was shining brightly down upon the Quidditch field. For some reason, she knew she'd find him here. He was always here.

He spiraled down from the sky as he saw her. He gave her an obnoxious kiss in front of the other watching Quidditch players. "What's up, baby?"

"They're under the control of the Dark Lord with Imperio." She smiled slightly at his endearment.

"Who?" Draco shook his head, "The Trio?" Draco laughed. "Probably not by the Dark Lord."

"I dunno, maybe just Potter. But they definitely are," she replied.

"How would you know?" he asked hesitantly. Draco knew something he wasn't telling her.

Lena didn't answer, she watched the other boys practice, enjoying the heat from the sun and the coming spring.

"You know," Draco continued, "The End of the Year Ball is soon... Are you..." He hesitated. She felt the topic change.

"Sure, Draco, if it makes you happy. And as long as you finish your training before then."

"We have two months..." He said doubtfully.

"Get it done or you won't have the opportunity this summer."

Draco nodded at her sudden serious attitude.

"Every Saturday, meet me in the forest at nine. At the end of the month, you will kill someone."

Draco's mouth opened slightly at her demands.

Her expression remained stone cold. "I'm sorry Draco, but believe me, you'd rather have the soul-splitting out of the way before your tasks. It's rather painful," she said glumly. "My first kill." She whispered aloud, thinking of Blaise's eyes.

"What?" Draco muttered. He had become distracted by the practice game of Quidditch.

"See you tonight, Draco."

Draco looked after Lena as she backed away, confused, but soon brought himself back into the game.

"Oy, Draco, keep your girlfriend off the field unless she's gonna play!"

Draco scowled but didn't reply.

Girlfriend, thought Lena euphorically.

The days grew longer and hotter, and the nights seemed to last forever. It almost seemed as though Draco was trying to advance slowly.

She taught him the same way Tom had taught her, without the physical torture, of course...

And soon, It was the end of April.

Lena had ordered a beautiful gown from a company in Italy that she commonly ordered from. It was long and bunched up in all the right places, adding at least 30 pounds to the slender girl.

She twirled in front of the mirror and a million diamonds and emeralds glimmered, matching the expensive bottle-green material of the gown.

Pansy entered at the perfect timing, in her drab blue pillowcase. She scowled at Lena, she couldn't hide the jealous look as she hurried into the bathroom.

Lena's shoes were 4 inch high stilettos, embroidered with diamonds and emeralds as well. Her hair was worn long and curly over her shoulders, with just a small amount tied into a beautiful bun.

She spun around again and made Draco wait another twenty minutes as she dilly-dallied around in her dormitory.

She slowly opened the door and glided down the stairs graciously.

Draco's eyes widened as he extended his arm and guided the girl to the ball.

He fastened a white rose corsage to her wrist and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Arriving fashionably late wasn't normally Lena's thing, however...

"Lena Yavari, and her escort, Draco Malfoy."

Everyone turned to the entrance of the great hall.

Many of the girls gasped at Lena's beautiful gown, and suddenly Lena was crowded with questions.

"Where did you get it?"

"It's so beautiful."

"Can I touch it-"

"Please, restrain yourselves from touching me," Lena said as politely as she could with a scowl on her face.

Draco whirled her onto the dance floor and hogged the attention of everyone in the Great Hall for a few minutes longer.

"You're beautiful, Lena." He whispered into her ear.

Draco was wearing a snazzy dark green tux, that paired with her dress well. His hair was slicked back. She wouldn't dare say it, but she preferred it all messy.

But hey, she preferred herself in simple robes or jeans and ballet flats; tonight was different. Magical.

The last bit of being a teenager for her, and possibly for Draco.

She dragged herself from her thoughts and put her mind on Draco for the rest of the night.

"Tonight is the night."

It was a week after the ball.

"Yes, Draco, as I have said before."

"Lena, who exactly am I going to kill?"

"Now that, I cannot tell you."

"I hope its Weasley," he sneered.

Lena rolled her eyes and fastened the gold snake clasp of her cloak around her neck.

Draco was doing the same.

Lena wore skinny jeans and a plain black t-shirt.

The two snuck out and into the forest, hidden under Draco's new invisibility cloak. His parents had gotten him another early Death Eater present.

"You know," he said smuggly, "It's nice being pureblood."

"You can say that again."

"It's nice being pureblood."

Lena rolled her eyes and continued until they were in the clearing.

"Well?" He asked calmly, looking around. "Who must I kill?"

Lena stepped forward.

There was a long silence.

"Me."

Draco swished his wand and laughed. "Okay, now really."

Lena walked to the edge of the clearing and pulled the muggle out of the bushes. She had brought him there an hour ago from a pub in London. It had taken the girl almost 45 minutes to decide between the many ongoing people. She finally landed on this guy. Who seemed to live in a box, literally. The fool was so hopeless, Lena was sure she was doing him a favor.

Draco was hesitating more now as he faced the man he was to kill.

The man was under Imperio, of course, as he stood blankly before Draco.

Lena watched Draco's lip twitch and his eyes scan the man for almost ten minutes before she interfered.

"You cannot hesitate in front of the Dark Lord, Draco, it is a mark of bad service-"

"Avada Kadavra!"

And before she knew it, both of the men were on the ground. Draco kneeled clutching his chest.

"What is this?" he said through clenched teeth.

"It's the worst pain you'll ever feel in your life. The power you've released from your wand, with such dark passion, has driven a wedge between your soul. The more you kill, the less it hurts, supposedly. However, it is most necessary to get this out of the way before next month."

Draco nodded in understanding. Lena let him struggle through it on his own, giving him his privacy. A half an hour later, they were walking back up to the castle, Draco still crippled over slightly.

"I'm sorry, Lena."

Lena looked over. This was odd, Draco never apologizes.

"For what?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"For not giving you a choice."

"What do you mean?"

His eyes said the unspoken words for him.

Blaise.