She was sitting in a quiet corner in the library, secluded, trying to remember the discoveries of all 59 major Ancient Runes sites in South America when Draco skidded into sight.

"Draco?" She asked, confused. His eyes were bright, face flushed, hair messy. He grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the window seat. "What's going on?" She demanded.

"Come with me." He insisted.

"Where are we going?" She questioned, trying to slow him down.

"Common room." He said and she yanked him to a stop. He turned, exasperated. "Come on!"

"Why are you taking me to your common room?" She insisted and he grabbed her face, now looking scared.

"Please, just let me protect you." He begged quietly.

"From what?" She wondered and he sighed, his head drooping.

"Please, for once in your life, don't ask questions and just go." He begged, trying to pull her towards the dungeons.

"No." She said flatly. "I've got people I need to protect too Draco. What am I protecting them from?"

"Me!" He cried, still holding onto her limp hand. "I'm sorry Audrina, he was going to kill me, my mother, you…" A sudden shock ran through her body as she realized that this is it. For what he is. Something terrible was about to happen, caused by him, and if he was trying to get her to safety, that meant everyone was in grave danger.

"Harry was right." She said quietly and he stared blankly at her. "That you were up to something."

"Let me protect you." He repeated and she stood very, very still, mind whirling at top speed.

"No." She said quietly. "My turn." She looked up at his pale face and realized that she was making her choice right now. "Wait for me at the Room of Requirement." She ordered and he opened his mouth. "Do it Draco." She said coldly and he turned, hurrying off.

"Ginny." She said, touching her shoulder. She looked up from her Care of Magical Creatures tiredly.

"Rin, I don't know the answers to McGonagall's-"

"Ginny." She interrupted and her tone caught her attention. She straightened up. "No matter what happens tonight, no matter what goes on, remember what I said to you and Hermione. I'll never betray you. I'm going to be with Malfoy. I'll try to stop it at the source." She informed her and she looked confused, glancing around to see if Draco was with her.

"What source? Wait. You… Called him Malfoy." She said slowly and Audrina bit her lip, trying not to cry. She nodded.

"Get Millie in her room. Tell her she is not to come out, not ever, not for anything. Tell her to stay there, no matter what. Fallon and Adam and Jace too. I'd tell you but…" She closed her eyes to stop the tears. Ginny would never listen to that, not if Audrina or Ron or Harry or Hermione was in danger.

"What's going on?" She asked and then jumped, reaching into one of her pockets and pulling out her DA coin. "Something's up, I think Harry needs us." She told her, looking up.

"I know." She said quietly.

"You're not coming." She stated in disbelief and confusion and Audrina took a deep, shaky breath.

"I'll already be there. I'm going to stop this, Ginny. You just stay safe. You're… You're the only one I have." With that, she sprinted away from her, knowing that if she looked back she would stay by her side the entire night.

She arrived at the seventh floor in record time, where Draco was waiting, pale in the face.

"What was that about?" He demanded and she shook her head.

"I'm on your side now." She said hollowly. He nodded and led her into the room, overflowing with junk. He guided her to the back where a large cupboard sat. She noticed the area around it was clear, like someone had spent a lot of time here. She looked at him.

"Stay quiet. I'll protect you." He muttered and pulled the door open. People streamed through the door and she shrunk back, recognizing almost all of them. The Carrows, Yaxley, Gibbon, Rowle, and Greyback.

"Well, what's this?" A familiar voice asked from behind her and she spun around, trying very hard not to start visibly shaking. "Does wittle Draco have a wittle girlfriend?"

"Aunt Bella." Audrina said calmly and she cackled. Draco's hand fastened around her wrist.

"She's on our side now." He stated.

"How do we know for sure?" Greyback growled, barring his teeth at her. She remained where she was.

"Ask my mother, she came back to meet her brother. I've been in love with her all year." He informed them and she wondered if she hadn't been planning on betraying him if that declaration would've made her smile. She felt like she had been plunged into a nightmare. She remembered Blaise's words and let that persona wrap around her. An ice queen she would be.

"Another Black back in the fold." Bellatrix said, eyeing her as though she still didn't trust her. She struggled not to shiver. "How will the Dark Lord feel about your girlfriend?"

"I'm as pure-blooded as you, remember that." She said haughtily. "The Dark Lord can't deny my bloodlines."

"A pure-blood in Gryffindor." Gibbon sneered and she rounded on him, giving him a deathly furious look.

"Who else is going to know how they work? I guarantee they're watching this room, Potter's been onto Draco all year." She said and they all looked to Draco, who uncomfortably checked the door.

"She's right." He admitted and Rowle drew his wand as they neared the exit. Her heart leapt into her throat as she recognized Ginny's flaming hair patrolling in front of the room.

"Do you want the entire school to know you're here?" She demanded, smacking it aside and drawing a small pouch from her pocket. "Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. We can use Draco's Hand of Glory and sneak by them. That way they don't know how many of us there are." She pointed out, noticing the disgusting hand that Draco had left propped by the door.

"She really is on our side." Yaxley commented lazily and she refused to look his way or at Bellatrix.

"Let's go." Draco said nervously. They all huddled around him and the second the door opened he emptied her pouch, casting darkness all around them. She heard Ginny and Neville's confused shouts but plunged on with Draco, until they were a safe ways away.

She was just steadying her racing heart when she heard shouts and saw a wave of people racing down the hall, lead by Tonks and Shacklebolt. Bellatrix screeched with delight at the sight of them and raced to meet them, her wand already glowing green.

"NO!" Audrina screamed but Draco had grabbed her hand and was pulling her away, leaping over someone lying on the ground, motionless, and she ran with him despite every instinct shrieking at her to go back.

"Now what?" She asked, as they slowed to catch their breath. She refused to think about Tonks and Lupin and everyone else in the Order going into battle- she stared straight ahead and kept playing her role.

"Go to my common room. Stay safe." He said and she wrapped her arm tightly around his.

"Not a chance." She said and he opened his mouth to argue then shut it and shook his head.

"If you're really on my side you'd go hide." He hissed, striding down the corridor hurriedly.

"And if you really knew me at all you'd know the last thing I'm going to do is leave you here by yourself." She hissed back.

"Why are you so stubborn?" He demanded angrily.

"I'm a Black!" She reminded him and he stopped short, grabbing her face and forcing her to look up at him.

"I am sorry for what I'm about to do. But know that I am only doing it to protect you." He said, then took the stairs to the Astronomy Tower three at a time. She followed suit.

He pushed the door open and barreled through it, shouting, 'Expelliarmus!' She skidded in behind him, freezing at the sight of Dumbledore standing alone, very wandless.

AN: Happy Friday cliffhanger! Now we're getting to the most important part of the story and my favorite... Let me know what you think!