Over the last few weeks of summer Johanna and I had fallen into a pretty good routine, she dropped down her hours at the hospital so she could put more attention into the Order of the Phoenix now that the Second war had begun. So usually every morning I'd wake up and feed my owl, who was sitting on my bed at home when I arrived along with a note from Daphne stating I had no excuse not to write. Then I'd have breakfast with Joanna and Severus, who seemed to be there more often than not, and I'd take the afternoon to do some summer work or write back Daphne and then we'd have dinner at Grimmauld place.

I was almost enough to distract me from the fact that not only was my father the Dark Lord and that he was most definitely had a plan for me.

"Have you heard from Harry?" Lupin asked Sirius from his seat beside Tonks at headquarters table.

"Yes, I got an owl today actually," he answered but didn't look up from his plate of roast and vegetables. "Those Muggles treat him horribly,"

Very quickly Severus sat up closer beside me and began rubbing his arm, "Well if you'll excuse me," under the table he squeezed Joanna's hand and made his way towards the door.

It was almost enough.

—

"I don't really think we should have company Addi," Joanna answered me after I asked about having a friend over later that night, "We are coming and going," she had set a charm to have her messenger bag pack itself of essentials for her work day tomorrow.

"What about if I go there?" I questioned, Daphne had been onto me for at least a week that we needed to get together.

"Really I don't know about that either, what did you say her name was again?"

"Luna Lovegood," I lied quickly, I didn't know much about what Joanna actually had information on, but I knew she wouldn't allow me at a Greengrass's house.

"Lovegood, like from the Quibbler?" She turned to look at narrowing her eyes in confusion. "I didn't know you were friends with her,"

"Yes, she's great!" That part wasn't truly a lie, I did consider Luna a friend.

"I'll have to check with her parents I guess," she was just as confused on how to be a parent as I would be, she had woken up one day with a teenager.

"Okay, he's a little strange...but I'll let her know!" She sighed I knew she didn't like to communicate with other adults; she was just about as anti social as Severus was.

"Know what, you have fun!" She smiled relieved that she had dodged the fact that she would have to carry on a conversation with the editor of the Quibbler.

"Are you sure?" I knew she was sure.

—

I had used the floo network to travel to Daphne's the very next day, not having wasted any time for Joanna to investigate my story, luckily she stayed busy enough that she let a thought like double checking my location slip her mind.

"I didn't think that even worked anymore," That was the first thing Daphne said to me as I entered into her marbled floor living area.

"Hello to you too," I smiled we had written everyday but seeing her face and hearing the attitude out loud really changed things.

"I mean really, me explaining to my Mother that you'd come through the floo had almost caused her to clasp her pearls," she snickered

"Oh damn, I forgot my ball gown should I turn back?"

"Probably but I've got more than one," I was relieved to see she was in a simple pair of jean shorts and a Slytherin T-shirt. I didn't want to stand out too bad in what I had packed for the clearly fancy manor.

"How generous of you,"

"So how badly did you miss me?" She laughed but began leading me up the stairs in the hallway.

"Dreadfully," We finally got to the third floor of her home and entered a door that looked like it had been made of polished crystals Daphne's home was nothing but subtle. "You really are slumming it at Hogwarts aren't you?"

Her bedroom was all inky black furniture along with an emerald sofa that had a small table sitting in front of it with a forgotten roll of parchment and quill. She had a four poster bed that looked like it was two sizes larger than a normal one with fuzzy looking black and matching emerald pillows to the rest of the room. Against one of the walls was a large bookshelves that contained more photos than books and a black patterned area rug was tying the whole room together.

The only bit of the room that wasn't designer was a few posters of her favorite bands along one empty wall and a few drawn and painted photos she had clearly charmed to stay up.

"Did you do these?" Various colors and textures were on the page, it clearly was done by hand but a talented hand, they weren't of any particular shape or pattern but they were beautifully done.

"Yes," she looked up at them too.

"I didn't know you painted, they are beautiful Greengrass," I was surprised to see that a blush rose up on her pale cheeks. I continued to circle the room looking at all of the decor and photos, I quickly noticed quite a few of them were her, Zabini and Malfoy over the years and a particularly old one of them as children.

"He says you haven't written him," she was now on the sofa watching me.

"It's only been two weeks I've been busy," I sat down beside her.

"Sure you have," we sat there for a few hours catching up like we hadn't written everyday since we exited the train before there was a knock on the door.

"Misses," a small house elf filled the doorway, "What would misses and her friend like for dinner?"

"Melody, I've told you we'll make it!" She smiled at the elf, "This is my friend Luna," I didn't know what to do but wave to the elf as she bowed down to me. "Mother and Father are out of town Melody, why don't you relax?" I looked over at her like she was crazy, we personally had never had a house-elf but from Hermione's description of them they were treated poorly and abused to the bitter end and Kreacher was nothing story completely.

"I would misses, but Melody has many tasks to finish," she bowed once again and closed the door behind her.

"Oh don't look at me that way, I've tried to set her free a million times," she rolled her eyes, "she won't take the clothes,"

"Luna?" I questioned finally.

"Well I couldn't tell her your real name," and motioned me to follow her out of the bedroom.

Daphne continued to surprise me as she prepared us dinner, I had no clue that she had any domestic bone in her body.

"Should I check you for curses?" I kept an eye on her as she wiped a wand around casting pots and pans to do her bidding.

"What? I enjoy cooking, don't burn me in the square," she shrugged waving the wand again.

"Who's wand?" Daphne's usual wand was sticking out of the back pocket of her shorts.

"It's one of my Father's, he had broken it at work but it's mended enough to cast simple charms," she flipped a chicken breast over on in a pan.

"Doesn't the Ministry bother you about using magic?" The bowl in front of me began mixing itself forming mashed potatoes.

"It's not about the wizard it's the wand they watch,"

"What?" I questioned still paying attention to my surroundings as a pitcher came over pouring two glasses of water.

"The wand is what is watched not the wizard! As long as the wand belongs to someone over 17 it doesn't matter who uses it, love a loophole," she didn't stop the meal as she spoke.

I didn't know why, but I knew that information would come in handy one day.

"I appreciate the food Greengrass, but how much are you planning on us eating?" So far she had the potatoes, a bowl of vegetables, a loaf of bread along with the chicken on the stove and a cake baking in the oven.

Before she could answer the question the door at the back of the kitchen opened and we were quickly joined by Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy who were both holding their brooms in their hand.

"How many times have I told you," she scolded them, "Leave those outside," neither of them listened to her and rested their brooms against the back wall near the door.

I hated to admit it but Malfoy had grown over the past two weeks even if it didn't seem possible, his arms looked more toned and he had grown at least 3 inches now he was easily reaching 6'3, he had let the top of his hair grow out but had kept the sides shortly buzzed to his head.

"Parker!" Both guys greeted me at the same time, Malfoy was in his usual black top and jeans and Blaise was in the similar only a hunter green t-shirt.

"Hey!" I had to pull myself away from rechecking out Malfoy as Zabini zipped behind Daphne wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You didn't write," Draco accused as he sat down at the island beside me.

"I've been busy," I lied.

Honestly I had too much free time on my hands, so much so that I had analyzed every line of the prophecy, I had looked at it every which way and only came up with one thing. I would apparently love Draco and I would kill Harry.

If the prophecy was to be believed that's why Tom kept me alive, I knew in my gut that was the reason, the purpose he didn't kill me as I stood before him at the Ministry!

Especially after I had learned that Tom had been defeated by love; it wasn't blood that kept me alive, it was power. If he couldn't kill Potter he believed I could.

"Busy with what?" He didn't want to let it die.

"Life Malfoy, it's summer,"

"That's why you had to lie about where you were going to your keeper," he smirked, Daphne had a big ass mouth. I would of shot her a death glare but she was currently in the gravitational pull of Zabini.

"Come on leave her be Malfoy we came here to eat not argue," Zabini hadn't missed a word and I wondered how much of the prophecy he had heard or if it was information that Malfoy was keeping to himself.

"Good, because dinner is served," she flipped the wand one more time and all of the food began setting itself on serving plates.

We talked about our summer while we ate, or the parts we could tell, especially with Daphne around.

"How's your Mother?" Daphne finally asked about the elephant in the room. Before we had left Hogwarts for the summer Lucius Malfoy had been dragged off to Azkaban and part of me was to blame for that!

"She's doing fine," it was a short answer that usually didn't accompany Draco Malfoy.

"My Mother said she's invited her around for tea a few times," Daphne continued and he didn't have an answer for her.

"Fine then, Addison," she turned her attention at me this time, "When are you going to tell me your father is Lord Voldemort?" My jaw dropped at this.

"Um..." I began knowing I looked dumbfounded. "I..."

"I've known for a while," she ate some of the bread off my plate like usual, "I just got sick of you waiting to admit it,"

"How much do you know?" Zabini's asked just as confused, the last I had heard to his knowledge she had no idea about the shit that went on around her.

"My father is a Death Eater, you didn't think I'd hear the talking about the daughter of the Dark Lord and her escape in the Ministry of Magic?"

"Your Father is also an Unspeakable," Draco reminded her, "You'd think he'd have a little bit of secrecy,"

"He does, when it comes to work," she shrugged and continued eating.

"I should of told you," I knew my heart was racing in my chest as I apologized to her. The thought of losing a connection to her instantly made me more nervous than facing any kind of dark witch or wizard had.

"I was mad at first, but I don't know if I would of told you either," She looked over at me finally. "That's a lot for anyone to take in,"

"You know you can't tell your parents she was here!" Draco ordered.

"I know Draco, I'm not brain dead, notice she's here when no one else is,"

"That's why you called me Luna," I put the pieces together. " I said I was staying at Luna's" and both of us let out a chuckle for using the same excuse.

"Well I couldn't very well say this is Addison Riddle could I?" Her eyes rolled like it was the most obvious thing.

I couldn't believe she had said that out loud, I had never thought of how I would tell Daphne, but I had never planned on doing it! She was too good of a friend to allow her to think less of me by my heritage.

"It's just Parker,"

"So all three of us know," Zabini couldn't quite wrap his head around Daphne and what she knew! Part of the reason I believed he woke up in the morning was to keep Daphne out of the shadows and attention of Voldemort.

"All three of us know," she agreed. "No more secrets," little did she know she had just touched the tip of the ice burg on the secret front.

—

"Let's go get dessert," Daphne mentioned after we had cleaned up dinner all of us were stuffed to the brim on food and I was currently siting on the sofa in her room barely able to breathe from food.

"You can't be serious," Blaise accused her.

"I'm so serious!" She stood up heading towards her closet, returning with two black jackets and threw one at me. "Besides, Addi used the floo system to get over here!" She was still somehow amazed by this. "We can just floo to Diagon Alley!"

"It's not safe!" Blaise continued.

"I mean dairy isn't safe but it's delicious," I had already put the coat she had offered on, knowing once she made up her mind there was no changing it.

"People are disappearing," he argued again.

"Okay, well there are three of us!" She now had slipped the coat on and shoved her Father's used wand into the pocket. "You coming or what?"

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she muttered as we flooed into the Leaky Caldron.

"Yeah," I agreed. It looked like a ghost town, I had overheard at Order meetings that people were starting to avoid being out alone at night but I hadn't believed it until right now! What was usually covered up with bar flies and regulars this time there may have only been 10 people in attendance.

"Scared Parker?" Malfoy came up behind me locking his arm with mine and pulling me towards him.

"Yes so terrified," I rolled my eyes in sarcasm but found I didn't unlock our arms.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe," to my surprise he rolled his eyes back, I would of accuse him of actually thinking he could keep me safe.

"Where is everyone?" I muttered to myself more than him as we went out into the main alley.

"People have stopped coming out after dark,"

"Does he only come out after dark?" I leaned in so he knew exactly what he we were talking about.

"After all he is the Dark Lord," he joked shaking his head at my questions.

It didn't take us very long at all to get to the ice cream shoppe with the lack of people, as the bell above the shoppes door rang the woman behind the counter almost jumped in surprise.

"What are you lot doing out so late?" She questioned clearly she was judging our sense of safety and parental guidance.

Once we paid for our treats we took over a metal lattice table that was out in front of the shoppe. Usually this would be a source of entertainment watching people pass by, now it served as a reminder of a looming war and the fact that somehow everyone had to decide which side they were on.

"Well hell don't all talk at the same time," clearly Daphne wasn't effected like the rest of us. I couldn't help but snort as she made eye contact with Zabini before licking the top of her ice cream cone making sure he saw her every move.

"What would you like to talk about Daphne?" I questioned as Zabini reached out and used his thumb to get some cream off her face.

"Anything but this," she looked around at the shoppes around us that looked like they had been closed down for business, along with wanted posters in the front windows of other shoppes with faces of believed Death Eaters.

Before anyone could come up with a new subject pops were heard in the distance, before we could identify the location of the noise bodies began filling the Alley.

"Shit, shit," I muttered as my eyes met the back of Remus Lupin. Quickly I put the hood on of the jacket Daphne had given me earlier. "Joanna is here," I knew she had to be one of the pops we had heard.

"What do we do?" Daphne clearly felt the same panic I did, neither boy even even reacted. "Get under the table!" She ordered.

Finally we all looked at her like she was crazy, the metal table was clearly see through.

"Bombardo!" Daphne hissed beside us and pointed the wand towards an alley causing an explosion in the stone avoiding all stores.

Before any of us could even register what she's had done she grabbed my hand and we ran off towards the Leaky Cauldron while the Order members ran in the direction of the explosion.

—

"Good thinking back there Greengrass!" I complimented after she flooed into her living room behind me.

"I'm not just a pretty face," she smirked and soon after Malfoy followed by Zabini joined us.

"No more Diagon Alley," Malfoy pointed between the two of us, "Either of you!"

"You're not my parent Malfoy," Daphne scoffed and began back up the stairs towards her room with Zabini on her heels.

"Come with me," Draco almost said it as a question instead of a demand.

"Where?" I stopped following the others.

"Trust me Ace," he grabbed his wand that he had left by the door after being scolded by Daphne earlier.

"I don't have a broom," I looked over at Zabini's but Draco never stopped or reacted just went out the door.

"The three of us grew up here..." he continued out into the large garden behind the manor, "None of our parents let us have much fun, so we had to find little ways to keep ourselves occupied.

"Malfoy.."

"Just get on!" He slid a little further, "Please!" He added.

"Did you just say please?" I scoffed

at the word but it caused me to throw my leg over the broom and wrap my arms around his middle. Soon after we were lifting off the ground and above the garden towards the forest ahead.

"Are you taking me out to the woods to kill me Malfoy?" The cool night air was causing my nose to freeze and without an answer I pushed it against Malfoy's back.

Big mistake, Malfoy's scent quickly burned into my brain, even though he was in a cotton shirt I smelt leather on him, wax from the broom we were sitting on that seemed to be in perfect condition, his shampoo seemed to be some sort of mint and now the forest was added mixing together to be a smell that would only work on Draco Malfoy.

"I don't think killing you would be as easy as you think!" He yelled back so the wind didn't steal his words. I wasn't sure if he meant there would be an internal struggle or if he wasn't powerful enough to kill me. Neither seemed like they would come out of his mouth.

"I'd fight until my last breath," I replied.

Soon enough our feet his the ground and we were standing in a clearing of oak trees.

"When we were little we had Melody and Dobby magically build it," he pointed up at the top of one of the trees where you could barely see the porch of a tree house, "Our parents never let us play as kids, we were taught table manors and chess when all we wanted to do was run and fly on brooms and jump out of trees."

I couldn't help but feel for him, I knew exactly what he meant, my Mother, especially when I was young didn't let us leave the house we stayed locked up with only each other to keep us company. Now I knew why but then all I could think of was how much she held me back and smothered me!

"Can we go up?" I questioned I had never been in a treehouse.

"After you," he led me to a ladder built into the side of a tree. This treehouse was not as I imagined but once I was inside I wasn't surprised why I didn't. It was equipped with nicer couches than we had at Hogwarts, a small library with mostly children's books, small toy brooms were leaning up against one of green wallpapered wall and each window has shutters.

"Ya'll really weren't spoiled were you?" I couldn't imagine two elves magic creating this for their masters children but here I was standing in it.

"We hid here for the majority of our childhood," he sat on the couch and the dust flew up all around him. "Our parents were always busy hosting parties, afternoon teas and meetings," somehow I knew those meetings weren't anything good.

"It's nice," I continued to look around, "We didn't have a lot of tree in Arizona, it was more of a empty lot,"

"So where did kid Addison Parker run off to?" He crossed his legs at the ankles leaning back.

"Um my room," I answered looking out the window to other trees around me, "We didn't leave the house much, especially when I was younger finally once I started school my Mother started working back at the hospital and I would sneak off to friends house during the summers."

"What a rebel," I didn't need to look to know he rolled his eyes.

"Says the kid who ran off to a child's tree house," I finally sat down beside him crossing my legs underneath me.

"I haven't seen her," my neck almost snapped I looked over so fast.

"And him?" He nodded.

"More than I'd like to admit,"

"And your Mother, is she okay?" I had to ask, "Part of this is my fault,"

"She's lonely, but she'll survive, and it's not your fault Ace,"

"Partly," I argued.

"Okay, partly!" He agreed, "But it's the price you pay for this life,"

"This is life?" It was a depressing realization.

"This is it," he nodded in agreement and without thinking I leaned over resting my head on his shoulder.

"You know you could just leave,"

"Is it so hard to believe maybe I don't want out? Power it's..."

"Addicting," I finished for him. I still remembered the feeling in my body when I cursed Bellatrix, the Aunt of the man I now rested my head on, I could still hear his words of encouragement when he saw his follower squirm on the ground.

Quickly I was pulled into Malfoy's lap and out of my mind.

"Power isn't the only addicting thing," he roughly pressed his lips against mine.