In the morning I awoke first. I dressed and left the room without waiting for him to wake up. He looked incredibly peaceful and handsome with the sunlight on his face and I ignored the urge to slap him awake. He'd slept with the moonstone firmly wrapped in his hand all night, somehow never letting go. I'd lost a ton of sleep waiting for the optimal opportunity to steal it back which never came.

Before I even left the room I was slammed with a horrible wave of deep nausea, and had to run out the front door to vomit, barely clearing the porch. I still didn't know where the lavatories were and it was my only option. I retched for minutes before cleaning it up with my wand and groaning in annoyance. A very tiny man with a pointy mustache stopped to ask me if I was alright in a squeaky voice, but all I could do was wave the miniature man away. Perhaps I had food poisoned myself, or it could have been the stress and anxiety of the war peaking. Regardless, my day had not started ideally and I staggered back inside of the building feeling dizzy and confused.

Hermione spotted me before I could do anything. She beckoned me over to a table where people were eating with a look of concern, "Are you alright? It looked as though you were just hurling."

"I was," I dryly replied, taking a seat to pick at unusual toast. Ron was sat beside me devouring sausages in one single bite at an alarming rate. His hand was on Hermione's thigh next to him and I was surprised by the notion that they were somehow together.

"How can you EAT so profanely right now Ronald?" Hermione's eyes followed mine to him where she smacked him on the shoulder with the newspapers in her hands. He simply shrugged dismissively and continued to shovel food as the Weasley twins snickered at the display. She turned back to me, "If Draco would entertain it, we'd like him to help train some of the members in combat. He has the most experience with Death Eaters and he can provide some insight on their fighting styles and strategies."

I was still struggling not to puke a second time and I shook my head, "You can ask 'im yourself." It was entirely possible if I were the one to ask him that the chances of him helping would go down dramatically.

She frowned slightly and her brown eyes drifted over to the green doors leading towards the barracks, "I'm not so sure that he's fond of most of us, he might be more inclined to listen to you."

I raised my eyebrows, "No. 'e is less fond of me, believe me."

Ron laughed, spraying food across the table, "Rubbish. I'd bet he feels right dandy towards you after what we heard last night." I glared at him darkly but my cheeks were beginning to flood with heat. From the sly smiles of the Order members at the round metal table Draco had indeed been too late to silence my moaning.

Hermione watched me tear apart bread with sympathy, "Is he in a bad mood this morning? I've observed him while being held at this facility, and I've found that he tends to be extremely mercurial." When I crudely ignored her she failed to take a hint and pressed on in a rant, "You know, he was surprisingly civil with us. I understand that he saved many people by bringing Order members here at a great risk to his own safety. I have to say, Draco has changed my opinion of him, even though he is still insufferably rude."

I hung my head back and stared down at her with hooded eyes. The conversation was getting on my nerves. I felt ill and testy, and the last thing that I wanted to talk about early in the morning was Draco. She was also blatantly unaware of the clusters of skeletons under the Malfoy manor which I was sure would also play a role in changing her opinion of him.

Thankfully I was saved from replying in a manner that was bound to be snarky when the green doors to the barracks slammed open, banging against the walls with two parallel metallic smacks. He floated into the room brazenly wearing all black Death Eater robes and several people scowled. He predictably attempted to avoid the table where he noticed us sitting but Hermione was proving to be an absolute force all on her own, "Draco, might we have a word with you?"

He paused and closed his eyes, slowly opening them to sneer sideways at the girl. Everyone stopped eating as he approached with a menacing presence, "Alright Granger, I'll entertain one word then. Think you can compact your rant down into one word?" He surprised me by putting his hand on the top of my chair and leaning there possessively as if nothing were wrong between us.

I turned and looked up at him and he popped his eyebrows down at me. Hermione sighed with a flat expression, "Very witty. We wanted to ask you to help combatively train some of the Order members today. We could use your experience and advice."

He trailed his incredible silvery eyes on the ceiling panels as though something were terribly interesting there. The way he was acting reminded me of Lucius, "Speaking of wits - perhaps you've just lost yours altogether by assuming that my time can be demanded. I have tasks to perform today. If I am absent, you can guarantee we will have a problem."

Hermione swallowed and looked in my direction, pleading me to help. Draco's lip curled in amusement, "Don't look at her, she can't help you. She's been living as a housewife for months and her only powers are to light everything on fire. I suppose she could work with Finnigan considering that's his singular ability." I frowned at the insulting words.

Seamus pointed his fork at Draco, "Yer a real git Malfoy. Better watch your back, walkin' round 'ere talkin' like that."

"Are you going to the castle?" Hermione asked with pain in her eyes. "Can you check on Harry?"

Draco's smiled faded, "I suppose I could. But I won't be back until late in the day, there is an event planned for tonight. I may not be in the type of state to entertain your little army, if I even come back. I'll have to significantly wipe my memories in order to protect this charade." I pressed my lips into a thin line, dreading the thought of having to sleep next to a highly obliviated version of him.

"When are you going? Do you have any time at all beforehand?" Hermione begged. Her brown eyes were big as she looked up at him hopefully. I was surprised by the way that they spoke almost casually to each other, and suddenly curious as to how much they had talked while she was being kept there.

There was no time for him to even answer. In that second I felt a horrific stinging on my left arm and pulled my sleeve up to see that the dark mark had risen to the surface of my skin, shimmering and animated. A strong lure to go to Hogwarts tugged at my heart. I looked up at Draco with my mouth open and he raised his eyebrows, "You too?"

I nodded and he grabbed my arm roughly to drag me out of the chair. My head spun with lingering nausea, "Then get up. There's no time to explain." He dragged me across the room and disapparated both of us before I even had a moment to protest.

We reappeared at the castle in a long, arched brick walkway spanning the side of the central courtyard. He had brazenly disapparated us in one jump and it had been painful and dizzying. I lost control of my stomach once again, retching onto the ancient brick pavers. "What is wrong with you?" Draco seethed under his breath. He pulled me hard by my hand, just barely letting me finish and gasp for air.

"I don' know, I woke up sick," I whispered as he directed me towards the courtyard where I could see through the pointed openings in the walkway structure that Death Eaters were building a massive stake. Pieces of wooden planks and bolts were being magically lifted through the air and constructed carefully. The stake towered almost three stories in a show of impressive engineering. It was incredibly ominous and unnecessarily high. If we failed, one would be able to see Harry burning for miles and miles around.

Draco paused only momentarily before we reached the entrance to the courtyard, "Get it together. The dark lord has requested you personally. It was only supposed to be Lucius and myself this morning." I straightened my spine and ripped my hand out of his and he didn't object. I watched as he lifted his wand to his temple, his cyan eyes burning into mine, "I don't have time to store particular parts of my memories from yesterday, so you'll just have to remind me about Denmark. Can I trust you?"

I baulked, "Yes, of course. But do you really 'ave to do dat? Should not I be obliviated?" The thought of having my mind invaded by the dark lord was terrifying. I wouldn't stand a chance - everything would be lost.

He looked nervous and worried but he shook his head, "I doubt it. He trusts you for bringing Potter. He hasn't trusted me in a long time, ever since I tried to escape with you after our wedding." I watched with a blank face as he whispered obliviate and then he was standing before me blinking.

I frowned back at him. He scanned around himself and I nearly laughed just because of how absurd it was, "What do you remember, Draco?"

He shot me a disgusted and angry face, "We were fighting in the lobby. You sacrificed Potter." I silently watched, wheezing partially from hurling only moments earlier, as the gears turned in his mind and he took in his surroundings, "Why did I just obliviate myself?"

"I'll tell you later, come on. We've been summoned," I urged him, now worried that we were going to get into trouble for waiting any longer.

His hand clamped down on his left arm and he closed his eyes in confirmation. He shocked me by not arguing about what he thought I had done to Harry, thankfully taking the situation very seriously as he turned and spun for the castle entrance. We walked briskly through the courtyard, nodding to Death Eaters as we went.

He beelined straight for the great hall and I followed at his side. He wasn't even trying to hide his appalled glimpses at me. He had just lost the entire night and in his mind he would still be registering the changes to my physical appearance and the fact that I was now a Death Eater.

At the entrance to the great hall two guards opened the double doors with dull expressions. Inside, Voldemort perched once more on the throne of squirming black snakes. His eyes glowed a horrific red like two sniper lasers were directed at his skull, watching us approach together. I channeled the darkness in my poisoned magic once more, hoping that it wouldn't have additional negative and permanent side effects. Evil started throbbing in my veins again and I felt my eyes dropping several shades blacker.

We stopped in front of him mere meters away and both of our eyes shot down respectfully out of instinct. Lucius stood to the side of the dark lord doing the exact same thing. Voldemort's mouth opened into a wide, abominable smile showing off razer sharp teeth with fresh blood smeared on the pearly incisors. It looked for all the world as though he had just captured fresh prey and ripped it to shreds. Beside him a metal chalice sat, likely filled with that very blood.

He raised both arms painstakingly slowly, and his voice came out breathy and strained, "Ahhh, my two favorite lovebirdssss." Draco resentfully lifted his eyes, looking deadpan and forced. We both gravely nodded.

Voldemort stood rapidly then, and Lucius reactively jumped back. His face was grey and the unusual markings of a five o'clock shadow had begun to creep across his jaw. He was evidently breaking down from stress and abuse, and it was showing through the way that he had let slip his typically impeccable personal hygiene and in his general nervous disposition.

A long, white hand tipped with black pointy nails slithered towards Draco, twisting in a threatening manner, "Come, Draco. Let me seeeeeee." It suddenly occurred to me that the dark lord had more than likely seen Draco's memories of our intimate moments together, and the thought was both disturbing and humiliating. Draco obediently inched forward, and once he was in proximity of the dark lord the dangerously sharp claws tangled in his dress shirt and tugged him clean off of his feet. His head hung back as the dark lord's neck cracked and bent his hideously deformed face flat into Draco's at an angle I wouldn't dare describe.

Lucius and I shot glimpses at one another throughout the alarming situation. From where I was standing to the side I could see that Draco's eyes had clouded, as though he suddenly was blinded by cataracts hanging limply and helplessly in the clutch of Voldemort.

Several agonizing minutes passed as the dark lord bore his bloody eyes into Draco's icy blue ones, and I distinctly noticed that a sinister stench of death and decay was prevalent in the room. I cautiously looked around for the source of the corpse with no luck at locating it.

Finally the dark lord dropped Draco like a baby discarding an unwanted toy, and he fell onto his hands and knees, wiping away natural tears that had formed in his eyes from not blinking for so long. He suddenly looked very small and helpless in comparison to the ridiculous height of the dark lord as he scrambled back onto his feet and stood beside me, shaking violently and rubbing at his face. The experience must have been traumatizing, and I wondered how many times and how often this had been occurring. I had only been a Death Eater for less than a day, and already I felt like I knew more about Draco's life than when I knew him for months at the manor.

"Curioussssss," Voldemort hissed, his eyes flaring between us.

All three of us panted nervously in the stone dining hall as the dark lord let his long and forked tongue escape the confines of his teeth, searching the air before him like a massive lizard. I was sure that he was going to come for me next from the way that he was eyeing me.

"Tell me, Draco, do you normally hide memories of your evenings? Perhaps, intimaciesssss? You are aware that we require you to bare a child," he asked questions like he was an employee at a coffee shop offering cream or sugar. I realized that the missing portion of memories from the evening before was likely being attributed to us having sex and Draco "erasing it" out of embarrassment.

I noticed then that Lucius was now narrowing his gaze at Draco with fervent suspicion.

Draco swallowed, his eyes were reddened and his voice wobbly. He flitted his attention towards me for me a second, "Only sometimes, my lord. When it is...severely indecent. We do in fact intend to bare a child, by whatever means necessary." He was insinuating that he had raped me. The dark lord seemingly found this highly entertaining, as he belted out a loud and obnoxious laugh, his eyes landing on me like I was a pathetic chihuahua. I would've been angry at Draco for insulting me so obscenely if it wasn't brutally necessary and a wise excuse. I inhaled sharply and maintained my posture as though it had not made a difference what supposedly had happened the night before.

The dark lord sat once again on the cyclic snakes, clasping his hands together, "Madeleineeeee, how much more entertaining it will beeee then, to have you dance for ussss this evening." He tilted his head forward at me, his smile widening sickeningly to the point where he looked as far from human as possible. I glanced at Draco who appeared equally confused.

It was quiet for far too long before I realized that I was required to speak, "My lord, dance?" I asked it in a surprisingly calm tone.

He sipped from the chalice next to him, and his teeth appeared awash with blood once again, "Yesssss, I see from Draco's memoriessss that you are quite the ballet dancer. You will dance for usssss as a celebratory evening is necessary." There was no question in the air, only a command.

I allowed my head to move up and down appropriately, and words escaped my mouth without regard, "Yes, my lord."

He waved a long hand then, the bones in it were unrealistically spindly and bizarre, appearing weirdly skeletal, "Leave us, Madeleine, thank you for your continuoussss devotion." I didn't look into his scary stare, just simply spun on the spot and hastily sped out of the area. On my way out the door I caught a thin slice of their conversation, "About this boy who has been sssscouting around the perimeter - Draco, you will eliminate him promptly. Today."

Out in the hall I continued to drift with confidence as though I knew where I was going and I had a reason to be moving farther into the castle. Once I was out of sight of the guards standing at the great hall I had to stop and reassess. I had no idea where I was going, given that the layout of the castle was a massive mystery to me. I decided that I would move swiftly and with force as I tried to find where Harry was being held. If anyone started trouble with me then I would act pompous and entitled to be there.

I wandered for a good time, possibly hours in the cavernous and abandoned building, trying hundreds of locked doors. As I moved higher I nearly fell from a stone staircase that started moving before I was even fully onto it, before I realized that all of them were grinding back and forth haphazardly. After being chased by a poltergeist and having to fight off a herd of gnomes in a greenhouse, I was left agitated and astounded by the pathetic safety standards at Hogwarts.

I eventually found steps that led downwards and my hope increased. I now had a strong feeling that they would be keeping Harry in the lower areas of the castle. The temperature dropped and the environment grew increasingly damp and foul. Voices rung up the winding brick staircase that I was on.

"Well you know she's going to be putting on a show for the men tonight. Sure young Malfoy won't be too pleased about that." It was the gravelly tone of Yaxley, and they were talking about me without a doubt. If the yellow-haired man was there guarding anything, it would be Harry Potter. "Then again, he does have the pleasure of claiming her every night."

Another man chuckled, "I get the distinct feeling it's her having her way with him. Took her mere hours to collect Potter when Malfoy's been at it for over a year. I reckon the dark lord won't let the boy live in the end. Lucius isn't as secure as he thinks he is just because of the girl."

Yaxley laughed darkly, "For the time being he's a good bloodhound. Spends his days running around the perimeter in circles. Did you hear there was a new boy spotted at the edges of the grounds? No one recognizes him. Dressed like a bloody socialite."

I closed my eyes, building up my anger and directing it dangerously around my system. When I felt good and powerful I rounded the corner with a tall spine. My hair and clothing floated eerily off of my figure.

The two men were stood before a wooden door in the darkness of a singular torch that was burning above it. They stopped abruptly to leer down at me. "Well well, come to take a prod at the caged animal have we?" Yaxley asked hoarsely.

I raised my chin at him. "I 'ave come to interrogate 'im," I lit my hand with black flames, my voice dripping with cruelty, "Wit' force." Both of their eyes shot to the menacing fire. If I wanted to, I could likely beat them both to a reaction time and wandlessly burn them to death.

"Can't let you, strict orders," Yaxley sternly replied. His aged face was blank as a fresh piece of parchment in the glares of the torch and my hand. He was indeed testing me with absolutely incredible resolve.

I smirked wickedly between them, "I captured 'im, something none of you could do for years. I will see 'im whenever I want to. I'll make sure e's still breathing afterwards."

Yaxley raised an eyebrow and they both laughed, "Little vixen we have on our hands don't we? I suppose you've earned the right, but the door will stay open and we'll be watching." Their eyes trailed after me suspiciously as I walked past them through the groaning wooden door. It led down a long and apocalyptic tunnel, lined with rusted cells.

I could hardly see and had to brighten the tip of my wand as I searched back and forth between the enclosures. Rats were skittering around with little squeaks of outrage at the new light in their faces. Finally at the very back cell on the left hand side I found him huddled in the corner, his round spectacles glinted in the brightness of my wand.

We were deep in the tunnel, and although the two guards would be able to see my outline in the darkness we were at least out of ear shot. They were chatting away while leaning in the door frame watching me kneel down.

"Potter," I whispered to catch his attention. His eyes flew open just a slit behind his spectacles and it was apparent that he was weak and famished. His face was covered in bruises and dried blood.

"Madeleine?" He whispered back in disbelief. He didn't move, and I couldn't tell if he was simply too badly injured to even try it.

I pressed my forehead against the bars, whispering harshly under my breath, "Talk to me." I wrapped my hands around the metal poles, letting my wand go out on the floor for an added measure of privacy.

He just stared at me for a moment. My eyes wandered to where it looked like his arms were tied behind his back. "Not much to tell, you would know more than me," he finally croaked out.

I glanced back over at the two guards who were hardly paying attention, and spoke in a hushed tone. The bars were cold against my temples, "We took Hesselø. Listen, Draco is going to 'elp. 'e may try to free you. You need to trust 'im."

Harry laughed in a gargled tone, "Does Hermione trust him?"

I nodded, "Yes."

He swallowed and looked up at the dripping ceiling in contemplation. "Right. Before we kill Voldemort there's two-" he had to pause to cough roughly, "There's two other things we need to eliminate." He shifted uncomfortably and I saw him wince deeply, "Since you're free in the castle, I need you to search for Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. Then there's the snake..."

A loud bang erupted from the entry where Yaxley had slammed the door completely on it's hinges, "Time's up you little heathen. Potter isn't going to talk, we've already tried."

"Okay," I whispered to Harry and stood, leaving him behind to freeze and starve in that cell with no idea what a diadem was nor who Rowena Ravenclaw might be.