"Harry, where are we going?" asked Ron. Harry stopped suddenly and looked at the map. His eyes darted from one side of the map to the other.
"Harry?" said Hermione, looking over Harry's shoulder. "What is it?"
"It's Alli and Malfoy," said Harry. "They've disappeared."
Hermione grabbed the map out of Harry's hands and looked at it closely. Her eyebrows narrowed.
"Where were they before they disappeared?" asked Hermione, looking up at Harry. Harry pointed to a spot near the bottom of the map.
"Just there."
"They've gone into the Room of Requirement," said Hermione. "It doesn't show up on the map."
"But, why would they go into the Room of Requirement?" Ron wondered. Hermione shrugged.
"I have a hunch," said Harry. "But, it isn't good."
"This is what you wanted to show me?" Alli sneered, looking up at the Vanishing Cabinet. "You drag me all through this dusty, dirty room to show me a fucking cabinet." Draco let out a sigh of frustration. Alli crossed her arms and smirked. "Fine," she said. "Why are you showing me this most appreciative object?" Alli joked. Draco stifled a small laugh.
"I've been mending it," Draco told her. "There's two of them. It was broken at first, but I've finally fixed them and now I can show you."
"Where is the other one then?" asked Alli, curiously.
"It was in Borgin and Burke's but now it's..." Draco trailed off. He swallowed nervously. "If I asked you to get inside with me, would you?" Alli looked at him curiously but stayed silent. "It's okay," Draco assured her. Alli crossed her arms. "I promise."
Alli bit her lip and then nodded. She took Draco's hand as he pointed his wand at the cabinet.
"Alohomora." The door, as tall as the cabinet, creaked on its hinges as it opened revealing a dark interior. Alli peered into the dark space which was barely big enough for two but seemed like a vast, mysterious, and forbidden place in which Alli was forced to enter into unwillingly. She stepped in after Draco. He closed the door and Alli heard the lock click Draco placed his hands on her shoulders and moved them down her arms.
"What now?" asked Alli, just louder than a whisper.
"Close your eyes."
Alli did and for a second she was hoping Draco would kiss her. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and held her head against his chest. Alli felt a strange sensation, a pressure, shoot up her body. It moved from her feet to her thighs, to her hips, to her torso, and to her shoulders. IT was as if she was being lifted from the ground, but her feet were still touching the floor of the cabinet. Alli gathered the fabric of Draco's shirt in her hands nervously, still keeping her eyes closed. Then, the strange sensation stopped. The pressure shot back down to her feet leaving her feeling heavy like Earth's gravity had intensified. Alli opened her eyes.
"Did you feel that?" asked Alli, her voice full of worry.
"Feel what?" Draco asked.
"That weird feeling," said Alli. Draco stared at her. "You know," Alli continued, " it was like, I don't know, a pressure holding you down like-" Alli paused. "Like we were flying," she finished quietly. Draco opened his mouth to speak but then closed it. "I know you felt it," Alli stated. "Don't lie to me."
"I felt it, too," Draco said stiffly as if he had wanted to tell her otherwise but decided against it at the last second.
"See, telling the truth isn't hard," Alli smiled at him, lightly. Draco returned it with a small smile of his own, but his eyes were sad. Alli searched his eyes for some feeling. She didn't know what she wanted to find in his empty gray eyes. Maybe it was an answer to his mysterious behavior. Maybe it was frightened apprehension. Or maybe she was hoping to find love. But as much as Alli wished for him to let her understand, his eyes only returned that same emptiness she felt in her heart. Alli sighed.
"It's time to get out now," Draco told her. His voice was stern. Alli nodded and felt her tears coming on again. She looked down, sniffed, and took a deep breath. "Alli?" Draco said. "Are you crying?" Alli cleared her throat.
"I'm fine," she replied.
"You're not," Draco told her. "I know you. Don't tell me you're fine."
"Why shouldn't I? You don't seem to have trouble lying to me," Alli snapped. Draco looked away. Then, he pressed his lips against hers. Alli was taken off-guard but she let him kiss her, anyway. His fingers brushed through her tangled dark brown hair. Draco wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her harder. Alli touched his chest with her fingertips. She let Draco push her against the wall of the cabinet. She could feel his heart beating fast. Alli never wanted it to end. But, it had to. Draco pulled away from her gently. They both let out a huge sigh.
"I love you," Draco whispered. "I'm sorry I lied to you." Alli nodded. As Alli looked into Draco's eyes, everything she felt towards him the day before, the anger and the sadness, faded away.
"I love you," Alli whispered back.
"It's time to get out now," said Draco. Alli nodded and turned towards the door. "Wait," said Draco. He wrapped his arms around her tightly once more. He shut his eyes and kissed Alli's forehead. Then, let her go and opened the door. Alli stepped out with Draco close behind her. Then, she stopped. She looked around the familiar darkness.
"Hold on," said Alli. "I've been here before. I've been here in my dream..."
Alli took a nervous step forward towards the clearing in the dark forest. An ominous moon illuminated the ground and the foreboding trees around it.
"Draco," Alli whispered. She turned around, but Draco had walked away from her towards the edge of the clearing. Alli jogged over to him and touched his shoulder. When he looked back at her, the look Alli saw on his face earlier had disappeared. It was replaced with a cold stare. His face was empty of any sort of feeling. Alli grabbed his arm and noticed that his sleeve was pulled up and underneath her fingers was a black marking, a tattoo. Alli opened her hand and jumped back. On Draco's arm was the mark of a dark snake wrapped around a skull - the symbol of a Death Eater. Alli shook her head and took two steps backward, away from him.
"No," said Alli, her voice trembling. "You can't be... you said..." Draco turned his eyes towards the black sky. There were no stars this time and the moon was barely visible through the fog. The clouds started moving, shaping, forming into a smoky skull and from the mouth appeared the head of a snake, twisting out of the mouth in a spiral. "Draco, that's the Dark Mark..."
Suddenly, Alli felt the lightning bolt-shaped scar on the side of her forehad explode with burning pain. She cried out and pressed her hand to her scar. Draco looked at Alli. His eyes were dark, but held a hint of passion from the moment he had shared with Alli a moment ago. But, that passion flickered away at the snap of a twig sounding from the edge of a clearing. Alli breathed in deeply and drew her hand away from her scar. It tingled with pricks of searing pain, but she ignored it. The figure of a woman dressed in black appeared from the shadows of the trees.
"Well done, Draco," the woman said in a drawling voice. Alli backed up closer to Draco and found his arm. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist, gripping him tight. She felt as if she were a shy child hiding from an interested stranger.
"Who's that?" Alli whispered softly to Draco. She knew she sounded scared. Scared was a feeling Alli hated to show someone. Fear and vulnerability. Alli was not made of either and she wanted so badly to push those emotions away. Draco took a step towards the woman forcing Alli to let go of his arm. Alli heard more snapping of twigs. Her eyes darted around the forest, focusing on the trees beyond the clearing. Several Death Eaters appeared, all wearing black cloaks with pointed hoods and skull masks to hide their faces.
"Draco," said Alli, nervously. She grabbed his arm once again and instinctively reached into the pocket of her sweatpants for her wand and pulled it out as inconspicuously as she could. The Death Eaters formed a circle around her and Draco.
"Well, well, well," said one of the Death Eaters as he stepped into the clearing. He slowly removed his skull mask. His blue-gray eyes were bright against his pale skin and long blond hair. Alli had seen this man before. She saw him in her dreams, she met him in Diagon Alley, and she gripped his son's arm in her hands.
"Mr. Malfoy?" said Alli.
"Allison Potter," Lucius Malfoy said in a chilling, calm voice. "Beautiful, witty, ambitious," he chuckled softly. "It's a shame we have to kill you off."
"You knew," said Alli. Her hands curled into fists as she took an angry step towards him. "You knew it was me. You knew when we met in Diagon Alley, didn't you!" Alli growled. Lucius glided over to Alli until he stood barely two feet away from her.
"Of course I knew," said Lucius. His voice was harsh and cold. He placed his hand on Alli's cheek and softly rubbed his thumb over her cheekbone. Alli tried to move away but Lucius placed his other hand on the back of her neck and forced her to stay. Alli glanced over at Draco. He caught her eye, softening his hard stare, but he didn't move. Alli looked back at Draco's father. Lucius opened her mouth to speak again, but Alli daringly slapped his hand away from her cheek. She struggled out of his grasp and pointed her wand at his chest. The Death Eaters let out simultaneous laughter.
"Get away from me," said Alli, furiously.
"So, that's how you want to play?' said Lucius lightly. He pulled his wand out of his cloak. "Fine." He pointed his wand at Alli. "Crucio!"
Alli attempted to block the spell but spoke too late. Alli felt her body explode with pain. She crumpled to the dirt floor of the forest. She twisted and writhed against the spell. Alli's limbs felt as if they were being torn away from her body. She jolted and let out a scream that made chill bumps form on Draco's arms. Draco tried to look away but it was too much.
"Stop!" Draco yelled. He ran and stepped in front of Alli, pointing his wand at his father. The pain in Alli's body ceased as Lucius lowered his wand. Alli buried her head in her arms and tried to get her breathing under control.
"Step aside, Draco," Lucius ordered. Draco didn't move. Lucius raised his wand once more, pointing it, not at Alli, but as his son. Fear crept onto Draco's face. Tiny droplets of sweat formed on his hairline darkening his white-blond hair. "Step aside," Lucius repeated. Draco looked down and moved away from Alli.
"Allison Potter."
Alli's scar sent a blast of pain throughout the side of her head. Alli screamed and pressed her fingers to her scar, feeling hot blood trickling down from the edge of the lightning bolt. Voldemort's cloak blew behind him in the breeze as he emerged from the darkness.
"V-Voldemort?" Alli whispered. Her dark brown eyes widened revealing the blantant terror she felt inside onto her face. She wanted to hide it; show she wasn't afraid. Alli wanted to stand up and face this reality. The reality that it wasn't a nightmare, but that Draco had taken her to the very place she hoped he wouldn't. Her legs and arms were heavy and she was weak from the Cruciatus Curse. Voldemort chuckled lightly as he stood in front of Alli. Alli glared at him with pure hatred. She took a deep breath to brace herself and then pushed through the pain to stand in front of the Dark Lord.
"What do you want from me?" Alli said through gritted teeth. Voldemort seemed for a moment to be taken aback by her anger and bravery. However, he hid it well and recovered rather quickly. Voldemort walked closer to her.
"Allison Potter," he whispered. Alli felt his cold, dry palm against her skin as Voldemort touched her cheek. Alli jerked away from him.
"Don't touch me," Alli growled.
"So, Allison, or Alli, as you prefer to be called," said Voldemort calmly, too calm for the situation. Alli shuddered wondering how Voldemort could have possibly known that little fact about her but she brushed the thought away. This was not the time to let her thoughts stray. "You're Slytherin's charming new witch. It was wise of the sorting hat to place you there. It makes sense, you see?"
"What do you mean?" asked Alli curiously.
"Curious, too," Voldemort continued. "You may have a bit of Ravenclaw blood in you as well."
Alli continued to stare Voldemort down. But, the Dark Lord was not phased. Alli stole a quick look at Draco. His terrified expression worried her. She looked back at Voldemort who now had his wand raised towards her. Alli raised her wand towards him as well.
"You've been taught how to duel, then, I presume?" said Voldemort. Alli didn't respond. "Crucio!"
"Expelliarmus!" yelled Alli. An explosion sounded as the two spells crashed together. Red jets of light collided. Alli grabbed her wand with both hands holding onto the spell as long as she could, forcing all of the magic inside her though it. From behind her, Draco grabbed his wand and aimed it at Voldemort.
"Stupefy!" yelled Draco. Alli felt the connection between her and Voldemort break, and she was thrown backward off of her feet from the force. She looked up from the ground to see Draco running towards her. "Alli!" Draco said as he kneeled down beside her, dropped his wand, and cupped her face in his hands.
"Draco!" answered Alli. "What are you doing?"
"Step away from her," Voldemort hissed as he glided towards Alli and Draco. Draco looked at Alli, frightened.
"I'm so sorry," Draco told her. "I thought I could do this, but I can't."
"I'm sorry," he repeated. That was all he managed to get out before Draco forcefully hit the ground, feeling pain shoot through his body. Voldemort had his wand pointed at Draco. Alli stood up and ran towards Voldemort.
"Stop it!" Alli screamed. "Stop!" She grabbed Voldemort's wand arm and attempted to knock his wand out of his hand but her plan didn't follow through. Voldemort shoved her away. "Leave him alone!"
The Death Eaters snickered. Voldemort dropped the curse and Draco stopped moving. Alli darted down to Draco's side and helped him sit up. Then, she turned her attention back to Voldemort.
"Seriously?" Alli growled. "What the fuck is your problem?" She stood up and faced Voldemort angrily.
"Alli," Draco hissed quietly. Voldemort gave Alli a wicked smile and walked over to her once again. Then, he reached out and touched the ends of a strand of Alli's hair that was over her shoulder, twisting it in a small spiral. Alli's breathing shallowed.
"My dear," Voldemort said. "You are quite spritely aren't you? You do belong in Slytherin." Alli didn't move, her fear keeping her feet planted to the ground. Voldemort dropped the ends of her hair and walked away. Draco grabbed Alli's arm and Alli bent back down next to him. Draco swallowed nervously and then brought his lips to hers. After pulling away, Draco pressed his forehead to hers.
"He's getting angry," Draco whispered. "You don't have much longer till he..."
"What do we do?" Alli asked, frantically.
"Alli, he's going to kill you," Draco told her. "That was the whole plan. It was my mission. I was supposed to gain your trust and bring you here. My family was supposed to be rewarded greatly for it. I wasn't supposed to fall for you. But, I did. I'm so sorry, Alli." Alli whimpered quietly. "You've got to get away," Draco whispered urgently. "Go to the Vanishing Cabinet. Get inside and it will transport you back to Hogwarts. When I tell you to, I want you to run. Get away. Live."
"What about you?" Alli whispered back.
"Don't worry," Draco told her. He kissed Alli again, fiercely. Then, Draco leaned his lips down to her ear. "I love you. Go!"
When Draco let her go, Alli took off towards the Vanishing Cabinet.
"Get her!" Voldemort yelled.
"Crucio!" Draco yelled, turning his wand on Voldemort. But, the Dark Lord was too fast, too cunning, and too skilled.
"Avada Kadevra!"
The green jet of light seemed to move in slow motion as Alli spun around.
"NO!" Alli screamed. The curse hit Draco and his lifeless body hit the forest floor. Draco was dead.
END OF PART I