She was surprised at the entrance to the great hall to find so
many people missing, then she saw the packed boxes and realised lots
of people must eat in common rooms and things.

Moving to the side she saw one with her name on it and smiled,
someone was being conscientious. There was a note folded over the top.
With a slight smile she unfolded it and read the message, gently
removing the lid she looked down and then quietly set the box to
burning with a black fire.

She stood there until it was burnt to ashes and then moved to
the table where she picked up an apple before walking up to the stair
case.

As she left the great hall the ceiling which had been
Reflecting the sunny day outside swirled to dark clouds and thunder
cracked across it. Serverus Snape looked at the sunshine outside the
windows and frowned but not a word passed his lips.

***

Harry had been giving the lady the password when Hermoine came
streaking out of the Gryffindor common room with Ron hot on her heels.

"Harry, we've got to hurry, there's a fight and my viewing globe says
that Ama's in the middle of it"

He didn't stop to think about what was going to happen when he
got there he just streamed after the other two towards the next level
of the building where there were, he knew, several abandoned classrooms.

There was noise, he could hear it, he could also feel a rising
pressure behind his ears as if air pressure was building. Bursting into
the room he saw a whole heap of people, one got kicked quite forcefully
backwards and he saw silver hair flying in a braid and feral bruise
colour eyes that looked as if they were burning up from inside.

A flashback from earlier in the day, the sudden burning heat of
her under his hand as the magic coursed through her skin.

He could only shake his head in horror, he had the idea
that this room was about to become an inferno with them all in the
centre of the maelstrom.

"Don't just stand there Potter, stop it"

He turned to see Draco Malfoy standing beside him his silver
eyes were almost all pupil his skin beaded with sweat and his white
hair tousled, as if he'd run all the way here.

"How would you like me to do that"

Malfoy's eyes centred on him for a moment before a sneer
crossed his lips.

"Peacemake Potter, I can't hold her magic forever without hurting both
of us"

Hold her magic, he'd ask later, pulling out his wand he muttered
under his breath and cleared the girls that had been holding her down,
they were still spitting abuse but they were pinned to the walls, he
could feel Malfoy shaking at his side.

"Amaris, damnit!, Amaris control yourself or take it in"

For a moment Ama looked up and he was stunned at the blankness
in her eyes before they cleared, she mouthed something that he couldn't
read, Malfoy was leaning against the wall.

"Then take it inwards, Amaris, your hurting me!"

He watched as the girl on the floor tilted her head back and
cried out, her entire body shuddering before she slumped unconscious to
the floor.

Hermoine was suddenly at his side, she'd been clearing the
girls out while he just watched, Ron was guarding the door. Malfoy
straightened at his side before moving forwards to Ama's side.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it, not enough practice"

Hermoine it seemed wanted answers more than he did

"What's going on Malfoy, what happened to her"

Malfoy looked up, his eyes were silver mirrors giving back all
they threw at him but answering nothing. Then he sighed looking down
before gathering Ama into his chest and standing up, he'd grown this
last year, he was taller than he and Hermoine, not as tall as Ron who
looked to make tallest in the year but a reasonable size.

"I'll do my best to explain when she's upstairs and someone's had a
look at her"

"Madam Pomfrey?"

Malfoy shook his head

"No, what she's done to herself for all of us can't be treated that
way, I'd say Snape. It'll have to be someone she trusts"

they moved together back to the Gryffindor common room, it was
mostly empty now just a few sixth form playing chess at the back and
they didn't notice them enter, Hermoine took them into the girls dorm
and showed them into the small room she'd agreed to share with Ama.

Laying her down on the bed Malfoy looked concerned.

"I should have just let her incinerate them all, worthless lot"

"Now now Draco, that's not a charitable thought"

Spinning he saw Professor Snape looking at them from the
doorway there was an odd half smile in his eyes until he looked at the
figure on the bed then he crossed the room to her side and placed his
fingers against her pulse.

"She'll live, which is fortunate considering the amount of power I
felt her bring up, one of these days Mr Malfoy, you'll have to explain
how you did hold it"

A pair of bruised eyes opened, looked up into Snape's inky
black ones and sighed.

"Uncle Serverus, there's some tincture of Belladonna in my drawer, I
need that and the Dragons Bane that's on the window ledge."

Uncle bloody Serverus! oh yes there was going to be some
discussion in a moment, he heard Hermoines in drawn breath but he
watched as she chewed on some of the leaves and took a controlled sip
out of the bottle making faces at the taste before swallowing.

"Ama, that's poison, all of it it makes you sick, and, and"

He looked at Hermoine who was actually spluttering and then
back at Ama who had managed to sit up on the bed and was watching them
she looked into his eyes and sighed. Then she looked at Malfoy

"I do wish you'd go away"

***

It hurt to say it, hurt to see the hurt in his eyes but it was
worse to see the understanding dawn in them

"No, I think I'd like an explanation too"

Ah, gods, she hurt. She'd burnt out things inside of her that
only poisons would dull the pain of, but she'd felt Draco trying to
channel her magic to save those people and had known what it would do
to him. To kill him would kill her, she had to accept it now, it was
permanent, a child's whim had become an adults flail.

She groaned shutting her eyes, the pain was overwhelming and
the sun was setting this was not a good time, she had two hours to
prepare or she would be gone.

"Quickly then, or I'm doomed"

That had slipped out but she saw understanding slide into
Serverus's eyes, by the looks of it Harry thought she was joking.

"Uncle Serverus?"

She almost laughed, the things he must have seen in her eyes
and that was what interested him.

"He's my mothers brother and hence my uncle, any more questions?"

Hermoine looked between her and Draco and made a slight
connecting gesture and she knew some explanation was in order, if
only for Draco's sake.

"When we were children I did something I shouldn't have and it bound
us, you might know the spell Uncle Serverus, 'by blood and by fire..'
yes?"

Serverus looked more than disturbed he looked sickened.

"You were bound like that and they sent you away from each other?"

She smiled knowing it was a nasty smile and hating herself
for what exhausted desperation was forcing her to reveal.

"Yes, the pain was exquisite until they raped me into submission"

She felt Draco's pain at that and drew it into herself
twisting it into her strength knowing that he could hate her now and
it would be better, she was who she was.

"A torment of boundaries, one soul two bodies, all in one heart"

tilting her head back she felt the tear that trailed down her
cheek and resisted more as that soft hushed voice taunted her with the
words they'd said, seven years old you couldn't know what that sort of
thing would do to you for the rest of your life.

"It was never finished though which is why I want you to leave"

Looking over into Harry's eyes she pleaded with her own,
knowing they were tear-filled, she could manage everything if she
didn't have to worry about dragging people she cared about into it too.

Harry shook his head,

"I won't force him to go, this is his choice wouldn't you say?"

She shook her own head violently

"And am I to have no choice, for gods sake, let me go"

She knew her voice was rising but shed felt the first star
flicker into the darkness of the horizon, there was no time left.

"I hate this, I'm going to have to trust you all"

Turning to Serverus she looked into those deep water eyes
and held out her arms, he picked her up and she leant against him
for a brief second feeling the muscle he disguised with skin as pale
as her own and a bitter heart.

"The Astronomers tower Uncle Serverus before I loose everything"

Looking over his shoulder she looked into Hermoines eyes
clear and strong as fresh earth.

"Bring the Herbs from the windowsill, all of them, Harry, grab me
one of the robes I'll need it"

Then she looked into Draco's eyes and shuddered feeling her
hope slide away at the silver scars she found there.

"Come if you must, this will finish tonight, one way or another"