Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for Catalina and Damien, I don't even really own them either as their voices in my head.

Chapter 5 Into the Labyrinth

I looked around the Slytherin Common Room trying to inconspicuously count the number of people left. Draco saw me from across the room and raised an eyebrow in question. Damn, that boy paid way to much attention. I shrugged my shoulders and he looked away. I got up slowly, the key here was no sudden movements, which might attract their attention, and walked out of the Common Room.

Yes! I made it unchallenged; now I just had to hope that nobody would notice my absence. Draco would think I had just gone to bed, and my roommates would most likely be to preoccupied with boys or homework to notice that I was missing. I escaped out of the castle as cleanly as I had the Common Room and made it to the lake unchallenged. I sat down hugging my robes around me, the night was colder than I had thought and I didn't have my cloak. I curled up into a ball, prepared to wait for a long time. I was waiting for Damien, though I wasn't sure if he would come. Truthfully, during the last few days I had almost forgotten about him, with the Death Eaters meeting and all. But now, with that all out of the way he was back in my thoughts. Everything in my life was planned out without my consent and therefore dull. Contrary to popular belief, being the Dark Lord's Consort really didn't have that many perks. Damien, however, was the unknown, and I mean that in the most literal way possible.

I shifted in my position slightly, trying to get my legs to wake up, when I noticed him. I had a feeling that he had been watching me a few minutes before I had noticed him. I can't say why I was so positive that it was Damien, as I had never seen him before, but I knew it was he. Damien was standing just far enough so that the details of his face were blurred by the darkness. From what I could tell he was tall but then again I was sitting down so everyone would look tall. He was wearing all black, which made him seem part of the darkness behind him.

I wanted to say something to him, but I had no idea what. We watched each other for a couple of minutes before he turned around and walked off, heading towards the Forbidden Forest. I quickly got up and followed him. Damien turned around every couple of minutes to make sure I was still following. After about 30 minutes of walking we reached a clearing. The trees that ringed it formed a perfect circle. I guessed that the diameter was about 45 feet across. There were several stones in the middle of the clearing, they looked like they had been in some formation once, but over the centuries they had fallen and they were now just in a heap.

I turned to Damien, "What is this place?"

He was silent for a moment, "This place... It has memories of things best left to be forgotten. I believe that it's original purpose was an alter to the gods for human sacrifices. The important thing is nobody can spy on us here, with or without the aid of magic. "

"Why.... why did you bring me here?" I said.

Damien looked at me, as if contemplating the best answer. I noticed for the first time that his eyes were a bluish violet. "Your not human, are you?" He said looking at me quizzically.

"What? Of course I am..." I glanced at him, puzzled. It had never occurred to me that I might not be human.

"Do you see the stones?" He pointed to the ruined stones in the middle of the clearing.

I glanced at where he was pointing, "Yes... why? There just a pile of ruins."

Several emotions flickered across Damien's face, too quickly for me to read what they were. He looked at me in amazement, "Your Lord Voldemort's consort."

I glared at him, "Bloody hell, your not working for him are you?"

He laughed, "No, I work for neither side. By the end of the war my kind will try to be extinguished, not matter if Lord Voldemort or Dumbledore wins the war."

"Your kind? What are you?"

He paused for so long that I almost didn't think he would answer, "I am a vampire."

I looked at him shocked. I didn't know what I had been expecting, but that wasn't it. I silently cursed myself, following strange guys into the woods was not one of the brightest ideas I'd ever had. "Are you going to kill me?" Ok, not the best question, but I'd rather know then wonder.

His answer surprised me, "Kill you? No, I'm not even sure I could," I looked at him puzzled, "You mean Lord Voldemort has not told you?"

"Told me what?!" I said angrily. There were too many riddles here. I hated being kept in the dark.

Damien shook his head, "I'm not the right person to tell you."

"Bloody hell! Just tell me! Lord Voldemort probably never will. My ignorance gives him power over me. If he's your enemy, then telling me whatever it is that you know would hurt him." I said glaring at him.

He still shook his head no, "I cannot. Tonight is not the right night. You already have enough information to think about." Damien stopped suddenly and seemed to be listening intently, "You must go now, your roommate Emilia has noticed your absence."

Ahh shit. I was in trouble. Not bothering to say goodbye to Damien, I transported myself right in front of the Slytherin Common room, and walked in. The Common Room, was now empty except for Emilia. She was sitting on a black leather couch writing on a piece of parchment.

"Where were you?" She said, glaring at me.

I returned her glare, "It's none of your business."

She grinned evilly, "True, but it is the Dark Lord's." She finished whatever she was writing, she folded up the piece of parchment, and tied it to the leg of her owl that was perched on the edge of the couch. When she was done the bird flew off out of an open window.

I didn't realize what she had just done until the bird was gone, "Emilia, what did you just write to Him"

She tried to look at me innocently, but she failed, "Well I just thought someone ought to tell the Dark Lord what you've been up to as you certainly won't tell Him anything. "

I looked at her in horror, "I haven't done anything!"

"I must say it was hard to find out where you were weakest. You always did what Lord Voldemort wanted you to and played by his rules. I've been watching you, waiting for you to slip up. I must admit, I had almost given up hope, but then tonight, I saw you with that boy."

"But Emilia, it's absolutely nothing like that," I said trying desperately to make her understand.

"Don't worry, I know, you're not the type of girl to screw up all she has just for a boy. That's why I know it was a spy. Your helping Dumbledore."

"No!" Why was she so hell bent on taking me down? "I've done nothing to you!"

"Nothing?" She said, her voice eerily calm, "All I wanted was to be in Lord Voldemort's inner circle, but then you came along."

This girl was insane. Why was she blaming me for all this? She could still become a Death Eater. Then it hit me, she didn't just want to be a Death Eater, she wanted to be His consort. Maybe I could try and reason with her, "Emilia, let me leave. I promise I'll go away and never return. I don't want this. You can have it all."

"No!" She shouted, the calmness leaving her, "Your just trying to trick me!"

I shook my head, "Honestly, just let me go pack. It will be better for the both of us. You'll get the life you've always wanted and so will I."

"No... even if I did believe you, the Dark Lord would search for you. But if you're dead on the other hand..." Emilia said as she lunged for my throat.

She caught me off guard and I was pinned to the ground, "Emilia you're not thinking clearly." I choked out. I closed my eyes for a moment, and then in one swift movement I threw her off of me. I only meant to throw her a few inches, just enough so I could get up, but somehow I threw her all the way against the wall. As soon as I realized what I had done I rushed over to Emilia. She wasn't breathing and there was a trickle of blood coming out of her mouth. Ohh Merlin, I had killed her. I heard the sound of feet pounding down the stairs and knew that I was doomed. They would give me a truth potion, and I would tell my story including the parts about helping Lord Voldemort. I did what I thought was my only option at the time and transported myself to Knockturn Alley.

A/N: Reviews make me happy!!!