"Now, for our last order of business..." Lord Voldemort paused "... at eleven o'clock tonight, we will be gathering in the dungeons as two more wizards join us as Death Eaters, perhaps even three." His eyes fell on Nanoa. "As for now, Lucius has agreed to offer you a room in the meantime, even if everyone of you takes one, he will still have at least eighteen left over."
Everyone began to leave the room, everyone but Nanoa. She was shaken by what she had heard. The Death Eaters' plan was a guarantee to work. Draco was hanging in the doorframe with his father.
"Go ahead, work your magic on her. Although it would be great to see everyone's reaction to her dead body," Lucius suggested, squeezing one of his bruised arms before leaving the room.
"Nanoa, come on. You can't possible want to talk in here," Draco said.
"I don't want to talk period. But I will say this, 'you walk into those dungeons at midnight, you're dead to me'."
Nanoa left the room and headed back to her own. She didn't even bother to check the front door, because she knew that Lucius was no idiot. Nanoa slammed the door shut behind her and leant against it as she was fighting back her tears. She felt the door knock against her arms, but she did not move.
"Nanoa, let me in," Draco beseeched.
"Slide your wand under the door first," Nanoa ordered.
She saw his wand and picked it up but it wasn't his, it was her own. She charmed herself back into the clothes she had been wearing earlier, she hated that the blood was still on it, but refused to remain in the dress Lucius had provided for her. Then Nanoa opened the door for Draco.
"Why does your father want me to have this?" Nanoa asked in acknowledgment to her wand.
"Nothing's keeping you here anymore. My father wants you to walk out the front door," he explained. "But he'd want you to join the Death Eaters even more, because once you step off the porch, you'll be killed. Moro is waiting for you and he's been trained to kill anyone that doesn't have Death Eater in their blood."
"Don't worry. I'm sticking around to see your choice. I need to see what's more important to you."
"Don't you get why I have to take the oath?"
"Yeah, I know. If you don't I go and die a slow and painful death. If you do I go free or get to live here as your prisoner or die easily. Although I want you to know that finding out you're a Death Eater is worse. I've had faith in you and finding out that it was all a lie would be awful. But hey, it's your choice."
"Look, if I become a Death Eater, part is my deal is that you're not allowed to be killed. It protects you."
"I don't need your protection. I've been doing quite well for myself without you. If you become a Death Eater, then we are enemies."
"That never stopped us before."
"Because I could look past the Death Eater, but if you become one then there's no way possible. And if you really want to make this about me, I'll be tortured more if you become one."
"You have no idea what my father can do."
"You've been able to stand what he can do, you think I'm weak?"
"Malfoy!" Suddenly Goyle came running into the room. "You're missing it! Weasel-bee's outside running from Moro because he wants to save the broad and he's got an irrational fear of spiders. Quite a show his putting on, everyone's out on the porch watching him, you should join us."
Nanoa ran to the front door to see several of the Death Eaters laughing at the speeding Ron that was trying to get away from an oversized spider. She was about to run down the steps but Draco grabbed hold of her and pulled her back against him.
"Let go of me!" Nanoa cried, thrashing against him. A few of the Death Eaters turned for the commotion; Voldemort seemed very interested in the quarrel.
"You'll be killed if you go out there," Draco informed.
"I have to help him. Ron! You can't outrun it forever!"
"Nanoa?" Ron stopped to look at her. "You're alive! I knew you were alive! I— whoa!"
The spider knocked him to the base of the steps. He was in a large amount of pain as he staggered to his feet. Ron dizzied about a few steps; his hair messed up beyond belief as his arm shook unevenly as he tried to point at Draco.
"Let her go, Malfoy! If you got a problem with the ministry, you take it out on the ministry not her." His eyes rolled back as he collapsed.
"Ron!" But Draco's grip still had not loosened. "You get him somewhere, where you'll let me check him or I'll kill you."
Though Nanoa didn't see it, Voldemort's eyes were gleaming and a cold smile stretched across his face. Draco slowly let go of Nanoa and she was breathing heavily as she watched him go down the flight of stairs to where Ron was lying. He touched his arm and instantly Ron flinched to his feet. His fist flew at Draco before he even had a chance to register what was going on let alone stop him and caused Draco to spin before falling to the ground.
But that was about all the strength Ron had remaining because he was wobbling as he made his way toward Nanoa and nearly collapsed on her. Nanoa pulled his arm over his shoulder to help him keep his balance and already several of the Death Eaters had circled them.
"Nanoa, let them take him. Their not going to kill him," Draco assured but she tightened her grip on Ron's arm. "Nanoa, they're just going to ask him a couple questions."
"They can ask him later. He needs time to get his mind together," Nanoa stated, but they weren't listening, Draco just held Nanoa back as the Death Eaters took him inside the mansion.
"Oh don't worry, we won't ask him anything until he's got a full wit," stated one of the Death Eaters.
"Where are they taking him?" Nanoa asked.
"The dungeons."
"Great." Nanoa buried her face in her hands. "This is all my fault."
"What's all your fault?"
"Ron is Harry's keeper."
"Stupefy!" cried a voice from behind before she felt Draco fall to the ground and Kris came onto the porch. "You knew!?"
"Yeah, I thought it was obvious. What the hell are you doing here? I left a message for you to stay in the apartment with Neville."
"That was you?"
"I even left you a picture to show that it was him I was talking about."
"Yeah, one of the pictures was ripped out along with your chain."
"Ron didn't listen to me. Ennerv—."
"We got to get out of here."
"No, you need to get back to the apartment."
"I came all the way out here to rescue you and you're telling me to walk away?"
"No. I need you to do your share. You're supposed to think I'm dead and stay home so that you don't leave him alone."
"Leave who alone?"
"Ah, more guests for the evening." Lucius was smiling from the doorway. "Stupefy." Kris fell to the ground and instantly two of the Death Eaters grabbed hold of her. "Throw her in dungeons with the other muggle-lover. Ennervate."
Draco regained consciousness and Nanoa helped him to his feet. An old clock range ten times, signifying that it was the twenty-second hour. Every one of the gathered Death Eaters blended into the various halls and disappeared.
"Can we talk now?" Draco asked.
"What more is there to talk about?" Nanoa shot back. "I can tell you've taken Voldemort's side so you've won. Ron and Kris are both in your hands. You use Kris to get Harry's location then the three of us get killed and you're new best friend will be a traitor that's done his job as well as you."
"You keep thinking that this is all about Voldemort's plan to get two new Death Eaters and killing off his opponents, but its not. He wants you."
"So my head's not on a plate yet. Voldemort can be the one to put it there."
"You know how this is going to play out. You'll become a Death Eater along side me and within a week you'll become his right hand killer." Nanoa fist flew at Draco's face. "What is it with muggle-borns and punching me?"
"I would never become a Death Eater." She began to leave when Draco continued.
"That's the real reason you wanted Kris to stay home. She's the closest person to you and you'd do anything to keep her alive. You'd even kill your own father to do so."
"Good thing my father's dead."
"Would this be a bad time to say I told you so?" Ron asked, leaning against the stone wall of their cell, watching Kris pace.
"Yes. I just can't believe I got caught. I never get caught," Kris replied.
"I wasn't expecting to get caught either. I mean I've got a Quidditch match the day after tomorrow and because we're both missing I can already see the front-page article: 'Quidditch Superstar Ron Weasley goes missing along side his girlfriend.' Sub title: 'Has his girlfriend gotten tired about being second to his own career?' That'll be quite the story, unless of course Fudge tells the press that we went missing in action instead, but that'd be a boring story to read."
"Yeah, I'd hate to be remembered as a hero, I'd much rather prefer to be falsely accused of kidnapping my boyfriend."
"Yeah, I'd rather be falsely accused rather than dying any day."
Then there was a clatter coming from the staircase and Goyle went tumbling into the wall and fell unconsciously onto the floor. Nanoa came sauntering down the stairway to spit on the body before fixing up her hair. Then she pulled a ring of keys off the wall and unlocked the cell.
"I was always amazed at much you could do. Taking out a guy twice your weight? Whoa, I'd be afraid to be your boyfriend," Ron stated.
"He called me 'cutie'. There's only one person I let call me that," Nanoa answered innocently. "Anyway, Kris you got to get out of here."
"Nanoa, I don't know why you want to take on all these people on your own but we're not leaving you," Kris informed.
"Actually, sweetheart, you're the only one that's leaving," Ron said quietly, afraid at her response.
"Nanoa, have you forgotten that I'm your partner?"
"When it comes to swatting out Death Eaters, yes, but when it comes to taking out the queen bee, Ron's the one I planned this out with."
"What?"
"Yeah, Nanoa found out about this and we had it planned out perfectly. We had to change it a couple times because of events that happened, but its kind of going downhill right now because you decided to come after us. Which is something we never expected you to do because of your whole I don't do stuff that seems to be completely pointless, but apparently were wrong."
"That doesn't help me whatsoever."
"Yeah, we know, but we need you to get the hell out of here. Just trust me. You've trusted me on every other mission we've been given so I need you to trust me on this one just the same."
"So you don't want me around to help you out?" Nanoa and Ron stuttered at the way she had said it. "It's okay, really. I know when I'm not wanted."
"Kris, before you go." Nanoa reached into her hair and pulled out a chain. "Always thought that'd make a good hiding spot. Anyway, I need you to keep it safe." Kris snatched it out of Nanoa's hand and stormed out of the dungeons, grumbling to herself. "We did do the right thing... right?"
"Yeah, tough love. We need her to be out of here." Nanoa shook her head.
"Okay, did you bring it?"
"Yeah, its in here..." Ron began fumbling through his many pockets "...somewhere. This is still the part I don't get..."
"Yeah, I haven't finished thinking this through yet. I mean I had to plan it over again since I found out Kris was here."
"But that was barely ten minutes ago."
"I know." Ron finally found the potion vial he was looking for and Nanoa took it from his hands. "Thank you. Now, all we have to do is —" But they both stopped at the sight of Draco's neck starting to be crushed between Voldemort's hand. "This could be a problem."