A/N: Another day, another update. Kids, grip onto your seats, this is gonna be a good chapter! You may need someone here beside you because you are about to die from shock. I'M MORE EXCITED THAN YOU ARE!

My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me.
So won't you kill me, so I die happy.
My heart is yours to fill or burst,
to break or bury, or wear as jewelry,
which ever you prefer.

Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember,
I'll always remember the sound of the stereo,
the dim of the soft lights,
the scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers
and the time on the clock when we realized it's so late
and this walk that we shared together.
The streets were wet
and the gate was locked so I jumped it,
and I let you in.
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist
and you kissed me like you meant it.

-Dashboard Confessional. Song: Hands Down

Blue Roses.

Chapter ten: New Year, new opportunities.

Christmas passed, Boxing Day flew by and New Year's Eve was presented without a further word passed between Brayden and Skye; rather, just many exchanges of sly glances and smiles, most often followed by blushes. There was also the occasional 'click' heard as Skye would sneak pictures of Brayden to put in her photo album.

This New Year's Eve was a cold one, snow falling onto the ground lightly, reflecting the joyous holiday in it's brightness being brought out by the blazing sun. The Diggory's were holding an annual New Year's Eve party, and a few close friends of Amos, Maya and Kami were set to arrive, including Kami's lucky boyfriend.

At 8 o'clock, when dinner was served, there were 15 people happily chatting at the Diggory's kitchen table, thoroughly enjoying Maya's dinner of turkey, honey ham, an assortment of vegetables, bread, and potatoes. She also had some odd smelling vegetarian food for Kami and her boyfriend that looked like someone had thrown up on the plate. Skye took her fork and began to poke it with her fork, causing Maya to shoot her a dirty look.

The good thing about New Year's Eve was it was a chance for Skye and Cedric to be introduced to the world of heavy alcoholic beverages. They were given Firewhisky after dinner, which literally burned as it passed down their throats, making them appreciate their Butterbeer, which was much easier to digest.

It was nearly midnight, and Cedric had drunken far too much Butterbeer, seeing that he was attempting to hit on his sister's boyfriend. Brayden and Skye laughed as they carried him to his bedroom, as he rambled on about Kami's boyfriend looking feminine.

"Goodnight, Cedric," Skye said, closing the door to his bedroom.

"Note to self: never get my brother drinking again," Brayden said, laughing lightly.

"I'm ready to go to bed myself," Skye said.

"I'll go with you."

The two of them walked upstairs, and were in front of Skye's bedroom, and stood in the doorway, facing each other. There was an awkward silence when the group in the main room began counting down before New Year's.

"5!"

Brayden looked up.

"4!"

"Mistletoe," he said softly, as he began to lean nearer to Skye.

"3!"

Brayden could count every freckle on Skye's face...

"2!"

Skye took one last look into Brayden's ocean blue eyes before she closed her own. She just wanted to swim in those eyes...

"1!"

Their noses were touching...

And their lips met, Skye's soft lips to Brayden's tender ones. He slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer, as the kiss deepened. Skye wrapped her arms around Brayden's neck, in complete ecstacy at the moment presented to her.

There was a loud bang downstairs and a scream, and Brayden and Skye pulled apart.

"Happy New Year!" a chorus of creepy voices chanted, cackling as Brayden and Skye heard more screams and loud bangs. Brayden immediately ran towards the staircase, Skye at his heels. He looked downstairs momentarily, then looked back at Skye.

"Death Eaters," he said, a look of utter fear on his face. "About 10 of them. Come on, in here, we may be safer."

Brayden grabbed Skye by the wrist and brought her into her bedroom.

"What are Death Eaters?" Skye asked.

"Shh! Stay quiet!" Brayden instructed. "Death Eaters are followers of The Dark Lord. Some of them are as feared as him, and some of them have caused as many deaths as him. I don't know what in Merlin's name they're doing here, The Dark Lord was defeated years ago..."

Skye looked up at Brayden with a worried look on her face.

"Who do you think they're after?"

"That's the problem," he said, pausing. "It might be you."

Skye wrapped her arms around Brayden, and held him close.

"I don't want to die," she mumbled. "I don't want to die...this can't be happening..."

Brayden stroked Skye's hair. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

"Brayden, if anything ever happens, I want you to know that I've always cared about you, ever since we met."

Brayden smiled. "I wish I could say the same, but at the time, my love was for that slut."

Skye looked up at Brayden. "We have each other now, right?"

"You'll always have me, no matter what."

Brayden kissed Skye tenderly, and for a moment, she felt all the worries, all the pain in the world, wash away. She never thought of Cedric, she forgot about Snape. She forgot about everything around her and focused her attention to Brayden, who she believed she was meant to be with.

Skye heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and pulled away from Brayden, looking up at him with desperation. He held her close, and they stayed quiet. They only heard the Death Eaters pass by them, and the sounds of spells being cast downstairs. Brayden breathed out when he heard his father send an incantation in a Death Eater's way.

Skye took a deep breath when she heard the footsteps near the room they were in.

"In here, boys!" a male Death Eater said, before the door was opened.

Three Death Eaters walked in, all masked. There was one in the middle who had blonde hair gleaming from under his hood, and he was flanked by two large Death Eaters.

"Look," the blonde Death Eater crooned. "Lovebirds."

The two large Death Eaters guffawed stupidly at the joke.

"What a couple," he continued. "Mr. Perfect and his little runaway girlfriend. Think you can hide from us all these years, Skye? Think your lying father's ways will keep you alive for very long?"

Brayden stepped in front of Skye, blocking her from the Death Eaters.

"You will not hurt her!" he said, holding up his wand.

The blonde let out a cackling laugh.

"I'm not just here for her. I'm here for you, too."

He pointed his wand at Brayden's heart. Brayden's eyes widened, and Skye pulled out her wand, running every incantation she could do through her head.

"What do you want with me?"

"Revenge," the blonde said. "For what your father did."

"What did he do?" Brayden snapped.

"Now, I'm sure your puny little mind will have trouble processing this," the two cronies laughed at this, "but your father used to be a Death Eater. 'But he seems so kind!' you're probably thinking. Well guess what? Reality hits, and more and more people are on the Dark Side, now. Your father was too scared to do what he believed in, so he joined us."

Brayden stared at the blonde, disbelief on his face.

"No...he couldn't..." he sputtered.

"Seemed brave? He's not. He's so weak that he betrayed The Dark Lord. The Dark Lord sent him to find as much information about Lily, James and their son Harry Potter, the family happening to be close friends with your father, and the prophecy. Your father couldn't do it. He betrayed The Dark Lord, and lied to him. Said the prophecy wasn't about Harry Potter," one of the cronies spat at the mention of his name, "but rather Neville Longbottom, another boy the same age as Harry. He then went into hiding. Your father's lies were part of what brought The Dark Lord down, and caused the madness from torture of Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom. Now, it is time for revenge, so he can learn what happens when you mess with the Dark Arts."

Brayden looked around desperately for a way to escape, hoping for someone to come and save him. Skye took his hand in her own, giving him some hope, and strength.

"Avada..." the blonde Death Eater began.

"PROTEGO!" Brayden shouted, causing a silver form to erupt from his wand, and create a wall between Skye and himself and the Death Eaters.

"...Kedavra!"

A green curse erupted from the blonde Death Eater's wand, breaking through Brayden's shield charm, hitting him square in the chest. Brayden's eyes went wide, and he had an odd green glow around him, before being knocked back, sending Skye to the side, and he hit the back wall, crumpling on the ground in a heap of robes.

Brayden never breathed again.

- - -

A/N: wipes tears Do I need an authors note? I'd prefer crying in my corner now, thanks. Yep...off to my corner...'night everyone...need a tissue?