When we reached the Weasley's house Mrs. Weasley helped me fix my shirt and hoodie and clean the blood off of it and my jeans. There wasn't that much. Most of it had gotten on Cory's clothes.
"There you go," she said as the last bit of blood disappeared. "As good as new."

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley," I said. She smiled at me and then went into the kitchen where Mr. Weasley, Dumbledore, Bill, and Charlie were sitting. I went into the living room where Cory, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and the twins were. When I walked in Cory looked up at me. He looked mad. The twins were looking at all of us with wide eyes.
"Why didn't you ever say somethin'?" Cory demanded.
"Because I..." I stammered. "I couldn't." Cory looked like he didn't believe me.
"How hard would it have been?" Cory asked. "All you had to do was say that Draco was hurting you and we would have helped you." My eyes flashed with anger.
"This started last year!" I yelled. "You were trying to kill me! How was I supposed to ask you for help?"

"You could have gone to mum or dad or one of the kids," Cory said. "You and Taylor are close, why didn't you tell her? Or Harry and the others? They would have helped you."
"Because I love him," I snapped. "I thought I could change him. Besides, I didn't want to drag anyone into it. I didn't want them to get hurt...like Malik did." I looked away from everyone.
"Who's Malik?" Taylor asked.
"Malik Karr," I replied. "I met him at the ball last year. He likes me but Draco told me to stay away from him and I danced with him. They got into a fight and Malik accidentally cut my cheek with a knife."
"What did Draco do?" Harry asked.
"He and Malik beat each other up pretty bad," I answered. "Then Draco threw Malik onto the lawn and he took me back to my room and fixed my cheek. Then he..." I stopped and closed my eyes tightly.
"He what?" Ron asked.
"He threw me against the wall and choked me." Cory stood up and punched the wall.
"That little...I'm gonna kill him!" he cried. I looked up at him feeling tears in my eyes.
"No!" I cried. "I deserved it! I didn't do as he said and I slapped him"
"Schyler, you can't really think that," Harry said. I nodded.
"There's more," I whispered. "Sit down Cory...you won't like this." Cory sat back down and I continued. I told them how all this year he had been beating me and about running away and about what had happened at this year's ball. Finally I told them about Draco trying to drown me and the beating he gave me afterwards. When I finished I looked at all of them. They were all looking at me with wide eyesexcept Cory.Helooked ready to kill Draco.
"Well that explains the pain I've been seeing in your eyes," mom's voice said. I whirled around and saw mom, dad, and Bryson standing in the doorway to the living room. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, and Dumbledore were standing behind them.
"Mum," I whispered hoarsely. "How long have you been...?"
"Long enough," mom replied. "How could you keep this from us Schyler?" I looked at the floor feeling ashamed.
"I couldn't...you don't understand," I said. "His father...he would have killed you." Cory cleared his throat.
"We aren't talking about Draco's father," he replied.
"Yes we are," I argued. "Mum and dad would have wanted to talk to Lucius and Narcissa but they don't like muggles. They would have killed mum and dad. You know that Cory." Cory nodded.
"How do you know this?" dad asked. "You're just children. How can you be sure that they would have killed us"
"I just told you," I answered. "They kill muggles, it's what they do. They are..."
"Schyler," Cory said his voice full of warning.
"No Cory," mom said. "Let her finish."

"They're Death Eaters," I finished. "Voldemort's followers. Just like our real parents were. Just like we're supposed to be." Everyone gasped except for Dumbledore and Cory.
"You're a...a..." Ron stammered.

"No," I said firmly. "We aren't. We got away from him. That's why he had to put the Imperious Curse on Cory, there would have been no way to get him to go with the Death Eater otherwise." Mom looked like she was about to faint.
"Oh my God..." she whispered. "That was why Cory was taken away from us? Because he was supposed to be with this...Voldemort person?" I nodded.
"If Dumbledore hadn't put a protection spell on the house then he would have come back for me. Do you even know who Voldemort is, mum?" Mom shook her head.
"He's the most evil wizard in the world," Harry said. "He killed hundreds of wizards, witches, and muggles. He killed my mum and dad when I was a baby. He tried to kill me too. That's how I got my scar." Mom gave a little squeak of shock and collapsed onto the couch, pulling Jordyn into her arms.
"So you see, I had to deal with this on my own," I said quietly. "I wasn't going to let any of you get hurt." Taylor jumped up and ran to me, hugging me around the waist. I put my hand on the back of her head. I smiled slightly. She was only 4'5'' I had never noticed that before.
"What should we do?" mom asked weakly. "I mean...how do we protect her?"

"She has to break up with Draco," Charlie said. "Then the others will just have to watch out for her so that Draco doesn't get near her."
"No!" I shouted. "I can't do that"
"Why not?" dad snapped. "Don't you want to feel safe?"
"I love him!" I cried as tears began to run down my cheeks. "I love him! I can't...He could kill you. But there's some good in him. I know there is!"
"You want to believe that there is," Mr. Weasley replied. "But some people are just completely evil"
"I know there is," I said. "He risked his life to save me from Voldemort. He wouldn't have if he was really evil." The adults sighed and shook their heads. There was no talking to me.

"Well you lot best be off to bed," Mrs. Weasley said to eight of us who were going back to Hogwarts. "You have to go back to school tomorrow." We nodded and went up to our rooms. Cory and Harry went to Ron's room and Hermione, the twins, and I went to Ginny's.