Time jump:

Staring at the letter in my hand I kept reading over the words over and over. Scrunching the paper up in a ball I tossed it into the fireplace. As the paper burned a black fog in the shape of a skull, flowed out. 'Geez, even the papers are evil.'

"Ready?" Draco walked into the common room with his coat in hand.

I glanced over his shoulder towards the window. A dark cloud was moving over the school, blocking the evening light from them. In a way, it was blocking all hope from the school. And after tonight I doubt there would be any hope left. I was going to be the one to blame in the end.

"Athena?" Draco stood by the door motioning me to get going.

"Coming." Snatching my jacket from the back of the couch, I followed him out.

As we walked down the corridor I took in the area. I never noticed just how beautiful the school truly was. The details on the pillars and walls. I listened to the clueless students laughing in the distance. Unaware of the horror we were going to commit. With each step I took, the heavier my foots got. Stepping into the Room of Requirement, Draco led us to the cabinet. Uncovering it we stood back and watched. I silently prayed for what or whoever would listen to me. Hoping it wouldn't work, but at last, the divine was not in my corner. The cabinet door opened slowly, as a major black fog sweeper out. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed Draco and pulled him out.

"Bellatrix?" I growled. "Out of all the death eaters you had to get her!"

"I didn't ask for either." Draco snapped. "Father sent them."

"As if this wasn't stressful enough, they send the least adequate one to deal with this." Running a hand through my hair, I took in a deep breath. "Now we wait." Leaning against the wall I glanced out the window. The light was long gone from the skies. Nothing but darkness dwelled. Seeing the dark mark form over the Astronomy Tower I let out a shaky breath. "Let's go."

I let Draco once again take the lead as we climbed the stairs to the top of the tower. I frowned at hearing Dumbledore speaking. He should be there alone. So, who the hell was he talking to? As I reached the top of the stairs, I pulled my wand out. So far it was only Dumbledore in the tower.

"Evening Draco, Athena." Dumbledore spoke with a soft tone. "What brings you here on this fine spring evening?"

Something was off, he looked tired. Almost hurt in a way. "Out for a stroll professor."

"Hmm."

"Who else is here?" Draco demanded. "We heard you talking."

"I often talk aloud to myself." Dumbledore was completely unfazed by the fact that his student was aiming a wand at him. "Have you been whispering to yourself, Draco?"

I stood back not interfering in their one-sided conversation. It wasn't like I had to intervene unless he coward away. But if I was being honest to myself, it wasn't looking too well.

"Draco, you are not an assassin." Dumbledore whispered.

"How do you know what I am?" Draco has a tremble in his voice, showing the hesitation and fear he was feeling. "I've done things that would shock you."

"Like cursing Katie bell and hoping that in return she'd bear a cursed necklace to me?" His eyes landed on me, causing me to flinch. "No, that was Athena. But, replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison, that was you. Forgive me, Draco. I cannot help feeling these actions are so weak that your heart can't really have been in them."

"Well, in our defense the necklace was a spur of the moment." I mumbled. "Didn't get enough time to properly set everything up."

"And the bottle?" Dumbledore chuckled. "Was that a spur of the moment?"

I shrugged twirling my wand in my hand. "No, that one was all Draco I suppose. I wouldn't have been dumb enough to leave in a place your drunken friend would have found it."

He stared at me for a moment, a sly smirk appearing on his lips. "You try hiding how you truly feel behind the mask. Always the one to appear brave in front of the others, but deep down this isn't you."

"You don't know me, professor." I growled.

"Ah, but I do more than you will ever know." His eyes shifted to Draco. "Just as I know there is good in Draco's heart."

"I was chosen! He trusts me." Draco muttered through gritted teeth, pulling his sleeve up and revealing the mark.

"Then I shall make it easy for you." Dumbledore had the wand expelled from his hand before it was even in full view. "Very good. Very good."

I looked down at hearing the door open and close. "The circus has arrived."

"You're not alone. There are others. How?"

I don't think I have ever actually seen his shocked. I mean the guy is on the brink of death and he's shocked others got in. I glanced walked over to the top of the stairs waiting for the others to climb up. Along with Bellatrix, I spotted some death eater I didn't know and Aaron.

"Aaron?" Before I could reach him, Bella slammed into my shoulder causing me to stagger back. "Do that again and it will be going over the tower."

"Is that s-"

"Enough." Aaron snapped. "Where are they?"

I jerked my head towards where Draco stood. From here he looked like a shaking rabbit. His hand shook as he aimed the wand and I was sure his legs were about to give out. "Having one last conversation with Dumbledore."

Aaron grabbed my arm pulling me away from the group. "Listen to me, whatever happens, you must not be the one that kills him."

"What?"

"Do not kill him." He lowered his tone to a whisper. "There is a reason Draco was chosen and not you. Stay out of sight and let it all play out how it should."

"You are not making any sense." I huffed at hearing Bellatrix call us.

"Athena.."

"If Draco fails, I have no choice but to complete the task." Taking his hand in mine I smiled softly. "If I don't my father and I die. And everything I have done for my family up to this point would have been for nothing."

As we walked back to the tip of the tower, I took my previous spot behind Draco once more. My mind kept whirling around Aaron's words. There was a reason Draco was picked over me. Why? I was only given this task as a test of my loyalty. No other reason. We succeed and we get to live with the guilt of what we have done. We fail and we end up being the ones that die tonight.

"Do it." Bellatrix's harsh whisper snapped me back to the situation at hand.

"He doesn't have the stomach, just like his father." One of the Death Eaters by the name of Greyback scoffed. "Let me finish him in my own way."

"No! The dark lord was clear, the boy is to do it." Her eyes fell on me with a sinister grin. "If Draco cannot, Athena is to take his place."

I masked all emotions from my face, glancing at Dumbledore. The sick feeling was coming back to me. The one you get when you are about to do something, you know will fuck you up for life. The dark side fighting to take over the little light you have left.

"Go on Draco. Now!"

"Yelling isn't going to make him respond!" I shoved her away from Draco. "Back off."

Bellatrix circled around me like a bloody hyena. "Then do it yourself. Proof to us you truly stand by the dark lord's side."

I refrained from elbowing her in the face. Looking at Draco I noticed just how broken the boy was. He was shaking in his shoes, unable to keep his wand still. How is he still standing? He must be running on pure adrenaline at that moment. Adrenaline or fear. Probably fear. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I was. I was terrified, not of failing this task or the blood that would be in my hands. Not even of death himself. I was terrified of what would become of my family. In a wizardly world with no Dumbledore or Hogwarts. In a world run by a tyrant. All my efforts to keep them safe and away from all of this, have been for nothing. In the end, they will be right in the middle of it.

"Go on, do it." She whispered into my ear. "Make him proud."

"No." Snape appeared from the shadows, standing beside me.

"Severus." The sigh of relief in his voice had me confused. Did he believe snape would save him? Looking between the two, I noticed the look of acceptance on Dumbledore's face. I inwardly gasped. He had accepted his fate. He had been waiting for Snape all this time. Why?! "Please."

Before I could react Snape grabbed my hand which still held my wand. Aiming it at Dumbledore he did a small swift as he spoke the curse.

"Avada Kedavra." The green spell hit Dumbledore in the chest, sending him out of the tower.

I had no time to process what had happened before my eyes. Snape was dragging both Draco and me out of the tower.

Aaron shoved him away from me, taking my numb hand in his. "You just signed her death warrant." He glared at Snape, grabbing a fist full of his black robe. "Anything happens to her because of this, you will pay with your own blood Severus." Shoving him back, he took us down the stairs and out of the tower.

Snape and the others followed closely. I jumped at hearing glass shattered, glancing over my shoulder I spotted Bellatrix on top of the tables, kicking the silverware. As she yelled the windows exploded with a gush of air. Wanting to her stop her from destroying any more of Hogwarts, I was pushed to keep walking.

"Not now." Aaron spoke. "We need to get out of here before they find him."

"Right." Stepping out of the school, we rushed across the grounds and through the forest. We were coming up to Hagrid's hut when I heard something in the back of us.

"Snape! He trusted you!"

We all turned to see Potter coming toward us. The boy had the look of the devil himself. Bella decided that was the moment to set Hagrid's Hut on fire.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I attempted to aim my wand at her, but once again Aaron stopped me.

He snatched my wand and stared down at me with a stern look. "Now is not the moment. You will have your chance."

"Go on!" Snape ordered.

As we were further away from the school I turned back. My eyes locked on the light pushing through the darkness that loomed over the school. By now they must have found Dumbledore. Everyone must know who did it and they will be coming for us.

For once I didn't have the will to fight back.

Time jump: That same night.

No Pov

Athena sat on the roof of the Lucius mansion staring up at the moon. It was a full one tonight luminating the entire courtyard but still giving her the cover of night. She had not wished to see anyone after what had happened. Snape was to handle the explanation of events to Voldemort. So, she decided a night in her room away from everyone was much needed. Of course, not everyone got the memo.

"Been looking for you." Aaron stepped through the bedroom window, taking a seat beside the young witch. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." She mumbled.

Aaron huffed covering her hands with his. "I'm sure you are."

Looking down at their hands she realized they were shaking. Squeezing his hand, she focused on controlling her nerves. Ever since they came back, she couldn't seem to shake the numbness away. After a moment of sitting in silence, Athena felt something wet fall on her wrist. Looking down she saw a drop of water. "It's raining?" Looking up she found nothing but a clear star full sky.

Aaron grabbed her chin, turning her to face him. "It's not raining." He wiped a tear-off with his thumb.

She looked away wiping the tears angrily. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be crying b-..."

"I told you in the beginning that you would do things, you won't be proud of." Aaron stated. "This is one of them."

"I killed him." She gasped out. "I-I...Fuck!"

"Athena, listen to me." He grasped her shoulders. "You didn't kill him. Snape did."

"It was my hand. My wand." Shoving his hands away, Athena covered her face. "Look at it any way you want, you know the truth."

Aaron knew she was right. He also knew the dark lord would see it that way. "We both know you had no choice. It was either him or you. The dark lord would have simply picked someone else had you and Draco failed. Draco didn't get off free of punishment. In the end, he failed to do what was asked of him."

"I didn't know him as many did. I may have crossed a few words here and there, but he was a stranger to me." She ran a hand through her hair. "Yes, I can't help but feel sorrow for his death. A pang of guilt in my chest. I know killing chips at your soul, but this one took a piece of me with him. And I don't know how to process it."

"There is no right way. I burn it out in the circle. Eva works through it by working with potions behind closed doors." He took in a deep breath. "Find your way. Doesn't matter what it is." Looking up at the sky, he stood up. "Let's call it a night. We have orders for tomorrow."

"Orders?"

Aaron looked down at her with a grim look. "Things are only going to get worse from here on out."