Chapter 51.

"I'm getting you out of this."

Draco was pacing around his Dorm in front of Magnolia and their friends, his hair dishevelled from the number of times he had run his hands through it. It had been Theo's idea to move the group from the Common Room into the privacy of the boy's Dorm after Draco had told Magnolia about her summoning. Most of them were sat across the beds, all silent after the numerous times that Draco had glared at them when they tried to calm him down.

"I'm not allowing you anywhere near the Manor this Christmas."

Magnolia was sat on Draco's bed, leaning against his headboard, and picking at his bedsheets. She had already heard him say that at least seven times in the last twenty minutes, but so far there were no ways to get her out of the visit.

"I'm keeping you away from him."

Magnolia sighed, "Draco."

"No, Lia, you're not going near the Manor. You don't know what he has planned for you."

"And what will he have planned for you if I don't go?"

Draco stopped pacing for the first time since they had entered the Dorm to face Magnolia. On the other beds beside Magnolia, her friends were looking between the pair nervously. Draco had fire in his eyes and the pure panic and anger was being directed at Magnolia.

"What happens to me doesn't matter."

"Draco-"

Magnolia watched as Draco sat beside her, taking her hand in his. She could feel how tense he was; she could see it in the way he was holding himself.

"Draco, what happens to you matters to me."

"And what happens to you is more important." Draco stroked his fingers across her cheek, "We will figure it out, somehow."

"And if we don't… if we don't figure out how to get me out of it without anyone else getting hurt, then I have to go."

"Lia…"

"Promise me, Draco."

"I will think of a way to get you out of this."

Things did not get less complicated for Magnolia as Christmas approached. Harry's mood only worsened, until one day he finally approached his twin with a smile and told her that they were staying at The Burrow for Christmas. Magnolia couldn't be excited at the prospect of spending a Christmas with an actual family, she was too worried about how this would affect Christmas at Malfoy Manor. They still hadn't thought of a way to get her out of it, instead her and Draco were often found arguing with each other about it.

The one thing that going to the Burrow made easier was that Magnolia was sure Sirius wouldn't be able to go. He would know if she tried to sneak away or lied about where she was going so she could get to Malfoy Manor. Magnolia knew that Draco was trying to find anyway to get her out of going, but Magnolia was adamant that she wasn't going to be the cause of Draco or his family being hurt.

Magnolia didn't go to the last DA meeting before Christmas, telling her brother that she had too much work to finish before their break. Magnolia, Pansy, Daphne, and Tracey were all sat in the Common Room finishing different essays whilst the boys were off getting them treats for the Annual Slumber Party.

Daphne had been sent new beauty potions by her mother for the Slumber Party, and Magnolia was looking forward to trying out the potion that would change her hair colour. With a relieved sigh, Magnolia pushed her parchment and quill away as she finished her Potion essay.

"Finally!"

Pansy glared over her own essay, "You can't be done?"

"I am done, completely done! No homework for the entire break!" Magnolia laughed back at her friend.

"I hate you." Pansy mumbled back.

Whilst her friends finished their own work, Magnolia went to take a shower and change into her pyjamas ready for the Slumber Party. She was drying her hair when she heard a soft knock from the other side of the door and called out for whoever it was to let themselves in. She smiled as she saw Draco poke his head around the door and smiled at her himself. Magnolia laughed as she saw the amount of food that Draco was holding.

"No one else offered to help you carry it all?"

"They all thought it would be safer to wait downstairs after the last time they came bounding in here."

Magnolia laughed again at the memory of how many different colours Draco's face had gone in just a few seconds after the boys had walked into the girls Dorm and Magnolia, and Tracey, were still getting changed. Draco smirked as he placed all the treats on Tracey's bed and approached Magnolia. His arms wound around Magnolia's waist and pulled her against his body tightly.

"I'd prefer to be the only one walking in on you when you're half dressed." Draco was grinning down at her, "Makes it a lot easier to do all sorts of fun things with you."

Magnolia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down so she could kiss him. Magnolia felt Draco smile against her lips as they pressed against one another, his fingers softly stroking the small of her back. Draco slowly led Magnolia backwards until the back of her legs hit her bed, Draco's hand slid up her back to cradle the back of her head as the pair fell to her bed.

A sigh escaped Magnolia's lips as they shuffled up her bed, their lips still not parting. The thought of the girls Annual Slumber party had disappeared from both of their minds, just like the thought of Magnolia's impending meeting at Malfoy Manor. Since rekindling their romance, moments like this had been happening more and more often and Magnolia couldn't help but look forward to them. She felt so safe whenever she was with Draco, in his arms she knew nothing in the world would be able to harm her.

A small knock and whispered voices came from the other side of the Dorm door, forcing Draco and Magnolia apart. Magnolia saw Draco's grimace as she rolled her eyes. Draco rested his forehead against hers and huffed when the whispers became more fervent. The pair slowly detangled themselves from each other, Draco stepping away from Magnolia's bed as she brushed her fingers through her hair.

"Come in!" Magnolia called to her friends before they could get the wrong idea.

It wasn't long before Pansy ordered the boys out of the Dorm, after they had set everything up for the girls on the floor in the middle of the beds. As soon as the door was closed, Magnolia felt three pairs of eyes on her and glanced towards her friends to see them all smirking at her.

"You know, if you're going to go to the trouble of trying to hide whatever you and Draco were doing before we got here, you should straighten your bedding out as well as your hair and clothes."

"So, how are far have you guys got?" Daphne asked as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh, yeah! Have you guys done it yet?"

Magnolia felt the blush bloom across her cheeks, "No."

"Why not!?" Pansy cried.

"We're only 15. And besides, I don't… I don't know if I'm completely ready for that." Magnolia stammered, "I love him, I do. And when we're together it's great… perfect, and the snogging is pretty perfect too… and fun. I just… I don't know… I'm not sure I'm ready to go further yet."

Magnolia watched as her friends took in what she had said, and then glanced at each other seeming to have a silent conversation between the three of them. Magnolia frowned, until Pansy huffed and shifted closer to Magnolia.

"Mags, we love you." She began, "And we want the best for you. So, we just want you to be honest with us. Tell us the truth, Draco isn't pressuring you at all is he?"

Magnolia balked at her friends' sudden question, "No! He's being a complete gentleman."

"Good. Make sure he stays that way."

Quickly, Magnolia took the opportunity to change the subject by picking up the hair colouring potion and asking the girls what colour they would choose. It felt nice to be able to discuss Draco with her friends, she was hiding their relationship from her other friends and her brother and she had never had anything like this before.

The girls laughed throughout the night, Daphne's new green-blue hair made her look like a mermaid and Magnolia was thrilled to see her purple hair actually suited her. Tracey had bought the girls sweets that were laced with a potion that changed the language they spoke in no matter what they said. Magnolia couldn't believe how many languages her friends knew already. It was late before the girls fell asleep, Magnolia's cheeks hurting from the laughter.

She was dreaming of Tom; he was making tea for the pair of them as men in masks spoke in hushed tones to him. Every now and then he would smirk and nod, or glance over at Magnolia where she sat on a comfortable sofa. Magnolia glanced around the room; it was large and circular, and everything seemed to be made out of marble. Her head snapped back at Tom as he laughed triumphantly.

"Miss Potter."

Magnolia frowned, she had heard her name, but it was just her and Tom now and he definitely hadn't said it.

"Miss Potter!"

There it was again. She could feel pressure on her shoulder as well. Tom was looking at her questioningly now as well. He was holding out her cup of tea towards her but seemed concerned at her strange behaviour.

"Miss Potter!"

"You should go." Tom finally spoke, "We can discuss your growing powers soon."

Magnolia's eyes shot open, a small scream escaping her as she saw her head of house of hovering over her. Professor Snape was watching her closely, squinting at her.

"Up, Miss Potter. Follow me."

With a swish of his cloak, Professor Snape turned and swooped out of the girls Dorm. Magnolia glance around the room and saw the other girls were just as confused as she was. She quickly pulled her dressing gown around her and hustled out of the Dorm after Professor Snape.

She followed him through the Castle, all the way to the Headmaster's office where she saw Fred, George and Ginny waiting with Professor McGonagall. They all looked pale and fearful; Ginny had tears in her eyes.

"What's going on?" Magnolia asked.

"We're not entirely sure… McGonagall said… she said that Harry saw our dad… that he dreamt that dad was attacked."

George could barely get through his sentence, his eyes shifting around between his siblings, Magnolia, and the Professor's stood by them. Magnolia was sure she hadn't heard George correctly- Harry had dreamt of Mr Weasley being attacked? What was going on? She followed as the Professor's led them silently up the stairs to the Headmaster's office.

As they entered, Magnolia's eyes were drawn straight to her brother. He was sat in one of the chairs facing Professor Dumbledore's desk next to Ron, scrunched into a ball like he was trying to be as small as possible.

"Harry- what's going on?" Ginny asked, her voice hitching, "Professor McGonagall says you saw Dad get hurt-"

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix. He has been taken to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries." Professor Dumbledore explained, "I am sending you back to Sirius's house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than The Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

Magnolia hadn't taken her eyes of her brother since she walked in, she was barely listening to Professor Dumbledore and the others as they discussed the plan for the group of school children. Magnolia and Harry were having a silent conversation; Magnolia needed to know how Harry could dream about Mr Weasley being hurt.

Before she knew it, Professor Dumbledore was ushering the group around a beaten kettle that sat on top of his desk. Magnolia grimaced as she stood between her brother and George. Travelling by Portkey wasn't her favourite experience. The uncomfortable feeling of her feet being thrown from the ground, and her hand being sucked towards the kettle hit her until she almost hit the floor again when they landed.

Magnolia looked around the others; George was holding her, keeping her standing, and Fred was helping Ginny stay on her feet too. Unfortunately for Harry and Ron, they had collapsed on to the cold floor. Immediately, Magnolia recognised the kitchen that they had landed in, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Back again, the blood traitor brats. Is it true their father's dying?"

"OUT!"

Sirius was running through the kitchen door towards the five children, ordering Kreacher out of the kitchen as he mumbled under his breath. Magnolia couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips as her Godfather approached her. She quickly stepped towards him, tucking herself under his arm as he cuddled her. Her entire body relaxed as Sirius dropped a comforting kiss on the top of her head.

Magnolia stayed in place with Sirius as Harry explained to the Weasley's and them what he had seen. Ron had obviously already heard the story; he flinched before Harry said the

worst bits. Magnolia couldn't help but think that he was hiding something though. The room was filled with questions once Harry finished. Fred, George, and Ginny were desperate to get to St Mungo's to see their father and argued with Sirius when he told them no; Ron still looked like he would throw up.

"Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's-"

"We don't care about the dumb Order!" Fred shouted.

"It's our dad dying we're talking about!" George yelled at the same time.

"Your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order! This is how it is- this is why you're not in the Order- you don't understand- there are things worth dying for!"

"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" Fred snapped, "I don't see you risking your neck!"

Magnolia felt Sirius tense, his arms tightened around her.

"Hey!" Magnolia barked at Fred, "That's not fair!"

"I know it's hard," Magnolia could tell Sirius was tyring hard to stay calm, "but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right?"

No one moved. Magnolia and Sirius were tense in front of the kitchen door, each staring at the twins in front of them. Sirius was waiting for the twins to move to leave, and Magnolia was waiting for a sign they would say something else to hurt her Godfather. It wasn't until Ginny slumped into one of the chairs, that the room seemed to relax.

Harry and Ron sat at the table quickly after Ginny, eventually followed by Fred and George. Magnolia gazed at the group at the table; they all looked so dejected and downtrodden, none of the, looked like they knew where they were. Sirius rubbed Magnolia's shoulder as he pushed them towards the table too, summoning drinks for the group at the same time. Everyone sat in silence, sipping at their Butterbeers.

"What are you wearing, Mags?" Harry's cold voice sounded from across the table after a few minutes, "And what the hell is going on with your hair!?"

Magnolia startled and looked down at the pyjama's she had put on the previous night, internally cringing at her choice. A few weeks ago, Magnolia and Draco had had a late night in his Dorm playing Wizarding Chess until she could barley keep her eyes open, so Draco had given her his Slytherin Quidditch shirt. Since then, Magnolia has adopted the top as her own.

"Erm, my pyjama's. Professor Snape woke me up." Magnolia half-fibbed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw George drop his head a little and Sirius look between her, George, and Harry- who looked like he didn't believe her at all. In fact, Harry looked murderous. It was then that a single golden phoenix feather appeared on the table, a piece of parchment attached. Sirius reached to grab the parchment and unrolled it quickly.

"It's from your mother, 'Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can, Mum.'"

Magnolia glanced around at the Weasley kids. She didn't like the way the note sounded, and she could tell the others were having the same thoughts. 'Still alive', it sounded like Mr Weasley might not be alive for very much longer.