Disclaimer: I do not own HP characters or objects ect.
Narcissa walked into the dining room, and went a very deep shade of red. She could see Jane hugging Lucius, who was smiling slightly. Narcissa slammed the door of the dining room, to let her presence be known, only for them both to look at her with smirks and smiles on their faces.
"What is going on?" she demanded.
"Jane, tell her," ordered Lucius.
"I'm asking you, Lucius!" snapped Narcissa, her tone filled with accusation.
"Very well, I've decided that Jane is to marry..." he began.
"How could you? I should have seen this, as soon as she reached seventeen, I knew you wouldn't be able to help yourself!" shouted Narcissa.
Lucius and Jane looked at each other, with confused expressions. Finally they both looked taken aback, Jane covered her mouth with her hand, and Lucius shook his head in despair.
"You stupid woman! Let me finish! I've decided that Jane is to marry Marcus Flint, because that's what she wants, and what kind of guardian would I be if I didn't let her follow her heart?" asked Lucius.
"Mrs. Malfoy, I'm so sorry you thought that I would...not that I'm saying..." began Jane.
By this point, Narcissa had gone a very interesting shade of pink, and hid her face in her hands for a few moments, muffling some of her speech.
"No, I'm the sorry one, I really shouldn't have jumped to that conclusion...what you must both think of me, I dread to imagine. Jane, I should have known you better, than to do...even think that. Jane I am so sorry and I really do congratulate you on your engagement to Marcus," she said.
Lucius remained shaking his head at her, luckily Jane was in the mood to laugh the whole experience out of her mind. Marcus was invited to dinner at Malfoy Manor, Draco had only recently heard about his mother's mistake, and the news that Marcus, would also be like part of the family, and couldn't control his hysteria or comments that he made.
"I can't believe she did that! Father, stupidly loves her...as for you, marrying our quiddich captain of how many years? You're mad, totally insane...but I hope it lasts and yes, I'll behave myself...until you get bonded then I'll do what I like," said Draco.
"Please do, because I think I'll be leaving here, when we do marry," said Jane.
"Don't push your luck Jane, secretly I don't think Father's happy about it. I heard you used emotional blackmail," said Draco.
"No I did not!" argued Jane.
"No? So you didn't tell my father, that he was just like a father, to you?" he asked.
"That's because, he's a man, who has looked after me, since my parents died, what does one call a male figure, who looks after them? Oh yes, a father!" cried Jane.
The door-bell rang and Jane, practically flew to the door, and into the arms of her future husband, Marcus, who looked quite surprised, at the change in her. However it didn't stop him kissing her, until he noticed Lucius behind them.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy," he said.
"Marcus Flint, come in lad, come in," ordered Lucius.
Marcus did as ordered, then muttered to Jane.
"Tell me he's not going to kill me,"
"No he is not, he's welcoming you to the family," replied Jane.
Marcus looked, if possible, more nervous than when the door first opened. Jane took his hand and led him to the dining room. Even she didn't expect the silver service, Marcus looked panicked, Jane looked at Lucius and Draco, both wearing identical smirks, until they started snickering.
"Oh very funny! Everyone loves a wise man! Get rid of it and give us a break," ordered Jane.
Lucius lent on a chair as he stood, before deciding to sit down, with his son and wife, who shook her head at both of the men in her life.
"Take no notice of them! Both as immature as each other," she said.
"I'm immature? 'How could you?' does that sound familiar, dear?" asked Lucius.
The Malfoys, Jane and Marcus, overall were having a pleasant afternoon, Marcus finally relaxed, talking Quiddich with the men of the house, as Jane and Narcissa, discussed wedding plans, dates and the future. They had retired to the sitting room, still talking with each other, like any other family get-together, until a loud crack was heard. Lucius and Narcissa got to their feet, Jane and Marcus followed suit. Lord Voldemort had joined them, and he glared at the young Malfoy boy, aware that he wasn't an adult. Lucius didn't look away from his master, as he spoke to his son.
"Draco, go upstairs," he ordered.
Draco was stunned to the spot where he was, he was shocked, at Voldemort's lack of manners, more than anything. His father saw Voldemort get impatient.
"Now!" Bellowed Lucius.
Draco finally came to his senses and bolted up the stairs. Voldemort, looked around the house, his attention finally landed on Jane and Marcus. He raised an eyebrow, calculating how it was, that Jane had brilliant, brown hair, where as the Malfoys were all blonde's.
"I had no idea, there was two, Lucius. Is there something you wish to confess?" asked Voldemort.
"Jane isn't my daughter. She's from the Gibbs family, my lord, I promised her house room, if anything happened to them. I'm her guardian," replied Lucius.
Voldemort smirked more. He turned fully to Jane and Marcus, who was no longer at ease in the Malfoy home. Voldemort got closer and closer to Jane, who knew if any other man, acted the way he did, Marcus would have taught him a lesson.
"The daughter, of Roman and Layla Gibbs, still alive, a Slytherin and ever so grown up. A credit to their memory, tell me what is your relationship to this gentleman?" asked Voldemort.
He was referring to Marcus, who was tempted to answer for himself, but for the fact that when Lucius, asked about Jane, she had kept totally silent.
"Marcus, is my future husband," she replied.
"Really? How is it you two know each other? Marcus?" asked Voldemort.
"I was a Slytherin at Hogwarts also, Quiddich Captain, Jane is still the keeper," replied Marcus.
"You look seventeen to me," added Voldemort.
"I was born in September. I'm eighteen not long after I arrive back at Hogwarts, for my last year," added Jane.
Voldemort turned his head in thought, away from Jane and Marcus. Lucius nodded at her briefly, to let her know she had done well, Voldemort turned back to them.
"Pity, you're almost done with your education, yet it would be a waste of your last year, and I do owe your parents' memory, dying for me and giving you up...Oh you didn't think of it like that?" asked Voldemort.
Jane stayed silent. Lucius turned from Voldemort, to Jane, silently begging her, to respond to their master. Jane seemed content with looking at the floor, Voldemort raised an eyebrow and continued with his point.
"Take Lucius, lied and lied, in order to keep him and his wife, out of Azkaban, in doing so they have been able to raise their son, same for many of my other followers, but not your parents, no they chose their loyalty to me, over their only child," he said.
Marcus thought his future bride, had turned into a zombie. Jane remained still and silent. Voldemort smirked at the effect he had had, and looked at Lucius.
"I hope I didn't spoil the celebrations. Now, I have a world to get back. We'll meet again Jane, Marcus," added Voldemort.
He was gone. Lucius and Narcissa relaxed into a concerned state, over Jane, who held up her hands in defence, from any body's comforting embrace.
"Jane..." began Marcus.
"I'm leaving," she said.
"Jane!" began Lucius.
"I can't have that man, blackening the feeling I have towards my dead parents. He's getting no respect from me, jumping to how my parents felt, why they did what they did, he can do as he pleases, but accuse my parents of abandoning me, is something I will not be put through, every time he calls me to him," she said.
"What are you saying?" asked Narcissa.
"Thank you, for everything, but I can't serve him," replied Jane.
Lucius' eyes flashed with anger and disappointment. Jane felt torn, but at the same time, knew that Sasha had been right, she couldn't risk her life, on a promise to him.
"You, promised me..." began Lucius.
"Lucius..." began Jane.
"You promised me! You promised me your loyalty, after all I have done for you. You say you can't serve him for how he is? You just proved yourself as cold as he is!" shouted Lucius.
"Lucius, I will always be in your debt after all you have done for me, but I can't become a death-eater. It isn't me, and I don't think that it's Marcus either...no don't blame him, please. I would refuse you nothing else, but a lifetime of service to the dark lord," argued Jane.
Lucius, was trying to keep his temper, Marcus stayed silent, but wrapped his hand around Jane's. She continued to look at Lucius, with desperation. Lucius noticed this, and knew that despite what she had decided, in her own way, still loved him as her guardian.
"I don't know what to do with you Jane. If you stay and refuse service, you'll die and if you go and refuse service..." he began.
"You will die. Marcus...I end this engagement, because that is all it will ever be," added Jane.
Marcus let go of Jane's hand, and looked shocked.
"What?" he asked.
"I won't let this family take the blame, for my decision," replied Jane.
"You're willing to die, for them?" he asked.
"Yes, which means I have to..." began Jane.
"Tomorrow!" cried Marcus.
"What?" asked Jane.
"We, get married tomorrow, we don't have to end this," replied Marcus.
"Yes we do..." began Jane.
"No! Listen to me! I respect your decision, I have no choice, I've never been able to stop you doing anything, but I'd rather loose a wife, than an ex-bride-to-be," he said.
Marcus wiped a tear from Jane's face. She began to nod in agreement, Lucius sighed and Narcissa clutched at her heart, moved by the fact that the young witch was prepared to die for her family. Lucius put his arm around his wife's waist, as Jane and Marcus held each other, with silent tears running down each face.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Jane kissed Marcus goodbye on platform nine and three-quarters, wedding ring, shining on her finger in the sun. Sasha waited for her a few yards away, when she'd done, Jane ran over to her and instantly showed her friend, the ring on her finger. Sasha was speechless, but managed to mouth what looked like, many interesting swear words, hugged her friend and took her to a seat on the train.
"Eventful summer was it?" asked Sasha.
"Something like that," replied Jane.
Jane, made up her mind, right there and then, not to tell Sasha, what would probably happen to her, in order to keep the Malfoy's safe.
"So, teachers will be referring to you as Mrs. Flint! This I have to see and hear with my own ears, especially from my dad, oh and the new defence teacher, he hates already as she's from the ministry and well, you've read the papers and it's theory. Honestly, you should hear what some of the Hufflepuffs think, the main one being that Potter killed Diggory," said Sasha.
"And they're going to win the house cup! I don't think so. Where do they think of these things? House full of idiots," said Jane.
"What about us? Do you think we'll win?" asked Sasha.
"If we have a decent Captain, well I didn't get the badge in the post..." began Jane.
The rest of the Slytherin team appeared, they all checked each other's robes and found that none of them had the badge. Jane finished squinting and the last of her team-mates, who muttered apologies and left her and Sasha.
"Neither did anyone else, don't ask me what he's playing at, because he's been all over the sodding place. You should have heard him. Going to a house in London, I'm quite welcome to come if I can be nice and helpful. As if, I thought he knew me better," said Sasha.
"You should have gone. Could have been that infamous Order that he was going to," said Jane.
"That reminds me, are you still staying with the Malfoys?" asked Sasha.
"Yes I am, they've welcomed Marcus into the family. That's that," replied Jane.
"And your promise?" asked Sasha.
"I'm still keeping them safe," replied Jane.
"I had thought that maybe Marcus would convince you," said Sasha.
"Marcus, knows what to expect. He knows what's going on," said Jane.
"Lucky him," said Sasha.
Jane sat at the Slytherin table for her last start of term feast. She looked up at the staff table and raised an eyebrow, before lowering her head.
"Spot the new teacher, who sticks out like a sore thumb," she said.
Sasha looked up and laughed.
"Brilliant. It's my last year. I'm going to be good for everyone else, but her. Because then, she'll leave, my dad gets the job and he might smile!" she cried.
"Go and sit with Hufflepuffs and make a badge that says, 'Potter killed Diggory'," added Jane.
"Alright, forget the part where my father smiles," added Sasha.
"And the part where you're good for every teacher, including McGonagall, and get rid of a teacher, therefore, forget the whole thing," suggested Jane.
Sasha rolled her eyes. Meanwhile Professor Snape, walked towards his daughter and her friend, he stopped at the side of them. Jane turned to him instantly.
"You're to be congratulated, see me after the feast," he ordered.
"Yes sir...a whole five minutes into the new term. I'm getting there don't you think?" asked Jane, when Professor Snape had left.
Jane and Sasha, almost fell asleep during Professor Umbridge's speech. To begin with it was amusing, because it went against everything the school stood for, and they were watching the teacher's expressions. However when she had been talking for over ten minutes, the cycle of boredom began, staring at the ceiling, watching the candles, playing with the cutlery and finally resting their heads in their hands, until their elbows slipped off the table and the room filled with forced, polite applause.
"Is she done now? Even I thought that was a load of bull," said Sasha.
"Well she's done, the first years are off and I'm due in the office of the head of Slytherin," said Jane.
"Ah, Mrs. Flint, sit...now tell me, do you think it wise..." mocked Sasha.
Jane laughed and went on her way. Professor Snape had left minutes before, Jane imagined part way through the terrible speech, and didn't blame him. As ever she knocked on the office door, it opened, she went in, and sat in the chair opposite Professor Snape.
"A few weeks ago, you promised your life to a young man, before that, you decided to cut short that life. Mrs. Flint if you didn't want to marry him, you should have just come clean!" he snapped, sarcastically.
Jane fought the urge to roll her eyes. Instead she smiled politely at her teacher before she argued her case before him.
"There is nothing in the world, I'd rather do, than spend many happy years as a wife. However, I will not see three people killed for my decision. One life or three, there is no other way, especially as I am in a wizard debt to the head of the household. It wasn't always my plan, I wanted to get on with it, serve the dark lord in order to keep the Malfoys alive, but after one encounter, I knew that wouldn't be possible. My parents might have been great servants, but I'm not them, I don't even carry their name anymore," she said.
Professor Snape, glared at the young witch.
"Why? You know full well there's another way to save you and your family..." he began.
"Oh and Lucius, would accept Professor Dumbledore's help would he? Even if I too sought his protection and that of my husbands, how long would we be in hiding before we were all found and killed?" asked Jane.
"Why will you not sever ties with that family?" asked Professor Snape.
"Because I won't have blood on my hands, of the people who gave me a home for the last seven years, and got me out of care. You can tell the headmaster, the Flint family, remain a part of the Malfoy family, until death," replied Jane.
"You told me yourself, just now,"
Jane turned to the man himself. Unlike other students, Jane did not fear him, because she had no real respect for him. Professor Dumbledore, picked up on this.
"When you first came to Hogwarts, you were a strange one. I was concerned when you went to Slytherin, and seemed distant from the others, however I was glad when you found friendship with Sasha Snape. You then went through Hogwarts, the same almost every year, defending Sasha, and yourself strongly if anyone so much as mentioned, your late parents. I started to worry, when you refused every male, who paid you attention, I thought it had happened again, a person from a care-home, unable to love. Finally, last year, I was so happy for you, when Severus reported you're actions with Marcus Flint, now the news of your marriage, I felt that I was wrong, stopping Lucius, keeping his word. I'd have never expected him, to pay you any real attention, but he must have, in order for you, to make the decision that you have. However, it wouldn't hurt, to put a little suggestion in your guardian's ear, would it?" he asked.
"Lucius is his own man, if he wants your help, he'll ask for it. Excuse me, I have things to unpack, and my husband to write to," replied Jane.
Again she walked away from one of the most feared wizards, without a flicker of emotion. Professor Dumbledore shook his head in despair.
"You Slytherins, always so bloody stubborn!" he cried.
