Ch 16 (Edited 8/8/15)

Away from London, one other student was absent from Hogwarts that night besides the dozen off to fight at the Ministry. A pale youth, his white-blonde hair blowing in the wind while flying on his prized Nimbus 2001, flew as fast as his broom would allow across lower Scotland and England until he finally sighted his destination, a manor that he knew as well as his own. The manor was nearly identical to his home, built in the style of the time, and rested on a hill that often saw rain but also sported a marvelous view of the English countryside. Malfoy Manor was even visible in the distance.

When Draco Malfoy sighted the Braddock estate he pushed his broom to go even faster. He needed to warn the Order of the trap. Even though it was a secret organization, he had eavesdropped on Weasely and Granger talking about it when he hid in one of his secret alcoves, and he learned that Rose's parents were part of it. He hadn't known how he could use the information to his advantage at the time, but now he was so grateful that he had it. In his mind he may be the only thing standing in the way of Rose's life and her death by his own father or aunt.

He finally touched down in the courtyard of the Braddock Family Estate and rushed to the door, pounding frantically on it. He hoped from the bottom of his heart that someone was home. An eternity had passed before anyone answered the door. Finally, the door opened a crack and Draco Malfoy looked down, seeing no one at eye level on the other side.

Mazis, the old house elf who had served the Braddock's for generations, opened the door more when she recognized the youth outside. "Draco Malfoy, what brings you here?" Mazis may not have been educated, but she did know that the school-year had another month or so before the students were let out for the summer.

Draco wasted no time. "I need to speak with Mr. Hawthorn right away. Rose's life depends on it." No sooner had Draco uttered those words then the house elf pulled him inside and disappeared, searching for the master of the house.

Draco sat in a chair in the foyer and wrung his hands anxiously, playing the ten second scene with Rose in the Headmistress's office over and over in his jumbled head while waiting for her father. "You... you are heartless, Draco Malfoy... and a coward." He winced as he replayed what she'd told him for the hundredth time, sobbing the words as she tried to contain all of the emotions coursing through her. He was startled by how hard seeing her cry had hit him. The words she'd sobbed before she left bit far deeper than the slap he'd received the month before. Her words plainly revealed to him exactly what she thought he was, and what she had pointed out was exactly what he did not want to be.

He did not want to be a coward; cowards run in the face of danger and always try to save their own skins before others. He wasn't like that, he knew that he wasn't; and he was far from heartless. He loved his mother more than almost anything, and loved his father nearly as, but now Draco's trust in him was waning since he was putting his son's friend in grave danger.

Thinking it over, he slowly began to see the painful truth: Rose was right. He had run from every confrontation in one way or another, deciding to save himself from personal or emotional trauma instead of doing what was right, and he had never lent a finger to someone else if it did not directly and greatly benefit him. He also realized that he truly was heartless. Granted, he did love his parents, but he now saw that he cared not for the feelings of others and felt that his presence alone should rectify even the most severe of grievances.

He now understood why Rose had acted the way she had over the entire school year. It truly was his fault when he had insulted her on the train. Treating her friendship and loyalty as eternal, he'd abused it; thinking that no matter what he did to her she would always stay by his side. He was realizing that that wasn't true. She was blooming into a strong, brave, independent young woman right before his eyes who deserved to be treated far better than he had been treating her. She was growing into her name; a beautiful rose that had its share of thorns. She'd had the courage to forgive him while on the train back to Hogwarts from Christmas break, and he had betrayed her, thrown her forgiveness away like refuse. She was every bit the brave, compassionate Gryfindor the Sorting Hat had told her she was, and he was every bit a selfish, cowardly Slytherin. She'd run from him in the Headmistress's office and left something behind besides a few tears; her trust in him.

He had digested this revelation while trying to get out of Hogwarts undetected and then fly to the Braddock Manor, but it was only now while he waited for one of the only Order members that he knew and could save her that he realized the most important thing. How could he have done that to her?

After all that time, he finally admitted that he was the one at fault all along, even all the way back to when the Golden Trio began to take her away from him in their third year. The Golden Trio, no matter how much he disliked the lot of them, treated her the way she deserved, whereas he increasingly had failed to do so. It was all his fault, and because he had refused to come to grips with his own arrogance he had lost her trust to the point where if he had thrown aside his arrogance and thought to warn her of the trap that he was sure she'd fallen into by now, she wouldn't have believed him.

Just as Draco was thinking this over, Hawthorn Braddock entered the room with Emma in toe. "Draco, what's happened to Rosie? You said her life is in danger."

Draco plucked up courage that he didn't know that he had to speak to them. It would have been so much easier to leave and go on with life as usual, but he decided that he wanted to change, if not for himself then for her, and he had to start somewhere. "Rose... and the rest... of her friends... are walking into a trap at the Ministry. The Dark Lord is tricking Potter into getting something for him. I don't know what." He felt it wisest to keep out the fact his father and aunt were there to force Potter to do the Dark Lord's bidding. He knew that his father and Hawthorn were very close, and he knew that his aunt had some sort of history with the Braddocks based off of what he'd gleaned from various conversations. He didn't want the parents of the girl who had once been his best friend to do anything rash or reckless and possibly put her in more danger.

It puzzled him that he was suddenly worrying so much about her. She had slapped him for crying out loud, made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with and felt betrayed by him, and yet he was walking from the frying pan into the fire to rescue her. Perhaps he wanted to show her that he could be better. Perhaps he just wanted to finally help his old friend in her hour of need as he'd failed to do so many times. He didn't know, but he decided that it wasn't important whether he knew or not, he just needed to get to Rose before his aunt did.

Breaking Draco out of his thoughts, Emma Braddock gasped, shocked that her daughter was one moment safe at school and the next have her life hang in the balance. "A... a trap? We... we have to alert the Order." She finally forced out after she got her brain to once again work right.

Before the Braddocks could apparate out of their lavish estate leaving Draco hanging he asked, "May I come with you? I need to make up for what I've done to Rose." The request hung in the air as the adults deliberated. They decided to grant his request, but were suspicious of his sudden change of character. They even began to wonder if there was something else going on between their daughter and her childhood friend. They had only known boys to act this way when they really cared about a girl; more than just a casual friendship.

By way of Sidealong-Appartition they headed to the Order. Draco tagged along with Hawthorn while Emma left moments earlier to make sure that Draco never found out where Headquarters was located. She cast a spell to completely black out the windows of the house, making seeing what was outside impossible.

The red-haired man and the blonde youth appeared in the center of the meeting room of the Order. The members in the meeting including Albus Dumbledore, explaining where he'd gone after his disappearing act, froze. Sensitive conversations ended mid word. Molly Weasely dropped the bowls that she was cleaning up, ceramic shattering on the floor and spraying the shoes of those members unfortunate enough to be standing or sitting near her.

Draco felt the atmosphere of the room grow heavy as the feeling of being unwelcome hung in the air. He didn't like it.

"Emma..." Molly breathed, believing that her sister had betrayed the Order purposefully.

Draco, seeing that a disastrous confrontation was eminent if he didn't do something about it, shouted uncharacteristically, "Rose is in danger."

A small number of at the table gasped quietly, including Rose's Godfather. He stood up, thinking, while Molly looked away from her sister and to Hawthorn, refusing to look towards Draco – believing that he could not be trusted. "Is it true?"

Again, Draco spoke up, realizing that he'd forgotten to mention a vital piece of the puzzle. "They're falling into a trap at the Ministry. They believe that the Dark Lord has kidnapped Sirius Black."

"Harry." Breathed the man whom the D.A. were trying in vain to save. It was clear to Draco that Sirius would do anything for his godson, and hopefully Rose by association.

Draco knew that a substantial number of Death-Eaters were, and probably had by this point, ambushing the students, and he knew that he could never fight them off alone. He needed the help of the most unlikely of allies. There was no one whom he knew would believe him or help him save the He had to convince the Order to believe him, or Rose would die. "Don't you understand? If we don't go there now they're going to kill h... them." He sounded like a desperate man, but tried to keep his concern for just Rose out of it. He knew that he needed to learn to care about people other than himself or his friends.

The Order listened to his explanation. Not all of them were immediately won over by the blonde. "How do you know of this 'trap'?" Asked Tonks, showing her distrust of her cousin.

"I eavesdropped on a conversation over Christmas. I'll tell you the particulars later if you really want an explanation but we need to get there now." He pushed. The clock was ticking for his old friend, and all of this dawdling was potentially shortening her lifespan. He knew that his aunt would have no sympathy for Rose even though she was, or at least had been, Draco's friend.

The Order brought Hawthorn and Emma into the room and pushed Draco out into the sitting room, apparently debating what he had told them. He sat on the couch and once again occupied his mind with thoughts of Rose Braddock and his foolish betrayal. They would sting him like angry hornets for months if he couldn't see Rose again and explain things to her.

He sighted the piano and imagined her playing the Swan Lake Suite – her favorite piece – or maybe Claire de lune, another one of her favorites. She played the piano beautifully, and wished to also learn the violin and the harp at some point in her life. He loved to listen to her play, and the piano in his house had often felt the touch of her soft fingers. Draco sighed somberly at the irony; even if they got to her in time, he doubted that he would ever hear her play again.

His Head of House appeared after Draco had grown anxious at the amount of time it was taking for the Order to decide to act. He pulled Draco aside and offered him a proposition thought up by the Order to occupy him while the Order convened When everything was taken care of, Draco held onto Snape's arm and they apparated to Ministry; not a moment too soon.

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I watched Harry mull over all of his options and eye Mr. Malfoy's outstretched hand warily. Several of the Death-Eaters tightened their grips on their captives to try and sway Harry to decided in their favor. I silently wished that Harry would keep the orb out of Lucius's hands, but I knew that was folly. Harry would do anything, including handing a highly prized prophecy over to his nemesis, to save his friends.

"The clock is ticking Mr. Potter." Mr. Malfoy reminded Harry. Reluctantly, Harry lifted the hand that held the Prophecy and gently laid the orb in the outstretched hand of his rival's father. Lucius closed his eyes and sighed with satisfaction, seemingly trying to listen to the words of the Prophecy. The Death-Eaters who held us captive made no move to release us, and I knew that they would sooner kill us all before they would let us go.

Suddenly, a strange white light appeared directly in front of Lucius so bright that it momentarily blinded me. I had to turn away as much as I was able and close my eyes to shield them. When I reopened my eyes after the piercing light faded, the real Sirius Black was standing in front of Lucius Malfoy. "Step away from my Godson." He said calmly, giving the elder Malfoy a well-deserved punch in the face – like father like son, I supposed. Watching as other lights materialized in the room, I saw that one in particular whizzed around the room like a runaway yo-yo, dispelling the Death-Eaters that surrounded us.

Other members of the Order appeared as the lights faded and a barrage of spells shot across the room, illuminating it with an ever-changing rainbow of magic. After a minute of watching the lights appear and spells aimlessly fly across the room, I finally saw who it was who freed us from the Death-Eater's grip; my mother appeared from the orbiting light and instantly fought Bellatrix to protect me and avenge my sister after all these years. Never underestimate a mother bear when her cub's in danger.

I pulled away from the wall I was pressed against and shot a spell toward Bellatrix to give my mother a helping hand. Immediately afterward I ducked behind one of the few boulders that gave sufficient cover as a curse was cast my way. It exploded against the rock in a shower of silver sparks. I shot a retaliatory hex over the rock in the general direction of the spell-caster before I ran out from behind my cover to afford myself a better shot at Bellatrix.

Unfortunately before I could send my hex I saw that another curse, this one the bright green shade of the Killing Curse, was sailing straight toward me as I stood in the open. I froze in an instant, terror locking me in place as it always did, knowing that my body's involuntary reaction was spelling the end for me. Even if I tried there was no way that I could move under my own power, and I was about to die. I didn't know who cast it, I didn't know if it was even meant for me, but I knew that in two seconds I was going to die and there wasn't a darn thing I could do about it.

Suddenly, something grabbed my arm and pulled me behind another big rock. The curse I had been powerless to avoid of my own volition whizzed a hairsbreadth past my ear. I turned to find out who my savior was and thank him or her but froze for the second time in two seconds, unable to think, to act, barely able to internalize that the person who had just saved my life was the boy who had betrayed me so many times in just one year. When I figured out how to work my tongue my words were broken, rushed and I was confused, but my voice was laced with venom. "You...Order...What...How...Why?"

Draco was obviously taken aback. He was probably thinking, I'm saving your life and you talk to me like that? I glowered at him, waiting for a worthy answer. Aggravatingly he replied, "I'll explain later. I have to get you out of here first."

I lowered my eyebrows at him. His answer wasn't even in the ball park of good enough, and certainly not good enough to make me take his lead. "No, Draco, I'm not going anywhere, and certainly not with you." I snapped back defiantly, raising my head to see over the rock to send out a quick hex before he pulled me back down to safety.

"Stop being stubborn Rose." Draco chastised me, trying to pull me out of the fray for, presumably, my own safety. He was crazy if he thought that I would let my parents fight alone.

"No." I shot at him, pulling away and jumping out from behind the rock and out of Draco's reach. I saw that my mother had since given up on Bellatrix, owing to the fact that she was nowhere to be found at the moment, and had joined my father as he dueled his oldest friend.

"Lucius you traitor! You endangered my daughter. You promised me that you'd protect her!" My father bellowed as he shot curse after curse at the man whom he'd known since childhood. They were dueling right in front of the veil, throwing spells back and forth and dodging them equally.

"Promises were made to be broken, Hawthorn! She wasn't supposed to be here!" Lucius shot back, sending an Imperius towards my father. He dodged and sent a Stupify toward Lucius. My father's spell hit its mark and Lucius flew back and landed hard on the slope, incapacitated.

As I watched my savior's father spin through the air, out of the corner of my eye I saw the missing witch show up on a boulder and before I could scream "Mom, Dad, watch out!" she thrust her wand towards them and shouted "Avada Kadavra!" with deadly accuracy. Her wand was angled in such a way that the deadly streak of green light shot across the room and hit them as my father defended my mother. Their eyes widened in shock as the curse hit them, and they looked towards me one last time before they tumbled backwards into the veil, their hands linked, and evaporated into nothingness. I stopped, aghast at what I'd just witnessed. The witch who had killed my sister over a decade ago had just ripped my beloved parents away from me too. Because of her, my parents were now lost to me forever.

"No!" I screamed too late. I was always too late. As the monster cackled triumphantly and retreated into the shadows, I writhed in fury and pain as Draco held onto me, keeping me from chasing after the witch who made had orphans out of me and my siblings.

My gift broke free of me, my intense emotions giving it fuel. It broke from me in a wave, flooding the room at blazing speed. Everyone besides Harry crashed to the ground, members of the Order, Dumbledore's Army, and Death-Eaters alike. Draco grunted as the shock wave shot through him but did not collapse with the others. Whether that was due to his own will-power or his holding onto me I couldn't be sure. Now everyone knew about my gift; not good.

I didn't feel the drain that I usually felt when my gift was released. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that this was driven by extreme pain. Bellatrix cackled in the shadows, triumphant. My vision turned red and I leapt up, clawing myself out of Draco's grasp to avenge my parents. I chased after the witch, throwing a barrage of spells that I'd never dared t use. She dodged them all and cackled as she did. I pushed myself harder, ferociously chasing after her. I sent a Crucio her way, charged with all of the fury and pain contained inside me. She couldn't dodge this one and fell to the ground whimpering.

I caught up to the downed witch and pointed my wand at her head, a far darker curse on my tongue. My parents would be avenged, even if I destroyed myself in the process.

"That's not fair." I heard a man say in front of me. I gasped as I looked up and Bellatrix looked behind her, grinning maniacally.

"You..." I forced out, pointing my wand at Voldemort, the hazel stick shaking in my grasp.

"She is not for you to kill." he told me. "You are just in the way." He raised his bone colored wand at me, and I froze in fear once again, like I always did.

"Rosy!"

"Rose!"

I was knocked out of the way as the curse shot past me and shattered the window panes. Draco kept me pinned to the ground as Harry engaged Voldemort. If I'd had more energy I would have protested, but with the adrenaline finally wearing off, I felt the full drain of magic from my gift and passed out cold.