I couldn't sleep at all past nine that morning, my nerves were making me too anxious. I got up and got ready, grabbing something to eat in our kitchen, then going down to the training rooms with Bella, prepping myself for that evening.

Around three, Bella was getting tired and she sat on the steps. "Let's not play this out, lovely. I'm old."

I looked down at her as I pulled my hair out of its leather strap. "You're not that old, Auntie Bells."

She smiled up at me. "You're kind. Azkaban did a number on me, though."

I touched her shoulder. "Rest, Bella. I don't want you to be too tired for tonight."

She smiled and stood up, kissing my head before going the steps and up towards her room.

I walked up to mine, and shut the door. I'd been training hard and I was sweating. I went into the bathroom and took a quick shower then went to my closet, looking for what I should wear.

I walked to the back of my closet, looking at all of the clothing that I wore when I was younger, when I practiced my sword play.

I flipped through my corsets, settling on my favorite black, strapless leather ones and a white chemise for under it. Then I flicked through my skirts, finding a long black one that was easy to move in, to fight in.

I pulled them on and flopped on my bed, pulling on my socks and boots, lacing them up quickly and jumping up, looking in my mirror and fixing myself before grabbing my robes and bolting down to the meeting room.

Father's followers filed in and stood waiting for farther instructions.

"My friends," he said, looking to each of the cloaked figures about the table, "we are about to go and purge a town of all the vile life that inhabits it."

There were mutters of approval. I looked to Draco, who was nodding and smirking. He looked nothing now- what with that malicious smirk, with his glinting, cold eyes -like the boy who who could be gentle and make love to me...

I shook my head, clearing it of such thoughts. I had to stop thinking of him like that. We were friends, he meant nothing more. He couldn't mean anything more to me.

"I want you all to remember," Father continued, "if you get caught, you are dead to me. I will not come for you. I will not come to your rescue. Depending on how liked you are amongst yourselves, however, someone else may come to your aid, but do not expect it to be me."

I swallowed hard. That seemed a little harsh, but necessary, I assumed.

"On that note," he added, "I want to make it clear that my daughter makes it back alive. If that means you give your own life for hers, so be it. You would sacrifice your own pathetic lives for me, so you shall do to her as you would do to me."

Ouch...now that was harsh...

Every member nodded and muttered in comprehension, though it didn't sound very happy. Draco's eyes flicked to me and he regarded me with torn decisiveness across his face, as if he were thinking over if I actually was worth his life.

During times when we were on speaking terms, Draco and I would owl back and forth. Not constantly of course, but occasionally. However, since the other evening in the training room, I hadn't heard a thing from him. I mean, honestly, I didn't understand what his problem was this time. I was the one who should be hurt, not that I was or anything, not him. Why was he pissed off?

Bella touched my shoulder and I started, my head whipping around and my eyes snapping up to hers. "Layla?"

"Sorry, I spaced..." I muttered, my body relaxing some. This anxiousness made me jumpy. I'd never been jumpy.

She chuckled some. "Yes, I see this." She put her arm around me. "I said you're Apparating with me."

"Oh, yeah. Sure." I nodded and took her arm as we Apparated.

God, I hated that feeling...

I landed gracefully on my feet in the middle of a field. Bella had let me go and was walking towards my father. I fell into step with Draco at the back.

I looked up at him, curious. His jaw was set, his eyes focused ahead.

"Scared?" I asked softly.

He looked down at me and sighed some, his features softening. "No. Are you?"

I smiled some and shook my head. "Not at all."

He smirked some. "Look...Don't make us save your ass, yeah?"

I giggled some and nudged him in the ribs with my elbow. "I'll be the one saving yours, Malfoy."

He chuckled and nudged me back. "Yeah, right..."

I paused and looked up at him, then leaned up and kissed him on the lips softly before breaking it and hurrying to catch my father and Bella.

After a while of walking, we reached the edge of the small hamlet. "I'll do my best, Father," I assured him.

He smiled and touched my shoulder. "I'm sure you will, Layla."

I looked at the town for a moment longer then followed my father's men into the village, starting our raid.

The raid continued most of the night. I was doing well, but getting tired. I was headed back towards my father, my area of town eliminated. I saw Draco a little bit ahead of me, fighting with a man who towered a good six inches over him, but Draco had the upper hand and was winning.

The man flew back into a large window front and lay limp. It was then that I saw three dark masses take off towards the forrest that surrounded half of the village.

My eyes narrowed and I gripped my wand. None of these bastards were getting away. Not on my watch.

I took off after them in the dark. It was hard to tell what I was tripping over. All I had was the light from their wands and the sounds of their bodies crashing through the brush to guide me. I hurried over limbs and roots, tripping and stumbling, trying to refrain from using my own wand to light my way.

I chanced my luck and shot a spell at them. It missed them just by a hair, but it alerted them to my presence with them in the woods now.

They shot spells back at me. I gave up trying to be stealthy and lit my wand, only to be bombarded with hexes and curses. I jumped out of the way, dodging and maneuvering around them tripping over roots and running into tree trunks as I did so.

I stumbled and fell, the light on my wand extinguishing. Not good.

I heard the men stop running, and heard them wondering aloud to themselves.

As quietly as I could, I got up, scanning for the light from their wands. I spotted it not 20 yards from me, and ducked behind a tree. Slowly, I reached down into my boots for one of my knives.

I gripped it tightly in one hand, and held my wand in the other. I whispered a tracking spell onto the knife and flung it at the men.

I heard one shriek, and the sound of a body fall, then running again. It wasn't getting closer to me, so I started to run again. I ran towards the spot where they'd been standing just a few seconds before and retrieved my knife that was still trying to burry itself into the guys back. The tiny hilt was slick and sticky, but I just shoved it back into my boot and took off after my prey again.

I'd lost them, but only for a few seconds. I heard them stumbling around several hundred feet from me, but I caught up.

They heard me getting closer and started to fling stunning spells at me. I put up shields and protection charms trying to keep myself from being hit, while trying to fire my own spells at the douche bags.

I wasn't quick enough, though. I brought a shield down too quickly, and lost it, allowing a stunning spell to hit me in the leg.

I felt it go numb then give out, and saw the ground rising to meet my face. I let out a cry as I hit the ground. My wand rolled a little ways away from me.

I heard them stop for the second time, then the growing sound of them approaching me.

I tried with all of my strength to get my leg to move, but nothing. "Shit!" I whispered, panicking. "Shit, shit, shit!"

The men reached me and looked down on me with evil grins. I had killed and tortured their families, their friends. Now, they would make me meet the same end.

I was panicking as I looked into the wild eyes of my torturers as they glared evilly, insanely down at me. They both raised up their wands and started to let out a flood of curses, and hexes, and Unforgivables on me.

I screamed out loud, my sobs only echoing in the blackness around me. They were going to kill me out here. And no one would ever find me...

They laughed at me, putting the Cruciatus Curse on me harder and longer. I screamed louder, sobbing. The blood in my veins had turned to fire, and it was ripping though my body, eating it, consuming it from the inside.

"F-Father!" I screamed out. Tears were running out of my eyes and down my filthy cheeks. "DADDY! DRACO! SOMEONE, PLEASE!"

My body was convulsing and shaking. They lifted it and gave me a second to breath. My hushed sobs as I lay on the ground, shaking.

They raised their wands to me and lay a second dose of it on me. I screamed out, but it was over in seconds. I opened my eyes and the two men were knocked backwards off of their feet. I stared. There was no way that was from me...

Draco stood over me, wand pointed at where the two now-stunned men had previously stood.

"Dray..." I breathed out.

He leaned down and helped me up, slipping his arm around my back, holding me up. I collapsed back into his hold, closing my eyes for a moment. Thank Merlin...

"Together?" he said softly into my ear.

I nodded, still trying to breath properly. Draco and I raised our wands, fixing them on the two men, my two attackers.

"Avada Kendavra!" we both yelled, and I watched as the green burst hit them square in the chest, and the light of life left their wide, terrified eyes.

My good leg gave out and I fell hard against Draco. It was over. Finally...

Draco put my arm around him and helped me walk back to the others. My leg was still numb and tingling as he practically carried me back to my father.

As he carried me up the hill, I saw my father standing with Bella and a few others. "Layla!" Bella cried running to me.

"I'm fine, Bells..." I said softly as she sat me down on a stump. "It was just a stunning spell..."

Father looked me over, and as if determining I was okay, he turned to Draco. "You saved her?"

"I-"

"I didn't need it!" I said defensively before Draco could make me look like a fool in front of my father. "I had it under control!"

Father shot me a look that told me to shut my mouth and I dropped my gaze back to Bella as she was muttering different things, trying to find the right counter-curse. His gaze turned back to Draco, waiting for an answer.

"It was nothing, My Lord, honest. She looked like she needed assistance, and I was close by..."

I slowly looked back up at him. He had been no where near me...Why was he lying about it? This was his perfect chance to get back at me...

Father nodded and looked at me, somehow knowing what Draco and I were saying wasn't true. "Draco, you can go home. Get back to your mother..."

Draco nodded and looked at me before making a Portkey and going home.

Bella prodded my leg with her wand and I inhaled sharply. "Ouch!"

"Sorry, love..." she said, kissing my head and standing up. "It's fixed though."

I wiggled my toes some. Yup, it was good again.

I stayed sitting down on my stump as Bella walked away, letting Father and I have a moment by ourselves. I could feel his gaze on me, but I wouldn't meet his eyes. I'd failed him...

"Layla," came his voice, it wasn't harsh, though. "Look at me, my child."

I forced myself to look up at him and I fell to my knees. "I'm so sorry...Father, I'm so sorry..."

He blinked, confusion flickering across his face. "Why are you apologizing to me, my daughter?"

"I needed to be saved," I said quietly.

He laughed, but not unkindly so, and held out his hand to me. "Dear girl, you are my best and most valued fighter! You killed more than even my best men!"

"Still," I said, as I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet to stand beside him. "I should have been able to hold my own...I shouldn't have needed Malfoy's help..."

He put his hand under my chin and made me look at him. "That will come with time. Even Bella needed saving a fair few times before she became the accomplished woman that she is today..."

"I still feel like I've failed you, like I'm the black spot under your name..."

"My darling girl...I am proud of you. You only made a mistake... You need to train harder."

"Yes...of course, Father," I muttered.

He kissed my forehead. "Come, let us go home and rest."

I nodded took Bella's arm, going home with them.

I went up to my room and collapsed onto my bed with a sigh.

"How'd it gooo?" Bo said, slithering up to lay beside me.

"Alright, I guess..."

"Alright? Well, you're alive still, so you must have done something right..."

I smiled and stroked his head. "Yes, you're right...Goodnight, BoBo..."

"Don't call me that," he hissed softly as I drifted off, exhausted.