My vision is blurry. Voices are muffled around me, but I can't seem to make out what they are saying. I shift, and fire spreads along the left side of my rib-cage.

I let out a hiss of pain, and the voices around me fall silent. I open my eyes to see faces all looking down at me.
"Ok, guys, give me some room."
They all smile, and I try to sit up. Which was a very bad idea.
"Stay still. Madam Pomfrey said that you shouldn't move."
"What happened?" That's when I remember Marlene. "Where's Marlene? Is she ok?"

They all look at each other nervously, and an unspoken agreement seems to pass.
"They took her. But don't worry," Remus says, obviously seeing the look of horror on my face. "We're going to get her back. Alastor and the others are already out looking."

I laugh, but not out of happiness. I shake my head, still laughing to myself when I say, "We're not getting her back. If he's got her, she's as good as dead."

"You don't mean that. Look, you're freaked out about what happened, but we will find her. We have to stay positive!"

I don't tell them that it's a lost cause. They won't listen. Marlene's gone. She's not coming back.
I tell everyone that I want to be alone, and they leave. Only then I allow myself to cry. I cry for Marlene, who is probably getting tourtured if she's not already dead.

I cry for the innocent lives lost in this never-ending war.

I cry for myself, wondering how stress free my life would have been if I'd never moved to Hogwarts.

-x-

I've been bed-ridden for a week.

The only times I've been allowed to get out of bed is when Madam Pomfrey comes to check on me and when I need to use the restroom. But I've not been left alone once.

One night, when I am bored, I sneak downstairs to the kitchen. I'm searching for a snack when I hear voices from the sitting room. Curious, I press my ear up against the door.

"Any news, Alastor?"
"None. They've gone into hiding. No sign of the girl either."

No sign of the girl either.

They're talking about Marlene. This news doesn't shock me. I knew she was dead the moment they told me she was missing.

"We need to take action, Albus!"
"In time, we will. For now, we need to create a plan."
"There's no time! If we want to catch them, we have to act now!"

"What are you doing?"
For a moment, I thought that someone had spoke from the sitting room, until I realised that the voice came from behind me.

Spinning round so fast I give myself a headache, I see that it's Benjy Fenwick, a member of the Order.
"What are you doing?" He repeats.
"Listening." I cross my arms infront of me, daring him to continue.
"You shouldn't."

"Shouldn't what?"
"Listen."
"Why?"
He sits down on the chair at the table, shaking his head. "It's a private conversation. Would you like it if someone listened to your private conversation?"
Reluctantly, I shake my head.

He beams at me, delighted that he has won this war. The only one we will win.
"So, I heard that you got attacked by a bunch of death eaters."
"You heard right."

He looks at me a moment, as if he is assessing me.
"What?" I say. Even I hear the harshness in my voice.
"You've changed. You're more..angry."
"Of course I'm angry! I've been attacked, Marlene is missing and I have you here interrogating me!"

"I'm not interrogating you. I'm stating the facts."
Deep down I know he's right. It's not his fault I'm cranky.
I sigh and sit down opposite him.

"I'm sorry, Benjy. It's just with everything going on..." I trail off, looking at the table.
"It's ok, Aria. Alot has been going on recently."
I look up at him, and he is smiling. I smile back.

"So, what made you want to join the Order?" I ask, genuinely interested.
He thinks for a moment, then replies, "I guess I just want to give people a chance to live."

-x-

For the remainder of the week, everyone formualtes a plan to get Marlene back. Without me.

"I want to be involved! It's my fault she was taken!"
Sirius gently pulls me down onto the bed, careful of my still bruised ribs.
"It's not your fault," he says softly. "we should never have split up in the first place. If we'd have stayed together, then this might not have happened."

"I can't help but blame myself. If I hadn't have left her, maybe she wouldn't have been taken."
"Or both of you would have been taken, and I wouldn't have been able to live with that."

"I wish it was me who was taken..." I whisper, hoping he wouldn't hear what I just said. But he did.
Sirius drops to his knees infront of me and takes both of my hands in his.
"You listen to me, Aria Haynes, don't you ever say that again. Did you hear what I said? If you were taken, I wouldn't have been able to live with that. I mean it, I do."

I smile, and I promise myself that I won't cry. That is the sweetest thing he has ever said to me.
"That's better." He whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Right," He gets up, holding his hands out for me to stand up. "let's see what I can do about getting the others to agree to let you in on the plan."

I stand, and he motions for me to walk infront of him.
"How gentlemanly of you." I tease.
"Oh, I'm no gentleman," He teases back. "and since when did you have a tattoo? Is my girlfriend a secret badass?"

"I don't have a tattoo." I say confused.
Sirius walks towards me and spins me round by my shoulders. He brushes my hair to one side, exposing my neck. His hand tenses, and I feel him freeze.
"Sirius, what is it?" I am starting to panic.

My heart is pounding when he says, very quietly,

"The dark mark."

-
Sorry the chapter took so long to be uploaded! So, I hope it was worth the wait. Please review!