Hey guys! So, here's chapter 24! I did originally write it much longer, but as I read through it I decided to cut it here and take the other parts in the next chapter instead. I hope you don't get too disappointed in me. :)

And thank you as always for the reviews! Special thnaks to JuicyLucy921, your review made me smile the whole day! :D

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Chapter 24

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Alice walked on the narrow path twisting between the trees. She pulled her clock closer together at close out the cold. There were some trails of different animals, but the forest seemed a bit to quiet. To take a walk was the best way to clear one's mind. At least Alice thought so; it always seemed to work for her. It grew colder the farther in to the forest she went and an unpleasant feeling spread in her body.

"Alice, isn't it time to go back now?" Blaise asked. He had a hard time following her trough the deep snow. She seemed to put her foots is all the right places, making it look like she almost walked on top of the white mass. Blaise on the other hand put his foots in all the wrong places, which often lead to him sinking down to his knees.

"No, it was your choice to follow. You can go back if you'd like", Alice said and continued walking. Her eyes were fixed at a point in the far end, on something no one else ever could have seen.

"Remind me why we are going two miles out in the woods again?" Blaise's foot got stuck in something underneath the snow and he fell hands down forward. While Blaise was desperately trying to get up and spitting out the snow, Alice got up her eyes on exactly what she'd been looking for.

"A tree?" Blaise said behind her. "We came all this way for a bloody tree?"

"Don't curse Blaise, it doesn't suite you", Alice said and smiled towards him. "This isn't just any tree. It's a yew", she said and walked up to it.

"Why didn't you just send one of your minions to do it?" Alice didn't answer. He didn't have to know exactly what she was going to do with the piece tree.

"Alice, please, can't we just go? This place makes me feel weird", Blaise begged and kept casting glances over his shoulders.

"I just need a piece of this..." Alice said as she reached for one of the lower, thicker branches.

"Alice?" Blaise said, he sounded a bit disturbed. But Alice had almost got a good grip of the branch she was going for. "Alice?" Blaise said again, this time even more distressed. "ALICE!"

"Blaise, calm down!" Alice said and turned towards him. The chill crept even closer to her and a sad, overwhelming feeling came over her. The black, cloaked figure stood bent down over Blaise.

"What is happening?" Alice asked, but Blaise didn't respond. Fear mixed with anger made Alice take out her wand and started shooting unknown, harmful spells at the creature. It turned towards her, this faceless demon, and slowly came closer. Alice fell over, her body screamed for her to run. But there was no way out of this, it was the end. Her heart started pounding. There had to be a way to making this horrible creature go away; it wasn't going to take her life. She continued pointing her wand towards it and fire spells, some of them stunned it for a moment, others just slipped of its black figure. As is leaned down towards Alice, images appeared in her head. The first one of her mother's lifeless body, the feeling she had felt when she couldn't take her back overwhelmed her. She was body, after body, most of them she'd never seen before. She felt guilt over taking their lives, the same guilt she felt now for being in fear of her life. How could she have taking their lives without blinking, and now feel this way? Just as she thought it was done for, a light came across the thick, dark coat that surrounded her. The air didn't feel as cold and she inhaled one deep breath.

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Once Alice regained conscious she'd entirely lost track of where she was. It smelled clean and it was quiet. She hear one pair of foots stepping back and forth over the floor. The bright light's kept her from opening her eyes.

"Where am I?" She felt a hand on hers.

"In the hospital", a voice spoke. "Neville Longbottom found you in the woods." Alice tried to sit up, her arms and legs felt weak.

"You should probably lie down; you've been out for more than a day", Draco said, he still had his hand on hers.

"Has Daphne and Blaise been here?" She opened her eyes and watched Draco. He looked tired, but he kept a close watch at her, as if he was afraid she'd pass out again.

"Yeah, they left a while ago though... About when I came", he said with a soft smile.

"What time is it?" Alice looked around to find a watch. Most of the beds around her were empty. Across the hall from her was a young boy, probably a first year, he sat in the bed looking rather bored. The black hair and the round face seemed familiar to Alice, but she couldn't place where she'd seen him before.

"Eight thirty", Draco said, he had a wristwatch.

"Oh, then it's not been long since Blaise was here, I need to speak with him", Alice said, surprised that they'd left though it was so early.

"Eight thirty in the evening, Alice", Draco said with concern. Alice looked at Draco in chock.

"How long have you been here?"

"Since nine thirty this morning. I would have stayed yesterday, but they made me go to the dormitory", he said as if it was nothing. "I brought your favourite book as well", he continued and nodded towards the bedside table.

"Oh, I love that book", Alice said and reached for it. "But it's not my favourite."

"Which one is then?" He looked down quickly on their hands as Alice braided in her fingers between his.

"The one you gave me", she said with a smile. His cheeks turned lightly pink and he looked away from her. "Hey", she said and lifted his chin up. "It's going to be alright."

"I'm scared", he said.

"I know", Alice answered. How couldn't he be? Even Alice was scared. Tears started falling down his face, but he didn't sound anything.

"Why can't I succeed for once? Why can't I be the good guy?" Alice sat up on the side of the bead and leaned her head against his. She needed to tell him what was going to happen. It surprised her that no one had walked by yet.

"I'm going to leave", she said. He looked up at her in horror. "Come with me."

"I can't. You know that", he said, his voice was soft. "He'll kill us, he'll kill them." Of course, he would leave people behind. If she wanted to, she could just... Disappeared. "Alice, I..."

"I'm so sorry for all of this", Alice said and put her hands around his face. "If I'd never..."

"Don't say that, don't even think it", he said, looking her straight in her eyes.

"But I have to." She let her hands fall of his face, but grabbed them in the fall. "If I had done things differently, you wouldn't be here. It wouldn't be like this."

"I don't regret it, any of it", he said. This time it was he that put his hands around her face. They were sitting close together. Alice tried to smile, but instead she bit her bottom lip, trying not to get to emotional. "Don't you get it?" He smiled for a second before he turned serious again. Maybe, if you looked hard enough, you could see a glimpse of hope and happiness.

"I need to do this. We need to. But after, you will not remember any of it..."

"Alice, what..." She silenced him with a finger.

"You will remember that we had a fight, your feelings will have changed after it. You are not going to care for me anymore. You're passed that and are moving on..." Alice leaned in and replaced the finger with her lips. He responded directly, put his arms around her, pulling her closer. She put each hand on each side of his face, placing her fingertips in height of his temples. Draco took the kiss deeper. He'd been longing for this ever since they'd met. His heart was beating harder than ever. She pulled away and when he opened his eyes, he was alone.

"Hey Draco", Blaise said and walked up to him. "You alright?" Draco looked around and nodded. "Where's Alice?" Draco looked down on his hands.

"I have no idea", he said. All he remembered was the fight he had, the one with Alice.