So, I know this chapter isn't one of the longer ones. But I do think a lot of things happen in it so I decided to cut it here. I just want to tell you all, we still have a long way to go before I'm finished. I've actually already written the end and I know mostly what will happen in the story further on. A bit more fun information might be that I've read the sixth book 3 times, and marked everything that has to do with this story, and I've also watched the sixth film about thirty to forty times. God, I doesn't seem like I have a life, do it?

Well, thank you again for reading and reviewing and special thanks again to JuicyLucy921 who still makes me smile and ophidianvoix, or Hanson (as you sign your review with); That's exactly the way I try portraying Alice and I'm glad you see her that way, it's just spot on! Thank you for taking notice of it :)

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Chapter 30

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The weather had cleared up and the sun was shining brightly. Alice felt rather exhilarated just because of that. The corridors were once again filled with students as the game had ended not long ago. Hufflepuff had won, a big win too.

"Where did you go?" Daphne stood by the wall that Alice passed and started walking next to her. "I saved you a seat but you never showed."

"I'm sorry Daph, something got in the way", Alice said, she had no plan in telling Daphne about what she really had been doing, neither that she'd seen the two of them having such a great time and that that was the reason she'd left.

"I know, you spoke to Draco", Daphne said with a cunning smile. "What did he say?"

"We had a fight", said Alice, to Daphne's disappointment. "We just don't go well together at the moment."

"Don't say that", Daphne tried and put a hand on her shoulder.

"No Daph", Alice said and shook it of her. "I'm not going to deny what's right in front of me just because I don't want it to be like that."

"If you say so..." Daphne seemed to give up, for the moment. Alice knew she was going to bring the subject up later as well. They walked down the stairs to the dungeons and walked through the wall in to the Slytherin Common room. It was crowded of all of the student's that had returned from the game.

"Where did Blaise go?" Daphne asked and looked around the room. Alice had no idea and she wasn't going to find out either.

Blaise Zabini was strolling around in another part of the castle, consumed by his own thoughts. He was heading in to the boy's lavatory on the third floor, mostly because it most of the time was empty and he needed some time for himself. But as he got inside there was two voices that could be heard.

"Everything is just..." Blaise stood still, Draco was the one speaking, and the one Blaise had meant to talk to.

"Just what? You know you can talk to me", the other one said. It was a girl, but Blaise had no idea who the voice belonged to.

"No I can't!" Draco answered. "I can't talk to anyone anymore!" He was on the brink of crying. "Everything is going to pieces, it's too hard..." Blaise moved in to the room, just to see who he was speaking to. "We had a fight again, today", Draco then said.

"You shouldn't bother with her, she doesn't appreciate you the way others do..." The girl speaking was a ghost, moaning Myrtle if Blaise was correct.

"You don't get it", roared Draco to her. "Hell, I don't even get it..."

"Someone's here", Myrtle suddenly said. Blaise stepped out from his hiding place and walked up to the pair.

"We need to talk", Blaise said and Myrtle disappeared in a crying scream. Draco hurried to wipe of his face and then turned to Blaise.

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It was getting late, but Alice had decided to take a walk around the castle before going to bed. It'd reached March already. Not a year ago none of this had existed in her life. She'd just been a plain girl, with a rather easy, quiet life. A muggle-life to reckon, but a good one nonetheless.

"Is it true?" Alice stopped and turned around.

"Is what true?" She replied with a sigh. Draco walked up to her and looked her deeply in the eyes. Alice felt her breath go uneven, his beautiful eyes and the smell of his wonderful cologne, it all made her shiver. But not enough for him to notice.

"Are you in love with him?" Draco asked, his tone was low almost whispering and he hesitated when he spoke. "Are you in love with Blaise?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

"And why is that any of your business?" Draco slammed his hand on the wall next to her.

"Damn it Alice, why are you in love with him?" Alice blinked several times before even thinking about answering. His eyes were focused on something, but she couldn't tell what. And his breathing was heavy, why did this make him so upset?

"I have to, so that I..." So that I what? Don't spend all my waking time thinking of you? So that I don't regret not being with you? No, it was all stupid. She couldn't tell him, he couldn't know.

"So that you...?" His voice was soft again, like it used to be when he spoke to her. Draco lifted the other hand and took a bit of hair and put it back to its place. For less than half a second his gaze flickered down to her lips before it returned to her eyes.

"Because I have to be", Alice said and broke free from him.

"So it's not because he's nice or handsome or special...?"

"That too..."

"Stupify!" Draco shot away from her and landed on the floor a few yards away. "Sorry, it looked as if he was rude", Neville Longbottom said with his wand stretched out. Alice smiled at him quickly and turned to Draco again.

"Draco, get over yourself. You're not even half the man he is." It hurt him, his facial expression told so. She had to stay away from him if it was going to be like this. Alice turned and walked passed Neville, who instantly closed up with her. For a second she could have sworn she'd seen two pair of eyes, just behind the corner. Alice picked up her paste and rounded the corner. No one was there.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked as he caught up with Alice. "I heard the when he hit the wall and got worried and then I saw you two..."

"I'm fine, Neville, thank you", Alice said and smiled. "And don't worry, he needed that."

"How you've been? I haven't seen you around for a while", Neville said. Alice felt trust in him, a sort of trust she only felt in a few others. She needed him to do something and that required the truth, fully.

"I need to tell you something", Alice said and pulled him in to an empty classroom. "Actually, I need you to do something for me."

"Of course, what do you need me to do?"

"Whatever I tell you, remember that you promised me you'll do this", Alice said and Neville nodded. "Do you know who I am?" Neville looked a bit unsure of himself.

"Well", he finally said. "Ginny and I have been talking about it..."

"It's true", Alice said to encourage him. "The rumours you've heard. I am his only child." Neville stood quiet and just watched her. "Even though you know this, you're not afraid?"

"You're too nice to be his daughter", Neville said and smiled. "But I know it's true. And I don't fear you, you wouldn't harm me."

"Not many knows about this, so you can't tell anyone, understand?" Neville nodded once more. "The reason my father could come back, the reason he didn't die forever those years ago is because he has put parts of his soul in other objects. Keeping them unharmed, keeping them safe... He has put one piece in me." Alice made a pause. "And if I'm not dead when Harry Potter is about to defeat him I need you to find me and kill me." Neville straightened up.

"No", he said firmly.

"You promised", Alice pushed.

"No, I won't let you..."

"Everyone's giving something up for this!" Alice interrupted him. "Everyone's giving a part of themselves to win this war. Let me do the same."

"There's a difference between giving something up and sacrificing you're life, Alice!" They stood quiet for a moment, just glaring at one another.

"Let me protect those who I love, just as you'll protect those you love", Alice begged, her voice was quiet and calm. She pleaded with all her heart to him. "Please."

"Is there no other way?" Alice shook her head. "Why do you want me to do it? Can't you just ask someone closer, like Daphne Greengrass or Draco Malfoy or..."

"None of them would understand, and none of them will know exactly when it needs to be done. If it hasn't already happened." Neville looked at her suspiciously.

"Fine", he then said and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll do it if I can't find another way", he continued before leaving the room. It was what had to be done. She needed to get rid of him in some way, and that would be the last way out.

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"You seem distant", Daphne said and pushed down Alice's book.

"I sort of am, I was reading", Alice said and held up the book. Daphne smiled a crocked smile before turning serious again.

"Not that kind of distant", she said. "Is something bothering you?"

"I haven't been sleeping well the last few days", Alice said. The common room was crowded and no one paid any attention to the two girls in the corner. "Promise you won't tell anyone..."

"Alice, you're like a sister to me. I wouldn't dream of telling", said Daphne to comfort her.

"I've had this dream, and it worries me", Alice said without looking Daphne in the eyes. "In the dream, I'm at the Malfoy Manor, in the sitting room; Draco is there, my father and you. It always starts with a fight between you and me which ends in you leaving. After that everything just erupts..."

"How does it end?" Daphne asked.

"It ends with a choice", Alice swallowed hard, "between my life, and his." Alice glanced over to the sofa where he was sitting. He looked up and their eyes met in a sad, longing look before he broke it. It'd been five days since they had the fight.

"Draco dies in the dream?" Daphne asked to make everything clear.

"No, it never comes to that. What do you think it means?" Daphne smiled and put a hand on Alice's.

"It means you're afraid of losing him." Alice looked over at the sofa again. At Draco, and the ones around him. At Pansy that was clinging on to his side, constantly smiling in a silly sort of way.

"I already have."

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Alice woke up, her entire body was wet from the bad dream she had. The same dream she'd had for days. This one was a bit different though. She pulled the sweater over her head and took out a new one from her trunk. The three other girls in the room were sleeping heavily. She put on a pair of nice socks and snuck out through the door. She looked down the corridor; the fire was still alive in the common room. To make sure no one would see her she followed the wall and looked around in the room. Someone was asleep in the sofa. It was Blaise, for a moment she was to wake him and tell him to go to bed. But she changed her mind and put a blanket over his body. It was just as good that he wasn't in bed. Alice went on her toes back through the corridor but turned right instead of left. She opened the door in to the boy's dormitory, it was darker than inside her own room, but a candle was lit by the bed furthest away. She needed to see him; she needed to know he was alright.

"Draco?" She whispered and walked, silently, over to the bed by the lit candle.

"Yes", he grunted and put his face in the pillow. "What time is it? It feels like it's two in the morning."

"I can't sleep", said Alice and bit her bottom lip.

"That makes two of us", Draco said through the pillow. "Just go to your bed and close your eyes", he continued before turning away from her in the bed.

"I had a bad dream", she said without moving from her spot. "You were in it." He turned back to face her and sat up in the bed.

"What happened in the dream, Alice?" He asked softly.

"You died", Alice said in a breath. Draco looked at her in concern and moved to the side of the bed, and then he held up his blanket and made room for her beside him. She lay down beside him and he put his arms around her.

"I'm not going anywhere." He pulled her closer to his body and kissed the back of her shoulder. Alice closed her eyes and felt his breath in her neck. It was even and warm, it felt safe.

"I'm not mad at you, not like you think", she said when she was sure he was asleep. "I just want you to be safe. And the thing with Blaise... The truth is, actually, that I kind of like you."

"I kind of like you too", he answered and rubbed her hand gently with his thumb, pulling her closer. "Try get some sleep now Alice." Alice smiled in embarrassment; this was the way it was supposed to be. This way it used to be. So simple. So perfect. Alice drifted off in a dreamless sleep, knowing everything had changed now.