Chapter 18! Year 6. A trip to the astronomy tower turns into much more. Is the sacrifice of a mind worth the survival of a body?

Actiony chapter kinda. More might be explained at the end so till then this is what you get~

As always thanks and smiles to PandaWong, SandyLovesKittens, XenaHades, nightworldangel, FonzFan, The Yoshinator, Isa'ralia Faradien, Lost Astronaut Of Apollo 11, Readergirl99, DrainaPurpurne2412, sara253xxx, XenaHades, innocentrini, FangScarlet, and anonymous reviewer Bree.

You all and the random readers are awesome~ Enjoy!

Chapter 18 – Little Miss Reckless

The whole Draco thing had shattered their fragile relationship. Though they had not officially 'broken up', what was there to break up really, they hadn't had a proper conversation for a week. When she'd gone to Snape the day after, in the morning as usual, he'd been extremely clipped and cold to her. It was just like after Christmas and she didn't want to put up with it.

She cared for him but if he was going to call her stupid, if he was going to yell at her, and then the next day act like she'd done something wrong she wasn't going to just sit there and take his cruelty. Yes she'd disobeyed him but Draco was her friend, or at least used to be, and she had been worried. How was she supposed to know that he'd go all crazy and kiss her? She hadn't wanted that!

And how had he known about her and Snape? She certainly hadn't said anything, had it just been a shot in the dark that turned out to be true? If that was it then why had he been so confident when he asked? No, he knew and she wanted to know how.

Too bad she wasn't talking to either of them. Too bad they weren't talking to her either.

Draco turned the other way when they met each other in the hall and wouldn't look her in the eyes on the off chance that they saw each other across the room. Severus was much the same, ignoring her in class as much as she ignored him.

He'd stared at her for a full five minutes, she'd timed it, during lunch after she didn't show up to his room one morning. The staring stopped the next day when she didn't show again, he must've realized that she wouldn't be coming around for at least a while longer.

She hadn't been by all week, and had actually skipped one class. Felt horrible about it but she really didn't want to deal with his glaring. It would come back to bite her in the ass later she was sure but couldn't make herself care.

Even now she was avoiding him, spending her evening locked away inside her common where he couldn't get to her.

Sure he could always use his teacher powers to have her summoned if he really wanted but she didn't think he did. He would've done it by now if that was the case, he wasn't very patient, and she had a suspicion that he felt this whole thing between the two of them was a mistake. She thought he probably just wanted it to end quickly and quietly and was leaving her be so that she might leave him too.

She really hoped that wasn't what it was. No matter how upset she was with him she didn't want to lose him, especially since she'd barely had him, and she wished a little bit that she could go back to Christmas and maybe possibly undo that kiss. Yes she would lose several wonderful moments but maybe she wouldn't be in danger of losing him all together.

With a sad sigh she looked down at the bracelet around her wrist. The remembralls smoked up red then cleared again and his name was there.

"I didn't forget" was her dark mutter as she turned sad eyes away. "Kinda wish I could" and she felt guilty for saying that, bad for saying that because no one wants to be forgotten and she didn't want to forget anyone, not ever again.

She tapped at the arm of her chair and looked around the room. It was mostly empty since dinner was being served and since it was still light enough and pleasant enough for people to be out and about. Besides a few nervously studying fifth years, ah O.W.L's, she was alone…

Alone was okay but this place was feeling stuffy, maybe a trip to the astronomy tower? That sounded very nice.

She stood with a stretch and exited with no interruptions or fuss. She didn't bring her bag or lantern, not planning to be out too long, her wand would suffice for light if the darkness got to be too much. She was a brave girl.

And even if she wasn't the walk was just a few minutes, half that if she ran… No running on the stairs though.

She went along quietly, quickly, reaching the door in no time. It wasn't locked, not unusual for a weekend evening, and she stepped inside.

Her blood ran cold at what she saw and she dove for cover without thinking. Draco was casting a Dark Mark into the air, she could see it from the wide windows. She couldn't see his face but his voice and his hands were shaking, she started shaking too and winced when he turned quickly in her direction.

"W-Who's there?" he stuttered in a panicky, uneven voice, and a part of her wanted to jump out, ask him what he was doing and then beat him within an inch of his life while the other wanted to stay hidden under this conveniently placed tarp and pile of telescopes.

The cowardly part of her won over and she said nothing. She even went as far as to cast a silent disillusionment charm hiding herself further. Really, what would she say to him if she confronted him? What would she do if things escalated into a duel, or if other death eaters arrived? What could she do but hide and hope for the best?

She started to sweat as he walked towards her, afraid she'd been found out, but was relieved when he went to hide himself in an alcove.

Why was he hiding though?

Long silent moments ticked by. She wanted to bolt for the door but knew that even with the charm up she wouldn't escape unnoticed. What if he wasn't the only one hiding out here? What was he doing here?

She wanted to groan but knew she had to stay silent and so did, pressing down a startled gasp when Harry and Dumbledore suddenly arrived via broom.

She wondered if Draco could see them both from his vantage point, she could hardly see Harry so…

Suddenly the brunet boy disappeared and Draco was stepping out. His wand pointed at their headmaster and she knew exactly what was going on, who he had to kill.

"No" she shook her head, a hand pressed over her mouth as she watched and listened. She did not want to believe it, did not want to accept it. Even as Draco recounted his assassination attempts, his smuggling of Death Eaters onto school grounds, even as he desperately explained his need to kill the other her mind refused to comprehend it fully.

Dumbledore was very level headed about all of this to his credit, trying to be reasonable and talk Draco out of this mistake. Apparently he'd known of the attempts all this time and had only stayed quiet to help spare Draco's life. He pleaded with him, implored him to switch sides, just as she had weeks ago, months ago, but the boy was just as steadfast, even as she saw his mind starting to crack.

He wanted to give, he wanted to so badly, but he was terrified.

For a shining moment his wand started to lower, slowly, his shaking hand drawing back, and then blackness swooped in. Figures robed in it, Death Eaters, surrounded them in a loose circle.

The woman with the crazed eyes, Lestrange, goaded Draco on and Lauren could see his resolve start to pick up again. It still wasn't that strong though.

They started to push him, implore more and more that he go through with it, and suddenly the door banged open. Everyone jumped and she shook. Severus ascended the stairs to join the group.

Draco eyed him desperately, he did not have the courage, the resolve, to do this, he would break if he did this.

She saw Snape raise his wand against Dumbledore, saw the old man's sad eyes, and then…

"No!" She jumped up, screaming, blowing her cover.

All eyes went to her, the three she was acquainted with stuck with horror.

"What are you doing here?!" Draco shouted, on the edge of hysterics.

"What are you doing?!" was her shouted response, not very articulate but the first thing in her head and out of her mouth.

The room fell to silence for just a second before the woman sneered. "You're that little bitch from the Ministry!"

She drew her wand and fired some manner of hex at Lauren that the girl was thankfully able to dodge. It sent a tapestry aflame behind her and she had to run from her little hidey hole to escape the heat, putting her right out in the open and with her back to a wall.

Frantically she drew her own wand, knowing that she would have to fend for herself in this situation. Dumbledore was unarmed, Draco was losing it, and Snape… She knew he wouldn't risk losing face before all these people. Not just for her. It hurt to know that but she pushed down her hurt, needing to focus on survival. There was no conceivable way for her to take on five death eaters, plus the two of questionable faith, all on her own, but if she could escape she might be okay.

Another hex and she jumped out of the way, suddenly glad for dodge ball in Muggle p.e. all those years ago. She made for the stairs but was intercepted by a large man who actually called out the killing curse as he took aim.

She fell and rolled out of the way, sliding herself back across the floor, suddenly next to Dumbledore who was watching her with an unfathomable sadness in his eyes.

He was still to week from his trip to the cave with Harry to be of any help, had not been expecting this. As it was his body was ready to give out, as it was his body was cursed and he would have very well let Severus kill him to save Draco's life, but now her life was at stake too.

"Got you now!" the woman cackled and Severus looked on horrified, was he really about to lose her, would she die? Would he let her? He was just as frozen as Draco, as Harry standing paralyzed under the stairs.

Lauren stood slowly on shaky legs as Bellatrix pointed her wand again, ready to end her life. Beside her, Dumbledore spoke gravely.

"Call them."

And she knew exactly what he meant, who he was talking about, but hesitated. She couldn't, not here. It was bad, very bad to… No! She wanted to live! She had to live! She would, she could… Open.

Pain ripped through her head and she dropped to her knees with a cry. The woman faltered, obviously confused, and then screamed as something groped for her legs from the floor.

Lauren's shadow stretched out, it's reach long, and split into several slender black bodies. They lifted from the floor, paper thin horrors that opened their sticky mouths to shriek wet screams and chant a strange and backwards melody.

eht wodahs nerdlihc klaw

eht wodahs nerdlihc klat

eht wodahs nerdlihc yalp

nehw semoc eht dne fo yad

ni ykni ssenkrad yps

rieht sselmfor, gniees seye

dna peek efas ni rieht sthgis

eht ecila neeuq fo thgin

It continued on and on, a continuous loop as they dragged about the room, piling onto the death eaters who fired hex after hex and curse after curse at them , knocking them to the floor with wet smacks. More were pulling up continuously, starting to slink out of the walls, the dark corners of the room, hands reaching, just like from the door.

On the floor Lauren was groaning, clutching her head in pain as everything flowed out, using her as a doorway. She wasn't sure how long she could keep this up, not sure how long it would be till something bigger, scarier, tried to come out. She couldn't take it, she couldn't…

A ring of fire irrupted around them, she screamed as the shadows did, burned and destroyed in the most effective way. The pain was too much and everything she'd opened closed again, violently. She found herself fully on the floor, coughing, a coppery taste in her mouth.

The sounds of battle raged on outside but she couldn't make herself care. Her gaze was transfixed on the thestrals dancing in the flame… She'd seen them before, she knew them.

"Good Lauren, good." It was Dumbledore helping her sit up, smiling but still looking sad. "I knew you could do it. Very good… Can you do something else for me?"

She bit her lip and gave a small nod, "I'll try." The action made her head pound, the words dried her mouth but she tried to pay it no attention. She knew that whatever this was, it was important and she had to do her damnedest to do it right.

"I am going to the Kingdom of White for a time. I thought before that my trip would be permanent, the next chapter of my life, but it seems that there will still be much to do and many to lead in these trying times. Many will still need me."

"A door?" she asked, wondering if he wanted a way to return, if he needed a way to get there.

"Of sorts. Do you know the train station?"

"Yes."

"We will meet there when the time is right."

And then he smiled at her, a kind and gentle smile, and touched her head. She was amazed to find a bit of the pain ebbed away and smiled back.

He stood, the dancing fire lowering, and looked down at her.

"I will see you in the white" he nodded.

"In the white" she agreed, and when the fire blinked away she saw a robed figure, not one of the original five, raise a wand that looked familiar and send Dumbledore to his death. To the white.

She watched mutely as he fell from the window, then let her eyes trail forward again, to the running figure, and then to Snape, holding a collapsed Draco, and Harry who threw off his invisibility cloak and pursued.

Snape looked at her, eyes full of so many emotions, and she shook her head, waving him away.

"Go… Harry can't do this alone."

And he did. She watched as he ran down the stairs without a look behind him and slowly crawled to Draco's side. Emotionally and physically drained there wasn't much she could do for him, honestly there shouldn't have been much she wanted to do for him, but she did what she could and pulled his head into her lap. Slowly she began to stroke his hair, slowly her mind began to stop, slowly her vision faded to white, quickly the remembralls bloomed a bloody red.

Writing this was an intense experience, just saying. Don't really know why either, it just was. My heart was pounding all the way through it and I creeped myself out with the shadow men and their song. There's something about writing words backwards that just makes them feel dark ya know.

Anyway, this is a slightly altered scene of Dumbledore's death. Hope ya'll don't mind my messin on the cannon but it's a fanfic, this happens. Who those extra cloaked figures are may or may not be explained, I haven't decided yet, but you should eventually get an explanation of what's up with Lauren and all this open and close stuff and the white and the Kingdom of White because they are two different things.

If anyone would like to know what the poem says normally, just reverse all the letters, the words are in proper order. Or, if that's too much work, ask me and I'll let you know. =3 If you were wondering, it's an original by me. XD Yay crappy poetry!

Um… I'm sure there's important things I could be talking about but I can't seem to think of them so, in the meantime, send me your questions, comments, and advice! Or not. Thanks for reading either way! Have a good day/night/other~