Chapter Sixteen:
"And… who are you?" The voices were strong by her ear as she looked up from her book. There he was, blond hair, stormy eyes, pointed face. He had the baby fat of a young child on his cheeks, but even then, he was a handsome face. Beside him were two girls who were just as handsome and well pressed. A dark, onyx eyed and skinned boy just behind them. Elizabeth smiled softly as she put her book down to introduce herself.
"OH MY MERLIN! IS THAT LORD MERCI LA'BEC?" A girl, the blond one, announced and jumped towards Elizabeth. She brimmed as she pulled up the book for the girl to see.
"He's my favorite strategist. He's fantastic!" She bubbled as Elizabeth cocked her head to the side.
"He is a marvelous chess player, and his contribution to the war in the east is unequaled by anyone else." Elizabeth explained. The group had moved inside as the blond slipped down next to her and scanned the book. It was obvious a well loved book, the cover slightly faded and binding gently worn at by movement.
"May I borrow this?" The blonde female asked.
"Of course, I've read it a thousand times." Elizabeth answered softly.
"So… what's your name?" The blond boy asked with a cocked brow.
"Elizabeth Marshall. Of the London Marshalls." She answered. He seemed to like her answer, though his eyes were narrowed.
"Marshall? I've never heard of your family." The Brunette peeped up.
"Well, they don't work for the government. We're chefs. My parents own and run about ten five star restaurants all throughout Europe. They are opening one in Milan tomorrow, to be honest. I'm quite excited, I've heard the food there is the spice of life." She spoke with such a spark, she surprised herself.
"Makes sense. You smell like Vanilla and brown sugar." The blond pipped up. "I'm Daphne, of the Greengrass', My father's the head of interrogation at the Ministry."
"Remind me to never anger you." Elizabeth teased with a smile. Daphne chuckled and nodded.
"I'm Pansy Parkinson. My father and mother are Auror's, my father is Head Hit wizard, mother is head Emergency Auror." She brimmed with a giant grin. "And this is Blaise…. Zabini, his father is apart of the treasury." She motioned to the dark skinned boy. He leaned forward to shake her hand and she took his hand. She smiled before she turned to look at the blond haired boy. She put out her hand for him, but he took it softly and pressed his lips to her knuckles.
"I'm Draco Malfoy."
"Not going to try and impress me with your heritage?" She asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
"No need, I'm impressive all by myself." He winked.
Elizabeth lay in her bed, her arms stretched around her, the blankets tangled around her. How odd, it was to think of the first day. Being on the train, talking with the group that seemed to start around her. How they crafted their life and love. She wanted to be with them, be them, and until they were standing in the great hall, she believed it would be easy. Just smile at the right time, make her jokes tasteful, being charming as always. But that's when they spoke.
"Filthy Mudbloods in the school." Her throat ran dry at just the whisper of it on her lips. But they never found out that the filthiest mudblood around, sat at their table at breakfast, and ate with them over the holiday, borrowed their clothes. Elizabeth blinked herself awake, and unable to fill the void now in her chest, she brushed her blankets aside and pushed up onto her feet. Still in her pajamas, she scrambled to the bathroom and thought of talking to Draco.
Tell him what she knew. But every time she turned to walk up his side of the stairs, her feet fell short. So instead, like the coward she felt like, she turned and walked out of the portrait and right up towards the prefects bathroom.
Through all her little slytherin snakes, she knew that Hermione took her baths this early and was always tucked away at this time. So with little patience for the girl in the bathroom and what she may be doing, Elizabeth pushed herself through the wards and into the room.
"ELIZABETH!" The familiar screech of the wild haired gryffindor filled her ears as she locked the door behind her.
"Hermione!" Elizabeth returned with massive attitude as she turned and put her hands on her hips. Hermione blushed furiously, her arms around her body in attempt to hide. "Will you stop that? I waxed Pansy's vagina atleast thirty times, and Daphne walks around naked in the room twenty four seven. I'm the last person you need to cover up around." Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
Hermione furrowed her brows. "Easy for you to say…" She mumbled to herself. With a sigh, Elizabeth then pulled her hair up, a clip from within her pockets now to keep her hair up, she began to strip. "MARSHALL! What are you doing?"
"Making it even, now scoot over." Elizabeth huffed, now completely naked. Hermione slowly relaxed as Elizabeth slipped into the water, ensured her hair was up and safe from the water's surface, then put her hands in her lap.
"Why did you even…. how did you?" Hermione felt like her mouth hung open as Elizabeth smirked and shrugged.
"Being in my place on the throne comes with perks." She stated. Hermione narrowed her eyes, "Draco dragged me in here once so we could hide a body."
"How do you even say that with a straight face." Hermione retorted with less enthusiasm for Elizabeth's sarcasm. A chuckle from Elizabeth before she cocked a brow at the brunette. Not that there was much in Elizabeth's life to make room enough for looks, she valued everything over looks. But Hermione, hair drenched and pushed back, slick from conditioner, she was beautiful. Her hair was just a wild beast that she hadn't confronted. Nothing was ugly about the girl, merely she should just wear it differently, or avoid muggy days.
Daphne and Pansy taught her one thing, that all girls were perfect goddess', they just needed to find that one good fit. With their hair, their jeans, dresses, whatever that when they put it on, feel it against their skin, there is no male or female within a hundred miles they couldn't seduce. Well… give or take a few that didn't seduce.
"I need to talk to you."
"I thought I was going to get notice when we were going to talk?" Hermione scoffed.
"I don't remember those terms." Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and Hermione sighed. "It's about Draco."
Hermione straightened up, prepared to take whatever it is that she was going to say. Elizabeth squared her shoulders before she slumped and sighed. Her hands went to her face and for the first time since this whole thing started, she was shaky. Just like she had been when she went head to head with Snape,
"He's been made to commit murder" Elizabeth spoke as if the words in her throat couldn't support her. With a swallow, she looked to Hermione.
"Harry?" The brunette piped up with wide eyes.
"No. I wish." Hermione slapped Elizabeth from across the tub, her hands landed on Elizabeth's bicep and the slytherin princess chuckled.
"Who?"
"Dumbledore." Elizabeth whispered, and suddenly the giant grin on her face was gone and replaced with regret. "and I've been drafted into helping him."
Hermione's face went white. "Have you told Dumbledore?"
"He's known this whole time." Elizabeth added as she looked down at the water that swirled around her. "He just wanted me to figure it out."
~!~ ~!~ ~!~
Draco sat on his bed like he always did, his book in his lap as he read over the material before him. She hung in the doorway, her smile was wide as she looked at the blond before her. He was finally studying again. Normal Draco was back and the excitement in her belly as she bounced into the room and shut the door.
"Daph, you hate to study with me, what are you doing?" Draco stated, not even looking up from the book in his lap. He even moved over for her to sit down next to him. Daphne smiled as she lay her head on his shoulder and looked down to the potions material that was before him.
"How ahead is our brain child?" Daphne asked. Draco turned and looked to the strawberry blond. With a roll of his eyes, he went back to his book.
"Further than me, and she'll never let me live it down if i don't finish what is right here in front of me. I think she's finished completely." Draco grumbled, his right hand rubbed his hair line. He scratched at his scalp as he flipped a page then pointed his wand at the quill. It sprung to life once again and began to scrawl down words.
"Cheater, cheater." Daphne teased him as she pulled up from their touching position.
"It works." Draco snarked.
"Doesn't mean it's not cheating." Daphne snarked back.
Draco shot her a look before he yawned and rolled his shoulders back. Then with a cringe, the book dropped from his grasp. Daphne was up and on his shoulder in seconds. She had his shirt off and was inspecting his shoulder without hesitation or pause. Fingers ran over his shoulder and she sighed.
"He beat you again." Daphne sighed as she massaged around the massive bruise.
"You know, father's beatings never seemed anything compared to the Lord's." Draco grumbled. "Seems unfair that my father will have to work up his strength just to hold a cup of tea. When two years ago he would swing at me with such strength for being smart."
Daphne leaned over his shoulder to look him in the face. Her mouth opened to speak, but Draco put up his hand, and she was silenced. With a sigh, she pulled out her wand and began her work on his shoulder.
"What did you do?" She asked with the most analytical sound that she could muster.
"I didn't bring Elizabeth to the last meeting. He told me he didn't like secrets being kept from him." The story was short, but Daphne knew more than he gave out. Because she had been at that meeting, just not at the beating. She had been at his side, Voldemort's not Draco's. With a shiver, she went back to fixing his bruise. "You'll have me pretty again, right nurse?" Draco teased.
Daphne shot him a look he would never see. She continued her work on his flesh and watched as it lightened and soon became a completely normal color. With a wonder how many times he tried to keep covered for Elizabeth just so she wouldn't see the bruises. The girl was so daft, she knew nothing of politics. Which was reasonable, because she was never in them.
And because she was a mudblood.
Daphne looked up from Draco's shoulder to his hair, as he accio'd his book again and began to read. Her nimble fingers worked Draco's back to ensure that it was fixed. The lord had asked for the list of all the mudblood's in the school. Daphne had to break into Dumbledore's office. That was a bitch, on it's own, but with the dumb phoenix in there, Daphne was sure the Dark Lord's little whore would never do her job.
But when the list was in her hands, she saw the last page, reserved for Slytherin's only.
It should have been a blank page.
Prior to Christmas, Daphne should have confronted Elizabeth. Should have demanded answers. But then she was in the hospital wing, and as she looked down at Elizabeth passed out, she reduced the last page to flames. How many times had Elizabeth proven herself? How many times did Daphne come to Elizabeth for help, for love, for anything?
The answer was, that the number no longer mattered. So she wiped her brain of the image, she erased it and popped it in a vial with a cork under her bed until she was back at school. Like it never happened. Draco, however, he should know...he could never know. The demons of Daphne's two secrets ate at her. Not just knowing about Elizabeth… but knowing about her parents.
"Enough about my bruises." Draco spoke softly, as he turned to Daphne. "You have you're own to deal with. I heard a loud sound… well, a lot of loud sounds as I left."
Daphne patted down her skirt as she moved back to her spot. "It was nothing…. nothing I'm not used to." She whispered as she fixed her hair. "Besides… I'm his newest whore, what does it matter what I-"
Draco snatched her arm and forced her to look him dead in the eyes.
"You. Are. NOT. A. Whore." He growled through his teeth before he let her go. "He doesn't own you, and as soon as I find a way out, we'll get out of this… both of us." He explained.
"Draco… The being beat around and all that, I can handle… but that ruckus…" Daphne's throat ran dry and the names came back to reality. "It was from the last raid."
Draco furrowed his brows. "What about it? I heard a hundred people were…. oh no… Daph! You were not apart of that… were you?"
Her heart sank as she looked to Draco with a plea for help. "We raided everyone, not just muggle borns. He forced my hand. Draco, he made me or else he would. Well… He…" Draco nodded in understanding. "But Draco, they're dead. I killed them, I can't tell her. I killed her parents and I can't ever expect her to forgive me. I asked him to take down the bodies he hung. I only asked out of respect for them… when I figured out who they were. He didn't know, and I didn't tell him. I only asked if I could take them down."
Daphne should tell him right now, just drop it all on his lap. But the look on Draco's face was enough to kill her voice in her throat.
"No…. She'll be devastated." Draco murmured. There was the sound of people passing the hall. The whole floor filled with noise but all Daphne could hear was the heart break in Draco's voice.
"She'll hate me. She already hates that we're death eaters. If she knew they were dead and who did it… she'd never-"
"Who knows that who is dead…. Daphne…. Draco…. what are you two keeping from me?" The two looked up with wide eyes and white faces as they saw Elizabeth standing in the doorway. Guilt ate through her chest as the strawberry blond stood. She could do this. Elizabeth would forgive her… right? She could say if Daphne Greengrass could oversee her being a mudblood, then the girl before her could forgive her for murdering her parents.
But then Draco stood. "Daphne, you need to leave." He whispered, as he looked at her. Daphne shook her head, mouthed 'no' to him, but he shoved her. In slow motion, Daphne watched as Draco pulled Elizabeth closer. His voice was low and deep, and scratchy, she heard the heart break as she passed through the door way.
"I… the last mission I had over christmas was a raid." He whispered as Elizabeth cocked her head and furrowed her brows at him.
"Draco, you didn't kill anyone, did you?" She whimpered as her body turned to jelly in his touch. Tears actually welled up in his eyes as he looked to the girl before him. He couldn't tell her that Daphne did it. And Elizabeth would never go near him after this, but she would also be safe from Voldemort. He had to.
"I did." He rasped. She gasped as she jumped a bit. Then he put his hand to her cheek. "I'm really sorry… Elizabeth, I didn't know they were your parents when it happened."
But that's all he got out as she stepped back and laid her hand as hard as she could. The smack was heard through out the whole dorm. Elizabeth's knees shook, but she held her stance as she sobbed, her hands held tightly to her chest. Draco was knocked to the floor from the force of her slap.
"YOU!" She screeched as she looked at him.
"Please! Elizab-"
"YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed as she turned and bolted. Draco scrambled as if to catch her, but she was gone. Daphne stood against the wall across from the room as she looked at him. There were no words as he looked down the hallway that Elizabeth had bolted down. Neither dare move as Draco realized what he had done. His back to the door frame, he slid to the floor in defeat.