The Invasion of the Death Eaters

I woke up in the middle of the night to the noise of something being knocked over. Still half asleep, I moved my arm to the spot where Draco was. It was empty. I opened my eyes to see him making his way toward the doors.

"Hey." I said, which startled him a little.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"That's okay. Where are you going?"

"I just need to go to the bathroom. Go back to sleep, okay? I'll be back soon."

"Oh, okay." I closed my eyes, and listened to him leave. And then I shot up, now fully awake. If he had to go to the bathroom, why didn't he use the one in here? And WHY did he have to get fully dressed? He lied to me, didn't he?

I couldn't believe him. He KNEW he didn't have to lie to me about anything. Unless… it was something SO bad he felt he did. I quickly got up and dressed, because I didn't want to walk around Hogwarts in my bra and underwear, and quietly opened the door. I was just in time to see Draco turn a corner ahead, so I snuck out and followed him. Where the hell was he going?

I was moving very quietly, since I didn't want him to know I was there, when I accidentally smacked my elbow on something. I cried out, and Draco must have heard me, because he paused. I covered my mouth and ran back behind the corner. When I heard his footsteps start moving again, I started following them again.

I was getting really nervous by then. If Draco had lied to me about going to sleep in his own bed, or meeting up with Blaise or something, that would've been fine. But he was going up, not down towards the dungeons. I followed him up more stairs, and down more corridors, until I was startled with the horrible truth. He was going to the Room of Requirement. To the Vanishing Cabinet. He was going to let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts.

Was I a fool? Was all this fake? All the secret dates, and the 'I Love you's, were they all just for fun? Or maybe it was the sex. He just needed a distraction, that was all.

No. It wasn't fake. He might have lied to me about this task, but I KNEW he loved me. I could feel it. And I had believed him when he said he wouldn't do this. So maybe something had changed his mind. I watched him enter the room, not daring to follow him in. A few minutes later, more people came out. Bellatrix Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, a couple others I didn't recognize, and Fenrir Greyback. I stayed out of sight, not wanting him to see me. He scared me too much. They all left, and then Draco came out, looking awful. Guilty. I chose to follow him instead of the others. He was going up again. What the heck was this high, besides the Gryffindor common room? And I KNEW he wasn't going there.

And then I had it. He was going to the Astronomy Tower. But why? What was up there? I followed him up the stairs, and I heard talking. It sounded like… Dumbledore! And Harry! Draco went up to the top, but I stopped when I saw Harry hiding below. He looked surprised to see me, and put his finger to his mouth, silencing me. I gave him a look that said, "You think?" And we went back to listening.

"Good evening, Draco. What brings you out on such a fine, spring evening?" Dumbledore said, casually, as if Draco WASN'T standing there with his wand pointing at him.

"Who else is here? I heard you talking." Draco said.

"I often talk to myself. I find it extraordinarily useful. That which sounds sane at a whisper can seem utterly mad when said for all the world to hear. Haven't been whispering to yourself, have you, Draco?" Dumbledore said, looking down towards where I was. He knew I was there, and he also knew Draco and I had been seeing each other. How was this man such a genius? Draco's hand started to shake, and I longed to run up and hug him. "You are not an assassin, Draco."

"How do you know what I am? I've done things that would shock you."

"Like cursing Katie Bell and hoping that she would, in turn, bear a cursed necklace to me? Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison? Forgive me, Draco, but these attempts are so feeble I can't help but think you're heart hasn't really been in them. I'm curious, Draco. When Voldemort gave you this task, was it in a whisper?"

"He trusts me! I was chosen!" And he pulled up his sleeve, revealing his Dark Mark. I looked over at Harry, who looked triumphant. I started to tear up, feeling something inside me ripping.

"Then I will make it easier for you." And Dumbledore held up his hands in surrender. Was he crazy?

"Expelliarmus!" Draco said, disarming Dumbledore.

"Well done, Draco, but I warn you. Killing is not nearly as easy."

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned to see Bellatrix smiling in my face. I almost yelled for Harry to run, but she clapped a hand over my mouth, keeping me quiet. She turned me back around so we could watch Draco and Dumbledore. I glanced over to where Harry was hiding behind a pillar. He was raising his wand towards Bellatrix, but I slightly raised my hand telling him to stop. He was way more valuable than me, and I didn't want him to get captured too. He didn't stop, so I started struggling, just so Bellatrix would put her wand to my neck. Take that, Harry. I gave him one last, meaningful look, and he lowered his wand.

"You're not alone, are you? There are others. How?" Dumbledore asked Draco.

"The vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirements."

"That cabinet has been broken for years."

"I've been mending it."

"Ingenious! Let me guess, it has a sister. A twin."

"In Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage."

"Very good. I once knew a boy years ago, who made all the wrong choices. Let me help you, Draco."

"I don't want you're help! Don't you understand? I have to do this! I have to kill you!" And then he added in a whisper, "Or he'll kill her." I don't think anyone but me and Dumbledore heard him. That's when I started to cry. So that was why he was doing this.

"Say that again Draco, but louder this time." I watched Draco, and saw him start to lower his wand. That's when Bellatrix decided to move. With a wave of her wand, she gagged me and bound my hands, and then dragged me up there by the arm, with the other Death Eaters following. When we got there, my eyes immediately found Draco's. He looked horror struck. I tried to tell him with my eyes how sorry I was, and that I loved him, and I thought he got the message.

"Well now, look what we have here. Dumbledore, wandless and alone. Cornered in his own castle. Well done, Draco." Bellatrix said, sauntering around in her usual insane way.

"Let go of the girl, Bella. She's of no concern to you." Dumbledore said.

"You know what, you're right. She IS of no concern. So maybe I should just KILL her." Bellatrix said, raising her wand. "Avada—"

"Wait." A familiar voice said, and then Greyback stepped up the stairs. He walked slowly towards me. "Don't kill her." I started shaking. I didn't want him to come near me. I looked over at Draco again, and he tried to give me a calm, reassuring look. It didn't work. Greyback came up close to me, brushed my hair aside, and sniffed my neck. "This is the Siren I met at Christmas." Bellatrix looked ecstatic.

"A Siren. My my, The Dark Lord would be delighted to have one…" She said, evil little wheels turning in her head. She lowered her wand, and I had to stifle a sigh of relief.

"Bellatrix, I believe introductions are in order." Dumbledore said, gesturing to the Death Eaters he apparently hadn't met before.

"Love to, Albus. But I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule. Do it, Draco." He wasn't going to do it. I could see it in his eyes. He might have wanted to protect me, but no matter what, he wasn't a killer.

"He won't do it. Doesn't have the stomach. Let me do it. In my own way." Greyback said, with a twisted smile.

"No! The Dark Lord was clear, the boy's to do it. Go on Draco, now!"

"No." There was no mistaking that voice. Professor Snape. He showed up, and walked over behind Draco.

"Severus." Dumbledore said.

"Well, look who's here. Hogwarts' own Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Come to see the slaughter?" Bellatrix said. Man, she really was bat-shit crazy.

"Severus… please." Dumbledore said. When I looked over at his face, he seemed so at peace. He was looking at Snape with so much understanding. What was going on?

"I gave my word. I made a vow." Snape said. Oh God.

And then there was this intense silence. I looked at the horror on both Harry's and Draco's faces, and then at the look on Snape's face. And then he raised his wand and said words that I never expected.

"Avada Kedavra."

I screamed. I screamed so hard, the cloth that was gagging me came off. And I kept screaming, so Bellatrix shot the Cruciatus Curse at me. It hurt more than anything had ever hurt in my life. And then she dropped me to the ground, so she could shoot the Dark Mark into the sky. I felt someone grab me, and looked up to see Draco supporting me. I grabbed his arm, and watched our Headmaster fall to the courtyard below. I felt like all our hope was gone. How could Dumbledore be dead? He was the most powerful wizard alive. Even Voldemort feared him.

I was pulled up, and we started heading down the stairs. I knew my feet were moving, felt someone pulling my arm, but everything else was blank. I was numb. But then I felt cold air hit me, and my senses came back. We were outside. I tripped over a rock and fell to my knees. I saw Greyback start to come to get me up, but Draco beat him to it. And then we started moving again, and Draco was being much gentler than my last captor.

"Draco," I whispered.

"Shh, don't let them hear you." He whispered back.

"Draco, I'm so scared."

"I know. I'm so sorry you got involved in this. I'll take care of you, I promise." We were at Hagrid's hut now.

"Snape!" We heard Harry shouting. Draco and I stopped and turned around to see him running towards Snape, wand upraised, fury rising. Snape turned to us.

"Go on." He said, and Draco started to pull me. I didn't move.

"He trusted you!" He started shooting spells at Snape, who deflected them with ease. Deflected, but did not fight back.

"Harry! Harry, get out of here!"

"Go on!" Snape said to us again, more firmly. But I still didn't move.

"Fight back! You coward, fight back!" Harry was still shooting spells at Snape, and Snape was still deflecting. Bellatrix came over to try and do it herself, but Snape pushed her away.

"No! He belongs to the Dark Lord!" She ran away, and I felt a sudden rush of heat on my back. Something was on fire, but I still didn't want to turn away from Harry.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry shouted at Snape, but Snape blocked it, and Harry flew back and landed on his back.

"You dare use my own spell against me?" Snape said to him. Harry looked just as confused as I felt. "Yes. I am the Half Blood Prince." Why was I not surprised? Snape went over to him and kicked his wand away. That's when I decided it was time to move again. We started running, into the Forbidden Forest. Everything was dark, and my mind was a wreck. The only reassurance I had was Draco's hold on me. I didn't know what was going to happen to me, but I felt safe with him. Quickly, while no one was looking, he turned to me.

"Have you ever apparated before?"

"No, I was supposed to take the test this summer."

"We're about to apparate, okay? Be ready, it isn't easy the first—"

"What's going to happen to me, Draco?" He knew I wasn't talking about apparating.

"I don't know. But it will be alright, okay? Trust me." I looked deep into his gorgeous eyes, and knew the answer right away.

"I do."