The night was starry. Ron was alone in the quiet Gryffindor common room. He had his forefinger tapping his top lip, his eyes set but dazed. He did this a lot lately. He stared into the fire. There was something about the flames. There seemed to be a story in it, with an ending that Ron could never possibly imagine. Something actually was in the fire though.

In seconds, it blazed up high, singeing the edge of the stones and turned a deep blue. Out whisked a cloaked figure, frightening . Black robes seemed to reach up to the ceiling and flow all around the room. They bellowed out and seemed to reach back into the fireplace. Ron jumped out of the big chair that he'd been resting in.

"Ronald Weasley, I've been searching for you." A cloaked figure hissed.

"What?" Ron stuttered dumbly. Terror gripped his body. To say the very least, he was shaken. He clutched the armrest as he tried to make out the person's face. "Y-you've been searching... for me?"

"I've got a secret. What will you do to keep it?"

…

I had a hard time getting back on track after the whole ordeal after the quidditch match. It felt like nothing was real. Was it a dream... or not?

I tapped my pencil anxiously as I watched the clock tick-tock against the high stone wall. There was nothing interesting about Potions nowadays. All we did was take notes. I sighed and crossed my leg over the other and tapped my pencil louder against the desk.

Draco pressed my hand against it to stop the sound. I looked down from the clock to Draco. He nudged his head just enough for me to notice the professor glaring at me. I smiled and opened my notebook. Once he continued on with his lecture I sighed again and cupped my chin with my hand.

Once we were out of class, Draco shook his head and scolded me. Annoyance played on his strong features. "What's wrong with you today?" He asked walking down to the court yard.

There was noticeably less snow on the frozen branches. Even a few birds trickled in every day or so. This didn't heighten my spirits at all though. I looked around searching for nothing in particular. It was more of just observing the scenery.

"It's been a week- a week of nothing. Where the hell has Pansy gotten off to?" I groaned. I hated to think of all the chaos she could wreak out there with no one watching her. I bit my lip and glanced over at her old goonies. There were still stuck up and ridiculous. They sent daggers my way; their eyes were always boring into my back. I shook my head and sighed. "They must know where she is."

Draco nodded. "No, they don't. It would have been all over the school by now. I bet they've heard from her, but they have no idea where she is."

"Well, that sucks." I sighed. The butterflies in my stomach flapped uncontrollably causing me to wrap my arms around my torso, not that it did any good. "You know what? I'm going to head up to the common room. I feel a bit ill."

His eyes shifted to me before he turned completely. He ran his hand across my cheek before nodding. I smiled at how sweet Draco had become. It was of course caused by my near death experience, but who was complaining? Everyone in the school pretty much knew that Draco and I were together now even though Harry was still in denial. I hadn't told him straight forward either. Sure, it was selfish of me to keep on the good side of Harry, but I liked it that way. Harry and I had never fought before, and I didn't want it to happen anytime soon.

"Okay, I'll see you later." He said before dropping his hand and heading down to his next class.

I watched him round the corner before I turned back towards the dungeons. I didn't really want to go back down there. Instead, I headed up to the Room of Requirement. I was sure it'd have something to settle my stomach.

After the classes began, the corridors were pretty empty with the exception of the students with free periods. There was no one on the same floor as the Room of Requirement either.

I found myself walking past the door three times. It revealed a smaller common room. It had a fireplace at the far wall and lots of dark brown sofas and chairs. I settled myself in one and drifted off to sleep, not even bothering to let my thoughts get the best of me, but my dreams were an entirely different thing.

I ran down a hall. I was running from someone, or chasing someone. I saw legs turn the corner, and so did I. It was a dark room. I was scared. I couldn't see the person's face, but the figure pulled out their wand.

Tears ran down my face. I looked around the dark room. I held up my hand and shook my head. My lips were moving but I couldn't tell what I was saying. I could feel myself getting louder, but I still couldn't hear myself. Shadows birthed from the ceiling, reached down toward me and became long black figures. I saw lots of figures, but they seemed to be shadows instead of people, demons. I didn't know why. I shook my head frantically with confusion. My breath was stuck in my lungs. I forced it out with a ragged huff.

"No..."

"Yes." Someone hissed behind me.

"I-I can't."

I looked back to see nothing but a giant slimy smile. "Well then..."

I turned back around. The figures were now surrounding me. One figure I recognized. His short platinum blond hair could be spotted anywhere.

Blue shots then came at me from every direction. I gasped at the chills it sent through me. I should have been moving, running to get out of the way of the attack. But my legs were too numb to help me escape. I stared down, horrified hoping to take at least one step to get away. I idly placed my hand on my torso. Suddenly, my arms went numb, freezing in place, and now unmovable. My head pounded and my ears thrummed like people were screaming in my ear, even though the only thing that pulsed the air was the silence. My ears burned as I gazed up.

"Draco…" I rasped.

I woke with a start, but instead of waking up in a calm, the flames in the fireplace rose up to the ceiling and turned black. I jumped up with a start. A figure formed out of the blackness and transformed into a cloak billowing about the room. I couldn't make out the face, but I couldn't believe my eyes. The cloak seemed to fill up the room and surround me. It was like wild fire, but it kept its form until the black cloth reached back into the fireplace and turned a violent red again.

The voice that came from it was a quiet hiss. "You've got a secret Ms. Paniettiere. What will you do to keep it?"

I gapped at the female voice. I stood from my seat and try to see beneath the figure's hood.

"What? Whatever Pansy… That's enough for one day." I said pulling out my wand.

"What will you do to keep your secret, pureblood? Remember that you may only bring one, but not of equal prestige."

"What the bloody hell?"

"Only one Emma Paniettiere."

Then, the black cloak receded back into the flames. They calmed down and blackness chased after the figure. The only trace left was a silver envelope with bloody red letters written on the front of my name. I picked it up cautiously and ripped the silver wax that sealed the letter.

Dear Ms. Emma Clarissa Paniettiere,

You are cordially invited to attend

The Prestigious Golden Ball

For up-in-coming stars of the Wizarding World

Please join us with one guest of your own

Presented by

The Ministry of Magic

Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic

"Oh, that has Narcissa and Lucius written all over it. It's just a Ministry ball that happens every year. You have to be a pureblood to get a ticket, and have a certain level of power." Blaise said later that night. "Sad though, Kim didn't get one. Any bet it's because of her cousin. I guess it's good though. She might not be on the list… you know?"

I sat beside him in the common room and put the note in my bag. I assumed the list was of the future Death Eaters. Anything with Lucius Malfoy was automatically deemed as bad. "Well, what did that creepy lady mean… equal prestige?"

He sank further into the couch and yawned. "It means that you can't invite anyone who already has an invitation. For instance, I have an invitation so you can't ask me to be your date… even though I know you want to." He wagged his eyebrows and smirked carelessly. All it took was a few words from Draco to warm back up to me. It was a relief to not be on the receiving end of Blaise's glowers.

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Oh shut it. So, I assume that Draco's gotten an invitation too."

"If he hasn't, then he'll be getting it tonight."

"Who got what?" Draco asked hopping over the sofa and landing swiftly in between Blaise and I.

"You've got your Blood Ticket." Blaise stated.

I saw the gold envelope in his hands. Draco slipped it into his bag and nodded. With a yawn he laid his head back. "Yeah, I was just going to ask-"

Just as Draco turned to me, I pulled out my silver envelope and waved it in his face. "Sorry, I've got one this year."

"Well, they're just giving one to everyone this year." Draco spat playfully. "So, I guess you'll be taking Blaise then?"

"Sorry mate, I've got one too." Blaise laughed.

Then, the three of us sat in there in an exasperated silence. I flipped the silver thing over in my hands again and again. A few minutes went by before anyone spoke again. It was Blaise.

"I guess I'll be taking Kimberly." He murmured. "She'll be looking forward to it. She was quite annoyed that she didn't get one this year."

"I guess I can take Millicent..." Draco added slowly.

Blaise and I looked at each other, and then the quiet was filled with laughter. We roared and Blaise stomped his foot repeatedly. Once we stopped, Draco was glaring at the pair of us. Blaise just shook his head and kept the good humor. "No way, mate."

"Draco, she looks like a man." I told him still laughing. I held my stomach and laughed some more. "I guess that'll be alright. I've got no competition then."

"Honestly Em, you should be insulted. To think that he would choose someone so repulsive- he's not even trying to make you jealous." Blaise replied.

"Well, who are you taking then?" Draco asked me. I calmed down and looked at him thoughtfully.

"I don't know…" Then, I chuckled a bit more before saying, "But you can bet it'll be better the Millicent."

Draco rolled his eyes and smacked Blaise in the face with a pillow that was thrown to the floor from all the laughing. After they began to bicker about how different their dates were, I went and pulled up what I thought was my bag and went to grab my Potions book. I sighed with a tight grin on my lips as I flipped through the pages. A loose page fell out. Curiously, I opened it. I didn't remember writing any notes to anyone lately. She read it, her grin falling from her face.

Dear Draco,

I am well aware of the deal we made with the Paniettiere family, but my recent findings are making me a bit skeptical. I don't trust that girl. I don't like her one bit. Her mother is just as stubborn. I know that she's up to something, and I vow that the truth will come out. After all this time, I haven't heard news of a single report on her task. I don't want you to let her out of your sight for too long as of today. You remember the deal we made a few weeks ago after the ordeal with the Parkinson girl. Don't fail me Draco.

Hoping you are well,

Lucius Malfoy

I folded the letter up quickly and set it back in the bag. I took another look at it and noticed the silver plaque with Draco's initials on it. I set it down and picked up my bag trying hard to push everything from my mind and focus on my Potions essay.

"Everything okay?" Draco asked.

I glanced up, but didn't meet is eyes. He looked over his shoulder at me. I pulled him close to me and kissed his cheek. "Nope, I just realized that I haven't started my essay, but it's due in two days."

He nodded and pulled my book away from me, quickly flipping to a page. He then handed it back to me. "Start there."

I nodded and began to read.

…

"Alright, we're moving on to death draughts." Draco stated.

"What?" I asked as I stared at the table.

We were in an empty classroom. It was an old Potions room that wasn't used anymore. There were flasks and ingredients scattered all over a large brewing table. He and I both had a cauldron over a dimly lit flame.

Draco kept focused eyes over his cauldron as he added small pellets to the concoction. I sat on a stool watching him.

"What do I need to learn this for?" I asked, observing a small Tentacular leaf.

He glanced at me and looked back down, but I still saw the shift in his mouth and the guarded clouds that now hovered over his grey eyes. "It's a good idea to weaken Granger up before you actually fight her."

"I'm not poisoning Hermione." I said glaring at him. I dropped the leaf on the table and shook my head.

He didn't even look up. He just observed the potion and wrote on a parchment. "Well, we have to make the fight as easy as possible."

"I might kill her."

"Isn't that the point?" He murmured cutting a bean in three pieces and dropping them into the potion. He then continued to write.

I pulled the parchment away from him and held it in the air. "We're not doing this. I'm not…"

"You're the one who wanted to get back to training." Draco reminded me.

I gaped at him. For a while, I was begging him to get back to the task of killing Hermione Granger. "I only said that to talk to you. I just wanted you to stop acting weird."

Draco sighed stirring the smoky liquid. "Emma."

I shook my head. "Your father put you up to this, didn't he? I saw the letter."

Draco glanced at me. "So, we're snooping again, are we?" He didn't seem particularly mad, but there was a hint of annoyance in his smoky blue orbs.

My brown eyes narrowed beneath my dark bangs. "So we're keeping secrets again, are we?"

Draco put the stirrer down and stared directly into my eyes. "What do I mean to you, Emma? Am I a joke to you?"

I blinked. My face became blank. "You mean the world to me Draco."

"Then, please listen to me closely when I say this. It's not just your arse on the line here. Think about me, my parents… your parents. We're all depending on you to keep us alive."

"But-"

"But- If you're willing to risk all of our lives to save the life of one little mudblood, then obviously we mean nothing to you."

My eyebrows drew together. I stared at Draco for a long time. He didn't make a single movement. His grey eyes stayed on mine, penetrating me. My lips pressing in a hard line, my fingers scratched the side of the table quietly. "That's just your father talking."

"It's not Emma. I've been thinking about this ever since that first day Potter and Weasley first talked to you in the Great Hall. You have no idea where your loyalties lie… It makes me wonder-"

I looked down and shook my head. I couldn't take the brooding eyes. "It's not that simple."

"It is." He snapped back.

"No it's not."

"The simple matter of the fact is, Emma, if you don't kill Hermione Granger-"

"Draco-"

"Then you've already sentenced us all to death. You, me-"

"Draco!"

"And everyone else that you say you love."

I looked up and glared at him, but tears were forming in my eyes. He kept his calm physique the entire time. I sighed in frustration and brought my hands up to my face. I felt confused, ashamed, and so many other things. Draco didn't make anything easier on me either. I tried to force the tears away, tried to push back the monotonous fears lurking in my bones.

Soon Draco took me into his arms. I felt his hand running down my long brown hair. I inhaled and looked up at him. "I'm not wrong Draco."

He grinned. "No, but you are a bit disconcerted."

I shook my head. "No, you don't understand. I didn't want any of this. I didn't want to fall in love with you. I didn't want to be best friends with a crazy fashion designer and a book worm. I didn't want to be mates with an overly enthusiastic quidditch player, or the Chosen One. I didn't want to have to kill anyone. I didn't want any of it."

"Em-"

"But, I did. I fell in love with a Slytherin who's probably going to be the right hand man to the most feared man in the magical world. I decided to be here with you despite everything that you and the heirs have done. Their basically a bunch of thieves running around stealing cursed pendants and dream-catchers and who knows what else. I decided that, and Hermione didn't try to change my mind. I love Hermione too. She's been there for me. I just can't betray her."

Draco looked down at me, his eyes dark. "Some things we just have to do. Soon enough, you'll know what the right thing will be."

"I won't let the Dark Lord hurt you or anyone else. I'll come up with something."

He pulled me into a tight hug, his voice sighing in with tired finality. Perhaps he was just tired of arguing with me. We were just too stubborn for our own good. "I hope you do Emma. I hope you do."

Peace, Love, and Reviews!