I felt my body go cold. What was You-Know-Who's sign doing here and why? Did someone die? Who conjured it?
So many questions buzzing through my head that my legs eventually gave up from underneath me and slid onto the forest floor, petrified that whoever had cast that spell was still around. I buried my face in my hands and tried not to think about what this meant. Suddenly, a loud crack of someone apparating came from nearby and I lifted my head in time to see my father hurrying over, his black robes swaying as he walked.
"Where's Draco?" he hissed grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet.
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "He ran off in that direction—"
"Right here Father," Draco jogged over to us, a little out of breath. "Dad, that mark—"
"Later," he hissed, grabbing both me and Draco by the arm, and disapparating on the spot. I'd gotten more used to side-apparation by now, but it was still a rather unpleasant feeling of tumbling through darkness with the invisible force pushing at you from all directions.
But before I knew it, the three of us were standing in front of the Malfoy Manor. Still holding our wrists, our father yanked Draco and I across the yard and through the front door, locking it behind us.
"I told you to stick together," he yelled menacingly at Draco, causing the young wizard to flinch. "You were responsible for her! Go to you room, son. Leaena, I want to see you in the living room."
Too terrified of my father's angry mood to argue, I silently followed him through the first pair of doors on the left. Inside, my mother was already seated on the green couch. When she saw me, she ran over and pulled me into a tight embrace. I didn't hug back. I couldn't, not if there was a chance my mother - my kind, loving mother - was in that crowd torturing those innocent Muggles.
"I sent Draco to his room," my father explained sitting beside my mother on the couch and gesturing for me to sit on the chair opposite them. I didn't move.
"You were one of them," I whispered. "Right?"
My parents shared a look before my father finally said, "Why don't you sit down, Leaena. We have a lot to talk about..."
"You were one of them," I repeated, this time more as a statement than a question.
My parents hesitated before my father finally said, "We have to stand for what we believe in –"
"You believe in torturing innocent people?" I exclaimed.
"They were only Muggles…" my mother tried to reason.
"So what?" I shouted.
"So? Leaena, they are the reason you can barely find any pureblood wizards anymore. They're soiling our blood lines—"
"No, they're keeping our kind alive. What would happen if you only married someone of pureblood status? We'd eventually have to start getting together with our second cousins! That's going to soil the blood line a lot more than a Muggle."
My father stood up so fast my hands automatically went to protect my face. If he noticed this, he was too mad at the things I'd said to care. "I am you father!" He roared. "You have no right speaking to me like this! Your mother and I wanted to have a mature conversation but you've just shown you are not capable of such. Now go to your room and I don't want to see you or brother down here unless I say so otherwise. Your meals will be brought to you. Now go!"
Sending him a glare, I stood up and stormed out proudly. It wasn't until I had gotten to my room and had shut the door behind me that I let the tears flood out.
I had thought I would be mad at my parents for what they had done but the truth was, I was just hurt. I felt betrayed and it stung. I don't know how long I sat there and cried but at long last I came to a decision. Drying my tears, I got up and left my room.
I walked to the door several rooms down and knocked loudly. "Go away," came the familiar voice of my brother.
"Draco, open up," I said. "I need to talk to you."
"No."
"Draco!"
"I said no."
"You and I both know I'm not leaving until you let me in."
A heard an annoyed sigh before the lock clicked open and Draco appeared behind it. "Your stubborn," he muttered, letting me inside reluctantly.
His room hadn't changed much since we'd shared it all those years ago. Except for the fact that my stuff was gone and his stuff had doubled in quantity. Also, where the two singles beds had been was now one large double bed, green to match his Hogwarts house.
"What do you want?" He demanded, as I gazed around his room.
"To talk," I repeated, gesturing to his bed. We sat down and I started by telling him everything about downstairs.
"Our parents are still Death Eaters," I concluded. "They were never under some Imperious Curse. They lied to everyone!" When Draco didn't act shocked or upset, I narrowed my eyes. "You already knew that, didn't you?"
"Does it matter?"
"I want to propose an alliance," I said seriously. "Whatever happens with Mum and Dad, we will still have each other's backs."
To my surprise, Draco snorted. "You can't be serious! Why would I ever agree to that?"
"Well, why not?"
"For starters, I'm on their side. You saw Granger, that filthy little Mud—"
"I don't believe you," I said simply. "You don't want to kill and torture Muggles."
"I thought we already discussed this," Draco sighed. "You can't say that because you don't know me."
"You're my brother –"
"And they're my parents!" He retorted. "But it's more than just that. They didn't abandon me when I needed them most—"
"You didn't need me…"
"Yes, I did. I needed my twin."
I stared at Draco in a way I'd never done so before. He looked so innocent, so vulnerable. Without thinking much into it, I reached over and wrapped my arms around my brother, He froze, but once the initial shock faded away he hugged me back. We sat there, clutching each other for a long time, neither of us wanting to separate.
But we did, and I surprised to see his eyes glittering with tears, threatening to spill over. I had to wipe my own too, which Draco noticed and we both chuckled.
"I'm so so sorry," I sniffed. "I had no idea. I've always regretted leaving. You were right, I should've stayed with you – I needed you too! I just – thought it would be better this way, you know?"
"No," Draco chuckled and I laughed too.
"So," I prompted after a moment. "Have we got an alliance?"
Draco stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head. I nodded, trying to hide my disappointment. That was, until he continued. "No, we don't have an alliance. We have something better. A twin bond. That means, that whatever happens, you and I will be in it together."
He placed his hand on my own. I sent him a small smile before resting my second hand on his own and nodding in agreement.
"Always."