We weren't born to follow....come on and get up off your knees...hold on to what you believe-- December 15 1998

I peered out of the shadow as the death eater was gone. Taking his hand, " Let's go!" I said as we went down a side corridor. First time that I have ever just been myself with him. Not really the time for this but it was important we succeeded.

"We don't know the password!" I said as we ran.  Would we be able to break in?  We had to figure out a way once we got there, I knew... ther was no way a password was going to make me fail my best mate.

I almost laughed a little, we got to the doors. I looked at it, " Hogwarts is under attack we need in there now!" I shouted as I glared at the photo before us. We needed in there, " Everything depends on it getting to kill Voldemort! Now Open UP!" I said as I was losing my patience.

"I swear... if you don't open up... I will destroy you," I warned, wondering if threatening it would even work.  I mean... it would have worked on the Fat Lady.

"Together or not at all." I repeated in agreement. I pushed myself into a sitting position, my eyes closing with the pain that was still leaving my body. I leaned against my brother, my eyes still closed, not quite strong enough to support my own weight. As I thought of it, it came to me what a perfect analagy of our lives this was and I had to laugh at that.

She had to be in shock of she was chuckling right now. Nothing about this was funny. I felt like all of this had escalated due to my inability to do what was expected of me and my inability to do what Juniper did and be strong enough to fight against it all. I had no idea what we were going to do now, but I would not let her leave my sight. "We need to get you away from everything," I said quietly.

I was still laughing, not really listing to my brother. Did he not see the analagy? Me leaning against him, him always having to support and protect me? I wanted him to know. "This is the perfect analagy...." I began as I turned towards him and opened my eyes. That's when I saw the blood on his face and leg and the last of Aunt Bellatrix's curse suddenly left me. "Your bleeding, what happened? You need help. We have to go." I shakily stood up, only just being able to support myself. Draco clearly couldn't walk well if the look of his leg was any indication. I just hoped I was strong enough to support both if us in my condition.

I had led Tom away from the brunt of the battle to save any hopes I had to get the attention to disappear at all. I heard the explosions getting closer as I ran. I was taking him to the Astronomy Tower. I had to end this, I was buying time for Ron and Hermione to kill Nagini. "Please guys.." I muttered, slightly smirking at hearing Tom's shouting. " C'mon Tom!" I shouted as the explosions got to close for a brief moment where it just missed me sending me face first into the wall. Getting up, I pushed on. I hoped that they were getting somewhere.

Glaring as I shot some curses at her as we both kept moving. I was not about to stop. Bellatrix was twisted enough as it was I didn't want to be a sitting duck. It's a shame I know a lot of her moves, even worse she knows most of mine. Except one. Grinning, I charged her transforming as I ran.

I smiled slightly, understanding what she was getting at.  And, as per usual, she was right -- the perfect analogy.  I sighed and shook my head.  "Just a stray blast hit in front of me and I got hit with rubble while I wasn't listening to what you told me to do," I explained, knowing that she would probably scold me for not listening as well.  I could not tell if my leg was broken or not, but it was radiating pain like no other.  I looked at her.  There was no way that she would be able to get us both to get help.  "Go get help for yourself... your screams..." I shuddered and made myself continue.  "You are worse off than me."  It was as if me and my sister were the only ones there at the moment.  I was not even paying attention to what was going on around us -- there were screams, explosions, shrapnel flying through the air -- but none of that mattered because Juniper was okay.

I sat back down, not wanting to be a larger target. I wasn't leaving with out my brother. "And that's what you get for not listening to your sister. Maybe next time you'll listen to her." I couldn't think clearly still, some of the curse effects must still be there. I was fine though, a little headache but I fugered it was just an after effect of the curse. I shook my head to clear it. "You're forgetting our new rule, 'we go together or not at all.' I'm not leaving without you." I looked around for another solution to our problem. "Can you crawl?"

I knew that would come back to bite me some day, I just did not expect it to be merely five minutes later.  I nodded and looked at her, grateful that she was following the new rule.  I did not want to be left like this, but I had wanted her to get safe no matter what.  "Do you still have your wand?" I inquired.  I had mine still.  I wanted to know if I was alone in the line of defense or if we were able to work together on that aspect - which would be the easier of the two options.

I knew he wanted me safe but I wasn't going to leave him like he was. I pulled my wand out and held it up with a smile, still not sure how I managed to keep it with me the whole time, happy I had it nonetheless. Together, we could do anything. "We just need to get somewhere safe. Can you crawl?" It would be slower but it was movement. I was starting to take in some of the battles around me, they looked intense.

"Yeah," I said, knowing that dragging my leg would kill my ankle, but it was better than actually getting killed.  I took a deep breath and nodded, wiping my brow.  I saw the blood on the back of my hand but that was the least of my concerns right now.  I readjusted the way that I was so I could crawl a little bit better, my wand gripped in my hand.  "I've got your back covered, you've got mine."  It was the story of our lives being put to the test on one night.

I nodded. I would always have his back and I knew he had mine, the story of us. I got into my crawling position and looked around, realizing between the torture and being carried half unconscious, I had no idea which way was which. I tried to figure it out but I knew the more we were out here the more likely it was that we would get killed. I turned back to my brother, "What way should we go?" I knew he would have a plan. He always had a plan.