15 June 1996: A Dark Storm Rising

I tilted my head, wondering what exactly he meant. "Juniper's a strong girl," I consoled. "I think she can handle herself. Besides, if you guys join forces, maybe you'll be stronger than you think. I hope you're not truly considering joining them, Draco. You're better than that."

My hand reached out to gently touch his arm. I squeezed, hoping to comfort him. As my best friend, I felt the need to help him make the same decision I just did. He couldn't join them; it'd destroy him.

I did not want Juniper to get any more involved than she already was.  Even though we were twins and the same age, I just always felt like she was my baby sister.  I had to protect her.  I took a deep breath to attempt to keep my composure.  I looked at my best mate and said, "He's trying to get me to prove myself to him... before joining them.  Of course Father is pressuring me to do it, but it would also put him back in the Dark Lord's good graces again.  He's just thinking of himself, not of the rest of us.  He'll kill us if I don't succeed in what he wants me to do.  And... and I don't know if I can do it."  I did not even want to say aloud the task that I was supposed to perform.  I hoped that Blaise may already know since I was sure all the Death Eaters talked... his father had to know what it was that had to be done.

Part of me wanted to ask what he was talking about, but I sadly already knew. My father was part of this evil legion, and I'd overheard several conversations between him and my mother. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wanted vengeance against the Malfoys by means of forcing their only son to kill Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of our age. I wanted Draco to know, though, that he wasn't alone. That he didn't have to do this.

"You don't have to prove anything to anyone," I said. "Just keep yourself and Juniper safe."

Yes, just himself and Juniper. It sounded harsh, but our parents were already lost in the Death Eater regime. It was up to us to make a difference, and I wanted him to know that he had a friend in this. Me.

I wish it were that easy.  "Blaise... how did you do it?  How did you find the ability to get away from them," I asked.  I mean, that took a lot of strength I feared I did not have.  One does not just simply defy parents like ours -- especially with our parents being involved so immensely in the Death Eaters.

"I'm selfish, Draco," I admitted. Even though I knew that both my mother and I would pay for my rash decision, I made it anyway. "For a split second, I thought about appeasing my father, but then I realized that I don't really care about what he - what they, really - want from me."

Tears still clung to my eyelashes, and I blinked them away. A pang of regret turned into a stone within my stomach, and I felt weighed down by it. What had my father done after I left? Was my mother all right?

I knew the internal struggle that Blaise was going through -- we all went through it with parents like the ones we had.  I ran a hand through my hair, shaking my head.  "I envy what you did, Blaise.  I know there are consequences with actions like that... but sometimes - just sometimes - those are worth it to get out," I said quietly.  I was weighing my options and trying to decide if the consequences that would happen if I were to just get out were worth it.

"You have to get out," I urged Draco. "We can protect each other, we can protect the people we care about. Whatever you do, don't let You-Know-Who get to you. What can I do to help?"

"There's nothing to do," I said quietly, shaking my head.  "I was given my task... given the consequences of failing... I don't think I'd stand a chance if I tried to leave."  I looked away from Blaise, unable to make eye contact with my friend.  I could only imagine what was running through his mind right now.

My head tilted to the side, and my brow furrowed. "What do you mean, your task?" I asked. "Have you already agreed to become a Death Eater, Draco?" A strange combination of pity and anger filled my stomach. What was he thinking?

When he asked me that, I forced myself to look at him.  it was the only way he would know I was telling the truth.  "No, I haven't," I replied honestly.  "But if I don't do this, he'll kill everyone... if I succeed then that will be what is expected of me."  I sighed, shaking my head.  I did not want to be drug down by my father's mistakes, but what choice did I have?  "I can't let my family die because of me, Blaise."  I still was not entirely sure what I was going to do, but I did know one thing:  I would not be the cause of my family's death.

"They won't," I urged. "There's protection out there for all of us. What is it that they want you to do, anyways?"

I knew better than to speak of specifics -- that would bring on all sorts of punishments itself.  I ran a hand through my hair and looked at him.  "He wants me to become a murderer," I said barely above a whisper.  One, I hated saying it aloud.  Two, I did not want anyone to overhear and think that I was going on talking about something I was not allowed to speak of outside the inner circle.  "Which will end up happening either way you look at it."

"So then kill the right person," I hinted. I didn't know who Draco was talking about, but I knew it had to be someone powerful. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would set him up for failure out of sheer vengeance toward the Malfoys.

My eyes widened slightly by Blaise suggesting I actually kill somebody.  The right person?  I knew he had absolutely no idea who I had to kill, but still.  I was not a murderer.  I may go around school teasing and sending jinxes at other students, but I never went so far as really seriously injury somebody before.  "What?" I asked, flabbergasted by what Blaise said that I could not even fathom what he was trying to tell me.  Was there a hidden meaning because right now I could not figure it out.

"All I'm saying, Draco," I began, "is that if you need to kill someone to prove yourself to You-Know-Who, kill someone that proves you're against him. Someone high up in his ranks. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but it'll definitely make a statement."