If I survive tonight, I wouldn't change a thing -- June 1998

Of course Pansy would realize there was more.  I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.  "The two of you will leave tomorrow afternoon," I said, figuring it was easier to answer Lincoln right now than Pansy.  We had not really even discussed anything about our future together as a couple.  We barely qualified as dating as it was, now we were going to be married?  I looked at her and realized that much worse things could have been requested from me -- which they had been -- other than taking her as a wife.  We would be a family -- a real family.  I took a deep breath before speaking, though.  "Well, yeah, there's more," I answered, repeating what Juniper had said.  "The reason you two can't leave tonight is because we -- Pansy and I -- have to go to the Ministry first..."  I looked at Pansy and pleaded with my eyes to have her understand.  "We have to get married... it's one part of many that will keep you and the twins protected."

When Draco started speaking more to Pansy than the group, I looked at Juniper.  "Are you okay?" I asked her quietly, looking into her light eyes, trying to get a good read on her.  It was clear that she was panicking, but that was not the only thing I was looking for.  Clearly, things were troublesome.  If she needed protection, I would stay for her.  Draco could go with Pansy... but I knew things with Juniper and Draco were never that simple.

I was shell shocked.  I mean, had I dreamed of marrying Draco?  Probably since third year.  I loved him... I really did.  Was this the perfect fairy tale ending?  Definitely not -- but I knew I would never get something like that when it came to Draco, not after... well, what he did.  I knew that was not him, though.  Not the real him.  He was so different now.  I nodded slowly at him. "Whatever it takes," I told him, looking into his blue eyes.  "I'll do anything to protect them."  I instinctively put a hand atop of my stomach, over my baby bump.  No one was going to harm them.

I was half listening to Draco and Pansy talk and was relieved when I heard her say she would do anything to protect the babies. But Draco was right, there was many parts that had to come together for this all to work. I shook my head to clear it and turned to Linc. He was looking me in the eyes and I looked back into his eyes. I hoped he saw the honesty in them when I answered. "I'm okay, now that you said you'll go with Pansy. It's not just to help protect her though, we aren't using you." He had to know I would never use him. I shook my head slightly, "I probably sound crazy to you right now but I will be okay. Things are just, not really good right now." I admitted, turning my gaze to the floor "And just when I thought things were going to be okay." Just when I thought that maybe Linc and I could be more then friends, but that would never happen now. A tear escapes onto my cheek as I looked up at Linc again. "I'm okay though, nothing's happened to me." I assured him sincerely. Nothing's happened to me yet anyway. I knew he would want to protect me if he found out what I would be expected to do soon, but it was already too late. Draco and I already promised each other we would take the Mark, and he would hate me after that anyway. "The best thing you can do for me right now is listen to us and leave with Pansy tomorrow." It was the only thing I would let him do.

I was so relieved that Pansy did not resist.  I gave her another kiss and looked over at Lincoln and Juniper, staying so close to Pansy because I could not shake the feeling that something could happen at any moment.  "We stay here tonight... and go to the Ministry tomorrow.  Then the two of you leave from there.  We can't know where and no contact unless we send Eve to you," I aid to the group.  I was starting to regain control of the situation the best that I could and it was making me feel a little bit better about everything.  Until Lincoln and Pansy left.  Even though we would not resist, would we see them after tomorrow?  I could not help but think the worse.

I sighed, looking from Juniper to Draco.  How could it be that he was the only one to protect her?  He could barely protect his own life.  I looked back to June.  "Don't worry.  I'll make sure she's safe," I assured June.  I was not entirely sure I believed that Juniper was okay, but I knew there was no point in pressing the issue.  It was clear from both of them that we were not going to get any more details than the few they handed us.

I had never seen Draco or Juniper look this worried before -- not even during our sixth year when everything was going on... we all found out what Draco had been up to when the life of the Headmaster was taken.  But even then, Draco did not look this shaken.  I squeezed his hand comfortingly.  "Whatever it takes," I assured him.  I just hoped that everything would calm down and we could be together in the end.

"You have to make sure you're safe too." I said to Lincoln, that was the whole reason we had brought him here, not just to protect Pansy. I closed my eyes and took a few shaky breaths to try to calm myself. Pansy had agreed to marry Draco and both Lincoln and Pansy agreed to leave tomorrow to go into hiding. This past of the plan was working, all the we needed to worry about now was Draco and I taking the Mark. I opened my eyes and nodded. "You leave as soon as the ceremony's over." We couldn't risk them being here any longer then needed. I just had to trust in everything that tomorrow would not be the last time we saw them. Draco and I would deliver the proof of the marriage to Father and he would make us become Death Eaters. All in a week at the Malfoy house hold I suppose. "We'll be okay." I tried to assure them. As long as they were safe and we took the Mark without resistance, which we already promised to, we may come out of this physically okay.

I looked at the other three.  They looked tired and worried.  I doubted that any of us would sleep tonight, but we would have to try.  Juniper and I needed to be in the right state of mind to face Father tomorrow; Pansy and Lincoln had to be in their right state of mind to be able to leave and go into hiding for a little while.  I sighed and ran a hand through my blonde hair.  "We should get rooms," I muttered, sure that Lincoln would want to speak to Juniper alone and Pansy would definitely want to speak to me alone.  I could see it in her beautiful brown eyes.

I nodded at June.  "Don't worry," I told her softly.  "If I'm with Pansy and she's safe, then I will be too."  My main concern would be Pansy, though.  She was pregnant with twins, apparently, and so there was much more at stake with her than with me.  It almost did not look like Juniper believed that they would be okay.  I wanted to say more to her when Draco spoke up.  Perhaps getting rooms would be a good idea.  give everyone a chance to talk more privately.

I nodded and tried to force a smile at Lincoln, knowing it didn't resemblance anything close to one. I knew that Lincoln wanted to talk with me, I just hoped that he didn't ask any questions I couldn't answer. I had to protect him from my Father, I wouldn't let anything happen to him just because, for some reason, he cared about me. Especially because after this week, he wouldn't. And I didn't blame him. I shook my head to clear it, forcing myself not to shudder at the thought of what Father would do to Pansy and Lincoln if Draco and I didn't take the Mark. I looked between the three others and had to agree with Draco, we needed rooms. I was starting to shake slightly with worry, I wasn't sure how much longer I could actually stand. I nodded, I knew Draco and Pansy would want to talk as well, so they may want to room together, but what about Lincoln and I? "How many rooms should we get?"

"We'll get two," I said simply, then I looked at June and Lincoln.  "I'm sure they have one with two beds in it for the two of you..." I just was hoping that the rooms would be next to each other.  I knew that I would not let go of Pansy tonight -- not when I had a foreboding feeling that this may be the last time I saw her.  I wanted to think positively about everything, but we were dealing with our Father after all.  He was so unpredictable and I knew that he would do anything to have things be his definition of perfect.

I blushed slightly at Draco's comment but shook my head to clear it, now was clearly not the the time. Lincoln and I would hardly be friends after this week. He wouldn't want to hang out with me. I nodded at Draco, "Two adjoining rooms, if they have them." I was hoping Draco was thinking along the same lines, I couldn't stand to be further apart then a few metes from any of them until we had to be. I had to make sure they were safe as long as I could. I pushed the apprehension to the back of my mind, I had to believe this would not be the last time we would see them safe but with Father, you never knew what to expect. "We should put the name under an alias." I was happy I thought of an alternative, we couldn't use Malfoy or Parkinson and I didn't want to put it under Matthews either, it would put him at more risk then he already was.

I nodded at them.  "Stay here, I'll go to Tom and get rooms," I said.  Draco handed me a bagful of money -- it was rather heavy and I was glad.  I would probably have to bribe Tom to keep this information to himself anyways and not disclose who the aliases belonged to.  I quickly thought of names for us, though I hoped he would just want to write down two -- one for each room.  There was no point in knowing all of our names, but I could imagine.  It went without a hitch, except that they were not adjoining, however, they were right next to each other.  I returned to the other three.  "No adjoining rooms, but they are neighboring ones," I told them, handing a key to Draco.

I wished they had been adjoining, but neighboring was the best that the Leaky Cauldron had.  I nodded at Lincoln.  "thank you," I told him sincerely.  We had our differences, but it was time to put them aside for the time being.  I had to trust him enough to take care of Pansy while we dealt with our family issues.  I looked at the other three.  "We'll meet back down here for a spot of breakfast by eight and then off to the Ministry," I instructed, not really wanting to wait much longer than that.  I wished we could go sooner, but I knew that would be pointless.  "We need to at least try to get some rest."  I knew that wold be a long shot for all of us.  I was more worried about Lincoln and Pansy getting rest-- they needed it to be practically on the run for at least a weeks' time.