There are only two things I'd risk my life for: love and revenge -- Spring 1997

I ignored Bellatrix, but I saw Draco's eyes flash to her momentarily before looking back at me.  "You don't have to do this, Draco," I told him softly.  "You have a choice -- no matter what they've told you, you always have a choice."  Though I understood the situation they put him in.  I would do anything for my family as well.

I had been trying to find Draco and make sure the other students went back to the common rooms when I heard screams from down the next hall. I ran there and saw Greyback terrorizing some first years. "Hey!" I yelled to get his attention, "Pick on someone your own size!" I took a shaky breath. "It's me you want, not them!"

I smirked menacingly, looking at Malfoy's daughter.  "Too right you are, deary," I said, reaching for her.  I grabbed her arm tightly.  I was sure we would need her as collateral to make sure Draco finished the task assigned to him.  I drug her towards the Astronomy Tower.  "Just you wait... if your brother knows what's good for you, he'll do what is asked of him."

I nearly forgot that Aunt Bellatrix was there.  "You don't understand," I told him, my wand lowering slightly.  "I don't have a choice.  How can I choose between who lives and who doesn't?  I can't.... but I have to, Professor.  We won't be safe... I have to do this... there's no other way..." I trailed off, pleading with him to tell me that there was a way out.  I did not want to do this.  I did not.  I would not be able to live with myself if I became a murderer, but I needed to know that Juniper would be safe if I did not go through with this.  But there was no guarantee.

I looked into his blue eyes, leaning against the wall for to support me.  I was growing weaker every minute.  But I wanted to help Draco as much as I could.  "There is," I answered quietly, not wanting to give Bellatrix a reason to finish the deed for him, but wanting to assure Draco that he could be safe if he did not do this.  "I promise you that, Draco."

I lowered my wand even more.  What was he saying?  He would protect us?  I had to believe that he could if I was not going to go through with this.  I wanted to ask more, but there was not time.  He needed to get out of there if I was going to let him live -- we all had to, me him and Juniper.

I could not believe my eyes.  I stared at Draco.  How dare he even think about not completing this!  I was about to yell at him when Greyback appeared with Juniper.  My glowering expression turned to one of glee.  "Perfect!" I whispered, moving to where Greyback was and taking Juniper from him.  "Don't be too quick to give up, Draco," I said loudly to him moving Juniper to be on one side of Dumbledore.  He woudl watch one of them fall tonight -- i twas his choice as to who's life would be lost.

"Draco, I'm sorry!" I cried as soon as I saw him, "Don't do this!" I hated seeing my brother so torn and the fact that I was here. I just hoped I could convince him he didn't need to kill for me. Aunt Bellatrix took me and shoved me so I stood next to Professor Dumbledore. I had vivid memories of the attack and I looked down at my Dragon pendent that had been clanging against my my chest. Linc had given it to me recently and I wanted to feel the effects of his potion more then anything right now. I had promised him that I wouldn't though. He was trying to help me get over it and right now I had to worry about Draco, not me. I realized that either Professor Dumbledore or I would die tonight. "Draco you don't have to protect me anymore....Draco please." I plead with my eyes, tears threatening to fall. I didn't want to be the one to force my twin to comment murder to save her.

<< I can edit out the necklace if you think she should get it later....I wasn't sure.....up to you.... >>

<< Nope!  It works! >>

I rolled my eyes.  "How touching," I said sarcastically.  I pointed my wand at my niece and made her writhe in pain a little bit.  I smirked evilly.  "What I did to her before will be nothing compared to the way she will die... all - because - of - you," I said, making the last four words of my sentence short and choppy to get Draco's attention.  "Oh, whoopsy, did twin sissy not tell you who attacked her?  Well, the secret's out now."  I laughed and lifted the curse off of Juniper.  I moved behind her and held onto her, forcing her head to at least look in Draco's direction.  I could not force her to keep her eyes open, but I wanted this to be as easy of a decision as possible for Draco... it was not entirely difficult as what he was making it out to be.

I could see the struggle the young man in front of me was having.  He had been so close to believing me when I said that he and Juniper would be protected.  When her screams filled the night around us, I could see Draco break in front of me.  Tears were in his eyes.  I would not let her take the fall, either.  I was growing weaker, but I had enough strength to get through to Draco.  "Draco, it's okay," I said quietly when the screams subsided when the curse was lifted.  "Save your sister.  I understand... it will be okay."  Did I want to die?  Not particularly, but I would lay my life down for one of the students.  I never would have thought it would be at the hand of a student, either.  I looked into Draco's blue eyes and I knew what was coming.

I saw Juniper being dragged in by Greyback and it felt like there was a vice grip on my heart.  I could not bear to have her get hurt because I could not do this.  My blood ran cold when Aunt Bellatrix fessed up to being the one who attacked Juniper in Hogsmeade.  How could she do that to her own family?  Just to get me to kill Dumbledore?

I could nto move; I could not do a damn thing to help my sister when her screams filled the air from the Crutiatus Curse -- Aunt Bellatrix's favorite.  It broke my heart.  I was not going to let her keep hurting Juniper.  I could not have it happen.  I could still hear the screams when Aunt Bellatrix stopped; she moved to hold onto Juniper from behind and I wished I could get her away from my sister.  A soft voice saying my name grabbed my attention.  Dumbledore.  He was being so kind.  Tears were blurring my vision as i looked into his eyes, filled with the sadness of what was going to happen.  he knew what I was going to have to choose.  And he was telling me it was okay?  He was okay with dying for my sister?  How could I kill a man who would do exactly what I would do for her?  I blinked back tears and tore my gaze away from Professor Dumbledore to steal a glance at my sister.  I knew she did not want me to do this.  My gaze moved more in between the two of them because I was not sure if I could look into either of their eyes any longer.  "I am so sorry," I said, a sob rising in my throat.

He deserved better than what I was giving him.  I returned my gaze to Professor Dumbledore and raise my wand.  I looked him in the eyes, tears threatening to fall down my cheeks, and whispered, "Avada Kedavra."

<<June figured out how she wanted to react....let me know if you want me to change anything ....>>

I wanted to try to convince Draco to let them kill me so he didn't have to complete the task when Aunt Bellatrix used the Cruciatus Curse on me. I yelped in pain before I managed to suppress my screams by biting my lip, hard. If I started screaming, I wouldn't be able to stop and I knew Draco would finish his task. Unfortunately, that didn't last long, the pain was too much and I screamed. "Draco! Don't!" I tried to get out between screams and staggered breaths. Finally, she lifted the curse and I would've fallen forward if she hadn't held onto me from behind. One hand was holding my arms, the other holding my hair so she forced me to look at Draco. I didn't want to want to watch him, to see the moment he turned into a murderer, but I forced myself to. If he was willing to kill an innocent man just to save my life, I had to be willing to watch, to know the images that would haunt his day and nightmares so I could help him the best I could. "Draco, please..." I tried one last pled  but I knew it was useless, I had said it so softly, I wasn't even sure if Aunt Bellatrix heard it, never mind Draco. I watched the bright green light leave Draco's wand and hit Professor Dumbledore right in the chest. He fell backwards off the Astronomy tower.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment as everyone processed what had happened, Draco had completed his task. I head Aunt Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters laugh as she pushed me forward so I landed on my hands and knees, hard. I felt tears coming down my face and wondered when I had started crying. It didn't matter now though, my brother needed me. I tried to stand up but was too weak to do so, I could hardly pull myself forward to get to him. I looked up at him and saw he was staring at the place where the Professor had just been moments before. I had to distract him. This maybe the first time in a while that I actually wanted his attention on me just so he didn't have to think about what he had just done. I hadn't wanted him to worry about me before but now, I just wanted him to look at me with his matching blue eyes. "Draco." I hoped I was loud enough for him to hear me, I needed him right now and I thought that he might need me.

I fell to my knees without even trying to break the fall.  I heard someone saying my name; I heard laughter.  Everything was a blur to me and I could not make anything out.  The green flash emitted from my wand was burned into my eyes it seemed.  I was breathing heavily and I realized that the tears had broken free of their confines.  What did I do?  I never thought that I would have enough power in me to actually be able to perform that curse... perhaps the curse just knew that it needed to be powerful enough to actually do the job.  

I tried to focus on what was going on around me.  Where was Juniper?  If I did not find her and help her, then what I did was all for naught.  I blinked back what was left of my tears and things started to slowly come into focus.  I was grateful that Juniper was right in front of me.  I forced myself to stand and to help her up.  "We need to go -- all of us," I said, my voice sounding hollow and not at all like my own.  I saw a flash and looked up into the sky; Aunt Bellatrix just cast the Dark Mark so it lingered eerily above the Astronomy Tower.

I was happy that I had been able to get Draco's attention and that I hadn't been too far away from him. He stood and helped me stand. I put my arm around his shoulder and he had his arm around my waist, supporting me and holding me up. All my weight was against him, I was so weak. I took a few shaky breaths to get my energy up. "Draco, where are we going to go?" My head was hurting, I couldn't think properly. I closed my eyes against the flash. When it was gone I looked up and saw the Dark Mark in the sky. I trembled slightly and shrunk more into Draco. We did need to go, but where?

I felt another hand grasp my bicep roughly and pulled me in a direction, making me nearly drag Juniper as well.  I turned and saw Aunt Bellatrix taking me to follow the rest of the Death Eaters away from the scene.  I wanted to argue, but where else would we go?  No one here would believe me and all would brand me as a murderer -- which I was.  "With them," I told my twin sadly and barely above a whisper.  What else would we do?  I saw Greyback ahead of Aunt Bellatrix and the rest of the Death Eaters that had come through join them.  I turned my head slighty and saw Snape behind us.  His nearly black eyes met my blue ones and I could see the sadness in them, matching my own.