| Girl on Fire |

99

VERONICA MALFOY

I stayed in the safe house with everyone, talking everything through for another hour before I had to go. "I should get back. I'm not completely invincible here." I said. They nodded. "Of course. Sorry for keeping you." Neville said. "It's alright, there was a lot to explain." I said. He smiled. "Thank you Veronica. Really. You are risking everything to help us. It's incredible." she said. "It's really not." I said with a shrug. "But you were protecting your family-" she started. "It's not just that. I don't want to remembered just as the stupid girl who fell in love with with Mattheo let herself get twisted up in his mind games and fall into his trap." I said. They nodded. "Harry will know what you did for us. I'll make sure he knows." she said. I nodded. "Thank you." I said. Then I left.

I got back to Slytherin 2 hours after curfew. I walked in and the common room was empty... I thought. I took off my heels and started to walk to my dorm. Then I heard him. "Veronica?"

I looked over and Mattheo stood up from the couch. I rolled my eyes. "No." I said and kept walking. He ran over and blocked my path. "Move Mattheo." I said. "No. I want to talk to you." he said. I scoffed. "I don't want to talk to you." I snapped. "We need to talk. Without your brother or your friends. You need to listen to me and they-" he started. "They are not the problem. You are!" I exclaimed. "Veronica please-" he started. "No! Gods, you don't get it, do you?" I said. He stared at me with sadness. "I have been through hell. I was abused by my father for my entire life. I was abused by Marcus. I was raped by 3 of them. I was kidnapped. I was tortured by your father. I took the dark mark. I was tortured by death eaters. I was violated again and again by countless people." I said. "I know," he said. "No, you don't. You don't understand what I'm telling you." I said. "What are you telling me?" he asked quietly. "None of that, none of it...broke me. It hurt, it scared me, it traumatized me. But I never broke." I said. He smiled. "That's what I love about you. You are so strong and brave. None of it broke you." he said proudly. I sighed.

"Yes, but you did." I stated. His face dropped. "I kept wondering what the final straw would be. What would push me over the edge? What would hurt me so bad it's irreversible? What would break me in a way I couldn't be put back together? It was you, Mattheo. Your betrayal." I said. "I never meant to hurt you like that," he said. "But you did. Do you even realize? You slaughtered my mother in cold blood, right in front of me." I said. "I had no choice-" he started. "You keep saying that but I don't believe you anymore! You had a choice, there's always a choice!" I yelled. "There isn't always a choice! You of all people should know that." he yelled back. "There is! I made a choice. A choice I'm so proud of." I yelled. He stepped back. "I knew it," he whispered.

"What?" I snapped. He stared at me in shock. "What? What did you know?" I spat. "What did you do Veronica?" he asked. I said nothing. "What choice did you make?" he asked. He stepped closer to me. With every step he took towards me, I took one back. "What did you do?" he asked. His voice was low. I reached for my wand but he was too fast. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head. He forced his knee between my legs and our chests were pressed together. He leaned in so our faces were inches apart. "Let go of me, Mattheo." I said barely above a whisper. "You don't want that." he whispered back. "Yes, I-" I started. "No, you don't. I know you. You love this." he whispered. He looked down at my lips and back into my eyes. "I know you Veronica. Like it or not, I know you. That's how I know what you did." he said. My stomach flipped and my heart stopped. "So I'm going to ask one more time, because if you did what I fear you did, you need my help," he said. "If you know what I did then why-" I started. "Because I want to hear you say it." he said darkly. I glared at him. "Fine," I said with a breath.

"I'm a spy." I said. His grip loosened and he stumbled back. He ran his hands through hair roughly. "Tell me you're lying," he said. I stayed quiet as he paced. "Tell me your fucking lying!" he screamed. "My loyalty was never with your father, Mattheo. It was always with you. And you left me. I had nothing to lose." I said. He gaped at me. "Nothing to lose?! Nothing to lose?!" he yelled. I shrugged. "He's going to kill you!" he yelled. "If you keep screaming about it, he probably will." I said. "Fine. let's go." he said. Then he grabbed my wrist and dragged me out.

He dragged me all the way to the ROR and waited for the door to shut. "Deja Vu" I mumbled.

"Veronica, he will kill you," he said. "Good." I said. He groaned. "Not just you. He'll kill you, me, Draco, Allison, Blaise, Theo, Enzo, and every single person you helped. Right after he kills Potter!" he yelled. "Not if Potter kills him first." I smirked. He scoffed. "Are you mad? Did you forget what I told you? He can't be killed. 7 Horcruxes! 7!" he yelled. I laughed. "Why are you laughing?" he asked. I bit my lip. Technically, Ginny said The Dark Lord already knows Harry, Granger and Weasley are hunting for horcruxes. So I guess he can know.  "Tell me or I'll raid your mind and find out for myself." he said. I rolled my eyes. "So demanding." I snapped. "Tell me Veronica," he said. "Fine. I guess daddy doesn't tell you everything after all." I said. "What the hell does that mean?" he yelled. "There aren't 7 horcruxes. And there won't be any after much longer." I said. "What!" he exclaimed. "Didn't you wonder why the Golden Trio is conveniently absent this year?" I asked. "Holy shit" he said. I nodded. "What else do you know?" he asked. I scoffed. "Like I'm going to tell you." I spat. "Veronica, please. You need to let me help you." he said. "Fuck you. I was fine on my own. I have people I have to take care of. People who won't abandon me and kill my loved ones." I snapped. "Veronica, please!" he begged. "No. You killed my mother. Just be grateful I'm not allowed to kill you." I said. Then I turned around and started to leave. I got to the door when he yelled after me. And what he said made me freeze...