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Chapter Nine

"You can't love me. You must forget about me. leave me alone and don't look back."

That was the last thing Draco said to me that night before we apparated back to the school. The last words he spoke to me. The only words that have been ringing in my ears for the past week. I can't remember a moment when I wasn't crying since then, but this is what he wanted and he wasn't going to argue with me. I found myself sitting at the Slytherin table in the great hall with a plate of food in front of me, but I didn't feel like eating. I was only showing my face so people wouldn't bother me to see if I was ok. I pushed the plate away and stood up. When I turned around to leave back to my room, I saw Draco walking in with a few of his friends, one of them being Pansy. His eyes hit mine and then they dropped to the floor. His expression changed from a smile to guilt. Good. He should feel guilty, but I knew it was for the best. I dropped my eyes to my feet and quickly walked past them. Pansy nudged my shoulder as I walked by, but I ignored it. Finally, out in the hallway I took a deep breath. The air in the great hall was too stuffy and I couldn't breathe. Or maybe it was seeing him after not seeing him for a week.

"Quinn!" Someone shouted.

I turned around to see Harry running to catch up with me, Ron right on his heels. I felt my stomach drop, as it was his fault I was in this mess with Draco. He had a look of worry and guilt across his face. When he caught up to me, he placed his hand on my shoulder and took a deep breath, like he had been running laps.

"Hey Harry, Ron." I softly smiled at them, trying not to show my worry.

"I noticed you have been sitting alone lately, in classes and at meals. Is everything okay?" he asked.

I dropped my gaze to the floor and sighed. I didn't want to say the words because they burned like fire rolling off my tongue.

"Draco and I, well- we-"I tried to explain but Harry interrupted me by wrapping his arms around me.

"I have been there. Don't worry. It'll be ok. Do you wanna come with me and Ron to the library? We're trying to catch up to Hermoine."

My eyes grew large. Hanging out with the golden trio? I have never even spoken to Hermoine before and now they wanted to hang out with me. suspicion grew as I thought back to when Harry questioned me about Draco but suddenly, I saw him emerge from the great hall. He looked to the right then to the left until his eyes met mine. I quickly fixed my focus back to Harry.

"Uh- sure! That sounds nice." I agreed.

I turned my back to Draco and followed alongside Harry and Ron all the way to the library, feeling Draco's gaze on me the whole way. I wanted to turn around. I wanted to run to him, but I couldn't. I had to fight through this pain. This was what he wanted.

We finally reached the library and while Harry pulled open the door, I quickly glanced over my shoulder to see Draco a few yards away, leaning against a wall with his hands deep in his pockets. He was staring down at the floor, lost in thought when he finally looked up at me. He pushed off the wall and slumped off in the opposite direction, leaving me breathless and hurting. I stepped inside the library and fell in line behind Ron. He was much taller than me and his hair was wild and red, just like fire. Harry glanced back at me and smiled before pointing to a table that a girl with a head of puffy brown hair was sitting at. She looked up at us and smiled at Ron then Harry but when her eyes met mine, confusion grew on her face.

"And who is this?" she asked quizzically.

"This is Quinn, Quinn-"Harry started to introduce me.

"Stillstone!" Hermoine interrupted, her face twisting into a smile.

"Y-yeah." I nodded.

"I know your brother Fynn." She laughed. "He is really very sweet, and quite handsome."

Ron flashed her a look then shook his head almost as if he was dismissing whatever thought was going through his head. We all sat down around the table and Harry leaned over Hermione's shoulder to see what she was working on.

"I have this essay due in McGonigal's class tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I had all my facts correct." She explained to us.

"Hermoine, you are the smartest person I know. I don't even know why you're not teaching a class here yet." Ron sniggered.

Hermoine rolled her eyes, but I could see a blush forming in her cheeks. I dropped my eyes to the table and let a small smile form on my lips. It reminded me of the time that Draco and I- no. I had to stop doing this. I had to turn my focus off him.

"Did you ever find Draco?" I asked Harry.

I realized I just turned my focus back on Draco, but I had to find out what Harry knew. Hermione's expression faltered and Ron leaned back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head and widening his eyes at Harry.

"Uh- yeah, something like that." Harry pushed his lips into a thin smile and nodded.

What could he mean 'like that'? I just nodded my head and pulled my books from my bag. I also had an essay due but mine was for Potions class. It was my worst subject, so I always saved it for last. I began studying my book and scribbling notes down when my arm began to tingle. After a moment it began to burn. It was slight at first but began to get worse. I wiggled in my seat a little, trying to ignore it but eventually I had to grab my arm. Harry and Hermoine looked over at me with worry on their face.

"Everything ok?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh! Yeah. My arm just has a cramp in it." I said, awkwardly smiling while still shuffling in my seat.

"Here, let me take a look." Hermoine said, reaching for my arm.

I quickly jerked it away and set it in my lap, still rubbing it.

"No, no that's ok. I think I will just go to the hospital wing and get it looked at." I stood up and shoved my books in my bag, but my arm began to burn even more, causing me to drop my bag on the table and rush out of the room.

Once in the hallway I began to run to the washroom, locking the door behind me once inside. I ripped my rob off and looked down to my arm. It was on fire at this point, and I just wanted it to stop. My heart began to pound as I didn't know what to do. I needed to find Draco and-

No. No I can do this. I can figure it out alone. I took a deep breath and grabbed my rob, rushing back to my dorm. Once I was there, I changed out of my uniform and into a pair of tight black jeans and a long sleeve gray v neck. I put on a pair of black boots that reached halfway up my calf. I pulled my hair into a high tight ponytail on top of my head, letting my long blonde curls fall down the middle of my back. I checked myself in the mirror and took a deep breath. I was about to take a big leap, but it was the only thing I knew to do. I looked down at my arm which was still burning and rolled my eyes. I made my way to the courtyard and looked up at the sky that was getting dark now. I raised my wand and closed my eyes. Suddenly the world began to spin and twist around me. After a moment my feet hit the ground and I began trudging forward before I could even catch my breath. I walked to the front door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

The door creaked open slowly and a house elf was standing before me. I looked down at him and smiled.

"Ms. Stillstone, they are waiting for you." He hissed, stepping back so I could step inside.

I followed him as he hobbled slowly to the kitchen. Once inside he scurried off and I was left alone with Lucious and Bellatrix. She smiled at me with an evil crooked smile and nasty yellow teeth. Lucious had a face of stone, just like Draco when he tries to hide his emotions, only I don't think Lucious was actually hiding anything.

"I suspect you felt your mark?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

He was tall and slender, just like Draco and his hair was white and reached his mid back. His eyes were empty even though they too reminded me of Draco, there was nothing in them besides hate. He was standing at attention across the room, both hands resting on his cane. He raised his hand to motion me to sit down in a barstool at the island in the center of the room. I slowly walked over and sat in it. It was tall and black leather with no backing to it. The counter was a dark gray marble that felt like ice to the touch. The whole room was dark marbles and cold silver, but it was cleaned to perfection.

"Uh- yes sir." I said quietly, not wanting to look him in the eye.

"Strange my son is not following behind you like a dog in heat." He scoffed.

I felt a lump form in my throat, and I wanted to cry but I pushed it down and silently nodded.

"Hm. Yes, well. Your mark brought you here. Whenever the dark lord calls for us, you will feel it burn, then you will be drawn to the place he is at. Which was here but lucky for you, he had other urgent matters to attend to." He lowly hummed.

I swallowed and nodded again.

"He did, however, inform me of a matter that he wants you to look in to."

I quickly looked up at him and I could feel my hands beginning to sweat. I slowly rubbed them on my jeans and kept my eyes on him.

"Caught your attention I see." He smirked. "Well. There is a group of wizards who are hiding out in a small town somewhere in Cheshire called Barnton. I am told they are hiding out in a small apartment there. No bigger than a broom closet we suspect. They are a simple-minded group of mud bloods who look to seek revenge on purebloods. They need to be put in their place." He began to seethe as he spoke. "He wants you to find them, and kill them, all."

My eyes grew large, and my throat went dry. I have never hurt anyone, let alone kill someone. I couldn't-

"If you refuse, you will suffer the same fate as your father." He hissed, studying my face.

Just then Yaxely crept in the room and flashed a dark, twisted smile at me.

"Go ahead girl, refuse. Make my day." He laughed.

I stood up quickly and backed away from him, turning back around to face Lucious.

"I will do it." I said lowly, dropping my eyes to my feet.

He nodded and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Leave my son out of it. He has bigger problems to worry about other than you." He spat.

I nodded and turned to leave, picking up my pace as I walked past Yaxely. He was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. As I passed by him, I tried squeezing my body to make it smaller so I could pass him without touching him. He leaned forward and smelled my hair as I walked by, causing me to wiggle away in disgust. I walked back into the entry way and glanced to the stairs, feeling my heart sink as I wondered if Draco was up there and how easy it would be to climb those steps and go lay with him. I shook my head and continued to the door, pausing when I felt my fingertips touch the handle. Was I really about to leave, and go murder a group of people just so I could save my own life? I had to. Whether Draco wanted me to be or not, I was still in love with him and I made a promise to him that I wouldn't let this world break him, so, I had to let it break me.

I turned the knob and walked out into the chilly air. Once outside I focused on the task at hand. Get to Barnton, find the wizards, and stop them- kill them, if I had to. I gripped my wand, closed my eyes, and held it high in the air. Before I knew it, I was twisting and turning through the air. Cold wind whipping against my face. When I opened my eyes, I was finally on the ground, standing in the middle of a small neighborhood. It was quiet and dark. The only light was coming from a few dimly lit lamp posts. I stepped onto the curb and out of the street, looking around to familiarize myself with the surroundings. I noticed there were no lights in the windows and no people on the streets. It seemed dead. I squinted my eyes and could faintly see the glow of a candle in a window. I slowly began to head towards it. The house was tiny, no bigger than a broom closet, I could hear Lucious's voice in my head. As I approached the house, I could see all the plant life around it was dead. It smelled of rain and mold, it made me curl my nose. I decided to creep to the side of the house and look in any windows to see who was inside. I found a small window closer to the back of the house and it was just low enough for me to see through if I stood on my toes. Peering inside I could see a few cots thrown about and some blankets covering the bodies of whoever was sleeping in them. I glanced to the left a little just in time to see a large man walking across the room, right for the window I was at. I quickly sank down and could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Did he see me? My heart was so loud I felt like he would hear it through the wall, so I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. After a few moments I realized there was no sound coming from the house, so I slowly turned and peered back in.

The man had his back to me and seemed to be leaning against a counter, sipping a cup of...something. He was so large I couldn't see into the room anymore, so I decided to walk around back. As quickly and quietly as I could, I made my way to the back of the house. There were no lights back here and I couldn't see anything. I squinted to try and make out any shadows, but still nothing. I pulled out my wand and took a deep breath. I had no other choice. If I didn't want to knock things over and alert them I was here, id have to create some light.

"Lumos." I whispered firmly.

I subtle bright light began to shine from the tip of my wand which caused my throat to tighten and my hands to sweat. They were going to see this. I had to hurry and get to a safe spot and put it out. Suddenly, there was a commotion inside. I jumped and jammed my wand into the back of my jeans.

"Knox" I whispered, and the light went out.

I froze in place, scared to move. I crouched down in hopes I was hidden enough behind something that if they were to come outside, they wouldn't see me. I could hear the front door swing open and after a few moments it slammed shut. I waited until I couldn't hear anything then I pulled my wand back out and lit it up again. I crept to the house and peered in another window I had managed to find. It appears all the men that were once inside, had left. I made my way to the back door and pulled on the handle. It opened with a click, then a squeal. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth, slipping in through the small opening I made in the door. I slowly shut it behind me and whipped around to make sure no one was there.

Empty.

The room smelled of smoke and parchment paper and upon closer inspection, there was paper all over the floor. I picked up a piece that was stuck under my shoe and it talked about Voldemort returning and the boy who lived, Harry potter. I dropped it back to the floor and continued to study the room. There were scribblings all over the place. Some were not legible, and some spoke of spells. One that stood out to me was the spell of death. My mind flashed back to the night Draco almost killed Yaxely, the last time I spoke to Draco. I managed to make my way to the counter that the large man had been leaning against and there was a book on it. I flipped it open, and it was full of moving pictures. Some of men and some of women. There were a few of children, not much older than I was in my first year. Some had large red x's over them, and some had circles. This was an assassin list. I noticed all the men in the book had the dark mark on their arms or death eater masks covering their faces. I flipped the page again and my heart stopped when I saw a picture of my father and Fynn. My father had a red x and my brother had a circle. Were they taking out families of death eaters? Were they so hateful towards Voldemort that they would kill innocent children and wives or husbands, just for being associated with a death eaters?

I frantically flipped through the pages to see if Draco was there, and I stopped on a page that had a picture of me. I had a circle. Next to me was a picture of Draco and his father and next to that, a photo of Narcissa. When I saw my face, I grew nervous but seeing Draco's, it made me angry. This wasn't about the dark lord anymore; this was about Draco. Suddenly my nerves fell away, and I knew what had to be done. I gripped my wand and walked over to a cot, sitting on it, and placing my head in my hands. I sighed and then... I waited.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, I heard voices approaching the door. I quickly stood to my feet and took a few steps back. The fear set in again until I looked over to the book, remembering the pictures inside. I furrowed my brow, took a deep breath, and stood my ground. I shakily raised my wand up and then the door slowly swung open, revealing two men who seemed to be coming back from the pub. Their eyes were red, and they stumbled as they stepped through the door. When their eyes met mine, confusion plastered across their face's.

"Who the fu-"

"STUPEFY!" I screamed, as a crack of red light shot from my wand and hit one of them in the shoulder.

The man fell to the ground in a loud thud and the other ripped his wand out from his coat pocket.

"CRUCIO!" He screamed, thrusting his wand in my direction.

Suddenly my head felt like I had slammed it into a cement wall. It felt like someone had taken a hot knife and was sawing at my skull from the inside out. I hunched over and tucked my head between my knees, screaming in pain. My vision was cutting in and out from the pain, but I could see the man lifting his wand again, drunkenly laughing as he did so.

"A death eater? Making my job easier. Delivered yourself straight to us." He then spat at the top of my head, still holding his wand up in the air, pointed at me.

I needed this pain to stop. That was all I could focus on. I began beating my fist against my head in hopes it would somehow help. I fell to my knees and at this point I waited for the man to kill me. He opened his lips to scream another spell at me and I did the only thing I could think of through the pain. I whipped my wand at him and closed my eyes.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A bright green light jumped from my wand to the man's chest and he fell. First to his knees then forward on his face. I leaned forward and slammed my head against the ground, still screaming. I raised my wand to the sky and suddenly I was twisting and spinning. Even while apparating I could still feel the pain. I felt my body hit the ground and I could barely see the school through my blurred vision. I noticed there was movement and I hoped it was someone who could help. I began screaming as loud as I could, writhing in pain on the ground. I could see the outline of people rushing towards me. I could make out black robes and knew they were students.

"What is happening to her?" Hermoine screamed.

"She's been cursed." I heard Harry say calmly.

"Do something." She shouted.

"Make it stop!! Make it stop!!" I began to beg loudly.

I could feel hot tears streaming down my cheeks but everything else was numb. Everything besides my head. I placed my hands on each side of my skull and began to squeeze because it felt as though my head was splitting in two. Harry got down to his knees and placed my head in his lap. He grabbed my hands with his and tried to pull them away from my head.

"NO! NO!" I screamed, trying to fight him off.

I slapped my hands on my eyes and began trying to claw them out. I had to get the pressure out somehow and in my state that was the only idea I had.

"QUINN!" I heard my brother shout. "MOVE MALFOY!"

I heard what he said but all I could think about was dying. That's what it felt like. Dying, slowly. I felt him grab my hand and squeeze.

"It'll be ok Quinn, let us help you. Potter how do you stop this?" Fynn demanded.

"I don't- I don't know!" He said frantically.

"She has to wait until it stops, or a professor has to lift it." Hermoine answered.

I looked up at Harry and began to sob. I turned my face into his lap and screamed. I was hurting. Not just in my head but in my heart too. I knew Draco was there and he was watching as Harry comforted me. Harry began to stroke my hair with his hand, trying to get me to calm down. I could feel the pain slightly going away enough that my vision came back. I blinked a few times and rolled to my side, trying to catch my breath with my head still resting on Harry's lap. I looked up and my eyes met Draco's, he was pushing past Crabbe and Goyle to get to me.

"Get the fuck off of her Potter!" He screamed.

"Malfoy- I was only helping." Harry scoffed.

Draco grabbed harry by the shoulder and threw him to the side, picking me up and holding me in his arms. I rested my head against his chest and could smell his soap. Apple. I closed my eyes and could feel him quickly walking. My head was still in pain, but I was so tired now. I felt him kick a door open and a gust of warm air hit my face.

"Help her!" He shouted frantically. "She was cursed!"

"Put her here." I heard snape say.

Draco laid me down on a table and took a step back, looking down at me with fear and panic in his eyes. I reached out my hand to him and felt him take it. I closed my eyes as he lifted my hand to his lips and rested them on it. Snape grabbed my head and turned it, so it was facing the ceiling. He pressed his wand against my forehead and mumbled a spell. Suddenly a gray smoke emerged from where his wand was, and the pain began to lift with it.

"She will have a headache, but she will be fine. She's lucky you brought her here or there could have been major damage. What happened?" He asked with frustration in his voice.

"I don't- I don't know. She was just lying there, screaming. By the time I got there, potter was by her side. They were mumbling like a bunch of idiots, and I knew she was in pain so I brought her to you." He said, dropping my hand and pacing back and forth.

I blinked my eyes a few times and slowly sat up. My head hurt but nothing like what I just went through. I looked up at Draco and his eyes met mine. He froze for a moment before jumping to me, grabbing my head, and bringing it to his chest. I wrapped my arms around his back and held on to him like he was the only material thing on the earth. Like if I let go then I would disappear into nothing. I felt him pulling back so he could look at me, but I squeezed him tighter.

"Don't." I began to tremble. "Don't let go."

This time he sat next to me and pulled me onto his lap, cradling me like a child. I turned my face into his shirt and sobbed.

"Shhh love." He whispered into my hair.

"I HATE this." I said through the tears.

"I know. I do too. But I told you that you wouldn't like my plan."