Phoenix

Chapter Two

"Okay, meeting can begin!" Atlas clapped his hands together as he looked around Draco's dorm room at Blaise, Draco, and I. All three of us rolled our eyes at the boy who was now balancing a pillow on top of his head.

"Does it not bother you even a little bit that you wear the Dark Mark?" I questioned the boy, looking at his sleeves that he had rolled up to his elbows.

"Of course it does, but it's not going to do me any good sitting around and crying about it. We need to make a plan, get this shit done, and then we can get back to living our lives," Atlas said seriously, dropping the pillow from his head and sitting down onto Draco's black velvet couch.

"You honestly think life will go back to normal after this? After we allow Death Eaters into the school? We'll be expelled and maybe even thrown in Azkaban," Blaise said. I watched as he twisted the lid off of a bottle of firewhiskey and poured some into a glass. He noticed me watching him and offered the glass to me, but I declined. I couldn't get drunk at a time like this.

"I hope so," Atlas continued the conversation. "We're Death Eaters, too. We won't be punished for doing our job once they take over. We'll just fall into the shadows. One they've taken over the school they won't need us to do their jobs for them. Everyone will learn Dark Arts from some sick and twisted bastard like one of our father's. History of Magic will turn into some shit like the History of the Dark Lord. And if that's not what happens, we run," he shrugged, like what he had just said was the simplest concept on Earth.

"Are you mad?" I finally spoke up. I pulled the sleeves of my jumper down and over my hands as I looked at my best friend. "Like seriously mad? You honestly think any of us are making it out of this alive?"

"You will," Draco said from beside me. He reached his hand out and placed it on my leg and patted it before pulling it back to rest in his lap. "You will not die, Alena. I already made a promise to your mother."

"As did we," Atlas said, pointing between him and Blaise.

"My mother? When did you lot have time to talk to my mother when I wasn't around?" I questioned, pushing myself to sit in the very corner of Draco's bed furthest away from him. My heart was racing in my chest. Why would these three boys sacrifice themselves for me?

"The night before last. She called us down after everyone else had gone to bed. She asked us to do everything in our power to keep you safe and alive. She doesn't want you mixed up in this," Draco sighed, reaching his hand out to me but I shook my head denying it.

"Yeah and since you can't let this one do anything on his own and got yourself mixed up in this shit, we're now your knights in shining armor," Atlas half chuckled, nodding his head toward Draco. Immediately I felt my cheeks begin to heat up and I turned my head away from them so no one would notice. I was going to kill Atlas one of these days.

"You didn't make an unbreakable vow did you?" I questioned once I had regained control of my emotions.

"No, nothing like that," Draco told me. "But as you know, I keep my word, and I will do everything I can to keep you safe."

Hearing those words come out of the Draco Malfoy's mouth made me feel like I was going to be sick. The butterflies that were assaulting my stomach were too much to control. Draco was somebody who cared deeply about his friends and family, but at the end of the day he was very much a follower of 'every man for himself,' and if it came down to saving him or somebody else, he would save himself. Hearing that he promised he would keep me safe made me feel all of those sickening warm and fuzzy feelings.

"Thank you," I half smiled at the blonde boy before my attention was turned to Atlas who was waving his arms in the air, his jaw dropped.

"Um, excuse me. Did you not hear what we said? WE promised to keep you alive. Blaise and me, too. Not just that baboon!" Blaise cracked a smile at Atlas' outburst and nodded his head in agreement.