Where Your Loyalties Lie

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Altercation

I woke up late the next morning and snuggled closer to Draco, still too tired to get up.

"Draco, are you up yet? It's nearly lunch time." My eyes opened wide. Narcissa was outside the door.

I sat up and gently nudged Draco. "Draco, your mom is in the hallway!"

He groaned and opened his eyes to look up at me. "Huh?"

"Sweetheart," Narcissa called from the hall. "May I come in?"

I got up and gathered my clothes from the floor, tossing Draco his shirt as well. "I'll hide in the bathroom," I told him.

"Good idea." Narcissa knocked again. Draco made sure that I was in the bathroom and had shut the door before calling out. "Come in, Mother!"

In the bathroom, I got dressed as I listened for the sound of Narcissa leaving again to know it was safe to reenter the room.

"I should probably go back to my own room until we're ready to head downstairs," I suggested. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying off to my room.

After shutting the door behind me, I sat down on the bed, grabbed a pillow, put it to my face, and screamed into it. I heard the door click open and I threw the pillow back to the head of the bed. "Hey Dad," I greeted.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he came in and shut the door behind him.

"I'm ok." I looked down to my newly acquired mark on my left arm. "How long will the stinging last?" I questioned.

"It should only hurt for a couple of days," Dad explained.

"Well that's good," I said, looking up from my arm to look at him.

I gasped. George stared at me with a look of betrayal. Maddie looked at me with anger. Dumbledore fell off the edge of the tower.

I pushed against the intruding force and my room reappeared in front of me. Dad was holding his wand up, pointing it at me.

"What are you doing?!" I cried.

Dad shouted, "Avada Kedavra" and a jet of green struck Dumbledore in the chest. Draco disarmed Dumbledore. Draco screamed at him and showed him his dark mark. The Death Eaters came out of the cabinet.

"NO!" I pushed harder this time and blocked Dad's intrusions. He tried again, but I remained focused and refused to let him enter again. "Why-"

"You need to keep your guard up. You have to have control over your emotions and remain strong now more than ever. Do you understand?"

"Yes! I got it!"

"Good. Now do your best to remember that."

He turned around and exited the room, leaving me breathing heavily.

A minute later, Draco knocked at the door and asked if I was ready to go downstairs. I nodded and followed him out of the room and down the stairs. Halfway down, we passed Bellatrix.

"Hold on for just one minute. I'd like to talk to you," she said.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Whatever happened to your friendships with Gryffindors and other blood traitors? And what about your muggle relatives? Hmm? Do you still maintain contact with them?"

I looked her in the eyes, refusing to look away or even blink, and stated, "They're all dead to me."

She smiled and replied, "wonderful."

I let out a deep breath after she had walked by.

Draco wrapped an arm around me and led me down the rest of the stairs to the living room.