The Key (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

Chapter 24: The Astronomy Tower

(A/N: again, using lines from the film)
Amelia's P.O.V
So we've finally found the Horcrux, but the real question is, how in the world are we going to destroy the thing? Because we may as well not have found it if we don't know how to destroy it. Those creatures we encountered while trying to get the necklace were called Inferi and they are bewitched corpses of witches and wizards that are forced to do the bidding of the dark wizard that killed them. In this case the dark wizard is Voldemort and the corpses are made to kill any intruder that attempts to steal the Horcrux, and that didn't work out too well, did it?

That strange restricting tube sensation pressed in on me as Dumbledore apparated us back into Hogwarts grounds after we had made our way out of the cave, much to my relief, it was horrible in there. My feet hit the solid stone floor and I filled my empty lungs up with the sweet air, letting out one single cough. My head ached and stung from the cut that was still bleeding rapidly but I didn't say anything, now wasn't really the time. Before any of us had a chance to speak, three setd of footsteps stormed up the metal stairs, one person was cackling away while doing so. Harry and I glanced at Dumbledore who seemed to know what was going on, as he didn't look phased by these people drawing nearer us, instead, he looked at us sternly.

"Now I want you to promise me something, especially you, Amelia. I want you to hide and do not move until what is about to happen is over, do you understand? Do not attempt to stop it, okay?" He ordered in a stern way, not a mean way.

"We promise." Harry and I answered in sync.

"No go and hide, go." He told us and we fled from the room, going down a seperate set of stairs and waiting on the floor below it, there was a hole in the floor of the astronomy tower with a massive golden ornamentin the middle, so we could see everything that was going on.

"Why would he say especially me?" I whispered and he shrugged. One of the set of the footsteps entered the top of the tower, that familiar platinum blonde hair making me watch more intently, what was Draco doing here? He took out his wand with a shaking hand and pointed it straight at Dumbledore, who again didn't look phased by his actions.

"Good evening, Draco. What brings you here on this fine Spring evening?" Dumbledore asked kindly but the pained sneer on Draco's face didn't fade one bit.

"Who else is here?! I heard you talking!" Draco snarled nastily.

"I'm an old man, Mr Malfoy, it's very useful to talk aloud to myself. Have you been whispering to yourself, Draco?... Draco, you are no assasin." Dumbledore told him calmly. Assassin? What the hell?

"How do you know what I am?! I've done things that would stun you!" Draco exclaimed angrily.

"Hexing Katie Bell to get her to give me a cursed necklace? Or replacing an ordinary bottle of mead with one laced with poison. Forgive me Draco, but I can't help but feel those actions were so weak that your heart can't really be in them." Dumbledore said and Draco's expression only soured.

"He trusts me! I was chosen!" Draco shouted, yanking up his sleeve to reveal the dark mark branded on his pale skin. My eyes widened and my mouth hung slightly open, he's a deatheater. He can't be! I looked over to Harry to see him eyes wide in shock, basically just as I was.

"I will make it easy for you." Dumbledore spread his arms out and Draco disarmed him.

"Well done, very good." Dumbledore said calmly and I turned to see Harry's wand pointed straight at Draco, since what happened in the boys bathroom if I even see Harry with his wand out when Draco's around I'm going to go berserk, even though I understand why Harry was doing this. Two other sets of footsteps made the rest of their way up the other staircase, probably some of Draco's deatheater friends, I still can't believe he didn't tell me!

"There are others here. How exactly?" Dumbeldore asked.

"The vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement, I've been mending it." Draco sneered, the tone of his voice almost scaring me. I really wanted to go up there, to comfort Draco, deatheater or not, I still love him. Harry and I took a few steps back through the room we were in.

"Facinating, so there is a sister, or a twin of it." Dumbledore went further into the subject.

"There's one in Borgin and Burkes, there's a passage between the two." Draco said, his voice turned into pain rather then anger.

"Genius, absolutely genius. Once, I knew a boy that made all the wrong decisions, please let me help you." Dumbledore pleaded, his long grey beard blowing in the light wind.

"I don't want your help! Don't you understand?! I have to do this! I have to kill you! Or he's going to kill me." Draco choked out, looking as though he was fighting back tears, it was then I felt my heart break, to see him like this killed me inside. He had to kill Dumbledore, or Voldemort would kill him. Two others then entered the tower room next, these people were Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback, oh how I loathe those two.

"Oh look what we have here! Well done, Draco." Bellatrix whispered the last bit in Draco's ear, obviously surprised at what she had just walked in on.

"Good evening, Bellatrix." Dumbledore greeted. "I think introductions are in order, don't you?"

"I'd love to, Albus. But we're in a bit of a situation." Bellatrix told him then turned to Draco.

"Do it!" She hissed but Fenrir shook his head at him.

"He doesn't have the stomach." the werewolf taunted. Then there was a creak of the floorboards behind us, we turned sharply to see Snape pointing his wand at Harry, once he saw that we had noticed him, he pressed a finger to his lips and silenced us.

"Do it Draco! NOW!" Bellatrix screeched and Snape pushed past us onto the scene.

"No." Snape interrupted simply, and relief washed over Draco's face as he rushed out the way.

"Severus... please?" Dumbledore whispered and Snape raised his wand.

"Avada Kedavra." With that, Dumbledore burst from the astronomy tower and fell from the window. My eyes widened as I watched, too shocked to move a muscle. As I saw Draco and the others flee from the room, I decided to follow them, breaking out into a run as I attempted to catch up with them, Harry chasing after Snape. I hid behind a rock and whisper/shouted Draco's name.

"Draco!" I called out when we had exited the school. He turned on the spot and dashed over to me, scooping me up in his arms in a comforting hug.

"Where the hell have you been?! You've been gone all day! I was so worried!" He exclaimed and I pushed him away, no matter how much I wanted to stay in that position.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded pointing to the arm the dark mark was branded on.

"How did you find out?" He asked, completely avoiding the question.

"I saw the whole thing with Dumbldore, he wasn't really talking to himself, he was talking to Harry and I. We were on the floor beneath you!" I explained and he looked at me pained and guilty.

"I've been telling you everything! I told you about the job Dumbledore gave me, the meetings with him. You could have been telling Voldemort all of it!" I shouted, tears blurring my eyes and he pulled me into him again, but this time, I didn't resist.

"It's not like that! I promise.I didn't want to join the deatheater's, but my father made me. I would NEVER tell anyone about that. I didn't tell you about it because I didn't want you to involved with it, I love you too much to see you hurt in the slightest way." He spoke softly to me as he stroked my hair.

"You could of just told me, I would've understood." I stated, a few tears falling from my eyes, he wiped them away with his thumb and kissed me lightly on the lips. But little did I know we would be interrupted.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Draco and I jumped apart to see Bellatrix watching us with a sneer plastered on her face.

"Who's this, Draco? Oh my! The Dark Lord will want to hear about this. Our little Draco with Amelia Potter. The Dark Lord will be pleased about this." She said and Draco's eyes widened.

"You won't touch her." He stood up to his own aunt in order to protect me.

"And whose going to stop me?" Lestrange taunted as Draco pushed me behind him with one swift arm movement.

"I am. Run Amelia!" Draco ordered me and I felt myself being pulled away from him. I glanced behind me to see Harry was the one to take me away.

"What happened?!" He exclaimed.

"Bellatrix knows about Draco and I." I informed him and went silent, not letting out one more word.