Forget-Me-Not {Harry Potter}

Twenty Five

-My Body Is A Cage-

-keeps me from dancing with the one I love-

-but my mind holds a key-

The west wing of the Manor was freezing.

Vena and Draco are now granted allowance to the left side of the house, as they are now required to attend Death Eater meetings.

Nagini slithered underneath the long table, between the feet of the Malfoy-Lestrange clan. Or, the Malfoy's and Bellatrix. At the head of the table, resides the Dark Lord himself, the root of all of Vena's nightmares.

Vena was shivering. She hates being cold. And she's not talking about feeling windy from the outside air. No. This type of cold is rattling to her bones. As if there were a hundred dementors surrounding her. It felt like her insides were freezing from the inside out.

She doesn't remember the last time she was warm.

Perhaps last summer, or the summer before, at the Quidditch World Cup. Maybe the last time her and Theo had slept together, or the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match, back in April.

Maybe it was when she was lying on the floor that night of her Astronomy exam, with Harry next to her, or when they almost kissed later that night. Or on the train ride home, when they were millimeters apart, holding hands, breathing in the scent of pine trees...

"School will be starting school," the Dark Lord hissed. " And I have a special task for Draco."

Vena turned to her mother, who's eyes widened slightly. Draco kept his eyes on the table, refusing to look up.

The Dark Lord turned his attention to her brother. "You will sneak my most loyal Death Eaters into the school and you will kill Albus Dumbledore."

There was a moment of silence.

"I have given it much thought. Consider it a redemption, for Lucius. If you complete the task, great honor will be brought to him and your family."

Great honor her arse. This was no redemption. Her father's redemption had nothing to do with this. This was suicide.

"Fail to do so, and your sister will be killed."

Killed.

That's what will happen to her. And if Draco fails, surely he will be killed as well. Her mother would be alone, with her psycho aunt, hosting Death Eater meetings. She couldn't think of a worser fate.

If Draco doesn't follow through, she'll be killed by the Dark Lord. Draco will be killed by the Order for the attempted murder of Albus Dumbledore. It was an all or nothing deal.

They either die or succeed.

But is it succeeding if the only hope of ending the Dark Lord's reign will be gone?

Is it succeeding if Draco is now a murderer?

Nobody said anything, processing the Dark Lord's words. Vena grasped Draco's hand from underneath the table.

The two have barely talked all summer, which was unusual for the siblings. Draco knew that Vena was the one who stunned all of the Slytherins to let Harry and his friends go, despite her altering his memories.

But because she helped Harry, she indirectly sent her father to Azkaban after being caught in the Department of Ministries. Draco had not forgiven her, but he also didn't tell anyone what happened.