Dreams Don't Die

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Prologue
Dreams Shattered

Her slender hands curled into fists and her heart beating rapidly in her throat, she turned to face her father.

"This is the way it is!" she yelled furiously. For too many years had she feared this man. For too long had she been too scared to so much as beg to differ with him. Now it was different. It was personal.

Her father grabbed her forearm with his grip of steel. How many times had she felt it before? How many times was she yet to endure it? The feeling of hopelessness crept into her like a incurable disease that was moving steadily to overcome her. She steeled her heart and thought only of her baby and the life she could have. She looked her father in the eye.

"You can't do anything," she hissed, "It's my baby. I'm old enough to do what I want with my life!" she finished with a shout of fury, "You leave me alone and my baby!!"

The blow to her head made her see stars. She closed her eyes and fought the tears that she felt.

"Your baby?!?" he asked mockingly, "Your abomination!! He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, "You're a disgrace! Not married and expecting HIS child. The good-for-nothing tramp that seduced you-"

Pure rage gave her the strength to break away from him.

"Don't you EVER speak about him in that way!" she spouted out as she walked backwards, away from him, "I love him!" Her father's eyes sparked, "Yes! I love him!!! He's the father of my child and I'm going to marry him!"

He descended upon her like a predator going after its prey.

"Like hell you are." He spoke in such a cold and uncaring voice that she was more afraid than ever. He would do anything to get his way. Anything.

"You're going away for a little while, my dear," he continued with sickening sweetness. She winced. "Oh, don't worry, Narcissa! You'll be back in a year or so...happily married," he grinned a horrible, terrible grin, "What will your fiancé think of you then? Do you think he'll still want you? When you're married to another man and have a child?"

All of her dreams were crumbling right in front of her very eyes. It was almost more then she could bear. Oh God, she thought desperately, Oh God, this is the end! She thought of her fiancé. He doesn't know I'm pregnant! She cursed the bloody doctor who'd alerted her father that he was to be a grandfather. Her rich, influential, sadistic father.

"He'll always love me! And I'll always love him," she cried suddenly, "Not even YOU can tear us apart, though you may try. The bonds that tie us together reach much deeper than a bastard like you could ever even begin to fathom!" She spat in his face contemptuously, "You can't imagine how much I hate you."

As the blow descended, she tried to skip back, but to no avail. All she could think of was him. Her love, her darling.

Sirius! Sirius!