Mistaken Love

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Alecto held her breath as she quietly entered through two large, iron doors and toward an entry way into a vast foyer which walls were painted charcoal gray. The floor was lined with a green, velvet rug that stretched from the entrance and down a long hall. She made her way into the other room where a three story staircase stood. The roof of the house was so high up the soft lit candles held in the chandelier sparkled like stars.

She began to walk up the flights of steps, leading her to the second level of the manor. Live paintings of famous wizards and witches watched her as she climbed each step. Alecto glided her hand across each painting, admiring the captions she read from the attached golden plates of each one. When she reached the second level and the last painting at the top of the stairs, she stopped and observed the painting closely.

The painting was of a man who was half standing tall and half leaning on a brightly gleaming sword. His eyes were cold and evil and his stare sent a chill up Alecto's spine. He was dressed in long, silk robes that were colored green with an outlining of black. At his neck, a silver chain hung freely down to his chest. Alecto moved closer and noticed the chain was a serpent which held a locket in its mouth. The man in the painting shifted unexpectedly and Alecto retreated from the painting. He smirked at her as if he was planning something evil. Alecto moved her gaze to the gold plate engraved with the caption: 'Salazar Slytherin, the greatest founder of Hogwarts.'

She then tore he eyes from the painting and continued on. The second story walls were painted a dark forest green. Candles were lit and hung on elegant steel holders that were appended to the walls. Alecto passed by each door until she came to one located deep down in the corridor. She twisted the snake-like doorknob and entered the room. It looked exactly the same as it did when she was last there with the others. The difference was that it was only her. Alecto expected for some Death Eaters to be present in the room, but no one was there.

"Amycus?" Alecto asked unsteadily to the empty drawing room. "Avery? Bella? Nott?"

Alecto waited for a response, but her echo was all she heard. She backtracked out of the room and decided to ascend to the next floor of the manor. As she roamed throughout the enormous house, she continued to call out names, hoping for a reply.

"Rodolphus? Jugson? Dolohov... Greyback?" She said hesitantly, not wanting to resort to his name. "ANYONE?" Alecto cried out of frustration.

Still, no one answered her. She finally gave up and turned back around to exit the house. Once she did, she found herself facing a door ajar. In the room, something shimmered through the crack of the door which caught her attention. Alecto deliberately pushed the door open and walked inside. Within clear view, a glass case holding a fine crafted sword, sat on a high pedestal in the middle of the room.

The hilt of the sword was solid gold with historic engravings of Slytherin all around. Small, jade colored diamonds formed a chained line surrounding the guard that connected the shoulder of the blade to the hilt. At the very top of the sword, the pommel was a serpent structured out of delicately cut crystal. On the blade, translucent letters were shown gracefully in vertical text forming the name 'Slytherin.'

Alecto recognized the sword from the painting of Slytherin she passed by when she was at the top of the staircase. The sword was alluring to her and she longed to touch it. She moved closer to the case and ran her hands over the glass, trying to find an opening. Once she did, Alecto opened the case and reached out cautiously, inching her way to touch the hilt.

"Don't," a voice instructed in a patronizing tone.

Alecto darted her eyes from the sword and focused them on the man who stood in the doorway of the room. He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold, gray eyes Alecto has always known. She saw him in many different ways that no one had. The way he looked when he was sad, worried, and in love. After the night she left him, he never expressed any of those emotions again. All she saw him as now was a man who cared only about himself and his loyalty to the Dark Lord. She only saw him as Lucius Malfoy, nothing more and nothing less.

"Don't touch it," Lucius repeated. "It will burn your hand and we don't want that do we?"

"Lucius, I didn't mean to pry around your house," Alecto assured him as she drew her hand back, away from the sword. "I was looking for my brother, Amycus."

"Yes, well, as you can see, no one is currently home," he implied sharply.

Alecto watched Lucius stride across the room and toward the glass case of where she stood. She kept her gaze on him as he sealed the sword back in the case, isolating it from the world.

"Why do you have a sword you cannot touch or use for that matter?" Alecto asked, curious about the sword.

"It does not burn everyone, it allows one person to handle it and that would be the heir of Slytherin. Of course, you already know that this is Slytherin's sword."

"I know Gryffindor created and possessed a sword, but I did not know Slytherin claimed one." Alecto paused for a second before she continued. "If the heir of Slytherin could only use it, I still see no reason why you acquire it."

"I have a reason for each of the artifacts I own, Alecto. You of all people know this," Lucius replied nonchalantly.

"You are not the heir of Slytherin, Lucius, I know that. Although, you collecting every piece of history of him does not make you his heir and therefore you have a reasonless sword. Am I correct?" Alecto said.

Lucius formed a slight smile which was caught by Alecto's sideways glance. "I know who the sword belongs to and who can use it; this is why I have it. My task is to keep it until the heir is ready to handle it himself. It's not easy, as you know, the sword is very tempting. I tried once or twice to hold it," Lucius held out his hand and allowed Alecto to examine his scar, "it was not very satisfying."

Alecto stroked his hand gently, tracing the identical engravings of the hilt left on his hand as a scar. She felt him staring at her and in the back of her mind she didn't want him to stop. The way he used to make her feel came rushing back with memories Alecto always kept hidden away from the world and herself. She forced herself not to look up; knowing that if their eyes met everything from the past would replay itself.

She withdrew her hand from his skin and turned away. "I should be going," she said, pacing toward the door.

"Please, don't," Lucius entreated. "I need your help. "

Alecto's footsteps came to a halt, but she did not face him.

"He has taken Narcissa and expects me to find my son by using her as captive," Lucius continued. "I don't know where to look. Draco Apparated before I was able to perform Legilimency on him. "

There was a long silence until Alecto responded deferentially. "No, Lucius. You never needed my help. It is all just in your mind. Whatever the Dark Lord assigns you to do does not involve me. I am not involved in your family," Alecto turned and looked into his gray, uneasy eyes, "or your life anymore."

Her vision watered, but Alecto held back her tears. She left without another look at the man she once loved so much that her heart ached with pain, the man who loved her the same way and the man of whom she was torn away from.

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'Draco? How the bloody hell does she know Malfoy?' Harry thought blankly, wanting to know if he was hallucinating. 'Maybe she's talking about another Draco. How many Dracos are there in the world?' Harry shifted his body a little to move closer to Bethany, trying to get in better earshot. Shooting pains were sent across his ribs, but he ignored the agony and turned his attention more fully on Bethany.

"What did you say?" Harry asked, checking if he heard her correctly.

Bethany did not answer. Harry saw that her eyes were still unfocused on him and more focused on the person who stood behind him. He wanted to wave his hand in front of her face to get her attention, but at the moment he did not want to risk breaking something else in his body. Yelling was out of the question, since he knew Bethany was going through some kind of trance. Her breaths were unsteady and she looked pale around her cheeks.

Before he was able to call out to Bethany again, he heard footsteps running toward him. They sounded offbeat and Harry assumed it belonged to more than one person. He turned his head slightly and he saw her. She gave off a glowing light as the sun rose up in her background. Her flaming red hair was swaying behind her as she closed in on him.

"Ginny," Harry said in disbelief.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, flinging her arms around him. "I was so worried that something horrible happened to you."

Harry embraced Ginny warmly. He felt the discomfort from his wound, but holding Ginny in his arms was worth it. When Ginny finally pulled away from him, he stared into her bright, brown eyes and remembered how much he loved her. Harry also remembered how he left her with no explanation and all he wanted to do was apologize for everything he put her through.

"You're hurt," Ginny pointed out as she ran her hand over his bandaged rib cage.

"I'll survive," Harry insured her.

Hermione and Ron finally came up behind Ginny and Harry, looking grateful that Harry was okay.

"You look like hell, mate," Ron said, patting Harry on the back.

"Thanks for the indication," Harry deluded.

"What happened?" Hermione asked anxiously, tightly wrapping her arms around Harry. "You had all of us worried."

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized gravely. "I didn't mean to just take off without saying anything. Last night was just hectic."

"Hectic," Ginny repeated, "how?"

Harry engaged into the story of what happened inside the cave with Wormtail and how he was forced to drink the disgusting potion by the Imperius Curse. He then told them how he didn't know what caused his injury and how he didn't know why he was left outside the cave. By their facial expressions, Harry was able to tell that they all seemed horrified by the story and concerned at the same time for his own health.

"You drank a potion made by Wormtail," Ron said hoarsely, seating himself on the ground next to Hermione who was examining Harry's bandaged wound.

"I was forced to drink it," Harry corrected. "I didn't have a choice; I was bounded to the wall. What was I supposed to do?"

"Hurl it across the cave when he unarmed your hands," Ron mumbled softly.

"You're feeling okay though, right?" Ginny asked frantically, who was sitting on the other side of Harry, opposite of where Hermione was. "I mean you don't seem different after you drank it."

"I'm fine," Harry replied. "Really I am-- Hermione, could you please stop stabbing me in the lower chest area. I broke two of my ribs, it's as simple as that."

"I'm sorry, Harry. I was just checking if the wound was aided correctly and it is. Did you clean the wound and bandage it yourself?" Hermione questioned.

Harry always knew Hermione was a future Healer in some way. She knew how to cure anything magically possible. He referred back to the question she asked him. That was when he realized Bethany was the one who helped him. Harry scanned his eyes around him and his surroundings, but Bethany was no where to be seen. He felt himself get up without knowing his body responded on its own.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, grabbing a hold of his arm to help him stand. "What are you doing? You have to stay still or you'll damage your ribs permanently."

Ron and Ginny rose with them with angst looks.

"Where's Bethany?" Harry asked.

"Bethany?" Ron reiterated skeptically.

"The girl who was here, with me," Harry clarified, still searching apprehensively over the area.

'Where could she be?' Where would she go? Why didn't I notice she was gone until now? It's been hours since I last looked at her.' Questions and concerns swarmed around Harry's head hysterically. He blamed himself for losing Bethany and not paying attention to her after Hermione, Ron and Ginny arrived. The last time he saw her was when she was talking to him and suddenly stopped. Then it hit Harry, 'Draco, she said Draco. She must have seen him and went after him. But why would Draco be in the forest, unless...'

"You brought Malfoy with you to come find me?" Harry asked intensely.

Hermione and Ron exchanged nervous looks for a second and then turned to look at Ginny crossly. Harry waited for his answer, knowing it was going to come from Ginny.

"Harry, he knew his way around the forest. It was the only way we would be able to find you," Ginny pleaded. "I know you don't trust him, but−"

"You're right, Ginny," Harry said with fury. "I don't trust him and I don't like him very much either. Other than the fact he killed Dumbledore, he loathes me just as much as I do him. There are no buts, why would you even consider asking him to help you find me? Did it occur to you what would happen if I actually saw him here and if I were in good health, I would kill him with my bare hands?"

Minutes passed and no one said a word. The sun was fully raised in the middle of the sky, blazing heat in all courses. Its light touched every grass in the opening of where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny stood. The lake water shimmered beautifully like glass when light touches its surface. Sturdy winds swayed the trees from side to side as the flow of air changed its direction every few seconds.

The morning was a stunning sight for anyone who wanted to enjoy it. White, fluffy clouds raced across the bright blue, summer sky every now and again. Only an invisible grey cloud hovered over the four friends who stood in silence with anger, rage, and anxiety.

"He didn't kill Dumbledore," Ginny finally spoke in a flat tone, breaking the long stillness.

"Not a smart move Gin," Ron hissed in her ear.

Hermione nudged him hard and he fell silent.

"You think he wasn't responsible for Dumbledore's death?" Harry asked Ginny in repulsive manner.

"He wasn't the one who pointed the wand at him and said the curse. Snape was the one who killed him, not Malfoy," Ginny conveyed furiously. "You can be stubborn, Harry, and not trust him, but I do."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't understand how anyone could trust Malfoy. After all the taunting and bullshit the trio had to take from him, Ginny trusts him. The whole concept of Malfoy actually being good and trusting made no sense to Harry whatsoever. Harry knew Malfoy was the evil the day he met him in Madam Malkin's shop trying on his first ever Hogwarts robes.

With Ginny trusting his worst enemy ever, Harry was infuriated more than he was when he knew about Malfoy helping his friends find him. Ginny, of all people, had to go and become buddy-buddy with Malfoy. Harry thought it was a way that Ginny used to get back at him for breaking up with her. This stayed in Harry's mind for a split second before he realized that Ginny wasn't that kind of girl. Ginny wouldn't lie about these sorts of things either just to get him angry, although it is working significantly.

Harry pulled out of his thoughts and turned to Hermione and Ron. "Do you trust him too?" he asked, not quite angrily as he would if he spoke to Ginny.

"I'm with you a 100 percent, mate," Ron said amusingly to lighten up the mood. "I was going to start a fight with him, you know, but we heard you and −"

"Harry," Hermione cut in, before Ron was able to retell a long story, "just because Malfoy is an arse it doesn't mean he is untrustworthy. I don't trust him like Ginny does, but you know and I know that he wouldn't have killed Dumbledore."

"He did kill Dumbledore!" Harry shouted fiercely as if heat inflamed his eyes. "He sent the wine to Dumbledore, almost killing Ron because he was stupid enough to give it to Slughorn. It was Malfoy who put Katie and Rosmerta under the Imperius Curse to get the necklace into the wrong hands, again almost killing someone, and he was the one who brought the Death Eaters into Hogwarts where one of them attack Bill, your brother," Harry imparted to Ginny and Ron, rather harshly. Harry took a breath and finally fell to the floor. "Snape killed Dumbledore, but Malfoy was the one who planned it all," Harry finished in a low, distressed tone.

Hermione did not reply back to Harry nor did Ginny or Ron.

When Harry gathered back up his strength, he rose from the ground and caught Ron's arm before he fell back down. "Let's go, Ron."

"Where're we going?" Ron asked confusingly.

"To find Bethany," Harry responded simply, tugging at Ron to help him walk away from Hermione and Ginny.

Ron slowly began to guide Harry away, but he still had his eyes on Hermione and Ginny who was watching them depart. He showed a sign of hesitation that Harry caught instinctively.

Harry refused to go back, he was angry at Hermione for taking Ginny's side in this argument. He was angry at Ginny for bringing up the idea of trusting Malfoy in the first place. All he wanted to do was find Bethany and get back to Hogwarts and on the train back to the Dursley's, then to the Burrow for Bill and Fleur's and to whatever is left for him back at Godric's Hollow.

He knew that things weren't going to be the same as he turned his back away from Hermione and Ginny. This fight ruined the road up ahead for him, Ron and Hermione. Ginny never said she was going to be with them, though he was the one who refused for her to go because of her safety. A thought of the trio splitting up occurred in Harry's mind and it didn't disappear. He was scared that a permanent, fine line was drawn between Ron and him, and Hermione and Ginny. This gave him the urge to want to go back and discuss the whole Malfoy issue again, but nothing was going to be resolved because of their stubbornness.

"So, we're just going to leave them back there?" Ron asked.

Harry snapped out of his trance of thoughts and noticed that he and Ron only moved a few yards away from Hermione and Ginny. "Yeah, we are. I just need to think through the whole Malfoy issue and they do too. We'll all be okay after a little bit of thinking," Harry said in a convincing tone.

Ron still looked doubtful, but he continued to walk without another word to Harry.

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"I can't believe they just left us," Hermione said angrily to Ginny. "Never once in my life have I seen Ron and Harry walk away from us"

"We're not following them, I hope they know that," Ginny mentioned obstinately. "Who is Bethany anyway? Why is Harry so eager to find her?"

"I don't even remember seeing her when we ran up to Harry," Hermione replied, not answering any of Ginny's invidious questions.

"Why would he follow her in the forest? It makes no sense, Hermione."

"Well, whoever she is, she must have meant something to Harry. I mean look at him," Hermione nodded slightly toward the two figures that were walking up ahead, "he has two broken ribs and he's still up and about looking for her."

Ginny didn't respond, she was furious with Harry for his stupidity for following a stranger into a forest and almost being killed by a Death Eater. Adding to that list, she was angry at him for the argument between them. She didn't expect Harry to bring up Bill, but he did and that was what hurt her the most. Mentioning the trusting issue with Malfoy wasn't the best thing to do when Ginny realized that the fight had a huge effect. Hermione was right; Harry and Ron never turned their backs on her and Hermione nor have they ever teamed up against them.

Everything seemed all out of proportion when Ginny sat back and thought this through. The war between Malfoy and Harry occurred throughout the years Ginny knew Harry. She was always on his side, but this time she was on Draco's and she knew trusting Draco hurt Harry above all. There was no particular reason why Ginny actually trusted Draco, it was just a gut feeling she had and went with. All he had to do was find Harry and he was free to go. Ginny didn't understand was why her conscience was still telling her to look for him to really find out the truth and it drove her mad.

She continued to watch Harry and Ron grow smaller and smaller as they walked back toward the forest and the way back to Hogwarts. Ginny noticed that Hermione was acting strange. She saw that Hermione's eyes weren't on Ron and Harry, but they were darting from side to side as thought she was looking for someone.

"Ginny, where's Malfoy?" Hermione asked. "The last time I saw him was over by the path that leads into the trees, where we came from."

"That's where I last saw him too. Do you think he Disapparated?"

"Maybe, but why would he? Where would he go?" Hermione questioned rhetorically.

"When I was running toward Harry I remember I glanced back at him and he was staring at the girl, Bethany. He might have gone somewhere with her," Ginny assumed.

"If he did, Harry would come face to face with him when he does find Bethany. I don't think that is something we want, Ginny."

"So, you're saying we should follow Ron and Harry to stop an upcoming fight between Malfoy and him that we don't want to happen?"

"Yes," Hermione answered plainly.

"Hermione, you know that is the exact opposite thing I want to do right now."

"Yeah, but you have to do it anyway because you love Harry even though currently you're mad at him."

Ginny heaved a heavy sigh as she admired the magnificent nature that was formed around her. She watched the heat from the sun gently grazed across the flowers, causing them to open into a breathtaking sight. Her long, faming hair whipped her face as the wind violently brushed through it. Ginny took a long, hard look at the wonderful scenery, absorbing it as a mental picture in her mind.

She then turned to Hermione and shot her a grim look. "Let's go," Ginny scoffed.

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