Mistaken Love

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Bethany watched Draco turn away and disappear into the swarm of trees. She looked past Harry and the other three figures running towards her. Her conscience urged her to follow Draco, but she forced herself to keep still. As much as she didn't want to, her body reacted by itself, pulling her up onto her feet and towards the full grown trees that acted as vanishing curtains.

Tentatively, she began to pace her way across the grass path that routed into the trees. The sun continued to rise higher and higher, still unnoticed by the others. Ripples formed in the lake water, reflecting tiny sparkles and adding to the spectacular summer scene. Warm, summer winds rushed past Bethany's face and through her hair. She felt as though it was a sign telling her to turn back around.

Bethany continued to make her way in the direction of the trees, wondering how far she had to walk before she collided with Draco. She hoped she wouldn't be able to find him, wishing that he had Disapparated a great distance from her. Her heart had melted away the moment her eyes met his. Bethany was capable of handling her parents' death, her grandfather's death and having her whole life kept a secret, but confronting the one person who she deeply loved that betrayed her, she couldn't cope with.

The trees narrowed as she reached the entrance of the leafy forest. Bethany decided she would just head back to Hogwarts, not wanting to start a conversation that would only end in tears. No truth of what happened that night is worth the replaying of painful memories and the heartache of love.

As she moved into the shadows of the trees which kept the sunlight from reaching the ground, she came to a sudden halt. There, she faced a flaw in her plan that she had wished to avoid. Standing in front of her was the one person in the world she least wanted to see: Draco Malfoy. He was leaning on a nearby tree, his eyes fixed on the ground. He didn't seem to notice Bethany until a few minutes had passed. His silver blond hair slightly covered his face, hiding an appalled look identical to the one Bethany had worn back when she first saw him positioned behind Harry.

Bethany felt her heart clench and beat a little faster when his eyes looked up. She could practically feel his stare grazing her face like a touch. The sensation caused her to long for it, but yet she feared it at the same time. Her eyes met his gray ones, and she stared hard into them, hoping that he would turn and walk away. Nothing happened; their eyes kept still for minutes, enduring the memories that were playing silently in their minds. Bethany finally turned her head, breaking the connection they had.

"I thought you left," she said after a long silence.

Draco pushed himself away from the tree and stood his ground with his eyes still on Bethany. "Well, you thought wrong," he replied coldly, as if she meant nothing to him.

Bethany shifted her eyes back to his and held his gaze for a second before pulling away. "It seems as though my thoughts are always wrong. They were clearly wrong about you."

Her words struck Draco hard, causing his face to wither slightly, reflecting a bit of hurt. He said nothing in reply, continuing to stare deeply into her eyes.

Bethany did not know whether she should say anything or just continue walking. The only important thing was to keep her gaze out of his. His eyes were what always got her to lose her breathe for seconds at a time. One look from him would cause an uncontrollable longing for his kiss. Thoughts of hatred entered her mind as she stood still. Her grandfather's murderer stood before her, and yet she did nothing. All of her instincts screamed to make him suffer, hit him, yell at him, hurt him in any way - but she just could not do it. Her heart was still in his hands, and she had no power to retrieve it from him.

She decided to continue walking back to Hogwarts before tears formed in her eyes. Tears would only make her seem weak in front of Draco. Bethany had nothing to say to him that would make her pain go away or to make her heartache disappear. She kept her head down and her eyes covered with her locks of wet hair. The only hope she had was that he would not stop her.

But it was only seconds before Draco's hands collided with Bethany's arms, preventing her from continuing. He positioned himself between her and the path back to Hogwarts. "Bethany−"

"Let me go, Draco," Bethany said, not wanting to hear what he had to say.

Draco held her arms tighter. "No. The last time I let you go, I didn't see you for months. Don't do this; don't walk away. You haven't heard what happened. I can't lose you. Bethany, I lo−"

Bethany raised her head and stared angrily into his eyes. "Don't you dare say that you love me, Draco. Don't speak to me as if we are still together, and don't tell me what I have or have not heard." Her voice was fierce and heated. She tried to pull away from Draco's hold, but failed miserably. Her mind would not give her the strength to fight him. Bethany felt as though she did not want to fight him.

"So, you hear that I killed Dumbledore and you believe it? You won't even let me explain what happened?" Draco asked, matching Bethany's furious tone.

"No; I will not give you the chance to throw excuses at me and lie your way out of taking responsibility for killing my grandfather. You killed him! You murdered him after you promised me nothing would happen. You promised you would stop taking orders from Voldemort." Tears began to run down Bethany's face as she waited for him to respond.

The sun was now fully gleaming in the sky. There was still a slight cold in the rain-scented wind that was typical after a night storm. It blew the leaves viciously, causing the sound of tingling and leaves scraping the dirt. Sunlight was still unable to reach the floor of the forest, and the trees' shadows caused darkness around Bethany and Draco.

Draco loosened his grip on Bethany and caressed her hands into his. Bethany allowed him to fumble with her hands, enjoying his touch and remembering what it was like to feel his hands running up and down her back those nights when they were together. She then, finally, pulled her hands from his and wiped the tears from her face.

Draco let out a sigh. "I need you to believe me, Bethany. I did not kill your grandfather."

Bethany shook her head slowly. "How can you lie to me? Every time you lie, it hurts me, Draco. Every time you break a promise, I die a little. Don't you get it? I can't stand here and talk to you without feeling pain."

"I'm not lying to you!" Draco cried out with frustration. He ran his hand through his unusually untidy blond hair and rubbed the tiredness from his eyes.

Bethany was able to see he had not gotten much sleep after the incident. The dark circles under Draco's eyes concerned her, but she refused to show her sympathy. Her own tiredness had shown under her own eyes. Now that she thought about it, she had been up for the last seventy-two hours, either grieving for her grandfather or running around with Harry. Bethany knew that even if she were able to rest, she would not be able to sleep for long. Something or someone was always calling for her, and she had to answer.

Draco filled the space between himself and Bethany. "I promised that I would not hurt your grandfather, and I didn't. The Dark Lord gave me orders. I had to carry them out, or he would have killed me. You know it and I know it. He ordered Snape to kill Dumbledore without my knowledge. Bethany, everything I did was for us. Please believe me."

"I don't know what to believe," Bethany whispered softly.

Draco reached out his hand, drew a wet tendril of hair away from Bethany's face and stroked the line of her cheekbone. Bethany showed no hesitation as she pressed her cheek into his hand. The warmth of his palm made her want to believe that everything he said was true, but her heart was still unable to forgive him. He was still the person who had hurt all those people - innocent people - when he allowed Death Eaters into Hogwarts just to make it seem as though he was trying to kill Dumbledore.

"Bethany, he knows about us," Draco said wearily. "He has known for the longest time. It was the only reason why he sent me after your grandfather,"

Her gaze of disbelief locked with his eyes. "How?" Bethany asked faintly.

"He is the Dark Lord. You are his flesh and blood. We couldn't have kept this from him any longer than we already have. He's your grandfather, Bethany. Your blood lines connect with his." Draco replied.

Suddenly, from only a few paces away, they heard the sound of a branch breaking. Bethany turned to face the direction of the noise, and there stood Harry and Ron with Hermione and Ginny only a few feet behind them.

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He closed the door behind him with disgust, leaving his wife in the room. Snape saw no point in ordering her to stay in the room when he knew she would not. He did not care; the Dark Lord's flawless plan was going well and no one would be able to ruin it, not even Harry Potter. Snape straightened his coat and slid his hands into the pockets. He felt the warm vial of potion as he began to make his way back to the dungeons.

Curved halls and endless stairwells directed the way around the enormous mansion. It was rustic and antique, built well back in the ages. The colourings of the walls were black, as was everything else. The lighting was soft and gentle, making it difficult to find your way around if you were lost. Darkness was one word to describe the lair of Lord Voldemort and his followers. It was not a welcoming place, and you would not get the feeling of warmth when inside. Temperatures were kept close to the point of where water freezes and colder in the dungeons.

Snape had already reached the top of the staircase that would lead him to the wooden doors of the dungeons. It was a grand staircase that when looking down over the rail, all you would be able to see is darkness. Snape was not even a fourth of the way down when he began to feel the temperatures drop slightly every hundred steps. He was alone, a welcome rarity, for either the Dark Lord, Death Eaters, or Alecto had been accompanying him for the past three days. This time alone permitted him to gather his thoughts, and finally allowed himself to recall what happened the night Albus Dumbledore was murdered. By him.

His only thought was that even if he were able to change the past, he would still do exactly what he had done. Snape was under oath to complete orders given to him directly from Voldemort. He had had trouble in helping Draco weaken Dumbledore, but killing him was simple. Snape hated Dumbledore enough to betray him easily. Everyone believed that he was against the Dark Lord, and it was not easy to keep up the act. The years-long plan had succeeded, and his loyalty is now fully endowed to Voldemort.

The doors of the dungeons were now visible from the last flight of stairs that Snape was currently descending. Once he reached the hard, stone floor, he grasped the ice-cold handles of the wooden doors and threw them open. He took a few steps into the vast room, causing the chandelier above to ignite with softly glowing candles. Snape made his way toward the large throne-like chair sitting on a low podium in the middle of the room. He climbed the four steps onto the podium and bowed slightly before greeting his master.

"My Dark Lord," Snape said as he rose from his bow.

Voldemort sat stiffly in his chair with his eyes closed. "Severus, I specifically asked to be left alone. What must be so important that you would disobey me?" Voldemort hissed. His anger caused his red eyes to open and show his burning rage.

"I am sorry, Master, but there is something you must know. You asked me to inform you when it was ready," Severus replied gravely.

"You must have it with you, I suppose?" Voldemort asked suddenly. He stood and walked over to Snape rather promptly as if he now understood the importance of the disturbance.

Snape reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out the vial filled with pink liquid, which he presented to his master.

Voldemort took it gracefully out of Snape's hand and held it between his index finger and thumb. He flipped it up and down, testing if the potion was real. He then shifted his eyes toward Snape. "Alecto did a fine job. I am surprised she has outdone you, Severus. To think you married a potion's master like yourself; it is quite amusing." From the tone of Voldemort's voice, he was no longer angry, but content.

Snape's lips pursed and formed a tight, thin line. His eyebrows narrowed, giving off the expression of repulsion. The thought of Alecto outdoing his skills in potions left him with jealousy in his eyes. He seemed furious enough to reply with an irritated response, but he held his tongue. The last thing he wanted to do was infuriate the Dark Lord once again.

"Now, now, Severus; there's no need to think I don't appreciate what you have done. Without you, Dumbledore would still be alive. Without you, my plan would not have succeeded." Voldemort began to descend down from the podium and pace around the room. "On the other hand, Alecto has done a great deal also. She has shown great potential. Without her, my plan would not have succeeded as well."

Snape followed by the side of Voldemort with a grim look on his face. He said nothing in reply, but only waited for the Dark Lord to finish ranting about his plan.

"It is time to move on," he whispered abruptly. "The second part of our plan will not succeed without Alecto and her potions. We must not lose what we have so far. Severus, I need you to get this potion into her body." Voldemort handed the glass vial to Snape and stared at him violently with impulsive eyes.

"My Lord, she is growing. Her powers are strong. Do you really believe it is wise to continue? She will find out and turn on you. This is a flaw you must consider." Snape did not retrieve the vial from Voldemort's hand. He only stood in front of him, warning him about possibilities that were most likely going to occur.

The Dark Lord was silent for few moments, taking time to ponder. He then shoved the potion into Snape's chest. "Give it to her. That is an order. Do not ever question my decisions." His voice was gruesome, matching his eyes that were threatening and fiery.

Snape did not need to be told twice. He grasped the potion in his hand and bent his back into a deep bow. In seconds, he Disapparated without another reply to the Dark Lord.

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Lucius watched Alecto turn away from him. The last words she had said to him were still echoing in his mind. Pain erupted in his heart, threatening to rip apart. His heart could not watch her walk away again. He followed Alecto out of the room and caught her arm before she was able to Disapparate.

"Don't leave," he said intently as he swung her around.

Alecto eyes were watery, but no tears had fallen. She stared hard into his gray eyes with silence.

"I can't watch you walk away again. Don't make me watch you. Alecto, I'm asking you not to leave me." Lucius's voice was desperate and unusual.

He had never heard himself speak to anyone in this way before, a way that causes the wall around his heart to lower, allowing him to care, to love. Alecto was the only person who had been able to bring this wall down. Lucius held her arm tighter and gradually brought his free hand to her face. He stroked her cheekbone with his thumb, longing to kiss her.

Alecto did not move away or flinch. She stood still, permitting him to do what ever he wanted. "You lost the privilege to ask anything from me a long time ago, Lucius." Her voice was even and dispassionate.

"You don't think I know that? You mean everything to me. I gave you everything, and yet you left without a reason. It wasn't fair, Alecto. You knew that I loved you. I still love you." Lucius let go of her arm and grasped her waist. He slowly pulled her close to him.

This time Alecto pulled away from him. Tears now ran freely down her face. "You did not understand what was happening in my life. I had no other choice. There was only one door, and I was being shoved through it." Alecto's voice was hard and fierce. Her eyes burned with fury. "I never wanted to leave you, Lucius. How could you ever think that?" She turned away from him and began to walk back toward the staircase.

Lucius wanted to stop her, but he did not know how. Standing in front of her with no meaningful words would not stop her from walking away. He watched her for what seemed like hours, though it was only a few seconds. A memory from his past came rushing back to him. It replayed inside his mind as if he was reliving it.

Snow fell lightly on Hogwarts' grounds, covering every blade of grass with ice. It was Christmas, the time of year when everyone is happy and enjoying company. Most fourth year students and older stayed behind at Hogwarts to attend a special formal ball. Lucius felt that this gathering was just another excuse to make people dress up and look like idiots.

A handsome young man, in his sixth year, walked out into the garden area of the magnificent school. He wore a heavy, expensive fur coat with the colours of Slytherin. Under the coat, was a very fancy, black and white dress robe that was probably less than half the price of the coat. Lucius was alone, and he wanted to stay that way. He always dreaded parties, balls and formal get-togethers. He was there only because he was forced to by the crowd of Death Eaters he chose to be apart of.

The beautiful full moon shone in the sky, as if it had been hung there by a line of connecting stars. The only essence of light came from the elegant moon and stars glowing in the darkness. The only flaw to the wonderful view - a white-frosted forest and sparkling stars - was the cold, although without it the sight would not have been possible. All of a sudden, a beam of light burst from the doors of the Great Hall.

A young woman, the same age as Lucius, walked out in a spectacular, rose-red dress. She looked ravishing and even more so than that. The dress was cut to fit her body curves precisely. It flowed gracefully behind her as she made her way toward Lucius.

Lucius looked up to see Alecto walking towards him, rather than away. She looked stunning, with her hair up and soft curls dangling down. He positioned his body to face her as she approached him. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and kiss her, but he restrained himself.

"I saw you walk out," Alecto said as she brushed snow off Lucius's coat.

"What was I supposed to do? Watch you and Sirius Black snogging on the dance floor?" Lucius tried his hardest to respond with wrath, but he was not able to when his eyes were connected with hers.

Alecto smiled. "He asked me to dance and I said yes. I only danced with him to make half the girls in there jealous. I didn't know the jealousy spread to you."

Lucius looked offended for a second, but then his grim look broke into a supple smile. "I was not jealous. I just didn't want his grubby hands on my girlfriend," he asserted.

Lucius moved closer to Alecto and held her waist gingerly, feeling the silk of her dress and warmth of her body. He stared into her eyes, losing himself in her beauty. Before he was able to lean in and kiss her, Alecto placed her hand on his chest.

"Anyone could see us out here. It's not safe," she protested half-heartedly.

Lucius closed his eyes. He had prayed that she would not say those words to him, but she did. He sighed and replied, "I'm tired of hiding my love for you. I don't see why Amycus should care if we're together. I love you, Alecto. You mean everything me. Do you still love me?"

Alecto moved her hands up his arms and to his face. She cupped his jaw line and brought him closer to her. "Of course I love you," she whispered.

Lucius filled the inches of space between them and gently pressed his lips to hers. Warmth spread throughout his body as he kissed her more passionately and she reciprocated. He held her waist tighter, bringing her closer to him and not ever wanting to let go.

Now Lucius stood here, watching Alecto - the only person he had ever truly loved - walk away from him. He had let her go once, and it was the most regrettable thing he had done. He knew that if he let her go this time, his heart would not be able to reassemble itself.

"Do you still love me?" Lucius asked in an abrupt and intense tone.

Alecto stopped and stood still for a moment before answering him. "Does my answer really mean anything?" she replied with a question.

She did not turn to face Lucius, which made it harder for him to read her feelings. He kept his eyes on her, hoping she would turn around.

"It would mean everything," Lucius resonated.

Alecto turned to face him and stared into his eyes as he stared back. She then began to move towards him and soon broke into a run. Alecto collided with Lucius and they kissed leisurely. Lucius ran his hand up her back and into her hair. He then cupped her face and brought her close to him. Alecto moaned into his mouth, allowing him to push her back into the wall.

Lucius trailed his kisses down her neck as she arched her head up, giving him more room. Grasping her wrists, he pinned them to the wall, sliding them up above her head. Lucius pressed his body closer to Alecto's as he began to kiss her lips again. He swept his tongue across the bottom of her lip, waiting for her to let him in.

Alecto gasped as she felt Lucius's body pressure into hers. She felt his kisses wanting more from her and she permitted it. As she parted her lips, Lucius ran his tongue against hers and their tongues battled.

A loud crack interrupted the noises of gasps and groans, causing Lucius and Alecto to break apart. Down the hall stood a man with greasy hair and a grim expression, staring at the pair of them.

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