Alone

Chapter 18

"Who's Lucy?" she asked at last, breaking the uncomfortable silence. There was another silence as everybody glanced at one another. How would they explain all that had happened in that last two days to Ginny?

"Well," Derek said, clearing his throat uncertainly as everybody turned around to look at him.

"I am what you would call a Muggle. And to make a long story short, I'm Jake's best friend and Lucy is our good friend. She was kidnapped by Voldie a few days ago and that's why Jake is here. I just recently found out that Jake is your old friend Harry Potter. We came to save Lucy from the evil clutches of Voldie and his minions. We were discussing ways to get her back when you burst into the room. Part of the deal is that Jake helps you fight Voldie and the other part is that you get Lucy back here ASAP. Oh, and by the way, just a friendly warning, Jake really doesn't like to be called Harry. So if you want to keep your head attached to your body, then I suggest you learn to call him Jake real fast," Derek added as an afterthought.

Jake rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for that last piece of information," he said sarcastically, in a drawl that was scarily similar to Draco's. Derek grinned cheerfully.

"No problem."

"Oh," Ginny said softly, wiping her eyes.

Silence.

I hate silence, Jake thought grumpily.

"Now the main question left is when who goes and when?" Draco asked. Jake's eyes narrowed into slits as he glared at Draco.

"I really hope, for your good health Malfoy, that that list contains Jake," Derek muttered with an evil smile as Draco shot him a scowl.

"Look, I was serious when I said that Voldemort could probably feel when you're close to him. Being in the same house, no matter how big the manor is, is classified as close. You don't want us to loose our chance before we even start, do you?" Draco asked pointedly as Jake continued to glare silently. Draco took this as a good sign and continued. "I know you want to go and I know you're worried about Lucy, but do you really think that alerting Voldemort that you're there is a good idea?"

There was still no answer from Jake and Derek's eyebrow rose.

"Did you just give up and give into Draco Malfoy?" Derek asked in a shocked voice as Jake scowled at him.

Whack!

Derek gave a shout of pain and jumped about three feet into the air. Turning around, he rubbed his head feverishly, trying to dim the pain. Jake, on the other hand, stood behind him with a satisfied smirk.

"Shut up Derek, and oh, Malfoy, I am going," Jake stated firmly as he turned his piercing gaze upon Draco again.

~~*~~

Lucy was working methodically through the books Blaise brought. While she didn't know why she was here, all the books were interesting and if what Blaise told her was true, then Jake was also a wizard. Of course, Blaise didn't know that about Jake. He didn't know that Jake and Harry were the same person and Lucy certainly wasn't going to tell him. To Blaise, Jake Stevens was just another normal Muggle, working his way up in a normal law firm, and certainly not one of the most powerful wizards alive. Sometimes Lucy really hated Destiny or Fate or whatever it was that brought things like this together. This was one of those times.

How ironic really, it was, that Jake's worst enemy was her kidnapper and Voldemort didn't even know who Jake really was.

"Why am I here?" Lucy suddenly asked, startling Blaise out of his light slumber. Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Blaise didn't seem to realise that Lucy was staring at him.

Stop it Campbell! He is not cute! He just looks very funny when he wakes up, that's all. You do NOT find Blaise Zabini cute or handsome, even if he is looking so sexy and hot in that shirt....No! Stop it! You did not just think that! Lucy shook her head to clear it. Thinking such thoughts about someone assigned to guard her after she was kidnapped was not good. Not good at all. Groaning mentally, Lucy forced herself to listen to Blaise.

"I have no idea," Blaise answered, not seeming to realise that Lucy was having an inner struggle right in front of him. Lucy nodded and hid her reddening face in the thick book about magical creatures she was skimming through. She forgot all about asking him more questions as she tried to convince herself that she did not like Blaise.

She's cute. Shut up Zabini! Oh God, I did not think that! I am not falling for Lucy Campbell! I am NOT falling for Campbell. Oh God, oh God, oh God. I'm so dead. It's not like she'll even look twice in my direction. Not, of course, that I care, Blaise thought, desperately trying to convince himself that what he just thought about not caring was true.

But she feels the same way for you, another voice chimed in.

Shut up! Blaise hurriedly squashed that voice. He was trying to overcome his temporary insanity because he could not be falling for Lucy and this was just probably a passing thing. Like the flu or something. It'll be over soon.

I am NOT in love with Blaise Zabini!

I am NOT in love with Lucy Campbell!

~~*~~

Draco sighed and rubbed his temples. He had been arguing with Jake for the last three hours and everyone was tired. Especially him. He now understood what Potter stubbornness meant. Hell, he had never met anyone as pig-headed as Jake since, well, since ever.

"God damn it Potter! YOU ARE NOT GOING!" Draco shouted, finally losing his temper.

"YES I AM! THIS IS My FRIEND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT! NOT YOURS! I AM GOING!" Jake shouted back, his voice equally loud. Draco strode forward, grabbed Jake's collar and pulled him to his feet.

"I will tell you one more time Potter. You. Are. Not. Going. Not because I think you can't handle it. Not because I think you're baggage. But because you're going to put Lucy's life in danger as well if you do. As soon as you step into the manor Voldemort's going to know you're there. You've been gone for four years Potter I don't think him kidnapping Lucy and having you turn up on his doorstep woiuld be a coincidence. I would love it for you to go and risk your fucking arse, but frankly I would rather not risk Lucy's life since, she's just an innocent person. So get it through your thick head Potter. You are not going!"

By the time Draco had finished his rant, his face was just centimetres away from Jake's face. Jake glared back at the blond, his eyes not concealing the rage he was feeling.

Pushing Draco away from himself, Jake slumped in defeat.

"Fine," he ground out grudgingly, as Draco fell back into the chair with a sigh. Derek's mouth dropped to the ground and no amount of glaring on Jake's part could get him to close it again.

"You gave in! You, the most stubborn bastard I have ever met, gave in!" Derek cried in shock. Another whack from Jake managed to shut Derek up just as he looked like he was about to hyperventilate.

Pouting and rubbing his head, Derek glared at Jake. Jake on the other hand, just massaged his temples and closed his eyes.

Oh hell no! He was not going to just sit around and wait while Lucy was in danger. Even if he had to face Satan and all his evil minions, he was not going to sit around.

~~*~~

Lucius turned and twisted in his bed. Not again! He didn't know why these dreams plagued him; all he knew was that they did He felt somehow, strangely at ease, even if the dreams were of him killing his wife.

Narcissa.

Something stirred in his heart. It was something, he couldn't quite identify, but something that filled him with warmth.

Groaning softly, Lucius tried to wake up, but it didn't work.

~~*~~

Draco stared into the fire and thought back to the day it had all started. To the day he had turned his back on the Malfoy name and joined the Light Side.

**Flashback**

Narcissa was coming down the stairs with Draco behind her. It between the sixth and seventh year of Draco's education and he was home for the holidays. Lucius had just returned from another Death Eater meeting and was just coming through the door when he noticed that her son and his wife and his son were laughing. He ground his teeth angrily. His son was not supposed to have feelings! Nor was his wife supposed to encourage feelings in him in any way.

"What are you doing, Narcissa?" Lucius demanded angrily. The laughter stopped and a sudden chill filled the room.

"Lucius, you're home," Narcissa said, recovering. Draco quickly put his mask back on again.

"What are you doing?" Lucius repeated. If Narcissa was nervous, she didn't show it. She looked bravely into Lucius's eyes.

"Just talking to my son. Or am I not allowed to do that now?" she asked sarcastically. Lucius suddenly grinned.

This seemed to scare the pair more than when he was angry. Draco moved unnoticeably towards his mother as Narcissa stiffened.

Lucius's grin widened. He should've done this a long time ago.

Raising his wand, he pointed it at Narcissa.

"Avada Kedavra," he hissed, his voice barely audible, but it seemed to echo loudly throughout the room.

Nonononononono! What?! Nononono! Lucius's mind suddenly filled with screams of protest and anger as Narcissa fell to the ground, lifeless.

NONONONONONO! Draco's mind screamed as he stared at his mother's dead body.

"Go to your room Draco," his father ordered, his voice eerily calm. Draco wanted to protest, wanted to throw himself at his father and strangle him, wanted to avenge his mother, but he didn't. Instead he walked, almost mechanically, up the stairs and towards his room.

He didn't see Lucius drop to the ground with a sob. He didn't see his father clutch at his mother's body and cry. He didn't see his father's eyes change from the glazed state they were always in. He didn't hear his father curse Voldemort.

He just walked to his room and sat down on his bed. Only when there did everything hit him and he allowed himself to mourn. Throwing himself into his pillows, he cried. The first time in his life, he cried with abandon, not caring if his father heard him.

I hate him! I would rather die than join him! Oh mother! Why did you leave? You promised you wouldn't. You promised you'd stay with me, Draco's thoughts drifted off as he fell into a fitful sleep.

That was the day Draco lost the only person he had ever loved.

**End of Flashback**

~~*~~

Lucius sat up with a gasp. His mind was sharp and his eyes cleared for a brief second.

Help me Draco! His mind cried out desperately before the same glazed look overcame his pupils and he fell into a normal sleep again.

~~*~~

Draco jerked awake with a start.

Help me Draco!

The thought echoed in his mind.

He could've sworn it was his father's voice.

~~*~~

Jake was just about to fall asleep when something pecked at the window. Groaning while climbing out of bed, Jake stumbled over to the window. He yanked the window open and an owl flew in. The brown owl dropped an old looking letter on to his bed.

Rubbing his eyes and cursing the owl, Jake grabbed the letter. The parchment was old and frayed. He debated briefly whether he should open it or not. After all, nobody was supposed to know he was here and the letter was addressed to Harry Potter.

Frowning, Jake was ready to burn the letter when he realised that the seal was familiar. Looking at it closely, he nearly had a heart attack when he saw it was the Potter seal. Tearing the envelope open not caring if a purple and pink dotted dragon jumped out of it, Jake stared dumbly as a piece of parchment fell out. Lifting it carefully, Jake nearly dropped it again when he realised it was his father's writing.