Take This to Your Grave and I'll Take It to Mine

Dear Diary,

I saw a silver something glittering from the corner of my eye -- it was a hand. I looked up to see Wormtail, standing before me.

"Oh, yes, Bella betrayed us and got herself killed. Pity, but she was getting old. Our Lord likes his women young and pretty, like you. What is your name, girl?"

"A--Amber Zabini," I began to stutter, but I wouldn't let him see my fear.

"Don't be afraid, sweetheart. We won't hurt you," he said with a sickening smile. Blaise and Draco appeared from behind Wormtail.

"This is your sister, Zabini?" Wormtail looked stunned as Blaise nodded. "You betrayed your own sister to please our Lord? Oh, how He will be pleased! Great job, you two."

Malfoy grabbed my hand and pulled me close. "I'm sorry, Amber," he whispered as he picked me up. I adjusted my skirt and let him carry me, contemplating how I could get out of here and where in Merlin's beard I was. Draco brought me to a fairly tall man. His skin was so pale it was gray -- he obviously hadn't seen the sun in a while. He had piercing blue eyes -- they reminded me of Malfoy's eyes. The man wore a large, black, flowing cape, so I couldn't really see his body type. Draco dropped me at the man's feet and I whimpered in pain.

"Is this the girl you have brought me? This piece of filth?!" The man spoke harshly to Draco.

"This is the best Hogwarts has, my Lord," Draco almost stuttered in fear. I had never seen him so afraid -- despite his efforts to hide it.

"Well, Bella wasn't very pretty either, but this one is better," he snarled at Draco and Blaise, before turning to me. "What is your name, girl?"

"Amber Zabini," I stated without hesitation -- I wouldn't show my fear, nor would I let him smell it on me.

"You betrayed your sister, Zabini?" he snarled at Blaise. Blaise just nodded, looking as if he'd wet himself if he spoke. "You are much different than I thought, Zabini. You may just have potential." The man looked at me and I felt his eyes go right through me. "You, girl, will be my new servant. You will answer to my every call; tend to my every need, no matter how rash or unnecessary you find them. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes, My Lord," Wormtail corrected me.

"Yes, My Lord," I answered the man and he did something, which I'm assuming was a smile.

"Now, let's get you out of those nasty clothes and into your uniform," Malfoy said as the man swept from the room.

"Mal---Draco, who was that?" I trembled with fear -- I had my suspicions.

"The Dark Lord. You see, his old servant, Bellatrix betrayed him---"

"And got herself killed, yeah, I know. Why did you bring me here? Why did you do this to me?"

"It was my task. It was either bring you here or get killed. I'm sorry." Did Draco just apologize? No, that's impossible. That would mean he's being nice to me!

"No, you aren't," I snarled.

"Listen, Zabini. I don't care if you believe me or not- but I am sorry. I don't even want to be here -- do you honestly think I would send the one---never mind..." He stood in front of me, looking me right in the eye, until he said the last bit.

"No, tell me," I stopped walking and grabbed his arm, turning him towards me, but he still wouldn't look at me.

"No, you wouldn't understand." He pulled his arm from my grasp. In the seventeen years I had known Draco, he has always been nice to me- and by always, I meant he stopped being nice once we turned eleven. My parents kept me home from Hogwarts until I was twelve- I started first year, then. Maybe, it was because they wanted to torture me; maybe, they didn't want Blaise and me to aggravate each other constantly (because they thought we'd be in the same House). Or, maybe it was destiny for me to meet Luna. Perhaps, my mother did really care about me, and wanted to save me from Voldemort for another year.

"Alright, what's with this nice act, Mal---Draco?"

"I'm not acting."

"You haven't actually liked me, or pretended to, since we were eleven. So, why stop hating me now?"

"It's my fault you're here. Besides, don't get used to me being nice." He was joking about the last bit.

We got talking, somehow landing on the House subject.

"I wish you were in Slytherin -- you should've been you know," Draco said smiling. Draco Malfoy was smiling -- actually smiling. Not smirking, not smiling evilly, not smiling sarcastically-- truly smiling.

"Yeah, I know; only because of my blood- not personality or traits. My parents hate me for it -- for not being the daughter they always wanted."

"Well, you're being the daughter of their dreams now, or are on your way to being it."

"Wh--?" I couldn't say anymore. They stood before me then; a tall, olive skinned, Indian-looking woman with the shiniest, deep raven colored hair I'd ever seen. It flowed around her like the Slytherin green robe she was wearing. She had the most startling purple eyes -- as if purple eyes weren't startling enough. They were deep purple, like the gothic amethyst paint on my walls at home. They seemed to puncture holes in the places she looked, piercing every inch of the room she studied. Her beauty was so stunning, it was hard to surpass long enough to notice the man clutching her hand desperately. He was tall, like her, only very pale and unattractive. Maybe, he had been at one time, only something drastic- like an Azkaban sentence- took away the luster, replacing it with deep lines.

"Hello, Draco. Who is this?" the woman asked in a snotty, Indian accent as I stepped from behind Draco.

"Your daughter," was his reply.