Cross My Heart

In a dark, damp room in the outskirts of Brest, France stood a large number of people in a circle, all of them with the same kind of masks and dark cloaks that covered most of their bodies.

Lorraine Owens belonged to this group of people. Her bright blue eyes were able to identify if you peered through the eye-holes in her mask. Her mat of long golden hair braided to her side swaying slightly as she peered around uneasily.

She was starting to feel anxious and scared but she wouldn’t let it show. Fear is for cowards, thought Lorraine disdainfully, and bloody hell I aren’t one.

Everyone had their eyes placed on the Dark Lord, as he stroked his snake’s head caringly and whispered something to its ear. They had been carrying their conversation for a while now. The room was completely quiet except for the incessant grunts and hisses, that came from the Dark Lord and he’s snake.

A few moments later, Lorraine heard something, that she was sure didn’t come from neither the Dark Lord or he’s snake. It sounded vividly like someone trying to hold back a scream.
The Dark Lord’s head shot up and he scanned each of the masked faces in the room, with his red eyes carefully, apparently he had heard the sound too.
Lorraine mimicked him unwillingly, as she too couldn’t help but wonder who had been foolish enough to make such a loud noise, in the presence of him. Death Eaters where rarely allowed to talk, much less make loud noises.

Her blue eyes landed suddenly on another cloaked figure, to her left, the figure was shaking quite a lot. Lorraine wasn’t really sure who it was because everyone still had their masks on, but she could make out it was a guy.
Poor fellow, has no idea what he’s signed up for.

How could anyone actually sign up for this? How could anyone enjoy making other people feel miserable, torture them and even kill them. Lorraine sure didn’t feel that way, but then again she guessed most of the people in the room didn’t either.
She preferred to think that like her, they had been forced to join in, one way or another.

She snapped out of her daze to find the person staring back at her, Lorraine blushed under her mask, and looked away quickly.

“Owens & Malfoy step forward.” The Dark Lord suddenly said as he petted Nagini’s head again. Lorraine’s father and Lucius Malfoy’s wife took a step forwards slowly.

“Yes, Master?” They asked in unison, giving him a low bow.

“I meant your sons.” He replied in a rough tone as they looked up at him. “You won’t be any good to me, in this mission.”

Gregory Owens nodded slowly, grabbing Narcissa Malfoy’s arm and leading her back to her spot in the circle, she was shaking the whole time.

“You will be granted a great honor; you will have to find a way of killing none other than Albus Dumbledore, if you succeed you will be rewarded beyond all others. You have until the end of the school year.”

He finished and as he said the last word Narcissa Malfoy broke into quiet sobs.
“This meeting is over” The Dark Lord continued to say and with that himself and Nagini disappeared from the dark shack.

Lorraine took a deep breath as his father walked towards her and grabbed her arm tightly, and she felt him turn on the spot; sight and sound were extinguished as darkness pressed in upon her; all she could feel was her father’s hand as she was squeezed through time and space, away from the shack.

Lorraine opened her eyes. For a moment she thought they had not left the shack after all: They still seemed to be surrounded by darkness.

“He’s got to be kidding me!” Mr. Owens groaned as he stepped away from Lorraine and turned around. Grabbing her tightly by the shoulders, she couldn’t help but flinch at the pressure of his grip. “You are a kid! A kid! This can’t be happening!”

“Greg what happened?!” A woman’s voice called, concern in her voice. Clara Owens came rushing towards her brother and niece. Her delicate features gathered in a frown as she looked back from Lorraine to her brother

“Come on dad, let’s go sit down for a while.” Lorraine dragged her father to the nearest couch and sat down.

“What happened?!” Clara asked again, raising her voice a little.

Mr. Owens sneered as he recounted exactly what had happened to Clara, who couldn’t help but frown in dislike.

“Does this means we have to move to England?” Lorraine asked slowly.

“No, not at all. You see your dad and I will have to stay here, for some time. Though I do believe you’ll have to transfer to Hogwarts.”

“I thought so.” She answered quietly. Though it was a lie, the last thing that Lorraine had thought about was having to leave the comfort of her home, school and friends here at France, to move to some unknown wizard’s school.
“But how am I supposed to go? I have no uniform, no books, nothing. I haven’t even met this Malfoy fellow. How am I supposed to work with him?”

“Yes, I had almost forgotten about him. He’s name is Draco Malfoy, he is new in all of this business. I doubt he’ll be of much help.” Mr. Owens said with a sneer. It was obvious that didn’t liked the idea of having her daughter ran off with some unknown English guy for a year.

Clara gave him a knowing smile and turned back to Lorraine. “Rory, I think he’ll be perfect, after all he does have a huge manor and more importantly knows the school grounds and teachers the best.”

“What are you implying?” Rory asked as she raised an eyebrow.

“What I mean is that, you father may like it or not; I think it’ll be the best if you left to the Malfoy Manor as soon as possible, tomorrow. I’m sure Narcissa won’t have a problem with you staying there and helping you shop for your school supplies, and more importantly you’ll get to start planning in advance.”

The two Owens groaned loudly and rolled their eyes at Clara, who couldn’t help but smile in return.
And even though Lorraine wasn’t comfortable at all with this new idea.
Her aunt’s advice had never failed her.

So it was out with the old, in with the new.