Forbidden and Mistaken

"Are...Are you okay, Draco?" I asked him as well sat in the living area of Malfoy Manor.

"Yeah...I guess. Do you think-"

"No, Draco. He will be equally pleased of Snape. And us. We were the ones who fixed the vanishing cabinet..." I reassured him.

"The Dark Lord does not care about that. He wanted me to do Dumbledore's bidding. And now..."

"Now, we're all saved. You should be happy that Snape did your job." I gave him a quick hug. His platinum blonde hair was ruffled...He didn't look himself. He was...he was different. I could tell. But then again, weren't we all?

"Where's mother?" Draco asked me.

"She's fine. Mine are too..."

"What will he think of us?" Draco asked me. And to tell you the truth, I didn't have a clue what Voldemort was going to do. He could torture us, punish us...But he wouldn't kill us. I knew that for sure. He would make us do more important missions...He would make us work harder.

"Stop asking me that, Malfoy." I snapped, calling him by his surname like I did for the past five years. Then, for no apparent reason, I felt angry. I couldn't do my N.E.W.T testing now, because McGonagall would make sure that Draco and I were sent to Azkaban or something crazy like that. But truly, I did want to go back to Hogwarts. I missed it...And I had always wanted to complete my seventh year with my friends and become an Auror. But now, that chance was gone. My future was gone.

"Sorry...I guess I just..." I apologized to him.

"It's fine." He put a hand on my cheek, and brushed it slowly. "You're...you're so beautiful,Ellie. I don't know...I don't want to see you get hurt because of this."

"I won't, Draco. This is our destiny. Bad or good. It just makes me think...when we're older...when all of this is over. I won't make my children do anything like this. It won't happen. I don't care if I die because of it." I told him.

"I know."

"But the problem is...you don't. You don't know if Voldemort will prevail in the end...or if he'll be defeated. And if this continues on...I won't let my children become like me. I won't do it. Even if..."

"Just stop." He stopped me. "Stop worrying about the future. You have me. You have everything." He reassured.

"Except for freedom...and trust. And choice. Choice is what I want." I told him.

Then, the familiar cackling of Bellatrix echoed through the halls as she came up to us. She looked even crazier than usual, and as much as I liked her, Bella wasn't a...a regular witch. She was just weird. Plain and simple.

"Ah...My two darlings!" She shrieked as she tousled our hair. "The Dark Lord is pleased...very pleased... But Draco, I was quite disappointed when you weren't the one to kill the bastard!"

"I know, Aunt..." He scowled.

"Don't scowl, Draco." She snapped. Then she turned to me. "Oh, Eliza...My second cousin's daughter. Proud daughter of Lawrence Allen!" She cackled some more. "You did do an amazing job by helping Draco. How did it feel to betray the Potter boy? Ha!"

"Well..." I tried to explain through Bellatrix's screaming laughter. "I...I didn't have to betray them because I was never really with them...right?" I lied to her.

"Hahaha! There's my Eliza!" She laughed as she ran throughout the Manor and left.

Draco rolled his eyes. Snape took a seat across from us. Now what? I didn't want to talk to that lying, cheating piece of-
~Hello, head voice here? You are a lying piece of shit too, Eliza. You betrayed your friends...~
Shut up! You know that I would take their side any day when they need my help! This is secret and I would-
~Puh-lease, Ellie. You're stuck between a rock and a "hard spot".~

"Hello, Draco. Miss Allen." He nodded in my direction.

"You lying, little-"

"That is not the way that you're supposed to speak to your teachers, Allen." He told me. If I could just get my hands on him I'd-

"What she means, Professor, is that she doesn't understand what is happening and would like to know more." Draco spoke.

As Snape was about to speak, I interjected. "Actually, no, Sir. I was merely responding to the murder at your hands. And that it was Draco's damn job and you weren't supposed to take it! And you lied! You lied to me, you wouldn't help me! You wouldn't even tell me what you were going to d-"

"Please, Allen. Control yourself." He told me. "Draco simply was taking too much time in ridding Dumbledore, so I simply got the job done. I didn't see you stepping up to do the Dark Lord's bidding." He scowled at me.

"Well I didn't do it because the Dark Lord specifically told me not to! I was going to! I'd do anything for Draco!" I shouted at Snape. Then I stormed out of the living room, hoping to find Narcissa or Lucius. Someone. But I was not going to stay here and listen to that little snake's words.

~You're a little snake, yourself, Eliza.~
Shut up, you bitch.
~You don't get it, do you? I'm you, remember?~
Well I am a bitch, get over it.

I wandered over to some of the other rooms, finally nestling into another green and sliver themed living space. I laid down on the Chesterfield sofa, there was nothing more I could do. I glanced at my tattoo again. This isin't you, Ellie. I told myself. But it was. It was the new me, and I had to deal with it for the rest of my god-damned life. After a while, I saw my mother appear beside me via Floo.

"Hello, dear." She glanced at me.

"Mother." I responded.

"I heard that you did well on the Dark Lord's behalf, Eliza. I am very proud of you."

"Yeah, whatever." I scowled.

"What is it, honey?" She asked.

"Nothing. I just...I wanted to finish my education at Hogwarts, that's all." I told her.

"Well, why aren't you in the other room with Professor Snape, and Draco?"

"I don't want to see Snape right now." I simply told her.

"Well, Draco...You know, Narcissa tells me that he fancies you." She told me.

"Yeah, well. We're together if you haven't noticed." I told her.

"Oh, baby! I knew that you two would be the perfect match! And you aren't related really...I mean, just look at the Parkinson family...A pity really. Cousins having to marry each other. Most of their fine, pure blood turning into Squibs..." She droned.

"Just stop, mum. I'm not in the mood." I snapped.

"Oh, fine, dear. Is cousin Bellatrix here yet?" My mother asked.

"Yes, Carrie. I was just having a chat with her before you arrived." The sound of my father echoed behind me.

"Hello, father." I greeted.

"I happy to say that our second daughter didn't turn out to be a blood traitor like our...first." He scowled. How dare he talk about Catherine that way?

I would rather be a blood traitor than what I am now. A monster.
~Right you are, Eliza.~
Stop trying to make me feel worse than I already am.
~I'm you, remember?~