Time Twisted Fate

Chapter five ~ Taking Sides

Lila sprang down the fourth flight of steps, slightly late for dinner, and promptly crashed into something dark and very, very, solid.

"Oof!" muttered the injured being. Upon closer look, Lila discovered that it was Draco Malfoy, ice-prince of the Slytherins, and nemesis to pretty much everyone else. "Watch it!" he scowled, raising his head to see who it was, and finding a pair of sparkling green eyes looking skeptically back at him. He flushed slightly, something that Lila had never seen happen before, and seemed to reproach himself for what had slipped out of his mouth from pure habit. "Sorry... uh, Professor... uh, Miss..."

Lila rolled her eyes. "Don't call me 'Miss'. And it's ok. Oh, and can I just ask, where are you going, dressed like that, when everyone's supposed to be at dinner?" Lila indicated to Draco's robes, which were black, but by no means school robes, being far too fancy. Over the top, he had a light cloak, with a buckle in the shape of a dragon. Lila had said the last part in her 'teacher's voice', meaning that whoever it was, had better answer her question, or there'd be trouble.

Draco fiddled with his cloak clasp, a habit that Lila had discovered that many people did when apprehensive. "Umm... up to the Astronomy tower... you aren't thinking of telling, are you?!" For once in his life, Malfoy had dropped the confident sneer, and was looking at her with pleading eyes. As for Lila, she didn't know whether to take Malfoy seriously, or just dismiss him as lying and acting, like he did to get out of trouble in practically every class. She looked at him, trying to judge from his face what he really meant, which was proving to be quite difficult, since he was a good three inches taller than her, and at such a close proximity, had to look quite far up.

Finally, Lila decided to take him seriously, that and his hand undoing and doing up his clasp endlessly was beginning to annoy her, and sighed. "Fine. But you better be down by the end of dinner, or I'll tell McGonagall." Gesturing behind her, Lila indicated that Draco had better hurry and do whatever he was going to do, and continued down the stairs, now with something to ponder on. What on Earth was Malfoy doing?! He was dressed as though he was going to meet someone... Lila gasped, as she realized who Malfoy was probably meeting, and dashed back up the stairs. Summoning her invisibility cloak from her room, she flew up the astronomy tower, and only came to a halt when she saw the dark outline of Malfoy.

"Father, I don't want to be a part of this." Lila could hear Malfoy pleading to a taller figure, which had a glove pulling harshly on Malfoy's hair. A whine escaped him next, and the hand pulling on Malfoy jerked.

"You will be a part of this whether you want to or not," the voice hissed, as the taller hooded figure's hood fell down, revealing Lucius Malfoy, the only man on earth Lila hated as much as Lord Voldemort. "When the final battle comes, you will be forced to take sides, boy, and the Dark Lord's side will be much more profitable. It's too late to back out now. You are a part of the fellowship. In a few days, you will have your initiation ceremony, and be bound to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," continued Lucius, an evil gleam arising in his eyes.

Lila shrank even more into the shadows, and then remembered that she was invisible anyway. Malfoy whimpered softly. His father overheard the faint noise that fell from his lips and shook him roughly. "Don't be so soft, boy!" he demanded. Malfoy forced himself to look at his father. He was no longer a twelve-year-old boy, easily deceived.

"Father, I'm serious. I don't want to take sides. I can't be devoted enough to the Dark Lord. But I swear, I won't help Dumbledore! Don't make me go through with the initiation, father, please!" desperation was now blatant in Malfoy's voice, and he was looking at the older man in terror. Lucius growled in frustration.

"You will pass the initiation! You cannot fail me now! Don't try to escape from your destiny, boy!" Lucius drew his wand and slowly placed it under Malfoy's throat. "There is only one way to make sure that you stay put until the initiation. Miss Parkinson will keep an eye on you for me." Lucius raised his wand and cried, "Stupefy!" before reaching into his robes for what Lila recognized as a mind-turning potion. Malfoy fell to the floor, no longer resisting. Quickly whipping out her wand from her inside pocket, she pointed it directly at the small glass bottle.

"Explosaris!" Lila yelled, eyes blazing, as she stepped out towards Lucius. Several beams of red light shot out forcefully from the end of her wand and encased the bottle of liquid that was soon to be poured into Draco's mouth. With a loud sucking noise, the rays disappeared, smashing the bottle and dripping its contents over the side of the balcony. The force of the spell had thrown Lucius backwards, until he was right at the edge. Dropping her wand arm to her side, Lila stepped out from the shadows that she had been hiding behind. "Leave him alone, Lucius," she said in a strong but calm voice. Lucius' eyes narrowed and he released his grip on his son's sleeve.

"Who are you, and why do you have any business in what I do to my son?" he snarled suspiciously. Click. Click. Click. Lila took another three steps. Dropping her cloak onto the floor, Lila looked so dignified she could have been mistaken for royalty, as her sheen of silvery-blond hair spilled over her shoulders.

"Don't you remember me, Lucius? Or has it been too long? When did you last see me? Thirty-four years ago, wasn't it? I remember it so clearly. It seems like it was only a year ago, to me." Lila gave a short, harsh laugh. To her, it literally was a year ago. The last time she had seen Lucius was when her mother had been destroyed. Instead of her mother, now there only was Lucius' wife who existed. Somewhere deep inside, a feeling stirred in her heart, but she ignored it for the time being. Personal feelings came later. She could see Lucius' eye widen in shock, as he recognized her as the screaming, hysterical girl who tried to save her mother. Then his face became cruel again.

"So it's you, the cowardly little girl. Maybe you should be glad to know that my wife is alive and flourishing well." He sneered. Lila felt a pang of pain, but knew she could never show it. "You dared to show your face and stop me from disciplining my son? You can be sure your father hears about this." His laugh was mocking, and confident. Lila looked him straight in the eye and raised her head, trying to look arrogant, and succeeding. Years of training under the cruelest master possible had gained this.

"Yes, it is me. You can see that I've changed from the foolish little airhead who was so easily strung along with Voldemort. I am no longer his adoring slave and daughter." Though her voice was hard, Lila waved a hand carelessly, as if she really wouldn't care if she were discovered being here. "Go, Malfoy. Tell your master that I am here, and I'm ready for him. I'm not afraid of him. Go, Malfoy, and don't return until the final battle!" Lila almost spat her words out, as she picked up the broomstick that Malfoy had obviously used to get here, and hurled it at him with as much force as she could muster.

Glaring backwards, Malfoy no longer seemed to have the spirit to argue with Lila, sullenly picked up his broom and mounted it. Just before he pushed off, he glanced back, and said scornfully, "We will win. The Dark Lord will never fall, you foolish little girl!" and with a swish of his cloak, disappeared into the dark night.

Now she was left alone with Malfoy. Sighing, and releasing all the tension built up inside her, Lila picked up her cloak, before realizing that Malfoy was still slumped on the floor, unconscious. Looking at the incredibly pale complexion of Draco Malfoy, Lila suddenly had an incredible urge to re-enact a scene from her muggle Fairy Tales book. Instead, Lila spread Draco out on the cold stone floor to check that he was still breathing regularly. Now not even trying to resist her mind, Lila bent over and kissed Malfoy lightly on the lips. Malfoy stirred slightly, and his eyelids flickered, and for one wild moment, Lila thought that the Sleeping beauty curse was really going to break, but then realized that he had moved because she had cut off his air supply for a few seconds. Oh well. It was a good try.

Sighing, she muttered, "Enervate." Now Malfoy's eyes really did flicker, and he moaned as he sat up and clutched his head. It wasn't surprising his head hurt; he had crashed straight onto the floor after his father had knocked him out. "Come on. Let's get you to the hospital wing." Lila sighed. She was doing a lot of that right now. She helped Malfoy off the floor, and dusted herself off. He caught her hand as she was halfway through one of these motions, and motioned for her to look at him. Lila did so. His eyes were completely sincere.

"Thank-you. I don't know exactly what you did, but thank-you for saving me there," Malfoy said serenely, turning Lila's palm downwards, and gently kissing the back of her hand. He didn't ask for an explanation, and she didn't give one.