Summons From Malfoy
They stumbled over themselves trying to explain. "Well, you see," Draco started. Blaise cut in with, "I saw that she was -" It was too much. Pansy was having trouble sorting out the jumble.
"STOP!" She screamed. They both stared at her in shock. Well, just because she was feminine doesn't mean that she couldn't yell when she had to. "So Blaise, how about you go first?"
"I dunno. I found her with Draco in her arms and she had healed him. I guess, well, she could have killed him, and everyone would have thought it was the effects of the Cruciatus that Voldemort laid on him. Draco argued with him over Narcissa again. You know how that always goes." Pansy rolled her eyes.
"And you, Draco? What's up with you so far?"
Draco was not about to give up all of his information. He noticed Blaise hadn't revealed what he had observed as an Empath. He supposed even Blaise had a right to hide things. But still, it intrigued him. Too many things related to Nevra intrigued him. He couldn't have any weaknesses. The way the Dark Side worked in itself forbade it…Survival of the fittest was something they lived and died by. "A gut feeling. I've learned to trust those." Pansy scrutinized him, but even she knew better than to challenge him openly. No one stood above him except the Dark Lord. And he made everyone remember that. Harshly, if necessary.
"All right, then." Pansy was a possessive girl, but not the smartest one. He was glad that he didn't have to talk to her all the time…Wait, where did that come from? Pansy was his confidante, his best friend. Not as good as Nevra. He barely knew Nevra.
"Um, Draco, you okay? You look a little tense." Blaise broke his line of thought. Something he would rather forget about. It complicated his plans way too much.
"Nah, I am fine. Just thinking about how I am going to get Mom out of St. Mungo's before Voldie has a heart attack." Draco had never really believed that Voldemort was his father, and he actually secretly hated him. Ever since he had destroyed Narcissa because she had enough heart to not want to kill a child! And Narcissa was his mother. No matter what anyone else said.
"All right. Let's go figure out a way." Pansy grinned at him reassuringly. "She'll be fine."
"I hope so. I really do. Because if she isn't, someone is going to pay." Draco pushed away the possible consequences of revenge grimly. There was work to do. His mother wasn't dead yet. And there was his plans to consider.
Considering His Plans
As she walked out of the room to Apparate, Nevra wondered what was going on behind those closed doors. Pansy Parkinson still remained a threat to her. She wasn't as smart but she was in the advantage because of her standing within the Death Eaters. She was still in shock from the sight of Draco Malfoy blushing. The concept of facial expression in itself was foreign to him…or so she had thought.
The only window to his mind was through his eyes…and those were barely readable at best. He truly had learned how to shield himself from everyone. Even when he was lying on the ground, Nevra could feel the magical shields on his mind. They never wavered, not even as Healing drained life energy out of his body. She had never seen anyone with training so strong. But he had to be, she supposed. He had to be strong in order to survive at the top of the pecking order for so long.
A few days later…
Nevra couldn't get him out of her head. Pure and simple. Every time her mind was not occupied, it turned toward the enigma that was the Dark Prince. What was he hiding? What did he hold dearer to his heart than the Dark Side to which he had dedicated his life? His soul.
This was another weakness she had to hide. The Dark Lord would be the first to exploit any feelings she felt for his son and Heir. The people below her would not be far behind. She was feeling increasing pressure from Voldemort to get the Sorting Hat from Hogwarts. But Potter was still not strong enough to face Voldemort even when the Dark Lord was distracted. The weakling. People were going to die for him - mere children - and he could not find it in him to be ready. To give the Light the best chance for survival it had.
She felt the Dark Mark burn, and stifled a groan. She rang the bell that let Dumbledore know she had been called by the Dark Lord and then apparated away. She arrived at the same shore where the Dark Prince had first intrigued her. And the Dark Lord was nowhere in sight!
Draco Malfoy was standing in front of her. Even his casual stance had the essence of a crouching tiger and the intensity of a taut wire in it. His grey eyes bore into hers, and she involuntarily stepped back. He let out a grim chuckle. She decided to go on the offensive before he could overpower her.
"I thought only the Dark Lord could summon Death Eaters." He smirked.
"He thinks he's the only one who can. Remember what I said? Most Death Eaters do not have loyalty towards the Dark Lord." He left it at that, mysterious as always. "Blaise is arriving soon."
"Only two-thirds of the famous Dark Trio? I'm shocked." Nevra joked.
Draco's face suddenly had a blank look to it. "Pansy's dead." He said in a harsh biting voice. Nevra gaped for a second, quickly bringing her expressions under control. Tears actually came to Draco's eyes. "She was caught with our plans to rescue my mother from St. Mungo's. The Dark Lord wanted names, but she wouldn't give them. He tortured her until she died. She was protecting us. Protecting me." He laughed bitterly. "I destroy everything I touch. Always. My mother, Pansy. Everyone."
She winced at the rawness in his voice. "Why is Blaise showing up?" Better to distract him from it for now. She had no idea how to respond. Unfortunately he saw right through it.
"You don't know what to say to me, do you? Cause you know I'm right." She broke in at that.
"No! Never! You don't destroy everything you touch. In fact, you've saved lives in nearly every attack that we have implemented. Yours, Blaise's, mine, people you don't even know. And it is not your fault. Pansy was your friend, and she did what any of the three of you would have done in her place. She did what was right! And you had nothing to do with it. To say that it's your fault demeans the nobility of the choice she made. Demeans the fact that she decided that you all were important enough to sacrifice for. So don't you dare blame it all on yourself, because you have no right!
That was when Blaise showed up. His eyes widened in shock as he heard the raised voice in which Nevra was addressing the Dark Prince. And the guilty look on Draco's face that he had never seen before.
"So, Draco, want to discuss why we summoned her?" Blaise said in a false hearty voice.
The Reasons Why
Draco's eyes refocused. "Yeah. You see, the Trio…isn't a Trio anymore obviously. And Voldemort is getting suspicious of us…he thinks we are too powerful. When you've risen by stealing power away from other people you have a tendency to become paranoid. You are Miss Loyal of the young Death Eaters…always following orders, blah, blah, blah. Since you've shown you're smart, we could use you as an ally and you've shown you have other loyalties than to the Dark Side. We could use you as a shield from Voldemort. He won't suspect us if we're with you. He trusts you, you're still innocent in his eyes. SO we want you to be a part of the Dark Trio."
Ginny's jaw dropped. "Me in the Dark Trio? I'm not in the Inner Circle yet!"
Blaise grinned. "Exactly. The common Death Eaters trust you like they do no one in the Inner Circle. So we have everyone's loyalty, the commoners and the nobility of the Dark Side."
Nevra smiled. "You have it all figured out, don't you? Answers for everything. But I am sorry, I can't."
Draco's eyes grew hard as steel. "Why not?"
"Because I am not loyal to the Dark Side. Ad I am not willing to become enmeshed in it more than I have to. Because I am losing myself to the mask that I hold. Because I can't be in the Dark Trio."
Blaise wasn't grinning anymore. "Then you're dead," he said. "We can't let you live to tell our secrets."
Nevra sighed. "Then I'm in. What do I have to do?"
Draco pulled her sleeve up as Blaise and he did the same to their own. He pulled out a dagger and placed it against her skin. She pulled away hastily.
"No way. Let me see it first."
Draco chuckled. "You really are a Death Eater. Here," he said as he handed it to her. She snatched it, eyes blazing.
"Don't you ever say that. I don't give a damn who you are. You don't ever tell me who I am." Draco looked taken aback.
"Chill, Nevra. He won't say it again. Just relax. You done with the dagger?" Blaise said hastily before Draco could grow angry.
Nevra looked over the dagger. She tested it with a Searching Spell…one that she had created herself. "Yeah, it's fine. It's just a Binding Spell. But you could have told me before and saved us the drama."
"And now you're just creating more. Let's get this over with, Draco." Blaise said.
Draco took the knife from Nevra and made a cut on their arm splitting the Dark Mark in half. Nevra looked on in surprise.
"So that's how Voldemort can't read your thoughts. Do you glamour these so he can't tell you've fiddled with them?" Draco nodded, his brow furrowed in concentration.
"We're not done yet. We have to read this chant together." Nevra looked at the text.
Bound we are till Life's last breath
While our brethren live no barrier is death
And our binds do defy every promise and lie
That we have made before this day