Casualty of Love: Turning Tables

Five Months Later

I was kind of nervous about posting this chapter because it's such a 360 turn of events... But this was planned since the beginning, literally there are hints that tell you this is going to happen throughout both books and so much foreshadowing and dream signs and yeah (: Hope no one gets offended or something because it's not bad or anything lmao just different. Enjoy, hopefully (:

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Five Months Later

I wiped my mouth off with the back of my sleeve. That was the second time I'd thrown up this morning. I didn't have a fever but I decided to go see Madam Pomfrey regardless. I probably had the flu or something.

I walked out of my dorm and shrugged off the piercing glares that I got every time I was near my Gryffindor peers. "Hey, Allie. Where're you going?" Lucille asked, skipping up next to me, Bianca at her side. They were the only Gryffindors who have spoken to me this year, aside from Ginny (who only talked to me in private). Both of their parents had become Death Eaters after a number of threats.

"Madam Pomfrey's... I think I'm getting ill," I told them.

"Yikes. Hope you get better!" Bianca said cheerily. How those two remained in good spirits, I had no idea.

"Thanks," I mumbled, climbing out of the door.

I walked down the corridors in silence. I wondered briefly where Draco and Elijah were... I hadn't seen either all day. Usually one of them would have come to get me by now.

Subconsciously, I turned the ring on my left hand ring finger, over and over. It was something that had become a habit by now and each time I touched it, I was reminded of that life changing day only two months ago.

Everyone had been telling me that I was in for a treat today and it scared the living daylights out of me. I had no idea what a treat entailed in the Death Eater world but I wasn't eager to figure out.

I'd been waiting for them to do something to me -- the thing that would tie me to them indefinitely. I was anxious all summer and I was beginning to think I was in the clear as school was starting soon.

That night, I was hauled into a spare room with Bellatrix and Narcissa. Narcissa had a permanent scowl on her face but Bellatrix looked amused. "What's going on?" I asked, attempting to keep my voice strong.

"Oh, she doesn't know?" Bellatrix asked Narcissa, and then she laughed manically. "You're going to be joining the world of marriage today, isn't that right, Narcissa? Your new daughter-in-law?" Bellatrix broke off into more laughter.

My mouth fell open at once. Married at seventeen? I wouldn't have ever guessed... But how is this a permanent tie? I shook my head to wipe the grimace off my face. I wondered if Draco knew about it.

"Put this on and drink this, all of it," Narcissa said, handing me a robe and an opaque bottle. It wasn't the normal robes that you'd see on a wizard from day to day -- no, this robe was black velvet with white trimmings. I put it on and drank whatever it was she gave me. It had a strange minty tang but it was incredibly bitter.

I followed them into the drawing room which had been cleared out. Draco made eye contact with me but he looked very confused -- he obviously didn't know what was going on. I went to stand by him. "Do you know what's going on?" he whispered.

"...Sort of," I admitted but before I could explain further, I heard Bellatrix hiss, "We must hurry before the potion wears off!" I had no idea what she was talking about but I had an inkling that it was that minty stuff they made me drink before.