Now that Draco was out of the hospital wing, they didn't care if they held hands or kissed in public. Since Harry Potter knew, it was bound for the rest of Hogwarts to know too.

There were some like Pansy Parkinson, Harry, and some other Gryffindor and Slytherin students who hated that Greta and Draco were dating.

Meanwhile, people like Luna, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville thought it was sweet. They believed that Greta and Draco were proving that Gryffindor and Slytherin don't always have to be rivals.

And then, the rest of the students couldn't care less (like Ron). That was alright too.

Greta and Draco set aside time to go on the occasional date, but they usually spent their days trying to help Draco cope. There wasn't much that they could do now that Draco had the Dark Mark, and they could only pin their hope on each other.

They were both sitting in the empty bleachers by the Quidditch fields, cuddling and trying their hardest to think about what could happen next. It was terrifying to be reminded, but they had to accept that a war was coming soon. They had to be mentally prepared for battle, possibly against each other.

"Do you think we should set a plan for when the war begins?" Greta asked. She moved her hand up and down Draco's leg.

"Yeah, probably," Draco sighed. "I mean, Voldemort will most likely already have a plan for me anyway, but it's good to be prepared."

"You're right."

There was a long pause.

"What if I have to hurt you?"

Greta sat up, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Hurt me?"

Draco nodded slowly. "What if Voldemort makes me hurt you? Maybe kill you?"

"Are you sure that'll happen?"

"I… I don't know. I just… I don't want to hurt you." Draco's voice cracked at the last sentence and his eyes glistened with tears.

Greta carefully placed her hand on Draco's shoulder, not knowing how he'd react. Draco broke out into sobs.

"I'm sorry," Draco apologized, wiping away his tears. "I've just been feeling emotionally unstable lately."

"I understand. You're going through something terrible and I don't blame you at all. I'll be here for you when you cry. I promise."

Draco glanced at Greta before hugging her tight. His shoulders were shaking, and Greta knew that he started crying again. She stretched her arms around Draco's neck and rubbed his shoulders. Her neck felt a little strained since Draco was taller than her, but she didn't mind. Right now, all that mattered was taking care of him.

"I'm sorry that you have to do all this," Greta whimpered. "I wish I could do more for you."

"You're already doing enough," Draco spoke from over her shoulder. He squeezed her a little tighter. "This has been helping a lot."

Greta could tell that Draco wasn't used to affectionate touch. Sometimes he would flinch at a hug or something small like that. It was sad to think that the Malfoys weren't giving him as much loving attention as they should have. Draco once told Greta that his parents used to spoil him rotten, but they never did that anymore. In fact, Lucius would verbally abuse him now that he was getting older and wasn't getting good grades in school.

It made Greta wonder what it would feel like to punch a fully grown man, but she knew that Lucius would probably beat her first if she tried anything like that.

"Professor Snape told me that the deadline for killing Dumbledore is nearing," Draco mumbled. "I don't know if I can do it."

"Didn't Snape make an Unbreakable Vow with your mother?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Maybe he can be the one to kill him instead."

Draco broke out of the hug and stared at Greta directly in the eyes. "What?"

"I know, that sounded awful. I'm sorry."

"No, keep going. It's alright. We don't have much of a choice anyway."

"Professor Snape promised to your mother that if you couldn't complete the task, then he would, right?"

Draco nodded.

"So," Greta continued. "If you decide last minute not to kill him, then you won't have to. Snape is working for Voldemort anyway, so it wouldn't matter if he were to be a murderer."

"That could actually work. You're a genius!" Draco wore a massive grin. It was the first time that Greta had seen him smile in a long time.

Greta blushed. "I wouldn't say 'genius'..."

"Of course I would say that! You're flat out brilliant, Greta. I really mean it."

"Thank you." Greta's smile was small but meaningful.

"You're so adorable when you're embarrassed," Draco laughed.

Greta's face flushed deeper. "I am not!"

"Yes, you are! You're proving my point right this second."

Greta replied with a playful shove. "I'm not that adorable. You're way more adorable than me."

"Well, that can't be true."

"It is true, Ferret. Why else would I have kissed you?"

"You're bringing up the ferret thing now? That was two years ago!"

Greta tapped her forehead with her finger. "And I'll always remember it."

Time Skip

Today was the day. Draco had to kill Dumbledore.

Greta told Draco to back out of the task and let Snape take care of it. Maybe then, Voldemort wouldn't want him to work for him anymore. That way, Draco could be free.

Draco knew that it wouldn't be as simple as that. Voldemort would still keep him as a Death Eater no matter what. He refused to tell Greta that, knowing that she would be heartbroken. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her.

Just before Draco entered the Room of Requirement, he turned back one last time at Greta. "I need you to stay away from the astronomy tower. I don't want the Death Eaters to know that we know each other."

"Ok." Greta's eyes seemed to be dull with worry lately.

Draco held Greta tightly in his arms. "I love you so much, Princess. Please don't ever forget it."

"I love you too, Blondie. Please be careful."

Draco let go. "I will."

He shut the door behind him and Greta immediately raced to the astronomy tower. There was no way that she was going to leave him alone up there! She had to check on him to see if he was going to follow the plan. After all, this would be Greta's last time seeing Dumbledore's face.

She found a place to hide underneath the main platform at the top of the tower and she made sure to remain unseen. What she didn't expect was for Harry to be with the headmaster when he arrived on schedule.

They talked for a while, before Dumbledore whispered, "Harry, go hide. Nobody must see you."

Harry obeyed and chose to hide in the same place as Greta. His eyes widened and he mouthed out some words of confusion. Greta replied with a nervous shrug, and signalled for him to be silent.

"Ah, good evening, Draco," Dumbledore said casually.

Shoot! Draco's already up here!

"What brings you here on such a fine spring night?" Dumbledore continued.

Draco held out his wand.

"Draco, you are no assassin."

"How do you know what I am?" Draco hissed. "I've done things that would astonish you."

"Really? It seems to me that cursing a necklace and lacing a wine bottle with poison are pretty weak actions. It's almost as if your heart wasn't truly set on them."

Draco grunted, feeling frustrated, and cast Dumbledore's wand away before the headmaster could cast a spell of his own.

"Draco, I once knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. You don't have to do this. I can help you and your family."

"You don't understand! I have to do this! I have to kill you… or he's gonna kill me and everyone I love."

"I can insure Greta's safety as well. I promise."

"Who's Greta?"

That was a voice that Greta didn't recognize. It was a crazy looking woman with curly black hair.

"Good evening, Bella," Dumbledore greeted."

"No one. Greta is no one," Draco replied quickly. Greta knew he didn't mean it to be rude.

"Are you sure about that? I heard Dumbledore clearly say that he'd protect this 'Greta' that I've never heard of," Bella drawled. She was really starting to creep Greta out.

"She's just one of my former maids back at the Manor," Draco lied. "We were very close."

"I see," Bella sighed. "Well, go on with it, Draco. Kill him!"

Greta could see that Draco's hand was shaking. Greta wished that there was a way out of this that involved sparing Dumbledore's life, but it just wasn't possible. He had to die, no matter who did it.

Harry tapped Greta's shoulder and pointed to Professor Snape, who was where they were. She pressed a finger to his lips and left to join the other Death Eaters.

"Kill him!" Bella shrieked.

"No," Snape interrupted. "I will."

"Severus," Dumbledore addressed.

"Avada Kadavra," Snape muttered. Dumbledore was hit directly in the chest and his lifeless body spiraled off of the astronomy tower.

Greta and Harry gasped quietly, and Greta covered her mouth with her hands. All the Death Eaters raced down the astronomy tower. Harry grabbed Greta's robe and they both followed them.

They eventually found the Death Eaters right outside Hagrid's hut, which had burst into flames.

"Draco!" Greta cried. "Come back!"

Bella turned around, along with the other Death Eaters. "Who is that, Draco? Do you know her?"

Draco was at a loss for words. He wasn't sure how to cover for this. "I-I..."

"FIGHT ME, YOU COWARD!" Harry yelled at Snape. "FIGHT ME!"

Snape disarmed Harry, then said to Bella, "Save him for the Dark Lord."

"I'm sorry, Shorty," Draco apologized. "I have to go."

Large tears welled up in Greta's eyes. Her skin was burning from the blazing fire in the distance, but she endured it.

"I can't lose you again! I just got you back," Greta sobbed.

Draco pulled Greta into a quick kiss, then whispered into her ear, "I love you so much. Thank you for everything."

"Draco, wait!"

He had already left with the Death Eaters.

It was too late.

Draco was gone.

Word Count: 1707