It was a dull grey Saturday morning with rain pouring down outside. Gemma hated British weather.

She sat with a bowlful of cereal that she doubted she was going to touch. Her kiss with Regulus had left her buzzing for the whole of yesterday evening, but that feeling subsided to gives way to the grief, and the grief brought back the horrible feeling in her chest.

She had managed to be relatively normal and almost forget about Dan during school, because she was so busy and generally didn't used to see him during school anyway. But somehow moving on so quickly made her feel guilty, like less than a month from his death and she was already happy and kissing boys. Who did that?

She didn't notice when Luke came and sat down next to her, or Ted and Isolde. She did notice when Regulus arrived.

'Hi,' he said, his ears going red again.

'Hey,' she replied, allowing a smile.

'And you say I'm whipped,' Ted said smugly, taking a sip of orange juice. Gemma reached over and raised the end of the goblet, so it went all over his face.

'Bathroom's that way,' she said, not looking at him, but still feeling his heat- seeking glare as he trudged out the hall. 

'Hey, Gryffindor approaching,' Iz hissed. Gemma looked up to see Dorcas. As she came to stand beside Regulus, he visibly scrunched his nose. Gemma had to bite back a laugh. 

'Hello Gemma,' she said in a friendly way. 'We have detention in Professor Dumbledore's office at seven today.'

'Detention?' Luke said suspiciously. 'What did you do?'

'I don't see how it's your business,' Dorcas said. 

'Bitch!' Iz said. 

'Hey, Gryffindor,' Barty Crouch Jr shouted from further down the table. 'Your not welcome here. Go back to the other table of blood traitors and mudbloods.' Avery, Mulciber and Snape snickered like he'd just made a really funny joke. Dorcas eyed him.

'I would be careful if I were you,' she said distastefully. 

'Is that a threat?' He hissed, standing up and knocking a goblet over with his hand. It fell to the floor with a loud clang. Dorcas didn't even flinch, but Gemma knew that Crouch was jacked up in the head, and tried to diffuse the situation. 

'Okay Dorcas, we'll meet, you should le-'

'Yes, it is. Would you like to act on it?' Dorcas goaded him further. Crouch whipped out his wand, but just as swiftly put it away. He barked a laugh.

'You're lucky the teachers are here to stop me from using magic right now,' he hissed. 'Just you wait.'

'Waiting,' Dorcas said. She turned and went back to her own table.

Gemma turned to see three pairs of eyes waiting for her to explain. She sighed, and started thinking of a fake story to tell them. 

.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.

'Ah, Miss Meadowes, come and join us,' Dumbledore said. Sturgis and Gemma sat in the seats at the desk- more like Gemma sat, Sturgis sort of reclined on it. 

'Ah, the golden girl is late,' Sturgis said, and Gemma snickered slightly.

'Sorry, Professor,' Dorcas said, and then to Sturgis, 'some of us actually study because we don't want to end up as losers with nothing to do.' Gemma looked at Sturgis and went ooohhh under her breath at the blow, and he responded by kicking her leg, to which she laughed. 

'So,' Dumbledore said. He slid a photo across the desk. 'Do you recognise this boy? 

'That's Evan,' Gemma murmured. 'Evan Rosier.'

'Correct. Not too long ago we were informed that Mr Rosier has joined the Death Eaters.'

Damn, Gemma thought. This is news to me.

'We have been told that his defences are not too formidable. Between the three of you, you should be able to bring him back to be tried in the Wizengamot. Miss Meadowes, have you been able to pinpoint his location?'

'I have, professor,' She said. 'He is to be at the Malfoys' house for the remainder of the week.'

'Ew,' Sturgis said, making a face. 'Malfoy. Guy was a right freak. How he scored Narcissa Black is just-'

'Hang on,' Gemma interrupted. 'Tried? Like, sent to jail?'

'I understand the relationship you may have had with young Mr Rosier's brother,' Dumbledore said insincerely, 'but I'm afraid, Gemma, you may have to learn to live with the fact that being in Slytherin, many of your friends may now become your foes.'

Gemma considered this. She had no real loyalty to Evan, or even Mulciber, but what if it came down to having to take down Regulus? Would she be able to do it?

'I trust you have everything you need to leave?' Dumbledore prompted. Gemma's eyes widened.

'Wait, like, now? We're leaving right now?'

'Nah, we're gonna have a tea party,' Sturgis snickered. 

'Shut up.'

.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.•*•.

Sturgis apparated the three of them a few streets away from Malfoy Manner, in case it was being watched, and Gemma did her very best not to throw up. They'd had to walk to Hogsmeade before they could apparate due to the wards around Hogwarts, and the entire journey had taken them at least an hour. As they walked, the rain beating down on them, Dorcas explained the plan.

'You have a plan already?' Gemma interrupted. 'We just found out about this.'

'Wrong,' Sturgis said. 'You're the apprentice so you just found out. Dorcas and I have been planning for weeks.' Gemma stared. 

'Thank you for the interruption,' Dorcas glared, 'but listen. Gemma, due to your connections with Evan we hope you can distract him long enough for Sturgis and myself to sneak in. If I'm correct Lucius Malfoy should be at Gringotts right now, so he'll be alone. If you distract him well enough, Sturgis will be able stun him. Nice and clean, we'll be out in less than fifteen minutes.'

'That took you weeks to plan?' Gemma said sceptically. 'You could've just like, watched a James Bond film or something.'

She bade farewell to them at the end of Hedgegrove Row, and continued on. 

Malfoy Manor was a handsome house, with elaborate gardens and even a large fountain. She took a deep breath before forcing herself to knock the large, brass knocker. A meek house elf opened the door. 

'You is?' She squeaked. Gemma straightened her back. 

'I am here to speak to Mr Rosier,' she said boldly. 

'Dopple will call him,' Dopple said. Two minutes later, Evan appeared at the door. His eyebrows jumped when he saw her.

'What are you doing here?' He hissed. He pulled her inside and shut the door. 'Are you insane? There are people around here who would kill you on sight.'

'I found Edward,' she blurted. 'He- He's dead.' Evan faltered for a moment, then shook off his confusion. 

'And you will join him if you don't leave now,' he insisted. 

'No, Evan Rosier, I won't! You said he was alive! You said I would get to talk to him again!' Gemma feigned a pained expression. Given how guilty she was feeling about betraying him, it wasn't hard. 

'Yes. But clearly I was wrong,' he replied quietly. There was a loud crash somewhere in the distance and his ears perked up. 'Stay here.'

He left, and Gemma waited a minute before leaving too. What if Sturgis and Dorcas had gotten caught?

But she realised her mistake the second she made it around the wall. Evan was deep in conversation with a girl around his age- she had wild black hair and a gaunt face. Regulus' crazy cousin, she realised. Bellatrix Black.

Bellatrix saw her before she could react. She whipped out her wand and smiled manically. 

'Are you lost dear?' She said. 'Can we help you?' Evan turned and gave her a what-the-fuck-I-told-you-to-wait kind of look. She returned it with an apologetic one.

'She's with me, Bella,' he explained unconvincingly. 'We had business to discuss.'

'Business,' Bellatrix repeated. 'What kind of bu-' She was interrupted by another loud clang from upstairs. They all froze, and Evan put his finger to his lips. Cautiously, they followed him out into the hallway. He looked round the corner and-

BANG! A loud explosion send him flying, and Sturgis emerged. 

'Haha!' He said. 'I- Wait, Bella?' He noticed her too late. 

Lip curling, Bellatrix pulled out her wand. 

'Crucio!' She screamed. Sturgis dived out the way.

'Woah, hey there, we just came to ta-' Another spell shot at him, and this time he narrowly missed being blown up into pieces and a staircase suffered that fate. 

'Expelliarmus!' He shot at her quickly, and she screamed in rage as her wand skittered away. 

'Incarecerous!' Evan yelled, seemingly having recovered. Sturgis' hands and feet were bound tightly with ropes. 

'Emancipare!' Dorcas said from somewhere, freeing Sturgis. Gemma looked around but couldn't see the Gryffindor anywhere.

With Sturgis now dueling Evan, Gemma was left with Bellatrix. 

'Little girl wants to play with the big kids?' Bellatrix mocked. She pulled out a dagger from her robes, and Gemma pulled out her wand. 

'Um, Confringo!' She said loudly, pointing her wand at Bellatrix. Nothing happened, and Bellatrix cackled.

'Um, confringo,' she mocked. Gemma ditched her wand and pulled out her own knife. This made Bellatrix laugh, and then she lunged toward her. 

She missed Gemma's neck by the skin of her teeth, and as Gemma moved to stab Bellatrix' arm, she found herself being blocked expertly, but as Bellatrix focused her strength on the knife, Gemma moved to sweep her feet from under her. It worked, and Bellatrix fell in a heap on the floor. 

Gemma turned to look at Sturgis and Evan- this was a mistake. Taking advantage of the distraction, Bellatrix drove her dagger deep into Gemma's leg. Gemma cried out and stumbled, and Bellatrix went to drive the knife into her back- but was blocked by Dorcas. 

The world began to blur as tears clouded Gemma's vision. 

'Let's go!' She heard Dorcas yelling, and then someone- probably Sturgis grabbed her hand and they apparated away, and this time Gemma let herself feel disoriented from the apparition and black dots appeared in her vision.

'Don't pass out,' Sturgis urged, looking very pale and battered himself. Gemma could feel her hands shaking, and Dorcas helped her on the walk up to Dumbledore's office. They were all silent. 

'We failed,' Gemma mumbled. 'We failed, and we nearly died.' It took everything in her not to break down.

Even after reporting to Dumbledore, going to the hospital wing, and eating something, her hands did not stop shaking.