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THE QUARTET WERE all back at Hogwarts, resuming their studies. Aubrey hadn't been in contact with her adoptive family, whom wrote her a few times, but the witch never responded. Aubrey was done; she was tired of being lied to. She didn't want to be Voldemort's second-in-command. Aubrey thought she was doing the world good working for The Dark Lord and insisting him in his plans, but her judgement was wrong.

The brunette witch felt repentant about herself lying to Harry. Aubrey knew she felt hypocritically; she was practically living a double life-and she was still living one. Her little white lies had gotten out of hand, she didn't know how to handle the situation. Aubrey knew she had to make up even more lies to Harry and his two greatest best friends, to cover up the lies she already told.

Aubrey was petrified at what damage her lies would do in the end. And she didn't want to find out.

The Thomas witch sat in Potions, listening to Professor Slughorn finish up his lecture to the class. She flipped through her textbook, paying little attention to what was being said. Aubrey sat next to Harry, who was looking at with a frown perplexed upon his face.

"You okay?" He whispered, leaning closer to her ear. Aubrey jumped a little, resulting in Harry to chuckle.

The brunette playfully rolled, lightly shoving him. "Seriously, Aubrey. Are you okay?" Harry asked again, looking at her with concern.

Aubrey's stomach fluttered. The concerned look plastered on Harry's face made her feel safe; knowing that someone cared about how she was feeling.

She smiled softly. "I'm fine. Just a little stressed out."

"About what?" Harry questioned in curiosity.

Aubrey shifted in her seat, still hearing Slughorn continue on his lecture. Harry's glaze still remained on her. "They're writing to me." She briefly said. Harry looked confused, as Aubrey sighed. "The Malfoy's....they're writing to me."

Slughorn had dismissed the class, numerous students packing up their stuff, leaving the classroom. "We're not done discussing this, Thomas," Harry insisted.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, a smile glowing on her lip. "I'll be waiting to continue discussing my rubbish predicament."

The brunette began to leave the room, only to have Harry still standing by his table. "Aren't you coming?"

"I'll catch up with you at lunch," Harry said, as Aubrey nodded slowly, leaving the classroom.

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AUBREY SAT AT the Slytherin table, flicking through her textbook for Transfigurations, while cleaning off the spoon that once held vanilla ice cream. She had made friends with the house elves in the kitchen, giving her all the sweets she wanted, at all points of the day. She felt a presence sit beside her, which was Draco. Aubrey tried her hardest to ignore her adoptive brother, but his eyes burned through her.

"What do you want, brother dearest?" Aubrey hissed unpleasantly, forcefully closing her textbook.

"Mum and dad want to know why you're not writing back," Draco mentioned.

Aubrey had pretended to think, before turning back to him. "Mhm, why don't they ask The Dark Lord why I'm not writing back. Perhaps He can talk all about how He killed my parents because of a damn prophecy!" The witch snapped, her voice low and venomous.

Draco rolled his eyes at his sister. "You're so overdramatic. You should grateful you were His second-in-command," the witch grumbled.

"I'm overdramatic?" Aubrey questioned in outrage. "I'm overdramatic?" Her voice rising, as she repeated the word a couple more times. A few people had turned their heads around to the scene between the two siblings.

Draco had hushed his sister, harshly gripping onto her arm, pulling her out of the Dining Hall. "Let go, you fucking tool!" Aubrey's voice barked.

"Hey, Malfoy! Get your hand off of her," Harry voice's called out in anger. His wand tightly gripped beside him.

The blond-haired wizard let his sister's arm go, rapidly turning to face Harry. Aubrey pushed away her brother, skidding over toward the raven-haired boy. "Potter coming to the rescue, to help out his girlfriend," Draco taunted. "I'll make sure to let our precious parents know why you haven't been writing back to them." He gave his sister a sinister smirk, before leaving the scene.

"You alright?" Harry worriedly asked, glancing at the arm Draco harshly handled.

Aubrey nodded, smiling gratefully at him. "Thank you for helping, Harry. But I am a big girl, I can take care of myself."

Harry flushed. He shrugged, kicking around the invisible dust around the floor, with his shoes. "I know you fight your own battles...but I don't know. I saw Malfoy harassing you, and I-"

"And you what, Harry?" Aubrey teased, a grin reaching her lips. She found it amusing how easily it was to affect Harry.

Harry bit down on his lip in nervousness. "I just didn't like the way he was treating you, that's all." Aubrey smiled, walking back into the Dining Hall.

"Wait up, I got some information for you," Harry said, catching up to the brunette.

"And that is?" Aubrey questioned, picking up her textbook from the Slytherin table.

"I have tried to get some information out Slughorn, that Dumbledore wanted me to get," Harry stated, earning a questionable glance from the brunette.

"Oo, what information?" Aubrey excitedly said, earning a laugh from the raven-haired boy.

"Dumbledore showed me a memory from when Tom Riddle was back in school. He had asked Slughorn about a rare piece of magic, and in memory Slughorn had tempered with it, making it look like he never gave the information to Riddle. So, Dumbledore has trusted me to get the information out him," Harry explained.

Aubrey nodded throughout the explanation, knowing exactly what the information was. Voldemort had discussed this topic of conversation with Aubrey once before, the subject of Horcruxes that Slughorn had given Him during his time at Hogwarts.

The witch smiled sheepishly, knowing the end was coming closer than ever. And she was fearful for her life that she may not make it out alive.

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