"i'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe
don't you know you're everything i have?"

Maia kept her head down throughout the trip, as well as in the days after that event. She would have liked to say otherwise, but she didn't feel brave enough to face those strange looks she kept getting. Neville and Eden had had to intervene when both girls had parted their lips. Ginny couldn't help that small smile that crossed her face, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared when she realized what had just happened. Maia, for her part, kept her brow furrowed during and after the kiss, knowing that what she had just done could be classified as the bravest act in the world or the most stupid one.

Neville grabbed Ginny by the arm, forcing her to follow him and not giving her time to say goodbye to Maia, who was still in a daze. She didn't understand what had just gone through her head; more specifically, why she hadn't been able to keep a cool head, as she would have done in any other situation. Eden appeared next to her, much less pale than the night before and with his wand —already recovered— pointed at anyone who dared to look at his friend.

"Don't you have anywhere else to be? Those who want to say something to my friend, they'll have to mess with me, too."

Little by little the crowd began to evaporate, not without glancing at the Slytherin. Eden grabbed her hand, still facing the gazes of the few left around, and forced her into a compartment.

"What the hell was that?"

Maia sought support in Eden's dark eyes, which stared at her as if a child had just screwed up. "I don't know. I had to do something, she was leaving..."

"Alright, it's done. We can't do anything about it now. No one will say a word."

Maia glared at him, but then reproached herself that it wasn't his fault. "How do you know that?"

"Because that girlfriend of yours is popular around Hogwarts. They seem to like her and wouldn't dare to ruin her life. Everyone in her family would be outraged if they'd discover she's with a Malfoy."

The Slytherin covered her face with her hands and groaned. "I'm stupid, aren't I? I keep fucking things up."

"Don't say that. Go home and take these holidays as a way out your mind. Keep your shit together; we can't fail now."

Maia nodded, thanking him. Eden returned the gesture and left the room, trying to make room for his friend. Far from sitting still, Maia went to the end of the train —though she lost her balance a couple of times, both from the people bumping her shoulder and when the train started moving— with the intention of leaning out the window and smoking a cigarette at last.

"Here goes the black sheep of the Malfoys. Being with a Weasley? What a disgrace. You're a shame to pureblood wizarding families." A boy from the same house muttered when she passed him. The young men who accompanied him laughed heartily.

"The only black thing you're going to see is your eye in the mirror when I fuck you up. Don't even talk about her, you bast—"

She interrupted herself when she saw herself draw her wand and point it at the boy who had spoken. He was no more than fourteen years old, and he looked genuinely scared to see the wood brush against his chest. Other students had risen from their seats, and Maia put her wand away when she saw Neville shake his head slowly.

She began to breathe faster as soon as she got out of there. She loosened the tie around her neck —it was an act she had taken after her brother, really— and headed for the last car. Once there, she was finally able to light the Muggle artifact in her mouth and exhaled large amounts of smoke.

"So that's why you didn't want to marry me." Chuckled a voice behind her. Blaise Zabini leaned against the railings that prevented a large impact.

"Or any boy, as a matter of fact. Nothing personal."

The boy smirked. "Can't blame you. I think I've always known, though."

"Really?" Maia inquired, a trace of a playful smile on her lips.

"You weren't exactly gushing over guys all throughout the years. What really gave you away was the Triwizard Tournament. Everyone expected girls to drool over Durmstrang, and boys to do the same with Beauxbatons. But I guess the moment I saw you and Fleur Delacour leaving the Yule Ball I realized that didn't apply to you."

Maia snorted and covered her face once again. "That was quite a surprise, was it?"

"Everyone was looking after the princess of the Ball and it turned out she was with you all along. Did you two hit it off well?"

"Oh no, not really. You see, that was the first time I'd ever had a crush on someone. She was giving me the attention I had wanted for so long, so I was thrilled, to say the least. We went to the Room of Requirements, talked and laughed our arses off. One moment I found myself so mesmerized by her that I built up the courage and kissed her."

Blaise couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. "You were fourteen, for God's sake."

"I was!" Maia laughed, too. "I just couldn't believe she was actually talking to me out of everyone, she had chosen to spend that time with me. So something inside of me said 'well, fuck it', and I kissed her. At first she kissed back, but then stepped back and realized that it was wrong. She was three years older than me and had to be responsible, even if I didn't want her to be. She said she'd like us to be just friends. And that's pretty much the whole story."

"Why didn't you try again when you were older?"

"We stopped talking a while ago. It wouldn't have worked out, I'm here at Hogwarts, she's probably already working. Besides, she's married now. To Ginny's older brother!"

"Merlin's beard, your life really is a joke."

"It is. But if you leave out the Death Eaters part, I'm happy with it. God, I would've never imagined I would say that out loud." Sighed Maia.

"I know. These months I've seen you smile more than ever. You used to never smile. Always a smirk, a sneer. But never a true smile. She makes you happy, then that's all that matters." When Maia scowled at him, Blaise added, "I'm an observer, remember? I don't talk much, my thing is to watch."

"I don't think you're the only one who has watched." Trailed off the girl, puffing. She threw her cigarette.

Blaise approached her, dangerously close. "So what? Let them see. It's you who controls this game. It's you who has the upper hand. Always have, always will." The boy sent her a smirk. "Write to me sometime, will you?"

The boy disappeared into the mass of people before Maia could answer. She stood watching him; she envied how he was going unnoticed. His words had been burned into her mind: it was she who controlled the game. It was on her that everything depended, only on her. No one was going to be able to control her feelings or her emotions, no one could dictate what her destiny was, not even her family. Maia Malfoy was her own person and she was going to start acting like that.

She remembered the first train ride to Hogwarts that year, how she had plucked up the courage to be someone she really wasn't, one more year. How she had tried to convince herself that she was the one in charge and that she couldn't give up now. Just months ago, she was truly amazed at everything that had happened from September until now.

She returned to the compartment she had initially occupied with Eden, hoping the boy would be there. However, he was not alone. Pansy was sitting next to him, there was no sign of Daphne and Blaise, their faces grim.

"Maia." Parkinson simply greeted her. The blonde sent Eden a look, who seemed to nod, so Maia knew instantly that Pansy knew too.

"Do you have something to say about my sister?" Draco spoke harshly from the compartment door, arms crossed and jaw clenched.

Pansy's grayish eyes traveled from Draco to his twin and never looked away. Pansy looked serious, like she wasn't in the mood for jokes. Pansy's eyes did not leave hers when she said, "I don't."

In the aftermath of these events, Maia felt strangely supported by her brother. Despite the girl's warnings, Draco had taken it upon himself to make sure that no Slytherin got off his tongue about what had just happened. He had sat next to her the entire ride, hands resting on her legs, having a light conversation but one that was capable of distracting the minds of the four occupants.

However, she knew, that was impossible. When they returned to Malfoy Manor, silence reoccupied all parts of her brain. Draco took his sister's hand and, with a strong squeeze, made sure the girl knew that he was going to stay by her side no matter what happened.

All this provoked mixed feelings in the girl. Maia had a habit of getting up early, she couldn't sleep for a long time —partly from nightmares, partly from the tension caused by everything that really existed— and she had been surprised when Draco was already in the living room, waiting for her to have breakfast. They frequently took short walks in the garden under the watchful eye of their mother and Bellatrix, who continued to reside at the Manor. They also shared moments in their rooms with the excuse of advancing the homework some teachers had sent them.

However, on one of those occasions, Maia could no longer bear the silence that deafened the room.

"Why are you like this?" The girl wanted to know, putting the pen aside.

"Like what?"

"You can't be okay with me dating a Weasley girl."

Draco gulped. "I'm trying to be a good brother. You need me. I will get used to it, I promise."

Maia stood up from her bed. "I don't want you to get used to it, I want you to accept me for who I am. If you can't do that, then no, I don't need you."

"What I meant is that we need each other, we love each other, nothing else matters, right? I'm here no matter what."

"Don't make me laugh, Draco. What about Eden, then? Where was this mentality when he confessed everything to you?" Maia bursted out. Draco's skin turned white. "He is your friend, for God's sake. You can't leave without giving a reasonable explanation. How could you do that?"

"Because I was scared!" The boy shouted. "Eden is my best friend, nothing else, and he'll never be, no matter how much that hurts him. I didn't want him to think he had a chance, so I ran, like I always do, because it's all I ever do. I wasn't prepared to lose another person in my life, I already lost you a long time ago." Draco let out a humorless laugh. "Because, let's be honest, we haven't been the same since this year started. We drifted away. I've always wanted to be like you: brave, standing up for what you believe in, always full with determination. But I'm not like you, and that's what's killed me. The life I'm living is the only thing I'll ever know because it's what I've sown. But you have a chance to get out of here. That's all I've ever wanted and never knew how I could get it."

"Draco, you don't know how many times I've been dreaming about getting out of here with you."

The boy messed with his hair, pacing around the room. "You still don't understand, Maia, that we might be siblings but we're not the same. Even if we ever got away with this, I would fuck things up, it's all I do. You would forget, you would succeed, but I'd be trapped here. I'm not you, you're not me. I've already accepted that, it's time you do, too."

Maia opened her mouth, but nothing coherent came out of it.

"Draco, son, can you come here, please?" Narcissa's voice broke the silence of the twins.

The boy shot another grim look at his sister, who was shaking her head as if she couldn't believe the situation. As Draco left the room there was a click and something appeared in the room, scaring Maia.

"Dobby?"

The elf smiled as much as he could, bowing. "Miss Malfoy! Dobby is happy to see Miss Malfoy, she was good to Dobby!"

"What are you doing here? My father can see you."

Dobby's face turned sad. The elf approached her slowly playing with his fingers. "Albus Dumbledore said Miss Malfoy was to help Dobby if something happened. Miss Malfoy has to help Harry Potter and his friends."

Maia looked at Dobby as if he had just said the stupidest thing in the world. "Harry Potter? What happened, Dobby? Where is he?"

The elf gestured silently, pointing downward. Immediately Maia stood up, the door slammed open, and when the blonde looked back at the elf's place, there was nothing.

"Come down, Maia," this time it wasn't Narcissa, but Bellatrix. Maia gulped imperceptibly when she took her by the shoulders. "Your mother wanted Draco to have some credit since his mission to kill Dumbledore failed, but not even this time could he bring honor to the family. Now let me tell you something: we might have Potter and his friends in our power. If the Dark Lord finds out... He won't forget it's us who've captured them. If it's really them, do not hesitate to say so, and we'll be rewarded."

Maia felt like she was going to get sick. She felt herself go pale, and an incipient sweat began to attack the back of her neck. Bellatrix pushed her up the stairs, where all eyes fell on her. She looked at Draco, who was clenching his jaw. Her mother and Lucius had hopeful looks on their faces, knowing that all their failures would be forgiven if they handed Harry Potter over to the Dark Lord.

From the moment Maia looked at the trio of friends she knew it was them. It didn't take very smart to see through the spell they had put on: Weasley's long nose was starting to show clearly, Granger's teeth, Potter's emerald green eyes.

"Come closer, dear," her mother whispered. "Are they...?"

The girl licked her lips with her tongue and puffed out her nostrils. She knew it was the perfect opportunity, but the fear in the eyes of all three made her shake her head and turn her head back.

"I don't think so, mother."

"Look closer!" Hissed Lucius.

"I went to school with them since I'm eleven. I think I would be able to recognize them, father." Maia spat.

Lucius gave her a look the girl knew well, but stopped looking at her when Bellatrix screamed. "Look, something's changing!"

It was true. The spells on the trio of friends were beginning to wear off, and Potter's puffy face began to take on its normal shape. His round glasses, disheveled hair and the famous scar on his forehead appeared. It was the same with his two friends, Weasley's red and Granger's frizzy hair gave them away.

"Grab them! We need to find out where's the sword." Bellatrix ordered. The snatchers who had apparently brought them to the Manor grabbed their shirt collars, the tips of their wands almost digging into the skin of their necks. "I think I'll take the mudblood to start with."

"Not! Leave her alone, take me!" Ron Weasley yelled trying to get rid of the Death Eater's grip, who was laughing out loud.

Maia would have been fond of the Gryffindor's gesture, but it was under very different circumstances than she had wished. The Slytherin cast a blank glance at the Gryffindors, who were dragged into the dungeons.

Draco kept away from the situation, puzzled. Maia understood that her brother hadn't been able to rat out the Gryffindors, and the girl didn't have to wonder why twice: Draco didn't want them to be finished either, they were the only hope to be able to defeat Voldemort once and for all. Maia looked away from her brother just as he came to her for help.

Hermione Granger had lost control of the situation to Bellatrix. She had stuck her wand into the girl's cheek, who was sobbing with fear. Her aunt, on the other hand, was delighted by the new acquisition they had brought. "What makes you think they have the sword, aunt Bella?" Maia steeled herself and tried to distract her aunt.

"The Carrows informed us three students attempted to enter Dumbledore's office to steal it, early October. But it cannot be possible, you see, I have the real sword in my vault."

"Then what you possess must be the original sword," concluded Maia. "However, if you need to extract information from them, I might be useful. We can have a talk, girl to girl, and she'll know what's best for her. Because if she does not tell me something we're pleased with, then you will treat with her. Merciless." Deadpanned the girl looking at Granger in the eyes. She saw a plead of help in her brown eyes, however, her gray ones couldn't give her what she needed.

Bellatrix smiled broadly but crazily. "You can do that with Potter and his little friend. However, I do not mind to spill some mudblood on the floor. I'm feeling generous today."

Maia clenched her jaw as hard as she could: her plan hadn't worked.

"Come on, hush, go to the dungeons. We will be over here, having fun!"

I'm sorry, Granger, Maia wanted to say. I'm sorry it's you who has to pay.

The Malfoy slammed her fist to one of the nearest walls when she began to hear the young Gryffindor screams of anguish and pain, accompanied by her aunt's wild laughter. A lumos was murmured, and the scene surprised her more than she had expected.

"Luna! What are you doing here?"

"The Death Eaters took me on the train back to our houses for Christmas. I think they weren't exactly happy with my father and I's beliefs."

"What is she doing to her?!" Ron grabbed her by the collar of Maia's neck, completely out of his mind. "You have to stop this!"

Maia leaned closer to Ron's face, angrier than she had ever felt, their noses brushing and the Slytherin understanding the horror in the redhead's eyes. "What do you want me to do, eh? I'm tied down. She's paying for your mistakes, you idiots, because I'm assuming it's one of you who fucked up. What the hell did you do to end up here, morons?"

"Harry said his name and the spell Hermione put on us disappeared. We need to get to her and get out of here."

"Way go to, Potter," Maia muttered. "We have to think something to get you out, and we have to think fast."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the snapping of fingers again, but in front of her. Maia had never been so glad to see Dobby again. "Dobby is here to help Harry Potter!"

"Okay, I have something in mind but you won't like it."

"Spit it, Malfoy." Growled Ronald. Another high-pitched scream coming from upstairs.

"First, Dobby should take Luna and Ollivander to a safe place, we can't risk more lives. The moment you two appear there, my aunt will stop torturing Granger; she'll be too distracted with your presence. There's my mother and there's Draco, too. You have to fight them off in order to have a chance to get to Granger."

"Where will you be?" Harry wanted to know, anxious.

"It's completely ridiculous, but the only reason you are up there is because you've stunned me. I don't know if they'll believe that, but it's something to buy us time. When Dobby arrives, he'll cause chaos. In the middle of all the havoc, I'll attempt to distract them and take Granger. Dobby will take you out of here."

"And you? They will kill you after this." Ronald urged.

Maia shook her head. "Do not worry about it. Bellatrix said the real sword is at her vault, but do not mind her. You know what happens with the original one. Potter, take my wand. I noticed the one you had in your hand wasn't yours." Maia rushed to open the padlock that closed the dungeon gate. "Now do me a favor, will you? I don't want to see you until you beat him. Think you can do that?"

Harry sent her a half-hearted smile. "I can try."

The Slytherin leaned against the wall and dropped to the ground. She covered her face with her hands, completely bewildered and not knowing what to do about what was about to happen. How could things have gotten so out of hand? A few months ago she had everything under control, now she could be a few hours away from dying at the hands of her own family.

Dobby reappeared and rested one of his small hands on the girl's shoulder, who, despite being seated, was level with Dobby's head. "Miss Malfoy is brave. Albus Dumbledore would have been proud of Miss Malfoy."

"That old man got himself killed before telling me the truth." Growled the girl.

"Miss Malfoy can order Dobby what to do right now."

"Alright. I can hear them battle. We have to get in now. You remember the chandelier in the living room, don't you? I need you to make it fall off. With a bit of luck it catches a snatcher —or even better, Bellatrix— under it. "

Dobby nodded steadily. "Dobby is on it!" With another click, the elf disappeared.

Maia tried to mentally prepare herself for what was about to happen, but she knew that no matter how many words of encouragement and luck she devoted to herself, nothing could make her imagine what she was going to do. She was seconds away from betraying her family and going publicly to the side she had been taught to hate since childhood.

She crawled across the dungeon floor until she saw the light coming from the dining room. Her anxious eyes saw a piece of the fight that was unfolding: Harry had in his possession not one, but two wands, and she was able to reach a bit of platinum hair —Draco— looking everywhere, searching with what to defend himself. Just as she had predicted, Bellatrix had put aside the fun of Granger's torture to help her sister and nephew.

She glanced up, still hidden in the darkness of the dungeons, and saw Dobby appear just in the location the girl had assigned him. "Lumos maxima!" Maia whispered, grateful that she could perform magic without a wand, and in that instant she took advantage of the confusion and temporary blindness that the spell provided to emerge from her hiding place. Harry, still somewhat dazed but aware of Malfoy's presence, handed over her wand and kept Draco's only.

Maia couldn't help but suffer partially from the blindness her own spell had caused. Her eyes narrowed, but his pale eyes couldn't quite get used to the light in the room. Therefore, when a ray of red light came from the wand of one of the Dark Lord's minions towards her location, she could do nothing to avoid it and hit her square in the shoulder, tearing the clothes she was wearing and making a deep cut in the joint.

Instantly she put her hand on her shoulder, clenching her teeth to keep from uttering a great deal of expletive. She forced herself to move on and complain at another time. Her heart stopped when her mother's gaze and hers met. Narcissa's eyes widened when she saw the wound on her daughter's arm, staining her clothes red. The matriarch frowned but said nothing, as if she knew what Maia was trying to do.

The girl looked up, and saw that Dobby was about to knock down the lamp. "Now!" Shouted Maia between gritted teeth.

Dobby nodded and leapt onto the chandelier, knocking the cabinet onto the Malfoy Manor floor. Draco ran to protect his mother, throwing her back as the lamp's crystals shot everywhere. Maia covered her face with her bad hand and with her good one she reached for Hermione Granger, who threw herself into her arms as if it were her only salvation.

"You're bleeding," whispered Hermione, her cheeks tainted with tear stains. "What are you doing?"

"Shut up, Granger. I'm trying to help."

"We can't leave you here, Maia," cried Hermione. "You have to come with us."

Maia couldn't argue with the Gryffindor, as Harry took Hermione's hands, who was inevitably connected to the Malfoy and, suddenly, they were no longer in the Manor.