Draco's p.o.v

      Luna had left some time ago. The sun was set now, and Janus was still sat as if it had just risen. Thankfully, she had seemed to stop shaking. 

      I sat back down beside her, gently taking her hand- which lied limp in mine.

      My knuckles were white from the pressure of Janus's hand. She hadn't moved- save the fact that she was no longer on the ground- and even the crickets quieted. None of us dared move an inch. I'm not sure we were aware we could move. 

'Dad?'

      That's what she'd said. I was sure of it. The whole world stopped again, stuck in it's way of stuttering like an engine that had been running for far too long. 

      Her father's eyes flickered to his daughter's face and for a fraction of a second I could almost see the man under the monster. But then his eyes made their way down- down to our connected hands- and then to the wands in the other. 

      Realization never crossed his face. There was no processing of the fact that his daughter was not only consorting with- but was- the very thing he despised most in the world. There was just automatic, instinctual rage. 

"You." 

      Though the word was spoken plainly and clearly, it didn't sound like anything a human could produce. It was like a growl, deep from the chest and filled with primal hatred- the kind of hatred that makes you do awful things- the kind of hatred that makes you try to kill your own daughter. He pulled out a weapon I'd never seen before- an invention of the muggles- a gun. He pointed the gun at his daughter and his lips twitched. 

"Dad?" She had tried to ask again, but I was already pulling her away in a full out sprint- dragging her behind me like a kite. 

      Through the woods we ran, all the while I was trying to keep mind of the trees surrounding us so that Janus wouldn't get hit. 

       Blaise headed the group, never once looking back but leading us quickly to safety. El and Minnie kept looking back- their swollen eyes constantly checking on Janus. Our hands were slippery with sweat, but I don't think I'd ever held onto someone so tightly. There was no way I was losing her. 

      A piece of metal- a bullet- shot past Minnie, almost hitting her- and sunk it's teeth into a tree. El grabbed her hand, pushing her in front of her. 

"Fucking hell," El muttered- it was the first time I'd heard her cuss- as she risked looking back to shoot spells back at what seemed to be a growing group of death eaters, "Minnie?" 

"I'm okay," Minnie assured as she almost tripped- still shaken- gathering herself and pushing forward.

"Do you want to read the letter Luna brought?" I tried, knowing I'd get no response. 

      I opened it anyways. It was a letter from Dumbledore, addressed to Janus.  I took a moment to read it, my face falling. 

      He'd gotten away.

      My eyes flickered between Janus's hollow face and the letter before I placed the letter back in the envelope. I didn't want to bring her anymore pain. I tried to hold in my anger as I knew it would only upset her more. 

      It was night now, and it began to rain. As for now, she was sat quietly- watching a droplet of water slowly fall down the exterior of the window.

"Where the fuck are all the teachers?" I heard Blaise curse as his head swept left and right to look for the best route to take. 

      Just as we rounded a rather large tree- we were cut off by some lower level death eaters, one's I hadn't seen before. We tried to go back, but we were trapped. They'd surrounded us. 

"Well," Blaise sighed, "Looks like we're going to have to fight." 

"You don't say?" I scoffed, looking around wildly. 

      The others were approaching and again- we didn't have enough time. I wasn't sure how well I could fight with Janus in one hand and my wand in the other. I saw the shadow of a man that used to be Janus's father approaching, but no one else. 

      I was positive that Voldemort and Wormtail had slunk away the first chance they got. This couldn't have been the end of the Dark Lord's plans, and I knew he wouldn't risk his master scheme for a group of teenagers. Thankfully, I was pretty sure he hadn't noticed it was me. 

      My eyes flickered up, up towards to the arms of the trees- reaching out to shield us from that smothering black sky above us. Janus and I made eye contact, but she wasn't looking at me. She wasn't really looking at anything, I don't think.

      I think we all realized that this was the end. Either we fought or we died. But as I glanced around this odd group of friends I'd acquired- and I saw the way they were looking at each other- I realized that it might be both.

      The cracking of branches alerted us to the man now barreling towards us- well, to her. One last look to the three others- all exhausted, all depleted of hope and happiness- and we knew what to do.

       One by one they began to stand with their back to Clem and I, forming a sort of protection around us.

      Her father was running towards us now, and for the first time in a while I saw panic seep into her eyes. For a split second she blinked- she was back- and she saw what was about to happen. It must've been scary, to come back from the dark to find your friends surrounded by a dozen enemies, with no real chance of survival.

"Draco?"

      Her voice was almost silent, but it was full of pain and panic as her eyes wildly flickered between her father and me. I smiled at her.

"You'll be okay."

      She looked to the others. Minnie managed a glimpse of a smile and El nodded at her. Blaise merely looked back at her, squaring his shoulders as the death eaters approached.

"No, no, no, not you too. You can't- none of you, you're not-"

  And just as his body connected with mine- I let her hand slip from mine.

"Draco?"

      It'd been a few hours since I'd opened the letter. The silence allowed for the echoes of my foot tapping. I wasn't sure if telling her was the best option, but I'd rather it be now than when she was getting better. I'd rather it be sooner or later.

"Janus," I tried, watching as she pulled her knees to her chest, "Dumbledore has news about your father." 

       That had gotten her attention. She hadn't moved an inch, but still- I could tell. 

"He's escaped," I whispered as I took her hand in mine- it had been digging into the skin of her knee. 

       A sharp intake of breath- she closed her eyes once more. 

       At least I knew she was still there. 

      Still, nothing else. 

       The sound of bodies connecting pounded through the eerily silent forest, and pain erupted in my chest where a death eaters fist had just connected. I looked around, watching as the others fought as well- everyone's eyes on the man who was stood, gazing through the maze of branches above us. I think, in some way, we all knew who the real target was. 

      We fought- or tried to fight- the mass that was forming around us. We were just children after all- we weren't meant to fight in the first place. We were losing and I swear I could see our lives flash before our eyes just as a flash of blue erupted from somewhere off to the side. The familiar tune of our teachers voices came ever closer before suddenly disappearing. 

       Ringing- loud ringing- in my ears soon followed. The others, friend and foe, seemed to have the same issue- as each of us stumbled around as black dots formed in my vision. I couldn't focus- it felt as if my mind had left my body. Again, everyone seemed to do the same. A thought occurred to me- one word- and it cleared my head long enough for me to look up.

"Clem," I shouted, stumbling to where I could see her falling. 

       I turned in the nick of time, sighing as I felt her body collide into mine- my arms wrapping around her lazily as night met my mind.   

      I jolted as her body slipped an inch or two down, sighing in relief as I realized she'd just finally fallen asleep. It'd been a few days since that had happened last. Gently, I picked her up, wincing silently; I'd bruised my upper-body during the catch. After getting her settled, I stayed a while- just watching. She'd get so still and breathe so shallow that sometimes I wasn't sure she was still alive. And after a few moments, she'd always breathe or shift and I'd breathe again too. But still, every single time- I watched. 

      When I was sure that she was safe and warm- I softly grabbed my bag and slipped out the door. 

      I wasn't about to let that letter slip that easily. 

     On my way to speak to the headmaster, I seemingly bumped into a few familiar faces.

"How is she?" El asked before even waving hello. 

      It seemed the only question going around these days, not that I would do any different. 

"Sleeping," I answered, rubbing my eyes as I nodded to Blaise and Minnie. 

"Which looks like what you should be doing," Minnie butted in, "Where are you going this late?"

      I took only a moment to explain the letter, and what it said. The others silently listened, their faces mirroring mine at the news that Janus's father was free again. 

"I get it," Blaise sighed, "But you're already exhausted, and screaming and whining at the headmaster isn't going to make you any less exhausted. If you go back to her like that- you're of no use. Then who's going to take care of her?" 

      It took me a moment to calm before I nodded, taking a seat on the stone wall behind me. Though Janus didn't show it in obvious ways, she was a people person- as long as they were her people. So, it surprised us all when the only person she could be comfortable around was me. Madam Pomfrey had told the others not to visit for a while, so that she could get better. 

      As angry as I was, Janus had to come first. 

      We said our goodbyes, all quietly and nervously- as if we didn't know if we'd see each other again- and I headed back to the hut. I hoped that Janus hadn't woken up, but I'd only been gone twenty minutes or so. 

      Someone tried to separate the two of us, only to get a hard kick to the chest. I wrapped my limbs around her- guarding her- and everyone who wasn't her seemed to be an opponent. I didn't know who was who anymore, my eyes seemed to be glued shut, but I wouldn't let that stop me from killing whoever tried to hurt her. 

"Draco,"  A voice, close but distant, eased as I felt two hands rest on my head. 

      I tried to shake them off, to get them away from her, but they simply rested, "Draco, it's okay. I know it seems all dark and scary and bad, but it's just that, well, your eyes are closed is all."

"Luna?" I gasped, realizing that I hadn't breathed since I'd woken.

"I saw what happened," She trilled, "I went to get help, of course. Now, go back to sleep until your eyes can open- it won't be scary if you're asleep." 

      I nodded, groaning as I pulled Janus tighter- then feeling the weight of my muscles hit the ground.

      I quietly opened the door to the hut, every hair on my body standing on edge as my eyes scoped over the couch to find it empty. 

"Janus?" I called, whipping my head around to find a glimmer in the corner of my eye. 

      I looked again to the window, not to find the beautiful curls of Janus, my Janus, but instead a familiar, sleek, almost-silver hair. It seemed to be my turn for an unlikely re-union- and my mind raced for a reason to why Janus wasn't on the couch where I left her. 

"Dad?"