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"I just don't understand why Draco can't do this," whispered Blaise to Marina as they walked toward Hogsmeade.
November had arrived, cold as frozen iron. It was time for the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, and although the duo was walking toward the little village, they were actually heading to a cave just outside of it.
"He's got too much on his mind already, Zab. This was the least I could do for him," answered Marina, before she bit down on her lip. The truth was, she didn't want to do what she was about to do. But it was either her or Draco who had to do it, and she had witnessed him changing over the past weeks. They had only stayed at Hogwarts for a little over a month, yet he had managed to fail three tests and miss a week's worth of classes.
Marina and Blaise entered the dirty cave, their eyes landing upon the tall Death Eater standing still in the dark. He removed his mask with a flick of his wand, only to show off a thick face with deep scars and burned skin.
"Where is it?" spat Marina, the words coming out harsher than she had intended them to. The man tilted his head upward and smiled.
"How do I know if it's you I'm giving it to?" he asked, voice dark, and reached into his robe to pull out a small wooden box.
"Are you serious? You don't even recognize me?"
The man shook his head, still smiling. Marina took a deep breath, and looked into the man's brown eyes, knowing well that he knew her name, but wanted her to suffer. She jerked her left arm forward and pulled up the sleeve of her coat, an enormous amount of shame in her chest, and revealed her Dark Mark to the man. Blaise took a step back; she pulled her sleeve back down.
"Do be careful, Dark Lady. Do not touch the necklace - only the box."
The Death Eater lost his smile, and reached a hand out. Marina accepted the box and quickly pushed it into Blaise's arms before pulling her wand out. She aimed at the Death Eater's chest, and made him fly several feet up in the air with a spell she had read in the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book. He hung by his ankles for five seconds before she decided to bring him back down (he landed on his head).
"Woah," mumbled Blaise. "That's cold."
Marina stood in silence for a few seconds, preparing herself for him to ask about her Dark Mark, but he didn't open his mouth again.
"Shall we go back to Hogwarts, then?" she asked, and turned around.
The plan was clear: once back at Hogwarts, she would go straight to Dumbledore's office. She would tell him that she wanted to start her Occlumency training straight away; he would leave his office to get Snape to help them. She would then place the cursed necklace Draco had brought at Borgin and Burkes on Dumbledore's desk. When he came back, he'd be so confused by it that he would reach for it, and he would end up cursed.
