**Here it is! My newest story! I hope you guys like it! Review please!**

That's So You

one

It was a beautiful late summer day. The golden sun burned brightly in the pale blue sky. Birds were singing loudly, bumble bees were buzzing dutifully and the neighbor children were screaming and shrieking with high-pitched laughter as they chased each other around their massive backyards. All was well on Cambridge Road Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. On the outside, anyway.

Maddison stood between her mother and sister, all identically cloaked in black. Their hoods were drawn, their heads were bowed, and their eyes were trained on the sparkling polished floor. They were not the only cloaked figures in the room. Maddison tried to be subtle as she counted them: 23… 25 if you included herself and her brother, but she did not wish to.

Gregory, one year her senior, had only graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a mere two months ago. His eighteenth birthday had only been three days ago, and he had this dreadful fate thrust upon him, as had their sister. Adrianna, however, was different than Gregory. When it was her turn two summers ago, she had embraced her fate. She did not fight; she would not have won. She did not cry; her tears would have been ignored. She did not beg for mercy; it would not have been granted. Adrianna was not pleased with the circumstances, but what could she have done? What could any of them do?

In the dimly lit study of their home, the women of the family stood furthest from the fireplace facing the flickering flames. A shiver crept up Maddison's spine, but it was not due to the coldness of the room. Her father, a man whose presence commanded the attention of an entire room, broke from the hooded crowd and strode into the center of the room. He turned in a slow circle, eyeing the audience from beneath his hood, and stopped once he found his target. He held out it arm, calling for the figure nearest the flames, and he joined him obediently in the center of the room. Maddison's father lowered his hood, revealing his graying black hair and ebony eyes. He sneered, an air of pride evident on his handsome face, as he gazed at the crowd.

"Tonight," her father began, "will be a most important night."

Maddison listened along with others to her father's booming voice.

"Tonight, my son will be honored," he continued. "Tonight, my son will be one of us."

Some in the crowd cheered loudly, whistling and clapping. Maddison remained still and silent, much like her mother and sister beside her. She felt her knees knocking together beneath her cloak and she only hoped her fear was as concealed as her body.

"Tonight, my comrades, my son will be named a faithful servant to the greatest wizard of all time," her father went on. "Tonight, he will be marked!"

Cheers erupted again and lone tear slipped down Maddison's cheek as she kept her head bowed to the floor. The room fell silent, not a single breath could be heard, as the study door swung open tauntingly slowly. It closed without a sound, and a hooded figure even more commanding than her father swept into the room. Maddison followed the lead of every other person in the room and bent her entire upper body as he passed. From beneath her long lashes, she could see her father and brother doing the same in the center of the study.

"You may rise," his low voice allowed, and the crowd compliantly stood erect.

"Mr. Turner," the man hissed. "Is the boy ready?"

"My Lord, he is ready- eager, My Lord," Mr. Turner bowed again as he held his arm out in presentation.

"Has he been adequately…prepared?" the man wondered as he stepped closer to the hooded figure.

"I assure you, My Lord, I have trained him well," Mr. Turner.

"Better than your first-born, I hope," the man hissed again.

Maddison could feel the humiliation radiating in waves off her sister. She knew Adrianna was fighting to hold her head high. Her grey eyes fell to the floor though her nose stuck high in the air at the group glancing mockingly at her.

"Much better, My Lord, I have learned from my mistakes with the girl," Mr. Turner bowed again.

"I trust you know," the man turned to the boy, "what it is I expect you to do to prove yourself worthy in my ranks?"

"Yes, My Lord," the boy replied respectfully as he bowed.

"Wonderful," the man whispered.

As he lowered his hood, Maddison had to swallow the gasp that was pushing at her lips. Her father's master had not looked like this when Adrianna's ceremony had been held. Back then, he was almost handsome. He had shiny black hair and deep brown eyes that could stare easily into your soul. He had a flat nose, but prominent cheekbones and a strong jaw to compensate for that. Maddison trembled as she looked at the man, now.

His skin had a ghastly sheen to it, appearing slimy to the touch. His luscious locks were gone, revealing a bald glistening scalp. His flat nose had completely sunken into his face, leaving him with two slits to breathe through. His once smoldering brown eyes were now narrow scarlet slits. It was evident to her that many of his followers were not expecting the transformation, either, for she watched many sets of eyes widen like hers had. The man seemed to ignore his servants' surprise and he turned his crimson stare on the two men before him.

"Remove your hood, boy," he hissed.

The boy silently obeyed, pulling the black material from his dark hair. He remained bent before the snakelike man, focusing his dark eyes on the floor in front of him. The man's white bony fingers lay delicately on the boy's shoulders, pulling him to stand straight. His scarlet eyes peered into the boy's brown ones before he dropped his hands, a slight smirk on his thin lips.

"My friends," the man addressed the group, "tonight, this boy will receive the honor of joining our ranks. I have seen into his mind! I have seen the power this boy possesses and the way in which he wishes to use it. I must say that I am…impressed."

Maddison watched her brother's stone face closely. She had breathed a sigh of relief at the man's words. If Gregory only submitted to his commands, he would be safe. She, on the other hand…

"Gregory Turner," the man barked, staring down at the boy. "Do you wish to serve the Dark Lord? Do you vow to lay down your life for the Dark Lord? Do you swear to be faithful to the Dark Lord, and do whatever he demands of you?"

"Yes, My Lord," the boy said firmly. "I live to serve you, My Lord."

"Excellent," he hissed. "Then you know what you must do to prove your worth."

He held out his bony arm, allowing Gregory to proceed. The tall boy bowed low before walking towards his mother and sisters. He bowed his head to his mother and pressed his lips to both her cheeks. He, then, turned to Adrianna, bowed a bit lower and kissed her knuckles. When he turned to Maddison, he stared into her eyes for a brief moment, before glaring down at her and clutching her wrist tight in his fist.

He dragged his little sister to the center of the room where his father and the Dark Lord had cleared out and shoved her away from him. He spat down at her, his saliva landing on the breast of her cloak. Gregory swiped the back of his hand forcefully across her face, and Maddison rolled to the floor in a heap. She forced herself to her feet, watching him draw his wand from his robes and aiming it at her.

Without speaking a single word, Maddison's body crashed to the floor again. This time, she felt blood seeping from her forehead down the side of her face. Her brother hit her with another spell and, though she tried to bite it back, a scream escaped her lips as the fabric of her cloak was torn to shred. A thick gash between her breasts split open, soaking her black t-shirt with her hot blood. The lesion burned and Maddison chewed her lip to prevent another shrill scream. She knew what would come next. After bloodshed, he would have one last spell to perform to impress the Dark Lord. The big finale.

Although he hadn't uttered the curse, Maddison felt the sharp pain of a thousand daggers digging through her skin. She writhed on the floor, feeling as though her flesh had been set on fire. She grunted and howled against her will, tears stinging as the left her eyes. Not a minute later, Gregory released the spell, but Maddison's body remained twitching on the wood floor. She was dizzy, the room spinning all around her and she rolled to her side and emptied the contents of her stomach. She could barely hear the loud laughter around her, but she easily heard the Dark Lord congratulating her brother. It was over. He had done it. She felt herself slipping into unconsciousness in a pool of her own blood and vomit.

"Please wake up," she faintly heard. "Maddi, come on, sweetheart."

Her head was pounding and she could hear her pulse thumping against her eardrums. Her throat was bone dry, she found, and she tried to swallow to no avail. She could feel a trembling hand stroking the tender skin of her face, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She smelled the sweet scent of her strawberry shampoo; someone must have cleaned her up. With great effort she lifted her hand and rubbed her heavy eyes, hearing a relieved sigh beside her. She struggled to force her eyelids open, and when she did she smiled softly.

"You did well, brother," she whispered, laying her hand against his cheek.

Her eyes surveyed his worried face as he stared down at her. He was seated on the side of her large mattress, one hand stroking hers against his face while the other balled in a fist on his thigh.

"Too well," he muttered. "I'm sorry, Maddi."

"Don't be, you did what was necessary," she croaked, licking her lips with her dry tongue.

Her brother handed her a glass of water and held it to her lips as she took a refreshing gulp.

"I shouldn't have," he shook his head. "I should have refused and gone to Dumble-"

"Quiet," Maddi urged. "You knew this would have to happen, Rory, we all did. You did exactly what he told you to do."

"And hurt you in the process," her brother frowned.

"It was worth it, Rory," Maddi assured him. "The Order needs you."

"I know," he agreed reluctantly. "I only wish I could have done it to Father, and not you."

"I do too," Maddi chuckled lightly. "But it's alright. You did very well."

Rory helped her to sit up against her headboard and he sat down beside her. He draped his arm around her shoulder and Maddi rested her head on his hard chest. She glanced down at herself for the first time since the attack. Dressed in one of her silk nightgowns, she could see the ugly gash scarring nastily between her breasts. The purple line, outline in bright red, would serve as a reminder of what she and Rory had done for the greater good. She closed her eyes and nuzzled her head further into her brother's embrace.

"You know you can't be seen acting like a friend to me anymore, don't you?" she asked sadly.

"Yes, I will have to appear cold towards you from now on," Rory agreed. "I should be following in Adrianna's footsteps, now, I suppose."

"That's what they will expect, yes," Maddi sighed. "You'd better go. We can't risk blowing your cover."

"Alright. I'll come back each night to take care of you once everyone else has gone to bed," he promised.

"Okay," Maddi smiled as he moved towards her bedroom door. "Rory, Mum would be proud."

"I hope so," he showed her a sad smile before creeping out of her room.

Maddi sighed to herself and rolled carefully to her side. She prayed to whoever was listening for strength. She prayed for the strength to get through this year, the strength to perform as well as Rory had at her own ceremony, and the strength to fight for the right side in spite of her father and his wretched master. She prayed for Rory and for his safety in his mission as a double agent. She prayed for her mother and her sister, whose minds had been so warped by fear, whose faith in humanity deteriorated each and every passing day. She prayed for it to all be over soon.

The next week went by rather slowly for Maddi. Locked up in her room to recover, she had very little to do. With not many friends, or at least none she cared to contact, she did not write any letters. Having read each and every book in the family library numerous times, she did not read at all. She daydreamed a lot, and she found a new passion for applying makeup and painting her nails to pass the time. Meals were brought to her on silver platters by one of the several family house-elves three times a day. Rory, true to his word, came to her room every night to change the bandage around her head and keep her company for an hour or so. Her father never visited and, for that, she was thankful. Her mother would poke her head in the doorway every now and then, but she would not utter a word before her heels could be heard clicking their way down the corridor. Adrianna did not come by at all. Not until the night before Maddi left for school.

It had shocked Maddi to see her eldest sibling lurking in the doorway of her bedroom. Adrianna hadn't stepped foot into Maddi's bedroom since she was inducted into the Dark Lord's inner circle. Yet, here she stood, two years later hovering at the foot of Maddi's bed. Maddi had been practicing different eye makeup techniques, therefore several bottles of powder and countless fluffy brushes were sprawled across her lavender comforter. She stared up at her sister, only one eye painted in shimmery silver cream, lined with thick black pencil, and furrowed her sculpted brow in confusion.

"Adrianna?" she questioned.

"You look ridiculous," Adrianna said, a hint of a smile on her pink lips.

She waved her wand at Maddi's face, ridding it of the half-done makeup. If she hadn't been so confused by her presence, Maddi would have pouted at the destruction of her hard work, but she only continued to stare up at her. With another wave of her wand, Adrianna cleared a space on Maddi's bed. She, then, set her wand on the night table and sat down.

Maddi continued to watch her in confusion, surveying her blank face, conveying no emotion whatsoever. Her pointed face and flawless olive skin glowed beautifully. Her long light hair fell beyond her shoulders in loose waves. Her grey eyes, nearly identical to Maddi's, were rimmed with a thin brown line of makeup, her lashes painted with brown mascara. Adrianna was naturally beautiful, and she knew as much, so she wore a small amount of makeup. She, too, was eyeing Maddi from the other side of the bed, analyzing her closely. Maddi kept her face free of her thoughts and stared back.

"I know what you're up to," Adrianna said slowly. "You and Gregory."

Maddi's breathing faltered, but she didn't show it. She kept her grey eyes blank and refused to let her panic be seen. How could she possibly have found out? Had she heard them speaking in hushed whispers? Had she been listening outside the door? Had they been too obvious? Who else knew their secret?

"I must say," Adrianna continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "I am not the least bit surprised."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Adrianna," Maddi assured her.

"I think you do, little sister," Adrianna said coolly. "You and our dear brother plan to join the battle, yes. But not for the side you are expected to."

Maddi elected to remain silent. Ever since they were children, Adrianna could see through her lies. It was as if she could read minds. Maddi found herself thanking Dumbledore for insisting she practice Occlumency with him last term.

"As I said, I am not surprised," she repeated. "You and Gregory have always strayed from the beaten path; danced to the beat of your own drums; learned from my mistakes."

Maddi quirked an eyebrow, now. Mistakes? Adrianna Turner admitting she made mistakes? But what could she possibly have done wrong?

"Do not be afraid, Maddison," Adrianna whispered. "I am not an enemy to you or your cause."

"What do you mean?" Maddi asked.

"It is true," Adrianna insisted. "I have relinquished my freedom to the Dark Lord. You must know it was not by my choice. You know how Father is, how strong he is. There was no way I could refuse. This was my destiny, I had no say in the matter. By no means was this what I wanted for myself."

She shoved the left sleeve of her black sweater up her arm, revealing the ugly black skull and snake slithering along her creamy flesh. Wetness glistened in Adrianna's light eyes as she shook her head and tugged the fabric back into place.

"I thought that much was obvious the night of my induction," she mumbled bitterly.

Maddi recalled that night very clearly. It had begun almost exactly as Rory's had a week ago. Only when Rory was thrown to Adrianna's feet, she went into a fit of hysterics and kneeled down to embrace her brother. Before she could get there, however, their father growled and tugged her hair, pulling her close to his ear. To this very day, Maddi did not know what he said to her sister, but whatever it was, it did the trick. She had aimed her wand at Rory and cursed him several time, tears streaming down her face all the while. A tear fell from Maddi's eyes and landed in a circle on her blanket as she looked back to her sister.

"I gave into the fear, Maddison. I was weak," Adrianna sniffled a little.

"You're not weak, Adrianna," Maddi consoled.

"No, not anymore, but I am in far too deep for that to matter, now," Adrianna replied.

Adrianna swallowed and looked down at her sister. She showed a true smile, a smile brighter than Maddi had seen from her sister in a long time.

"But you and Rory…you are so much stronger," Adrianna breathed proudly. "Rory doing what he is, and you following the same path…I couldn't be more proud. I only wish I could have done the same."

"You still could, Adrianna! Dumbledore could help you," Maddi rushed.

"It's far too late for me. I am to be wed in December to an acceptable Death Eater. I am expected to produce powerful offspring to add to the army the Dark Lord is building. I am beyond even Dumbledore's help," Adrianna said sadly. "Listen to me, Maddi."

Adrianna hadn't called her 'Maddi' in years. Hearing the nickname roll off her tongue so easily caused something to swell in her chest. Adrianna grasped Maddi's small hands inside her own and gazed down at her.

"Maddi, you mustn't take the mark," Adrianna whispered.

"But I haven't a choice. Even Rory had to," Maddi argued.

"Yes, because Rory is acting as one of us," Adrianna confirmed. "He will be acting as a Death Eater, carrying out His bidding, and then feeding information to Dumbledore. It is an extremely risky business, going under the Dark Lord's nose. We don't need two double agents, Maddi."

"What are you saying, Ria?" Maddi asked anxiously.

"You must join the Order of the Phoenix, Maddi."