Ok so in this chapter we finally officially start The Deathly Hallows, well the start of the book anyway. I've mixed part of the book and the film together to change it and added my own bits in so everything is the same but different. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Gosh it feels like forever since I posted, even though its just been a week.
Chapter 4 – Living On Borrowed Time
Bellatrix blasted the door of Alex's room open, Alex lay on her bed acting as if she had been there the whole time. Bellatrix scowled entering the room slightly.
"Where is it?" Bellatrix breathed threateningly peering around the room. Alex shrugged turning to stare out of the window. Bellatrix advanced on Alex leaning only inches away from Alex's face. "I said where is it?" Bellatrix repeated a sound of annoyance in her voice.
"I don't know" Alex replied coolly attempting to hide a smirk.
"This is the time when I wish I hadn't taught you occlumency!" Bellatrix huffed. She sighed looking at Alex for a moment, Alex attempted to ignore Bellatrix but it was almost impossible in her presence. Bellatrix raised her wand pointing it at Alex. "Do I have to force it out of you?" Bellatrix said menacingly. Alex didn't say or move still attempting to ignore her. This seemed to aggravate Bellatrix even more. "Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed and Alex too screamed and writhed in pain, panting Alex turned to Bellatrix.
"I will torture and kill the puppy when I'm ready," Alex answered glaring at Bellatrix. Bellatrix sniffed not knowing whether Alex was telling to truth or not. Draco opened his bedroom door peering into Alex's room where Bellatrix stood.
"What is it Draco?" Bellatrix asked aggressively.
"Um, I wanted to talk to Alex for a second." Draco replied quietly, there was a moment of silence until Bellatrix spoke up.
"Well are you going!" Bellatrix said ushering Alex out of her room, as soon as Draco's door closed Bellatrix began searching Alex's room. Bellatrix searched the wardrobe, looked under the bed and even checked the chest of draws in the corner of the room, unsuccessful in finding the puppy, she heaved a sigh, for once defeat she repaired the door and headed to the drawing room where her master awaited her.
Alex collapsed on Draco's bed staring up at the ceiling. Draco simply stared at Alex, she was still very thin from her time in Azkaban and her eyes still had dark circles beneath them.
"So where did you hide the puppy?" Alex asked finally turning to look at Malfoy, Draco stood up opening his wardrobe and picking up the white ball of fur. Alex extended her hands to take the puppy.
"Do you know what you're going to do with it?" Draco asked sitting beside Alex on his bed and stroking the puppies head. Alex shrugged cooing at the puppy lead in her arms. "It can't stay here…if Aunt Bellatrix finds it she'll, she'll…"
"Kill it. I know." Alex sighed smiling down at the puppy. "Maybe someone else can look after it?" Alex asked hopefully. Draco nodded thinking for a moment.
"I don't know anyone that would want a dog." Draco said honestly. Alex had and idea, she wasn't sure how she would pull it off after all she wasn't a full wizard yet.
"Maybe I could take it back to my house?" Alex thought aloud, Draco stood up from his bed staring down at Alex for a moment.
"You'll get into trouble if you leave, you can't get out of the gates." Draco hissed.
"Then how do I open the gates?" Alex asked looking back at Draco seriously her brown eyes gave a cute innocent look, but Draco new she was far from cute and innocent, but sighed giving into Alex. He wanted to please her in some way.
"All you have to do is tap the gate." Draco murmured. Alex grinned getting up from Draco's bed and heading towards the door stopping suddenly and turning to look at Draco.
Draco shifted his weight staring at her for a moment.
"Can I borrow your wand?" Alex asked sweetly. Draco pulled his wand from his pocket looking down at it and gulping. "What's its make?" Alex asked out stretching her hand to take the wand.
"Hawthorn, unicorn hair…10 inches" Draco replied dropping the wand into Alex's outstretched hand. Alex turned smiling. The puppy hidden beneath her jacket, she walked through the Manor, which was somewhat quite, Alex supposed they must have all been in the drawing room, the evening summer sun was beginning to set just over the horizon, Alex reached the gate tapping it with her wand and walk through and then on the spot flashed to Waverley Place. She headed towards Waverly Substation through the window she could see Harper and her mother serving people, her mother turned to look out the window spotting Alex, she gulped leaving the puppy on the floor and flashing off the street onto the terrace, below she watched her mother rushed out the substation calling her name, Theresa spotted the puppy on the floor picking it up, tears filled her eyes, Alex wasn't there. It must have been a trick of the light Theresa thought entering back into the sub shop the puppy in her arms.
"Theresa honey are you ok?" Jerry asked heading towards his wife.
"I thought I saw Alex," Theresa replied morosely sitting at one of the many tables stroking the puppy. "But Jerry, I think she was there…she could have just flashed away as soon as I saw her."
"I don't think Alex will ever come back as long as You-Know-Who is in power." He replied gravely taking the puppy from Theresa's hands. Justin rushed down stairs a wide grin on his face.
"I think I saw Alex on the terrace!" Justin beamed, "But she flashed away when she saw me." Justin continued, Theresa stood up taking hold of Justin's hands.
"I saw her to, Jerry, Alex was here. That's two of us who saw her. She must have been here." Theresa said smiling.
"It makes not difference she's not here now!" Jerry retorted leaving Theresa and Justin and heading in the lair, quickly wiping the tears from his eyes.
Bellatrix opened Draco's door stepping in and peering around the room. Her face fell when she couldn't see Alex in the room.
"Where is she?" Bellatrix asked stepping towards her nephew.
"She's probably wandering the Manor." Draco replied shakily. Bellatrix shook her head standing right in front of Draco.
"Don't lie to me Draco, your voice gives you away." Bellatrix said sweetly smiling evilly down at Draco. Draco shook his head.
"I don't know where she's gone." Draco said hoarsely.
"CISSY!" Bellatrix bellowed, Narcissa came running to Draco's room thinking that Alex might have done something to her precious son. "Draco won't tell me where Alex has wandered off too, and if we don't find her…he'll have our heads." Bellatrix hissed threateningly towards Draco.
"Draco dear, tell Aunt Bellatrix where she is." Narcissa said pleadingly, eyeing Bellatrix's wand which could potentially harm her son. Draco gulped nodding at his mother.
"She said, she said she was going home." Draco stammered. Bellatrix's eyes lit up with fury.
"YOU LET HER GO HOME!" Bellatrix bellowed furiously slapping Draco across the face, Narcissa screamed covering her only son. "Don't be so weak Cissy, Draco needs to be taught a lesson." Bellatrix breathed staring down at her quivering younger sister.
Alex's heart was racing as she walked towards the iron gates tapping it. Her mother had spotted her and so had Justin. Now they would know she had been there. Alex could hear Bellatrix screaming and some kind of shouting. Was there an argument going on? She headed towards the noise, standing outside Draco's room she peered through the door, Bellatrix was stood over Draco's body which was writhing in pain, and Narcissa was paralysed in a corner of the room she looked as if she had been crying. Bellatrix looked up spotting Alex stood in the doorway. Draco instantly stopped crying out in pain as Bellatrix turned her attention to Alex. "Where have you been?" Bellatrix hissed, Alex clutched Draco's wand in her hand her heart thumping so loudly she thought Bellatrix might have been able to hear it.
"You must have got the answer from Draco awhile ago." Alex answered coolly, she felt much more at ease with a wand firmly in her grasp. Bellatrix gave a small smirk standing up straight, Alex gripped the wand tighter readying herself in case Bellatrix decided to attack but to Alex's relief she didn't, instead she strutted past Alex her eyes still fixed on her the entire time until she was finally stood outside the door.
"This will not go unpunished I assure you." Bellatrix said finally, Alex said nothing narrowing her eyes at Bellatrix and watching as she left down the stone flagged hall. "The Dark Lord will be informed of your disobedience." Bellatrix called, still walking and letting out a small giggle, Alex wasn't sure if Bellatrix had wanted her to come running apologising for what she had done and begging her for forgiveness. Instead Alex closed the door turning to Draco sorrowfully.
"Are you okay?" Alex asked as she helped pull Draco to his feet and brushing him off, Draco didn't answer while Narcissa kissed his forehead tenderly stroking his white blonde hair out of his pale face. "I'm sorry I got you into trouble."
"And so you should be!" Narcissa spat cradling her son closely; Alex hung her head feeling somewhat guilty for what had happened to Draco. "I think it would be best if you'd leave us…you've done enough." Alex nodded her head placing Draco's wand beside him and leaving the room without another word. Alex walked through the manor, she had no intention of staying cooped up in her room as Bellatrix would have preferred her to be, she passed by rooms listening closely on other Death Eaters conversations, none of which seemed interesting at all. She finally heard whispers, someone who quite obviously didn't want to be over heard Alex thought as she made her way over to the room where the whispers were coming from. Alex peered through the crack in the door spotting Bellatrix laying sprawled out on the stone floor, she was quivering tremendously.
"How could you let her get away?" Alex heard Voldemorts voice although she could not see him through the crack that limited her vision. She watched as Voldemort tortured Bellatrix, feeling no sympathy for her, she listened more closely to catch the words being said between Bellatrix's cries of pain.
"My, my Lord." Bellatrix stammered in a small voice. "I did not know of the power she processes." Voldemort simply laughed at her words.
"But I had told you already." He spat, Alex heard the sound of his cloak as he moved. "Where did she go?" Voldemort asked finally, Alex watched as Bellatrix shook her head weakly in response. "Then why were you not doing your job!" Bellatrix seemed to tremble more as the voice of Voldemort began to become louder. "If she to become a 'full wizard' then she is a threat to us all, she will have the power to over throw any wizard that stands in her way." Voldemort spoke. "Including you…Bellatrix." Voldemort added, Alex blinked she couldn't believe it even hearing it from Voldemort himself, she couldn't believe it.
"And you my lord?" Bellatrix asked in a timid voice. Voldemort only seemed to laugh as if Bellatrix had said something stupid.
"She cannot over throw me." Voldemort spoke with a great deal of satisfaction in his voice, Bellatrix nodded her head rising from the stone floor slightly. "Leave me." Voldemort said finally, Bellatrix instantly scrambled to her feet making her way to the door. Alex soon realised that she had to get away otherwise Bellatrix would know she had over heard them, but she had been transfixed, she too hurriedly stood up sprinting down the halls, taking steps two at a time not daring to look back through the fear of seeing Bellatrix. She skidded slightly as she rounded a corner running head first into Yaxley, with a thud Alex collapsed in a heap onto the floor. Yaxley groaned slightly clutching his stomach, looking down at Alex.
"This is not the time to be playing foolish games." Yaxley spoke gruffly, Alex simply stared up at his tall muscular frame that had stood so solid at their collision.
"I do hope she hasn't been bothering you Yaxley." Came Bellatrix's harsh voice, both Yaxley and Alex inclined their heads towards where Bellatrix was standing at the top on the stone steps smirking down at them, her wand twirling between her long thin fingers.
"I believe you need to keep a closer eye on your vexatious apprentice." Yaxley said eyeing Alex who had got to her feet and was brushing herself off. Bellatrix gave a small smirk making her way down the steps slowly, winding a stand of hair playfully around her wand. "I suppose one being as cruel as you, it is hard to focus on anything other than yourself." Yaxley said giving a small laugh "So mothering nature must not be something that comes naturally to you." Bellatrix said nothing still smiling at both Yaxley and Alex, seizing Alex by her hair and dragging her aside. Tears filled Alex's eyes as the pain went through her scalp.
"Where did you go?" Bellatrix hissed keeping a tight hold on Alex's hair, she knew that if Alex struggled it would cause her more pain.
"Let go of me!" Alex struggled trying hard not to move too much because of the grip Bellatrix had on her hair. Bellatrix giggled enjoying the moment.
"You didn't answer my question pretty." She said playfully, stroking Alex's cheek with her claw like wand, leaving a faint scratch on the surface. "So where did you go pretty?" Bellatrix asked softly. Alex stopped her losing battle against Bellatrix's restraint letting out a small sigh. "Come on dear, you can tell me." Bellatrix smiled.
"Home." Alex said finally. "I went home."
"Oh did you now?" Bellatrix asked as if she was interested. "Were mummy and daddy please to see that pretty was okay?" Bellatrix asked in a patronising voice, Alex swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, shaking her head and wincing at the pain it caused her. "Aww, why not pretty?" Bellatrix said making a pouting face.
"I didn't speak to them." Alex answered, Bellatrix let go of Alex's hair finally and pushed her away, wearing a small but sickening smile. Alex stumbled re-gaining her balance.
"Did they see you?" Bellatrix asked, Alex nodded her head.
"I think so." She answered sadly unable to look at Bellatrix through fear that she would see the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Well that is cruel isn't it pretty?" Bellatrix asked, Alex blinked away the tears frowning at Bellatrix.
"And you would know all about that wouldn't you?" Alex spoke bitterly, Bellatrix let out a laugh.
"I do like this new found confidence of yours, it's very entertaining." Bellatrix said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "Or is it all just an act dear?" Bellatrix laughed a little.
Alex entered the Drawing room full of silent people all sitting at the long and ornate table. The illumination of the room came from the roaring fire beneath a marble mantelpiece. Alex stared her eyes were accustomed to the lack of light, out of the corner of her eye she could see her former unconscious Muggle Studies teacher, Professor Burbage. She was suspended in mid air as if being held by an invisible rope. Bellatrix pushed Alex through the threshold guiding her towards seats in the middle of the long table. She took her seat sandwiched between Bellatrix and the Malfoy's. Draco stared at the professor wearing a distraught expression on his pale face, the Dark Lord took a seat at the head of the table, his skin emitting a pearly white glow in the dimly lit room. The attention around the table seemed to grow as Voldemort took his seat, he cast his eyes over his followers, his eyes lingering on the unoccupied seat on his immediate right. After a few moments of silence, the Dark Lord finally spoke.
"Where is Severus?" Voldemort hissed in a low voice. There were a few murmurs that rippled around the table but none were willing to speak up confidently. There was a faint sound of footsteps coming from outside the drawing room and soon Snape entered, his face was sombre and his greasy black hair was lank. Snape glanced across the room where Professor Charity Burbage still hung suspended in the air above the table. "Snape." Came the high clear voice of Voldemort. "You're very late." Snape said nothing his eyes fixing on Voldemort as he indicated towards the seat nearest him. All eyes around the table watched Snape as he took his seat. "So" Voldemort said finally.
"My Lord, Harry Potter is to be moved Saturday next, at nightfall." Snape informed him. The interest around the room sharpened all gazed at Snape and Voldemort.
"Saturday…at nightfall." Voldemort repeated his red eyes parallel with Snapes black ones, the stare between them was so intense, all other on-lookers chose to look away. Snape however seemed calm as he looked back into Voldemorts face. "Good, very good." Voldemort praised a smile curving on his lipless mouth.
"My Lord" Yaxley interrupted leaning forward to look down the long table at his master. "My Lord, I have heard differently." He continued he paused for a moment as if waiting for Voldemort to speak, when he didn't he continued. "Dawlish the Auror let slip that the Potter boy will not be move until the thirtieth before his seventeenth birthday." Snape smiled slightly.
"This is a false trail, this must be it. Dawlish has probably had a Confundus Charm on him." Snape said. "Those closest to him believe we have infiltrated the Ministry." There was a snigger from a squat Death Eater sitting close to Yaxley.
"Well they got one thing right, haven't they?" There was a ripple of laughter from the rest of the Death Eaters, however Voldemort didn't laugh, he held up his large white hand silencing the Death Eaters. Instead his glowing red eyes turned back to Snape.
"Where will he be taken, the boy?" Voldemort asked.
"To a safe house, most likely belonging to someone in the Order." Snape told him, the rest of the Death Eaters listened intently to every word that Snape spoke. "I'm told that it will be given every protection imaginable." There was a small groan from some of the Death Eaters but Snape continued none the less. "But, if the Ministry is to fall by Saturday, it maybe possible to break many of the protective enchantments that have been placed." Snape went on. Yaxley spoke up once more, clearing his throat.
"My Lord, I have good news, I have with great difficulty and effort succeeded in placing an Imperius curse upon Pius Thicknesse." Many of the Death Eaters surrounding Yaxley looked impressed, Dolohov who was sitting next to him clapped in on the back, congratulating him.
"It is a start." Voldemort said with an unimpressed tone. "Pius is but one man, Scrimgeour must be surrounded by many of our people before I must act." Voldemort informed his followers "One more failed attempt on the Ministers life, will set me back a long way." He said inclining his gaze towards Bellatrix and Alex, Bellatrix's head hung low and she shrunk back in her seat as if not wanting to be seen. "It remains unlikely that the Ministry will be mine before Saturday, if we cannot touch the boy at his destination, then it must be done while he travels."
"We are at an advantage My Lord." Piped up Yaxley who seemed to be determined to receive some approval from his master. "We have several people within the Department of Magical Transport, if Potter is to apparate or use the Floo network we shall know immediately." Snape interrupted Yaxley once again.
"He will not use either." Snape told him. "The Order is avoiding any form of transport that is controlled or regulated by the Ministry, they mistrust everything about the place."
"All the better." Voldemort said, a small smile growing on his lipless face. "It means he shall be moved in the open, easier to take by far." Voldemort looked up at the body still suspended in the air.
"My Lord." Came Bellatrix's voice. "I would like to volunteer myself for this task," A smile grew on Voldemorts face. "My Lord, I want to kill the boy." Bellatrix continued.
"As much as I admire your blood lust Bellatrix, I shall attended to the boy in person." Bellatrix once again shrunk back in her seat, rejected by her master. "There has been too many mistakes where Harry Potter is concerned." The company around the table watched Voldemort apprehensively, each of them, by his expression, afraid that they might be blamed for Harry Potter's continued existence. "I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be." At these words a slight moan came from the revolving body above, everyone stared up at for a moment, Voldemort clear his throat so everyone returned their attention once more to him. "As I was saying, I shall need to borrow and wand from one of you before I go to kill Potter." Voldemort looked at the tense faces of his followers, the faces around him displayed nothing but shock. "Nobody?" Voldemort asked lightly, he set his red gleaming eyes on the Malfoy's. "What about you Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore." Voldemort continued.
"My Lord?" Lucius said hoarsely, Azkaban had clearly taken its toll upon him, his eyes were sunken and shadowed.
"Your wand Lucius, I require your wand." Voldemort replied patiently.
"I…" Lucius glanced towards his wife his face twitching, Narcissa nodded stiffly and Lucius reached into his robe pocket and withdrew the wand, his hands shook as he passed his wand down towards Voldemort.
"What is it?" Voldemort asked his red eyes examining the wand closely.
"Elm…My Lord." Lucius whispered in reply.
"And the core?" Voldemort asked comparing the length of the wand to his own.
"Dragon…Dragon Heartstring." Lucius answered trembling.
"Good, very good." Voldemort hissed. Lucius made an involuntary movement as if he expected to receive Voldemorts wand, this movement did not go unnoticed by Voldemort who's eyes widened maliciously.
"Give you my wand Lucius…my wand?" Voldemort let out a laugh, and some of the other Death Eaters sniggered. "I have given you your liberty Lucius" Voldemort told him. "Is it not enough for you?" Voldemort continued amused. "I have noticed that your family seem less happy of late. What is it about my presence in your home that displeases you?" Voldemort asked quietly.
"Nothing…nothing My Lord." Lucius insisted.
"Such lies." Voldemort hissed one or two of the Death Eaters repressed a shudder. "Why do the Malfoy's look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return and my rise to power not the very thing they desired for so many years?"
"Of course, My Lord." Lucius replied his hands shaking as he wiped sweat from his brow. "We did desire it…we do." He continued, Narcissa and Draco both made a stiff nod avoiding Voldemorts gleaming red eyes.
"My Lord." Bellatrix said her voice constricted with emotion. "It is an honour to have you here in our family's house, there is no higher pleasure." Bellatrix continued leaning towards Voldemort for mere words could not demonstrate her longing to be close to him.
"No higher pleasure?" Voldemort repeated. "That means a great deal Bellatrix, coming from you." Her face flooded with delight and her eyes filled with tears of happiness.
"My Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth." Bellatrix continued bowing her head.
"No higher pleasure even compared to the happy event that I hear took place in your family a few weeks ago?" Voldemort smiled. Bellatrix stared at him evidently confused.
"I don't know what you mean My Lord?" Bellatrix replied perplexed.
"I'm talking about your niece Bellatrix." Voldemort responded a tone of amusement in his voice. "And yours Lucius and Narcissa, she has just married a werewolf…Remus Lupin, you must be so proud." Voldemort continued a smile prominent on his face. There was an eruption of jeering laughter from around the table, many exchanged gleeful looks and thumped their fists on the table, but the Malfoy's and Bellatrix sat quietly. Bellatrix's face which had previously been so alight with happiness had changed so that her cheeks had flushed a deep red.
"She is no niece of ours," Bellatrix called out over the roars of laughter. "We, Narcissa and I have never set our eyes on our sister since she married the mud-blood. This brat has nothing to do with us, nor any beast she marries." Bellatrix retorted giving every attempt to redeem her family's honour.
"What say you Draco?" Voldemort asked his eyes fixing on him. "Will you baby-sit the cubs?" Draco turned to Voldemort shaking his head without saying a word. "ENOUGH!" Voldemort called silencing his followers and the laughter died down at once. "Many of our oldest family trees become somewhat diseased over time." Voldemort spoke, Bellatrix gazed at him imploring. "You must purge yours, must you not to keep it healthy? Cut away parts that threaten the health of the rest."
"Yes, my Lord." Bellatrix's eyes had welled up once again, this time full of gratitude. "At the first chance I shall!" Bellatrix told him.
"We shall cut away the canker that infects us until those who are of the true blood remain." Voldemort raised Lucius Malfoy's wand as he spoke, he gave the slightest flick of his wand the Professor that was floating over head began to move. "For those of you who don't know who this is, this is Professor Charity Burbage who formally taught a Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Voldemort informed his followers, Alex stared into her lap unable to make eye contact with the Dark Lord, she could feel his glowing red eye penetrate through her as they set on her. "She taught the children about Muggles and how they are not so different from us…isn't that right Alex?" Alex braced herself looking up into Voldemort's pale white face.
"Yes." Alex answered simply, Voldemort smiled evilly.
"I understand that you received an outstanding in this subject during your OWL's." Voldemort said lightly, Alex nodded her head curtly in response. "And why was that…is it because you like Muggles?" Voldemort asked in an amused tone, Alex ground her teeth taking in a deep breath.
"My mother is a muggle." Alex answered in a low voice, Voldemort smiled and Alex narrowed her eyes. "I grew up in the Muggle world, it's not something you forget." Alex answered coldly, she could feel the entire tables eyes fixed on her, listening to catch her every word. Alex was relieved when Voldemort turned his attention back to Professor Burbage.
"If it were up to Ms Burbage, she would have us all mate with Muggles, intoxicating our pure blood status." Nobody laughed, there was no mistaking the anger and resentment in Voldemorts voice as he spoke. "Avada Kedavera!" A jet of green light flashed from the end of Lucius Malfoy's wand, illuminating every corner of the room. The body fell to the table with a loud crash, which trembled and creaked, many of the surrounding Death Eaters leapt back in their chairs; Draco fell out of his own falling to the stone floor. "Nagini, dinner." Voldemort spoke softly.
So are any of you for Alex/Draco or are you still Alex/Harry...to be honest it could still go either way. I couldn't think of a chapter name, so the Living On Borrowed Time is for Professor Burbage. I got the Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows on the Wii the other day, you have to move the remote controller to get the camera angle and I'm rubbish at it!