~ Chapter Four ~
*June's POV*
Cole was right, I was done – with all of it.
The trainees who had completed their task for the day were huddled together in a room just off the main hall. I was supposed to join them and relive my horror through their equally terrified eyes, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I wondered if they'd seen what I had. If they'd been swallowed by an empty world and clawed their way back out of sheer stubbornness. Something told me the answer was no.
Instead, I left the building and was met with a cloudless sky, beautifully blue and completely wrong for how twisted up I felt inside. My heart was still drumming and my eyelids were stuck in place, as if the prospect of blinking and seeing half a seconds worth of darkness was too much for them. I'd never felt so goddam pathetic.
I buried my hands in my jacket as I walked across the yard, not paying particular attention to where I was going. It wasn't like there was anywhere in this place to disappear to. It was like living in a poisoned fishbowl. The emptiness remained in my chest, threatening to drag me back into panic fuelled chaos. I didn't like feeling out of control, not in that way. What kind of insane person was afraid of nothing. In a world ruled by evil, my biggest fear was what lay outside of it, or maybe it was after it that was the problem.
I shook my head, hoping to shake away the thoughts, and quickened my pace. The buildings were spread further apart here, and Malfoy Manor loomed ahead. I'd heard many stories about it growing up. It was where Voldemort had planned his victory, and where many purebloods – blinded by a fools hope – had died. It must be a funny thing to believe in a lost cause so much that you'd die for it. Carrows were born to be on the winning team, that's what Alecto had always told me. That was why we followed Voldemort.
A breeze blew through the grounds and I hugged my arms closer to my body, blocking it out. I followed the corner round and stopped at the sight of a figure blocking my way. He was stood beside the fence which separated the manor from the training area, elbows resting on the bars as he gazed up at the architectural masterpiece.
I'd never seen Draco Malfoy in person, and despite myself I found my stomach flipping in awe. He was better looking than they'd said and older than I'd imagined. His skin was beginning to wrinkle, and his hairline pulled away from his forehead slightly, but it didn't stop him being the one of the most attractive men I'd ever seen. No wonder so many witches like Flora signed up.
I stood there for a moment, wondering if I was supposed to leave. If there was a protocol for this kind of thing then I'd missed the briefing. I turned away slightly, but his smooth voice made me pause. "It isn't as impressive once you've lived in it for thirty years."
"Sorry?" I faced the Death Eater legend and found him already standing straight, his gaze no longer interested in his family home. A batty old woman had once told me that Draco's eyes could turn you to ice, just by looking at you, that's how cold he was inside. I was certain that she was wrong, but as he studied me a shiver ran down my spine nonetheless.
"Were you coming to see me?" he asked.
I glanced over my shoulder and noted how far away I was from the main training grounds. "I uh…" I faltered, not wanting to tell him the truth, "I got lost." I seriously needed to stop using that excuse. It hadn't worked in my favour so far. Draco hummed at me, but the sound didn't tell me that he believed my story. He took a step closer and I ignored the need to take a step back. I'd embarrassed myself enough for one day.
"What's your name?"
"June."
"That come with a last name too?"
His tone annoyed me, but if I was going to choose an enemy then it shouldn't be Draco Malfoy. "June Carrow."
Again, he stepped forwards. "Is that right. I'd almost forgotten that Alecto and Amycus's kids were coming. You don't have a family resemblance."
"Maybe I was adopted."
Draco's lips pulled back over his teeth in a smile that unsettled me. I assumed he wasn't used to doing it. "Wishful thinking?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
The two of us stood there in silence for a while, sizing the other up. I wasn't sure what to make of him. He wasn't that intimidating up close, but then most people weren't once you met them. The only exception I imagined was Voldemort. Despite that, there was something about the man that made me want to ask questions, like whether or not the idea of endless space frightened him.
"You've just done the first trial." Could he read my mind? I nodded once. "You survived, that's always a good sign. Some have died in the past."
"I wonder why."
He almost smiled again, but managed to keep in contained. "So then, what did you see?"
"Excuse me?"
"In the room."
I frowned and crossed my arms, loathing his probing questions almost as much as I did Cole's orders. "Nothing special, a monster."
He hummed for a second time, the way a teacher does in class. "Is that right. Any particular kind?"
"Not really, no."
Draco's hands were clasped behind his back, most likely toying with his wand. "You're lying," he said flatly. I opened my mouth to argue, but the look on his face made me close it quickly. "Now try again, what did you see in the room?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes. It does actually."
The hero of the Death Eaters was starting to become a pain in my ass. I should have known he'd be a dick, just like the rest of them. I sighed and uncrossed my arms, "How about I tell you mine when you tell me yours."
Draco's expression shifted to something unreadable, and for a second I thought he might hit me.
Instead, he came so close that I could count every blue fleck in his eyes. If I'd been the type of girl who blushed easily, my cheeks would have been on fire. "In my experience Miss Carrow, people who keep secrets from me have usually got something to hide." Another shiver ran through me, this time causing my very bones to tremble. "Be careful," he warned, his voice dropping another octave, like gravel under tyres. "I always find them out."
*Cole's POV*
I watched as the last of the recruits ambled into the cafeteria to get some food, most of them still shaken up from their experience in the concrete rooms. I knew how they felt, my fear had haunted me for days afterwards and still occasionally plagued my dreams. It was why I hardly slept.
Garrett was in charge of taking down the names of everyone who was still left and by the looks of it, we'd lost at least five of the newbies today, if not more than that. It didn't surprise me, I'd been expecting it. Training to be a Death Eater wasn't easy and more often than not, people found that out the hard way.
Garrett sighed beside me, looking at the clipboard in his hand.
"What's the damage?" I asked, my eyes still scanning the room. I told myself I wasn't looking for her but it was difficult not to notice that her flaming red hair was seemingly missing from the picture.
The bigger man counted silently to himself for a moment before answering. "Nine down."
I whistled, trying not to sound too disappointed. "Seventeen left then," my eyes glanced over at the paper he was marking. "Did Carrow go?"
Garrett shook his head, knowing I meant June and not either of the twins. "She hasn't come in here yet but nobody reported seeing her leave, either."
My brow furrowed. If she wasn't in the cafeteria and she hadn't left, then where the hell was she? "Did you clear everyone out of the sleeping quarters?" Garrett nodded. "You sure?" I asked and he confirmed once more with another nod. I quickly searched the room again, this time looking for the other redheads I knew would be there.
"Where's the other one?" I asked when I approached them, my gaze shifting between the two although I wasn't sure which one was which. They knew who I meant though, I knew they did.
One of them, who looked slightly more relaxed than the other, shrugged. "How should we know? June's a big girl and we're not in charge of watching over her all the time."
My eyes narrowed and I moved my glare over to the other one, who looked less sure of herself and was gazing up at me as if she were a dog waiting for a bone. "Where is she?"
The girl looked nervously over at her sister who said nothing, only rolled her eyes, then looked back up at me. "We really don't know but…she's never been one to follow the rules. I wouldn't be surprised if she pulled a runner after she left training earlier."
I was moving before she'd even finished the sentence, leaving the twins where they were as I turned back towards Garrett. "She's run off," I told him, masking the fear that no doubt edged my voice. We'd never had this happen before and I had no idea how anyone was going to react. "I'm going to find Draco, stay here and wait for me to come back with orders."
Garrett didn't argue and I took off in the direction of the Manor, where I knew I would find our fearless leader. My feet pounded against the ground and I forced myself not to run, keeping a steady pace. I didn't want anyone to think that I was worried because I wasn't. I just didn't want Draco to find out that a girl had run away before I got the chance to tell him. Something told me he wouldn't appreciate that very much.
I wasn't sure why I cared. I should have been glad to be rid of June Carrow, she'd been nothing but a thorn in my side ever since she'd arrived two days ago. There was just something about her I didn't like, perhaps it was the defiance I saw in her eyes every time she looked at me or maybe it was just that she drove me insane but in any case, I should have been happy. I should have been thinking Good riddance instead of We need to find her immediately.
Before I could get to the steps leading up to the Manor, movement caught my eye and when I looked over, I spotted Draco standing near the large iron gate that separated the training grounds from the rest of Malfoy Manor. He was talking to someone but my view of them was blocked by a large bush that lined the fence. I didn't care who it was, I needed to speak to Draco.
Once I was close enough, I interrupted his conversation despite the fact that I knew he wasn't going to be impressed by it. "Draco," I said, loud enough for him to hear. The man paused and turned around slowly, the movement giving me the space I needed to see the person he was speaking to. And when I saw who it was, my entire stomach dropped to the floor.
June was standing there, her gaze finding me with the same fire that emblazoned her hair. My eyes were wide and I'd stopped in my tracks, sure I looked like a fool standing there staring but she was supposed to be missing, she was…she was supposed to be gone.
Draco's head was cocked to the side as he glared at me. "What is it, Cole?" he demanded, his voice like ice.
I cleared my throat, pulling my gaze away from June to meet his stare. "I…uh," I was stuttering, something I knew the wizard wouldn't appreciate and I quickly gathered myself, squaring my shoulders and angling myself away from June. "We've just done a head count of the recruits, sir," I lied smoothly, making sure not to look over at the redhead and calling him by the formal address only because she was standing there. "Only seventeen remain."
Draco nodded and processed the information for a second, shifting his gaze from me to the ground. I stole another glance at the witch who was still looking at me as if I'd murdered a litter of puppies. I glared back, wanting her to know she didn't intimidate me and that whatever she had planned wasn't going to work, I'd make sure of it.
"Well, I suppose we've got an earlier start than usual," Draco finally said, offering me a smile that didn't touch his eyes. "Is that all?"
No. That wasn't even the half of it. "Actually, sir, I'd like to speak to you privately, if you wouldn't mind."
"Very well," Draco said with another nod and then turned back to June. "You're free to go, Miss Carrow." Draco dismissed and June obeyed but not without shooting me one last cold stare as she passed by. The girl had spunk, I'd give her that. Nobody had ever given me as much trouble as June Carrow had in just the two days she'd been there.
"What is it, Cole?" Draco asked once June was out of earshot. He leaned down and rested his elbow on the iron gate, looking out over the training grounds.
"It's actually about her," I admitted, watching as June stalked across the grounds and disappeared into the housing barracks. "I'm not sure she's cut out for this."
Draco's brow furrowed. "And why's that? She's still here, she got her want back, didn't she?"
I nodded. "Yes, but only because she opened the door," I told him, emphasizing the words so that he would understand. "On her own, without any help. She opened it and then just walked out like nothing had happened."
The blonde wizard let my words sink in, still not looking up at me but I could see the crease in his brow dipping further as he tried to figure out what they could all mean. "She opened it all on her own?"
"Yes."
Draco's nod was that of approval and he straightened to face me once again. "I'm not really sure what the problem is, Cole. She seems to be doing well in training so far."
I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. "There's no problem, she's just…there's something off about her, Draco. I don't know what it is but I've never seen anybody do that kind of thing before."
"Neither have I."
"Exactly. Don't you find that a bit odd?" Draco didn't reply and seemed to once again be thinking over the entire situation. "She's a loose cannon and I don't think she can be trusted. What if she tries to run-"
"She won't run," Draco cut me off, his words ringing out with finality.
I stared. "How do you know that?"
"She won't, I can promise you that," he told me and then sighed heavily, letting the silence settle between us. For once, I wished the man wasn't so reserved. He'd taught me everything I knew, had been my mentor for they last year and yet, I had no idea what was going on in that well-rounded mind of his.
Finally, after a few moments, he spoke again. "Listen to me, Cole," his voice was hard and I knew that he wasn't joking, he really wanted to me to pay attention. "I want you to keep a close eye on that girl. You're right, there's something different about her."
I nodded. "You think she's a traitor?"
Draco rolled his shoulders. "No, I wouldn't say that. I suppose…just keep an eye on her. I trust you the most out of all of them, I know you'll be honest with me."
I would, because it was my job. "Alright, I'll watch her."
"Very good," Draco said and then shook my hand, his grip firm and unrelenting until he let go. "Keep me updated, I want weekly reports, understand?"
I nodded again and waited for him to get inside the Manor before I headed back to my own sleeping quarters. Draco was right, there was something different about June Carrow and I was glad that he'd suggested keeping an eye on her. Perhaps then I'd be able to figure out why the redhead was constantly taking up useless space in my already screwed up mind.
