Disclaimer: I had the weirdest dream about the government putting stuff into our drinking water to change us. Then I woke up and realized that it was a dream, just like my dream of owning HP, which won't be coming true anytime soon. Here's hoping the other one doesn't come true either.
Author's Note: Reviews make me happy so please review and as a reminder the words in bold are Bane's 'don't mess with me' voice or you'll regret it. Ciao!
Chapter Three: Reconnaissance
Bane and company do a little bit of reconnaissance; albeit weirdly...
"Bane?" said Draco cautiously when he walked into their room and found Bane pacing it angrily.
Bane was obviously so angry that he could no longer keep a hold of his normalcy illusions, for his Harry Potter look had disappeared and he was once more looking like his true self. When he heard Draco walk into the room and say his name, Bane turned to face him and Draco saw that he had withdrawn deep into himself.
"What's wrong love?" asked Draco his voice filled with warmth and love and more importantly totally without any trace of fear, for Bane hated the sound or scent of fear.
"I don't…" said Bane with a shake of his head and still he was without emotion.
"It's okay, there is nothing you can say that will turn me from you" said Draco walking up to Bane and embracing him tightly.
"I… It's… I just keep getting this strange feeling of déjà vu and a sensation of dread but I do not understand why" said Bane returning the embrace and some of the emptiness had left him.
"Dread; what on earth do you have to fear?"
"You, I would rather die than lose you"
"What do you mean?" asked Draco curiously, looking up at Bane.
"I have this feeling that I have lost you before and not only once but over and over again and each time it is because I have made the same stupid mistake" replied Bane giving Draco a sad little smile.
"Don't be silly, you and I both know that you would never do anything to endanger me" said Draco with a reassuring smile.
"I know...It's just that I can't shake the feeling that I have and will again because I can't learn"
"Stop dwelling on it, nothing's going to happen and you're only making it worse" said Draco in an admonishing tone.
"As you wish love, as you wish" said Bane with a warm smile and he leant down and placed a tender kiss on Draco's lips and as he did so he returned to his Harry look.
"Good! Now why don't we go and do the job we were asked to do?" said Draco with a pleased smile.
"As always, as you wish" said Bane and together the two of them left their room and headed in search of Blaise and Neville.
They found Blaise and Neville in the kitchen where they were having an inane argument about whether or not a spatula was an essential piece of equipment. As Draco and Bane entered the kitchen Blaise and Neville turned to face them and they both raised an eyebrow in inquiry as they looked between the two. Bane gave the two of them an ironic kind of smile before he turned to examine what they had packed.
"How's he doing?" whispered Blaise to Draco as they watched Bane go through the supplies.
"He's fine… We just had to sort through something" replied Draco in a whisper.
"So… He's not going to do something stupid is he? I don't mean that he'd do something stupid because he doesn't know any better but that he might do something because he can" said Neville softly.
"I don't know… you know how unpredictable he can be"
"True… darkness I hope he doesn't do anything too outrageous"
"I agree with you love but what I'm really curious about is what you, Draco, and your partner had to sort out?" said Blaise looking at Draco curiously.
"Bane's getting an odd feeling that something bad is going to happen to me and it's making him tetchy" said Draco simply.
"That's a weird feeling to get" said Neville perplexed.
"I know but he says that he has this sense of déjà vu, like all this has happened before" said Draco with a shrug.
"That is most definitely odd" said Blaise and Neville nodded in agreement.
"I can hear you, you know?" said Bane with cold amusement.
Draco, Blaise and Neville all jumped in shock and turned to face Bane who was watching them all with that same cold amusement evident in his face, though it did not touch his dead eyes.
"You do know that it's rude to eavesdrop, right?" asked Blaise.
"Of course but like I care about that and anyway if someone is talking loud enough for you to hear then you're not really eavesdropping are you?" replied Bane mildly.
"He's got you there Blaise… now how about we go do our reconnaissance?" said Neville, always the peacekeeper.
"We were whispering, not talking out loud so the only way he could have heard us is if he was eavesdropping!" said Blaise pointing an accusatory finger at Bane.
"I agree with Neville… let's go do the job we were assigned" said Draco, another peacekeeper.
"As you wish" said Bane, totally ignoring Blaise as though he was of no consequence, which to Bane he probably wasn't.
Blaise bristled at Bane's attitude but before he could do anything that would end with him dead or something worse, Neville laid a restraining hand on his arm and whispered "Let it go".
At Neville's words and touch, Blaise acquiesced and both Neville and Draco relaxed as they felt the tension leave Bane as Blaise's challenge vanished. Draco and Neville knew that Bane and Blaise would test each other again because that is what happens when you have two dominant personalities in the same vicinity. But for now they could relax and do the job they were assigned.
"So… where shall we go first?" asked Draco of the room in general.
"What do you mean?" asked Blaise giving Draco a puzzled look.
"Well… we have no idea where the enemies' headquarters are so how are we going to find them?" said Draco.
"You're right… how are we meant to find them when we have no idea where they are? This is going to be difficult" said Neville.
"Actually… it's going to be easy" said Bane causing the other three to look at him.
"Really, how's that?" asked Draco curiously.
"Because all we need to do is go to Grimmauld Place" replied Bane with a chilling smile.
"Well here we are o'mightiest of mighties in Grimmauld Place and we throw ourselves at the wisdom of your feet" said Blaise dramatically; bringing his arm around in a sweeping gesture that took in the whole street.
"Don't you mean the feet of my wisdom? Not the wisdom of my feet because, just between you and me, I don't think my feet are that wise" said Bane wryly.
"Hmm…? You could be right about that o'superlative one" said Blaise.
"Of course I'm right, I'm always right! Now follow me" said Bane and he walked off up the street.
"Lead on o'illustrious one!" said Blaise and he followed Bane in a pompous strut, causing Draco and Neville to stifle laughter.
"Here we are" said Bane stopping suddenly at the juncture where two houses met.
"Here is what?" asked Neville curiously, looking around.
"Oooh… I get it! The enemy hideout is an anthill or something equally small, isn't it o'shimmering one?" interrupted Blaise exuberantly.
"Not quite o'annoying one, not quite" said Bane with a vicious smile.
"Then what are we doing here?" questioned Blaise challengingly and causing Draco to wince in anticipation.
"I'll show you" replied Bane wickedly and with barely a thought and with the tiniest amount of his magic, he picked Blaise up and sent him flying at the separating line between the two houses.
With a startled yelp Blaise was helpless to stop himself as he flew at the two houses but as he flew the two houses moved aside and a third grew in between. The third house became fully there and solid just in time for Blaise to crash through the front door.
"I've told him not to mess with you" said Neville with a wry shake of his head.
"Come on let's go see if he's okay" said Draco and there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
So Bane, Draco and Neville went up the steps of number twelve and entered the house. Blaise was sitting in the middle of the wreckage with a slightly dazed look, while around him stood those who had come to investigate the noise. All those standing around Blaise were familiar and they were giving him some nasty looks but when Bane and the other two stepped through the door they backed off hurriedly, fear clearly written on their features.
Neville went straight to Blaise and after checking to make sure he wasn't too shaken, he helped Blaise to his feet and the two of them walked to join Draco in standing behind Bane.
"Harry" breathed Hermione in fright.
"Hello all… long time no see" said Bane all emotion suddenly absent though he did curl his lip in disgust at the stench of fear that was suddenly permeating the room.
"What are you doing here and how did you get in?" demanded Ron fiercely, stepping in front of Hermione slightly in a protective gesture.
"Of course I got in… I am who I am after all and the reason we are here is because I was showing these three where your hideout was, now if you'll excuse us we have a job to do so see you around" said Bane and then he ushered the other three out into the street.
"Why'd you tell them all that?" asked Blaise irritably once they had reached the edge of the lawn.
"Because I can" replied Bane and all he did was look at Blaise but it caused Draco and Neville to separate the two, each to speak to his own partner.
"Okay you've proved your point… you know where the enemies hideout is, do you have to keep baiting him?" asked Draco patiently.
"Yes" replied Bane calmly.
"Why?" asked Draco exasperated.
"Because he needs to back down in such a way that he knows without a doubt that I have won"
"You're hopeless" said Draco going for angry but only ending up amused.
"Of course and you wouldn't have me any other way, would you?"
"No, that I would not".
Draco moved closer to Bane, put his arms around Bane's waist and leant up to give him a kiss. Draco was going for soft and tender but Bane, being who he is, changed it to hard and steamy. Bane put his arms around Draco in return and put all the hunger and devotion he had for his partner into his kiss. Causing Draco to moan softly, this in turn caused Bane to press their bodies closer together and to deepen the kiss. That kiss could have gone further and we could have ended up with some very interesting street theatre but they were interrupted.
"Uh… guys?" said Neville cautiously.
Bane broke the kiss, looked at Neville and a low threatening; warning growl escaped him. Neville took a few steps back, indicating that he wasn't a threat, and then he looked around to make sure that Blaise was still standing where he'd told him too. He was but it was easy to see that he wanted to move because, after all, his mate was being threatened but that same mate had told him that if he moved then he wasn't going to like the consequences.
Bane and Blaise may be dominant males but if their better halves wanted something then they would do anything within their power to get it. It was the same for all dominant Light Demons, Dark Angels, Demons and Angels but sometimes the better half wanted something that the other did not have the power to get. Thus the poor thing died, either because they were killed from trying or because they failed and then killed themselves in anguish.
"Sorry" said Neville his whole body language submissive.
"Don't worry about it, this is probably the wrong place for that sort of thing anyway, what's up?" said Draco stepping slightly out of Bane's embrace, causing Bane to give a faint sigh of discontentment and to move away.
"I was just wondering where we were going to set up our base?" said Neville, watching Bane.
Before Draco could reply Bane, who had obviously changed his mind, came back but this time he pressed his body up close behind Draco's; rested his head on Draco's shoulder and said "Blaise is getting anxious".
Neville looked back and noticed that Bane was right; Blaise was still in the same spot but he kept shifting his weight and he was watching Neville with a worried, yet hopeful look. So with a soft sigh, Neville looked at his mate and said "Okay Blaise, you can come over now".
Blaise didn't need telling twice; in less than you'd think possible he had reached them and like Bane he came up behind his partner and rested his head on Neville's shoulder. Blaise gave a contented little sigh and seemed happy to stay where he was without saying a thing; to test Bane or otherwise.
"Jeans, what a great invention they are! Don't you think?" said Neville looking at Draco with a strange look on his face.
"Oh most definitely! There such a tight and tough fabric that they hide that which could be embarrassing" said Draco with the same strange look on his face.
"Are we talking about erections? Because if we are I'd be more than happy to help; you don't need pants for that" said Bane suggestively and Blaise gave a wicked chuckle in agreement.
"Why you horny, dirty little…" begun Draco but he was interrupted by someone speaking from the direction of the house.
"We don't need people having sex in front of the house, thanks"
Bane and the other three looked at the house and saw Ginny Weasley standing there; hands on her hips and a haughty expression on her face.
"We weren't going to have sex and even if we were there's nothing you can do to stop us, so butt out" said Bane coldly.
"How dare you talk to Ginny like that!?" said Dean Thomas, stepping in front of Ginny.
"I'll do what I want" said Bane his tone getting dangerous, though he stayed where and how he was.
"We will no longer let you do whatever you wish" declared Dean loudly; his self confidence increasing as more people from in the house came up behind him.
"Really… how do you plan on stopping me… is there something you haven't told me? Like maybe the reason you're gathering so many people together is because you're gatheringpower to recast thespell, is that it?" said Bane stepping away from Draco and his voice changed near the end as he dropped his normalcy illusions.
All those within the house who heard Bane's words blanched and looked at each other uncertainly. Each of them were obviously thinking the same thing which was 'what can he know?'
"Come now… surely you can't believe I'm that stupid because if you did then you'd be the largest fools ever" said Bane and all those who had never heard Bane's true voice before looked horrified at the dark harmonics of it.
"I think we should leave them alone and go inside and discuss some things with the others" said Ginny faintly and she weakly grabbed Dean and pulled him into the house.
"Good idea, here let me help you with the door" said Bane and with a click of his fingers the door returned to its original state and slammed shut.
"Great, now that their gone perhaps we should discuss what we're going to do now, after all it's a bit hard to spy now that they know we're here" said Neville logically.
"Exactly" said Bane returning to his Harry look and for some unknown reason he started to set their things up on the lawn of number twelve Grimmauld Place.
"What do you mean by that? I thought the point of this reconnaissance was to spy on them without their knowing" said Blaise confused.
"Because this way they know we are here and they'll get jumpier and more paranoid by the day" replied Bane with a wicked smile.
"This is going to be so much fun! I wonder how long it'd be before one of them cracks?" said Draco with an equally wicked smile.
"I say that it'll be as little as two days before someone comes out to talk to us" said Bane, getting the tent to put itself up just by looking at it.
"Come now they can't be that skittish, surely? I say at least four days tops" said Blaise.
"You do, do you?" said Bane giving Blaise a curious look.
"Here we go again" muttered Draco and Neville to themselves but they both heard each other say it and they shared a tolerantly amused smile.
"Yes I do" said Blaise calmly.
"Fine, let's make a deal! If I'm right then you admit that you're wrong and acquiesce to my leadership and if you're right then I'll admit that I'm wrong and will acquiesce to your leadership" said Bane causing the other three to look at him in amazement that he'd come up with such a deal.
"But what if neither of us are right?" said Blaise thoughtfully.
"Then we acquiesce to the leadership of our two partners and do whatever they ask or tell us too" replied Bane with a smile that looked odd because as always it failed to reach his dead eyes.
"Agreed" said Blaise holding out his hand and the two dominant males shook hands on their agreement.
"You two do know that you already do what we say, don't you?" asked Draco laughing, while Neville gave them both an amused smile.
"Do you mind? We're trying to have a moment here" said Bane pompously and he and Blaise had the same arrogant tilt to their heads as they looked at their respective mates.
"Right… Sorry… Have your moment" said Neville and he and Draco were trying hard not to laugh at Bane and Blaise's feigned priggish attitudes.
"That's right, we will" said Blaise using the same pompous tone that Bane had used.
"Then afterwards we'll try to kill each other again" said Bane in his normal attitude, in other words, dead.
"You two are so weird" said Neville with a shake of his head while Draco headed for the tent and said "Come on; let's acclimatize to our temporary home".
"As you wish" said Bane following Draco inside and Blaise and Neville followed him in.
Two days had passed slowly at number twelve Grimmauld Place and those inside the house worried about and discussed those that were camping out on the lawn. Those out on the lawn joked and mucked about, enjoying being in each other's company and away from the stifling atmosphere of the mansion. And while those outside were having a grand old time, those inside were getting more and more frantic by the second. For they had the most powerful and dangerous Demon in existence camping out on their lawn and behaving like they thought such a monster would never behave. So for two days those inside fretted while those outside had fun and then late on the second day Bane won the wager he'd made with Blaise.
Remus Lupin came out and stood on the steps, watching the four below who were currently trying to toast chocolate to see what it tasted like when cooked on an open fire. So far they were failing miserably because the chocolate just kept melting into the fire. As Remus stepped down the stairs Bane looked at him which in turn caused the others to look at him also. Though Remus got the odd feeling that Bane had known he was there the moment he had stepped out of the door.
Remus was watched by three pairs of carefully neutral eyes and one pair that were totally devoid of any signs of life or emotions at all. Although he felt extremely uncomfortable with those four watching him like that Remus kept his pace even and even though he was apprehensive he wasn't afraid. When Remus reached Bane and the other three he stood there for a moment, unsure as to what to say but before he could say anything Bane raised an eyebrow and strangely enough said "You're not afraid of me"
This for some odd and totally bizarre reason seemed to make the other three relax. Remus just stood there for a moment staring at them in perplexity before he gathered his composure enough to remember to say "No I'm not… if you're going to kill me then there's nothing I can do about it, so why be afraid?"
"Nice answer" whispered Draco approvingly but it was loud enough for them all to hear.
"Thanks?" said Remus uncertainly to Draco and then he turned to Bane and added "The others want to know what you're doing here so I've been sent to find out and just so you know I don't really expect an answer, honest or otherwise"
"We're spying! Can't you tell?" said Bane reasonably.
"Spying?" said Remus in shocked disbelief.
"That's right! We're sitting out here spying on you guys in the house" said Blaise reasonably.
"Uh… right? Thanks for telling me I'm sure, I guess I better go tell everyone in the house what you're doing I suppose" said Remus sounding uncertain.
"Remus wait! There's something I need to talk to you about, something that would make you valuable to the Dark side if they knew about it" said Bane and even though he was talking in his usual dead tone everyone knew that he wasn't mucking about.
"Okay, what is it?"
"Well… you know how you are a Light Demon?" started Bane and Draco, Blaise and Neville all looked shocked at this information for obviously Bane hadn't shared it before and Remus was still wearing his own normalcy illusion.
"Yes, what about it?"
"But you're also a werewolf and what makes you unique is that your wolf D.N.A and your Light Demon D.N.A have blended perfectly making you something else"
"What does it make me?" asked Remus, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer.
"It makes you the only werewolf that can turn others into werewolves and Light Demons when you bite them while in wolf form"
"Oh?" said Remus faintly and his legs started to collapse from under him but Bane and the other three moved quickly to stop him from hitting the ground.
"Don't worry Remus I and these three will tell none about what we know, we will leave it up to you to decide if you want to share this information or not" said Bane comfortingly though again the emotion was odd coming from someone who's eyes remained dead.
"Thanks?" said Remus giving them a contemplating look before he removed himself from their support and returned to the house.
"He's a Light Demon?" said Neville shocked.
"Yes" said Bane calmly.
"He is from the most dangerous and unpredictable of the breeds?" said Blaise incredulously.
"Yes… Now don't you have something to say to me Blaisey-boy?" said Bane with one of his eyebrows rising in inquiry.
"Ah? Right… okay… fine… you were right I was… wrong" said Blaise as though the words were being dragged from him.
"And?" prompted Bane.
"And… I won't… God dammit it do I have too?... Fine I'll say it… I won't question or challenge your leadership again!" said Blaise through gritted teeth.
"That wasn't so hard now was it? Now what say you to us going back and sharing what we have learnt?" said Bane with a wicked smile.
"Whatever you say" said Blaise grudgingly, then in a brighter tone he added "Those weapons of yours are truly something! I mean turning into shadows so that they could spy for us is truly inspired!"
"I know, magnificent aren't they? Now let's go" said Bane and with a click of his fingers their stuff vanished.
Bane put his arm around Draco's waist and Blaise put his own around Neville's and together the four of them headed back to the mansion to report on what they had discovered. While those back in the house at Grimmauld Place decided to call a meeting so that they could discuss what to do with the problem that is Bane. Unknown to both sides was that they were heading down a path that would lead to a darker and deadlier future that few, if any, would survive.
