Seated on the end of the stone table in the gloomy Riddle House was Voldemort himself, one hand on his wand, the other in his lap.
"What do you mean, she is gone?" Voldemort demanded.
"There was an explosion in her tower." Yaxley attempted to hold his fear for just a few seconds longer. "And she escaped."
Voldemort inhaled deeply. "Yaxley. You are the best spy I have- the only one I trust, who is affiliated with the ministry. If you were not such a faithful servant, you would be dead now."
"My Lord, I shall try my hardest-"
"Do not interrupt me, Yaxley!" Voldemort pulled out his wand and cast a silencing charm on Yaxley.
"You will do everything in your power to bring her back, and believe me, I can easily find another spy for the Ministry." Voldemort smirked at the fear radiating through his servant's face.
Yaxley nodded.
"Leave, you're disgusting me," Voldemort stated. Yaxley quickly bowed to Voldemort and left the house.
Keri ended up reading all the way to the 5th chapter in that book before she fell asleep. The first and second chapter explained about what to do on a first and second date, and what types of things would 'turn the partner on'. Keri didn't know exactly what that was supposed to mean until she read through chapter four: sex. She learned everything from arousal to how intercourse worked. The book strictly taught her not to incorporate any of it on the first date, but to only do it near the fourth or fifth date. Feeling prepared for tomorrow, she shoved the book under her pillow and went to sleep.
Narcissa walked upstairs to go wake both Draco and Keri up. It was nearly 8 AM. She vigorously knocked on Draco's door, not stopping until Draco made some sort of movement to prove that he was awake.
"Go the fuck away, mum," Draco said, pulling the comforter over his head. Narcissa wouldn't take that for an answer. She pulled out her wand and put a spell on his comforter to make it fall to the floor. She put a charm that made the room 30 degrees colder until Draco got out of bed.
"Fine, son," she said and walked to Keri's room. Keri and Draco's room were only 4 rooms down the hall.
Keri was curled up with her knees to her chest. Narcissa noticed she was shaking from the cold. She quickly put another blanket on Keri, helping her warm up. Narcissa could notice a small smile appearing on Keri's face.
She walked out of Keri's room and into her own with Lucius.
"Open your window!" Pansy was pounding on the window in Draco's room. He saw her there, groaned, and went to go get it. It was about 1 PM.
"What do you want, Pansy?"
"Um, excuse me? What do you want? I came allthis way for an ungrateful 'what do you want?'" Pansy climbed into his room and crawled into his bed.
"Pansy, I'm busy today. I can't do anything." He walked to his closet and put on a shirt.
"Too busy for me? What's wrong with you toda-" Keri walked in and cut her off.
"Mum wants you to-" as soon as she saw Draco without pants on, her face went red.
It was like the two of them had a knack for walking in on each other. "To get dressed." Keri walked back downstairs, her face still flushed.
"The hell is she? The fuck is she doing here? She said mum! . Not 'your mum'! What is going on, Draco?" Draco had an annoyed look on his face. He looked at her and looked back at the window she came in through.
"Would you mind leaving? I don't have time to explain. I need to do things today. Just go." Pansy nagged for a few more seconds until Draco left the room.
What a pain, Draco thought. He walked downstairs to the presence of his mother.
"You know why I asked you down, don't you, Draco?" Narcissa was sitting on the couch with her hands together.
"Yes." Draco pulled up his arm and revealed the skull and snake, both of them moving.
"Go tell Keri to stay here until we get back." Narcissa said. Her face shown a bit of fright on it.
Draco went upstairs to Keri's room. He didn't bother knocking. "Morning," Draco said, not looking her in the eyes.
"Morning," Keri said, a smile starting on her face.
"Me and my mum and dad will be gone for a little. Don't leave the house. Okay? We'll be back later to pick you up for your...date." Draco began to close the door.
"Where are you all going?" she asked. She didn't like being left alone anymore.
"It doesn't concern you." Draco closed the door and walked back downstairs.
Lucius and Narcissa were both sitting on the couch waiting for Draco.
"Ready?" Narcissa asked her son. All three of them were frightened of The Dark Lord. It was terror to be in his presence, especially for Draco. He nodded. All three of them put their arms in the middle. Lucius apparated to the Riddle House, taking his wife and son with him.
"When we go in there," Lucius whispered lightly enough that words hardly even came out. "We must have no idea about the girl. If the Dark Lord asks about her, we haven't a clue on her whereabouts, in fact, we didn't even know she's missing. Understood?" Narcissa and Draco nodded. All three of them walked to the entrance of the Riddle House.
They went in and sat down at a large square table. The Dark Lord wasn't there yet, it was just them, Severus, Yaxley and about twenty others.
Lucius saw someone in particular that caught his eye.
Eventually everyone showed up and Voldemort apparated right into his chair. All conversation ceased as soon as Voldemort's dark figure appeared.
"I'm sure you all know why I summoned you here." All three of the Malfoys kept their eyes on the ground. "The girl and boy whom our dear friend Lucas has mutated has escaped from the Ministry." People whom weren't aware of this immediately began talking. "Silence! As all of you know, we were planning an attack to get those two children to our army. Someone else did this little attack, and it was certainly not planned here!" His voice developed into a yell, and his head was now in his two hands. "If any of you have any idea who took the brother and sister..." The Malfoys looked up at this. Keri had a brother? "And do not come forward, you will answer to me. Understood?"
The Malfoys were practically shaking.
"Don not worry if you have nothing to fear...Lucius," Voldemort said with a question in his voice.
"Of course, my Lord." Lucius couldn't dare look him in the eye.
"You're all dismissed. We will be looking over the Ministry to see if the girl has been taken back by them." The Malfoy's apparated back to their house in utter silence.
After Lucius, Narcissa and Draco left, Keri walked downstairs, hungry. She went to the kitchen and looked around for a snack or two.
Then Pansy came in.
"Hello," Keri said smiling.
"Pansy." She shook hands with Keri, smirking.
"Are you a friend of Draco's?" Keri asked, diverting her view back to the refrigerator.
"You could say that, yes. What about you? What brings you here?" she asked. Keri paused. She decided it wouldn't be a great idea to tell her about how she was kept at the Ministry. People seemed to overreact to it.
"My mum is a friend of his mum. I'm just staying here because my parents are out for a few days." She hoped with all her might that Pansy would buy that. She wasn't in the mood to listen to someone else explain their disgust to her the way Draco did when they first met.
"What is your name?" Pansy asked. Keri took a yogurt and started to eat it.
"Keri." Pansy smiled at her.
"When I first saw you, I'd assumed you were having an affair with Draco, you see. I and he are in love." Keri did all she could to keep from smiling. There was no way Draco could love. He didn't have feelings at all for all Keri was concerned. "That's why I was being nasty to you."
"I see. So you just come in here to say hello every now and then?" Keri asked.
"Depending on Drackie's mood," Keri snickered at the nickname. "Sometimes we sleep together, sometimes not."
"I see," Keri said, trying her hardest to act amused.
"Do you go to school?" Pansy asked. "I don't think I saw you around Hogwarts."
"Um I do my schooling at home." Keri was uncomfortable with all these questions. She didn't know how to answer half of them.
"Oh ok. I guess that's alright. You pureblood?" Pansy was taking the dirt out of her nails, smacking on her gum.
"Of course."
"Then I guess we could be friends. Friends?" Pansy asked. Keri nodded and smiled. Pansy smirked.
While Keri went to throw out the container which previously held the yogurt, the Malfoys apparated back. They walked back to their rooms without a word to anyone, though Draco did give Pansy and Keri a quick glance.
It was about two now. Keri strolled back upstairs and found the dress Narcissa made sure she'd wear. She slipped it on and put on her tan flats. She applied a small bit of makeup to her eyes and face, the way she'd practiced yesterday. She put her hair down and brushed out the tangles.
Her brown hair flew down to her mid back in gorgeous waves.
By the time she'd finished it was already 2:45. Narcissa was waiting for Keri downstairs.
"We'll be apperating right there. Now remember, hold on to me very tight. Hear? Don't let go." Keri did as she was told. Within seconds they found themselves in front of a few large houses. They were the size of the Malfoy manor, but were more colorful and had much more landscaping.
Keri stared at the beauty in awe and continued to walk forward toward the door.
"Before you go, Keri, listen to me." Keri looked at Narcissa and stopped walking. "You must not tell the boy or anyone else about where you were confined. You may not tell him anything about your past. If he asks where you are schooled, tell him Beauxbatons. Can you remember that? Beauxbatons. Tell him you will be going to Hogwarts next year." Keri reluctantly nodded at the statements given to her. "Good luck, love. I'll be standing here waiting for you at 5. Does that sound alright?"
"Thank you so much, Cissa. I appreciate it." Keri smiled at her.
"Go have fun."
Keri waved at Narcissa and watched her apparate back home.
She slowly walked to the front of the house and knocked on the door.
A woman with light brown hair opened the door with a smile.
"Good afternoon, darling. Come on in." She motioned her hand inside and led her to a chair. "My name's Carol. I'm Cormac's mother."
"Oh it's nice to meet you, I'm Keri." She held out her hand and shook.
"Cormac's very excited to meet you, he-" Cormac came out of another large hall and ran into the room.
"I got it, mum." He came and sat across from Keri. "Hey there, again. I'm glad you showed up."
Carol walked away with a smile.
"How are you?" Keri asked.
"I'm just great thanks. Just trying out that new broom from yesterday." Keri acted as if she understood and kept smiling.
"That's nice." Keri kept it short.
"What type broom do you have?" he asked.
"I've never ridden a broom," Keri said.
"Never ridden a broom?" he stared at her for a few seconds but Keri kept smiling. "Would you like to try it out?"
"Yeah, maybe later. I'm a bit scared of heights," she lied.
"Where do you go to school?"
"Beauxbatons," she kept trying to remember the name of the other school. Hogtail? Hogswarts? "I'll be attending Hogswart next year though."
Cormac stifled a laugh.
"Hogwarts? Okay. That's where I go. Are you in your 6th year?" he asked. She felt bombarded with questions. She was digging a hole that was difficult to get out of.
"Yes. Are you?"
"I am. Here, would you like some tea?" He poured her a bit in her cup.
"Thank you." She tasted a bit of it and set it back down. It was bitter.
"Do you not like it?" he asked.
"It's bitter."
"Did you put sugar in it?" he asked. Her face went red. She quickly grabbed a cube or two of sugar and placed it in the tea.
"Right right." He laughed a little at her.
"You look beautiful today," he said. "Stunning actually."
She giggled. "Thank you. You look great as well." He was wearing a collared plaid shirt and a pair of khaki slacks. He made sure to unbutton the top of his shirt.
"I always do take pride in my appearance." He smirked. Keri found it odd that he was complementing himself like that. "Would you like to try flying out, Keri?
Keri nodded and stood up with Cormac. He led her outside to a field of green.
"Oh darn." He looked back at the house. "The broomsticks are up in my room."
"What do you mean you saw Dunn? Where?" she asked her husband.
"He was in the room. He came when the Dark Lord did," Lucius said.
"Do you think the Dark Lord is keeping him locked up until they find Keri?" Narcissa asked.
"No. He wouldn't have brought him to the meeting if he was with him."
"Where does Dunn live? I wish to speak with him."
"Last time we visited him he was near your sister's place. He must've moved after all this happened though, don't you think?"
"He lived near Bellatrix?" Narcissa asked. "She knows all the purebloods around her house. She must know where he's at, wouldn't she?"
"Let's go and see."
Chapter 2: How far is too far?
When on a first date, never ever allow sex. This will do nothing but make your partner use you for that. They will immediately consider you trashy. Rule of thumb, no sex on the first date.
Now, how to get out of a sticky situation is key. Say your partner asks you to come up to his room. (Don't expect them to formally ask you to have sex. Never will a man directly ask you to sleep with them. They will cover it up with something, maybe like asking you to check out his new sheets, or maybe to go look at the mess his dog made on the carpet in his room.)
If you are not interested with lip locking and sex when he mentions it, tell him you have a missed call, or that you wanted to see what was on TV. If he asks you to a hotel room, tell him you already made plans to watch a late night movie with a friend.
Depending on the feelings you are having with him, you may have a little kiss upstairs, maybe a bit of foreplay on the second date. Never regret a night. Do not be a doormat to walk on. If you're not comfortable, just tell him. He won't mind.
All of this flooded back to Keri's mind within seconds.
"I have 7 brooms. You should come with me and choose your favorite," he said. "Here. It's this way." He led her upstairs and down a hall or two. He opened a carved white door to a room filled with Quidditch posters. There was a Gryffindor sash hung above his bed. His room was very clean, not one stain or sock in sight.
Keri sat on his bed while he took out his brooms.
"Here we go," he set all the brooms on his bed beside Keri. "My favorite is that one there," he said. "It's a Nimbus 2003."
Keri stared at it. The broom was beautiful. It was a sleek white with 'Nimbus'carved on the handle. "What am attractive broom..." Keri said smiling. She thought he was going to let her use that one.
"I'll give you this one." To her surprise, he handed her a brown not so shiny broom. "It's the first broom I've ever used. It's not very aggressive so it's better for first timers." She took it into her hands and stood up. She was a bit relieved Cormac didn't make a move.
They walked back to the field.
"..and then this once there was a bludger coming between both the goals and I hit it halfway out the pitch and it hit Marcus Flint right off his broom once." Keri had no clue what he was talking about, but since she was a 'student at Beauxbatons, she decided to keep nodding and walking until they reached the pitch.
"Now," he started. "You'll mount the broom." He demonstrated in front of her. "And get on it. Now try sitting on it. It'll levitate for you." She did it with ease.
"Now I'm supposed to-" she leaned forward and swiftly accelerated. Cormac went with her. She started to slow down as she ascended off the ground.
"You getting the hang of it?" Cormac asked.
"Yeah, it's kind of nerve-wracking though, isn't it? Being all the way up here?" her voice was shaking a bit when she looked down. She was maybe 50 feet off.
"You'll get used to it. Come on, let's circle around here, eh?"
And they did just that. For the course of the next thirty minutes they spent their time slowly moving around his large field. They made lots of conversations, half of them being about Cormac's Quidditch matches, and the other half about the types of plants growing below them.
When the conversations began to come to an end, Cormac moved his broom a little closer to hers. They were close enough to touch shoulders but not to bump into each other. He put a hand on her waist. After getting over the few blushes rushing to her face, she put her arm around his waist as well.
"Would you like to see how the Nimbus can fly?" he asked. She smiled at that. Yeah, she did. She was looking forward to that question for quite a while now.
"That'd be nice, yeah," she said. "Should we go back down?"
"That won't be necessary. Just hop on the back of my broom. It can carry two." She slowly moved a leg around the back of her stick and onto the Nimbus.
"I'm gonna take you on a ride. I'll be going fast though, so you might want to..." he motioned toward his waist. She put both her arms around his waist and her chin on his shoulder. He smelt like cologne; a really nice cologne.
He accelerated faster than Keri thought a broom could. They were maybe at 100 kilometers an hour.
"Oh my god..." she said watching the green blur below her.
He took the broom very high and went outside of just his field; they went to the city.
He kept the same speed on the broom, smirking as he did. He merged his way through buildings and lamp posts.
"Enjoying the ride?" he yelled over the wind.
"It's amazing, riding a broom," she said back with a laugh in her lungs.
"What time should you be back home?" he asked her.
"Around five."
"Ok. I'll turn around now then, is that fine?" he seemed to struggle to keep his voice louder than the sound of all that wind.
"That's great." He started to go a little slower so the wind wouldn't hit them so hard. She tightened her grip around Cormac and nuzzled her head in his neck.
Eventually, they reached the ground and got off the broom. He turned toward her.
"Your hair's all messed up," he said. He ran a hand through her hair and made it a bit neater. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "All better."
She grabbed the brown broom from off the ground and walked back into the house with Cormac.
"Bellatrix, we want to ask you about Lucas Dunn."
"Why? What does he matter to you?"
"I want to know where he is, Bella," Narcissa demanded.
"Tell me why and I'll tell you where he is." Bellatrix smirked.
"We just want to speak with him," Lucius said.
"There must be a reason! What do you need from Lucas?" Bellatrix demanded.
"We have the girl."