The darkness that surrounded the quivering shape was not as consuming as the darkness that permeated his heart. The man huddled against a thick tree trunk, cloak gathered around him though he felt no warmth.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine," he murmured, over and over. His mind told him he was perfectly fine. That there was nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong. So why did he feel like this?
Something wet and warm moved slowly down his forearm. He blinked and looked down, the moon was bright and the man could clearly see a dark, thick liquid stuck to his skin. Odd, he could have sworn that was blood. Where would blood have come from?
"Blaise." A deep, emotionless voice said above him. Blaise looked up with mild interest, mouth slightly open, eyes wide. He pushed a strand of silver hair from his face.
"Hm. Yes? May I help you?" The warm liquid continued to flow down his arm, quickly now. The large man looming above him growled deep in his throat, kneeling beside the trembling youth.
"What have you done to yourself?" The larger man asked under his breath. Blaise started humming.
Mordecai tore a piece of cloth from his cloak. Gingerly, he reached out and pulled Blaise's right hand away from his left arm. His fingers were black and caked with blood. He had dug into his own flesh and torn at it with unexpected vigor, the dark mark now a tattered mess.
Mordecai wrapped the cloth around Blaise's arm, just above the elbow and tied it tight. That should tourniquet the bleeding until Mordecai could find someone to heal him. Without his own wand and without any sign of Blaise's, they would just have to hope they could find a way out of here.
"Can you stay here without me for a moment?" Mordecai asked, glancing towards where the trees opened into a large garden. He had some unpleasant business to attend to.
"I should think so." Blaise replied breezily. Mordecai scowled and tore another strip of cloth, thicker this time. He didn't have time to ask permission, so he grabbed the other man's hands and thrust them behind his back, tying the fabric tight. Blaise clicked his tongue, perhaps in annoyance, perhaps in boredom.
"I will return shortly." Mordecai said, knowing Blaise wasn't paying attention. He was too distracted by his new bonds. By the time Mordecai returned, the polyjuice potion should have worn off. At least, he hoped that was the case, if not, they would have a problem.
Mordecai made his way through the trees, to the silver haired boy kneeling in the dirt beside a red-haired body of a woman.
Grinning over steepled fingers, Lucius listened to the blood-traitor whore scrape at the door of her prison. What did she hope to achieve, burrow a hole straight through wood? He sat cross-legged on a straight-backed wooden chair just outside her cell. He had entered as Greyback left an hour ago and had been listening with amusement at her pathetic attempts at escape.
He was starting to get bored now, however. She had been scraping at the door for a good ten minutes without pause. He had to admire her tenacity, however it was used.
He raised himself to his feet and languidly made his way to the wooden door.
"My little bird, pecking away won't gain you freedom," Lucius said liquidly. The scraping stopped.
"Who are you?" The blood-traitor demanded, voice of iron. Lucius let the edges of his mouth quirk into a small smile.
"Why, don't you recognize your child's grandfather when you hear him?"
"Lucius Malfoy." It wasn't a question, but a snarl from the other side of the door.
"Precisely. Now, let me see. What shall I do with a blood-traitorous whore like you?"
"Why don't you just kill me and be done with it?" The woman replied, her voice shaking. He had no doubt it was from anger, not fear. He chuckled wryly.
"That wouldn't be very fun now, would it?" He pulled a thin iron key from a small pocket and placed it in the lock, turning slowly. He opened the door, prepared for a reckless escape attempt.
When the door was only a quarter of the way open, a thick iron bar came swinging down through the gap. Lucius turned in time for it to strike against the stone, making sparks. But that didn't stop it from bouncing off and smashing into his shoulder, producing a loud grunt from the silver-haired man. Before he could register the pain, a body slammed into his chest. He landed hard on his back, air forced roughly from his lungs.
A red-haired woman was sprawled on top of him, panting heavily, wild determination in her brown eyes. She raised her arm, surprisingly she had maintained her grip on the iron bar, but before she could bring it down, a red beam of light engulfed her hand. She screamed and crumpled, clutching her useless hand to her chest.
"Now, now darling, that's no way to treat your master, is it?" A frightening man advanced from down the hall, wand pointed at the woman's chest. Lucius pushed away from her, standing smoothly.
"Thank you, Greyback, but your assistance is not needed." The scarred man grunted, lips retracting like a rabid wolf.
"You promised I could have a go at her," he snarled. Lucius had to wrangle his fury into submission before speaking, his face only registering a tight-lipped, cold stare.
"And so you shall. Now leave us." Greyback hunched over as if to pounce, but instead he shuffled out and closed the second door loudly. Lucius looked back down at the groaning woman on the grimy floor. He assumed a stunning spell had hit her hand; those could be painful if ill aimed.
She looked up at him, fire raging in her eyes. Before she could speak or move, Lucius pulled his wand from his pocket and aimed it at her heart.
"Petrificus Totalus," he murmured and her body went rigged. Lucius tsked as he crouched a few feet from her. His sharp, mercury eyes met her burning russet ones.
"I have plans for you. I expect them to be very entertaining. For you, however, they may be…let's see, what's the word I'm looking for?" He leaned forward, his nose almost brushing hers.
"Ah yes, horrifying." He stroked two fingers down her cheek, as they came to her jaw, he drew back and struck her hard, fist closed. Before she had time to recover from the shock of being hit in the eye, Lucius grabbed her chin and yanked her to her feet violently.
"Listen closely, you blood-traitorous whore, I am going to use you until I become bored. And for your sake, you better hope that never happens because when it does, my old friend Fenrir Greyback will take his turn. And trust me, you will beg for death when that happens." Lucius smiled, it didn't touch his eyes.
"I want to see for myself why my son found you so tempting." The woman's eyes were wide, one was turning a nasty shade of purple.
"Until then," and he leaned in, breath heavy, and kissed her, thrusting his tongue roughly between her protesting lips. When he broke free, he tasted blood. She had bit him. He almost laughed. This was indeed going to be entertaining.
Lucius pointed his wand at the cell door, blasted it open and threw her inside. She stumbled a few steps before falling to the hard stone floor. She spat and rubbed her mouth with her good hand, looking at him with that same hatred and- was that fear? Yes, fear was seeping into the hatred.
He waved his wand and the large door slammed shut. Without another word, he turned and strolled out of the musty hallway, leaving her alone in the darkness.
Felix barely noticed the icy air rushing past him. He clung to Mordecai's back, wand tight in his grip. He felt like his insides had been replaced with molten lava, all roiling and burning, leaving nothing but charred ash.
He couldn't get the image of the tall man, smiling maniacally over his mother's body, out of his head. Everywhere he looked, there he was, with that horrible smile.
My father…
"Felix, there is much I must tell you," the deep rumble of Mordecai's voice vibrated through the boy's body. This was not the first time he had said this to Felix, but he was in no mood to listen to stories.
"I don't care." The boy said flatly.
"You must. Felix, that man, the one you believe to be your father, is not your father." Before he could continue, Felix let out a gut-wrenching roar. It was surprisingly strong from such a small and young boy.
"I know he was my father. I know it!" Felix yelled. There was a groan from behind him, Felix ignored it. He knew that man had been telling the truth, not only did he look just like Felix, but his mother had confirmed it.
Mordecai made a frustrated sound.
"He was an imposter. Your father does indeed look like that, but that was not him." Felix couldn't help but give a chilly laugh.
"Okay, whatever that means." There was another groan from behind Felix. "What is he doing here again?" He turned and looked at the dark young man who was barely conscious on the broomstick hovering behind theirs.
"Felix you must understand this before we arrive at Nurmengard. That man was not your father. He used a potion to make himself appear as your father so he could turn you against your own family." But Felix was only half listening; he was watching the man on the other broom curiously. He was asleep, or at least unconscious, and would groan or grunt occasionally.
"He's Blaise something? Right?" Felix asked, poking the top of the man's head. Mordecai made a vexed sound.
"Zabini. He will help us find your mother." Felix flinched as if he had been hit.
"My mother is dead." He had to force his voice to stay steady. He had to be strong.
"No, she is not! Listen to me, boy. That woman was not your mother. As I told you before, she was an imposter." Felix thought Mordecai would have hit something if they weren't a hundred feet in the air.
A small worm of hope started boring through his chest. He promptly squashed it. If it wasn't true, it would be like she died all over again. Felix had to keep telling himself his mother was dead. He had to be brave, like she would have wanted, and kill her murderer.
"Are you listening to me, boy?" Mordecai growled. Felix thought hastily, trying to remember what Mordecai had been saying. His brow furrowed.
"Voldie's fault?" He asked, doubting the large man.
"Yes, he planned this in order to bait you into a mistake. Do not give in to his wishes. When we reach our destination, let me do the killing."
Hot anger boiled in Felix's stomach once again, but he pushed it away. He wasn't a git, he knew he had no way of killing…his father.
A plan. He needed a plan.
Felix glanced at his mother's wand protruding from Mordecai's pocket. He had no idea if he could even work that thing, but it was his only hope for the moment. Maybe since he wanted it to work more than anything, it would. He knew the words at least. Having just heard them said to his mother.
Felix allowed a small smile to form on his lips.
Draco had heard a scream. He didn't know if it was Ginny or another prisoner held in this hellhole, but he didn't care. He made his way as fast as he could down the dark, cold hallways. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed to hear that scream again. There were too many possible paths to take, he didn't know if he was wandering away from Ginny or closer.
Draco let out a furious growl, putting his hands behind his head and lacing his fingers together. Before he could figure out what to do, he heard footsteps coming for the corridor on the left. Draco felt his pulse quicken. He looked down the way he had just come and ran to the first door on the right.
It was locked.
Draco cursed under his breath and went to the next door down. Locked. Just as he pulled on the third locked door a man rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks.
Draco turned and clenched his fists. He would have rather seen Lord Voldemort than the man standing in front of him now.
Lucius Malfoy stood regally straight, one eyebrow raised, but unsurprised. Oddly unsurprised.
"Really, Zabini. Trying to unhinge me? It will take more than that, I'm afraid." He sauntered forward, glancing casually up and down Draco, who stood stalk still and as tense as a coiled cobra. Lucius walked past him with a derisive snort.
"I assume everything went to plan then? If you're back so soon." He asked.
Draco swallowed and was grateful, not for the first time, that he had such control over showing emotion on his face. Lucius only stared contentiously. He was waiting for a response, Draco realized.
"Uh…yes. The plan went off without a hitch," Draco said, what plan?
"Good, the Dark Lord will be pleased. By now the child should be almost here, excellent."
Draco stiffened at the mention of a child- it had to be Felix. Who was bringing Felix here? His captors? For what purpose?
"Have I missed anything crucial?" It was the best questions he could come up with that wouldn't seem odd. Lucius scoffed.
"Nothing that concerns you, Zabini," he licked his lips. "Only a bit of fun," and he stalked off the way Draco has just come. Draco counted to fifty before letting out a growl of hatred. Just being in the same vicinity as that man made Draco's blood boil. He felt something sticky in his hands. Opening him palms he saw small pools of blood forming where his nails had punctured his skin. He almost laughed.
Then his mind put the pieces together. Zabini obviously polyjuicing into him, Ginny being kidnapped, Felix coming to Nurmengard, Lucius acting like he had…it all centered around Felix. Voldemort needed his son and he needed the boy to be on his side...the pieces clicked. Felix had to kill Draco- that was the only way.
He ran down the corridor where Lucius has just come and came to a thick door. He pried it open with the gallons of adrenaline pumping through his body and found a second corridor with a second door at the far end.
"Ginny!" He yelled, unable to stop himself. He ran and yelled her name, "Ginny! Are you there? Gin!"
"D-Draco?" A shaky voice answered. Draco felt his heart stop. He almost slammed into the door.
"Gin...Ginny, are you alright?"
"I'm okay- fine, I'm fine. How did you find me?"He ignored the question and started looking for a way to free her.
Draco swore loudly when he saw the large lock on the front of the door.
"What?" Ginny asked alarmed. Draco looked around the hallway and found a metal bar- it would have to do. He jammed it into the lock and twisted as hard as he could. It didn't budge. He thought of Felix, his son, probably scared out of his mind. He thought of Ginny, his love that he thought he had lost forever. He would not loose her again! Yelling, he put all of his body weight onto the metal bar…
SNAP!
Panting, Draco stared triumphantly at the broken lock. Small beads of sweat ran down his temples from the strain. He smirked.
"Never had a chance." He thrust open the door and a red-haired blur flew at him. His lips met Ginny's with the full force of a train and they kissed violently for a long moment. Finally, Draco pushed her away softly. He took in the large purple bruise around her eye and scowled. He touched it gently.
"Who did this to you?" He demanded already knowing the answer, his blood pounding in his ears, but Ginny just waved her hand dismissively.
"No one, I did it to myself. Clumsy me."
"Don't lie to me, Ginny," Draco in a low, threatening voice. Ginny gave him a level look.
"I'm not," she said, then pushed past him down the hall. "We're wasting time, is Felix here?"
"No, but I think he will be," he answered slowly, feeling his adrenaline ebb away. He did not want to change the subject, but Ginny was right. They were wasting time asking questions that could be taken care of later. She turned towards him, a look on her face that could crumble a rock to pieces. Draco knew that look, it had been years since he had seen it, but it was etched into his memory. It was the look she had given him right before he had left. She had demanded that he stay and threatened that if he didn't she would force herself to forget him. He had taken that chance in order to protect her.
"I will find my...our...son and I will kill Tom Riddle for taking him from me."