Chapter 12: Allied Actions
Draco
I pulled the cloak tight around my shoulders as I stumbled out of the tunnel into the snow.
I knew I had to get to a shelter and warmth. It was so cold... I had no shirt on... Cold... All the warming spells I knew were temporary spurts of heat and only seemed to make the air colder once they had faded.
I could see a building up on a hill. It wasn't big, but it had walls. I could see candles through a window. Candles meant fire, and fire meant warmth.
I practically ran up the hill. I was so desperate to get out of the cold I didn't even think that an enemy might be lurking inside. Father would have been disappointed, but there was heat up there. I could die either way, but I preferred to die warm.
The front door was locked, but a simple spell fixed that. I shoved the wood out of my way and closed it tightly behind me. Not even bothering to relock the door, I ran forward.
I found myself in a church. Lines of pews led the way to a pulpit and altar. A cross stood behind the altar, a huge crucified figure of the Christ hanging from its harsh wood. A face of perpetual agony hung low, every muscle strained from the pain of that death.
"I plead sanctuary." I cynically called on the old practice as I moved past the pews. The candlelight was from the few lights still standing on the altar. Light shown from underneath a door at the side—probably the priest's home or study.
I did not want to meet the holy man so I trod as quietly as I could across the wooden floor.
There were no great stained windows, but various scenes of Christ's life hung as still paintings in the alcoves.
I reached the sacrament table. There was a stack of white table cloths sitting on a shelf under the table. I dragged one off the pile and wrapped it around my body. I was so tired, I simply propped my head on the others and huddled into a shivering ball on the ground.
Adam
I was strong. I really was. But sometimes even the strongest man needs a little extra support. I needed some spiritual guidance. I didn't know what was happening to my sister. I wanted to believe she was fine, that she was keeping herself strong. I was sure she was. But even so, my baby sister was still in the clutches of some evil man who was doing who knew what to her.
I could still remember her following me around when we were younger. Big blue eyes and a bouncing blonde pony tail—never pigtails. They were too girly for her.
I could still remember the way she cried when her blanket was taken away or mom wouldn't let her suck on her thumb. It was impossible to think of her as a villain. It just did not compute.
The reports we were getting were alarming, but I held onto my hope.
There was nothing I could physically do to help her though. That was the worst part. I like working with my hands. I was a caster, but in a pinch I would always use my hands instead of a spell. I like action. I like the feel of doing something. But in this situation, there was no action I could take for her. I was feeling stifled inside that house. So I asked Arthur Weasley if he could bring me to a local church where I could get outside that house and reset my spiritual clock.
He had agreed to bring just me to the chapel. The other members of the order had protested—as Becky's brother I could be a target and I was safer inside. They were also wary that I might be as volatile as Nikki and just hadn't shown it yet. He waved them away though. We would just go early in the morning, before the actual service and be back by lunch, no harm done.
"Molly and I used to go here every Sunday, but when the twins came it was just too much of a hassle." Arthur told me as we walked through the snow towards the old church. I hated snow. Always have. It was bright and sparkly and drove my eyes crazy. A thick blanket covered everything I could see. I pulled my hat further down over my eyes to block out the reflection of the sun off the white flakes of evil.
"My parents had a rough time keeping me in church when I was younger. I wasn't the best behaved child." I answered with a laugh. I felt better being outside, even if it was in terrible conditions.
Arthur laughed with me. I liked the Weasley patriarch. He was a good-natured, quirky character. He lived in serious times but inside all he wanted to do was play.
We reached the church door and found it unlocked. The pastor wasn't immediately in view, but I could hear some boxes being shuffled around in a room branching off to the side. Arthur went to go see if it was the pastor and left me to pray in private.
I walked between the pews and was grateful for the empty state of the church.
I had never really been the conventional church attendee. With my wild mane of hair and dark glasses people were generally a bit unnerved by me. Between my glasses and the hat, no one could see my eyes—which is unnerving enough for some people, but add in a six foot, very bulky body and a heavy beard and you had a public menace.
Once people got to know me they generally calmed down, but the initial hard stares were always difficult to take. It was nice to just worship without other people around.
I reached the front of the chapel where a large pulpit sat with an open King James Bible on top. A sacrament table sat on the side with a white sheet covering. I was about to take a seat in one of the first pews when I noticed a leg sticking out from under the table cloth.
Worried it was the pastor; I knelt down next to the table and lifted the white covering off.
A boy around Becky's age was curled up with some other table cloths. A dark cloak was wrapped around his body, but a scruffy brown head poked out the top.
Arthur was still in the back with the Pastor, but I didn't want to leave him there. I reached out and gently shook the boy's shoulder. "Hey man, you're going to have to wake up soon."
He jerked awake abruptly, pushing himself up with one arm and swinging a wand around with the other. His head clonked against the table as he rose and he crouched back down with a groan.
"Damn it." He hissed, clutching at his head with his wand hand.
I decided against scolding him for swearing in a church. Mostly because the cloak fell from his shoulders and I saw that instead of a shirt he wore a thick covering of bloody bandages. His face and bare arms were a mess of deep cuts and lesser scratches. Something bad had happened to this kid. I would have sworn too, in his place.
"Whoa, easy there." I cautioned.
The wand came at my face again as the kid glared at me. "Who are you?" He demanded.
I put my hands up in surrender and backed up. He quickly clambered to his feet, keeping his wand trained on me. He left bloody stains on the white sheets behind him.
"Relax. I don't want to fight you. I want to help you." I spoke in a slow, calm voice. "You look pretty messed up, I can help you."
He had hard grey eyes that refused to be soothed. "Tell me your damn name!" He half-yelled, waving the wand threateningly.
Wands always struck me as silly looking. It was a little kid's toy, not a real weapon. Unfortunately, my line of work was too hazardous to keep a ring like Becky or Nikki. Instead, I kept a necklace that I could tuck under my shirt to keep safe. It was harder to concentrate on a tool of power that wasn't based in the hand, but it served its purpose for me.
It also meant that it was hidden from the boy in front of me. If it came down to a fight he would think I was unarmed. I was also much bigger than him, which meant that I could probably stop him without magical assistance anyway.
"Adam." I answered him. "My name is Adam. What's yours?"
"What's your last name?"
I tried to gauge just how strong he was. He had a lean body, not overtly muscled, but capable. He was built more like my younger brother, for speed, not brute strength. My eyes traveled over his arms and rested briefly on a tattoo on his left arm.
I felt a chill run down my spine as I recognized the skull and snake insignia. Talks with the Order of the Phoenix members had brought me up to speed on the political events of this country. Death Eaters. The people who had taken my sister.
Without another thought, I knocked aside his wand with my hand and tackled the boy to the ground. I trapped his left arm underneath one knee and held the other at bay with one hand. My other arm I pulled back and held in a tensed position—ready to punch him if I needed too.
I had caught him off guard and he didn't struggle until it was too late. I know how to throw my weight around when I need to, and a considerable amount of it was pressing on his chest and stomach.
"Get…off of me…" He gasped in a pained growl. He was probably bleeding again, but I didn't care. He was part of the group that had my sister—he deserved a little pain.
"Who are you?" It was my turn to do the demanding. "Where is my sister?"
Pain and confusion clouded his eyes and he shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know your sister."
"Don't give me that crap." I pressed harder into his stomache and he gasped. "You're a part of that bastard organization that took my sister." I pointed at his tattoo. "You're going to tell me where she is."
He glanced at his arm and grimaced. "I don't know…who…"
"Rebecca!" I told him angrily. "Her name is Rebecca!"
His eyes widened in recognition, and then I felt his entire body slump beneath me in defeat. "You're Adam Nils." He whispered sadly. I nodded. "I…I know your sister. I…I want to help her. Let me up. Please. I can help you."
I didn't want to let him up. I wanted to hit him. I didn't move.
"Please don't hurt me. Your sister already beat me up." He tried to reason with me. "She did all this."
I glanced at the blood seeping up through the bandages and then smirked. Good girl. "Give me your wand."
He dropped it and I quickly snatched up the stick. "Who are you? Why did Becky attack you?"
The boy had to spend a moment trying to get enough air to talk. I eased up a bit. "Draco. Draco Malfoy. And it was an accident really, she didn't mean to. She was doing an exercise and I…got in the way."
I remembered Malfoy being a prominent death eater name. That was the name of the family that lived in the place they had kept my sister. My fist clenched. "Exercise?"
Draco nodded. "They're training her to control her powers. And sort of brainwashing her in the process."
A trickle of blood slid out from under the bandages and trailed past his belly button. I figured that meant either Becky wasn't gaining much control or she had learned too much.
"So why are you here?"
Draco hesitated before answering. "My father kicked me out. I'm not sure if he decided I was too useless or if he was trying to protect me."
He seemed sincere, but this was a death eater I was speaking to.
"I know things about her, how she works and thinks. I know what she's capable of. Once the Dark Lord convinces her to help him, we're all going to lose. Potter doesn't stand a chance against her. I can help you! I can help you get to her and get her out of there!"
He was talking fast, trying to convince me not to hurt him. He wanted me to think he was useful—too useful for me to beat up. I wasn't buying into it yet.
"Why would you help us?" I asked.
"Because it's right. Because what they're doing to her is wrong. I don't want to be a coward anymore. I want to help her." A hopeless look took over his expression. He didn't think I would ever believe him. He was probably right. "Please! You have to believe me! You're her brother! You know how she is! They'll destroy her, just like they destroy everything else!"
"Did they destroy you?"
It was a poignant question and it took him off guard. But eventually his features settled into a determined glare.
"Not yet."
In another situation, that statement might have put him on my good list. As it was, it simply made me more capable of believing him.
I had one final question. "Why should I trust you?"
There was no hesitation this time. "Because she needs you to."
That was true enough for me. I got off and warily watched him get to his feet. Once he was standing I glanced around for Arthur. He was still in the back. I would have to bring the kid and go looking for him. But first, there was something I had to do.
"Hey, Draco?"
He looked up just in time for my fist to smash into his eye.
He stumbled backward and hit the ground hard. He was dazed, but not unconscious. Good. I put his wand in the inside pocket of my jacket and zipped it up. Then I grabbed the boy by the collar of his cloak and hauled him to his feet.
"What the hell was that for?" Draco demanded, covering his rapidly swelling face with one hand.
"You deserved it. Don't pretend you didn't." I dragged him towards the back room. "Your people kidnapped my sister. I needed to punch someone. You're the closest candidate."
He really couldn't argue.
I found Arthur fairly quickly. He had a little trouble identifying Draco under his newly blackened eye and all the blood, but he recognized the name and such well enough. He was shocked and alarmed to find the Malfoy heir in my grasp, but handled it pretty well.
We left the church quickly enough. Arthur wasn't sure if it was safe to bring Draco to headquarters, so he left us in the Burrow (his house) and went to get permission. I wasn't sure if he was too scared to talk or if I had given him a concussion, but either way he stayed pretty quiet until Arthur came back with earplugs and a blindfold.
The reception back at headquarters was varied. Most of the Order was out for the day and would not return for several hours. Harry and Ron were out with Moody, but Hermione was there and greeted Draco with a silent, hating glance. Ginny was considerably more vocal in her hatred.
Remus, while not entirely friendly, was calmer and offered to help the kid change his bandages and fix his hair color. No one seemed to want to actually heal Draco, but Molly was willing to help lessen the swelling on his eye and provide him with an actual shirt.
Professor Zinnober was still working on his alchemical thing, but promised to come later.
I stayed with him the whole time. He had information about my sister and I wasn't about to let him off lightly. I also wanted to make sure no one decided to hurt him. As far as I was concerned, Draco was my prisoner and I reserved the right to beat him.
Eventually, Molly went off to make lunch and Ginny went with Remus to escort Nikki from her containment.
"Are you supposed to be my babysitter?" I was surprised when he spoke. He had demonstrated an excellent ability to be stoic and silent while the others were in the room.
"I prefer the term 'domestic caretaker'." I responded smartly.
His glare was priceless. He shifted in his chair, fiddling with the hem of the worn shirt he was borrowing. I don't think he appreciated my wit. "You know, you don't look much like your sister."
I smiled wryly. He hadn't actually seen much of my face considering it was covered with dark glasses and a beard, but it was true anyway. "Yeah. I've got deeper dimples."
The confusion that bought me was awesome.
"Are you making fun of me?" He asked angrily. "I don't appreciate it."
Poor boy needed to learn to take a joke, especially when times were tough. He wouldn't last very long in my family. I shook my head. "No, really. I do have deeper dimples than Becky."
He sputtered for a bit as he tried to come up with something intelligent to knock me, but I guess he didn't quite have the background to come up with an adequate reply. Becky should have taught him better. When she was back, I would have to scold her for failing in her duties.
Draco gave up on my sanity and went back to his silent brooding.
I sighed and decided to take pity on him. He was supposedly trying to help me after all.
"Hey, look. I get the feeling everyone here is pretty hostile against you. But if you can help me save my sister, I won't let them hurt you. How's that?"
He gave me a disbelieving look. "Sorry, but you gave me a black eye like, an hour ago. I have a tough time trusting you."
This was understandable. Perhaps I had acted rashly in punching him. I shrugged. "Don't be a baby. You're fine. Becky isn't though, and if you want to help her then we're going to work together on this."
A wary glance was my only response. I certainly was not about to apologize, but I could sympathize.
"Look, I promise I won't hit you again unless you absolutely deserve it. I need you and you need me and Becky needs both of us. That's what matters." His first reaction to me stretching out my hand was to flinch. But then he sighed and gripped it tightly.
"What's with the bromance?" A sharp feminine voice spoke behind me. Draco immediately tensed up and instinctively reached for a wand that wasn't there.
"Relax, it's just Nikki. Hey Crazy." I turned my head as my blonde compatriot flounced into the dining room, Remus right behind.
"'sup Adam?"
"Just having a chat with our new friend. Nikki, meet Draco. Draco, this is Nikki Peggan."
Nikki's eyes critically took in Draco's scruffy appearance. His borrowed shirt covered his bandages, but his face was still a mess. Besides his black eye, he still had the myriad of scratches across his cheeks. His hair was unkempt and sticking out in odd directions. The poor boy was in some sort of dress slacks that did not match his riding boots. I wondered what Nikki thought of him.
Draco was sizing up Nikki just as critically. But he wasn't giving her the challenging, defiant look he had given every other person who had walked through the dining room. Instead, he was just curious.
That was interesting.
Whatever Draco thought, Nikki found him disappointing. "Great. Another person who does nothing. Is this what you brought me down here for?" I realized she probably thought he was another member of the Order who had just been out in the field. I would enjoy telling her otherwise.
Remus shook his head. "It's almost lunch time."
She hmph'd and took a seat close enough to Draco and I that she could glare effectively, but far enough away that she couldn't be considered sitting with him.
The werewolf went into the kitchen to see if he could help Molly at all, leaving the three of us alone.
"What happened to your face?" Nikki asked bluntly. "You look like a rabid bear chewed you up and spat you out."
I rolled my eyes at her rudeness but Draco found it impossibly amusing, even going so far as to smile.
"Not a bear. An army of hideous shadow creatures. Except for this," He pointed at his eye. "Which I can thank Adam here for."
Nikki's eyebrows rose and she transferred her glare to me. "Adam! You told me I couldn't punch anyone! You freaking hypocrite!"
Ordinarily this would have made me laugh. It was pretty funny, but I still felt justified in my actions. I was about to say so when Draco beat me to it.
"I don't have a sibling, but if I did have a sister and she had been kidnapped I would probably have hit anyone in connection with those that hurt her too." He was being pretty bold. I wondered what his aim was.
Suspicious now, Nikki turned her full attention to the prisoner. "Who are you, again?"
"Draco Malfoy." He extended his left arm so she could see the Dark Mark. "You know, you are exactly like Rebecca described you."
She recognized the last name and the mark. She hardly needed any other encouragement, but the insinuation that he knew Becky was too much for her. Nikki stood up and thrust her hand forward; growling some curse before remembering her ring had been taken away. Lacking magic, I was afraid she might leap across the table and tackle him. I moved fast, jumping around the table and grabbing her shoulders.
"Nikki! Relax; he's going to help us get her back!"
"I'll kill him!"
"No, Nikki!"
I expected Draco to flee, but he sat calmly in his chair. "I'm here to help you."
"Go to hell!" Nikki shrieked.
The boy flinched and then nodded. "Yeah. I don't see how I could end up anywhere else. But not now. Now, we need to save Rebecca."
"What do you care about Becky!?"
Draco responded carefully, but sincerely. "I care that she is a good person who is being destroyed and I don't want to live in a world where that happens. I care that it is the right thing."
"He's our best hope, Nikki." I added. "He knows things. Things we need to know."
Nikki gradually stopped struggling. She was quiet and subdued as she asked, "You're really going to help us?"
He nodded vigorously.
"I'm going to kill you once this is over." She warned darkly as she flipped back to an attitude she was more comfortable in.
He agreed. "Just set the date."
"Sooner if you betray us."
"Sounds perfect."
The girl wavered for just a moment more before nodding her acceptance. I released my hold on her shoulders and went back to my seat.
I had just settled back down when Harry Potter walked in and I had to prepare to restrain Nikki again. Most of the absent Order was funneling in behind him, ready for both lunch and the emergency meeting. The chosen one stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Draco.
"Malfoy?" He asked in a combination of shock and anger. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Hermione and Ron came to stand near him. Ginny trailed into the dining room after them. It was like people were gathering for some kind of show down. I would have to prevent that.
"He's here to help, which is more than we can say for you." Nikki retorted derisively. She moved purposefully to stand next to Draco's chair and draped an arm across his shoulders. She had jumped from threatening his life to defending it in an instant. Probably because she approved of anything that got on Harry Potter's nerves that quickly.
"Nikki, you don't know what he's like." Ginny interjected, looking pained at having to agree with her ex-boyfriend.
But she just shrugged. "I don't care what he's like. He's going to help Becky and that's what matters."
"I don't believe this!" Harry threw his hands in the air in frustration. I felt sorry for him. None of this was really his fault. He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders that he didn't really deserve.
"Just hear me out, Potter." Draco was obviously making a huge effort to be civil. "You're always preaching about goodness and all that. Extend some of that goodness to me. I'm here to help."
"Like we're going to believe that!" Ron growled. "Somebody get this git out of here!"
"Funny, I was just thinking that about you." Nikki replied contemptuously.
I decided to intervene before we had a full-scale brawl. "Everyone take your voices down a couple decibels and calm down. Let's eat some lunch and then discuss it like adults. I brought Draco here because he said he'll help my sister. He's here as my prisoner and he's under my protection. So all of you back off and go eat lunch."
Ginny, recovering from her brief moment of unity with Potter, flounced over to sit next to me. Not next to Draco, she couldn't ignore her actual hatred of him that much, but it was a sign that she would back me up. I appreciated the gesture, even if the motivation was really just to be independent from the golden trio.
Her brother looked furious. "Ginny!"
Harry put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. The youngest Weasley practically owned that boy and didn't even realize it. He wasn't going to fight her if he didn't have to.
"We'll listen." The golden boy declared softly, defeat slumping his shoulders down. "After we've eaten. Come on, Ron. Let's help your mom with the food."
He pulled his friends into the kitchen. He was a good kid underneath all the stuff he goes through. A bit intense in some areas, but he had a good heart. Nikki wouldn't believe it, but I knew that Harry truly just wanted to help.
It occurred to me that Draco was a bit of a foil for Harry. They wanted to do the right thing, but struggled to get there.
Nikki took a seat next to Draco, completely forgetting her death threats from before, and began talking to Ginny. Other Order members took seats or went into the kitchen to help out.
I listened to the conversations going on around me but chose not to join in. They were all ignoring the elephant in the room until the meeting actually started.
Draco met my gaze and I knew he and I were on the same wavelength.
But they couldn't ignore him for long. There was really only one outcome we would allow for this meeting. Sooner or later, elephants have to be dealt with. And now that one had entered Headquarters, it was time to act.
So not much actually happened, but it was necessary to set up the end. And I wanted Adam to have some spotlight time. Poor boy is neglected. Some parts were a little rushed. I hope Adam's persona came across okay though. He's supposed to be a insightful and capable, but often overlooked guy.
Happy New Year!
I actually started this a year and a week ago. I feel accomplished.
As always, review and help me improve.
Love,
Elle
