A/N: Final edit.
"Speechless, are we?" His sharp accent brought Scarlett back from the dazed state she had drifted into.
He continued, "Aaw, that's sweet ya know," He grinned menacingly, "I don't think I've ever had that sort of effect on someone."
She looked up at him and he widened his eyes, "Except when I've already cut their tongues out."
Scarlett chest rose and sank at a violent rate, her mind trying to process how he could possibly be here. After a few minutes her mind caved in.
"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real..." She mumbled into her arms, crossing them over her knees and burying her head.
"Oh, it's very real...very real." He moved so his mouth was at her ear. Through the gap in her legs she could see what he was wearing. It was an orange jumpsuit usually worn by prisoners in America.
God, he just gets weirder and weirder...
She could see his black boots were scuffed and worn, but looked more hardy than hers and outweighed the concept of kicking him then running off.
Anger bubbled up inside of Scarlett. She was furious. Furious that all her life there had been moments of peace and contentment that had been ruined by completely ridiculous and unexpected events that had once again destroyed what little happiness she had been harbouring.
Scarlett threw up her arms, "Why the fuck are you even here?" She screamed at him.
Hydell wasn't taken aback one bit, obviously used to outbursts such as hers, living with other werewolves and all.
"Well, that lad I jus' knocked out was sent by my wee Venator back in tha' cave over there." He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the far wall opposite them. He plonked himself down next to her, sending a waft of blood and body odour her way.
"What?" She quietened considerably. Scarlett turned her head towards him, making sure to shuffle away first.
"Well, I'm 'is replacement Beta now, aren't a?" He started to chew one of his nails. "An 'e sent Caius to get revenge on you lot by kidnappin ye and rapin' ye and all that, and then that boyfrien' o' yours were s'posed to go kill 'imself or somein'. I weren't really litstenin' to be honest."
"Shit." Scarlett muttered. Her mind was racing and she needed to escape as quickly as possible. She wanted to get out but her wand was wherever Caius had hidden it and she was sitting next to a werewolf.
Her eyes darted from him to Caius on the floor. He made the softest groaning noise before tilting his head slightly. Scarlett's pupils dilated in fear as she watched him come back out of his stupor.
His head turned until it was facing Scarlett and his eyes snapped open, she moved back like a shot, right into Hydell. His arms came around to strap across her neck and waist, holding her securely in place.
Scarlett watched, mouth open, as Caius picked himself up and dusted himself off like a zombie from a horror movie. Hydell sensed her tense and bit down on the tip of her ear as a warning, causing her to wince.
Caius stood tall, staring down at her. His eyes flickered to Hydell, "You're a dick." He said, pointing a finger at him.
"And you," His finger returned to Scarlett, "You're in trouble now."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The next few things that occurred happened in a blur and took Scarlett completely by surprise.
First of all, Hydell pulled her to her feet and next Caius's fist came out of nowhere and smashed across her cheek, leaving some blood and an angry red mark.
Scarlett opened her mouth and let some blood trickle out onto the floor. She spat the rest out and didn't dare look back up at him but instead kept her eyes focused on her puddle of red liquid.
Scarlett gave it another minute before spitting again and looking back up at him.
"Go on then," She said, "What the fuck are you waiting for?"
Caius paused and looked at her curiously.
"It won't do any good," She went on, "Whatever you two could possible do to me, I've already been in far worse. Scabior didn't kill himself. He stayed with me until I recovered, and that's why...that's why..."
"That's why what."
"That's why I love him." She whispered.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Caius, Hydell and Scarlett apparated to about 60 metres away from camp. She collapsed onto the cold ground and threw the entire contents of her stomach up until it started aching.
Hydell yanked her up and pulled the bottom of his sleeve over his hand. He used it to gently wipe away the bits of sick and spit left there from the past hour. It had been one of the most painful and horrifying hours of Scarlett's life and would not fail to fuel her awful nightmares.
Caius walked towards her and she flinched as his hand came up to pat her hair back into place.
"You look quite messy most of the time so I'm sure they won't notice." Caius grinned arrogantly.
"What about the bruises?" Scarlett croaked out, her voice hoarse from all the screaming.
"They'll heal. Just say you fell over or something." Caius shrugged his shoulders.
"What," Scarlett gave him a sarcastic look, "Down the side of a mountain."
Caius suddenly stepped forward, trying to intimidate her. It worked and she backed into Hydell then quickly side-stepped away from both of them.
Hydell finally spoke, "Well, Venator wanted ya to suffer so I guess my job's done then." He gave a small smirk before walking off in a random direction into the thick forest.
"What now?" She looked to him for guidance. Caius was in control at the moment so he got to make the decisions.
"We're gonna to return to camp and pretend none of this ever happened. Got that?"
"But it's been over an hour and a half since we left..." She looked off to her right.
"Just tell him I couldn't find the right room or something and you came to help me out." Caius grabbed her shoulders and held her close, inspecting every inch of her until he was satisfied their excuses would be enough.
They walked all the way back to camp and tried not to look awkward as they stood before the others. Nancy saw Scarlett's state and ran over to her.
"What happened to you?" She asked, pushing a stray piece of hair out of her eye.
"I er, fell down the stairs. You know how clumsy I can be." Scarlett managed a weak smile. She pushed past Nancy gently and went over to the tent, finding her bed and lying down on it.
Scabior saw Caius arrive and walked over to him, "Where the fuck is Scarlett?"
Caius smiled sweetly, "In the tent."
Scabior spun on his heel and stalked into the main tent, staring angrily at Scarlett's back.
"What took you so long?" He nearly shouted.
Scarlett rolled over and sat up, revealing the black eye and reddish purple mark on her cheek. Scabior's anger dissipated and he walked over to her and knelt down in front. He placed her hands on her lap and inspected her wounds.
"How?" He mumbled, anger thinly veiled in his tone.
"I fell down some stairs." Scarlett said in a monotone.
"You're not foolin' anyone, Scarlett. I can tell when you're lyin'." He stood up and reached a hand forward to trace the angry mark on her cheek.
"Anyway," He gave her a puzzled look, "There aren't any stairs in the Ministry."
Scarlett gave him a wan smile and smacked his hand away from her face, she then walked over to the little cupboard next to the kitchen and rooted around for the alcohol. Scabior always kept it at the very back so it wouldn't be nicked.
She took the cork out with her teeth and took a very long series of gulps, enjoying the burning effect the liquid had on her throat. She raised the bottle to her lips and was about to take another hearty swig when Scabior snatched it from her and took a gulp himself.
"Slow down." He muttered before walking towards the sofa. Scarlett sighed. "That's my good stuff." He said, looking at her over the top of the bottle.
It was a good couple of minutes before Scabior spoke again, "I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch, ya know." He drunk from the bottle again.
"No." She said, walking over to him and sitting across on the other ugly green sofa, "If we're going to do this we need to play our cards right."
"What the fuck are you on 'bout?" Scabior grumbled.
"You remember what happened last time we jumped straight into things."
Scabior just looked at her.
"We got in way over our head." She explained. "If we're gonna kill Caius and that Scottish cunt, Hydell, we ne-"
"He was there too?!" Scabior shouted, smashing the bottle down on the table in front of them. It was nearly empty and only a thin dribble of vodka leaked out the side.
"Fuckin' hell!" Scabior swore to himself.
"Calm down!" Scarlett begged him, looking warily towards the opening of the tent. Caius had probably overheard them arguing.
"He made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone!" Scarlett said, her voice shrilly.
"What could he possibly do that we can't match, eh?" Scabior's world was spinning slightly.
"They have Venator on their side!" Scarlett shouted.
Scabior was silent again, thinking hard.
"Voldemort still thinks we're completely loyal to him, doesn't he?" Scarlett mused aloud.
"Yeah..." Scabior glanced up at her.
"Well then we need to convince him that Venator's pack is going to cause an uprising against him."
"Why would they do that?"
"Maybe because Voldemort didn't respect them all along and isn't planning on letting them have any privileges in the new world blah, blah, blah..."
"Yeah, but we won the war ages ago. Not us personally, but it was the same side." Scabior told her.
"Yes," She agreed, "But even so, Voldemort hasn't gathered enough organisational skills to advance his rule over the entire wizarding world and the muggle world. Muggles probably don't even know he's won."
"Good point." Scabior sat back down again and propped his feet up against the table. He hung his arm off the back of the sofa and Scarlett saw this as an invitation to sit next to him. She plonked herself down and crossed her legs, leaning her head on his broad chest. Scarlett inhaled his scent and relaxed again.
"When do we leave?" She asked quietly.
"Give it a little while." Scabior grimaced and planted a peck on the top of her head.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Three days later, Scarlett and Scabior were sitting around the fire eating some very chewy bacon. Scabior caught Scarlett's eye and she nodded.
"Listen up, girls," He said loudly, clapping his hands together like some motivational speaker, "We're gonna split up today, half of you will go out snatching and the rest will come with me and Scarlett."
"Why?" Nero asked.
"Because, Nero," Scabior gave him an annoyed look, "We're doing a little test to see if the new recruits are up to the challenge."
"Oh, okay." He muttered back.
"So, Nero, Nancy, Felix, X-ray, Scarlett and I will stay 'ere." He looked at the others expectantly.
"Clear off then!" He yelled, watching them get to their feet slowly.
They disapparated one by one until only the original members were left.
Felix turned to Scarlett, "What's really goin' on?"
"Look at my face, Felix, do you really think I got it from falling down the stairs?"
Felix's eyes widened, "Who did it?"
"Caius. Caius and Hydell." Scarlett replied shortly.
Nancy gasped, "Hydell? That Scottish werewolf from Venator's pack?"
"Yeah," Scabior spoke for her, "He wanted to make us suffer. And now we're returning the favour."
Scarlett folded her arms over her chest and watched as Scabior explained the game plan.
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"Are shitting me?" Nero asked heatedly.
"No, Nero," Scabior replied, "We're ain't 'shitting' you, ya rude little fuck."
Nero bowed his head in defeat.
"Scar, this is a death wish." Felix told her. Scarlett looked up at with a puzzled frown, no one had ever called her that before. But she just shrugged it off. Maybe she could live with a nickname. Even one which was a little literal.
"I know, but they need to be taught a fuckin' lesson." She wound her arms tighter into a self hug.
Scabior ran and looked around just out of the tent, then back to them.
"Right, it's about 7 about now, if we go later on we might catch 'im."
"What time?" X-ray spoke.
"No earlier than 'alf nine." He suggested. They all nodded in unison and discussed what do with the time leading up to it. Theoretically, it should all go well, seeing as Scarlett and Scabior were being 'helpful' towards Voldemort by telling him if he was in danger as a ruler.
But then you had his temper, the Death Eaters, their temper, the circumstances, the fact that it was Scarlett warning him that his men were being threatened...
There were lots of ways this evening trip could turn out unsavoury, but then, none of their previous plans had turned out well.
Before long, 9 o'clock had loomed over them and their stomachs were churning in anxiety. They had spent most of their day snatching and but were still lively and skittish. What if Venator knew their plans? What if Caius knew? What if Voldemort knew?
Scarlett's eyes turned wide with the prospect and she was smacked on the back of the head forcefully by Scabior.
"Snap out of it." He said brusquely, pushing past her and pacing in front of the alcohol cupboard, turning and looking at it every now and again.
Scarlett moaned and rubbed the back of her head, staring daggers into the back of Scabior's skull. Felix watched from under his hat and chuckled slightly. He was lounged out in the sofa nearest to the beds, his feet hanging off the end and Nancy lying down on top of him. Her eyes were open but she was starting to drift off.
Nero noticed Felix had started snoring as well and threw a scrunched up piece of newspaper at his head. It knocked his hat onto Nancy's face and they both woke up.
X-ray took the coins they had earned earlier that day out of his pocket and began counting them in his left hand.
"Okay!" Scabior snapped loudly. Everyone turned to stare at him.
"We've been sittin' around for long enough. Let's go." His mouth was set in a straight line.
Scarlett and the others stood up and walked over to him, the same look of weary determination on their features.
"You can't go." Felix turned back towards Nancy.
"What?" Nancy demanded. Scarlett sighed, sensing the signs of the first fight in their new relationship.
"Felix," Scabior said loudly, "Look, we can't do this now – we've got something to do. Stop pissin' around with your girl, either she stays 'ere or comes with us – makes no difference to me."
"I'm coming," Nancy decided for the both of them, "I've survived far worse without your help."
Scabior nodded to Scarlett and she gripped his arm. They disappeared in a loud crack, followed by Felix, Nero, X-ray and Nancy. Scarlett breathed in the cold air of Hogsmeade and began to shiver.
The others must have arrived back by now. They're probably wondering where they are...
Scarlett's thought were interrupted by Scabior who gripped her upper arm and led her up towards the castle which was looming above them in the dark sky, it's jagged silhouette held one of recognition and warmth once, but now only dread and fear.
As they made their way up to the castle they got dirty looks off dangerous looking men which surrounded the castle, guarding it. Their glares reminded Scarlett of what they were about to face more of inside.
The huge gates were lined with Death Eaters, their faces cold and twisted with malice. As soon as they approached, a particularly large one stepped forward and gave them a stony look. Scabior rolled up his sleeve to show the dark mark and the man stepped aside again. Scarlett edged forward behind Scabior as he strode forward confidently. She marvelled at his ease at being around such dark people.
Entering the stone castle, Scarlett noticed how cold it was and she started to shiver again. Down one corridor they passed she saw an unlucky intruder being kissed by a Dementor. Scarlett didn't pause to stare as she jogged to catch up with Scabior again, hanging close to his elbow.
They turned a series of corridors and Scarlett thought she recognised some of them as her old classrooms, but that was years ago now. Scarlett stopped them after three minutes of walking.
"Wait." She tugged on Scabior's sleeve.
"What is it?" He stopped walking, but didn't face her.
Scarlett looked thoughtful before saying, "I think, wait...yeah."
"What?" Scabior was growing impatient.
"You see the corridor down there?"
He nodded.
"The Great Hall should be on the left." She gave him a serious expression.
"And?"
"He'll be in there, won't he?" She said condescendingly.
Scabior swallowed the lump in his throat, apparently he was just as scared as she was.
"Let's do it then." Nero said, pushing past in between the two.