Chapter 20 Rhythm
Once Markus is gone, Severus turns to Draco.
"We've already wasted enough time. I want you to go have the portkey made while Lorelei and I go assess the situation at the warehouse. Hopefully, I'll have already gotten inside and secured the building by the time you get there." Severus instructs.
"That's impossible!" Draco objects, "You'll be outnumbered four to one!"
"Four to two, actually," Severus corrects him. "I fully intend to give Lorelei her wand."
Cadence smirks, "I promise to attempt to resist the urge to hex you."
"Thanks," Severus answers sarcastically before turning back to Draco. "I don't think Pandora and Calypso should be left alone…particularly with Paxton."
"And Roderick," Cadence adds.
"And your father," he agrees.
"Not my father," Cadence snaps. "Melinda's father."
Severus studies her for a moment, ready to snarl back at her, but thinks better of it. She can't run from her past forever, and someday she would have to face that. However, it would be foolish to refer to her relationship with Roderick as though she hadn't completely disowned him when she obviously had.
"Melinda's father," he corrects himself.
"Tell me you know what you're doing," Lorelei requests hopefully.
"I have a general idea," Severus replies quietly, making sure she stays low so that the deatheaters wouldn't catch a glimpse of either of them through any of the windows. "Do you trust me?"
She stops suddenly and turns to face him. "I have no reason to."
"That's not what I asked. Do you trust me, Lorelei?" He repeats, holding her gaze.
She studies him before replying, "I trust you to get us out of this alive. 'Us', as in me, Pandora, and Calypso, not me and you. I trust you to help my friends and I escape. Past that, you've done nothing to earn my trust."
"Fair enough," He murmurs in agreement.
"I really did…" Cadence hesitates before continuing, "I really was interested in that man I had drinks with at the Three Broomsticks. You had me going for a while there."
"I assume it is too late to offer an apology? This wasn't what I had intended." He asks smoothly.
"You're right. It is too late." She answers guardedly.
Severus closes his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, careful to keep his expression neutral. "Stay here while I look through the window," He instructs. "Keep your wand ready."
Severus moves past her, stopping beneath a window and peeking through it, trying to remain as unnoticeable as possible. "Markus was telling the truth," He whispers, "Both of them are tied to chairs not too far from this window. Cyrus is standing guard over them. Roderick is at the bar with Paxton. I don't see Donovan."
"Looking for me?" Donovan coos, coming around the corner behind Severus.
Severus keeps low, still hoping to avoid the attention of the other three. Lorelei presses herself into the shadows against the wall, and Donovan walks right past her without noticing. Severus eyes her for a moment, touching the back of his head where she had hit him with the book and hoping she got the hint. She meets his gaze and nods before he turns his attention back to Donovan.
"What are you playing at Donovan?" Severus asks, distracting the deatheater while Cadence quietly moves away from the wall, spotting a broken firewhiskey bottle close by. "Going to kill me before they notice? Keep all the glory for yourself? How very Gryffindor of you."
"You won't think you're so smart after we get don't with you, Snivellus!" Donovan hisses.
Behind him Cadence raises her wand and aims it at the bottle, sending it flying through the air at an alarming speed and crashing into Donovan's head jagged point first. Severus quickly casts a silencing spell over the area, and no sound is heard as the bottle shatters against Donovan's head. Donovan falls to the ground in an unconscious heap.
Severus removes the silencing charm, studying Donovan's unmoving form.
"Suddenly I'm extremely grateful that you hit me with a book rather that a broken bottle." He mutters.
Lorelei smirks, moving to stand over her unconscious opponent, forgetting she's supposed to be avoiding windows.
"Cadence!" Jaxon yells excitedly, suddenly catching sight of her.
Severus launches himself at her, knocking her to the ground just as the deatheaters look towards them.
Putting two and two together, Jaxon quickly attempts to disguise her outburst for something it wasn't. "Cadence! It means rhythm, you idiots! As in music? Turn on the radio!"