DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 21 - Dining with Death
Friday Evening
Draco sat on a soft chair before the darkened hearth of his room, eyes closed and his fingers biting into the rich red fabric. His dress robes were overly warm and uncomfortable, the expensive cloth confining his movements. He raised his eyes when the door creaked open and Cain Zabini stepped into the room. Draco cleared his throat and rose, shaking out the cloak he wore. The jingle of chains drew his gaze to the armful of metal the older wizard carried.
"His orders." The Death Eater murmured apologetically, a shrug of his shoulders accompanying the words. Draco gave a stiff nod and held his arms out, watching carefully as the manacles were fastened around his wrists. The sudden weight had him raising his chin, eyes narrowing at the ominous rattle of metal. "They'll be taken off as soon as we reach our destination."
"That's fine." Draco stated, the calmness in his voice belying the anger that was slowly consuming him.
"We're going to go down through the prison to an apparation point where I and several others will assure you make it to Orchard Hill." Cain explained, stepping back from Draco and nodding at him solemnly before turning around and heading for the door. The pair moved down the long corridors and shadowed staircases, neither acknowledging the guards that fell into step behind them. It was as they passed through thick doors into another long dark hallway that Draco realized where he was; the brilliant light at the end of the corridor beckoning to him. His heart racing, he lengthened his stride and practically ran towards the glow.
His bright silvery eyes picked up Harry's shifting form as the dark-haired wizard paced back and forth behind the bars. "Harry!" He called, ignoring the grunted warning of one of his Death Eater escorts. His hands were held open before him in a welcoming gesture, reaching for the other wizard.
"Draco!" Harry roared, his own hands hovering above the crackling magical bars. "The bars." He warned loudly, thinking for one minute that Draco had forgotten about the magic pulsing through the metal.
"I remember." Draco murmured, eyes shimmering slightly. He accepted the hand Harry extended cautiously through the bars, squeezing the cold fingers lightly. "You look well."
"As do you." Harry croaked, overcome by the emotion. The pair stood quietly staring at each other, their eyes searching for injuries or wounds. Clearing his throat, he returned the squeeze and smiled at the blonde. "You're alright?"
Draco peered behind him and noted the positions of the Death Eaters before leaning closer to the bars, holding Harry's hand against his chest. "I'm well. The contract you signed, Harry, do you remember what it said?" He whispered, licking his lips and looking over his shoulder at Cain Zabini who was staring into the darkness avidly.
"Not all of it, I know we're free of the prison. That I'm supposed to be in command of a contingent of Death Eaters." Harry replied thoughtfully, shaking his hand free of Draco's to run a finger over the black silk the blonde was swathed in. "Tom probably put something in there somewhere that neither of us caught."
"We have to move on now Mister Malfoy." Zabini announced, stopping behind the younger wizard and placing a hand on his shoulder.
Draco nodded but grabbed and clung to the Harry's slim hand, his mouth going dry. "Probably," he agreed. His hand tightened and he carefully raised Harry's fingers to his mouth, placing a quick kiss on the tips before letting go. The rattle of his chains had him grimacing, and shrugging out from under the hand resting on his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow; at the ball." He murmured as he took a step back from the cell.
"Be safe, Draco." Harry called, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the blonde fade into the shadows.
"Always, Harry." Draco whispered softly, walking backwards a few more steps before turning around and heading down the shadowed corridor. He fought the urge to look over his shoulder, knowing it would do him no good to see Harry standing alone within the cage. Closing his eyes, he allowed Cain to guide him through the prison to the apparation point.
Hermione stared down at the writhing tattoo resting upon her forearm. A satisfied smile crossed her face as she raised her eyes to meet the triumphant gaze of her team. Clearing her throat, she ran a finger over the snake and skull. "Well done all." She stated, the words lost in the sudden bout of cheering and whooping surrounding her. Throwing back her head, she laughed and threw an arm around the shoulders of the Ravenclaws standing next to her. "It's perfect!"
"It has the exact characteristics of the Dark Mark. As long as You-Know-Who doesn't try and touch it, it should pass as the actual tattoo." One of the Ravenclaws explained, his fingers running over the dark inky shape. The snake remained still upon Hermione's forearm, its lithe body tucked inside the skull.
"Did you figure out why we were having complications earlier on?" She asked, poking the snakes nose and watching as it's forked tongue twitched.
"Part of the final incantation was originally in a foreign language that we previously couldn't decipher. It took some work for us to figure out the language and the pronunciation as well as the proper translation." Murmured a witch, twitching the hem of her cloak from beneath the feet of the wizard standing behind her.
"Excellent. Good work everyone." Hermione called over the loud voices. Still admiring the snake curling on her arm, she looked at the small clock hanging on the wall. "How are the pigs?"
"They're good. Arrangements have been made to ship them to a small farm a couple of hours from here. The snakes were removed from their skin and have been returned to their jars for now."
Hermione nodded in acknowledgment, letting her sleeve fall to cover the mock Dark Mark she pulled a small notebook towards her and flipped it open. "Alright, listen up everyone. Tomorrow morning the individuals who will be participating in the Orchard Hill mission will start to arrive. With approximately thirty tattoos to apply we need to be fast and organized. All of you know your jobs and the general routine such a procedure should follow. I want them in and out as fast as possible. Any questions?"
The door eased open and Blaise poked his head in, raising an eyebrow at the solemn atmosphere of the crowded room. Waving her hand, Hermione held up a finger and indicated she would be with him in a few minutes. "I'll be in the Intelligence wing." Blaise stated, withdrawing his head and closing the door softly.
"No questions? Okay, this list contains the people who will require the Dark Mark tattoo. Split it into sections and make sure you check them off as they're completed." Pinning the piece of parchment to the small board next to the door, Hermione put a hand on the door knob and searched the faces of her team. "I probably don't need to remind you that there's a really big dinner happening in forty-five minutes either, do I?" At the amused looks, she smiled and left the room.
Her feet unerringly leading her towards the wing Blaise's department had taken over. The low buzz of voices had her peeking into one of the rooms and finding a panel of tv screens being monitored by several Hufflepuffs. "Have any of you seen Blaise?" She asked, snapping her mouth closed when one of the wizards turned around and glared at her. Holding her hands up, she shook her head and continued down the hall, carefully peeking into doors as she passed.
"Hermione in here." Blaise called halting her progress. Stepping into the room, she looked at the table he stood before, recognizing it as the map of Orchard Hill. The mass of hallways and rooms were a complicated maze, confusing the eyes and forcing her to lean closer. Hermione's eyes widened as she watched several dots appear in one of the rooms, immediately names hovered above the moving footprints.
"It's working." She whispered in amazement, extending a hand and tracing it over the image projected upon the wood.
"You doubted Terry and his team?" Blaise said in amusement, his own eyes following the footprints labeled Cain Zabini. Waving the Gryffindors flustered response away, he extended a finger to point out a small dot in one of the corners. "This is what I wanted you to see."
Hermione leaned closer, her lips moving as she read the name above the small blue dot. Taking a deep breath she leaned against the table, face paling. She raised her eyes and looked up at Blaise, noting the smirk on the wizards face. "Draco Malfoy."
XxXxX
Ron stood in a small atrium at the back of the house, surrounded by flowering plants and creeping vines. The glass windows were frosted, obstructing his view of the gardens. Raising a hand, he gently pushed the corner of one of the empty wicker birdcages hanging from the ceiling. Devoid of the small birds that had once occupied the cages, the room was strangely silent.
Even as he stood there within the safety of Ice Manor, his mind was with the numerous teams currently slinking through the darkness. Black cloaks concealing their identities, they would apparate from house to house, breaking laws belonging to wizards and muggles alike. Straightening his shoulders, he spun on his heel and eyed the two individuals standing respectfully behind him.
"As soon as the first one arrives bring me the invitation. No one besides either of you or myself is to lay a finger on that parchment." He ordered, waiting for them to whisper their assent before striding from the room. Heading towards his own wing, he paused before a window and eyed the shadows slipping along the inside of the hedges. The night was dark, pale moon hidden behind the slowly moving clouds. A smirk crossed his face when a pair of red eyes locked with his, the shadow curling phantom lips before vanishing back into the darkness. Somewhere within the yard, a lone howl rose and fell away.
Blue Lion Team # 2
A strong wind ripped at the trees surrounding the small house. The shutter hanging loose was continuously slammed against the dark brick, the loud sound concealing the quiet approach of four figures. Blacks cloaks were tugged and pulled by invisible fingers, however the dark hoods never moved.
Glancing back at the distant street, Susan Bones withdrew her wand and began to whisper a complicated spell, wand weaving with each murmured syllable. With the last word, she slid her wand away and nodded at her team mates; Sixteen Cauthington Road was, for now, an apparation free zone.
Extending a finger, she pointed at Gregory Goyle and indicated the seemingly innocent front door before motioning for Sally-Anne Perks and Hunter Moon to go to the back door. As the team split up and slipped into the shadows, they began their cautious approach towards the house. Wands were withdrawn and ran carefully around the door, searching for any entrapment or killing curses woven into the frame.
"It's clear." Goyle breathed into her ear. She glanced over her shoulder and nodded at him, waiting for him to put his back to her before whispering the first unlocking charm.
As the lock clicked, Susan put a hand carefully on the door and swung it open before taking the first slow step into the dark foyer. Tapping the Slytherin on the shoulder, she began a quick pursual of the room, noting nothing out of the ordinary she slid across the room and peeked through an open door.
"We're in." Sally-Anne muttered, the tip of her wand proceeding her into the room. The four searched the shadows before one of them pointed out the stairs leading upwards into the darkness.
"You two can take this one, we'll start looking." Susan hissed softly, smirking at the glow of impatience and excitement gracing the face of Hunter. The pair seemed to float up the staircase for nary a board creaked or a boot scuffed against the wood. With a quick nod of encouragement, Susan whispered the first spell. "Accio invitation." The sudden thump from above had both wincing and whirling to face the stairs, wands readied for whatever came down the steps. In a flurry of paper a book came whipping down the stairs, glowing softly as it fell to the ground at her feet.
"You're clear!" Sally-Anne called down the stairs as she began to descend, the smile on her face speaking of the success of the operation. Nodding, Susan scooped the book up and sneered at the cover before carefully turning it over and shaking it out. In a whisper of paper, a thin slice of parchment slipped from between the pages.
"This is it." Susan stated after opening it and quickly reading the few words scrawled within. Handing it to Gregory, she raised an eyebrow. "The Death Eater?"
"Now occupying a comfortable cell in Winter Heights." Hunter said, a cold smile creeping over his face.
"Good. Let's continue then." Susan stated. The team withdrew carefully; relocking the doors and whispering spells to confuse anyone who might try and track their apparation signatures. As Susan ended the spell surrounding the house, Gregory pulled a small birdcage from his pocket. Tapping the cage, he reached inside and withdrew a Nightingale, smiling as the bird gave a chirped greeting. Strapping the invitation to the birds leg, he tossed her into the night and watched as she disappeared into the darkness. Holding out his hand, he waited as the other three placed their palms atop his before whispering the next address on their list. In a small flash the four figures apparated away.
Draco shifted in the hard chair he had been shown to, his fingers playing absently with the gold fork resting beside his right hand. The table was crowded but impossibly quiet, each person taking stock of the individuals seated around them. A throne like chair at the head of the table remained empty; waiting for Voldemort to join his servants. Several Death Eaters sat at the table, their dark robes and thick cloaks making them seem out of place in the elegant dining room. Others, like Draco, were dressed in expensive looking dress robes but seemed to be more uncomfortable then the Dark Lords servants.
The doors at the end of the room were thrown open, banging against the wall with a resounding thump. Immediately everyone began to rise, sliding their chairs back and standing at attention as Voldemort appeared in the doorway. Draco slumped even further down in his chair, crossing his arms moodily over his chest and glaring at his empty plate.
"I'm glad everyone was able to join me this evening in celebrating the almost complete takeover of the wizarding world. Each of you at this table has in some way assisted or committed something to this project and for that I thank you." Voldemort said, raising his arms and smiling as his guests burst into appreciative applause. Gliding forward, the Dark Lord waited as his chair was pulled back before seating himself. He extended his hand and picked up his wine glass, raising it and waiting as silence fell again before beginning to make his toast. "To me and the new wizarding world; may it forever be a better place to live and raise our children."
Various words of agreement were spoken as everyone grasped their own glass and raised it The table went deathly quiet as they noticed their lord was no longer listening to them. His icy gaze rested upon the relaxed form of Draco.
"Is there a problem, Mister Malfoy?"
Turning his head slowly, Draco raised a single platinum eyebrow and reached out to pick up his glass. Staring over the rim, he narrowed his eyes and held the glass up. "To your inevitable death; may it come soon but kill you slowly and painfully." Draco stated clearly, pressing the glass to his lips, he took a small sip then returned it to the table Ignoring the shocked stares and whispers of dread creeping down the table, he crossed his arms and glared at the Dark Lord.
"You've just ruined my appetite, Draco." Voldemort growled, setting his glass down with a thunk.
Shuffling nervously, Cain Zabini rose. "Perhaps you would like us to remove Mister Malfoy for the duration of the dinner?" He suggested softly, cringing as the dark lords eyes fastened on him.
"You've suddenly gained confidence, Zabini." Voldemort murmured, his fingers fiddling with the shimmering knife resting next to his plate. Gesturing for the Death Eater to sit back down, he waited calmly for his orders to be followed before moving quickly. With a movement reminiscent of a snake striking, Voldemort sank the knife through Cain's hand and into the table. The wizard made no sound but his face paled with the effort to restrain the cry. "Leave it." He ordered when he saw the hand Zabini had placed on the hilt.
"Yes, my lord." Cain Zabini croaked, his other hand shaking as he removed it from the column of silver. Nervous laughter erupted down the table, quickly silenced as the individual was pinned under Voldemort's stony gaze.
"Let us begin." The Dark Lord snarled, waving a hand to begin the serving of the first course. Glancing at the blonde seated next to Zabini, Voldemort watched him thoughtfully before speaking. "In the future remember your place. "You serve me and only me."
As the room filled with the cheerful sounds of food being passed around and familiar topics being discussed, Draco focused his baleful gaze on Voldemort and leaned back in his chair. Resentment smoldered in his half-closed eyes as he stared the older wizard down. Sneering, he turned his attention to Zabini and ignored the calculating expression of the Dark Lord.
Blue Lion Team # 7
The structure sitting in the center of a carefully spelled plot of field looked a lot like a barn in the darkness. Its steep roof and windowless walls causing Justin Finch-Fletchley some confusion as he stared at the third address on his teams list.
"Please tell me this is some sick joke." He muttered, ignoring the elbow delivered swiftly to his side. Shaking his head in defeat, he began to murmur the incantation that had been drilled into his head several hours ago. When the glow from his wand faded he turned his head and met the eyes of Hannah Abbott.
"It's a Death Eater, what do you want from him? He's probably insane." The Hufflepuff witch answered with a shrug of her shoulders. Rolling his eyes, he signaled for the team to spread out and begin their approach. Wand at the ready, he glided forward carefully. The hood of his cloak hiding his face and sometimes causing his vision to be obstructed. With no moon, the field was completely black, hiding small holes and large rocks lying forgotten among the waist high grass. Eyes searching for the entrance, he frowned when he saw Mandy Brocklehurst beckon him towards her.
"There's no door." The witch whispered, widening her eyes and shrugging her shoulders at the stumped look on his face. Sighing, he flicked his finger at her and began to walk around the barn, carefully collecting his confused team mates as he went.
"New plan." Justin announced quietly, raising his hand and quieting the three witches crouched next to him. "We blast a hole in the side of the wall and then-"
"We are not blasting a hole in the wall!" Hannah yelped, quickly slapping a hand over her own mouth as the other three glared at her.
"She's right. It'll draw to much attention even with the spells we've layered around this place." Mandy muttered, tapping her chin with the tip of her wand as she looked back at the large structure sitting silently in the middle of the grassy plain. "What if we knock?"
"You want us to knock?" Justin whispered in shock, mouth hanging open. "Do you have a death wish?" He blurted out, glancing at Hannah who was staring thoughtfully at Mandy.
Chewing the inside of her cheek in thought, Hannah began to nod her agreement. "Ron and Blaise are always saying that the enemy never knocks unless they know it will confuse you. If we cast a spell over our clothes and change our looks who's ever inside might just believe we're lost."
Shaking his head he sat back in wonder. "I can't believe you'd even suggest such a thing." He grumbled in a flabbergasted manner.
"If you're too afraid you don't have to do it." Mandy murmured helpfully, elbowing Hannah as the wizards face began to redden in embarrassment.
"I never said that!" He hissed, scowling as the three giggled at his expense. "I'll go in. If for no other reason then to show you I'm not afraid."
"You can wait here, luv." Hannah purred, reaching over and patting him on the head as the other two rose. "Besides, three young women alone in the middle of nowhere is much more likely to draw him out."
"Witches!" Justin snorted as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes on the retreating shadows striding openly towards the barn. Lowering himself to his stomach, he peered through the thick grass and watched as three shivering, weeping young women began knocking on the door and calling for help. The balding man who opened a section of the wall, never knew what hit him. "Upstaged by a bunch of girls." He muttered as he watched the Death Eater be portkeyed away.
Rolling over her peered up at the dark sky, hopefully this would never reach the ears of the rest of the wizarding world. Then again, with the way witches gossiped everyone at Hogwarts would know by next Monday.
Ron strolled slowly down the dungeon corridor, whistling softly as he listened to the arguing voices pouring from the only occupied cell. Shaking his head at the insults being volleyed about, he stopped outside and tapped lightly on the wood. Silence fell upon the cell as the Order, Severus, and Lucius all turned to glare at the entrance.
"I'm glad to see everyone's getting on so well." He muttered sarcastically, his eyes closing as his mother opened her mouth.
"Ronald Weasley! I demand you let us out of here." Molly stormed, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at the red-head.
Ron smiled and leaned against the wall opposite the door, crossing his arms over his chest. Shaking his head playfully, he looked over the crowd gathering behind his mother. His eyes landed on the smirking faces of Lucius and Severus. "I'm surprised Professor McGonagall and Remus haven't told you the problem with Harry's dungeons." The smirks grew wider and Snape elbowed the blonde. "The dungeons operate on parseltongue commands. That means you're all here until we rescue Harry or Voldemort decides he no longer wants to play with us."
"I told you so!" Severus crowed, eyes glowing with triumphant. Lucius snorted and rolled his eyes at the other wizards enthusiasm, raising a hand to cover his face as it reddened in embarrassment.
"The good news is that tomorrow night we slip into enemy headquarters and attempt to rescue Harry. If all goes as planned; you'll be free by Sunday afternoon." Informed Ron, biting his lip as the Order stared at him in mute shock for a moment. The sudden outburst of exclamations and curses had him raising a hand to cover his grin, snickering softly at the pleased look on Severus' face. "House elves will bring you whatever you need for your remaining time with us. I'll speak with you all later." Bowing his head in goodbye, he turned and headed back down the shadowed hall, cringing at his mothers irritated bellow.
A/N: Thank-you to everyone who reviewed, your comments and suggestions are much appreciated!
Bad Fairy – Voldemort made the contracts different so both Harry and Draco would be bound to different promises. The contracts included different and separate rules which most likely will conflict with each other.