Dragons Among Serpents

by J.Noseworthy

There are two sides to every war. Ryuu Veil, the muggleborn Slytherin is the perfect weapon for the Order of the Phoenix. Draco Malfoy has been chosen by the Dark Lord and must complete his mission to fulfil the destiny he's been preparing for his entire life. This war is so much bigger than just Gryffindor versus Slytherin. COMPLETE AND FULLY UPLOADED.

35. Chapter 13 - They Come In The Night

DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Harry Potter.'

A/N: Back again! I feel like I haven't posted in a while. My Beta and I have come up with a major idea for a story that we're thinking of writing together and we got a bit crazy with it… But anyway back to DAS! Fun times with Ryuu and Zach and poor Draco. Geez, I shouldn't be given power over my characters lives.

BETA: Reeah Noseworthy

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Chapter 13 - They Come In The Night

Draco

I could see the silhouette of the castle in the distance, and I remembered how I had often loathed that sight. But now, it was nervousness that clouded my mind. Out here, I was exposed to any passing wizard or witch; and whether they were a Death Eater or not, they were a threat to me.

I had apperated into the same spot that I had left from last year. The trees guarded the clearing I was standing in from prying eyes, but the daylight was still fresh in the air. I ducked into the shady cover and sat, relaxing against the flat surface of an old log. My hands were smeared with dirt from when I had pushed brambles out of my way. I summoned some water from my wand and splashed it across my palms. With my damp hands I rubbed at my face, clearing away the trauma.

I was still coming to terms with the severity of my actions during the past few minutes. I, Draco Malfoy, had officially lost everything. The thought of my mother was painful, but I had stopped crying now. I didn't know why – seeing as I felt like curling up in a ball and being alone. But I was already alone.

I folded my right sleeve up to see the ugly burn on my skin. It was as dark as ever, and the snake was still writing across my flesh. I grimaced and pulled the cloth back over it again; regretting the Mark, as well as everything else.

After a few more minutes of feeling sorry for myself, I stood and looked towards the shadow of the castle again. It looked so intimidating, dominant. I knew what was coming for me. I doubted that they'd even let me enter the castle, never mind join their forces. But what else could I do? I couldn't go back home; that would be impossibly foolish. If I stayed out in the countryside, I'd be found by Snatchers, taken to the Death Eaters and killed. But, if I tried to join with Hogwarts, I'd be taken prisoner and probably killed…

I sighed and drew my wand, walking into the depths of the forest that led to the castle. Hogwarts it is…

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Ryuu

As Zach so mildly put it; I was a bitch to travel with. "Keep up!" he pined for the tenth time that minute. Again, I had leaned against a tree, groaning at my aching legs. "At this rate it'll take us a month to get to Hogwarts," he complained with a scowl.

"Not if you carry me." I teased. Zach gave me a look that dripped disappointment and I rolled my eyes. "We've been walking for hours, Zach – can't we just rest for… I dunno… ten days?"

"No." Zach said immediately, clearly not in the mood for humour. He looked up at the sun, which had slowly made its way to the middle of the sky. "We can stop for a lunch after another five miles." I frowned and told him where to stick his lunch, but he only responded with a sneer. To my annoyance, he continued walking and I could do nothing but follow; cursing the education system for not teaching students how to apparate in their fifth year.

We strode on for another hour, and by that time I kept stumbling. The run for my life through Diagon Alley had really drained me physically as well as emotionally, and my concern for the well being of Toolem and Craig wasn't helping. Plus my general physicality was not made for hiking. Whereas Zach was tall and athletic I was tiny and thin, as well as clumsy when exhausted.

When we came to an uphill slope I fell over onto the grass and remained still, savouring the comfort of solid ground. Then I felt the tip of Zach's boot nudge my side. My growl was muffled by the grass in my mouth. Zach sighed. "What a shame. You're still conscious."

I was about to agree with him, but instead my drawling voice was replaced with a squeak as Zach lifted me from the ground and held me like a child in his arms. With a smug smile, he placed me on my feet again, then rummaged through his rucksack and pulled out a pre-made sandwich. We repeated our little routine of him throwing me the food, and his graceful rescue from my abysmal catch before seating ourselves in the shade of the trees. I bit into the sandwich with relish. As usual, Zach had the best taste in food. I didn't know what kind of meat he had used for the sandwich, but it was tasty and delicious was all that mattered.

After the meal, I felt a little more energised, but my legs still ached. I knew we had a lot more walking to do though, so I ignored the pain and stood. Zach, taking advantage of my good mood, quickly gulped down his lunch and we continued travelling.

The best thing about being with Zach again, was the understanding between us. We'd known each other for years, and could practically communicate without words. We didn't speak for the rest of the day and simply enjoyed each other's company. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, I gave Zach a glance and he quickly led me into denser forestation.

I began to weave protective enchantments in a circle around our camp as Zach prepared dinner. The small fire wouldn't be noticed by people outside the wards, and provided external warmth from a distance too far away for most muggle fires. Zach gave the soup another stir and handed me an old blanket. I draped it around my shoulders as he began to speak into the flames.

"They come in the night. The Snatchers. You see them around during the day sometimes, but not as much." He poured some soup into a mug and passed it to me. It was warm in my hands. "If they find a wand on you, they steal you away."

"Hermione Granger was taken by them." I said, my mind distant. I hadn't thought about her in a while. "During the Second Raid."

Zach sipped at his soup and met my gaze. "I feel sorry for her." He replied glumly. "I don't know what the Kennels are like, but I'm guessing they're awful."

I nodded, banishing any thoughts of Hermione from my mind. It was depressing to dwell on them. The sky drew darker around us and after a few minutes, I could see the stars twinkling above. I remembered hearing somewhere that because the stars were so far away, the images that we saw in the sky were actually what the stars looked like years before. That had been one of the reasons that I'd thought of Divination as a con – using stars to see the future when they actually showed the past. I smiled sadly. The past sure is beautiful.

"I've only seen them once." Zach's voice broke through my thoughts. "I was sleeping and I heard a noise outside the wards. I searched around for a bit, and saw them stealing a few people who'd tried to run from them."

He drained the last of his soup and placed the mug on the ground beside him. "An old woman was one of them. Turns out she was a muggle. They took care of her quickly." His eyes were glinting from the colours of the flames. "The two others were siblings. A brother and sister. The muggle had been their mother. They tried to convince the Snatchers that they were halfblood, but they still took them anyway."

I didn't know why Zach was telling me this. I didn't want to hear about all the horrible things he'd seen. I hadn't gone into details of some of the things I'd been through. Some of the things I'd done…

"They piled them into the wagon." Zach continued, "They've got Thestrals attached to the front, so that they can scour the forests faster. But once they were ready to go they… drove over the body." I lost my appetite and put my mug down, clearing my throat. "I could hear the daughter screaming as she was taken away."

"Zach," I interjected. I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. "Why are you telling me this?"

He looked up at me, his eyes oddly innocent. "I just… wanted to know… what it was like."

I frowned. "What?"

"To kill someone." He finished in a rush. He closed his mouth too quickly after he said it, aware that this was a touchy topic. I shrugged the blanket closer around me, pretending that I hadn't heard him.

There was a long pause which I refused to break. I didn't even talk about this with myself; never mind with other people. It was one of my biggest lies – but no matter how much I denied them, the memories of my murders held extraordinary clarity in my head. Two men. Nameless. Perhaps they were husbands or fathers. They were most definitely sons. I rested my chin on my knees and stared into the fire.

Zach shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry. I just… I know that I might have to do it one day and - I want to be prepared." He said the last part in a whisper, and I knew he was being sincere. I took a deep breath and moved to sit beside him.

"You can't prepare yourself." The words were out of my mouth before I realised it and they sounded very cold. I stared him in the eyes before I spoke again, deciding upon the right words. "I never wanted to kill anybody. Ever. Remember that, okay?"

Zach nodded, not daring to interrupt. I sighed. "But that doesn't mean I didn't plan to." I grimaced. It was complicated, and difficult to explain. "When Luna was killed, it was because she didn't… take care of him. From then on, I knew. Maybe I'd always known."

I linked my fingers together and spoke to them instead. "I will not hesitate. There aren't any second chances; not in real life." I balled my hands into fists. "When someone is trying to kill you, a sort of – mindset takes over. I suppose it's instinct. And suddenly, you just know. You know that you have to kill them; or they will kill you."

Zach was still silent, and for that I was thankful. My voice had adapted to a quieter, coarser tone that I hadn't heard before. "At the time, it's easy. Too easy… it feels like the only natural reaction." My eyes narrowed. "But then, once they're dead – once you've killed them…" I searched for the right explanation, but couldn't find anything to say. There was nothing to say. How could I possibly describe the suffocating feeling that encases you after you've committed what is generally considered to be the worst act imaginable?

"I'll never forget their eyes." I finished. I stood and returned to where I had been sitting before. Curling up into a ball, I pretended to be sleeping for longer than I usually would.

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Draco

They came in the night.

I awoke with a start as I heard a twig snap. The sound had come from close by, but from inside the wards that surrounded Hogwarts. I hadn't tried to breach the securities, because I knew that would've caused a panic. I had decided upon waiting to see if a presence presented itself. I must have dozed off. I sprang to my feet and hid in the shadows, waiting, watching. Footsteps; two pairs were approaching. I could hear the leaves crunching beneath their footfalls. The muffled sound of voices grew louder as they grew closer.

"I hate this place," a female voice complained. "It gives me the creeps."

"It's not that bad," the man replied, "could be worse. At least Dumbledore isn't sending us to check the protection around the Whomping Willow." He laughed. "He's left that one to Snape."

The woman laughed in agreement. "You do this one Tim. I've been casting for the last half hour."

Tim scoffed, and I heard his boots slide across the ground. "Geez you're bossy Esmeralda. How does my brother deal with you?"

There was a silence as Tim murmured a series of protective enchantments. I held my breath, thinking about what I should do. I had to act soon, or I wouldn't be able to hear them anymore.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the darkness, with my hands in the air. Esmeralda, who was holding a lit wand, jumped so violently that she dropped it to the ground. I heard Tim swear as he broke the protective enchantments and attacked. A hex hit me in the chest and I was winded, falling to my knees. "Wait!" I yelled, helplessly. "I surrender! I don't want to fight you!"

A red light, and I was thrown onto my back. I opened my eyes, dazed and confused. My vision adjusted to the dark, and I saw Tim standing above me. He was a short man, but looked domineering from this angle. His blue eyes flashed. "State your name!" he barked.

There was no use in lying. "Draco Malfoy." I said. It was probably the first time in my life that I had said it dismally.

My words made Tim raise his eyebrows. "Malfoy's boy?" He set his jaw and called to Esmeralda. She came into sight, dark skin crinkling into a frown as Tim told her who I was.

"But surely he's a Death Eater!" she exclaimed.

"I surrender." I repeated, and both their eyes widened. "I will not fight you."

Tim kept his wand pointed threateningly at me and nodded towards Esmeralda. With a stern expression she reached into my sleeve and produced my wand. The woman shifted to my other arm, and after she had rolled up the cloth, snarled as she caught sight of the Dark Mark. She hastily stood, and glanced at Tim. "You do the honours," Esmeralda ordered angrily.

Just as I was pondering what this meant, Tim's boot collided with the side of my head and everything went black.

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Ryuu

Probably out of politeness, neither of us mentioned what we had discussed the night before and instead embraced the conversational opportunities that came with a new day. I was feeling much better after a peaceful sleep, which I was surprised I had received. As the sun began to fall lower towards the horizon and the evening threatened to arrive earlier than expected, I walked alongside Zach with an almost spring in my step.

The woods we travelled in weren't at all like the Forbidden Forest, especially during the day time. The spring season had brought out the true bloom of the flowers upon the ground, and the trees were tall and thin. The wildlife flitted from branch to branch as we travelled, trying to keep our footfalls light so we didn't attract attention. It was so secluded in the forests. It was like Zach and I were the only two people on earth. As I had mentioned, this was dangerous, and despite our semi-light-hearted mood, we still kept a firm grip on our wands under our coats.

Zach was curious as to who was still at Hogwarts. Every minute or so he came up with a new name, and I gave a brief explanation as to what they were doing now. It was a conduct of the chat, to keep up a conversational tone even if the subject matter was depressing. It was something that didn't need to be declared, and made it easier to talk about things.

"Terry Boot?" Zach inquired.

I shook my head. "Suicide. A few days before the Second Raid."

"Oh." Zach said, in a voice that threatened to break the conduct. "That's a shame."

"Hmm…" I agreed, jumping over a tree root that was half concealed beneath the leaf litter.

"What about Reeah Noseworthy? How are her and her sister going?" I had explained to Zach the truth about Reeah, because I knew I could trust him.

"Well, I heard that her sister has recovered." I said. "I don't know much else though. But I know that she's going to stay at Hogwarts, no matter how much she wants to see her fiancé." Zach nodded, his eyes distant in the way they were when he had his mind on other things. I left him to his thoughts, admiring a squirrel that was pouncing from tree to tree above us.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

I jerked around and cast a shield between the unknown caster and me so fast that I almost tripped. Zach fired a stunning jinx into the bushes a few feet away from us, and we heard a thunk as something fell to the ground. Suddenly, all around us, figures appeared. I scanned the crowd. Five men. One woman. Snatchers.

Zach grabbed my hand at the precise moment that I seized his arm. We sprinted away from the Snatchers, ducking in between the trees as spells ricocheted off them. "Go!" I heard Zach yelling above the blasts. I turned my head as we ran, just spying the women pointing her wand at me. I yelled the first spell that came to mind. "Expelliarmus!"

Her wand spiralled from her hand. I turned my attention back to running, and almost tripped as Zach pulled me over a rock. I crashed into Zach's side, which made him lose his footing and sent us tumbling down a slope. The Snatchers caught up to us as we scrambled to our feet. A slicing charm and disarming spell later, our wands lay helpless on the ground, the leather cord attached to mine fraying from the magical cut.

Hatred bubbled within me as a man with a goatee stepped forward and picked up my wand. He twirled it in his fingers. "Well, who do we have here boys?" Several sniggers reached my eyes from the Snatchers surrounding us. The woman sprinted in to join the circle, having been held back to retrieve her wand. She eyed me angrily. I felt Zach tense.

"Not telling, huh?" Goatee jibed. He was obviously enjoying this. I glanced at Zach in the corner of my eye, desperately racking my brain for a lie. Zach beat me to it.

He put on an unconvincing fake smile and hooked his arm around my waist. "I think there's been a misunderstanding," he began, his voice wavering. "We didn't realise who you were in all the confusion. I'm Blaise Zabini. This is my fiancé, Reeah Noseworthy."

Goatee narrowed his eyes at us. I flashed a dazzling smile. The lie could work. The Zabini's and the Noseworthy's were well known Slytherin families.

"He's lying!" accused a beefy man to my right. My heart sank. "I know the Zabini's," the man finished. Goatee grinned and stepped towards us. Zach stepped slightly in front of me protectively. He was obviously thinking the along the same lines as I was. They couldn't find out I was a muggleborn.

"Well that was a great little skit, but next time…" Goatee slammed a fist into Zach's face, and Zach staggered backwards. "TELL THE TRUTH!"

I shielded Zach from view of Goatee as he held his face in his hands. The rest of the Snatchers were laughing, but I kept my eyes locked with Goatee. "Okay fine!" I spat. "I'm Lavender Brown, this is Zacharias Smith." Goatee's grin spread across his rat like face. "We're pureblood," I declared to the crowd surrounding us, "you have no use for us."

I could feel all of the Snatcher's eyes gouging into me. My hand itched for a weapon, but my wand was gone and my knife couldn't defeat this many people. I gulped, and repressed a shudder. This was not good. I could already feel the panic creeping over me and steadied my heart rate with a deep breath. Calm, control. You do have a weapon. You can talk your way out of anything remember? Breathe.

Goatee turned around to face the rest of his gang with a profound sneer barely controlled on his jagged chin. They all converged together, except for two which held their wands pointed at us. They all seemed to be examining a list that had been retrieved from Goatee's upper pocket, and speaking in hisses. I spared Zach a glance and sighed in relief to see that he'd only received a crooked nose from the punch.

Zach grabbed my elbow and breathed in my ear. "What do we do now?"

I looked sideways at the Snatchers who were guarding us. The female never moved her stare from my face, and looked extremely angry that I had disarmed her before. She scowled, displaying a golden front tooth. The man on my right was more relaxed, but not enough to make the mistake of overconfidence. I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Are you any good at melee?" I whispered back to him.

Zach shook his head. "I'm not sure. You?"

I tilted my head to the side. "Maybe. If there was only one of them."

He sighed. "We could make a run for it – but you'd have to keep up with me."

I shook my head. That would never work. I opened my mouth to respond, but the Snatchers seemed to have caught on to our communication. Goldtooth stepped closer. "Oi!" she barked, storming in between us and pulling Zach's hand away from my arm. She stared Zach down. "Shut your mouth! Or your little fiancé will pay the price!" She glared at me menacingly, but I held my blank stare.

Goatee interrupted bluntly. "Stand down!" he ordered, and Goldtooth reluctantly stepped aside. He approached Zach and me until he was at a threateningly close distance. He smirked at Zach's out-of-angle nose before swinging his head to look me directly in the eyes.

"I want to believe a pretty face like yours." He began hoarsely, stepping a bit closer. I shuddered. "…But I don't. If you had nothing to hide, then your fiancé would've had no reason to lie." I mentally cursed the man before me. The panic was settling in again.

"Search them!" Goatee shouted, and three Snatchers advanced. Two veered towards Zach, who threw me a desperate glance. Goldtooth sidled next to me, tearing the coat from my back and searching the pockets. She rifled through the jacket and then felt along the sleeves of my shirt, her mouth twisting into a grin of victory.

I scowled at her infuriating satisfaction. It wasn't just the feeling of loosing that was making me flush in anger, but the fact that I knew it was over. No matter what we did, Zach and I were going to be taken to a Kennel, and eventually… I would become a slave. My hands balled into fists as Goldtooth knelt down to inspect my boots. Giving in to the frustration, I swung my foot into her face and she was sent crashing to the ground, clutching her bloodied nose. Several jinxes hit me at once, and I followed Goldtooth's route. I stared angrily at the Snatchers above me as they seized my shoulders and dragged me into a standing position. As I struggled, I noticed that Zach was doing the same, and my heart swelled. He was so loyal.

Goatee's face was lined with disgust as he flashed Goldtooth a look of contempt and yelled at Zach and me to stop. To his great annoyance, his commands were only obeyed once he had hit us with several stunning jinxes, leaving us winded and useless in the grips of the Snatchers. "You!" he pointed to a youth standing awkwardly on the sidelines. "Check her shoes!"

I rolled my eyes as the knife was pulled from my shoe. Goatee looked at the weapon with hollow eyes, and is mouth formed a perfect circle. He shifted his stare to me momentarily before seizing the knife and stuffing it in his belt next to my wand. "Well, well, well…" he said. He raised his eyebrows at me and laughed in amusement. Suddenly, he stopped and stared at me with eyes that flashed dangerously. "You could've only have gotten that from a Snatcher, girl." I threw Zach an apologetic look, but he was focusing only on Goatee, his jaw set. "Throw them in the carriage." Goatee finished conversationally, with a wave of his hand.

I kicked and struggled as I was dragged through the dirt. "Let go of me!" I screeched. No matter how much of my energy I threw at them, the Snatchers were too strong. I could hear that Zach was fighting like I was, but also to little effect. The heels of my boots thudded along the ground as I was hauled through the trees.

The carriage came into sight. Two ghastly black-winged horses, which could only be thestrals, stood at its front, waiting patiently for their commands. The caboose-like attachment at the rear was made of wood, and had metal bars slitting the two windows on either side of the box. I kicked out at my captors as we drew nearer, to receive a thump on the top of my skull that caused the world around me to rock from side to side.

Strong arms threw me into the back of the carriage, and I landed awkwardly, my shoulder colliding painfully with the hard wooden floor. After a few seconds, the pain ebbed away, and Zach was tossed in next to me. There was a clang as the barred doors closed, the dying sun casting shadows of the bars across the small cabin, emphasising the imprisoned effect. I struggled to my feet and raced towards the bars, but when I tried to push them outwards, my hands met an invisible resistance a few feet away from them.

Goatee's face appeared outside the bars, and he grinned. "Make yourselves comfortable. It'll take us a while to get to the Kennel from this far away."

I ground my teeth together. "Go to hell." I hissed.

To my annoyance, this only made him more amused. "Like I said – it'll take a few hours to get there." He laughed as he strode around the side of the carriage.

My eyes met with Zach's as we listened to the Snatchers through the wood of the carriage. There were several thuds as they sat in their places before one of them spoke. "Okay, now we head East. Once we're finished there, we continue South towards the Kennel."

The carriage jerked, and Zach and I were thrown against one side as it shook violently. There was a thunderous noise from the footfalls of the thestrals. Their speed was astounding, so much so that I couldn't hear anything above the sound of their hooves hammering into the ground. The trees whipped past the bars of the windows, not completely blurred, but indistinctive in the fading light. I placed a hand on my throbbing head and sank to the wooden floor, Zach at my side.

Night had fallen.

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The blonde girl with the green eyes was small.

So small, that it took an immense effort to reach the top of the table. She stood on the tips of her toes, her hand outstretched towards the sky, but it still wasn't good enough. The girl flexed her fingers, and they just brushed her destination, before failing.

The girl groaned and lowered her arm, staring defiantly up at the table. She pouted and narrowed her eyes, her hands moving to her hips. "Humph," she spat, and turned at the sound of footsteps.

Her mother raised an eyebrow at the girl. "What are you up to?"

The girl smiled innocently and folded her hands in front of her. "Nothing Mummy."

The mother was not so easily fooled. She raised an eyebrow again and approached her daughter, bending down to look her in those green eyes. "Nothing, huh? Really?"

The girl pouted and sighed. "No…"

The mother grinned. "Do you need my help?"

The girl shuffled her shoes, torn between her present desires and her constant pride. "Maybe…"

The mother lifted the daughter into her arms. She placed her onto the table, and the girl looked around for a moment, relishing in the wonder of height. Then she motioned towards the board that rested at her feet. "How do you play chess Mummy?" she asked.

"Dismally, unfortunately." The mother replied. The girl narrowed her eyes, not completely comprehending. The mother shook her head and explained the parameters of the game, slowly and simply. The girl nodded along at her description, but the mother doubted that she understood the complexities of the game at all.

When the mother had finished, the girl turned her attention to the chessboard below her. Her eyes drifted over the black and white pieces which were frozen in their current battle, soaking in every detail of their abilities. After a few minutes of studying the board she pointed towards a white rook.

"If you moved that one you could take Daddy's queen." The girl observed simply.

The mother leaned over the board, her eyes widening as she came to the realisation that she had previously overlooked. She looked at her daughter and scooped her into her arms, releasing her onto the ground. "You know, sometimes I think you're too smart for your age…" the mother said half to herself.

The daughter smirked.

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A/N: Aaaah Snatchers! For some reason I always imagine villainous thugs to have drawling cockney accents and I'm not sure why. I tend to put that in my stories too. The Death Eater that tried to kill Harry, Goatee – I'm pretty sure some more come up. Just a quirky fact.