A.N. To Katara Melody Cullen and zeroOoOzero for their graced reviews and to everyone else who favoured and bared with the strange plot coming from the distorted deeps of my delusional mind too, thanks 8D
53 Into the cold's embrace
The full moon's pale light peeked into the darkened red and gold room through the high tower's windows, the room was silent as it normally was at such late hour, all its inhabitants already fast asleep. Well, almost all. On the far end of the Gryffindors' common room three figures loomed, their forms leaning over something over the small table where a couple of candles flicked their light over the three persons features lending them an almost wicked appearance, the light-source too weak to manage to illuminate anything else more apart from the little space between them.
"What are you three up too?"
The Golden Trio turned in their heels startled to be confronted with a suspicious Ginny Weasley, her arms crossed over her chest in what was an obvious copy of her mother's reprimand stance, one she always used when about to chastise anyone she thought to be at fault.
"It's only you," Ron let out relieved, "go back to bed Ginny and leave us alone," the red head said dismissively to his young sister.
Ginny narrowed her eyes at her brother's dismissal, "very well, have it your way then," she told them before dashing forward and grabbing the parchment from the table, "what's this?"
Taking advantage of his sister sudden surprise, Ron pulled the piece of paper off her hands, "stop being childish and leave us alone," the ginger head wizard chided.
"Gin, please..." Hermione tried advancing to her friend, "just listen."
"You're planning to go save Serena, aren't you," she said accusingly. The three simply fell silent, "you've gone bunkers, all of you, totally and completely MAD."
"I, will not, stay put and let Serena at hismercy," Harry finally said, his firm resolute noticeable in his voice.
The youngest Weasley shook her head tiredly, "Harry, you can't go ahead with this."
"And what should I do then, just wait and hope for the best?" He asked irate.
"She can take care of herself, just look to what she managed to do when he-who-must-not-be-named captured Neville and the others, contrary to all odds she managed to free them, they said it themselves. All the escape plan was her idea," Ginny remembered the raven head boy.
"Yes she did, as well as, if I can recall exactly everything else they related to us, ending up on the wrong side of Voldemort's wand and being merciless cruciated by the bloody bastard himself. And only Merlin knows what more after pulling of their escape. Not to mention..."
"Not to mention what Harry?" Hermione asked scared for her friend.
Harry shook his head; he wouldn't talk about the lust and longing he sometimes felt through the connection he shared with Voldemort. After the trap in the Ministry, he was wary of believing anything he could discover through it, but still, there was something in the back of his mind screaming at him that it wasn't any kind of bait and that he should act as soon as possible. At first he had tried to do as Dumbledore had asked of him and kept himself quiet, his common sense advising him to not do anything reckless that would only worsened the already dire situation. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months he had started to despair, it seemed there wasn't any way for them to get to his girlfriend. Malfoy's 'help' surfaced exactly when he thought all hope to be lost. It could have been a trap, he wasn't a moron, just a volatile person, but he knew it wasn't. Malfoy couldn't care less about the light side and its ideals, but, as much as it pained Harry to admit it, he did cared about Serena and it was her life that was at stake. "I will go forward with this," he said sternly.
"And we with you," affirmed the couple beside him.
Ginny sighed defeated, "okay, but I'm in too." When sensing Harry about to contradict her, she scolded him, "Harry James Potter, I will go with you and that's final, understood," she corned him, "understood!"
Looking between each other they finally accented, "okay you're in," Hermione consented.
The ginger head beamed at them before advancing to the table where Ron replaced the parchment, the other three following suit.
…...
Obsidian eyes staid lowed as a deep voice responded the powerful being's questions. His limbs were becoming numb at such uncomfortable position. It was a test, he knew it, the dark wizard was assessing him, his capacities, and his loyalty. He kept his hands closed, hiding that way the palms he guessed sweaty,just a little more, just a little more,he mentally recited over and over again in a try to keep his grit in the presence of such imposing figure. But his façade crumbled as a deck of cards the moment Voldemort jolted up from the throne where he had been rigidly seated until that moment. He shrunk into the ground, where he had been bowed for more than an hour, as his Lord stared at him with eyes so narrow they weren't more than mere slits. The frightened wizard practically jump off his skin when Voldemort released a surge of vicious hissings, the scared Death Eater difficultly hold in a whimper that threatened to escape his trembling lips the moment the elder wizard reached inside his robes grabbing his yew wand scarce seconds before advancing to his quivering frame, his dark magic enveloping the room in a suffocating embrace. The grown wizard gasped for air, his vision darkening for the lack of oxygen, he did whimper then, too scared to face death so unexpectedly. He didn't knew what he could have possibly done to arise his Lord's wrath, but by the look in the elder wizard's face, one thing he was sure, he would be dead in a matter of seconds. "Uh..wha," were the only things he managed to mutter, his mouth opening and closing in a fish-like manner. He blinked at the now empty space in front of him before he glanced incredulously at the empty spot, the Dark Lord had simply strode off the room, passing by him without a single look to the scared mass Voldemort's ire turned him into. Whatever had happened he hadn't been the reason for it, he took a deep breath to steady himself before letting out a relieved sigh. He was alive! Remembering his orders he jumped to his feet and sprinted out the door, after being so close to his Lord's fury he was, more than ever, decided to not become its focus and for that he had to comply with his Lord's wishes.
…...
Voldemort advanced in a curtain of black smoke through the labyrinth of passageways. He shove open the newly appeared door directing to his personal wing, his eyes frantically scanning the surroundings. #Nagini, NAGINI,# he howled as the now closed door disappeared into the wall.
#Master,# the serpent approached the furious wizard.
#Where is she,# he asked her although knowing it wouldn't have an answer for him.
#I… do not know Master,# it said sorrowful, its head hanging, its mood a repentant one.
#Weren't you with her,# he asked exasperated rubbing his forehead, he felt a major headache coming his way.
#She was reading when I left her to go feed. When I returned, some minutes ago she was nowhere to be found. I checked everywhere.#
The wizard swore his entire repertoire of effs them, she must have found the hidden path Nagini used to get off his rooms every time he wasn't around. "Damn it all," he cursed. It couldn't have happened at an worst time. Soon he would need to raise the curse he had put on her, with the passing of time it had grown stronger and he was wary of what kind of consequences it could have on her if he kept her under its dark power for too long periods of time. He had been steadily diminishing the amount of time he had exposed her to it once he became aware of it, but now with her fleeing on him so near the limit he had traced for lifting the curse again, he found himself hampered by fate,again! If he didn't found her soon he feared she could become a permanent member of the reptilian family. After finding out the 'little' side effects his curse started to show he had pondered not using the curse again, but the girl's constant demonstration of disrespect made him postpone his decision to a later date in a try to keep her somehow restrained. "Argh," he should have known such trick wouldn't keep her quiet for too long. He disappeared from his chambers in a tornado of black smoke, appearing then, in his throne room. Voldemort barely had time to seat himself in his throne before a hundred or so of his followers started rushing inside, they semblance heavy as they mused about the possible reasons that could have made their Lord summon them so suddenly and without any kind of warning. Many of them massaging the sour limb that had made clear the urgency of their Lord's command.
"Lucius," the Dark Lord called to the semi-circle of wizards and witches posted around the dais.
Not wasting any time, the aristocrat wizard advanced forward, even if wary of the reasons for Voldemort to call upon him, and bowed to the dark wizard. He kept himself bowed in the dais steeps as sign of subservience as he questioned, "my Lord, how can I be of service?"
Voldemort regarded him with a distasteful expression, "I am not in the mood for your ass kissing Lucius; I have more prominent matters that require my attention," he snapped," prepare a search party."
"Of course my Lord," Malfoy responded bowing, did the girl mange to bypass his wards and escape?
"Arrange for the grounds and house to be completely searched, not a single spot is to be left unseen or any rock unmoved, she could have taken refuge in almost any tiny crevice," he advised getting up from his seat and starting passing back and forth.
Lucius raised a brow at his Lord's words, "the girl my Lord?"
"Don't be idiot Lucius, my white snake," Voldemort hissed annoyed by the incapacity of his follower to follow his line of though, "well," the dark wizard said stopping and looking Lucius in the eye, "GET TO IT!" He demanded.
"As you wish my Lord," Malfoy spluttered before going as fast as his classy attitude allowed him to his kindred who were already awaiting for his instructions to start the search, all of them scampering off the room before their Lord decided they were being too slow and started giving them reasons to quicken their steeps.
Voldemort let out a tired sigh as he slumped on his throne, he was surrounded by morons. They better found her before it was too late or else his Death Eaters would feel his ire, without any of the restrains he normally put it with.
…...
Serena hid deeper in the small bush, a displeased frown plastered over her features. She would be a fool if she hadn't been expecting for Voldemort to become aware of her escape, but what she hadn't expected was for such a fast response to it. He must have been in the Mansion at the time of her escape, bugger.Peeping out of the bush she surveyed her surroundings, she sighed, it would be a fool's endeavour trying to get off the state by the entrance gates, the zone was swarming with Death Eaters. The small serpent turned her attention the lesser guarded area, the larger winter gardens. She chewed on her lower lip; the best chance she got was to try to leave from there. She felt distressed it would be a major risk; her reptilian body was far from being able to deal with the low temperatures she was sure to have to overcome there. Sighing, she wait for a couple of Death Eaters to pass by her hid-out before leaving its protection and turning back, the winter gardens where on the opposite side of the entrance gates. It was a risk, but it was one she had to take if she really wanted to arbour any hope of succeeding. It was it or quitting and returning to Voldemort clutches again.
