Back at Dragon Fire, the atmosphere was far from placid. But both couples were finding time to be alone, and late at night, Brandie slipped out of her room and tiptoed down the corridor into the chamber where Draco slept.
"Hey, doll," she whispered, shaking him gently.
"Mmmph... Allie?"
Brandie paused for a moment before deciding that he was just tired, and a little confused. "It's me, honey. Brandie."
Suddenly, Draco sat bolt upright. "You'd better go," he muttered coldly.
"What?" She was shocked. Draco had never asked her to leave before – in fact, she usually had to remind him to get out of her bed. What was going on here?
"Draco, what's wrong? You're not telling me something," she accused.
He sighed heavily, obviously under great stress. "No," he said finally, "I'm not."
"Well, what is it, then?" Brandie was beginning to grow impatient.
"It's... going to take a bit of explaining."
^*^
"God. This guy is one sick bastard. I'm just glad we caught him." Gabi shook her head, obviously disgusted. Colleen still didn't seem convinced, though.
"I don't know," she said, shaking her head. "It just... doesn't seem like Seamus. I've known him for a long time. He and Zarya were engaged, you know."
"People change," Gabi said gently. She paused, and then continued. "Why did they break up?"
"She never talked about it," Colleen murmured. "It was last year – around Christmastime. You remember, she suddenly became really reckless? That accident in Dublin..." Her words trailed off. "But she blamed herself, that's the thing. I don't think this is about Seamus at all." She paused, and suddenly her eyes widened. She crossed the room, staring intently at the floor.
"What?" Gabi was confused.
"Not about Seamus at all," Colleen repeated. Seeming to find what she had been looking for, she dug her wand out of her purse and tapped it on a section of the floor paneling. The wood slid away, revealing a damp stone staircase. She motioned Gabi over, and the two descended slowly, wands outstretched to meet whatever foes might be lurking in the dungeon.
The only foe they found, though, was an unconscious and rather securely tied man – a man who, on closer inspection, was missing a lot of his sandy hair.
A man who looked like a skinnier, abused version of Seamus Finnigan.
Coleen just looked at Gabi.
"Polyjuice."
^*^
"You're WHAT?"
"I'm leaving." Draco repeated himself quietly. "I can't be with you anymore. I just... I don't love you, Brandie. I'm sorry."
"Why not?" Her voice was shrill and piercing, and Draco had to cover his ears.
"Calm down," he snapped, beginning to get exasperated with her childish antics.
"Is there another woman?" Brandie was close to tears. "I'll rip her fucking slut whore throat out... that sod off motherfucker..."
"Well, not another woman, exactly," Draco began, but Brandie cut him off.
"What is it, then?"
"I don't know how to explain this, really... so I guess I'll just say it." He paused, composing himself, and looked directly into Brandie's eyes.
"I'm in love with Alastor Moody."