A/N: Computer exile is no fun. Remember that!! Severa, here's what you've been patiently awaiting: the Twins finally meet your beloved Sevvy! Bella, I hope you're enjoying this so far. Kildare, here is what you've been waiting patiently for as well: the Next Chapter! I've decided to make the chapters longer, in order to accomplish more and to try to keep the chapter count under 30. If not, oh well, I might have to make a sequel in order to tell my tale in its entirety. My friend Omniscient is tying in her story, 'Repeller', to mine. Expect to see Prof. Erinlexi Goldwood and Chloe Chapel in the future. Meanwhile, go read 'Repeller' and find out about Chloe. It's an awesome story. };)
Chapter 8: Hello Again
Mina shrieked with happiness. "Really?!? DAD!?!?! You're joking...Honestly?" Annie was sitting, eyes closed, on the davenport couch that was in the family room back at home. Leena had an unusual flush to her cheeks and a rare smile hovering around the corners of her mouth. "I can't believe it...He said he'd be coming to take us home. To England! And he's coming soon. I wonder how soon...?" she trailed off. Annie started to reply, but didn't have the strength. Her talk with Lucius had completely drained her and she forgot about the letter. When he had shown up at the jousting match, she was taken aback. He was supposed to be looking through their rooms, but he obviously had done that with good results, by the way he was grinning. As the tournament took flight, she talked to him about what he found, what he reported back to the Dark Lord and the future plans. Lucius answered each question vaguely, clearly to avoid giving away too much information. He turned out to be quite interested in learning the rules of the joust, because he'd never seen it before. She complied, explaining the rules and divisions. Then he went out of the arena, claiming to want to some air. Where he actually went was the stables.
And when Leena had come tearing around the back of the building, hair flying like wings behind her, with the letter clutched in her hand, Annie read between the lines and knew that Voldemort was coming all too soon. She didn't want to give up the twins. Not now, not just yet. She wanted at least a week more to wrap things up and to say good-bye. That wouldn't be possible, however, as he was going to collect them in two days, the absolute latest. Oh well...Annie opened her eyes to see the twins poring over the strange parchment with the funny ink and script. It looked like it had stepped right out of the Medieval times, she had to admit. But then again, Voldemort did have an old-fashioned aura around him. She put a happy face on as her heart sank heavily, knowing that her babies would be yanked away from her, not knowing where they were going and not knowing what their purpose was.
***
Orianna and Gavin were debating whether or not they should sneak up on Leena and Rebo the next morning. It was a huge game of Team Tag and Hide and Go Seek rolled into one. Leena and Rebo were paired this time and were about to pounce on Neva and Eslin, who were busy trying to stay hidden and debating whether or not they should jump out at Mina, who was looking up-tight for some reason. Kildare and Brock were nowhere to be found, from the looks of it. Mina was trying her best to stay out of the way of the game, because it was a well-known fact that you were scared out of your wits if you passed by a group without knowing it. She was also thinking about her unknown father: what did he look like, how did he act, where was her mother, why did she and Leena look so different...She found herself under one of the huge trees in the back yard. She thought for a second, then stepped back a giant step, eyebrows arched in expectation. She was none too soon, for Kildare and Brock made themselves known by jumping down and landing in a heap at her feet. Her eyes blazed as she stared down at them and started to tell them off. Kildare cut Mina off by jumping to her feet, hauling Brock up (who was still trying to control his chuckles) and asking, "Who's that weirdo?" Mina whirled around and came face-to-face with the man from the tournament. "Stupefy!" he murmured, holding a piece of wood above her head. Two thuds hit the ground and Mina didn't need to turn around to know that it was Brock and Kildare. She took a sharp intake of breath to scream for help, but the tall man calmly turned his stick back to her and smiled a mirthless smile. "One sound and you shall be just like your friends behind you: unable to move or speak or even think..." she looked fearfully at him "...oh, don't worry, they're still alive. For now, at least." She whipped around, hair fanning out behind, and bolted towards the house.
Leena and Rebo were starting to get worried, because they had found out that they were being followed. Going into the room to tag Eslin and Neva would have been a major mistake, for then they would have trapped themselves. Orianna and Gavin would have avenged the other pair of friends by tagging them as soon as they turned around. So they had promptly run up the stairs, knowing that Gavin was forbidden in the girls' rooms. Annie had forbidden it as soon as Gavin and Brock had turned 12. Rebo was overcome by a huge fit of giggles as she usually was when she wasn't grumbling about school. Leena closed the door to her room with a soft click, listening for the sounds of footsteps. Instead, all she heard were gasps of surprise, a bellow of anger from Gavin, shrieks, then funny flump sounds as heavy objects hit the floor. Rebo swallowed her laugh as she heard it too. Leena opened the door cautiously, thin eyebrows knit in concentration. All was quiet for about 5 minutes. Leena glanced at Rebo, who had a quizzical countenance. Both crept down the hall upon hands and knees. Just in case the others were playing a trick on them and were trying to lure them downstairs. They reached the end of the hall and heard the door slam with a force that shook the walls. "LEENAAAAAAAAAA!!!! WHERE ARE YOU? LEEENA!!!" Mina's frantic voice rang out. Immediately she dashed down to the front hall, Rebo close at her heels, landing with a crash at the bottom. Mina was leaning against the door, eyes as wide as saucers and pale as a ghost. "Mina....what are you doing? What's wrong?" Mina was still staring straight ahead, looking directly at Leena, but not really seeing anything. "There is somebody outside who is..." She broke off as a fusillade of knocks started on the other side of the dark paneled wood.
Mina leapt into the next room, wailing, "Don't open it!!!!" Leena tried peering out of the windows beside the door and found them covered in shadow. The man was by the door, with masked people in black flanking him. Leena's eyes widened as well and she grabbed Rebo by the arm, pulling her to where Mina was cowering. As they crouched against the far wall, Rebo dug her nails into Leena's arm: the funny noises had been Orianna, Gavin, Neva, and Eslin. The were all spread-eagled on the floor, breathing shallowly. Swishes in the front hall told them that whoever the man had with him, they were now in the house. Their heavy steps carried upstairs and a few went into the kitchen. Rebo pulled on the Twins' sleeves and whispered a plan of attack to them.
***
The tall man's voice rent the air like glass shattering on an icy day as he called out. Mina shakily took a step towards the stairway, half closing the door behind her. The man stepped out into the hall as well, a triumphant smile playing about his lips. "Mina...so long since I've seen you..." Mina replied, "I've never seen you before, what do you mean "so long since you've seen me"? I'm afraid-" "But I'm not," he interrupted with a deathly whisper, "Afraid, that is. I remember when you were this big..." and he held out his hands to show her. Mina looked at his hands, then at his face, a probing look glazing over hers. The man took a step towards her, willing her to remember a long-forgotten memory. Flashes of another baby, dark rooms, a lady with sky blue eyes laughing, the man with blonde hair, another man with black hair....the images raced past her eyes as if a movie was being put on fast-forward. "I suggest that you tell Leena and her little friend to get out from behind the door. They couldn't possibly hold all of my associates off," the man said, amusement evident. A clunk and a gasp of surprise accompanied the door being pushed open. Leena's eyes were black again and Rebo had her jaw dragging along the floor in astonishment. Quickly, Rebo closed her mouth and snapped, "How did you know?" The man laughed and pointed his wand at her, a flash of light flaming towards her. Rebo collapsed, and Leena rushed towards the man, daggers ready in hand. "Impedimenta!" the man roared and Leena froze in place. Two of the robed people came up next to her, gripping her upper arms. "By the way...My name is Lucius. I don't think we've been introduced properly before..." he said causally as he raised his wand and Leena started struggling again. Pure hatred poisoned her face as she bared her teeth. Lucius grabbed Mina and motioned for the two swathed in black to bring their prisoner to the kitchen. As they entered the warm, comforting room, they saw Annie sitting in a chair. Correction: what had been Annie. Her body was strapped to the chair and she had a look of absolute horror on her face. Leena and Mina were forced to sit in chairs opposite their guardian, also being bound down. Mina chewed her lip, again initiating blood. Leena's eyes smoldered with fury as she watched Lucius turn Annie into a rose, a deep crimson with black lacing the edges. The stem had a single thorn on it. "Good night, dark lady. May flights of devils wing you to your rest," he whispered maliciously. The two robed figures sniggered rudely and Leena ripped her arm free, lashing out at them.
"Naughty girl..." Lucius fixed her with an icy stare which she returned in full measure. "Why are you doing this?" she asked tentatively, tone in a would-be calm voice. "Your father expressly wished for you to come as soon as possible, without delay. Annika was a hindrance and she needed her compensation. It was promised to her, after all," Lucius retorted. "Hold your tongue!" he snapped as she started to protest. "All right, I will!" she declared haughtily. With that, she stuck out her tongue, pinched it between her thumb and index finger of her free hand, and stared venomously at Lucius. He eyed her critically, then slapped her chin upwards so that she bit herself. Leena bared her teeth again at him, this time with blood on her canines. "Ah, I see that you truly have your mother in you," he exclaimed, "She had fangs like yours, most definitely." Mina was still in her wide-eyed state, not seeing anything. "Vobis Voldemort!" Lucius hissed, a ball of green flames erupting in his palm. "What is it, Lucius, I'm occupied at the moment," a cold voice spilled out. The girls' astonishment was enough to make Lucius smile a real smile as he answered back, "We have successfully obtained your precious daughters and have repaid Annika for her kindness." "Well done, Lucius, I knew you would procure them without difficulty. Severus is here at the Manor, waiting to greet them. Prepare to Apparate directly. I'll be waiting..." "Desino Sermo...Now," he closed his fingers on his upturned palm, killing the flames and connection, "Who wants to go for a fun ride?" Lucius asked with fake cheeriness. The Twins cringed in their seats. Lucius motioned for the two robed figures to take either girl and then follow him. They were duck-walked with their arms pinned behind their backs down the front steps. Two lines of the masked figures in black lined the walkway down the lawn. When they reached the end, Lucius commanded, "Disapparate to Riddle House, you will receive further orders there." With that, the girls were whisked away into blackness.
***
Rebo came to when she heard the icy voice in the kitchen. Crawling back into the room of her fallen comrades, she discovered that Eslin was awake and discombobulated. The two of them overheard Leena saying, "All right, I will!" and then the slap of skin contacting skin. Neva started to wake up around then as well as Orianna and Gavin. The five of them felt wasted, completely drained, but as they heard the rest of the conversation, they knew that their friends were being kidnapped by some not quite ordinary people. Rebo exclaimed, "We've got to do something! We can't just let them be taken!" Eslin snipped back, "Ok, big shot, go out there and rescue them. The only thing you've got to lose is your life, nothing big." Neva looked reprovingly at her as Gavin grinned and Orianna admonished, "Eslin! That's not very nice!" Rebo stood up woozily and tottered towards to door. "Where are Kildare and Brock...?" she let the question hang in the air. The other four got to their feet to go search for their friends.
Brock was found leaning over Kildare, tapping her face and muttering to himself. He looked up when he saw them approaching and tried to explain what happened. Neva cut him off, saying, "We know. It happened to us too, chill out. She should come out of it in a minute." Sure enough, Kildare aroused, hand on head, to find her friends looking at her expectantly. "Wha...," she groaned. "We think we know how to get back Leena and Mina, but we need you to help most of all. You know, your special talent for the unusual might be just the thing..." They pulled her up and went to Orianna's house to plan.
***
All of a sudden, the rushing darkness stopped and a dark room came into view. Lucius was there, walking toward a lone figure in forest green robes trimmed with black and silver around the edges. Another man sat beside him, dressed in the customary black robes that the Twins had seen all day. This man had shoulder length black hair and black eyes that contrasted sharply with his pasty-white skin. As Lucius approached, the pale man stood up gracefully, even taller than Lucius. He inclined his head slowly in greeting, then turned to face the girls, blocking Lucius and the other man from view. He walked slowly up to the girls, inspecting them with a cold demeanor. His eyes narrowed when he examined Leena, who also narrowed hers. Her eyes were still black, only now they were chips of polished obsidian, glittering coldly out of an equally white face. Mina kept glancing between them, flicking first to one face then the other. "Severus..." the cold voice called out. The black haired man stepped away from Leena, still with that narrowed expression on his face, until he turned away to walk back to the man in the green. For the first time, the girls saw their father: the Man with the Red Eyes.
A/N: Don't you just love it? Right when it gets going, I have to put in an evil cliff-hanger! 0-o Wow... (It's a googly-eyed thingie, don't ask) Hopefully, the 9th chapter, Getting Your Bearings, will be up soon. Preview: The Riddle Twins get their Bearings in Riddle House, get to know the Ultimate Riddle (who is out to rule the world), and maybe solve some riddles of their physical selves as well as the riddle on why they start to think the way they do, answer a riddle for homework, and that's about it. (Enough Riddles? I thought not...) Oh yeah, Draco pays a visit and no, he's not chewing on Lucius' wand this time. Which is a good thing. Heeeheee......