Summary: Harry Potter is head auror, Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater intent on destroying him, Hermione Granger and Severus Snape are potion master and assistant searching for answers, and heck…lets throw in a bunch of Weasleys and Voldermort for good measure.
Rating: R for violence, language and themes of death, rape torture and the like.
Warning: Will contain pairings of HP/DM and mentioned HG/SS. If you don't like I suggest you don't read, coz it doesn't matter how much you flame on pairings or anything I won't stop. : D
Double Warning: My fics are crap
Vainglorious Seduction – Prologue
Her cabin'd ample spirit,
It fluttered and fail'd for breath;
Tonight it doth inherit
The vastly hall of death.
- Matthew Arnold, Requiescat
A lone figure made it's way down the dark alleyway, heels clicking on the cobbled path below. Pace hurried but deliberate, the figure straightened a rain soaked hood, partly to hide from onlookers; partly to hide from the wet November gale that whipped and lashed at the face.
Following feet that knew the way she made her way further and further into the shadows, a flash of lightning overhead casting luminescent beams into a dark place full of even darker creatures.
All too soon she came to stop in front of an old and familiar building, its many dark windows catching sight of the glaring faces and horrified cries from within, so much so that the building seemed to be made of fear and malice itself.
Suppressing a shudder the figure shied away from the sight, not going to the front door but instead turning and going around to the back. Stepping over a sleeping man they walked up to the old side door, knocking once, then twice, hand shaking from fear and cold.
From within there came a mutter and a scraping of metal on wood, and two dull brown eyes squinted out. Slowly she pulled down her hood, black tendrils of hair escaping its prison and whipping red raw cheeks.
"Oh." The mans voice was dull. "Its you." Closing the slot back over his eyes disappeared, only to soon reappeared as the door opened, admitting her entrance and warmth.
Hurrying past him to the warm glow, she paid no attention as the man locked the door, mechanically and magically, placing both wand and keys in the pocket of plain black robes.
"Wait here." Brushing past her he walked off into the main room and up a flight of stairs, leaving her to watch the party that surrounded her. The music was loud and fast and she watched with eyes that showed nothing of her disgust, mapping the contours of each face into perfect memory as they danced to the furious beat.
"Here." A tall red head was suddenly standing in front of her, offering her a glass full of brown liquid. Trying not to crinkle her nose at the smell she declined, not liking the way he smirked and waltzed off without a word.
The man from before was abruptly at her side again, and she felt her heart beat faster. "He wants to see you."
Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat she nodded and began to follow, thankful to be relieved from the music and the heavy smells of sex and alcohol.
Silently, the pair made their way higher into the building, the only sounds heard in her ears being the pelting of rain and telltale rumble of thunder from beyond.
They were soon standing in front of a door, and she was suddenly being pushed roughly inside, falling to her knees on a polished wood board floor.
Opening her eyes she gasped and scrambled back, eyes open in terror as they stayed fixed on the face of a dead girl, a bloody arm reaching out across the floor, fingernail marks scratched into floor.
Silent even though her mind was screaming warning signals at her she stood, careful to keep her eyes on her skirt and away from the bloody sight beside her.
"Goyle." A quiet voice sounded across the room and she found her eyes darting to the silver haired figure standing beside a large window, hair illuminated as lightning flashed.
"Leave us," he ordered, voice stern over the thunder. The man behind her grunted and turned to leave, but the man held up a hand. "Wait. Take that –thing- with you." He gestured at the body beside her feet, and she felt her skin crawl with far as the man grunted once more as he bent to pick it up.
With a click the door was opened and the man left, the heavy thud of his feet soon dying away. There was silence once more, and she suddenly had the frantic need to have her wand in her hand now, but before she could get it without him noticing the man had turned and she forced herself to keep still.
Still silent the man looked at her, twirling his wand between long slender fingers. Another flash of lightning and she felt her stomach drop: his eyes were full of cruel mockery and a malicious smirk was spread across his face.
"You lied to me butterfly."
Frozen in fear, she watched helplessly as he raised his wand, his words drowned out over the thunder as she fell still and lifeless to the ground.
A coy smile now playing over his lips, the man turned and stared down at the wet street below.
"I hate when people lie to me."
