Chapter Nine
Harry sat me on his lap, entwining his hand in my hair. He smiled at me, pulling me into a hug. Resting his hand on my leg, he murmured, "Happy birthday, Nicole. You're seventeen now. What are you going to do to celebrate?"
"Mm...I don't know. Any ideas?"
"We could go down to the lake, and maybe I'll give you your birthday present," he replied.
"I have a present?"
"Always."
"Oh, okay. Let's go, then."
I stood and Harry followed. He took my hand and led me out of the common room. It was almost ten o' clock in the evening. Harry took me outside, taking me to a small boulder by the lake. I sat, and he stood in front of me.
"All right...here's your present. I knew that there was something missing from it, so I got Draco to help a little. He seemed pretty eager, for someone who hates me. But..." he took a long box from inside his cloak and held it out to me. "I tried not to go overboard with it, but it might be a bit flashy for your tastes."
I took the box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful white gold bracelet with a heart charm on it. I flipped the latch to open the heart locket. One picture was of Harry. He smiled and laughed, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. On the opposite side was a picture of Draco, who was smirking dangerously. Between them was a smaller frame, which carried pictures of my mother and father.
"Oh, spectacular," I breathed. "That's...wow."
"Draco wanted to come, but he had something unexpected come up."
I put on the bracelet, and hugged him tightly. He nuzzled against my neck, planting soft kisses where my pulse throbbed. Then he brought his lips to mine, and gave me a soft kiss.
"Harry," I whispered, "you know we can't do this out here. Let's go inside to..."
"Just a little fooling around," he said quietly. But then he froze, staring behind me.
"Wha--"
"Don't move," he hissed.
"Why?"
"Vampire," he replied shortly.
"Oh no," I said. "It's Halloween."
"Run." Harry took my hand and pulled me off the rock, trying to put as much distance between us and the vampire. I looked back, but there was no one behind us. We kept running, but the doors of Hogwarts seemed to get further and further away. Something grabbed me from behind. I screamed, and Harry lunged at it, fighting it. My wand was up at the castle.
"Harry, your wand!" I shouted.
He fumbled for it in his robes, but a large black shape appeared behind him. It got out a dagger and pressed it against Harry's throat. He paused, leaving his search for the wand. Whatever was holding me hissed something in another language and drew a sharp fingernail along my neck. The creature that was holding Harry answered in a sharp tone, but still in the foreign language.
"Ah," said a voice in my ear. The accent was heavy, like the creature was from Romania, or some other European country. "It is a seer. And the One who carries the Corianthianum? Very nice." It licked my neck.
"Ew," I growled. "You licked me."
"I tasted you; there's a difference."
Harry could only watch from a distance.
"Damian," the other creature hissed. "She is not yours."
"Give it a rest, will you? It was only a taste, I did not bite her," Damian replied. "Besides, you have the Boy. He probably tastes just as good as she does."
"But you do not see me tasting him, do you?"
"Ah, well. What are we to do with them now, Xander?" asked Damian.
The vampires--I assumed they were, as they were speaking of biting people and tasting them--seemed to consider this for a moment. Damian, the one who was holding me, continually stroked my neck with a sharply-filed fingernail. After a moment or two, I became tired of waiting and slammed my elbow back into the vampire's gut. He hissed.
I dove at the vampire opposite me, and knocked the knife out of his hand. Harry grabbed my hand again and we ran top-speed towards Hogwarts. Damian was following fast behind us, and though I hadn't even seen what he looked like, I had an odd feeling that his eyes would be glowing red. As we reached the front steps, Damian lunged at me, and we both toppled forward, my head hitting the pavement with a sharp crack that resonated through my body. I felt sharp fangs sink into my neck, and the pain drifted away from me, as did my consciousness.
---
My head felt like it was split in two pieces, straight down the middle. I opened my eyes, and everything was blurry. Someone leaned over me, their long, pale silvery-blond hair falling onto my neck.
"Xander!" he shouted, causing me head to throb. "Xander, she is awake!" From the accent I knew it was Damian. Another vampire entered the room. Damian let out a sharp bark of laughter. "My, my, my, if it isn't Raine. Brother, how are you?" Damian stroked my neck with his nails.
"Do not touch her," Raine hissed. "Or did Xander not remind you? She is not yours. Draw blood, and I assure you the Dark Lord will find out."
"Ah, right," Damian said. "Fine. So, what are you doing here, Brother?"
"I'd prefer if you didn't mention I was related to you...or, at least, I was when I was alive. It's a scar on my reputation."
"Of course," Damian sighed. "Raine, the girl is awake. What do we do with her? And if I ask the Dark Lord for more of her blood--"
"Wait a moment, you've had some of her blood? How? When? Did you have permission?"
"Yes, I've had some blood from her. She was running and I had to use it to dull the pain."
"Sit," Raine commanded angrily. "Explain."
"Well," Damian said, smiling wickedly, "Xander and I had caught them, and she got away and so did he. So we chased them, and I took her to the ground, but she hit her head. To keep her from feeling too much pain, I bit her. It helped."
"I'm not so sure of that, but...I'll let you deal with telling Lucius why she's got two holes in her neck. But for now, I'm going to let you do something else that will actually help her. I want you to heal her concussion, and then I want you to go to Lucius and explain what happened when you arrived at Hogwarts. I talk to Lucius, so if you've lied or glossed anything over, I can assure you I'll find out. And if I find out, I can promise you that it won't be a pretty sight."
Damian nodded, brushing his hair out of his face. To me he looked like an elf from the Lord of the Rings movies, except his eyes were black. This was Raine's brother? I shivered.
"Raine," I muttered, trying to sit up. "My head. It hurts."
Damian sighed again, and sat beside my bed. He touched my temples, and I felt a coldness wash over me. His hands were freezing against my face. A warmth spread to the tips of my fingers, and it was a welcome relief from the cold.
Oh, relax already, his voice said inside my head. I'm not hurting you, am I? No? Then relax and stop your heart from pounding like that.
His hands dropped from my head, and he turned to Raine. "Good enough for you?"
"Of course it is. Now go tell Lucius why you're looking so flushed. I'm sure he'll agree it makes for quite an interesting story. If he's not just overly pleased with you, I won't think too much of it if you don't return very quickly. So go on, and tell Lucius to have fun."
Damian flinched, but nodded reluctantly. He turned and left the room, his cloak billowing out behind him. Raine smirked, sitting in the chair Damian had vacated. He was dressed in all black, and his cheeks had a chalky pallor.
"I apologise for him. Damian has always been rash. He knew he wasn't supposed to feed off you, but he doesn't care for rules and bounderies very much. I've tried to impress upon him the importance of following the rules when you're working with Lucius and the Dakr Lord, but it never seems to work. If he hurt you, I'm sorry. He healed you, though, so you should be fine."
"Is healing a special vampire-talent or something? Because, you know, I always just thought most of them were evil and heartless."
"Most of us are. Damian is a strong vampire, and he can heal people well. I'm strong too, but I didn't choose to be able to heal when I got my strength. Instead, I chose to be able to travel in the Underworld. While Damian can transform shapes, as I can, he cannot always move in the Underworld. It's only on Halloween that he can do that."
"That's tonight."
"Yes, which was one of the reasons the Dark Lord chose for him to transport you tonight. There are other reasons for his timing as well, but I'm sure you'll find those out incredibly soon. It's almost time for the ceremony. In fact, they should be bringing Harry Potter up to the Ceremonial Chamber soon. I think we should get you changed into something a little more suitable for a ceremony. The robes you are to wear are..." he grabbed a package from the foot of the bed. "Right here. I'll leave you to change now." He left the room.
I stood, and unwrapped the package. Inside was a pair of dark purple robes. Casting them aside, I inspected the room, hoping to find some way out. The room was adorned in dark maroon and green. Like Christmas, except...it felt more like Deathmas. There was a window beside the bed. I pushed it open and peered out. I was on the second floor.
Casting around for a way to lower myself down, I immediately spotted the bedsheets covering the king-size bed. I yanked them off and twisted them together. Tying them together, they were long, but not quite long enough. I rummaged around, and found a plain sheet under the beed. I knotted those together and tied one end to the bedpost. Then I threw the bedsheet-rope out the window and, holding tightly to part of it, crawled out.
Lowering myself gently, I hoped there were no first floor windows that someone might see me from. I climbed down slowly, finding odd footholes in the ancient bricks. Within a few minutes, I was only seven feet from the ground. I decided that this was where I got off. I let go of the rope, falling to the ground. Then I ran towards what could only be the exit--I could see the tall, black metal ironwork of a gate.
Running as quickly as I could, I found my way to the gate quickly. Pulling it open, I ran through it and continued on my way towards freedom.
---
By the time I stumbled into town, I knew that it was very late. The neon sign above a closed car-wash said it was 2:13. I needed a place to sleep. I needed help. And I needed a wand. All of these things seemed positively unattainable.
The nearest building to me was an abandoned car shed. I went closer to inspect it. The shed was large, and derelict. No one had been there in ages. I entered, and found an old toolbench. It would have to do. Lying down, I fought back tears, and slept.
When I woke up, the sun was pouring in the cracks in the walls. My back was stiff, and it took me a moment to remember where I was and how I had gotten there. Sitting up, I dusted myself off and decided to seek aid from someone in town. If I was lucky, I could hitchhike to London.
The daylight nearly blinded me. It was a warm day, and the sun was shining brightly. I shivered, despite the warmth, and began walking. Across the road was a fast-food place, and beside it was an ice cream shop. Neither looked particularly hopeful to me. So I continued onward, finally deciding to stop at a petrol station for directions.
A young man stood behind the counter, taking a drag of his cigarette. I grinned weakly at him when he spotted me, and asked, "Er...I seem to be lost. Could you tell me how far it is to London? I don't have any money." He frowned.
"Did someone beat you up?" the man questioned curiously. "Because...well, you don't look too good."
"Uh," I searched around for an answer. "Well, you see, I rode with a friend of mine, but he didn't want to take me any farther. He dropped me off here, and only after he'd left did I remember I'd left my purse in his car. So I don't have any money, or anything."
"American?" he asked, pulling some money from his pocket. I nodded. "I thought so. You're accent's not too pronounced, but it's there. You live near here?"
I shook my head, "No, I live near London. But like I said, this place might be near London and I wouldn't know. I have no clue where I am. The guy I was with, well, he sort of just shoved me out of the car. Left me sitting in the dust."
He nodded, handing me some money. "That should get you home to London. I'll call a taxicab if you'd like."
"Oh, yeah, thanks a bunch. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't get to London."
Picking up a phone, he dialed a number and spoke a few quick words into the reciever. Then he placed the phone back down and said, "It'll be here in a few minutes. You can sit and wait. If you want some water, I'll get you a cup. It's tap water, but it tastes fine."
"No, thanks. I would, but right now I just want to go home."
The cab came soon, and I thanked the man once again. Hopping in the car, I forked over the money and said, "London, please. Lincoln Drive." Lincoln Drive was situated a few streets from Godric's Hollow. It was a Muggle neighbourhood, which meant that my presence wouldn't make any trouble.
After about half an hour, I was on Lincoln Drive. Stepping out, I watched the cab disappear over the horizon. Then I started home. Within minutes I was stepping in the door. Mud was caked all around the doorway. I turned slowly, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Everything was as it was supposed to be. Except that the entire house was empty.
The staircase leading upstairs was covered in obvious muddy footprints. I stepped around them and went upstairs. My legs were refusing to move properly. It was a if something told me not to go into their bedroom. But my mind won out, and I reached out for the handle. Without even touching it, the door swung open.
I immediately wished it hadn't. A brown coating covered almost everything. The walls had splatters of blood across them, and the white carpet was stained. Blood drops had been smeared across the bedspread. The mirror across from the bed had a bloody message scrawled there.
'First the light, then the love, and last of all the heart. Beware the danger.'
I backed out of the room, wanting to run from the house, but knowing that there would be something to keep me there. Some distant part of me wanted an explanation, but another part of me desired only to sink to my knees and sob. But neither of these things would satisfy me. I wanted payback. If Lucius Malfoy wanted to play dirty, then I'd play along.
He could not have known the monster he had created with his sadistic plan.
---
The money I had stolen from my parents' stash jingled merrily in my pockets. Soot covered my hair from the Floo trip to Diagon Alley. But I was not happy, and I didn't care that I was dirty. What I cared about most was payback.
I bought a new wand first, and then I set about getting a few books on curses. The shop keepers didn't ask about my appearance, or why I wasn't in school. Something about the angry glare in my eyes must have stopped them from speaking. My stomach rumbled hungrily, but I ignored it and headed down the street to Knocturn Alley.
This place was shady and dark; I would not usually want to be seen here. But at the moment I didn't care particularly about any of that. I entered a store with a sign hanging in the window that said, 'Dangerous Creatures.' Inside, all sorts of animals resided in cages. I immediately went to the front desk and rang the bell impatiently.
A frail looking man entered, squinting feebly at me.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I want an animal that will be fiercely loyal to it's owner. But I want it to be dangerous and completely capable of defending it's owner."
"We have some Dragars," he said. "They are a type of cat-like creature. Here, let me show you." He went into the back and brought out a large cage. Inside was a small animal shaped like a cat but covered in dragon scales.
"Wonderful," I said. "I want two of these. Do the scales have any magical properties?"
"Ah, a good question. If you pluck a scale and say 'accendia' it will explode. They also deflect most spells. And they are fiercely loyal to whomever owns them. If you tell them to attack, they will."
"Illegal?" I questioned.
"Not quite. They're a fairly new species, and the Ministry hasn't had time to ban them yet, what with all the...uprisings they've had to deal with." He grinned toothily at me.
"Yes, well, here's money." I handed him a few galleons."
"They are forty galleons a piece."
"Too bad. This is what you're getting, unless you'd like the Ministry to find out about them."
He nodded quickly, and handed me the two cages. I took them and headed to the fireplace. Casting the powder into the flames, I said, "Malfoy Manor." If I had stayed a few seconds longer, I might have heard him say, "She's out to get him, that one. Lucius had better watch out. Dragars..."
After much spinning, I had arrived. I glanced around me, seeing only a dark room lined with bookshelves. I twirled my wand between my fingers, after setting the Dragars onto the floor. Opening the cages with a tap of my wand, the Dragars came out and immediately began clawing at the furniture.
"What a bonus," I smirked. "They do home-wrecking as well."
I opened the book of curses and spells, searching for a locator spell. Upon finding it I said, "Locatius: Lucius Malfoy." A long thread of silver burst from the tip of my wand, creating a map in midair. Over it words read, 'Malfoy Manor.' Lucius was a little green dot moving around the second floor. I did another locator spell to find out where I was, and surprisingly I was standing in the room Lucius Malfoy was heading towards.
Kicking the Dragars' cages across the room, I sat on the chaise and stretched out nonchalantly. Inspecting my new wand, I played with it between my fingers. The door burst open, and Lucius Malfoy stormed in, looking livid. He didn't spot me at first, but when he did he let out a sharp hiss.
"Bonjour, Malfoy," I drawled. "Had fun trying to track me down?"
"Not entirely," he said, his hand searching inside his robes for a wand. I shook my head at him, waving my wand and cursing him with a freezing charm.
"That was a rather stupid thing to do, don't you think?" I asked, smirking evilly. "After all, you kidnapped my parents and I'm trying to kill you. I think we're almost even. But not quite. I believe I invited you to dinner, didn't I? Oh, must've forgotten to. Well, here's the whole catch about that dinner thing. You see, you're on the menu. My Dragars are starving, and I don't think you'll give them nearly as much indigestion as Voldemort might."
Lucius' eyes widened, staring at the Dragars wildly. I unfroze him, and said to the Dragars, "Welcome to dinner. Master Malfoy will be your main course. I'd get your wife, too, but you see, your son loves her. So I think you'll have to do until I can get Voldemort. A little indigestion won't kill them."
The Dragars lunged at him, and he tried to curse them away. I laughed, "Mister Malfoy, surely you know that their scales deflect spells, don't you? Oh, damn. I must've forgotten to tell you. My bad."
"What do you want?" he shouted.
"I want my boyfriend back, I want my parents returned safely, and I want you and the Dark Lord to die very horrible deaths. I'd also like a pedicure and a doughnut, but I don't guess I can have everything I want. Right now, at least."
He gave me a look, trying to kick the Dragars away. They only fought back harder.
"I'll get your parents for you. If you'll just call these things off, I'll do it."
"Sorry, guys, I guess you'll have to forestall your meal a little longer. Lucius, get my parents, and bring your son from Hogwarts. He and I need to have a little chat before I kill you. And if you think I won't kill you, just try me."
He nodded and disapparated. I relaxed, and the Dragars began demolishing the furniture again. I called one of them to me, and stroked it's scales. Where a spell had hit it a scale had chipped. The Dragar seemed not to care about it.
"You two need names," I said tiredly. "How about Rose and Snowflake?" The Dragars growled at me. "All right, fine, Death and Destruction." The nearest one purred, falling over and ripping up the bottom of the chaise.
"Lucius ought to be back soon. Then you two'll have a nice meal. I just hope Death Eater meat isn't naturally poisoned."
Harry sat me on his lap, entwining his hand in my hair. He smiled at me, pulling me into a hug. Resting his hand on my leg, he murmured, "Happy birthday, Nicole. You're seventeen now. What are you going to do to celebrate?"
"Mm...I don't know. Any ideas?"
"We could go down to the lake, and maybe I'll give you your birthday present," he replied.
"I have a present?"
"Always."
"Oh, okay. Let's go, then."
I stood and Harry followed. He took my hand and led me out of the common room. It was almost ten o' clock in the evening. Harry took me outside, taking me to a small boulder by the lake. I sat, and he stood in front of me.
"All right...here's your present. I knew that there was something missing from it, so I got Draco to help a little. He seemed pretty eager, for someone who hates me. But..." he took a long box from inside his cloak and held it out to me. "I tried not to go overboard with it, but it might be a bit flashy for your tastes."
I took the box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful white gold bracelet with a heart charm on it. I flipped the latch to open the heart locket. One picture was of Harry. He smiled and laughed, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. On the opposite side was a picture of Draco, who was smirking dangerously. Between them was a smaller frame, which carried pictures of my mother and father.
"Oh, spectacular," I breathed. "That's...wow."
"Draco wanted to come, but he had something unexpected come up."
I put on the bracelet, and hugged him tightly. He nuzzled against my neck, planting soft kisses where my pulse throbbed. Then he brought his lips to mine, and gave me a soft kiss.
"Harry," I whispered, "you know we can't do this out here. Let's go inside to..."
"Just a little fooling around," he said quietly. But then he froze, staring behind me.
"Wha--"
"Don't move," he hissed.
"Why?"
"Vampire," he replied shortly.
"Oh no," I said. "It's Halloween."
"Run." Harry took my hand and pulled me off the rock, trying to put as much distance between us and the vampire. I looked back, but there was no one behind us. We kept running, but the doors of Hogwarts seemed to get further and further away. Something grabbed me from behind. I screamed, and Harry lunged at it, fighting it. My wand was up at the castle.
"Harry, your wand!" I shouted.
He fumbled for it in his robes, but a large black shape appeared behind him. It got out a dagger and pressed it against Harry's throat. He paused, leaving his search for the wand. Whatever was holding me hissed something in another language and drew a sharp fingernail along my neck. The creature that was holding Harry answered in a sharp tone, but still in the foreign language.
"Ah," said a voice in my ear. The accent was heavy, like the creature was from Romania, or some other European country. "It is a seer. And the One who carries the Corianthianum? Very nice." It licked my neck.
"Ew," I growled. "You licked me."
"I tasted you; there's a difference."
Harry could only watch from a distance.
"Damian," the other creature hissed. "She is not yours."
"Give it a rest, will you? It was only a taste, I did not bite her," Damian replied. "Besides, you have the Boy. He probably tastes just as good as she does."
"But you do not see me tasting him, do you?"
"Ah, well. What are we to do with them now, Xander?" asked Damian.
The vampires--I assumed they were, as they were speaking of biting people and tasting them--seemed to consider this for a moment. Damian, the one who was holding me, continually stroked my neck with a sharply-filed fingernail. After a moment or two, I became tired of waiting and slammed my elbow back into the vampire's gut. He hissed.
I dove at the vampire opposite me, and knocked the knife out of his hand. Harry grabbed my hand again and we ran top-speed towards Hogwarts. Damian was following fast behind us, and though I hadn't even seen what he looked like, I had an odd feeling that his eyes would be glowing red. As we reached the front steps, Damian lunged at me, and we both toppled forward, my head hitting the pavement with a sharp crack that resonated through my body. I felt sharp fangs sink into my neck, and the pain drifted away from me, as did my consciousness.
---
My head felt like it was split in two pieces, straight down the middle. I opened my eyes, and everything was blurry. Someone leaned over me, their long, pale silvery-blond hair falling onto my neck.
"Xander!" he shouted, causing me head to throb. "Xander, she is awake!" From the accent I knew it was Damian. Another vampire entered the room. Damian let out a sharp bark of laughter. "My, my, my, if it isn't Raine. Brother, how are you?" Damian stroked my neck with his nails.
"Do not touch her," Raine hissed. "Or did Xander not remind you? She is not yours. Draw blood, and I assure you the Dark Lord will find out."
"Ah, right," Damian said. "Fine. So, what are you doing here, Brother?"
"I'd prefer if you didn't mention I was related to you...or, at least, I was when I was alive. It's a scar on my reputation."
"Of course," Damian sighed. "Raine, the girl is awake. What do we do with her? And if I ask the Dark Lord for more of her blood--"
"Wait a moment, you've had some of her blood? How? When? Did you have permission?"
"Yes, I've had some blood from her. She was running and I had to use it to dull the pain."
"Sit," Raine commanded angrily. "Explain."
"Well," Damian said, smiling wickedly, "Xander and I had caught them, and she got away and so did he. So we chased them, and I took her to the ground, but she hit her head. To keep her from feeling too much pain, I bit her. It helped."
"I'm not so sure of that, but...I'll let you deal with telling Lucius why she's got two holes in her neck. But for now, I'm going to let you do something else that will actually help her. I want you to heal her concussion, and then I want you to go to Lucius and explain what happened when you arrived at Hogwarts. I talk to Lucius, so if you've lied or glossed anything over, I can assure you I'll find out. And if I find out, I can promise you that it won't be a pretty sight."
Damian nodded, brushing his hair out of his face. To me he looked like an elf from the Lord of the Rings movies, except his eyes were black. This was Raine's brother? I shivered.
"Raine," I muttered, trying to sit up. "My head. It hurts."
Damian sighed again, and sat beside my bed. He touched my temples, and I felt a coldness wash over me. His hands were freezing against my face. A warmth spread to the tips of my fingers, and it was a welcome relief from the cold.
Oh, relax already, his voice said inside my head. I'm not hurting you, am I? No? Then relax and stop your heart from pounding like that.
His hands dropped from my head, and he turned to Raine. "Good enough for you?"
"Of course it is. Now go tell Lucius why you're looking so flushed. I'm sure he'll agree it makes for quite an interesting story. If he's not just overly pleased with you, I won't think too much of it if you don't return very quickly. So go on, and tell Lucius to have fun."
Damian flinched, but nodded reluctantly. He turned and left the room, his cloak billowing out behind him. Raine smirked, sitting in the chair Damian had vacated. He was dressed in all black, and his cheeks had a chalky pallor.
"I apologise for him. Damian has always been rash. He knew he wasn't supposed to feed off you, but he doesn't care for rules and bounderies very much. I've tried to impress upon him the importance of following the rules when you're working with Lucius and the Dakr Lord, but it never seems to work. If he hurt you, I'm sorry. He healed you, though, so you should be fine."
"Is healing a special vampire-talent or something? Because, you know, I always just thought most of them were evil and heartless."
"Most of us are. Damian is a strong vampire, and he can heal people well. I'm strong too, but I didn't choose to be able to heal when I got my strength. Instead, I chose to be able to travel in the Underworld. While Damian can transform shapes, as I can, he cannot always move in the Underworld. It's only on Halloween that he can do that."
"That's tonight."
"Yes, which was one of the reasons the Dark Lord chose for him to transport you tonight. There are other reasons for his timing as well, but I'm sure you'll find those out incredibly soon. It's almost time for the ceremony. In fact, they should be bringing Harry Potter up to the Ceremonial Chamber soon. I think we should get you changed into something a little more suitable for a ceremony. The robes you are to wear are..." he grabbed a package from the foot of the bed. "Right here. I'll leave you to change now." He left the room.
I stood, and unwrapped the package. Inside was a pair of dark purple robes. Casting them aside, I inspected the room, hoping to find some way out. The room was adorned in dark maroon and green. Like Christmas, except...it felt more like Deathmas. There was a window beside the bed. I pushed it open and peered out. I was on the second floor.
Casting around for a way to lower myself down, I immediately spotted the bedsheets covering the king-size bed. I yanked them off and twisted them together. Tying them together, they were long, but not quite long enough. I rummaged around, and found a plain sheet under the beed. I knotted those together and tied one end to the bedpost. Then I threw the bedsheet-rope out the window and, holding tightly to part of it, crawled out.
Lowering myself gently, I hoped there were no first floor windows that someone might see me from. I climbed down slowly, finding odd footholes in the ancient bricks. Within a few minutes, I was only seven feet from the ground. I decided that this was where I got off. I let go of the rope, falling to the ground. Then I ran towards what could only be the exit--I could see the tall, black metal ironwork of a gate.
Running as quickly as I could, I found my way to the gate quickly. Pulling it open, I ran through it and continued on my way towards freedom.
---
By the time I stumbled into town, I knew that it was very late. The neon sign above a closed car-wash said it was 2:13. I needed a place to sleep. I needed help. And I needed a wand. All of these things seemed positively unattainable.
The nearest building to me was an abandoned car shed. I went closer to inspect it. The shed was large, and derelict. No one had been there in ages. I entered, and found an old toolbench. It would have to do. Lying down, I fought back tears, and slept.
When I woke up, the sun was pouring in the cracks in the walls. My back was stiff, and it took me a moment to remember where I was and how I had gotten there. Sitting up, I dusted myself off and decided to seek aid from someone in town. If I was lucky, I could hitchhike to London.
The daylight nearly blinded me. It was a warm day, and the sun was shining brightly. I shivered, despite the warmth, and began walking. Across the road was a fast-food place, and beside it was an ice cream shop. Neither looked particularly hopeful to me. So I continued onward, finally deciding to stop at a petrol station for directions.
A young man stood behind the counter, taking a drag of his cigarette. I grinned weakly at him when he spotted me, and asked, "Er...I seem to be lost. Could you tell me how far it is to London? I don't have any money." He frowned.
"Did someone beat you up?" the man questioned curiously. "Because...well, you don't look too good."
"Uh," I searched around for an answer. "Well, you see, I rode with a friend of mine, but he didn't want to take me any farther. He dropped me off here, and only after he'd left did I remember I'd left my purse in his car. So I don't have any money, or anything."
"American?" he asked, pulling some money from his pocket. I nodded. "I thought so. You're accent's not too pronounced, but it's there. You live near here?"
I shook my head, "No, I live near London. But like I said, this place might be near London and I wouldn't know. I have no clue where I am. The guy I was with, well, he sort of just shoved me out of the car. Left me sitting in the dust."
He nodded, handing me some money. "That should get you home to London. I'll call a taxicab if you'd like."
"Oh, yeah, thanks a bunch. I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't get to London."
Picking up a phone, he dialed a number and spoke a few quick words into the reciever. Then he placed the phone back down and said, "It'll be here in a few minutes. You can sit and wait. If you want some water, I'll get you a cup. It's tap water, but it tastes fine."
"No, thanks. I would, but right now I just want to go home."
The cab came soon, and I thanked the man once again. Hopping in the car, I forked over the money and said, "London, please. Lincoln Drive." Lincoln Drive was situated a few streets from Godric's Hollow. It was a Muggle neighbourhood, which meant that my presence wouldn't make any trouble.
After about half an hour, I was on Lincoln Drive. Stepping out, I watched the cab disappear over the horizon. Then I started home. Within minutes I was stepping in the door. Mud was caked all around the doorway. I turned slowly, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Everything was as it was supposed to be. Except that the entire house was empty.
The staircase leading upstairs was covered in obvious muddy footprints. I stepped around them and went upstairs. My legs were refusing to move properly. It was a if something told me not to go into their bedroom. But my mind won out, and I reached out for the handle. Without even touching it, the door swung open.
I immediately wished it hadn't. A brown coating covered almost everything. The walls had splatters of blood across them, and the white carpet was stained. Blood drops had been smeared across the bedspread. The mirror across from the bed had a bloody message scrawled there.
'First the light, then the love, and last of all the heart. Beware the danger.'
I backed out of the room, wanting to run from the house, but knowing that there would be something to keep me there. Some distant part of me wanted an explanation, but another part of me desired only to sink to my knees and sob. But neither of these things would satisfy me. I wanted payback. If Lucius Malfoy wanted to play dirty, then I'd play along.
He could not have known the monster he had created with his sadistic plan.
---
The money I had stolen from my parents' stash jingled merrily in my pockets. Soot covered my hair from the Floo trip to Diagon Alley. But I was not happy, and I didn't care that I was dirty. What I cared about most was payback.
I bought a new wand first, and then I set about getting a few books on curses. The shop keepers didn't ask about my appearance, or why I wasn't in school. Something about the angry glare in my eyes must have stopped them from speaking. My stomach rumbled hungrily, but I ignored it and headed down the street to Knocturn Alley.
This place was shady and dark; I would not usually want to be seen here. But at the moment I didn't care particularly about any of that. I entered a store with a sign hanging in the window that said, 'Dangerous Creatures.' Inside, all sorts of animals resided in cages. I immediately went to the front desk and rang the bell impatiently.
A frail looking man entered, squinting feebly at me.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I want an animal that will be fiercely loyal to it's owner. But I want it to be dangerous and completely capable of defending it's owner."
"We have some Dragars," he said. "They are a type of cat-like creature. Here, let me show you." He went into the back and brought out a large cage. Inside was a small animal shaped like a cat but covered in dragon scales.
"Wonderful," I said. "I want two of these. Do the scales have any magical properties?"
"Ah, a good question. If you pluck a scale and say 'accendia' it will explode. They also deflect most spells. And they are fiercely loyal to whomever owns them. If you tell them to attack, they will."
"Illegal?" I questioned.
"Not quite. They're a fairly new species, and the Ministry hasn't had time to ban them yet, what with all the...uprisings they've had to deal with." He grinned toothily at me.
"Yes, well, here's money." I handed him a few galleons."
"They are forty galleons a piece."
"Too bad. This is what you're getting, unless you'd like the Ministry to find out about them."
He nodded quickly, and handed me the two cages. I took them and headed to the fireplace. Casting the powder into the flames, I said, "Malfoy Manor." If I had stayed a few seconds longer, I might have heard him say, "She's out to get him, that one. Lucius had better watch out. Dragars..."
After much spinning, I had arrived. I glanced around me, seeing only a dark room lined with bookshelves. I twirled my wand between my fingers, after setting the Dragars onto the floor. Opening the cages with a tap of my wand, the Dragars came out and immediately began clawing at the furniture.
"What a bonus," I smirked. "They do home-wrecking as well."
I opened the book of curses and spells, searching for a locator spell. Upon finding it I said, "Locatius: Lucius Malfoy." A long thread of silver burst from the tip of my wand, creating a map in midair. Over it words read, 'Malfoy Manor.' Lucius was a little green dot moving around the second floor. I did another locator spell to find out where I was, and surprisingly I was standing in the room Lucius Malfoy was heading towards.
Kicking the Dragars' cages across the room, I sat on the chaise and stretched out nonchalantly. Inspecting my new wand, I played with it between my fingers. The door burst open, and Lucius Malfoy stormed in, looking livid. He didn't spot me at first, but when he did he let out a sharp hiss.
"Bonjour, Malfoy," I drawled. "Had fun trying to track me down?"
"Not entirely," he said, his hand searching inside his robes for a wand. I shook my head at him, waving my wand and cursing him with a freezing charm.
"That was a rather stupid thing to do, don't you think?" I asked, smirking evilly. "After all, you kidnapped my parents and I'm trying to kill you. I think we're almost even. But not quite. I believe I invited you to dinner, didn't I? Oh, must've forgotten to. Well, here's the whole catch about that dinner thing. You see, you're on the menu. My Dragars are starving, and I don't think you'll give them nearly as much indigestion as Voldemort might."
Lucius' eyes widened, staring at the Dragars wildly. I unfroze him, and said to the Dragars, "Welcome to dinner. Master Malfoy will be your main course. I'd get your wife, too, but you see, your son loves her. So I think you'll have to do until I can get Voldemort. A little indigestion won't kill them."
The Dragars lunged at him, and he tried to curse them away. I laughed, "Mister Malfoy, surely you know that their scales deflect spells, don't you? Oh, damn. I must've forgotten to tell you. My bad."
"What do you want?" he shouted.
"I want my boyfriend back, I want my parents returned safely, and I want you and the Dark Lord to die very horrible deaths. I'd also like a pedicure and a doughnut, but I don't guess I can have everything I want. Right now, at least."
He gave me a look, trying to kick the Dragars away. They only fought back harder.
"I'll get your parents for you. If you'll just call these things off, I'll do it."
"Sorry, guys, I guess you'll have to forestall your meal a little longer. Lucius, get my parents, and bring your son from Hogwarts. He and I need to have a little chat before I kill you. And if you think I won't kill you, just try me."
He nodded and disapparated. I relaxed, and the Dragars began demolishing the furniture again. I called one of them to me, and stroked it's scales. Where a spell had hit it a scale had chipped. The Dragar seemed not to care about it.
"You two need names," I said tiredly. "How about Rose and Snowflake?" The Dragars growled at me. "All right, fine, Death and Destruction." The nearest one purred, falling over and ripping up the bottom of the chaise.
"Lucius ought to be back soon. Then you two'll have a nice meal. I just hope Death Eater meat isn't naturally poisoned."