Chapter 8: Darkness
The carriage jostled as the leathery wings of the Thestrals beat against the cold evening air. They had been traveling for hours; they would soon approach the Dark Lords castle.
Lessien had not stirred since her encounter in the Forbidden Forest. Her head rested on Dracos lap-he stroked her hair gently.
She is a temptress. She has known all along who you are and she wanted to seduce you, trick you, deceive you into loving her. She is devious and false. It will be good to rid us of her. Yes…most good indeed…
Hours of paranoid thought had altered Malfoys mind. He was no longer the same man he had once been. He was a man that lusted for power and shunned love.
"Sir! Sir!"
"What is it now Wormtail?"
"I do not feel well, sir. Please, sir, can we not stop?"
"No! The Dark Lord is awaiting us. If you must you may apparate into the carriage."
With that Wormtail appeared inside the carriage heavy with sweat. He bowed over and over again; Malfoy rolled is eyes in disgust.
"Thank you sir! Thank you! I am deafly afraid of high places…thank you."
"Dear God! You reek of foul odors! I cannot stand it! I will spend the rest of the journey outside." A puff of smoke filled the carriage, he was gone.
Wormtail began to snicker and laugh quietly. "It worked! Thank you Zonko's Joke Shoppe, may your dung bombs never fall out of favor!" He wrung his hands as if to wash them in invisible water before beginning his operation. Wormtail drew his wand.
"Enervate!"
Lessien began to stir, her eyes came into focus, "Where is this place?"
"Miss, if I may?" Wormtail held out his pudgy little hand, in a gesture of good will. Lessien simply glared at him. He recoiled his hand slowly, somewhat befuddled at her reaction. "You have been betrayed, Miss!"
"What do you mean?" She spoke in a tone that sounded not only curious but also deadly. Pettigew had heard this tone of voice many times, and he knew that he had little time to convince her that what he said was true.
"Master Malfoy, he betrayed you! You are to be given to the Dark Lord in exchange for power! It is true, Miss. You must believe me! We have very little time before we arrive at the Dark Lords castle…please miss, please…"
"We shall see if your accusations are true, snake…" And with that she took out a small veil containing veritaserum, a most powerful truth telling potion. Lessien had always made a note to carry some with her at all times, for in her line of work lies were as plentiful as rats. "Drink it!" She commanded, as he placed it in Wormtails pudgy palm.
"Drink it!" She reached into her vambrace and drew her poisoned dagger. She held it to Wormtails throat; she wanted to make certain that he understood her. Trembling Wormtail took the veil and emptied its contents into his mouth. He gagged slightly from drinking the potion too quickly. His eyes darted back and forth as he waited for the effects of the potion.
"What is your name and rank?"
"I do not have to answer to you!" Spat Wormtail. The matter of his rank under the Dark Lords hierarchy had always pained him-he had always felt that he deserved more.
Unfazed by his out burst Lessien asked again, "What is your name and rank?"
Wormtails opened his mouth to speak, but before a single word could escape he felt a sudden urge to spill forth all his deepest secrets to her.
"My name is Peter Pettigew. I am the Dark Lords minion."
"I see the veritaserum is working well. Now, tell me why I am in this carriage. Tell me where I am being taken to and what I can do to escape."
"Master Malfoy has made a deal with the Dark Lord. He will bring you to him and in exchange the Dark Lord will grant Malfoy with unspeakable power." Lessiens eyes burned with a turquoise flame.
The Traitor! He will pay! He will pay for betraying me! He will pay for his lies. He will pay for making me weak.
As Lessiens mind whirled with angry thoughts, Wormtail continued, "You are being taken to the Dark Lords castle. When we arrive you will most likely be taken into the dungeons." His eyes darted back and forth as if his Dark Master were watching him, he leaned forward and whispered, " Behind the iron maiden is a secret passage, the Death Eaters do not know of it. It was originally used as a means of disposing bodies unseen… I found it one night when I was locked in… the passage leads to the moat. From there you will have to swim."
The carriage jostled violently now. Wormtail poked his pale, sweaty face out the window, "I can see the castle now, Miss! I see it!"
"Listen to me, Pettigew. I will speak to no one of this, is that clear?"
"Yes, Miss." He trembled in her grasp.
"Tell me Pettigew. Why have you betrayed Malfoy?"
"Because I want it…" He said in a hushed voice, "I want the power the Dark Lord promised him. I should be mine! And it will be! When the Dark Lord realizes that you have escaped, Malfoy will look like a fool!"
Lessien looked at him with disgust. He was no better then Malfoy, they were both hungry for power. She sheathed her dagger and returned it to her vambrace, careful to maintain eye contact with Wormtail at all times-she had to be sure that he would not betray her. "Will you betray me as well?"
"Yes, of course I will, Miss," Wormtail was shocked to hear him admit his treachery, "I must. For when I tell the Dark Lord that you have escaped he will favor me…"
"Just as I thought. Well, Pettigew, remember that if I am captured again that I will not hesitate to tell him of your hand in my escape, and he will be most displeased, will he not?" Wormtail quivered, he knew that the Dark Lord did not tolerate failure and that all those that betrayed him died most terribly. He looked at Lessiens statuesque face-it was beautiful but cold and hard and he knew that she would do as she said. He nodded vigorously, "Yes, Miss, he will. I will allow you 5 minutes from the time you enter the dungeon. That is the most I can give you-so you must travel quickly."
The carriage came to a bumpy stop. Lessien lay as if she had never moved. Malfoy opened the door. "Wormtail, run ahead and open the dungeon doors for our little guest."
Wormtail scurried ahead like a fat beetle that had been exposed to the suns rays. Lessiens head rested on Malfoys chest as he carried her through the bowels of the castle. She could hear the steady beating of his heart.
How I had once longed to rest my head on your chest, to hear your heart beat in time with mine. I could have loved you, Draco. I could have been yours. But you betrayed me…traded me in for a promise from the Dark Lord…you fool… you traded my love for darkness…darkness…
