"The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns yourself more than him."(Chinese Proverb)
The old Malfoy broom was a temperamental piece of equipment. It was fast, no doubt, and she felt the miles of dark silent countryside quickly slide away underneath her, but each gust of wind made the damn thing buck like a shying horse, and besides it seemed to have a tendency to generally list to the left. She ducked her head down, held tight and used her arms and thighs to stay on course. Everything she was aware of drew her towards London, and soon she saw the patchwork of lights from the suburbs. She gave herself over to the connection that still tied her to the homunculus and felt the pull get ever stronger as she neared the City.
She would not have been able to point to the spot on a map, but suddenly had the urge to descend. She forced the broom down in a tight spiral, making herself invisible as she got lower and finally landed at the edge of what seemed either a park or an old cemetery. Gravel crunched under her shoes as she touched down and the broom tried to throw her with one last twist.
She dismounted, gripped the handle tightly and stowed the old Malfoy heirloom next to a lichen-covered wall behind some overhanging ivy. As soon as her hand touched the old masonry she felt a shudder run through her. She shook herself in disgust. She had become some kind of Geiger counter for her grandfather's creation, yet she was also thankful that this gave her a means to find her lover.
Following the wall and sensing her way more with her hands than being able to see it, she finally came towards a piece of masonry, that felt somewhat different. Her hands touched solid stone, but her sensitized mind felt an entryway. She cleared her thoughts and pulled out her wand. "Portam detego!" she whispered and felt the stones resolve under her hands. Her eyes detected a blurring effect in the near darkness, and a moment later she stood before an old iron-mounted wood door. She was breathing fast now and gripped her wand even harder. There was no telling if and when she would run into Lepidus. She gathered her courage and tapped the wood with her wand. "Alohomora!" The lock clicked and the heavy portal swung open.
She had half expected to be able to walk into the scene she had seen only a short while ago in the skrying bowl in Lucius' study, but instead a dark corridor stretched before her. She took a tentative step forward and again felt the presence of the homunculus dead ahead of her. For a moment she considered lighting her wand, but then decided against it. She hadn't even become visible yet, and preferred not to call any attention to herself. So instead she tapped her shoes with her wand and murmured: "Inaudibilis!" Noiselessly she glided over the old slippery flagstones feeling her way by running her left hand along the wall.
The corridor proceeded downwards at a steep, but mercifully even angle, curving a few times, but showing no branching as far as she could tell. Finally she came to a halt when the left wall suddenly dropped away from her searching hands and the slight movement of cool air persuaded her that she stood in a large vaulted room. She shuffled her feet forward, careful of any sudden dips or holes in the floor, until she arrived at the opposite wall. As her hands explored the water-slicked stones, she could feel another doorway, but the pull of the homunculus seemed weak. She continued past two more doors, until finally, at the fourth door she touched the handle with the absolute certainty that the dungeon she had seen lay behind it.
"Protego," she intoned, held up her wand and slipped back the latch. The door opened outwards and the sudden light that streamed out almost blinded her. She blinked a few times, but did not see any movement. Quickly she slipped through the doorway and pulled the heavy wood close behind her. Several wall-torches illuminated the room she recognized immediately from her skrying: there was the wooden box in the center, and right next to it on the floor Lucius' bound form. Back towards one of the walls lay the body of an unknown man in a jogging suit, most likely a muggle. She had not noticed him before, but realized he was the source of the foul stench in the room. The first food source of the homunculus was already starting to decompose.
Still invisible and noiseless she swiveled around, but could not see a trace of Lepidus. She rushed over to the blond wizard on the floor, knelt down and touched his face. His pale skin felt icy cold to the touch, but at the sensation his lids flew open and he stared at the empty space before him. "Visibilis," she said, and saw his grey eyes focus on her with some difficulty. "Lucius," she whispered. "I found you. I'll get you out." He tried to say something, but the gag prevented her from understanding him.
Quickly she tapped the ropes and the cloth that held the gag in place with her wand. "Resolvo," she murmured and saw the bindings fall away. Lucius coughed and she helped him spit out what seemed to be the rest of his former shirtsleeve. "He'll kill you!" her lover hissed at her as soon as he could speak. "He'll kill you in the worst way he can think of. We can't get out!" He tried to push himself up, but fell back groggily. "I'm finished and you can't move me and defend us both."
She grabbed him by his coat, pulled him into a sitting position and pushed her face right to his. "We've been there before outside the Oswald's place. Don't give me that shit! Why are you so damn ready to give up all the time? I've had it with your fucking death-wish!" She picked up her wand "Instauro argutiam," she incanted, watching the flame energy from the tip of her wand sink into him. At least his gaze seemed to clear somewhat and he put his uninjured arm behind him to keep himself propped up.
"Where's your wand?" she asked in a hurried whisper. "Behind the chair at the…" At that moment a door on the opposite side of the dungeon slammed into a wall with the force and sound of a pistol shot. She didn't even look up, but darted forward and curled up in a ball to break her fall as she scrambled for cover. Behind her the green fire of a wand-blast exploded. "Protego!" she gasped, brought her legs underneath her, threw off Lucius' heavy cloak, and dove off again, so that now she had the wooden box with the homunculus between herself and her attacker.
As she risked a glance upwards she saw Lepidus circle her, wand at the ready. "Crucio!" he shouted as he found a free line of fire, she whipped up her wand and sent out a deflecting spell. Green sparks blasted by her and hit the floor. "Impedimenta," she returned, only to find her spell reflected as well. He was an incredibly fast fighter with lighting-quick reflexes, and while her Defense against the Dark Arts training at Durmstrang had been intensive and solid, she was out of practice. The only thing that helped her was Lepidus reluctance to endanger his prized homunculus, but she knew after a minute into the fight that she was merely stalling. Perhaps Lucius had been right.
She tore herself out of her fatalistic thoughts as another lightning-bolt hissed past her ear, singeing some of her hair in the process. She moved away from the burning smell directing a stupefying spell over her shoulder. Lepidus evil and delighted laugh told her that she had missed again. "You fight like a mudblood," he taunted her. "You aren't even trying. I guess you are better in bed than with a wand, eh? Expelliarmus! Well, we'll soon find out. Impedimenta! Debilito! Ha, that was pathetic! Stop running! Catax! Don't fall now, my dear! Wouldn't want to hit that pretty face of yours. Acerbitate afflicto! Come on, you can't win. Expelliarmus!!!"
She had tripped on the hem of her dress and his last curse hit her full force in the chest, blasting her wand out of her hand and sending her flying backwards until she smacked into a heavy chair. Her head cracked against one of the armrests and she saw stars as Lepidus slowly advanced on her, wand at the ready. She tried to get up as he loomed above her, his lips drawn back in a skeletal grin. "Imperio!" he incanted at her, and she felt her whole body go limp, all thoughts of resistance and urgency draining from her. Everything seemed to happen in a thick haze of apathy. It was so easy to let go, not to think, not to fight, to just sink into the cold dark voice that gave her instructions.
Eleanor slowly got up as she was commanded, stood face to face with the man who most likely had killed her uncle and his family and looked into the abyss of his remaining eye. "Well," he gloated. "Time to finish what I've started so many years ago. You know I had your sweet aunt Lena stand before me just like you do now. I wonder if you are as compliant as she was. Take off your dress." A nagging voice in her head told her that what she was asked to do was not right, but she watched with serene detachment as her hands moved up to her throat and she started undoing the row of buttons that ran down her gown. The dark-haired man before her watched her intently. "Drop it," he instructed her, and she shrugged out of the sleeves of her dress and let it fall to the floor. The cold air in the dungeon that now hit her skin seemed to cut through the haze somewhat and she shook her head to clear the fog in her mind, but he just lifted a corner of his mouth in mockery.
"Don't even think about it, my precious. Now, the rest of your clothes!" Obediently she slipped out of her underwear. Now that she was completely naked she had Lepidus' full attention. He took a step towards her, his left hand stretched out, when she suddenly saw him waver and then slowly topple over sideways. A different voice seemed to shout something, but in her dazed mind everything happened in slow motion. However, as soon as Lepidus hit the ground, the mental bonds that had fettered her will snapped. She drew herself up with a gasp and in an instant saw the chief Death Eater sprawled on the floor and Lucius Malfoy standing over him, swaying dizzily, but with deadly determination in his eyes as he directed his wand at his opponent and snarled. "You will never touch her!"
Still, Lepidus was faster than his weakened attacker. He whipped his wand round and pointed at her. "Accende!" he hissed, and the next moment she felt a pain that was impossible to describe and impossible to bear. Searing flames licked up at her naked skin and she screamed in agony as she fell to her knees. She did not hear Lucius shout "Maledictionem reverso!" nor did she see Lepidus leap up, shove him out of the way and make for the door.
As the burning spell lifted and she found herself crouching on the floor drawing fresh air into her scorched lungs, she saw both men sprawled on the floor. This would be the only chance they'd get. She sobbed with pain as she crawled behind the chair where she saw her wand lie on the floor and then made her way over to Lepidus. She licked her fire-parched lips. "Petrificus totalus!" she cried hoarsely and felt his body stiffen. Then she moved over to Lucius who opened his eyes and groaned as he tried to shake off an impedimenta spell. Blackness covered her, and she didn't even feel it when she hit the ground.
When she next opened her eyes, she was certain that she was waking up to the worst pain in her entire life. Her head had surely been split open and her skin seemed to be burning up in some kind of horrible fever. Slowly she blinked through the agony of having to focus in the light. A cool hand lay against her cheek and brushed her hair from her forehead. She saw a blurred outline of a pale face, then she was lifted up and the rim of a bowl was pushed against her mouth. She curved her lips around it and tried drinking the liquid that coolly lapped against her tongue. It didn't taste like water, and there was a bitterness in it that reminded her of cold smoke and ashes. Still she drank greedily until the bowl was removed. Her vision cleared somewhat and she now recognized Lucius' face above her.
"Don't drink too much," he said gently. "I think this will be enough to work." "Work for what," she croaked. "Look at your hands," he told her. She slowly lifted her right arm, saw the silver of her portkey bracelet dulled and blackened and gasped in terror.
Her skin looked red, blistered and raw. Panicked she glanced down at herself, but found that her body was wrapped in a large fur-lined black cloak. Dimly she remembered a small house-elf handing her the coat, then the events of the evening rushed back at her, the dungeon, Lepidus, the burning spell. She struggled to get up, while Lucius tried to keep her restrained.
"It's all right," he tried to assure her. "All right?! What about Lepidus? What about…?" The blond wizard holding her shook his head. "Lepidus is still petrified. Once he held still long enough for you to get your aim, you did a good job on him. Right now, just look at your hand."
She found it hard to focus on her burned and destroyed skin, imagining that the rest of her could look no better than this stripped and oozing claw, but slowly she started noticing a change, the blisters flattened themselves and new baby-pink skin started forming. Soon that had faded to the light beige of her normal skin hue. Gently his free hand pulled apart the folds of his cloak that had covered her and she saw her naked body beneath, looking as she remembered it.
For a brief moment he laid his cool hand on her stomach, his fingers curling in a caress. "Fortunately Lepidus kept a lot of potions around, and not all are poisons, though I would guess he used the ash water potion to prolong some of his victims' agony by burning them repeatedly. He liked this curse better than the cruciatus. It was the one that destroyed his own face."
Eleanor shuddered, then looked at her lover. "And you?" she asked. His lips curved in a smile. "Your restorative spell helped. I'm sorry it took me so long to interfere. You gave him a good run for his money, though. I've never seen him work so hard, before he could get someone under the imperius. But I still wasn't very fast. I had to wait until his focus was completely on you. I am glad you are that distracting without your clothes."
She lifted her eyebrows. "Oh, so you stood by all calm and collected while he forced me to undress myself?" He pursed his lips. "Calm and collected isn't really what springs to mind," he said. "But sometimes you have to work with all the assets you have…" She put her healed hand against his mouth. "Don't go digging a hole for yourself," she teased him and then grew sober again. "Thank you, Lucius, for saving my life." He kissed her fingers. "Likewise," he answered softly.
She found she felt much better, and as she stirred, Lucius helped her sit up. She had lain on a low table with steel chains and manacles fastened to the sides. Quickly she slipped off it, not daring to guess what scenes it had witnessed. The flagstones were icy underneath her bare feet and she pulled the heavy cloak around her as she shivered in the cold air. The room around her looked unfamiliar. It was stuffed with cabinets that held numerous labeled potion bottles and strange implements the use of which she didn't even want to begin to contemplate. "Where are we?" she asked. Lucius guided her to the door with his hand at the small of her back. "The room Lepidus was in, before he surprised you," he said simply. He leaned over and opened a heavy oak door for her, revealing a view of the now familiar dungeon. She saw the wood crate, and in the place of her lover the stiff and prostrate form of the chief Death Eater.
Lucius led Eleanor up to his opponent, held out her wand to her, then stood away from her. "Here," he said quietly. "I think you have stronger claims for revenge now than I do." She took the wand in surprise and stared back at him. "What do you mean?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow. "It should be obvious. I cede my revenge to you. He tortured and murdered your family, and he burned you. You may kill him in the fashion you like," he answered calmly. She swallowed and turned to face him fully. "Lucius, I don't want to…"
"You give up your right?" he asked. "No!" she shook her head, red hair flying. "There is no right to begin with. You can't just go and execute an unarmed opponent! Killing someone in self-defense is one thing, but this is murder!" He shrugged his shoulders. "So? If you don't want him, I will kill him gladly."
For a moment she stopped herself. She had witnessed what Lepidus had told Lucius about his mother. Who was she to measure another man's hatred and judge it? She wavered, but then she laid her hand on the blond wizard's arm. "Lucius, I heard you speak of his part in the death of the Lenting family, I saw what he told you about your mother's sacrifice and your birth, I have witnessed for myself what kind of man he is: I felt him in my mind and in the flames that burned my body. Still, if you murder him, you make yourself his equal. He will have won. Defy him, even in this!"
His pale, grey eyes bored into hers, unblinking. As before she met and held his gaze. His voice sounded harsh as he asked her: "Very well, what do you propose instead?" She shrugged her shoulders. "He is petrified. He already has a warrant out for him for using an imperius on Filch, the Hogwarts janitor. There is enough evidence here to condemn him five lifetimes over, perhaps even sentence him to a Dementor's kiss. Let the aurors pick him up. Let him rot in Azkaban. Let them drag his name through the dirt. He mocked you and your family. Let them say that George Lepidus died a madman in prison, choking to death on his own malice."
She felt the muscles in his arm relax. He turned away thinking about what she said. She watched him for a moment fighting his own demons, then walked away from him and over to the wood crate that held the homunculus. In this proximity the connection to the mindless body was so strong, the physical revulsion so powerful, she felt dizzy with nausea. Suddenly the child opened his mouth for another wail of hunger. Eleanor raised her wand, and became acutely aware that Lucius now faced her from the other side of the box, wand at the ready.
She stiffened. "You will fight me over this?" she challenged him. He looked at her, his icy grey eyes unreadable. His lips narrowed. "I could, couldn't I? Then I'll take the prize for myself and feed him on Lepidus' blood. He's already twelve days old. Another twenty-eight to go and I will have been the one to restore the Dark Lord to his rightful place." Silence stretched between them. She now felt a sickness that surpassed even her reaction to the homunculus. So it was to end like this?
She winced as Lucius began to speak again. "Do you trust me?" he asked, his voice and expression still carefully neutral. She balled her fists. Images flashed before her: Lucius asking her about the homunculus in his library, slapping her for opening her eyes, stepping in front of her to deflect Lepidus' cruciatus, slumping down the wall in her hallway, grinning at her in the steam-clouds of her shower, crying over the death of his mother, holding her and giving her the ash-water to heal her horrible burn wounds. She groaned in frustration.
He repeated his question, urgency in his voice. "Do you trust me, Eleanor?" 'Common sense be damned,' she thought. "Damn you! Yes, I do," she said. She lowered her wand, shocked to realize that if he betrayed that trust she wouldn't care one way or the other any more. He exhaled, nostrils flaring, and she realized he had held his breath all the while she had deliberated.
Slowly he also lowered his wand. "Then leave it for the aurors, just as I am leaving him," he said. "Neither of us gets what we want, yet we both win." "What of your allegiance to the Dark Lord?" she asked. "Haven't you sworn to serve him and help bring him back?"
For a moment he compressed his lips. "I have, and I do not renounce my oath. But I chose not to compromise my honor to do so. You saved me, and I made my promise to you not to harm you. I also acknowledge that this thing that your grandfather created is your property, not mine. I will not steal from a pureblood witch. There will be other opportunities to further the Dark Lord's designs."
He suddenly seemed tired, as if the abuse of the last few days was catching up with him again. "Come, help me gag and bind Lepidus. I don't want to take any chances. I know they'll take ages at the Ministry, before they get into gear. Damn bureaucrats, just like muggles. They'll need ten forms, five permits and everything in triplicate before they even move a wand." She felt her own tension drain out of her and walked around the crate throwing an arm around him. "Let me get back into my clothes first," she said. "I'm freezing."