Disclaimer: Nope sorry, nothing you see here is mine, well apart from the
plot and a few characters.
A/N: Heyho world. Did you enjoy the last chapter? I hope so! I know it was very long, but I hope it was worth it . . . . . come on people; I need reviews to bring you the next instalment much quicker! Cars can't run on fumes you know . . . . . But anyhoo.
In this chapter..... Well, I'll let you read it, but I hope to add more seriously confusing plot twists in the coming chapters, Bringing new characters and situations to your attention, and hopefully, viewing pleasure!
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and the chapters so far, you guys rock! A huggles is winging its way to you right now! ^_^ Mmmmmmmmm hug. Moreover, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta reader Missy for helping me with this chappie, hmmmmmm; I know just what to give you - besides an extra huggles, lol.
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Chapter 11: The beginning of the end
10th November 2006
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I can feel the magic floatin' in the air
Being with you gets me that way
I watch the sunlight dance across your face, and I,
I've never been this swept away
All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze
When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms
The whole world just fades away, the only thing I hear
Is the beating of your heart
Breathe- faith hill
"Pour me another . . . " Came the toneless drawl of a man who had something very profoundly and tediously emotional on his mind. The kind of annoyingly emotional things that made you think about life; the details that make you contemplate 'is this my life? Is this really me?' The kinda things, you wish you could just hide from by burying your head in the sand.
For hours upon hours Draco had sat at the small bar, trying - and failing miserably - to drown his sorrows with as much liquor as he could take. It was harder then he thought, pushing out all the thoughts and images from the past and convincing himself that the annoyingly and hard situation he was stuck in, wasn't happening him at all. Not to mention, all the unfamiliar emotions that seemed to pluck themselves from the air and slowly peel away the paint that decorated his cold mask, the mask that hid the lonely, haunted soul beneath it.
Above the mournful blonde, the barman eyed his troubled face with interest and if truth were told - hatred. Nobody could forget such chiselled features, grey eyes and slivery blonde hair that escorted the Malfoy name, a name the villagers still hated and feared after all these years. But, who could blame them after all the terrible, yet incredible things they'd accomplished in life - nobody could forget them even if they wanted to.
Yet as the barman gazed into Draco's face, he couldn't help but feel the slightest shred of pity for the Blonde.
"Another?" The Bartender asked hastily already pouring a glass, ignoring his thoughts.
Draco just nodded his head and waved his hand.
"Mind if I ask what's on your mind?" The bartender drawled.
"At-u-call-y yes-h." Draco mumbled, attempting an even scowl through his unfocused grey eyes, but he only succeeded a small un-threatening leer which reminded the bartender of a look he received from a very 'friendly' man who came into the bar last night.
"Fine then Mr. Malfoy, Fine." The barman replied dismissively, taking a glass and dull yellow cloth out from under the bar to distract himself from the amusing man sat before him.
Draco gave the small Spaniard a confused scowl, anger over coming him. "Ho- w d'-d'you - nose - no - my nam-e?" he slurred, placing the empty glass side ways onto the counter in frustration.
The bartender gave the smallest of sinister smiles and flashed his eyes rather dangerously before answering Draco's question. "Everybody knows who 'you' are Mr Malfoy. Everybody. We haven't forgotten anything your family put our village through. Treating everybody living here like animals and servants to comply with every disposal you made."
Taking a steadying breath, the bartender collected himself upon realising the glass and cloth now lay abandoned on the bar whilst his hands were gripping the bar tightly, so much so that his knuckles were almost transparent. Draco stared at the man, apparently lost for words - until he gave a small snort of derisive laughter, then fell backwards of the barstool and land with a smack on the stone floor.
The elderly man in the corner, James Dawson who was a regular customer, gave a small cackle before coming over to inspect the normally aristocratic man now sprawled out untidily on the floor, a small pool of blood leaking slowly from a cut above his curved eyebrow.
The barman and the elderly gent exchanged an amused look before sighing somewhat resignedly and glancing back to the comatose Malfoy on the ground.
"I suppose we ought to sort him out, having him lie there like that will drive your customers away," Cackled the old man, pulling out his wand from a coat pocket and waving it casually at Draco's lifeless form. Immediately, Draco's body floated slowly into the air and onto a long table near by, landing with a dull thud on the wooden surface.
"Hmmm, I suppose your right James; I'll make him some coffee for when he wakes." The barman replied with the utmost disappointment, before shaking his head and disappearing round the back of the bar once more.
~
Everything was slowly coming back into focus, Images and faces were appearing before his slightly distorted vision. There seemed to be 3, no -- 2 people staring at him oddly, uneasy looks on their faces. 'ouch!' Lord how his head hurt. He raised a hand gingerly to his sore spot and winced as his slender fingers smoothed over the cut, which oddly enough, wasn't bleeding at all.
Then all those irksomely important thoughts came back to him, but he'd ignore them - for now. Draco placed a hand over his eyes, blocking out the older men for a moment. Had he really let himself become drunk - well 'that' drunk? He hadn't passed out in a long time, not since his mother died; he still shivered at the mere thought of what happened that night . . .
"Mr Malfoy? Are you alright?" came the flat voice of the bartender.
Draco sighed deeply and removed his hand, getting a better look at the barman and his friend, who was still staring at him intently.
"Yes. Yes I'm fine . . . Where am I?" he asked suddenly, gazing around the welcoming saloon in bewilderment. The dark blue walls seemed to make the bar look smaller then it really was, pictures of fish and flowers and pretty olive skinned women were dotted unevenly on each wall, reinforcing the impression that this was a local, friendly bar.
The barman sighed in be mild amusement and passed a cup of coffee to the blonde man, who frowned at it suspiciously. The barman gave a small smile for a moment, as though reading Draco's thoughts. "Don't worry my friend, I'd be foolish to think I could get away with poisoning a Malfoy . . . but to answer your question, you are in my bar, The Lagos. This bar has been in my family for decades and I am 'very' proud of it."
Draco frowned in mild amusement for a moment, surveying the man before him calculatingly. He seemed humane enough, about 5'9 with a plump body. His eyes were a wonderful Hazel colour, and his hair - or what he had left of it - was deep black. A certain air around him told the Malfoy that this man could be trusted, even if he did seem rather bitter towards him.
"Well," he started, taking the coffee from him, "would you be kind enough to tell me your name? I think you missed that minor detail."
The barman scowled darkly at the prude remark, and walked away from Draco and around the back of the bar, carrying on where he'd started with the cloth and glass. "My name 'Mr' Malfoy, is Sancho Mandolini, and I would like to inform you that I am not afraid of you sir. Your family may have bullied my ancestors, but I'll be damned if you're going to do the same to me." Next to Sancho, James gave a small nod in agreement, studying Draco closely through his bluish-green eyes.
Wow. . . Wow, he never knew anybody to be that incredibly blunt before. No one had ever said anything like that to Draco in his entire life. No one. Maybe this brave remark caused the blonde to goggle stupidly at him in shock and awe for a moment before recovering himself. He evened his eyes into even feline slits and gave a loud sigh in mild boredom.
"What on earth are you on about?" he snapped coldly, whilst sudden memories of his grandfather and father popped into his head, their dark faces looming ominously in darkness. Sancho forced his cold hazel eyes to meet Draco's steely grey ones.
"We-"
The Spaniard stopped suddenly, frowning suspiciously at the deatheater for a minute - considering him. Either this Malfoy was incredibly smart or incredibly stupid. Something within those hazel eyes sparkled for the briefest of moments.
"Never mind Mr Malfoy. Never mind. Would you be requiring anything else? I'd rather you buy something or leave." Sancho sighed tiredly, rolling his eyes at James, who was watching in mild amusement. Now wanting nothing more then to kill Draco right there and then, Sancho returned his attention to the glass that he'd been cleaning for over ten minutes now, and the grubby cloth.
Draco raised a conceited eyebrow to the Spaniard - this man had matsi. The greyed man, who'd been eyeing Draco for the majority of the tense time between the men, cackled in great amusement at his fellow countryman's rudeness and seated himself once more in the corner, watching Draco in mischievous delight.
Sighing resignedly, the deatheater slid off the table and cast the bartender a calculating look, sizing him up if he decided to 'try' anything. But Sancho merely scowled into the glass he was cleaning, knowing that Draco's grey eyes were upon him and Not wanting to start anything - or finish anything as the case soon may be, the barman's neck was turning a nasty shade of brick red - Draco walked out the bar and into the deserted road beyond.
His heavy black boots crunched at every step he took, what was he going to do now. What could he do? Everything seemed to be going wrong. Was someone of a greater power punishing him, making sure that he paid back for very little sin he'd committed in his life? That seemed probable.
Draco's haunted eyes drifted to the sky, feeling and knowing that the moons soothing light was shining on him - comforting him. It had always been there to watch over him, and to remind him of who he really was - and what he became when he was himself.
He needed the moon now, life was being hard once more, the cold shrivelled hand of the past the present and the impending future was slapping him with all its might. It was damaging his ego and soul - tormenting him.
Why did everything happen to him? Was he cursed? A bad omen? Well what ever bought upon his bad luck in life, it wasn't the time to think about that. He had more important things to think about - things that have long flowing red locks and beautiful brown eyes. It had been a day since Galen had sent the rare beauty into a dreamless sleep, so that her mind and body could rest from the trauma she'd suffered.
But what traumas 'did' Ginny suffer? She'd never actually got around to telling him what happened out in the garden - the wand laying beside her on the ground, whilst her head rested in a pool of crimson blood. Had she tried to kill herself? Had life at the mansion - life with him become too unbearable?
Something just didn't add up - none of it added up for Christ sakes! Just how did everything slot into place? The deatheaters showing up at her family's house, the wrecking of her room. The appearance of his best friend, well, ex-best friend - and the attempted capture of Ginny as well as that annoying little one liner by Blaise that had caused Draco to juice his brain for days upon end. How did it all fit together?
And then there was the most recent brain teaser, the letter he'd received from the last person he'd ever expected to hear from.
Raising a weary hand, Draco swept it back through his already ruffled hair and rummaged around in his pocket with the other, looking for the envelope that held the letter that was pressing his thoughts - the letter from an old school mate, a school mate with brown bushy hair and perfect marks in every class.
Plucking the letter from the creamy envelope, Draco began to read the letter sent to him by Hermione Weasley.
Malfoy,
Before I go into a massive lecture on how dangerous and stupid that plan is or whatever your sick little mind is plotting, I must ask you to give this letter to Ginny for a moment so I may tell her the good news.
Gin, Angelina had her baby! Right in the living room of the burrow! Oh ginny she is so cute - a Minnie Angelina! Angie and Fred named her Kaitlyn Poppy Hermione Penelope Alicia Molly Weasley after all the great Weasley mothers - well they were her words not mine. She is such a little angel, weighing in at 8 pounds 2 ounces. Oh Gin, you're an auntie all over again! I can't wait for you to see her; you'll love her.
Malfoy, I have the biggest hugest enormous bone to pick with you. What the hell do you think you're playing at? Wondering into Ginny's life, acting as if nothings happened between you and making her existence a complete misery - how could you? Moreover, before you start wondering, 'how did she know Ginny was with me?' Ginny told me everything, about how you showed up and made her cry - Something a cold-hearted man such as your self should excel at.
But I didn't write this letter to badmouth you, as much as I'd like to, its just that -well, something very strange happened yesterday - and a couple of days before that, right before you 2 disappeared. Apparently Harry went over to Ginny's house to find two unconscious deatheaters lying in the living room. Shit scared for Ginny, Harry went upstairs to investigate and found all her clothes were gone. Harry panicked and came to the Burrow in frenzy and explained what happened. Arthur was horrified and an emergency hearing was called to decide the deatheaters fates. Apparently the judge only got as far as questioning them, because the next minute they'd exploded, right in front of everybody. I shudder to think how that little 'miracle' was performed on each of you deatheaters.
Then everybody came around the burrow, Molly was so scared and so was everybody else, but nobody more then me as I knew that you were there and all this mess was probably because of you - so I wrote a fake letter to the family explaining that Ginny and Leo had gone back to his mansion for a while, and that they'd left before the deatheaters came. But of course, you and Ginny knew all about them, didn't you, that's what you do know - of course that's why you left.
However, that's not all I have to say. I was in my office sorting out a review for a recent book I'd just read, when my assistant said that six men were here to see me. I knew something was suspect straight away, because I normally make appointments with clients before hand, and any member of the family would of apparated with out any consideration right into my office.
So Peter came in, wearing a suspicious expression and four large men filed into the room after him, afterwards followed by two more men I'm sure you know every well Malfoy. Blaise and Angelus Zabini. I was so shocked to see them standing there, two of Slytherin's most - although I hate to admit it - powerful and intimidating men towering above me, flashing their golden eyes and wearing their trademark smirks - much like yours I recall.
Anyway, Peter left us and they wasted no time in getting down to business. Blaise started asking me questions about Ginny - how she was, and how she'd been lately. I told him countless times I didn't know, but he didn't seem to believe me. Then he started asking me even more pressing questions - questions about you. It was really strange Malfoy - he was really strange, he seemed, well, more confident and arrogant then usual - or compared to you I'm not sure, but it was like he could see right through me into my mind, I was so nervous.
I told him repeatedly that I didn't know anything about you and that you hadn't been staying at Ginny's, and I hadn't seen or heard about you from her, but he still didn't believe me; so he resorted to threats. He threatened to harm the family if I didn't tell them anything, I remember his exact words: "How's the new baby doing? I wonder if she's as beautiful as her mother - I do hope so." I was so disgusted, how could he say such a vile thing? Glaring into his face, I was suddenly terrified, because that evidently wasn't what he meant.
The first thing that flashed through my mind was Ron and Toby - oh Draco I couldn't stop myself, I told him everything that Ginny had told me. Everything. I felt, and still feel, as though I've put you in danger that even you can't escape from. Something tells me that whatever Blaise wants Ginny for must be important, or why would he go through so much trouble to find her. I'm willing to bet any money that he was one of them, or at least knew one of the deatheaters who trashed Gins room.
What's going on Draco Malfoy? I know it must be serious or why would you go into hiding like this. Ministry wizards have been searching high and low for 'Leo's' mansion, eventually they'll derive a conclusion and realise what's happening. Please Malfoy, please promise me that you'll protect Ginny. Please. I don't know what happened between you two in the past, obviously something did, but I swear if you hurt her then I'll kill you myself.
Just look after Ginny, Draco. I don't know how long I can cover up for you here, but please tell me something about what's going on - something, please. If those monsters come near my family then I will come clean to everyone, I can promise you that.
Take care, and try to stay out of trouble won't you.
Yours truly,
Hermione
Draco sighed deeply and shoved the letter back into the deep recesses of his pocket.
So other things had been going off whilst they'd been gone. He'd expected it of course, but a small part of him believed - or rather hoped that the attention would have been drawn away from Ginny's family and onto them. If they didn't find them in England, then they'd search somewhere else right?
"Draco you're a fool, you're a fool for letting it get this far. You should have stunned her, or ran away when she opened the door, but no. You had to stand there and gape at her like some kind of idiot; letting all those buried emotions reassert themselves . . . remembering . . .." The words tumbled from him in a hopeless drawl, adding another emotional blow to him as he spoke to the empty street beyond.
However, little did the blonde man know, whilst in his moment of deep disgrace, that he was being watched from the shadows.
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"Let me in Stansfield, I need to talk to my cousin urgently." Came the commanding and overly pompous drawl of Angelus Zabini. So far, tonight had not been his night. All those little irksome subjects were arising into his unwanted view - or was it fate? Fate does have that extraordinary aggravating way of wrecking your life by luring you into a false sense of security before slapping you in the face - hard.
Stansfield sneered conceitedly at the man before him as he remembered his orders given to him earlier. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Blaise gave me strict orders to not let anybody into his study - he needs some time to think." He added as an after thought.
This lack of cooperation - or lack of respect in the Zabini's mind, was most tiresome; it seemed as though a little persuasion was to be had.
Gold eyes locked with green, power mixing with weakness. Stansfield, who was slowly melting with apprehension under the Zabini's stare, rethought those prior orders and let Angelus in. something about the penetrating glare Angelus was giving him right now, made him feel as though he was staring into his soul, and therefore into him.
"Sir - sure Mr Zab - Mr Zabini what ever you say . . ." he stuttered in a blind terror, as a small force unexpectedly pressed down on his skull, making it sting in pain and feel ten times heavier then usual. The ebony haired man smirked smugly at the discomfort of the other deatheater, who was now shaking slightly as though his nerves were being plucked and pricked by hot needles.
Stansfield placed a shaking hand on the door handle behind him and bowed Angelus in, being careful not to make any kind of eye contact with him. Angelus' smirk broadened as he watched the other man falter under such easy means of persuasion - easy on his behalf nonetheless.
Yet these 'powers' did not come with out a price. With every 'act' he preformed, a part of him seemed to wane slightly, drawing himself of some significant power for a short time. True his powers were not that immense, but they were greater then some . . . yet weaker then others . . ..
The ebony haired man ignored the trembling guard and scanned the room for his cousin. Undoubtedly Blaise would be in a bad mood, even more so now his thinking time had been disturbed, and especially now we had the slight advantage over Angelus, being the more powerful of them both . . . even more so now that his inner self had been awakened . . ..
He didn't have to search long though; a dark outline could be seen sitting comfortably in the window seat. The window seat that many a time in the past, he'd see his cousin slumped carelessly on the green cushion, reading silly books on politics and romance. He remembered when he'd first caught him reading a muggle book: 'Great Expectations' - the image of his shocked face and endless death threats still bought a asinine smile to his face, even in the worst of times. A sombre sigh escaped him as he stared at Blaise. He hadn't laughed for days now, not once, not even the smallest of smiles since the ritual.
Blaise opened his eyes and glanced at his cousin who was staring at him out of focus, without doubt thinking about all the times he'd seen him read there. In the past, he would have smiled and punched him playfully on the arm, which would result in a return punch from Angelus until both their arms were red from beats. However, that was then. Now he could only watch impassively, as everything resembling happiness waltzed on by.
Angelus started when he realised he was being watched, and lowered his head respectfully. "I'm sorry to disturb you cousin, but . . . I, well . . . I wanted to talk to you." He said in a rough and somewhat uneasy tone, indicating that this talk would be a personal one.
Blaise merely blinked at this statement and returned his gaze to the window. "About what? I am busy you know Angelus, can't you go have a heart to heart with somebody else?"
If Angelus was affected by his cousin's lackadaisical tone, he hid his emotions well and attempted to engage friendly conversation once more. "Well, actually . . . I, erm . . . wanted to know what's going to happen to Ginny once they - we find her, and Draco for that matter . . . I mean, they can't expect her to cooperate fully when we capture her can th - we?"
'Ginny . . . Ginny . . . Ginny.'
Her name, the sound of 'her' name, the woman he loved - or the woman he used to love, the name of his desired seemed to bounce within the walls of his head, tormenting him . . . reminding him . . . Something within Blaise seemed to grow warmer at the mention of Ginny's name and he felt part of his former self begin to trickle slowly through his emotional barrier.
"Well Angelus . . . when we eventually acquire Ginny . . . then she will become my wife . . ." he replied in the smallest of whispers, yet loud enough for the other to hear. "The dark lord will force her to marry me, after his . . . 'business' with her is done . . . then she will be mine, nobody else's . . . just mine. Not that blonde haired prats . . . not even tha - the dark lords, but mine . . ."
Angelus merely nodded slowly at this informative, yet emotional answer, not knowing how to respond to such a statement. He supposed it was no longer a secret to anybody anymore that Blaise was madly in love with Virginia Weasley, everyone just knew. Of course Angelus knew, Blaise and him shared everything and anything, but he thought he could have attempted to get over her at the very least. I mean, Blaise had never really 'attempted' anything with her as far as he knew, so why was he so adamant to have this - this Weasley?
He decided, as risky as it would undoubtedly be, to interrogate his cousin further. "But . . . why Blaise? Why all this fuss - all this time spent looking for her, Ginny 'Weasley' . . . why is she so important? At school she was an outcast, quiet and lonely . . . until you came along. But even then she was still an outcast." Angelus sighed resignedly at the words that escaped him wistfully. "I just don't get why we're doing all this for her . . .."
Blaise listened raptly to his cousin, noting how his voice seemed to be drenched in prejudice and confusion. He didn't get it. Nobody got it, well nobody apart from him and Voldemort anyway. Blaise sighed sadly, knowing that he could never say the true reason why he cared for her . . . he could never say 'Its because I love her . . .'
'Yes you can, say it . . .' sounded a calm, warm voice somewhere in the recesses of his mind. 'Just say the words Blaise, "I love her" just say it, Angelus would understand, he could help you - help you to be yourself again . . . help you to help her . . . I can help you Blaise . . ..'
Blaise jumped and frowned slightly at the voice, glaring at the window. There was something strangely familiar about it, it wasn't his own, but he knew he'd heard it before . . . he knew it . . . but whatever and whoever's the voice was, something about it gave him a hidden strength to say the words he wanted . . ..
"Its - "
'What are you doing Blaise . . ..' came a harsh cold voice . . . that voice that had tainted him, and haunted him. 'I took that away from you boy, you cannot be that person again Blaise . . . you cannot be that weak and foolish again . . . you can never be as strong as me - ' 'You're wrong . . . you will never be as powerful as he is Tom, you will never be that - '
'SILENCE . . . YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME BLAISE . . . YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME! CRUCIO!!'
"ARRRRGGGHHHH"
Blaise collapsed onto the floor, clutching his head as tight as he could. It was burning dreadfully, smouldering him with hidden fire that only he alone could feel and see. He wanted to die. To end it all - end all this terrible mess that he'd started. The mess started for a woman that he loved.
Then he felt it . . . travelling up his spine and into his head. He had to do it, he had to expel it . . . something told him it would save him if he did . . . and kill the voice within his head . . . the voice of his ancient enemy . . . the descendent of his enemy, Salazar Slytherin . . ..
"ANGELUS MOVE!" he screamed, rolling off the window seat and onto the floor, his hands still clutching his head in a death grip. Angelus did as he was told and flattened himself against the wall behind Blaise, knowing that was the only safe place to be.
'Blaise no . . . Don't - ' sounded the composed voice.
Blaise yelled out to the room as the ancient power escaped him, the power of his ancestor flowing uncontrollably through his veins. His eyes swirled to a bright gold, brighter then anything known to man and opened the barrier that held the power . . .
Angelus watched horrified as the magic that had been building up inside of Blaise erupted from his cousin, greater and more terrible then anything before. A long thin beam of golden fire shot from the other mans eyes, destroying anything that lay in the line of fire. The desk, bookcase and 78 large books melted away into nothing as the gold fire hit them with the force of a bullet, sending fluffy flakes of ash flying into the air, making the study - or what was left of it - look like something a volcano had just hit.
Angelus covered his eyes as the intense heat and a blizzard of ash hit his face, making a cold sweat rise onto his face in fear. An involuntary scream left his lips, echoing around the charred room as though it rebounding off rock.
Then . . . there was nothing . . . nothing at all. Angelus squinted through his hands and dared a glimpse at the room, knowing what awaited him. He took a deep steadying breath and coughed immediately as the soot and dust swam briefly in his lungs. It was all around him, soot, dust, ash, all he could see the walls were deep black, all crisp and charred, no longer elegant and regal as the once were. Somewhere In front of him, a small 'flump' sounded throughout the massacre, making it sound ten times louder then usual.
Angelus didn't know why, but he could sense that that 'flump' signified something bad. He opened his eyes fully and ignored the stinging sensation that overwhelmed them. There was a dark outline of a person on the floor in front of him, and that figure undoubtedly belonged to -.
"BLAISE!" he was on the floor within seconds. He didn't care that his knees were bleeding from having landed on sharp glass; he just had to help his cousin. Grabbing his shoulders roughly, Angelus pulled Blaise onto his front, Blaises eyes were closed and the soft skin around them was deep black making his face look skull-like in appearance. "Blaise . . . Blaise wake up . . ." he hissed gently, shaking his arms in a desperate attempt to rouse him. "Blaise . . . Oh Blaise . . . What have you done . . .." he asked helplessly, dropping his hands from his arms and placing them on his own downcast face.
Angelus sighed despairingly, and dropped his hands from his countenance. He took his cousin under the arms and went to heave him up, but two strong hands seized him unexpectedly on his wrists and pulled him inches away from their face. Angelus gasped and recoiled as he stared into the face of his cousin . . . the face that was no longer red from the overwhelming heat, but a gaunt white. The eyes were no longer a beautiful gold, but a deep crimson red, and he had only ever seen eyes like that belong to one person . . ..
"Blaise?" He asked uncertainty, gazing mortified into the snake like eyes below him.
Blaises red lips curled upwards into a feline sneer and no longer looked happy and wise. "Blaise is gone . . . that love sick fool is gone, and now I am alive . . . Lord Voldemort has a body once more . . . for now at least . . .."
Angelus gaped soundlessly at his cousin and tried to pull himself free, but the hold on his wrists was too strong. Blaise laughed a cold mirthful laugh and threw Angelus off him and into the wall behind him, causing a deafening crunch to sound throughout the room. The injured Zabini groaned as he felt his spine tingle at the point of impact, somewhere within his mouth he felt the coppery taste of blood.
Then they were on him again, those frightful red eyes glowing like rubies in the mist of ash that still lingered. What had he done? How could Blaise be so foolish - so blind? But the answer was staring him in the face, his love for that Weasley. That Weasley had drove his cousin to the verges of insanity. That Weasley who stole his cousin's heart long ago . . . and that Weasley, who had caused his best friend and life soul mate lose his soul, leaving him, Angelus, all alone in this world.
"Get up Zabini. We have some work to do. And I, I have to prepare for the ritual . . ." Blaise smirked serenely and gazed almost lovingly around the room like he was a kid in a candy store. "My the boys powers are evolving, in time I will take back what is rightfully mine . . . take back the powers that were given to him so foolishly by serpent tongue himself . . . then, I will be unstoppable . . .."
Feeling more powerful and vindictive then ever before, Blaise gave a short derisive cackle of laughter and turned away from the dazed man now slumped against the wall. Ignoring the intense look of disbelief on Angelus' features, he left the room, leaving a very confused and deeply poignant Zabini to his thoughts . . . as well as his disgrace.
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'Then I will be unstoppable . . ..'
A profound sigh escaped the aging lips of the great wizard. The boy should have listened to him; he shouldn't have expelled his powers so carelessly . . . now it had begun. ...
A single quavering note escaped the beautiful bird perched beside him on the chair arm, making the sun set before it, look like an ugly orange blob. An ageing hand reached out and stroked the warm plumage, and in doing so, giving him a small surge of pure power.
"So Fawkes . . . the battle has truly begun . . .."
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A/N: DUN DUN DUN!!!!!! Hmmmmmmm, what u thinks of this chapter? I had to have it short, as I'm not updating as much as I'd like to. I only wanted a short chappie this time, as it takes yages to update, so this is kinda a pit stop chappie, made to confuse u all!!!!! Another Reason for my absence, is that my Granddad is in hospital, and we're not sure what's gonna happen to him . . . and other things have hindered me slightly, so I'm sorry! OOOO yesh! I neeeeeeeddddd REVIEWS TO UPDATE QUICKER!!!!!!!! So please read and review? I have 2 weeks off school and I could write up to 2 more chapters if u review. So don't hesitate!
Yesh! Thank you to all how reviewed last time! U Rock! ^_^!
R&R
Later, Blue x
A/N: Heyho world. Did you enjoy the last chapter? I hope so! I know it was very long, but I hope it was worth it . . . . . come on people; I need reviews to bring you the next instalment much quicker! Cars can't run on fumes you know . . . . . But anyhoo.
In this chapter..... Well, I'll let you read it, but I hope to add more seriously confusing plot twists in the coming chapters, Bringing new characters and situations to your attention, and hopefully, viewing pleasure!
Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and the chapters so far, you guys rock! A huggles is winging its way to you right now! ^_^ Mmmmmmmmm hug. Moreover, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta reader Missy for helping me with this chappie, hmmmmmm; I know just what to give you - besides an extra huggles, lol.
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Chapter 11: The beginning of the end
10th November 2006
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I can feel the magic floatin' in the air
Being with you gets me that way
I watch the sunlight dance across your face, and I,
I've never been this swept away
All my thoughts just seem to settle on the breeze
When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms
The whole world just fades away, the only thing I hear
Is the beating of your heart
Breathe- faith hill
"Pour me another . . . " Came the toneless drawl of a man who had something very profoundly and tediously emotional on his mind. The kind of annoyingly emotional things that made you think about life; the details that make you contemplate 'is this my life? Is this really me?' The kinda things, you wish you could just hide from by burying your head in the sand.
For hours upon hours Draco had sat at the small bar, trying - and failing miserably - to drown his sorrows with as much liquor as he could take. It was harder then he thought, pushing out all the thoughts and images from the past and convincing himself that the annoyingly and hard situation he was stuck in, wasn't happening him at all. Not to mention, all the unfamiliar emotions that seemed to pluck themselves from the air and slowly peel away the paint that decorated his cold mask, the mask that hid the lonely, haunted soul beneath it.
Above the mournful blonde, the barman eyed his troubled face with interest and if truth were told - hatred. Nobody could forget such chiselled features, grey eyes and slivery blonde hair that escorted the Malfoy name, a name the villagers still hated and feared after all these years. But, who could blame them after all the terrible, yet incredible things they'd accomplished in life - nobody could forget them even if they wanted to.
Yet as the barman gazed into Draco's face, he couldn't help but feel the slightest shred of pity for the Blonde.
"Another?" The Bartender asked hastily already pouring a glass, ignoring his thoughts.
Draco just nodded his head and waved his hand.
"Mind if I ask what's on your mind?" The bartender drawled.
"At-u-call-y yes-h." Draco mumbled, attempting an even scowl through his unfocused grey eyes, but he only succeeded a small un-threatening leer which reminded the bartender of a look he received from a very 'friendly' man who came into the bar last night.
"Fine then Mr. Malfoy, Fine." The barman replied dismissively, taking a glass and dull yellow cloth out from under the bar to distract himself from the amusing man sat before him.
Draco gave the small Spaniard a confused scowl, anger over coming him. "Ho- w d'-d'you - nose - no - my nam-e?" he slurred, placing the empty glass side ways onto the counter in frustration.
The bartender gave the smallest of sinister smiles and flashed his eyes rather dangerously before answering Draco's question. "Everybody knows who 'you' are Mr Malfoy. Everybody. We haven't forgotten anything your family put our village through. Treating everybody living here like animals and servants to comply with every disposal you made."
Taking a steadying breath, the bartender collected himself upon realising the glass and cloth now lay abandoned on the bar whilst his hands were gripping the bar tightly, so much so that his knuckles were almost transparent. Draco stared at the man, apparently lost for words - until he gave a small snort of derisive laughter, then fell backwards of the barstool and land with a smack on the stone floor.
The elderly man in the corner, James Dawson who was a regular customer, gave a small cackle before coming over to inspect the normally aristocratic man now sprawled out untidily on the floor, a small pool of blood leaking slowly from a cut above his curved eyebrow.
The barman and the elderly gent exchanged an amused look before sighing somewhat resignedly and glancing back to the comatose Malfoy on the ground.
"I suppose we ought to sort him out, having him lie there like that will drive your customers away," Cackled the old man, pulling out his wand from a coat pocket and waving it casually at Draco's lifeless form. Immediately, Draco's body floated slowly into the air and onto a long table near by, landing with a dull thud on the wooden surface.
"Hmmm, I suppose your right James; I'll make him some coffee for when he wakes." The barman replied with the utmost disappointment, before shaking his head and disappearing round the back of the bar once more.
~
Everything was slowly coming back into focus, Images and faces were appearing before his slightly distorted vision. There seemed to be 3, no -- 2 people staring at him oddly, uneasy looks on their faces. 'ouch!' Lord how his head hurt. He raised a hand gingerly to his sore spot and winced as his slender fingers smoothed over the cut, which oddly enough, wasn't bleeding at all.
Then all those irksomely important thoughts came back to him, but he'd ignore them - for now. Draco placed a hand over his eyes, blocking out the older men for a moment. Had he really let himself become drunk - well 'that' drunk? He hadn't passed out in a long time, not since his mother died; he still shivered at the mere thought of what happened that night . . .
"Mr Malfoy? Are you alright?" came the flat voice of the bartender.
Draco sighed deeply and removed his hand, getting a better look at the barman and his friend, who was still staring at him intently.
"Yes. Yes I'm fine . . . Where am I?" he asked suddenly, gazing around the welcoming saloon in bewilderment. The dark blue walls seemed to make the bar look smaller then it really was, pictures of fish and flowers and pretty olive skinned women were dotted unevenly on each wall, reinforcing the impression that this was a local, friendly bar.
The barman sighed in be mild amusement and passed a cup of coffee to the blonde man, who frowned at it suspiciously. The barman gave a small smile for a moment, as though reading Draco's thoughts. "Don't worry my friend, I'd be foolish to think I could get away with poisoning a Malfoy . . . but to answer your question, you are in my bar, The Lagos. This bar has been in my family for decades and I am 'very' proud of it."
Draco frowned in mild amusement for a moment, surveying the man before him calculatingly. He seemed humane enough, about 5'9 with a plump body. His eyes were a wonderful Hazel colour, and his hair - or what he had left of it - was deep black. A certain air around him told the Malfoy that this man could be trusted, even if he did seem rather bitter towards him.
"Well," he started, taking the coffee from him, "would you be kind enough to tell me your name? I think you missed that minor detail."
The barman scowled darkly at the prude remark, and walked away from Draco and around the back of the bar, carrying on where he'd started with the cloth and glass. "My name 'Mr' Malfoy, is Sancho Mandolini, and I would like to inform you that I am not afraid of you sir. Your family may have bullied my ancestors, but I'll be damned if you're going to do the same to me." Next to Sancho, James gave a small nod in agreement, studying Draco closely through his bluish-green eyes.
Wow. . . Wow, he never knew anybody to be that incredibly blunt before. No one had ever said anything like that to Draco in his entire life. No one. Maybe this brave remark caused the blonde to goggle stupidly at him in shock and awe for a moment before recovering himself. He evened his eyes into even feline slits and gave a loud sigh in mild boredom.
"What on earth are you on about?" he snapped coldly, whilst sudden memories of his grandfather and father popped into his head, their dark faces looming ominously in darkness. Sancho forced his cold hazel eyes to meet Draco's steely grey ones.
"We-"
The Spaniard stopped suddenly, frowning suspiciously at the deatheater for a minute - considering him. Either this Malfoy was incredibly smart or incredibly stupid. Something within those hazel eyes sparkled for the briefest of moments.
"Never mind Mr Malfoy. Never mind. Would you be requiring anything else? I'd rather you buy something or leave." Sancho sighed tiredly, rolling his eyes at James, who was watching in mild amusement. Now wanting nothing more then to kill Draco right there and then, Sancho returned his attention to the glass that he'd been cleaning for over ten minutes now, and the grubby cloth.
Draco raised a conceited eyebrow to the Spaniard - this man had matsi. The greyed man, who'd been eyeing Draco for the majority of the tense time between the men, cackled in great amusement at his fellow countryman's rudeness and seated himself once more in the corner, watching Draco in mischievous delight.
Sighing resignedly, the deatheater slid off the table and cast the bartender a calculating look, sizing him up if he decided to 'try' anything. But Sancho merely scowled into the glass he was cleaning, knowing that Draco's grey eyes were upon him and Not wanting to start anything - or finish anything as the case soon may be, the barman's neck was turning a nasty shade of brick red - Draco walked out the bar and into the deserted road beyond.
His heavy black boots crunched at every step he took, what was he going to do now. What could he do? Everything seemed to be going wrong. Was someone of a greater power punishing him, making sure that he paid back for very little sin he'd committed in his life? That seemed probable.
Draco's haunted eyes drifted to the sky, feeling and knowing that the moons soothing light was shining on him - comforting him. It had always been there to watch over him, and to remind him of who he really was - and what he became when he was himself.
He needed the moon now, life was being hard once more, the cold shrivelled hand of the past the present and the impending future was slapping him with all its might. It was damaging his ego and soul - tormenting him.
Why did everything happen to him? Was he cursed? A bad omen? Well what ever bought upon his bad luck in life, it wasn't the time to think about that. He had more important things to think about - things that have long flowing red locks and beautiful brown eyes. It had been a day since Galen had sent the rare beauty into a dreamless sleep, so that her mind and body could rest from the trauma she'd suffered.
But what traumas 'did' Ginny suffer? She'd never actually got around to telling him what happened out in the garden - the wand laying beside her on the ground, whilst her head rested in a pool of crimson blood. Had she tried to kill herself? Had life at the mansion - life with him become too unbearable?
Something just didn't add up - none of it added up for Christ sakes! Just how did everything slot into place? The deatheaters showing up at her family's house, the wrecking of her room. The appearance of his best friend, well, ex-best friend - and the attempted capture of Ginny as well as that annoying little one liner by Blaise that had caused Draco to juice his brain for days upon end. How did it all fit together?
And then there was the most recent brain teaser, the letter he'd received from the last person he'd ever expected to hear from.
Raising a weary hand, Draco swept it back through his already ruffled hair and rummaged around in his pocket with the other, looking for the envelope that held the letter that was pressing his thoughts - the letter from an old school mate, a school mate with brown bushy hair and perfect marks in every class.
Plucking the letter from the creamy envelope, Draco began to read the letter sent to him by Hermione Weasley.
Malfoy,
Before I go into a massive lecture on how dangerous and stupid that plan is or whatever your sick little mind is plotting, I must ask you to give this letter to Ginny for a moment so I may tell her the good news.
Gin, Angelina had her baby! Right in the living room of the burrow! Oh ginny she is so cute - a Minnie Angelina! Angie and Fred named her Kaitlyn Poppy Hermione Penelope Alicia Molly Weasley after all the great Weasley mothers - well they were her words not mine. She is such a little angel, weighing in at 8 pounds 2 ounces. Oh Gin, you're an auntie all over again! I can't wait for you to see her; you'll love her.
Malfoy, I have the biggest hugest enormous bone to pick with you. What the hell do you think you're playing at? Wondering into Ginny's life, acting as if nothings happened between you and making her existence a complete misery - how could you? Moreover, before you start wondering, 'how did she know Ginny was with me?' Ginny told me everything, about how you showed up and made her cry - Something a cold-hearted man such as your self should excel at.
But I didn't write this letter to badmouth you, as much as I'd like to, its just that -well, something very strange happened yesterday - and a couple of days before that, right before you 2 disappeared. Apparently Harry went over to Ginny's house to find two unconscious deatheaters lying in the living room. Shit scared for Ginny, Harry went upstairs to investigate and found all her clothes were gone. Harry panicked and came to the Burrow in frenzy and explained what happened. Arthur was horrified and an emergency hearing was called to decide the deatheaters fates. Apparently the judge only got as far as questioning them, because the next minute they'd exploded, right in front of everybody. I shudder to think how that little 'miracle' was performed on each of you deatheaters.
Then everybody came around the burrow, Molly was so scared and so was everybody else, but nobody more then me as I knew that you were there and all this mess was probably because of you - so I wrote a fake letter to the family explaining that Ginny and Leo had gone back to his mansion for a while, and that they'd left before the deatheaters came. But of course, you and Ginny knew all about them, didn't you, that's what you do know - of course that's why you left.
However, that's not all I have to say. I was in my office sorting out a review for a recent book I'd just read, when my assistant said that six men were here to see me. I knew something was suspect straight away, because I normally make appointments with clients before hand, and any member of the family would of apparated with out any consideration right into my office.
So Peter came in, wearing a suspicious expression and four large men filed into the room after him, afterwards followed by two more men I'm sure you know every well Malfoy. Blaise and Angelus Zabini. I was so shocked to see them standing there, two of Slytherin's most - although I hate to admit it - powerful and intimidating men towering above me, flashing their golden eyes and wearing their trademark smirks - much like yours I recall.
Anyway, Peter left us and they wasted no time in getting down to business. Blaise started asking me questions about Ginny - how she was, and how she'd been lately. I told him countless times I didn't know, but he didn't seem to believe me. Then he started asking me even more pressing questions - questions about you. It was really strange Malfoy - he was really strange, he seemed, well, more confident and arrogant then usual - or compared to you I'm not sure, but it was like he could see right through me into my mind, I was so nervous.
I told him repeatedly that I didn't know anything about you and that you hadn't been staying at Ginny's, and I hadn't seen or heard about you from her, but he still didn't believe me; so he resorted to threats. He threatened to harm the family if I didn't tell them anything, I remember his exact words: "How's the new baby doing? I wonder if she's as beautiful as her mother - I do hope so." I was so disgusted, how could he say such a vile thing? Glaring into his face, I was suddenly terrified, because that evidently wasn't what he meant.
The first thing that flashed through my mind was Ron and Toby - oh Draco I couldn't stop myself, I told him everything that Ginny had told me. Everything. I felt, and still feel, as though I've put you in danger that even you can't escape from. Something tells me that whatever Blaise wants Ginny for must be important, or why would he go through so much trouble to find her. I'm willing to bet any money that he was one of them, or at least knew one of the deatheaters who trashed Gins room.
What's going on Draco Malfoy? I know it must be serious or why would you go into hiding like this. Ministry wizards have been searching high and low for 'Leo's' mansion, eventually they'll derive a conclusion and realise what's happening. Please Malfoy, please promise me that you'll protect Ginny. Please. I don't know what happened between you two in the past, obviously something did, but I swear if you hurt her then I'll kill you myself.
Just look after Ginny, Draco. I don't know how long I can cover up for you here, but please tell me something about what's going on - something, please. If those monsters come near my family then I will come clean to everyone, I can promise you that.
Take care, and try to stay out of trouble won't you.
Yours truly,
Hermione
Draco sighed deeply and shoved the letter back into the deep recesses of his pocket.
So other things had been going off whilst they'd been gone. He'd expected it of course, but a small part of him believed - or rather hoped that the attention would have been drawn away from Ginny's family and onto them. If they didn't find them in England, then they'd search somewhere else right?
"Draco you're a fool, you're a fool for letting it get this far. You should have stunned her, or ran away when she opened the door, but no. You had to stand there and gape at her like some kind of idiot; letting all those buried emotions reassert themselves . . . remembering . . .." The words tumbled from him in a hopeless drawl, adding another emotional blow to him as he spoke to the empty street beyond.
However, little did the blonde man know, whilst in his moment of deep disgrace, that he was being watched from the shadows.
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"Let me in Stansfield, I need to talk to my cousin urgently." Came the commanding and overly pompous drawl of Angelus Zabini. So far, tonight had not been his night. All those little irksome subjects were arising into his unwanted view - or was it fate? Fate does have that extraordinary aggravating way of wrecking your life by luring you into a false sense of security before slapping you in the face - hard.
Stansfield sneered conceitedly at the man before him as he remembered his orders given to him earlier. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Blaise gave me strict orders to not let anybody into his study - he needs some time to think." He added as an after thought.
This lack of cooperation - or lack of respect in the Zabini's mind, was most tiresome; it seemed as though a little persuasion was to be had.
Gold eyes locked with green, power mixing with weakness. Stansfield, who was slowly melting with apprehension under the Zabini's stare, rethought those prior orders and let Angelus in. something about the penetrating glare Angelus was giving him right now, made him feel as though he was staring into his soul, and therefore into him.
"Sir - sure Mr Zab - Mr Zabini what ever you say . . ." he stuttered in a blind terror, as a small force unexpectedly pressed down on his skull, making it sting in pain and feel ten times heavier then usual. The ebony haired man smirked smugly at the discomfort of the other deatheater, who was now shaking slightly as though his nerves were being plucked and pricked by hot needles.
Stansfield placed a shaking hand on the door handle behind him and bowed Angelus in, being careful not to make any kind of eye contact with him. Angelus' smirk broadened as he watched the other man falter under such easy means of persuasion - easy on his behalf nonetheless.
Yet these 'powers' did not come with out a price. With every 'act' he preformed, a part of him seemed to wane slightly, drawing himself of some significant power for a short time. True his powers were not that immense, but they were greater then some . . . yet weaker then others . . ..
The ebony haired man ignored the trembling guard and scanned the room for his cousin. Undoubtedly Blaise would be in a bad mood, even more so now his thinking time had been disturbed, and especially now we had the slight advantage over Angelus, being the more powerful of them both . . . even more so now that his inner self had been awakened . . ..
He didn't have to search long though; a dark outline could be seen sitting comfortably in the window seat. The window seat that many a time in the past, he'd see his cousin slumped carelessly on the green cushion, reading silly books on politics and romance. He remembered when he'd first caught him reading a muggle book: 'Great Expectations' - the image of his shocked face and endless death threats still bought a asinine smile to his face, even in the worst of times. A sombre sigh escaped him as he stared at Blaise. He hadn't laughed for days now, not once, not even the smallest of smiles since the ritual.
Blaise opened his eyes and glanced at his cousin who was staring at him out of focus, without doubt thinking about all the times he'd seen him read there. In the past, he would have smiled and punched him playfully on the arm, which would result in a return punch from Angelus until both their arms were red from beats. However, that was then. Now he could only watch impassively, as everything resembling happiness waltzed on by.
Angelus started when he realised he was being watched, and lowered his head respectfully. "I'm sorry to disturb you cousin, but . . . I, well . . . I wanted to talk to you." He said in a rough and somewhat uneasy tone, indicating that this talk would be a personal one.
Blaise merely blinked at this statement and returned his gaze to the window. "About what? I am busy you know Angelus, can't you go have a heart to heart with somebody else?"
If Angelus was affected by his cousin's lackadaisical tone, he hid his emotions well and attempted to engage friendly conversation once more. "Well, actually . . . I, erm . . . wanted to know what's going to happen to Ginny once they - we find her, and Draco for that matter . . . I mean, they can't expect her to cooperate fully when we capture her can th - we?"
'Ginny . . . Ginny . . . Ginny.'
Her name, the sound of 'her' name, the woman he loved - or the woman he used to love, the name of his desired seemed to bounce within the walls of his head, tormenting him . . . reminding him . . . Something within Blaise seemed to grow warmer at the mention of Ginny's name and he felt part of his former self begin to trickle slowly through his emotional barrier.
"Well Angelus . . . when we eventually acquire Ginny . . . then she will become my wife . . ." he replied in the smallest of whispers, yet loud enough for the other to hear. "The dark lord will force her to marry me, after his . . . 'business' with her is done . . . then she will be mine, nobody else's . . . just mine. Not that blonde haired prats . . . not even tha - the dark lords, but mine . . ."
Angelus merely nodded slowly at this informative, yet emotional answer, not knowing how to respond to such a statement. He supposed it was no longer a secret to anybody anymore that Blaise was madly in love with Virginia Weasley, everyone just knew. Of course Angelus knew, Blaise and him shared everything and anything, but he thought he could have attempted to get over her at the very least. I mean, Blaise had never really 'attempted' anything with her as far as he knew, so why was he so adamant to have this - this Weasley?
He decided, as risky as it would undoubtedly be, to interrogate his cousin further. "But . . . why Blaise? Why all this fuss - all this time spent looking for her, Ginny 'Weasley' . . . why is she so important? At school she was an outcast, quiet and lonely . . . until you came along. But even then she was still an outcast." Angelus sighed resignedly at the words that escaped him wistfully. "I just don't get why we're doing all this for her . . .."
Blaise listened raptly to his cousin, noting how his voice seemed to be drenched in prejudice and confusion. He didn't get it. Nobody got it, well nobody apart from him and Voldemort anyway. Blaise sighed sadly, knowing that he could never say the true reason why he cared for her . . . he could never say 'Its because I love her . . .'
'Yes you can, say it . . .' sounded a calm, warm voice somewhere in the recesses of his mind. 'Just say the words Blaise, "I love her" just say it, Angelus would understand, he could help you - help you to be yourself again . . . help you to help her . . . I can help you Blaise . . ..'
Blaise jumped and frowned slightly at the voice, glaring at the window. There was something strangely familiar about it, it wasn't his own, but he knew he'd heard it before . . . he knew it . . . but whatever and whoever's the voice was, something about it gave him a hidden strength to say the words he wanted . . ..
"Its - "
'What are you doing Blaise . . ..' came a harsh cold voice . . . that voice that had tainted him, and haunted him. 'I took that away from you boy, you cannot be that person again Blaise . . . you cannot be that weak and foolish again . . . you can never be as strong as me - ' 'You're wrong . . . you will never be as powerful as he is Tom, you will never be that - '
'SILENCE . . . YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME BLAISE . . . YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME! CRUCIO!!'
"ARRRRGGGHHHH"
Blaise collapsed onto the floor, clutching his head as tight as he could. It was burning dreadfully, smouldering him with hidden fire that only he alone could feel and see. He wanted to die. To end it all - end all this terrible mess that he'd started. The mess started for a woman that he loved.
Then he felt it . . . travelling up his spine and into his head. He had to do it, he had to expel it . . . something told him it would save him if he did . . . and kill the voice within his head . . . the voice of his ancient enemy . . . the descendent of his enemy, Salazar Slytherin . . ..
"ANGELUS MOVE!" he screamed, rolling off the window seat and onto the floor, his hands still clutching his head in a death grip. Angelus did as he was told and flattened himself against the wall behind Blaise, knowing that was the only safe place to be.
'Blaise no . . . Don't - ' sounded the composed voice.
Blaise yelled out to the room as the ancient power escaped him, the power of his ancestor flowing uncontrollably through his veins. His eyes swirled to a bright gold, brighter then anything known to man and opened the barrier that held the power . . .
Angelus watched horrified as the magic that had been building up inside of Blaise erupted from his cousin, greater and more terrible then anything before. A long thin beam of golden fire shot from the other mans eyes, destroying anything that lay in the line of fire. The desk, bookcase and 78 large books melted away into nothing as the gold fire hit them with the force of a bullet, sending fluffy flakes of ash flying into the air, making the study - or what was left of it - look like something a volcano had just hit.
Angelus covered his eyes as the intense heat and a blizzard of ash hit his face, making a cold sweat rise onto his face in fear. An involuntary scream left his lips, echoing around the charred room as though it rebounding off rock.
Then . . . there was nothing . . . nothing at all. Angelus squinted through his hands and dared a glimpse at the room, knowing what awaited him. He took a deep steadying breath and coughed immediately as the soot and dust swam briefly in his lungs. It was all around him, soot, dust, ash, all he could see the walls were deep black, all crisp and charred, no longer elegant and regal as the once were. Somewhere In front of him, a small 'flump' sounded throughout the massacre, making it sound ten times louder then usual.
Angelus didn't know why, but he could sense that that 'flump' signified something bad. He opened his eyes fully and ignored the stinging sensation that overwhelmed them. There was a dark outline of a person on the floor in front of him, and that figure undoubtedly belonged to -.
"BLAISE!" he was on the floor within seconds. He didn't care that his knees were bleeding from having landed on sharp glass; he just had to help his cousin. Grabbing his shoulders roughly, Angelus pulled Blaise onto his front, Blaises eyes were closed and the soft skin around them was deep black making his face look skull-like in appearance. "Blaise . . . Blaise wake up . . ." he hissed gently, shaking his arms in a desperate attempt to rouse him. "Blaise . . . Oh Blaise . . . What have you done . . .." he asked helplessly, dropping his hands from his arms and placing them on his own downcast face.
Angelus sighed despairingly, and dropped his hands from his countenance. He took his cousin under the arms and went to heave him up, but two strong hands seized him unexpectedly on his wrists and pulled him inches away from their face. Angelus gasped and recoiled as he stared into the face of his cousin . . . the face that was no longer red from the overwhelming heat, but a gaunt white. The eyes were no longer a beautiful gold, but a deep crimson red, and he had only ever seen eyes like that belong to one person . . ..
"Blaise?" He asked uncertainty, gazing mortified into the snake like eyes below him.
Blaises red lips curled upwards into a feline sneer and no longer looked happy and wise. "Blaise is gone . . . that love sick fool is gone, and now I am alive . . . Lord Voldemort has a body once more . . . for now at least . . .."
Angelus gaped soundlessly at his cousin and tried to pull himself free, but the hold on his wrists was too strong. Blaise laughed a cold mirthful laugh and threw Angelus off him and into the wall behind him, causing a deafening crunch to sound throughout the room. The injured Zabini groaned as he felt his spine tingle at the point of impact, somewhere within his mouth he felt the coppery taste of blood.
Then they were on him again, those frightful red eyes glowing like rubies in the mist of ash that still lingered. What had he done? How could Blaise be so foolish - so blind? But the answer was staring him in the face, his love for that Weasley. That Weasley had drove his cousin to the verges of insanity. That Weasley who stole his cousin's heart long ago . . . and that Weasley, who had caused his best friend and life soul mate lose his soul, leaving him, Angelus, all alone in this world.
"Get up Zabini. We have some work to do. And I, I have to prepare for the ritual . . ." Blaise smirked serenely and gazed almost lovingly around the room like he was a kid in a candy store. "My the boys powers are evolving, in time I will take back what is rightfully mine . . . take back the powers that were given to him so foolishly by serpent tongue himself . . . then, I will be unstoppable . . .."
Feeling more powerful and vindictive then ever before, Blaise gave a short derisive cackle of laughter and turned away from the dazed man now slumped against the wall. Ignoring the intense look of disbelief on Angelus' features, he left the room, leaving a very confused and deeply poignant Zabini to his thoughts . . . as well as his disgrace.
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'Then I will be unstoppable . . ..'
A profound sigh escaped the aging lips of the great wizard. The boy should have listened to him; he shouldn't have expelled his powers so carelessly . . . now it had begun. ...
A single quavering note escaped the beautiful bird perched beside him on the chair arm, making the sun set before it, look like an ugly orange blob. An ageing hand reached out and stroked the warm plumage, and in doing so, giving him a small surge of pure power.
"So Fawkes . . . the battle has truly begun . . .."
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A/N: DUN DUN DUN!!!!!! Hmmmmmmm, what u thinks of this chapter? I had to have it short, as I'm not updating as much as I'd like to. I only wanted a short chappie this time, as it takes yages to update, so this is kinda a pit stop chappie, made to confuse u all!!!!! Another Reason for my absence, is that my Granddad is in hospital, and we're not sure what's gonna happen to him . . . and other things have hindered me slightly, so I'm sorry! OOOO yesh! I neeeeeeeddddd REVIEWS TO UPDATE QUICKER!!!!!!!! So please read and review? I have 2 weeks off school and I could write up to 2 more chapters if u review. So don't hesitate!
Yesh! Thank you to all how reviewed last time! U Rock! ^_^!
R&R
Later, Blue x