-- Note from author: I hope you liked last chappy I'm proud of myself that it wasn't that difficult like the first. Years and years I was trying to make it just the way I liked it. Next chapter the POV change, and next it will change again, but it will all come back to Draco Malfoy in the end. Still if the story gets out of topic I might move it somewhere else. This is short because, well, put it this way: I can't let too much info out so early =P. Enjoy!



'Speaking the Devil' By She-Who-Is-Not-To-Be-Psycho!


Chaper2: Prologue to 'The Trap'

It is necessary for him who lays out a state... to presuppose that all men are evil and that they are always going to act according to the wickedness of their spirits whenever they have free scope.
- Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), Discourse upon the First Ten Books of Livy (1513-1517)


"Oh! The agony! Is he really thinking it will make a difference? Don't you know me Dad? I think not."

Vincent Crabbe looked at his side clutching his jaw in his hand. This time his father had been extra impatient, so as Goyle's – "I see yours looks better. What did you use? I could do with some potion for ailments."

Goyle have been additional weird the moment he stepped inside the Boys room. Crabbe put that aside when seeing Draco leave for the bathroom, he elbowed Goyle's ribs to bring his attention; a little too harsh it seems. "Look, look who is back " He said in a sing-song voice, bringing his heads together to whisper. "You wouldn't believe he's son of a Dead Eater, though still his father is one pun of a coward too –" He laughed out loud making Malfoy jump on air which humored him even more, "Locked himself up in the bathroom, really, think he can avoid us?"

"He is avoiding us," Goyle repeated making the first comment since entering.

Vincent turned to him with a face that made clear he thought something was hilarious. "Yes, avoiding us, or is that you played dumb for so long that it has rubbed it on you?" He laughed again, this time dragging attention from people around and outside the room, and pushing Goyle rather hard on the arm though in a playful way. Goyle seem to be debating to smile which looked very awkward on him to say the least but Vincent didn't noticed that much, instead he was composed again, though still amused and patting Goyle's shoulder.

"OK then, what you got for me?"

Goyle seem to panic. "N-Nothing, sorry..."

"Weren't you going to steal the food from that Ravenclaw?" Vincent Crabbe said looking pointedly at him. Goyle seem swallowing a wale when opening his mouth trying to think how to respond. Crabbe's face which looked to grow grimmer all of the sudden started to light up and before anyone could understand anything he had Goyle in a lock. "You, little cheat! You ate it all up, didn't you? I'm gonna get you for this!"

Again Crabbe laughed, a menacing laugh, and the only laugh you will ever hear from him.

"I will get you some next time," Goyle said apologizing.

"Naah... Actually I don't mind, you know as well as you keep molesting Ravenclaw what does some cupcakes matter!" Crabbe commented leaning on his own hands on the bed. "And that won't help your fate my friend," he added as an afterthought. "Those Ravenclaws... if someone deserves dead are them; the ever so smarty ones... Big-heads. They will be the first to go, I tell you... Why are you so quiet?"

Goyle didn't respond immediately but didn't look like thinking things too much before spitting it out; "I thought you were, you know, not that, err, deep."

This brought quite an impressive reaction from Vincent Crabbe's part; he looked furious: "Are you joking me, that is? What, Gregor, think Daddy's fits did a little more harm to my head than always before? Or is it that you got a sudden sense of humor? Well, let me remind you: we have never been stupid. You know it! But in our case, the big trolls, bullies, we can afford to have a brain. The new responsibilities we would earn, ugh, and, again, we can afford them, hu? We aren't daddy's prize boy as princess Malfoy. So yes," – Here he made a gesture like hitting his forehead – "big words for a dummy; we are stupid to the world so to not have those responsibilities because, on the contrary, we know what's best for us, different from those Ravenclaws who keep gloating about knowledge..."

His fist collapsed with his other hand in a violent gesture, a small stabbing sound escaped his mouth. Next he was hugging Goyle with an arm surrounding the other boy's shoulders in a brotherly manner. "It's much easier isn't it? We agree on that right? Now let's plan what to do with Malfoy," he said this last bit giving Goyle a last hugging.

"Yes, what do we do?"

"Well, check on him, won't be difficult... We will be watching his step is case he's drawn out of line again. Be His eyes. A little more pressure won't be unwarranted as it seems the teasing wasn't enough. He said he would take care of Potter, now it's his responsibility; so much talking it was about time he did the thing. We have been his clowns for too long – Time he entertains us for a change. Make no mistake; he's still the boss and we are still helping him, of course, but now he is 'in charge' and we are second to him, and so now he had to respond to Him. If he fails it will be his blunder, he will be the one punished. The perks of acting the thick ones... Enough of playing fools and enough of the childish teasing; the Dark Lord expects no less."



February 25th 2004