After the war
By Adaia Swordmaiden
Disclaimer: You know the drill.
Chapter 4
A shaggy grey wolf loped through the forest, its silvery pelt shimmering as patches of moonlight slid across it and traces of red on its muzzle. It slowed and stopped under a large tree at the edge of a clearing. Throwing back its shaggy mane, it let out a long, eerie howl. A moment later, a screech answered the wolf's howl. Suddenly a tall, young man walked out from under the tree the wolf had been and into the clearing, his long, matted, tawny brown hair glimmering with streaks of silver in the moonlight. A cloud drifted across the moon, casting the clearing into darkness. The man stiffened, crouching slightly and his greenish-brown eyes flickering around, wary and watching. There was a rushing sound and a soft thud.
"Strello," the young man growled softly. "Don't do that." An eerie, silvery laugh floated through the darkness and the man's eyes fixed on a spot in front of him.
"Come now, Zabini," came the silvery, eerie voice, definitely feminine. "Are you scared?"
"No. Only wary. Where did you go?"
"My kin have not heard from me for many years. I went to meet with them. Did you miss me?" The cloud obscuring the moon drifted away and Zabini straightened up. Standing before him was a tall woman with unnaturally pale skin, long, silky black hair and large, cat-like, greenish-blue eyes, cloaked in black with the hood down. When Zabini only glared at her, Strello sighed. "What was it that you called me for?"
"Are you hungry? There are some people I would like to get even with." A cruel smile crept across Strello's face.
"Excellent," she murmured. "Who and where?"
"Quite a few people but top of the list is the Potter family. Harry Potter, his wife Ginevra and their daughter Samantha. It would be interesting to see what I would have to do to the daughter to see the parents crack. Then they're all yours." The smile on Strello's face widened.
"I was right to choose you as an ally," she purred and Zabini smirked.
Draco turned to Guinevere.
"Are you positive that you're innocent?" he demanded. She nodded immediately.
"Yes," she said. Draco turned back to Harry.
"Fine," he said. "But you have to get her a Veritaserum trial. Stupefy." He swung the wand around and stunned Guinevere before also stunning Harry. The two crumpled to the ground and Draco dropped the wand, going to Guinevere. "I'm sorry. But this was the only way," he murmured, picking her up and laying her gently on the bed. Then he turned and strode out of the room and along the corridor. He paused outside the house, staring back at it. "You had better get her a trial Harry," he growled under his breath. "Or you'll regret it."
Harry groaned as he came to.
"You alright?" he heard some one say. Harry's eyes opened as he sat up and he saw Zacharias Smith crouching by him. The other Auror stood up. "What happened?" Harry got groggily to his feet and blinked, looking around. He was in the room he had been talking to Draco in. Guinevere was still stunned, propped up against the wall by the door.
"I found Malfoy and Moore here," he said. "I managed to stun Moore but Malfoy ran. I caught up with him at the corner but he disarmed me. He unstunned Moore and we talked a bit. Both of them are positive that Moore is innocent so I agreed to get her and Malfoy Veritaserum trials. Then Malfoy stunned Moore and then me." Zacharias whistled.
"Whoa," he said. "Well come on, we'd better get back to the Ministry."
"Yeah," Harry said. He looked around and saw his wand. Frowning, he picked it up. "Why didn't he take it?" he wondered aloud.
"Whatever," Zacharias said. "Come on. Ginny was almost distraught when you didn't get back when expected."
"I'm just so worried about her," Ginny said, sipping at her tea. "What with the breakout and all-"
"I know dear," her mother said, patting her on the arm. "But you'll be alright. Harry's an excellent Auror and he loves you both so much. He'd never let anything happen to you, I know."
"I know, but still, there're six criminals out, at least five of which were Death Eaters," Ginny sighed, putting down her cup. Sammy silently crept up the stairs under her father's Invisibility cloak to Jackie's room.
"What were they talking about?" her red-headed, tomboy cousin asked as Sammy tripped on the cloak's hem and stumbled out of it.
"Something about a breakout," she said. "Mummy's worried about Daddy and I."
"Why?" Jackie asked, cocking her head. Sammy shrugged. From downstairs there was a thud and the two girls hurried out of the room and downstairs. Getting to his feet in the kitchen was a gangly, olive-skinned, black-haired, 13 year old boy.
"And what are you doing here, Zachary?" Mrs Weasley asked, standing up, hands on hips. Zack began dusting off his clothes.
"Dad's on the warpath," he muttered. "I borrowed a couple of things from the shop and played a prank on him about five seconds ago. I seek asylum." Mrs Weasley shook her head but both she and Ginny were grinning.
"Well did you have any lunch before you bought your father's wrath down upon you?" the older woman asked. Zack shook his head and sat down at the table, a hopeful, hungry look on his face.
"Zacky!" Sammy shrieked and she dashed down the last few steps and hurtled under the table and out the other side, hugging her favourite cousin around the waist. Zack groaned and patted her on the back.
A/N: thankies to charbar who has, once again, reviewed this story. hands charbar another cookie
two things I would like to clear up is deaths and marriages. the following died before this fanfic. the cause of their death is listed also. Charlie Weasley (Norbert's cousin had him for lunch), George Weasley (killed by a Death Eater), Albus Dumbledore (killed by Voldermort). the rest don't matter but you can ask about them. the following are married. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley (daughter is Samantha Amelia Potter), Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley (daughters are Molly Charlotte and Jacqueline Michelle Weasley), Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson (son is Zackary Arthur Weasley) Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape (Son and daughter are Hermes Perseus and Proserpine Helen Snape). ask in a review about anyone else you would like to know about.