Asta and Brynjar were making their way down from the fourth floor of Malfoy Manor, when they both froze halfway down the staircase, as they heard a hissing noise behind them. Asta shuddered, Brynjar growled, and both of them turned back toward the fourth floor landing to see a gigantic snake sizing them up.
Asta cast a silencing charm around the stairs and around the snake still sitting on the landing looking at them, and started to stalk towards the snake. She was abruptly stopped by Brynjar as he put his hand on her shoulder, and pushing her back down a step, taking Asta by surprise.
"What are you doing?" She asked Brynjar with a furrowed brow. "We need to kill it Brynjar. Let me go."
Brynjar shook his head. "Let me take care of this one." He said in a firm tone, matched by a stern look. "You've had all the fun so far, let me kill the snake."
"Brynjar your hand is in pieces. You can't-" Asta began to argue, but was cut off by another hissing sound as the snake moved closer.
"Get back. I've got this." Brynjar commanded as he eyed the snake.
"But your hand-"
"I can protect you, dammit!" Brynjar snapped, still not taking his eyes off the snake as he un-sheathed a dagger he kept on his belt. "You don't need to keep trying to make up for what your mum-"
"Stop." Asta demanded in a dangerous tone. "Just kill the fucking snake."
Brynjar knew he crossed a line… again. But it frustrated him that she always was trying to protect him, to keep making up for what her mother had done to him. He didn't blame her for what happened and he hated that she carried unnecessary guilt. He was tired of it.
The gigantic snake lunged at Brynjar, startling him out of his silent anger, causing him to swing broken hand at the snake out of reflex. The snake hit the wall with a loud thud and a defiant hiss and fell to the floor.
"FUCK!" Brynjar growled through gritted teeth as he clutched his wrist in his left hand.
"Brynjar!" Asta called as she ran towards him. "Are you alright?"
Brynjar nodded with his jaw clenched. "Fine."
"No you're not." Asta growled through gritted teeth as she moved passed Brynjar towards the snake that was starting to rise again. "Just let me-"
"No." Brynjar said through gritted teeth. "Injured or not I can kill a fucking snake!"
As Brynjar finished his sentence; the snake lurched towards Asta, who had brandished her dagger, and made a quick arch with the blade towards the snakes' throat. She just missed by a centimeter, the snake missed by just as much. Brynjar growled somewhere behind Asta, and she had just enough time to arch backwards, as a snake came soaring where her head had just been.
When Asta straightened back up, she saw the Brynjar was holding the snake halfway down its body and swinging it, bashing its head against the wall. The snake was resilient, hissing and spitting at Brynjar, attempting to bite him every time Brynjar swung away from the wall. Asta had only ever seen him this angry once before, and she hoped she would never see him this angry again. She was starting to see a pattern, but she put that on the back burner for a later date.
"Asta!" Brynjar called. "Asta!"
Asta heard him call and snapped her back to the present.
"I dropped my dagger! Toss it to me!" Brynjar asked drenched in sweat as he continuously slammed the snake into the wall.
Asta looked around and found his dagger two steps behind her. As she bent down to grab his dagger, the snakes' tail swung towards her and hit her full in the face. Asta was flung back against the steps, her head smacking against the hard edge of the steps, and she fell limp.
Brynjar saw her hit the stairs a few steps above where he was standing, still trying to kill the snake by bludgeoning it, and all the color drained from his face. She wasn't moving, she wasn't making any noise, and he could faintly see her chest rising and falling with each breath. 'She is alive!' he thought to himself. Relief and happiness filling him for a moment, before blinding fury took their place.
Brynjar looked around, as he swung the snake against the wall yet again, to try and find something sharp to run the damned thing through with. His dagger wasn't an option, given what happened to Asta. At that thought, he pulled back farther and slammed the snake even harder into the wall, for Asta. He then spotted Asta's dagger on her belt.
After Brynjar's last, hard, pure hatred-filled swing of the snake against the wall; the snake fell to the ground, hissing low. Brynjar took that chance to snatch up Asta's dagger. He ripped the dagger from her belt, wrapped his hand around the base of the snakes skull, and rammed the blade down through its skull. The snake let out one last weak hiss, then it stilled.
"Fucking kind of demon snake are you?!" Brynjar shouted out as he removed Asta's dagger from its skull. Then he remembered. "Asta!"
Brynjar moved over to where Asta was laying, motionless, on the stairs. He took her pulse, and found it steady. He lifted her head and felt the back of her head wet with blood, and a gash three inches long. He held his hand firmly on the wound, tucked his injured arm underneath her, and gently lifted her to the landing on the fourth floor.
He summoned the ointment she used on him not an hour ago, and the pain potion and the shot glass.
"Asta? Asta? Can you hear me?" Brynjar asked as he tapped her nose. It was something she used to do to him when they were children, he was hoping it would work. "Asta? I need you to wake up and down a shot of pain potion, so I can fix your head." He pleaded.
"Nuff-ink wrong wit my ed you arse." Asta grumbled as she squinted her eyes from the pain in her head.
Brynjar chuckled and helped her sit up against the wall.
"Drink this so I can stitch up your head you crazy bint."Brynjar chuckled; relieved she was well enough to playfully banter with him. "I don't think you want to make a scene in front of Snakeman and his army with bandages wrapped around your skull."
Asta punched his good arm playfully, before downing the shot of pain potion, and turning the shot glass upside down on the floor.
"Don't insult me you twat. I am Queen of the Bints! Get it right." Asta corrected, pretending to be regal.
"Fine your Highness," Brynjar mock bowed towards her, "spin your royal arse around so I can stitch up your ever-enlarging head."
They both started to laugh before Asta spun around so Brynjar could stitch up the gash. For a moment, it felt like old times. Laughing, joking, pretending…. It was like they were kids again. It was nice. Even though they were trained for battle growing up, there were times where they would goof off and play make-believe. It was nice to forget about all the death, danger, and suffering for a moment and just be kids.
"You killed the snake?" Asta asked, more or less asking how than seeming like she doubted his abilities.
Brynjar's hands grew tense against her scalp at the mention of the snake that had almost killed her more than once.
"Yes." He replied tightly. "Damn thing must have had dark magic used on it or something. I probably bashed it off the wall about 50 times, at full strength, and it wouldn't die!"
Asta could feel his mood change as he talked about the whole ordeal, luckily he was almost done stitching her head.
"And after it knocked you out against the stairs with its tail…." Brynjar tensed at the image of his strong friend unconscious, and fragile looking. "I swung it into the wall so hard, I put a hole in the wall, and it still didn't die!" Brynjar finished tying off the stitch, and magically cut the thin cord. "I knocked it out long enough to stab it in the head with your dagger." Brynjar felt around for her weapon, finally finding it, he handed it to her. "It's a good thing your father has stores of Basilisk venom in your cellar. That damn snake should stay dead now."
Asta looked at Brynjar and saw the amount of anger he had about her getting hurt, resting upon his shoulders like the weight of the world itself was resting on them. He knew she is more than capable of taking care of herself. She never understood why he feels as though it is his job to keep her safe. She is comforted to know that he would lay his life down for her, but she didn't want him to.
"That venom could take down the creature from which it came." Asta said pointedly, staring blankly at the dead snake. "That snake is dead for good. Now come here."
Brynjar looked confusedly at Asta, who was gesturing for him to come closer to her.
"Uhhh, why?" Brynjar asked, with a look of suspicion on his face.
Asta rolled her eyes at her friends stupidity.
"Because I want to have my way with you on the floor. What do you think?" Asta said smirking at her friends awestruck face. "You re-broke your hand when you sucker punched that snake you twat! I need to fix it!"
Brynjar completely forgot about the pain in his hand. The pain potion wore off when he completely re-broke his hand punching the snake, and after Asta pointed it out, he could no longer ignore the pain.
"Just a shot of pain potion will do." Brynjar said, now eager to move forward and finish out their plan.
"No, no, no. You need a shot of skele-grow too." Asta said with a stern look, as she pulled out the bottle of skele-grow from her pouch. "Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you're going to get out of taking it. You need your hand to get better, so you need to stop punching everything."
Brynjar looked at Asta in mock awe, resulting in Asta rolling her eyes and smirking as she handed him the shot of skele-grow.
"Did you, Asta Akeldama, just tell me I can't punch anything?! I must be dreaming!" Brynjar laughed.
"Only until your hand is healed you arse. Then you can punch everyone and thing you want." Asta laughed as she handed him a short of pain potion.
Brynjar downed the shot and turned the glass upside down on the floor, just as Asta had done.
"Alright."Brynjar said as he pushed himself up, then extending his non-injured hand to Asta. "Let crash their party, shall we?"
Asta smiled up at her friend, took his hand, allowing him to pull her up. She checked that all her potions were put back in her pouch, along with the shot glass. She checked that she had her dagger sheathed on her belt. She walked down a few steps and bent down to grab Brynjar's dagger. This time she managed to grab his dagger without getting thrown into the stairs, which is good. She handed Brynjar his dagger with a wicked smile, then looked at the dead snakes body, then back at Brynjar still baring that wicked smile of hers.
"Yes lets." Asta replied as she levitated the snakes dead body before them. "I think we should return this to its owner, don't you?"
Brynjar smiled an evil smile and chuckled a low menacing chuckle.
"How kind of you my friend." Brynjar said playfully. "Let's return the poor thing to its owner."
They made their way down the stairs, without interference, and made their way to a set of large, grand doors at the end of the hall. They could hear people talking on the other side of the doors, and they turned and looked at each other one last time before they crashed the most dark wizard of their time's meeting.
"You ready?" Asta whispered with an evilly excited grin.
"Always. You?" Brynjar replied in a whisper, the same expression plastered on his face.
"Born ready." Asta replied as she gestured for Brynjar to make the grand entrance.
"To Valhalla and on." Brynjar whispered as he raised his arm in and arm wrestling position.
"To Valhalla and on." Asta whispered as she mimicked Brynjar's action and they clasped hand for a moment, before Brynjar kicked the door in.
"Whoever's fucking snake this was, it's dead now." Brynjar said, as Asta sent the dead snake flying into the room, onto the long wooden table, where it landed with a thud.
Curses were flying at the intruders from all directions, before Voldemort let out a howl of rage.
"Nagini! You killed my Nagini!" Voldemort cried out in anger.
Brynjar and Asta looked at each other with shocked, yet amused expressions on their faces.
"That was your snake?" Asta asked with a smirk as she turned to her friend, and high-fived him. "Way to go Brynjar! You killed Snakeman's snake!"
"Snakeman?"A crazy looking, black haired witch exclaimed from the far end of the table. "He is The Dark Lord! Not 'Snakeman'! How dare you disrespect him!"
Asta stiffened at the sight of the woman. She resembled her mother. She HATED her mother. Asta started making her way toward the crazy looking witch, when a strong hand pushed against her shoulder again, holding her back.
"Asta, she's not your mother. Don't." Brynjar said softly yet sternly, before he looked back at the crazy looking witch grinning evilly at his friend being held back. "Not yet anyway."
Asta shook her head and leveled the psychotic witch with a look that could kill, if only it had that affect. Before Brynjar or the rest of the rooms inhabitants knew what happened, Asta cast the cruciatus curse on the crazy witch, who began to scream in pain.
"Think I'm funny do you?" Asta spat as she rounded on the screaming witch. "Is there something fucking funny about me, you stupid, brainless, inbred bitch?! Is there?!"
The witch screamed and writhed in pain.
Asta sunk down next the screaming woman, wrapped her hand around the witches wrist, and pulled her up off the floor.
The witch was no longer under the cruciatus curse, but she was still screaming. She was clawing at Asta's hand, trying to pry it off her wrist, but it was to no avail.
Asta threw the witch back into her chair, and ripped her head back against the back of the chair by her hair.
"What is your name, you inbred filth?" Asta asked angrily, as she looked down on the woman who could be her mothers double.
The witch didn't answer. Before Asta could speak, Brynjar spoke up.
"I'd answer her lady, or you'll get a whole lot worse." He said as he leaned up against the wall admiring Asta's technique.
"What is your name?" Asta demanded again, tugging harder at the witches hair.
"Bellatrix." A blonde haired woman to Asta's right answered. "Her name is Bellatrix."
Asta turned her head sharply towards the woman who spoke out of turn.
"Sisters."Asta observed, making a condescending sound as she looked at the blonde woman. "You are obviously the weak one."
Asta felt the anger emanate from the man in between the crazy witch and the weak blond witch.
"Problem?" Asta spat in the blond mans ear.
"You will not speak to my wife in that manner, especially not in our own house." The blond man spat venomously back at Asta.
Asta and Brynjar looked at one another, and then Brynjar started to make his way over towards where the blond couple sat. They saw the young Malfoy attempt to reach for his wand, and Brynjar disarmed him and stuffed the wand in his pant pocket. Brynjar then, grabbed the blond man by the collar of his robes, and hoisted him out of his chair. Asta cast immobulous on Bellatrix and mimicked Brynjar's actions on the weak witch.
"So you are Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy." Brynjar asked as he held Lucius in mid air, and wandless.
"How do… How do you know us?" Narcissa asked nervously.
"We helped a boy named Blaise Zabini escape, along with his mother." Asta whispered in Narcissa's ear.
Narcissa cried out. "NOOOOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! THAT BOY WAS OUR ONLY HOPE TO KEEP OUR SON SAFE!"
"Kidnapping is not proper pureblood etiquette, lady. Or have you forgotten your training in proper pureblood ways?" Asta spat.
Then, Narcissa and Lucius went limp, stunned by the two intruders.
Voldemort had been watching this whole thing play out, impressed at the young girls skill, and the young boys nerve and strength. It wasn't until Narcissa and Lucius were replaced back in their chairs did he finally speak up.
"Who are you?" Voldemort asked calmly, eyeing the two intruders with intrigue.
He admired their strength and nerve. He has never seen such defiance from anyone other than himself. They carry themselves confidently. As though, everything they did was correct, perfect, and the only way. Voldemort was very intrigued in them, indeed.
Asta eyed the Snake man warily, as she made her way around the table towards the man himself. He seemed too laid back about this whole thing. Killing his snake, killing some of his followers, crashing his meeting with his inner circle. He should have been trying to blow them apart, trying to torture them, something other than calmly asking them who they are.
"Why are you so calm?" Asta demanded as she conjured a chair, and sat down on Voldemort's immediate left.
Voldemort considered this challenge carefully, not wanting to give into her demands and hand her power so easily, he just repeated himself.
"Who are you?"
Asta was not new to this whole charade, but she found it tedious and tiresome. She had had a rough night, and just wanted to go get the fuck out of here and go to bed. She looked to Brynjar, who was eyeing the Snakeman and herself with such intensity that; if any of the Snakeman's muscles twitched, Brynjar would have attacked him instantly. He is a good friend.
Brynjar caught her eye and must have read her face perfectly, because he made a "get on with it" gesture towards her. She nodded then turned back to the Snakeman who had been watching the exchange closely.
"We are the people who are going to help Harry Potter end you and your horrid ideals." Asta said flatly as she leaned back in her chair, and relaxed herself.
She saw something flash, briefly, in Voldemort's eyes at the confession but decided to ignore it.
"If you are truly aiding Harry Potter in my destruction that must mean the Order is close by, yes?"Voldemort said in a laid back tone that completely went against the gravity of the situation.
"The Order does not know we are aiding in your destruction, nor does Harry Potter. We are doing this for us." Asta said gesturing to her and Brynjar.
"And who exactly is us?" Voldemort asked again, looking from the girl on his left to her companion standing behind the youngest Malfoy.
"I," Brynjar spoke up, startling everyone but Asta and Voldemort, "am Brynjar Kykrbani. The direct descendant of Gudbrand Kykrbani, right hand to the first Viking King, Abraxus Akeldama."
There was a collective gasp around the room, mainly out of shock more than fear.
"And I am Asta Akeldama." Asta declared, which was met by an even louder collective gasp. "The nine times great granddaughter of Abraxus Akeldama the first. The first Viking King and Great Viking Wizard."
At that last bit, Voldemort's eyes grew wide and dark with malice. Vikings are still alive and strong. This meant good things for his cause, if he is able to "sway" them to fight for his cause.
"I thought the Ministry set wards up against you?" A raspy voiced wizard asked from the other end of the table. "How did you manage to sneak back into the country undetected?"
"We never left." Asta answered instantly. "Our ancestors set our ships out toward our homeland, empty, and then went underground here."
The raspy voiced wizard rolled his eyes at her response. This infuriated Asta, and she was on her feet, and behind his chair before anyone could bat an eye. Brynjar laughed when he saw her rip his head back against his chair.
"You're dancing with the devil mate." Brynjar chuckled at the man who was struggling to brandish his wand. With a snap of his fingers, the raspy mans wand flew into Brynjar's hands.
"What? Because I'm a woman my voice is insignificant? It means less than yours?" Asta growled into his ear through clenched teeth, as she tightened her hold on his head. "I will have you know, you spineless fuck, my voice alone is worth ten times yours. Whether or not the modern fucking public acknowledges it, I AM fucking royalty, and you are a mere peasant."
Asta hand unsheathed her dagger while on her rant, and let the blade sit just before his throat, before moving it to his eyes.
"Oh yeah, mate?" Brynjar called to the raspy wizard currently teetering on the line of life and death. "The last man that rolled his eyes at her," Brynjar gestured to Asta causing the man to look up into her merciless eyes, then back to Brynjar. "got his eyes gouged out, by that blade."
The raspy wizard began to tremble as the blade moved nearer and nearer to his eye, and he began to plead.
"I'm sorry…. I'm sorry…. Forgive me…. Please…. Forgive me…." The raspy wizard whispered, fear full in his eyes.
Asta looked to Brynjar, who just shrugged his shoulders, clearly impartial on whether this man lived or died. Asta looked back down into the raspy mans eyes and saw fear etched in them. Good.
Asta let her grip on the man go, and made to walk away, when she heard him snicker behind her back. She turned abruptly and saw Brynjar fixing him with a stare that could kill, if it had that kind of power, and that was all Asta needed to see. She ripped his chair back, conjured ropes that wrapped around his wrists and ankles, and conjured an extra rope to hold his neck in one place.
Instantly, the raspy man closed his eyes, assuming she was going to gouge them out. She laughed a most wicked, evil, and unforgiving laugh that everyone in the room had ever heard, at his attempt to "protect" himself.
"Fool!" She snarled, as she clambered up on his lap placing one knee on either side of the man. "You mistook me for a weak witch, like the one that sits across from you. I am not weak, in fact…." Asta paused as she placed her hand on the man's stomach, and said, "Liquefiet Interna."
A blood curdling scream emitted from the man bound to his chair, as his insides began to liquefy.
"I am VERY, VERY strong." Asta concluded with a malicious grin on her face as she listened to him scream.
A faint clapping could be heard from the opposite end of the room, and when Asta turned she saw Voldemort clapping for her. She narrowed her eyes in response to his encouragement. She silenced the raspy mans screams, so he would still suffer but be silent about it, before she jumped off his chair and stalked towards Voldemort.
"You." Asta called as she sat in her chair and leveled Voldemort with a look of pure fury. "Why the fuck have you been calm through this whole thing? Why aren't you freaking the fuck out, attempting to kill Brynjar and I?"
Voldemort looked at her with cruel pleasure, and smiled a toothy smile.
"You're just here to introduce yourselves, and attempt to anger me so much that I let my guard down." Voldemort said plainly. "You are not here to kill me, and you won't attempt to."
Asta looked at him as though she just accepted a challenge. Her jaw was clenched, her fist was clenched on the table, and her other hand was itching to cast the curse. Brynjar read all the signs, and called out to her.
"Asta, don't." He called out to her. "He's trying to provoke you, and he knows he can do it by hitting you in your pride."
Asta turned to look at her friend. He was looking at her with a flat expression, but Asta could read the hidden meaning behind it. She knew he was right, even if she could tell he wanted to kill the man too. Asta took a deep breath and calmed herself down a little before turning back to Voldemort, who was smirking evily.
"Well played…. asshole."Asta remarked, causing Voldemort's smirk to fall into a frown. "As much as Brynjar and I would love to stay and play 'Who Will Break First', but we have other obligations tonight and therefore have no more time for you."
Asta turned and looked at Brynjar, and nodded slightly. Brynjar nodded back, then swiftly and roughly, grabbed Draco Malfoy by the collar of his jacket and pulled him to his feet.
Narcissa, who had returned to consciousness when the raspy man started screaming, was now crying out for her son.
"No! Not Draco! Please, take me instead! Take me!" Narcissa pleaded with tears in her eyes.
"No, I don't think I will." Asta said flatly as she inspected the raspy man for a pulse, looking rather pleased when she found he was still alive, just unconscious. "See you kidnapped a woman to make someone who loved her bend to your will. I don't like it when people do shit like that." Asta continued as she spun her head to face a weeping Narcissa.
Narcissa gasped when she saw the Asta look at her with a cold, serious look.
"So to teach you a lesson about how kidnapping is bad and hurtful, we're taking your son."Asta finished, as she looked for Brynjar who had escorted the young Malfoy all the way towards the door.
"Please. No." Narcissa wept. "He's my only son. Please."
Asta ignored her and turned her attention to Bellatrix, who was seething.
"And you, my crazy ass friend." Asta began, leaned over the table towards Bellatrix. "You remember my face, because if I can help it, my face is going to be the last one you ever see."
Bellatrix's eyes widened at Asta's threat, and you could tell she was struggling to break free of the charm holding her still. Asta pushed herself back to an upright position, and turned her attention back towards Voldemort.
"It's been fun Snakeman." Asta said as she set her chair ablaze. "I truly am sorry we have to cut this fun little visit short, but I can assure you this will not be the last you see of us."
As the chair was reduced to smoldering ash on the floor, Asta sent a hand out over the dead body of the snake and muttered, "Senden Vater", and the snake disappeared.
Voldemort shot to his feet in outrage. Asta didn't even flinch, she just looked at him with a bored expression on her face.
"What did you do with my Nagini!"He shouted. "Where did you send her!"
"To my father." Asta smiled cruelly. "Hopefully someone in our village will be able to make me a new belt with her skin. I'll let you know what I get from her."
Voldemort let out a bellow of rage, and shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"
Green light filled the room. When the light died out; Asta, Brynjar, and Draco were still standing, and Asta was smiling.
"Better luck next time Snakeman." Brynjar called out as he pulled Asta into his grasp, so they could disapparate.
Brynjar was making sure he had a tight grip on the both of them, before he began to focus on their destination. As they were about to disappear; Asta locked eyes with Voldemort and smiled menacingly, before giving him the finger as they left Malfoy Manor.
They did what they set out to do. They made their presence known, they pissed him off, and they took out a handful of people; they did good. Though now they have a hostage to babysit, which adds a level of difficulty to their plans, but what is life without a little challenge thrown in every now and then.
They arrived with a crack in a muggle suburb area. Draco had just enough time to look around and take notice of the area, before he saw Asta wave her hand lazily at him as she walked towards the house in front of them, and everything went black.
Brynjar sighed, lifted Draco onto his shoulder, and began to follow Asta.
"You know, not that I can't handle carrying the hostage, but a little warning would be nice." Brynjar called out, as he jogged up to Asta's side.
Asta smiled playfully at him and shoved his arm.
"Well I didn't want him seeing whose house we are using as a refuge for the next week." Asta explained as she walked up to the door and knocked the sequence she was instructed to knock when they arrived there. "Plus he will be easier to work with unconscious, when we put the charmed cast over his left forearm so he can't summon his father or the others."
Brynjar nodded in agreement.
Just as he was about to ask her if she had all the tools needed for the cast, the door opened and a haggard looking man stood on the other side. Blue eye whizzing around in its socket, scraggly blonde hair hanging around his face, and wooden leg clunking as he turned and walked back into his house.
"Your cousin Alastor?" Brynjar asked in surprise. He knew she found a safe house for them but he didn't realize it was her cousin.
"Yeah, he was more than happy to help us. Especially since we are going to help him and the rest of the, Order is it? Yeah the Order transport Harry to safety next week." Asta replied with a jubilant smile.
"Sounds like fun." Brynjar said with a big smile on his face.
They stopped abruptly, when they saw Alastor staring at them from where he stood in his sitting room. He looked angry, annoyed, and nervous all at the same time.
"What's wrong Alastor?" Asta asked, rushing forward.
"Why do you have an unconscious Malfoy with you? What happened?" Alastor asked before turning to Brynjar, who still had Malfoy draped over his shoulder. "You can put him down you know."
Brynjar tossed Draco on Alastor's couch, and rolled his neck around freeing the tension he had gotten in his shoulders from carrying Draco.
Asta recounted the whole story of the events of the evening, while Alastor listened, looking unmoved and un-phased. By the time Asta was done recounting the story, Alastor was making his way towards the kitchen where he opened a cupboard and pulled out three glasses, and a bottle of firewhiskey.
After Asta and Brynjar each drained their glass, Asta pulled Brynjar into the sittingroom with her, and they set to work on making a cast for Draco's arm.
Alastor watched them work with confusion.
"Did you break his arm?" He asked.
"No." Asta replied, still working on setting the charms on the cast. "This is so he can't use the mark to call his father or the other scum that have taken up residence in his house."
Alastor nodded, looking impressed. The girl was smart.
"Very well. I have to go. Meeting with the rest of the Order." Alastor explained as he made sure he had everything he needed. "I will be gone for six days, ensuring everything is set for next Saturdays travels. So you will have the place to yourselves. I'll be back for you Saturday afternoon."
"Okay Alastor thank you again." Asta replied as she finished up her work on the cast.
Alastor was about to walk out the door, when he stopped and turned to look at Asta.
"Asta." He called, looking somewhat like he actually had emotions he was feeling.
"Yes, sir?" Asta replied as she stood up, and began to brush the dust off of her hands.
"Te… Tell my cousin I'm sorry."Alastor replied, looking at the confusion on his second cousins face. "He will know what I mean."
Asta nodded, and Alastor nodded in return.
"See you Satrday." Alastor said as he finally left, closing the door behind him.
Brynjar looked at Asta who looked absolutely flabbergasted.
"What the hell was he talking about?" Brynjar asked as he came to stand next to Asta who was still staring at the front door.
"I…. I don't know." Asta said truthfully. "I mean, I knew my dad and Alastor had a falling out, but I don't know what it was about."
They were brought back from their daze by the sound of Malfoy groaning on the couch.
Asta went and stood over him with her hand pointing at his face. When Malfoy finally opened his eyes he let out a shout at finding her standing over him.
"Pa… please don't hurt me!" He pleaded. "I'll tell you anything you want to know! I didn't even want to be a part of his ranks! My father made me!"
Asta looked at Brynjar, who had all he could do to contain his laughter, then back at Malfoy who was still pleading and shaking underneath her hand.
"Rela-" Asta began but was cut off.
"Please! Just let me go! I'm-" Draco pleaded.
"Will you just rela-"
"I won't tell anyone anything, I swear! Please-"
"SHUT! THE FUCK! UP!" Asta shouted. Her patience having gone, from being cut off.
Malfoy went silent, still trembling, but silent.
"NOW…. As I was trying to say!" Asta began, trying to calm her temper. "We are not going to hurt or kill you. We simply took you to teach your mother a lesson." She paused, waiting for a reaction from Malfoy. But all he did was tremble, so she went on. "The only way either of us are going to hurt you, is if you try to escape. Every possible exit is charmed to remove an appendage or seriously hurt you every time you try to escape. The floo will set you on fire, the windows will take off your fingers, and the doors will give your hand third degree burns. If you try to retrieve your wand from either of our personal belongings, and yes we moved your wand from where Brynjar originally stored it, your hand will be taken off. Otherwise you have free reign of the house. Help yourself to anything in the icebox, read anything you want in the den, and I'm sure if you wanted Brynjar and I could figure out how to work the muggle tele he has here."
Malfoy was stunned. They kidnapped him, just to teach his mom a lesson? They weren't going to hurt him? And he had free reign of the whole house? They must be messing with him.
"Why would you give me free reign? Wouldn't you want to question me or something?" Malfoy asked, extremely confused.
Both Brynjar and Asta shook their heads.
"I don't understand." Malfoy said, as he pulled himself up to the sitting position.
Asta sighed, walked into the kitchen, and refilled her glass. Leaving Brynjar to answer.
"Look, we didn't originally plan to kidnap anyone. It requires a lot of babysitting and extra baggage, but Asta wanted to teach your mom a lesson." Brynjar paused to see if there was any sign of understanding, and there wasn't, so he continued to explain. "Asta doesn't like it when parents ruin children's lives, or causes children of any age pain. Your mum really hurt that Zabini kid, and that pissed Asta off. So to give your mum a taste of her own medicine, we took you. There is no way you can escape without getting hurt in some way, shape, or form; so we are giving you free reign of the house. That's it. So enjoy being held hostage. Go eat, or read, or something."
Brynjar dismissed him with a wave as he went to join Asta in the kitchen for another drink of firewhiskey.
Malfoy digested everything Brynjar said to him. They weren't going to hurt him. He had free reign of the house. He could eat anything he wanted. Drink anything he wanted. He could do anything he wanted. Yet, he was kidnapped. Back home, he was restricted from entering certain rooms in his own home, he couldn't speak freely in his own home, and he risked being killed for stepping with the wrong foot. Or so that's how he felt.
He went to instinctively rub his left arm, when he noticed for the first time that he had a cast on his arm. He began to panic; he didn't remember anything happening to his arm. Then again, Asta did stun him when they got to the muggle suburb, so something could have happened to his arm in the time he has been stunned.
He jumped up and ran into the kitchen, where he found Asta kneeling on the kitchen counter looking through the cabinets for food, while Brynjar sat on a stool at the bar-style counter admiring her. He thought that was odd, but would get back to that later.
"What happened to my arm?" He burst out, making both Asta and Brynjar jump slightly.
"For the love of Odin!" Asta exclaimed as she jumped down off the counter, walking towards the counter where Brynjar was sitting.
"Announce yourself next time!" Brynjar scolded, running his hands over her short hair. "Nearly gave me a fucking heart attack!"
Malfoy gave Brynjar an "I caught you" look, making Brynjar turn his attention back to his drink. Then Malfoy turned his attention to Asta, seeing as Brynjar clearly wasn't going to answer him.
"It's a magical cast. We put it on you to keep you from using your mark to contact your father or the other scum living in your house." Asta explained, looking from the cast back to Malfoy's face. "If you try to stick your fingers under it, the cast will shock you, and not a minor shock. A shock that will have you convulsing on the floor for minutes."
Malfoy looked from the cast, to Asta, to Brynjar, who still wouldn't look at him.
"Very smart. But what if my arm itches?" Malfoy asked, dreading the answer that may come.
Asta rolled her eyes, and Brynjar chuckled before throwing back the rest of his drink.
"It's a magical cast, idiot." Asta explained, not so much.
Malfoy nodded, feeling like an idiot for ignoring that fact.
"Right. Sorry." Malfoy said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Sooooo…. Did you find anything that we can cook for dinner?"
Asta nodded her head and climbed back up on the counter to pull the noodles and sauce she found up there.
When Asta climbed back up on the counter, Malfoy nudged Brynjar in the arm, and smirked at him. Brynjar gave him an angry look, and quickly snapped his head back when he heard Asta jump down off the counter.
"Here." Asta set the noodles and alfredo sauce down on the counter in front of the two men. "You two can sort out whose cooking. I need a shower to get the dried blood out of my hair." Asta declared as she turned and began to walk out of the kitchen.
"I'll check your stitches when you come back down!" Brynjar called after her, before draining his third glass of firewhiskey.
"She has stitches? How? She was the one doing the damage." Malfoy asked, looking over the box of noodles.
Brynjar had gotten up by this time and summoned a cooking pot, and a wooden spoon, and began to fill the pot with water.
"After we set the Zabini kid free, we ran into Snakemans snake on the stairs." Brynjar began, as he magiced the box of noodles out of Malfoy's hands, to dump into the water on the stove. "I was trying to smash the damn things skull by bashing its head against the wall, and I dropped my dagger on the stairs. When Asta went to snatch it for me, the snakes tail hit her, throwing her back into the stairs, where she split her head open."
The water was boiling now, and the noodles were slowly starting to cook. Brynjar turned back around, to pour himself another glass of firewhiskey, when Malfoy started questioning him.
"So what was with you checking out your friend?" He asked cockily, with a shit-eating grin on his face.
The glass Brynjar was holding, shattered from the increased strength in his grip.
"Leave it alone, asshole." Brynjar warned through gritted teeth, as he repaired the shattered glass.
"You fancy her?" Malfoy pressed, getting a kick out of seeing the big guy squirm.
"I said," Brynjar growled as he reached over the counter, grabbing Malfoy by his shirt collar. "leave it alone."
Malfoy just stared at the gigantic man, scared he was going to smash his skull into the counter. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt Brynjar let go of his collar, and go back to the stove to stir the rapidly boiling noodle filled water.
Malfoy didn't see what the big deal is. So he fancied his friend, big deal. She was a very attractive girl, even if she was as volatile as his deranged aunt. Malfoy certainly didn't blame him, for a rough girl she had a perfectly feminine body. Well developed and perfectly proportioned.
"What's the big deal? She's gorgeous, any man with eyes can see that." Malfoy pressed on, knowing exactly what could happen if he kept pissing Brynjar off. "I mean, fuck! If she didn't bloody well terrify me to the bones, I would try my luck with her."
Brynjar turned around and chuckled at Malfoy admitting he was terrified of Asta. She could be scary at times, Brynjar could attest to that. But he knew another side of her that no one else does.
"It's not a big deal." Brynjar conceded, rubbing his face with his hands. "It's just difficult."
"Why is it difficult? You aren't related are you?" Malfoy asked making a disgusted face.
"Really blood purist? You're one to talk." Brynjar snapped back in reply. "But no, we are not related."
"So why is it difficult?" Malfoy pressed, still failing to understand what the big deal was.
"Because we are so close to each other! We have been friends since we were infants, she doesn't look at me that way." Brynjar declared, rubbing his face with his hands again before straining the noodles and putting the sauce on heat. "If I tell her that I feel this way it may scare her off, and then I'll lose her as a friend. If a friend is all I will ever have her as, I'm not going to risk ruining it by revealing how I feel."
Malfoy felt terrible for asking and making him admit that out loud to both of them. He could understand slightly, he had almost the same predicament with a certain witch of his own. He was about to try and comfort the big guy, when Asta came bounding down the hall.
"I smell alfredo!" She exclaimed as she kidded to a halt next to Brynjar, who smiled fondly at her childishness. "It smells good, who cooked?"
"I did." Brynjar replied, gesturing for her to stand in front of him. "Let me check your stitches."
Asta moved to stand in front of Brynjar, so he could check her stitches. Malfoy was flabbergasted at the completely different personality she took on when she wasn't in battle mode. She was bouncy, happy, and jocular. It was a complete 360 from what he saw earlier.
"I think they may need longer than a few hours." Asta said as she fiddled with the hair hanging in her face.
"No. I don't think so." Brynjar said as he concentrated on her injury. "I think it's healed. It just looks like a scar now."
"Sweet! Take them out then!" Asta demanded, looking giddy as a eleven year old in Diagon Alley.
Brynjar chuckled as he summoned a pair of scissors and began to cut at the threads in the back of her head.
Malfoy watched as Brynjar went to work doing a mediwizards job, completely fascinated at his skill.
"You know how to perform medical procedures?" Malfoy asked amazed.
"Yes. We are trained in hand to hand combat, wizard dueling and quick medical techniques. We were quite literally bred for war." Asta explained as she felt where her stitches had been.
Brynjar pulled her hair back in place, taking his time to admire the feel of her hair in his hands, until he saw Malfoy looking at him with that smirk. Then he quickly dropped her hair, and waved his hand to make the alfredo mix with the noodles.
"Alright." Brynjar stated. "Let's eat."
A/N: I really hope you like my story so far! The chapters will continue to be uploaded when I get the chance to write. I really would love to hear some feedback on how you think I did with each chapter! This is just the beginning of the love and drama! Please keep reading! Thank you all so much!