Okay, so this took longer than I thought but I suddenly realized I hadn't done any of my summer work and went crazy finishing it... I'm also doing that thing again when I say I'm going to do so many chapters then decide, what the hell, I'm going to annoy you all even more and give you another cliff hanger for you all to gnaw on... So I'm basically dragging this out... The chapters are slightly smaller than previous ones but... well, I'm the author and I'm a meanie ;)

I hope you, er, like this one :) and thank you the people who reviewed the last one after so long, keep it up!

Lara is getting a little darker, if no one else has noticed, but tbh, she's been through a lot no? I'd be pissssed too!

To Creep

Lara

It happened fast and before I knew what was happening I was crashing to the floor as Darien collapsed under me. There was a crack, a crunch and, amongst the confusion and mass of limbs, I didn't know from whom the ominous sounds came. I felt the mind in the room move forward and I cursed silently to myself as I jumped up from the tangle. It was Rosier! Damn him, just one more of my annoying pure-blood brute cousins to deal with. I flicked my wand up but I wasn't fast enough.

"Expelliarmus!" The voice shouted and my wand flew out of my hand and clattered to the floor.

From the shadows Even Rosier's face passed through a shaft of light, his lips twisted into a leer as he looked from me to the sprawled, unconscious figure of Irvine at my feet. I resisted the urge to look down. Rosier twitched his wand and tight black ropes twisted over me bruisingly tight.

"I knew this idiot was bad news," Rosier sneered finally, "it was in his eyes when they brought you in. I saw him. Weak," he flicked his wand again and Darien's comatose body lift up like some sick puppet, "cowardly," he threw him against the wall with a crack, "blood traitor."

I watch with loathing as he finally let Darien fall down.

"He will hardly be a loss to the Dark Lord, though," he said thoughtfully, "it's a shame he'll never have the pleasure of being in his gracious and," he grinned at me, "oh so forgiving company again. I'm sure he'd have some interesting last words."

He seemed pleased with his obvious wit; I wondered briefly at what type of last words I could coax out of him.

"And you," he turned to me again, "my cousin. Your family, you've been nothing but problems. Grey's." I sent my mind out to Irvine on the floor and breathed out when I felt his mind stirring, alive. "I heart Aunt Druella nearly had a heart attack when she found out her little sister was marrying a Grey," he spat but seemed to gather himself as he cocked his head at me where I stood still, silent and glaring fiercely. His mind was shielded, I could feel it cold against my senses, but I felt his maliciousness leaking through and perhaps, just maybe, a slight trepidation, "But you always were a slippery bunch." He continued, "Can't be trusted..."

"You know what my father says about you-" he started again.

"For Merlin sake," I said suddenly, "do you ever shut up? Only, I'm getting really, really bored of all these 'you're such a disgusting piece of work' speeches. It is really very tedious." I stretched my metal muscles, so to speak, "In fact," I met his eyes, "I think it is high time I shut you up myself," I told him before giving one more little push through the hair line cracks of his mind.

The wall crumbled and I pushed further in like I never had before to another person. Before me his mind stretched up and I was met with a whirlwind of thoughts memories and connections. It was familiar, this landscape, and years of touching upon this with other people led me to where I wanted to go, to where I grasped on and didn't let go. He froze.

"Oh," I smiled, "there you are."

Hate. Shock. Panic. Confusion. Let me go!

"I don't think I will. But be a dear and release these ropes?" I asked and twisted in his mind. He pushed back but his hate got in the way like a fog.

Slowly he raised his wand and gave it a disjointed twirl that had the ropes unravelling. I felt blood rush to my hands and I gasped quietly, flexing them. I dove back into his mind.

Black's waiting up stairs... they'll come... Dark Lord, he told father that the giants... GET OUT OF MY HEAD... I'm going to kill her; I'm going to make her scream... Death Eaters at the door, not many in house... Regulus said the guards... GET OUT... I knew Irvine was bad news, nothing for him now...

"What do you mean, about Darien?" I asked sharply.

Through my control he sneered, "I cursed him... you'll never have time now... tick tock, poor Irvine..."

"Stupefy!" I narrowed my eyes angrily, too exhausted to listen to his petty, malicious, black stained thoughts, and he fell to the floor in a burst of red from my palm.

I pulled my wand to me quickly and wandlessly and rushed to my former best friend, former enemy. I felt the truth in his words as I looked down as Darien again and I noticed on the back of his neck a black scorch. I rolled him over and felt his pulse, sending my mind into his and gently drawing him awake.

This was Darien, Dari, the boy my brother loved and had loved, the boy who had been there all our lives. Our childhood friend. He was the one who defended us in the first years of school because we were too opinionated. He was the one who we used to leave the dorms with at night and sneak to the old willow with. He was the one who showed us the secrets of the stars when we were nine, who held our hands after father had gotten angry for some reason or other. This was Darien, the one person who had made every bad thing in me and my brother's life possible, because he knew us, our weaknesses and our secrets. And now he was going to die for saving me.

"Darien," I whispered urgently, "dammit, Dari wake up!"

And it broke me.

There were tears falling down my face now, hot tears of hate and pain and why did the world have to be so damn rotten!

"Darien?" His eyes opened blearily and looked up at me, falling in and out of focus. There was a pool of blood forming around him now.

"La-Lara?" He coughed, "did you just call me Dari?"

I choked out a laugh.

"Oh you complete idiot." I whispered through my tears.

"Hey," he whispered, "why are you crying?" he looked at me now, focused, flickering over my tears, "... Oh..."

The spell that had risen to the front of Rosier's mind came back to me and I hated it. All the time he had been preaching at me, as I had stood there silent, the spell had moved quickly to take root in Darien's bones. And I could do nothing.

"I can't do anything..." I whispered, "I was too late, I wasted time. I'm so sorry," I cried quietly looking down at this stupid, betraying, important person.

"... Oh..." he sighed again, blinking around the dark cellar now, "I'm going to die."

I bit my lips and tasted blood, coppery dry blood.

"I thought..." he whispered, quieter now, "I thought I might. I deserve it..."

I sobbed again, for I wished I hadn't been thinking it myself just a few weeks ago, I wished I hadn't wanted it just a few weeks ago. I hated it but it was so true and it stung in the centre of my heart, in the back of my throat.

"Lara..."

"Y-yes?"

"Will you... I never wanted to... I hate myself more and more for it all... For Ally... I hurt him so bad... stupid..." He coughed and blood landed on my shirt, thick and black, "I was such a coward... will you..." he sighed.

"Will I what, Dari, tell me?" I whispered softly, still holding him in my lap. He looked up at me with dark eyes.

"Tell... him. Just tell him, I'm sorry... and that I- that I-" he coughed harshly and it rattled his whole body, I noticed two black spots, dark magic, appearing in the centre of his cheeks.

I held him still and pushed the hair from his face as he calmed down again, hands trembling. His eyes moved away from my again and stared up at the cobwebbed, dirty ceiling, the storage crates and the dust motes.

"I wish..."

He shuddered, I could feel the black magic now, leaking, spreading...

"Darien?" I whispered but he didn't seem to hear me.

"I wish... I could see... the stars..."

I blinked and licked my lips, scrunching my eyes up to keep the tears back.

"Then you shall see the stars," I whispered before picking up my wand and waving it over the air, creating a play of shimmering lights that whizzed out and twinkled above us, blocking out the stone cellar. It was the most beautiful thing I could imagine. Darien sighed and I looked down at him just in time to see the light fade and be replaced by an endless reflection of stars.

Regulus

"Where is that little bitch?"

"Don't call her that darling, she's to be our daughter in law soon."

"I don't care if she becomes Mrs. Dark Lord. She's a slimy, filthy blood-traitor bitch."

Dear Salazar.. would she shut shut up for a moment? I drew in a calming breath and checked my watch again. I wasn't sure how long I could delay them...

"Where is she!" She hissed, "I thought Even Rosier went looking? Regulus!" I snapped to attention.

"Yes Mother dear?"

"Where is your bride being kept?" She hissed, getting to her feet, my eyes widened.

"In the dungeons mother –" I stood up hastily as she started marching to the door, "Mother! You're not honestly going to go down into that filthy place are you?"

"Yes dear – that really is quite uncalled for – darling," father reasoned, also getting to his feet and following after the large strides of mother.

We followed after her into the entrance hall, the dawn sun sun beginning to peer through the stain glass windows above the door.

"You there!" She shrieked at a Death Eater walking through a far door, "come with us."

She ruffled her dress and sneered at the Death Eater before walking to the door which lead to the dungeons.

"Mother! Please," I said, placing a hand on her arm, wincing as I did so, "let me go down with the servant and bring her to you. I'd hate for you to have to go down there and dirty yourself."

I hoped playing to her pure-blood dignity would persuade her to let me go alone... with this Death Eater of course, but I could easily dismiss him. I would just have to deal with Rosier then... make sure Larissa gets out...

I saw mother think about it, her lips were pursed and I could see that her deep desire not to do 'servant's work' was waging war with the side of her that wished to have control of the situation. Finally, she stiffened her back and sneered.

"Very well Reggie, I will trust this to you. Bring me this bride of yours... she is, after all, your responsibility now," she waved her hand forward before spinning on her heel and marching away.

"You, go with him," father said to the Death Eater who nodded his consent.

Dammit! What the hell was going on? Had Larissa escaped the cell? Had Rosier found her? No, no, surely I would hear of that the moment it happened? Then what had happened to Rosier? And what about Darien? Had he managed to get away from Grey manor, where he was still posted? Had he managed to get downstairs to meet her, like he said he would? What in Merlin was happening?

I was so lost in thought I had forgotten about the Death Eater behind me.

Suddenly, I was shoved into the wall and my wand flew out of my pocked and several meters away. I grunted as a hand reach up to press my face into the stone wall. I felt the press of a wand at my neck.

"Don't make a sound, or I'll curse off your head, don't think I wont." a voice whispered in my ear.

Oooo! Who is it? ;)

Review's mean faster updates ;) no really, it's not my intention but I can't help it... reviews make me want to write more! So let me know how much you love/hate me when ever you feel like it!