Disclaimer: Don't own.
I owe you all a lot of apologies for taking so long to update, I honestly don't know what happened, I think I just lost my drive a bit. So sorry, and I hope you enjoy this update. Things start to get interesting now, very, very interesting, and shall continue to in later chapters, so just bear with me.
Chapter 9
By the time the two had untangled themselves and Draco had done all that he had said he would do, it was late afternoon, bordering on evening, before they arrived at the location. It was a small town in the middle of the English countryside, as far away from proper civilisation as anywhere could ever be. The place consisted of about ten houses, a bar and a post office, surrounded on all sides by fields.
"Nice." Ron commented with a slight smiled. "Will his highness be able to handle it if we have to sleep with farm animals tonight?"
Draco's lips thinned and he glared at Ron, something about this place had already set him on edge, it was almost something familiar, but not. "Shut up Weasley." he snapped.
Ron frowned suddenly. "What's the matter?" he asked.
Draco shook his head. "I don't know… Go check the public house, try and find out if the contact is still here--anyone who knows the name Melbon." he said, turning to look at the fields around them. There were no Chirloc meeting places close to here, though 'meeting place' wasn't exactly the proper term, more a 'come and bring as many hosts as possible so they can be killed in interesting and gory ways places' was more accurate. Reminded him a little of the old days, though he himself had never partaken in such acts, only animals slaughtered for sport.
"And what are you going to do?" Ron asked.
"I'm going to take a look around… there's just something not quite right about the area." his eyes narrowed, he was searching for something he knew he would probably not find. It was the feeling of familiarity that was getting to him, that he didn't like. He always had hated surprises.
"Sure." Ron said. "Don't do anything stupid ok."
Draco turned to him, eyebrow raised. "I believe we've been through this before Ronald. I am not you, don't assume."
Ron gave a small laugh. "Fine, fine, go. I'm going contact hunting. What was the name again?"
Draco stifled a sigh. "Melbon, and you're looking for someone who recognises the name. I trust you won't say anything stupid."
"Now, now Draco, since when have I ever messed up a mission by saying the wrong thing?" Ron said, beginning to move away.
Draco shook his head. "More time's than I care to count you idiot Weasel."
"See ya Ferret, happy hunting!" was Ron's reply as he headed towards the little pub.
Draco shook his head again before casting his eyes around him once again. Finally he chose the left field as it seemed to have the least number of sheep in it. The horrid little creatures reminded him once again why he was a vegetarian. They looked just as ugly alive as they did dead.
His trek took him up a small hill, the evening was drawing closer, so the shadows had lengthened and his let a small part of his consciousness focus on them, the way they twisted, like old twisted fingers reaching for him, and that sense of familiarity got stronger. It annoyed him, he wanted to know what it was, because in the twelve years he had been with the Animagis he had never felt this. His past had never come back to haunt him, and he had been glad in a way, it made working within the confines of the organisation easier, and his working relations with Ron smoother.
But, knowing his luck as of late he shouldn't be at all surprised by this feeling, first it had been Potter and Granger, then his injuries, Ron's injuries, and now this… no he shouldn't be surprised at all.
He continued onwards, cresting the hill, he looked down at the expanse of land spread out below him, eyes scanning for anything that could have brought on his unease… Actually, come to think of it he couldn't ever remember feeling this uneasy, unless he had been with--
"Hello Draco…"
X
Ron entered the little pub and was greeted by silence, the likes of which normally falls in a small pub in the back of beyond when a stranger walks in. he knew why he had been given this task, despite Draco's earlier words, it was because Draco hated having to deal with what he referred to as 'the peasant folk', rather quaint for Draco, though the snobby tone made up for it entirely.
"Hi, a friend of mine told me I could meet someone up here." he said cheerfully.
The bar-keep looked at him, cleaning a glass. "An' what would this friend o' yours be called, and who you supposed to be meeting."
Ron's eyes landed on the man, and knew instantly that this was the contact. "Melbon's my friends name, he never gave me a name I'm afraid, know anyone I can talk to about it?" he asked.
The bar-keep shook his head. "Nope, anyone?" he asked the other patrons, a few old men, all of whom shook their heads.
Ron heaved a purely theatrical sigh. "Shame that. Mind if I stop for a pint?" he questioned, his smile letting the man know he knew who he was.
The bar-keep shrugged. "If you've got the money to pay you can have whatever you want from the bar." he said.
Ron moved forward, glancing at the beer rack. "Guinness." he said.
"You Irish or something?" the man asked.
Ron smiled. "Nothing of the sort, a friend of mine was though, got me hooked on the stuff."
The bar-keep smiled, but there was slightly strained edge to it, as he waited for the Guinness to set he lowered his voice until only Ron could here. "You Animagis?"
Ron nodded. "Some of our group was supposed to meet with you a week ago, do you know what happened to them?" he asked, voice equally low, lips barely moving.
"They didn't show up. Do you want the information?" the bar-keep asked.
Ron nodded.
The man went back to the glass of Guinness, finishing it off, sliding a drinks mat under it as he set it down. Ron slid it out from under the drink, smiling at the man and slipping ti into his pocket. He lifted the pint and took a long drink. It had been a while since he had had any, Seamus would be disappointed. He raised the glass slightly in a toast to his dearly departed friend before drinking again.
He supposed he would have to leave soon to find Draco, tell him he got the information, they could review it and find out just what was going on and where they have to go next. He took another gulp and sat the glass down, smiling his thanks to the bar-keep, throwing down the muggle money he carried for just this reason. He had just closed the door of the pub behind him when something sharp and painful lanced through his skull.
"Draco…?" he questioned aloud, putting a hand to his head as the pain receded suddenly. Something was wrong. He took off from the ground in an instant, his Animagis air beast taking form and circled high, hoping to spot Draco's blond hair, a dead giveaway to where he was.
There! He spiralled towards it.
X
Draco hadn't had the chance to react before the was being held within the bound chaos of the Chirloc, claws millimetres from piercing his skin. He glared up from under his fringe at the one man from his past he would have preferred to stay there.
"Draco." came the oh so familiar drawl.
"Father." Draco answered.
His father frowned at him, his features settling into disappointment, his eyes glittering with the madness of Askaban, though he had only been there for a short time. "Why did you abandon the cause Draco? Why fake your death like that?"
Draco strained for a moment against the Chirloc, but the grip was tightened so he stopped. "I didn't fake my death!" he snapped, "I thought I was dead. And I would never abandon the cause! You know that!"
Lucius blinked at him, reaching over, lifting Draco's chin until he was forced to look into his fathers glittering eyes. He tried to pull back but Lucius' fingers tightened bruisingly. "I don't know that." he said finally. "all I know is that things were going a little badly and then we got word of your death. Death would have been acceptable, but abandoning the cause to join with our enemy… that is unacceptable Draco, and you know that."
Draco grit his teeth. Was his father listening to nothing he was saying. He had never abandoned the damn cause! But he was an Animagis now, he had a new cause, was part of something else. Besides, Voldermort was dead. There was no more cause. "I never joined the enemy father." he spat, jerking out of his fathers grip finally. "I was loyal to the Dark Lord, and if he was still alive I still would be. But he's not! He's dead. There is no cause anymore."
"That's where you're wrong son, there is still a cause. There always will be."
"What have you got to do with the Chirloc father?" he demanded instead, earning himself a slap across the cheek he hadn't received in years and his eyes narrowed.
"You betrayed the cause, betrayed the Dark Lord, and you expect me to allow you to ask questions?" Lucius glared at him.
Draco took a deep breath, angry. "For the love of--I betrayed no one! I was loyal to the Dark Lord right up until the end! Regardless of where I was and what I was doing! Now what have you got to do with the Chirloc!?"
Lucius smirked at him. "Now what have I taught you about being nosy Draco?" he asked.
Draco's eye twitched. Right about now would be a good time for Ron to show up and get rid of this damn Chirloc so he could strangle his goddamned father! He was not a child anymore, and he was not about to be treated like one. He was about to say something, do something, anything, when the Chirloc, on some signal from his father, began to crush him. All his breath left him in a gasp and he grimaced in pain, biting back his pride and calling to Ron through the link they shared.
X
Ron had arrived and was about to attack when he had heard Draco's words, proclaiming his allegiance to Voldermort, and that brought him to a stop, hovering just out of reach, unseen, frozen by the words. It wasn't until he saw Draco gasp, and grimace in very obvious pain, and heard the pained cry in his head, did he move. Diving down, distracting the Chirloc enough that it loosened it's hold on Draco and dropped him.
He landed and the bird was replaced by the tiger and he leapt to the attack.
Draco, who had immediately tried to launch an attack on his father, found him gone, he searched the area with his eyes, but there was no sign of him. He turned back to where he could hear Ron taking on the demon. He deftly cut his symbol in the air and released it, it blazed into the demon, sealing it quickly, fuelled by Draco's anger.
But when Ron was back to being himself and turned to Draco, eyes blazing in an anger Draco had not seen in almost nine years, not since the first year they had worked together. And he cursed inwardly.
Someone up there hated him right now, that was the only reason his luck could possibly be this bad.
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