Felix could feel his mother's eyes on his back, he got goose pimples up and down his arms. There was something off about her. Ever since coming here, his dreams had been odd and warped, not the exciting and fun dreams he was used to. Maybe he was being a baby, thinking that had anything to do with how weird his mom was acting, but he couldn't help but think it.
He was playing in the newly made mud from the previous night's rain and having a good time when something caught his eye. Felix stopped forming the mud into a castle and squinted over to his left. Something gleamed in the sun over near a clump of trees. There was only a faint flashing for a couple seconds and then it stopped.
After a few moments of nothing, he shrugged and continued building his battlement. He was having too much fun to stop now! But just as he stuck a crooked stick into the top turret, he saw it again out of the corner of his eye.
Curiosity finally peeked, he got up and made his way across the garden to the trees. He was going to check it out, it could be something cool, after all, like lost treasure or forbidden magical object! Without realizing it he started to run towards the shaded area. He came upon a mass of bushes with thick thorns. He scanned the bush and after a minute or two he saw, to his delight, the thing glinting in the sunlight an arms length away next to a large stone.
From the part he could see, it looked like a metal wristband, thick and silver with small-engraved swirls around the edges. He bit his lip, thinking. Where had it come from? Was it his mother's? It didn't look like something she would wear, she never wore jewelry...at least she never used to. He decided it was too cool just to leave it there.
Felix reached for it, but found that it was too far into the bush for him to grab. He picked up a nearby stick. Jamming his arm up to the shoulder into the thorns, he hooked the bracelet onto the end of the branch and hoisted it carefully out of the bush.
It looked new and shiny. He carefully stroked his finger along the soft edge, and when nothing horrible happened, he undid the small clasp and snapped it around his wrist. It fit perfectly. He decided it was an Egyptian armband, not a bracelet. It went up half of his forearm and conformed perfectly to it. He smiled and thrust his arm out in front of him.
"Dun dun DUN! The strong and powerful Felix, bestest wizard ever in the world with his magic armband that makes him invincible! Watch out, you evil fiends! I will defeat you!" He hopped around for a while, until the sun was on the horizon, pretending to fight invisible enemies and defeat evildoers.
"Felix! Supper is ready!" Felix stopped playing and sighed. He used to love him mom's cooking, but now it wasn't as good. She burned it more often than not and when she didn't, Felix wished she had. He trudged back up to the house, but before he went inside he took off the armband and tucked it into a pocket. It made his pants bulged to the side awkwardly, but for some reason he didn't want his mother knowing about it. It was his secret lost treasure, not hers.
She was smiling with a flowery apron on at the edge of the kitchen. A steaming dish of something smelling like the dead fish sat on the neat table. Felix had to fight to keep from grimacing. He hated fish, she knew that. He sat reluctantly at the table, dragging his feet the whole way. His mother's smile never altered as she sat across from him.
"Would you like some fish stew?" She asked and he knew it wasn't one he was allowed to refuse. It was something his mom had always done when he didn't like a food. She would give him more- kind of as a joke- but she expected him to eat some of it, anyways. He understood that they didn't have a lot of money and his mom did what she could with the food they had. She didn't know that he understood this, but he did. He was a keen observer, that's what Uncle Harry said.
Felix nodded reluctantly and his mom dished out a heaping spoonful of the thick, smelling stew. Felix had to swallow hard to keep from gagging.
"Mmm," he managed. His mother smiled.
"Smells good, doesn't it?" She said, sweetly. Felix picked up his spoon and took a mouthful. He had to concentrate harder than ever to keep it in his mouth. The fish had an acrid taste- strong and salty and slimy. It was so gross. But he ate.
And ate.
All the while, his mother ate with him. His mother, who hated fish as much as he did. His memory was still fuzzy about some things, but he was sure about this. Something weird was going on. He had thought this for a couple days now. Maybe the same bad guys who took him were watching his mother, or maybe this was a prison and he and his mom were the prisoners but she didn't want him to be scared, so she played along. He didn't know for sure, but he was going find out.
***
Lucius entered the large room and found he was alone. He smiled, a thin small smile that never touched his eyes. He flicked his wand and a few dozen candles ignited along the walls. It was one of the largest rooms in the place, dusty from years of neglect. His footprints were the only pair in the thick dust coating the floor. With another wave of his wand the dust vanished and the cobwebs winked out of existence. This was where the Dark Lord would be meeting with the Deatheaters. Strange that he had chosen one of the rooms that hadn't yet been tended to. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. It was strange…
He whirled as he heard slow clapping from behind him. Zabini stood in the wide doorway, leaning casually against the frame, hands clasped in front of him.
"You should have seen the Dark Lord's face when he saw you weren't at the meeting." He made a clicking sound of disappointment. "Shame, it was a very informative meeting. I think he may have some choice words for you…among other things." He grinned wickedly. Lucius snarled and threw up his wand.
"Crucio!" As Zabini countered with a loud, "Pretago!"
The shield charm blocked the unforgivable curse just in time and the two men stood across from each other, tense and ready.
"One thing you should know, however," Zabini said through clenched teeth. "Is that you have been reassigned and your old assignment is now my responsibility. Don't worry about having to kill your son and his blood-traitor whore. All you have to do now is heal. How relaxing for you." He sneered the last part. Lucius let out a furious shriek. He was going to kill Zabini, he was going to make him cry for mercy like a child!
"I will not relinquish what is mine by rights! You will regret this, Zabini. Mark my words." Lucius said in a low, dangerous voice. But Zabini was laughing.
"Whatever you say, Lucius. Have a nice holiday." He winked and, still maintaining his shield charm, strolled out of sight. When he was out of range the charm dissipated.
Lucius let out another howl of rage, red and yellow sparks shooting from his wand. He was shaking with anger and hatred. He would show Zabini that Malfoy's kept their word. That when you decided to duel with a Malfoy, it wasn't over until one of them was dead. And Lucius would not yield so easily.
***
Felix shut his bedroom door behind him after saying goodnight to his mother and quickly jumped on his bed and pulled out the armband from his bulging pocket. He lit the large candle on the table next to his bed and leaned closer to the warm light. The polished silver glinted in the firelight and Felix brought the band up to his face, studying it. He noticed with sharp fascination that the swirls around the edges were little snakes and vines. The fire seemed to make them writhe and dance.
He sat back, smiling. This was the best treasure he had ever found. Way better then the broken seashell and dried seahorse he had discovered on the shore a few days ago. He bet it was super magical. He only had to find out what it did. Sometimes, in stories, the magical stuff worked only when the hero really needed it, and sometimes the hero never knew what it did until the need arose.
Felix hoped this armband wasn't like that; he was too impatient. He snapped it onto his arm, relishing the feel of the cold metal on his flesh and the way it formed perfectly to the curves of his arm. He thought he felt a slight tingling and goose bumps erupted all over his skin.
Suddenly, strange marks started to appear on the side of the armband. Felix's eyes widened and his mouth fell open as the jagged marks turned into words. It was in a harsh angular writing and took Felix a moment to realize it actually said something.
You are living a lie. Be wary. Do not believe what you are told.
As soon as he read the sentence, it faded away. Felix leapt off his bed and grabbed a torn piece of parchment and a quill from the small desk by the window. He wrote the first couple words on the parchment and then suddenly stopped. He wasn't this stupid, was he? You don't write a secret message down! He smacked his forehead. Scratching out the words, he tore the parchment into tiny pieces.
He went back to his bed and sat down, pulling his soft brown blanket over his shoulders like a cape, wrapping himself in it. He looked at the armband and tried to think.
A secret message. Had it really been there or did he imagine it? He didn't know, but he decided to think about it as if it was true. Things could turn out worse if he ignored it.
It had said that he was living a lie. What did that mean? And to not believe what he was told? It was totally confusing, but one thing he did understand was that his suspicions were right. Something about this place was wrong. He didn't know what, but the message also said to be wary and he knew that meant to be careful.
So that's what he would do, he would be careful and as everyone in the Order said, have "constant vigilance." It came from Mad-Eye Moody, someone Felix had never met. But everyone always talked about him.
Felix took off the armband and put it under his pillow. Tomorrow he would start his official investigation about the mystery of this cottage. He blew out the candle and snuggled into the warmth of his bed.
***
Draco pulled away from a swaying Ginny and had to stare at a mark on the wall to focus his eyes and keep his balance. It felt as if fire was burning though his body in a rampage. Every nerve in his body was buzzing.
He looked down at Ginny. She was grabbing the bedrail in a white knuckled grip, staring unblinkingly at nothing. She seemed withdrawn into herself. Draco smirked. He still have that affect on her. She still had that affect on him.
Draco forced himself to regain his composure, he had not expected this. Malfoy's prided themselves in being prepared for anything- but who could be prepared for something like this? She had stormed back into his life and in a matter of days uprooted all his careful self-control and shaken his very foundation. She had once again pushed her way into a cold, hollow place within himself. A place that Draco only thought anger and pain could reside.
But Ginny Weasley had proved him wrong. She had barged in with her stubborn way and filled the hollowness inside him with warmth and strength beyond what he thought was possible.
Clearing his throat, he straightened his shirt, surprised to note a few extra buttons were undone. He chuckled to himself and redid them. She really did catch him off guard.
"Draco," He turned to see Ginny, eyes wide, staring at him. He frowned, she looked fearful. That wasn't the affect he was thinking of.
"What?" He asked, perplexed.
"Something…something is wrong." She said, sounding a bit unsure. This did not help with Draco's confusion.
"What are you talking about?" He kept the slight annoyance out of his voice, it was crazy how fast she could change his emotions.
"I…I don't know how to explain this…" She said, pausing and rubbing her hands up and down her arms. Draco noticed goose bumps prickling both arms.
"I just know something is wrong. We need to find Felix, quickly, or I think something horrible is going to happen." Ginny's face was white as a ghost and he wondered what she was not telling him. He could tell she was picking her words carefully, maybe not wanting to appear too shaken by whatever she had suddenly become aware of.
He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Should he comfort her? He hated to admit that however nice being near Ginny would be, it would be immensely awkward to assume a role ill-fitted for him. They had shared one kiss, he had to remind himself that that was all. Though she loved him and visa versa, but he would not assume anything. Draco stood there, arms clasped in front of him, face neutral.
"I'm sure everything's fine." He said, hoping that was good enough. Ginny gritted her teeth and balled her hands into fists.
"Draco, we need to find my son…our son. Now. Do you have any idea where he is?" Draco stared into her determined face and could see the fear them clearly. Should he tell her about Nurmengard? Maybe it had nothing to do with the boy…Felix. He was going to have to get used to that. He meant what he had said, he wasn't going anywhere. Family was important.
"I may know something about Felix." He said, trying very hard not to stumble over the name. Ginny scrutinized him for a moment.
"You may know something?" She said, a bit harshly. Draco picked up the parchment from the floor, where it had fallen in all the…excitement…and handed it to Ginny. She pursed her lips.
"And this is? You never really explained it." She said quickly.
"It's a floor plan of Nurmengard. I…uh…pick-pocketed one of the brutes who came after me at my other flat." He said, proud of his quick thinking. "It might be where they're keeping…Felix."
"But what if he isn't there? What if it's a trap? Why would he be at Nurmengard of all places?" Ginny asked, getting more and more panicked with each question. Draco stepped over and put a hand on her arm. It was the least he could do. It seemed…natural, he was surprised to note. After all these years, she still felt like the only real thing in his life. She looked up at him, her face was like a book. Fear, anxiety, stress- every emotion plain to see.
She needed a plan, action would make her forget all these insane questions and keep her focused. He squared his shoulders and set his jaw.
"You are going back to my flat and I'm going to get supplies. You pack whatever things you brought with you and you should probably pay an extra night at the hotel, to cover your tracks. Make them think you're still here." She stared at him blankly, then blinked and nodded.
"Thank you, Draco." She said sincerely. He gave a wry smile.
"That's what I'm here for. Just meet me at the flat in an hour." He gave her arm a squeeze and turned to the door, before he left, Ginny called after him.
"I…love you, Draco." His throat tightened.
"We wasted too much time, I'm not going to waste more. The reality of this situation we're in is that one or both of us might not make it and I do not want to regret my time with you. I'm going to tell you I love you as much as I want. Whether you like it or not." Draco turned, she had a determined look on her face, which frankly was adorable. But if she knew that, she'd likely sock him. He unstuck his throat.
"I love you too, Gin." Saying it like that was unbelievably liberating. He even grinned before closing the hospital door behind him.
***
Watching Draco leave, Ginny let her face brake into a tearful smile. Her heart was still fluttering from that kiss and her head was swirling. Despite all that, she still had this horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Right after the kiss something had shifted inside her.
Something that had nothing to do with the kiss, herself, or Draco. Something about Felix.
It was like all the building blocks of her life had been lined up perfectly and now one was crooked and wedging itself sideways between the others- ready to fall. It was incredibly hard to explain, but she knew, without a doubt, that not only Felix was in danger, but the entire Wizarding world. Perhaps more…the entire human world.
She had no clue why. She needed someone with answers. She needed someone who knew a lot about the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. She needed Harry Potter.
She laughed out loud at that revelation. Draco would never agree to that. He'd never accept help from his mortal enemy. Though they were in the Order together that did not mean they were friends, on the contrary, they hated each other even more. Harry still thought he was a git and Malfoy still thought Harry was a pompous idiot. But there had to be someone else they could go to for help.
She resolved to asked Draco about it when they met at his flat. She went and got her clothes and started to dress.
She dressed quickly, annoyed to find her blouse had a few tears in the sleeve, and left the hospital room, eager to be back in the real world. As she headed down the hall a woman behind a counter called out to her.
"Miss!" But Ginny only glanced at her and kept walking.
"Miss, you shouldn't leave, you're not fully recovered." The woman had a strong accent, but her English was very good. Ginny waved a hand dismissively.
"I'm fine, thank you." But the woman came out from the counter and stood in front of her, hands on her hips.
"You really should stay, we don't know what happened to you and until we do you're life is at risk." She had a look of genuine concern, but Ginny had to keep from rolling her eyes. She really didn't have time for this. She gave the woman her best mom face.
"I'm fine and I'm leaving. I understand your concern, but I really must go." The woman's dark eyes had a pained look, but she couldn't make Ginny stay. "I'll be ok, you don't need to worry." She said, side-stepping the nurse. The woman was not happy, to say the least, but she was helpless to do much else.
Ginny reached the stairs and flew down them. She burst out to the street and after a block had to slow and look around at where she was. Where was Draco's flat from here? She searched the buildings and found one that was familiar, though it was a bit in the distance. It was a large red building and she knew Draco's flat was about a mile or two away. She sighed. Aparating would be so much easier. Maybe if she found a secluded alley or corner she could apparate. She glanced around casually and walked at a normal, steady pace. There weren't many secluded alleys, all the one's she saw were completely visible from the street and without a back alley adjacent to it. Vexed, she kept looking as she made her way to Draco's flat. With her luck she would find the perfect alley two feet from Draco's place.
Ginny rolled her eyes. The anxiety tight in her chest kept growing worse and worse.
But they had a plan.
They were going to Nurmengard. Ginny shivered despite herself. It was a place no one knew too much about. It was an old prison, but it had been abandoned for years. Why would You-Know-Who having anything to do with that place?
Ginny glanced to her left and stopped, delighted. She was looking down a thin alley with a large dumpster on the side and an even bigger pile of boxes and wood next to it. It was just shadowed and jumbled enough to hide her from any curious muggles. She waited until a good amount of people passed by it and slipped into the alley as quickly and stealthily as Fred or George. Once behind the pile of junk, she touched her pocket, feeling to make sure her wand was still there, and turned on the spot.
She popped into Draco's small sitting room and was suddenly face to face with a snarling, burly man. Before she could even tense her muscles, her head exploded with pain and everything went black.
***
Draco was being followed, he was sure of it.
He had been in and out of several shops and a large man pursued him into each one. Casually, of course. And he wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't so on edge. He thought furiously about what to do. Obviously he would try to lose him, but he had to do it in a way that made the man think it was due to his own poor tracking skills.
Draco made his way from the cloth stand he was pretending to peruse and into a large crowd of people. The man tried to follow, but the crowd made it difficult. Then, just as another man ran into the brute and he turned to swear loudly at the poor muggle Draco side stepped gracefully into a clothing shop, grabbed the first thing he saw and walked to the back into the first open dressing room. He smiled to the attendant before shutting the door.
He was pleased to see the girl blush violently and twirl her hair, batting her dark eyelashes at him. He smirked as the door closed. He still knew how to makes girls weak at the knees.
He waited in the dressing room. Sitting on the small bench and twirled his wand in his hand. He wondered how long he should wait...he decided half an hour would be sufficient.
He leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets, but before he would get comfortable there was a knock on the door. He rolled his eyes.
"What?" He said irritably.
The door crashed open and the large man who had been following him on the street fell into the small changing room shoulders first. Draco was forced against the hard mirror on the far wall and barely had time to raise his leg to kick the man in the stomach.
The man fell against Draco, his full weight crushing him. Draco didn't even notice his wand had been knocked out of his hand until he raised it, empty, to curse the bastard. Roaring, he punched the man hard in the face. The man stumbled back, clutching his bleeding nose. Draco didn't recognize him, he realized with a jolt that he expected to. Thought, for half a second, it might be an old mate from Slytherin.
Looks like Voldie found some new meat to carry out his dirty work, he thought. Draco was fine with that. It meant they weren't familiar with him. He grinned cruelly. The man swung with a broad fist and Draco slid effortlessly away, snatched it and twisted until he heard a sickening crack. The man fell to his knees clutching his broken hand. It would be bad form to hit the man while he was down. Draco didn't even pause.
He didn't believe in the term "fighting dirty". You did what you needed to stay alive. With this thought, Draco kneed the man with as much force as he could in the tiny space square in the jaw. His head whipped back, eyes wide with shock and his now busted jaw flapping uselessly.
Faster than Draco though the stout man could move, especially considering his condition, his good hand shot out and snatched Draco's ankle, pulling hard. Much to Draco's irritation he tripped. He swore loudly and hit the floor, his hand thrown out instinctually, but carelessly, to brake his fall.
Pain- sharp, needling pain- shot up his arm and Draco crumpled, cradling his wrist. He almost laughed. What a pathetic sight they made, both of them crowding the tiny room with their blood and whimpering, both nursing injured hands.
Draco wasn't whimpering, of course. Malfoy's don't whimper. He pulled himself up just in time to see a second man enter the store, and by the looks of this one, his feline movements, and calculating gaze, he would be more trouble than his blubbering companion.
He was definitely not here for a new swimming costume- Draco realized as he noticed the contents of the store for the first time. It was full of swimming and beach gear.
Ignoring the large, groaning man sharing the dressing room with him, Draco searched wildly for his wand. It had to be here somewhere. Quick glances told him the second brute was only a meter or two away, though he was taking his sweet time.
Finally, with a small jubilant "ah ha!" Draco saw his wand sticking out from under the first man's backside. Grimacing, he pushed the man aside. He obliged, too dazed and in pain to notice anything beyond his own problems.
Draco reached for his wand and as he brushed the wooden tip a hand grabbed a fist full of his hair. Unfathomable fury, white and hot, hit Draco so hard he was almost blinded by it. Draco instinctively smashed his elbow into the second man's ribs as hard as he could.
It did nothing. Not a grunt, not a crack, nothing. Draco's elbow, however, did feel like it had been slammed into a brick wall.
The man pulled Draco to his feet- by the hair! Draco was going to kill him! That was the only fitting punishment. An agonizing and slow death!
Draco was on his feet and still rising. The man brought Draco to his toes and snarled in his face. His breath putrid from broken, rotting teeth.
"Your father says if you try to save her," He rumbled, his voice like stones grinding together, "He will kill you and keep her for the Dark Lord's pleasure before letting her die slowly."
That was the man's fatal mistake; threatening Ginny. All of his rage formed a pinpoint of precise purpose.
Draco reached his arms up and around the man's neck and pulled the heavy man over his shoulders to crash on his back in the middle of the store, crushing a small table full of sunscreen. Adrenaline pumped through his veins like a drug.
Draco wiped a hand across his mouth and stood, lips curled. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to be nonchalant, straightening it back into place. The man groaned but didn't stand. Draco looked around at the wide-eyed muggles and shrugged one shoulder at them as if to say, "Wasn't my fault they came after me."
Then he grabbed his wand and, with a last kick into the man's ribs, bolted out of the store.
***
Draco burst into the flat, wand raised, ready to kill if need be. But no one was there.
No one.
No sign Ginny had even been there. Draco looked wildly around the flat for some sign of her but he was too panicked to focus. How stupid had he been! He was so sure they wouldn't know about his second flat. So sure.
He swore to himself, mentally berating his idiotic idea that this place would be safe.
He'd grown soft over the last few days. Assuming Felix had been the only target. He should have asked more questions. Should have made Ginny stay hidden.
With a breath, he steadied himself on the small table in his kitchen and made himself concentrate. He couldn't help her with "should-haves". He looked around again and noticed smaller, yet important details this time.
He spotted now that the junk mail he regularly received had been pushed off the counter where he always set it in a neat pile and was strewn across the grimy floor and the window in the sitting room was ajar. It was never ajar. He always locked this place down like a dungeon.
Draco walked into the sitting room slowly, when his foot rolled over something. He stumbled and caught himself on the divider between the kitchen and the sitting room. Swearing, he kicked whatever he had tripped on and glared down at the culprit.
His heart froze.
Crouching, he picked up a slender wand. It was Ginny's, he would know it anywhere.
He tensed and searched the rest of the flat like a tightly coiled spring, both wands at the ready. Now he knew she had been here.
They had taken Ginny. They had ambushed him in the middle of muggle Cairo. Were they getting desperate?
He sat on the moth eaten couch, mind racing.
Why would they want Ginny now? Days after taking Felix? Hell, why did they want the kid in the first place? It didn't make sense.
Draco remembered the message the man in the store had delivered. If Draco went after her and was caught she would face a fate worse than death and he would most likely be killed. His father had given that man the message. Draco's face grew cold, emotionless.
"Well, then, I guess it's time to go see my father." He said to the empty flat. Stuffing his and Ginny's wand into his pocket, he left with a singular purpose.
***
Felix was sitting out in the garden, staring out at nothing.
He was shocked. Completely floored by what his mother had told him.
She had said, since he was old enough now, she could tell him a great and frightening truth. Felix had been thrilled to think his mum thought he was old enough to be told something so secret that she had to put protection spells around the cottage.
She had leaned in close, conspiratorially, and said, "The Wizarding World is in grave danger, Felix. It is being threatened into hiding by muggles and muggle-borns. You are the only one who can save us." Felix had almost laughed, until he saw the look on his mothers face.
"Wh-what?" He stuttered.
"You are special. You must learn to control and destroy the muggles, or we will be destroyed." She looked frightened and desperate. He had never seen his mum like that.
Felix stared at the flowers as the wind blew them and made the petals wiggle and dance. He had thought his mum was playing a joke on him, but then he had a lesson about the best ways to control the muggles and muggle-borns. She told him that tomorrow they would go into a muggle town so he could practice.
Felix pulled out his armband and stared at it, willing words to appear and help him. He didn't know what to do.
He was afraid of what was going to happen tomorrow. The armband had told him not to believe what was told him. He loved him mum. Why would she lie to him? How was he living a lie? A thought came to him. Maybe this was, like, a dream! Maybe nothing here was real like a dream isn't real.
A caterpillar crawled over his foot. He watched it inch over his shoe when lines appeared on the side of the armband.
Felix gasped and eagerly watched the scratches turn into words.
Your mother is not your mother. A man will come. He is not who he seems to be.
Felix frowned. That was just plain confusing. His mother wasn't his mother? What did that mean? And a man was coming? Someone who wasn't really who he was?
Felix scrunched up his face in confusion. Was this armband supposed to help him or make things more difficult? He tossed it down in the dirt, annoyed.
"Felix! Lunch!" His mother's voice actually sent a chill down his spine. That was weird. He loved him mummy. The words flashed through his mind. Your mother is not your mother.
Maybe he was adopted. He laughed. No way. He stood, put the armband in his pocket, and ran into to cottage. His mother was already sitting and staring at her sandwich. She looked…disheveled.
"Hey mum, you okay?" He asked, sitting where his plate was set. Her head jerked up to look at him.
"Yes. Oh yes." She said in a clipped voice and went back to studying her sandwich. "The, uh, Wizarding World. I'm just so worried." She gave him a weak smile. "But you will save us." Felix wasn't hungry anymore. He poked his sandwich.
"Eat up." She said, a little more cheerfully. But Felix just picked crumbs off his bread and made a small pile in the middle of his plate. He mother didn't seem to notice.
"Can I be excused?" He asked and she nodded without looking at his uneaten lunch. He walked back into his room and shut the door.
What was going on?
***
Draco walked briskly into Sturgis Podmore's office, his face set with grim determination. The old man looked up at him and absently waved a hand for him to take a seat. Draco ignored it.
"I need your help, Podmore." He said strongly. Podmore peered at him tranquilly past his thick-rimmed glasses.
"Ah, I see." He said and clasped his hands in front of him on the desk. "And what do you need my help with?"
"Tell me about Nurmengard." He tossed the old piece of parchment with the floor plan to the old prison on the desk. "How do I get in? Are there any entrances that are rarely used?" Podmore stared at him calculatingly.
"Why do you wish to know this" He asked. Draco gripped the front of the desk and leaned in towards Podmore.
"Just tell me what I want to know." He growled. Podmore didn't seem perturbed by Draco's threatening tone.
"My boy, I couldn't tell you. But I have something that might help." He stood and shuffled over to a filing cabinet in the back corner of the jumbled room.
He pulled out a small roll of parchment thick with dust. He handed it to Draco who took it without looking at it.
"What's this?" He asked brusquely.
"It is another map of Nurmengard. It may help as a comparison. The added lines to this one," he tapped the one on his desk, "may or may not be on that one." Draco unrolled the parchment and then snatched the one off Podmore's desk and compared the two.
He was right. Some lines didn't match up. And there was a small entrance- if he was reading it right- on the far southwest side of the building. On the map he had taken off Pansy there was a dotted line across it. Guess he'd figure out what that meant when he got there.
"Thanks, Podmore." He said, still finding it odd to call him that.
"My pleasure." He said absently. "You're not going there, are you?" He asked in a slightly joking tone. Draco folded the parchments neatly and put them in the opposite pocket as the wands.
"Of course not, that would just be foolish." Draco winked, closing the door behind him.
***
The hallway was dark and damp and Blaise did not like it. They had moved headquarters that morning. Why they were at Nurmengard, he could not begin to guess. It was a dank and musty place. It hadn't seen life for years and it showed.
He could almost feel the lives lost in this place embedded in the stones. Whispering to him. He shivered.
This place was creepy.
He wrapped his dark gray cloak around himself and continued towards his destination. He had been summoned by the Dark Lord. This made him nervous. Whenever the Dark Lord summoned someone personally, they seemed to disappear. He had no idea where Pansy was and the last thing she had said to him was that she had gotten a summons from the Dark Lord.
The summons had arrived the previous night, after he had almost dueled with Lucius. The Dark Lord had indeed not been happy when Malfoy had not been present at the last meeting. His careful planning had finally paid off and Malfoy had been taken off the duty of finding and eliminating Draco and Ginny and the task had been given to Blaise.
Now he had a chance to find them and warn them before anyone else could. They could go into hiding. It was a fine line he walked. He had to be convincing to the Dark Lord and keep his friends alive. He had been in charge of getting the boy away from Order's protection but he secretly had to keep him alive and relatively safe.
He hoped Mordecai was doing his job as well.
Blaise reached the pockmarked stone door sooner than he wished. He paused before going in and smoothed his face. Pushing open the door, he stepped into the room and faced the Dark Lord.
The handsome man was standing by the only window in the cell. A small and thin slit in the stonework. There was a narrow bed against the right wall and stinking straw in the opposite corner. Despite himself, Blaise wrinkled his nose in disgust.
The Dark Lord turned, his onyx hair gleaming in the sliver of sunlight shining from the window. He cocked his head to the side, considering Blaise. It felt as if his dark blue eyes bore into his soul. Blaise had to stop himself from swallowing.
"I have a task for you, Zabini." He said, his voice deep and smooth. Blaise knelt and bowed his head.
"Anything, my lord."
"Though, I need it done perfectly, without the possibility of mistakes." Blaise raised his head.
"My lord?" He said, not understanding. The Dark Lord raised his wand and pointed it at Blaise's chest.
"Imperio!"
He didn't even have time to register what was happening to him. A deep warmth filled Blaise and all thoughts, fears, and worries were lifted from his mind. Glorious emptiness pushed everything else away. He waited. Waited patiently for his master to speak.
"First, you will drink this." His master produced a vial with a very light, metallic green liquid. "You will go to a small cottage by the ocean," his master said, "and there you will find a woman who looks like Ginny Weasley. You will kill her. Only do so when her son can see you clearly. You will proclaim yourself as an Order member, and his father. This is what you shall say…" And his master told him exactly what to do and say and Blaise listened and knew he would obey.
In the far recesses of his mind, Blaise screamed.