Gunman

Lions clawing,

building up steam.

Flesh and bone have no persuasion,

this is the path to my destination.

Gunman, where you been?

You're my hero, savior, psycho, slayer.

Jenny

4/27/11

6:10 a.m.

On Lupin's request, Brian, Draco and I stayed at Shell Cottage the next day. Teddy re-glued himself to my side when he awoke, and insisted on being somewhat near me at all times. I felt an even greater need to protect him, and everyone I loved. So after several hugs goodbye, and promises to return and send news often, we left the cottage with a new target plan in mind. It was dangerous, most of my ideas were, but with Draco's magic and Brian and I being able to kill anything within a few meters, I was hopeful. We were going to get in front of the Leaky Cauldron, the entrance to Diagon Alley. I knew that Death Eaters would be there, and with luck and good aim, I would be able to kill at least one. Draco Disillusioned us and we Apparated. I was suddenly standing on a normal Muggle street, watching them go by. Cars honked and I was hearing conversations about computers, and homework- things non-existent in the Wizarding World. "Over here, don't just stand there," Draco said, chuckling, and I felt him pull me backwards, towards a shabby building I hadn't even noticed. A dirty and rusty sign hung above the door that said The Leaky Cauldron.

A mousy looking woman wearing a plain black cloak Apparated less than a foot from me, and I barely stopped myself from screaming in surprise. Draco's hold on my arm tightened when she Apparated, but then relaxed. I felt him push Brian after her, then pulled me through the door when she opened it. The inside of the Leaky Cauldron was dark and dingy, and full of what seemed like despair. After wandering around the place, we arrived behind a group of pillars on the ground floor, with a perfect shot at anyone in the inn. We each took a pillar and started to look closely around the inn, looking for Death Eaters. "What can I get for you?" A hunchbacked bar tender asked three men, all dressed normally and looking around the inn in what seemed to be an innocent manner. Two children happily ran around a table, watching a miniature of Viktor Krum walk around the edge. A large group of old witches were gossiping and cackling loudly in a corner. Nothing seemed particularly out of place.

"Tom, have you seen anything…strange around here lately? Doors opening on their own? Footsteps?" One of the men leaned forward over his drink. Tom laughed.

"I'm sorry, Nott, but the Leaky Cauldron is so old, and there is so much magic here. Doors sometimes walk down the hallways on their own." A hand suddenly pulled us closer, and I felt Brian bump into my shoulder as he was pulled along too. It was Draco, then. I wondered what the hell he was doing until I remembered the list. Nott. Nott was on the list…

"Well, dammit, how are we supposed to find these freaks if they only appear to-"

"Shut up!" A deeper voice snarled, and Draco's grip tightened. Then Draco dragged us all the way back to where we were before.

"The three of them are Death Eaters. I'll bet the one that complained was Crabbe, and the deeper voiced one is Goyle. That means Nott, Crabbe and Goyle are supposed to be tracking us." Draco said this quickly and quietly.

"Then let's follow them, and we'll each get one. Quick and easy. Can we Apparate out of Diagon Alley?" Brian whispered. I heard Draco snort.

"If we could, we would have Apparated straight inside. We'll have to get out of there, and get out of there fast." Draco paused. "I'd have your guns out and ready." He added, then pulled us back towards the men. We followed them as they stood up and went into Diagon Alley, talking quietly.

"We'll have to lure them out of hiding somehow. We'll have to go to that dump the Weasley's call a house, break the wards. Then we can put it in the Prophet." Goyle said in an undertone as they headed for Knockturn Alley.

"Idiot, they won't read the bloody Prophet. We'd have to find that prat Lovegood and make him put it in the Quibbler. It's the only thing resistors read. You know that." Nott snapped. They stepped into Knockturn Alley, and we followed them. The alley itself was dark and damp, with mold and mildew on the walls and ground. Wizards dressed in dark robes walked through the streets. They followed the alley for awhile, until they ducked into a hidden corner.

"Which Weasley do we go after?" Crabbe asked after they glanced around their corner.

"Which one? Whoever is bloody at their shack. The more, the better." Nott growled. I felt around until I touched Draco's shoulder. I squeezed it twice. Almost instantly, the men froze. I strode over and plucked their wands out of their hands and stowed them away.

"All of you helped murder our families, didn't you?" I asked, and their eyes darted around. They knew what was coming next.

"You really shouldn't have done that." Brian spoke this time, and I saw the skin by Nott's forehead waver as an invisible gun was placed there. With a pop, Nott fell over. I stepped forward, heading for Goyle, when I thought I saw Crabbe shift a little.

"Draco, did you-?" I never finished my sentence when there was a bang, and something from Crabbe's hand flew out and exploded. The force of it slammed me into a wall, and I felt my temple throb as sticky blood started to trail down the side of my face. I whirled, and crossed the space quickly, jumping over stones and shot Crabbe, then turned and shot Goyle. "Dammit, Draco, Brian, are you alright?" I whispered.

"God, fuck. Yes, I'm bloody perfect." Draco spat, and some stones kicked themselves out of the way as he crossed to the sound of my voice.

"Brian!" I whispered fiercely, and knelt, sweeping my fingers around the ground, trying to find him.

"Ouch! Bloody-" Draco swore, and then Brian shimmered into awareness. "I tripped over him. It knocked him out…Ennervate." Draco said, then swore again when Brian didn't stir. Brian disappeared, then I heard Draco grunt. "I've got him, now come on, lead the way." He whispered, and I felt around until I ended up touching his chest. I traveled my hand down across Brian's arm, to Draco's shoulder, then down to his hand. I pulled them swiftly through Knockturn Alley, past the wizards that were running towards the sound of the explosion.

Draco tapped the way back into the Leaky Cauldron as I heard voices shouting behind us. "There's bloody footprints this way!" A voice shouted, and wizards burst into the bar. I touched my head and swore silently, feeling the blood pooling down and leaving a trail. Green flashes of light started from my left, and the wizards shouted in surprise, diving under tables or returning them at random from behind the bar.

I seized Draco's free wrist and hauled him out the door. Wizards burst into the Muggle street, making them start to crowd around as I frantically looked around the street as the flashes of light continued. On one frantic pass, I noticed a car sitting there innocently. I dragged Draco along and opened the back door. I felt Brian pass next to me into the back, and I picked up his legs and shoved them in, then slammed the door. "Get the car, for Merlin's sake, the god damn car!" A wizard shouted, and they started coming for us, aiming for the car. I ran around to the driver's side and saw Draco's door open and close.

I felt frantically around, in the glove compartment, under the seat, looking for a spare set of keys. "Whatever the fuck this does, Jenny, do it!" Draco yelled, ducking as a curse shattered the back windshield. I wrenched open the visors, and felt a key fall into my lap. I seized it and jammed it into the ignition.

"That car is driving itself!" A Muggle woman screamed as I pulled out into traffic without looking and slammed down on the accelerator. The car lurched to life, and I heard wizards shouting behind us, and Muggles loudly gossiping as we raced by.

"Will they get Ministry cars after us?" I panted, blinking blood out of my eyes as I weaved through traffic, getting angry honks but then loud shouts as other drivers looked for a driver to flick off and didn't find one. Draco rapped on my head and I swam into view.

"Probably, and Merlin's beard, your head!" Draco swore as he saw the blood going down my side. "Episkey!" he growled, and I felt the cut seal. "Evanesco." He growled again, and the blood on me vanished. "Now drive like a normal Muggle, I think I see Ministry cars." I heard Draco climb over the seat, and then tinkling of glass.

"What are you doing?" I shouted, trying to watch the road and him in the rearview mirror at the same time.

"Changing what the car looks like, and the license plate, so they can't track the damn car!" Draco snapped from the back seat. "And whatever the fuck Crabbe used, it's knocked him out cold. We need to get somewhere so we can Apparate. Let me Disillusion-what is that?" Draco asked, and I heard sirens start up behind us. I looked out my side mirror and swore creatively.

"It's the police. Stay invisible and please stay quiet. I still have my driver's license." I pulled over, and Draco swore under his breath, then stayed quiet. I heard the officer walk over to the car as a whole squad of cars tore after a car that looked like the one I had stolen, and I realized Draco had done more than just change the appearance of our car; he made a Muggle's car look like the one we had stolen. Making a mental note to kiss him later for his brilliance, I looked down as I fished out my wallet and saw that he had also transfigured my clothes. I was wearing the clothes he had first seen me in, the cargo pants and the t-shirt I had been wearing in my kitchen. Trying to ignore the feeling of guns strapped to my back, I set my wallet on the gear-shift on the floor as the police officer rapped on my window. I rolled it down.

"Evening, Officer." I said calmly. He looked at me a moment. "Is there something wrong?" I worked hard to sound concerned, and it pulled off. He shook his head, leaning against the door.

"No, but one of your tail-lights is out. I'd get that fixed if I were you." He waved and walked away as I sat there in shock. I was sure I was going to have to let Draco hex him.

"I would get pulled over for a bloody tail light." I growled, but smiled to the Officer as he drove past us.

"What's a tail-light?" Draco asked dryly, and I suddenly couldn't stop laughing.

"Come on, I'll get Brian out. We need to Disapparate." My laughter died as I remembered Brian. Grabbing my wallet and shoving it back in my pocket, I climbed out and opened the back door and slung Brian over my shoulder, staggering slightly under the weight. Draco reappeared out of nowhere and took my arm. With a pop, we arrived at Shell Cottage again. "Draco, I need you to send a Patronus to the Weasley's, and warn them, alright? If Voldemort decides to go after them to stop us…" I shifted the invisible Brian on my shoulder. Draco thought a moment, then his wolf Patronus took off into the sky.

We stepped inside the wards. "Jenny, what picture did you show me yesterday?" It was Lupin's voice again.

"A picture of my adoptive parents. Lupin, who killed Kingsley specifically?"

"Draco. Draco, how many glasses of firewhisky did I drink the night my son was born?"

"Enough to make you a ranting drunk." Draco said dryly, and Lupin appeared.

"Back so soon?" He asked lightly, but then stopped as I shifted Brian again. "Is someone with you? Where's Brian?" Draco reached around me and whapped Brian's shoulder, sending him back into visibility. Lupin started.

"We've got another story to tell you." I muttered.