Author's note: I'm going to add warnings as I think of them, and also only if they apply to a certain chapter. Yay! The line break is working today!
Can't really apologise for the wait since I've got a comic on old drunky duck to distract me as well, so between this, the comic and college and somehow squeezing in a life thing's get pretty busy.
Warnings: OCs, OOC probably considering what I remember of Death Munchers, non-graphic (how do you spell that?) gore - does it even count as gore?
Disclaimer: I own neither JK Rowling's stories or Mr. Nix.
Three Death Eaters surveyed the room, taking in the door that had crashed into the back of the sofa; chaos and destruction everywhere. As one turned to another for orders, the other raised a finger to invisible lips. Dust settled slowly, giving everything a cloudy, dreamlike quality. A soft whimper was heard. All eyes focused on the couch, they raised their wands. A signal from the leader and lips formed words. Power was built up. Focused. Released in one – powerful - rush.
Ten seconds. That's all that's available. Nine seconds before a decision is made by the enemy, eight seconds, soon will be the time to act - there is no choice. He knows what he has to do. He knows it might be a trap – could be a test, the other is terribly clever after all. Like Dumbledore. Five seconds. No mistakes – NOW!
A window, to the left of the couch blows inward, Rose casting a hasty Protego on instinct alone. Glass imbeds itself into the fabric, the walls and rebounds off the shield spell. Two targets are moving, searching for safety. A cutting curse later and one clutches his throat, going down in a garble of blood. The other panics and starts casting like mad. Spells shoot everywhere the caster too terrified of the invisible foe to think of aiming. A stray Crucio hits the back of the couch sending shards of wood and tattered fabric over the children and eliciting screams. Petrificus Totalus and another cutting curse later and the room is deathly still.
Dust and debris are thick in the air, slowly covering the room in powdery grey. Shredded curtains blow gently in the winter breeze like angels wings. The children's breathing seems loud in the stillness forming clouds of mist, the eldest – a girl holding onto three younger boys so tightly her knuckles have turned as white as their faces. The eldest boy leans back, staring up at her with wide eyes, hair as once as dark as his father's now paler than it has ever been.
"I think you should call Mum now." His voice echo's in the lounge, causing them all to jump uncomfortably. The youngest finally starts to cry.
Perhaps twenty meters outside of the room is an old oak tree, its branches weathered and twisted with age. In this tree is a wizard… or what was once a wizard. A smooth mask of deep red covers his face, two snake-like slits allowing him to see. His clothing is dark, lending him the ability to hide in the shadows. Magic in this case would be unnecessary. A waste of energy best saved for later.
All three Death Eater's in the room were dead, two from curses and one from glass embedded in his heart. There is not much time; already he can see light approaching through the windows further down in the house. Those attracted by the noise will arrive soon, he must choose quickly. Fight or flee? In the end there is no choice.
She had been trying unsuccessfully to quiet the youngest Longbottom Hugo for a few minutes before her brother's cried out in fright. Instincts going into overdrive she tried to reach for her wand which lay a way off, scrambling to her feet as she did so. She failed to reach her wand, Albus clinging so tightly to her arm in his fear that he restricted her movement. She looked up. A masked figure was in the room; terror started creeping its way back to the surface. She couldn't think straight.
The man slowly stretched out his hand, the gesture hesitant but slowly becoming certain. He held no wand – that realisation taking the fear by surprise and turning most of it into confusion. What in the world was going on?
"They'll be here soon, come with me." Confused by what this person said she stared at him blankly. Beyond the words the voice told her nothing. Bland, calm as though he felt nothing for this situation.
She doesn't hear her brothers' call for her; doesn't hear Hugo whimper and barely feels them try to pull her back into faux safety. She's already focusing elsewhere – she can hear raised voices getting closer, friend or foe? His words make sense now, but should she trust him? They could be help; maybe Aurors coming to the rescue, maybe her Dad - hope begins to flutter in her chest before it is ruthlessly crushed. Death Eaters is a far more likely answer, she does not recognise the voices, they will kill her – maybe worse take her to the dark Lord and his castle of darkness. She knows this knows they will kill her brothers' even as guilt wells for having forgotten about them for a short while. The Aurors should be here soon.
She takes his hand.