Wow, I am so sorry for the delay in getting this to you. Everyone, blame Ikrona *glares* for her beta retirement (still loves ya', hun. ;D ), and give a wonderful, big warm welcome to Dances with Vampires for taking over and going over the previous chapters.
In exciting news, I won first place in Allicat9's Original Character Competition. Thank you to the judges, Allicat9 and astronauts, who I hope will continue to enjoy the story.
Another HUGE thank you to my continued regulars, as well as an apology for the delay – DZAuthor AKA DZMom, and tambrathegreat.
Chapter 14: A Perfect Act
Hogwarts staff was all the flutter trying to get the last of the preparations in order for the coming year. Tonight, the students would be arriving, and the house elves were seeing to it that no bed knob went unpolished. Teachers complained when the new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor was caught examining their classrooms and private quarters whilst taking notes.
"Is there something I can do for you, Professor?" Dumbledore asked, as he entered his office from an adjoining door which lead to his private quarters. Dolores was startled, quickly closing the cupboard door which held his pensieve.
She quickly cleared her throat and straightened her jacket. "I require an elf," she said simply.
"The school's house elves spend the majority of their free time in the kitchen, you are more than welcome to ask one to assist you," Dumbledore replied politely, but the look in his eyes didn't match his tone as he took a seat behind his desk with a flourish.
"I require one exclusively," she amended. "Even though I will be teaching here, I am not completely abandoning my Ministry duties-"
Dumbledore cut her off. "The elves belong to the school, not to the teachers. They will be happy to assist you as needed. However, their first and foremost responsibility is to Hogwarts and its functioning. If you require further assistance with your Ministry duties, perhaps you should speak to the Minister, as the house elves will not help you with those tasks. You are either an educator or a Ministry official," he said lightly, turning his attention to one of the other teacher's lesson plans for the semester, signalling that the discussion was over.
Dolores pursed her lips and forced a smile. "I wouldn't want to take this up with the school board," she threatened pleasantly.
Dumbledore looked up, and met her gaze with a calm that unnerved her. "By all means, though you will find that they were the ones who implemented this policy."
Dolores barely masked a sneer, and left.
-.-.-
Maddie hardly slept a wink, her sleep plagued with nervous hiccups. Today was it. They were going to Hogwarts. Her heart was racing. . .This was it.
Everyone had been drilling the plan into her head all week: take the train with the others. Troy would be there too, with Sirius as a dog. Once they reached Hogsmeade, Sirius would escort Troy to where he would be living, whilst she took the boats to the school with the rest of the First Years and was sorted after them.
Hermione had spent the past four hours explaining the Houses, their qualities, their history, and anything else anyone could possibly ever want or need to know, all the while not-too-subtly hinting that Gryffindor would be her most practical choice, whilst having friends there already would allow for extra tutoring in the evenings with her and Harry. As well as that, both Harry and Ron reminded her repeatedly that the hat took whatever she wanted into its calculations, and she did really want to be with friends - didn't she? Either way, it seemed everyone was not so quietly confident that she was a Gryffindor in the making.
The hiccups returned, this time worse. A bright blue butterfly flew out of her mouth, and she let out a small, panicked whimper, running out of the room and down to the kitchen, praying that one of the adults would believe her.
Mrs. Weasley was already there, starting on breakfast for the horde of children who would be coming down any time now.
"Maddie?" Molly looked at the wide-eyed girl with her hand clamped over her mouth. "What's the matter, dear?"
Maddie whimpered and removed her hand as she hiccupped again, another couple of small butterflies flying out. "What's the matter with me?"
Molly laughed, giving her a hug.
"Oh, dearie, you're just nervous. Same thing happened to Ginny when she started, too. It's perfectly normal."
"Butterflies coming out of my mouth are not - hic - normal!" Maddie shrieked, fanning them away. "Please, make it - hic - stop!" Tears started to swell in her eyes.
"Oh come now, sit down and have some waffles whilst there are still some to be had. I wish I could stop them, but the only one who can stop them is you, and the more you panic the worse it will get."
Fred and George entered the kitchen next, grinning from ear to ear at the sight of butterflies flapping around the ceiling.
"Someone has butterflies-"
"-in their stomach."
Maddie hiccupped again, and more poured out. "Leave me alone," she mumbled, completely humiliated.
"Wow, what's with the butterflies?" Troy asked, walking in. Maddie wailed and raced back up to her room.
"Maddie's a little nervous," Molly told him. "Don't worry, they'll pass."
-.-.-
Eliza stood at the top of the stairs, watching as Lucius organised his children to take them to King's Cross and farewell Draco. He acted as though she wasn't there, but she knew he was painfully aware of every move she made. The few conversations they had had since that fateful day had been so agonizingly forced and polite that they had taken to avoiding them altogether. Nonetheless, he kept a close eye on her whenever she ventured out of her room to take in her new 'home'.
Arnica didn't give Eliza the choice of being antisocial; there was no turning the headstrong child away. She was still convinced at Eliza was a voluntary guest there purely to see to her entertainment.
Eliza welcomed Draco's company during these times. The need for some form of adult conversation and translation became overwhelming, as Arnica made constant references to stories and games she had never heard tell of.
In turn, Lucius used his son to glean whatever he needed from her. She cooperated in full knowledge - better the son than the father. Draco also made his own agenda quite clear: that he wanted to leave in full confidence that she would agree to the demands being made before her, thus ensuring the safety of his sister.
Arnica had been particularly difficult that morning, something which Eliza learned was not uncommon when Draco left the house - not that she could find much fault. Who would want to be stuck with Lucius?
Lucius finally looked up at her when it was clear they were ready to go. "We'll be back after lunch. Oggle will care for you until then," he said stiffly, failing to make the awkwardness hanging over them disappear. "The werewolves are still on the grounds, so I would advise against you taking the opportunity to explore."
Draco waved goodbye, and Arnica ran up the stairs for one last hug whilst her father stood impatiently by the door.
Once the door shut, Eliza watched them through one of the larger windows. They walked down the drive before vanishing. She waited a few moments for something to happen. Maybe he would come back to try and catch her attempting to escape?
She had no idea how much time had passed before she finally built up the courage to make a run for the door. She was a few feet from it when Oggle appeared, forcing her to stop.
"The Master says Eliza must not leave," the house elf said, taking a stance between her and the door.
Eliza couldn't stand the wretched creature - it frightened her, but not the same way Lucius did. It was so unnatural-looking, with its filthy tattered pillowcase for clothing. Then there was the fact that it also always seemed to be listening to everything being said. The other day when sitting with Draco and Arnica, she had casually mentioned the desire for a cup of tea. Before she had even finished the sentence, one appeared. Whilst the creature rarely made its presence known, that didn't change the fact that she was unnerved to leave the bathroom one way, only to find it completely organised again a minute later when she returned with a hairbrush.
"Lucius says a lot of things," Eliza snapped, and stepped around him to open the door.
"Eliza does not want to go out there," Oggle said reproachfully, a slight smirk on his face.
"Yes, Eliza does." She yanked the door open.
"Good morning, Eliza."
A lead weight dropped in Eliza's stomach at the sight of Voldemort. She slammed the door shut instinctively and retreated to the staircase. Oggle opened the door, despite her not-so-quiet hisses at him not to.
"I see your manners have taken a relapse." He entered, ignoring the bowing elf, and flanked by two hooded and cloaked men.
"Lucius isn't here," Eliza blurted, hoping that he wouldn't wait around for him to return.
"I'm well aware of that," he replied casually, using magic to hang his cloak on a hook. "I came to see you."
Eliza continued to back up the stairs with every step he took toward her, trying to keep him from closing the distance. "I. . .I. . .," she stammered fearfully, trying to think of something to say that would make him leave. The thought of being alone with him for any amount of time terrified her. She backed into a table on the landing, causing a vase to fall and shatter. She wanted to turn and bolt, but knew she wouldn't make it far. "What do you want?" she pleaded.
"You already know."
-.-.-
By the time they arrived at King's Cross Station, Maddie was once more unable to keep the butterflies in her stomach, but avoided opening her mouth - just in case.
Troy held a rather disgruntled Sirius by the lead the station security had ordered on him when they spotted the large dog. Maddie smirked when she heard them saying they'd never seen a dog with such a vicious glare as he was being fitted with a collar.
The convoy of trunks was attracting a lot of attention, with several people pointing at the collection of owls. They left Troy paranoid, wondering if Animal Services would be called.
Once on the platform, Troy quickly removed the lead from Sirius. Tonks and Arthur levitated the trunks onto the train, whilst Molly fussed over the children.
"Remember to keep your heads down this year - it's too dangerous for you to go looking for trouble," she warned.
"We never go looking for trouble," Ron moaned.
"Trouble just seems to find us. Well - me," Harry added in his friends' defence.
"I mean it. Things will be dangerous enough as it is without the three of you catching a scent of something, and you have to keep an eye on Maddie - so set a good example," Molly ordered.
Once the trunks and pets were stowed, Tonks motioned to Troy. "The last compartment is generally empty. Maddie will be fine with the twins and Harry." Troy nodded, and gave Molly a hug goodbye and shook Arthur's hand
"We'll visit once you get settled," Arthur said to Troy and Sirius.
"Thank you for all your help."
"It was our pleasure," Molly said. "Now you best get going before it's taken."
-.-.-
At the other end of the platform, Lucius said his goodbyes to Draco, who was already dressed in his school robes. "I mean it, I don't want to hear that you were beaten by some filthy mudblood in grades this year. I don't care if you have to put her in the hospital wing so that she misses classes, I will not have a son who comes second to a mudblood - am I clear?"
"Yes, Father." Draco sulked. "I still scored higher than Potter," he muttered.
"I don't care if you scored higher than Merlin; that Granger girl still beat you, and that is unacceptable. This is the last time it will be tolerated. With Umbridge teaching, you will have no excuses - that you can be assured of. Arnica! Get off that train this instant!"
"No! I wanna' go wif Dwaco!"
"Now!"
Arnica pouted and grumpily hopped off, taking her place beside her father with her arms folded. "Not fair. . .," she mumbled, and Lucius tapped her backside lightly with his cane. The warning was enough to make her stop.
Arnica's eyes suddenly lit up. "Puppy!" she exclaimed at the sight of the large black dog coming towards them, and ran to greet it.
Lucius caught the back of her dress with his cane a split second before she was out of reach. A quick glance was all it took to recognize the bubble-gum-blue-haired woman talking happily with a man he recognized from the Daily Prophet.
Arnica stopped struggling when the dog pulled its lips back in a snarl, and the hairs along its back stood on end. She retreated behind her father.
"What a serious-looking dog you have there, Mr. Raveien. Nymphadora, I hear tell you have a thing for mutts of every variety," he added curtly to his niece. Tonks's hand flew across Troy's chest to stop him in his tracks; she kept the other on her wand, but didn't draw it. Lucius took a step forward, extending his hand to Troy. "Welcome back to the Wizarding world. I can only imagine how horrible it must have been living as a Muggle all those years - my condolences to your brother and sister," he said with dignity and sincerity.
Troy glanced at the hand, then to Tonks, and back to Lucius. "And you are?"
"Lucius Malfoy," Tonks answered, before Lucius could speak.
"I've heard about you," Troy said stiffly, ignoring the hand.
Lucius lowered it, and smiled somewhere between a smirk and the receiving end of a slap in the face. "All good, I hope. Though with your present company, I imagine not." Sirius's hackles rose more, if that were possible. Threatening growls turned into vicious snarls. "I suggest you get a leash on that dog."
Tonks smiled sardonically back. "Must be the present company."
"Must indeed," he dismissed before turning his attention back to Troy. "Mr. Raveien, the Minister said that you might have some questions and require something of an education on your new social status. You'll find it hard to find someone better equipped to instruct on these matters. Our families have a great deal of history as well, which I would be more than happy to educate you on. You are, of course, welcome to contact me should the need arise." Lucius once again extended his hand.
Troy gave a quick glance to Tonks before taking it for the briefest of moments, not wanting to create a situation. "We'll see."
"We shall. Come along, Draco, Arnica - the Prefects' carriage is at the front. It was a pleasure meeting you."
Sirius didn't relax again until they were out of sight, in the crowd.
Tonks finally sighed when they were in the privacy of the last compartment. "You handled that well. For a moment, I wasn't completely sure how it would go."
"Neither was I. Mind you, I thought Sirius was going to rip his throat out."
"If there weren't any witnesses, I wouldn't have put it past him." Tonks smiled, giving Sirius an affectionate scratch behind the ears.
"What was he talking about with you and mutts?" Troy asked.
Tonks blushed and gave a small chuckle. "It's just a, um. . .it's nothing. Just a stupid dig at Remus. I'm sure Sirius and he will explain things, once he's able to leave the house again."
Troy sighed. "Tell me about it. . .Talk about coming down with something hard and fast. He should really see a doctor, he looked on the verge of collapse this morning."
Tonks and Sirius gave a quick glance at each other. Mercifully the train's horn whistled through the air, signalling time for departure.
-.-.-
Eliza concentrated on her breathing as she sat in one of the many informal living areas opposite Voldemort, still flanked by the two men. It was an effort to not constantly look at the clock, wishing Lucius would hurry up - though she doubted he would be much assistance to her. All the same, he was someone more familiar. The men had removed their hoods, but still weren't recognisable; nonetheless, they looked terrifying.
"Severus tells me you wish to negotiate," he informed with polite interest, placing his wand deliberately on the arm of the chair so that it was pointing to her. Eliza took a deep breath, about to start talking, but he cut her off - "I don't negotiate."
The man standing just behind Voldemort's chair smiled at her, revealing yellow sharp, pointed teeth like an animal's.
"This is Fenrir Greyback," Voldemort introduced. "This is the extent of your 'negotiations'. You can not agree to my demands, go with him, and he will force you to agree whether you do or don't. Or you can agree of your own free will, stay here with Lucius, and produce children after the marriage charade to confirm legitimacy of their bloodline."
Eliza winced at the blunt callousness. "What about my family?" she asked bravely. "What will happen to them?"
Voldemort gave a small smile, like a cat toying with a doomed critter. "Well, that depends entirely on you, now doesn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you agree and play the good little hearth witch, I have no immediate use for them."
"You'll let them live?"
"Provided that neither they nor you do anything that would give me cause to harm them, or remove them entirely. But my patience is wearing thin," he cautioned. "Make your choice."
Eliza closed her eyes. Fenrir was still smiling wickedly at her, and she didn't want to even begin wondering what he was thinking. "Okay. . .," she muttered.
-.-.-
Maddie was introduced to some of Harry's other friends from Gryffindor, all of whom were very welcoming. The twins wandered off to test some of their latest creations, whilst Harry and Ginny introduced Maddie to a wide selection of Wizarding candy from the lunch carte. When Harry made a trip to the bathroom, the girls seized the opportunity to change into their uniforms. Ginny glanced at Maddie's altered skirt length and smirked, but said nothing, deciding to let her learn from McGonagall.
"I'm going to see if I can get Troy to eat one of these," Maddie said cheerfully, grabbing a chocolate frog box.
"Wait till Harry gets back so he can go with you," Ginny insisted.
"Oh please, it's a train - nothing's going to happen, and it's not like I'm going to get lost," Maddie snorted, leaving the compartment. She made her way down, looking around curiously. Outwardly it was a normal train, but it seemed bigger inside than out.
The twins came out of a compartment high-fiving each other, laughing hysterically. "Oi, where do you think you're going?" they demanded, seeing Maddie heading toward them.
"What, I can't see my brother unescorted? No one is going to jump out and attack me. . .well, you two might," she chuckled.
"10 points from Gryffindor each for loitering," Draco sneered at Fred and George.
"Oooo, watch out, Malfoy's a Prefect."
"Honestly, have you learned nothing?"
"No students have lost as many points collectively-"
"-as us-"
"-in ten years-"
"-and we still win the House cup." The pair laughed and walked off, leaving the blonde boy looking irritated before he noticed they weren't the only ones there. His demeanour changed instantly to charming superiority - not only was she someone he didn't recognise, but she was also not yet sorted despite her age.
"Madeline, isn't it?" he asked, leaning against the wall in such a way that she would have to squeeze past or turn around.
"Maddie, and you are?" She already knew the answer, but played dumb, smiling pleasantly.
"Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prefect," he said, twisting slightly to show off the badge on his chest. "Those two weren't bothering you, were they? I can take some more points from them," he said with a wink and a sly smirk.
Maddie gave a small laugh and smile. "I survived them over the summer, I can take care of myself." She purposefully squeezed past him, and smiled at him. "See you around." She turned and continued making her way down to the last compartment.
Draco gave a content smirk, watching her leave. Clearly she was more agreeable than Eliza and her brother, but from what he could tell, Troy wouldn't be attending Hogwarts. At least not directly. He had originally assumed the same would be said for her, but apparently not. He would wait until she was sorted to send word to his father. There was all likelihood that she would be sorted into Gryffindor, no doubt Dumbledore would make sure of that. . .
Someone punched him in the shoulder, jerking him back to reality.
"Who was she?" Pansy demanded, less than impressed.
"New girl," Draco replied, straightening up.
"She doesn't look like a First Year," Pansy commented snidely.
"Don't you read the paper? That's Madeline Raveien. Apparently, she and her brother have been staying with the Weasleys," he mused aloud.
"Oh goody, another Gryffindor," she dismissed without interest. "Did you see that dog in the last compartment? It better not get near my cat." She scowled. "I mean, who brings a dog on a train full of cats?"
"Come on, it's Ravenclaw's turn to patrol," he said, really not wanting to get into a heated discussion about dogs versus cats.
-.-.-
Eliza snatched her hand back as soon as the Unbreakable Vow was made, and didn't bother hiding her disgust for Voldemort.
She glanced at Voldemort, who had a cruel smile plastered across his face - not quite the expression she had expected, given that he had just gotten his way. Smug, maybe, but this was something completely different. It took her a moment too long to notice that the werewolves had repositioned themselves strategically.
"Take her," Voldemort ordered.
Fenrir was on her before she had a chance to react, twisting her arm behind her back painfully.
"I did what you wanted!" she shouted, before the pain became so intense she had to make a conscious effort not to scream, standing on her toes and arching her back in an attempt to relieve the tension.
Voldemort crossed the space between them, his face very close to hers. "What did you think would happen? That you and Lucius would just play Happy Family?" He smiled. "Not yet." He glanced up at Fenrir, and jerked his head at the door.
"You are not turning me-!" Eliza gasped as Fenrir's grip tightened, and he forced her to the door.
"Oh no, they can't turn you until the full moon has risen," Voldemort assured. "But there are a lot of other things they can do until then."
Eliza wasn't going down without a fight. There was only one thing she could think of to do, and it was going to hurt like hell. She stopped and went completely limp. She let out a cry as her shoulder dislocated, and her body sank to the ground, taking Fenrir by shock for a brief moment. It didn't take him long to recover, though; he laughed as he easily picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. She could hear Voldemort and the other werewolf laughing as she twisted and tried to knee him in the chin, knocking a painting off the wall as she missed. Failing that, she tried kicking him in the head with the back of her heel, and then attempted a poorly aimed kick between his legs, both attacks again missing and only making them laugh more. She tried and failed to dig her fingers into some tender points in his back and sides. The other werewolf grabbed a filthy cloth from his pocket, and tied it around her head as a gag. Fenrir ignored her screams and cries, taking her outside and across the grounds to the forest.
"Lucius should be back soon," Voldemort said to the other. "You know what to do."
-.-.-
Lucius and Arnica arrived in the driveway to find the front door left open. "Stay here," he ordered, and she sat in the middle of the driveway, happily licking away at her ice cream. "Oggle!" he shouted. Debris littered the entranceway, a cloak stand knocked over. Several paintings had been knocked from their place or damaged. He held his wand at the ready. "Oggle! Eliza!" He dashed up the stairs, following the trail of destruction. Then he heard a scream that made his heart stop.
"Daddy, hewp!"
He bolted back down the stairs so fast he couldn't remember his feet touching the ground. Outside, he looked wildly around for her, and saw her being carried off toward the forest. "Arnica!"
The man carrying her stopped and turned to face him, a wicked smile on his face. Lucius recognised him instantly as Greyback, and raised his wand without hesitation.
Something struck him - hard, and his world spun and blurred before going completely black.
-.-.-
Eliza opened her eyes, but the world was still dark. There wasn't a part of her that didn't ache as she tried to push herself upright, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light of the forest depths. Her hands and feet were bound excessively tight, her wrists already rubbed raw. The gag had been removed, but she couldn't quite remember what had happened. She could make out silhouettes of people moving around a campfire a short distance away. She remembered being taken, and then there were the beatings. As more and more came back to her, she was amazed she was still in one piece. She managed to squirm into a seated position, feeling the rough bark of an incredibly large tree.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to come around," a man's voice growled with delight. "But then, witches and wizards can take more than your average Muggle. I imagine you'll make quite the bitch; the Dark Lord certainly has a way of finding the fun ones."
Eliza groaned in pain. "I made the Vow."
"Won't matter if Lucius doesn't get to the pair of you before full moon tomorrow." Fenrir smiled wickedly.
"What?" She worked harder to focus on the man opposite her. He was sitting and stroking a golden head of hair in his lap - Arnica's hair. "What have you done to her?" she demanded, fighting against the bonds.
Fenrir laughed. "Nothing - yet. She'll come to in an hour or so once the spell wears off."
"She's just a child, let her go."
"Children are my specialty. Don't fret your little head about it. As much as I hope Malfoy doesn't get here before the full moon, I'm sure he will move mountains to get his daughter back. No. . .I can't do anything to her, not yet. But you, on the other hand - the list of what I'm not allowed to do to you before the full moon is remarkably short." Eliza didn't see him move, but felt a hand close around her throat and lift her off the ground. His breath was hot, and stank in her face. "My bite won't turn you yet, but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy it all the same."
-.-.-
Lucius's head pounded like a blacksmith's hammer.
"Easy, Mr. Malfoy," a woman's voice floated through his head. It took an astounding amount of effort to open his eyes, and a moment to recognise the woman in front of him as the groundskeepers' wife.
"Just relax, it was a nasty spell," she ordered. "If Arnica hadn't been screaming bloody murder, goodness knows how long it would have taken us to find you. My boys are going after the men who took her now, and Roger's gone to the Ministry to give Fudge an earful and get the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures down here."
The Greenweathers' had been the Malfoy groundskeepers going back some seven generations. They lived on the grounds in a modest home out of sight of the manor, and whilst he rarely had dealings with them, their two sons had stayed to help their father manage the extensive estate. Mrs. Greenweather took care of the household laundry, and would sit for Arnica when the Ministry called on him. They were the perfect staff: Pureblood, discreet, and loyal.
Lucius made to sit up, but Mrs. Greenweather pushed him back down. She wasn't fat by any stretch of the imagination, but she was large, and wouldn't have any difficulties lifting a ten-kilo bag of flour with one hand. "You need to rest. You're not going to be any help to your daughter right now, stay put."
The door opening drew their attention, and a very unsteady Oggle came through with a tray of tea. There was a large bandage around his head, which apparently hadn't done much to stem the bleeding. His small frame was completely bruised, one leg in a makeshift splint.
Lucius sat upright, but immediately regretted it. Mrs. Greenweather was ready with a bucket, dropping it between his legs. "I told you to stay down," she chastised, using the same tone he remembered from his childhood, and the same tone he had often heard her use with his daughter when she acted up. He felt a small sense of satisfaction when nothing came up and the spinning subsided.
"I need to get to the Ministry-"
"It's taken care of. Roger should be back any moment."
"Oggle is sorry, Master!" the elf wailed as soon as he set the tray down. "Oggle tried to protect the miss! They was too many - and when Master was hit, Oggle must help the Master! Please don't free Oggle! Oggle is a good elf, Oggle loves his master - not like bad Dobby - please!"
Lucius glared. "I will deal with you later; you can be assured of that," he growled coldly, kicking the elf away from him.
Mrs. Greenweather handed Lucius an envelope. "I found this on you."
Lucius used magic to open the letter, wary of any dangers that might be inside. There was a short note.
I was not convinced that you could give an adequate performance. Eliza made the Vow, and is with the werewolves. Time to rescue your daughter, the full moon isn't far away - you had better hurry.
The moment he finished reading the letter, it burst into flames. And by the time the ashes hit the table, there was nothing left of it.
-.-.-
Maddie was back in her own compartment. After a lecture from Harry about talking to 'Malfoy', Ron and Hermione stepped in briefly. Ron took the opportunity to rant about Draco and Pansy.
"I thought he was unbearable before - now it's just. . .honestly, if I have to spend another hour in that compartment with him, I'm going to kill him."
"He's already docked Gryffindor fifty points, and awarded the same to Slytherin," Fred piqued.
"Well, docked fifty from us," George snickered, earning a scathing look from Hermione.
"Are we there yet?" Maddie groaned, thoroughly bored of the ride. "Whose brilliant idea was it to take a train anyway? You've got broomsticks and key things and the fireplace network - why take a damn train?"
"It's about socialising," Hermione answered matter-of-factly.
"I just want to get all this over with before I start burping up butterflies again," Maddie muttered irritably, looking out the window.
George grinned evilly. "At least it's not slugs." That earned him a less-than-friendly punch in the side from Ron.
Maddie snorted. "I'm not going near that one with a ten-foot pole."
Hermione laughed. "Ron broke his wand in Second Year and tried to jinx Malfoy. It backfired. So the lesson is, don't cast spells with a broken wand."
"Thanks, guys. . .," Ron muttered.
Hermione got up. "Anyway, we'd better get a move-on."
"Aw, do we have to? I'm not joking about Malfoy. . ."
-.-.-
Every bite seared her skin like dry ice. She didn't want to scream, didn't want to give him the satisfaction, but it was impossible not to. He had undone her bonds, and between bites would give her opportunities to escape before chasing her down and attacking again. If she didn't fight back, he would hit her until she did, milking her for a reaction.
-.-.-
The Minister entered the residence escorted by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and Lucius was waiting for him. "You said it was women and children!"
"That was all there was-"
"Then explain why Fenrir Greyback has my daughter!" Lucius demanded, enraged, and displaying an enormous amount of self-control.
"I went off of what I knew. We held them for several hours to make certain that there was no use of form-altering potions; there is no way that he could have gotten here through them," Cornelius replied stiffly. "Every precaution was taken, we had no reason to suspect-" He stopped talking and Lucius moved in close, towering over the short man.
"If my daughter isn't back in my hands, unharmed, before the full moon, I will hold you personally responsible," Lucius said too quietly.
The Minister gulped, but said nothing, not daring to provoke a response.
-.-.-
"So they won't remember a thing?"
"Nothing. As promised, everything has been returned, and you have yourself a scapegoat. I trust that I can inform the Minister that you are satisfied with the results?"
"Did you have to shoot them?"
"You said you wanted a believable story, and now you have one."
"Do I want to ask about the missing family?" the Muggle Prime Minister asked stiffly.
"Don't waste too many resources on them," the red-haired young man replied. "If that's all, I have some rather pressing business to attend to."
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley."
-.-.-
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.
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