Chapter 16

Sira's blue eyes watched the forest, looking for any trace of life, any indication of something, or someone, moving through the area. A scent had filled her nostrils, making her stop and observe. It wasn't natural. It had to have been from a person. There was a rustling in the grass behind her, footsteps, but she didn't turn to look. She already knew who it was. A hand rested on her shoulder and she sighed. "Can you smell it?" she asked as she looked at Scabior.

"Perfume," he said softly. "Rosemary." He sniffed the air to double check the smell and then nodded. "Someone's been 'ere." She nodded as she pointed to a small game trail that was overgrown but looked to be freshly trodden upon.

"They walked through here," she stated as he looked at her, completely baffled with her expertise.

"'ow did you know?" he asked, curiosity filling his blue-grey eyes. She let out a soft laugh and continued to scan the area.

"Auror training," she whispered. "We had to learn how to track." He nodded, satisfied with her answer.

"Are you ready for this?" She shot him a puzzled look, confused about what he was even asking. "Are you ready to go on your first Snatch?"

"I don't know," she exhaled as she shrugged. She didn't really want to think about what she was soon going to be doing. She didn't want to have to think about the innocent Mudbloods she was about to capture. She glanced around quickly and then turned, moving his hand off of her shoulder, and started to walk back the way she came. "We better get back and report what we found," she stated as he caught up to her, sighing in agreement.

They entered the campsite and everyone stood, ready to leave and to hear their information. Fenrir stepped towards them, his eyes locked on Sira as she threw her chin up a little higher in the air. "What did you find?" he asked in a low growl as everyone else listened carefully, wanting to know what was about to be told.

"Signs of movement on a small game trail about two hundred yards to the northeast and the scent of perfume," she stated flatly as she looked dully at the werewolf.

"No other signs?" he questioned, she answered with a shake of her head. The look in his eyes told her that he trusted her judgment. They were going after what she found, no matter what. "Come, we're moving out," he ordered the other Snatchers. She nodded and quickly shifted into a wolf, jogging back in the direction she'd just come from, leading the way for everyone else.

It didn't take long before they were back in the place she'd just been. The scent of the perfume was much stronger now, thanks to her heightened senses, and now she could smell something else too. People, four different scents following the same trail. She looked to Fenrir, he nodded to her. He smelled it too. She jogged down the trail, watching everything ahead of her as the scent got stronger and stronger. They were getting closer with each step.

Then, she stopped dead in her tracks. There was a sound, voices, all speaking softly. Fenrir was right beside her and she looked up at him, seeing him nod again, telling her that he, too, heard it. She moved forward, crouching low silently. Her eyes scanned all around her as she reached a small clearing. She caught sight of them and then dashed back to the Snatchers. She skidded to a stop, almost running into Fenrir.

With a small nod of her wolven head, he gave them all a signal. They started to move, all except for her. She was supposed to push their target into the other Snatchers, a perfect ambush. Give them ten seconds to get into position, she told herself, then go. She couldn't see the Snatchers anymore. Ten, she took a long breath.

Nine… eight… seven… six.

Five, she crouched down and crawled forward.

Four, she was about to the clearing again.

Three, she saw their targets. They had no clue she was even there.

Two, she prepared to run.

One, she sprung, bolting into the clearing. They saw her, screaming to each other and scrambling to feet. They were a family, a father and a mother with two children: a little boy and a little girl. She snarled, bounding towards them, herding them into the Snatcher's reach.

The next thing she knew, they met the Snatchers and Sira raced towards the father, who was just seconds from escaping, unlike the rest of the family, whom were under control. She closed in on him, for he was slow. In a great leap, she shifted from wolf to human and struck the man. Her breathes were hard as she pulled him to his feet, holding his arms behind his back. He was delirious; unaware of what was happening, blinded by adrenaline.

The others came over to her, both Fenrir and Scabior looking at her with satisfaction as she continued to fight the man to hold stiff. Robbie held the wife as two other Snatchers held the kids. "Let's see who we've got," Fenrir growled as he focused on the man thrashing in her arms. He finally realized the danger. "What's your name?"

"Like I'll ever tell you!" the man shouted, trembling a bit in her arms. Fenrir and some of the Snatcher started to laugh and then Fenrir's fist connected with his jaw.

"You better tell us what your name is or would you rather meet the lovely lady holding you back?" he asked as he grabbed the front of the man's shirt, forcing him to look into his eyes. "Or watch your children a slow and painful infection? I'm sure that they'd be good, little werewolves."

"I would rather meet the lady," the man hissed, causing Fenrir to laugh cruelly.

"Stupid choice, my friend" he snarled as he looked at her. "Tell him your name, girly." A little smile formed on her lips, it held her fear.

"Gladly," she said with a false sweetness. "Sira Volkov." The man stiffened at her name, remembering what horrible things she had done.

"Now, will you tell us your name?" he asked, his voice raspy and dangerous. "Or do you want to see the little lady in action?" The father shook his head rapidly, defeated.

"Clarence Tillwater," he breathed, and his wife let out an awful shriek, wishing that he hadn't exposed them all.

"Blood Status?"

"Muggle-born."

"Scabior, check the list," Fenrir ordered as he turned away from the man, heading towards Robbie and the mother. Clarence no longer fought her grip for he had nothing to fight for anyways. He already knew his fate.

"On the list," Scabior called as an evil smile twisted Fenrir's face. They all knew that they were getting paid today at least. The wife was still screaming in Robbie's arms, fighting desperately in his grip but never coming close to breaking it. Fenrir's hand went under her jaw, stopping her struggle as the tears streamed down her face.

"Please," she sobbed, barely making a sound. "Please don't hurt my children." Robbie scoffed and Sira watched Fenrir carefully, watching for any change in emotion. There was none.

"Name," he ordered and the woman started to wheeze, completely frazzled about what to do. She shook her head, her tears soaked her cheeks.

"Lisa Tillwater," she exhaled, looking up at Fenrir, her eyes pleading him to spare her children. "Mudblood," she added, knowing that he would ask soon enough.

"Scabior," Fenrir called.

"On the list," he stated again. The werewolf turned slowly, a smile still on his face as he approached the children, making the mother become frantic again, fearing for her children's safety. The kids started to reel against their captor's grips, taking the signal of danger from their mother as he slowly came closer.

"Don't hurt them!" the mother cried and Fenrir placed his hand on the little girl's head, causing her to freeze. "Don't hurt them! Hurt me! Take me instead!" He laughed and he moved his hand to the girl's cheek.

"I do enjoy the tenderness of a child," he said murderously as hunger entered his voice, "and the softness of the skin." The mother wailed, thrashing harder than she ever had before. Sira looked at Scabior; he was no longer looking at Fenrir. He knew that something was going to happen. Fenrir's hand slashed the girl's cheek open, causing her to cry out in pain and the father to start fighting again. Sira could barely hold him back. He was shouting at the werewolf, his pleas mixing with his wife's in the air.

"Take them to the Ministry," Fenrir called as he moved away from the children, licking his lips a little bit. "All of them."

"So what did you think of your first Snatch, Sira?" a dark-haired, fairly handsome Snatcher, who she finally learned to be named Xavier, asked her as they walked through the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. She felt that all eyes were on her, watching her, questioning why she was with the Snatchers when she was a Death Eater. She tried not to notice them.

"Are they all like that?" she questioned as she looked at him. He let out a little laugh.

"Nah," he said proudly, "so what did you think?"

"Physically, it was easier than what I thought it would be. Mentally," she sighed as she shook her head a bit, "I'm not sure." Scabior threw his arm around her shoulders, making her look at him.

"It'll get easier, beautiful," he said and she smiled at him. "Trust me." she leaned into him as they walked, cuddling up to him. "'ey, Greyback, what are we doing now?" The werewolf looked back at them, looking more at Sira than at Scabior.

"You should know," he answered, looking deeply into Sira's eyes and she felt her cheeks flush with a mixture of fear and embarrassment. "Our newest Snatcher had her first successful mission." A smile lit up Scabior's face, causing Sira to look at him with a question in her eyes.

"What are we doing?" she asked and Fenrir, Scabior, and Xavier chuckled at her lack of knowledge.

"You'll see," Scabior whispered to her as he pulled her even closer to him, the look in his blue-grey eyes telling her that she was going to love it.

"Let me guess, we're going to a tavern," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"'ow'd you know?" he asked, sounding surprised but very playful.

"I just had a feeling."