A/N: Hello! So I've been gone a while... I know, I know, I'm late - again but my time away hasn't been completely unproductive. I have actually written the next few chapters on paper, I just need to write them up. I know this is turning into a really long story but you know, go big or go home right?
I hope you enjoy this chapter, as you know, I own nothing, no copyright infringement is intended and all rights go to the one and only J K Rowling who is an eminent writer.
Have a wonderful day!
PATROLS
JAMES' P.O.V
We've been in the same dark dingy alleyway for two hours. The dripping of the broken pipes has dulled, the stench of the sewers, alcohol and cigarettes has almost become undetectable and my eyes are completely adjusted to the dark – which keeps getting darker as the minutes go past and the sun sinks lower in the sky. I think I preferred the alleyway when I couldn't see it properly. There's broken glass, blood, dead rats (and Merlin knows what else) strewn across the floor.
"Can we move yet?" I whisper to Moony.
"No, Prongs," Moony hisses back, "we move when we get the signal."
"What's the signal again?"
Moony sighs, exasperated, "Just sit tight and be patient for once in your life."
"I am patient, I waited for Lily to like me for years. Speaking of which, do you think Lily is okay?"
"I wouldn't call that patience, more persistence and perseverance. I'm sure she's fine, she's probably thinking how lucky she is not to be paired with somebody as impatient as you."
"I'm not that bad."
"You've been fidgeting the whole time and whining and grumbling non-stop."
I scowl at him before turning my thoughts back to Lily's welfare.
"Seriously though, I'm worried. She's with Emmeline and you know how those two get on."
"She'll be fine Prongs," Moony says, his voice a little softer. "She's more than capable of handling herself."
LILY'S P.O.V
I've had enough. Emmeline Vance is insufferable (and so judgemental).We've been concealed on the roof for two very long hours. It's cold up here and we can't light a fire because we'll attract unwanted attention and Emmeline refuses to let me use charms to conceal the fire because apparently "it's not that cold". It might be August but it's still freezing.
We're waiting for a signal, that's if there ever is one. I wonder how Alice is getting on, she's paired with Dorcas. Marlene is with Alice Longbottom so she'll be fine (the Longbottoms are perhaps the friendliest people I know), James is with Remus and Peter should have been paired with Sirius but Alastor banned him from Patrols, so Peter was paired with Frank.
I hope they're all okay but nothing usually happens anyway, so there's no need to be anxious. Alastor thinks there will be an attack here as it is one of the only substantial Wizarding towns that hasn't been attacked in the East Midlands. We've been alternating with other Order members to watch over it. We're all eager for a proper fight but I doubt tonight will be the night. Nevertheless, if somebody gives the signal, we know that Death Eaters are here. I'm just not sure what happens after the signal – do we all head towards it and leave our areas unguarded?
"You are so unattractive when you frown," Emmeline sniffs, tossing her hair over her shoulder and wrinkling her nose.
I clench my fists but ignore her – resuming my post looking for imaginary Death Eaters.
"I actually can't believe –"
"Do you think you could just not say anything for a while?" I interrupt her.
Her eyes widen and she mumbles under her breath about what bad manners I have and how unpleasant I am. I wonder if this night will ever end.
SEVERUS' P.O.V
MALFOY MANOR
"…and so I think if we were to attack this way then –"
"Shut up, Malfoy. I have had enough of this inaniloquent chatter. Has anybody got anything worth saying?"
Lucius sinks down into his seat. I bite back a smirk. I really hate Lucius. The Dark Lord looks around the table, his eyes darting from one face to the next.
"My Lord," I say, my voice drawn out. I hope this isn't a mistake but I've been waiting a long time to do this. "I have a proposition."
"You do, do you Snape? And pray tell, what is this proposition?"
A few people twitter nervously. I stare at the Dark Lord squarely. This could go one of two ways. Either he will admire my confidence or he will say that I am insolent. The Dark Lord must be old. He was at school with that Groundskeeper, Hagrid. So maybe forties or fifties. He doesn't look it. He looks disconcertingly young; no doubt the work of dark sorcery and potions. I have no interest in immortality, it might be fascinating but I rather think that one life is quite long enough to be on this miserable Earth.
"As you are no doubt aware, the Order and the Ministry have no intention of conceding. We have the upper hand but what sweeter victory would there be if only somebody was on the inside."
The Dark Lord laughs, "And you think they would accept your services with open arms?"
He seems to think that I am brave, not rude given the fact that I'm still alive.
"Leave that to me, my Lord. I have my ways of… persuasion."
"Very well," he chuckles slightly, "but if this plan of yours happens to fail, I will not think twice of cutting you open and ripping out your organs one by one. And have no doubt that I will use similar treatment on that Mudblood bitch that has given us all so much grief. Perhaps she could go first and you could watch."
I feel myself pale slightly. I've already seen her close to death once; I have no desire to see her in such a state again.
"I will not fail."
The words come out smoothly, and much more confident that I feel.
"You'd better hope not," his eyes flash dangerously, "I am putting a lot of trust in you, Snape. As for tonight's plans… fear not my soldiers, for there will be murder tonight and we will return victorious."
He raises his glass and there are cheers all around the table. With promises such as these, it's no wonder people are uniting in the drive for blood purity. The meeting is then closed.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Severus," Narcissa says, sidling up next to me, speaking quietly so as not to be overheard as we walk out of the room and head for the grounds outside.
"Of course, Narcissa. You shouldn't doubt me so much."
"It just seems like a pretty idiotic risk to me."
"The Dark Lord knows I want Lily safe and now that I have something he wants, he is obliged to ensure her safety."
"But what if they don't accept you? I mean, you'll have to join the Order if you're going to find out anything and James is in the Order… all the Marauders are. How are you going to get them to trust you?"
"Don't worry about me, Narcissa. I have it all under control."
"Just be careful, Severus."
She turns around and heads back towards the manor. Once she's out of sight, I feel a wave of panic hit me. What have I done? No, I cannot doubt myself. Not when everyone else doubts me, even Narcissa. If I am ever going to succeed, then I need to believe that this is for the best. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
JAMES' P.O.V
STILL PATROLS
Is it possible to die of boredom? Because if it is, then I think that I am either already dead or I am dying. How is Moony so relaxed? Well, he's probably not very relaxed but he looks it. Moony has always been better at concealing his emotions and thoughts than I ever have been. He's the sort of person who doesn't tell you when he's angry with you, the sort of person who lets things build up inside, the sort of person who tries to push things away when he doesn't know how to deal with them. I'm the sort of person who insults people to their faces rather than behind their backs, as Oscar Wilde says, a good friend will always stab you in the front. If I'm annoyed with somebody, then they know it. I'm the emotional explosive type, Moony's like an egg timer.
I suppose the only time I've ever really tried to control what I'm saying and think things through first is when I'm with Lily. But for all my faults, Moony's faults, Lily's faults and everybody's faults, it doesn't change the fact that I'm stuck in this disgusting alleyway and dying of boredom. I swear, one more hour in this place –
"Prongs!" Moony shouts urgently, snapping me out of my reverie.
I look over to where he's pointing, red sparks.
Death Eaters.
We set off at a run out of the alleyway and towards the red sparks. I suddenly notice a flaw in Mad Eye Moody's plan – how can we Apparate towards the red sparks when we don't know where exactly those red sparks are coming from? Surely the people who were guarding that particular area can handle them? What if there are Death Eaters in our area that we have now abandoned? But what if the people who set off the red sparks can't handle the Death Eaters or somebody gets injured or even killed? But if we all went towards the red sparks to help them out, then the Death Eaters can just swoop in and take over the whole town and kill us all in one blow. Just as we near the place where we saw the red sparks, another set of red sparks are set off, only a few streets away. Moony and I dash the opposite way to the original sparks.
We get to where the red sparks came from but nobody is there, and no duel is taking place… Whoever set off these sparks is long gone, which is impossible because they only went up a few moments ago. Unless there never were any Order members here at all.
"Moony? Something's not quite right."
"You can say that again," Moony swallows and I look at him.
Dark smoke is seeping down the street, blacking everything out and streaking the houses with fog. It comes fasters and in our direction, we back away only to find it on our other side. We're surrounded. I don't know what this smoke does and I'm pretty sure I don't want to find out.
LILY'S P.O.V
"… I mean I guess Witch Weekly said that he wasn't but I think he totally is. Did you see him in the Daily Prophet? He looked so gorgeous but when you know how many girls he had, you kinda go off him. Did you hear what his brother did? Oh, it was crazy. So there was this guy, right, and he said…"
I am losing my mind. Emmeline Vance is the most infuriating human being to ever walk this earth. I would rather sit in a cave of scorpions than listen to another minute of her rambling. Or maybe scorpions don't live in caves. Argh, it doesn't matter. The sentiment is the same. I have no idea who she's talking about most of the time and never have I ever seen somebody devote so much time into knowing about other people's affairs. Does she have nothing better to do than care what colour shoes this person has or how many times this person has their hair in a certain way? I can't believe I'm thinking this but a Death Eater attack would be welcome right now.
Hang on, what's that? I squint into the darkness. Shit. Red sparks. It looks like my wish has been granted.
"…but red and green plaid? I mean I wouldn't have much of an objection if the green was a little darker but that shade? Ew, no. Did you hear –?"
"Look over there!" I shout at her, pointing to the red sparks.
We both scramble down the pipe on the wall and run down the street. The sparks are so close; there'd be no point in Apparating. We reach a fork in the road.
"Um, Emmeline, which way do you think is the best way to go?"
"I think you've reached the end of the line," a voice, definitely not Emmeline's speaks behind me.
I turn slowly around.
JAMES' P.O.V
The smoke, thankfully, doesn't appear to do more than shield your vision and suffocate you if you accidentally breathe it in. I thought it was poisonous or toxic or something. The only trouble is that it's so dark, and the smoke is so heavy and thick, that I can't see a thing, not even my own hand in front of me, which attempts in vain to push away the smoke from my eyes. My wand is still in my hand but what spell would I cast? Lumos has no effect and the smoke seems to absorb all sound – so I can't shout at Moony to ask what the bloody hell is going on.
This is bad. How do I get myself out of this one? Then, I see it: big, glowing, red eyes looming towards me. The dark smoke begins to clear but the figure which is vaguely outlined by the moonlight is by no means any more visible. The silver mask on their face glints, their wand is drawn.
"Potter, how delightful to see you again."
"Do I know you?" He certainly sounds familiar.
"I believe us to be acquainted. I was the one who broke your beloved Mudblood's arms –"
"Mulciber," I growl, my own wand drawn and illuminated.
"Well done, you figured it out," he drawls.
"Where's M-Remus?"
"The werewolf traitor scum?" Mulciber spits, "who knows?"
"What have you done with him?" I lunge a little closer, my wand ablaze, a hex on the edge of my lips.
"Now, now, let us not be hasty…" he smirks, his mask vanishing into thin air.
"Why not? You came here for blood, didn't you? Why don't we end what we started at Hogwarts?"
"As much as I would like to slit your throat and watch your blood drip, drop by drop, orders are orders."
"So what? We wait?"
"Indeed we do. I wonder how darling Mary Macdonald is getting on –"
"You touch her and I swear –"
"I've done much more than touch her, Potter. I've done more than you can imagine to that Mudblood whore. One day, she will thank me –"
"Thank you? You tortured and –"
"I wouldn't expect the likes of you to understand… falling in love with Mudbloods, friends with werewolves and Blood Traitors, you ought to be ashamed."
"You should be ashamed! Do you know how many lives you've ruined?"
"Yes, it's wonderful, isn't it?"
I spit on his shoes. That's what I think of him.
"You will pay for that insult."
"Oh yeah? Make me."
He sneers before sending a jet of red light my way, which I dodge. He shoots hex after hex after hex, but I block almost all of them, sending back twice as many in his direction. He dodges as many as I do. Be that as it may, he is no match for me. I've spent hours training for this. Oh it feels so good to be duelling again. The thrill, the adrenaline, the danger, I've missed this.
It's almost too easy. The difference between the spells we're casting is that he's trying to kill me and I'm using (mainly) defensive magic. Occasionally I throw in a Bat Bogey Hex or levitating spell or a Jelly Legs Jinx. He's angry and humiliated – which only makes him careless. Anger and humiliation together are dangerous, it is after all, part of the reason Snivelly and Lily are no longer friends and it will be the reason behind his downfall. I'm confident that I will win this duel. In fact, I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.
However, I have had enough; I disarm him smoothly and tie him up in magical binds.
"Okay Mulciber, this has been fun but, I'm bored now. Where's Remus?"
"I'll never tell you."
"Really?"
I think he has grossly underestimated me.