Chapter 61 – The Manor
GN
"Hold up." I stopped Tonks/Thomas as I placed my hand on her arm. We were just around the corner of the manor, the streets still dark and empty. I unclasped the necklace and handed it over. "Here."
"What is it?"
"It's charmed. It had blood magic in it to keep me or Cedric safe. But I modified it a little, and I don't know for sure, but I hope it works on you too."
"Metamorphous magic?" She asked as I clicked the necklace shut behind her neck. I placed a disillusionment charm over it, and it vanished from sight.
"Yeah, it works in theory." I frowned a little, then shook my head shaking the unknown and insecurity away. "Ready?"
"As I ever be." She said and we turned the corner. The manor was huge, surrounded by high iron gates. You could hear the honking of the white peacocks that roamed the land. Tonks and I didn't talk as we walked up the steps of the house. The air around us still and cold, I felt the trickle of unknown magic around me. Before we had a chance to knock, the door opened.
The hallway was dark and empty, but the moment we stepped in we could feel the push of magic. It tried to search for Polyjuice potion, other disguising methods and Helga knows what else. Tonks and I just stood still and looked at the closed door in front of us. The magic tugged and pulled at us, it felt like someone was giving us a colonoscopy. Which I only found out what that was when we were working in Australia. After a few minutes, the second door opened.
"Dawling. Masters, get in." A gruff voice said. It was a death eater I didn't recognize. He was a head shorter than my disguise, around forty, if I had to take a guess and was bold except for a few stray hairs. "The meeting is starting."
We followed him through the house, and I tried not to glance around in wonder too much. Because even though the house was filled with dark wizards, it was beautiful. Maybe a little too green for my taste, but otherwise. I didn't dare glance in Tonks' direction and my face was completely blank as we entered a large dining area. The table in the middle of the room could fit almost twenty people. I hid the shock of surprise when I saw Draco Malfoy sitting between his parents. All three looked like they were going to be sick. He didn't look up at our arrival, his gaze was permanently fixed on the table. We took the last seats at the table and waited. Almost fifteen minutes later, where nobody spoke, Bellatrix Lestrange walked in. Her evil, and smug smirk was in place as she took the seat of the head of the table.
"As the dark lord is otherwise occupied, you'll report to me." Merlin, I wanted to slap that stupid entitled smirk of her face. "Masters, Dawling." She looked to Tonks and me.
"We had a dozen of young muggle and muggle born kids in our safe house in Edinburgh." I started in an excellent impression of a death eater who had to report to their leader. "But we were ambushed."
"Those pathetic men of the Order." Tonks continued as she spat the name out in disgust. "Someone, let something slip." She narrowed her eyes to an older wizard at the other end of the table. The eyes of the man she was impersonating were small and almost as black as the night, the big bushy eyebrows nearly covered the eyes completely as she squinted.
"I did no such thing!" The older wizard, named Marcos Deguise huffed.
"Bar on Cockburn ring a bell?" She snarled, and I truly was impressed by her acting. She must have mimicked our old professor, because she almost sounded like Snape.
"I - I." He didn't know what to say, and panic filled his eyes as he glanced around the table, looking for help, but nobody looked at him.
"Malfoy!" Bellatrix bellowed. "Put him with the other prisoners. Maybe he'll learn from it."
"But - no, miss Lestrange." Marcos pleaded as Lucius pushed himself away from the table. He made his way over to him, Lucius face was placid, but I could see his fingers twitch. He dragged the wizard from his chair and out of the room, Marcos' pleading continued until they were out of earshot.
"Bons, report." Bellatrix said to another death eater, filling the silent room with her voice.
So, that's what happened. Everyone reported at what they did or found out. At some of the things they told, I had a hard time to restrain the disgust on my face and tried to look around with a blank face. The sun was rising quickly now, filling the room with beams of sunlight. Then someone said something that made my hair stand up on my unrecognisable arms.
"There is a rumour Potter had been spotted at one of the remote villages in Wales."
"Rumour?" Bellatrix voice the equivalent of calmness, twirling her wand between her fingers.
"Strong supporters of our cause, ma'am."
"Send Matters and Malfoy, bring the young one too. He can recognize him, besides we all know he could use a little tough love."
I gave a short nod in Bellatrix direction, before my eyes shifted passed Draco. He looked like he was having a hard time to control his breathing, getting more ragged. His mum placed her hand on his, just beneath the table and he seemed to calm down. In the corner of my eye, I saw Tonks shot me warning glares. But what was I supposed to do, say no to Bellatrix in a room full of death eaters?
GN
The two Malfoy men went to get ready and went upstairs. Haven't the foggiest idea what they had to do, but I waited at the entrance hall, leaning against one of the windowsills, my eyes fixed on the stairs. Tonks slid up next to me, and she opened her mouth.
"Don't." I hissed. 'You know I can't say no, they will know right away."
"I-" She said but closed her mouth again. "Here, take this." She quickly placed the necklace back around my neck and tucked it in my shirt. "I'll go back and report. How long will it be?"
"Until we can catch him, or know the rumours are false." I didn't look at Tonks when I said that, because even in the disguise I would see the worry edged on her face. I glanced around the room before I whispered. "Tell them about what we heard, about the prisoners. Tell – tell Cedric I love him."
"Don't-" She stopped herself as she looked to the ground. "I'll tell him. Please be careful." She rested her hand on my shoulder before she disappeared with a pop as the Malfoys descended the stairs.
"Talking to Dawling?" Lucius sneered. "Didn't know you two were friends."
"We're not." I grumbled. "He just doesn't shut up about cats."
"Cats?" I heard Draco murmur to himself.
"You know the address?" I asked Lucius, when he gave short nod, I disappeared.
GN
We were standing in an empty field; the sun was already descending behind the horizon. There still wasn't any sighting of Harry or the others. Draco had long given up and sat on the grass, his fingers played with strands of green grass. Lucius was pointedly looking to the other side. We've been here for hours, going from one field to the other, inspecting the barns and the houses in the neighbourhood. All the while nobody spoke. Draco and Lucius whispered sometimes, but most of the time they didn't speak. The relationship between the two seemed strained, to say the least.
"I'm bored and starving, how long are we staying here? There is no one here for miles." Draco huffed as he scrambled to his feet.
"You do as you're told, son." Lucius voice snapped. "You don't want to cross the dark lord."
"He's not even in the country." He murmured. I searched my pockets until I found a chocolate frog and tossed it to him.
"Here." Draco shot me a look in surprise as he caught it. "Now stop whining." I grumbled. Draco pursed his lips at me, before he unwrapped the frog. We were making our way to another field when night fell.
"We should report back." I finally said breaking the silence and turned to look at the two Malfoys. They were standing a few apart from each other, each glancing to another side. "You two go. I'll stay here, come get me if Lestrange says it's futile."
Malfoy looked at me curiously for a moment, then nodded.
"And Malfoy." I said as he grabbed his wand. "Don't let me hanging, I haven't forgotten Howth." I didn't know the specifics, but it was enough to bristle him. Kingsley really did an excellent job to gather information on the pair. Another short and brisk nod, and he disappeared with a crack. Draco was just about to follow, when I grabbed his arm.
"Careful, Malfoy."
"Are you threatening me?" He glared but fear flashed through his eyes.
"No, warning you." I let his arm go with a push. "Think about what the right thing to do is. Now go!" I barked out the last sentence. He didn't wait and disappeared, leaving me alone in an empty, dark, cold field. I breathed in deep before I disappeared too.
GN
Four wands were on me as I apparated inside the house. I haven't changed back yet as I walked to Kingsley, ignoring Cedric for the moment.
"Where's the body?"
"The body?" Kingsley shook his head, shock evident.
"This body." I pointed to myself impatiently. "I need Masters' body, where is it? I have no time to explain."
"Muggle coroner in Cambridge. Adams road." He answered quickly, still confused.
I nodded and just before I apparated out of the house, I heard Remus ask. "A coroner?"
Since it was the night, the coroner's office was empty. When I found Masters, I grabbed the body, ignoring the sickening feeling that came with it and apparated back to the field. I warmed up his body, like it looked like he just died and tossed his wand a little further away. Then I went back to the house, finally changing back.
Cedric flung himself at me and I wrapped my arms around him, nuzzling my head in his chest. "I was so afraid." He said in my hair.
"I know, I'm sorry." I pulled back and stood on my
toes to kiss him. His grip on me tightened and he lifted me a little from the ground. Then Kingsley cleared his throat and Tonks snickered. "Right. I'm guessing you need an explanation?"
"Please." Kingsley gestured to the couches near the window.
We took our seats in the living room, Cedric planted himself next to me, his hand coming around me. Remus did the almost same thing with Tonks, while she cradled her belly. Kingsley was leaning forward, his arms rested on his knees and his look was serious. Tonks had already informed them about what happened in the Manor and what my assignment was when I was away.
"It wasn't Harry." I said firstly, try to ease their minds. "There was nobody around for miles. I don't know where he got the intel from, but it was wrong. We had been patrolling and searching the fields and barns since noon. All the barns and houses were empty and worn down. About twenty minutes ago, I said we should report back."
"What about the body?" Remus asked.
Cedric's hand was on my lower back, tracing small circles under my shirt. "I wanted to leave him behind, so they won't think he ran away or when they find the body elsewhere and more decayed... they may find out there was an impostor inside the house. Now they'll think he was taking by surprise after the Malfoys left."
"That's... rather brilliant." Remus said thoughtfully.
"Told you she was amazing." Tonks grinned. I leaned back and curled into Cedric's side a little more, feeling his steady heartbeat under my hand as we speculated about who the prisoners might be.
GN
"Did Tonks give you my message." I whispered when we were lying in bed.
"She did." His voice trembled a little. I pushed myself up from his chest and climbed over him, so I was straddling him.
"I'm sorry." I cupped his cheek and leaned my head against his. "I know I forgot to tell you when I left, and I didn't want our last words to be "Do you like my stubble." I chuckled. "I needed you to know that I love you. More than my heart can handle sometimes."
"I know you love me, you married me remember?" He teased and I slapped his arm. "But I love you too, more than anything in this world. I was so afraid to lose you." His gripped my waist, trying to make sure I was still there.
"I'm here." I leaned down to capture his lips. "And I'm not going anywhere." I murmured against his lips.