Chapter 6 – Arrow
Oh your love keeps me in chains
Just like the river I come back again
Oh your fear keeps me right here
You'll be the arrow, the arrow
Rag'N'Bone Man – Arrow
The room was silent, a thick oppressive feeling of dead air permeated the small group who had taken to aggressively standing around the now quivering figure, bent double, head bowed, eyes boring a hole into the floor. The hair had transfigured from the striking Malfoy platinum to a tawny brown, falling in curling rivulets across small shoulders and covering the face of the imposter. The ultimate subservience of the pitiful creature before them made everyone retreat into their own minds, collating questions and calming themselves. The only one who remained staring was Draco, eyes burning with ice and fire, lips pulled into a legendary sneer that would have made his father proud. Ron held his hand, tight, and occasionally gave a reassuring squeeze. For all of his menace, Draco knew if Ron let go, there was no telling how badly this woman would be hurt. Draco could not account for his actions if left to his own autonomy, and the presence of his husbands love and magic kept him safely away from the precipice.
"I will ask again, now we have all had our quiet time, where is my mother, you loathsome little bitch?" The words were dripping with the venom of a true snake, quiet and laced with an unspoken threat of impending violence. Ron took the opportunity to take Draco by the shoulders, inevitably pinning him to the spot. He knew his husband, and even he was quelled by that look. Deep down in his stomach, a knot was forming and spinning, as it had been a long time since he had seen Draco's magic crackling around him. It only ever happened in moments of extreme emotion, and Ron was sure that if he didn't stop Draco now, there would be no turning back.
"Come on, Dray, let's leave the Ministry to question her, whoever she is. You'll be no closer to finding the answer by intimidation." Ron tried to pull Draco's attention away from the supplicated figure, but found him to be made of stone and unwilling to budge.
"Listen to your husband, Draco, leave this to us. I will come and get you as soon as we have completed our…inquiries…" Kingsley's voice was smooth and honeyed as melting chocolate pouring from a fountain, but his eyes were unblinking and unreadable. Draco remained unmoved, however, when Severus stepped forward and took his godson's arm, Draco's eyes slowly drew away from the captive and looked imploringly into the obsidian pools of his godfather's eyes. Severus could see the hate, the rage and the disgust, but he also saw what only perhaps Ron or Draco's parents would recognise in their stoic son, abject terror. He nodded once, wordlessly conveying his thoughts, and with this silent exchange Draco turned on his heel and swept from the hall, with Ron keeping pace. As the doors closed behind the couple, a low chuckle could be heard from the previously silent woman. The chuckle rose and quickly twisted into a maniacal laugh, the culprit throwing her mahogany curls back and almost howling now, tears trickling down her cheeks. It was Hermione who moved quicker than all, her eyes fixed upon the figure, her wand pointing directly between the deep purple eyes. She had never seen such a shade, and Hermione stood still whilst she took in the facial features. A rounded, heart shaped face, reminiscent of an owl, with large eyes of deepest mauve – an odd shade that somehow caught Hermione off-guard – her lips were thin and didn't seem to fit the otherwise rosy demeanour. It was a face that held a certain subtle beauty, certainly not a face one would associate with subterfuge. Hermione hardened her stance and slightly twisted her wand into the exposed skin, causing the woman to cease laughing and hitch a breath in her throat, those eyes turning from the brink of insanity and, taking in by whom she was currently being threatened, melted into panic and fear.
"By order of the Ministry of Magic, and under the witness of all present, you will answer our questions, otherwise you will be subject to the Ministry protocols and procedures for detainees", Hermione spoke steadily, her use of words quirking the lips of both Harry and Kingsley into the slightest of smiles. Only Hermione would quote the Auror's statutes in an event like this, even though she had shown no interest in entering the Auror's department.
"I think that is my line…" Harry chuckled, keeping his eyes on the woman in the chair.
"Or indeed min…" Kingsley pointed out, looking over to Harry and sharing a silent moment of humour.
The woman still had her eyes focussed on Hermione with a fixed determination but, as the seconds dragged by, she seemed to become more frustrated. The point rose when, after clearly failing at some hidden task, she sighed and threw her head back to remove any hair from her face. She took in a deep, almost laboured breath.
"How did you resist?" She asked, tilting her head further away from the wand that still was firmly in place. "No one can resist my magic." The woman's accent was a rich, deep drawl and Hermione for a moment was deeply concerned and perplexed. She removed her wand and took a step back, never taking her eyes from the woman before her.
"Hermione? You ok?" Harry went to stand closer to his friend now, as she had turned ghostly pale. Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, letting the air escape her lungs slowly to ensure she was fully prepared.
"Nicely played. Very nicely played. I commend you for your ingenuity. You managed to almost dupe everyone into believing you were Narcissa imperiused. The problem you have here is that your magic would not hold out for as long as you thought, Fairy, not when surrounded by the iron in this room. You almost had me. What do you want?"
Hermione had begun to prowl backwards and forwards, like a cat lining up a jump, her eyes never leaving the woman on the chair, who was now showing signs of being very afraid. Upon the mention of being a fairy, the woman shook her mane of wild locks, allowing her ears to fully protrude, and gnashed her now unearthly sharp teeth at Hermione in a savage attempt to free herself from her chains. The overt movement had the opposite effect as the chains tightened, and parts of the fairies flesh began to burn, steam rising from the pale and almost translucent skin.
"Bitch, you know why we are here."
"We? Who are we?" Severus asked, his robes beginning to slightly billow against him as he pointed his wand at the imposter. He moved his line of sight to Hermione, and the look on her face sent a shiver through him. She almost looked feral, her face as hard as stone and her eyes burning with a flame he had never seen. This woman had fought in a war, but never had she looked more aggressive, powerful and, above all, pissed off. The thought alone briefly cracked the Potion's master's usually stoic demeanour. This young woman was always the most special of the Golden Trio, but now he could physically see why.
Hermione chose a different tact, crouching to meet the woman face to face, her wand still visible and now being slowly twisted between her fingers in an almost flippant way. She smiled, but it did not meet her eyes, as she stared into the garnet holes of eyes shining angrily back at her.
"Now. I'm going to count to three…"
_-0-_
Lafayette's head was still reeling. Well, not reeling per say, rather it was pounding. Rather than deal with the news he received from Sookie he had flown out of the Stackhouse home in an angry daze and blustered to the 7/11, grabbed a fifth of vodka, threw himself into the trailer and wrapped himself a fat zoot and ordered Chinese food. He didn't want to deal, he just wanted to forget. When he had said he wanted more drama and was bored, he didn't necessarily mean directed at him. After everything he'd been through, from being locked up by crazy strong vamps to losing the love of his life to magic, he had been through more than enough. Why did Sookie always have to bring him trouble? That Tinkerbell bitch needed to keep him out of her business, otherwise it would be the death of him.
But it isn't her business baby, it's a problem for all of you.
The voice of Jesus added to Lafayette's already delicate disposition. He knew that Jesus was right, but h wasn't going to admit it. Rolling off his cot, he realised he needed to talk to someone. He needed to really talk to Sookie, without all those feline faces staring him down and expecting him to magically click his fingers and accept the fact he is a "wizard". Lafayette audible scoffed and rolled his eyes at the thought. He knew what he was. He didn't need some fairy to trip up in his life and turn it inside out. Did he look like some Harry Potter, hocus pocus fool?
"They been watching too many movies", Lafayette said to the empty trailer, and the chuckle within his mind made him feel so close to being wrapped in a hug that he sighed deeply.
You know they were books first right? And you also know that some fictions are based on facts.
"Ah leave me alone, you're trying to tell me that there's a big old school in England where all these little pitney's run around with they pointy hats and cast spells and shit with broken off tree twigs? Fuck that."
Weirder things happen every day, mi amore. If you haven't noticed, I'm talking to you from beyond the grave…
"Yeah I know that hooker, that's not the point!" Suddenly Lafayette's face became full of suspicion as it dawned on him what he was hearing.
"What do you know?"
I'm sure I don't know what you mean…
"Nah nah nah, bitch, you seem far too comfortable with all this shit. So imam ask again. What. Do. You. Know?"
He felt the silence in his mind, and searched for any trace of Jesus, but he'd disappeared.
"Pussy-ass…" Lafayette mumbled, only to feel a shuddering warmth engulf him. His eyes misted over and he felt like he was floating on a cloud of nothingness. His fingers gripped something soft as he was propelled into darkness. He closed his eyes to block out the dizzying feeling rushing through him when, just as suddenly as it started, he was drawn to a sharp halt and unceremoniously dumped on a cold, hard floor.
"Much better, now at least I can talk to you properly, if only briefly". Jesus stood, his arms folded, waiting for Lafayette to gain focus. As it dawned on Lafayette that he was in a room that was basically a black box, he saw Jesus standing before him. Lafayette reached out, but Jesus moved away.
"No, my love, we cannot touch. It's part of the rules here, but we can talk. Well. You can listen, for a change." A devilish grin crossed his face as he waved to one wall and a larch, arched window appeared against it, but the view was not of Merlotte's. It wasn't even Bon Temps.
"Come see." Jesus inclined his head an Lafayette, now on his feet, wandered over to the window and looked across a sprawling forest. A forest which appeared to be moving. Like a movie before him, the landscape zoomed towards an enormous castle, shrouded in nightfall, the only lights burning in windows and through the large open doors leading inside. The image stopped here, and Lafayette gasped. The image was so familiar, he'd seen it in the movies, but not quite. There were subtle changes, like a large fence surrounding the edge of the forest. The little hut he recognised from when Jesus had made him watch the movies in a marathon was positioned near an impressively sized lake, purple smoking billowing into the inky black sky. The spires and turrets of the castle threw a gothic silhouette across the grounds, and Lafayette breath was stolen away by the beauty of the place.
"This bullshit is Disney, for real," he finally said, turning away from the window and pacing in circles. Jesus watched him with worry in his eyes. Lafayette was being far to calm.
"Baby, you ok?" Jesus sounded concerned but Lafayette was lost in his own head, which was never a good place to be lost. All of a sudden he let out a laugh that rumbled through him. He was laughing so hard he was shortened of breath and was feeling light headed. Wiping his eyes he saw the concern in Jesus' face and laughed harder. He felt euphoric, this was all just too much and the weed was really kicking in now.
"Fucking faeries, maenads, vampires, werewolves, beatnik witches, the rebirth of Lilith, shape shifters, ghosts and rednecks. I've seen 'em all, maybe it's time for a change of scene. You need to send me back baby, I need to talk to Sookie."
You're already back baby.
Lafayette blinked a few times before the lights returned to his vision. There he was, in his fabulous trailer, surrounded by his fabulous things. Now he needed to move his fabulous ass and find Tink, before he changed his mind or, which still sounded like a viable option, finished that bottle of wine from last night and rolled another joint.